It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark –Howard Huff
If you are like me, the recent events have brought to the forefront that it is a good idea to be prepared for an unexpected turn of events.
Covid19 is here and you will want to assess where you are and where you would like to be in terms of a well prepared household.
Preparedness has many levels but the one I will write on today is being ready in the “getting your affairs in order” category. Our lives were upended two years ago with a catastrophic health event and I found out just how lacking my system of home information was. We had to drop literally everything and leave town for two weeks at the Mayo. I have files, but nothing was easy for other people to find. I did not have extra sets of keys, including car keys. I did not have information on what payments should be made as my husband paid some of the bills and I paid others. I did not know what systems were in place on his end to pay things as he did most of it online and it included passwords, etc. Even my dog was at risk. I had to arrange for someone to drop in to feed him and stay at the house overnight while we were gone.
Do you know the password to your spouse’s computer. If you have separate bank accounts do you have a power of attorney. Do you have a healthcare power of attorney? Think about it and then get it done. You will be so glad you did. My guide for this journey was Prepping 101 – 40 Steps You Can take to Be Prepared. They recommend that you make a preparedness binder. This book is wonderful because it covers the most elemental items you will need to remember. It is not a “prepper” manual at all, but rather a family organizational binder that covers the following:
- Assess your lighting needs
- Calculate your water needs
- Plan for long-term water usage
- Calculate your Food Needs
- Design a food storage program
- Store food for the long term
- Build a first aid kit
- Build a basic tool kit
- Stock up on batteries
- Check your car
- Prepare your home
- Review your financial preparedness
- Protect your electronics
- Talk to your kids
- Prepare your pets
- Keep communication open
- Shop for the best buys
- Buy in bulk
- Grow a little garden
- Learn to preserve food
- Learn to cook in a crisis
- Plan a day of emergency meals
- Keep your food safe
- How to Handle Garbage
- Keep pests at bay
- Connect with your community
- Plan for entertainment and celebration
- Cope with sanitation
- Deal with personal hygiene
- Manage your laundry
- think about security
- Create a safe room
- Keep warm
- Keep cool
- Make an evacuation plan
- Survival hacks
- The well-prepared bookcase
- Ready, Set, Practice!
These are all of the chapter headings and the book is chock full of really relevant tips. If you use this as a guideline you should be in a good place if trouble looms.
Country Comfort 