How prepared are you to weather rough times? Almost all states now, reccomend that you be prepared for an emergency by having certain supplies on hand that will help you wweather and event for 72 hours. I say that's not enough! 2 weeks is the minimum, more if you can manage it.
By being sustainable Pagans, we are really working towards that anyways. We try to cut out the unnessesary in our lives and live more simply and in a greener way. This actually, is a great mind set for being prepared! Food stockpiles are a way of preventing unnessesary trips to the store, which saves on gas, time and money. So, how do you do this? When you do go to the store, pick up extra of the items you use each week and slowly build your stockpile that way...simple and efficient!
What should you have on hand?
14 days worth of quick meals
a First Aid kit
flashlights and batteries
CASH
CAsh? Yes! How would you handle things if an ATM wasn't available? About once a year, communications fail in part of the country and ATM's aren't available for 3 days. If you have children, or have to travel, this means you need cash to get what you need. I try to have about 2 weeks worth of nessesities cash on hand and stashed away in our safe.
If you aren't "cash solvent", then save your change! It's a simple way to start an emergency fund...I go one farther and save my dollar bills I get and put them in the same place as my change. Another way to save a bit, is to keep the bottle return money or make arrangements to babysit or dog sit once a month and put that cash in your little stockpile.
A little bit goes a long ways.... When stockpiling, get items that are high in protien and filling, like peanut butter. This will help fill you up and keep you going while you wait out the emergency. Unopened peanut butter will last for several years on your shelf, so it will always be there for you. Find a recipe for home made crackers and store the ingredients next to the peanut butter, then you will have what you need to help you family with a familiar old favorite.
