Since childhood I have always felt a need to be prepared. Most of my family thinks I am over reacting. They allow me to do some things but put the brakes on when I ask to be more prepared. Two nights ago when talking with my husband ( frequent sorce of tention) he said to make a list and plan for what I want to do then he would think about it. He doesn't want to spend all kinds of money for the stored food and supplies only to have them go to waist. I am looking for support and I want to learn how to do this. I know it will be an investment. How can I balance what I believe we should be doing and what I am able to do?
Looking for support
- Thread starter Lindy
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I like your husbands idea of a list. Make a pros and cons list of what you want to do. make separate lists of supplies you have and what you need. at least he is interested enough to be (thinking ) about it. when i was a kid ,my mothers prep was as simple as keeping extra dollars in her cookie jar.
Thank you for relpying. I wasn't sure I did it right. My husband is the computer person.
I just got the feeling he was trying to pacify me because I am on disability right now. He wants me to be safe and not walk around to much when he isnt around. If I am researching and writting lists I wont fall again. Every time we have this discussion he tells me to make a list and his answer is "we cant afford it with all the medical bill we constantly have, on top of helping our adult children with they student loans." I cant argue, I do cost our family money becasue of my medical issues. So I feel guilty and drop the subject until it stirs in my heart so much I say something again. This time though I feel it stronger. I do have a "cookie jar" and I made a very simple short term "Go Bag" for both of us including a week of his and my meds. I change the meds out each time they get renewed so they stay good. I ordered two books from Amazon to learn more about food prep and water storage etc. And I found this site today. Thanks for listening! Hopefully I will remember how I got to this site!
I just got the feeling he was trying to pacify me because I am on disability right now. He wants me to be safe and not walk around to much when he isnt around. If I am researching and writting lists I wont fall again. Every time we have this discussion he tells me to make a list and his answer is "we cant afford it with all the medical bill we constantly have, on top of helping our adult children with they student loans." I cant argue, I do cost our family money becasue of my medical issues. So I feel guilty and drop the subject until it stirs in my heart so much I say something again. This time though I feel it stronger. I do have a "cookie jar" and I made a very simple short term "Go Bag" for both of us including a week of his and my meds. I change the meds out each time they get renewed so they stay good. I ordered two books from Amazon to learn more about food prep and water storage etc. And I found this site today. Thanks for listening! Hopefully I will remember how I got to this site!
Hon, just ask the questions, we'll help if we can. I want to welcome you and let you know you don't have to spend an arm and a leg to get ready.
I just wanted to say Welcome to our list Lindy! You're right at my back door since I just live in IL. I am also new and know what you mean about dh not wanting to help out...feel he's just humoring me...or thinks I'm crazy at this point but I'm truly scared for our sons sake...wishing I could leave country cuz dot feel safe here at all any longer. I can feel a big change coming on...just started prepping...have very, very little put away and lack the money to do much right now...if anything. Own no guns and have no permit to get one....just applied but prob would be to scared to use one even if I had it. I wish all the members here lived in my neighborhood! They're all wonderful and very supportive so come often for great advice and/or just to feel you're not as crazy as our actual family "thinks" we are....or if we are, we're with like company here for sure! Lol
The first thing that you can do is take advantage of the loss leaders at the grocery stores. When you find good bargains, buy several and just put them in the cupboard. If the man complains tell him how much you are saving over the regular prices of the items. Save your grocery receipts and show him physical proof of the high cost of food and how much sense it makes to have food put by. If you don't already, learn to cook from scratch. It saves money, tastes better, and is better for you. A plus side to cooking from scratch is that you aren't limited in what you can make like you are if you simply buy a frozen dinner. I'm in Missouri so not all that far from you two, maybe a day in St. Louis could be planned.
Do you have any suggestions on stocking up on medications/first aid supplies? I have tried to skip a dose when I feel I can but that is a very slow process. I wonder if that would even do any good. What if I save doses for the emergency but when the emergency happens I am not on that medication anymore. I would have compromised and possibly struggled for nothing. Then there is always the expireation date...this question is also for a regular first aid kit supplies. If we stock up there is probably no way we could use a large amount of say Hydrocortisone or eye wash etc. when we do the 6 month rotation of goods. Any suggestions?
I would not skip doses of your medication esp . blood pressure or non prn meds. Talk to your doctor and get on the 90 day prescription plan if not already. medication is still ok after expiration date it will probably not be as effective.
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Can't tell you anout meds, but things do last longer than expertation dates. . depending on the item. On the prepping cheaper. . I started a garden about 10 years ago and just this year told hubby about my "prepping mindset". Turned out he was in full support. I do cheap, cause that is how we live and I know there are a few others on this forum, so just ask
Look up the patriot nurse on YouTube she can tell you all the Meds you'll need and their actual expiration dates.
Thank you for your suggestions. My main concern is that I take pain meds under the supervision of a pain management doctor. The government now makes a patient go to the doctor every month and you can only get one month supply of the medication at a time. It used to be I could get 3 months at a time but now there is so much regulation. I know the government says it is becasue people abuse the medication but the ones who suffer are those who aren't abusing the medication but need it for any quality of life. That is the medicine that some days when I am feeling better I save the pills for a rainy day so to speak. I always end up paying for it becasue pain management is not letting the pain get so bad before taking it. The meds always takes longer to work if my pain is an 8 on the scale 1-10 than if it is a 4 then take a dose before it gets to 8. I'm sorry I sound bitter I guess I am not used to being on disability. It is all the more reason I want to plan ahead. Unless there is Divine intervention I wont be getting better this side of Heaven. I want to be as prepared as I can not just for me but for my husband. He helps me so much I want there to be some way that I can help him even though I pray the need for prepardness wont be needed but I'm not naive. Thanks for letting me vent.
I wanted to say that I had a heart to heart with my husband after praying for the words. I guess the way I presented it this time made it easier for him to know why I feel the need to do this. He even helped me order something on the computer and I showed him this site and he seemed open to keep working on this. We spoke openly and we have a plan that doesn't overwhelm him and it helps me feel like we are taking steps to prepare. I'm so grateful.
A lot of people go overboard on prepping, It's easy to do. All I recommend for you right now is buy just one or 2 more of what you regularly buy. Instead of buying one stick of deodorant buy 2 and so on and continue the two plan. After a few months you have a lot more than you expected to have. And the husband wont see this as all that unreasonable. Try to find over the counter pain meds (ie naproxen) that will help take the edge off and talk to your doctor about dosage for safety. High blood pressure can be managed by natural salt like mineral or sea salt(non chemical salt) also potassium (got my dad off his high blood pressure meds using Himalayan salt and bananas).
That is exactly what we talked about for our plan buy 1 or 2 extra things especially when on sale and we have coupons. What you said affirms that we are on the right track, thank you. As far as over the counter meds... the reason I take what I take is that I am allergic to NSAID's (naproxen etc.) amoung other things. I go into aniflactic shock (spelling???) It has been a huge challenge over the past two decades to find something that wont kill me literally. I can't be allergic to any more meds there is no more room on my medical alert braclete 
The things that I/we deal with are not very common. I am literally in the medical books. Thankfully, at least at this point, I don't have high blood pressure or other tyipical things for people at my stage of life are dealing with. Thanks for your input and encouragement. Bless you day.
The things that I/we deal with are not very common. I am literally in the medical books. Thankfully, at least at this point, I don't have high blood pressure or other tyipical things for people at my stage of life are dealing with. Thanks for your input and encouragement. Bless you day.
One way to perhaps keep him calm that waste will be kept to a minimum, rotate your food stash so that you always have fresh food supplies, and he will see that your money isn't going towards stuff you don't already use. this way while he is happy about the food, and you can by some other stuff without raising any eyebrows. Just my 2 cents.
As far as meds go I don't have much advise other than medical marijuana. If your state allows it you could grow this in your home. The nice thing about this is when TSHTF you could use this to barter. Food I buy 10 Mylar bags with o2 obsorbers from Amazon for 25 bucks. You can find used 5 gal buckets almost anywhere or you can buy them at menards Home Depot don't worry about food grade since you have the Mylar bags. I put brown rice and beans fairly cheap at ethnic grocer or SAMs or similar. Five gal of brown rice goes a lot further than people think
We cant have medical marijuana here. I heard somewhere (can't remember where) that it would be a good thing to have alcohol for bartering. Would you have any suggestions on what would be the most popular? Do you think drinking alcohol is good to sterilize things or clean wounds? Do you think rubbing alcohol or Hydrogen Poroxide is better to have?
I personally keep rubbing alcohol, and hydrogen peroxide on hand as I feel it is much better for medical use than is a bottle of Jim Beam, Patron, or Jack Daniels.
Plus I can buy rubbing alcohol, and hydrogen peroxide at the dollar stores.
I have made a still out of an old whistler steam kettle using cork and copper tubing routed into a cooler. This serves me two purposes. One to distill water and the other well let's just say I could make me some hillbilly fuel.
okay thanks
I try that I will level the house!
After everything craps the bed, I don't thing a joint is going to end the world. I already know that is going to be used to help control the issues I have. On meds that are not classed as controlled, you might be able to talk to your dr and explain to him that you would like to have enough meds on hand to 'go out of town' or in case you can't get to the pharmacy.
I will ask next, thanks for that suggestion. I actually had wondered what someone does if they cant make their appointment because my last one there was a winter storm. Thankfully my appointment was in the afternoon so the roads were better by the time I had to drive. When you leave you have to set your next appointment it is so difficult to get in because everyone has to see the PA each month. It certainly restricts people in any plans they might have.
You might 'lose' them one month and ask for a refill. That's something you can maybe do once if your dr is understanding.
I have a suggestion for people who frequently use ice packs. This product cools off by itself becasue it is filled with gel. Originally I wasn't thinking of Prepping when I got this, I was just tired of running out of ice becasue of using so much for my packs. Then I got to thinking it would be good to have if the power goes out, there would be no need to open the freezer during an outage to get ice. Even in a Bug Out situation you would always have a cool pack. It is used for bedding for those who get to warm at night causing them to have trouble falling asleep. They have them for any size bed and a pillow size so you don't have to keep turning the pillow over when it gets to warm. I also use mine during the day for an ice pack. It is from Cool Gelmat. I got the size for a twin bed so it is pretty big (35 x 35). It isn't super cold just cool enough to help and you don't have to worry about it leaking. It lasts about 15 - 20 minutes each side depending on your body temp. It would be a bit clumbsy even if you only had the pillow size but in a pinch someone could use it to put on a sprained ankle or a sore back etc. The down side: it isnt compact and it is heavy so it might be difficult for Bug Out purposes but if you know you will need it, and you know there will be no power it might be good to have around. They are also expensive but it was well worth it for me so I thought I would share the information.
lindy, welcome. I was thinking that your husband's asking for a list is a good thing. Lists are GREAT for beginner preppers and could spark his interest, but it looks like he's getting involved already, which is GREAT!
You have a lot of good questions that are asked by a lot of people a lot of times. Please look around and feel free to post other threads for specific info. It will help you keep things organized in your mind and easier to find on the forum if you or others search for it at a later date.
The biggest issue I see facing you that is a "Unique" problem that might not be covered in another thread, is your medication issue. I have the same problem and may be able to help you. If you'd like to, contact me in a PM. I see a PM doctor also. If you are on opiates, or any other meds that can build a dependency, you want to be SURE you can have back-up, even if the sky doesn't fall. If you need those meds and are in a survival situation and go into detox and start kicking, you're in GRAVE danger and this could very well become life-threatening. This is a VERY serious issue and should not be neglected if at all possible.
Alcohol and other "Mind altering substances" will definitely be good for bartering. If things get bad, people will want to "Get away and forget things" for a while. It will be worth a mint. Cheap liquor in your supplies will be worth as much as a fine single malt scotch or a perfectly aged bourbon. People will be looking for a buzz, not for a nice sipping liquor. Trust me on this. Look at any homeless person without anything but an alcohol addiction. They will drink ANYTHING.... WHich leads me to another point, many addicts and alcoholics will do almost anything to get it, including but not limited to hurting you.... Security is a must in prepping, but I would give extra thought to this if you're thinking of stockpiling alcohol or other mind altering substances(LEGAL ONES recommended only, of course) that could put you in MUCH greater risk or added risk of being robbed or "Taken" for your goods.
You have a lot of good questions that are asked by a lot of people a lot of times. Please look around and feel free to post other threads for specific info. It will help you keep things organized in your mind and easier to find on the forum if you or others search for it at a later date.
The biggest issue I see facing you that is a "Unique" problem that might not be covered in another thread, is your medication issue. I have the same problem and may be able to help you. If you'd like to, contact me in a PM. I see a PM doctor also. If you are on opiates, or any other meds that can build a dependency, you want to be SURE you can have back-up, even if the sky doesn't fall. If you need those meds and are in a survival situation and go into detox and start kicking, you're in GRAVE danger and this could very well become life-threatening. This is a VERY serious issue and should not be neglected if at all possible.
Alcohol and other "Mind altering substances" will definitely be good for bartering. If things get bad, people will want to "Get away and forget things" for a while. It will be worth a mint. Cheap liquor in your supplies will be worth as much as a fine single malt scotch or a perfectly aged bourbon. People will be looking for a buzz, not for a nice sipping liquor. Trust me on this. Look at any homeless person without anything but an alcohol addiction. They will drink ANYTHING.... WHich leads me to another point, many addicts and alcoholics will do almost anything to get it, including but not limited to hurting you.... Security is a must in prepping, but I would give extra thought to this if you're thinking of stockpiling alcohol or other mind altering substances(LEGAL ONES recommended only, of course) that could put you in MUCH greater risk or added risk of being robbed or "Taken" for your goods.
Hi Alabaster, Pain is a challenging thing isn't it. I would like to talk to someone who understands. I am afraid I have lead a sheltered life and I didn't even think of the situations you spoke of. You mentioned using other threads...I am doing good to even log on. It takes me forever to get to this place. Computers are not my strength. I have been on pain meds for a long time, decades. Addiction has always been a fear of mine. I have had to stop taking them for one reason or another a couple of times for weeks at at time but I haven't had any trouble like kicking or detox. I was hoping to get a spinal stimulator implant (do you know what that is?) I had the trial and it worked, but my body formed to much scar tissue and they were unable to put in the perrmanent one after 2+ hours on the operating table, that was horrible! If I had that it would have allowed me to decrease my pain meds and maybe even stop taking them all together. I guess God has something else in mind since that didn't work. For now I am on disability. It is very difficult being away from the people I serve. You said contact you in the evening, how would I reach you, through this page?
Lindy, hon, if Alabaster hasn't already done this I'll tell you how to talk to him privately. Right click your mouse on his name at one of his posts. You will get a box that will come up in the middle of your screen and you will have an option called 'Start a Conversation' at about the middle of the box, right above the line. Click that and you will get another window popped up and now you can start sending him information privately. Hope this helps.
