Prepping 101

Becoming less reliant on the systems is what being self reliant is all about.  There are many ways to become self reliant.  All of them depend on you. Today I discuss ways to become more self reliant. Difference between self sufficiency and self reliance Getting out of debt Gardening Home maintenance Car maintenance Skills

Today's show is about investing.  I think many today are somewhat apprehensive about investing in today's market. I was thinking about this over the weekend as I spent the holiday at my in laws 250 acres in the mountains. Join me today as I discuss- Investing in your survival needs Having cash Tangibles Yourself Community Financial Advisers Diversification Acting in fear Remember your plan does not have to be the same as mine.  In the end what you do matters.  

Non Lethal weapons are a great adjunct to a concealed carry weapon or for those who may live in areas where you are unable to carry.  Today I go over a variety of weapons you can use to extricate yourself from a situation without having to resort to lethality.       Join me today as I discuss- Pepper Spray Kubaton Mace Taser Baton Knife Personal Alarm  

Learning how to do basic maintenance on your car is a great preparedness item.  Some things are just as easy as adding fluid.  Others require changing the fluid.  The great thing about these items is they can be done all at one sitting.   Learning how to maintain and change your fluids will  add years to your cars life.     Join me today as I discuss- What your fluids do Which ones to check and which ones to change Safety tips How spending $30 can save your life Proper tire inflation can save you money These are all easy things you can do to expand your knowledge set or save you money. Don't forget to chime in with a comment or send me an email to ric@prepping101.com or come over to our facebook or twitter pages.

First aid is an important skill for preppers/survivalists.  As a member of Salt Lake County Mountain Rescue/Search and Rescue team for 15 years, I have used first aid frequently.  Today I discuss my history as a member of Search and Rescue and some of the issues I saw with people who went outside without proper preparedness items and mentality. Today's episode is a little off the cuff without show notes.

What are you going to do if you have to evacuate your home?  Do you have a plan?  Documenting your evacuation will put your mind at ease and decrease the panic if something happens.  To often we forget that a simple job loss can be an emergency in our life.  Knowing what to do in these situations could make the difference between success and failure. Join me today as I discuss - What to document Safe routes All potential disasters What to do Packing list Family members role Financial information Pets Knowing what to do in an emergency is important.  Having it written down will put your mind at ease.

Often we are fed so much information that we take for granted the words we hear as truth.  If a lie is repeated often enough it becomes the truth in the mind of the individual.  So often is the case in today's world. Every once in a while I like to talk about liberty and freedom.  I feel they are inseparable from self sufficiency and self reliance.  Those who control their own fate understand in order to be free we must be accountable for our actions and not seek government for our solutions. Hopefully you sense some of my passion for Liberty today.  I think it is something we as individuals can reclaim from those who would knowingly or unknowingly take it away. Join me today as I discuss- We must spend to keep our economy going. Everyone should go to college The Constitution gives us rights You can't get ahead because of.... The government is your friend This is a heartfelt podcast today.  It is something near and dear to my heart.  Liberty is so precious and I hope we can reclaim it and spread it to others.

Join me in part 3 of 3 in finding ways to reduce your debt.  Being debt free is probably the best feeling in the world.  Knowing you owe no one anything is the most liberating idea and one we should all strive for. Join me as I discuss - Eliminate everything not needed.  Be brutal.  It will be worth it in the end Sell something Be patient Save money and buy anything you want with the leftover with cash Save money for a rainy day. Buy things of value.  If you have to buy something, buy something which will last so will not have to buy it agian. Turn off your TV Move into a smaller space Give back Educate yourself Don't get complacent Pay more than the minimum Be positive Coupons Be creative about entertainment Start a garden Store food Increase your income Negotiate with your creditors Remember what you do matters There you go over 30 ways to reduce your debt.  Hope you have enjoyed the Debt Reduction Series.  Please let me know in the comment section what you think.  As always you can send me an email at ric@prepping101.com.

As you wander down the preparedness path, are you having your home consume you or provide for you?  One of the most basic things we can do is to make our home provide for us rather than having us work to provide for our home.  Turning your home into a homestead is just that.  By reducing your debt, providing food and energy, your home can be something to help rather than hinder. Join me today as I discuss- What is a homestead? What we can do to turn our house into a homestead Get out of debt Grow your own food Use solar energy Rainwater harvesting Save money Having a homestead is something you keep when life's road gets a little bumpy, a home is something you are tied to.

Of all the things we can do to help be "green" some of the least efficient are things like electric cars and carbon offsets.  The people who buy these are often the ones who are the some of the biggest users of energy.  They buy a Prius but still have A/C in their home or use natural gas for heat in the winter.  I am not here to deride these people but to say I think the individual has greater power than they realize.  By saving money at home through the efficient use of energy we are putting money in our pocket.  This extra money can be use for many other preparedness items. Join me today as I discuss Hey, the sun is the biggest reason why we get hot Solar hot water Solar hot air Photovoltaic cell Solar oven Insulation Maintain your HVAC Digital Thermostat Ceiling fans Lighting Water usage Trash Compost Have a garden As I see it we need to have green energy become beneficial to the individual.  Once it becomes beneficial to you and I then we will be able to convince others to use less energy.

Many times as we are preparing we forget as to why.  Without thinking we may inadvertently purchase something we do not need.  Of course if you want it and it is within your budget then go ahead.  Today I go over the seven basic essentials of prepping and the things you will keep in mind as you prepare.  Also keep in mind with all of these your personal plan and the systems and disasters in your area. They are Food Water Shelter Security Sanitation Energy Money As always please leave a comment or send me an email at ric@prepping101.com. Today's resources Sanitation bucket Water Storage

As a prepper you may think a Bug out Bag (BOB) is not for you.  You would be wrong.  Today I go over what a BOB is and is NOT.  I think you will be pleasantly surprised with today's episode.  Realizing one of the thing you may have to do is evacuate your house or walk away from your car in an emergency is never easy, but is something we should be prepared for.   Join me today as I discuss What is a BOB? What it is not. How do we use one? Why should I have one? What to put in it? Hint- your six survival needs How it becomes an often used part of your vehicle Remember to send me an email at ric@prepping101.com with any questions or topics you want covered.

Join me today for part 2 of 3 in discussing ideas to help get you out of debt. Use the Debt Snowball method Work together as a team Develop better spending habits by focusing on your weaknesses When you fail get up and try again. Find small ways to reward yourself Use what works for you Realize you are going to have to change. Be realistic Part 1 can be found here. Don't forget to leave a comment or connect with me on Facebook or Twitter.  As always you can email me at ric@prepping101.com

The survival preparedness bug has bitten you, but you do not know where to start.  Starting from zero is an overwhelming thought and often leads to irrational decisions.   Before you go out an blow all your money you don't have, listen today.  There are many things you will want to plan for and do before you spend a dime. Join me today as I discuss - Start slowly- It took a long time for you to get to where you are now.  It will take some time to get back to where you want to be. See what you have first.  You may have many of the things you are desiring. Make a trial run to see where your holes are.  Having a dry run will help you find out where you are lacking.  This will provide immensely helpful in an emergency. Determine you families needs.  What do they like for comfort foods?  What do they do for entertainment?  Are you going to have extended family coming over? Keep a food journal.  It will help you buy the things you most often eat. Remember the five survival needs first. Water Food Shelter Sanitation Security Set up your preps in phases.  Start with a week and work up from there. Have a plan for your most common occurrences and what you will do in each of them  Some examples are; Blackout kit First  Aid Kit What to do with items in refridgerator How much water do you need?  Where can you get extra? How can you keep morale up and kids entertained? What other methods of cooking do you have? Food - Eat what you store and store what you eat Rotate everything Please feel free to chime in with a comment or question.  Come visit us on Facebook and Twitter or send me an email at ric@prepping101.com  

Today concludes part 2 of the Reducing Your Energy Consumption series. I have on the list today about 30 more things you can do to help you save money on your energy bills.  Since energy is a large components of your family budget it behooves us to look at ways we can reduce this cost. Join me today as I discuss these ways to help you save. Avoid cooking when the a/c is being used in summer.  If you have to cook, try to do it in one day Use microwave instead of oven.  Sometimes you gotta do what is easy Use toaster oven if you can rather than the oven If using oven, cook foods together.  Put multiple items together in the oven if possible Cook in batches and save for later.  Cook all your pasta at one time and save for later in the week. Allow food to cool to room temperature before putting in fridge. Wash dishes by hand rather than the dishwasher reducing hot water heating Use cold water detergent. Full load for washer.  Partial loads are less efficient Short showers, smaller baths.  When you use water try and spend as little time as possible using it. Multiple people for one bath fill up.  We do this at home and it works great.  We get 3 baths for the price of one. Purchase propane in the summer when demand is low. Lock your windows, Locked windows create a better seal Watch your water heater temperature. Every 10 degrees lowers you bill 3-5% Thermostat, every 1 degree equates to 1-3% savings Use a digital thermostat.  One of the best investments you can buy. Shut the flue or damper in your fireplace or stove. Turn off your gas fireplace pilot light in the summer. Motion sensor lights that come on when someone enters the room.  Frees your hands to carry more than one item into a room Turn off electronics when not in use. Set refrigerator to 36-38  and freezer to 0-5.  No need to freeze food any more solid than it already is.  Be careful about the fridge being to cold.  It can freeze vegetable and ruin them. Heat the person not the whole house.  Try and use electric heating pads instead of turning up the heat. Shade trees. Wind breaks. Insulate hot water lines. Insulate air ducting. Insulate your hot water heater with a “blanket”, can save 4-9% Clean air filters. Install low flow faucets and shower heads. Keep your fridge and freezer full.  Put in water bottles if you need to in freezers Do full load of laundry rather than partial loads. Reuse you towels. Hang clothes to dry. Re route your dryer vent to inside your house in winter. Clean lint trap. Turn off heated dry on dishwasher. When purchasing new appliances look for energy star rated ones. Service you Hvac. Get it tuned up. Clean baseboard heaters and radiators.  Dirt on these are not as efficient. Add more insulation to your attic or walls in my case. New windows. Solar hot water. Solar hot air. Make sure your landscaping on south side is deciduous.  When the leaves fall it lets in winter sun.   Resources from today's show This guy saved 87% on his electric heat bill. Don't forget to leave a comment or send me an email at ric@prepping101.com with any questions or topics you would like covered.  Please join us on Facebook or Twitter.