Prepping 101

Now you have found yourself wandering down the preparedness lifestyle path and you feel overwhelmed.  Today's podcast is for you.  I talk about ways to help you manage your time and help prioritize what is most important.       Join me today as I discuss Armageddon is not going to happen tomorrow if at all.  The zombies are not coming.  Realize you only have so much time and money. Move forward with the time, money, and commitments you have in place now. Make a list of the things you need to get done. Whatever is perceived as most important will get done. Realize there is perceived abundance right now.  You can get anything you want, at any time.  But realize if energy prices go up your ability to purchase what you want may go away. Copy can your food to build up food storage and save time when you shop. Use your food storage instead of going to the store. The ant beats the grasshopper.  Build up your self reliance slow and steady rather than quickly.  Building slowly allows you to see the holes in your plan and adjust accordingly. Garden a little bit every day rather than all day Saturday. Schedule your time effectively Realize you will be doing things differently than everyone else. Build up your assets. Work on one project at a time.  Focus is the key to success. Look for efficiencies at home.  Fix leaky faucet, leaky toilet, weatherstrip windows Realize you have had many years of being unprepared, it will take some time to become prepared.  Look at the positives you have had in your life rather than all the things you have not done. Educate yourself. No matter what anyone tells you, You make a difference.  What you do matters.  That in the end is what is most important.

Today I go some of the basic things you can do when starting out.  Do not get overwhelmed with the list presented.  While there are always things to be worked on your plan is what is most important.  Start small and work your way up the ladder.       Make a food journal.  Keep one every six months as seasons change.  A food log will help know what to buy at the store.  You will be able to scan for coupons and other items relating to what you currently are eating.  Keep track for at least a week, month is preferable. Keep a spending log.  Being prepared is knowing what you do and do not need.  Where you can trim and where you can't Perform a basic threat assessment.  Know what is possible will enable you to prepare effectively.  Do you have to worry about earthquakes, hurricanes, winter weather, tornadoes? Build a blackout kit.  A kit where if the lights go out you have something to see.  This is a great introductory item for those who may be hesitant toward preparedness. First aid kit.  A must for every household. Build up your food storage by using the copy can method. Cut your expenses.  Start with 2 things. Build a 72 hour kit. Have some backup power. Have a backup heat source. Backup food, at least 72 hours worth. Emergency communication.  Weather radio Documentation pack. Long term food storage Learn different methods of food storage. Develop community Cook a new meal from food storage. Save some money.  Cash is king when times are tough Remember what you do matters. Learn a new skill

Debt is a big component of becoming more self reliant.  Those with lower debt loads are able to ride out financial storms better.  One of the guiding philosophies of Prepping 101 is getting out of debt.  Today in part 1 I go over some initial ideas and mental adjustments you can make to rid yourself of the financial cancer that is debt.     Join me today as I discuss - Why have you decided to get out of debt? How do you start to think like a debt free person? Changing yourself to become debt free. Make a budget. Track every dime you spend you will be amazed Stop using credit cards Use cash Start an emergency fund Watch you entertainment budget. Stay tuned for part 2 next week.  Don't forget to follow me on facebook and twitter.  Send me an email with any questions, comments or show ideas at ric@prepping101.com

Today we get back to the basics of preparedness.  I wanted to go over the Prepping 101 philosophy today to help you not get overwhelmed.  This philosophy is as important to the beginner as to the expert.  This philosophy will allow you to maintain your focus on what is really important.  Worrying about the coming crash or the zombies next week will not empower you.  You need to maintain focus on your priorities. This might be a good episode to pass along to your friends. Prepping 101 Philosophy Make your own road a little smoother.  Everything you are planning for should make your life better even if nothing goes wrong.  We prepare not for just one single event.  By doing it in this manner we are less concerned about the specifics and are more concerned about the general. Debt is cancer.  It makes you a slave to your job or to whomever you owe the money to.  When you have no debt you are able to make decision which allow you not to compromise.  I have yet to hear anyone who has said "I sure wish I had more debt in my life, being debt free was not any fun" Grow your own food.  Growing your own food allows you to maintain some independence from the food system.  There are so many lesson which come from gardening.  Gardening is human activity. Reduce you tax liability.  Do everything you can to minimize your burden.  Just remember loopholes are legal deductions Store food.  Food stored is a great investment.  As food goes up in price you are buying tomorrows food at today's price.  It is one way to mitigate inflation. Plan in order of probability.  You are more likely to loose a job than have a global economic meltdown.  Look at yourself, then family, neighborhood, community, city, county, state, national, global. Have renewable energy.  Having backup power is not for those off grid or hippies.  It is a way to build redundancy in your system.  Energy prices are always going up.  If you have something you bought today the energy you generate is at a fixed cost. Buy land.  True wealth comes from the land and what you can produce from the land.  I recommend having someplace where you can grow a perennial garden which requires little maintenance. Have cash on hand.  You purchase a good deal if you do not have any money. Save money.  Live a far below your means as you are comfortable.  The less money required to maintain your lifestyle the easier it will be for you. Have insurance.  If you die your family will need to be taken care of.  I know it is boring but having life insurance is like having food storage, it makes you feel better when it is done. Find a secondary stream of income. Your plan is the most important.  Your needs are different than mine.  Take these tools and make your road a little smoother. Remember to connect with me on Facebook or Twitter.  Send me an email at ric@prepping101.com or leave a comment below.

Reducing the amount of energy you use just makes sense.  Whether or not you do it for environmental or financial reasons, using less energy puts less strain on the energy system.  This is a two part series on using and consuming less energy.     Join me today as I discuss the following; What types of energy are there? How we first plug the holes in the system Ideas Turn down thermostat in winter, sleep colder Turn up thermostat in summer, make it warmer Close empty rooms.  less area to heat Blankets on bed when sleeping Passive solar heating. Open drapes and window coverings on south facing windows Open shades during daytime to let in more natural light Opposite in summer, close off sunlight from entering home Turn off lights Use ceiling fans, up in the summer, down in the winter Whole home fan. The good and the bad. Please don't forget to chime in or offer a comment.  Join me on Facebook and Twitter.  If you like what you hear please send to your friends.  Send me an email at ric@prepping101.com with any topics, questions or comments.  

We all know the story of the ant and the grasshopper. Today I will tell the story the way it was meant to be and how it applies to prepping and survival. Just ask yourself this question. Are you an ant or a grasshopper?

Today we talk about disaster probability and commonality. In the picture to the left I have a modified graph of this. This episode was a little short. Something I did at the very beginning, but I thought it would be useful to those just starting out. Think about the things which can happens such as loss of job loss of power loss of loved one These are all on the left and are likely to happen. Things like global pandemic total economic collapse Zombie hoards These are things which are on the right and less likely to happen. We want to start preparing for the things which are most likely to happen. Make your own plan for the most common things and everything will start to fall into place.  

What happens when the power goes out in the winter? Do you have an alternative way to heat your home? Join me today as I discuss some ways to heat your home. Firewood, look for free firewood at places which mulch wood Generator, don't forget the extra gas and stabilizer Fireplace insert, you will need electricity for the fan Electric space heater because sometimes the furnace goes out Other types of space heaters Storing gas Extra blankets and coats Making an insulation home Kerosene Heaters Sta-bil Electric Space Heaters

Join me today as we discuss some easy steps we can do to gain some energy independence.  Energy is one of the biggest expenditures we have as far as outlays in our daily life.  Most of us know someone during the course of the year have a power outage.  Are you prepared to live without power for a day? A week?     Today we discuss Solar heat Solar electricity for backup lighting Solar oven Drying clothes outside Keeping dryer air inside house Solar hot water Firewood   Solar hot air Solar oven

Today we discuss the differences between self reliance and self sufficient What is the difference between self sufficiency and self reliance Self reliance measured in time Self sufficiency measured in percentage How these go together to provide a better lifestyle and better resiliency Don't forget to comment or connect with me on one of the various social media outlet.  As always feel free to send me an email at ric@prepping101.com

Like the picture shows, having debt is a burden on your back.  Maybe other than having children, getting rid of debt in my personal life has been one of the most liberating and happy moments of my life.  It is a place I hope to never go back to.  I want to encourage everyone to continue to sacrifice for this goal.  IT IS WORTH IT.  Knowing you owe no man anything is a feeling I hope we all can enjoy someday. I hope this podcast gives your weekend a needed boost as you go about planting or running about or improving your home or whatever you may be doing to make your life a little smoother. The audio is somewhat better today.  Let me know what you thing by leaving a comment below.  Don'f forget to hookup with us on one of our social network sites.  As always you can shoot me an email at ric@prepping101.com

Nothing is more important to me than freedom and liberty.  It is your right to be free to live your life the way you see fit. Join me today as I discuss ways you can become free and promote liberty to others.

As the country continues to increase its debt limit, we here at Prepping 101 are going about finding ways to prepare ourselves for the financial future.  Being prepared for failing systems is what we talk about here and the simple things we can do to increase our financial preparedness.   Join me today as I discuss- Getting out of debt, especially variable interest rate debt.  Get rid of credit card debt If you have a variable home mortgage rate, get  a fixed rate if you can Try to save 20% of your income by living below your means. Have 6 months worth of cash on hand to pay all your bills. Know your exit points on all investments If you buy stocks pick the best companies Develop you neighborhood community If you receive from the government, prepare for it to be cut back Land as an investment Increase your financial IQ Increase you self sufficiency Increase you cash position Act out of a position of strength not fear Don't forget to give a comment or join us through one of our social media outlets.  Questions?  Send an email to ric@prepping101.com

In order to defend yourself and put some food on the table you may need a gun.       Join me today as I discuss Do you really have a right to protect yourself? What guns to consider Why different guns are used for different purposes Which is my favorite all around gun and the one you should buy first. Shotgun - the most versatile Handgun- when you do not have rifle Centerfire rifle - For taking bigger game 22LR - great for training and small game. Don't forget to sign up for the email list or join us on facebook or twitter.  Send me an email with your ?'s to ric@prepping101.com or leave a comment.

Today I go over my thoughts on getting your life organized.  There are many solutions available.  Please comment on what you do to keep your life organized. Sorry about the poor audio quality at the end. Don't forget to follow on the various social networks. If you like what you are hearing through the podcasts, please write a review over at iTunes.