What if?

First, a bit of housekeeping: Welcome new followers to FrugalPrep! Thanks for signing on. If you've read some of the FrugalPrep pages, you know this blog is about those baby-steps to get at least to the FEMA guidelines for family preparedness without breaking your budget. Some of the posts will be about my experiments in suburban gardening, but most will be about different ways to think about preparedness and how to put your thoughts into action.  Thus far, I do not have advertisers.  I posted the buttons for the Food Storage Analyzer and Preparedness Pantry because I find them useful, especially the FSA. The links are wonky because the business changed their URL's, but you can still get to them via the buttons, just need to hit a few more links.  The webguru at Beprepared.com has assured me that they are working on the new 'buttons'.

For those who have been with me a while, please check out the other followers. Many have great websites I follow because they challenge my thinking and provide insight on 'how to' on a regular basis. I hope they do the same for you.

The $16 Bountiful Basket yesterday had: 6 lbs of russet potatoes, 1.5 lb broccoli, 1 lb asparagus (tiny baby stalks, yum!), 1 hydroponic butter lettuce, 3 medium zucchini, 1 English cucumber, 3 nice sweet onions, 2 coconuts, 1 pineapple, 2 Texas pink grapefruit and 8 mineolas.  I got my money's worth and saved myself a trip to the grocery store.  Next week the basket should be great for Easter dinner. Want to see if there's one near you? Go to http://bountifulbaskets.org/ and check locations.

Now for today's content:

What if we woke up to the same scenario that is occurring in Cyprus -- no access to 'your' cash or debit for almost 10 days? What about the potential that IF you get access again in a week or two, you may have much less spendable cash than before the 'bank holidays?' Situations like this -- disabling injury, layoffs etc. may present the same challenge to you and yours.

Now, check your preparedness supplies and plans to see if you and your family could make it through those days. Food? Water? Got 5 or so gallons of fuel for your car? Bills paid so you won't find yourself without power, water, car, shelter, etc?

How about some cash-on-hand in your preparedness supplies? If you need to get to work and it's a long drive, you may need that to buy gas.  Use it sparingly when you need it. You really don't know when the banks will reopen, do you? Virtually all preparedness sites advocate having some, many advocate having 'n' months of expenses in available cash-on-hand, with 'n' being anywhere from 1 to 6.  (yea, right, put by 6 months in cash...) Better if you don't need to use it on everyday items or food -- good thing you have your preparedness supplies!

Friday I went to Target to buy milk. As I was browsing the specials, a thought came out of nowhere -- what if you knew this would be your last shopping trip. What if stores closed due to...whatever.  Is there something we're out of that we really don't want to do without?  There will always be something.  I knew that we had the basics to last a few weeks and could learn to do without the other.

Being prepared is probably a task never really finished. Once you try a little 'preparedness,' you tend to think more would be better -- until you find yourself working toward true self-sufficiency. However, once you have enough put by to last you and yours a few weeks, you've earned a better night's sleep for now.