Try to be Prepared for Anything!

 

   I know that this is Friday and that I should be posting a Frugal Friday thingy, but the day is not over yet and I have something pressing on my heart that I need to share.  Please do consider what I am going to share with you as our world is changing so quickly.  Please also keep the people in the Ukraine and also in Russia in your prayers.  They are all victims of the egomaniacal Putin.

   As you may have all heard, NATO and its allies are putting all kinds of sanctions on Russia's elites and the country itself, trying to isolate them financially from the rest of the world.  They have also sent troops to the borders to try and stop the possible advance of Putin's military outside of Ukraine and are arming the Ukrainian military (without going into the country themselves).  Given Putin's history and his "playbook", I think it is a foregone conclusion that he is going to hit back against these sanctions. I fully expect cyberattacks to begin outside of the Ukraine ones that he is already doing. We also need to bear in mind that IF Putin gains control of Ukraine and sets up a puppet government there, that we are all at his mercy when it comes to the natural resources that we and other countries currently pay from the Ukraine.  The county is amazingly rich in natural assets, and Putin want control of all of it!

   So here are some things that I am doing to try and prepare for just about anything, including cyberattacks:

~I took money out of the credit union and have it on hand in case our banking system goes down.

~I'm keeping the tanks on our vehicles filled up and will have Jeff go and fill our spare gas can tonight.

~I have propane on hand in case the power goes out and I have to cook on the grill.  I also have a charcoal grill and will have Jeff pick up some charcoal to have on hand just in case we need it.

~I stocked up on seeds so that we can plant a larger garden. I had already done this to help with lowering our food costs in the future, but this added a whole other level of urgency to it. I also have some bagged compost, as well as the compost I am making and gardening tools here.  Hopefully we will get more rain this Summer so that I can use my water barrels more.

~I'm trying to keep up on the laundry daily so that IF we lose power, most of it is done.

~I have extra sets of sheets, blankets and quilts on hand.  

~I know that I can wash clothing in the bathtub and hang it out to dry on sunny days if needed. Having a clothesline and clothespins is another HUGE help and it saves so much money!

~I met my Heather and oldest grandboys in town yesterday and she and I did some stock up shopping.  Her cart was filled to the brim, mine not so much since I have been stocking up for awhile now.  I bought more canned chicken, pasta, some tea, bulk baking goods and milk. I did appreciate having my grandson Isaiah as my helper though.  He bagged up my groceries for me at Winco and then loaded them into my car.

~Walmart is clearing out their winter clothing and selling it really cheap right now, so I bought some pajamas for $1 each and another set for $3.50, and some shirts.

~I have ready to eat items on hand that do not require cooking.

~My new replacement filters for my Berkey are here.  Make sure you have some sort of way to filter your water just in case.

~Speaking of water, I have bottled water on hand also.

~Books!!!  Make sure you have books on hand to get needed information from and for pleasure reading.  A basic medical book, along with gardening, herbal remedies, first aid, cookbooks, etc. is always a good idea as are hard copies of addresses and phone numbers for family and friends.  My number one book though is the Bible.  There is so much knowledge and comfort to be found there.

~Make sure to have those medications that you need, both prescription and OTC stocked.  I have 3 month supplies for most of my medications that are prescriptions and about a years supply of OTC meds.  Don't forget those first aid supplies too.  I am stocked at this point. 

~Cleaning supplies and toilet paper are all stocked up here too.  Nobody wants to be caught without TP...am I right? 😉

   I hope that this "tip of the iceberg" so to speak on how I am preparing and trying to stay prepared has helped anyone who may read this.  Well, I am off to change over the laundry loads and stir dinner in the crockpot.  I'm trying to get as much as I can done today without wearing myself out too much and yes, I am trying to pace myself.  Easier said than done, but at least I am trying.  Be blessed, stay stocked up and keep prayed up.