Let me start by saying Preparedness Is Never Pointless.
Preparedness isn’t about “guaranteeing” ourselves that we will have a particular result. There are too many aspects that are completely out of our control for this to be realistic. Preparedness is about giving ourselves OPTIONS.
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As you all know, I love, l-o-v-e, LOVE couponing. It has truly brought a world of plenty to my home today and for the future when food may be in short supply. It’s almost like a fairytale for me when I go into a store, load up my grocery cart, and leave with supplies for me and others that I paid less than 20% of their original cost for. But just as in every fairy tale, there are always the fire breathing dragons or wicked witches who make things tough on the heroes and heroines. Today’s article is to warn you of the fairytale nemeses in all of their ugly forms.
(Please note: this piece is in addition to today’s article entitled, “The Cost of Convenience” which you will see below.)
I’ve been sitting on some exciting news the past few days but I couldn’t post anything until everything was finalized…which it is 
today. Forgive me for telling this story like a typical girl. If you’re a typical impatient guy, then just scroll down to the last paragraph and cut to the chase. Otherwise, read on.
You know how I love to refer you all to “this source” or “that source”, right?
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Today I’m going to share how a shift in the order and prioritization that we give to the ritual of feeding meals to our families can save us sanity, money, and time.
Most of the households in the U.S. are highly reliant on the convenience of the grocery store when it comes to making their meals. This is actually a bit sad to me because it’s a habit we should all eliminate just as proactively as a bad health habit.
Consider the amount of time that you’re out of your home and in an office or work environment. Some of you are “work-a-holics.” 
You go into work extra early and/or come home past rush hour. On top of this, consider the time in which you’re in your car. Now how about the time you’re in another location other than your home…family visit, the mall, grocery shopping, church, the doctors, etc. OK. Now look at an average week and add up all of the time in which you are AWAY from your home and the preparedness supplies you have located there. I did this just this week and realized that even though I work intensely from my home, I am still gone over a third of the total hours of my week! In your case, if you work outside the home or are a stay at home mom, you may be surprised to see how much of a chunk of your time during the week puts you in a vulnerable position—vulnerable in the event that a catastrophic event may hit. So, in the name of being prepared and peaceful, instead of panicked, let’s make sure we do our best to get you back safely to your family and the majority of your supplies.
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Ok folks. Here’s some more info on food shortage—it’s going to be a wet year for crops. I keep getting flack for putting food shortage information out there and have been called a fear monger and irresponsible journalist. But the fact of the matter is, we do need to be aware of these kinds of things so that we can knowledgably address our preparedness needs.
Today I’m going to give you an easy way to cook in a do-it-yourself solar oven. Understand that I do so only in the name of independence as circumstances may prevent you from having access to a commercially made solar oven. However, if I had a choice between using my own homemade solar oven and a commercial one, I would go commercial any time. Why? Because the commercial solar ovens I recommend are specifically made to handle rugged third world conditions. They are intended for cooking everyday for a number of years (5-15, depending on which model you get). The DIY solar ovens are not likely to last that long, be as sturdy, or handle as much volume as a solar oven you may purchase commercially.
Last night I was begrudgingly up until 1:45 a.m. Finally I resorted to a sleeping aid so that I could get some much needed rest. (Thank goodness it kicked in at 2:00 a.m.) In spite of being reasonably comfortable in my personal preparedness efforts to be independent and thrive regardless of the scenario, I do have a nagging thought that plagues me and won’t let me sleep at night. What keeps the Preparedness Pro awake at night? It’s YOU.
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Even hardened military personnel are taxed to their maximum ability when functioning as sentries for a structure round the clock. Regardless of how much military or emergency training one has, it’s simply unrealistic to think that anything less than 6 able-bodied adults can manage and protect a home in times of peril. Thus at some point it’s very likely that you will need to accept others into your home after a disaster that debilitates society as you now know it. Think about it. Let’s say that a home is “fully furnished” with a dad and a mom. In addition to the necessity
I’ll be blunt. I’ve rewritten the beginning of this article nearly 10 times now trying to lessen its uncomfortable impact. But it’s nearing 1:00pm already and I still haven’t successfully eliminated any discomfort the article may convey. So, I’m just going to say it like it is.
[caption id="attachment_2904" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Charitable Preparedness. Photo c/o elllo"]
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If you are smart, you will have a year’s supply of necessities for you and your family stored. But if you are wise, you will have extra supplies on hand for the refugees that you’ll inevitably encounter after a catastrophic event.