Warning: Christian content
These are notes from a class I gave several years ago. Hope it can help someone out...
When I was a kid, I watched Mom sew and can. Like most kids, I wanted to be just like her. As I got older, I got interested in all kinds of “weird” things, like foraging for foods, herbal remedies, making anything from scratch, etc.
One day, when I had once again been told “That’s just weird,” I started fussing at God. “Why did you make me this way? Why am I interested in this stuff?” and God pointed out to me that He designs each of us according to His purposes and that this was part of His plan for me.
The Bible has a lot to say about our attitudes toward and relationship with money. God plainly states that the love of money will not bring us happiness (Ecc. 5:10) and leads to problems with our faith. ( I Tim 6:10, Heb 13:5)
The Lord teaches us that we are to be content in all circ*mstances (Phil. 4:11). Our contentment in difficult times strengthens our faith (II Cor 12:10). Specifically we are to be content with our income (Luke 3:14).
The Bible warns against materialism (Isa 55:2, I Tim 6:8) while reminding us that our true wealth likes not on earth, but in heaven (Luke 12:33, Matt. 6:20-21, Prov. 15:16)
With these things in mind, this class is not about making or having more, but about stretching and making the most of what God has graciously given us.
You’ve heard the saying, “If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” Did you know that that saying is in the Bible? Well, Solomon did phrase it a little differently: He said it is better to live in the corner of a housetop, or the wilderness than with a contentious or angry woman (Prov.21:9, 21:19, 25:24). He also said that the contentions (or complaints) of a woman are like a continual dripping (Prov 19:13, 27:15).
While men may be the heads of the households, women are the hearts. Our attitudes set the tone of our homes. Proverbs 14:1 says it all: The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with her hands.
When times are tough- like now – our attitudes are even more important. It is so easy to look at what we DON’T have than at the blessings we do have.
So, let’s look at the things we do have. There is another saying: Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.
Use It Up:
One of my biggest expenses that is not fixed (like rent, mortgage, insurance, etc.) is food. Planning my meals is a big time and money saver. By also planning the leftovers, I can “use it up” more completely. For example, if you fix a roast for Sunday, the leftovers can be used for hash or French-dip sandwiches on Tuesday. Baked potatoes can be used for home fries or lunches to take to work.
Fabric is another example of “use it up”. If you sew really well (I don’t) you can cut down clothing to make a smaller size. I tend to use old clothes for quilts or rags. Old socks with holes in them make great rags. This quilt (show example that I made for my son) was made with old jeans and flannel shirts. It is so heavy it doesn’t need batting.
Wear It Out:
This is pretty self-explanatory. This quilt (show son’s quilt) was also made from ends of cut-offs. When jeans get holes in the knees that can’t be patched, they become cut-offs at our house. The bottom of the leg still has good fabric.
White shoes can be cleaned with washing or shoe polish to make the last longer. Scuffs on black shoes can be covered by coloring with a Sharpie.Shoes get worn until they are falling apart at the seams (then occasionally my son will duct tape his!).
Cannibalize usable parts from anything: laces from shoes, buttons from clothing, inserts from crockpots, electrical cords from any appliance.
Make It Do:
Substitutions are a good thing.. I love Starbucks white chocolate peppermint mochas. At $3-5 apiece, I can’t afford them very often. After I had one that tasted like raspberry in stead of peppermint (yuck!), I decided to make my own. Now, does it taste exactly like Starbucks? No – but it works and is a LOT cheaper. There are a lot of things that can be made from scratch at home: yogurt, taco seasoning, even diapers and pads (I don’t do those, but I know how to if it becomes a necessity).
Do Without:
Easiest to understand and hardest to implement. Sometimes you just have to do without. Unfortunately, this is the one that is the most noticable and as such, seems to affect us more.
There are a lot of different strategies when it comes to cutting costs. I thought that we could go from easiest (or most common) to most extreme (and time-consuming).
Let’s talk about your paycheck first. There are several ways to increase the amount you are bringing home. If you get a large income tax refund each year, you many want to think about increasing your number of deductions claimed on your W-4. This will increase your take-home pay, but will decrease or eliminate your refund. If you were to invest or save that amount, you could be earning interest instead of the government earning interest on your money.
Another thing to consider are flexible spending accounts. FSAs are programs offered by employers that allow employees to pay for out-of–pocket health care and dependant care with pre-tax dollars. Hopefully, if you get health insurance through your employer, the premiums are taken out before taxes already.. FSAs allow you to set up an account (our is administered like a debit card) that you can use for office visit co-pays, prescription co-pays, glasses, etc that are not covered by health insurance or that you can use for child care expenses. FSAs usually are set up at your annual enrollment for insurance. By using FSAs (if you are in the 22% tax bracket), you get $100 of health care (or child care) for $78.
Retirement savings are not my best area, but most advisors (Larry Burkett, Dave Ramsey) suggest at minimum putting back whatever your employer matches. If your employer matches 3%, put in 3%. To do otherwise is like not keeping money given to you.
When you get your paycheck, in my opinion, the first thing to be paid is your tithe. It’s the pastor’s job to preach not mine, so I’ll just say this: There have been a lot of times when I add up my bills that with my tithe on top of that – there’s just not enough money. I mean like it goes into negative numbers. But if I pay my tithe, first, there is always enough to cover my needs- or I get an unexpected check. I don’t’ know how God’s arithmetic works – I just feel blessed that God cares enough about me to know my needs.
The biggest expense for most of us is housing. Right now, if you rent, your ability to decrease this cost is pretty limited. On the other hand, housing prices and interest rate are low. If you own your home, it might pay to research refinancing your loan. Be sure to look at the overall cost and how much total interest you will pay, not just the monthly payment.
Another way to decrease your mortgage payment is to drop the PMI (primary mortgage insurance). PMI is for the bank’s protection, not yours. Most loans allow you to drop it once your mortgage is less than 80% of the property’s assessed value. You usually have to pay for an appraisal to be done, but you should re-coup the money used in less than 18 months.
Check with your insurance agent to see if there are any ways to decrease your home-owner’s premiums. You can get lower rates for having wiring or plumbing that is less than 10 years old, having a brick house, or being near a fire hydrant. You can get discounts for having multiple policies (like car, home, and life) with the same insurer, but shop around for other discounts as well. Some professional associations offer discounts, as well as discounts for people that are home most of the day and retirees. Make sure your agent knows of any improvements like a new roof, security system, or hard-wired smoke detectors. Review our coverage every few years to make sure it is appropriate. Pay your bills on time. A lot of insurance companies partially base your rates on your credit record. Have a higher deductible.
My car payment is my next largest bill. There are so many options here hat I don’t feel there is too much I can offer. Most financial consultants agree that unless it can be claimed as a business expense, leasing a car is a bad Idea. At the end of the lease, you are usually upside-down on your loan (You owe more on the car than it is worth.) My best advice for saving money with car-related expenses is to obey traffic laws. Not only will you save the cost of a ticket, but it will also keep down insurance costs. Also, maintain your car well. This is something that is easy to let go when cash is short, but a little money used now can prevent having to spend a lot more later.
Utilities:
My food bill is higher, but I want to leave that for closer to the end. There are a lot of good websites that have information on how to lower your electric and gas bills.
Most of the usage on electric/gas bills is for heating and cooling. One of the best investments you can make is a programmable thermostat. These are pretty inexpensive – about $30-50 at Lowes. This kind of thermostat can automatically raise and lower the temperature of your house at a specific time. You can set it to make the house cooler starting a hour before you come home in the summer, or heat it up an hour before you get up in the winter.
Ceiling fans are another big help. Just make sure that the fan is rotating in the right direction for the appropriate season. In the summer, the ceiling fan should run counter-clockwise (to pull warm air toward the ceiling). In the winter, the fan should rotate clockwise (to push warn air down from the ceiling).
Look at your windows. Check them for air movement when they are closed. Windows tend to be expensive to replace, so evaluate for yourself if that is really necessary. If you can keep the heat or cold from coming in thru windows, you don’t have to remove it from your house. Shades, especially on the south and west sides of the house, can really help the sun from heating the house in the summer. Heavy curtains, drapes, or window quilts can help in the winter when hung on north and west (or where the prevailing winds come from) windows. Window quilts are small quilts, slightly larger than the window, that are hung directly next to the window.
You’ve heard the saying “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity”. There is a lot of truth in that. One of the ways most conventional air conditioners work is to remove humidity from the air. Running a dehumidifier will take some of the workload off your air conditioner – and dehumidifiers are much cheaper to run. Adding humidity to the air in the winter time will make the air feel warmer without running your furnace.Lighting accounts for a good amount of your electric bill as well. Use your windows to a full advantage. You do have to weigh the light against the whole heat/cool issue, though. Compact fluorescent light bulbs are expensive to buy, but last a lot longer and are much more efficient. They also burn cooler, so they won’t contribute to a higher cooling bill in the summer. Arrange lamps throughout your home so that most tasks have a lamp near them. Using task lighting is more cost-effective than using whole room lights.
Appliances are another area to watch. Look for EnergyStar ratings when purchasing new appliances. These will be the most energy-efficient ones on the market for that particular issue, although look at all your alternatives. Clotheslines are more efficient than any dryer, even the ones with the best ratings! Think chores thru to see if there is a way to make them more frugal. Laundry is a great example. First, do the clothes really need to be cleaned? Pick them up, shake them out, smell them, and look at them. Do they look dirty? Do they smell dirty? Could you wear them once more without washing them? Then hang them back in the closet or fold them and put them back in the drawer. If you can, teach your children to do this when they are young. If they are taught to look at their clothes, they also become pretty good about telling you if there are stains you might otherwise miss and not treat.
Most clothes can be washed in cold water without any problems. Hot water and lots of heavy chemicals tend to make your clothes wear out faster. If clothes are being dried on a clothesline, the sun itself will help to bleach and sanitize them. I use the cheapest detergent I can find, or I make my own. To make your own laundry soap, fill a 5 gallon bucket with hot water. Add one grated bar of Fels-Naptha soap (if you can’t find F-N, any plain soap will work, like Kirk’s Castile). Stir in a couple handfuls of 20 Mule team Borax to dissolve. This soap is thin, but at the bottom of the bucket will be like unbeaten egg whites. You can use vinegar in place of fabric softener – vinegar rinses out soap well, but does not leave a long-lasting smell like commercial fabric softener.
My washer is a front-loader and I love it! It uses a lot less water, is gentler on my clothing, and spins the clothes almost completely dry, so the drying time is really decreased. In the summer, I have a retractable clothesline I use. My yard is not large enough for a traditional clothesline, but there are a lot of options available.
Traditional clotheslines are made with T-posts set (as far as you want) apart. Several lines of large wire is run thru holes in the T-posts to provide the actual line to hang clothes on. Aluminum T-posts tend to start to pull in from the weight of wet fabric, so I prefer to get steel posts that are galvanized. The posts do require an occasional coat of Rustoleum, but are fairly low maintenance. Umbrella clotheslines are another option. These open like an umbrella and are placed in a single hole. They provide a lot of line space in a small square footage, but in my experience, there is less air flow and the clothes take longer to dry. Retractable lines (like I use now), are secured to one area with a hook placed across an open space. When needed, the lines are pulled out, attached to the hook, and the lines tightened. Drying racks are yet another way to avoid using your electric or gas dryer. I use these indoors in the winter, along with plastic hangers that are hung on shower curtain rods. These are a great way of adding humidity to your home in the winter. The final step to laundry is ironing. I just avoid this as much as possible!!
Check your appliances for energy saving features that are built in. Use the air-drying feature on your dishwasher. When using it in the summer, wait several hours to open it, rather than venting all that hot moist air into your home. Refrigerators and freezers work more efficiently when they are full. Fill empty milk jugs, or 2L bottles with water and freeze it or cool it in the fridge. The ice will help to fill empty space, and will keep the freezer cool if you lose power. The ice bottles are great in coolers and to cool off pets (just wash them before you put them back in the freezer). Use your stove and oven wisely. Menu planning saves money in a lot of ways- this can be another one. If you are fixing a meal that requires the oven, try to do the side dishes or dessert in the oven as well. For instance, meatloaf is great – but heats up the oven for at least an hour. Instead of mashed potatoes made on the stove, serve baked potatoes from the same heated oven. Dessert can be anything, but if you need to bake it, do it at the same time as the main course, or directly after.
Water heaters can be set lower than most people think.. You do not need the water to be 200* to clean your dishes or laundry. Setting your water heater to 140* or less decreases gas or electricity usage as well as the likelihood of scalds/burns. Water heater blankets are available as well to try to keep the heat in the heater rather than in your basem*nt or storage area. If your storage areas are unfinished, you might think about using insulated pipe tape to decrease the heat put out by the water traveling thru the pipes.
Do you know you have a ghost in your house? It’s a nasty one too. It’s called ‘Phantom Load”. Any appliance that has an internal clock (stove, computer, DVR, countertop appliances, etc) uses a small amount of electricity continually. This small amount is rarely noticed, but with multiple appliances really adds up. This is phantom load. For some appliances, you just have to deal with it – it is impractical for me to unplug my gas stove every time I am done using it. Btu with others, like the computer, it makes a lot of sense. I never realized until this summer how much heat is generated by just my computer setup and printer. All of these are plugged into a power strip with a surge protector, so now when I turn off my computer, I just flip the switch on the powerstrip as well. I can’t say that I”ve noticed a huge change in my electric bill, but that’s probably due to the fact that it’s been over 102* here the last 4 or 5 days.
Water usage. I never really thought about how much water our family used until we had rural water. It was expensive!! My water bill went from around $25/month to over $80/month when we moved. Appliances are one way to cut down (like I mentioned above). Water saving devices, like faucet aeroators, low flush toilets, low-flow shower heads, are great ideas. We reused gray water (water used for washing – left from bathing, washing machines, etc) to water the yard for a while. You have to evaluate your situation to see what you feel would be best for you. You can also set up rain barrels under downspouts on your guttering. Rain water is awesome for gardens and feels great on your hair.
Saving on Gas: I think this has already been done to death, so I will make it very short. Group errands, carpool, maintain your vehicle, maintain proper tire inflation, and get any extra weight out of your vehicle (no, not your kids or husband – that extra bag of flour or chicken feed you have been carrying around for the last week).
Food is a huge expense for most families – and face it, with all the increases in gas prices, the push to use corn as a biofuel, and lack of favorable weather – it’s not going to get cheaper. There are quite a few ways to decrease your grocery budget. The first is always compare prices. Not just between brands, but between stores and forms of the food. For instance, are green beans cheaper per pound fresh, canned, or frozen? A price book is a great idea, if you can keep one up. Price books are made with columns for the item, price per unit (pound, ounce, number,etc), brand, and where bought. They are used to track prices.
I find my greatest savings are found when I combine sale ads and coupons. For instance, this week, Kroger had Kelloggs cereal on sale. Kelloggs is a brand I rarely buy because it is generally more expensive than the store brand. However, what usually ran $3.09 a box, I got for $1. First, it was on sale for $2.50. Using a coupon, I was able to buy it for $2. There was a rebate form in Sunday’s paper for $10 on 10 items. This cereal was one of the items, so my final cost was $1. (Yes I know that doesn’t take into account the stamp, so it was more like 95c). I can usually save 30-45% this way. This weeks bill (between Kroger, IGA, and Walgreens) was about $130. I paid $85 (a savings of 35%). I try to stock up on items that are on sale and plan my menus around them.
When I do need to buy staples, or items I don’t have in the pantry at home, I try to hit Aldi first. I’ve found their prices are the best. Another good buy is getting meat in bulk from a meatlocker. (Ok – I’m getting on my soapbox now…) Meat from a meat locker, in my opinion, is fresher and safer than meat from a grocery store. Lockers are inspected, just like processing plants. They do a low volume of meat, and in a lot of cases, the animals are brought live to the locker. This allows them to see the health of the animal before it is butchered. While buying a few cuts at a time may be slightly more expensive, buying beef or pork by the side, quarter, or whole can result in a nice savings. The last beef I bought was $2.89/lb (that is for steaks, roasts, ground beef, etc.) The pork was less than $2/lb. Beef/pork weight is determined by the “hanging weight” – or the weight of the animal after it has been skinned and gutted. You lose about 1/3 in bone, etc – so your true cost will be 1/3 more than the stated numbers above. However, I ask for everything – kidneys, heart, tongue, bones, etc. (I know some of you are saying – yuck!!) But… if you have a dog or cat, cook up the things you won’t eat and puree them. They can easily be made in treats for your animals. I like liver and onions, so I keep that for me. (I also like tongue - it’s great for sandwiches). Bones can be put in your crockpot with some onions, a carrot or two, and spices to make a great soup stock.
Cook from scratch. It’s usually cheaper, healthier, and tastes better. Many basic cookbooks are out there. I really like the “Taste of Home” cookbooks. Tawra Kellum has out a great one called “Not just beans”. Check on the internet as well.
Gardening and processing the produce is another great way to save. There’s nothing like a fresh tomato! Canning is easy to learn and very safe if done properly. Look for equipment at garage sales or end of season sales at Walmart, etc. If you let people know you are interested, some times you will get seasonal produce for next to nothing.
Make your own convenience foods - hot cocoa mix, latte mix, yogurt, custard-style yogurt, slushies, milkshakes, canned soup, taco seasoning, bread, pie filling, pizza crust. There are a lot of great sites on the internet, and cookbooks around. Just take a little time and experiment! Look for recipes that stretch meat: enchiladas, calzones, soups.
Health and beauty aids can also be purchased at reduced costs by doing a lot of the same things. Make your own – check websites and books. I use the Walgreens Rewards frequently. I can buy shampoo, razors, lotion, all sorts of HBA and get back the purchase price as a coupon for that amount. I use that to buy milk or other items I might need (by the way, milk is usually cheaper per gallon at convenience stores or Walgreens).
1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecc 3: 1-8
There is a time for everything: a time for a raise, a time for a lay-off. A time of prosperity, a time of recession. We can be sure that just as there are times of plenty, there are times of need. Ecclesiastes and Proverbs were written by Solomon. Solomon was given wisdom and knowledge by God.
I love the book of Proverbs. it is so straight-forward and applicable to life. Proverbs gives a lot of instructions on how to be wise. Proverbs 22:3 and 27:12 say that the prudent (or wise) see evil and hide themselves, but the naïve go on and are punished.
So – we know that there is a time for trouble. If it’s not here now, it will come at some point. And Proverbs (and Genesis and Matthew, and Timothy and Acts and Peter) encourages us to prepare for such times.
Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. I Peter 1:13
THE FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT STEP IN PREPARING FOR HARD TIMES IS TO BECOME A CHRISTIAN.
There are 2 pitfalls in preparing: The first is fear. You think of Katrina, September 11, Al-Qaeda, Greensburg, and it is scary. (Read II Timothy 1:7, Psalm 94:19, Psalm 139: 23, Isaiah 35:4, Isaiah 41:10, Philippians 4:6)
The second pitfall is starting to depend or put faith in our possessions instead of God (Luke 12: 14-21). It is also easy to look at our preparations and become selfish. “These are mine – others should have prepared!” Proverbs says people curse the man who hoards grain, but blessings crown him who is willing to sell (Prov. 11:26).
These pitfalls of fear and dependence on ourselves are why a lot of people don’t prepare. They look at Christ’s’ sermons about not worrying (Matt. 5) and say that preparing in not Biblical. Yet many times, God has warned people to prepared, but not to obsess about it.
21 Hear this, you foolish and senseless people,
who have eyes but do not see,
who have ears but do not hear: Jer. 5:21
When God tells His people to prepare, He also gives them specific instructions, for their specific situations. Noah as told to build an ark; Joseph was told to store 7 years of food. Both men followed God and saved not only themselves, but their families and/or entire nations. Agabus (Acts 11:27-29) helped to save other Christians.
So… how does God tell us to prepare today? According to I Timothy 5:8, first we are to provide for our families. We are not to use every bit of every resource we have, but we are to store some back (Prov. 21:20). One of the best ways to prepare for uncertain times is to acquire knowledge (Prov 18:15, Ecc. 7:12). I’d like to think that this class is one way of doing that. Another way to prepare is to encourage others to do so while times are good (Matt 25: 1-13) When times are tough, preparing becomes much more difficult. When most of your paycheck goes toward groceries and gas, it’s hard to save money or pay down debts.
How you prepare and to what degree is a very personal issue. The first and most important item for preparation is your salvation. Any physical preparation can be stolen or destroyed. Disease can take your knowledge. But nothing can take away your salvation. Pray for wisdom and guidance in shat God wants you to do.
What follows are my personal opinions. Most of this information is based on FEMA and other government guidelines, but some of it is also what I have felt led by the Spirit to establish as my goals.
I know this is like a kindergarden class for college grad students, but I thought it is a way to gently lead new 'preppers" along the way without being too frightening.
Most of prepping is just thinking thru “what-if” questions. “What if my purse is tolen?” Do youhave credit card numbers and contact information easily available? Take a couple of minutes and copy the front and back of everything in your wallet and put it in a safe place.
“What if my car is stolen?” Do you know your tag and VIN numbers? write them down and put them somewhere safe.
“What if I wake up and the tornado sirens are sounding?” Do you have shoes and a WORKING flashlight close to your bed? Do you have a way to get to shelter quickly?
“What if my family had to evacuate on short notice (15 minutes or so) due to fire, chemical spill, etc? Do you have a bug-out bag?
Bug out bags (or 72 hour kits) are for short-term emergencies. 72 hours is approximately how long it takes to get help in a major disaster. Each family member should have their own bad, tailored to their needs. The kits need to be easy to carry and lightweight. I try to store all of these in a specific location, where I can find them quickly.
Suggestions for bug-out bags (this is not a complete list by any means – show examples if possible):
- cord (at least 50 feet)
- tarp (rolled up with sleeping bag)
- flashlight with extra batteries
- pocketknife
- small first aid kit
- battery operated radio
- medications. A week’s supply if possible, but AT MINIMUM a list of current medications. People who lived around Greensburg KS that were without meds (or lists of meds) ended up in the hospital for medical problems that could have been prevented by knowing what medications they were on, and having access to the appropriate meds.
- travel size toiletries
- a couple leaf-size trash bags (can be used as a waterproof layer under sleeping bag, or as a rain poncho)
- change of clothes (sweats work great. They dry quickly, so they can be rinsed out and hung to dry. Legs can be pulled up to make shorts. Most have elastic waists, easy to fit when your size may fluctuate some.)
- Water. Not only the water itself, but a pocket filter or some water purification tablets. The tablets are widely available with camping supplies and are not expensive. Do not drink water without treatment unless you are sure it is safe. Waterborne illnesses can be very serious.
- Non-perishable foods. If you can get MREs (military type rations), great. If not, small easily opened foods like Vienna sausages, granola bars,etc. I like MREs because they last a long time (especially if stored correctly), and they don’t taste good enough for me to be tempted to eat them!
- Cash. If power is out, not only will ATMs not work, but neither will credit cards. Keep a small amount of small bills and change in your bag.
For babies, you would add diapers, formula, wipes, etc. Small children may want to put in a comfort item like a SMALL stuffed animal, Matchbox car, etc. I also put a Gideons New Testament in mine.
Check your bags every six months to be sure clothes still fit, rotate out meds and food, and to check batteries.
I also keep a bug-out box in my car in case of getting stuck. I add blankets in the winter as I live in an area where blizzards are a possibility.
OK, more what ifs: “What if I couldn’t get to the grocery store? (Think blizzard, bad storm with trees down blocking roads, trucking strike, lack of funds). Do you have a week’s worth of food in your house? The easiest way to stock up is to buy a couple extra of whatever is on your grocery list: an extra jar of peanut butter, a couple cans of spaghetti sauce. EAT WHAT YOU STORE AND STORE WHAT YOU EAT. It is a waste of time and money to stock up on things that when you are stressed are unfamiliar, and that you may not even like.
It’s also a good idea to store some bottled water. You can store tap water – just use clean juice or pop bottles. The plastic from milk jugs degrades too quickly to use for storage. Add 8 drops of unscented plain bleach to 2 liters of water to stop any bacterial growth. When using, uncap the bottle for 30 minutes, then pour between a couple pitchers to get rid of the stale taste.
“What if I lose electricity or water to my house for an extended period of time? How will I stay warm, fix meals, keep the pipes from freezing?” Food will stay cold for a while if left in an UNOPENED refrigerator or freezer. If you are able to get some dry ice, you can lay that on top of the food in the freezer to extend the time it will stay frozen. Use up your refrigerated food first, then the frozen, then canned.
For lighting, use lanterns (coleman, kerosene, etc) or candles. By placing them in front or on top of a reflective surface, you will really boost the light output. (like setting them on a shiny cookie sheet in front of a mirror).
Heat – use your fireplace, wood stove, or even run your gas stove with the burners on (even most modern stoves can be lit with a match in emergencies). USE EXTREME CAUTION WITH GAS INDOORS. NEVER RUN A GENERATOR IN DOORS OR EVEN IN AN ATTACHED GARAGE. USE CAUTION WITH ANY OPEN FLAME – EXTINGUISH ALL FLAMES BEFORE YOU GO TO SLEEP OR LEAVE THE ROOM. If these are not an option for you, remember to bundle up. Especially important are the hands and feet (usually first to freeze) – so socks and gloves are a must. You will stay warmer with multiple layers of clothing. Wear a hat. Most of the body’s heat escapes thru the head.
Pipes can be kept unfrozen for at least a while by running a small bit of water thru a faucet in each bathroom and the kitchen. The running water helps to keep the pipe from freezing solid. Heat tape is also available at home supply stores.
We’ll cover alternative cooking methods in the next segment.
This was as far as I got. I realize the prices are way out-of-date, but the information is still good.
