Useful Mind Tricks to Keep You Organized!
Useful Mind Tricks to Keep You Organized
We often lead such hectic lives that it’s sometimes hard to keep up with our daily tasks and responsibilities. But we can prevent chaos from happening and we can get things done in time by using some useful mind tricks that can help us organize our schedule better and not waste precious time.
Our personalities are unique and beautiful. But even the most organized people need a helping hand from time to time. After some time the following mind tricks will be integrated in your habits, turning into a useful routine that saves you time, money and it definitely prevents you from procrastinating.
The Golden Rule
Stop for a second and take a deep breath. You might feel a bit overwhelmed with deadlines, tasks and whatnot. But panicking won’t solve anything. The golden rule when it comes to organizing is to stay focused on the most important tasks of the day; the ones that need to be finished ASAP. You can take care of the other tasks later.
A Break from It All
Stop working yourself too much. Have small breaks of five or ten minutes and try to think of nothing. Daydream, look out the window…forget about your worries for a second; a lot of studies have concluded that these breaks can really help you be more efficient at work.
The Popular List
Grab a pen and paper and write down your to do list of the week. You can manage your time and tasks way better this way if you plan everything in advance. And crossing the tasks you have already accomplished makes you feel so great about yourself.
Politely Saying No
We often feel bad when it comes to refusing somebody or saying no. When somebody asks us for help, we are inclined to leave our work behind and solve somebody else’s problems. But when it comes to deadlines, you really have to take care of your workload. Be polite, caring, understanding, explain why you can’t help the person that needs your expertise, advice or helping hand and go on with your work. It isn’t a mean thing to do; you can make it up to that person some other time when you aren’t that busy.
Multitasking, a No-No!
When you are incredibly busy, staying focused and organized is essential in getting the job done. So if you think you can juggle with a lot of things at the same time, think twice. Multitasking is okay, but if you want to do a thing right, do it without being distracted by something else.
Post Its
Post its are fun reminders of what you need to do on a particular day.
A Tidy Desk
If your desk is cluttered with piles of files, folders, stationary items or many useless stuff you really need to tidy it up. A cluttered desk can bring chaos along; you won’t find the things that you need that easily, you’ll get upset because of it and on and so forth. Organizing your working space is also important. Categorize the objects that you use based on their relevance and importance.
Modern Distractions vs. Saving Money!
Modern Distractions
Society is perpetually changing and the evolution of technology has brought us a lot of useful things that save us plenty of time. Cooking, washing, entertainment and many other things have become so facile nowadays. Sometimes it’s enough to press a button to get the job done.
But there are some disadvantages to this lovely, modern world. We lead a sedentary life that impacts our posture, health and mind. It’s not just that; there are some modern inventions that can be perceived as distractions because this is what they do; they take up our free time and we can also lose some money while being distracted.
So which activities that are part of our lives are considered to be modern distractions? A short list of these things might give you a clue about what kind of activities end up wasting your time or spending your money.
Addicted to Social Media
We are inclined to spend more and more time on different social media websites. Needless to say, we constantly check our newsfeed, strike up a virtual conversation and waste our free time being addicted to social media.
Netflix
It’s ok to relax and watch a few episodes of your favorite TV show. But “just one more episode” can turn into a whole season and you end up feeling tired after a marathon of episodes.
Plenty of Choices when it Comes to Entertainment
When it comes to entertainment, the last couple of years have witnessed many positive changes. We have access to many amazing things, but these things end up wasting our time and money and sometimes we can’t afford the luxury of going out daily or visiting the escape rooms on a regular basis. We can sign up for different activities and workshops, but they cost money, too. We sometimes end up with different memberships and different clubs and we end up abandoning our membership because we don’t have any free time at our disposal. We should care about our hobbies and passions but we should evaluate our budget and free time and decide on one or two activities and be certain that we’ll follow through a certain schedule.
EBook Readers
There are plenty of people who are voracious readers. It’s nothing wrong with that, but at times (since it is so easy to read a book using a tablet or an eBook reader) we end up pulling an all-nighter because we really want to finish reading that book.
Video Calls
There are plenty of mobile applications that allow you to use their video call options. It’s a nice way to stay in touch with your loved ones, particularly if you moved to a different place. But the downside of it all is that you might abuse this feature.
Checking all Those Emails
We can get a little absorbed by the amount of emails we receive and we want to read them all or reply to most of them. If they aren’t important, you should definitely consider ignoring them. Or at least reserve just one hour to check the emails and reply when you feel you need to.
Cable TV
Cable TV can become a big part of our lives. We love to watch different shows or catch up with the latest news and the distractions are in abundance when it comes to cable TV.
Gossip Magazines
We seem to be a little obsessed with the lives of the rich and famous; maybe we admire a certain celebrity or we want to find out more about him or her so we tend to read a lot of gossip magazines.
A Quick Guide on How to Save Money
A Quick Guide on How to Save Money
It’s time to save a lot of dollars with patience and determination. Cutting down costs is never an easy task, but it’s definitely accomplishable. If you already think about saving money, you are on the right path. You have actually made the first step…now it’s time to act.
The following pieces of advice can help you save a lot of money in time. The results can be noticed from the start, but you will manage to save money after a couple of months or so. But the effort is worth it. All you need is a goal, a purpose. That will be the fuel that will keep you on track. You want to save money to get your kids through college, to buy a new house or a new car or to go abroad. Whatever your reasons, stay committed to your dreams.
Be Eco-Friendly
Sustainable designs are really popular for several reasons: they are environmentally friendly, they consume less energy and the bills are significantly cheaper.
What’s Useless?
Ask yourself a simple question “what’s useless?” Have you stopped watching cable TV for some time now? If the answer is yes then cancel the subscription if you don’t think you’ll be watching TV anytime soon. Switch the lights off when you’re not in the room etc.
Just DIY
If you have always been picky, you’ll understand the appeal of any Do-it-yourself project. Sometimes you want a particular thing but you can’t find it anywhere. It’s time to take matters into your own hands and engage in a DIY project. You can follow some step by step tutorials that will really help you out. Choosing the materials and fabrics that you like will always help you come up with something unique and less expensive. You’ll cut some major costs by choosing DIY projects.
Cooking
Cooking may seem tiresome at times, but it’s recommended. You will eat a home cooked meal that’s healthy for your body. You can also ask your family or friends to help you out. It’s a fun way to socialize, you gotta admit it. And it’s also a fantastic tip to save a lot of money. Instead of constantly dining out and spending too much money.
The Shopping List
Keep the products on your shopping list to a minimal. Try cooking different meals and don’t give in to junk food. Buy enough food to keep everybody happy, but stick to smaller portions. Otherwise you end up throwing a lot of food away. It often happens to most of us.
Make Use of Everything that You Own
Interior design can be a thing. If you like DIY projects you can organize your space better and maximize it. Get rid of useless items and obsolete elements of décor. And if you really need to buy something, stick to essential items. If you also have a garden, consider yourself lucky. You can grow fruits and vegetables and enjoy eating healthy products while saving a lot of money in the process.
How to Boost Your Income
How to Boost Your Income
We’ve all been there at one point in our lives; we have asked ourselves how we can boost our income without making drastic changes. Tips and tricks seem to appear from everywhere; books, magazines, news, friends, leaders; they all have a recipe for success.
But sometimes the success of somebody else can’t be copied or followed. Our lives and passions differ and our way of handling things might also stray from the usual path. But certainly, a piece of advice or a different perspective will never hurt. We can get a better picture about what it takes to earn more money and decide what can truly work for us.
Reach Out to Friends
Our circle of friends can sometimes vary; there are people who work in the same field like us and some who have a totally different profession. Don’t be afraid to ask your friends if they know about a job opening; maybe they have a friend who knows a friend that knows about a job opening or they work in a new company that hires people from your field. You will find out important details like the approximate income, the work environment, the colleagues you might end up working with. You will end up making your mind easier about a certain job and you might probably boost your income if you choose a job that you know a lot about even before being hired there.
Social Media Websites
Even if it isn’t formal or appropriate at all, many companies and H.R representatives have started placing ads and job offers on different social media websites or groups that are designed for promoting the hiring process online. These opportunities should be taken into account too and some of these offers come from serious companies. There are scammers involved in this process, too but you can easily throw a glance at the profile of the one who posted all the information and you can easily distinguish the real deal from the fake posts. It’s worth a try; maybe you’ll find a part time job or a project based job that will help you earn more money.
Bank Deposits
It may one of the oldest tips on making extra money, but placing a certain amount of cash in the bank on a regular basis will definitely boost your income. It is still a popular tip for a reason; this is a foolproof technique that is guaranteed to save you some money. You won’t be too tempted to go to the bank and cash in on our savings too soon.
Blogging
Do you have a passion for writing? Do you express yourself better when you are in front of a computer and you type in some words? If you answered yes to these questions, you might consider being a blogger in your spare time. You don’t have to give your job up yet. Find something that appeals to you; if you’re a great cook, write about different recipes and cooking tips; if you have an eye for fashion be a fashion blogger and on and so forth. If you get enough followers, you’ll start earning some big bucks and you might end up giving up your job and dedicating all of your time to the blog you’ve created. It sounds like a fairytale, but it’s something that happens all the time. You can earn some serious money from blogging.
Gaining More by Saving
A lot of New Year’s Eve resolutions start exactly like this: “starting with the 1st of January, things will change. I will start saving money and buy a new car or a new house.” But we seldom follow our resolutions because we get caught up in work, daily activities, responsibilities and whatnot.
You don’t need a specific date to start something important. You can start saving money on a Monday, on a Sunday, in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning. Just have a certain goal in mind and pursue it with all your physical and psychological effort. It’s a big step, but you’ll be getting what you want in the end and that is all that matters.
Use Your Skills
Do you have a sewing machine lying around the house? If so, use your skills and upcycle or redesign old clothes. Give them a modern vibe and wear something unique, made by you. If you are not certain of some sewing techniques, you can always watch some tutorials online, they’re free of charge. Kudos to saving money instead of going shopping!
Thinking about Your Kids
You love your kids and you want to pamper them, spoil them, buy them anything that they want. But kids are growing up so fast and their wishes change from one day to the next, it’s hard to keep up with them and it can also be so tricky, from a financial standpoint. You save money to buy them a certain toy but exactly when you have the amount of money you need to acquire something for them, they have already changed their mind and they want a totally different thing. There is a different approach when it comes to this situation. Get involved more in your children’s life. You are already giving your best, but try playing with them more often, because they’ll be so happy. You’ll be bursting with joy, too and you will forget about your worries when you see a smile on your kids’ face because you’ve played with them. You can take them hiking, too. Or for a picnic. Engage in fun activities. Pick easy DIY projects and create cool toys together. There are a lot of alternatives that will make your kids happy. And none of them involve expensive toys. Quality time, family time is one of the best feelings ever. You will gain more by saving money. You can save money for college tuition, thinking about their future in advance.
Leading a Healthy Life
Eating healthy and staying healthy does wonders for your health and for your wallet. Drinking water decreases your appetite (especially when you drink a full glass in the morning you won’t be tempted to eat too much) and eating healthy will give you the necessary strength to last through the day. You’ll also get used to the healthy diet in the end, being less and less tempted to give in to junk food or dine out at different fast food restaurants. You’ll feel good about yourself, too. And you won’t be spending tons of money on snacks.
Hello, Frugal Living!
We all struggle with fleeting thoughts such as “what if I saved money when I had the chance?” It’s never too late to turn your thoughts into reality. Of course, it’s so easy to imagine what you’d do with the money that you saved, but it is far more difficult to start saving money because you got used with a certain routine and lifestyle.
But the human mind can adapt to anything. You have the power to change something in your life for the better. So get ready to say hello to frugal living; the kind of living you’ll fall in love with after a few months in which you get accustomed to it.
Learning How to Manage Money
Some people have an innate talent at managing money while some are experts in a different field. Luckily, anybody can learn how to manage money. It’s not just a single recipe for success; it all depends on your budget, number of family members and lifestyle. At first, you have to assign a certain amount of money that you wish to save on a monthly basis. Then, after a few months, you increase that amount till you manage to save thousands of dollars.
Analyze the Available Offers
Always search for the best deals; cool offers from trusted brands and companies. This way you’ll benefit from trustworthy brands that offer you quality services at affordable prices.
Homemade Products
You spend a lot of bucks on beauty products. Sometimes, these beauty products use chemicals that can cause damage to your skin. Why don’t you try some natural recipes? Nature is the best beauty expert and the fruits and vegetables that you use can make you look younger and feel so much healthier. You’ll be saving a lot of money, too.
Have You Considered Gardening?
It may come as a surprise, but gardening is therapeutic. You can practice introspection while planting different trees, plants, veggies. You will have a garden to die for, healthy food that you can cook that comes from your backyard and you’ll also get to relax.
Cleaning, Storage and Organizing
Some say that planning and organizing take the fun out of life. They actually don’t; they make life worthwhile. It’s true that spontaneous acts are awesome, but it’s also true that we need planning to get things done fast and in an efficient manner. When it comes to cleaning you can use some cool DIY tips that will teach you how to use homemade products that last longer, smell great and that aren’t toxic for your eyes, skin or nose. Think of storage spaces to make your rooms seem bigger and think of organizing your house and get rid of useless objects. By keeping these things in mind, you won’t be so tempted to buy other elements of décor; stick to neutral, minimalist designs that are more affordable and that also make your house seem welcoming and spacious.
Think about the Extra Trips to the Market
…and reduce the number of trips you take. Buy all you need from the get-go. Make an extensive list with what you and your family needs and if you need an extra hand to help you out go shopping with your family members. Buy the things you need, not the things that are on sales and aren’t of so much use to you.
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Preparedness Month – 72 Hour Kit Part 2
Yesterday we talked about how you should prepare a 72 hour kit for each member of your family. We looked at the list for 72-hr kits and the suggested items to include in a 72 hour kit from Utah.gov. I told you to print it out and put it in your binder. The list was pretty easy to understand and pretty specific. Most of the items are easy and cheap to buy and even easier to store. What do you do once you have bought all the items? The Utah.gov website also has tips for storing your 72 hour kit. There are also many other useful tips about 72 hour kits.
Emergency Container Tip:
A water-tight container is most ideal for keeping a 72 Hour Kit. Most people prepare and store 72 hour kits in backpacks because they are easy to carry. I think this is a great idea. Right now backpacks can be purchased in the clearance section of many stores and the back-to-school items are marked down.
Utah.gov had some other suggestions. “Create emergency kits and store in any type of containers with wheels. Such as for the larger kits; garbage cans, foot-lockers, chest, duffle bags, tote bags, ice chest, various size suitcases or various size plastic boxes.”
Suggested Areas To Store 72 Hour Kits:
- Store grab-and-go food and water container where easy to access in case you are advised to evacuate.
- Children and adults keep their emergency kit(s) in their bedrooms. Let the children have responsibility for their own backpack and have the older children buddy-up and take care of younger brothers or sisters. Mom, dad take care of baby.
- If a senior citizen resides with the family, also buddy-up and help them for they move slower and a backpack may be too heavy for them to carry.
- Donʼt forget house pets should also have emergency kits to be ready to grab-and-go. Pack the foods pet(s) normally eat, leashes, crates and litterbox.
- Re-think where all of your camping gear is located throughout the household. Keep in one area if possible for easy access so youʼre not looking in the dark with a flashlight for things.
- Always keep a pair of hard sole shoes underneath your bed.
Stay tuned tomorrow when we continue to talk about emergency preparedness. We’ve got a few more tips and ideas to share. Want us to share your idea? Let us know, we love to hear from you.
Do you have Amazon Prime? It is $67 on Friday!
I’ll admit it, I love shopping online. If I could just buy everything online and have it show up at my door, I’d be so happy. Sometimes it feels like going to the store is a huge waste of my time, especially when it is just for a couple of items. I also really dislike driving all around town to get good deals on the few items I need. Again it feels like I am wasting my time. If I can buy the things I need online, saving time and money, I am so happy. I started shopping on Amazon a few years ago and I love it. I shop the deals on Amazon a lot. I buy everything from electronics, to paper products, to toys, to groceries. I can buy almost anything on Amazon. This is one of the biggest reasons why I LOVE having Amazon Prime.
Amazon Prime gained popularity because of the free shipping it provides. When you have Amazon Prime all of your qualifying orders get FREE Two-Day shipping. Amazon says it best, “Need a last minute gift? Can’t get out of the house? Realize you forgot to pick up something? With FREE Two-Day Shipping from Amazon Prime, your shopping problems are solved. You get unlimited deliveries with no minimum order size, and with 20 million eligible items, the options are practically limitless. From big to small, A to Z, home to office, and everywhere in between, satisfying that shopping itch —or need— is just two days away.”
Amazon Prime does cost $99 a year but this Friday it is only $67. This may sound like a big investment at first. If you look at it carefully, it is not much at all. $67 a year breaks down into $5.58 a month. Do you spend $5.58 a month in shipping from other retailers? Do you spend $5.58 in gas running after an item or two, running here or there? Is the time you spend running these errands worth $5.58 a month? My guess is that most people answer yes to all of those questions. Many of us probably spend more than $5.58 in time, gas and shipping. When you look at these factors Amazon Prime would actually pay for itself.
Thinking about trying Amazon Prime? There is a 30 day FREE trial available! This would be an awesome time to try Amazon Prime. Amazon Prime Free Trial members enjoy all the same benefits as paid members. It is a perfect time to try Amazon Prime. You’ll be able to take advantage of all of the great deals we will bring you, and not worry about paying shipping.
Beyond the FREE Two-Day shipping there are so many more benefits to having Amazon Prime. They include Unlimited Photo Storage, Prime Instant Video, Prime Music, and access to the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. We’ll talk about those tomorrow, along with more ways to save when shopping on Amazon. The savings can be HUGE!
Amazon Prime Membership Perks! Get it for $67!
Yesterday we talked about Amazon Prime and the awesome $67 sale that is going on this Friday. I told you this would be an awesome time to try Amazon Prime. I have not seen Amazon Prime at a lower than $99 price in a very long time! Who knows when we’ll see a sale price like this again! Saturday only, Amazon Prime will cost just $67 a year – a savings of $32 from the regular $99 price.
We broke down the $67 price because it may sound like a big investment at first. If you look at it carefully, it is not much at all. $67 a year breaks down into $6 a month. Do you spend $6 a month in shipping from other retailers? Do you spend $5.58 in gas running after an item or two, running here or there? Is the time you spend running these errands worth $5.58 a month? My guess is that most people answer yes to all of those questions. Many of us probably spend much more than $5.58 in time, gas and shipping. When you look at these factors Amazon Prime would actually pay for itself.
Still not convinced? There are many more perks to having an Amazon Prime membership. I have to tell you that I think they are REALLY good perks too. Here’s a quick look at these perks and what they offer.
FREE Two-Day Shipping
FREE Two-Day Shipping on millions of items. Need a last minute gift? Can’t get out of the house? Realize you forgot to pick up something? With FREE Two-Day Shipping from an Amazon Prime membership, your shopping problems are solved. You get unlimited deliveries with no minimum order size, and with 20 million eligible items, the options are practically limitless. Your Amazon Prime membership also includes a variety of shipping benefits, including several shipping options if you need to expedite your delivery.
Prime Instant Video
With an Amazon Prime membership you get unlimited instant streaming of over 40,000 movies and TV episodes. You can instantly stream Prime Instant Video titles from your computer’s web browser, Fire phone, Fire TV, Fire Tablets, iOS devices, and hundreds of other Internet-connected TVs, Blu-ray players, set-top-boxes, and gaming consoles.
Prime Music
When you get an Amazon Prime membership you get unlimited, ad-free access to over a million songs and hundreds of playlists. With Prime Music, you can listen to ad-free music including over a million songs from top artists and old favorites. Amazon is adding more music all the time.
Prime Photos
With an Amazon Prime membership you now get unlimited photo storage in Amazon Cloud Drive. This is a brand new perk just announced this week. You can store your photos safely in Cloud Drive and you can access them anywhere, from almost any device by signing in with your Amazon account.
Prime Early Access
Your Amazon Prime membership now includes Early Access. With Amazon Prime Early Access you will get 30-minute early access to select Lightning Deals on Amazon, and new events on MyHabit.
Kindle Owners’ Lending Library
Borrow one Kindle Book per month from over 500,000 titles for free on any Kindle device with no due dates. The Kindle Owners’ Lending Library is available to Amazon Prime memberships who own a Kindle device. Books borrowed from the Lending Library have no due date and can be delivered to other Kindle devices registered to your Amazon account. Books that are borrowed from the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library can be read only on Kindle devices.
Amazon Mom
Amazon Mom members get 20% off diapers subscriptions, a 15% baby registry completion discount and access to Amazon Mom exclusive discounts and deals. Amazon Mom is aimed at helping parents and caregivers in the prenatal through toddler years use Amazon to find and save on products that families need. Amazon Mom is open to anyone, whether you’re a mom, dad, grandparent or caretaker.
Amazon Student
Amazon Student members get FREE Two-Day Shipping on millions of items and a 6 month free trial. After your free trial, your membership will upgrade to Amazon Prime for 50% off. As with a regular Amazon Prime membership, you can cancel at any time. You will need to have a .edu email address to participate in this program.
Share Your Amazon Prime Benefits
When you have a free or paid Amazon Prime membership you can share your shipping benefits with an additional family member living in the same household. Other Amazon Prime membership benefits such as Prime Instant Video, Prime Music, and the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library can’t be shared.
Sounds great doesn’t it? Sign up for Amazon Prime Friday for just $67! Follow any of the links in this blog to get started.
Preparedness Month – First Aid Kits!
We’ve talked about food storage and water storage and a few other things this month. Every day we’ve talked about a useful tip to help us all be prepared for emergencies. We have been talking about preparedness all month because September is National Preparedness Month. One of the things that is so important and we made a section for in our Preparedness Binder is having a first aid kit.
First aid kits come in many shapes and sizes, it is easy to buy or make a first aid kit to fit your needs. You can purchase a first aid kit from your local discount store or your local drug store may sell them. You can also make your own first aid kit. Some first aid kits are designed for specific activities or locations like camping, home or car. There are so many different first aid kits but all have one basic thing in common – if we don’t check the contents the kit could be useless in some first aid emergencies.
Years ago I bought a small first aid kit for my car and tossed it under a seat. I thought very little about it and knew I was good because there was a first aid kit in the car. A couple years later I looked at it and realized many of the contents were expired and some things were damaged. A first aid kit is only complete if you check the contents to make sure it is in date and contains all of the needed items. If you buy one or make one, make sure it has the basic items you will need. Need to get your kit ready and updated? Wondering where to start? The Red Cross recommends that all first aid kits for a family of four include the following:
2 absorbent compress dressings (5 x 9 inches)
25 adhesive bandages (assorted sizes)
1 adhesive cloth tape (10 yards x 1 inch)
5 antibiotic ointment packets (approximately 1 gram)
5 antiseptic wipe packets
2 packets of aspirin (81 mg each)
1 blanket (space blanket)
1 breathing barrier (with one-way valve)
1 instant cold compress
2 pair of nonlatex gloves (size: large)
2 hydrocortisone ointment packets (approximately 1 gram each)
Scissors
1 roller bandage (3 inches wide)
1 roller bandage (4 inches wide)
5 sterile gauze pads (3 x 3 inches)
5 sterile gauze pads (4 x 4 inches)
Oral thermoameter (non-mercury/nonglass)
2 triangular bandages
Tweezers
First aid instruction booklet
Do you have any tips or tricks for buying or assembling a first aid kit? If so, share them with us. We love hearing from you. Maybe your tips or tricks will end up in one of our future blogs.
Preparedness Month – Guidelines for Storing Water!
Yesterday we talked about how we all know the basic ideas behind having food storage. One of the biggest reasons is that it helps us be prepared for times when shopping might be impossible, too hard or too expensive. We all seem to focus on food and household items. Those are some of the most important things. Yet, I think there is something that we all would agree is as important as food. We need to store water. If your normal water source becomes unavailable or if you are unsure about its fitness to drink, you will need an alternative clean water supply for drinking, food preparation, and personal hygiene. There are many guidelines for storing water.
The following are the general guidelines for storing water.
Families should store enough clean water to allow each person in the household to use 1 to 1.5 gallons each day.
Increase the amount of water stored when there are children, sick people, nursing mothers, or pets in the household.
Families should store a minimum of a 3-day supply of water.
For Example: A four-person household would need to store 18 gallons of water. That’s 1.5 gallons per person per day for 3 days.
If you think about it; that really beings to sound like a lot of water to store. We need to think and talk about some methods of storing water. What are the guidelines for storing water? What containers should be used? Where should water be stored?
First there are some basic guidelines for storing water:
- Label all containers as “drinking water” and include storage date.
- Replace stored water that is not commercially bottled every six months.
- Keep stored water in a place with a fairly constant cool temperature.
- Do not store water containers in direct sunlight.
What containers should we use to store our water?
- Unopened commercially bottled water is the safest and most reliable emergency water supply.
- Food-grade water storage containers, such as those found at surplus or camping supply stores, are recommended if you prepare stored water yourself.
Are there containers that should be avoided when storing water?
- Containers that cannot be sealed tightly or that can break.
- Do not use containers that have ever been used for any toxic chemicals.
- Plastic bottles and containers that were used for milk or fruit juices.
Are there other sources of water to consider in an emergency?
- If you have time, fill the bathtub with water. Be sure to keep doors to the bathroom closed and locked if there are small children in the home. The full tub could be a drowning hazard. The tub water will be useful for hygiene and cleaning. It could also be filtered or boiled for drinking.
- Use the water in your water heater if needed. Most guidelines for storing water suggest this as an excellent resource. If there is risk of contaminated water entering the tank, turn the water off to the water heater. Do not let contaminated water fill the water heater. Turn off the heat source as the tank empties.
Preparedness Month – Store Water!
We all know the basic ideas behind having food storage. One of the biggest reasons is that it helps us be prepared for times when shopping might be impossible, too hard or too expensive. We all seem to focus on food and household items. Those are some of the most important things. Yet, I think there is something that we all would agree is as important as food. We need to store water.
Why would we need to store water? If your normal water source becomes unavailable or if you are unsure about its fitness to drink, you will need an alternative clean water supply for drinking, food preparation, and personal hygiene. The following are general guidelines for storing water.
Families should store enough clean water to allow each person in the household to use 1 to 1.5 gallons each day.
Increase the amount of water stored when there are children, sick people, nursing mothers, or pets in the household.
Families should store a minimum of a 3-day supply of water.
For Example: A four-person household would need to store 18 gallons of water. That’s 1.5 gallons per person per day for 3 days.
We’ll talk more about some ways to store that water tomorrow. Today we are going to focus on what to do with the water before we drink it. How to we make the water we have safe to drink? There are a few popular and safe methods to make stored or otherwise questionable water safe to drink.
Boiling water
Boiling water is the most common way to destroy potential pathogens. Water boiled continuously for 3 to 4 minutes can be stored in a suitable container at room temperature.
Aeration can improve the flat taste of boiled water. Aerate water by transferring water back and forth from one container to another.
Chemical treatments
Chemical treatments like chlorination and iodine tablets are also popular ways to purify water.
Chlorinate water using basic household bleach that is unscented and free of any other cleaner or color-safe component. The recommended amount of bleach to be used to disinfect a gallon of water would be: for clear water you would use 8 drops of bleach and 16 drops in cloudy water. After mixing in the bleach, let the water stand for 30 minutes. You should be able to detect a slight chlorine odor after the treatment. If not, treat the water again and let it stand for another 15 minutes.
Iodine tablets will eradicate heat-resistant pathogens. Iodine purification is more convenient and faster than chlorination, but it has limitations.
Distillation and Filtration
Distillation and filtration are newer procedures compared to boiling. In these cases, water is treated physically rather than chemically.
Filtration is a simple process where water is passed through a filter to remove impurities. Mechanical filters like strainers and sediment filters are effective in removing debris and some suspended solids.
Distillation involves collection of vapor from boiling water followed by condensation back to a liquid. The condensed water does not contain any impurities that may have been in the raw water. The “flat” taste of distilled water can be improved by aerating it.
Reverse Osmosis
Activated carbon filtration systems combined with reverse osmosis are effective in removing total dissolved solids, turbidity, asbestos, lead, and other heavy metals.
Reverse osmosis filters can remove pathogens of all sizes, but are not specifically designed to do so. Do not rely on a reverse osmosis water treatment system to remove pathogens from contaminated water.
(Information is what is recommended by the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florida.)
Preparedness Month – Non-food Items in Storage!
We’ve been talking about National Preparedness Month and all of the different ways we can be prepared. We talked a lot last week about food storage and now we should talk about other items to include. I still remember a funny conversation I had with a neighbor a few years ago. We were moving to a new home and he was helping load the boxes containing my food storage into the truck. Suddenly he stopped moving the boxes and looked at me with total shock on his face. He said he had never thought of having so many non-food items in his food storage. He said he and his wife had never even thought to have something as basic as toilet paper in his food storage. I was surprised because this all seemed so natural to me. I wouldn’t want to be without these items for long so I included them in my food storage. It just made sense to me.
We all know the basic ideas behind having food storage. One of the biggest reasons is that it helps us be prepared for times when shopping might be impossible, too hard or too expensive. We all seem to focus on food and water. Those are some of the most important things. Yet, I think there are quite a few other non-food things that we all would agree are almost as important as food.
Toilet Paper
I think this is one of the top non-food items that I need to have in my food storage. I knew it topped my list even before my neighbor’s reaction of surprise and awe. I can’t imagine being stuck without toilet paper. I know there may be other things you could use but seriously, do you want to use leaves or newspaper or something else? I sure don’t!
Diapers and Wipes
If you have a little person in diapers in your house, be sure to include diapers and wipes in your food storage. Again there are other things that can be used in a pinch, but do you really want to?
Soap and Shampoo
Make sure you have some of this in your food storage as well. Even if money is tight or there is a disaster or emergency you will be able to be clean. That’s a huge comfort.
Feminine Supplies
Another must have in the food storage. There are some things that will be needed no matter what, don’t forget these supplies. I’m not sure I want to try any of the other things that could be used, I’ll just keep a supply of the norm.
Laundry Detergent
Another non-food item that I think is critical to have on hand is laundry soap. This goes with the same idea of being clean is a must. I store liquid detergent because it seems to be easier to use if I need to do laundry by hand.
Dish Soap
I store both liquid dish soap and dishwasher soap. I really hate paying full price for expensive dishwasher detergent. I stock up when it hits a price I like. Again, keeping things clean is a big plus.
Toothbrushes/Toothpaste
Another personal hygiene plus, no one wants to be without these items. There isn’t a need for a huge amount of these in your food storage. I try to keep an extra toothbrush or two for everyone and an extra two or three tubes of toothpaste. It is a good idea.
I know there are lots of other options for non-food items to keep in your food storage. Have any great suggestions or tips? We’d love to hear them!
Preparedness Month – Food Storage Recipes!
September is National Preparedness Month. I love to talk/think/do things about preparedness. Like I said before, I am not one of those nutty people who is preparing for the end of the world or the zombie apocalypse. I am someone who knows that being prepared is important so I really like National Preparedness Month. There is so much to talk about because there are so many ways to be prepared. Yesterday we talked more about long term food storage. Today we are going to talk about using some of this long term food storage in some food storage recipes.
Lots of times when people hear about having long term food storage, they get turned off easily. Long term food storage is generally viewed as being enough food storage for one year. This can be a scary amount of food storage to think about. It sounds hard to do, time consuming and expensive. It also sounds like a waste of food. Many people picture large amounts of food that you’ll never use. That’s the wrong way to look at it. If you have some good food storage recipes you can actually use some of your long term food storage.
It is actually a really good idea to use your long term food storage, whether you have good food storage recipes or not. If you find yourself in the position to start using your long term food storage on a regular basis, your body will be shocked if you’ve never tried the foods. It would be a bad thing to be trying new foods and food storage recipes which might make you sick while you are going through a difficult time.
Here are a couple of our favorite food storage recipes to help you get started using your long term food storage.
Bulgur Wheat and Dried Cranberries
Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/2 cup dry bulgur wheat
1 1/2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1 teaspoon butter
1/4 cup dried cranberries
Directions:
- Bring water to a boil in a pot, and mix in bulgur, bouillon granules, and butter.
- Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 minutes.
- Fluff cooked bulgur with a fork, and gently mix in the dried cranberries.
*Recipe works well with other dried fruits as well.
Wheat Blender Pancakes
Ingredients:
1 Cup Milk
1 Cup Wheat Kernels, whole & uncooked
2 Eggs
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 1/2 tsp Salt
2 Tbs. Oil
2 Tbs. Honey or Sugar
Directions:
- Put milk and wheat kernels in blender.
- Blend on highest speed for 4 or 5 minutes or until batter is smooth.
- Add eggs, oil, baking powder, salt and honey or sugar to above batter.
- Blend on low.
- Pour out batter onto a hot greased or Pam prepared griddle or large frying pan.
- Cook. Flip pancakes when bubbles pop and create holes.