the big gay prepper

hey there blog buddies!

1.  I apologize for the long absence.  In the process of simplifying my life, I've found I seem to have less time for online activities such as blogging lol.

2.  I know this is a long post, but please read through to the end.

Today I'd like to talk to you about a subject that I feel is extremely important and too frequently overlooked in general society as well as the LGBTIQ community in particular.  That subject is emergency preparedness.  No I am not talking about bunkering down in the basement with your bible and your rifle.  What I am talking about is simply being prepared to weather out the storms of life (metaphorical and literal).  If you were to go to youtube and search emergency preparedness you would find a ton of videos about preparing for the end of the world, zombie apocolypse or my personal favorite SHTF (sh*t hit the fan).  As I'm generally an optimist and believe that human society is actually progressively evolving into our better selves, this really doesn't sound like me does it?

so here's the back story.  Several years ago I was actually terminated from a job for being gay.  I went from a very well paying job to overnight working at wal-mart for just barely over minimum wage part time.  I also went through a lengthy period of time in which I was unable to find adequate employment to cover my needs (and lets face it, those are fairly simple needs lol).  So that's how I got into prepping, and what I focus on is not the end of the world or some global catastrophe but the everyday emergencies brought on by an uncertain economic climate, an uncertain climate, and surprise repair or medical bills that can cripple oneself financially. 

With that in mind here is my advice on preparedness:

1. do not use credit to become prepared.  Do this as slowly as necessary, but you want to remain financially sound in the process.
2. pay off your debt.  In a financial crisis the first thing you want to have is no credit card bills, followed shortly by no debt of any kind.  Its hard enough to keep the rent paid when one is unemployed or underemployed without having to keep visa paid as well.  Lock your cards away, and then pay more than the minimum (as much as is feesible) and get them cleared out.  After finishing off the cards, move on to other forms of debt starting with the debt with the highest interest rate. 
3. once step 2 is accomplished move on to preparing an emergency fund.  This should contain a bare minimum of 3 months worth of living expenses (more is better).  This should be enough to cover everything including rent, utilities, car insurance and maintaince, gas, groceries, medicine, etc. This should be in an interest bearing savings account (ie liquid assets) and only touched for emergencies.
4. After having funded step 3 up to 1 year, begin to build up an on hand supply of consumables.  Keeping a years supply of paper goods, toilet tissue, laundry detergent, food (make sure it is shelf stable, and rotate to keep within date), and long-dated OTC medicines such as pain relievers, benadryl, etc. will take an enourmous weight off your shoulders when facing a financial crisis. Stock up only on what you use.  As a kosher keeping vegan, a case of spam would not be helpful to me. 

With those four steps one will be prepared to weather the financial storms of life, now to move on to the natural disasters one is likely to encounter in one's area.  Starting from the platform above, this is fairly easy.  I will use the example of tornadoes and severe winter weather as that is what I am likely to encounter in my area. 

1. you want to have a safe area of the home (basement, interior closet, etc.) which will be free from falling debris and not likely to have a shelving unit collapse on top of you.  
2. you want to have at least a two week supply of drinking water on hand.  after many natural disasters, boil orders are issued and when you are thirsty boiling water is the last thing on your mind.  
3. This is related to step 4 above.  You want to have on hand a 2 week supply of foods that do not require elaborate cooking.  Dried beans would not be a good idea when you have limited or no power for cooking.  Canned goods (many of which can be eaten straight out of the can/jar) may not be the most appetizing option but can provide well rounded nutrition.
4. a well stocked first aid kit.  This means more than bandaids and neosporin.  
5. extra heavy blankets and an alternative heat source.  If you have gas heat, you should be fine except the blowers are generally electric.  I personally use passive solar (huge windows in my apartment) as my alternative heat source.  

If you have any other tips regarding emergency preparedness, please share them in the comments section below.  

ok, so maybe I'm not as active as I like

Ok folks. I apologize for being so inactive. I know I know. At least this time I have a good excuse. I got laid off a couple weeks ago. Fortunately I've found a new place to work but it requires moving. What's even more unfortunate is that the job is 50 hours a week, plus I'm trying to find a place, plus i'm trying to pack, plus its the High Holy Days.

so to everyone, I apologize. I'm sorry. There I said it. There is nothing that can be done about it at the moment. I do welcome the new followers I see over at the left.

Ah but this rambling is not the point of this posting. I would like to wish everyone who reads this blog a peaceful, joyful, and sweet new year (if your reading this and not Jewish substitute season for new year) and a stressfree high holidays (is that even possible). La Sha'na Tova Tikvetevu!

ok, what kinda gay Jew would I be if I didn't include a barbara streisand ballad? Well this may not exactly be a balad, but here she is singing Alvinu Malkeinu (Our Father Our King).
Joe
3 Tishrei 5770

Surving and Thriving with Downward Mobility vol 1 iss 3

ok, so I have been lax in posting to this series. to make up for it, this time around we are having a big topic.

the topic is, home food preservation. In general there are five types of home food preservation, with variations of each:

1. dehydrating/drying
2. freezing
3. canning
4. fermentation
5. root cellering

My biggest experience is with canning so we'll start there. Canning is fun, pschologically rewarding, and makes wonderful economic sense. Its good for the environment too.

If you look at various articles on canning, they will tell you it is cost prohibitive. it is not. The only part that can't be reused is the lids. The rings, jars, canners, and assorted other equpment can be reused literally tens of thousands of times. The lids have to be used new each time, however they are fairly cheap. I get them for about $.08 apiece. the cost of electricity/gas to heat the canner is negligible and amortizes, using local rates, for a full canner to an additional 13 cents a jar.

Now, nearly anything can be canned assuming you have both a pressure canner and boiling water bath canner. I can hundreds of jars a year of various things. The biggest thing is sources. The following are sources I have used, or close friends have used:

1. your garden. All gardens produce surplus. canning this surplus can radically reduce your winter grocery bill.

2. foraging/wildcrafting. An enourmous amount of edible plants grow on public lands. Also, look for fruit trees growing at homes that are for sale.

3. gleaning. look for neighbors with fruit trees they aren't using.

4. produce auctions. these are generally for wholesalers, so you will have to buy in large quantities.

5. barter help with garden work for extra produce.

6. loss leader produce sales at the supermarket.

Now, sources for jars (if at all possible you should definitly avoid buying new jars):

1. flea markets
2. yard sales
3. auctions/estate sales
4. craig's list/free cycle
5. take out an add in your local pennysaver newspaper.

Finally its time to consider portioning. This is important as if you can in two small a container that you have to use two, you waste a lid. If it is on the other hand too big a jar you may end up with spoilage and food waste. Jars come in 5 sizes:

1. 4oz jars, most used for jellies
2. 1/2 pint jars, used mostly for relishes, jams, jellies, and chutney
3. Pint size (about the size of a standard can of veggies or fruit from the store)
4. quart, I use these mainly for tomatoes and dilly beans which we go through like nobody's businessf
5. half gallon. These are used mainly for juice.

Always be sure to calculate the relative savigns for the item you are canning. Also, don't can things you won't eat. What have y'all been canning this year?

joe

Hidey Ho Blogeroos!

Well everyone, I feel it is somewhat necessary to explain my lengthy absence from this blog. You see, its canning season. As usually happens around here, I not only have my own garden produce to can but other's as well. This is of course not including foraging (there's an amazing amount of edible plants growing on public land), gleaning (you would be simply appalled at the amount of food wasted by the modern agricultural system), and trade it canning. Trade it canning is a system I set up where someone can give me their stuff to can. However since the greatest part of the work is in the actual canning (not to mention jars, energy for the range, lids, bands, ingredients such as sugar and spices) they get 1 out of every 3 or 4 jars depending on the job.

basically I'm beat and almost out of canning jars. this happened last year and I spent all winter scroungin and scrounging for more jars. I visited every thrift store, flea market, etc. in a 100 mile radius I think. found lots, but as any canner knows its never enough and never the right sizes. I still have tons of quarts but am down to less than two cases of pints.

I promise that as soon as I catch up on some things around here (and get reasonably caught up on my canning) i will update this blog with my july savings totals (and probably august as well). To be honest though, its not looking so hot. My bonus check each month that was really growing my savings has dropped off considerably the past few months. Also, my shelves are practically bare (or were) as they always are this time of year (to make room for jars of course) so i've had to spend a good deal on that. I also promise to update the shortlived series, "Surviving and Thriving With Downward Mobility." this is actually a fairly high up goal for me as I feel its a timely message right now. its time we started beating the debt monkeys at their own game, and the only way to do that is spend less money.

thats all for now.
Jo

A Message to Visa/Mastercard/American Express/Discover

brownbaging lunch (in reused bag): 427.36 saved
Couponing: 16,000 saved (no kidding, well not me, but slugmama did it!)
Gardening: 3,523.42 saved
holding yardsale: 482.37 socked into savings

A Passover without you superthin pharohs: priceless.

Join The Revolution

May Savings Challenge Results

Well, loyal readers, its the first day of a new month. Y'all know what that means?

thats right darlings, time for my update on my 20K savings challenge for 2009. here we go:

debt reduction 2,177.78
cash on hand 805.00
coin on hand 5.40
savings acct (1,178.56)
total 1,809.62

adding my may first totals we have:

7753.62

this is 38% of my savings goal of 20 k.

not bad, but not great either.

Joe

Surviving and Thriving with Downward Mobility vol 1 iss 2

Well friends its that time again. Well past that time really, but here is the next instalment in my series on how to not only survive but also thrive (and have fun doing it) during these economic hard times.

This week's instalment is about thriftstores. Many, if not most of you, have purged your cabinets, armoires, and closets for donations to charity thrift stores operated by organizations such as the Salvation Army, Goodwill Industries, the Humane Society, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, or your local battered women's shelter. But why just get rid of things at these places?

Do you have a birthday gift to buy? need a new coat for winter? need to redecorate your living room? Well then, get yourself to your nearest goodwill! In addition to getting things for way below regular retail prices, you experience guilt free shopping. You are providing an outlet for those with surplus to keep their unwanted items out of landfills. Also you are providing work and jobtraining for the poor, as well as other services to those in need.

You can even win money for especially creative reuse of items found at thriftstores operated by several national organizations such as Goodwill Industries Inc.

Have you found a treasure at thrift stores? please share about it in the comments section below.

Jo