# Cheap preps for worst-case



## Starcreek (Feb 4, 2015)

There are too many disasters - natural and manmade - to prepare for them all, and nobody really knows what the future holds. So, to simplify, let's take just one: A major EMP (electro-magnetic pulse) burst over the United States. That could easily be the worst-case scenario in its wide-ranging effects.
Plus, it would happen without warning: You wake up late because your alarm didn't go off, and everything's so quiet -- not even a hum from the refrigerator or the sound of an air conditioner. If you're out at night, it would be as if someone suddenly threw a huge breaker, and all the lights went out. Daytime, the distant roar of traffic would disappear, and all you would hear is the crickets and birds chirping. Sudden, ominous quiet. Oh yeah, I know, the planes would fall from the sky over some of us, and eventually there would be all kinds of civil turmoil, but for most people, the first thing you would notice is how quiet it suddenly becomes, like the 21st century was just switched off.

It is theorized that an EMP at a certain altitude over the lower 48 would cause a complete grid-down situation, and that would produce a lot of the effects that most of us are preparing for, all by itself.

 My point in this thread is to go over simple, practical, low-cost ways we can all (even those with little income) prepare for a 100% grid-down. Make it cheap, folks. And make it practical.

 Example:
Pick up a small notepad and stick it in your pocket with a pen or pencil. Every time you do something, ask yourself, "Could I do this if the grid was down?" If not, write that thing down.

 Walk the dog? Yeah, I can do that. Turn up the AC when I get home, because I'm hot from the walk? Nope. So, what can I do to make up for that lack? Open windows? If I open my windows, are the screens intact? If there are holes in the screens, those will let in flies (which hatch maggots in the garbage and other nasty places), mosquitoes, and no-see-ums. All of these can have health consequences. So, fix the screens. If you're on a budget like I am, that might mean taking needle and thread and pulling the holes together.

 The notepad is a cheap prep.

 Does anyone else have an idea for a cheap prep for a grid-down scenario?


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

I was once searching for a low cost possibly overlooked prep when I came across several articles listing dozens and dozens of uses for a bandana. Some uses were really great, others not so much, but it did illustrate the usefulness of something inexpensive and readily available for little money. I picked up a bulk pack for the old storage room.


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## NHPrepper2 (Jun 2, 2012)

Fruit and nut trees.


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## bugoutbob (Nov 11, 2012)

Sentry18 said:


> I was once searching for a low cost possibly overlooked prep when I came across several articles listing dozens and dozens of uses for a bandana. Some uses were really great, others not so much, but it did illustrate the usefulness of something inexpensive and readily available for little money. I picked up a bulk pack for the old storage room.


Bandanas are great, like my knife I never go anywhere without them. There is always at least one in my jeans and in every jacket there is one or more and they are in all my bags and cases.

Bandana, rag, bag, toilet paper, bandage, mark the end of a load, tie something up, filter, dust mask, cold weather mask ... the list goes on and one.

On suggestion get the bigger sizes, all cotton and heavier fabric. A little more money but well worth it. Still only a couple bucks


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

Everyone should buy suspenders. They don't cost much and could be the most valuable prep. Food will be hard to come by and everyone will lose weight. If you have suspenders your pants will stay up and allow you to flee bad situations. Give you a free hand because you won't have to have one holding your pants up. The list is endless.


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

before money runs out get a really good pair or 3 of boots and break them in


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## DrPrepper (Apr 17, 2016)

Starcreek said:


> The notepad is a cheap prep.
> 
> Does anyone else have an idea for a cheap prep for a grid-down scenario


This is a great idea for a thread!

One of the things I worry about is toilet paper. Does anyone really know how much TP they need over the course of a year? I calculated how much we use per month, then annualized it and doubled it for good measure, and that tells me how much to stock. TP is relatively cheap, and an extra package or tow with the groceries doesn't make much impact mow - but without stores, working bathrooms, etc, it will mean a lot!

Another thing to stock up on is lamp wicks. Everyone remembers the oil, but the wicks can be pretty important, too! Sewing supplies will also become important when people can't just run to the tailor or whip out their sewing machine (unless you are blessed to have a treadle machine- on my wish list). Sewing supplies can be obtained from the dollar store pretty cheap. Another thing from the dollar store I stocked up on are eyeglass repair kits. All it takes is a missing screw and eyeglasses stop being functional. Manicure kits and emory boards, too. No more mani-pedis, and so keeping nails clean, filed, and smooth will go from cosmetic to a health issue.

Dollar store wind chimes are another handy thing- when set up with fishing lines, they can become part of an early warning system to let you know you've got company.

Since washing clothes will be more difficult than just throwing things into the washer, I plan to stock a lot of extra socks and underwear for both of us, so that we don't have to wait for wash day to be clean and protect our feet and other parts! 

One other thing- I pick up a couple of hand/foot warmers each week with my groceries- not that expensive, but will be nice in the winter to keep my toes warm!

These are just a few of the less expensive things I thought about after reading your post!


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## bugoutbob (Nov 11, 2012)

hiwall said:


> Everyone should buy suspenders. They don't cost much and could be the most valuable prep. Food will be hard to come by and everyone will lose weight. If you have suspenders your pants will stay up and allow you to flee bad situations. Give you a free hand because you won't have to have one holding your pants up. The list is endless.


Suspenders are great. My belt holds my knives and other gear, my suspenders hold up my pants. Sometimes I get strange looks wearing both, I simply explain it as redundant systems engineering. They usually nod knowingly and never bring it up again


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## camo2460 (Feb 10, 2013)

Sentry's Post about the Bandana's got me to thinking about an Article I read in the "Back Woodsman Magazine" about the Bandana's worn by Cowboy's and such. These were not the little Hanky we carry in our Pocket Today, but were larger. Check out the Web Page "hobohanky.com"


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## bugoutbob (Nov 11, 2012)

camo2460 said:


> Sentry's Post about the Bandana's got me to thinking about an Article I read in the "Back Woodsman Magazine" about the Bandana's worn by Cowboy's and such. These were not the little Hanky we carry in our Pocket Today, but were larger. Check out the Web Page "hobohanky.com"


Mine are from 24 -30 inches square


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

I have a treadle sewing machine but I don't know how to use it. I don't have the patience to sew but you can bet I'll learn before I'm walking around nekkid.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

Caribou said:


> Save old phonebooks for my friends that didn't prep enough TP.


Or pinecones.


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

terri9630 said:


> I have a treadle sewing machine but I don't know how to use it. I don't have the patience to sew but you can bet I'll learn before I'm walking around nekkid.


My wife still has the original cast iron toy sewing machine she learned to sew on. It works fine yet. I had to modify some sewing machine needles to fit it and now have several extras.


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## timmie (Jan 14, 2012)

Caribou said:


> Save old phonebooks for my friends that didn't prep enough TP.


or corncobs.


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## Starcreek (Feb 4, 2015)

DrDianaAnderson said:


> Another thing from the dollar store I stocked up on are eyeglass repair kits.


You can also get $1-5 reading glasses at the dollar store, and those are indispensable back-ups for if your prescription glasses get stepped on.

Another really cheap "prep" is making friends with your neighbors. Christmas is coming up, and it doesn't cost much to wrap up a little handfuls of chocolate kisses and tie with a bow -- go visit each of your neighbors and wish them a Merry Christmas. It softens the "stranger" relationship to "acquaintance," and -- who knows -- it might develop into a friendship with a likeminded neighbor! If tshtf, we will need friendly people around us.


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## RedBeard (May 8, 2017)

Starcreek said:


> There are too many disasters - natural and manmade - to prepare for them all, and nobody really knows what the future holds. So, to simplify, let's take just one: A major EMP (electro-magnetic pulse) burst over the United States. That could easily be the worst-case scenario in its wide-ranging effects.
> Plus, it would happen without warning: You wake up late because your alarm didn't go off, and everything's so quiet -- not even a hum from the refrigerator or the sound of an air conditioner. If you're out at night, it would be as if someone suddenly threw a huge breaker, and all the lights went out. Daytime, the distant roar of traffic would disappear, and all you would hear is the crickets and birds chirping. Sudden, ominous quiet. Oh yeah, I know, the planes would fall from the sky over some of us, and eventually there would be all kinds of civil turmoil, but for most people, the first thing you would notice is how quiet it suddenly becomes, like the 21st century was just switched off.
> 
> It is theorized that an EMP at a certain altitude over the lower 48 would cause a complete grid-down situation, and that would produce a lot of the effects that most of us are preparing for, all by itself.
> ...


Sounds like heaven!


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## RedBeard (May 8, 2017)

So this can be done completely free. Get a non working chest freezer. Dig a hole. Put freezer in hole. Add a vent pipe. Fill in hole. Congratulations you now have a root cellar.


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## phideaux (Nov 7, 2015)

I have always declared myself a tightwad..

I have found that handing onto old dead refrigerators, mine or friends, serve me well for dry goods storage . in the barn .

Mice and bugs and critters can't get to my stuff.

Great for storage , I even have a couple in my garage , works for me, and they're free. Just keep a box of arm and hammer in it.


Jim


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

DrDianaAnderson said:


> ... Does anyone really know how much TP they need over the course of a year?...


Need or want? I figure TP would really be nice but it's not at the top of my list of must haves for long term survival.

Today cloth diapers are used for the babies, wash and reuse. SHTF cloth rags, wash and reuse instead of TP.


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## DrPrepper (Apr 17, 2016)

TheLazyL said:


> Need or want? I figure TP would really be nice but it's not at the top of my list of must haves for long term survival.
> 
> Today cloth diapers are used for the babies, wash and reuse. SHTF cloth rags, wash and reuse instead of TP.


Good point! But why suffer with cloth (and all the health risks involved in using/ washing it) if there is some nice, soft TP to wipe with? I don't want to just survive after SHTF - I want to LIVE and even enjoy life!


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## RedBeard (May 8, 2017)

phideaux said:


> I have always declared myself a tightwad..
> 
> I have found that handing onto old dead refrigerators, mine or friends, serve me well for dry goods storage . in the barn .
> 
> ...


I put them on their back and add a padlock and a plastic liner then i run my sap lines into them. Keeps the sap fresh and clean plus people can't steal it. So many use's for things that people never think of....


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

I have a number of old dead microwaves that I use to store my batteries, gps devices, electronic optics, portable radios, etc. in. I just cut off the power cord, put my cell phone inside and try to call it. If it rings, I throw it in the dumpster. If it does not ring, then I have a new faraday cage. A few have some additional metal tape on the. I also know people who use the power cord to "ground" them.


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

phideaux said:


> I have always declared myself a tightwad..
> 
> I have found that handing onto old dead refrigerators, mine or friends, serve me well for dry goods storage . in the barn .
> 
> ...


My upright freezer has a lock on it. That makes this type of freezer a great place to store guns and ammo, and to keep them secure.


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

Toilet paper is so light and is good insulation in its packages that it can be put in your attic as extra insulation. Then if or when you ever need it you will have a good supply that has been useful the whole time it was in storage.


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

hiwall said:


> Toilet paper is so light and is good insulation in its packages that it can be put in your attic as extra insulation. Then if or when you ever need it you will have a good supply that has been useful the whole time it was in storage.


You'll just have to shake out the baby mice first...


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## RedBeard (May 8, 2017)

AdmiralD7S said:


> If we fill in the hole, how will we access our goods?


You dig the hole so the top of the freezer sticks out of the ground a little. Then cover with a plastic and hay on top. Few different ways to do it but the principle is the same. Google: chest freezer root cellar


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

Sentry18 said:


> Or pinecones.


seriously Dude, spruce cones maybe but pine cones OUCH vract:


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

terri9630 said:


> You'll just have to shake out the baby mice first...


I've had tp in the attic for years..stacked nicely.
Surprisingly, no mice.
Go figure.
I had 6 years worth and am down to three years worth.

I was checking my BOBs..I have 6..for the date of the PI tablets..they're good for 7 years.
Anyhow, in one I opened a little bag and found little bulbs..for the flashlight.
I was surprised I was that savvy when I put those bags together; we all remember extra batteries, but without a bulb, flashlights are useless.
So, find your extra batteries and add little bulbs...NOW!!


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

*alkaline batteries*

I just changed out the D cells(Duracell) in my shop LED maglight , the best before date on them was 2012, they have only been in the light for 6 months or so, but it sees a lot of use, and sometimes gets left on. Given that batteries if fresh when bought should last at least 10 years or better


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## Starcreek (Feb 4, 2015)

I used to have a solar-powered battery charger that could charge up 9V-AAA-AA. That would be handy to have again. Might look into that. I think it only cost about $15-20.


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## Starcreek (Feb 4, 2015)

Smoke alarms.

If you are going to end up burning wood for heat or cooking, a smoke alarm is a good investment. Check with your local fire department ... most of the ones in our area not only have free smoke alarms to give out, a lot of them will come install it for you!


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

Starcreek said:


> Smoke alarms.
> 
> If you are going to end up burning wood for heat or cooking, a smoke alarm is a good investment. Check with your local fire department ... most of the ones in our area not only have free smoke alarms to give out, a lot of them will come install it for you!


Carbon monoxide detectors to go with them. We are replacing the one in the camper today. The one in our camper kept going off last night for no reason. Nothing was on and when we took the one from the house out to the camper it wasn't going off so keep a spare, they go bad.


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## sewingcreations15 (Aug 19, 2017)

Hello all  .

Cheap preps could be any of the following - (think tradables too)
- Waterproof windproof matches. Or ordinary matches dipped in turpentine will do the same thing.
- small hand sewing kits.
- garden seeds saved from your vegetable gardens.
- Firewood and kindling - we cut our own for free from farms close by.
- saved charcoal from your winter fires - water filtration, starting fires with.
- ferrocerium or magnesium flint lighters.
- potash from your fireplace - good for putting around camp sites to deter bugs and rodents that won't go across it, good spread around you vege patches too.
- dryer lint - fire starting.
- dried leaves and lawn clippings for garden mulch.
- carabina clips good for attaching things to bags etc.
- char cloth.
- rags from old clothing etc.
- Para cord.
- duct tape.
- electrical tape.
- disposable rain ponchos.
- tarps.
- bandages.
- wound dressings.
- rubbing alcohol for medical and disinfecting.
- essential oils.
- metho, kerosene.
- propane and butane gas cylinders.
- secondhand or new bought cheaply hand tools.
- travel sized shampoo, conditioners and soaps.
- travel sized empty plastic bottles and pump aerosol bottles.
- hair combs and brushes, head bands, elastic bands.
- glad wrap, cling film for burns, large area grazing and puncture wound dressings etc .
- steel wool short between battery terminals to make fires.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

Starcreek said:


> I used to have a solar-powered battery charger that could charge up 9V-AAA-AA. That would be handy to have again. Might look into that. I think it only cost about $15-20.


I have two bought from Amazon and use them often.
Oddly, I was concerned before with sunless days last summer(sun oven and solar battery chargers)....but the sprayers are in another part of the world or country, because there has been beautiful weather here in Kentucky.
They....just ....stopped...spraying...us!!! Even at nights.


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## Starcreek (Feb 4, 2015)

JayJay said:


> I have two bought from Amazon and use them often.
> Oddly, I was concerned before with sunless days last summer(sun oven and solar battery chargers)....but the sprayers are in another part of the world or country, because there has been beautiful weather here in Kentucky.
> They....just ....stopped...spraying...us!!! Even at nights.


I have noticed that in my part of the South. Maybe it has to do with the new administration. We don't know everything that goes on behind the scenes in D.C. For example: A couple of weeks ago, the news media were ridiculing Pres. Trump for saying our nuclear arsenal is more ready than it's ever been. They said, "How could he do much in just 6 months?" But then I found out that Obama had retargeted all our nukes to the middle of the ocean, supposedly as a good will gesture, to show China and Russia that we mean them no harm. Could be Mr. Trump just re-targeted them back to where they would do business! They don't announce that kind of stuff.

Okay, back to cheap preps...

Yard sales often have stuff that is no longer popular -- shovels, hoes, axes, and blacksmithing tools, for example. A few bucks picks up a treasure!

Also, in the medical field -- that charcoal our new member mentioned just above can also be crumbled up in a glass of water and drunk, to remove toxins from the body, especially if you have diarrhea.

And temporary fillings, available in the pharmacy section of Walmart, can save you from unbelievable agony if you have a cavity and can't get to a dentist. I had some of that in a tooth once, and had no problems for over a year.


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## sewingcreations15 (Aug 19, 2017)

Starcreek you are right about the charcoal too with the diarrhea and you can also buy charcoal tablets too which are not that expensive too which are good to have in a bug out bag or 72hr kit.

With temporary fillings as here we can't buy temporary tooth filling kits, or not that I have seen anyway, you can also mix zinc oxide powder and clove oil into a paste after cleaning the cavity with salty water gargle and fill it. It hardens in no time and I have read that some people have done this at home and it has lasted 5 years and more. 

May I say that Australia is woeful with prepping items we can buy here so we have to be more inventive here. 

Clove oil is great to stock up on too as it gets rid of toothaches when applied to the sore tooth. Teeth cleaning kits are also good to stock with the metal tools for cleaning between your teeth, also tooth floss.


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## kappydell (Nov 27, 2011)

AdmiralD7S said:


> If we fill in the hole, how will we access our goods?


You only bury the bottom, put tarp on top (to catch water) then hay bales for insulation.


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## Starcreek (Feb 4, 2015)

sewingcreations15 said:


> Teeth cleaning kits are also good to stock with the metal tools for cleaning between your teeth, also tooth floss.


Everyone in our family has been using these for the past few years:










They're just a dollar at Dollar Tree, and none of us has had a single toothache since we started using them.


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## angie_nrs (Jul 26, 2017)

kappydell said:


> You only bury the bottom, put tarp on top (to catch water) then hay bales for insulation.


My Grandpa had an old freezer buried behind the north side of the barn where it was always shady. He filled it with dirt and shredded newspaper and added worms. He occasionally added some compost for the worms. He always had crawlers for fishing. He just kept the lid on it and covered it with a piece of insulation board and an old barn door that you just lifted up and off. Nobody knew it was there b/c it just looked like an old junk door laying in the weeds. All of us kids knew it was there b/c we fished with him.

On the cheap you can always keep you laundry detergent containers and fill them with water and store them pretty much anywhere. The plastic is thicker than milk jugs and less likely to leak in the long term. You can keep the small amount of soap left and keep it for washing or you can rinse it out and use it for whatever else you need water for. Water that I have in laundry bottles I will use by the sink for washing purposes. I also have a stash of old peanut butter jars, glass jars, cool whip containers, medicine bottles, etc. all washed up and stored in a box so if I need containers for anything I have them. They would be very valuable in a situation where you needed to break your stuff up into smaller quantities to give away or for barter. They cost nothing except your time in cleaning them out and storing them.

Stock up on canned goods (if you don't can your own) during the fall sales that will be coming up in September and October. Last year I got cases of green beans for 33 cents per can. I also stocked up on kidney beans and all sorts of other goodies at the best prices of the year. Even the local grocers run the sales, so keep an eye out and watch your flyers. They usually do good deals on butter and cheese too, so I stock the freezer. Also look for sales on canning jars, lids, & rings like buy 2 and get 1 sales. Don't forget your hardware stores (ACE, Menards)....they'll also run sales on jars and also have seeds for 20 cents per pack.

Also don't forget to go to the second hand stores in the fall. Most people that have garage sales dump their unsold stuff off at Goodwill or Salvation Army or other thrift stores to get rid of it. Their stock is usually best in the fall.

The best prep for me was a notebook to organize all my stuff. I have totes of stuff, but if I can't find it, it won't do me any good. Going thru some of those boxes was like Christmas time. Now, I have every tote numbered with the contents written in my notebook of where it's at and how long it's been there. I keep like items in the totes like painting supplies, plastic utensils/plates, canning supplies, home repair products, medical supplies, books, etc. I use a pencil with eraser so if I add to a tote, I add to the sheet and if I take something out, I erase it off the sheet. It's not a perfect system, but it's a whole lot better than what I had.


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

@ angie_nrs, (my brain kept reading your name as angry_nurse the first few times)I like your writing it down in a book Idea, however I would be inclined to put a line through the stuff I took out so that I could see what I had used, (assuming I was any where near that organized)


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

Starcreek said:


> Everyone in our family has been using these for the past few years:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That's all we use. (for floss...) They make it so much easier to get to the back teeth.


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

Tirediron said:


> @ angie_nrs, (my brain kept reading your name as angry_nurse the first few times)


Your not the only one. I had to go back and check after you posted that. I'd have swore it was angry nurse.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

Now I want to know if angie_nrs is a nurse or if it stands for something else. Maybe Not Ready SHTF? Never Remain Still? No Room for Stuff? Numerous Reactive Skills?


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## angie_nrs (Jul 26, 2017)

Sentry18 said:


> Now I want to know if angie_nrs is a nurse or if it stands for something else. Maybe Not Ready SHTF? Never Remain Still? No Room for Stuff? Numerous Reactive Skills?


Ha - no room for stuff! I like that one. But nrs in this case is nurse. And sometimes I do get angry....but most people call me Angie....most of the time.


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

angie_nrs said:


> Ha - no room for stuff! I like that one. But nrs in this case is nurse. And sometimes I do get angry....but most people call me Angie....most of the time.


My SIL is a nurse named Angie.


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

One of my nephews is a nurse but his name is not Angie


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## Flight1630 (Jan 4, 2017)

hiwall said:


> One of my nephews is a nurse but his name is not Angie


Is his name be Agnes?


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

terri9630 said:


> That's all we use. (for floss...) They make it so much easier to get to the back teeth.


We keep those in our vehicles, purses, and baths.
We love them too.

And regarding storing little stuff, I love those generic 'crystal light' plastic containers.
I can get those in the glove compartment, my purse/bag, and lots of drawers and they stand by themselves.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

Angie Dickinson played a nurse in the movie Captain Newman, MD.


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## RedBeard (May 8, 2017)

What about nurse Ratchet from "one flew over the cuckoo's nest".....


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## Starcreek (Feb 4, 2015)

Caribou said:


> How about a pack(s) of sewing needles. Not too expensive but a needle and a spool of thread could be a great little bartering item.
> 
> Toothbrushes.


I was actually at Walmart today and saw a simple little sewing kit for a buck.... needles, a couple of small spools of thread, etc.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

RedBeard said:


> What about nurse Ratchet from "one flew over the cuckoo's nest".....


Her name was Mildred not Angie. Nurse Mildred Ratched.


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## sewingcreations15 (Aug 19, 2017)

Hello everyone and a few other preps I thought of stocking are -

- lip balm and body moisturiser.
- sunscreen.
- solar lanterns.
- hand cranked radios and torches.
- solar lanterns and portable solar panels.
- battery operated torches.
- jerry cans.
- car and machinery fuel.
- fuel preservative.
- vehicle jumper leads.
- bungie cords, snap straps.
- years supply of medications/vitamins/minerals you need for your family.
- wound stitching kits - you can buy dental ones or veterinary ones that would do the job and at a pinch you can use sewing thread too for stitching.
- bandage and normal scissors, bandage clips, disposable scalpels, nitrite gloves, N95 masks, field dressing kits, saline solution ampules, iodine, safety pins, triangular bandages or arm slings, Dettol or antiseptic cream, cayenne pepper stops massive bleeding of wounds, butterfly clips, thermometer stick on forehead for children and others, Panadol, iboprofen.
- unscented bleach for water purification, water purification tablets.
- drinking water bottles with karabiner clips.
- life straw.
- portable washing machine can get ones with a plunger and 5 gallon bucket you can purchase but easy to make too or portable washing machine.
- bottled water or rain water in tanks.

Will add more as I think of them  .

Starcreek and Caribou you can buy both sewing needle and sewing kits really cheaply on Ebay too as well as lots of other things.


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## Starcreek (Feb 4, 2015)

Simplify your lifestyle....
Instead of eating out, cook at home.
Instead of going to a movie, go for a walk (with your dog or your significant other).
Instead of cultivating an expensive hobby, turn that money into something productive for preparedness, like gardening or raising rabbits or camping.

Develop a "farm kitchen" that simply has all the basics for preparing food from scratch -- flour (all purpose, self-rising, whole wheat, etc.), salt, herbs and seasonings, oil, lard, oats, barley, non-gmo cornmeal, plus fresh, dried, canned, and frozen fruits and vegetables. You will not only be healthier by avoiding processed foods, you will develop skills in food preparation, and save a LOT of money.


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## RedBeard (May 8, 2017)

Starcreek said:


> Simplify your lifestyle....
> Instead of eating out, cook at home.
> Instead of going to a movie, go for a walk (with your dog or your significant other).
> Instead of cultivating an expensive hobby, turn that money into something productive for preparedness, like gardening or raising rabbits or camping.
> ...


All of that, yup and done!


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## Starcreek (Feb 4, 2015)

If you have an infant, or expect to give birth, plan on breastfeeding until the baby is a year old. If the retail supply lines dry up, there won't be any formula, and there might not be any milk.


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

Starcreek said:


> Simplify your lifestyle....
> Instead of eating out, cook at home.
> Instead of going to a movie, go for a walk (with your dog or your significant other).
> Instead of cultivating an expensive hobby, turn that money into something productive for preparedness, like gardening or raising rabbits or camping.
> ...


Wife says I have to take to dinner once a week!:surrender:


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## Guardian (Jan 17, 2012)

crabapple said:


> Wife says I have to take to dinner once a week!:surrender:


Happy wife happy life..... :cheers:


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

sewingcreations15 said:


> Hello everyone and a few other preps I thought of stocking are -
> 
> Starcreek and Caribou you can buy both sewing needle and sewing kits really cheaply on Ebay too as well as lots of other things.


- solar lanterns and portable solar panels. (quality can range from poor to excellent)
- bungee cords, snap straps. (I wish they made them to last in the sunlight... they really don't)
- unscented bleach for water purification, water purification tablets. (In this heat, bleach has a short life. Powders like Pool shock, and tablets are better to have stored)
- bottled water or rain water in tanks. (a rain water tank is ESSENTIAL!! No one should be without one!)


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