# feeling in over my head



## midwestmom (Jun 24, 2014)

Ive been reading and researching and asking tons of questions and everyone has been super nice and helpful. And I'm actually doing too, but last night looked at what I'd gotten together this week and it looks so small. I'm feeling like I'm way under water and don't know how I'll get to a comfortable spot. I want to get to 6 months of food and supplies for the family. Right now, i think i have 6 weeks. My head is just spinning. I can do this, right?? We're not lotto winners or retired army rangers or lifelong farmer types. I'm just a stay at home mom with a reputation with my kids' friends for making awesome chocolate chip cookies. We don't have goats and im lucky to get plants not to die, much less produce anything edible. Sitting here feeling like I'm a total dork and I'm going to mess this up.


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## ClemKadiddlehopper (Aug 15, 2014)

There was a good line in the Game of Thrones episode we watched last night that applies to your situation.

"So, you think you failed. Go out and fail again." If you do, you will have 12 weeks of food and then 16 and so on...........every day that you can shave off the overwhelming goal is a day you don't have to worry about anymore. The rest just doesn't matter. It is what it is.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

This is not a 0-60 mph in 2.4 seconds situation. It takes time, planning, mistakes, successes, improvisation, and adaptation. None of us got to be where we wanted overnight and some of us will never reach the finish line. Set reasonable goals and then work towards completing them. Once you do set new goals. And don't forget that skills are just as important as supplies. Soon you will look back amazed at how far you have come versus looking forward at how far you have to go. Even at 6 weeks of food you are way ahead of the average person.


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## bacpacker (Jul 15, 2011)

6 weeks is a great start. Just keep adding weeks as you go, before long you'll be at months worth. It never comes together overnight. At least not to anyone I know. Mainly a lot of hard work and planning. 
Like Sentry mentioned, skills are as important as supplies, maybe more so. Take a first aid and cpr class at your local red cross. Maybe ask about CERT classes. Start learning to I'd edible wild plants and medicianals. Start taking the kids camping, they will love it and it'll give you the. CHance to learn fire starting, knot tying, etc. 
It all adds up over time.


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

Everyone on this website is at different levels. Some have little food and some have a lot. Some have few skills and some have many. We all basically started out the same with nothing or close to it. You are WAY ahead of the game already. You have stored food and an open mind. Plus you have had internet conversations with many on this this site which I must say is very awesome! 
You are doing great. This prepping business is NOT a sprint but a slow boring race that is never completed. You should feel accomplishment about what you have done so far (which I can tell you many on here think is very good so far!).


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## Starcreek (Feb 4, 2015)

When we were homeschooling our kids, and feeling like we weren't accomplishing much, a wise man said, "If they know something today that they didn't yesterday, you've made progress."

If you know something (or put up something, or grow something) today you didn't yesterday, you've made progress. Nobody knows when tshtf. Just keep plugging away, and you will be way ahead of where you would have been if you'd done nothing.


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## phideaux (Nov 7, 2015)

Time is somewhat irrelevant when getting things lined up ...

Example....I dug a pond so I would have fish and bullfrogs (and attract other wildlife like deer, Turkey etc),
that was 18 years ago.

I now have huge amount of food supply in Bluegill, Bass, and Blue catfish, deer stop by everyday....
18 years of waiting..


See what I mean?

Takes time.

I still dont have all the Solar panels I want...

Jim


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## Viking (Mar 16, 2009)

You are definitely not alone in your concerns, we made mistakes in our early preps, we found that even though we rotated our "wet canned" foods (store bought foods in tin cans), we were getting far too many that were getting eaten through from the inside and many that just bulged and had to throw away. We now store mostly freeze dried and dehydrated can goods, but in considering the need for having water to rehydrate the dried canned foods we also knew we would have to have a good unbroken supply source of water, we pretty much had that in our gravity water system we built many years before we even started a real prepping program. Water, in my opinion, is the most important thing to have in a prepping situation, many times when I have talked to people that know they need to do prepping, and they live in a town, I ask if they have a place where they can have a water storage tank and run water into it from the water utility supply and use a pump/pressure tank system for the house supply, this works good for rural places that have deep wells if the power was to fail. One could use a back up generator or battery powered pump for supplying their water needs. No matter how you have water storage, it's always a good idea to have a large amount on hand.


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## bigg777 (Mar 18, 2013)

Remember, this is nothing more than life extension. We're all born with a terminal condition called life. Everyday we practice life extension, merely by breathing and ingesting nutrition. The big thing is to dodge the landmines like smoking, drugs, sloth, myopia and of course speeding trains, meteorites, and hot lead flying at or above the speed of sound.


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## Cotton (Oct 12, 2013)

Every time you do something to be prepared it is one thing you've done, that's progress. Little things are important and don't have to cost a fortune like extra sewing needles from a yard sale or a rusty cast iron skillet. Every yard sale has instructional type books on the cheap. I stopped at a goodwill store today, lots of useful things there.


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## camo2460 (Feb 10, 2013)

As you can see from the above posts, every one of us has felt the very same way you are feeling now. Wouldn't it be great if we all had millions of dollars to spend, or a Magic Wand to wave and all the preps we would ever need would just magically appear? We all know that these things are not going to happen, so we just keep plugging away one can at a time. One thing that I have learned over a long period of time is that "stuff" can be lost, but knowledge, skills, and a survivor mind set can often make up where we lack in supplies, and can never be lost. While our supplies will make life easier, it's knowledge and skill that will be called in to play when we find, for example, that our only Matches are wet and we need to start a Fire. My point is this: Go slow and accomplish something every day, even if you only store one can of Beans, it's something. Try to learn something new every day, what ever that may be, and try to learn a new skill, such as primitive Fire making, make a shelter, find safe Water, or learn to identify and use a Wild Plant. You don't have to learn everything at once, and you don't have to be a "Master" a small success is still a success and in time you will be a Master.


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## gabbyj310 (Oct 22, 2012)

Yep we have all had the same feeling.But then WOW pay dirt. We find the Goodwill store with canning jars,we walk in Wal-Mart and they have just re-stock the 88 cent bin with supplies,a yard sale you get a great buy on a sleeping bag and so on.You get "OUR" drift here.There is one area on here where we all talk about what we have found or done when we get it right. It's our little pat on the back and we love it for us and you. So don't fret join in and do what you can when you can. I still want my underground house but I will have to win the lottery for that one or marry a real rich prepper..


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## tmttactical (Nov 23, 2015)

You have missed 2 of the most important items that you already have and many of us can never have -- Youth an Health. With these 2 items, you are set to make your goals come true. Many of us here wish we had learned to be prepared much earlier in life. You have learned this lesson early and are doing something about it, that alone is an accomplishment. As so many have pointed out, don't dwell on the lack - congratulate yourself on a successful future. Old adage - How do you eat a whale -- One bite at a time. Enjoy the sea food.


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## AmishHeart (Jun 10, 2016)

Midwest Mom....I remember feeling that way. 2008 caught me off guard. Our 401K crashed. I looked in food storage and saw a box of granola bars and a case of tuna. Not much. I felt overwhelmed and decided to start. I have been prepping ever since. The point is that you are already ahead of most. You see the need to prep, and you have started. Just keep going. Now we keep a years worth of food in our working pantry, and about 6 mo in another state at our farmhouse. Our day to day living utilizes our food storage and pantry items. I cook from scratch, can, and do many things I wouldn't of even thought of doing 8 years ago. It is a process and a lifestyle and it takes time and practice. (don't be so hard on yourself).


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## Balls004 (Feb 28, 2015)

Only 6 weeks of food stored up? Heck MM, that puts you in probably the 98th percentile of Americans. Most would be lucky to scrounge up a weeks worth if that. I'd be proud of it, if I were you.

It's like what the girl's Dad told her in the movie "Contact"... "Small moves, Ellie, small moves." 

You're doing the right thing, don't beat yourself up about it. There are a lot of smart, caring people here to help you get where you want to be.


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## AuntB (Nov 24, 2015)

midwestmom said:


> Sitting here feeling like I'm a total dork and I'm going to mess this up.


Welcome to the world of prepping. When your eyes finally open and you realize the full extent of what could happen it is scary. We live in a scary world where you kindest neighbors will turn on us in a time of emergency. Every week and every extra can is a step to keeping your family fed. Water, food, shelter..... you cannot mess this up. You are slowly and steadily working provide for you family, right there shows you ae well above the rest around you.

One hint- get a book or print off edible plants in your area. Plants and trees feed people also. Take the kids out and see how many edibles you can find. Have fun and learn together. Making memories is important.


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## Starcreek (Feb 4, 2015)

AuntB said:


> One hint- get a book or print off edible plants in your area. Plants and trees feed people also. Take the kids out and see how many edibles you can find. Have fun and learn together. Making memories is important.


Here's a good place to start on that:
*Weed me not -- finding value in good plants with a bad reputation*


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

AuntB said:


> One hint- get a book or print off edible plants in your area. Plants and trees feed people also. Take the kids out and see how many edibles you can find. Have fun and learn together. Making memories is important.


This is something that is important. Both of my parents were children in the 1930's in South Dakota. My grandparents struggled with what to feed their children. My mother grew up in West River, which is west of the Missouri River. They had so much clay in their soil, gardening was very difficult. My grandmother could grow parsnips, when other things would not grow.

Grandma also learned what wild plants, also known as weeds to the rest of us, were edible. They often had greens and salads from her forays.

My uncle told me that grandpa and grandma would buy wheat, beans and cabbage in 50 pound bags. The children would sit around the table after dinner and clean the rock out of the wheat, which was then soaked and cooked for breakfast almost daily.

They were German and Czech, so the cabbage was used to make kraut in a very large crock. They had kraut so frequently that some of them can hardly stand it now.

If you want to ramp up your food stores inexpensively and fairly quickly, consider buying wheat and other grains in quantity. When I first started in 2008, I was often researching where I could find food that I could store. Some of my first purchases were corn and wheat from a local feed store. I asked them what it was treated with and I was told it was not treated. It tends to not be the cleanest, and I believe I was told it was "Grade B." It is fit for human consumption, but would be better after it is cleaned.

Since then, I have found a place called Golden Organics, a warehouse, which has lots of grains and foods that are organic. Lots of preppers buy from them. They acquire foods from all over and sell it in bulk. I have mostly gotten food in 25# bags. I have ordered bulk quantities from them and gone to pick up several times. Since most corn is now GMO, I have gotten blue corn from them, which is non-GMO. I have also gotten lentils, garbanzo beans, and more. They sell buckets and gamma seal lids. They are less than a mile from I-70. http://www.goldenorganics.net/our-products

Costco and Sam's club are good places to buy many food stores in quantity--pinto beans, rice, flour, popcorn, sugar, salt, spices, beverages, peanut butter, canned goods, vinegar, baking soda and baking powder. In the beginning, I would buy at least one 20 or 25 # bag of rice and a large bag of beans every month.

I also found the LDS cannery in the process of searching. I would make a list and go to their warehouse whenever I had a day off work, which was only once every couple of moths. You can get their dry canned foods delivered to you. https://store.lds.org/webapp/wcs/st...Zwj8NieeQ==&ddkey=https:SetCurrencyPreference

Keep researching local sources. Fill up 5 gallon buckets. Use every clean container, bottle or jar you have for water.


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## midwestmom (Jun 24, 2014)

Thanks. My husband helped talk me off the ledge. He pointed out that, barring something happening to the electric in warm weather , I tend to keep a whole pig and half a beef in the deep freeze. It'd get a little boring he said, but he could be talked into eating steak and bacon every meal if he had too. Y'all are right. Just keep at it and it'll get there.


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## tleeh1 (Mar 13, 2013)

You're doing great, MM. 6 weeks is more than most folks have. This is a wonderful place to learn and share. The only thing I'd add to all the above is be open to change. You never know when disease or financial upsets will come into your life, so you'll need to be able to change gears and adapt to new realities. Welcome to the family!


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

Your doing better than most. Watch Walmart's web site for deals. I've bought whole white what berries in a 26lb bucket for $12. I also got a free Victorio wheat grinder from Emergency Essentials when they had a buy 2 buckets of wheat get a grinder sale. You've just got to keep your eyes open. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Augason-F...fault&beacon_version=1.0.1&findingMethod=p13n


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## jeff47041 (Jan 5, 2013)

midwestmom said:


> Thanks. My husband helped talk me off the ledge. He pointed out that, barring something happening to the electric in warm weather , I tend to keep a whole pig and half a beef in the deep freeze. It'd get a little boring he said, but he could be talked into eating steak and bacon every meal if he had too. Y'all are right. Just keep at it and it'll get there.


And, if something happens to the electricity, you can hurry up and can a bunch of that meat. Y'll be in good shape for a while.


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## jimLE (Feb 25, 2015)

just like others here,i do get over whelmed at times as well.then i think of those who don't even have 1 weeks worth of food in their home.on account they don't cook for what ever reason.and i think of the ones who's not even prepared for everyday life situations.like power outages. i've started canning.but yet i've only canned 3 items.7 quarts of beans n ham.2 quarts of chicken,and 4 pints of chicken broth.but yet it's a head start on canning.,..i've many changes in diff things in my life.in which one,is how i shop,when i do our primary shopping for the month.i only buy whats needed,and when it's needed.and that leaves room for buying other items,and the be for preps and non preps alike.im not only smarter to how i shop.but we're better off now,compared to when i first started.will i reach the finish line in being fully prepared before TSHTF? i dont know if i will be or not, any nore then anyone else.but yet,im heading/getting there.


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## fteter (May 23, 2014)

Took us a few years to build up to 30 days. 6 weeks sounds pretty darn good. We're over a year now, but it took us 20+ years to get there. Don't give up...just keep chipping away at it.


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## midwestmom (Jun 24, 2014)

terri9630 said:


> Your doing better than most. Watch Walmart's web site for deals. I've bought whole white what berries in a 26lb bucket for $12. I also got a free Victorio wheat grinder from Emergency Essentials when they had a buy 2 buckets of wheat get a grinder sale. You've just got to keep your eyes open. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Augason-F...fault&beacon_version=1.0.1&findingMethod=p13n


I'm not sure I'd know what to DO with 26 pounds of wheat berries. Or ONE pound of wheat berries. Do you roast them? Bake them? Grind them????


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## AmishHeart (Jun 10, 2016)

You get a wheat grinder and grind them, and then you have flour. Or you can soak them overnight, then cook like oatmeal in the morning (wheat berries). Or you can sprout them in a sprouting jar and feed them to your chickens and turkeys, or you can soak them overnight, and then plant them and water them and grow wheatgrass which you can either juice for you to drink (yuck, my daughter does this) or you can feed the wheatgrass to your chickens or turkeys.​ Have you ever read the children's book, "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie"? I feel like I just read it to you.​


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

No one ever is born walking we all take baby steps we all here have experience a failure or two in our new way of living and the only thing I have for you is to get knowledge to read and research whatever you want to do and don`t ever overwhelm yourself with projects ,take baby steps.


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

Like Amish Heart said. You can do lots with them. We just grind them and make bread, biscuits, pancakes, cookies, brownies and such with them. Or there are places like Augason Farms, Emergency Essentials and Honeyville that sell white flour in #10 cans but it doesn't last as long as the berries.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

A friend of mine was building a house when two young boys came by and were watching him.

Boy, "What are you doing?"

Friend, "I'm building a house."

Boy, "Isn't that a really big job?"

Friend, "I guess it is if you look at it that way. Right now all I'm doing is nailing this board to that board. That doesn't seem like a big job does it?"

Boy, "No."

Friend, "I'll just keep nailing one board at a time until the house is done."

Make small goals. Celebrate these goals. Every time I stock the shelves after a shopping trip I step back and let myself enjoy the empty spots that are no longer there.


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## camo2460 (Feb 10, 2013)

Caribou said:


> A friend of mine was building a house when two young boys came by and were watching him.
> 
> Boy, "What are you doing?"
> 
> ...


What a great way of teaching! Well done.


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## jimLE (Feb 25, 2015)

i looked into the up-right freezer and fridge for something to eat yesterday evening.and noticed their low.and then i realized 2 things.1st,and obviously enough,we're eating those foods,.2nd,it also means im canning certain foods.like chicken for chicken pot pies,or what ever.and beef for chili.on account,that means,we're not allowing those meats get freezer burn.and we have room for more foods.in which some will get canned.and i can now stand with my back to the fridge/freezer and look around the kitchen,and look at other areas of the kitchen.and think.im getting there by making progress in my food preps.and of course,im making progress in other areas as well.i'm to the point,where i can go into almost any room of the house.and see preps.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

Cotton said:


> Every time you do something to be prepared it is one thing you've done, that's progress. Little things are important and don't have to cost a fortune like extra sewing needles from a yard sale or a rusty cast iron skillet. Every yard sale has instructional type books on the cheap. I stopped at a goodwill store today, lots of useful things there.


 One mans trash is another mans treasure!

We found a whole set of tea cups, saucers biscuit plates at Goodwill for $15. Made in England by Royal Vale. Had to fight off the other old ladies and gents there for them at the register. Hubby mentioned ' Hyincinth 'spl' on 'Keeping Up Appearences ' tea cups and they circled him.

Always find ironware and cloth napkins etc,etc,etc,.


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