Family Survival Planning
What, Why, Where and How Much
Family survival planning - seems like a huge task.
In these pages, we hope to simplify the planning to help you acquire all that your family may need in an emergency.
Being prepared is not just a matter of keeping a flashlight in the drawer in the kitchen and tons of whole wheat in your basement. It's about acquiring enough survival supplies to sustain your family in any crisis.
It's a matter of understanding what to store, how to store it, and how much. It's learning the principles of survival and using that knowledge to create a personalized plan tailored to your family.
How secure is our food supply?
We have followed closely the issues of the global food supply for many years. Most people are totally unaware of how fragile the U.S. food supply really is. It is very vulnerable because of possible hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, pandemics, declining energy supplies (or manipulated - but that's another story), and the mega-mergers of family-owned farms with corporate giants.
But America is the land of plenty, right?
Wrong. Not always. And certainly, not forever. There have been many times in our past when supermarkets and hardware stores are stripped bare in a matter of hours during a crisis. Americans used to stock food as part of their everyday preparations, but have since forgotten this practice. Now, everyone rushes to the store to "stock up" when the news or events frighten them into doing so. Or worse, they wait until after a disaster and find out there's nothing left — everything is sold out. Some heartless merchants even take advantage of the crisis by raising prices sky high.
Disaster can and does strike quickly
And, I might add, usually without warning. Don't be vulnerable, plan ahead. You could be forced to evacuate your home, office or school. Or you could be confined to your home. Preparing your family, no matter what their ages, is the best way to survive any catastrophe or crisis.
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Let's get started on YOUR family survival plan.
Step 1. Your plan.
Before you begin your food storage, it is critical to have a plan for your family that includes the following:
- Contact Plan: This list should include emergency contact information, a place where all family members can meet, numbers for school, work, close neighbors, etc.
- Emergency Preparedness Kit: This would includes supplies, 72-Hour Food Kit, and a Family Planner.
- Evacuation List: Know what to take when evacuating your home, including a list of important things to grab and have a Auto Emergency Kit in place.
Step 2. Prepare Your Storage Space.
- Find the coolest place in your home.
- Clean out everything including dirt if necessary.
- Research shelving possibilities.
Step 3. Determine Your Budget.
- Determine how much per month you can spend.
- Eventually your grocery budget should mostly include food storage items; however, when you're starting from scratch you may need to invest a little more up front.
- It is not wise to go into debt for food storage, so be prepared to be frugal and shop carefully.
Step 4. Take inventory.
- It's best to begin with an inventory of what you have, what you need, and a schedule to acquire items later.
- Be careful not to think too far ahead or you'll never get started.
- Make this a family fun night. Get the kids involved so they will know what's going on and where everything will be kept.
- Set deadlines and do one step at a time. This makes the job less overwhelming. (Try rewarding yourself when you have accomplished each task. A generous piece of cheese cake, maybe?)
Ok - ready for the next steps? Let's go!
First Aid Kit - What to put in and what to know about first aid.
Emergency shelter - How to provide a safe haven for your family during a crisis.
72-hour kit - What goes into your 72-hour kit.
Emergency heating - How to keep the family warm when there is a power outage. Don't be in the 'dark' about this!
Emergency sanitation - What to do when the sewer system breaks due to a disaster.
Natural Disasters - What to do in case of flood, earthquake, fire, hurricanes, tornados, mud slides, extreme heat, extreme cold.
Food storage guidelines - how much, what kind, how to store and use it.
Frugal living - money saving ideas that will allow you to increase your food storage and supplies on your family budget.
What kind of cooking fuel can you use during a power outage.
Survival supplies inventory - a must for planning your family's survival.
Home food storage - what do we need and how much?
Your family's financial survival is dependent on your preparation.
Long-term food storage is a good place to begin your emergency preparedness.
Auto emergency kits: What are the necessary items to put in yours?
Your emergency preparedness kit should include a planner with all your important documents.
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75% of American households are at risk for some type of natural disaster . . . relatively few have done much to prepare.
The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.
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