Great list! I'd also add a quality mattress. When I moved right after college I allocated a good chunk of money on a mattress, if I spend 1/4 to 1/3 of my day on it I should be comfortable!
Recent events have given me reason to think more about what my plan would be. I live in an area that has relatively few natural disaster threats (but things happen I know). When my kids were little, there was a hazardous gas leak and the whole city had to evacuate. Of course, my car was in the shop and I had about $4 in cash. We hitched a ride with a neighbor and spent the day watching the TV's at the mall and snacked on not much. I should have learned then.
Have a fair amount of non perishables on hand but not a large amount of extra water on hand. We have a well and our generator will not run it. Have wood and coal on hand for heating though.
We are totally prepared for a natural disaster... we live in Seattle, where earthquakes and volcano eruptions are possibilities in our lives. Not to mention our windstorms that have hurricane force winds... if we weren't prepared, that would be irresponsible.
One interesting thing I have found is borrowing clothes from a friend. It works especially well if your friends have a better sense of style then you. I told a friend what sort of attire I needed for my event and he hooked me up with stylish clothes that I really liked, but would never have considered on my own. Not only that, I only needed the clothes for a one time deal. So ask your friends or put out a facebook post, and see what your friends have in their closets before you go out and buy. It's not a long term solution, but if you're in a pinch it works great for those one time interviews.
Most of my preparations are of the dumb-luck kind: Our house is on high ground and we have never had a problem with flooding (crosses fingers). I live on the East Coast where earthquakes and tornadoes are rare (although we have had one of each this year—the earthquake was small and the tornado was far from me). My sister married a man who is very capable, the sort of person you want around in an emergency, and has all that camping stuff. They live around the corner from me.
Just as a matter of course, I always have about a month's worth of food in the pantry, several flashlights on different floors, and plenty of candles. So my biggest preparation for Hurricane Irene was to get the laundry done before it arrived, in case we lost power. And I filled a couple of bottles with filtered tap water. That was it!
In some areas I am prepared, but other areas need work. I'm trying to get 3 months of Rx's, but insurance is tricky. I keep a months supply of my dog's food and enough water for 4 days.
Our family has practiced survival/preparedness for ages. Each person has a stocked "bug out backpack" that we take in our car on vacation. (our home is already stocked) as one never knows when a "disaster" will happen. we ALWAYS get the car filled up when it hits the 1/2 full mark for a sudden emergency. We have a small amt of 1s,5s, & 10s for quick transactions if power goes out. We made a solar oven (cheap!!), have a grill & outdoors firepit/grill for cooking along with tons of camping supplies to share with neighbors. I only stock a few gallons of water. we have water filters & purifiers on hand to use with the nearby river. wish list: a well on our property.
Wow, does that really work?? I wish I had known that 10 years ago! I have always fought every ticket I got, only got one of them dismissed because the officer didn't show up in court. That is some good advice though if it actually works, hopefully I won't have to try it anytime soon but if I do, I will let you know how it goes.
I have hated all my jobs and in many cases, I am in a worse off situation than a lot of people due to the fact that I dropped out of college not long after starting it so I don't even have an Associates degree let alone a Bachelor's. And I don't even have youth on my side (I'm 35), nor a lot of dense, solid work experience. There are lots of gaps in my employment and I have almost nothing to show for it when it comes to declaring my "skills." When it comes down to it, I have done really nothing but data entry. Even if I were to go back to school, I can only manage one online class per semester and at that rate, I am on a 4-50 year plan. (Unless I decide not to have children at all, and time is running out). For the record, I don't even have a boyfriend so this is all a moot point but I cannot fathom being single for the rest of my life and only going to work and less than half-time school isn't how I want to spend my life. I'd rather jump off a cliff than be resigned to being single and being in a miserable job merely to survive. I never, ever had the desire or motivation to decorate my cubicle because it just isn't enough to make any difference in 8 hours a day, 5 days a week.
The only miracle that will save me and give me the freedom right now is winning the lottery. I can quit working in dead-end jobs that make me deathly miserable and focus instead on gaining skills and experience in things that interest me. It's hard to do that when I make barely enough to survive on as it is and yet there is no money left over for the things I want to pursue and they do cost money unfortunately. Taking a walk in a the park or a free concert of someone I don't even care about just won't cut it or other lame free activities that people keep suggesting.
Besides being so broke, I have almost no friends so there is not that much relief when Friday rolls around because I have no one to destress with. So it's one kind of hell for another, just a different day.
It sucks badly that being broke dictates your life and limits your options in life. This is why I don't believe in "action plans" that some people and websites have you develop. You can't take action to drastically change or improve your life when you are a slave to your job or lack the money to do anything about it outside of work. I have classes and lessons in various activities I really want to pursue but they're not free and even the "low cost" option might as well not be low cost because I can't afford even the affordable.
Anyway, it seems money really does make the world go around and if you don't have a good support system of family/friends/spouse, it makes a job you hate that much more intolerable.
I'm prepared as in I would have absolutely no problem evacuating if I had to and there are only a couple material things I would grab. Other than that...not so much.
With this diet you can get low blood sugar levels without medicine but it takes time to do.
First off some basic knowledge:
Exercise at least 30 minutes each day even if its only walking go to the mall and look around.
Take supplements. I take cinnamon, aspargus, magnesium, and 2tbl spoon apple cider vinegar in 8oz water (some sites say mix it in with juice DO NOT. Use lemon juice to mask flavor and stevia. Brush your teeth directly after if you want to keep them).
Always eat 5 to 6 times per day and try to always eat a protein when eating carbs.
Foods to eat:
1. Any meat is fine as it does not raise blood sugar but note that meats high in fat can affect blood sugar.
2. Do not eat any pasturized foods this includes dairy products and fruit juices (which are bad anyway). You can drink or eat non pasterized dairy products. Greek yogurt is one exception to the rule.
3. Do not eat any grains this includes rice, pasta, wheat, or corn. Oatmeal effects people different it does not effect me at all and popcorn (not corn on the cob) is high in fiber so it does not hurt as much.
4. Only cook your veggies if they need to be cooked to be eatten. That means eat raw veggies as cooked carbs changes and effect blood sugar different. Barky carb like greens need to be cooked and red potatoes and sweet potatoes are fine but never white or yellow potatoes.
5. Eat as much fruit as you like but remember watery fruits like most melons will spike your blood sugar so eat them rarely or not at all.
I can literally eat bad for a week and within three days on this diet have my blood sugar lower. That does not mean eat badly, but just that it works good. If you religiously follow this for six weeks insulin should not be needed and blood sugars should be normal. It is extremely hard to do this and eat out a lot or not plan meals but it is possible to do.
We have a tiny emergency fund, and no other natural disaster plan. Most of the natural disasters in our area have been related to snow or wind (straight-line or the rare tornado). I have on my to-do list to make a plan, but haven't gotten around to it. I'd at least like to get a generator in case we'd ever lose our ability to heat the house in the winter.
I actually made a blog post about how people can stay informed during disasters and emergencies. I posted on Twitter @wisebread with #WBask http://twitter.com/#!/applecsmith/status/108601331379474432
i like wisebread on facebook
nope not really. i have an emergency kit but that is all.
go on a cheap expense trip or better yet stay at home to save more money! :)
- Jack Leak
Great list! I'd also add a quality mattress. When I moved right after college I allocated a good chunk of money on a mattress, if I spend 1/4 to 1/3 of my day on it I should be comfortable!
I need to re-fill our water jugs, but other than that we aren't too bad.
Recent events have given me reason to think more about what my plan would be. I live in an area that has relatively few natural disaster threats (but things happen I know). When my kids were little, there was a hazardous gas leak and the whole city had to evacuate. Of course, my car was in the shop and I had about $4 in cash. We hitched a ride with a neighbor and spent the day watching the TV's at the mall and snacked on not much. I should have learned then.
Have a fair amount of non perishables on hand but not a large amount of extra water on hand. We have a well and our generator will not run it. Have wood and coal on hand for heating though.
no - not yet
We are totally prepared for a natural disaster... we live in Seattle, where earthquakes and volcano eruptions are possibilities in our lives. Not to mention our windstorms that have hurricane force winds... if we weren't prepared, that would be irresponsible.
One interesting thing I have found is borrowing clothes from a friend. It works especially well if your friends have a better sense of style then you. I told a friend what sort of attire I needed for my event and he hooked me up with stylish clothes that I really liked, but would never have considered on my own. Not only that, I only needed the clothes for a one time deal. So ask your friends or put out a facebook post, and see what your friends have in their closets before you go out and buy. It's not a long term solution, but if you're in a pinch it works great for those one time interviews.
Most of my preparations are of the dumb-luck kind: Our house is on high ground and we have never had a problem with flooding (crosses fingers). I live on the East Coast where earthquakes and tornadoes are rare (although we have had one of each this year—the earthquake was small and the tornado was far from me). My sister married a man who is very capable, the sort of person you want around in an emergency, and has all that camping stuff. They live around the corner from me.
Just as a matter of course, I always have about a month's worth of food in the pantry, several flashlights on different floors, and plenty of candles. So my biggest preparation for Hurricane Irene was to get the laundry done before it arrived, in case we lost power. And I filled a couple of bottles with filtered tap water. That was it!
We are partially prepared. We have an emergency fund, extra food stored and insurance, but no evacuation plan.
In some areas I am prepared, but other areas need work. I'm trying to get 3 months of Rx's, but insurance is tricky. I keep a months supply of my dog's food and enough water for 4 days.
I like you on Facebook
Our family has practiced survival/preparedness for ages. Each person has a stocked "bug out backpack" that we take in our car on vacation. (our home is already stocked) as one never knows when a "disaster" will happen. we ALWAYS get the car filled up when it hits the 1/2 full mark for a sudden emergency. We have a small amt of 1s,5s, & 10s for quick transactions if power goes out. We made a solar oven (cheap!!), have a grill & outdoors firepit/grill for cooking along with tons of camping supplies to share with neighbors. I only stock a few gallons of water. we have water filters & purifiers on hand to use with the nearby river. wish list: a well on our property.
Wow, does that really work?? I wish I had known that 10 years ago! I have always fought every ticket I got, only got one of them dismissed because the officer didn't show up in court. That is some good advice though if it actually works, hopefully I won't have to try it anytime soon but if I do, I will let you know how it goes.
I have hated all my jobs and in many cases, I am in a worse off situation than a lot of people due to the fact that I dropped out of college not long after starting it so I don't even have an Associates degree let alone a Bachelor's. And I don't even have youth on my side (I'm 35), nor a lot of dense, solid work experience. There are lots of gaps in my employment and I have almost nothing to show for it when it comes to declaring my "skills." When it comes down to it, I have done really nothing but data entry. Even if I were to go back to school, I can only manage one online class per semester and at that rate, I am on a 4-50 year plan. (Unless I decide not to have children at all, and time is running out). For the record, I don't even have a boyfriend so this is all a moot point but I cannot fathom being single for the rest of my life and only going to work and less than half-time school isn't how I want to spend my life. I'd rather jump off a cliff than be resigned to being single and being in a miserable job merely to survive. I never, ever had the desire or motivation to decorate my cubicle because it just isn't enough to make any difference in 8 hours a day, 5 days a week.
The only miracle that will save me and give me the freedom right now is winning the lottery. I can quit working in dead-end jobs that make me deathly miserable and focus instead on gaining skills and experience in things that interest me. It's hard to do that when I make barely enough to survive on as it is and yet there is no money left over for the things I want to pursue and they do cost money unfortunately. Taking a walk in a the park or a free concert of someone I don't even care about just won't cut it or other lame free activities that people keep suggesting.
Besides being so broke, I have almost no friends so there is not that much relief when Friday rolls around because I have no one to destress with. So it's one kind of hell for another, just a different day.
It sucks badly that being broke dictates your life and limits your options in life. This is why I don't believe in "action plans" that some people and websites have you develop. You can't take action to drastically change or improve your life when you are a slave to your job or lack the money to do anything about it outside of work. I have classes and lessons in various activities I really want to pursue but they're not free and even the "low cost" option might as well not be low cost because I can't afford even the affordable.
Anyway, it seems money really does make the world go around and if you don't have a good support system of family/friends/spouse, it makes a job you hate that much more intolerable.
I'm prepared as in I would have absolutely no problem evacuating if I had to and there are only a couple material things I would grab. Other than that...not so much.
With this diet you can get low blood sugar levels without medicine but it takes time to do.
First off some basic knowledge:
Exercise at least 30 minutes each day even if its only walking go to the mall and look around.
Take supplements. I take cinnamon, aspargus, magnesium, and 2tbl spoon apple cider vinegar in 8oz water (some sites say mix it in with juice DO NOT. Use lemon juice to mask flavor and stevia. Brush your teeth directly after if you want to keep them).
Always eat 5 to 6 times per day and try to always eat a protein when eating carbs.
Foods to eat:
1. Any meat is fine as it does not raise blood sugar but note that meats high in fat can affect blood sugar.
2. Do not eat any pasturized foods this includes dairy products and fruit juices (which are bad anyway). You can drink or eat non pasterized dairy products. Greek yogurt is one exception to the rule.
3. Do not eat any grains this includes rice, pasta, wheat, or corn. Oatmeal effects people different it does not effect me at all and popcorn (not corn on the cob) is high in fiber so it does not hurt as much.
4. Only cook your veggies if they need to be cooked to be eatten. That means eat raw veggies as cooked carbs changes and effect blood sugar different. Barky carb like greens need to be cooked and red potatoes and sweet potatoes are fine but never white or yellow potatoes.
5. Eat as much fruit as you like but remember watery fruits like most melons will spike your blood sugar so eat them rarely or not at all.
I can literally eat bad for a week and within three days on this diet have my blood sugar lower. That does not mean eat badly, but just that it works good. If you religiously follow this for six weeks insulin should not be needed and blood sugars should be normal. It is extremely hard to do this and eat out a lot or not plan meals but it is possible to do.
There is more that I would like to do. Stockpile more and buy a generator.
I already like you on Facebook (and love your info).
We have a tiny emergency fund, and no other natural disaster plan. Most of the natural disasters in our area have been related to snow or wind (straight-line or the rare tornado). I have on my to-do list to make a plan, but haven't gotten around to it. I'd at least like to get a generator in case we'd ever lose our ability to heat the house in the winter.
I actually made a blog post about how people can stay informed during disasters and emergencies. I posted on Twitter @wisebread with #WBask http://twitter.com/#!/applecsmith/status/108601331379474432
not really! being affected by Irene has made me aware of how NOT prepared we are as a family, and how we do need to start this now...
Generally we are well-prepared, but we could do better. One never knows!