72 Hour Kits - The Beginning

This week I have taken on the task of creating 72 hour kits for my household, including me, my brother, and our two cats. I realize this will take longer than a week, but the faster I can get it done, the better I will feel.

To begin, I scoured Pinterest and found every list of what others have put into their 72 hour kits looking for ideas. Some of my favorites are:

• A Bowl Full of Lemons
• Get Pretty With Laura
• Soda Pop Avenue

I quickly learned that there is much more to a 72 hour kit than easy meals. There are also first aid kits, basic supplies,WATER, light, important documents, money, and clothing.

Goals

1. I want food in my kit that does not require me to add water. And if a food item contains water, that is even better (soups, fruit cups, etc.).
2.  I don't want to have to rely on heating up food. Some things would taste better warm, but would still be fine cold (pork & beans, soups).
3. I want things to take up as little room as possible, and be as light as possible. I plan to fit in a lot, but I need to be able to carry my case if needed. If I'm using it, I probably won't be at home. And I will have a cat carrier too, and traveling will need to be as easy as possible in the situation.
4. I want to make my cats as comfortable as possible. They are indoor cats and can be somewhat skittish by outside noises. And one is somewhat claustrophobic. I need to make sure I have anything I can
5. This kit will be kept in my house. I have a separate kit that I keep in my car.

 Plans

1. First is my carrier. I've seen people use backpacks and/or totes. One site (sorry, I can't remember which one. If I find it again, I will link it) suggested using rolling backpacks so if you got tired of wearing it, you could roll it instead. I decided I wanted something larger, so I am going to use rolling duffel bags. Large ones. This will give me the space I want to store everything, plus the added benefit of wheels. And if I need to carry it (such as the terrain is too rough to roll it), then I have straps to carry it too.
2.  My brother and I will have full kits in each of our bags (including the items for 1 cat). Some prefer to make one large kit, or have their own personal items and food and one pack that includes some of the items that can be shared (like stoves). In case we are separated for a short amount of time or the entire time, I want to make sure we each have everything we need.
3. I will be using a lot of zip top bags. They can separate groups of items, keep things like food protected from other things like shampoo. Also, they will store easier in the duffel bags than items in boxes or harder containers.
4. I am making a spiral bound book for each of us (me, my brother, and probably my other immediate family members) that will include:
1. A list of everything in the duffel.
2. Instructions on how to use some of the less know items. I also want to include lists of the many ways that some items can be used (paracord, trash bags).
3. Contacts for family, friends, health and insurance providers, etc.
4. First aid care tips.
5. Our important documents (or copies of them).
6. Photos of all of us (including the cats).
7. An envelope containing money in small bills, and extra keys to our home and cars.
5. My categories for supplies include: Food, Water, Pets, First Aid, Clothes, Supplies, Light, and Hygiene.

I plan to write a post for each of my categories, as well as include the printables that I make to help keep myself organized (because when I don't have it written down, I get very overwhelmed feel out of control).

I will also keep an ongoing post of the best tips and ideas that I find for emergency prep. I want to keep it mostly on a 72 hour kit level, but might throw in some from longer term survival also.

I want to encourage everyone to also get prepared. Start a little at a time. Just buy a gallon of water or a few extra cans of food on each shopping trip. Maybe a package of band-aids or other first aid items. It will add up over time. I am not able to get the type of duffel bag I want for my kits at this point, so I have a large box where I am starting to collect the items that will eventually go in the bags. I have started sorting them into smaller bags so they will be ready to just put into the duffels when I get them. I collected things that I already have around the house; you might be surprised with what you already have. There are also a lot of things you can purchase at dollar stores (I found a whole basket full of necessary items at the Dollar Tree this morning). I might make a list of those things too.

Let me know if you have any other great ideas for 72 hour kits! I'm always looking out for new things I haven't seen or thought of before.

Cheap or Free

I'm just starting out. I am two weeks into my journey to become debt free. For me, that is incredible. I've never been able to make a budget actually happen for longer than the time it takes to plan it out. Already I am seeing the benefits. I planned out my first paycheck of the month to cover all my bills for the entire month (rather than just the ones that I would need to pay before my next paycheck), knowing that my second paycheck would be covering the time when I worked very little over Christmas vacation (I work at a school, hourly- not salary). About 2 days after planning this, I started off to work one morning, just to realize that my front tire was flat. And for the first time in years, I didn't panic, because I had that $100-something paycheck that wasn't already spoken for with my end of the month bills. I knew I could cover the cost of replacing my tire, and probably even two tires, without cutting into what was supposed to go to bills. It was an amazing feeling. And I have stuck with it for a total of 14 days now. I haven't made a trip for frozen yogurt (one of my traditions with friends) or had a moody shopping spree. I'll be the first to admit that I normally shop when I've had a bad day. It feels really good too.

And tonight I had this thought while looking at some posts about buying supplies and organization buckets at dollar stores instead of other more expensive stores:

I may be able to get those things for cheaper than other places, but if I wasn't going to buy them in the first place, then it is still wasted money.

It is true that when it comes to organizing, it is really fun to make it look pretty and stylish. But when I can get boxes for free at work, even purchasing cute ones for $1 each (which adds up quickly) isn't necessary when I can get less pretty but equally effective containers for free. I can use that $20 to pay towards my credit cards and that will make a bigger difference in my life.

2015

With 2015 upon us, I am going to do something that I have never seriously done before.

I am going to set goals.

I don't know you, I don't even know if anyone is going to read this blog yet. But I need a way to make myself accountable for what I am saying I will do. And a place where I can share and record the journey. I am determined to leave 2015 a better person than I started it, even if it is just a little. I need to start somewhere.

Everything is arranged in categories. I don't have specific plans for everything yet, but I have a good idea of what I want to accomplish.

Personal

•  I'm working on organization for my home. It is my goal to prove that you can get organized and make a home beautiful without spending money on the space saving containers that have become so common and give off the impression that they are necessary to have a beautiful home. I want to make my home beautiful by using the things I already have, instead of buying more just because my vision/mood changed after seeing someone else's before/after photos.

Health

•  I definitely want to be healthier. More specifically: I want to run 1 mile without stopping to walk, plan and prepare meals daily so I am eating regularly and food that is good for me, and begin a strength training routine. And in the process if I happen to lose weight, well then that is just an added bonus.

Spiritual

•  Mostly my goal is to have regular scripture study, regular sincere prayers, and attending as many of my church meetings as possible (meaning, only skipping when I am sick or have to work).

Career

•  Apply to Grad School. I graduated during the summer of 2013 with a Bachelors in Psychology. Which gives very few options for career paths prior to an advanced degree. This is something I have been struggling with. I love school. I love learning. But there are many life changes that will go along with attending grad school that I'm mentally fighting against. A lot of those reasons stem from financial insecurity (like finding a new place to live, a new job, and making it financially while attending school and working enough to support myself. Not even to account for paying for grad school).
• I also want to start offering printed products on my Etsy page. I have been selling printables for over a year, and my next move is to offer the pages already printed. This is uncharted territory for me. I heard a quote (that I can't remember who or where it came from, so if you know, please let me know so I can give them credit. I also may be quoting it incorrectly) that stated to "Do something before you are ready." And I am definitely not ready mentally, but I feel like it is time to jump in this year.

Financial

•  Eventually I want to purchase my own home. This has been a goal for many years, but I haven't done much to work towards it. In fact, I have done a lot to sabotage that dream. So for now, my goals are to pay off my debt (at least 1 credit card this year, hopefully 2), and in the process begin to repair my credit from late payments and excessive balances, live through a budget, and build an emergency savings account.