The end of August and beginning of September this year has taught us a few things. Being prepared is not only crucial, it is purely survival for those who have been or will be caught in the hurricanes and the wildfires. Living where I do, I get complacent about bug-out bags and having things together to be ready to evacuate.

Many people in Texas and now Florida are wishing they had listened to the warnings. They are wishing they had everything together in one place and ready to go. They are wishing they had food and water for a month. They are wishing they had their bug-out bags together and a secure place to go to.

This is why I do the Five Prepping Things To Accomplish each month. I want you all to be ready for the natural disasters as well as the life events that could change your life in a minute. While you get warnings to get ready most of the time, finding the supplies or the important documents at the last minute (or even week) could mean life or death for you and your family.

September is National Preparedness Month. Nothing is proving that more significantly that the natural disasters that are hitting the United States. While FEMA and the Red Cross encourage 3-10 days of food and water, I encourage you to make that a month or longer. The flood waters may recede and the fires may burn out, but who knows when you will be able to get gas and supplies again for awhile.

Five Prepping Things To Accomplish In September:

1. Stock up on fluids besides water. While you should have a plentiful supply of drinking water on hand, I encourage you to stock on other drinkable fluids as well. Broth, juice, pop, electrolyte drinks, and more not only help stretch the water longer, but they also help keep the spirits up and break up the water monotony. Broth is a great for cooking liquid as well. Rice and beans taste pretty good being cooked in chicken broth. It is also a great starter for soup.

2. Memorize and write down your emergency numbers. Having them on your phone is great and smart, but you need to memorize them or at least put them down on paper. You never know when your phone will die or be left behind. You will still need to know them. Taking this a step further, you should laminate that paper with the numbers and make 3-4 copies. You should have one in your wallet or purse, your bug-out bag,  and your important papers’ binder or file.

3. Stock up on flashlights, lanterns, and solar lights. I would recommend a flashlight (or two) in every room. I have both oil-filled and battery operated lanterns. Please make sure you have extra oil and wicks for the oil-filled lanterns as well as have them filled and ready to go. Solar lights are great for walking around outside as well as inside the house. During the day, set them outside and be able to use them at night. I keep all of these light sources in my stash as well as around my house. Be sure to also have extra batteries and lighters for them too.

4. Solidify your bug-outs plans. Where will you go if you need to evacuate your home? Sleeping in your car or going to the woods is not really an answer. Will you go to a parents’ or siblings’ home? Will you choose a hotel 100 miles west of you? If you have a camper and can leave with it, where will you take the camper to? Don’t pick just one place either. Have several options and prioritize those options. Plan A can be your parents 30 miles away. Plan B can be a friends house 45 miles away. Plan C can be the campgrounds 60 miles away. Plan D can be a hotel 90 miles away. Just have a plan, write it down, and memorize it.

5. Start accruing a cash stash. Having cash will help you in an natural disaster or emergency more than your cards or checks. I would have a lot of small bills that will not need to be broken by the store or another person. I would start with having $100 in small bills and increase that amount to $500 then to $1000. Having a fair amount of change will also help you too.

Check out these months:
1. Five Prepping Things To Accomplish in August
2. Five Prepping Things To Accomplish in July
3. Five Prepping Things To Accomplish in June

Thanks for reading,
Erica

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