So the silly season is upon us, the opening shot fired being Black Friday…sigh…and so it begins. I will be honest in saying that I went out into that fray for one thing (okay, stupid! but I promise you it wasn’t for a toy or waffle maker nor electronic…in fact, it was for something that will help me when the crap hits the fan, but I will never, ever do that again and I am not sure that I even want to go into town ever again unless forced to…the madness, meanness and hatred that I felt in town that evening was hair raising and all that over some cheap items that had no real value in terms of survival (unless you call keeping up with the Jonses survival, but I don’t). It gave me a good dose of reality of where people are mentally and I didn’t like it one bit. Result? I am redoubling my efforts at being prepared…every penny will go towards being ready for a bad turn in the world and practical use.
Questions to determine value:
Will it keep me/mine warm?
Will it keep me/mine from being hungry?
Will it keep me/mine healthy?
Will it provide me/mine safety?
Will it give or provide me/mine the knowledge to any of the above questions?
I also keep this in mind…pay now, pay later, but pay you will…I use this saying and keep it in mind when trying to decide if the price in dollar terms is a ‘good value’. Just because its cheap does not mean it’s a good value. I’d rather pay more money wise and have it last and work long term than go ‘cheap’ and have it last 2 seconds and need replacing or repair quickly. And this includes FOOD. Garbage in, garbage health…again, pay now, pay later, but pay you will, some how, some way.
If the answer is NO to the above questions then I am not wasting the time, effort or money on it. Not going to do anything for me but take up space.
So what are items that I intend on procuring for warmth?
MORE Firewood
Extra clothing (gloves, hats, jeans, etc.)
A way to safely procure wood in the future.
So what are items that I intend to procure for the hunger question?
More can goods concentrating on meats and veggies
More #10 cans
A rocket stove
More raised garden beds (this can be done during the winter)
A small root cellar
More canning jars and extra lids.
Salt
Sugar (various forms)
So what are items that I intend to procure for the healthy question?
Multi-vitamins
More soap
Hydrogen peroxide
More Vinegar
Alcohol (it has many uses and not just for getting drunk!)
More solid shoes to be stored for later use.
So what are the items I intend to procure for safety?
A CB radio.
An external dial up modem to retrofit my computer.
More ammo.
One more weather radio, preferably solar/hand crank.
And on the knowledge front? Well, I have always been a collector of books but I will periodically check amazon for new ones and I am always interested in medical books…can never have enough knowledge.
So that is my list. What’s on yours?
I have been pretty feverish in my efforts over the last year or so and have a good start, these are the dirty little details that I am left with at the moment.
Remember, plan, set goals and then go out and do. Every little bit counts and gets you that much further ahead of the hoards. Your needs will be determined by your own personal situation, but the these questions will help you to determine what you need.
survivingshtfmom 
Wait a second! You said you went out into the fray for one thing, but you didn’t tell us what that one thing was?
My finds were Wal Mart’s $18/100 round box of 12 Gauge clay/bird shot. That was a $5 discount to their regular price, and Big 5 Sporting Goods sold me a Remington 870, 20 inch barrel, 8 shot for $319 plus the states massive taxes and fees – came to almost $400. Still I was lacking a good defensive shotgun, but in 8 more days (10 day hold) I’ll be good to go there.
That one thing is something of value for post monetary collapse…I can’t afford to buy into gold so I am always looking for deals and steals on ‘valuables’. You will forgive me for not saying exactly what it is out of concern for safety…as of late, the area where I live break-ins are happening more and more. Good find at Walmart on the bird shot…Last year we purchased a defensive shotgun for less than $200…I like to run slugs thru it myself…more devasting than bird shot 🙂
10 day hold? ugh…some days I am grateful I live in VA
Oops didn’t mean to pry sorry. I can’t afford Gold either. I think I have enough skills to offer in a post SHTF world plus some things worth giving up as barter. Toilet Paper might be worth its weight in gold during such a time who knows.
No worries 🙂 Skills and hard assets are appropriate in the coming times. Bathroom supplies are worth their weight in gold lol…practicle skills too…barter items are a plus, like matches and hygeine products (soap, paper, razors).
My “6 Thing that have value” in no particular order:
#1 Water
#2 Food
#3 Weapons / Ammo
#4 Fuel – Wood / Propane / Gas
#5 Medicine / Medical
#6 Toilet paper! / Bath & Hygiene
Want to find out how valuable it is…..run out of it!
Lol…yes, if you want to know how valuable…just run out of it…and remember…3 is 2, 2 is 1 and 1 is none…the rule ‘of mice and men, things oft go astray’ is apt when getting prepared. Depending upon ONE thing or one way can leave you with nothing. And don’t forget your children too in what their needs maybe, having a very young child I get really uncomfortable with just 5 packs of diapers left in the stash 🙂 Water can be stored almost anywhere, food too…ammo…and toilet paper…well, that is very important, someway of handling that. I learned, again with Irene, that even with septic that is not electric dependant that waste disposal may need to change or one bathroom be taken out of commission since there is no ventilation in it (think latrine smell). The things you learn and value 🙂
“2 is 1, 1 is none”. The Prepper moto. I also have valuable items stored at off site locations. “Reaction Group” members often store essential items for each other in case of emergency. My kids are grown now, but I do have preps and B.O.B.’s for my pet. My dog has a saddle bag with food, water, bowls, papers, leash and cookies. He carries his own weight and thinks our bug out drills are just an excuse to go for a walk and hang out with his dawgs.
As a back up to my septic system, I use chemical toilets. The bags are disposable and eliminate smell. Additioanlly I store charcoal and sawdust to cover any oderific waste, just in case.
Love your ideas….keep em coming!