Now What?

Well.  We are into the thick of it now. This has been such a hard experience to go through, so many lives have been lost. We see so many people doing all they can to care for others, and others still only concerned about themselves and their rights. But I am going to unequivocally press towards sheltering in place, come hell or high water, for as long as it takes to either find the best way to lower infection rates, a cure or a vaccine. If you don't have that view, you might want to move onto another Blogger. 

This is a unique opportunity that is making us slow down, care for others as we care for ourselves and take each day as it comes, adapting and recovering so we can face another day to come. I will press the point that we only have a finite number of medical professionals and essential personnel to help us through this Pandemic. 

As such, not only are thanks in order, but we owe it to them and our loved ones to work together to flatten the curve of infection so facilities aren't overwhelmed.  If you don't agree with this, once again, move onto another Blogger. I am saying up front, this is a positive space, and NO negativity is going to be tolerated.  This is all about solutions, help and working together to prepare ourselves, our families and neighbors for the long haul.

There are indications that the #Coronavirus was here in the United States much earlier than we believed. Most indications show it will be here a lot longer than we believe, making us adapt as the regular seasonal issues we face start to come upon us. Tornado Season is upon us in the South.  Hurricane Season, Flu Season, and other issues are still to come, so how do we manage to prepare for them, in the midst of all of this turmoil?

Well, 2 years ago, I finished a book series called, "Disaster Prepping for Procrastinators". I didn't know when, but I did know that we live in a world where chaos can break out with little or no notice. It was written to not only organize myself but to break down what could be done with less money, time and resources when it comes to Disaster Preparation.

I didn't need 20 pounds of flour and enough food to feed a small army when there was only my daughter and myself to take care of. I knew I'd need to be able to buy things we normally ate, on a budget but all the books and sites I came upon were advance prep for the Zombie Apocalypse. So, I set out to re-write the system, with a Christian and Secular alternative. If you want to skip ahead, you can purchase the book in both paperback and Ebook, with the Shopping Lists and Forms Booklet.  If you can't afford them, then I'll just start a month to month synopsis, keeping things in line with the book's advice. Here is the Amazon Link for the book series:

https://amzn.to/2ShKQIu

So, starting in May, I am going to start to offer pages of that book for free on my Social Platforms, modified slightly to account for #Covid-19, but also as a way to look ahead to prepare for the upcoming seasons to come so that we aren't caught flat-footed.  Just like the series, these posts are going to be bare-boned so that with a minimum amount of money and things you already have around your house you can get organized.  You can start to put aside things you don't use or need for later disposal, clearing space for you to live in. We will focus on places you can fix to shore up your home, based on three tiers: Free, Low Cost, Medium expense.  These things will help you until you are back on your feet again.

So, look for upcoming posts, so that you can prepare for the next 6 to 12 months in the midst of this chaos. If you have a plan, it's executable and you see results at the end of each week, it will persuade you that you are getting things done. 

The first post is going to focus solely on how you should clean up each space in your home. It will accompany the next post that will focus on gathering and storing for your current and future needs.  Many of us now have gone out and purchased food, water and other necessities, so we will focus on how to integrate what you have on hand, with what you need to have on hand.

As you know, I am a Christian, and integrate all of my writings with real Christianity.  If that is going to offend you, please follow my posts, but don't disparage my beliefs. That negativity is something that myself and others just don't need at this time. I'm not posting to convert anyone, but this has to be a space where people's beliefs aren't brought into the discussion in a negative way.You can also find encouragement on my Instagram under the hashtag, #BeEncouragedTAL

You can't take ALL of that WITH you!

You know, I was looking through my Disaster prep stuff, which I keep in a loft area right by the front door, and rethinking my trunk space.  I've taken to leaving my trunk as empty as possible because I have a lot to put in there! 

I've redoubled my efforts to make sure we are able to evacuate with everything we need, but not be so bogged down we can't take the important things and light out for a safe zone.

Its easier to think that you'll just buy one of those First Aid Backpacks, a tent and those Survival Food Buckets with pre-done entrees and 2 containers of water and that's okay. 

But you can't take ALL that WITH you if you have to evacuate by car or on foot.  Have you ever read what is actually in those buckets?  I have.  They include a bunch of things that my family isn't going to eat! Some of those items can be re-heated, but others have to be re-hydrated, which will cut into your water supply.

There is a finite amount of space in the trunk of your car.  If you're like most people, you always have a bunch of stuff in your trunk.  You may want to think of cleaning it out, before you end up having to toss stuff out without sorting it in case of an emergency.  Everything you haul increases the weight of your car and will affect your gas mileage.  We have recommendations in the book series that will help you break down your needs and what you should carry regularly in the car, to your job, that your family should take to work and school so that you are all prepared in case of an emergency. 

We tell you how to work with the interior of your car, once you load in your family. You can continue the way you are, but make sure whatever you plan, it will fit a shelter-in-place scenario, evacuate by car scenario AND an evacuate on foot scenario.  My system helps prepare you for all of those occurrences and at the same time, declutter and clean your home so you can become more organized.

Get your copies of Disaster Prepping for Procrastinators on Amazon now.  Make sure you get the Forms Book and your choice of the Shopping List Books, they come with Scriptural references and without.  Click the link below to start ordering!

Disaster Prepping for Procrastinators Series

How the recent Furlough imitated a Natural Disaster

There were some warnings that a Furlough was on the way, even though many people denied things would go that far for so long.  Most Natural Disasters hit without much warning.  Do you think that the 30 Day plus Furlough wasn't as devastating as a Natural Disaster to the workers, Agencies and supporting businesses as a Natural Disaster may have been?  They have many parallels.

Natural Disasters cause major disruptions in the lives of those who live wherever they strike.  Workplaces are often highly affected by Natural Disasters.  When Businesses are damaged or shuttered, then workers aren't paid, which affects how they eat, pay their bills and their shelter. 

It's January, and if you began to work your way through Disaster Prepping for Procrastinators this past Fall, you would have accomplished several things that may have helped slightly with the Furlough.  For one, you'd have 4 to 5 months of Food, water, and other survival items stored by now.  They would be things that were nearing their rotation date!  They would be items that your family normally ate.  And they would keep you from having to spend a great deal of your very limited income on food purchases.  Having to only buy fresh fruit, vegetables and bread would certainly help in the short term.

You would have your Important Papers gathered by now, which really help when it comes to seeing where your money is going each month if there is something you can cut back on or something that could be sold that you've hesitated about selling. With the threat of another shutdown, what can you do to help yourself and your family with the back pay that you will receive?  First, put the bulk of every dime you can into savings.  Of course secondly, you should catch up your bills.  I say do the bills second because if not, almost all of your back pay will go towards catching up your bills and there won't be anything left over for savings, or to use as a hedge in case the next shutdown comes on the 15th of February as expected.

 Contact creditors and see if they will look at your circumstances and not put late payments on your credit.  If it isn't possible to sway them, then include a statement in your credit file.  It will help when you apply for credit, and also jog your own memory as to why things were late.  See if there is a way to skip a payment, or put another payment at the end of a term, like with your Mortgage or Auto notes.  Put that money into savings.

You would also be wise to stockpile some food, water and anything you ran short on during the shutdown.  You should look at this situation as a warning, and see what you can learn from it that may help you if it happens again. 

While you have a viable job now, think about taking out a Home Equity Line of Credit to help you over the hump if this happens again.  You would only take out what you needed to tide you over if no money is coming in, then when you receive back pay, pay that money back immediately. Also, it may help to start working that 'Side Gig' you have always dreamed about.  It may not bring in your full salary, but might keep you afloat and not totally behind. 

If the chance of this happening again is too much to take, if you are near retirement age, you should consider all of your options. 

Sometimes it is best to get the money while you can and save it, purchasing things and planning for shortfalls before they occur.  It is estimated that many programs that are relied upon for retirement might well be insolvent in coming years, so plan wisely. 

Treat the Furlough as a Natural Disaster and look down the road to anything that might make your ability to earn money and pay your bills stutter or stop and start.  Don't wait for that rainy day to come suddenly, it is starting to rain more frequently, and without warning.  Don't procrastinate, look ahead and make a plan.

You can find our entire series of books on Disaster Prepping for Procrastinators on its own Amazon.com page at the following link:  Disaster Prepping for Procrastinators Page

What if, something as innocuous as a jet arriving with people exhibiting symptoms of influenza, was something else?

Fox 5 News broke a story this morning of an Emirates flight arriving with passengers onboard, including crew members, exhibiting symptoms that resembled influenza.
http://www.fox5dc.com/news/emergency-crews-respond-to-reports-of-sick-plane-passengers

 I couldn't help but notice, the people who directed the passengers did not have on hazmat clothing, neither the Emergency personnel nor the Airport help.  They went back to work, in the airport terminal, where people were checking in, getting on flights to take national and international flights.  They are going to walk through the terminals, filled with even more people, and then they are going to get on a shuttle bus, interacting with even more employees, going home.  They are going to get off of work tonight and go home.  In New York, that usually means using mass transit.  So, if its something truly contagious and deadly, New York is now ground zero, and everywhere anyone flies after interacting with them is a new Ground Zero.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  The first Month of Disaster Prepping calls for you to have an N95 Filter Mask in your Backpack.  After this morning's wake up call, you may want to have one in your Ready Pack also.

I have the following Masks for my family.  It is an Anti Pollution Mask with Exhaust Valve + 6 FILTERS - Military Grade N95 N99 Carbon Activated.  You can buy one on Amazon.

There are many to choose from, some say they will guard against the flu, but don’t trust that disclaimer.  Masks at Urgent Care centers will help for a little while, but are not long term solutions.  I have included information for several types. For plague type situations, you need a full mask (think gas mask) with an acid gas filter (plus an N100 pre-filter if you want to get technical about it), which you should not use without proper training and supervision.  Ask a Medical Professional for the best one to use.  You can find some examples at the following links:
https://amzn.to/2wgDrxZ
https://amzn.to/2LrKB7x
For Little Kids:  https://amzn.to/2MyLh0h
For Little Girls:  https://amzn.to/2o8OUeG
For Lower Budget:  https://amzn.to/2wfcniN

All products are suggestions ONLY.  Branch out and purchase other products than those advocated here.  We are not offered any incentive for these choices, we searched for the lowest cost, best-reviewed products we could find.

Be safe out there!

Welcome to our Inaugural Post!

Welcome to the Inaugural Post for Disaster Prepping for Procrastinators!  I want to commend you for taking a step in the right direction to learn how to not only prepare your family for Disaster but to also organize your home during the process.

My posts won't help you to prepare by using fear as a motivator.  Yes, we live in a tumultuous world, but fear saps your strength, muddles your decision making and doesn't help those who are depending on you for safety.  We will approach this venture with boldness, patience and the understanding that as Procrastinators we have to step up when people depend on us to provide for them and keep them safe.


As you read through the book, make sure you keep your Shopping List book handy.  Remember not to overbuy items just because they are on sale.  Concentrate on getting the items for your Ready Packs and Backpacks so you will be ready to evacuate at a moment's notice.

You can check our Social Media for hints and tips, I would encourage you to check my Pinterest Board for items I have pinned that have caught my eye.  Once you do your initial Prepping, you can use the boards for information to help you branch out into further areas of preparation.

We just provide the basic steps so that you can make the right decisions for yourself and your family, having learned you can prepare without having to wear Camo, arm yourself to the teeth and start digging that moat, like, YESTERDAY.  Let's dial that WAY back, and do what we can, working with what we have to work with.

As you work through the book, try to figure out why you put off doing the things that have to do with Prepping and Cleaning, then toss that behind you and set out to get it done!  What may have been true yesterday, doesn't have to be your truth today.  Follow the techniques after you find out why you procrastinate, and one square at a time, make a change!

If you follow the Monthly tasks and Flash Fixes, at the end of the year you should be golden.  Many books want you ready in a couple of months, but you didn't get where you were in a month, and you won't get out of it in a couple of months.  You need a good month to completely clean each space so you don't get overwhelmed and quit.  I have done the SAME thing, and I will be taking this journey with you, posting my nightmares and my triumphs.  I too have struggled with trying to prepare with those long lists and simplistic recommendations that just didn't work with the way that I think.  I have had too many days I could not invite someone over because the house was just a wreck.  Well, time is passing and your life means more than staying in that state of disarray due to procrastination.

I can do this, YOU can do this, and we are going to work on it together to get things done.  If you're a Mom or Dad, Single or Married, young or old, you can use our steps to prepare yourself and get your house in order. This is what I am working towards, and I KNOW I can do it!  I know you can too.  I look at all of those Houzz, HGTV and DIY shows, and I am DETERMINED to get this together!  I want to order something from Wayfair and have a place to put it that makes sense.


I want to clean out my closets and drawers, THIS is the year I let those size 6 Jeans go for GOOD, there's somebody out there who can wear them a lot better than my sausage legs can!  This is the year to make a change, getting all of my Disaster supplies in order, in one spot and getting my house in order at the same time.  I know I can clean a room if I have a month to do it, and so can you!

Do what you can with what you have.  Remember, in an Emergency, you want options.  Put in the work up front, to give yourself options.  It's much easier to buy a 24 pack of water now at $3.00 than to be forced to buy it at $15.00 with a 2 pack limit in a disaster.  Take care of buying your necessities while prices are low and supply is plentiful.

You may have to cut back on Fast Food, Entertainment or Starbucks for a few months, but its worth it.  You can purchase canned goods and water with SNAP-Food Stamps benefits, its well worth the cost now, for the security you will give your family in an emergency.  Explain what you are doing to your family, and get them onboard.  After all, you are planning for your safety, and for a comfortable and clean living environment.  If you can't get them to pitch in on the prepping, you can get them to pitch in on the cleaning.

Many of the things you need for your basic Ready Pack and Backpack, you can get at the Dollar Store.  Just check expiration dates, and get travel sizes in case you have to evacuate by air.

Our books are available in Print on Amazon.com at the following links:

https://amzn.to/2QsRWY6  Link for the Paperback Book.

This is the link for the Paperback Forms Book.  The Forms Book and Shopping List Book are only available in Paperback.

https://amzn.to/2x8Zkj6 

The Disaster Prepping for Procrastinators book, (not the Lists or Forms Books) is also available as an EBook at the following link also.


I hope you enjoy this Blog and please feel free to post pictures and comments to show how you are coming along.  If you fall behind, let me know so I can encourage you to keep on going!  Please encourage each other to keep at it also, this is a Marathon, not a Sprint.  All my best,
be encouraged,