Budgeting continued

There are many resources you can get very cheap, or even free most of the time, that are very close to you. A lot of people publish their "for sale" items even on facebook! There have been plenty of groups that have fomed for this reason, 'items wanted', "For sale', and many others, some have even formed in your own neighborhood! If you look and nothing has popped up in your area, The cost of forming a group local is the best price,.. FREE! Anyone can do it and you can not only find, and score some great deals but, you can also get the chance and ability to socialize with otherwise unsocial neighbors and form trust and a strong neighborhood social bond... Wouldn't you rather have "The Jones' " keeping an eye on your place when you are gone shopping, than "Those Quiet people" next door?  Sounds a little more comforting doesn't it?

 Plus, Think of the money you can save, and at the same time helping each other by keeping desperately needed money local in these financially troublesome times, form trusting bonds with neighbors, by helping each other out. In these times, things like this are getting to be more of a rarity or even forgotten. With things happening today that weren't so common yesterday, wouldn't it be better to have, or be part of a tight knit group of "neighbors-helping-neighbors"? 

After getting groups like this set up, you want to advertise and bring in traffic to your page, make your own signs and print out little slips from your computer with the web address, brirf summary of what you are doing, and sret up a date for a community garage sale! John at the end of the block may have just what you are looking for, and you don't even know it! i.e. an old running lawn mower engine collecting dust in his garage, an older working alternator, spare car batteries. Thats a home built DC generator right there! Who knows what you can find if you actually look! You can go to the local auto parts store and get a "remanufactured" alternator for $150 and who knows if they built it right and it actually will work right when you hook it up, or "John has an older non-computerized one in his garage sale that still works for $10 or $20! Where's the better opportunity? Even if it doesn't work anymore you can get a rebuild kit online for a fraction of the cost of just going and getting an unknown off the shelf for retail at some million dollar company. 

 With the constant possibility of economical catastrophe, even EMP (Electro-Magnetic Pulse) threats looming overhead.. Computerized equipment will be the first to go in an EMP, with everything controlled by them. This includes Grid-power, City water being pumped to your home, your new car.. ANYTHINGH being ran or controlled by computer, and the G'ment wants you to be dependent on them for everything.... Remember "Cash For Clunkers"? What were the first things to go? Still running and driving older non-computerized cars and trucks. when they got them to the junkyards, they were forbidden to sell any parts from them and by contract HAD to trash the engines if they still ran..

Seems a little suspicious doesn't it? No Perfectly good parts going to fix or rehab the ones that were still on the road, just hoping they would fail, and go to junk.. It's only a matter of time before older parts will be banned
from being rebuilt, repaired, or sold. Ammo shortages caused by Big Brother buying billions of rounds to dry up the supply for stocking. They are slowly getting all their fish in one small barrel to make fishing easier! .. And nobody has paid any attention! It's time to take off the blinders and see the big picture!

What can you do to go against the grain, and fall into the trap door hole the g'ment is digging? 
There are still SO MANY ways to become self-sufficient and self-sustaining that are still out there but are being depleted right under our noses! Get what you can before its gone and you become but a small mouse begging for a piece of welfare cheese! Become INDEPENDENT!











I am still researcing and working with some suppliers like http://www.windbluepower.com/category_s/1.htm for your benefit. I want to bring you the best and most honorable leads and suppliers to aid your growth without worry or concern that you might be in a sketchy deal so that you may begin the process of your indepence and preparations without worry. I am willing to "wade through the swamp" So that  you may have your trophy! Please bear with me, keep checking in, and let me take the time to properly dig around to bring you the best opportunities...

Budgeting

 After some of the disasters in the last decade or so, many people are starting to think ahead and begin to store emergency food, water, basic survival supplies and etc..  With shows like "Doomsday Preppers", "Doomsday Bunkers" and others of a similar flavor, Someone just starting out can feel overwhelmed when they see what others are doing, and have already done.

I'm going to start off by assuming that no one reading this has a winning million dollar lottery ticket in their pocket, and like myself, are trying to live on a suffocatingly tight budget. :

 Don't by any means expect to have something as large, or extreme as you see on TV overnight. The people you see on those shows didn't do it all overnight, and nor should you expect to accomplish a "miniature warehouse" per-se, overnight. Start small, think small, and remember Rome wasn't built in a day either. Start off by examining your budget, We all have bills, rent or a mortgage, car payments, or some other type of financial obligation.

 Start off by separating your 'needs' from your 'wants', what financial obligations do you have that there is absolutely no way around like the forementioned home, auto payments or insurance.? Make a list of those items and their regular bite out of your funds, and place those to the side as a 'no deals' compliation. Now lets move on to luxuries.. Do you have cable, satellite, or a weekend splurge you can cut back on?  I myself at one point, had my cable TV with HBO, Science, History, and other channels that were nice to have but, weren't worth the additional snowball costs. I kept my internet  at the basic speed and eliminated my tv altogether. There really isn't much on TV anymore that you can't find and watch on the internet.

By cutting out TV I was able to drop a monthly $150 expense down to $50! That's just the beginning..  Do you like to grill, or BBQ? Do you cook over charcoal or propane? Both of these cost money and you can eliminate that cost without eliminating the cookout! How does FREE sound? Believe it or not, when you burn charcoal or propane when cooking out you are literally burning money you don't need to! It's spring and there are many people out cutting down, or trimming their trees and are just throwing away the most PERFECT BBQ fuel! Think of the money you could save if you didn't have to buy fuel for your cookouts anymore, and not having to kick on your money devouring appliances every day!

 If you have a charcoal grill you have a good start, If you have a propane, look into a cheap charcoal grill  at yard sales, in classifieds, your neighbor down the street might even be throwing a perfectly good one just because he wanted to get the new " Super Grillinator 2000' ! Wheel it home and start your freebie gathering with that one piece. Now you go a few more houses down and Mr Jones is finally having that oversized Oak tree tamed, Score one for you! Grab all the pieces of wood you can find that will fit into, or can easily be cut down to fit that grill you just brought home and you can now cook a dinner for pennies on the $ that wil rival the big BBQ houses that charge you $10 a plate!

Now that you have dinner taken care of, Let's go back to your budgeting,.. can you scrape out $10 or $20 a week or month yet? If you can put it away until grocery day, and take it with you on your shopping trip. A 24 pack of bottled water costs around $4  canned goods, ramen noodles and many other things are very cheap. get what you can on that $20, and put it away for emergencies, not to be raided. Congratulations! You are now prepping and on your way to being prepared and self sustaining! Do the same thing each visit to the store and before you know it you will be scrambling trying to find room for all of your preps/food stocks!

Over 40 Uses for Aluminum Foil

1• Bake a perfect pie crust Keep the edges of your homemade pies from burning by covering them with strips of aluminum foil. The foil prevents the edges from getting overdone while the rest of your pie gets perfectly browned.

2 • Create special-shaped cake pans Make a teddy bear birthday cake, a Valentine’s Day heart cake, a Christmas tree cake, or whatever shaped cake the occasion may call for. Just form a double thickness of heavy-duty aluminum foil into the desired shape inside a large cake pan.

3 • Soften up brown sugar To restore your hardened brown sugar to its former powdery glory, chip off a piece, wrap it in aluminum foil, and bake it in the oven at 300°F (150° C) for five minutes.

4 • Decorate a cake No pastry bag handy? No problem. Form a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil into a tube and fill it with free-flowing frosting. Bonus: There’s no pastry bag to clean — simply toss out the foil when you’re done.

5 • Keep rolls and breads warm Want to lock in the oven-fresh warmth of your homemade rolls or breads for a dinner party or picnic? Before you load up your basket, wrap your freshly baked goods in a napkin and place a layer of aluminum foil underneath. The foil will reflect the heat and keep your bread warm for quite some time.

6 • Catch ice-cream cone drips Keep youngsters from making a mess of their clothes or your house by wrapping the bottom of an ice-cream cone (or a wedge of water-melon) with a piece of aluminum foil before handing it to them.

7 • Polish your silver Is your silverware looking a bit dull these days? Try an ion exchange, a molecular reaction in which aluminum acts as a catalyst. All you have to do is line a pan with a sheet of aluminum foil, fill it with cold water, and add two teaspoons of salt. Drop your tarnished silverware into the solution, let it sit for two to three minutes, then rinse off and dry.

8 •  Keep silverware untarnished Store freshly cleaned silverware on top of a sheet of aluminum foil to deter tarnishing. For long-term storage of silverware, first tightly cover each piece in cellophane wrap — be sure to squeeze out as much air as possible — then wrap in foil and seal the ends.

9 • Preserve steel-wool pads It’s maddening. You use a steel-wool pad once, put it in a dish by the sink, and the next day you find a rusty mess fit only for the trash. To prevent rust and get your money’s worth from a pad, wrap it in foil and toss it into the freezer. You can also lengthen the life of your steel-wool soap pads by crumpling up a sheet of foil and placing it under the steel wool in its dish or container. (Don’t forget to periodically drain off the water that collects at the bottom.)

10 • Scrub your pots Don’t have a scrub pad? Crumple up a handful of aluminum foil and use it to scrub your pots.

11 • Keep the oven clean Are you baking a bubbly lasagna or casserole? Keep messy drips off the bottom of the oven by laying a sheet or two of aluminum foil over the rack below. Do not line the bottom of the oven with foil; it could cause a fire.
Improve radiator efficiency Here’s a simple way to get more heat out of your old cast-iron radiators without spending one cent more on your gas or oil bill: Make a heat reflector to put behind them. Tape heavy-duty aluminum foil to cardboard with the shiny side of the foil facing out. The radiant heat waves will bounce off the foil into the room instead of being absorbed by the wall behind the radiator. If your radiators have covers, it also helps to attach a piece of foil under the cover’s top.

12 • Protect a child’s mattress As any parent of a potty-trained youngster knows, accidents happen. When they happen in bed, however, you can spare the mattress — even if you don’t have a plastic protector available. First, lay several sheets of aluminum foil across the width of the mattress. Then, cover them with a good-sized beach towel. Finally, attach the mattress pad and bottom sheet.

13 • Hide worn spots in mirrors Sometimes a worn spot adds to the charm of an old mirror; sometimes it’s a distraction. You can easily disguise small flaws on a mirror’s reflective surface by putting a piece of aluminum foil, shiny side facing out, on the back of the glass. To hold the foil in place, attach it to the backing behind the mirror or to the frame with masking tape. Don’t tape it to the mirror itself.

14 • Sharpen your scissors What can you do with those clean pieces of leftover foil you have hanging around? Use them to sharpen up your dull scissors! Smooth them out if necessary, and then fold the strips into several layers and start cutting. Seven or eight passes should do the trick. Pretty simple, huh?

15 • Clean jewelry To clean your jewelry, simply line a small bowl with aluminum foil. Fill the bowl with hot water and mix in one tablespoon of bleach-free powdered laundry detergent (not liquid), such as Tide. Put the jewelry in the solution and let it soak for one minute. Rinse well and air-dry. This procedure makes use of the chemical process known as ion exchange, which can also be used to clean silverware.

16 •  Move furniture with ease To slide big pieces of furniture over a smooth floor, place small pieces of aluminum foil under the legs. Put the dull side of the foil down — the dull side is actually more slippery than the shiny side.

17 • Fix loose batteries Is your flashlight, Walkman, or your kid’s toy working intermittently? Check the battery compartment. Those springs that hold the batteries in place can lose their tension after a while, letting the batteries loosen. Fold a small piece of aluminum foil until you have a pad that’s thick enough to take up the slack. Place the pad between the battery and the spring.

18 • Don’t dye your glasses You want to catch up on your reading during the time it takes to color your hair. But you can’t read without your specs, and if you put them on, hair dye can stain them. Solution: Wrap the temples of your glasses with aluminum foil.

19 • Clean out your fireplace Looking for an easy way to clean the ashes out of your fireplace? Place a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil across the bottom of the fireplace or under the wood grate. The next day — or once you’re sure all the ashes have cooled — simply fold it up and throw it away.

20 • 3 Uses in the Laundry Room Speed your ironing When you iron clothing, a lot of the iron’s heat is sucked up by the board itself — requiring you to make several passes to remove wrinkles. To speed things up, put a piece of aluminum foil under your ironing board cover. The foil will reflect the heat back through the clothing, smoothing wrinkles quicker.

21 • Attach a patch An iron-on patch is an easy way to fix small holes in clothing — but only if it doesn’t get stuck onto your ironing board. To avoid this, put a piece of aluminum foil under the hole. It won’t stick to the patch, and you can just slip it out when you’re finished.

22 • Clean your iron : Is starch building up on your clothes iron and causing it to stick? To get rid of it, run your hot iron over a piece of aluminum foil.

23 • Put some bite in your mulch
To keep hungry insects and slugs away from your cucumbers and other vegetables, mix strips of aluminum foil in with your garden mulch. As a bonus benefit, the foil will reflect light back up onto your plants.

24 • Protect tree trunks
Mice, rabbits, and other animals often feed on the bark of young trees during winter. A cheap and effective deterrent is to wrap the tree trunks with a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil in late fall. Be sure to remove the foil in spring.

25 • Create a sun box for plants
A sunny window is a great place for keeping plants that love a lot of light. However, since the light always comes from the same direction, plants tend to bend toward it. To bathe your plants in light from all sides, make a sun box: Remove the top and one side from a cardboard box and line the other three sides and bottom with aluminum foil, shiny side out, taping or gluing it in place. Place plants in the box and set it near a window.

26 • Build a seed incubator
To give plants grown from seeds a healthy head start, line a shoe box with aluminum foil, shiny side up, allowing about two inches of foil to extend out over the sides. Poke several drainage holes in the bottom — penetrating the foil — then fill the box slightly more than halfway with potting soil, and plant the seeds. The foil inside the box will absorb heat to keep the seeds warm as they germinate, while the foil outside the box will reflect light onto the young sprouts. Place the box near a sunny window, keep the soil moist, and watch ‘em grow!

27 • Grow untangled cuttings
Help plant cuttings grow strong and uncluttered by starting them in a container covered with a sheet of aluminum foil. Simply poke a few holes in the foil and insert the cuttings through the holes. There’s even an added bonus: The foil slows water evaporation, so you’ll need to add water less frequently.
Make a barbecue drip pan
To keep meat drippings off your barbecue coals, fashion a disposable drip pan out of a couple of layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Shape it freehand, or use an inverted baking pan as a mold (remember to remove the pan once your creation is finished). Also, don’t forget to make your drip pan slightly larger than the meat on the grill.

28 • Clean your barbecue grill
After the last steak is brought in, and while the coals are still red-hot, lay a sheet of aluminum foil over the grill to burn off any remaining foodstuffs. The next time you use your barbecue, crumple up the foil and use it to easily scrub off the burned food before you start cooking.

29 • Improve outdoor lighting
Brighten up the electrical lighting in your backyard or campsite by making a foil reflector to put behind the light. Attach the reflector to the fixture with a few strips of electrical tape or duct tape — do not apply tape directly to the bulb.

30 • Make an impromptu platter
When you need a convenient disposable platter, just cover a piece of cardboard with heavy-duty aluminum foil.

31 • Improvise a frying pan
Don’t feel like lugging a frying pan along on a camping trip? Form your own by centering a forked stick over two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Wrap the edges of the foil tightly around the forked branches but leave some slack in the foil between the forks. Invert the stick and depress the center to hold food for frying.

32 • Keep your sleeping bag dry
Place a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil under your sleeping bag to insulate against moisture.

33 • Keep matches dry
It’s a tried-and-true soldier’s trick worth remembering: Wrap your kitchen matches in aluminum foil to keep them from getting damp or wet on camping trips.

34 • Lure a fish
None of your fancy fishing lures working? You can make one in a jiffy that just might do the trick: Wrap some aluminum foil around a fishhook. Fringe the foil so that it covers the hook and wiggles invitingly when you reel in the line.

35 • Make a funnel
Can’t find a funnel? Double up a length of heavy-duty aluminum foil and roll it into the shape of a cone. This impromptu funnel has an advantage over a permanent funnel — you can bend the aluminum foil to reach awkward holes, like the oil filler hole tucked against the engine of your lawn tractor.

36 • Re-attach a vinyl floor tile
Don’t become unglued just because a vinyl floor tile does. Simply reposition the tile on the floor, lay a piece of aluminum foil over it, and run a hot clothes iron over it a few times until you can feel the glue melting underneath. Put a pile of books or bricks on top of the tile to weight it down while the glue resets. This technique also works well to smooth out bulges and straighten curled seams in sheet vinyl flooring.

37 • Make an artist’s palette
Tear off a length of heavy-duty aluminum foil, crimp up the edges, and you’ve got a ready-to-use palette for mixing paints. If you want to get a little fancier, cut a piece of cardboard into the shape of a palette, complete with thumb hole, and cover it with foil. Or if you already have a wooden palette, cover it with foil before each use and then just strip off the foil instead of cleaning the palette.

38 • Prevent paint from skinning over
When you open a half-used can of paint, you’ll typically find a skin of dried paint on the surface. Not only is this annoying to remove, but dried bits can wind up in the paint. You can prevent this by using a two-pronged attack when you close a used paint can: First, put a piece of aluminum foil under the can and trace around it. Cut out the circle and drop the aluminum foil disk onto the paint surface. Then take a deep breath, blow into the can, and quickly put the top in place. The carbon dioxide in your breath replaces some of the oxygen in the can, and helps keep the paint from drying.

39 • Line roller pans
Cleaning out paint roller pans is a pain, which is why a lot of folks buy disposable plastic pans or liners. But lining a metal roller pan with aluminum foil works just as well — and can be a lot cheaper.

40 • Keep paint off doorknobs
When you’re painting a door, aluminum foil is great for wrapping doorknobs to keep paint off them. Overlap the foil onto the door when you wrap the knob, then run a sharp utility knife around the base of the knob to trim the foil. That way you can paint right up to the edge of the knob. In addition to wrapping knobs on the doors that you’ll paint, wrap all the doorknobs that are along the route to where you will clean your hands and brushes.

41 • Keep a paintbrush wet
Going to continue painting tomorrow morning? Don’t bother to clean the brush — just squeeze out the excess paint and wrap the brush tightly in aluminum foil (or plastic wrap). Use a rubber band to hold the foil tightly at the base of the handle. For extended wet-brush storage, think paintbrush Popsicle, and toss the wrapped brush in the freezer. But don’t forget to defrost the brush for an hour or so before you paint.

42 • Reflect light for photography
Professional photographers use reflectors to throw extra light on dark areas of their subject and to even out the overall lighting. To make a reflector, lightly coat a piece of mat board or heavy cardboard with rubber cement and cover it with aluminum foil, shiny side out. You can make one single reflector, as large as you want, but it’s better to make three panels and join them together with duct tape so that they stand up by them-selves and fold up for handy storage and carrying.

43 • Shine your chrome
For sparkling chrome on your appliances, strollers, golf club shafts, and older car bumpers, crumple up a handful of aluminum foil with the shiny side out and apply some elbow grease. If you rub real hard, the foil will even remove rust spots. Note: Most “chrome” on new cars is actually plastic — don’t rub it with aluminum foil.

Cooking: Making foil wraps to cook over a campfire or lighted charcoal is one of the easiest ways to cook with aluminum foil. The technique is really easy, and for some dishes,  such as fish on a campout, a foil wrap is my preferred outdoor cooking method.

Food preparation with foil wraps is simplicity itself. For short day trips, all the cutting and dicing can be done at home. For longer trips, some recipes can be pre-made, wrapped and frozen. Insulate the frozen food well, place it in the bottom of your pack, and it should thaw out in time to make a fresh, hearty meal for the second night out.

To wrap the food, place it in the center of a rectangular piece of heavy duty foil, then bring the long edges together on top. Fold the long edge over once, then continue roll-folding until it’s snug over the food. There should be several inches at each open end that are clear of food.

All you need to make a foil dinner is aluminum foil, food and a heat source.

Then, roll the ends in tightly, compressing the food and making sure that each end has at least three complete rolls. This prevents juices from escaping during cooking and gives you something to hang on to when turning the packet.

Sometimes, depending on what’s cooking, you’ll want to double wrap the packet. To avoid any leakage while transporting, put the completed package in a plastic bag. Then, when you’re done eating, put all the leftovers and used foil in the bag and carry it out. (Sounds like a tasty MRE, right?)

Cover the bottoms of your cooking pots: If you are cooking over an open fire, soot buildup is inevitable. But if you cover the bottom of the utensil with foil, before cooking, the soot will stay off the pot. Save the foil in a sandwich bag, and one piece can last a long time.

Fold into a drinking cup: Many primitive survival skills are related to making containers of some sort. Aluminum foil is a natural for making a waterproof cup. This skill can be invaluable if you need a small container to dip water out of a spring or sump.

Make a pot to cook, or boil water: Same idea as the cup but bigger, invaluable for making sfe drinking water in a pinch, or when a pot isn't readily available!

As a firestarter aid: Take a pinch of cotton ball and petroleum jelly firestarter, place it on the foil top of a yogurt container, and light it. The foil material will keep the jelly from melting into the ground below, and make the flame last much longer. You can start a fire virtually anywhere using this technique. 

You can also use a small piece of aluminum foil to SAFELY light a fire with gasoline.  NEVER  pour gasoline on an open flame or smoldering coals! An explosion is possible! Instead, make a small container with the foil,  put a tiny amount of gas in it, and light the fumes. Then build your fire with tinder, larger sticks and finally logs. There will be no danger of an explosion, and you will only need  a tablespoon or so of gas to get the fire started.

Signaling device: At night, strips of foil can be displayed at eye level to catch a flashlight beam, or during the day to signal rescue (If available) This is really handy if you will be leaving your deer stand or need to find a trailhead after dark  by headlamp light.  You can also use a folded piece during the day as a signal mirror for search aircraft.

The items in your personal survival kit don’t need to be expensive, but they should be carefully chosen. Regardless of what is taken along, you need to practice with that item. Every piece of equipment needs to work for you.

60 Uses for Baking Soda

Bicarbonate of soda or baking soda hsxwas many different uses in the household. Although much more expensive products have been developed over the years to do the same jobs, baking soda can work for you just as well, if not better. Use it in the following ways:

1. To make your own baking powder, stir and sift together 2 parts of Cream of Tartar to 1 part baking soda and 1 part cornstarch.

2. Be sure to keep an extra box of baking soda by your stove in case of grease or electrical fire. Scatter the powder by the handful to safely put it out.

3. Keep a container of baking soda in your garage as well as in your car to put out a fire. It won’t damage anything it touches.

4. Baking soda will also put out fires in clothing, fuel, wood, upholstery and rugs.

5. Clean vegetables and fruit with baking soda. Sprinkle in water, soak and rise the produce.

6. Wash garbage cans with baking soda.

7. Soak and wash diapers with baking soda.

8. Oil and grease – stained clothing washes out better with soda added to the washing water.

9. Clean your fridge and freezer with dry soda sprinkled on a damp cloth. rinse with clear water.

10. Deodorize your fridge and freezer by putting in an open container of baking soda to absorb odors. Stir and turn over the soda from time to time. Replace every 2 months.

11. Soda absorbs kitty litter odors. Cover the bottom of the kitty box with 1 part soda; then add a layer of 3 parts kitty litter on top.

12. Always add 1/2 cup soda to your washing machine load.

13. Clean combs and brushes in a soda solution.

14. Wash food and drink containers with soda and water.

15. Wash marble-topped furniture with a solution of 3 tablespoons of soda in 1 quart of warm water. Let stand awhile, then rinse.

16. Clean formica counter tops with baking soda on a damp sponge.

17. Wash out thermos bottles and cooling containers with soda and water to get rid of stale smells.

18. To remove stubborn stains from marble, formica or plastic surfaces, scour with a paste of soda and water.

19. Wash glass or stainless steel coffee pots (but not aluminum) in a soda solution ( 3 tbsp. soda to 1 quart water).

20. Run you coffee maker through its cycle with a soda solution. Rinse.

21. Give baby bottles a good cleaning with soda and hot water.

22. Sprinkle soda on barbecue grills, let soak, then rinse off.

23. Sprinkle soda on greasy garage floor. Let stand, scrub and rinse.

24. Polish silverware with dry soda on a damp cloth. Rub, rinse and dry.

25. For silver pieces without raised patterns or cemented-on handles: place the silver on aluminum foil in an enamel pot. Add boiling water and 4 tbsp. baking soda. Let stand, rinse and dry.

26. Reduce odor build-up in your dishwasher by sprinkling some soda on the bottom.

27. Run your dishwasher through its cycle with soda in it instead of soap to give it a good cleaning.

28. To remove burned-on food from a pan: let the pan soak in soda and water for 10 minutes before washing. Or scrub the pot with dry soda and a moist scouring pad.

29. For a badly-burned pan with a thick layer of burned-on food: pour a thick layer of soda directly onto the bottom of the pan, then sprinkle on just enough water so as to moisten the soda. Leave the pot overnight, then scrub it clean next day.

30. Rub stainless steel and chrome with a moist cloth and dry baking soda to shine it up. Rinse and dry. On stainless steel, scrub in the direction of the grain.

31. Clean plastic, porcelain and glass with dry soda on a damp cloth. Rinse and dry.

32. Remove that bad smell from ashtrays with soda and water.

33. Sprinkle a bit of dry soda in your ashtrays to prevent smoldering and reduce odor.

34. Clean your bathroom with dry soda on a moist sponge – sink, tub, tiles, shower stall, etc.

35. Keep your drains clean and free-flowing by putting 4 tablespoons of soda in them each week. Flush the soda down with hot water.

36. Soak your shower curtains in water and soda to clean them.

37. To remove strong odors from your hands, wet your hands and rub them hard with soda, then rinse.

38. Sprinkle baking soda on your wet toothbrush and brush your teeth and dentures with it.

39. Sprinkle soda in tennis shoes, socks, boots and slippers to eliminate odor.

40. Add 1/2 cups or more of baking soda to your bath water to soften your skin.

41. Putting 2 tbsp. of baking soda in your baby’s bath water will help relieve diaper rash irritations.

42. Apply soda directly to insect bites, rashes and poison ivy to relieve discomfort. Make a paste with water.

43. Take a soda bath to relieve general skin irritations such as measles and chicken pox.

44. Take 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in 1/2 glass of water to relieve acid indigestion or heartburn.

45. Gargle with 1/2 tsp. baking soda in 1/2 glass of water. Freshens and cleans your mouth.

46. Used as a mouthwash, baking soda will also relieve canker sore pain.

47. To relieve sunburn: use a paste of baking soda and water.

48. Bug bites: use a poultice of baking soda and vinegar.

49. Bee sting: use a poultice of baking soda and water.

50. Windburns: moisten some baking soda and apply directly.

51. Making Play Clay with baking soda: combine 1 1/4 cups water, 2 cups soda, 1 cup cornstarch.

52. Use soda as an underarm deodorant.

53. If your baby spits up on his shirt after feeding, moisten a cloth, dip it in baking soda and dab at the dribbled shirt. The odor will go away.

54. When scalding a chicken, add 1 tsp. of soda to the boiling water. The feathers will come off easier and flesh will be clean and white.

55. Repel rain from windshield. Put gobs of baking soda on a dampened cloth and wipe windows inside and out.

56. Add to water to soak dried beans to make them more digestible.

57. Add to water to remove the “gamey” taste from wild game.

58. Use to sweeten sour dishcloths.

59. Use dry with a small brush to rub canvas handbags clean.

60. Use to remove melted plastic bread wrapper from toaster. Dampen cloth and make a mild abrasive with baking soda.

North GA under"Do not drink" order for hundreds. FBI investigating after someone broke in and changed the chemical settings!

CHATSWORTH, GA (WRCB) - Hundreds of people in one north Georgia town are not allowed to drink their water.

The water treatment plant in Ramhurst is temporarily shut down after someone broke in and changed the chemical settings.

It's affecting about 400 Murray County residents. Local, state and federal officials are investigating who's to blame. Officials with Chatsworth Water Works say the source of the problems is at the Carter's Lake Water Treatment Plant in the Ramhurst area. 

Saturday workers noticed someone had changed some chemical settings. First, officials issued a "boil advisory" but the Environmental Protection Department bumped it up to a total "do not drink" order and shut down the plant until they're certain it's safe for the public to consume. It could be a few more days.

http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/22110812/fbi-investigating-treament-plant-breakin-do-not-drink-order-in-place

Looking for volunteers..

Looking for up to 3 volunteers to help with projects. facebook page updates, some promotion with the blog and facebook page @ https://www.facebook.com/pages/Preparing-To-Live/365512190228429?ref=hl , some write ups, and projects on this blog. I would prefer someonebetween the ages of 27 and 45 that knows what they are doing, open to listen to new processeces and can bring some of their own ideas and projects to the blog. It's warming up and my time outside is getting cut shorter by the day depending on the weather. If you are interested or willing please contact me at the email for the blog.. survivor.links@gmail.com

It 's swarming up and the bugs are coming out!

Here's a couple things you can make anywhere that will make things a little more tolerable for you while you are outside enjoying the warmer temperatures:

Modern technology has brought us many benefits, including mosquito traps that cost hundreds of dollars, but sometimes we overlook simple solutions to difficult challenges such as mosquito control. When it comes to controlling pests, research tends to focus on chemicals or concepts that can be patented. Unless someone can make a profit from an idea, the public may never become aware of it.

Items needed:

200 ml water
50 grams of brown sugar
1 gram of yeast
2-liter plastic bottle

Or US conversion:
1 cup of water
1/4 cup of brown sugar

HOW:
1. Cut the plastic bottle in half.
2. Mix brown sugar with hot water. Let cool. When cold, pour in the bottom half of the bottle.
3. Add the yeast. No need to mix. It creates carbon dioxide, which attracts mosquitoes.
4. Place the funnel part, upside down, into the other half of the bottle, taping them together if desired.
5. Wrap the bottle with something black, leaving the top uncovered, and place it outside in an area away from your normal gathering area. (Mosquitoes are also drawn to the color black.)

Change the solution every 2 weeks for continuous control.

Homemade Wasp Traps

I thought someone might want this tip since it's getting that time of year again. Wasps can be a pain, literally, to have around! It's not difficult to create a trap to help control them, however. Here are plans for a wasp trap that has worked for many people to reduce the number of wasps in and around the yard.

WARNING: Be sure to place your wasp trap away from any areas where you will be using the yard. Don't have one within 20 feet of your picnic table or children's play areas.

The simplest wasp trap can be made from a two or three liter pop bottle. Cut the bottle right under the funnel so that you have two pieces. After baiting the trap, you will fit the funnel shaped top piece into the bottom piece. The bait can be tied onto the pop bottle opening. Make three or four holes around the top edges where the fitted pieces meet, from which to attach string for a hanger. Don't tie these on too tightly because you will need to take the trap apart frequently to add new bait and remove dead wasps. Add water with a few drops of dishwashing liquid to the container part of the trap. A little vinegar added to the water is reported to repel honey bees from visiting the wasp trap. The water should not come to the level of the opening of the funnel shaped insert. Put a bit of Vaseline or cooking oil around the top of the funnel so that the insects will lose their footing when they are investigating the wasp trap.

What sort of bait works well in a wasp trap? It actually makes a difference what time of year it is. In the early spring, wasps will be seeking protein foods because they will be making nests and laying eggs. Some good choices for protein baits are hamburger and lunch meat. Partially cook the hamburger so that it is easier to tie onto the trap. An advantage to setting a wasp trap in the early spring or even late winter is that you may catch a queen. If you can catch and kill a queen, the rest of the wasps will go elsewhere to make a nest. Later on in the summer, sweet foods work well as bait. You might try floating a bit of root beer or other sweet liquid on the water in the trap in a small lid. Fruit pieces work well, too, but it helps if they are cut so that the juicy smell is evident. Mashed grapes are very desirable to wasps.

Place the wasp trap away from human activity and about four feet above the ground. The trap works best at about 85 degrees F. so you may have to move it into the shade on a hot afternoon or into the sun on a cool morning. The theory behind these traps is interesting. The wasp will fly down into the wasp trap to get the bait, but will not be able to find its way out. It will fly around inside until it wears itself out, at which time it will fall into the water. The detergent in the water breaks down the surface tension of the water, making it stick to the wasp's body instead of beading up around it. Since the wasp breathes through it's body, it will drown. Many wasps are likely to visit these wasp traps, which means you will need to empty them regularly. If you don't, the bodies of wasps will create islands on which the new wasps can rest without drowning. You will need to replenish the bait every few days, too, for best results.

When you empty the trap, you need to be careful. If any living wasps escape, they may return to the nest and let the others know they are in danger. If this happens, wasps can become aggressive. They may even swarm. The same thing can happen if the dead wasps' bodies are crushed. The bodies release a chemical which can be smelled by the rest of the colony. It is probably a good idea to bury the dead wasp bodies. (Be particularly careful if it is a colony of hornets you are trying to control! It is probably wisest to have a professional exterminator take care of them.)

Wasps are beneficial insects. They are useful around gardens because they prey on garden pest insects. However, when they make their nests too close to the house, they become pests themselves. Many people are allergic to wasp stings and can die if stung. In fact, death from insect stings is not uncommon. Making a wasp trap is one way to keep them under control without having to use toxic chemicals.

 Fly Traps!
* Credited to http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Home-Made-Fly-Trap for the article and Images

Steps

1. 1
   Get a liter empty pop plastic bottle or any other plastic bottle with a screw on lid of about that size.
   
   
   
2. 2
   Take a razor knife or other sharp edged implement, and 3" to 4" from top of bottle remove a 3 inch square. on both sides leaving a strip to hold top and rest together.
   
   
   
3. 3
   Put a cup hook into lid.
   
   
   
4. 4
   Put a square of folded paper towel into bottom of bottle and add fly bait granules from feed store about 1/8 cup per bottle.
   
   
   
5. 5
   Place in barns over animals areas by hanging out of reach in rafters by the hook. Check if you have to refill.
6. 6
   Finished. 
   
   
   

Concerned Officials Warn: “North Korea Could Explode a High-Altitude Nuclear Device Over the United States”.

Concerned Officials Warn: “North Korea Could Explode a High-Altitude Nuclear Device Over the United States”.-

How many electronics do you have that would be trashed by an EMP? Backup power sources, emergency water? If this was to happen would you be ready?

Yes the date on the image is 1997, But it shows the potential of an EMP.

A German woman who survived WW2 says Obama is the same as Hitlerand to invest in gold and Silver!

A German woman who survived WW2 says Obama is the same as Hitlerand to invest in gold and Silver!
Watch the full video, you don't want to miss anything!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWdQe3UrRb0

Please comment with your thoughts below.

HOW TO READ BAR CODES... (everyone must know)

 Always buy USA when you can, keep the money, and the jobs here, the workers able to support their families here at home!

HOW TO READ BAR CODES... (everyone must know) 

ALWAYS READ THE LABELS ON THE FOODS YOU BUY--NO MATTER WHAT THE FRONT OF THE BOX OR PACKAGE SAYS, TURN IT OVER AND READ THE BACK CAREFULLY! 

With all the food and pet products now coming from China, it is best to make sure you read label at the supermarket and especially when buying food products. Many products no longer show where they were made, only give where the distributor is located. The whole world is concerned about China-made "black-hearted goods".

Can you differentiate which one is made in Taiwan or China ? The world is also concerned about GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) foods; steroid fed animals (ex: 45 days old broiler chicken).

It is important to read the bar code to track its origin. How to read Bar Codes....interesting !

If the first 3 digits of the bar code are 690, 691 or 692, the product is MADE IN CHINA.
471 is Made in Taiwan .
If the first 3 digits of the bar code are 00-09 then it's made or sourced in USA.

This is our right to know, but the government and related departments never educate the public, therefore we have to RESCUE ourselves. Nowadays, Chinese businessmen know that consumers do not prefer products "MADE IN CHINA", so they don't show from which country it is made. However, you may now refer to the barcode -

Remember if the first 3 digits are:
890......MADE IN INDIA
690, 691, 692 ... then it is MADE IN CHINA
00 - 09 ... USA and CANADA
30 - 37 ... FRANCE
40 - 44 ... GERMANY
471 ........ Taiwan
45 or 49 ........JAPAN
489...........HONG KONG
50 .......... UK
57 .........DENMARK
64..........FINLAND
76.........SWITZERLAND and LIENCHTENSTIEN
471......... is Made in TAIWAN (see sample) 

628.........SAUDI ARABIA
629.........UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
740..........745 - CENTRAL AMERICA

All 480 Codes are Made in the PHILIPPINES.

Part 2 of the portable garden

Part 2 of the portable garden.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fbm5-WbUvAw&feature=youtu.be

Any questions, please ask.

My custom vinyl decal for the back window of my truck just came in the mail today!

You can make your own custom banner
From: https://doityourselflettering.com
for only $30 and it's 4' long 8" tall!
They did a pretty good job and it looks great!

Attention facebookers!

I have just created a page linking you to the blog and instant notifications of new posts and videos! Just like the page and stay notified!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Preparing-To-Live/365512190228429

Your Donations really do matter.

Fundraiser in the name of myself and the blog:


https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/4TR24

Video update April 2013

Dont forget how much your support helps me bring you more here.

New posts coming soon!

Always live with a backup plan or fallback. If you bail on that.... Where's it going to be for you when you need it?