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Estate Sales Are Great Prepping Venue

Sampson, the mini-dachshund, lounging on Martha Washington

This morning as I was tidying up the bedroom, placing our Martha Washington bedspread neatly in its place, I realized how many quality items we’ve gathered over the years that cost us very little. Why? They were purchased at estate sales or garage sales.

For those of you that don’t know what a Martha Washington bedspread is, here is a brief description. Actually picked out by George Washington for his bride, this bedspread is the pattern that was used by the Washington’s. But the pattern aside, one of the main reasons Ken and I love it is the warmth provided by this spread. You can tell simply by picking it up. The weight of this handwoven candlewick design spread lets you know it will provide you with the warmth you need on a cold winter night.

The cost to us was $20.00! That is a GREAT price since a new one can go anywhere from $150 to $280 depending on the size you purchase. The one we bought was only $20 because we purchased it at an estate sale.

Generally speaking Ken and I both prefer estate sales over garage sales or flea markets. Usually at a garage sale, people are selling, well, their old junk. Once in a while you can find a bargain, but it’s generally the old stuff that’s falling apart. At flea markets, again, the bargains are not that popular. After all, at flea markets, the vendors are in it to make some money. It is a way of life for many of these people.

Estate sales are where you will find better items. An estate sale usually happens when the home owner has passed away and their family does not have the room to store the belongings. many of these family members have their own homes filled with their own things. So a sale of the items is a good way to dispose of the belongings and split the cash received among the remaining family. Another reason an estate sale may be happening is because the owner is moving to a much smaller place, an assisted living or a nursing home, and they need to get rid of most of their belongings.

Estate sales will usually have much nicer things for sale at very reasonable prices. And because most of the homeowners were elderly, your chances are pretty high of finding more older and antique items. Hmm, like a genuine Martha Washington bedspread! You will almost always benefit from buying an older item since it was probably made a LOT better than the most of the stuff that’s made today.

Not only will you be able to find quality items at a great price, but you can also walk away with a great prepping idea by something you saw at the sale. I find this to be a great way to expand your prepping supplies at reasonable prices…so have fun and explore!

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Why Do We Accept Inferior Products?

How often has it happened to you after purchasing a product, that you discovered it was inferior or even damaged in some way, but you didn’t return it or notify the manufacturer or distributor of the problem?

You were aggravated, but there were a number of reasons holding you back from complaining about the product, including the following reasons…

Your time is worth more than the effort involved in filing a complaint.
Your life is too busy to deal with it, unless it was an expensive item.
You found a way around the defect and are just ‘living with it’ the way it is.

Here’s a simple but aggravating example…

On occasion I’ve been duped into believing that the hardware I had purchased was strong enough to hold up to the normal stresses of ordinary installation and use. I have purchased ordinary wood screws of various sizes, only to discover that the screw heads will ‘strip’ with hardly any excessive torque being applied whatsoever. This was due to the fact that the company selling them had purchased ‘cheap’ soft screws made of poor quality and manufacture, and hardly if any hardening techniques applied during the manufacturing process. This was from a well know hardware store chain! Junk. I had to throw them all out with disgust.

It is genuinely difficult to find good, well made products that will hold up and endure what used to be considered ‘normal’ wear and tear. The advancements in modern engineering design and manufacturing have enabled products to be built that are barely on the edge of holding themselves together, with little margin of ability to endure shock, dropping, bumping, etc.

It is so easy today to design ‘cheap’ and to build ‘cheap’. And in fact, nearly all products today are built with this philosophy in mind. ‘They’ have researched and discovered the point at which they can get away with building cheap stuff compared with the point at which a threshold-number of people reject the product due to its being ‘too’ cheap. This maximizes their profits of course. The problem is, we pay for it and accept it.

I have been guilty myself at times, of not complaining when I encounter aggravating circumstances with a product that I’ve purchased with a certain expectation as to its quality, only to discover it is far inferior to that which I had expected.

I’m old enough now to have experienced a time when things were made well. Things were often heavy duty by default. Things lasted longer. They were built better, stronger. Nowadays, forget about it – good luck finding it.

We live in a throwaway society, a generation of people who know know no other way. The system absolutely loves this, because it keeps people buying new stuff when it doesn’t last, or when it breaks.

If you are disgusted with this, then start complaining to your retailer AND to the manufacturer! We all must begin to take the time, even though the product in question may not be worth our time. If we remain silent, NOTHING will change.

Today it is pretty easy to find the manufacturer’s contact information on the internet. Just Google it. Then, it may be more effective to actually write a letter rather than email them. Send it to the Director of Sales. Same thing with the Retailer. Send them a letter!

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30 Ways To Save Money

Guest post: by ‘Be informed’

Everyone wants to be free from owing money and to have extra money to buy some necessary items, especially for survival, but most everyone will have to learn to budget their finances before this is achieved. So much money and resources are wasted that just blow threw people’s fingers like the proverbial grasping for air. Much though can be done to save, big time, many simple ways that many don’t even give much thought to. Here are 30 ways of saving money that should work for anyone. Extra money means extra security and for those survival minded people, extra survival supplies and food for when the times become awful.

1. Shop Smart. Very few people actually take the time and plan their shopping trip as many are caught into the impulsive buying bug. Don’t go grocery shopping without a list and spend time thinking about what you actually need and don’t need before entering the store.

2. Look For Deals. Coupon clipping, searching advertisements, looking on the internet, it takes time but is worth it, really study it. Buying before permanent price increases is smart. Buying reduced meats before they expire then freezing them for later is wise. Look over the store, there are specials.

3. Ask For Deals. There are so many deals that go unused because people just don’t ask. This goes true with shopping as well as for bills. Many times you can reduce your insurance and other bills just by inquiring what is the best deal can I get. Squeeky wheel gets the grease.

4. Look For Free. NEVER pass up an opportunity to get something usable for free. Even if you can’t use it right now, later just about everything with some value can be used for bartering.

5. Deflate the Interest Ogre. Refinancing, paying off debt, every fraction of interest going out is wasted money. Get your credit score up if you have debt and save, or you if you have to borrow in the future to save on interest rates.

6. Become Aware Of Your spending. People haphazardly sign away their lives without even thinking about what is adding up. Write down or print up everything you spend all the way down to the cost of a pack of gum, SEE IT.

7. Pay Now Rather Than Later. Like becoming aware, try to pay for what you buy now rather than putting off the payment of something until next month or for longer than this. Pay now and you know what you have left to work with.

8. Fix The Minor Before it Becomes Major. So many people will let minor league problems go until they become monsterish, and lose many times more money than they would have if they had just not been penny wise and dollar foolish.

9. Fix It Yourself IF You Can. Learning to effectively make repairs can save the big bucks. Small investements in tools can pay for themselves many times over. How to repair books and attending free classes at hardwar stores is a good place to start. Also admit it to yourself when you CAN’T repair something to avoid making professional repair more costly.

10. Live With It. As long as something works and is not wasting energy, continue using it and reusing it. Let’s face it, do most people really need the new television sets that just came out when theirs is working perfectly OK?

11. Be A Cheapskate. A more friendly word is prudent. People still have a negative feeling about being frugal, like they are not living life to the fullest, depriving themselves, and not sharing enough with those around them. Personal made presents should mean a lot more to someone for example.

12. Cheap Or Free Means Of Entertainment And Enjoyment. There are so many simple pleasures that so many have forgotten about. Spending time with family and friends, walking the park during a warm spring day, renting a video rather than going to the movies, taking a scenic drive, just enjoying something without shelling out a lot of money.

13. Make A Habit of Simple Saving Measures. Try to add a few pennies each day to a jar for one year and see how much you have. This is exactly what you do “in reverse” when you leave on unused lights, let running water run, etc. By making a habit of turning off what you are not using you will save money.

14. Insulate Your Home. Weather stripping, extra attic insulation, wrapping the hot water heater, anything that saves energy saves money. There are also some nice tax rebates available to those that save energy.

15. Watch And Modify Your Home’s Heating And Cooling. A smart thermostat is a wonderful start. Turning down the heat and turning down the air conditoner just a couple of degrees will save much money. You don’t have to roast or shiver, but not being “too comfortable” will cost you less. A nice humidifier during the winter can make the air feel warmer also.

16. Home Cooking. Let’s face it, delivery and going out to dinner is expensive. By cooking it yourself you save a whole lot of money and usually have leftovers that can be packed into lunch packets. If you are a good cook, the food will almost always taste better and be better for you.

17. Learn To Do Your Own Grooming. Most people spend between $200 up to $500 a year just on haircuts. Yes you can with practice cut your own hair or have someone in the family do it for you. You don’t even want to talk about the “pampered” beauty shop costs, most of which you can do it yourself!

18. Eat Well. There is really no reason to waste money on food that is not good for your body. Junk food is costly and makes a person fat. Much good tasting food can be enjoyed during football games that doesn’t cost as much and is good for you.

19. Body maintenance. Eating good food and having a junk food ban is so wise. Health problems are associated with a bad diet, and even with insurance, going to doctor is mega expensive. Brushing and flossing one’s teeth consistantly, everyday, will save huge amounts of money and avoid the terrible sound of the dentist’s drill. Also avoiding getting sick by using hand sanitizer and practicing staying well. Exercise and drinking enough water also helps much.

20. Treat And Use Your Vechicle In A Smart Way. Vechicle maintenance is preventing costly repairs that will hurt. Put good quality fuel in your car as some fuel that is mega cheap has many impurities in it that will eventually clog the fuel filter and sometimes hurt the engine. Plan your trips to coincide with other trips. Look at a map and think about how you travel to save fuel and stress on yourself from backtracking, especially with errands.

21. Grow, Grow, Grow, Your Own Garden. Fruit trees and garden vegetables save so much money it will amaze you. Adding water saving measures such as drip irrigation will save on watering. Capturing rain water will also save, plus it will give you water to keep your garden alive should the water faucet go dry for any reason, including disasters.

22. Can And Freeze. When you can store garden surplus and leftovers, you are not only putting away food in regards to survival, but you will save so much money when the prices go up at times of year when they always go up. Putting away food when it is cheaper for when it is very costly make so much sense.

23. Save Those Receipts. Many times you will get bad food or something that doesn’t work and you threw away your proof of purchase and you can’t take it back. You just lost money. Even a dollar avocado is worth taking back, money is money, and every store should always sell what you can use. Too often people just put a receipt in the trash and then regret it.

24. Use What You Buy Or Store It When You Need It. This society has become The Waste Generation, and when you waste what you buy you are doing the same as burning up cash money. Survival items with expired dates need to be rotated. Unused items that gather dust are things that should have never been bought. Shop wisely and make sure you have use for what you purchase.

25. Time Sealed Special Funds Container. This can be a taped up jar with a slot on it, a locked box, whatever, that you will not open until a special time such as an anniversary, Christmas, red line emergencies, etc. This is a collection vessel for extra money, especially change. If you are going to purchase something not practical, instead feed the money into your little bank.

26. Get Yourself A Consumer Report Buying Guide. There are options on all sorts of items that are not needed and cost extra, and advice to avoid purchasing junk and getting the best money for what you buy. The reviews here are from other people that can contest to something being worth the money or not. There is some good advice in these books and can save you a bunch later.

27. Avoid Being Stupid. We all make bad decisions and wish we had thought before we leaped. Common sense and thinking over one’s actions can prevent costly mistakes and avoid accidents that cost a lot, that could have cost nothing. Many people don’t treat the machines around them well, abuse your vacuum cleaner and you will be buying a new one way sooner than you should’ve.

28. When You Have Been Cheated, Complain, Speak Up. Way too many people just do not feel complaining about being overcharged by a dollar or two is worth it. Terrible service, waiting too long for travel, most companies want your business and if you complain enough about when you were wronged you will get something extra for your inconveniences. You can’t lose by trying.

29. One Hand Shakes The Other. If you have a special talent and need something that someone else can do for you, like repair work, trade off and barter your trades and favors and both of you can save a lot of money.

30. Set Priorities, Live By It. The game plan here is not to go without, pay your bills as soon as possible. This should help raise your credit score as being calssified as reliable and hopefully help lower interest on any credit you owe. Necessities should be the next level of responsible priorities. Luxary items should be on the bottom of the list, but with many, sadly enough, this comes first. The key words here are: RESPONSIBLE DISCIPLINE SPENDING.

This is but 30 suggestions on saving money, by looking around your home and closely observing your spending habits you will be able to save money and cut costs at all sorts of points in your life. Saving money will make your life better (NOT WORSE), it will quicken your goal of getting out of debt, free you up from the worries of not having enough to get what you need, and help you to purchase truly the necessities of life, both in and out of survival situations.

Ken adds: I absolutely love “Avoid Being Stupid”. I laughed my ass off when I got to that one… it sums it up nicely

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Best Gifts For Survival Preparedness?

Guest post: by ‘Be informed’

It should be remembered that gift giving is a year round event, not only for Christmas, but birthdays, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, anniversaries, wedding gifts, or just for that person who helped you out. The best gifts are those that people can use over and over again and make their lives easier, as many of these gifts can and will also benefit someone in survival situations.

Have you ever gone out and spent the better part of a paycheck on gifts, used all day wrapping those gifts to almost showpiece perfection to only be disappointed later at the lack of use of what you felt were nice presents? Happens to all of us and probably most of us did this to our parents at sometime. Many people initially will give you “the face”, a polite and courteous look at a gift that doesn’t have all the flash and is not the “end” gadget, but if this item serves someone with continual or even occasional use, they should appreciate and be grateful to you and for the gift.

Many fine gifts that have a nice practical everyday use can also double as wonderful survival items. The gift receiver does not necessarily have to be told that this item can also be used in a disaster situation, though you will know it will be. Now “pragmatic gifts” such as multi-packs of toilet paper and bars of soap, economy sized jugs of hand sanitizer, garden and kitchen plastic trash bags, case of toothpaste and a mile long of dental floss, you get the idea, would be used by the person but with consequences, In many cases such “gifts” will become the blunt end of jokes and roaring laughter around the neighborhood and water cooler at work under, “guess what, or you won’t believe what I got for Christmas, or my birthday!” There are however plenty of practical things that make terrific gifts.

Anyone that enjoys going into the outdoors should enjoy almost any camping type gift. Simply put camping equipment is survival equipment. When you give a gift from the sporting goods section related to camping, you are also giving someone an item(s) that will be added to any survival supplies that they have.

A lot of people enjoy cooking, and there are a lot of items that can be given as gifts that people will use again and again in the kitchen and in true survival situations. Here are some ideas:

- Air tight durable food storage containers, all sizes.
- Heavy bottomed pots and pans, people love these, food doesn’t burn so easily.
- Vacuum bag package sealer for food preservation and storage.
- Non-electric drip coffee maker, people would use this even with power on.
- Pressure cooker, useful for canning and preparing meals.

- Cutting boards, especially the ones with bottoms that avoid sliding around.
- Manual knife sharpener, outdoor and indoor use for knives remaining sharp.
- Kitchen cutlery set, this is an item that comes in handle all the time.
- Hand cranked meat grinder, to make meat more easy to cook in all situations.
- Manual spice grinder and perhaps spices to go along with it.

- Home canning kits, fermenting crocks. The money you can save when you can!
- Instructional books on food preservation and with recipes.
- Tea kettles. Nice way to boil water, could include favorite teas with gift.
- Kitchen seed sprouter, becoming a lot more popular with people.
- Movable storage units for kitchen equipment and or pantry food storage.

- Temperature resistant oven mitts. Nice to have in regular times, but even nicer to have if you ever have to cook frontier style.
- Meat thermometer. Helps properly cook meat especially if you ever have to cook without an oven that has temperature controls.
- Ice maker. Ice is something taken for granted, as long as you have a small generator for power or regular power, these units are small enough to move anywhere, can produce small amounts of ice in minutes and much more in hours.

For those people that like giving personal gifts, there are many things that can double as very practical survival items. Rainproof jackets, warm coats, gloves, hats, headgear, thermal underwear, waterproof shoes or socks, wool sweaters, so many other clothing items for everyday comfort and style, can be tremendous survival value when needed. Try to get things that look really good on the person as they will be less likely to exchange it and take it back.

For those fortunate to have “a lot of money” and want to give a meaningful special gift:
- Give the special person, without health insurance, the gift of being insured for a few months or longer.
- Help relocate them to a safer area.
- Buy them a dependable means of transportation or fully repair their death trap they are driving.
- A really nice gift is several months of prepacked survival food.
- Pay for legal counsel as a gift for someone having legal problems.
- Have a crisis safe room built for them.

Other items that make useful gifts related to survival and everyday life:
- All terrain bicycle, one item that will likely be used a lot.
- Tire inflator, compressor. Tires all loose air, a very good gift for all.
- Good medical book. Self diagnosis is not always a good idea, but still much information is in these books and excellent after a disaster to have.
- Countrywide map book. Necessary for the traveler and any evacuation.
- First aid kit. Always nice to have, we all injury ourselves at one time.

- Hand tools. Can’t go wrong with giving someone a tool to fix something.
- Backpacks. Eventually most people will need to use a good quality backpack.
- Hydration pack water reservoir. Imagine someone actually having enough water the next time they go hiking, or have to get somewhere.
- Multi-tool. Too many uses to mention.
- Flashlights with extra supply of batteries.

- Satellite GPS messenger. Survive a bad situation and signal out and get help.
- Coolers. Most people need coolers, but coolers can also be used to prevent food from freezing when needed to.
- Survival kit. While not used usually in non-disaster events, it can be.
- Car battery emergency charger. A dead battery in a car can be a dead car.
- Blankets. There are some really beautiful warm blankets that can be used on the beds and for staying warm when you have to, or all around blankets.

- Self defense items. Giving “legal in your area” this present of someone being able to protect themselves, could be a life saving gift.
- Nice large jug of honey. Here is an item that lasts forever and most people would be grateful to receive, and when really needed, even more grateful.
- Gift of safety. Gift certificate for emergency car rescue, tow-truck services.
- Garden. A gift that keeps giving, seeds, fruit trees, garden equipment, anything that has to do with growing good tasting food.
- A gift certificate for the many different stores and web sites that sell survival related items. Almost everyone will find something they need and want.

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Winter Thermostat Money Savings

During the winter, a great opportunity to save some money is by reducing your heating bill. How? By turning down your thermostat! Simple enough, right? Even better is to utilize a programmable digital thermostat – the type that can be set with multiple programs to automatically adjust the temperature for nighttime, weekends, etc.

Try turning down the thermostat 5 or even 10 degrees at night, and then turn it up again in the morning while you brew the coffee. If you can get used to that, you’ll probably save up to 10 percent of your heating bill.

When you’ll be out during the evening, turn down the thermostat. If you’ll be away for the weekend, lower the thermostat significantly. You’ll save on heating without risking a freeze-up of your pipes.

Whenever you can lower your thermostat significantly for a few days or more, you’ll even save some operating costs of the refrigerator and freezer, which won’t need to work so hard to maintain their cool.

A common myth is that when you lower the thermostat for a few hours, it will take more heat to bring your home back up to the desired temperature. This is not so. You will save money and fuel because your heating system will not have to keep your home so warm. You will use less energy overall even when you warm up your house from a cooler temperature.

For greater savings and comfort, install a programmable thermostat. They are available for most every type of heating system. With this type of thermostat, you can have the heat turned up before you get up in the morning and lowered just as you get into bed. Most of these thermostats come with several adjustable programs allowing you to set the home for multiple situations (at night, while at work, weekends, etc.).

The most popular Honeywell digital programmable thermostat

So, while modern survival includes the notion of frugality during today’s uncertain economic times, what are you going to do with all that money you’ll save? Maybe buy a few more preparedness supplies?

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