May - Today while the sun shines... ...we'll get our 2 week water supply

Here is May's theme. Let's get our water supply!

1. Use commercially available water, rotating by date on
bottle.

2. Collect PETE bottles from juice, soda, or other available
sources. Do NOT use milk jugs.

3. Water can be stored for 6 months without pre-treating.

4. Water can be treated for longer storage: Non-chlorinated water
should be treated with bleach. Add 1/8 of a teaspoon (8 drops) of liquid
household chlorine bleach (5 to 6% sodium hypochlorite) for every
gallon (4 liters) of water. Only household bleach without thickeners,
scents, or additives should be used.

5. Aim to store at least 14 gallons of water per person.

6. Build rain barrels and collect non-potable water for other
uses.


More information available at:

http://www.BePreparedCincinnati.com (Cinci North Food Storage)
http://providentliving.org/content/list/0,11664,7446-1,00.html
http://www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/water.shtm
http://www.survival-center.com/guide/water.htm
http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/beprepared/water.html

You can also check craigslist for rain barrels. Some of the people are willing to sell their undrilled containers for around $35.

March - Today While the Sun Shines... ...we'll start getting out of debt

Here is this month's theme information:

1. Pay tithes and other offerings.
2. Don’t ignore your debt.
3. Create, use, and stick to a family budget.
4. Work towards paying off your highest interest debt.
5. Contact creditors and explain your situation.
6. Be sure to check your credit quarterly and correct any errors. (https://www.annualcreditreport.com)
7. Build a financial reserve.
8. Teach your family members how to manage money.


More information available at:
http://www.BePreparedCincinnati.com (Cinci North Food Storage)
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/family/354-027/354-027.pdf
http://www.providentliving.org/channel/0,11677,1709-1,00.html

There is a Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University being held at the Liberty Building: click here

Another class will be starting soon at the Fairfield/Hamilton Building: click here

February - Today While the Sun Shines... ... we'll learn how to shop the sales

How is your grocery sale shopping going? Have you read through the links from my handout? (If not, I have added them below. I'm in a good mood, what can I say?!)

I have been having fun learning how to be a better grocery shopper.

I attended a meeting with the blogger from Mommy Snacks (http://mommysnacks.blogspot.com/)). She taught us how to use coupons to save even more money. I stopped having the newspaper delivered several months ago, so I use mostly internet coupons to get my deals.

I have learned to write a better grocery list and stick to it. So far, I have been able to shave at least $25/week off my grocery bill. Pretty neat!

I hope that you are able to learn to be a better shopper and save money, too!

1. Start a Price Book. (http://www.thefrugalshopper.com/articles/pricebook.shtml)
2. Decide what you need to buy and look for coupons, if you
are interested in using them.
3. Only buy things you use regularly or wish to donate.
4. Look at the grocery ads each week. Get familiar with them.
5. The best priced items are usually on the front and back.
6. When you buy an item on sale, buy 2x more than you need.
7. Always ask for a raincheck if an advertised special is out of
stock. While you are waiting for the product to come back
in, look for more coupons for that product.
8. Shop at other stores, like Aldi or bakery outlets.

More information available at:
http://www.BePreparedCincinnati.com
http://info.ag.uidaho.edu/Resources/PDFs/SP18.pdf
http://www.wikihow.com/Grocery-Shop-and-Cook-Frugally
http://www.thefrugalshopper.com/tips/grshopping.shtml
http://www.cincinnaticents.blogspot.com/
http://organizedhome.com/make-price-book-save-money
http://mommysnacks.blogspot.com/

January - Today While the Sun Shines... ... we'll inventory our supply!

January is inventory month.

How is your inventory? Did you take inventory? What are your results?

If you missed taking inventory, here are some hints and helps:

1. Keep it simple. Create an easy to use inventory format or use a
pre-made form from www.BePreparedCincinnati.com.

2. Group similar items together. This makes keeping up so much
easier.

3. If you have items in several locations add a column labeled
location and note where each item is stored.

4. You may want to add one more column and label it: goal. In the
next few days I will let you know exactly what that number is for
your family.

5. Post a copy of your inventory list in every location where food is
stored, and update it when you remove an item.

6. When the grocery ads come out, check the used column to
determine what you will purchase that week.

More information available at:
http://www.BePreparedCincinnati.com
http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/FN_500.pdf
http://blog.totallyready.com/?p=93