# Beginning to panic



## BamaBelle (Dec 4, 2008)

Hi y'all!

Sorta long time lurker who has really appreciated all of the wisdom you each have to offer. This is my first post and I am the mother of 4. My husband and I have recently decided that prepping is important given the current climate. We have been reading posts (not necessarily on this site) that say that this Fall may be THE time everyone has been waiting for and I'm beginning to panic a bit.

How are we going to stock up for this big of a family in such a short time? We live in a rental home in the suburbs, so raising chickens and such is not really an option for us (although we are considering raising rabbits inside and raising catfish in barrels). We aren't great farmers-- but we're trying. We've started stocking up, but, honestly, I'm freaking out. we're saving for a home, but I feel like we should spend all of our money on prepping up for the Fall.

I guess my question is... Is this right? Should I be freaking out? Should I spend our money on preps or should we be saving up?

I know that no one can answer my questions completely, but I would appreciate any insight. We don't have a sympathetic landlord who would be OK with us tilling up the backyard or building a chicken coop.

What can we do? Help!!!


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## SquashNut (Sep 25, 2005)

Since i started prepping they have come up with the end of the world senario so many times it almost hurts.
Even if you cann't do the garden, chickens and rabbits. Find other ways that do work for you.
also find a bulk food store and lots of buckets. Turn your panic into creativity.


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## Guest (Jul 19, 2009)

I feel panic now and again, but then get it under control.

The best way to prep is to calmly build up your stockpile and supplies at a steady pace. As slow or as fast as you feel comfortable with.


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## BRYAN (Jul 5, 2008)

Being prepared is always a good thing, that said, do not panic. Even though many poeple believe that "we aint seen nothing yet" as far as the economy is concerned, panic will cloud your judgement. I lean toward a more rational approach to prep. Don't take the joy out of life today on doomsday blogs advice. Buy things that your family eats and slowly add to the stocks and remember to rotate. Since you rent in the burbs, maybe you should plan more to a short term survive in place with bug out plan if situation warrents. Just my two cents. In case I forgot to mention it, Don't Panic! Plan instead.


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## tarbe (Apr 7, 2007)

Don't try to go it alone, if there is any way to avoid it.

Find some like-minded folks who you know and trust. Brainstorm with them and pool resources. You will find that a couple of families, joined together, will likely have a good bit more of the essentials covered in a way that only one family could not manage.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

I do not see anything dramatic happening this fall. I really do not!

Stock up anyways, and this is why. I see 2 main dangers.

1. A few years back we had an ice storm, and we lost power for 3 days. We were lucky: many people in my area lost power for 2 weeks. And, there was hurricain Katrina down South. And, there have been other disasters. Power is NOT guarenteed, and neither is water and transportation!

You have 4 kids: what will you feed them? Or, will you take them out into the ice with the downed power lines because there is nothing left in the house to give them? 

A great prep would be a way to cook when there is no power, and something to cook that needs no refridgeration. With my family of 4, we ran out of canned dinners WAAY to fast! We could still cook because we had the outside grill, but, noodle dishes get old, fast!

2. The economy is lousy. I said that it was not going to crash this fall and I meant it, but, I did NOT mean that it was not going to crash! It might still do that, you know. 

What would you do if you were suddenly without a paycheck? Could you pay the rent? could you buy groceries? If there were rolling brownouts like California once had, are you set up to cope?

FOOD-SHELTER-WATER-MONEY! At least, enough to last you a while.

I would start with a couple of weeks worth, and then try to build up.

You cannot store enough water for a couple of weeks, of course, but can you store a few gallons from the supermarket? You might be able to fill the jugs if you collect the water from your roof: a few drops of bleach will sterilize it nicely! Long ago I decided to slide the kids wading pool under the downspout if the water was off for a while. I have not had to, which pleases me! I COULD drink the rain water, but I would really rather not! 

There is no reason to panic: now is the time for prudence, not for panic.


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## BamaBelle (Dec 4, 2008)

This is helpful y'all. We are nervous and aren't sure what we should do first. We've got lots of buckets and are continuing to collect more. We're researching various websites for ordering food, but our concern is that simply stockpiling isn't good enough. We're worried that maybe we should be looking into buying land or something like that. I work and my husband stays at home, but we really want to move back near family in Alabama. I'm in a somewhat mobile occupation, so it's possible we could make a move in the next 1-2 years

We're simply in such a transitory stage that true homesteading seems impossible, but we still want to provide for our family. I'm absolutely flummoxed. I'm reading posts on other sites saying that those who haven't prepped yet are really starting too late. I understand that "slow and steady wins the race", but I'm also wondering if we should be doing more.

Tarbe, I'd really like to hear from you. We're Houston, as well. It makes us nervous being in such a large city and while we have friendly neighbors, we don't know for sure that they would be interested in preparing for anything other than a hurricane. In addition, I work about 30 miles from our house and I am very worried about getting home should there be a problem.

I apologize if this is totally disjointed. I have so many questions and am not sure where to start or what all to ask. I appreciate any help and look forward to hearing from each of you!


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Well prepping for a huricane is a good start. I really doubt anything is going to happen soon and to be honest there are plenty of people who will incite riots and spread doom and gloom rumours for fun and profit all the time. Stick to your savings plan stay working and start by simply buying a little extra food, a couple of 5 gallon fuel cans (filled and maintained) and make up some BOBs or even more supplies like blankets tarps camping gear etc. You know even the best "prepped" person hasn't got survival assurance. Just work smart and get started. Even if you aren't completely ready by fall you'll have more than most...... including the future you already have planned for your savings.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

Prepping for a hurricaine is an EXCELLENT beginning! 

In my opinion, though, buying on sale at the grocery is much heaper than paying shipping and handling for on-line purchases.

Target and the dollar store have canned ham, and dried fruit, canned tuna, canned vegetables, and canned chili is everywhere, aldi's is great for noodles and canned stew, and so forth! Much cheaper than mail order! You may want to add more variety later, but the local grocery is a VERY good place to start!


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## 0nmp0 (Apr 17, 2008)

*I'm reading posts on other sites saying that those who haven't prepped yet are really starting too late.*

I read the same thing when I started prepping... two years ago. Food is still widely available but maybe more expensive. The key is figuring out what you eat now that you can store for a longer period of time. Then starting building a supply of those items when they are on sale 50% or better at the store. Once you have 3 months or more of your regular meals stocked up then you can look to longer term storage items that store longer but are more work to prepare and store.


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## uyk7 (Dec 1, 2002)

> Should I be freaking out? Should I spend our money on preps or should we be saving up?


If you "freak out" you might make mistakes. You have to stay calm (always know where your towel is). Buy preps a little at a time. Prioritize. 

* Do you have any flu meds for the normal flu and the expected return of swine flu? Vitamins, bandaids, etc...
* Buy books related to natural health as you find them at yardsales/Salvation Army/etc... or print out information that will help in survival situations.
* Do you have a way to purify water in case the water goes out?
* Plastic bags (trash bags) to line a makeshift toilet from a bucket?
* Figure out where you would go in a SHTF scenario and map out a plan on how to get there.
* Fishing line and hook can be tied to a tree branch for fishing, magnesium fire starter for starting fires, etc...

Again, don't panic, just planning which steps to take first. The easiest and cheapest are those that don't cost anything except your time: write down your thoughts and proceed from there. 

.


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## BamaBelle (Dec 4, 2008)

Again, y'all, thanks for the reassurance. Beginning to prep _without_ listening to all the hype is nerve-wracking enough as we make lists of everything we need and think of all the scenarios we might encounter. Add in a healthy dose of doom and gloom and it's sometimes enough to make us feel like anything we do just won't be enough. I guess this is a process with no real end point-- once you start prepping, you're always going to be prepping-- and that's fine, but is there ever a time when you can feel like you're in good shape?

That said, we're plugging away. We've been camping for years and have decent equipment, so that's a help. We are enjoying our new Berkey and have a good source for 55-gal. food-grade barrels, so we're storing some water and have rigged up rain barrels to our downspouts (not that it matters-- we haven't had rain in weeks!!). We've been playing with our grain mill and our solar oven, but really need to use them more and we've been storing up staples-- rice, beans, flour, sugar, salt, and chocolate. LOTS of chocolate! I think my biggest concern is quantity. Stocking up supplies for 6 people is daunting-- that's a lot of food (not to mention TP!). And where on earth am I supposed to store all this stuff? We're already living on top of one another-- guess we can live on top of some 5-gal. buckets, too! And organization! How does one go about keeping track of what they have? I have this fear of being in a bad situation only to discover that we only have pinto beans to eat for the next 6 months because we weren't organized.

We're trying to collect as much information as possible and, again, that's overwhelming. There is so much out there that it's hard to know what to pay attention to. We've got some of the "classics" when it comes to books (Encyclopedia of Country Living, Foxfire, etc.) and they're great, but when it comes to the internet, it seems like there's a lot of contradictory information out there. Arrrgggh! I've really appreciated this forum, though, because it seems like there are a lot of very knowledgeable, level-headed people here-- and that's particularly helpful when I'm _not_ feeling so level-headed!


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## Michael Kawalek (Jun 21, 2007)

Hi BamaBelle
I'm of the opinion that you can not purchase your way to self-sufficiency and preparedness for an emergency. I second the idea that you should NOT be buying emergency supplies online. Just too pricey! Rather an buying the supplies you need, I think you should be learning to MAKE the things you need. Books like Carla's encyclopedia are a good place to start. In her book she talks about important skills like home canning and how to feed all her kids. Emulate Carla, there's not much wrong you can go there.

What costs can you cut right now? Can you cut Showtime and get just basic cable? Shift to a cheaper cell-phone plan? Are you eating out a lot? Lunches at work? Sit down with a pen and paper and list all your income and expenses. There are lots to be cut from a lot of people's budgets which would free up cash to devote to savings and prepping.

One way I can suggest you can save money is to check out any local flea-markets/swap meets your area might have. That's a great place to get needed stuff for pennies on the dollar. I bought my huge Presto canner there for 15$ A gasoline stove for 6$. Nice shirts I can wear at the office for 2$. Most of all books. I bought Carla's encyclopedia at my flea market for 1$. I also got Firefox, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 9 for just 1$. You can also find cookbooks that have recipes to cook all the rice and beans you're storing!

Bring your husband too. I found a nice B&D woodplaner for 5$. A framing square for 1$. Just about all the tools I used to build my cabin's roof were bought used there. You might also check into www.freecycle.org. It's a site where people advertize their discard items to give away before throwing them in the trash. I picked up some concrete mix and framing anchors free that way.

Keep at it, though remember that Rome wasn't built in a day. As long as you've started to prep, you're ahead of 90% of the crowd.
Michael


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## Kari (Mar 24, 2008)

Michael Kawalek said:


> Hi BamaBelle
> You might also check into www.freecycle.com. It's a site where people advertize their discard items to give away before throwing them in the trash. I picked up some concrete mix and framing anchors free that way.


FIX your link, freecycle.com is a spam page. The proper link is freecycle.org


Angie: Can you fix this link if the OP does not.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

We are in a similar situation, for different reasons. I have always been a food prepper, but we are getting ready to move back to the US. We are eating our stores as we can't take them with us. So we will be moving home to empty shelves this Sept as flu season hits, Christmas shopping gears up (I usually start in Jan, so not having it half done by July is driving me nuts), winter weather, etc. Walking into a house with no food stores is a tough challenge for me, but I'm looking at it as a challenge (I was panicking when I started to think about it in May and decided I would no longer let myself do that - it's a challenge just like trying to beat my husband at cribbage, nothing to panic over)

So I'm looking at it in small chunks. 

Week one: get two weeks of food on hand, make menus for those weeks ahead of time so I know what to buy (most of our stuff will be trickling in for 6 weeks - so we won't even have all our pots and pans till the middle of Oct)

Week two: get to bulk food stores and get a "cart full". Flour, baking powder, sugar, etc. Start getting apples from the farmer market to dry.

Week 3: Freezer should have arrived, start buying meat that's on sale

Etc

Break it down into small chunks to do each week. If you look at the whole picture you will be overwhelmed (and out of money). What's your biggest hole? fill that week one.

Storage is a challenge in a rental. There are lots of ideas, from bed built on top of 5 gallon buckets to coffee tables that are trunks full of food. How can you re-purpose the items you have to store more? What can you donate to goodwill and replace with something else you can get inexpensively? Only you can answer these questions. There are lots of ideas on the net of ways of storing food without making you entire house look like a panrty.


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## godsgirl (Apr 1, 2007)

Because of time I have not read all the posts so I may be repeating what others have said but I think you should take a deep breath and take things slow. In the world there are and will always be many different threats and we can't live in fear of them . We need to prep because the Lord wants us to use the wisdom he has given us to prepare for the events that could come our way. If we have God on our side there is nothing to fear


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## pickapeppa (Jan 1, 2005)

There's still time to prepare, but no time for panic. Nobody knows how this is going to turn out. All there is is a lot of conjecture. Sure, the signs aren't good and it looks like we may be in for a rough few years ahead, and the possibility of a collapsed currency. But if it happens, it won't be overnight. You'll know and see the signs in advance.

Some people start by putting a little extra every month toward building a one month supply, then a 3 month supply, then 6, then 1 year.

Meijer's sells some items by the case. If you order over $150, the shipping is free. It's a nice way to get a case of green beans or canned peas socked away quickly.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

And only store what you would normally eat, or if something new is interesting to you - try a small portion NOW, do not wait until there is nothing else to find out if your family will eat it.


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## BamaBelle (Dec 4, 2008)

So much awesome advice-- thanks to each of you!!

A lot of good points have been made-- we are scaling back (although there's not much left to cut back on) and trying to learn how to be more self-sufficient. I have to give kuddos to my dh who has really taken the challenge to heart and has learned how to bake bread and make soap and laundry detergent. He's a SAHD and really enjoys taking on new projects-- it's great entertainment for the kids!

Thanks also for grounding me a bit-- it's easy to get caught up in the hype and stepping back to take a deep breath, give thanks, and take stock of our situation is so very helpful. While we're nowhere near where we need to be, we're better off than we were last week. And next week, we'll be better off than we are right now.

One question about storing what you eat. We don't eat a lot of canned foods. DH is a great cook and stays as far away from canned foods as possible-- most everything by scratch, lots of fresh fruits and veggies. So stocking up on canned items presents us with a problem. If we don't need them, we'll never use them and I hate to think of spending money on something that might go to waste. Of course, if we do need them, we'll be glad they're there. How do we reconcile that, keeping in mind that we aren't in a position to grow much of our own?


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

How about buying fresh fruits and vegetables at a farmer's market (or a farmer if you know one) and then dehydrating them? Then you'd know the ingredients, and DH can experiment rehydrating them for muffins, pancakes, pies, or just snacks or in granolas for the fruits, and casseroles, and stews for the vegetables.

There's thread at the top of the forum, stuck to stay there, about cooking with prep items. It might be of interest to you for your DH.


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## godsgirl (Apr 1, 2007)

I love the idea of dehudrating produce I do it alot and love it


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## BamaBelle (Dec 4, 2008)

Great idea, Angie! 

I've been toying with the idea of getting a dehydrator- it seems like fun, not to mention that we could probably store more in a smaller space and dehydrated food is so great for backpacking.

I'll definitely take a look at the sticky thread-- I'm sure it has some wonderful ideas.


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

Baby steps will get you where you want to go.

Just some thoughts here, don't take this as recommendations...

Can you buy a small particle of land a ways out of town?
Can you put a trailer house on it until you can afford to build?
That would give you a place to raise chickens, a goat or two, a garden, etc.

A small piece of land paid for is worth a lot. No matter how bad times might get, you can always scratch out enough food for your family on a bit of land.


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## BamaBelle (Dec 4, 2008)

Good points about land-- we'd really like to have some right now, but we're kind of on hold.

See, I have a job here in Texas, but we'd really like to move "home" to Alabama where we would be close to family and away from such huge population center. I know I said my occupation was somewhat mobile, but I don't have the option of making a move on my own-- I have to wait for something to open up in the right area and I think that should happen within about a year. So until then, we're hesitant to buy land here because if we move, we'd hate to have to leave it. We're also hesitant simply because I currently drive 90 minutes to and from work each day and buying land means moving even further out. Certainly, I'd make that sacrifice, but if we can make the move to AL, I'd much rather buy land there.

That may not be the most rational plan and I'm open to any thoughts because we really want to raise chickens, rabbits, and goats, along with doing some pretty intensive gardening. We just don't know that this is the time or place to do it.


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## The Tin Mom (Dec 30, 2008)

There is a great book on food storage by Peggy Layton. It is called Emergency Food Storage & Survival Handbook: Everything You need to Know to Keep Your Family Safe in a Crisis

She has some great suggestions on storing foods in a house without lots of storage (use them as coffee tables with cloth over them, etc)

A few rabbits could be kept inside (the dropping boxes need to be changed about every three days but don't get too smelly if you keep something in the pan to absorb the urine) & a hutch can look nice and sit against the house (in the shade - bunnies don't like heat)

I LOVE my goats - but don't know how to suggest keeping them in town. They are better than dogs...... but I guess the neighbors may not agree...LOL!

Container gardens are nice & I have heard that the book Square Foot Gardening has lots of suggestions for gardening in a smaller yard.

HTH


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

BamaBelle said:


> If we don't need them, we'll never use them and I hate to think of spending money on something that might go to waste. Of course, if we do need them, we'll be glad they're there. How do we reconcile that, keeping in mind that we aren't in a position to grow much of our own?


A very good point.

Does your family eat much peanut butter? Crackers? Pickles? almonds? fruit juice? 

Instead of stocking up on canned stew, since your family rarely eats it, perhaps you can begin by stocking up on foods like the above that you do prefer.


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

BamaBelle said:


> Great idea, Angie!
> 
> I've been toying with the idea of getting a dehydrator- it seems like fun, not to mention that we could probably store more in a smaller space and dehydrated food is so great for backpacking.
> 
> I'll definitely take a look at the sticky thread-- I'm sure it has some wonderful ideas.


I use my dehydrator all the time, summer and winter. If it's not drying corn, onions, tomatoes and green peppers, then it's making fruit roll-ups and drying cheese. I don't even bother to put it away anymore because I know it will be coming back out in the next day or two.

And I've gotten SO much use out of the dried veggies and fruits I've made. Stews, cobblers, casseroles - they are so much better with my dried foods.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

If I truly felt that I had until this fall to get my things together, so-to-speak, I would stick to the very basic items that sustain life. Get those together. Once you know you can keep them all alive, branch out. 

You amaze me a bit. You say you want to provide for your family quickly, but want to be picky still. I think we will all be surprised at what we will eat if we have nothing else. I don't use many store-canned foods either - but I still store them. They are good for up to 2 years (per the labels) and are cheap. I would rather watch my kids eat 4 yr old beans from a can than watch them starve. Also, what if the crops fail in your area...then where are you sitting? Better to eat something you don't like for a while IMO. Donate any unused ones to a food pantry just before they expire.


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## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

Callieslamb said:


> If I truly felt that I had until this fall to get my things together, so-to-speak, I would stick to the very basic items that sustain life. Get those together. Once you know you can keep them all alive, branch out.
> 
> You amaze me a bit. You say you want to provide for your family quickly, but want to be picky still. I think we will all be surprised at what we will eat if we have nothing else. I don't use many store-canned foods either - but I still store them. They are good for up to 2 years (per the labels) and are cheap. I would rather watch my kids eat 4 yr old beans from a can than watch them starve. Also, what if the crops fail in your area...then where are you sitting? Better to eat something you don't like for a while IMO. Donate any unused ones to a food pantry just before they expire.


This is a good idea. We are not canned veggie eaters, either- but have been trying to incorporate some into diet. What about canned fruits? Applesauce, peaches, etc? Canned tuna, canned chicken, canned soups, canned milk. (or powdered milk) Also, more dried bean products, burritos- soups, beans on salads. Sprouts are something you can do at home, it a sure way to have your own greens in the winter. That takes a canning jar, a ring, bit of screen, and alfalfa seeds. (or others) Someone mentioned container garden- You could get planters 2nd hand, check out books on container gardening, and give it a whirl so gardening is not new to your family. I would start small if it is all new, but I would start something. 
If you start putting away things and develop a well stocked pantry, it will really boost your confidence in being prepared for a disaster of any sort.


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

A pet ND goat would look cute in the backyard of a city house. I wonder if a person could get away with having one? You'd have to take her out to a Buck to have her bred if you kept her for milk, but a ND kid is so tiny & cute that I doubt anyone would complain about it.


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## pickapeppa (Jan 1, 2005)

Spinner said:


> A pet ND goat would look cute in the backyard of a city house. I wonder if a person could get away with having one? You'd have to take her out to a Buck to have her bred if you kept her for milk, but a ND kid is so tiny & cute that I doubt anyone would complain about it.


There was a family in a nearby suburb that had two dwarf goats for pets. Some neighbors complained to the city and they had to get rid of them. There was a big article written up in the paper about it. They're considered 'livestock' and not allowed, no matter what the size. It's a sad thing. My guess is there would be a lot of people living in suburbs and towns who would love to add some of the old farm animals to their families, but long ago, rules against it were written and they stand today.

Every community and neighborhood is different though. And many are repealing or rewriting those old ordinances to reflect a more current philosophy.

A side note: I just finished cherries last night and ran across only 3 worms in a gallon of cherries. Chickens are voracious moth eaters. If ever someone complains about our girls, I plan to fight back. I'd prefer a wee bit of chicken poo in my yard over multiple sprayings with chemicals for fruit production.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

> if we can make the move to AL, I'd much rather buy land there.


 There's your answer. Stick to your plan or at least where you're headed!!  Your time frame is very reasonable (even if it takes two years for a job to open up) Very short term. You've read some great suggestions to get started being prepared; you'll find they will use up time you're wasting worrying!! Most people live hand to mouth, which is very very odd to me. Governments want folks to be able to care for themselves for 72 hours. That's it?? Our pantry and freezers could easily hold us 72 days never mind what's out grazing! I'm not saying we'd always eat what we like when we want to but its there. I'm not sure what would be a comfortable amount to have. Once you know how to grow food you relax a bit.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Speaking of thems that graze, I see my "herd" of three cows are eating my apples!! 200+ sheep right where they should be, the dairy beast and cohort must have dodged through the milking pen. So much for relaxation!!!


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## GoldenCityMuse (Apr 15, 2009)

A comment on fresh fruits and vegetables. These are a modern luxury that require much fuel to grow and ship to have fresh all year round. Please reconsider your thoughts about canned basic vegetables. Think about it. 50-60 years ago, people only ate fresh when it was in season. OUt of season, they ate canned including home canned, and dried.

Seriously, why so against canned veggies? If you are concerned about pesticides, buy canned organic. Or go to farmers market to purchase fresh & can it yourself. Be aware that not all produce at markets is from a sellers garden. Some purchase from distributors.

I believe that most Americans are spoiled by the glut of year round fresh produce we have become accustomed to. This si not sustainable much longer. It will all go away in a few days if there is a disaster or even more severe economic crash. Be grateful for canned foods, & have the family get used to the difference in texture and yes even taste.

Also what is very good are dried grains, lentils, peas, pinto beans, black beans, onions, etc. Start eating stews & casseroles, they can be just as healthy for you. 

Anyway, the best prep initially is 3-6 months of savings. There are many frugal tips on the other board, look into them.

Glad you have come to the right place to seek assistance.

So which part of TX are you at, houston or metroplex or Austin?


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## BamaBelle (Dec 4, 2008)

Thanks again, y'all-- so many helpful thoughts here!

Please let me clarify... I am not against canned foods and, as I mentioned earlier, I would be very happy to have them should we really need them. Simply, I was trying to get some balance in terms of storing what we eat since we rarely eat canned food. I totally agree that storing these items will be necessary, but I was trying to get some other ideas. I apologize for sounding picky or spoiled-- that wasn't my intent-- just trying to learn.

We love our dried beans and lentils-- I think the kids would eat them everyday if we made them, so looking into more recipes that incorporate these would definitely be a good move on our part. We haven't tried sprouting on our own, but that certainly sounds like a manageable project. We've also done, as several of you have suggested, some container gardening. We aren't great at it, but we're learning from our mistakes (and successes-- our peppers just won't stop!!).

I also love the idea of keeping a goat, Spinner, but the situation Pickapeppa described is what we would be looking at, I'm afraid. The HOA rules regarding animals in our neighborhood make it pretty clear that, unless it barks, meows, or swims, it isn't allowed. :grump: All in good time, I suppose.

So, thanks in large part to your suggestions and support, things are settling down here as we really take stock of what we have and develop a plan. Ross, you make an excellent point in that we actually already have the makings of Plan A and we should make the most of now preparing for that by developing the skills and acquiring the knowledge we need to make a good go of things once we get where we want to be (keeping an eye on Plans B,C, and...). Not to say we shouldn't also focus on material preps, but we need balance across the board.

And thanks, GCM, I feel like I've come to the right place. To answer your question, we're here in Houston (along with 4 million of our best friends!).
We moved here from a small town in Georgia and it was quite a shock when, on my first day of work orientation, I found that my company employs over 8X the population of the town we moved from-- crazy!!!


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

godsgirl said:


> If we have God on our side there is nothing to fear


 Have you read the Book of Revelation? scarey stuff even with God on your side 

Anyway, I wouldn't panic, but I would seriously prep. I am seeing more and more signs that even those of us with currently stable jobs will be in for tough times. 
Wife's out of town this week and I am going to spend some serious times at the stores filling holes in our preps -- not that she's against it, its just that we spend times on other things when we're together.

I had her read _One Second After_ and she's now reading the _Last Light_ series and she's really getting onboard seriously now.


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## BamaBelle (Dec 4, 2008)

I'll certainly look into One Second After-- I've seen it mentioned several times, so it sounds like required reading! 

We took a look at menus last night and, while we need to keep going, we've come up with several things that can be done without refrigeration or freezing if need be and took at look at the different types of spices or herbs we could use to have some different variations on the same thing.

My DH started making bread a few months ago after reading an article in Mother Earth. Having never had homemade bread on a regular basis, I am so thrilled with this! I never realized how stale store-bought bread actually tastes. as for cornbread, he's good country boy who learned how to make cornbread and biscuits from his grandmother-- I think he learned how to burn the bottoms on his own, though!  We have been playing with a grain mill, grinding wheat and corn, but playing is the key word. Grinding our own is another area where we need to become a little more serious. Unfortunately, we don't have anywhere to store root veggies-- no basement or root cellar. We keep potatoes and such in the pantry to keep them away from light, but cool storage would be so very nice!

So much to do, so much to learn! It's pretty exciting, really!


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

BamaBelle said:


> as for cornbread, he's good country boy who learned how to make cornbread and biscuits from his grandmother-- *I think he learned how to burn the bottoms on his own, though! * !


 That comes natural to some of us :bouncy: Gives it that 'smokey flavor'

I recommend that 'One Second After' to anyone who thinks about prepping or SHTF scenario's. It will really open your eyes -- even die hard long term preppers will spot holes in their own preps after reading it.


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## CottageLife (Jul 20, 2009)

Hi Bamabelle! I'm new to being 'official' around here also. Mom to 1 pre-teen, and wife to a fabulous dh. 

I've always had a small stockpile of food and supplies, but it was more out of my frugal habit than anything else. Now I am taking prepping much more seriously this year and I've had those totally over-whelming times! I'm in upstate, NY - home of the full 4 seasons, humid weather, damp basements if you aren't careful, garages/out buildings can get very hot in summer, and freeze in the winter. As I read a lot of LDS websites to get started - their climate is so different since most were in Utah - that I felt even more confused at times. (I'm not LDS, but honestly I think they have a LOT of information out there on prepping - many blogs have checklists you can print out, inventory sheets, etc)

Any how, I've been saving all our PETE 1 recyclable containers (and getting them from a co-worker) from juice, water, pop, etc. I am using these for our long term storage containers with oxygen absorbers, and putting them in cardboard boxes. I'm storing white rice, dried beans, and pasta. On my shelves I've been building up more than 3 months supply of foods we normally eat. (I need to look and see how long this food would actually last us. Some I've got enough for a year of what we normally eat but if we were never eating out it wouldn't last as long). Now I'm working on more 'basics' that I'm missing - honey, sugar, flour, etc. 

Don't get over-whelmed  I find keeping lists helps me a lot. I look at all the ad previews I can prior to Sundays, get my coupons ready, and get what I can for free/next to free to add to my storage. I'm really getting to know when certain items go on the best sale of the year and stock up. Since you are hoping to move in 1-2 years I'd probably stock up a 3 months supply of food/supplies as you are able to - and then keep putting more money away for the move. That's just my thought though, I don't think there is a 'wrong' way.


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

Rose2005 (and anyone else), you've done those 'hamburger rocks' and it works out good? 
How about the method of canning it says -- is that really safe?


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

I got the idea from someone here on the message board, and tried it. It works great when re-hydrated, and the jar I have sitting on a shelf is just vacuum sealed, not even heat sealed like the website recommends. I think the original recipe I got was from a backpacker's website, and it didn't mention canning it.


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## GoldenCityMuse (Apr 15, 2009)

mnn2501 said:


> That comes natural to some of us :bouncy: Gives it that 'smokey flavor'


I am well renowned for my culinary excellence in 'lightly browning' foods in the iron skillet/ alum. griddle.

My kids [grown] talk about it to this day.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

rose2005 said:


> Great books mnn2501! Glad she is getting onboard.
> 
> Bamabelle, look at what foods you eat now that can be made without refrigeration or freezer. Using this, plan 7 main meals and write down all the ingredients that you use. Everything.
> Multiply the ingredients by 52 if you wish to have a years worth. If you want more variety, plan 14 meals and multiply the ingredients by 26. This will at least give you a main meal each day. General ingredients for soup will take this so much further...dehydrated veggies are great for this.....


Excellent suggestions! Also, work as many whole grains into your diet as you can and store those. they are relatively cheap and will store for a long period of time - like 30 years if done properly. Sometimes storing what you will eat includes changing what you eat. Also - find out what grows well locally and learn to enjoy eatting that.

I don't get into the worry/emergency/hustle part of all of this. I have been storing a year's supply of food for almost 30 years now. I feel it is important even when times are good.


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## BamaBelle (Dec 4, 2008)

Thanks so much for the link to the hamburger rocks directions. I can tell this will be really helpful and seems really easy. All in all, it, well, it rocks!!:rock:


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

ladycat said:


> I feel panic now and again, but then get it under control.


me too!! Once I check my chocolate and coffee stash, Im right as rain again 
:bouncy:


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## Marilyn (Aug 2, 2006)

With your current space limitations, dehydration is probably your best bet. However, if you add canning to your future, you will open up a whole new world of "convenience" foods. I canned several qts of combined green beans/potatoes/ham this week for the best kind of fast food. It's also nice to can up a load of homemade soup, stew and chili. I know what you mean about not wanting to sink a lot of your food budget into cases of canned vegetables, but there's something different about canning your own.

After learning to can, but before learning to garden successfully, I went to U-Pick farms and lugged home a bushel or two of whatever was in season. It was a great "shot in the arm" that really got me interested in canning as much as I could get my hands on.

My advice would be to:
Learn as much as you can to be more self-sufficient in all areas
Invest in a 3-month supply of all necessities and a few extras
Rotate the 3-month supply every year
Save every extra dollar for your own place once you get back to Alabama
Once you are situated in Alabama, extend your stores to 1 year

Enjoy the challenge.
m


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## Paumon (Jul 12, 2007)

I need to comment about the hamburger rocks (great recipe BTW, thanks Rose). Going by the recipe on the link then basically what you're doing is rendering all of the fat out of the meat. The intructions in the link say to wash the meat before frying it the second time, and blot the frying pan with paper towelling to get rid of the exess fat. I would suggest something different. 

Don't waste the fat!!!! In an TEOTWAWKI situation, animal fat can be worth it's weight in gold because there are so many uses for it.

Save all the fat from the frying pan, the fat contains extremely important nutrition (and flavour) plus it will be needed for other cooking purposes as a replacement for cooking oils and lard. Before washing the meat after the first cooking, SQUEEZE it in cheesecloth to get out the remaining fat and save that fat too .... then wash the meat and cook it the second time. If you can collect any fat from the second cooking then save that fat too. All the saved fat can be heated and rendered down a little bit more to get rid of excess water and then the remaining fat can be filtered again through cheesecloth, heated and canned in mason jars in a hot water bath.

The preserved animal fat can be added to other foods and the meat when you eat it later, plus be used for many other things including lubricants, medicines and skin care products.


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## RuralSerenity (Jul 6, 2009)

Paumon said:


> Don't waste the fat!!!! In an TEOTWAWKI situation, animal fat can be worth it's weight in gold because there are so many uses for it.
> 
> (clip)
> 
> The preserved animal fat can be added to other foods and the meat when you eat it later, plus be used for many other things including lubricants, medicines and skin care products.


skin care products .....including soap


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## BamaBelle (Dec 4, 2008)

Again, so many great ideas!

I really like the idea about saving the excess fat. It occurs to me that we always save the fat when we cook bacon (ummm... pork fat! :1pig, but we don't when we cook other meats. And why shouldn't we?

So, about canning and dehydrating... I've read so much on the forum about these two activities and am interested in both. I agree that in terms of space considerations dehydrating may make the most sense right now, but from a skill/difficulty level is one a better launching point than the other for a total newbie?


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## Browncoat (Jun 8, 2009)

BamaBelle said:


> Again, so many great ideas!
> 
> So, about canning and dehydrating... is one a better launching point than the other for a total newbie?


I started dehydrating first. It's easier for me to put the food on the trays and leave it overnight or all day while I do other things. Plus, dehydrating is cooler during the summer than running a canner, a big plus for me. It's going to depend on what foods you're wanting to store, what's available to you, and how much time you want to spend or is available. I can dry all sorts of things while I'm sleeping overnight. Can't do that with canning.


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## Browncoat (Jun 8, 2009)

I also think dehydrating is cheaper for me. If I can catch a sale on frozen fruits or veggies, I'm in dehydrating heaven.


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## BamaBelle (Dec 4, 2008)

Two excellent points, Browncoat!!

Don't need to heat up our kitchen any more than necessary right now 

AND

If I sleep and dehydrate at the same time, I can chalk one up for multitasking!:goodjob:

Thanks for the book suggestion, Rose. My required reading list just keeps growing!


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## CottageLife (Jul 20, 2009)

BamaBelle- I'm going to jump in on your great thread and ask a question if you don't mind.

Rose -when you say the Ball book on canning, do you think it is ok to use a really old one, or have things change and I should buy a new one? I bought one at a garage sale for 50Â¢, the price on the front of the book  It's from 1972.

Thanks!


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## CottageLife (Jul 20, 2009)

Thank you Rose! I've never canned before and don't want to make the family sick. I'll check out the links


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## sgl42 (Jan 20, 2004)

CottageLife said:


> BamaBelle- I'm going to jump in on your great thread and ask a question if you don't mind.
> 
> Rose -when you say the Ball book on canning, do you think it is ok to use a really old one, or have things change and I should buy a new one? I bought one at a garage sale for 50Â¢, the price on the front of the book  It's from 1972.
> 
> Thanks!


my understanding is that in the early to mid 1990's, the gov't updated canning guidelines based on lots of research, and some of the procedures and times formerly considered safe are now considered unsafe. as just one example i recall, tomatoes today have less acidity than tomotoes of a few decades ago, which changes which processing is safe.

so, i'd strongly suggest buying a new canning book. a minimal price for acurate info which is far far cheaper than dealing with the aftereffects of unsafe canning. 

you can browse the food preservation subforum and probably find more links about this. (i'm not the expert on this, i just recall reading other peoples commentatary on this topic.)

--sgl


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## CottageLife (Jul 20, 2009)

sgl - thanks so much! I will definitely look for a newer version - not worth getting sick over.


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## legacy (Oct 16, 2005)

Just curious, and I'm sorry if I missed it, but what is it about "this fall" that has you worried? 

I certainly don't blame you for prepping. It's a smart thing to do and there are many reasons to do it. I'm just interested what has lit this fire under you to get prepared.

BTW, this has turned out to be a really good thread. So, thanks for geting it started.


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## BamaBelle (Dec 4, 2008)

> Or ask on here....I'd be happy to post details.


Thanks, Rose! Once I get started, I plan on asking tons of questions. I can't say how much I appreciate everyone's willingness to provide some guidance and direction. This site is such a valuable resource!!



> Just curious, and I'm sorry if I missed it, but what is it about "this fall" that has you worried?
> 
> I certainly don't blame you for prepping. It's a smart thing to do and there are many reasons to do it. I'm just interested what has lit this fire under you to get prepared.


Legacy, I'm not sure that I can put my finger on one specific thing that has lit a fire-- it's been more of a progression. I think I just started putting everything together and got a bit panicy. For whatever it's worth, this is, in a nutshell, what led me to post. 

It started off when we had a pretty bad hurricane last September (Ike) and were caught off guard in some ways. Nothing major, but there we found ourselves saying, "The next time something like this happens, we really need to..." pretty often. That experience showed us that, in some ways, we had a pretty good handle on things, but in other ways, we had a lot to learn.

Then around Christmas last year we started hearing from friends and family members who were being laid off and that got us talking about what we would need to do should something like that happen to us. But that was pretty much it, just talk. We did a few things like cutting back on things we didn't really need, but we still weren't fully committed to making serious lifestyle changes.

When the H1N1 scare popped up here, it really hit home. Our children's school was closed for 2 weeks because several children potentially had the flu. We started talking about what would happen if we couldn't send our children to school or even leave the house long term because of an epidemic. 

We were coming to the conclusion that, while we had a lot of gear from years of camping and backpacking, we didn't have much in the way of food or water storage, skills, or knowledge that might help us make it through a long-term situation. Slowly, we've been working to remedy that and working on a plan to get us out of the "big city" and closer to family where we might be able to be a little more self-reliant. 

As we've been doing this, we've been combing the internet for information-- that's how I found HT. We've found many other sites, as well-- some with good information, some not-so-much. We've also found our share of "doom and gloom" discussions and recently, it seems like many of those discussions have been centered around the potential effects of a continuing poor economic situation and upcoming flu season. Of course, it's just forecasting and there's no way to know what actually might happen tomorrow, let alone this Fall. But my imagination gets the best of me at times...

At any rate, I started thinking about how much time dh and I had spent talking instead of doing and how, if the sky were to fall tomorrow, we wouldn't be able to provide very well for our children and that threw me into a full-blown tizzy. Thus, my post. 

Thankfully, I posted in the right place. Instead of fueling the "freak-out fire", everyone here has been so generous with their advice and nudged me towards doing some of the things that I should have been doing ages ago. It's also been helpful to hear that panic happens-- even to those who have been doing this for a while. Even more helpful was to hear the ways that others deal with it and be reminded to take each day steadily and not let the panic get the best of me. The advice each of you have given has definitely been heard and I thank each of you!:cowboy:

Wow!! Didn't mean to write such a long post. Add brevity to the list of skills I need to work on!


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## legacy (Oct 16, 2005)

The main reason I wanted to know is that, for example, I've been reading recently that Swine Flu could hit the U.S. this fall.

However, generally speaking, I trust a woman's intuition -- that sixth sense that can't be explained -- and I have heard several women who I know tell me they think they should be "stocking up." They can't explain it, actually, beyond all of the craziness in the world, but they just "feel" like they "need" to be doing it.

When a woman isn't quite sure why she feels the need to take some sort of protective action, my ears perk up and I listen. Women...mothers...don't really have to explain. They just know.

Thanks again for your reply.


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

One thing about dehydrating and getting equipment for food storage - check out yard sales and thrift stores! We got our flour mill at a yard sale for about 1/4 the price of a new one and a great (looked perfectly new and unused) food dehydrator for $20 at a thrift store. You can really save a lot of money. Also you can almost always find canning jars at thrift stores, etc. 

Another good source is Freecycle ( www.freecycle.org ) where you can offer your old stuff and either ask for or answer offers of the things you want and need. We've both rehomed things we no longer needed and gotten some great things we wanted on Freecycle. I got a lovely futon for one from a gal that was moving and needed to get rid of it. We gave away an old water heater that a man was going to use to make biodeisel as well as many other things both given and recieved. Lots of fun! 

I haven't gone all out on prepping, but I have really enjoyed slowly changing the way we eat and deal with food over the last couple of years. I traded labor for a wonderful pressure canner too. I've learned to make all our bread, grind flour, dry many foods, can and pressure can, make my own jams, jellies and syrups (mostly from my neighbor's unused fruits and berries!) and to buy new, different and interesting healthy bulk grains, etc. Now I'm getting into making soups and bone broths for health and taste. 

I'm certainly not in a panic, I'm quite enjoying my food hobbies, but I'm also storing things up as I go and wanting to use fresh produce to put up foods for the whole year. I don't even know if I'm going to save money at the farmer's markets so much, but I really want the improved quality. 

If you go slowly and add one or two things every so often, your family can change the way they eat without much problem. Of course fresh fruits and veggies are lovely, but buying local/organic in season and proper storage will be even healthier in the long run and seasons can be quite long. 

Enjoy!


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## Willowdale (Mar 19, 2007)

Don't panic  (best advice from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)

Like many here have said, I've seen (and bought into hook line and sinker) a number of THIS IS REALLY IT THIS TIME scares over the years, starting with Y2k and repeating a number of times with various avian flu events. The sleepless nights never got me any farther along in my prepping.

But I *have* continued to prep, by acquiring supplies, yes, but also by acquiring skills and knowledge. Over the past 10 years I've acquired some of the family land and renovated the house; this is the first year with a small garden and some meat rabbits, and I'll be doing more planting of fruit trees and shrubs this fall and next spring. I know how to crab and fish. I know how to do MANY handy things, from brick work to carpentry to roofing, that I couldn't before. I own a shotgun and so does my daughter, and we know how to use them. I know how to preserve food. I have a good stock of medical supplies and tools and know how to use them all.

At the same time, though, I've not panicked and quit my job, so I earn lots more than I did before, and that income is a big prep. If I'd quit my job and holed up at the farm I'd not be nearly as far along as I am now. I can go there now when I need to, and it's a very livable situation for me and my kids and their loved ones. Getting more livable all the time.

Easy does it, one step at a time, learn all you can, have good plans in place for lots of different things that might happen. Thinking things through is by far the most important prep. Identify what you don't know. Figure out where you'll go, who you'll trust, who has what special needs, before you start buying a lot of things.

As for food and water preps, yes, get that taken care of, but start out with reasonable goals and don't extend or overwhelm yourself. Rice and dried beans are cheap and easy to store, and with some bottles of Franks Red ... well I made it through grad school on not much more than that, so I don't believe everything I hear about "food fatigue". I know people who went through school living on condiments and ramen noodles. Not recommended, but you'll survive. Jars of peanut butter are great sources of fat. Cans of salmon baked with cream of mushroom soup and some noodles, also an easy storage meal. Don't spend a lot of money on freeze dried survival foods unless you're rich, before you've stocked up on the grocery store stuff you can rotate into your diet today. You can accomplish this kind of prepping with just a few extra bucks each time you shop, more if you have it. 

You're in the right place for prep knowledge, too. 

Most of all, though, don't make your today miserable because of what *might* happen. I'd hate to think what it would have been like to be continuously panicked for the last ten years!

You'll be fine


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