Preparedness in the Home

Why should every homemaker be prepared for every kind of situation? The answer is simple - emergencies or unplanned situations do occur in life. Those who prepare are calmer and have more peace of mind. As the homemaker assists her family and does her best to make a potential stressful or disastrous situation into one devoid of terror and confusion. The homemaker who practices and learns how to do as many things in her own home is a woman of confidence and peace.

What situations could occur to cause a need for food storage or emergency 72 hour kits? What would happen to you or your family if you lost everything in a fire, a flood, or a catastrophe? What about if your husband lost his job or became injured and could no longer provide for the family as he had in the past? There are countless reasons for being prepared. You will always be thankful that you did.

What is self-reliance? It is "reliance on one's own capabilities, judgment or resources; independence."

The high cost of inflation has made it more essential for us to learn to provide as many of our necessities as possible. We have the opportunity to develop many talents and learn new things which may be used to achieve a sense of self-sufficiency. Some examples are: emergency preparedness, recycling, food storage and home food production.

We live in an area where hurricanes can affect us. This area also never seems to have enough food on the shelves for the amount of people that live here just on a regular basis. I am certain when panic hits for a pending hurricane or other disaster the shelves will be empty of all or most of the food and water. Did you know that the average grocery store only has enough supply of food for their area to last a week?

There are many reasons to have a food storage and water storage, but the main reason is because we have been instructed to do so. How can you do this? Where can you start? Start with three months of regular food storage. Things like canned goods, extra pastas, meats in the freezer, etc. Buy extra each time you go to the store. Start there.

Learn how to cook from scratch. Learn how to do the basics of anything you can. If you can buy it in the store, chances are you can make it yourself. Learn how to do these things and you will have a confidence in yourself should any situation arise that will enable you to use these skills.

"Plan to build up your food supply just as you would a savings account. Save a little for storage each paycheck. Can or bottle fruit and vegetables from your gardens and orchards. Learn how to preserve food through drying and possibly freezing. Make your storage a part of your budget. Store seeds and have sufficient tools on hand to do the job." (CR 1980)

Don't get discouraged while you are in the midst of preparing. Anything stored or set away for the future is better than nothing.

Works Cited:

CR (1980, November) Ensign pg. 10