Baby Steps email list

On www.funwithfoodstorage.net I found an email list you can sign up for called Baby Steps (as in Baby Steps toward Emergency Preparedness.) Here's what they say about it:

Every two weeks you will receive an email with a checklist of to do’s to guide you through building your food storage program one step at a time.

If you follow our checklists for one year you will have your 72 hour kits, water storage, 3 month supply of normal foods, and your entire one year supply of long-term foods as well as some critical non-food items. We started this program to help people with their New Year’s Resolutions to get their food storage done, but if you sign up later you will automatically start with the very first checklist so that you won’t miss a single one!

You can sign up for their email list here. I just signed up and got my first email from them, take a look at it here. They admit it doesn't include everything (like heat sources for instance) but it sounds like a great place to start!

Drug Store Rebates: An easy (and legitimate) way to get stuff for free!

Are you familiar with the rebates available from Rite Aid and Walgreens? Every month these stores offer rebates on hundreds of items, and some of the items are even FREE after the rebate. Don't be scared. No more circling items on a receipt and making a photocopy and cutting out UPC's. They make it so easy for you, here's how it works:

• Buy the participating item(s) (see weekly Rite Aid & Walgreens ads, the price will say "$5.99 minus $5.99 rebate = FREE" or whatever)
  
• go online (www.riteaid.com, www.walgreens.com)
• If it's your first time on the site, create an account to give them your address
• type in your receipt number
• At the end of the month, you go to the website and request your rebates (easy: log in and click "request rebates" or something like that)
  

Then:
Rite Aid - you get a check in the mail for your rebate(s)
Walgreens - they send you a check OR a Walgreens gift card (they give you 10% extra on every rebate if you choose gift card) On future rebates, they just refill the gift card you already have!

They have rebates for all kinds of items, but the free items are usually over-the-counter medicines or health & beauty items. I really do think they can come in handy in an emergency (there are all types of emergencies.)


Testimonials:
OK, these testimonials are both from me.

One time, someone in my family complained that they had a leg cramp. I said, "I have a medicine for leg cramps." They said, "There's no such thing as a medicine for leg cramps." I went to the medicine cabinet and presto! I pulled out one of the free products I'd gotten from Rite Aid (a pill which had some hilarious name like Leg Cramp Helper or something.)

Another time I called the pediatrician when my daughter was sick. He told me the name of the medicine she needed. I imagined I'd have to make a mad dash to the store to get it, but again, it was something I already had on hand that I'd gotten for free! (I always get the free things, even if it's not a product I normally use. Is there something wrong with me?) Anyway, she was better in no time.

Not just chump change:
If I'm able to grab all the great rebate deals, my check at the end of the month is not a measly $2.00. It's usually between $15 and $50. And if you think you will never use a Walgreens gift card, think again: you can use it next month to buy the items you will get rebates on. And they also sell all kinds of gift cards at Walgreens, you can use your gift card to BUY a gift card to Borders, Old Navy, etc. Awesome!

I hope I've explained this well, I love these programs and I'd love it if you loved them too, as long as you don't buy the last free item on the shelf before I do. :) Tip: the earlier in the week you shop, the better. Also, an easy way to find all the free items for the week is to go to http://www.savvyshopperdeals.com/component/option,com_shoppingwizard/Itemid,13/ and filter by "Savings: FREE."

Emergency Essentials Group Orders

Every month, Emergency Essentials offers 4 or 5 items at an extra discount if you order them as a group and buy the minimum required amount. The group has a group leader (that's me) and group members. Group members get EE catalogs and a monthly email telling you what the group specials are. When it's time to place an order, I collect the orders and the $$ from anyone interested. The products are delivered to my house, and you can come pick them up when they arrive (or I can bring them to you if needed.) If you'd like to become a group member, please email me the following:

Name
Address
City, State, Zip
Phone
Email

You can un-join the group any time.

For an example, these were April's group specials:
Almond Cinnamon Granola #10 can $8.00 (reg $10.95)
Freeze Dried Shredded Mozzarella Cheese #10 can $25.00 (reg $44.95)
Yellow glowsticks 6" $.75/ea (reg $1.99)
Emergency gas wrench (for shutting off gas) $5.00 (reg $10.00)
Book: Emergency Essentials' Tips for Preparedness 132 pages $10 (reg $16.95)

$5 A Week Food Storage Plan

View it here.

Coupon Expert: The Savvy Shopper

My favorite place to find grocery deals is this website produced by the Daily Herald:
http://www.savvyshopperdeals.com/component/option,com_shoppingwizard/Itemid,13/

The gal who does this website also conducts a free seminar where she discusses the world of coupons & tells you all you need to know to get started. Find out about the seminar by going to www.savvyshopperdeals.com and clicking on Savvy Shopper Appearances. You can also watch a video of her presentation or read written instructions by clicking on the "How To" guide.

The Shopping Wizard on this website allows you to search by store, category (i.e "baby items", "dairy", etc), or keyword ("Who has the best deal on milk this week?"). They also list corresponding coupons (found in Sunday newspapers) that can create additional savings when combined with the sales. Whether you always shop at the same store, or bounce around depending on who has the best deals, this website can help you easily spot the best deals, I highly recommend it!

Looking for your suggestions

I'd like to start by asking what type of info would be helpful for you? Here are a few of my ideas, but please feel free to suggest your own:

• Best deals on buying food storage items
• Best deals on buying everyday groceries
• Recipes that use food storage items
• How to use bulk foods (such as whole wheat)
• Growing your own food
• Canning
  
• Emergency Essentials group discounts

Sister Rieske also suggested discussing drying, freezing, storing root vegetables. Thank you!

Welcome!

We've been asked to build up a storage of food, starting with a 3-month supply. That means anything that will keep on a shelf, in a fridge, or in a freezer for 3 months now qualifies as food storage! By saving money on groceries, we can build our food storage more easily.

I hope we can use this blog to share ideas in all aspects of emergency preparedness. I look forward to hearing from you!