Make Your Own First Aid Kit

To take a break from blog posts about the garden, I thought this would be a good time to address a simple preparedness tool- the first aid kit.

As stated in the blog description, "We also recognize that in an emergency, it is better to be prepared than to rely on an outside source for rescue." While any serious health condition should be checked out by a physician, many minor issues can be handled at home. First aid kits should be part of your basic supplies. It is a good idea to keep one at home and one in each of your vehicles.

Most ready-made first aid kits are filled with cheap, limited supplies. You're best bet is to make your own kit. You can find all manner of plastic bins that will work well to hold your first aid supplies. I like to have a mix of allopathic, herbal, and homeopathic supplies. You have to know what to use when, but they make for a comprehensive kit.

Here is a list of useful items to keep in a first aid kit.

• Variety of bandages and band-aids
• Sterile gauze pads
• Cloth tape
• Snips (to cut the tape)
• Hand sanitizer
• Metal tweezers
• Triple-antibiotic ointment
• Hydrocortizone cream
• Calamine lotion
• Alcohol/Antiseptic wipes
• Cotton balls
• Non-latex gloves
• Thermometer
• Breathing/CPR barrier
• Blood pressure cuff & replacement batteries
• Aspirin
• Ibuprofen
• Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
• Guiafenesin
• Instant cold compresses
• Ace bandages
• Aloe vera gel
• Lavender essential oil
• Goldenseal Tincture
• Elderberry Tincture
• Arnica gel
• Crystallized ginger
• Kaopectate
• Witch hazel
• Variety of homeopathic tablet remedies

Of course, there are many other things that could be added to a first aid kit. If you have the means to purchase a defibrillator, that would make an incredible addition to your kit. If you have children, then you should add children's formulas of common medications. You could also include any pet medications as well. If you feel the need and have the necessary knowledge, you could also stock up on antibiotics. These can be obtained affordably and without prescription from feed stores.

If you don't have a first aid kit, consider putting one together. While you might not need to use it often, when you do need to use it, you'll be glad that you spent the time building a well-stocked kit.

If you have additional suggestions for items to go into a first aid kit, let's hear them! Post a comment!

Live better, a little every day.

Why Are We Going Off The Grid?

The weather is not coorperating with my plans to get my peppers into my garden, so I figured I'd write a bit about reducing dependence on electricity.

When we talk to people about going off the grid, some people think we're crazy. No, we are not crazy. What we do think is crazy, however, is incurring an unecessary bill each and every month for the rest of your life.

Others people we talk to have thought about it, but think it is out of their reach. Here are some of the things we've heard:

1. I can't afford it
2. I can't do it where I live right now
3. It's too complicated
4. My kids could never go without their video games

To this, I say that going off the grid:

1. Doesn't have to cost a small fortune
2. Isn't something you have to do all at once
3. Is easier than you think
4. Gives your kids new things to enjoy... don't sell them short

I'm not against electricity. It can do some amazing things and can make life much more comfortable. But let's be honest. As a culture, we waste a lot of electricity. Since most electricity is created from generators that run on petroleum products, when we waste electricity we are wasting oil. Last I checked, Americans complain about the rising cost of gasoline to anyone who will listen, and our media spends a lot of time reporting on the cost of oil. The cost to produce electricity, however, isn't brought up nearly as often. While we stomp our feet about the price at the pump, we only grumble softly about the rising cost of electricity.

There are several good reasons to cut back on oil consumption. For some people, saving the environment is the motivating factor. Electricity from an oil-based (or coal-based) source will add polutants to the environment. I don't care if you believe in Climate Change or not. Adding more polutants into the environment isn't a smart idea for long term sustainability. So, if there is a chance that we are effecting the planet in a harmful way, it is in our best long-term interests to stop.

For others, like us, going off the grid is more financially motivated. The freedom of never having to pay another electric bill is reason enough. Not owing this money every month allows you to save the extra money, put it toward other obligations, or simply not have to spend as much time working to pay for it.

Another financial point to consider is that on each and every utility bill, there are taxes. There are the taxes you see, and the taxes you do not see. Each bill has taxes itemized, and typically, it's just a few bucks. Multiply that by the millions of people in this country who are paying those few bucks, and you have a significant source of tax-based revenue. Add to that the hidden tax...the utility company is also taxed (just like every other business) on the sale of their product. This expense is factored into the price of the utility and passed along to customers.

Why is this an issue? Well, consider this: are you happy with how the government (any level, local, state, or federal) has spent your tax dollars? If the answer is no, then why pay them any money you do not absolutely have to? If you purchase power through a utility company, you are paying more taxes than you have to. Our system of government is broken, and it cannot be fixed through voting with ballots. We can, however, change things by voting with our dollars and spending habits.

There is, however, a trade off in going off the grid. Many tasks will have to be done manually, and that may also mean purchasing non-electric versions of appliances and tools. Some electricity can be generated through small solar and wind set ups that do not cost a small fortune. That means, however, whatever appliances or equipment being used must be the most energy-efficient models available.

Obviously, thanks to electricity, I'm able to post to this blog. One of the reasons that I got this laptop is because it takes less power to charge than my desktop. (Eventually, we will be retiring the desktop.) A laptop is one of the only electronically powered items that I can justify keeping after we move to the property in Maine. This provides, news, communication, and provides entertainment (Hulu, DVD player, etc.).

Going off the grid does not mean spending $100,000 on solar panels, though one could go that route. It also doesn't mean turning your back on all technology either, though there is nothing wrong with that if that's the kind of life you want. There is a lot of middle ground.

In my next post, I'll address how to reduce your dependence on electricity while still living in a rented apartment.

Live better, a little every day.

Getting Started

Over the past two years, my husband (Eddie) and I have been through a variety of circumstances that have led us in one direction: Self-Reliance. We have had to cope with one personal emergency after another: back injuries, pregnancy-related complications, surgery, a layoff, difficulty paying bills, and a loss of health insurance. We had contributed to the system through our taxes, but when our tough times hit, there was no assistance to be found.


What we did find was a lot of red tape and loop holes to exempt us from any kind of relief. We did eventually qualify for health insurance through the state, which we would lose the moment we tried to increase our income. Our initial reaction was, "We've busted out butts, we've contributed to the system, and we deserve better than this!" Well, that was partly true. We had worked hard. We did contribute to the system. Where we failed was not having recognized sooner that the system is broken.

Due to the economy, Eddie had been laid off. I could not work due to a high-risk pregnancy. We could not afford COBRA payments at almost $1000/month, and the Department of Unemployment Assistance was jerking us around on benefits for which Eddie was eligible. We weren't looking for a permanent public assistance funded lifestyle. It is not that we ever thought, "Oh, if we fall on hard times, we'll just let the state take care of us." That mindset has always been abhorrent to us.

The reality was that we hadn't thought about falling on hard times at all. We never thought about emergencies. Looking back, that seems very naive. So, from that perspective, we got exactly what we deserved.

Should we have known better? Probably. We learned a lot, however, from having been through this. It probably required such drastic circumstances to bring us to the point we are now. It was as if life grabbed us by the shoulders and shook us until we woke up. Looking at it this way, I'm glad things played out the way they did. We learned hard lessons and are making changes because of them.

We seek to live a life with as much freedom as is possible in the United States. That may sound strange as the USA is often referred to as the "land of the free". When we sat down and discussed how to prepare our family for emergencies, however, it became plain to us that we are anything but free. To us, freedom means:

1. Living 100% debt free
2. Owning land
3. Achieving water independence
4. Achieving food independence
5. Achieving energy independence
6. Health Care, not Sick Care
7. Having the ability and means to defend ourselves
8. Minimizing any tax liability
9. Achieving clothing independence
10. Helping others do the same

Put into practice, our expression of freedom includes establishing a homestead where we can produce most of our own needs, and do business locally for the things we cannot produce ouselves. We have made a committment to do something every day that brings us closer to reaching these goals. Every day is a day closer to self-sufficiency, self-reliance, and our vision of freedom.

This blog is to record our journey. It doesn't matter how little money you have, or how big your debts may be. If we can do this, anyone can. I hope that this will inspire someone reading it to say, "Enough... I demand better for myself."

Live better, a little every day.