Saturday, December 31, 2011

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth and it's time for resolutions again

The strangest thing came in the mail yesterday.  Two gift cards to Best Buy.  I have no idea who sent them.  They were ordered on Dec. 24 and I was really who they were sent to.  Nobody that I know has told me they sent them.  I'm not sure what I'm going to buy with them.  I'll figure out something.  The strange thing is I never go to Best Buy.  Or at least almost never.  I was there yesterday buying a new memory card for the outdoor spy camera. Then I came home and got the gift cards in the mail. 

It's New Year's Eve.  Time to make resolutions for the upcoming year.  I made a few last year and actually kept them.  I'm going to keep those same resolutions for this year.  That's not cheating, is it? 

First resolution - no brainer but not always easy.  God's rules and expectations are not there to stifle us or frustrate us, but to benefit us.  Study the word.

Second resolution - health.  Don't do stupid things while I'm pretending to still be a teenager or in my twenties.  The body doesn't bend as easily nor lift as much weight.  Bend the knees!  Don't over eat.  Eat healthy.  10-20 pounds more than when you were in your 20s is fine.  50 or 100 pounds more is not.   

Third resolution - the farm and house.  I had a hard time with this one this year.  I don't know why exactly.  I expanded the garden and did a couple of extra things around the property but it doesn't seem like very much was accomplished.  I want to declutter the house.  Everyone wants to store their crap here.  I don't mind storing things but let's not store things that we don't want to get rid of but don't ever want to use.  I'm not talking about preps.  I don't want to use a hand well pump but I certainly am not going to get rid of it!  I want to do more in the yard.  Plant more fruit trees both here and at the bug-out place.  Last year the bug-out place didn't get fruit trees.  I bought them.  Bug-out renters promised to plant them.  They didn't.  Some died, the rest I planted here.  

Fourth resolution - debt and purchasing.  This was a new one last year - focusing on bills.   Being successful in prepping can't really be complete when you have debt.  Mortgage, student loans, car loans, credit cards, and big bills from lots of "necessities" of life.  The only debt I have is my house.  The bug-out place is paid for.  Our monthly necessities bills are rather low.  Of course I'm freezing right now in a 61 degree house!  I do have some extra money each month to buy prep items or to make improvements to the property, usually. 

The savings account is slowly coming back. I spent every penny I owned a couple years ago because of daughter-in-law's accident.  Then getting the grand kids who came with nothing was another hit.  But we've managed.  While the money talk shows tell you not to use credit cards, I do.  Why?  Because I get cash back.  I like the Discover card.  They give 5% back on some things and then with that 5% you can buy discounted gift cards.  The credit cards get paid off each month so in my mind it's a money maker. 


I bought more silver this year.  I have no idea how much is enough.  If I sold it all it would amount to a months take home pay.  Is this enough?  Am I better off buying silver or putting the extra money into other preps or paying more on the house?  I just don't know.

But I'm not going to stop prepping because the house isn't paid off.  No, it's more important to have my preps in order.  But when am I done prepping?  I'm talking about buying stuff.  What is enough?  How much ammo is enough?  How much food is enough?  How much material to make clothes is enough?  How many spare tools?  How many fruit trees?  How much stuff? 

I realized why I write this blog.  It's to keep my focused on surviving.  It's really that simple.  I'm sure for those of you who don't write a blog but spend time reading them, that's probably one of the reasons you do so.  To keep the focus.  May you have a healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year.

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