Preparedness Made Simple!

A Step-by-Step Guide to Emergency Preparedness

Introduction
Preparedness Made Simple! Is a preparedness plan designed for those that need a little help getting prepared. Many of us, when we think about getting prepared, become overwhelmed, don’t know where to start and fail to really start at all. Preparedness Made Simple! is a checklist of items in priority order of what you need to do to prepare and see results. Upon completion of the program, you can call yourself prepared! Alongside each checklist item will be information explaining each principle along the way. This guidebook of information will provide you with the basic understanding of these concepts and direct you to other sources should you choose to learn more. 

Keep in mind that every person and family is different and has different needs. Some items may need to be altered to accommodate these needs. Certainly, this plan will not cover all your needs, however, by following it you will have prepared the basics and have learned the vision of what is needed to more fully prepare based on your individual needs. Preparedness is difficult when each person has to develop their own plan and often times “reinvent the wheel” along the way. Make your life easier and get prepared, the Preparedness Made Simple! way.

 Phase 1

1. Place a flashlight with fresh batteries and/or a chemical light stick under each family member’s bed.
2. Store at least 3 (preferably 6) gallons of water per person in portable containers
3. Pick a Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner menu from the list of 90 Day Food Supply menus (or choose your own) and buy enough for 13 meals each (Repeating each of the 3 meals once a week for 13 weeks).

4. Allocate Funds for Emergency Preparedness in your Monthly Budget.
5. Setup a Savings Plan.

Phase 2

1. Pick a Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner menu from the list of 90 Day Food Supply menus (or choose your own) and buy enough for 13 meals each (Repeating each of the 3 meals once a week for 13 weeks).
2. Locate Water Main, Gas Shutoff Valves and Electricity Circuit Breaker and learn how to shut them off.
3. Make sure you have smoke alarms in needed areas in your home, and that they have fresh batteries.
4. Place fire extinguishers in your kitchen, garage and other areas you feel are important.
5. Create an Emergency Contact List and post it where it can be seen by everyone.

Phase 3

1. Pick a Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner menu from the list of 90 Day Food Supply menus (or choose your own) and buy enough for 13 meals each (Repeating each of the 3 meals once a week for 13 weeks).
2. Setup a home fire escape plan.
3. Purchase the food you will use in your 72-Hour Kits and store it near your portable bottles of water.
4. Select a safe location for Important Documents. Place your Birth Certificates in this location.
5. Collect recent pictures of each family member, or take new ones and place them in your new location for important documents.

Phase 4

1. Pick a Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner menu from the list of 90 Day Food Supply menus (or choose your own) and buy enough for 13 meals each (Repeating each of the 3 meals once a week for 13 weeks).
2. Store a 14 day supply of water for your family.
3. Become First Aid, CPR and AED certified.
4. Determine how much debt you currently owe.
5. Obtain a copy of your Credit Report. Clean or clear-up old, obsolete or incorrect information. Save a copy with your important documents.

Phase 5

1. Pick a Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner menu from the list of 90 Day Food Supply menus (or choose your own) and buy enough for 13 meals each (Repeating each of the 3 meals once a week for 13 weeks).
2. Volunteer at the Cannery, Bishop's Storehouse or Deseret Industries if you live close to one.
3. Read the book "The Richest Man in Babylon"
4. Buy or build First Aid Kits for your Home, Automobiles and Office
5. Gather the clothes you wish to include in each family member’s 72-Hour Kits

Phase 6

1. Pick a Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner menu from the list of 90 Day Food Supply menus (or choose your own) and buy enough for 13 meals each (Repeating each of the 3 meals once a week for 13 weeks).
2. Setup “Regroup Locations” and an out-of-state contact.
3. Acquire the bags you will use for your 72-hour kits.
4. Make a list of your Loan Information, Account Numbers, Passwords, Contact Information and add this list to your important document file (Mortgage, Credit Cards, Debit Cards, Cars, Etc).
5. Buy several boxes of matches and disposable lighters.
 

 Phase 7

1. Pick a Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner menu from the list of 90 Day Food Supply menus (or choose your own) and buy enough for 13 meals each (Repeating each of the 3 meals once a week for 13 weeks).
2. Build a Sanitation Kit.
3. Learn several ways to treat water to make it safe to drink. Select at least 2 methods and gather the supplies to treat enough water to last your family for 3 months (1 year would be better).
4. Learn several ways to light a fire (other than matches and lighters). Select at least 2 methods and gather the needed supplies to make at least 100 fires.
5. Develop an Emergency Response Plan.

 Phase 8

1. Buy Sleeping Bags or 2-3 Wool Blankets for each person.
2. Setup a Debt Reduction Plan.
3. Set aside at least $100 cash in small bills.
4. Buy a Flashlight (include extra batteries) and 2 Chemical Light sticks for each person and place them in your 72-Hour Kits.
5. Make a copy of your important keys and place them with your important documents (Home, Cars, Safes, Business, RV, Mailbox, etc…)
 

 Phase 9

1. Research No-Electricity Cooking Methods. Select at least 2 methods and gather the supplies to cook all the meals in your 90 Day Food Supply.
2. If you have an infant in your home, Buy at least a 3 month supply of diapers, wipes, formula, Baby food, and common medications.
3. If you take prescription medication, talk to your Doctor about ways you can build up an emergency supply.
4. Buy a 3 month supply of common over-the-counter medications your typically uses (Aspirin, Cold Medication, Anti-Histamines, Cough Syrup, Anti-Diarreha, Antacid, Etc…)
5. Have Pets? Acquire food and supplies to handle their needs for 3-12 Months.

90 Day Food Supply Menu Ideas

Breakfast Menus

Oatmeal:
Oatmeal
Flavored Oatmeal Packets
Raisins
Brown Sugar
Cinnamon
Freeze Dried Fruit
Evaporated or Condensed Milk
 
Pancakes:
Pancake Mix
Butter (Canned)
Maple Syrup
Jam/Jelly
 
Scrambled Eggs:
Eggs (Dehydrated, Freeze- Dried or Preserved)
Bread or Crackers
Green or Red Peppers (Freeze-Dried)
Cheese (Powdered or Canned)
 
Toast and Jam
Melba Toast
Jam
Hot Chocolate
Dried Fruit
 
Cold Cereal
Cold Cereal
Dehydrated Milk
Freeze Dried Fruit
 
Cracked Wheat Cereal
Whole Grain Wheat
Wheat Grinder
Freeze Dried Fruit
Honey
Evaporated or Condensed Milk
 
Pop Tarts / Granola Bars
Pop Tarts
Granola Bars
 
Cream of Wheat Cereal
Cream of Wheat
Freeze Dried Fruit
Honey
Evaporated or Condensed Milk
 

Lunch Menus

 
Tuna on Wasa Crackers
Canned Tuna
Mayonnaise
Sweet Relish
Curry Powder
Wasa Crackers


Canned Ravioli or Spaghetti
Canned Ravioli or Spaghetti
Parmesan Cheese
Bread or Crackers
 
Cup Noodles
Cup Noodles
Boiling Water
 
PB & J on Wasa Crackers
Wasa Crackers
Peanut Butter
Jam/Jelly
Freeze Dried Fruit
 
Chicken Salad
Canned Chicken
Mayonnaise
Raisins
Walnuts 
Curry Powder
 
Soup
Canned Soup
Crackers
Bread
(Add rice or serve over rice to make it more filling)
 
Chili Mac & Cheese
Box of Macaroni & Cheese
Can of Chili (With Beans or Without Beans)
Canned Corn or Peas
 
Sloppy Joes
Can of Heat and Serve
Sloppy Joe Mix
  

Dinner Menus

Spaghetti
Spaghetti Noodles
Prepared Spaghetti Sauce
Parmesan Cheese
Dry Bread Sticks or Biscotti
 
Corned Beef & Cabbage
Can or Corned Beef
Can of Sauerkraut
Thousand Islands Dressing
Rice
(Serve Over Rice)
 
Chili over Rice
Can of Chili
Rice
Corn
Cornbread Mix
 
Burritos
Homemade Tortillas
Canned Beef or Chicken
Rice
Can of Black or Refried Beans
Bottled Salsa
 
Fried Ham & Potatoes
Canned Ham or Spam
Canned Potatoes
Canned or Bottled Onions
Bottled Red Pepper (Optional)
 
Chicken Teriyaki
Can of La Choy Bi-Pack Chicken Teriyaki (Includes Chicken, Sauce and Vegetables).
Rice
or
Packaged Complete Meals
Packaged Complete Meals
Add water mix and bake
See Also: Betty Crocker Complete Meals
 
Hawaiian Haystacks
Rice
Cream of Chicken Soup
Canned Chicken
Pineapple Chunks
Mandarin Oranges
Cashews
Soy Sauce
 

Dessert/Snacks Menus

S’mores
Graham Crackers
Marshmallow Cream
Hot Fudge Ice Cream Topping or Nutella
(No Cooking Needed)
 
Pudding
Pudding Cups
 
Brownies
Brownie Mix
 
Rice Krispies Treats
Prepackaged Rice Krispies Treats
 
Popcorn
Popcorn Kernels
Butter Flavoring
Powdered Cheese Flavoring
 
Cookies
Prepackaged, or Homemade or No-Bake Cookies
 
Fruit Cobbler
White Cake Mix
1 can of Sprite or 7-up
2 cans Fruit Pie Filling
(In a dutch oven add pie filling. Mix cake mix and can of soda and add on top of pie filling. Cover and bake with 20 coals on top and 10 on bottom until golden brown.)
 
Muffins
Your favorite Muffin Mix
 

Canned Vegetables

Artichoke Hearts
Asparagus Spears
Beans (Black, Black Eyed, Chick Peas, Fava, Garbanzo, Great Northern, Kidney, Lentils, Lima, Pinto, Red, Soya, 3-Bean Salad)
Beets
Carrots
Chilies
Corn (Also Creamed Corn)
Green Beans
Greens (Collard, Mustard, Turnip)
Hearts of Palm
Hominy
Mixed Vegetables
Mushrooms
Olives (Black, Green, Kalamata, Pitted, Sliced, Tapenade)
Peppers
Pickles
Potatoes (Whole, Sliced, Diced)
Spinach
Squash
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes (Whole, Peeled, Diced, Puree, Sun-Dried, Bruschetta )
Yams
Zucchini
 

Canned Fruit

Apple Sauce
Apples
Cherries
Cranberry Sauce
Fruit Cocktail
Grapefruit
Mandarin Oranges
Mixed Fruit
Peaches
Pears
Pie Filling (Berry, Cherry, Peach, Apple, Pumpkin)
Pineapples
 

Bread & Baking

Bisquick
Bread Mix
Cornbread Mix
Pizza Crust Mix
Taco Shells
Tostada Shells
 

Desserts & Snacks

Cake Mix
Cake Frosting
Fruit Snacks
Nuts
 

Meats

Beef Jerky
Canned Beef Chunks
Canned Chicken Chunks
Canned Salmon
Dried Sausage
Freeze Dried Beef/Chicken
Sardines
TVP
Vienna Sausage
 

Meals

Beef Stew
Canned Chicken & Dumplings
Corned Beef Hash
Hamburger Helper
Ramen Noodles
Soup Mixes
 

Sides

Au Gratin Potatoes
Mashed Potatoes
Scalloped Potatoes