↓
 

Episode-298- Starting the Journey from Grasshopper to Ant

The Survival Podcast Posted on by

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (33.0MB)

As we approach the 300th episode I realized it has been a long time since we did a show dedicated to the brand new person.  Today will will lay out 20 steps to take as a person who has just decided that it is time “to do something” but isn’t quite sure what that “something” is.    Even though today is done with the new person in mind I think it will help everyone sort of recenter on the core of what is the most important things to make sure you have accomplished.

I have also created a special commercial free version of today’s show for sharing with others who you want to get thinking about preparedness.  That version can be found on our forum here.

Tune in today as we discuss

  1. Start with the old fable of the grasshopper and the ant
  2. The first thing you do is assess the situation and stay calm
  3. Journal your spending and your eating
  4. Write a plan for debt elimination and begin creating an emergency fund
  5. Put together a basic documentation package
  6. Assemble a BOB for each family member (cheap and fast the first time around)
  7. Inventory your pantry over a week or two (how much food do you have at your low point)
  8. Begin storing up a 30 day supply of food you will eat anyway
  9. Begin assembling a low cost 30 day long term storage supply
  10. Determine where you would go if you had to leave and go at least 50 miles from home
  11. Make plans for how you would help elderly parents or other family members
  12. Update your resume and be prepared to loose your job on any given day
  13. Avoid focusing on any individual coming event or scenario
  14. Plan a garden and start getting ready to plant (depending on the season)
  15. Learn about disaster commonality (it is not about the disaster it is about loss of support systems)
  16. Learn about disaster probability (Personal-Localized-Regional-State-National-Global)
  17. Determine your most probable “personal”, “local” and “regional”
  18. Start window shopping for “country land” or an “urban homestead”
  19. Think of the children, won’t someone please think of the children (seriously think of your children)
  20. Assess your “normal preparations”
  21. Take ownership of your plan and your life

Resources for today’s show…

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show.

Comments

Episode-298- Starting the Journey from Grasshopper to Ant — 13 Comments

  1. Question for you, don’t know if you already answered this in past pod cast? What do you do with you animals when bugging out? Do you take the 5 cats and 2 dogs with you? Do you let then run the street; do you humanely put them down? I know at one point you said have 30 days supply of food for them. If you have to pick up and go…? What?

  2. @jason

    We have two dogs and two cats, in all but a truly world ending scenario they are part of the evac plan. We have 4 months of food for them laid up at the BOL, they have room allocated in the vehicles and we keep 60 days on hand of supplies for them here.

    I don’t think people should take on animals beyond their sustainability. Now say I had no option and could not take them, I would probably put them down through a flood of tears. I can’t really imagine the scenario where they can’t go to the BOL with us (because we are prepared) but I suppose it could happen.

    The love for our pets just like the love for our families is yet another reason to prepare for disaster. Our latest addition (Max a sheppard we adopted) was literally abandoned in a back yard when his family left. I think there is a special place in hell for them! Especially since the shelter had a no questions asked take back policy and all they had to do was bring him back. Fortunately for Max and us the next door neighbor had a heart and took him back to the shelter.

    My understanding is the family lost their jobs and were being evicted. As I said it is the most probable disaster facing most Americans and the one we all tend to ignore.

  3. Some nice 10-40 acre lots at Beartooth Valley Ranch near Red Lodge, MT and Cody, WY. The lowest priced one is 19,000 for a 20 acre lot, but walk in only. Yes, walk in, perfect for some looking to bug out.

    http://rmtlproperties.com/component/content/article/45/89.html

    https://rmtlproperties.com/montana-land-for-sale.html

    http://rmtlproperties.com/wyoming-land-for-sale.html

    I can’t find the link for the 19,000 dollar property, but it’s displayed in local print publications. Hope I was helpful! These are the properties I’m looking to buy on a merger SSDI income. Also try up by Lincoln, MT for smaller 1-5 acre lots surrounded by National Forest and BLM land.

  4. Jack, this has to be the best, most informative and most timely audio you’ve done to date.

    It helped me take a much more organized look at my own plan, see my strengths, and more importantly, my weaknesses. It also hit a point with me that I have not been able to work through- how to prepare family members who live far away.

    My mom lives in Central Texas and is surrounded by her sisters, brothers and my sister is there as well. She has a big support network, which helps ease my concerns, but I’m not sure that any of them have truly explored their options if something bad were to happen. One of my aunts contacted me to ask about dehydrating food. She saw some of my posts on facebook and wanted to learn more. A week earlier, one of my uncles emailed me about food storage after listening to a podcast link I had also placed on fb. I think the time is PRIME to move my family forward and this audio might be the key.

    I plan to burn CD’s for my family and send copies off this week.

    Thanks again for an awesome show.

  5. to many pepole don\’t think of there dogs, cats or what have you in the event of an emeregency..they live form day to day or week to week without the thought of prepartions of the animals but may have got stuff ready for themselves an not the anaimals figureing the animals can eat what they eat to sustain them which in realilty does not thelp ther cause in the event something should come up an they have to bug out… beingcomding short on food supplies is not an good diea so thereone mysst consider the care of there animals in more than just food flea spsrays powders etc is also an must have item for their aniamsls an other things as well how about toys, chains to resatarint them, leashes, food bowls, an other neccesisties for the pet too.. hope this helps … Jim

  6. Regarding tracking home expenditures – a very cool and FREE resources is http://www.moneytrackin.com . That’s correct- no “g” at the end.

    It is basically a free check register but like Quicken – enter expenses, keep a balance, schedule future expenses, run reports, catagorize with tags. I have been using for almost a year. It is web based, so you and a spouse can share usernames and enter remotely, even from an iPod app.

    Like I said, it is FREE and safe- no account numbers needed. So, IF for some reason someone hacked into it, they only see you spent $50 on groceries.

    War Eagle Scout

  8. Jack:

    Great show! You were on fire. Your passion and intensity really shine through on this show. It will make a great “Introduction Piece” for new listeners. I have a whole crew that I’m going introduce to the podcast with this episode.

    You have the boulder rolling down the mountain and it is gaining momentum. Good for you.

    Curt

  9. Jack,

    This was a great show. Something that I can share with our family members. Think they will get the idea of what we are trying to do. Hopefully it will get them started too.

    Thanks,
    Bobby

  10. To the last person who’s comment was removed.

    Yes it did sound “spamish”. Here is some advice to not look like an utter spamming douche in the future.

    1. Don’t say something “isn’t spam” because that almost always means it is spam.

    2. Don’t then claim not to be affiliated with the company that you so relentlessly plug.

    3. Don’t be a dumb ass and use a term like “guerrilla marketing” in your denial it just makes you look stupid!

    4. Don’t use the user name “anonymous” when posting spammy bullshit.

    5. Don’t use an @mailinator.com email address, like that is a big tell.

    6. Last but not least don’t bother trying to spam at The Survival Podcast. I protect my visitors from spamming scum.

    Jack

  11. Continuing on, Don’t then come back and do things like….

    1. Don’t make lame excuses like “my email was hacked in the past”, no one will see your email here other then me.

    2. Make a follow up post three paragraphs long professing your innocence.

  12. LOL – thanks for cleaning up the spam for us Jack!

    I have a question.. In the past I think I remember you saying that you took your cats with you when you go up to your BOL in Arkansas. How do they handle the trip? My cats get car-sick just traveling to the vet\’s office.

  13. Hey Jack

    Love the forum. You are more informative in your relaxed and uncomplicated and casual podcast, that makes me listen to all the MP3s at work, while I get down to some jobs. Thanks for this and what you are doing for people, even as far as South Africa, land of biltong ……..LoL !!

    I used to get a mail from you to inform me and a link to the next episode of your podcast, but that stopped all of a sudden. Has this service stopped for a reason or am I been silly here?

    Good work and really enjoy sharing the listening time with a few liked minded friends at work.

    Ta

↑