Preparedness 101 – 10 Tips to Get You Started

And you thought today would be a relaxing day off due to the holiday.

Actually, you can wait until tomorrow to get started on this. After all, there are three College Football Playoff games to watch today. Not to mention time with family and a big meal. But I wouldn’t suggest putting it off beyond this week. It’s too important.

So, what is “this” I’m referring to? It’s 10 tips on getting started on your Preparedness 101 class I’m inviting you to take. Starting the new year with a focus on preparedness is a powerful way to ensure peace of mind and readiness for the unexpected.

This brief guide is all about laying a solid emergency preparedness foundation. It covers essential steps such as creating an emergency kit and developing a family plan. As well as understanding local risks, stocking a shelf-stable pantry, and more.

So, here goes. There’s no reason why you can’t get a jumpstart on this before the end of the week. 

1. Setting Your Preparedness Goals for the Year

Think about where you would like to be in your preparedness journey one year from today. And what it would take to get there.

These should be general rather than specific goals. Such as, how many months’ worth of non-perishable food and water you’d like to stockpile. Not exact quantities of specific foods. That can come later.

The idea here is to develop high-level goals spanning the entire year. And creating achievable milestones. They’ll keep you on track throughout the process. 

2. Building Your First Emergency Kit

Now we start to get more specific. A basic emergency kit will contain items you and your household members will need during a crisis.

If it’s a disaster you can ride out at home, it should contain enough items to keep everyone fed and safe. But it should also be portable enough to grab and go if you need to evacuate in a hurry.

In addition to one general family emergency kit, each household member should have their own customized kit. Also consider keeping a kit at your workplace and in your vehicle. In case you are unable to return home due to the crisis.

3. Understanding Local Risks and Tailoring Your Preparedness

Joe lives in the Southeast. Hurricanes are a big concern. Jane lives in the Southwest. Extended heat waves take their toll. John lives in the Northeast. He knows the kind of trouble winter blizzards present.  

As you can see from the examples above, extreme weather events vary by location. But they all present the same types of problems. Focus on the disasters most likely to affect the area where you live. Then prepare very specifically for them.

4. Creating a Family Emergency Plan

You’ve created your emergency kits. Now it’s time for an emergency plan.

This is a great opportunity to get the entire family on the same page regarding preparedness. Discuss as a group exactly what each person will be responsible for. Should an emergency occur.

Establish a meeting place should an evacuation be necessary. Or if returning home is not an option. Every household member should have a list of phone numbers. They should include emergency services. Plus local shelters and area hotels.

And be sure to practice emergency scenarios as a family. That way everyone will know exactly what to do when the time comes. This will help avoid what could be deadly delays.

5. Shelf-Stable Pantry Basics

Here’s your opportunity to get very specific when it comes to supplies. Start with the basics. Including shelf-stable food and water. Freeze-dried foods are best for long-term storage. But canned food is good for a quick meal when needed.

Water is heavy. And you may not have a lot of room for bottles and barrels. But store what you can in a dark, cool place. Just as important is having a way to filter water from a variety of sources. Emergencies often compromise the quality of tap water.

Next, gather a wide variety of other supplies you might need in an emergency. These non-food items could include generators, flashlights, and batteries. Plus power banks, extra clothing, boots and gloves, first-aid kit, etc.    

6. Budget-Friendly Preparedness

Celebrities such as Oprah and Elton John have constructed expensive panic rooms in their homes. Facebook founder and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has invested $270 million in an underground compound.

But you don’t need to spend millions to prepare properly. You can do it without breaking the bank. Including stockpiling affordable must-haves. And doing some DIY projects. You’ll find some items you need at garage sales and flea markets.

Never pay full price for anything. Always look for bargains. You’re better off spending time than money. Buy items in bulk at wholesalers, or when items are on sale. Shop “Deals” pages. And don’t forget to use coupons or codes.

7. Monthly Prep Challenge for 2024

To break up the monotony of prepping over the course of a year, set up monthly challenges for yourself. That will make the process more manageable and fun.

One way to do that is devoting each month to a specific need. Challenge yourself to stockpile one month’s worth of non-perishable food during one month. Do the same thing with water during a different month.

Another month could be earmarked for backup power solutions. Acquiring a generator and/or portable power banks would go a long way to protecting you and your family during blackouts.

8. Digital Preparedness: Backing Up Important Documents

If you are very organized, you have all of your important documents in a file cabinet. And can access them easily. Including your mortgage, insurance forms, car titles, loan statements, etc.

If you’re not super organized, you may have to scout around for those types of documents. Either way, once you have them in hand, take digital photos of them. Then back them up in the “cloud” where they’ll be easy to access.

Once that’s accomplished, have a back-up for your back-up. Place the physical copies of those documents in a fireproof safe. Just knowing you can find any important document at a moment’s notice will provide peace of mind. 

9. Preparedness Myths to Avoid

There are many preparedness myths we would be wise to ignore. But for the sake of space, I’ll limit it to just a few.

• Preparedness is too expensive. (Not if you do it a little bit at a time and watch for sales.)

• I don’t need to prepare. I can just call 911 in an emergency. (If a crisis is affecting an entire neighbor or town, you might wait a long time.)

• It will never happen to me. (That’s only correct until it does happen to you.) 

• Don’t put hot foods in the refrigerator. (It’s OK to do.)

• The last meal I ate is what caused my foodborne illness. (Not necessarily.)

• A microwave oven will kill food bacteria. (Nope.)

• If you pick up dropped food within 5 seconds, it’s OK to eat. (Completely arbitrary).

10. Develop a Preparedness Mindset

The key to developing a preparedness mindset is shifting from reactive to proactive. If you’re only reacting, you’ll always be behind the 8-ball. If you focus on being proactive, you’ll be ahead of it.

Preparedness is more than storing beans and bandages. It’s an understanding of why we prepare. Including a picture of how we will be affected in a disaster.

Assessing our situation in advance will allow us to make better preparedness decisions. Such as how many supplies to gather and in what quantities. This will help us determine how much time and money to invest in the plan.

Other complexities include working together. Plus understanding group dynamics. As well as finding other like-minded people to share our journey.

I’d like to close by steering you to this short YouTube video titled, “The 3 Most Common Preparedness Mistakes and How to Avoid Them.” It features former Navy SEAL platoon leader Cade Courtley. Happy viewing!