Episode # 455, Lessons Learned From The Great Depression, Treating Strep Throat, And A
Tip To Protect The Food In Your Freezer
The Great Depression was a challenging period in history, but it offers several lessons that can be applied to prepping.
Importance of self-sufficiency:
What is the meaning of self-sufficiency?
It's reducing reliance on external systems
Includes the Grocery store and Amazon delivery
It's being prepared for disruptions in food supply, utilities, and other essential services,
It's having the ability to sustain ourselves for an extended period.
Talking About Preparedness for economic downturns
Starts with Building a financial safety net:
The economic hardships of the Great Depression highlighted the importance of financial preparedness.
Prioritize savings, reduce expenses, reduce debt
Starts with Not incurring more debt
Stop running up credit cards!
Or at least pay it off every month
Use debit card, cash, or do without it
Diversify some income sources
Not only "investments" but it's a great idea there, too
Having a side gig
Having a yard sale
Establish an emergency fund
Stock up on essentials:
access to basic goods was limited
Grandmothers washed their aluminium foil
Nothing went to waste, if at all possible
We can learn maintaining a well-stocked pantry of non-perishable food, water, hygiene products,
and other essential items to sustain ourselves in times of scarcity.
Community support and collaboration:
The Great Depression emphasized the power of community support and collaboration.
Community gardens
Sharing with each other from the gardens and farms
We're talking about during HARD economic times.
We should be fostering relationships with neighbors, friends, and like-minded individuals to share resources, share knowledge, and support during challenging times.
Trading or bartering eases the workload
Our work is traded for someone else's work
Develop practical skills:
The Depression era taught us the value of practical skills that can contribute to self-sufficiency.
The skill of playing video games isn't going to be in high demand
Basic survival techniques, and practical skills can greatly enhance our ability to thrive in difficult situations.
Fire starting, outdoor cooking, construction, gardening, canning, home repairs, and first aid.
Need Adaptability and resilience:
The people who survived the Great Depression displayed remarkable adaptability and resilience.
Rigidity may be an enemy here
Things don't always go as we plan
Cultivate a mindset of flexibility, of adaptability
We need the ability to think creatively and problem-solve in ever-changing circumstances
When we taught disaster relief:
"Be fluid, because flexible may be too stiff"
Prioritize mental well-being:
The Great Depression took a toll on the mental health of many individuals.
COVID took a toll on many people, especially children
Prioritize mental well-being by developing coping mechanisms,
such as seeking support from others, enjoying a hobby, going for a walk, or take a break.
Maintaining a positive mindset:
The Great Depression showed the resilience of individuals who maintained a positive mindset in the face of adversity.
Zig Ziglar said he was so positive that if his shoes wore out, he figured he was back on his feet.
Cultivate optimism, adaptability, and determination
valuable assets when preparing for and navigating through difficult times.
Practice Resource conservation and recycling:
The scarcity experienced during the Great Depression highlighted the importance of
conserving resources and practicing recycling to make the most of what is available.
Wooden pallets can be used to build raised beds, or fencing, making rags out of old T shirts, making an antenna mast out of old chain link top rail.
By practicing some of these things now, we can reduce our expenses, and make ourselves better prepared if we do experience a serious economic downturn.
Some of us are already there, and these ideas could be make or break for us.
Just something to consider.
SEGMENT TWO
Mark was diagnosed with strep, waking up with a blow torch in the throat.
He went to the Doctor, tested negative for flu and covid, but was diagnosed with strep throat.
The doctor sent a couple of prescriptions to the pharmacy and wished me well.
While he was waiting for those to be filled, he began to think about how he would handle this in some sort of grid down situation. Is there a way? What is that way? He wasn't even sure what the prescriptions were.
Research showed that the antibiotic of choice to treat strep is amoxicillin.
The meds came from the pharmacy this time, but what if that wasn't an option?
Here's what we are doing:
We do stock antibiotics, just in case.
In a grid down event, even the smallest injury could prove fatal.
We do have some steroid on hand, thanks to our Contingency Medical Ready Pack, and I'll put that link in the show notes.
Contingency Medical Link - use discount code "practical"
We are starting to compile a list of various ailments we could have, and the recommended treatments.
We hope it never comes to not having professional medical care and pharmacies available, but I want to be prepared just in case we do.
So, first on the list - STREP THROAT, Easily treated with amoxicillan
One, three times per day for ten days
This is not medical advise, and I didn't stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night, but that's what the research showed.
Segment Three
You know all that food you have in the freezer? Yeah, we have a freezer full as well.
We travel from time to time to see that little one in North Carolina, and we'll spend three to five days away from home.
It's been a concern that we could unknowingly have a power outage that lasted long enough for the food to thaw, then refreeze when the power came back on?
How would you know? Is the food safe?
Here's are two sure fire ways to know.
One, you can put a half filled with water cup or glass in the freezer and let it freeze.
Then place a coin on top of the ice.
Put this where you will notice it when opening the freezer.
If the power has been off and things begin thawing, the coin will sink below the level of the ice.
How far the coin has sunk will tell you how how bad the thaw was.
If it is all the way at the bottom of the cup or glass, there was a total thaw and a refreeze.
Another way, and this is the one we use.
Fill a plastic bottle half full of water and freeze it.
It doesn't matter if you freeze it vertical or horizontal, but once it freezes you are going to turn it the other way.
I freeze it vertical, then lay it in the freezer horizontal, but it doesn't matter.
What does matter is that if you lose power and the freezer begins to thaw, gravity will cause the water to run to the bottom. If it refreezes, you'll be able to easily tell that there has been a thaw and a refreeze.
So, there you go, a fool proof way to insure the integrity of your frozen foods.
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