As I was thinking back over how I have progressed in becoming self reliant, as well as how I have watched others do it I decided to make a list of the most important advice I could give regarding being prepared for the trials of life. Some say we are in for trials very soon. I say we are already having them in our own personal lives every day. Life is for trials. We need to always be prepared in many different areas of life.
So here's my check list:
Personal & Family Preparedness
1. Begin and end everyday with kneeling, vocal, personal and family prayer. Pray for inspiration to know what the Lord would have you do to prepare and why. Read scriptures everyday both personally and as a family.
2. Get healthy. Change unhealthy habits and addictions. Begin to get accustomed to healthy eating habits and exercise. Feel your tastes and energy levels change for the better. Take vitamins. Get any medications you need refilled and keep 90 days of medicine on hand if possible. Talk to your doctor about improving your health.
3. Learn how to be self reliant. Learn skills that would be helpful to your family and neighbors such as baking, cooking from scratch, communications, local resources for aid and employment, how to fix things, gardening, canning, ect.
4. Begin to evaluate the daily food items your family uses that can be stored and regularly rotated. Once you have built 3 months of these items decide what is needed to sustain life for you and your family for long-term storage. Learn how to properly use and store these items.
5. Pay off debt as fast as possible. Sell excess stuff that can be sacrificed to pay off debts. Do not take out any new loans for any reason. Go without new items and learn to make products last longer. Learn to reuse or repurpose items. Look for places you can cut back. Keep a budget that tells your money where to go instead of your money telling you where to go! Keep a small savings for emergencies until you have paid of your debts. Then save enough to get you through a long period of no income such as 6-12 months of expenses.
6. Organize your most important papers. Declutter your life. Simplify. Be frugal. Get to know your neighbors. Never stop learning new things. Keep an updated 72 hour emergency kit. Learn First Aid.
7. Smile a lot.
