“Ballin ONA Budget”

“Ballin ONA Budget”

Caloric independence in the face of dependent times!  

Americans have enjoyed the luxury of access to non-stop food supplies, but what would you do if they ceased to exist? How long could you go without heading down to the local grocery? What may be shocking to know is that your local grocery store does not have a “back room” where re-stock is available. When you go to the store you see everything they have out on the shelf. So imagine the moment when a crisis is looming, running to the store to fight or worse for supplies. This would be incredibly dangerous within roaring crowds of desperation. While many flock to stock you should be on your way to adapting to the situation at hand. 

Right now there should be an abundance of time for you to adapt storable food into your grocery bill. Americans from all walks of life are feeling the financial effects of a failed economic state. Buying food you don’t need right now might seem redundant to some BUT there is a way to grow your cache. The goal with this course is to show you how to integrate financial changes and other resources into becoming calorically independent without going broke. I would definitely rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

Course Outline 

Awareness: Cost integration ($20-$1200)

Redirecting your finances is the first step. Catching up or adding to your stockpile is very easy when taking an honest look at your finances. What a typical family of 4 would spend eating out for dinner can translate to a solid start. 

Food types and nutrition:

Choosing what to buy is the second step. What foods might not be ideal yet could help catch you up. Other food selections that are more ideal and will deliver what you need in a time of need.

Water and Hydration:

The third step; stay wet. Water makes up 60% of the human body and is needed for cooking, hygiene, and hydration. We will cover purchasing, storage, collection, filtering, and tips to secure water when the time comes. 

Scale and mobility:

Adapting to the environment is the fourth step. Some canned goods exceed a 10-year shelf life but are heavy. This section shares tips to back stock with mobility in mind should you need to relocate.

Step1

Awareness: Cost integration ($20-$1200)

Where do I start? This is the main question many ask when approaching food storage for the first time. Understandably the financial commitment is there; though I would challenge the average American to an audit of their personal expenses versus a commitment to a new survival plan. The table below represents a cost-to-cost comparison of financial expenses for an average family of four. 

Non-Essential Expense (Monthly)         Essential Food Storage Potential 

Netflix $23 + iTunes $25 + Cable TV $217 =  $265	13   10 LB bags = 130lbs
Fast Food $143 Casual Dining $300 = $443	29   10 LB bags = 290lbs
Designer Clothing $1200 Home Decor $621	121 10 LB bags = 1210 lbs

It becomes clear that a typical family of 4 can achieve a budget to prepare when resources are properly allocated. There is no secret math to employ as the comparison of luxury versus need is clear. Perhaps you skip one month of a certain service, or maybe you don’t get those new sneakers you’ve been waiting for. The choice is yours to make with the caveat being financial responsibility. 

Nearly no two households are the same. What might work for you may not work for someone else. You will have to determine what to cut versus your needs today. The suggestion is to focus on those things “you can live without.”

Strategy Tip

• Review: monthly bank statements- locate nonessential expenses

  • what you don’t actually need to live your life as it is now

• Budget: with the expenses chosen total their monthly sum

  • this will be the amount you can responsibly commit to backstock

• Source: where you plan to shop for food storage items

  • Hunt sale adds/use a friend’s wholesale club/bargain stores

Step 2

Food types and nutrition:

Some of you may already be planning for food storage and have supply caches started. Others may be starting their survival supply for the first time. No matter where you may be in this journey you are making a good decision to start or to get started. Below we will see examples of catching up, adding to or enhancing your strategy with suggested food sources..

Catching Up:

Not entirely ideal by themself but will catch you up quickly and cheaply. These are aimed to get something in your storage as soon as possible if nothing else. (Walmart.com)

Ramen Noodles (12pk) $3.68	Tuna 4pk cans $3.52	Pinto Beans (8lb bag) $6.99
Organic Protein Powder (20g) $20.00	Raisins 20oz $4.28	Dehydrated Milk (39oz) $12.44

Adding to:

Considerations that allow for calorie-dense nutrition. These also add an element of ease of use when cooking or when water sourcing becomes problematic. (Walmart.com)

Canned Chicken (4pk)  $7.93	Fruit Cocktail (4pk) $10.56	Canned Corn (4pk) $5.28
Beef Jerky (10z) $11.98	Evaporated  Milk (4pk) $4.88	Chunky Soup (4pk)  $9.04

Enhance:

Great solutions for situations which may require movement or may be otherwise helpful when the budget and space to store them will allow. (Amazon.com)

MRE One Case (X12 bags) $139.00	Space Ice Cream (6ct) $27.99	Orange Tang (5lb) $17.16
Canned Oats (2lb can) $8.99	SPAM Classic (12 cans) $35.82	Vegetable Herb Seeds (x50pks) $35.99

No matter where you are in allocating your food supply the above examples are simple first steps to consider in your selection process. Not all selections are right for everyone. In consideration of your caloric needs versus body type, this is again a decision you must make for yourself. The age-old food pyramid is no longer recognized as a source for recommending your intake needs. The US Department Of Agriculture has revised the pyramid into “MyPlate.” Please follow the link provided to learn more and always consult a physician prior to changing your diet. 

Step 3

Water and Hydration:

Cooking, cleaning, hygiene, and health are all based on a need for water. As your body is made of over 60% water it goes without saying that staying fed is only next to staying hydrated. Long-term water storage can be tricky and sometimes incur costs and more in-depth oversight to maintain. The following will provide simple ways to source before and collect water when the need arises. 

Source:

• Bottled:

  • 35pk 16 oz Spring- $5.98

  • 1 Gallon jug Spring- $1.98

  • 2.5 Gallon jug with spout- $4.38

  • 5-gallon jug BPA Free- $13.98

Bottled water stored in plastic breaks down over time. It is best to store your water with the expiration dates noted. Use your backstock water and replace it with new bottles as the expiration date cycles. Avoid storing in sunlight. Typical shelf like 1-1.5yrs

Collect:

• Bathtub Method:

  • Fill your bathtub and sinks prior to calamity 

  • water should be drinkable for a few days 

  • Monitor the situation for potential groundwater contamination issues

The bathtub method is known worldwide and is a great way to cache a large portion of water if you are able to act before local water supplies shut down or become contaminated. An average bathtub holds 40-70 liquid gallons. 

• Rainwater Collection:

  • Gutter water can be used for basic cleaning

  • Requires to be stabilized with treatment tablets 

  • Monitor this source for vermin contamination  

There are many free resources on the internet showing how to collect water safely without endangering your health. Note that water running off a roof may have roofing tar or other contaminants. Some water bottles can clean water for you, check with your local camping store or online to find a bottle that works for you.  Water is the most dangerous aspect of survival prep. It is wise to keep bottled resources on hand yet mind the shelf life printed on the labels. The key to sustainable water is to become familiar with collection and treatment. This will be covered in depth on a later lesson independently. 

Step 4

Scale and mobility:

Now that you have planned your budget, sourced food and water, and are ready to hunker down take a pause. Canned goods, water, cooking tools, and all the like are heavy. The most ideal situation is to be at home where you are surrounded by familiar settings and tools. But what if the situation would call for you to be on the move? A natural disaster, needing to visit an infirmed relative. Your food is what will keep you going on the move. The following tips are helpful considerations when planning food for fight or flight. 

Shelter in place:

The most ideal position to be in is to be at home. That is where you know most of the surroundings and can give yourself the home team advantage. While you are on your own turf there are several considerations to recognize. 

• Bulk food storage

  • Keep in a dry place- consider the use of dehydration elements when storing in containers

    • Plastic bins are effective yet do not prevent mice/rats

    • Consider purchasing a food-grade steel drum

  • Reduce from plain sight- looters/thieves and the ill-prepared 

    • Concealment under furniture or Atypical locations 

    • Limit mentions of your cache before/during a crisis 

  • Parcel food for storage/barter/trade and security

    • Keep only what you need open and nearby

    • Food can be used as currency to obtain your needs

    • Trading food is a great way to build community 

    • Don’t keep it all in one place (consider fires/water damage etc.)

  • Rats, mice, and vermin

    • Keep traditional traps near your food 

    • Do not use poison traps to prevent cross-contamination 

    • Monitor food storage locations regularly to thwart any potentials

On the move:

If you must take to the road or land by foot, consider where you are going and why. At this time it is wise to be able to adapt your food to the situation. Are you going to be in a vehicle, on foot or maybe going to your bug-out spot? These tips will help you make the decision best tailored to your individual situation. 

• Vehicle

  • Moving large heavy quantities of food

    • Consider containers or crates that fit into your vehicle 

    • Build a small loading platform to back your vehicle up to

    • Locate tie-down points to secure your load in transit

    • Keep rope or ratchet straps in your vehicle 

• On Foot

  • Utilize your storage plan

    • Pack or take only what you need

    • Use the parceling method or consider MRE’s 

    • Calorie-dense choices and hydration 

    • CamelBack water bladders are helpful 

Summary:

We just ran through a large amount of information in 4 sections. Printing field guides and resources was my first step when I started backpacking in 1997. Through my experience, I have hiked in wilderness that finds man to be the prey against grizzly bears and wolves. From Algonquin Canada down through the Dales of Oregon I have discovered many methods to make backpacking and or surviving more convenient. Many came from sharing with others on the trail just like this. The wilderness we face today is civilization. We live in a very delicate thread of comfort in the United States. Many of us hardly ever leave a climate-controlled environment let alone have watched the sunrise over a frozen lake 60 miles away from the nearest road. 

I do not claim to have every answer to every problem but I absolutely claim to be able to share my experience. I hope that I have helped you consider taking food storage into your own hands. I have been broke and a moment away from being homeless so I understand what it might take for some of you to start storing food. It will become clear when you ask yourself what you really need versus what you really might need.

I am available for comments or questions via email at 

Contactdiscorsedialogue@gmail.com

Keep your chin up and chest out,

-Discordeous