12 Months of Prepping: March

Welcome to my twelve months of prepping! The goal here is to break down how to get started prepping over the course of one year, and get you going on the right foot. Prepping is not only an individualized process specific to you and your situation (home, space, family, age, and more). It can also be very overwhelming because there is so much information out there. 

My goal is to give you a great starting place, and the tools to decide what works best for you and your family. You’re welcome to leave me comments and ask questions as well. I’m happy to help! 

This process will be broken down over 12 posts, one for each month. In them, I’ll be talking about things to do each week. My advice is to pick a specific day each week to work on your prepping. That way you are committed to staying consistent and making this a habit. 

Week One

This is the week where I always get going on stocking up on food supplies. The holidays and insanity is over, my budget is back on track. Life is much more simple this month in terms of things taking both my time and money. 

Since I’ve taken inventory of my food supplies, I have kept it updated over the course of the last couple months and it is time to go shopping. I am not a fan of shopping. Getting in and out as quickly as what is humanly possible is my goal. Having a shopping list with amounts expediates the process. It also means that I’m not exceeding my space and wasting my money. 

Once I bring everything home, I start rotating my stock. This would be key. Always rotate your food supplies so that the oldest food is used first and not going rancid in a deep dark corner of the cabinet. I’m a stickler about labeling everything with expiration dates as well. I like to make things easy for myself. 

Week Two

This is the week where I like to take a look at my calendar and take note of easily forgotten items. Things like when certain bills are due, like my post office box. When bi-monthly appointments are like my hair or Tigger’s nails. These things are easily forgotten if I don’t pay attention to the fact they are coming up. I also write things down in my calendar about taking care of my vehicles. When it is time to change the oil or rotate the tires. These are all things that need to be dealt with every three months or so, but it is very easy to forget about it in between. 

Speaking of vehicles, this is a perfect time to inspect yours and be thinking about routine maintenance. Oil changes and tire rotations are some of the most basic and inexpensive yet necessary items that our vehicles need to be in top working condition. Do you know how to change a tire or check your oil? If not, it is an excellent time to learn! Having that knowledge can potentially save you a lot of time and expense. There are also plenty of people who do not know how to perform these basics. It is an excellent opportunity to stop and help others along your journey. It just feels good to stop and help someone else, and maybe teach them that same skill that they can take with them from now on. 

I will be talking more in-depth about vehicles and safety next month, so keep an eye out for that! 

Week Three

This is the week where I go through all of my pet supplies. Tigger has his own bug out bag and I rotate the supplies in it. This would be his food, water, and treats. It is also an excellent time to double check and make sure nothing is missing. 

Having a bug out bag for everyone in your home is imperative, including pets. You never know when you may have to evacuate your home. It can be due to weather or a house fire. Maybe the neighbor’s crazy brother robbed a bank using the neighbor’s car and the SWAT team has evacuated everyone on the street while trying to arrest the robber. 

The idea behind a bug out bag is any time we may have to run out the door with no warning or notice, we can grab that bag and have supplies. Think about how pregnant women pack a bag for going to the hospital so they can grab and go when their water breaks. It is the same idea because there is no time to waste. 

Having one for our pets is the same thing. I’ll be talking about ours and how to prepare one for babies very soon. Those are a work in progress, but will be coming soon. Pets are important to many people and having supplies for them is just as important as family members. That is why I created Tigger’s bug out bag and I can easily put him in the carrier and off we go. 

Week Four

This is the week where I look at all of our first aid supplies. Thankfully neither Nathan or I need prescription medications or treatments of any sort at this point in our lives. Everything we stock up on is the basics. Which the basics are just as important as the specifics. 

This is the time when I make sure that we have first aid kits in the house, in both vehicles, and in our bug out bags. You can never have too many, in my opinion. If anything needs replaced or replenished in my first aid kits, this is the perfect time to do it. 

Think about an ailment that is an issue for you. With me being a writer, dry eyes and migraines are a very common thing. I often get them when I’ve been working for too long without taking a break. Therefore headache medication and eye drops are absolute necessities for me. What do you deal with often? You’ll want to identify those issues and make sure to have the necessary supplies for it. 

If you take prescription medications, your doctor may give you a 90 day supply and you can keep 30 in your bug out bag. Some preppers say to take less and keep one back every couple of days to stock up. I’m not a doctor, so I’m not recommending that. It is simply something I’ve seen others talk about doing. My advice is to talk to your doctor about it and how you are a prepper looking to have an extra supply on hand in case of emergencies. Your doctor will give you instructions on what is the safest and most intelligent way to stock up based on your health and situation. 

Notes

I know there is a ton of information in this post. This is the month where I really get going in my prepping endeavors and checking up on so many important aspects of it. I hope this helps you as well! What are you doing to get going on your preps, or improving on this month? Tell me about it in the comments! 

To read about my January tips, click here. For February, click here.