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The need for matches can not be understated, and a box of 250 is extremely cheap.  If at all possible get “Strike Anywhere” matches.  Many stores now only sell “Strike on Box” matches which as the name implies the box must be used to light the match (which is fine until the box gets damp). 

Buy several boxes (or dozens of boxes).  Store them in a sealed freezer bag or other method to protect them from getting damp (and ruined).

This will make a great barter item during long term emergencies.

Although Boric Acid is an item that is typically stored in bulk by rural survivalists (and ignored by those in the cities), having some on hand in suburban environments is recommended (although is a lower priority). Fortunately Boric Acid is very inexpensive and has an indefinite shelf-life.

Boric Acid is typically used to control roaches, termites, ants, silverfish, bedbugs and fleas: If an emergency continues for over six months, insect control will be very important. Boric Acid is easy to use, as it is just sprinkled under (or behind) cabinets, in attics, or under base boards. It is simply used as a ‘barrier’ that the insects will have to cross. For fleas, it typically is powdered into the carpets, bed linen or pet areas.

A homemade ant and roach bait can be made by dissolving 1 teaspoon boric acid powder and 10 teaspoons sugar into 2 cups of water. Dip cotton balls into the liquid to absorb as much water as possible, and leave the homemade bait where ants or roaches (but not humans or pets) may find them. Although not as effective as commercially made baits, if no other bait can be found this can be made cheaply and with items typically stored in survivalism based home.

Technically Boric Acid is a poison, and should never be inhaled or taken internally; however it takes considerable amounts to cause death in adult humans. The dry powder is abrasive to the insects’ exoskeleton, and if the insect ingests the poison, it affects their metabolism. There may be long term effects on humans that have as of yet gone undiscovered.

There are other uses for Boric Acid that will be less useful for the Suburban Survivalist, but make it a commodity that may be traded in a long term disaster: It is a mild acid, an antiseptic, flame retardant, can be used for minor burns when mixed as a salve, can be used as a eye wash, treat vaginal yeast and fungal infections, a preventative for athlete’s foot, can be used to treat certain types of ear infections (in humans and animals), and can be used in curing cattle and sheep skins.

As briefly mentioned before: Having multiple vehicles is one option for dealing with higher gasoline prices without reducing the readiness of the survivalist planning. Have a larger vehicle such as a truck for towing a boat, hauling wood, towing another vehicle, going cross-country, or getting through some sort of barricade. Have a small (fuel efficient) vehicle for daily commutes, general errands, and long distance travels.

If budgets permit, there are several good options for a third vehicle: (1) Cheap and disposable vehicle as a backup if one of the other vehicles breaks down; (2) And older EMP resistant vehicle; (3) Classic car for investment value; or a (4) Motorcycle.

Having more than one vehicle also has additional benefits if someone in the family (or group) breaks down, there is a fully functional vehicle to drive and pick them up. If there is more than one driver in the family, then unless a vehicle breaks down, no-one will be stranded without a vehicle if an emergency occurs, more gas is stored inherently in the combined gas tanks, and if the family has to bug-out there is more storage area with multiple vehicles.

Another benefit of having more than one vehicle is that if the family falls on extremely tough financial times, one (or more) of the vehicles can be sold to raise cash (which will be less effective if the country is in a massive depression at the time).

The reality or myth of peak oil is a greatly debated on the internet, news and in coffee shops around the world. Is it supply, demand or a weak dollar? If government or business are causing a false scarcity, or if the world is running out of oil are up for debate. The causes (and politics) of this issue are for other blogs to discuss: Our blog is more concerned on how to help you cope with the effects.

Higher price oil has ripple effects through the economy. Inflation, deflation, recessions or depressions are all concerns – However dealing with all of these events should already be in the survivalist’s future planning. But because this touches on so many areas of the preparedness process, some of the more important areas need to be addressed:

(1) Travel during normal times: As prices of fuel go up, the cost of traveling increases. Effects are seen economically as some people turn from sport utility vehicles to more gas efficient small cars or mini-vans. If a larger vehicle is paid for, it may be worth keeping for the basic reasons it was purchased: Being able to move more people and product more comfortably. Buying a cheap smaller car for short runs and commutes may be cost effective. (Before buying or selling a vehicle, determine how long it will take in gas price savings to pay for the vehicle. Then determine if it is acceptable). Spending less money on fuel will benefit the preparedness budget.

(2) In most suburban environments a grocery store and other common short distance commutes will often be less than a mile away (for 2 to 3 miles at the most). Consider buying a bicycle or adult tricycle for these commutes. Over a year the savings due to not using fuel should be considerable. It does have the down side of taking longer, but has the added benefit of physical activity (and weight loss). In an emergency situation, if vehicles do not run due to an EMP or absolute lack of fuel being physically fit enough to ride a bicycle several miles already will be a considerable advantage.

(3) Other oil base liquids (other than fuel) are used in vehicles, mowers, generators and lawn equipment. Motor oil is a good example. Chain lube for a chain saw is another example. Buy a couple of extra bottles of any liquid that is needed for any equipment, especially items that may be relied upon during an emergency situation.

(4) Food prices will go up with almost all other prices. Anything that is transported (which uses fuel) will cost more based on the distance it travels. This should not effect the planning for food stocks, other than how much is budgeted for purchases. Another side effect will be short term scarcity. If a grocery store (using just-in-time delivery) delay a shipment to combine it with more items to reduce costs, and item that ran out of stock may not be replenished for a couple of days. This is not a cause of alarm, but a reinforcement of keeping important items on hand at all time.

(5) A large number of products are made from oil: Plastics, fertilizers and rubber. Keep the increase in prices in mind when budgeting.

(6) Commute times! Many of those survivalists that stay in the suburbs do so because of jobs in the city. Calculate how much money is spent weekly commuting. As prices rise, consideration may be given to changing job or home locations, or other methods of travel.

(Note: We will have a short series on dealing with Peak Oil).

When making a list of items to stock up on, do not forget to include socks, underwear and bras. Although these would not be as big of a priority as food, water, firearms, ammo or medical supplies have a good stock of these items will help in the longer term survival situations. Undergarments do wear out, and clean functional undergarments add a level of hygiene, dignity and modesty that may not be had otherwise.

Every household should have a three to four weeks supply of all undergarments (for use during normal times). Having a larger stock stored away can be a good idea, after taking the following into account: Growth rates, weight changes, charity and second hand use.

(1) Growth rates - A three to four week supply of undergarments will probably out-live a growing child or young adult.
(2) Weight changes - If some members of the family are over weight, during a long term emergency, individuals may loose weight. However, some individuals may gain weight, especially if they eat calorie loaded foods as a mechanism for dealing with stress. Either way, the same problem with out growing applies to weight loss or gains but is not as predictable.
(3) Charity - Having clean underwear as a barter item, payment for work, or a charity item for neighbors (especially those with kids) can go along way.
(4) Second hand use - Most people do not like the concept of second hand undergarments, for understandable reasons. However, in a long term emergency prejudices like this may become less prevalent. Consider what types of hand me downs from one person to another may be used when planning on what items to purchase.

SurvivalBlog.com posted a letter from Matt on the 26th of June 2008 that made several interesting points: Included in those is that in 1964, a gallon of gasoline was approximately $0.21 per gallon. Matt made a case of how a 1921 Morgan coin would buy the same amount of gasoline, using the value of $20 for a 1921 Morgan dollar.

To follow up with more details: In 1964, a 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar coin would buy 2.38 gallons of gasoline. At today’s price (according to coinflation.com) that same Kennedy Half Dollar is worth $6.30 and will buy 1.61 gallons of gasoline (at $3.91 per gallon). Of course if that fifty cents had been deposited in the bank and earned no interest, it would only buy 0.12 gallons of gasoline (a medium sized cup).

The Ball Blue Book is a book that every survivalist should find a copy of. It is often considered the Bible of Canning. Even if there are no intentions of canning, this book will be very valuable in a long term emergency. There are online versions, which unless printed will be of little to no use in the case of a major power outage. It is highly recommended that you find a copy. Try Ebay.

Below are a few links from Ball:

• Ball home page
• Ball preserving recipe guide

Do a search on the internet for “FerFal” who wrote a series of emails / articles on his first-hand experience with the Argentine currency-collapse. His experiences are filled with gems of knowledge.

What is investing in Raw goods? Simply put, it means buying the typical food and goods a household would typically use in larger quantities at reduced prices to save money over the long term. This savings is equivalent to interest earned on investments. So when you save money on items that you would be purchasing anyways for household use, you are investing in raw goods, and may be able to get a better rate of return than some of the best choices on the stock market.

The savings is equivelent to interest earned on investments only when the purchases are items that would have been purchased regardless of the price.

Here are some examples:

First, if one were to normally purchase a loaf of bread for $1.00, but had a $0.50 off coupon for a premium brand of bread that cost $2.00, and purchased the premium bread instead. The Shopper has taken a loss of $0.50 instead of earning an investment. This is because money has spent money that would typically would not have been spent.

If there was a paticular brand of hair shampoo and conditioner that was prefered, and cost $1.00 per bottle, and a coupon could be found (in larger quanities) or a sale was offered for a Buy One Get One Free, where each bottle effectly cost $0.50, the shopper could save (or earn an return) of $0.50 for each bottle they purchased and used under normal conditions. Lets assume that a bottle of each would last a month before running out, and that the shelf life was estimated about 3 years. The wise shopper, could decided to purchase a 6 month, 1 year, or even 2 year supply of shampoo and conditioner. There are many considerations (listed below) in how much of a supply to buy, but as long as they would have been purchased anyways, and used normally, the shopper can earn quite a return on their investment. If the shopper were to buy a 1-Year supply (12 Bottles of each), which would cost $12.00, they will instantly save (earn) $12.00 that they would be spending on these goods throughout the year. Thus over the year, they will have earned $12.00 by not having to buy shampoo or conditioner again during that time frame.

Considerations to Purchasing Amounts

Expiration Dates - Products thrown away because they are expired are a LOSS, and must be deducted from your earnings. Be very aware of expiration dates.

Consumption Rates - The rate that products are consumed by a family will need to be generally known, so that items are not over purchased, and left in stock past the Expiration Dates.

Lower Sales Prices Later - Just because a price is 50% off now, does not mean that the price may not be lower later. A good Raw Goods Investor can use Sales and Coupons together and get many items at 70%, 80%, 90% off or even Free! Knowing how often an item goes on sales is important. Buying a 3-Year supply at 50% off of something will cause a great sinking feeling when 30 days later the entire 3-year supply could have been purchased for Free.

Desire - Sometimes a product looses its interest after a period of time. A family favorite today may be distasteful next year, and with 2 more years of the item in stock…

Locations - Everything must be stored somewhere. Most needs to be stored at a reasonable temperature, which means in the house. Paying for storage should not be an option.

Many banks have battery backups for the computer systems. However today’s banking is not just a closed system within a bank. A banks ability to cash a check, check account balances, make withdrawls or deposits are all dependent on the communication between banks in a secure financial version of the internet. There are power outage contingency plans, but how long will they continue to function during a power outage is unknown. The power outage in the North Eastern United States in 2003 was the first real world test of this system, and it passed.

Although banks may have been closed locally for customers locally, the banking system nation wide was only affected to a minor degree. However this was only for a short term power outage. The banking system in New Orleans did not fair so well after Hurricane Katrina. That power outage covered a much longer time period and there were infrastructure problems as well. As people left New Orleans they were unable to access funds in banks within that area.

ATMs will not function. Banks only have very limited cash on hand. In the event of an emergency with a power outage in other areas, even if banks are fully functional, withdrawing more than a couple of hundred dollars from a bank account will be impossible.