Get Organized with the Preparedness Planner

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Let’s take an informal poll.  How many of you have tons of preps?  How many of you know you have a lot of stuff, but have no clue how much you have, how much you want, and where it is located?

In the past, I have tried to keep track of my own preps both with an excel spreadsheet and using software and apps sent to me for review.  With all of the time I have spent attempting to get organized, my preps are still in disarray and none of the apps made it to the website for review purposes.

You guessed it.  They took time to figure out and even after doing so, did not deliver my number one goal: ease of use plus the ability to make changes and print out the results.

Today I am happy to report that after using it for a month, I am pleased with the Family Preparedness Planner & Record Keeper.  Let me rephrase that.  I am thrilled with the planner and think you will be too.

So here is the deal.  Jennifer has agreed to award two Backdoor Survival readers with a copy of the Family Preparedness Planner & Record Keeper plus two additional planners: the Firearms Planner and Essential Oils Planner.

But first, a little bit about the planner itself.

The Family Preparedness Planner

The Family Preparedness Planner is a comprehensive storage planner and record keeper that is 100% printable.  It has forms, planning sheets, checklists, plus valuable information about food products,  food storage, water, bug-out bags, documents, medical supplies, toiletries, seeds, pet supplies and of course, survival gear and tools.

The heart of the planner is its flexibility.  You can pick and choose what you want to use and customize the planner to suit your own needs.  Let me give you an example.  I don’t care about advance meal planning when it comes to food storage.  As a result, I did not use the section on planning that lets you create a plan then back into your food storage “wish list”.

On the other hand, the inventory and annual balance sheet sections are perfect for the way my brain is wired.  I started by recording with what I have on hand.  From there, I determined what I felt was an adequate inventory and set those up as my goals.

Now here is the deal.  Since I routinely use my food storage, I now have an easy way to remove something from my inventory without losing track of what I have left.  All I need to do is subtract the item from my inventory sheet.  Easy peasy.

The same principle applies to my essential oils.  As you can see, I have a ton of oils with some set aside for SHTF purposes.  To be honest, the SHTF oils were tucked away and I had no idea what I had.  Most notably, I thought I had two large bottles each of Melaleuca (tea tree), Oregano, and Shield Blend and oops, I had only one each of the first two and none of the latter.  Now that I am organized, when I remove a bottle for current use, I will have someplace to note that my spare has been removed.

The Firearms edition works the same way and Shelly has begun to work through and record his inventory of ammo.

Note:  The Essential Oils and Firearms planners can be ordered on their own and do not require the purchase of the more comprehensive Family Preparedness Planner.

So what is not to like?  The spacing of the lines and boxes on the forms is a bit small.  I solved the problem by using two lines for each item. For me, that was a lot easier than writing in small print. Since I can print out additional sheets any time I want, this was not a big deal.  That’s it.  There was not much not to like.

The planners come to you in a PDF format and you must print out the pages yourself.  This means that you can print new blank sheets on a whim; something I found very handy.  After printing your planner, you want to put the sheets in a three-ring binder as I did.  That way they will stay nice and organized.  I even added some tabs but of course, that is optional.

The Giveaway

Here is the part you are waiting for.  I have two complete sets of planners up for grabs.  Each set includes the Family Preparedness Planner plus the Essential Oils and Firearms Planner.  To enter, use the Rafflecopter form below.

The deadline is 6:00 PM Pacific next Tuesday with the winner notified by email and announced on the Rafflecopter in the article.  Please note that the winner must claim their book within 48 hours or an alternate will be selected.

Important:  If you purchase a Family Preparedness Planner and subsequently win the giveaway, your money will be refunded.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Final Word

Let us welcome in the new year with a resolution to get organized.  For sure, getting organized is on my bucket list and with just a tiny bit of effort and a couple of additional hours, I know that with the Preparedness Planner I will get there.

I hope you enter the giveaway; this is really a good one!

Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!
Gaye

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The article I wrote on DIY cleaning turned out to be hugely popular all around the web. In cased you missed it, here is a link to the article Prepper Checklist: DIY Cleaning Supplies and to some of the products that I use to make my own cleaners.

No list of DIY cleaning supplies would be complete without these wonderful microfiber cloths. They will last you for years and will allow you to replace paper towels forever. Truly. I color code using blue for glass and windows and the other colors for everything else. I love these.

Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds Liquid Cleanser: I know that Dr. Bronner’s Magic Castile soaps have a cult-like following but I prefer the Sal Suds. I call my DIY cleaner “Sudsy Sal”.

Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps Pure-Castile Soap: Of all of Dr. Bronner’s Castile soaps, peppermint is my favorite.   I use it to make “Peppermint Magic”, an all purposed cleaner.

Soft ‘n Style 8 oz. Spray Bottles: I happen to like these smaller bottles and you can not beat the price for a set of 3. Likewise for these Pump Dispensers.

NOW Solutions Vegetable Glycerin: You will need this for your Dirt Cheap Soft Soap. I paid almost as much for only 4 ounces locally. This is a great price and 16 ounces will last forever.

Peppermint Essential Oil: I favor peppermint and tea tree (Melaleuca) essential oil in my cleaning supplies. But there are many types of essential oils to choose from. Take your pick. One thing you will find is that a little goes a long way.  The nice thing about essential oils from Spark Naturals is that they are also excellent for therapeutic and healing use and well as for use in DIY cleaning supplies.  Just remember to use the code BACKDOORSURVIVAL at checkout to get 10% off your order.

Budget Essential Oils:  For the budget minded – and especially for use in cleaning supplies – consider NOW Foods Essential Oils.

Mobile Washer: This is a hand operated washing machine. Like a plunger, it uses a technique of pushing and pulling the water through clothes to clean them well without wearing them out. It uses a minimum of water and less soap due to the agitation motion. Use in a bucket (5-gallon suggested), sink or tub.

Help support Backdoor Survival. Purchases earn a small commission and for that I thank you!

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Which are the best oils for your survival kit?  This article describes my top picks.