NorthStarXO  

Honestly, with the economy, I think the most important part of your winter preps will be food & clothing and a way to heat & cook without power.

Food will be a huge issue as manufacturing plants slow production. People aren't planning the huge parties so not as much food will be sold so stores will not buy as much which will cause manufacturers to slow production which will increase layoffs which will leave people with even less money to purchase necessary items. Sooooo, if you still have a job right now I'd be using every available dollar for food & clothing or save up for paying your utilities because you don't know how long you'll have that job.

If you've already lost your job, I'm really sorry. But there are some things you can do. GET ASSISTANCE. You should never be too proud to accept assistance from a program you've been paying in to. Make sure your rent/mortgage is paid - that's the main thing, have a place to live.

If you can, move in with other family members and BE GRACIOUS about it. It sucks for everyone but in these times you have o do what you have to do.

Use your food stamps to purchase storable foods, not frozen, packaged goods that are a waste of money & nutrition. Shop the sales, use coupons if they're available for what you're buying and use every dime you're given. Also, supplement with extras from the food bank but don't take more than you need. Times are tough even for the food banks who are seeing a HUGE increase in needy families and a huge decrease in donations.

For heat, first of all, wear more clothing. Always wear several light, loose layers of clothing. I even wear a hat indoors at night because out upstairs has no heat and downstairs in the morning, if the fire has gone out, is downright nippy. If you're going outside the house make sure you're properly dressed.

Staying warm in the house and then going outside and getting a bone chilling wastes all that energy you used to get warm. Try staying warm and dry and make sure your extremities are kept warm - hands, feet and face. Remember, also, to keep your mouth covered so that you're not breathing in the freezing cold air. It's better that it's warmed some. Wet clothes wick the heat off your body. Make sure you know the temps and the wind chills. Frostbite and wind burn can happen before you even realize so stay out of the wind as much as possible.

If you don't have carpeting, which I don't, I have hardwood floors, they can get cold. Use area rugs or blankets or do what I do - socks & slippers or socks & shoes.

Don't heat unnecessary areas of your home by strategically opening and closing doors. You can hang blankets or plastic sheeting between rooms to block them off. I suggested last week that you use the plastic window sealing kits, especially in unused rooms and close those off so they're not losing or using heat. Also, start doing more things together as a family. More people in a room means more body heat which equals warmth. In this day and age our kids go off to their rooms or game/play rooms which someone's in the kitchen and someone's in the living room, someone's working in the office, etc. It's a waste of power and during critical times it's a waste of heat. Gather together for family events like watching a movie, playing board games or even video games together if that's what you're into but if the power is off remember that you're going to need every degree of energy to keep warm.

If the cold is critical then you can all sleep in the same room, like a living room so that you only have to heat one room. We’ve had to do that.

This is a good time of year to hit the Goodwill stores, the second hand stores, etc. and buy blankets, used clothing, etc. and get the most for your money. I’ve seen gloves on sale at the big box stores for $1 a pair for the one size fits all knit gloves. Layer 2-3 pairs of those. I have a whole bucket full. Layer socks and clothes, too. For women, a bra, a t-shirt, a loose long sleeve shirt and a button-up shirt over that is a nice layer and it can look nice f you have the ability to coordinate which I do not. I am definitely my father’s daughter but I’m warm.

The best place for babies is in someone’s arms swaddle them up and keep them close.

This time of year, also make sure you have candles, lanterns, oil, wicks and spare burners. Definitely oil. Last year we came close to running out of oil and NO STORE in the area had any left. We made it through but we’ve been buying it all year since then. Wicks & burners are handy to have in case yours burns out.

If you’re using battery powered items make sure you have spare batteries or get the hand cranked ones that work great. Solar re-chargers would also be helpful but unless you have a lot of disposable income right now, lets just stick with the basics.

If it’s freezing out, move the regular fridge items outside so that you’re not opening & closing the refrigerator. Use coolers outside, also. If it’s below freezing outside then even the freezer food will be fine as long as you keep it out of the sun.

If you are in a winter emergency without any backup heat, you can use candles or "canned heat" like sterno or chafing dish fuel. Even the flame of one candle can generate enough heat t o keep a person from freezing to death. However, never leave candles burning unattended or
while you are steeping. Make sure there is nothing burnable close to the candles, and that they are secure in a candle holder that can't be knocked over onto a burnable surface. Keep them away from small children.

lf you will use back-up heat that involves an open flame (such as kerosene or propane), ventilation is required. Always place the propane or kerosene heater in front of the ventilation opening (such as a window open 1/4 inch). If you place it away from the ventilation, the fumes will first fill the room before they exit from the window. It is a life-saving idea to have a carbon monoxide and smoke detector in rooms where you use open-flame heaters.

Never use charcoal briquettes or Coleman fuel camp stoves inside a house or garage for cooking or keeping warm in a winter weather emergency. People die every year from carbon monoxide poisoning when they fire up charcoal briquettes inside the house to keep warm.

Never run an electrical generator inside a house or a garage. Always put it outside. Make sure it stays dry and let it cool down before re-fueling it.

Carbon monoxide poisoning is always a risk if using open-flame heating indoors. When using any kind of inside heat with an open flame, if the room seems "stuffy" and you begin to feel headachy and lethargic and/or your vision gets blurry, get everyone out of the room and ventilate it with fresh air immediately. Pregnant women, children, and unborn babies are particularly at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

With all forms of alternative open flame heating, beware of the fire danger. Place a fire extinguisher where it can be quickly used. If you don't have a fire extinguisher. get a couple of large boxes of baking soda and a bucket of sand.

In a power outage, many people with natural gas stoves will use them for emergency heat. However, don't keep a gas stove burning 24 hours a day for heat because they aren't designed for that. Turn the burners on to warm things up for an hour or so and then turn the
burners off, as if you were cooking a meal. Turn the oven on, at a moderate temperature, for 2 or 3 hours and then tum it off for a while. Don't leave the oven door open if you use it to provide heat, that will burn out the thermostat and then the stove won't light. The warmth will still move through the room with the door closed. While you have the oven on, make some biscuits, a cake, a nice casserole, or something else good to eat to help you stay warm.

This is all under your own control.