I am new to Y2K. How should I prepare for Jan 1. Do I need to cash my saving bonds? I don't know many people in town. Is it true the national guard will be called up to protect us? I have enough money to buy 2-3 extra days of food before my next social security check arrives. Someone said I had to buy a generator. Is this true? I won't be able to afford one. I don't have a gun either. What about the elderly?

-- Betty Monitor (bemon23@aol.com), October 25, 1999

Answers

Betty, A BIG welcome to our forum. You need to think of 3 things as most important. First is water. Store in soda bottles (not milk containers as they will leak eventually). You can live without food for awhile but not without water after a few days. Second is food. Just keep buying as much as you can everytime you go shopping as extra and store away. Rice and beans are usually the least expensive. Buy in bulk if you can to save, next time you get your SS check and have a bit extra. Third is warmth. Do you have a fireplace, woodstove, kerosene heater, warm clothes? Another nice thing to have is a way to protect yourself such as rifle, dog, etc. Go to Timebomb forum for lots of prep info. Someone will provide the link for you on this thread hopefully. You still have a bit of time if you get going and the forum members will be here for you. So ask away and know that we are one big family of people who care.

-- Debi (LongTimeLurker@shy.com), October 25, 1999.

Betty, Forgot to say that many of the forum members believe that banks will tank so we feel it prudent to have our cash in hand. If nothing happens then you lose a bit of interest for the next few months, but if it does, then yo have YOUR money and it's not lost in never-never land of digits. A generator is not a necessity, nice to have but how much gas could you store anyway? Better to have oil lamps, solar flashlights, solar baygen radio, etc. I'd rather see you spend the money you have on food. Hope this helps.

-- Debi (LongTimeLurker@shy.com), October 25, 1999.

Hello, Betty. There is another forum connected to this bulletin board that is for discussing Y2K preparations. You may find answers to a lot of your questions there:

Preparation Forum

There is also an archive of discussions regarding preparation at this link: Preparations archive

You may also find this link helpful: 14 days of preps

Good luck to you

-- (RUOK@yesiam.com), October 25, 1999.

Betty,

Rest assured, many of us preparing do not have generators. We have decided to prepare around electricity. Preparing on a limited budget can be challenging, indeed. Debi gave you excellent advice. The preperation forum will give you some good thrifty tips for preparing as well. The elderly, in my opinion are way ahead of the game when it comes to doing things the 'old fashioned' way. Good Luck to you!

-- Dian (bdp@accessunited.com), October 25, 1999.

Betty, Another great site with prep ideas and lots of info is www.y2kwomen.com Also, don't tell anyone you are prepping or you will have hordes of people at your door who will remember you are the one with the food. See, I told you the nice folks here would be quick with the links for you. : )

-- Debi (LongTimeLurker@shy.com), October 25, 1999.

Betty,

It sounds like you are on a very minimal budget. The things you need to be prepared are inexpensive but it is best to have enough to last a while. I think this would be a good time to get help from some of the charitable organizations in your area. Contact Salvation Army, FEMA, and a Christian or other religious charity and tell them you are worried that you may not have sufficent preparations. They will make sure you have enough warm clothing and basic food and necessities. They are there to help you so do not be afraid to ask.

It might also be a good idea to ask your local police if they will be patrolling the neighborhood if the power goes out for a while. There is not likely to be any immediate danger unless the disruptions last a long time, but you will feel safer to know that they'll be keeping an eye out for you. If you can't afford to have a gun, as Debi suggested a dog would be an excellent idea and you can get one free at your Humane Society shelter. Take care and best wishes to you.

-- @ (@@@.@), October 25, 1999.

You can find many useful low-priced preparation items at yard and estate sales and thrift shops. Think of things that don't require electricity--kero heaters, oil lamps, candles, manual kitchen appliances (egg-beaters, coffee-grinders, percolators, and so on), chafing dishes or even fondue pots which can be used for heating water and soup via Sterno. You might also want to pick up extra comforters and blankets. Your police and fire departments will have a free program where they will come to your home and tell you what vulnerabilities you have. Sometimes the fire department gives out free smoke detectors.

Is there a food co-op in your area? If so, try to find the funds to join--you will find younger people there who may be able to help you.

The most important piece of information I can give you is about any medication you may be taking. Talk to your doctor, feel him or her out. If your doctor is aware there may be problems due to Y2K, ask if he will double or triple your prescription so that you have a stash of meds--this is the first thing you should do if you are on life-sustaining medication. Otherwise, ask for a private (non-Medicare) prescription and pay for the meds yourself, if you can. This advice is offered because 80 percent of medication ingredients come from overseas. Stock up on any OTCs you might need as well.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), October 25, 1999.

Thanks troops. Once again you foiled the cocked and locked delete finger. Which finger is getting pretty frustrated which is a GOOD thing.

Nice going! Good, reasonable answers.

Betty, most of these answers have been pretty reasonable. SOMETIMES some of us tend towards less reasoned responses. Don't let that stop you from preparing for whatever you CAN.

SYSOP # 3

-- I AM just a number # 3 (sysops@re.us), October 25, 1999.

At this late stage of the game, do you all think it wise to steer folks away from using well cleaned out milk containers? I mean time is getting short and it's my understanding that the platic will hold up for a least a period of months.

As far as the Rx's go Betty. I've heard from someone on Medicaid that their insurance wouldn't cover Rx's. a few months into the future. She would have to pay for them from her own pocket. If that's your case, I read on another forum of a woman who's doc wrote her Rx. with double the amt. she was to take each day,i.e. instead of the Rx. saying she was to take the tablets twice a day, it was for four times/day. The doc instructed her to ONLY take it twice a day, but it gave her twice as much medication on one prescription. You might want to see if your doc is willing to do that if he/she agrees 01-01 may bring difficulties.

-- beej (beej@ppbbs.com), October 25, 1999.

Get yourself several very warm head coverings. Gloves, long johns, etc. Hit a K-Mart sale :-) Buy long-stemmed wooden matches for those candles (easier on the fingers). Ask your local fire department for a battery-operated smoke and also carbon monoxide detector. Find a grocery-outlet type store in your town and stock up on no-cook no-add-water canned items like soups, ravioli, corn, stew, etc.
And keep adding water, water, water, water, water, water. So much is used for hydration, cleaning -- more than one thinks!

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), October 25, 1999.

There are two problems with milk jugs. They MAY leak (especially if filled with liquids for a long time and stored in the sun). The embedded milk particles create a sanitation (bacteria) problem. I have been collecting the jugs all year. I will not fill them before late December, so I am not concerned about leaks. I can either purify the water (by boiling or filtering) or use it for purposes other than drinking water. I think what is most important is to have enough containers on hand and a way to ensure that enough water is fit to drink.

Betty, where do you live? If far enough south, then alternative heat is less of an issue.

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), October 25, 1999.

Betty: I think your best bet, if water is a problem, is to purchase precooked food in a can (refried beans, chili, etc.). You can always eat them cold if you don't have a heating source. Sterno's are excellent, or purchase the fondue/chafing dish candles to heat your food. Heat your food in the can, that way you won't waste water washing a pan. Purchase plastic forks and spoons. Also, Rice-a-Roni with a small can of cooked chicken mixed together makes a hearty meal. Become a coupon clipper to stretch those dollars. Think water and lots of it. Get busy....P.S. WalMart has lots of those votive orange and black candles for Halloween, so I plan to help them open their doors the day after Halloween and purchase all that they have left.

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), October 25, 1999.

Betty, Take your time but hurry, time is running out, cash in your savings bonds and buy water, food & warmth in that order. If you think 2-3 days of extra water/food will be enough, ask this ? how long do you plan to go hungry? It's good you don't know to many people, because they don't know you either, be low key & don't say anything to anyone about Y2K, because they will think your kooky and remember you. If you have a home & pay the water bill, look at your last bill to see how many gallons you use, this will give you an idea why water comes first. Good Luck

-- Judy (Dodgeball@aol.com), October 25, 1999.

For all here. I'm always looking for good bargains and we used canned meats even without elec. problems. Here's some deals we have in the Delaware area. You might want to check these stores if you have them too.

A.C.MOORE CRAFT STORE: I'm assuming other craft supply stores would carry the boxes with about 10 warming candles that the box states will burn approx. 5 hrs. each. I've found these boxes for 75 to 99 cents. These come in handy if you don't have or don't desire a hurricane lamp. BTW...this store sells a grouping of about 5 round wicks. These fit the box of two medium sized, clear hurricane lamps that WalMart sells for around $10. Also a great way to go Betty. Simply stock up on some gallon sized bottles of the lamp oil. They run $2.97/bottle presently.

FAMILY DOLLAR STORE: They have a lg. can of roast beef and gravy. Note the gravy is listed last as it should be..not much of it there..grin. They're $1.50/can. Bought two this wk.end to see how they were. GOOD. Since our pantries should (if possible) have fruit in them, for a treat I buy the small cans of Mandarin Orange slices in this store. They're 50 cents/can...I know..no big bargain but they're good. They also have great deals if you're looking for cleaning goods and such.

K-MART: They have lots of canned meat products at good prices.

We have a mom & pop grocery in our town that carries packages of powdered brown,chicken,turkey and pork gravies that you mix with water. If you've already purchased some canned chicken (Sam's has a great price), buy one of those large bags of pasta and rice and you can make some great dishes mixing and matching the canned meats,pasta or rice. To round out the meal, you can add some canned veggies.

beej

-- beej (beej@ppbbs.com), October 25, 1999.

ARG!!! The wicks obviously don't fit the box although you could attempt to get light by lighting the cardboard...rofl...wouldn't provide light for very long. Try replacing the wicks on the hurricane lamps instead. Guaranteed more light that way...grin.

beej

-- beej (beej@ppbbs.com), October 25, 1999.

Judy,

"buy water"? No, not necessary, and a total ripoff. With just a small bit of frugality, water cost = $0.00.

-- @ (@@@.@), October 25, 1999.

Welcome aboard, Betty. I am so glad you came here for help...just see the response you are already getting. We have each come and found the same kindness. Keep on asking whatever questions arise as you prepare.

I find the Sunday newspaper in the DC area to be worth its weight in gold. First thing I do is check each store's inserts for their weekly specials. Then I clip the coupons that come in that paper...two big, fat sections worth. Then I match the coupons to the sales. I recently got $17.34 worth of my favorite sensitive toothpaste for only $1.50 by this combination!!! You can do this, too. It is a lot of work to go store-to-store each week, just rigorously limiting oneself to what's on special and on the coupons, but it is well worth it. Sure beats starving next year!

Since time is short and money tight, you can find gallons of water as cheaply as $.58 each, and at least have that on hand. If you have an extra bathroom, the tub makes a nice, snug, safe from leaks place to store it. In a case of six gallons, it will take someone strong to bring the water in, but that involves trusting someone to know that you are prepping. May wish to buy them all at once, but open the cartons and bring the jugs in two at a time after dark. Takes a lot of trips, but it can all be done in one evening that way.

Don't forget a good flashlight and lots of extra batteries and some bulbs. Batteries are always on sale somewhere nearby in my area. May God bless you as you prepare.

A gun would be a big help, but you have to know how to use one safely, which means a couple of lessons at least. Second-hand is cheapest way to go.

I don't know what, if anything, your community is doing for the elderly, but yesterday I got good word about something being done in my community for a terminally-ill gentleman, and that was encouraging. He is disabled by his illness, and receives welfare of some sort. He said some agency in our otherwise lax county is giving him 3 months of medications ahead and will provide him with some canned goods and water jugs. You may have a county program to help you.

-- Elaine Seavey (Gods1sheep@aol.com), October 25, 1999.

Get the basics and get them NOW before the herd...

1. Water, water, water ( watertanks.com) 2. Waste disposal (could be a 5-gallon bucket at Dunkin' Donuts) 3. Food (Not just beans and rice, but stuff you like) 4. Shot Gun (People will kill for #3. in a crisis) 5. Heat (If needed - get Alco- Brite Cook-N-Heat (Cook Food, Boil Water Keep Warm, Ethanol that can be used indoors safely)

BUT PLEASE DO IT NOW... THERE's NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT..

Good Luck

-- PJC (paulchri@msn.com), October 25, 1999.

I agree with Judy to purchase water instead of emptying soda pop bottles. It sounds like Betty is a single elderly person. Purchasing soda pop just to empty the bottle to put water in it to me is not very economical. WalMart has distilled water for .57 cents a gallon. Soda pop costs more than that and is only a liter not a gallon. If Betty starts now, she can purchase enough each week and set aside to keep her going for a while. Have on hand some containers to catch rainwater to flush the toilet and wash clothes.

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), October 25, 1999.

Have on hand lots of warm clothes, coats and blankets. I worry that when TSHTF, many DGI's and people who haven't finished prepping will feel compelled to use their kitchen stove, etc for staying warm. It happens every year and they die by the dozens. Bundle up and stay in a small room, it will conserve your body heat. This, of course, if you don't have woodstove, etc.

And, of course, everyone above was correct. Water, water, water - you can't live without it.

-- dakota (none@thistime.com), October 25, 1999.

Betty,

You don't need a gun, you need a team. Find people you can team up with, people you trust and think you can work with. You need at least a half-dozen adults in your team, to divide responsibilities and to act as sounding boards for each other. Otherwise you'll just go nuts.

Having a group also helps when you do those shopping trips - you can get price breaks by buying by the case, or buying the larger bags of bulk foods. Buy what you now eat, just more of it. Ignore people who say you can't survive Y2k without a 50 lb sack of wheat - unless that's how you already cook!

-- bw (home@puget.sound), October 25, 1999.