You’d be surprised how many such prep supplies you already have stuffed in the back of a closet. Go through the house like you’re doing a garage sale or a major spring cleaning. Before you put anything in the trash, think how it could be used in prepping. All that unused sports equipment may have a use. Consider alternative uses for the kids’ kits for this or that. Those old student backpacks, keep them for small emergency packs for those who can’t carry huge ones. Don’t forget about entertainment with board games and arts and crafts.
I told my husband we need to unpack the camping gear that’s out in his building and bring it into the basement. I don’t want mice getting to the sleeping bags! We do have a decent start but our last house had the gas stove so I never really worried too much about short term outages. I’ve always been able to feed everyone warm food from the stove. It’s different at the new house and I can’t really afford to go out and buy a brand new stove.
I tend to throw things away before I think. I can’t stand clutter with this many kids. If everyone only has a little clutter, the combination of it all makes my head spin. I just need to keep unpacking and get us organized then I will breathe a bit easier.
Thanks for the solar oven tips. I’ll keep googling and Pinteresting in the evenings after the kids have gone to bed to get the priorities in order. I’m so grateful for these threads!