Author Archives: Marily

Financial Preparedness Advice from Money Bloggers

One important part of preparing for the future is having your finances in order. The money blog here at families.com is a great resource for learning to budget your money, save, invest, and get out of debt. Here are some great articles to read that will help you be financially prepared for whatever life has to offer: Preparing for death: Writing Down Your Wishes Everyone should have a will, especially those with children or those married with children from a previous relationship. The Basics of Estate Planning For more information on starting a will or trust, read this article. Getting … Continue reading →

When a Stay-at-Home Mom Must Go to Work

If you are a mother (or father) who stays home with the children, you may not consider how important it might be to have a plan for having to provide for the family in the event of an emergency. However uncomfortable the topic may seem, it is important to consider what your family would do in the event of the death, disability, or job loss of the breadwinner. Stay-at-home parents must make sure to have a fall-back plan in the event that they must go to work. Be educated. Some women who get married and have children young do not … Continue reading →

Preparing to Be Out of Work

None of us wants to admit that there might be a time when there is a sudden loss of income. A job loss or disability can be devastating. However, if you prepare before something like this happens, you will have a sense of security even at this uncertain time. Get disability insurance. How would you provide for your family if one of the two family breadwinners was injured? Or what if the sole provider for your family was not able to go to work? If you are relatively healthy, disability insurance can be quite inexpensive. Of course this depends on … Continue reading →

Savings: One of the Most Versatile Preparedness Tools

With all of our daily, weekly, and monthly expenses, it can be really hard to set any money aside for a rainy day. But, it can be possible even if you do not think so. And, the money you save is one of the most useful things you can have in the event of an emergency. Budget your money. By budgeting and allocating your expenses, you can more easily set aside money into your savings. If you do not make plans for saving your money, it most likely will not happen. You may choose to set aside a certain percentage … Continue reading →

Week in Review: Canned Foods and Babies

This week we have learned about storing canned foods and preparing for baby’s needs during an emergency. Here is a brief synopsis of each article in case you missed any of them. What Do the Dates on Your Canned Foods Mean? The codes on our canned foods sure can be confusing! What do they mean, and can they tell you how long your food will last on your shelf? Here are a few tips for deciphering the codes on your cans. How Long Will Your Canned Foods Last? It is tricky to guess how long you might be able to … Continue reading →

Make Your Own Baby Foods in an Emergency

Here are a couple of recipes for making whole-grain baby cereals at home with your stored foods. These are great options for emergencies, but also for good times as well. By making your own baby foods, you have more control over the nutrition your baby is getting, and you can choose to use a variety of grains that cannot be found in your average supermarket. Baby whole grain cereal Use barley, brown rice, oatmeal, or a combination of any of these in this recipe: Grind your whole grain(s) in a blender or food processor until they are a very smooth … Continue reading →

Special Considerations for Storing Baby Foods

If you have a baby in the house, it is important to consider what baby will need in an emergency. As with many stored foods, the nutritive value of canned foods slightly decreases over time. For most people this is not a big problem, but for infants those vitamins and nutrients are more crucial. It is also more important to keep your foods fresh and safe for feeding to baby. Here are some points to consider when storing food for babies and toddlers: Look ahead. Unless you want to have to update your baby’s emergency food supply every couple of … Continue reading →

Making Baby Foods from Stored Foods

It is important to remember baby’s needs when planning for emergencies. There are a couple of different approaches you may choose to take in order to provide for baby when it is most critical. You may choose to store ready-to-eat baby foods, but you also may want to know how to make your own baby foods from other stored items. The ingredients for these foods generally store longer than the canned baby foods, and of course they are more versatile. Things like rice, wheat, and dehydrated vegetables can be used for making baby foods and in cooking meals for the … Continue reading →

A Surprising Story of 100-Year-Old Meat

Still not sure you want to store canned foods for years on your shelves for emergency preparedness? Would you guess that a can of meat could last more than 100 years? Perhaps this story will convince you of the long shelf life of canned foods. Canned foods were first introduced at the turn of the 19th century. It was a revolutionary concept–to be able to store perishable foods in containers without refrigeration. One of the things that really encouraged their use was the practicality of canned foods in ships for long voyages. In the 1820’s Sir William Edward Parry took … Continue reading →

Canned Food Storage Safety

Some canned foods can last almost indefinitely if they are stored in the right conditions and are not dented or bulging. Make sure to exercise discretion when using old canned foods. And keep these safety tips in mind when storing canned foods for long periods of time: * Always remember to label your cans as you buy them. I would recommend simply writing the month and year they were purchased on the top of the can with permanent marker. For most items, you should be quite safe to eat these items within two years of this date. After two years, … Continue reading →