Preparedness Challenges

Each month, I share Preparedness Challenges to help you gather food storage and emergency supplies throughout the year. Each week there is a printable you can download for FREE. Spreading out your gathering will help your finances. If you cannot afford anything, no worries. Just gather a smaller amount or gather it next year. You CAN do it!

JANUARY: 72-Hour Kit & Make Bread

  • WEEK 1 – 1. Budget For Food Storage, Emergency Funds and Emergency Supplies; 2. Stock Up on a Few Toiletries
  • WEEK 2 – 1. Make 2 Preparedness Binders; 2. Organize Your Kitchen Cupboards
  • WEEK 3 – 1. Learn How to Make Bread; 2. Decide How Much Wheat to Store; 3. Buy Long-Term Wheat
  • WEEK 4 – 1. Find a 72-Hour Kit Bag; 2. Add Water, Toilet Paper, and Travel Toiletries to Your Kit

FEBRUARY: Communication, Breakfast Foods & Oats

  • WEEK 1 – 1. Add Items to Grab and Go Kit; 2. Create Family Communication Plan; 3. Create Evacuation Grab and Go List
  • WEEK 2 – 1. Gather a 3-Month Supply of Breakfast Foods; 2. Gather a Supply of Long-Term Oats
  • WEEK 3 – 1. Clean Out Your Toothbrush Area; 2. Buy a 1-Month Supply of Dental Toiletries; 3. Organize Your Dental Toiletries
  • WEEK 4 – 1. Cell Phone with Text; 2. Solar Cell Phone Charger; 3. Cell Phone Emergency Apps

MARCH: First Aid, Beans & Fish

  • WEEK 1 – 1. Resupply First Aid Supplies; 2. Clean Out and Resupply Medicines; 3. Gather Pandemic Supplies
  • WEEK 2 – 1. Gather Beans and Fish Into Your 3-Month Food Supply; 2. Make a Recipe Using Beans or Fish
  • WEEK 3 – 1. Buy Long-Term Beans Into Your Food Storage; 2 Buy a Pressure Cooker (Coming Soon!)
  • WEEK 4 – 1. Buy Garden Seeds; 2. Add Mini-First Aid Kit, Needle & Thread, Rain Poncho & Healing Oil to 72-Hour Kit (Coming Soon!)

APRIL: Sanitation, Tomatoes & Pasta

  • WEEK 1 – 1. Decide How Much Pasta and Tomato Products to Store in a 3-month Supply; 2. Gather a 3-Month Supply of Pasta and Tomato Products
  • WEEK 2 – 1. Make a Sanitation Cleanup Kit; 2. Study Emergency Toilets
  • WEEK 3 – 1. Gather a 1-Month Supply of Sanitation and Hygiene Supplies; 2. Gather 72-Hour Kit Sanitation and Hygiene Supplies
  • WEEK 4 – 1. Decide How Much Long-Term Pasta to Store; 2. Gather Long-Term Pasta

MAY: Emergency Cooking, Condiments & Spices

  • WEEK 1 – 1. Decide How You Will Cook After a Disaster; 2. Gather Emergency Cooking Supplies
  • WEEK 2 – 1. Decide Which Condiments to Store; 2. Buy a 3 to 12 Month Supply of Condiments; 3. Research The Shelf-Life of Your Condiments
  • WEEK 3 – 1. Buy Long-term Dehydrated Onions
  • WEEK 4 – 1.  Gather a Supply of Disposable Picnic Supplies

JUNE: Light, Water & Beverages

  • WEEK 1 – 1. Buy a Water Storage Container; 2. Fill A Water Storage Container
  • WEEK 2 – 1. Underwear and Socks; 2. Rain Poncho and Flashlight
  • WEEK 3 – 1. Buy a Cooler and Ice Packs; 2. Buy an Appliance Thermometer
  • WEEK 4 – 1. Gather Fortified and Electrolyte Beverages; 2. Gather Nonfat-Dry Milk

JULY: Fire Safety, Rice & Meat

  • WEEK 1 -1. Buy/Test Fire Safety Equipment; 2. Buy or Gather Rescue Supplies
  • WEEK 2 – 1. Gather Rice Into 3-Month Supply; 2. Gather Canned Meat Into Food Storage 
  • WEEK 3 – 1. Buy Long-Term Rice for Food Storage 2. Crate a Family Emergency Plan (Coming Soon!)
  • WEEK 4 – 1. Add Face Mask, Bandana, Water Filter Bottle & Wash Cloth to 72-Hour Kit (Coming Soon!)

AUGUST: Shelter, Vegetables & Potatoes

  • WEEK 1 – 1. Gather Emergency Shelter Equipment
  • WEEK 2 – 1. Buy Short-Term Vegetables; 2. Buy Long-Term Vegetables
  • WEEK 3 – 1. Buy Canning Jars and Food Storage Containers; 2. Add 72-Hour Kit Shelter Activities
  • WEEK 4 – 1. Buy a Dehydrator (Coming Soon!)

SEPTEMBER: Emergency Power, Fruits, Nuts & Seeds

  • WEEK 1 – 1. Gather Short-term Fruit, Nuts and Seeds; 2. Gather Long-term Fruit
  • WEEK 2 – 1. Buy a Generator and Fuel; 2. Buy Heavy-Duty Extension Cords; 3. Buy Extra Batteries
  • WEEK 3 – 1. Add Sturdy Shoes, Shirts and Pants to Your 72-Hour Kit
  • WEEK 4 – 1. Work on Preparedness in a Rational Way

OCTOBER: Warmth, Oils & Fats

  • WEEK 1 – 1. Inventory Oils and Fats; 2. Buy a 3-Month Supply of Oils and Fats
  • WEEK 2 – 1. Inventory Blankets, Beanies, Mittens and Gloves; 2. Add warm items to 72-hour kit
  • WEEK 3 – 1. Get a Winter Coat (Coming Soon!)
  • WEEK 4 – 1. Buy a Preparedness Book; 2. Buy a Space Heater & Fuel (Coming Soon!)

NOVEMBER: Laundry, Baking Basics & Soups

  • WEEK 1 – 1. Gather a 3-Month Supply of Baking Basics; 2. Gather Long-Term Flour
  • WEEK 2 – 1. Gather a 1 to 3-Month Supply of Canned Soup and Broth
  • WEEK 3 – 1. Add Emergency Tools To Your 72-hour Kit
  • WEEK 4 –  1. Gather Emergency Laundry Supplies; 2. Buy Home Laundry Supplies

DECEMBER: Sugars, Honey & Vitamins

  • WEEK 1 – 1. Buy Sugars and Honey For 3-Month Supply; 2. Buy Long-term Sugar & Honey
  • WEEK 2 – 1. Gather 72-Hour Kit Personal Items; 2. Buy Duct Tape & Manual Can Opener
  • WEEK 3 – 1. Buy Vitamin C or Other Vitamins (Coming Soon!)
  • WEEK 4 – 1. Buy Lotion, Dish Soap, Liquid Hand Soap & Lip Balm for Home Storage (Coming Soon!)