Recipe of the Week: Luscious Chocolate Sauce, by C.S.

This recipe yields about 2-2 ½ cups of sauce.

Ingredients:

Directions:

  1. Put condensed milk, chocolate, and salt in the top of a double boiler. Add water to the lower portion and heat water to boiling.
  2. Cook contents over rapidly boiling water, stirring often, until thick (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat.
  3. Slowly stir in hot water to desired constancy.
  4. Stir in vanilla extract; remove from heat and cool to use in recipes or as topping.

Note: If you have any leftover sauce, refrigerate it. If it becomes thicker than you like, just add more HOT water and thin to desired consistency.

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Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:

Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? Please send it via e-mail. Thanks!

Letter Re: Uncommon Calibers

Hugh,

I can respectfully understand one reason that someone would switch to a non-standard unpopular cartridge; hear me out on this one. I don’t want to start an argument about what is better; I just want to say whatever you have at hand that you can hit a target with might be what’s best for you! Whatever works for you is what you might want to stock up on. It’s always cheaper to have common stuff, but it might not be your best solution.

Consider my situation. I found out this year that I have carpel tunnel and my right hand has nerve damage, after years of doing computer-related work. I started noticing that my hands would become painful upon waking up and even get numb at times during the day.

I used to carry (concealed a Sig P290 or Ruger P95DC 9mm or a heavy 357 Ruger GP100 357) but realized that the recoil wasn’t doing my hands any favors (and I noticed that I’m shooting a lot less also). I realized I had zero issue shooting a 22, due to no recoil at all, and so I decided that I needed to read up and research 22 for self defense. (It’s not an idea I accepted at first, for obvious reasons.)

Then I stumbled on to this, and this article made me take a look and decide the merits of shelling out the cash.

The five seven pistol has a 20 round standard magazine, and the PS90 carbine has a 50 round standard magazine along with an Eotech sight and 3x magnifier that makes shooting easier on the hands and quick follow up shots due to almost zero recoil!

Both the pistol and carbine are as comfortable as shooting a 22 magnum. The down sides are it’s expensive to purchase and feed and not every shop carries the ammo, but ammo is always something I stock up on when I can find it anyhow out of habit. You really can’t reload this cartridge because of the FN special lube they use on the cases, so it’s something to consider if you have been into reloading your own. :/ (I found that the American Eagle co doesn’t use the FN lube making their ammo jam on the last round out of a full 50 round mag, yet only on the carbine is this problematic. It’s 100% reliable on the pistol, so it’s not really an issue. It’s just more of something to be aware of!)

I wish I could locate a good source for a P90 cleaning kit that used to come standard (hidden in the stocks) in the early model P90s (the full auto, class 3, short barreled version of this carbine). I can’t find them anywhere inexpensive. It’s not like you can call FN in Belgium and ask the manufacturer for the extras, but I guess a boresnake will do just fine for cleaning anyhow. The blue boxes are $30 each, so figure that it’s $30 to fill up one 50 round mag and that’s kind of a pricey option. On a good note, I can conceal the pistol and use the same ammo in the carbine. You could carry this carbine concealed in a backpack if you needed to. (So that’s a plus over a full-sized rifle.)

Oh, another thing I just thought of, my wife enjoys shooting the PS90 in this configuration since she can hit a cigarette pack-sized target at 50 yards all day with this setup.

On that note, I wish you well and hope that whatever you decide to choose as your personal cartridge of choice is one you can use most effectively when you most need it. This kind of thing is a personal choice that you have to decide what is best for your shooting ability.

(I still have my 5.56 AR platform, so don’t discount using something very popular either.) I think there is merit in knowing that you can and will likely find 5.56 or 9mm in bad times on the bad guys and the underground market. I’m pretty certain I will not find 5.7x28mm on all but SWAT and some big city police officers who carry the duty pistol (five seven MK2 or officers model), if I can find it at all.

So knowing that, plan accordingly to stock up on your hard-to-find ammo now, while you can get it (if you can actually find it today). – Fitzy in Pa

Economics and Investing:

Default Nears: UBS’s Puerto Rico Bond Funds Implode, “Collateral Value” Drops to Zero, Investors Screwed – H.L.

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Credit card debt makes up for lack of income growth: Credit card debt outstanding back up to $900 billion. Since 1980 household income up 300% while credit card debt up 1,760%.

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Could Another Great Financial Crisis Be Just Around The Corner?

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1.5 Million Teens Don’t Think They Can Get a Job In This Economy

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Oil Price Rout Set To Inflict Real Pain On Russia

Notes for Sunday – July 26, 2015

Today, we present another entry for Round 59 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  2. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  3. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR type rifle to have quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools, and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  4. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul pmags 30rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt. (An equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions.),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  8. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  9. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  10. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate, and
  12. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate– a $325 retail value,
  4. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  5. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  6. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  6. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  8. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 59 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Thoughts on Pre-Event Healthcare Preparations – Part 1 , by B.E.

…”An ounce of prevention is worth….”

I am fairly new to this blog but have found it immensely interesting and useful, and it prompted me to write down some thoughts I have been having for years. As a physician, I am particularly interested in how healthcare and basic needs will survive in a post-apocalyptic world. If this article is redundant for long-time users of the site, I apologize.

On June 5, 1976, at around 12:00 p.m., a catastrophic failure of an earth-built dam in southeastern Idaho occurred, resulting in the release of 250,000 acre-feet of water on an unsuspecting Snake River Plain. I was seven going on eight years old, living in the path of the water and subsequently living through a disaster scenario. Luckily, I had a father who was smart enough to listen to the warnings and evacuate us to higher ground and eventually to relatives out of state while the clean-up occurred. While my family was somewhat prepared, our food reserves and family mementos were stored in our basement, which ended up being filled with four feet of muddy, dead animal-infested water. In addition, our well was contaminated and remained so for many months after the event.

Despite my young age, I have many memories regarding houses floating by, dead animals, explosions from service station pumps and standing in line for food. However, my most vivid memory is cutting my toe on a nail at the house we were staying in and having to get a tetanus shot. Did I need a tetanus shot….NO! I was up to date on all my vaccines and was adequately covered, but because my shot record was… you guessed it… back in a flooded home, the medical community decided it wouldn’t hurt me to get an extra dose of tetanus toxoid (which it didn’t, but that isn’t the point when you are talking shots with a seven year old).

This memory of a shot I didn’t want or need, coupled with the ever-deteriorating society we live in, prompted me to write the following article: This is a brief overview of my thoughts on clean water, basic sanitation knowledge, personal health preparedness, and things I feel that should be in place prior to an event, whether it be a flood or something much more devastating.

Water and Waste

As evidenced by multiple boil orders across the nation recently in the news, clean water is not a guarantee, even in a first world country. It is interesting to note that an article from a war zone survivor listed the items that disappear first when society falls apart:

  1. Generators (quiet ones so as to not attract thieves),
  2. Water filters and purifiers, and
  3. Portable toilets.

I do own the Honda EU2000i and companion generators that work amazingly, use little fuel, and are super quiet, but that is for a separate article. In this article I would like to talk about basic health ideas and preparations that should be at least considered now, if you are truly prepping for a lack of basic services.

The importance of clean drinking water and the concept of not disposing of waste near the drinking water source was finally recognized as an issue in the late 1800s as diseases began to be linked to impure water. Prior to that, dysentery was rampant. In fact it is estimated that the disease that was the greatest killer during the civil war was dysentery from water borne illnesses, with typhoid being a major cause. The WHO (World Health Organization) estimates more than 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to drinking water from a clean source and approximately 2.6 billion do not have basic sanitation.

Sanitation, along with purification of drinking water, are by far the most important advancement for prevention of disease in the history of mankind. While understanding of purification was not evident, everyone drank ale in the middle ages because it didn’t make you sick (pasteurization in the beer-making process), but no one tied the heating of liquid to the killing of pathogens until the late 1800’s.

So how does this translate into basic preps for today’s homeowner? Obviously the answer is where is your supply of freshwater going to come from and where is your waste disposal going to occur?

Ideally, you would have at least two or three sources of potential fresh water, but regardless of whether you have a well with a power source for the pump, have standing or flowing water on your property, are collecting rain water, or are storing your fresh water in containers, everyone should be aware of how to purify their water effectively.

Purification of water can be done through various means– heat, chemicals, UV light, distillation, or filtration.

Heat: Boiling water is a time-tested method for purification, but in reality it doesn’t eliminate everything. For instance, it doesn’t decrease

1. chemical toxins,

2. prions, which is a cause of spongiform encephalopathy or mad cow disease

3. fungus spores (This shouldn’t really be an issue, unless you are immune compromised.)

4. botulism spores (These aren’t a big deal if you are an adult, but they’re potentially fatal if you are an infant under one year of age.)

5. hea.vy metals

Unfortunately, these few potential threats are likely something you will just have to live with unless you build a slow sand filter, which would not be portable. However, the things that aren’t killed by heat are rare, especially if your water is not coming from an unknown source.

In all reality most parasitic causes of stomach troubles, like giardia and cryptosporidium, begin to be killed off at around 140 degrees Fahrenheit. The majority of bacteria, like campylobacter, e. coli, salmonella, shigella, and vibrio cholera, or viruses, like norovirus, rota virus, hepatitis A and enterovirus, are killed off after one minute of boiling at 212 degrees. So, the advice to boil water for 10 minutes is probably a little over kill, but to be certain you should have a rolling boil for at least one minute. The majority of gastrointestinal illness in this country are viral in nature, but each year we do see all of the above parasites and bacteria in our clinic population so even in this first world country that has not yet lost basic services, the water or food supply can be and frequently are contaminated.

On a side note, raw milk, unwashed vegetables, or vegetables washed with untreated water and undercooked ground meat are also reservoirs for potentially fatal pathogens.

Chemicals: Most chemical treatment for water is based on chlorine, iodine, or chlorine dioxide. These different chemicals work great on viruses and bacteria with mixed results with the parasites. In particular, cryptosporidium is an organism that survives chemical disinfectants particularly well. However, if chemicals were your only option, I would use the chlorine dioxide over the other methods of chemical purification, as it does have some efficacy against cryptosporidium. Chemicals suffer from the same limitations as heat in regards to:

1. chemical toxins

2. botulism spores

3. fungal spores

4. heavy metals

It should work on prions, as they are just fragments of proteins.

Filtration: The thing to know about filtration is that it is all about size. If the device you are using to block pathogens has holes that are bigger than the pathogen, then it is not going to be a very effective method of water purification. For example, most viruses are between .02 and 0.1 micron in size; most bacteria are between 0.5 and 5 micron in size; parasites are usually around 1-5 micron in size; and proteins are between 0.005 and 0.05 micron in size. (Again, prions are fragments of proteins.)

We own the1 Katadyn pocket filtration system. The reason we went with this system is that it has a filter for organisms down to 0.2 micron, making it an excellent choice for filtering bacteria and parasites. It is also very compact and portable for backpacking trips. We also have a large filtration net for bulky debris and hand-held life straws for individual use, all of which we have tried with excellent results.

Unfortunately, our Katadyn system will not filter viruses (between .02 and 0.1 micron in size), and as mentioned earlier the major causes of gastrointestinal illness in this country are viral in nature. Therefore, if I were filtering from an unknown water source, I would follow this up with a chemical treatment (iodine or bleach work great on killing viruses); heat; or UV light. Having said that, Life Straw does offer a filtration system that filters down to 0.02 microns (meaning it would filter bacteria, parasites, and viruses). It is not very backpacker-friendly as it is gravity fed (unless you want to hike with your arm in the air holding a bucket), but if you are stationary it would be an excellent choice for a single device water purifier.

Filtration suffers from the same limitations as heat in regards to

1. chemical toxins (that is where a charcoal filter comes in handy for most toxins; there are a few toxins where a charcoal filter doesn’t even work and sow sand filters are the only alternative)

2. botulism spores (because of size)

3. fungal spores (again because of size)

4. prions (because of size)

UV Light: UV light runs the spectrum from 400 nanometers to 10 nanometers, and it was discovered in the early 1900’s that the most accurate wavelength for killing pathogens is 254 nanometers. In my opinion this should be used in every hospital room and surgical suite in the country, and the number of hospital-acquired infections would almost disappear, -but I digress.

A number of products are on the market, including the steripen Ultra and the Camelbak All Clear with UV devices built in. These are supposed to kill all bacteria, protozoa, and viruses as long as there is limited turbidity to the water. In other words, the water should be filtered prior to using a UV device for optimal results. I own and have used the Camelbak without adverse effects, however, I have been unable to discover at this point at what level of intensity the bulb is set for as not all UV light is adequate for destruction of pathogens. If at the proper wavelength, it should kill molds, yeasts, fungi, viruses, prions, and bacteria, including tuberculosis. If not at the proper wavelength,A the product will only be partially effective on the destruction of pathogens. The limitation is similar to other methods in regards to chemical toxins but should kill spores and prions. Also this method is energy dependent, so extra batteries or a rechargeable version would be necessary for long-term use.

A combination of our UV source and filtration devices give us an adequate duel treatment system for any water we may have to consume in a long-term crisis. In a short-term crisis we have over 1000 gallons of water stored and relatives with a well for a long term solution.

Letter: Uncommon Calibers

HJL,

I have been thinking about survival of my community after a collapse. In the area of defense and caliber choices, I’m now leaning towards two “other” calibers. In an AR 15, the 6.5 Grendel, and AR 10, the 6.5 Creedmoor. Both out shoot the 5.56 and 7.62 respectively. My thinking in this is, if we are equipped, have the ammunition supplies we need, the reloading equipment and reloading supplies, and we can maintain an armory that will take us through most situations. Then any weapon that may fall into unfriendly hands has limited use against us. We have enough ammo for the long haul, but anyone else would have at best a few mags. I believe selling of ammo will be very limited and the argument for being able to “pick up” common calibers is the exact reason to not use them. – JP in Minnesota

HJL Responds: I would question if the benefits of moving to a non-standard caliber are worth it. How much weight are you placing on the concern of losing a firearm and is it realistically that large of a concern? While the odd cartridges perform better than the standard cartridges, is the performance advantage of moving to it worth the headache of never being able to find replacement parts for your firearms again? How much does the move to these calibers add to the cost of using and maintaining the firearms? Can you realistically store enough ammunition and spare parts for the foreseeable future? I’m having trouble seeing the benefits to a move like that.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Yet another member of Mike Bloomberg’s notorious gun grabbing mayors group is facing criminal charges. This time it is former Harrisburg Mayor Stephen Reed. He faces nearly 500 charges, with possible combined sentences of more than 2,400 years in prison.

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Five Consequences of America’s Moral Collapse – B.B.

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Is This the End of Christianity in the Middle East? – G.P.

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In Iraq, I raided insurgents. In Virginia, the police raided me. – WMJ

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Citizen’s Private Body Cam Protects Him from Cops Who Lied to Get Him in Trouble – H.L.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” John 17:20-21 (KJV)

Notes for Saturday – July 25, 2015

Today, we present another entry for Round 59 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  2. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  3. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR type rifle to have quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools, and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  4. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul pmags 30rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt. (An equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions.),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  8. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  9. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  10. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate, and
  12. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate– a $325 retail value,
  4. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  5. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  6. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  6. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  8. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 59 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Taking Control of Your Health and Your Pocketbook at the Same Time, by RWL

[Editors note: This article contains information about a multi-level marketing system. There are generally two ways to look at these programs. If you like the products, you usually get a discounted price if you are a reseller. If you are looking at some sort of income, understand that marketing is a skill and not everyone excels at it. There is generally a “buy-in” to a sales program and if you are not motivated, you will lose your investment. Multi-level marketing in particular depends on people selling below you. If you don’t recruit sellers, you have to work harder for your money. For some, it works well, for others, it is a dismal failure. Consider yourself warned.]

About a year ago my wife and I got started using essential oils. During this time, we have enjoyed countless benefits and improvements to our health. In addition, a home-based business also emerged using only our spare time and creating some additional income for our family as well. Below, I’ll share with you some basic information on essential oils. I will also tell you about how the business opportunity works.

Essential Oils

Essential oils play an important part in supporting your body. They are about vibrant living and helping your body to function at its maximum capacity. In today’s day and age, it is all too easy to get caught up in the rat race and fast food.

What are essential oils? Essential oils are plant extracts that contain healthful properties. When a plant is injured, it releases compounds that are intended to repair and heal itself. The act of harvesting the plant releases these compounds, which can then be extracted and used for the human body. Extraction methods vary from distillation with steam to the use of chemical reactions. The essential oil is then bottled up and sold. The oil is not a thick, fatty, sticky substance, like olive oil, but instead it’s rather a thin, watery fluid that is readily absorbed into the body.

How do essential oils work? The human body is controlled by 11 systems– skeletal, muscular, cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine, nervous, respiratory, immune/lymphatic, urinary, reproductive, and integumentary. Click here to read more at www.innerbody.com. I believe there is an oil for everything. Many oils contain properties that are relevant to multiple systems. Most of the time, all you need to do is provide some additional help to these systems to keep them functioning optimally, and that is where the oils can save the day. There are ample reference sources available in print and online. There is an absolute ton to learn, but my wife and I are part of an organization that provides or directs you to all of the necessary tools and resources. There are both live and online classes going on nationwide. These classes provide the personal touch and plenty of Q&A time.

There are multiple reasons why essential oils would appeal to a preparedness-minded individual. I’ll give you my top three reasons:

  1. Most of the oils have many uses. Lavender oil, for example, is often referred to as the Swiss Army Knife of oils because it has so many uses.
  2. These oils have a virtually unlimited shelf life, which means that you could buy them now and build a stockpile to last you many years.
  3. A little bit goes a long way. A small, 5ml bottle of this potent stuff could provide months of daily use. Of course that will depend on your usage, but the point is that it is a compact form of goodness that supports your body when you need it most.

Brand Matters

There are a number of companies out there that sell essential oils. My wife and I chose to go with Young Living because they have the reputation of offering the highest quality oil. Young Living only uses distillation, shunning the chemical reaction methods because with distillation they can guarantee that you are only getting the essential oils themselves and not also the chemicals which are toxins to your body. Young Living provides something called the Seed to Seal Guarantee. The Seed to Seal Guarantee sets Young Living apart because the company is vertically integrated, allowing control of each step of the process. They are the only company that owns all of their means of production: farming the plants, distillation, and finally distribution of the oils. Other companies either purchase raw materials on the open market or purchase oils that have been extracted by someone else, even cottage scale producers with limited means. By controlling the process from beginning to end, Young Living is able to offer the highest quality oil that is available. This multi-billion dollar company was established in 1994 and has been the pioneer in bringing this industry to scale.

Business Opportunity

Disclaimer: Let me say this right up front. Some people are very turned off and closed minded when it comes to network marketing. If you are one of those, then feel free to skip past this part and have a nice day. If, however, you would like to learn how you can create a fun opportunity that can be financially rewarding, read on!

What do you have to do and how do you get paid? This is a pretty simple process. You are paid a commission for each person you bring to become a new customer of Young Living. In addition, you also earn a royalty on their future purchases. There are no requirements that you sell anything or buy anything after your first purchase. Becoming a customer does not mean you must also become a business builder. The option is there, though, for those that choose to pursue.

One of our business leaders recently gave us the following quote: “Treat your business like a business and it’ll pay you like a business. Treat your business like a hobby and it’ll pay you like a hobby.” Too many people have become disenchanted by businesses like this, because they think it is a get rich quick scheme that requires minimal effort. You have to work really hard, just as you would if you got a wage paying or salaried job somewhere else in the workforce. The only difference here is that you will realize your full pay potential rather than being capped by a wage or salary.

My wife and I have found that the group of people that we have become associated with as a result of pursing this business with Young Living are quite stellar! They are an amazing support network, both for essential oil usage knowledge and also helping on the business side of things. It really is a team effort, and we all benefit from it. You gain the ability to tap into the resources and experience that these seasoned leaders possess, and they in turn will benefit from additional commissions when you grow and become successful. Surprising to me and my individualist tendencies, the copy cat approach is strongly encouraged. Your leaders have figured it all out. Just do as they do; there’s no need to re-invent the wheel on marketing strategy, and so forth.

At first, the business side of Young Living was something to start on the side. If you are without a job and are worrying about how to pay next month’s rent, don’t do this. Instead get a job, any job. Start this once you have a couple of hundred dollars saved. You need to be able to float this on your own for several months. The reason for this is that it takes time to get up to speed on the learning curve and also on building your network of happy customers. After doing this for a year, my wife and I are making consistent profits every month. This is where the “taking control of your pocketbook” part of my title comes into play. That extra cash can be used for debt reduction or whatever else you need to do in your personal preparedness.

The typical business start cycle looks like this. You get your starter kit in month one and immediately begin researching how to live a more vibrant, healthful life. At least for me, I attributed our initial health successes to the placebo effect. You can only do this for so long before you are forced to admit they work! Once you get to that point, you’ve got some personal testimonials that help you in sharing with your network of contacts. A couple of months down the road, you’ll have several new member sign-ups, which generate commissions for you. They, in turn, keep doing the same thing, and the success keeps growing.

I’ll admit that I was skeptical at first, as I am with just about everything. My wife started this endeavor with my support, and although I wasn’t completely sold on the idea I liked the concept of possessing your own tools with which to live healthy. As I began to see the light, we decided to try the business so that we could generate some income to support our “oil habit”. The business grew, and we started working together. My wife and I spend time together discussing strategy and comparing notes from books we’ve read on the topic. It has become a fun process that we both enjoy, and it is strengthening our marriage as a result.

If any of this sounds interesting to you, please do more research. Take care, and God bless.

Letter Re: A Problem Today That is Only Going to Get Worse When SHTF

Those that we’ve urged to prep over the decades and who know we are well stocked up personally have given the typical parting comment from most of them; “Well, at least I know where I’m going when TSHTF”. Clearly implying their only prepping will be gas enough to come here.

When I hear that I respond that they won’t get anywhere near here then without the password. “Password!?! What’s the password?” I’ll then cup my hands up to my mouth like I’m yelling in from afar outside the gates: “I brought all my own food!” I’m not laughing or smiling when I do it, and it’s great fun watching it begin to dawn on their faces that I’m seriously not kidding.

If they need more of an explanation, I tell them plainly, our family preps are for our immediate family, and it’s a lifeboat of very limited capacity. My help to them is right now, beforehand, in urging them and guiding them to build a lifeboat of preps for their own family, because I’ll not risk my children ever going without just because they failed to prep for their own family.

Truth is, if you know you’ll still be overwhelmed with others potentially swamping your limited capacity family lifeboat, that’s as good reason as any to seriously consider a BOL further away. – S.C.