Two Letters Re: The Legalities of Preparedness

Jim: 

Like Ed S. I purchased several rolls of new razor wire to string up in case of a sudden rash of nearby home invasions.  I bought it on eBay along with some used razor wire gloves (they have steel in the palms and digits) to enable speedy deployment without losing a lot of blood.  At the farm supply store I bought a couple boxes of hog rings and some hog ring pliers, as well as some small steel conduit straps and a box of screws for mounting the deployed razor wire.  (Two or more parallel coils can be joined together with the hog rings.) 

I knew there was a local ordinance against installing razor wire, plus its very presence suggests there is something worth stealing on the other side.  While it may discourage the petty thief it might also encourage assault by a criminal gang.  If I were such a gang member, I would think of ways to breach the barrier, possibly by teargas or home-made chlorine gas bombs to drive out or kill the occupants.  One partial solution to both problems, but rather like having a porcupine for a house pet, is to deploy the coils inside the home. A thief inspecting a potential entry point might reconsider after spotting the razor wire, yet it would not be visible from the street for neighborhood snoops or criminal gangs to notice. [JWR Adds: This would also shield the home owner from many lawsuits. Any pain or injury-inflicting obstacle set up outside could a best be considered an “atractive nuisance”, or at worst intentional mayhem, with a six-figure+ lawsuit likely in many First World nations.]

I also stocked up on heavy steel stake holders to serve as door bar brackets and lag screws for mounting them.  I would remove the inside door casing and mount one set low and one set high, sinking the lag screws into the house framing and running a 2×4 wooden bar through each set.  I also bought two extra hinges for each exterior door that I can mortise into the door and the jamb and secure with long screws. 

Finally, after devising this solution for a friend’s rental properties that had twice been broken into by someone kicking in the doorand breaking the jamb, I bought two lengths of heavy angle iron to shape (I used a reciprocating saw with metal blades and cutting oil, then drilled holes for screws) and recess into the sheetrock, the door jamb, and the door casing, each secured with five long, heavy timber screws. Very unobtrusive once the casing was gouged out for the srew heads, reinstalled, and some wood filler and paint was applied.  They serve as a stop for the striker and deadbolt, and hopefully as a foot-breaker for the karate-kick thief’s next attempt.

These survive-in-place precautions should really be considered only slow-down measures, allowing you time to grab guns and take aim or begin firing, depending on the circumstances.  Once they enter the residence they are fair game in most jurisdictions.  If the very term jurisdiction has been made meaningless by civil breakdown, I wouldn’t be much concerned with satisfying legal threshholds.

(The aforementioned product links are intended solely as examples and not recommended or endorsed by me.) – Jim in New Hampshire

 

Mr. Rawles:
First one should look to state,  city , county laws and ordinances about restrictions on the use for residential usage and commercial usage on razor wire,  fencing materials,  height of fencing,  distances from property lines and road ways,  etc..   For razor wire or barbed wire, think of it  this way — if one’s space is assaulted by an intruder might the party get injured by not being aware of the system.  If so,  consider whether your efforts to protect yourself,  your family, and your property would be viewed by an attorney with a whinny injured thug client as a booby trap.  Booby traps are deemed a ‘no-no’.   Consider the placement of your home security items,  if say a kid came wondering into your space and fell into say the razor wire.  Is it low enough for the child to get injured?  If yes, come up with a better plan or location.    Think things through about how a stupid person might injure themselves — your neighbor down the street comes by and grabs hold of your low level razor wire.   Think ahead and plan for stupid people just suddenly showing up on your property.   Do you have pets such as dogs or cats that might leap on the razor or barbed wire and injure themselves?  Had a friend whose dog recently met up with some new barbed wire and within 12 hours the dog had a life threatening body infection.  Dog was taken to the pet emergency center and placed on two weeks of antibiotics.

Second,  yes,  security grills can be a sign for law enforcement to put your dwelling on a possible naughty list.  But typically that means that the dwelling is ‘out of place’ with its neighbors and/or not well maintained property.   In one of the communities that I lived most homes had security grill on their doors and windows.   In another place I lived,  I tried to get them for my doors only to have people raise an eye brow that ‘no one’ has such things in our safe little town.   Security grills around a home that is landscaped and /or well maintained is not as likely to get one on the suspect list just because one has opted for personal security.

Dog signs:  it took me a long time but I found signs that simply state “dogs on premises’.  I am hoping that it doesn’t carry the same dreaded notice of “Beware of Dogs”.    I have several dogs and my notice is so that anyone who might open my gates might think to close them so I don’t lose my pets.    And, it gives notices to those who are allergic to dogs to be aware that if they enter my property there are dogs present.    Years ago when I could not find a “Dogs on Premises” sign,  I bought “beware of dogs’ signs and cut off the “beware of” portion before posting them on my fence.

Security should be consider the current restrictions and work as well to blend in those security options that are legal to exercise in one’s area.    Landscaping is a great time to start building in security items — repainting the house might be the time to add those security grills.   

Think of your safety from thugs and plan for what if a stupid person/neighbor comes upon your place and falls or trips on your security system.

Always planning for Stupid People, – Cynthia W.

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 32 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will include:

First Prize: A.) 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, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A 250 round case of 12 Gauge Hornady TAP FPD 2-3/4″ OO buckshot ammo, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo (a $240 value), and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $400, B.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and C.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.) , and B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value.

Round 32 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Spreading the Word–Working Toward a Community Food Reserve, by Rex C.

“No man is an island…” – John Donne

Readers of SurvivalBlog.com tend to have an independent streak, and our attitudes toward preparedness and degrees of readiness vary accordingly. Some of us have unplugged from the grid and are completely self-reliant, many have dreams of doing so at some point, while some of us are a little behind the curve and playing catch-up. Others are new to the field and are making what preparations they can in their current circumstances. Whatever our individual temperament, most of us are members of a community–a church, a neighborhood, an extended family–and we need to take that into account in making our own preparations.  Reaching out to others to “spread the word” of preparedness is an obligation that each of us has if we truly care about our neighbors and our country. Although it may be easier said than done, spreading the word is part of preparedness. Whatever scenario for hard times seems most probable to you, most of us will not be in it alone. 

Many past blog postings have touched on the idea of community, from tips on selecting a retreat site to choosing a skill which may be marketable in the chosen area. In this article, I’d like to take that a step further and suggest a way to move a whole community toward a higher level of preparedness, along with the approach I’ve taken with my own friends and neighbors. Many of you prefer to keep a low profile and won’t like my ideas. I respect that, and the decision is yours. But at least think it over.

If you’re a long-time reader, you certainly are familiar with food preservation and storage, and probably have already put away a supply of food and other necessities for yourself and your family.  Many of you have thought ahead enough to realize that most of your relatives and friends are not prepared, and–to the extent you are able–you may have put away additional supplies for the purpose of helping others. Maybe you have talked to friends and neighbors about preparedness and urged them to take steps to care for themselves and their families. Hopefully, you got a favorable response or an expression of interest, or at least started them thinking or motivated them to assess their situation.

Consider speaking to your church, social club, or other organization about the virtues of preparedness. Choose your words carefully; keep your own Operational Security in mind, and tailor your comments to your audience. TEOTWAWKI scenarios may be too much for some people to absorb in the first conversation. Someone who is unemployed or in danger of losing his job may be unwilling to use some of his dwindling resources to get ready in case the situation gets even worse. But someone who is relatively well-off might be in a position to make preparations for many relatives and friends, as well as for himself. Give them advice appropriate to their situation, and help if you can. Remember also that some otherwise intelligent people will not even acknowledge the possibility of a deeper economic downturn, let alone an outright financial collapse or other disaster scenario. Giving such people details of your own preparations to show them you’re serious will not impress them and is not worth the risk! 

As a member of a major charitable organization, I recently gave a presentation to our local chapter on general preparedness, with emphasis on maintaining a well-stocked pantry. The majority of our members are successful business people, active in their churches, and many are members or officers of other charities. They are a generous and public-spirited group, but it has probably been a long time since any of them really had to do without the necessities of life. My presentation was planned with that in mind.

I asked, “How many of you have a spare tire in your car?” Most responded that they did. Then, “How many of you have had a flat tire on the road recently, and actually had to change it yourself?” There was only one person who had, a man who also had discovered at that very inconvenient time that his spare tire was flat! My point was that we prepare for things such as flat tires, which are definitely possible but don’t happen all that often, and that most of us have become accustomed to a support network, often consisting of a cell phone, with help a short distance away. Tires are pretty reliable these days, but nobody laughs at you for having a spare tire in your trunk. “By the way,” I asked, “how many of you have recently checked the air in your spare?” Only one hand was raised, by the man who had learned his lesson the hard way!

My presentation continued with a bit of show and tell, showing off my own home-canned fruit (canning is a legal, non-threatening activity familiar to this audience). I asked how many members of the audience knew how to can their own fruit and vegetables. This being an older crowd, in a small town in a mostly rural area, many people raised their hands. I then asked how many had taught their children and grandchildren to can food at home, and only a few raised their hands. Some shook their heads, and one woman said she would do so if she could get them to pay attention. “How many even know somebody in their twenties or thirties who preserves their own food?” I asked. Very few hands were raised in response. The ensuing discussion made the point that most of us have become dependent on food produced and processed hundreds of miles away, and that we are therefore very vulnerable to any disruption of supply.

To illustrate the point that preparedness is not really out of the mainstream, I distributed information taken from the government’s web site,  including their checklist for family preparedness which recommends a three-day supply of food, water, and other necessities for every member of the family.  Most of us know that three days’ worth of supplies is woefully inadequate, especially in the event of a major storm or other catastrophe affecting a large area. In such a situation, the folks at FEMA may have their hands full. They may not get around to you for quite a while, and you may not even be able to depend on neighboring communities for help.

To point out some options for those unable to grow and preserve their own food, I recommended buying in bulk and slowly accumulating a supply of “store-bought” food, starting with three days’ worth and expanding from there. This included a brief mention of rotating your stock. Remember to keep it simple so that the listener is not overwhelmed with detail. Just tell them to note the expiration dates marked on most food packages, use the older items first and place the new ones at the back of the pantry. I also handed out a product brochure from a well-established preparedness supply company which had given me several dozen copies free of charge (no doubt they appreciated my use of their catalog, but I made it clear to them and to my audience that I was not selling anything; the brochure was simply a good representation of the preparedness market and the supplies available. I also provided the names and web addresses of several other firms.)

A quick look at the brochure revealed that one can spend a lot of money on preparedness in a very short time. The bright side is that–at least with respect to food–the money will not be wasted. If you buy foods that you normally use, just in larger quantities, all you are doing is getting your groceries early; you’d have to buy the food some time anyway, and probably at a higher price. The key is to buy more than you normally would, build up a stockpile over a period of time, and rotate it.

The final point in my presentation was targeted at this particular audience–decent, fairly well-to-do, generous people. They were well aware that hard economic times put additional stress on existing charitable organizations. Food pantries and soup kitchens have more people needing their help at the same time fewer people are able to donate. Suppose your community is hard-hit by the economic downturn. You look at your own situation and see that you are still relatively well off; you still have your job, and your family’s situation is fairly secure. At the same time, you see that your pantry has many items nearing their expiration dates. You will be able to donate to a local food pantry, church, or to a neighbor when few others can. Suppose that you’ve purchased a one-year food supply from one of the preparedness companies. That’s a year’s worth of food for one person, or a month’s supply for twelve people, should you have to help out a dozen or so friends or relatives. (The one-year food supply is, of course, an idea well-known to members of the Mormon Church, and I’d like to see every religious and social organization in the country take up the practice of urging their members to stock up.)

Taking the idea one step further, a year’s supply equals 52 week’s worth of food for one person, or a week of food for 52 people. In a county like mine, with about 20,000 people, suppose a hundred of them managed to acquire a one-year supply. That’s a week’s worth of food for 5,200 people. Imagine a severe catastrophe, with many people affected locally or with refugees flooding in from outside. Imagine being able to feed 5,200 people for a week, while FEMA is still in Washington writing memos! Apply this formula to your own community. Now, imagine thousands of churches and civic organizations all over the country urging their members to do the same thing. Preparation on that scale could make a huge difference in the ability of the country to respond to another 9-11, or a major natural catastrophe.

This idea, which I called simply the Community Food Reserve, seemed to strike a chord with my audience. Many approached me after the presentation and seemed interested in pursuing the idea. I did not present it as a project for the organization or for local government, but as a step that the members might take as individuals. There would be nobody keeping a central inventory, nobody keeping track of who participated and who did not. Which families maintained a food reserve, how much food they had, and whether they donated to others would be a private matter for individuals and families to decide.

Talk to your neighbors, your church, your club, your hunting buddies. Speak to them as a friend. Don’t force your politics on them, don’t argue, remember OPSEC and don’t brag about the steps you’ve already taken. Don’t be pushy, just make them think. We’re all in this together.

About The Author: Rex C. is a semi-retired security consultant who lives on an increasingly-self-sufficient farm in the Appalachian Mountains.)

Letter Re: The Legalities of Preparedness

James,  
I have been looking at various posting all across the spectrum of prepping and I haven’t seen anyone mention being legal in their preparations. Here’s what brought this to mind. I recently purchased six rolls of brand new, never used razor wire. I’m not sure how many SurvivalBlog readers have military/police/corrections backgrounds. If you have fooled with the stuff, you know to be careful. If you haven’t, I’d suggest looking for something easier.  I strung a single strand around my backyard on three sides, just below the level of the four foot tall chain link that surrounds my property. Anyone climbing over the fence would get a surprise if they weren’t careful. I’m a police officer in an adjoining town (from where I live) and the locals know me. A few days after completion of my project one of the uniforms was stopped at my house shooting the breeze and he says “you know you cant use that stuff on a fence less that six feet high?” Seems there are some obscure ordinances buried in the books that say just that. Even inside my fence like it is, I’m subject to fines and civil penalties (being sued by some miscreant who gets hung up on my side of the fence is plausible)  

I removed the offending wire but the episode started me to thinking. When the authorities moved the old man off his property awhile back for “breaking too many regulations” I said that being off the grid may not be enough. How many of us have made preparations that could/would run us afoul of some local bureaucrat?How did that old man pop up on the radar of the local officials? What are the signs and tip-offs that they look for? Why would a Child Protective Services inspector ask about storing food in a home inspection interview? (Another story I saw recently.) Will it be getting worse in the upcoming days?  

I did some digging and I found several “indicators” that the new breed of spies have been told to look for.   Fences, security cameras, restricted access to property (other than fences) Beware of Dog signs (really, you actually set yourself up for a lawsuit by posting such a sign because it indicates you know your dog may bite), certain breeds of dogs (meth cookers love Pitbulls, but every time any sort of Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) is proposed about Pitbulls, after every liberal with zero knowledge about dogs is through adding his/her two cents worth, every large breed in the book is on the list) so they look also look for Shepherds, Rottweilers, Dobermans, etc) other signs such as “Never mind the Dog, Beware of Owner”, security bars and doors, and other things that seem so harmless and needed to many of us, especially nowadays.   I got this information from a friend in our State Narcotics Agency who was describing how to spot a Clandestine Meth Lab. I told him “do you know you pretty much described my house?” He thought I was joking until I started pointing out the other uses those items may have. My talk with him in no way changed his mind on his List but the conversation really got to me.  

Someone, somewhere, has taken the time to make a list of indicators of activity that most certainly will get someone who thinks like us onto a list of possible suspects. Our US Attorney General, in cahoots with the DHS, has already started a program to demonize anyone who doesn’t follow the Lemming Mentality, or thinks outside the box on issues.   Is there any way to get around this problem? One way that I can think of is make darn sure our preparations are really hidden, not just veiled. As I mentioned above, a chance inspection by a busy-body Child Protective Services inspector, going what most would consider way beyond her authority, most certainly got that parent listed on some sort of roster of people to watch. Just for storing food, as our very own Government, her employer, recommends us to do. How many more of these “innocent” prying eyes are out there, watching and waiting to inform on someone?   I cannot, in good conscience, recommend taking down whatever security preparations you might have made. I pass mine off as having made enemies in a long Law Enforcement career. I did make some changes in the way I have my stuff stored.  

We are entering a new phase in the definition of Citizenship in this country and we are being bombarded every day with messages to “watch out” for suspicious activity and to inform on our neighbors. As innocent as prepping is, the act itself is on the way to being outlawed, or at least closely monitored. And being on one of those lists makes you a target for anyone wanting your stuff “for the greater good”.   Now, even more than ever, we need to exercise the utmost caution.   – Ed S.

JWR Replies: I agree that it is important to research your state and local laws. But in the absence of laws, don’t feel intimidated by social pressure, or those “Oh, but they might someday make it illegal” thoughts. We must remember that we are free men and women, and consequently act like it. This is not the time to cower and quiver. Yes, we should make substantive preparations, and be circumspect. It is great to stock up on concertina or razor wire. However, depending on where you live it probably isn’t wise to string it up until the Balloon Goes Up.

Lastly, keep in mind that the continuity of our rights is dependent on their regular exercise. I pointed this out in the closing chapter of my novel “Patriots”: Much like a muscle that atrophies with disuse, any right that goes unexercised for many years devolves into a privilege, and eventually can even be redefined as a crime. Open carry of firearms is prime example.

Economics and Investing:

And Now, Here’s The First 11 State Pension Funds That Will Run Out Of Money. (Thanks to B.B. for the link.)

Reader Jonathan C. pointed us to this: Outraged Yet? What if Fed Buys Munis? (I suspect that the MOAB will end only at the point of national bankruptcy and collapse of the U.S. Dollar.)

Items from The Economatrix:

Stocks Flat as Wall Street Shrugs Off China Rate Move  

Oil Holds at $91 Per Barrel  

East Coast Blizzard Chills End of US Holiday Shopping Season  

Second Crisis Feared if Interest Rates Kept Low  

US Changes How It Measures Long-Term Unemployment  

Consumer Confidence Shows Surprise Drop In December  

Oil Prices Climb On US, European Weather Woes  

Odds ‘n Sods:

Leah mentioned a new Yahoo list says that foraging is a top 10 food prediction for the upcoming year.  They even have a link to a Philadelphia Food Harvest Map which has locations for many private properties. 

   o o o

SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large Michael Z. Williamson pointed us to a site that describes some PVC “Spud Gun” projects that might have some utility WTSHTF.

   o o o

C.D.V. pointed us to the web site of a gent who made a bet that he could eat well on $1 a day. He’d only learned about couponing five months before. C.D.V. notes: “This is a great way to build supplies, though I can’t see this working post-SHTF.”

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 32 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will include:

First Prize: A.) 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, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A 250 round case of 12 Gauge Hornady TAP FPD 2-3/4″ OO buckshot ammo, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo (a $240 value), and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $400, B.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and C.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.) , and B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value.

Round 32 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Coupon Warrior Part 2, by GRITS (Girl Raised in the South)

I’ve learned a few tricks since writing the first part of this article on stocking up on food items and other good stuff with the help of coupons combined with sale prices. Here are some tricks that I’d like to share with you:

First, a word about ethics:  The web sites will limit the number of coupons you can print. Photocopying coupons is considered coupon fraud. Each printed coupon has its own codes, and duplicates are not legal to tender. They are counterfeit. It is fair game to clip several coupons for the same item, or to use more than one computer to print them out, because they are separate and discrete coupons.

Coupon management: You can greatly expand your ability to cash in by making an effort to collect many sets of those Sunday newspaper coupon booklets. Where to get them? The most straightforward method is simply to subscribe, or buy extra Sunday papers. The couple of bucks a month per paper should pay for itself many times over.
But we’re all resourceful types, right? Okay, cheapskates. Free is better. Store coupon flyers are usually on display for the taking. You can ask friends, relatives or neighbors to save the Smart Source, Red Plum and other newspaper inserts for you. If they clip too, maybe you have a dog, and they have a baby, so you can trade Huggies coupons for the Purina.

For more adventurous souls, dumpster diving is an option. Don’t get too grossed out at the idea. It isn’t all that eewww. Recycle bins contain only paper, and the worst of it is the newsprint I get on my fingers. The newspaper distribution office closest to me has a recycle bin where the carriers discard unused papers. I visit it about once a week to loot the bodies. Is it legal? Sure, with permission. The workers in the warehouse and the delivery truck drivers have been friendly and helpful when I explain what I’m after. They’ve even scared up flyers from the warehouse when I couldn’t find them in the bin. Best check on the feelings of your local newspaper personnel before diving.

You can cruise your neighborhood when people put out their recycle bins, asking if it’s okay to take their old newspapers, of course. Sometimes fast food places or coffee shops have newspapers lying around. Ask them if the Sunday coupon section is fair game for a paying customer.

Another source is Internet coupons you can print out. These can be found through www.couponmom.com. Sometimes you can go straight to the manufacturer’s web site and find offers there, as well.

Another legitimate use of coupons is stacking. If store policy will allow it, you can combine a manufacturer’s coupon with a store coupon on the same item. For instance, the other day I bought a bag of Millstone coffee using a Publix coupon worth $1.00 from their flyer in combination with a $2.00 Millstone coupon for a savings of $3.00. However, you can’t use two of the same kind of coupon on the same item.

Let’s say you’ve collected stacks of coupon flyers, now what? They can get out of hand if you don’t organize them. Amazing how paper stacks left together reproduce in the dark. Remember the Tribbles from Star Trek? Too bad that paper doesn’t purr or cuddle.

I suggest you file the pamphlets by date. I use one of those expandable file holders with a separate file folder for each week. You can find the distribution date in itty-bitty numbers on the outside fold of the flyer. Of course, you should go through each of them, cream the coupons you expect to use soon and put them in your go-to-store file. But you would be amazed at the useful coupons for products you never thought you’d want. My suggestion is, keep them until the coupons are out of date. Why? Money makers. They pop up unexpectedly, and having them on hand is like gold.

How to access the right coupon when the sales come up? Revisit www.couponmom.com. In good ol’ Mom’s web site you will find a searchable database of coupons. With reasonable accuracy you can find out the date and type of flyer where the brand of coupon can be found. The major coupon brochures are listed, such as Smart Source, Red Plum, and Proctor & Gamble (P&G). The database is refined by geography, though there may be differences in value or availability within a region. Printable coupons can also be accessed from this site. There are other web sites that provide help in your quest as well.

Good so far? It gets better. In Mom’s web site you can find the store specials for your area, complete with coupon match-ups and estimates on savings by both price and discount percentage. In our region four grocery stores are listed, two of which were just added, along with national drug and variety store chains.

For example: When I looked up the Walgreens specials  a few weeks ago, I found they offered Breathe-Rite strips in the sample size for 49 cents each. The item was tagged as Free in the database. Actually, it was much better than free, because the coupons were worth more than the product. Cha-ching! The database designated which week and which flyer offered the coupon. I clipped all seven coupons from my stash. They were worth $1.50 each, good for any size Breathe-Rite packages. I didn’t need the strips, but included them in a charity package to my church. After sales tax, each purchase netted me about 94 cents, times 7. Almost $7.00 I could apply to anything in the store.
Walgreens, you say?  Isn’t that a drugstore?

Don’t overlook the drugstores for food products! CVS and Walgreens both stock a limited inventory of groceries and other products of use to preppers, beyond the expected band-aids, vitamins and drugs. Most are pricey, but both chains offer sale prices on a number of items each week. I’ve bought canned meat and instant oatmeal for half the usual retail price at CVS and Walgreens. Some products generate rebates, or “catalinas” good for the next purchase. These are advertised in the weekly store flyer as well as the previously mentioned database. There’s an art to navigating the use of the catalinas that come with the purchases, and store policies vary.

First, Walgreens. This chain does not issue special cards that qualify you for specials and track your purchases. Stealth preppers need not worry about Walgreens building a dossier on you, and you can go back and buy as many of the rebate offers as you wish, as long as you play the game according to their rules.

Recently Walgreens offered a number of items that were essentially free after the rebates. Some were Proctor & Gamble brand products, along with other manufacturers. A few were money makers. For example, I had a number of $1.00 coupons for Crest toothpaste, and the store offered a full price rebate.  I paid $2.99 plus sales tax for the $3.99 item, and after paying for it, I got a voucher for $3.99, good on the next purchase at Walgreens.

Rule 1: The store only offered one rebate per purchase of a particular item, so I had to make separate transactions for each purchase of Crest.

Rule 2: Turning around and using the Procter and Gamble voucher on the same brand family product would disqualify the rebate offer on the second tube of Crest toothpaste or on Pantene shampoo, another P&G product that offered a rebate. So, when I bought a second tube of Crest with another $1.00 coupon, I again paid $2.99 for $3.99  toothpaste in a separate transaction and received a second catalina for $3.99.

Thus I had two catalinas for $3.99 to spend on Walgreens merchandise. Here’s where it gets sticky, because of restrictions. 

Rule 3: Whatever you purchase with the catalinas and coupons must total more than their value before sales tax – they won’t pay you the difference.

Rule 4: I learned the hard way that at Walgreens you can’t use more coupons than items in a purchase when stacking catalinas, manufacturers’ coupons, and store coupons. I had two rebate catalinas already, so had to buy at least two items for a minimum total price of $7.98 before sales tax. It gets complicated when you have a number of coupons to apply plus the store coupons found in the weekly flyers and want to get the maximum benefit. Dried fruit at $l.00 a box or a carton of eggs if they are on sale may make up the extra items needed and still provide good value.

CVS: You need to sign up and get an Extra Care card to take advantage of their deals. When you enter the store, you can scan the card in a machine and it pops out coupons. You might get $4.00 off a $20.00 purchase, or a buck off a bag of candy. Most of them are for products I don’t want, but some have been money savers. Because the store tracks your sales, you might use caution about heavy purchases of Sudafed and other red-flag drugs and merchandise.

For a buck you can buy a “green tag” to put on your personal shopping bag. Every day you make a purchase the cashier scans the tag (remind her) and after four visits, you get a coupon for a dollar good on anything at the store. The store saves money on plastic bags and my little greenie has paid for itself many times over.
CVS offers rebates on certain items each week much as Walgreens, but they are not as restrictive as to how you use your catalinas and coupons at the checkout. However, because you are using the card and they track your purchases, if the Crest rebate offer is only good for one purchase, you can’t go back for a second deal on the same card. It’s up to you if you want to sign up for multiple cards or get them for family members.

I’ve had some nice surprises at checkout. Recently I made two separate purchases because I wanted to use the rebates from the first toward the second. Out popped an unexpected $5.00 coupon good on a $15.00 purchase! It just so happened I had enough items in the second run-through to take use it. Because I had other coupons to apply, I handed the cashier the $5.00 catalina first to make sure my purchase maxed out at over $15.00 so I could take full advantage of a huge savings.
Rite-Aid apparently offers similar deals, but I can’t advise on their ins and outs because that chain doesn’t play in our area.

Electronic coupons: They are available some places, and come up on the Coupon Mom e-mailings, but I haven’t yet had any success in accessing them for the stores in our area. This must be a Silicon Valley thing.

Here’s another example of how to stretch the cash until it screams for mercy. Last week Walgreens offered melatonin supplements for $3.00 with a full rebate in the form of a catalina. I had $2.00 coupons for the same product. So I paid $1.00 for each bottle of melatonin in separate purchases, and received a $3.00 catalina for each one, for a $2.00 profit. I paid $3.00 for three bottles of supplements, and had $9.00 worth of catalinas to spend. This week Walgreens had a sale on canned Hormel corned beef for $1.99 with a limit of two per purchase, which was a bargain price. Canned Blue Diamond almonds were priced at $2.00 each, another good special. I had two coupons for 60 cents off two cans of Blue Diamond nuts. I bought two cans of beef and four cans of almonds for my stockpile. With the $9.00 worth of catalinas and $1.20 in coupons, I paid $1.78 for the $11.98 purchase. (There is no sales tax on food or vitamin supplements in my state.) The cash outlay for the six cans of edibles plus the three bottles of Melatonin totaled $4.78 for a $30.00 full retail value.

Aggressive coupon shopping takes time and attention, but as the savings and the stacks of groceries add up, I’m finding the payoff well worth the trouble.

Avalanche Lily’s Bedside Book Pile

Here are the current top-most items on my perpetual bedside pile:

  • Grass Beyond the Mountains by Richmond P. Hobson, Jr. This is the true story of the pioneering cattlemen that settled the wilderness interior of British Columbia in the 1930s. (This is the region that lies inland from Bella Coola). It is an amazing tale of gumption and perseverance. There is lot in this book about self-sufficiency that will appeal to preppers, as well as being an exciting tale of adventure. I’ve seen that there are a couple of sequels that Jim has promised to tack on to our next Amazon order. I really enjoyed this book. From it, I learned much about the relationship between a cowboy and his horses, and I’m looking forward to reading Hobson’s other books.
  • I watched Tremors. I had no patience for this movie. This is the sort of film that dumbs down young people. The two lead characters in the movie have a good work ethic but are not refined, well educated, or morally upright men. Keep this sort of men far away from our young women. I had Jim fast-forward to Burt Gummer’s Bunker so I could see how cool that was. Then we fast-forwarded to the end just to see how it ended. Burt’s well-stocked bunker, the wonderful example of he and his wife’s teamwork and his fabulous under-lever elephant gun which finally killed one of those awful fictional monsters, were the only redeeming factors in this movie. I do not recommend it. (Gentlemen: just remember this is a woman’s perspective of a “Guy Movie”. So please, no hate mail.)
  • I’m just into the first few chapters of Lucifer’s Hammer. This is a modern classic novel by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle describes a full-scale societal collapse caused by a comet striking the Pacific Ocean. (The “Hammerfall.”) The beginning chapters set the stage, introducing the characters, with much foreshadowing. It is a bit of a discipline to get through it, however the storyline has the makings for some very exciting reading later on. It really upsets me when I pick up a book and find a lot of immoral behavior within its pages. Its too bad that authors feel that they have to gratuitously include it in their books. The storyline would be just as good without it. I’ll let you know how the story plays out in my column next week.

Economics and Investing:

Senator Coburn: Control Government Spending or Face ‘Apocalyptic Pain’

Quantitative Easing 2 as Projected and Announced

After 62 Years, a First for Harlequin: A Personal Finance Book, The Frugalista Files. “Written by former Miami Herald personal finance blogger Natalie McNeal, is a diary a 34-year old attempt to pay off her credit card debt — ‘without giving up the fabulous life.'”

Items from The Economatrix:

Ted Butler:  A Show Stopper

“Commodity Super Cycle” Ripples Into China  

Naked Emperor and the Conspiracy of Silence

Odds ‘n Sods:

T. sent a picture worth a thousand words: DIY snow tires for your bike.

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More dim bulbs: California banning 100-watt incandescent light bulbs. (Thanks to Yishai for the link.)

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Some weather-related news from Russia: Traditional troika back on track

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Weather news in the US: Storm in Eastern U.S. Wreaks Havoc on Travel. And, Blizzard moves from US to Canada, sowing chaos. Thankfully, most SurvivalBlog readers were well-prepared.

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 32 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will include:

First Prize: A.) 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, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A 250 round case of 12 Gauge Hornady TAP FPD 2-3/4″ OO buckshot ammo, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo (a $240 value), and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $400, B.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and C.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.) , and B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value.

Round 32 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Building a DIY Generator From Salvaged Parts, by David N. in Tennessee

I have long wanted my own generator, but a $500 and up price tag kept me from purchasing one new.  After some internet searching and sleepless nights I found a good tutorial online.  What I liked best about the tutorial is that Brian at epicenter has already worked out the kinks and sells the materials.  I have no connection with epicenter, and the only things I have bought from them were for this project, but what dealings I have had with them were fair and honest.             

A co-worker gave me an older Craftsman brand lawnmower for this project. It did not run, but with a little bartering, I had it repaired.  I ordered the plate, an alternator, wiring harness, pulley, and two belts from the Epicenter web site. (Together these cost approximately $160 with shipping).            

While waiting on the parts, I laid the mower on its side in the bed of my truck (being careful to keep the gas tank side up) and wedged a 2×4 between the truck bed and the mower blade to keep it from spinning while I unscrewed the blade.  I did use some kerosene to loosen the nut (liquid wrench is almost pure kerosene).            

I then drove to the local auto parts store to use their loan a tool program so I could get a pulley puller.  The blade mount pulled off the shaft very easily, so I returned the puller and went home.  On the way home I stopped by the hardware store to purchase longer bolts and spacers to not only attach the engine to the generator, but also to align the pulley on the mower to the one on the alternator.  It took me a while to find the right bolt/nut/washer combo, but I got 5 bolts, 10 washers, 1 lock nut, and 4 1 inch spacers for about $15.            

Once the plate arrived, I measured it and built a frame from scrap 2×4 lumber.  The plate measured 12×24 so I cut two 2-ft lengths of 2×4 and two 9-inch lengths.  After screwing them together, it made a perfect frame.  Just because I had some, I painted the box with the leftover green paint from making a chicken tractor a few months ago.            

As soon as the paint dried I screwed the plate to the box and attached the alternator.  It fits just like a traditional alternator in a car.  One screw fits in a whole in the plate, while a bolt fits in an adjustment slot in the plate and through the alternator the locks with a nut.  To tighten the belt you loosen the bolt and move the alternator in the adjustment slot.  

Next I installed the pulley on the shaft.  I set in a 3/16 keyway in the shaft and pushed the pulley onto the shaft.  I used a dead blow hammer to knock it flush.  Be careful and think about what your doing, one side of the pulley has set screws so its longer, and I put that end toward the engine, so once I installed the alternator and the belt, it did not line up, forcing me back to the part store to get the puller to remove the pulley and put it on the opposite direction.            

Once the pulley was installed and tightened, and I installed the engine.  The cut outs for mounting the engine were larger than my bolt heads, so I sandwiched the plate between two large fender washers, the spacers fit on the bolts on the top of the plate raising the entire engine over the frame.  This is because the shaft it much longer than the alternator shaft.            

Depending on the type of alternator you use and how it’s regulated, there are different ways of connecting everything.  I used an external switch and my alternator had an internal voltage regulator, so I ran a wire from the voltage regulator to the + battery terminal on the alternator, then the + terminal of the battery.  I ran another wire from the second terminal on the voltage regulator to a switch that draws power from the battery.  Because of this you need to have a battery to use your alternator.  You have to energize the regulator to get it to produce electricity.  You need a switch because if you leave the field on when you try to start it, it will put a load on your engine and it won’t crank.  If your smart and get a single wire alternator with an internal voltage regulator it just wires up directly to the batteries.  I would stay away from external voltage regulators as the wiring gets more complicated.              

To keep things easy I paid an extra couple bucks for the wiring adapter for the alternator.  You don’t have to use epicenter’s alternator or their harness, but since I would have to either buy a new one or go to the junk yard and remove one on my own I kept it simple and bought theirs.             

I used their adaptor, some 14 gauge red and white wire, a 50 amp switch, some connectors, and heat shrink tubing to rig up a wiring harness that snaps in to the alternator.  6 gauge battery cables go from the battery to the alternator.

Most lawnmowers come with a safety device that you must hold in order to keep the engine running.  Mine was on the handle of the lawnmower.  I looked at it and decided to keep it functional rather than safety wire it closed.  What I did was wire a washer to the linkage which allows me to pull it tight and loop it over the linkage bracket.  That way if need to stop the engine quickly, I can just pull the washer off the bracket.            

In order to use the generator, you must have a battery; this is because the voltage regulator needs to be energized to function.  This generator is really just a souped-up battery charger as the alternator’s voltage regulator puts out the exact right voltage for charging car batteries. (Imagine that.)             

Some other things to consider are that because lawnmowers use light flywheels, since they depend on the mass of the mower blade to idle correctly.  So when choosing a pulley make sure you get a cast iron pulley with a little mass to it. You do not have to use store bought parts if you have parts at hand.  I could have gotten by with using a piece of plywood as a base.  If I had drilled a hole for the shaft to sit, I could have used the engine as a template to mark where to drill my mounting holes.  This is a project for using your mind instead of your money to come up with a solution to a problem.  I used more money than needed so I could spend less time considering solutions to problems of mismatched parts.  Lastly, don’t scrimp on the belt quality, and buy more than one.  If you are relying on a generator you made from your dead car then it’s a really bad day, and you probably aren’t in a position to go to the auto parts store.            

I really liked doing this project, its one of my favorites I have attempted this far.  I will say that using a credit card to order parts and have them shipped to my door made this a lot more fun.  I could have completed this project for little cash by using donor vehicles from the junk yard, but it would have been a lot dirtier and took more thinking about how to make things fit.            

The moral of that being, reading about projects is nice, but taking the next step and actually completing them is better.  Nothing beats having your plan in the books before you need to start using it.            

Since I cannot leave well enough alone, I plan on taking it a couple steps farther.  The first major upgrade is I plan on making a little switch board to mount the throttle assembly and switch a little neater.  Next I plan on converting the carburetor to run on LPG gas from bottles which will make the logistics of fuel storage safer while allowing me longer run times and faster refuels.  Lawnmower engines have small tanks with limited run time, and you do not want to refuel them when they are hot.  By converting to propane, I solve both problems.  I also plan on making a second lawnmower alternator combo, which I want to modify into an electric welder.  This is something that 4WD enthusiasts have done for years.  The only reason I haven’t done so is that then I would have to learn to weld, which would lead me to more project.