Today is the day that many children are packing up their back packs, grabbing their lunch money and going back to school. Some parents are torn between feelings of elation for surviving summer, and feelings of nostalgia wondering how fast their child is growing up. Many parents have gotten used to the lazy days of summer, but we all know that sooner or later those days come to an abrupt stop.
As preppers, we not only plan for emergencies, but also for unforeseen events, such as sleeping through the alarm and making a mad dash to get the kids to school on time, or preparing for those days that just got away from you. In order to combat the busy days of soccer practice, dance recitals, and unexpected events thrown at you, prepare a few things ahead of time. Here are some tips that can help you keep your game face on throughout the entire school year.
Tips and Tricks
Buy family staples in bulk: There are grocery staples that every family ends up buying every month. Look for those items to go on sale, and buy them in bulk to use at a later time. That way, when the family runs out of the particular stable, there is already a replacement item in the home. On another note, due to the “Back to School” specials going on right now, preppers should be on the look out for stables, such as Ziploc bags, trash bags, batteries, personal hygiene products, band aids, boxed drinks and even bottled water for your emergency preparedness inventory.
Have the kids get their stuff together the night before: Parents know this but it really makes a huge difference if they have their clothes picked out (including shoes, socks and coats or sweaters), and have their back packs ready to go. Parents can prep the night ahead for the morning meal by setting out bowls for cereal, spoons, and cups so it’s ready to go in case you are on the go.
Prepare meals ahead of time: We all have days where we can barely keep our heads above water. Why not prepare in advance by having some pre-made meals in the freezer for later.
- A person can freeze meat in a marinade to enjoy at a later time.
- On weekends, my family enjoys eating buttermilk pancakes. I always make an extra batch and freeze them for weekday breakfasts when we are running late.
- Since breakfast is fast paced in my home, I made breakfast cookies for the kids to grab in case we wake up early or do not have time to make breakfast. These also make a great after school snack (and they have no idea it’s healthy for them).
- Another way of saving time is to freeze a crock pot meal. Adding some vegetables, meat, rice or potatoes and spices and freezing it will save 20 minutes in preparation time. Just take it out of the freezer and put into the crock pot and viola!
- Another easy solution to free up time is to take frozen vegetables and add a cheese sauce or a herbed butter sauce and freeze it for another time.
Save your dollars: My family does not know this, but whenever I have loose change or a few extra dollars, I hide it in my “kitchen cache” and let the money accumulate. That way, when the kids hit me up for lunch money or a school fee I have the money on hand and do not have to make a mad dash to the ATM. If the money really begins to accumulate, I take half of it and use it towards preparedness products.
We all know how nice it is to have a back up plan, why not incorporate that into your personal life as well. Having alternatives prepared and ready at your disposal will keep your home running smoothly. And give you a much needed sigh of relief! What ways have you prepared for the new school year?
This article was originally published at Ready Nutrition™ on August 24th, 2013
