But t
So here is a list of 11 items that will keep indefinitely.
I bought a 30lb bag of food grade salt for $4 at Costco. I also have several lbs of sea salt, canning salt and course salt. Why so much?! I will eventually use it. As long as you keep it dry and clean it lasts forever. And you can do so much with it. I could write an entire post how awesome salt is and I would only be scratching the surface. Entire wars have been fought over it. It was a form of currency. And if anything REALLY bad ever happens (knocks on wood) there is no where in my area where I can get salt naturally. :(
There are many types of salt. I like Sea salt the most, it has more nutrients than table salt.
46 Smart Uses for Salt - Yahoo!
Another I could talk a lot about. 2500 year old honey found in the pyramids still has the consistency of and taste of honey. Besides a sweetener they have medical uses too. They both have antimicrobial elements to them, even against the tougher anti-biotic resistant bugs! You can use them to treat infected wounds. Ulcers. Acne. Etc.
You can smear it on cuts; bandage it up and it will heal.
I would really like to have my own hive. I like to use honey when I brew beer instead of using dextrose or Dry Malt Extract.
15 unconventional uses for Honey - Life Hacker
Just like honey, is a great sweetener. I like it in coffee. I cook and bake with it. It doesn't go bad. I have over 70lbs of it; got it on sale - saved a bunch! It has many more uses though.
Uses for Sugar - Hubpages
DRY BLEACH
Lasts forever.
Wait. Why? So you can have white cloths? No - and yes. But 25lbs can purify 4 million gallons of drinking water. Keep this one secure it can be dangerous if small children get into it. I have one on the way so mine is secure.
12 Uses for Bleach - Readers Digest
Tools that don't use electricity. A Hammer. HAND saw. Grain mill. French Fry slicer.
This stuff rarely breaks down. You buy a set of screw drivers with plastic handles - they will last forever. I love (love) my DeWalt drill but it has moving parts and needs power and if it fails it probably can't be repaired. Hand tools are too awesome.
Knowledge is power. The more you know the more you know you don't know. True... But the more you know the better off you are than when you didn't know; ya know? So you know that seeds turn into plants but you've never planted one. Hrm... So you've grown a plant and it fed you. GOOD.
Do things. Do things yourself! Build a book shelf; paint a self portrait. Change the oil in your car.
Know how to do things yourself.
BOOKS
Besides being great kindling they are useful as knowledge. They can teach. Acquire the ones that tell you skills (see above) that you want to learn or want to teach. I have an e-reader and can download a lot of good books (well over 30,000 and growing) but I still buy the books I'd use if there was no electricity. I love books. My mom read to me when I was a kid and I'm already gearing up to read to my kid. May favourite books: 33 Strategies of War, SAS survival Handbook, Celestine Prophecies, World War Z, On Killing, Encyclopedia of Country Living, Band of Brothers - to name a VERY small selection of the many physical books I own and love. The art of war. Books are awesome. Any book by S.M Stirling - I've read every one so far.
Besides air water, clean safe water, is important. I did a post about how Water Is Awesome. And it is. I could talk a lot about water and what I know about it but I won't yet. But what I will say is that water filters are really cheap right now and if you think you could use one for camping or as a back up it won't cost you a lot of money to get one now when it is optional compared to if it is important. Mine cost me about a hundred bucks and I've had it for 5 years. I don't use it often but when I do use it I'm glade to have it. I would like to do a real in-depth post on creating your own ceramic water filter system for a few dollars during the summer. But I will say that you can do it yourself for cheap and that is is a good SKILL to have.
I don't know a lot about this product. I use it in baking. I know it has a lot of uses but I don't know how to make it myself - yet.
Best if kept in a glass, wax sealed container. Lasts forever.
75 Uses for Baking Soda - lifehackery.com
VINEGAR
Lasts forever. I don't need to tell you it is good on fries.
It's really a cheap buy now a days. If you see it on sale and you buy $30 worth of it you will be able to use it. It won't go bad. If you want to make your own (I do) then you will need a mother...
Not all vinegars are created equal.
50 uses for Vinegar - Paul Michael @ Wifebread; good read
PARAFFIN CANDLES
This lasts a lot longer than candles - which are prone to melting. Paraffin is a wax in its liquid form and usually is in an airtight sealed package. Just add a wick and voila you have a heat and light source!
PAPER PRODUCTSThis is stuff like TOILET PAPER. You are going to use it eventually right. I've never used a leaf, nor want to, so buying a 'shit' load of this when it's on sale is a good idea. Diaper's and feminine pads are good items too - if you have a female or baby in your life I guess. This stuff can be great for barter too. After everyone else runs out of TP give 'em a week and they'll trade anything for some 2 ply love.
I think items like paper plates, napkins and paper towels are good stuff to have on hand also. You can get them for pretty cheap.
:D
So that's about all I have to say about that. This list is mostly a mash up of lists I've read over the years. If I can think of anything else I'll do another posting about it down the road. If you come across any of these items on sale you can stock up on them knowing you will save money and they will not go to waste. I won't run out of sugar for quite a long time. ;)
I didn't realize honey was a healer, and I always think of Bleach as something that's just poisonous, rather than it's potential uses.
ReplyDelete