preparedness

5 Frugal Tips That Could Save You $500 This Year

It’s a new year, which means you should be thinking about your new year’s resolutions and the things you’d like to accomplish. With a shaky economy and wages continuing to stagnate, many people’s resolution is to save money and stretch their budget.

Thankfully, there are some relatively simple things you can do to keep a considerable amount of money in your pocket. Below, we’ll look at five frugal tips that you can use to potentially save $500 or more this year.

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1. Plan Your Meals

If you are purchasing pre-prepared food – whether it be food from a restaurant or food such as TV dinners – you’re spending quite a bit more than you would if you prepared your meals yourself.

The economics is simple – when you purchase ingredients and prepare your own meal, you’re cutting out the middleman. Food prepared for you is obviously more expensive for a company to make, and those costs are transferred to the buyer.

If you want a quick and simple way to start saving more money, cut down on restaurant trips and pre-prepared food. Eating at home rather than eating at a restaurant is an especially effective way to stretch your budget further this year, as even fast-food restaurants can be quite expensive.

Every week, make a list of everything you’re going to eat for dinner–4 or 5 meal nights and 2 or 3 leftover nights–then buy all the ingredients on your weekly shopping list.

To get maximum savings, check out this guide on how to make a money-saving meal plan.

2. Cut Down on Gas

Lately, gas hasn’t been especially expensive, which is great news for frequent travelers. However, even at “low” prices, fuel costs can still carve away a significant portion of your budget. Should gas prices swing back toward the high end again, cutting back on your fuel consumption will be especially important.

Unfortunately, gas is one of the most necessary expenses for the average person since not going where you need to go isn’t exactly an option. And unless you live somewhere with a great public transport system, driving yourself is going to be the most affordable and convenient way to get there. The good news is there are still things you can do to cut back on how much gas you have to buy.

For example, consider carpooling to work with some of your coworkers. If they’re interested in saving money as well, chances are they’ll be on-board with the idea. You’ll also want to make sure you run as many errands as you can in a single trip so you don’t have to make multiple trips back and forth. Lastly, good driving habits such as keeping a steady speed can help you save gas as well.

Also, be sure you’re getting the lowest gas prices possible (as long as you don’t have to drive too far out of the way) with apps such as Gas Buddy.

3. Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

If the electric bill is eating away at your budget, you may want to consider making your home more energy efficient to drive this cost down. There is a wide range of things that you can do to make your home more energy efficient, including blocking light from your windows in the summer with blackout curtains, and letting the sun in during the winter, installing energy-efficient LED bulbs, unplugging electronic items when you are not using them, and more.

With a little effort and attention to detail, you might be surprised how much you can save in energy costs. While some homes have higher energy costs than others due to the way they are built as well as where they are located, it’s still possible for most everyone to reduce their energy costs to some degree if they follow the right steps. Especially in the winter.

4. Start Using Coupons

If you’ve heard stories of people who were able to walk out of the supermarket with a basket full of items having paid next to nothing, then you know just how effective collecting coupons can be. Of course, getting this much of a discount from coupons requires quite a bit of effort – to the point that couponing itself becomes something of a hobby.

Couponing may or may not be something that you want to dedicate that much time to. Either way, though, saving coupons when you come across them can still cut down your expenses by a considerable amount.

According to one 2014 study, the average value of a single coupon is $1.56. When you think about all of the coupons that are available if you spend just a little time looking for them, that’s a noteworthy amount.

You can collect coupons from newspapers, or you can download a number of different coupon apps. Just be sure to only collect coupons for things that you already intend on purchasing. Remember, just because you get a discount on something doesn’t mean you’re saving money by purchasing it if it isn’t something that you really need.

If you’re new to couponing, I highly recommend The Krazy Coupon Lady’s Ultimate Beginner’s Guide To Couponing.

5. Change Your Shopping Habits

Oftentimes, where you shop is even more important than what you shop for in terms of saving money. For example, furniture, electronics, and much more can be found for very low prices on Craigslist. Checking out eBay auctions is another way to potentially find what you’re looking for at a cheap price.

There are several other sites where you can find good deals. Use price comparison sites and apps to find them.

If you visit a thrift store such as Goodwill or Plato’s Closet, you may be able to find some very nice clothing that costs next to nothing. It isn’t all that uncommon to find shirts, suits, dresses, and more in these stores that would otherwise cost you hundreds of dollars. Of course, there’s a wide range of other products in these stores as well, and you never know what you might find.

And remember, just because you’re in a store like Walmart that claims to always have the lowest price, don’t believe it. Oftentimes, dollar stores have way lower prices than Walmart.

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This article first appeared on urbansurvivalsite.com See it here

preparedness

4 No Cook Meals For Surviving The Pandemic And Food Supply Shortages

When it comes to your food supply, you just can’t risk not having enough. These no cook meals will be a great addition to your food supply planning. Check out the recipes below!

No Cook Meals to Help You Through the Pandemic

As of the writing of this article, there are 20 meat processing plants that have been shut down due to COVID-19 infections. We have been worrying about these types of effects on our food supply for months now, and this is the first real sign of how infections can affect the food supply.

When you walk into a supermarket, you might not see all the choices you had in the past. An empty meat case is a humbling thing for your eyes to fall upon. It’s the shocking realization that the seemingly infinite supply of chickens, pigs, and cows that are butchered for us has begun to run dry!

To deal with this issue, we are going to present four no cook meals that will help you create dinners at home that will feed your family without worrying so much about what’s available, or unavailable, in the meat case.

1. Smashed White Bean, Avocado and Salted Pork Sandwiches

Smashed White Bean, Avocado and Salted Pork Sandwiches | No Cook Meals for Surviving the Pandemic and Food Supply Shortages

As preppers we get beans. There are a bunch of ways to use beans and this a great example of how you can pack a sandwich with great nutrition and protein.

Serving: Makes 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:

Can of White Beans
Olive Oil
1 Avocado
8 Slices of Whole Grain Bread
8 Slices of Salted Pork (Prosciutto, Ham, Virginia Ham)

Instructions:

Begin by draining your beans in a colander then smashing them up in a bowl add a few glugs of olive oil, salt, pepper. This little mix is delicious. If you add some minced rosemary, you can even turn this into a delicious dip.
Pit your avocado and cut it in half and then quarters lengthwise. Leave the skin on.
Lay the bread out on a clean work surface for assembling the sandwiches.
Spread your mashed bean mix onto one side of the bread.
Peel your avocados and slice 1 quarter for each sandwich. Spread slices over the bean spread.
Add a few slices of your pork to over the top of the avocado.
You can finish this sandwich with some lettuces, fresh sprouts, or just eat it as is.

2. Delicious Crab Salad

Canned crab is a protein option that will likely be around through much of this meat crisis. It does have to be kept in refrigeration, but it’s delicious and this chipotle mayo salad is great in the spring and summer.

Ingredients:

1 Can of Crab Meat
1 Bunch of Asparagus
Chipotle Mayo
1 Bunch of Green Onions
1 Bunch of Cilantro

Instructions:

Drain your crab in a colander and set it in the sink.
Slice your asparagus into 1-inch pieces. Throw them into a bowl.
Thinly slice your onions and your cilantro and throw that into the bowl, as well.
Gently toss in the crab meat.
Squirt on enough Chipotle mayo to coat everything and toss gently not to break up the crab meat.
Chill in the fridge and serve.

3. Simple Greek Salad

Simple Greek Salad | No Cook Meals for Surviving the Pandemic and Food Supply Shortages

The combination of simple summer ingredients makes for an incredible quick salad that you could add other proteins, too, if you wanted. These could be canned meats.

Ingredients:

2 Large Tomatoes
1 Cucumber
1 Red Onion
¼ Cup of Feta Cheese
A Few Sprigs of Fresh Mint
½ Cup of Kalamata Olives
Balsamic Dressing

Instructions:

I like to cut the tomatoes in large chunks and have them kind of be the main course in this salad. Peel and slice your cucumber in half. Remove the seeds and either dice or slice in half-moons.
Peel and slice your red onion in half. Julienne your, or thinly slice, your half onion.
Add all these ingredients to a bowl. Finely slice your mint.
Add your olives, crumbled feta, and mint to the bowl and add enough dressing to coat everything.
Stir it up and allow this to chill for at least an hour for the flavors to really blend.

4. Mediterranean Tuna Lettuce Wraps

Mediterranean Tuna Lettuce Wraps | No Cook Meals for Surviving the Pandemic and Food Supply Shortages

Using some similar ingredients and adding a protein like tuna, you can create some delicious lettuce wraps. The key to a good lettuce wrap is to have most of the items around the same size. So, consider that when you are preparing this dish.

Ingredients:

Iceberg or Butter Lettuce
Canned Artichokes
Canned roasted Red peppers
Fresh Cucumber
Feta Cheese
Minced Olives ¼ Cup
2 Cans of Tuna
Green Onions
Basil

Instructions:

Start by peeling all the full leaves from your lettuce. Set them on a plate either cover them with a wet paper towel or put them back into the fridge.
Dice the peppers, artichokes, and cucumbers into cubes. Go no larger than ½ an inch.
Thinly slice your green onions and basil and add them to a bowl with your diced vegetables. Add your loves to this bowl and mix them thoroughly.
Crumble your feta cheese over the mixture.
Drain your tuna thoroughly and then add that to the bowl, as well.
Gently toss this mixture. Try not to break up the tuna and the cheese too much but incorporate it thoroughly.
If you want, you can add some olive oil to the mix or a few glugs of balsamic vinegar. It’s also delicious just how it is.
Scoop a few tablespoons into a lettuce leaf, wrap it up and eat up!

These no cook meals should help lessen the stress you feel when thinking of what to feed your family. If you don’t have the specific ingredients, use your creativity, and use what you have. You might discover a new recipe while you’re at it!

What’s your favorite no cook meal recipe? Please share it with us in the comments section!

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This Article Was First Found at survivallife.com Read The Original Article Here

preparedness

Billionaire Whistle Blower: Wuhan Coronavirus Death Toll Is Over 50,000

Exiled Chinese businessman Guo Wengui recently revealed leaks from Wuhan crematoriums. He claims based on the number of bodies their furnaces are burning, the death toll could be as high as 50,000.

A Chinese billionaire and whistleblower who lives in U.S. exile says Wuhan crematoriums have burned 50,000 coronavirus victims. | Credit: Chinatopix via AP

The official coronavirus death toll in China is a little over 800. But an exiled Chinese businessman says crematoriums are leaking the real figure.
A billionaire whistleblower alleges Wuhan has crematoriums working 24/7. He claims they’ve cremated some 50,000 coronavirus victims.
Guo Wengui is a Chinese billionaire living in exile in the United States.

The official coronavirus death toll is some 800 people in China. The current official death toll worldwide, outside of China, is 774. But a Chinese billionaire with a history of blowing the whistle on his former government says the real figure is much higher.

Exiled Chinese businessman Guo Wengui recently revealed leaks from Wuhan crematoriums. He claims based on the number of bodies their furnaces are burning, the death toll could be as high as 50,000. Wengui made the bombshell allegations in an interview with former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon.

Whistleblower: 1.5 Million Coronavirus Cases In China, 50,000 Coronavirus Deaths In Wuhan

He also claims to have inside information that there are 1.5 million confirmed coronavirus cases in China. Wengui is emphatic that these are not merely quarantined or “under observation” but confirmed cases of coronavirus infection:

China has struggled to contain the coronavirus. But it has also struggled to contain public outcry against censorship and tight control of information. Dr. Li Wenliang, who sounded the alarm about the disease, succumbed to an infection and died this week. The Chinese government arrested him for blowing the whistle.

Then officials tried to suppress news of his death. Afterwards, millions of Chinese citizens saw the hashtag #IWantFreedomOfSpeech on Mandarin language social media. But the Chinese government censored that too.

Are Wengui’s Crematorium Claims Credible?

Watch VICE’s 2017 profile on Guo Wengui. At the time, he published bombshell documents alleging corruption in the Chinese government. He got the attention of the media and reportedly the U.S. State Department.

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