How To Be Proactive And Save Money To Prepare For A Biological Disaster

Everywhere I turn, all I hear is about this Coronavirus so I wanted to tell you how to prepare for a biological disaster and save money while being proactive.

Let me state that my family and I are not panicking, and I hope you are not either, there are many ways we can get prepared without spending a small fortune.

Several years ago, my family and I had the swine flu so I’ve learned a couple of tips about how to get prepared just in case this biological disaster hits our family also.

Plus, living in Florida with hurricanes, lightening storms and tornadoes, we are used to disaster preparedness so my money saving tips can help you as well.

It’s better to be prepared for the worst and have the stuff you need, instead of needing it and not having it.

Plus, disaster preparedness is so important because the government can only help so many people at a time. We need to prepare to help ourselves!

So let’s get busy learning how to prepare for a biological disaster.

1. Check Your Food Inventory

The first step to any process is to check what you already have. If you are trying to save money while you prepare for a biological disaster, overbuying doesn’t help you any.

The government is suggesting that you have at least one months supply of food on hand just in case you need to be quarantined to your home. ONE MONTH!

While we are used to having a week’s supply for a hurricane, one month is an entirely different story. So now is the time to figure things out just in case a biological disaster hits your family.

Start by getting out a sheet of paper and writing down the food items you have on hand.

Start with the food. Then, add the items from your pantry, refrigerator, freezer, and any other stashes you have around the house.

Then, go to your cleaning supplies, medicines, and vitamins.

Start a shopping list of your must-have disaster preparedness items.

If you need ideas on what to add to your list, here’s one idea on how to build a one month food supply.

2. Start Shopping With $10 A Week

Since we want to be prepared for the worst but not go into debt trying to prepare, I suggest you start adding items to your weekly grocery list with just $10 a week. Having a food stockpile to prepare for a biological disaster is so important.

Now, if you can add more than $10, great. If you can’t, you have to start with something!

Stock up on items like canned soup, ramen noodles, crackers, cartons of broth, tea bags, honey, lemon juice, coffee, creamer.

Add in canned fruit, frozen meals, and frozen vegetables. Think of when you get sick and what your family likes or needs to have on hand.

My family loves hot tea and honey when they get sick, so I am always stocked up on these items. Plus, I keep canned soup stocked up too.

Think of items you will need if you can’t get to the store for a month…what are your must have items? Add those to your shopping list each week but make sure you keep them separate for your biological disaster kit.

3. Build Up Your Immunity For A Biological Disaster

The most important step you can take now to prepare for a biological disaster is to prevent the Coronavirus from hitting your family.

Go over proper procedures for hand washing, sanitizing your hands and items while you are out of the home and also not touching your eyes, mouth and other items if your hands are not sanitized.

To build your immunity, there are vitamins you can be taking to help your body fight biological disasters like the Coronavirus.

You can stock up on Vitamins A, D, E, B6, Multivitamins, Zinc, Elderberry, and even Grape Seed Extract. (Of course, check with your healthcare provider before taking any new vitamins as they may counteract with your medications.)

Don’t forget to stock up on tissues, cough drops, sore throat spray, Tylenol or Advil and children’s medicines too to be be prepared for the worst.

4. Make Your Own Disinfecting Solutions

Guess what items are already running out at the stores? You betcha, sanitizing solutions! So that’s not only why we will make our own to prepare for a biological disaster, but we can save money doing it too.

DIY Sanitizing “Bleach” Wipes

Ingredients:

• Paper towel roll (make sure they are sturdy paper towels)
• container to fit paper towels (old large bleach wipe tub should work)
• 2 cups Distilled water
• 3 Tablespoons Bleach (OR Use: 1 cup Vinegar, OR 70% Rubbing Alcohol, OR Vodka)
• 1 Tablespoon Dish Soap

Directions:

First cut the paper towel roll in half with a serrated knife. Add half the roll to the tub or container. Mix the water, bleach (or other liquid) and the dish soap together, then pour over the towels. Let soak then remove the inner cardboard tube. Pull the center towel up to start the roll.

DIY Disinfecting Spray

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup White Vinegar
• 1/2 Cup Rubbing Alcohol
• 1 Cup Distilled Water or Reverse Osmosis Water
• 5 Drops Lemon Essential Oil (price varies) (I use the Young Living brand because of their purity promise)
• 5 Drops Lavender Essential Oil (price varies) (I use the Young Living brand because of their purity promise)
• Spray bottle (preferably glass)

Directions:

To a spray bottle, add the vinegar, alcohol, and water. Then the essential oils and shake to combine. Spray it everywhere you go!

I spray it on the cart handles, gas pump handles, on my hands after I use a keypad when paying, before we eat…you name it…I use it!

DIY Hand Antibacterial Spray

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons Distilled or Reverse Osmosis Water
• 1 & 1/2 Tablespoons Aloe Vera 100% Gel (You may need to eyeball it and just squeeze from the tube if your tube does not have a pump. If it does, 1 & 1/2 Tablespoons is 15-20 pumps.)
• Small glass or plastic spray bottle
• 10 Drops Essential Oil (price varies) (I use the Young Living brand because of their purity promise)AND/OR to make it even cheaper you can use
• Vinegar (Vinegar is naturally antibacterial and antifungal so it is a safe & natural way to clean away germs)

Directions:

To your glass DIY hand sanitizer spray bottle, add about 1 & 1/2 Tablespoons of the aloe vera gel (you may need to eyeball it if your tube does not have a pump). If your aloe has a pump, add 15-20 pumps. Then add the 10 drops of the Thieves oil (or your own combination). Then fill the rest of the bottle with distilled or reverse osmosis water leaving room for the sprayer. Distilled water will prevent the solution from getting slimy. Shake the hand sanitizing spray bottle to combine the ingredients.

DIY Disinfecting Hand Soap

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon Liquid Castile soap (or learn how to make Castile soap yourself for pennies)
• 1/2 teaspoon Fractionated Coconut Oil or 2 squirts from the pump
• 15 Drops Essential Oils of each Lavender & Peppermint, or Wintergreen & Lemon, or Grapefruit & Thieves Oils (price varies)
• 1 Drop (NOT TWO) Food Coloring if you want to make it look like a traditional hand soap (optional)
• Distilled or reverse osmosis water
• 1 Foaming soap container (I reused an old one)
• PLUS 1 Tablespoon Vinegar

Directions:

Add a little bit of the water into your bottle, then add the liquid Castile soap, fractionated coconut oil, and the essential oils to your foaming hand soap bottle. Then add the Vinegar and fill the rest of the bottle with water. Slightly swirl or shake to combine after adding the top.

Cold & Flu Room Spray

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup Rubbing Alcohol (or Witch hazel if you’d prefer)
• 1 1/2 Cup Distilled or Reverse Osmosis Water
• 12 Drops Specific Essential Oils for Colds and Flu (I use the Young Living brand because of their purity promise)

Directions:

Add these ingredients to a spray bottle then shake to combine. Spray in every room especially where sick people have been to prevent anyone else getting sick.

5. Organize Your Games, DVDs And Craft Supplies

The last thing you want to do when you are sick is try to find the missing pieces of a game to keep your family occupied.

Start by getting all these things in order to prepare for a biological disaster.

We do this process often for our disaster preparedness plan before hurricane season. It helps to have things in order so you know what you have and what you might need.

You can also check out many of the Staycation ideas since you may be quarantined for up to a month. You’ll need lots of ideas to keep your family busy and from going stir crazy. Cabin fever is a real thing!

So I’ve hope you’ve learned these tips on how to prepare for a biological disaster and still save money.

It’s better to be prepared for the worst and have the stuff you need, instead of needing it and not having it.

Plus, disaster preparedness is so important because the government can only help so many people at a time. We need to prepare to help ourselves!

Your Turn: How will you prepare for a biological disaster? Is there anything else you would add to your biological disaster kit? Share with us below!

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