STACKERS!

I’m not here to alarm you. I just want to inform you & help you live a better life….

That Stacker life.

So… for those of us that don’t live under a rock like Patrick Star… you’ve probably heard or read about the “coronavirus” pandemic, real name: COVID-19. Major symptoms include fever and a dry cough. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines the name below:

○ Co = Corona

○ Vi = Virus

○ D = Disease

○ 19 = For the year it was first identified, 2019

Now you’re probably asking yourself, what does this have to do with stacking?

I gotchu.

In the last 48 hours… The NBA season was suspended, as well as the NCAA March Madness tournament, MLB spring training, F1 races, Champions League, MLS, and the list literally goes on for days… no but seriously, check it out here… it’s mind blowing.

Now travel through certain countries is being restricted.

Italy is on a complete lockdown with over 1,000 reported deaths due to covid-19. 

Large events are being canceled by the dozen. I can go on but we watch the same news so you know what’s up.

Some people think this is nothing but the flu (NOT TRUE, IT IS WORSE THAN THE FLU).

Some people have a 22 page essay on how this was created by the government. 

Some people think this is THE zombie apocalypse.

Whether you fall into any of those categories or not…. There is ONE thing you NEED to be…

PREPARED.

Be ready to handle just about anything. ALWAYS.

It’s not always possible to be ready for everything… but every little prep counts.

Whether it’s a hurricane, or a snowstorm, or your car needs major repairs, or maybe there’s a pandemic and you need to stay home from work for a few weeks… or months.. Having a plan is imperative.

There is no “one plan fits all” when it comes to being prepared. However there are a few things that you can do to always be ready for… a storm, financial strife like losing a job, or a pandemic that requires self quarantine:

• EMERGENCY SAVINGS – I will keep preaching this until I die. Then I’m just going to haunt you later and still preach it. Figure out how much money you need to pay your expenses each month (living comfortably) then multiply that by 3. Put that to the side just in case something happens. Aim for 3 months. Then 6 months. Then a year. If you have to quarantine for 2-3 weeks and miss work, this will come in the clutch. This may be hard for my Stackers just starting their financial journeys. Just remember.. every little bit counts. Saving $100 is better than saving nothing. 

• FOOD – ALWAYS KEEP SOME FOOD AT HOME. You don’t need to be eating out anyway. It’s Stack Season. Whenever you grocery shop, get in the habit of grabbing a few cans of food. Canned food has a shelf life of a few years when stored properly. Canned food is also pretty cheap. If you look out for the generic brand, most cost anywhere from 50cents to $1 each. As long as the cans aren’t damaged, are kept cool, and in a dark place… they will last. Freeze and portion your meat, chicken breasts or thighs work perfectly for this. Other things to buy: pasta, rice, beans, and oatmeal. These are all things that can be kept in your pantry for a few months to a year with no worries about expiring. Also don’t forget the tea, coffee, hot cocoa, and spirits. They all boost your morale and help you stay sane when times get crazy. Oh…. AND BUY A DAMN CAN OPENER! ***If your local stores are sold out, check the mom and pop stores… Asian grocery stores, Spanish grocery stores…. They will have rice and beans and other non perishables you can’t find in the bigger stores***

• WATER – Deserves its own bullet point. The rule of thumb is “one gallon a day per person”…. It is recommended that you drink at least half a gallon per day. The other half gallon is used for cooking or other essentials. So if you live alone, and you want to stock up for at least 30 days, you need 30 gallons of water for drinking. Walmart sells a pretty decent 5 gallon jug HERE. Space is always a thing when prepping and this takes up less space than half liter water bottles or one gallon jugs.

• VITAMINS/HERBS – Keep these on deck always. Take them daily. Do your research on vitamin c, vitamin d, fish oil, echinacea, garlic, and turmeric. Plus… when your diet goes from sushi and steak to canned veggies and beef jerky… you will thank yourself for keeping your vitamins stocked up.

If you want a little more, I wrote a nice thread on Twitter about it…. And I’ll be adding to this thread throughout the next week. 

For my Stackers that don’t exactly have the extra cash to buy a stocked bunker (I don’t have one either)… just know… rice, beans, pasta, and oatmeal… are all pretty cheap and last for years. 

Get in the habit of picking up $2-$3 worth every time you grocery shop. After a few months… your food stash will be ready for anything. 

Here are some GREAT resources I like to use as well

• r/preppers – Reddit community full of GOATS. Just read and google and thank me later.

• r/prepperfileshare – Reddit community full of PDFs on survival, homesteading, farming/gardening, and a lot more.

• ○ The Prepared – Prepper community with free info and reviews on gear and plans.

• ○ Happy Prepper – How to get started prepping

We will get through this. We are Stackers. We are resilient.