Today is a Thought of the Walk (TOTW) day and I had a good one ready on champagne and hookers, but with so many folks panicking about the coronavirus, I decided to do a show on how to prepare for the coronavirus in 7 days if you are not already prepared.

This comes from the point of view that panic is not needed and I hope that some of the tangible things I suggest with help people be in a better place should this event impact you, while not spending a bunch of money on things that you will never use.

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Thank you to Patrick Riley for composing and recording the new show introduction. What to you all think?

Main Topic of Today's Show: Prepare for the Coronavirus in Seven Days

Handle the "Big Three" first:

1. Food
   • Document what you have eaten or plan to eat this week - expand that to a month and make a list of needed ingredients
   • Audit what you already have
   • Buy enough of those items for a month, minus perishables that will not last a month
   • If the perishables that will not last a month are required for balanced nutrition, replace the perishable version with non-perishable (canned, frozen, something else that does the same thing and will last)
   • If you cannot afford a month of groceries at one time, fall back on staples - rice and beans - Mormon Pantries are a great place to get these. If you do this, make sure you include purchase of salt and spices if you can afford it!
   • ensure you have enough pet food
   • Note: Paper products like tampons, TP and other needed items are included in this planning process.
2. Water
   • You should plan 2 gallons per person per day for hydration and sanitation, but many cannot store that much water!
   • Water Storage ideas: 5 gallon buckets from lowes, ziplocks, etc
   • A water filter can help you not have to store as much - and no this is not an affiliate link: https://www.amazon.com/Sawyer-Products-SP128-Filtration-System/dp/B00FA2RLX2/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=sawyer+mini&qid=1582908972&sr=8-1
   • Video on how to use this filter for higher volumes than hiking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHnxaIuII8g
   • Boiling and iodine and bleach can all be used to sterilize water.
   • Use a pillow case or t shirt to remove debris from water if filtering "yucky" water to extend the life of your filter
3. Sanitation
   • The n95 Mask is not a silver bullet - resist the temptation to overspend on one while people are panicking about this single item
   • Some construction respirations can help reduce exposer to airborne illness
   • Know how to set up a quarantine room in your home (This is a best practice for many illnesses)
   • Know what to sterilize beyond the obvious to combat the spread of germs (doorjambs, keyboards, remote, etc)
   • Stock rubber gloves, sanitizer, bleach, etc. (Boiling kills things if you do not have this stuff and a gallon of bleach goes a very, very long way - no need to buy a case of it!)
   • A word on handling human waste should your sewage fail

After you have addressed the above (in 7 days I hope), address the next layer over time:

1. Medical
   • Symptom - friendly meds: fever, congestion, couching, sore throat, diarrhea
   • Herbal support (Learn 2-3 basics): Mullein for congestion and cough is usually easy to find, stock herbals teas and honey for comfort
   • Prescriptions for humans
   • Prescriptions for animals
   • Ensure that you're as healthy as possible through proper nutrition, hydration, getting enough sleep
2. Shelter & Travel
   • In some disasters such as flooding and tornadoes, you end up needing backup plans for shelter. In this case if you are quarantined you get to stay in your home!
   • Business travelers: add a few extras to your luggage and be ready to stay with a friend if you are worried about getting stuck
3. Financial
   • Are you ready to pay your bills for a few months without income? If not, start saving now!
   • If not be ready to (ONLY in the event of not having the income due to quarantine): contact your mortgage company for extensions, seek a small loan from a personal contact, bank or credit union)
   • Only if there are no other options: cover a real need, like your mortgage, with a credit card --- hopefully no one ever needs to do this
   • Consider talking with your boss about if you can work from home and continue to earn in the event of disruption
   • Do you have time to build a side income in the interim
   • If you get quarantined and need to take any of the above loans: use the time with your family at home to come up with a new financial plan that eliminates debt and increases savings

The purpose of this episode is the help folks who are not ready for an even like the coronavirus to be as ready as they can be should it have an impact on day-to-day life in the short term Once you have the peace of mind that you have done what you can, I encourage you to learn a bit about Modern Prepping - a term coined by Jack Spirko of The Survival Podcast. Rather than preparing for "The Zombie Apocalypse," he encourages people to be ready for life's likely events: Job loss, family illness, external event such as a hurricane, forest fire or minor civil unrest. Because being ready for things likely to happen throughout your life puts you in a position to handle the more extreme things IF they come up without wasting time and money on things you will never use.

If you find this information helpful, please share it with folks who may also benefit. 

Make it a great week!

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GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. 

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• The Tactical Redneck
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