Katrina is a perfect example. Many families who were otherwise prepared failed to follow this advice and ran into a host of issues.

When the waters receded, some residents tried to return to their homes. The national guard and police, who were guarding against looting, prevented people from entering their homes unless they could provide proper identification and proof of ownership.

There were also difficulties in getting families back together after becoming separated following the disaster. Children were often put in a secure location and would only be released to parents/guardians if they could prove their identities.

Even trying to file insurance claims were frustrating since most did not have their policy numbers available.

Having access to your important documents is absolutely essential if you were required to rebuild your life following a disaster.

What Documents Should You Have Backups Of?

Here’s a list of documents that you should have a copy of for each family member (where applicable):

• drivers license (front and back)
• passports
• insurance cards
• social security cards
• credit cards (front and back)
• proof of ownership or lease of your residence
• vehicle, boats etc. proof of ownership (copy of title, bill of sale etc)
• bank account numbers and other financial information
• legal documents and wills
• a recent family photo with names
• phone and address information for in and out-of-state emergency contacts
• birth, death, marriage, divorce certificates
• important business documents
• photos of valuables for documentation of insurance claims
• medical records (immunization etc.)

Where You Should Store These Backups?

Having more than one backup for these important documents is essential. For example, if you choose to put your emergency docs only in your bug-out bag, it may be that a disaster prevents you from getting to that bag.

Here are some options for you:

In Your Bug-Out Bag

Besides food, water and gear, your bug-out bags (72 hour kits) should also contain these important documents. I prefer to put them in Ziplock brand (they’re more durable) freezer bags. This keeps them completely waterproof and prevents damage.

With Trusted Friends/Family

Another option where you can store your emergency documents is with a trusted friend or relative who lives outside of your area. This provides another failsafe in case your area is completely destroyed. You obviously don’t want these documents to fall in the wrong hands so it’s of primary importance that you can trust that individual and that they take the necessary precautions.

Safe-Deposit Box

For around $15-$20 a year you can store copies of your important documents in a safe deposit box. Again, I would recommend keeping them in a bank outside your immediate area. If your a customer of a national bank this gives you many options.

Keeping Electronic Copies

This is one of my favorite methods. Basically you create digital copies of your important documents and then upload them to a remote server (like Gmail, Google Docs, or Hotmail). By keeping a copy on various remote servers you benefit from the fact that your document is safe from disaster. Many large companies like Google and Microsoft have disaster-recovery servers that if one server location were to be completely destroyed another would take its place without any data loss.

As a graduate of computer science I am well aware of the importance and vulnerabilities of digital security. But transferring digital files across the net and keeping digital copies need not be risky. In my next article, I’ll be sharing with you how you can securely keep copies of these documents on the web. Read it here.

Related posts:

1. How to Create Secure Digital Copies of Your Emergency Documents
2. The Importance of Having a Survival Seed Bank
3. Emergency Preparedness Supplies – 70% Off!

photo © Lamar Alexander - www.simplesolarhomesteading.com

Lamar Alexander over at Simple Solar Homesteading has managed to build a completely self-sufficient solar cabin for under $4000 and with his $5 ebook, he shows you how you can do it too.

Being curious, I bought his ebook last week to check it out and you get a wealth of information that I think is well worth the 5 bucks. Even if you don’t plan on building a retreat, or don’t have the land yet to do it, many of the tips he shares can be applied to your own residence. And the instructions are really simple to follow.

Here’s what he teaches you:

• How to build a cabin for under $2000
• How to build a cabin addition for under $1500
• How to build a solar panel and generator system for under $1000
• How to build a solar composting toilet under $50
• How to build a solarium porch and solar air heater
• How to build a solar methane generator
• How to build a rain water and gray water harvesting system
• How to build a batch water heater under $50
• How to build a solar clothes washer, dryer, and dishwasher
• How to build a tipi greenhouse
• How to build a solar oven under $50
• How to build a root and/or storm shelter
• How to build a great garden cart under $50
• How to build a garden compost tumbler
• How to install a wood stove in your cabin
• How to build a portable chicken tractor for under $50
• How to dig your own water well
• How and where to find cheap homestead property

Granted, what he teaches you how to build is not some 3000 square foot log cabin but rather something that more resembles a glorified utility shed. But for the cheap cost and especially if you want to build something quick, it’s pretty cool.

And remember, if we were in an extended grid-down situation right now, then I’m sure you’d much rather be like Lamar living in a completely paid-off self-sufficient “shed” then in your dependent-on-the-grid in-debt-up-to-your-eyeballs McMansion. What he teaches here is a cheap way to self sufficiency and economic freedom. Not bad eh?

Here’s a video of Lamar giving you a tour of his place:

And here’s a video of the interior:

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As a test, I took 30 min of my time today to see how much free stuff I could order online. Here’s the list:

• Slim-Fast® 100 Calorie Snack Bar – Peanut Butter Crunchtime
• Nature Valley Trail Mix Bar & Nut Clusters
• Kashi TLC Chewy Granola Bar
• Raw Organic Bee Pollen
• Organic & Raw Honey Sample
• Special K Cereal Sample
• Free Beyond Seven Latex Condom – beyond the standard use, condoms make great ‘survival’ water containers.
• Prilosec heart-burn medicine
• Enfamil – we’ve got a new baby coming
• Diapers
• Nivea for Men Active shower, shampoo, shave gel
• Snuggie – The Blanket with Sleeves – not sure if this one will come, it seemed too good to be true.

There are many sites that keep an eye out for you as to what free samples are available. Here are some:

• StartSampling.com
• MySavings.com
• The Free Site
• Cool Freebie Links
• Walmart Free Samples

Most sites require that you sign up for the promotion by giving them your email. Instead of using your own email and getting all the accompanying junk that goes along with submitting it, simply set up a free account used specifically for this purpose. I’ve got one called junkmail75@hotmail.com (feel free to spam me if you like  ).

If you’ve got the time or are just sitting in front of the TV with a laptop, why not work on getting some free stuff to add to your stash. Happy hunting!

Related posts:

1. The Free-Stuff is In!

If this doesn’t spurn you on to get out of debt, and get some real assets (such as gold to save your wealth), then nothing will. Thanks Jimmy for keying me in to this vid!

Related posts:

1. The Tactical Intelligence News Brief – October 6, 2009

“Interest never sleeps nor sickens nor dies; it never goes to the hospital; it works on Sundays and holidays; it never takes a vacation; it never visits nor travels; it takes no pleasure; it is never laid off work nor discharged from employment; it never works on reduced hours. . . . Once in debt, interest is your companion every minute of the day and night; you cannot shun it or slip away from it; you cannot dismiss it; it yields neither to entreaties, demands, or orders; and whenever you get in its way or cross its course or fail to meet its demands, it crushes you.”

 – J. Reuben Clark

The average American household is living in a similar manner to our government — off of borrowed money. We are replacing our future needs for our present wants. With the average consumer debt reaching around $10,000 per household, it has become an epidemic in the United States.

There are many good sources on the internet and elsewhere for how to get out of debt. Such as performing “plastic surgery” on your credit cards by cutting them up; paying off the higher-interest credit cards first; or getting a second job and using that income only to pay off your debts. This is all good advice, but if we get out of debt what’s to say we won’t jump right back in?

There is a good friend of mine who at the young age of 18 got caught up in wanting to have the best things that life had to offer. This is not a bad thing in itself. However, he wanted these things now without making the required effort to work and save for them.

The idea that he at 18 could get credit cards to support his lifestyle was the perfect solution. He progressively charged more and more on his various cards until they were all maxed out. It got to the point where he had to seek help from his family in order to get out of his situation. It took him nearly 10 years to pay off his debts using many of the tips and techniques that are offered by financial advisers.

Not long after, he got married, bought a home and began to fall in the same trap again. He figured that since he was older, had a home, and made significantly more money than he did as a kid, that he was entitled now to some of the nicer things – again without saving up for them. After about two years, he was mired down in debt again – over $20,000 this time. This young couple was literally living paycheck-by-paycheck causing considerable strain on their relationship.

After consolidating most of his debts, as well as paying some off with a home-equity loan, he continued in the same pattern until they were $50,000 in debt. Stretched to the limit and nowhere to turn, they declared bankruptcy a few months ago. Occasionally I still hear him talk about the “latest” thing he’d seen that he wants. Will this pattern end?

Many share the same burdens that my friend shares. It is only after they are in a dire situation do they seek, out of desperation, to temporarily change their patterns. But these are only band-aid solutions. What they need is to live by principles – economic constants that are true no matter what the situation of the economy or their income may be.

Here is a list of them:

• Live on less than you earn. There is no way that you can earn more than you could potentially spend. If you look around you’ll notice it’s not the amount of money that one earns that brings peace of mind, rather the ability to control it. It is said that “money can be an obedient servant but a harsh taskmaster”. The key to spending less than we earn is simple – it’s called self-discipline. Are you in control of your circumstances or do your circumstances control you? Those who structure their standard of living to allow for a little surplus are in control.
• Learn to identify your needs from your wants. We live in a wonderful free-market society which allows us the opportunity to purchase so many different things. Part of the challenge is making the sacrifice to temporarily put off what we want now to what we need later. This means making decisions for the long term. Oftentimes, when we decide to hold-off on a particular purchase, we realize that it is not something that we want anyways.
• Develop and live within a budget. Budgeting and financial management don’t have to be overly complicated. However be sure that the four bases are covered: First, allocate enough to cover the basic provisions (food, clothing, etc.); Second, for home equity (ie. the mortgage); Third, for savings and various health and life insurances (ideally you should have an emergency fund of at least 6-months worth of expenses). And finally fourth, for investments. Only after if there is money left over should you buy those wants.
• Show integrity in all of your financial dealings. Financial integrity is a dying principle. Whether it’s “stuffing” your time sheets to make an extra buck to lying about one’s profits (in the case of the Enron scandal), ethical economics needs to become a priority. There are so many now seeking the easy way out by declaring bankruptcy and thereby placing their debts on someone else. There are others who are living off of the system when they’re entirely capable of working. These seemingly ‘small’ decisions multiplied over a number of people can impact the entire nation. It’s up to every individual to learn and teach others about the need for integrity.

Each of us has the power within us to make the decision to live these principles. I know that as we seek the courage to get our own financial house in order that our lives will be blessed with security and happiness.

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