Your Preparation Station

Brought to you by:  PREPARE Magazine Making do with what you have, stretching what's on hand and finding joy in the journey is what it's all about to thrive while surviving on shoestrings. That's why each week or so we survey the local Thrift Stores and Consignment Shops to see what there is that we actually need before every going to buy it new! You can save so much money on items that would cost tripple or more from the retail store if you  will just buy them used. Best Blessings & EnJOY the show! Donna And let’s connect on the SOS Facebook Page

Brought to you by PREPARE MAGAZINE - Pick up your FREE Digital Subscription HERE I had a great time getting to meet Abby personally when I persuaded her to come and teach at one of our local Preparedness Meetings.  Her style of teaching was so 'hands on' even for a classroom setting that everyone walked away learning so much - and she has so much MORE to share!   Listen to this episode and get in contact with Abby to learn even more of what the forest provides for us! Abby Artemisia is a botanist, herbalist, and professional forager living in the small community at the base of Mt. Mitchell in the Blue Ridge Mountains. She was raised and received her botany degree in Ohio. She has worked on organic farms across the country, including the west coast, where she learned about plant medicine and spirituality from Native Americans. She became a mom and started her own herbal tea company and an apprenticeship in herbalism. Now she teaches about edible and medicinal plants and mushrooms while foraging as much as p

Brought to you by:  Millers Grain House It dawned on me the other day that for years I've been teaching back to basics cooking, real food recipes and not once did I ever consider the beginning of someone's journey.   Transitioning your 'typical' convenience kitchen to a back to basics, whole food kitchen really does have a starting point and some simple steps along the way.  Here are the points that I'll cover in this episode: Start with just ONE item first!Read LabelsBuy Ingredients OnlyLearn to salvage mistakesPrepare for the dishesLearn how to create your own make-ahead secret weaponsStock your pantry and plan by what's on handPlay with your food!   Remember, just because you may not have been gifted with the domestic gene or raised by Betty Crocker - You can do this! If I can, anyone can! Best Blessings! Donna Miller Join me on Facebook Too - Click Here

If you’ve looked into cash back shopping or cash back rebates and been kind of  taken aback by how very complicated they become, if that’s you and you’ve been there…  you’ll be excited to listen to my guest Frank Atkins explain this  FREE way to get real, easy cash back for buying things we already buy! Find out how to start earning REAL cash back at http://www.EarnCashRebates.com.   I began using this way of shopping and have already received cash back on things from bed sheets to car parts! I’m surprisingly thrilled with it thus far! And it’s FREE to join! Yes, seriously you can start saving back real cash each time you shop (even at discount clubs that already offer bulk savings and discount sites like Wayfair and more) and after you’ve save money with them you can still put cash into your account and begin building your stash of cash back. You can pocket real cash rebates on top of savings already offered.  And this one is easy not complicated like so many of the others out there. Visit http://www.Ear

Can you feel it? Winter is right around the corner! In this episode of Surviving on Shoestrings, Donna discusses ways to prepare for the winter while on a tight budget.  With a little effort, creativity and ingenuity, you can save a bundle on heating costs and winterizing. You can enjoy a frugal, snug little bug-in all winter long. This show sponsored by PREPARE Magazine & Millers Grain House Surviving on Shoestrings Facebook for more fun and frugal sharing... :) Email Donna with ideas and suggestions at:  SurvivingOnShoestrings@gmail.com

Brought to you by:  PREPARE Magazine & Millers Grain House Making do with what you have, stretching what's on hand and finding joy in the journey is what it's all about to thrive while surviving on shoestrings.  Maybe you don't have to do any of these tips now, but who knows, one day you might choose to stretch things and the cost of doing your laundry can be added to that list! This week’s episode of Surviving on Shoestrings Donna will cover: What does it really cost to do laundry the typical way?Is this one of those ‘controllable’ expenses?Indoor lines, laundry mats and stains – oh my.Does wear and tear really factor in to your laundry plan?Watch this video -  Airing our Dirty Laundry  For suggestions and questions feel free to email Donna at:  SurvivingOnShoestrings@gmail.com

Brought to you by PREPARE MAGAZINE - http://www.PREPAREMag.com  Host Donna Miller gets to visit with Author, LeAnn Edmondson. You'll get some great inspiration as you hear how LeAnn "woke up" and realized the need to prep. Somethings most of us in the lower 48 don't even think about.  And they both have a couple of "soapbox moments" about the dangers of blindly following any supposed "preparedness expert" you find on the internet.  But mostly Donna & LeAnn talk about how to begin the Homesteading Dream no matter where you find that you are living!  LeAnn has some very encourging ideas and insight that you'll want to hear! LeAnn Edmondson lives in beautiful Southeast Alaska with her husband, dogs and cats. The ‘dream’ is to own land and live as self-sustainably as possible. You can follow her on Facebook & Pinterest, as well as on the main site, Homestead Dreamer. She has also the author of Aftermath: A Story of Survival (Jimmy Walker Series Book 1).  

Brought to you by PREPARE MAGAZINE - Pick up your FREE Digital Subscription HERE http://www.PREPAREMag.com  Donna catches up with another great guest in this episode.  Dr. Joe Alton and his lovely wife, Nurse Amy have been great supporters of PREPARE Magazine and have articles regularly printed in the print issues.  In this episode, Amy is unable to join us due to other responsibilities with their ever growing service to the preparedness industry, but Dr. Bones (Joe) and Donna catch up on all that the Dynamic Doom & Bloom Duo have going on! Joe Alton, M.D. (aka: Dr. Bones) is a member of Mensa, collects 19th century medical books to gain insight on off-grid medical strategies. He is the co-author, along with Amy Alton, A.R.N.P. (aka Nurse Amy), of the #1 Amazon Bestseller in Survival Skills “theSurvival Medicine Handbook".  The opinions voiced by Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy are for post-apocalyptic settings only; in normal times, seek modern and standard medical care from qualified professionals. More abo

Brought to you by Millers Grain House In today's episode our hostess, Donna Miller shares how to use some of the best of the Fall/Autum produce that is in season.  These foods are not only high in nutrition, but the nutrition is targeted right to what you need for the dark colder weather ahead.  Also, because it's harvest time, the cost is much lower than foods that are out of season. If you have other ideas or questions please email Donna and she can address them in an upcoming show!  Thanks for listening. For more tips on a back to basics living, get your Free Digital Subscription1 to PREPARE Magazine 

Brought to you by PREPARE Magazine - Visit & Sign up for your FREE Digital Subscription! In this Episode, Donna shares ideas on where to buy clothes cheaper, how to approach shopping to spend the least amount needed and caring to stretch the life of your clothing after getting it home.  All these tips combined will help in curbing your clothing cost for you and your family. For suggestions and questions feel free to email Donna at: SurvivingOnShoestrings@gmail.com Have fun and enJOY the journey! Come like our Surviving On Shoestrings Facebook Page for more tips!  

Brought to you by PREPARE MAGAZINE   Pick up your FREE Digital Subscription Today: http://www.PREPAREMag.com  I enjoyed talking with Don Alley not only to get more aquainted with him myself, but to share with you a different 'take' on preparedness that you may not have thought of before.  Don brings a perspective of Martial Arts from an every day preparedness point of view into his family's emergency plan.  I hope you'll listen and learn some new ideas as I did! EnJOY the Journey,  Donna Donald Alley is a martial practitioner with over 10 years of experience. He has practiced personal protection training methodology with broad-spectrum awareness. He is a black belt in classical Ju Jutsu, Assistant Instructor at the Martial Science Center, and an Emergency Preparedness Instructor and Program Coordinator at Martial Tactical Training of Michigan. Furthermore, he is an NRA Instructor for Basic Pistol and Personal Protection firearm training. His product line, Bu Tactical, includes items for protection, prepa

Brought to you by PREPARE MAGAZINE - Pick up your FREE Digital Subscription HERE http://www.PREPAREMag.com  I'm thrilled to get to visit with my guest and discuss her traditionally off-grid lifestyle as well as all the great things that she has to share wiht you!  I hope you'll join us! Trayer is an author, freelance writer, and a radio show host at Mountain Woman Radio.  Tammy and her family live traditionally off-grid and have a passion to help educate others by sharing their experiences of living off the land, dealing with autism, gluten free and dairy free cooking, self reliance, wilderness survival, traditional and primitive skills, and much more. Follow Tammy's radio show on iTunes and her website. Keep up with Tammy's informative articles and videos by subscribing to: http://TrayerWilderness.com andhttp://youtube.com/trayerwilderness. 

Brought to you by Millers Grain House In today's episode our hostess, Donna Miller shares some of her favorite left-over foods and how she enjoys using them in order not to waste food.  Let's face it, left over food that gets thrown away can really cut into the grocery budget.  Disguising leftovers and getting your family to actually eat them is a skill.  But it's one you can enjoy learning!   Donna shares her top ten (10) leftover items with multiple ideas on how they can each be used. If you have other ideas or questions please email Donna and she can address them in an upcoming show!  Thanks for listening. For more tips on a back to basics living, get your Free Digital Subscription1 to PREPARE Magazine 

Brought to you by PREPARE MAGAZINE - Pick up your FREE Digital Subscription HERE http://www.PREPAREMag.com  I am so glad to have as my guest one of our Distinguished Contributing Authors & Friend, Janet Liebsh! Bill and Janet litterally wrote the book on the vastness of being prepared.  It's not a novel or fluff - this is a book chock full of easy reference scenarios. You may find yourself faced with a tense situation and need the cool, simple steps to help you focus.  "IT'S A DISASTER! ...and what are YOU gonna do about it?" is my favorite 'go-to' reference book. Bill & Janet Liebsch are the founders of FedHealth, a publishing and marketing company formed in 1999 to help the public focus on preparedness and health-related issues. We also are the authors and publishers of "IT'S A DISASTER! ...and what are YOU gonna do about it?" and are dedicated to developing programs that primarily benefit First Responders, schools and volunteers. Get a sample of the content with this free mini-ebook  HERE  www

Brought to you by PREPARE Magazine - Visit & Sign up for your FREE Digital Subscription! If your first thought was that we lived on our savings, think again.  Here are some bullet points of what route we chose to go when we were faced with no income for a full year: We did not have a savings to live fromWe did not go on a government assistance programWe did not move in with family to avoid mortgage or rentWe did not split up our family to handle the situation. Some of the things we did do were: Live off the garden.Waste NO food.Barter food items.Sell off most of our belongings.Downsize to one car.Cut out most entertainment.More... You'll have to listen to the show to hear how we did this... Have fun and enJOY the journey!   Come like our Surviving On Shoestrings Facebook Page for more tips!

PREPARE MAGAZINE - Pick up your FREE Digital Subscription HERE I am so glad to have as my guest one of our Distinguished Contributing Authors, Jason Hunt ! As if the title wasn't warning enough, we are going to talk about our Faith and how we believe God does call us to Prepare and what is lacking in the denominational church when it comes to helping others hear that call to prepare. Jason Hunt is the owner of Campcraft, LLC a survival outfitter and outdoor ministry located in Kentucky where he leads classes in wilderness survival, preparedness and wilderness medicine. He is also an instructor at The Pathfinder School and television host for both “Pathfinder TV” and “Campcraft with Jason Hunt”. You can learn more by visiting his website at www.campcraft.us Jason grew up in the outdoors of Southern Indiana engaging almost daily in what nature provided as a playground, but it wasn't until after a ten year stint as a pastor that he felt God call him back into the woods for what would be perhaps the greatest

Brought to you by Millers Grain House In today's episode our hostess, Donna Miller shares some tips and tricks to speeding up the learning curve for using cast iron cookware.  From the hand me down from great, great grandma to the new one found at a flea market, cast-iron cookware has very specific needs and a unique care regimen. Then Donna will help you to troubleshoot some of the reasons your cast iron may have food sticking to it and how you can avoid that with just a few simple tweaks in how you use it.  From rust to restoration - learning to cook with and care for cast iron never goes out of style. For more tips on a back to basics living, get your Free Digital Subscription to PREPARE Magazine   

Brought to you by PREPARE Magazine - Visit & Sign up for your FREE Digital Subscription! There are things around everyone's home that usually just get tossed in the trash without thinking.  But if you're on a tight budget, you may want to rethink, reuse, repurpose and recycle those items that would easily go into the garbage into items you would have spent hard earned money to replace.   Here are the items: Plastic Produce BagsMesh Produce BagsProduce BasketsCoffee GroundsEmpty Tin CansCardboard Tubes Desecant or Silica PacketsPlastic Newspaper SleeveAny Bottle with an EyedropperUsed Dryer Sheets I always keep all of these items and more to use in multple ways.  It keeps me from spending money on other disposable items.   You'll have to listen to the show to hear how I use these! Have fun and enJOY the journey!   Come like our Surviving On Shoestrings Facebook Page for more tips!

I had the honor of interviewing Joel and leaving tremendously encouraged about this method of gardening. As I think and prepare for my elderly years, gardening is not something I am willing to give up simply due to physical limitations and straw bale gardening sounds just like the ticket to keep at it! It is not only for the 'seasoned' gardener, as Joel puts it, but it is great for so many other circumstances and living environments. He is going to be one of the speakers you can learn from FOR FREE at the Home Grown Food Summit! (bit.ly/HomeGrownFoodSummit) But you'll want to register SOON . You'll see several people with whom you are likely familiar. Links to connect with Joel: www.StrawBaleGardens.com www.Facebook.com/LearnToGrowAStrawBaleGarden Link to connect with Your Preparation Station: www.YourPreparationStation.com Sign up for the Newsletter to get Show Notices :)

Today I hope you receive some Homesteading Inspiration with my guest Jared Stanley, of J and J Acres. Jared wills Jared Stanley is best known for his nearly 300 videos on the J&J Acres YouTube channel where he shares the adventures of his family working to become self-reliant. Jared and Jennifer have 5 children who are homeschooled and help around the property. Jared is also a certified Permaculture Designer. He teaches many homesteading related subjects, speaks at conferences and consults people on permaculture design. Here is how you can connect with Jared: https://www.facebook.com/groups/homesteading1 http://www.youtube.com/jandjacreshttp://www.jandjacres.nethttp://www.permasapien.com We hope you enjoy the show and leave inspired in your homesteading journey!  No matter where you are from dreaming to digging - inspiration goes a long way in homesteading! FREE Digital Subscription to PREPARE Magazine Keep Growing and enJOY the Journey! Donna Miller Visit us at our site: Your Preparation Station