Forced DeCluttering & Water Solutions

I am really hoping that all this forced decluttering means there is (1) a move to northeast Texas in my future, or (2) a huge increase in income resulting from a decrease in disposable time.

You already know about the forced "decluttering" aka getting rid of my prepper stuff in the backyard due to the stone wall. Well the wall is up, the yard looks worse due to the construction than it did with the prepper stuff, and irony of all ironies: California just passed a "water hog" bill, where they're going to fine you $500 a day for going over your water allotment, so I'm not going to be replanting and watering worthless grass any time soon. Of course, they haven't said what that water allotment will be...

I am so glad I am a prepper. I am glad we have lived in areas where frequently electricity gets shut off, water gets shut off, gas (heat) gets shut off. It makes you plan for, and accommodate the "what if?"

Did I mention the freezer died this week? Glad we've been living on freezer storage and were down to a turkey, a few large packages of chicken and a bunch of bagged fruit. If I'd had to start canning 24/7 this week, sigh, well it wouldn't have been pretty. Freezer went to the city dump today. At this rate, I'll be living inside bare walls.

I am glad we have water stored even though it is not nearly enough. Like...it would get us through 5 days, maybe. And that's without cooking anything.

So one starts to get creative:

1. Our main bathroom plumbing has developed a leak (OF COURSE IT HAS!!) So until I can get it fixed (it leaks 5 gallons every 8 hours) I put a 5 gallon bucket underneath it, run some through the Berkey filter for drinking (it's potable on its own, but still), water the vegetable plants with the rest of it. If I need to, I will do laundry with it, and/or bathing (just like camping, lol.)

2. Fill up the remaining water barrels while I can. Yeah, those water barrels the landlord wanted me to get rid of.

3. Get up on the roof, disconnect the non-working satellite dish and build my parabolic cooker. Not for cooking: for distilling sea water.

4. Get a gym membership for showering (and working out too, lol!) Can we get a privacy screen and shower at the beach?? Just wondering.

5. Do laundry (washing anyway) at the laundromat.

6. Buy large 5 gallon water containers and fill up at those .25 cents a gallon water refilling stations.

7. Stop throwing those PETE juice bottles away. Wash them out, then refill them with water. One of those 48 - 64 ounce bottles contain enough water to boil pasta, cook rice rehydrate food, or make up powdered milk. Storage wise it's not a long term solution, but for sure a week's worth at a time.

I have until July 31st to come up with a plan. By August 1, it's going to have to go into action.