Food prices have been rising significantly and are expected to continue increasing with the new tariff taxes that we are all now paying. Since everything, from the aluminum in a soda can to the tomatoes on our salads, is imported, it is expected that the prices of most foods will increase further over time. Even US-sourced foods are skyrocketing in price. I was recently at the grocery store and spotted a beef brisket being sold for an astounding $75! I always thought of brisket as a tough, cheap cut of meat, but along with ribs and chicken wings, what was once cheap is now expensive.
Seventy-five dollars for a beef brisket!
I was on a road trip with my wife. We stopped for breakfast at McDonald’s. I got a breakfast meal, she got an Egg McMuffin, coffee, and a soda, and our bill was almost $20. Eating at McDonald’s was always a cheap way to feed my family when we didn’t want to cook. My kids eat less conservatively than Julie or me. If we were traveling as a family, a breakfast at McDonald’s could now cost us $60 to $70. I’m starting to think of Fast Food as a luxury option!
Groceries have become expensive, but it is still more cost-effective to cook at home. Chicken thighs are relatively inexpensive, especially when you buy them in bulk. I’ll often purchase them at Costco, as they are already portioned into smaller packs that are suitable for freezing. If I find a reasonable price elsewhere, I separate the chicken into meal-sized portions and freeze them using my vacuum sealer.
A vacuum sealer is the unsung hero of food preservation. Vacuum sealers can be a relatively inexpensive purchase and can dramatically reduce your food waste. I’ll separate meats into meal-sized portions, label the vacuum bags with the type of meat and the date, and then freeze them. This prevents waste from freezer burn.
If we only use part of a package of bacon, I’ll vacuum-seal the rest and store it in the refrigerator. Vacuum-sealed bacon will stay fresh much longer. I’ll do the same with a cut avocado to prevent it from turning brown.
Individual portions of a casserole or soup can be vacuum sealed and frozen. Need a quick lunch? You can reheat the food by the “boil in bag” method, or by venting and microwaving.
Being creative, you can extend the lives of many foods by vacuum sealing. A vacuum-sealed chunk of cheese won’t dry out and will stay mold-free. Strawberries (using a vacuum jar or a Mason Jar sealed with a vacuum-seal jar attachment) will stay fuzz-free much longer in the fridge. Fresh meats will also remain good longer in the refrigerator if vacuum sealed first. Sometimes, I’ll find meat on sale and I’ll keep it in the fridge to cook the next day. Life happens, and plans change. If I have to delay cooking, I’ll vacuum-seal the refrigerated meat to extend its shelf life longer.
The most significant expense associated with using a vacuum sealer is the cost of the bags. Brand-name bags are great, but they are expensive. However, you can find acceptable and much cheaper off-brand alternatives when buying in bulk on Amazon and other sites.
I typically use a different type of vacuum sealer, known as a chamber vacuum sealer. This type creates a stronger vacuum and easily handles liquid contents. Traditional external vacuum sealers require special techniques when sealing liquids. Another significant advantage of using a chamber vacuum sealer is the lower cost of the bags, which is comparable to that of a Ziploc bag. Again, buying them in bulk is the key.
You can get a decent traditional external vacuum sealer for under $100, with many costing under $60. Chamber sealers used to cost well over $1,000, but Chinese-made versions hit the market a few years ago, and I have seen chamber sealers in the sub-$300 range. The brand-named $1,000 sealers were designed for semi-professional use and were intended to last a consumer a lifetime. I can’t verify the longevity of the no-brand units, but they would likely last well enough for a homeowner if properly maintained. I have tried a few of them, and they seal just as well as the brand-named products.
I made this little video for a friend who was beginning to use a vacuum sealer. However, you might find it helpful as well.
Baked chicken is delicious, but can be boring if served too often. There are thousands of recipes that use chicken as an ingredient, stretching this meat while creating a delightful end result. Today’s recipe is for Chicken Paprikash, featuring chicken thighs in a creamy paprika sauce. Due to the richness of the dish, one decent-sized chicken thigh served over noodles is usually enough for most of my family members, with my son occasionally opting for two. You can substitute other chicken parts if you wish. Chicken legs are even less expensive than chicken thighs. I’m guessing that two good-sized legs would constitute a portion for a typical eater.
I use an electric pressure cooker (similar to an Instant Pot) to speed up my cooking process. However, you can also prepare the same recipe in a heavy pot/Dutch oven or even a heavy, high-sided frying pan with a lid. This dish can be prepared on the stovetop or by starting on the stovetop and then finishing it in the oven. There are also recipes for paprikash that can be made in a slow cooker. If you choose a different method, just Google for recipe times. For instance, “recipe for Chicken Paprikash in a Dutch oven.” Many of the recipes will be similar, but the times and possible amounts of liquids may vary. If you are using a manual stove-top pressure cooker (which operates at a higher pressure), you can reduce the pressure cooking time slightly (13 minutes instead of 15 minutes under pressure).
Chicken Paprikash Made In An Instant Pot- Electric Pressure Cooker.
Ingredients
-Oil
-3-4 pounds chicken thighs
-salt and pepper
-1 large onion chopped
-heaping teaspoon jar garlic
-¼ cup paprika
-1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
-12 oz chicken broth, or water with a broth substitute like “Better Than Bullion.”
-1 cup sour cream
-½ cup half-and-half or heavy cream (optional)
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Set the pressure cooker to “sear” and add a small amount of oil. Lightly brown the chicken in batches, avoiding overcrowding, as this will cause the chicken to steam instead of brown.
Remove the chicken and add new chicken pieces to brown until the job is completed. Set aside the browned chicken for now.
Add the chopped onion and let it soften in the pressure cooker (the cooker is still on sear/sauté). When soft, add the garlic and stir for around 30 seconds. Then add the paprika and lightly cook it to bring out its flavor. Avoid burning the paprika. Add the tomato paste. After around 20 seconds, add the broth to the mix and stir everything together.
Return the chicken to the pot and pressure cook on high for 15 minutes. Let the chicken “rest” for 10 minutes after cooking is done before releasing the pressure. This will keep the chicken juicy.
Remove the chicken to a serving platter. Put the sour cream in a bowl and add around ½ cup of the broth from the pressure cooker, stirring until everything is incorporated. Then mix this into the broth in the pot.
Optional: I sometimes add ½ cup of half-and-half or heavy cream if I have it on hand.
If you prefer a thicker sauce, mix a heaping tablespoon or two of cornstarch with around two tablespoons of cold water, then stream/mix this mixture into your boiling broth.
Adjust the salt and pepper to your taste in the sauce and pour it over the chicken.
Serve on a starch of your choice. Noodles work well. I had some dried spätzle that I cooked up.
A biscuit, bread, or muffin can complement the meal, making your dinner hearty and satisfying.
My measurements are approximate as I cook by feel. With many recipes, a slight variance doesn’t make much of a difference in the end product. For instance, using ¾ cup or 1 1/4 cups of sour cream will both yield a delicious paprikash. When you are starting your cooking journey, the most essential ingredients to measure are the spices (including salt), as too much can ruin a dish. Baking tends to require more exact measurements, but even with baking, some variance is allowed.
Chicken Paprikash utilizes many common food staples and doesn’t require exotic ingredients. Pat the chicken dry to reduce spattering when browning. I used some seasoned salt, but salt and pepper work too. Brown the chicken in batches, avoiding overcrowding.Sauté the onions in the electric pressure cooker until they soften, then add the garlic. Adding the garlic too early will cause it to burn.Add the paprika and cook it gently, avoiding burning. Add the tomato paste. Add the broth and mix until everything is combined.Return the chicken to the pot, secure the lid, and pressure cook for 15 minutes. After the cooking time is done, allow the chicken to rest in the cooker for 10 minutes before releasing the steam. In a pinch, you can release the steam immediately, but that may result in slightly drier chicken. Mix some of the hot liquid from the pressure cooker into the sour cream until smooth. Then pour this mixture back into the pressure cooker, which is once again set to “sear/brown.”With the pressure cooker still set to “sear/brown,” adjust the salt/pepper levels to your liking. Add salt only a little at a time (around 1/2 teaspoon), tasting in between each addition. You can always add salt, but you can’t remove it. If you want to add a thickener, such as cornstarch, the liquid must be boiling. 1-2 heaping tablespoons of cornstarch dissolved in approximately two tablespoons of cold water should suffice. Add this in a stream while stirring, and your sauce should thicken in a minute or two.Pour the sauce over the chicken to complete the dish. Reserve additional sauce to be added over the noodles. Served over some noodles, accompanied by a biscuit to complete the meal. Very filling and delicious!
The advantage of writing a non-commercial blog is that I can write whatever strikes my fancy. Often, this is based on what has caught my interest in the news or an article I’ve read, or sometimes something in my personal life.
Most recently, I have been struck by the runaway inflation that impacts every aspect of our lives, from purchases to repairs. Many of these costs are unavoidable, with few opportunities for cost reduction. However, I have been trying to exercise some options by doing things that I have never done before. For instance, I’m now negotiating for a lower price for a simple home repair. My plan is to do this reasonably, where both parties benefit. I receive a small discount, and the repair person gets the job. Additionally, I’ll call several shops when I need a car repair, such as replacing my brake pads. In the past, I would use my local dealership as it was convenient. Now, I’m willing to drive to a more distant shop and wait, which can result in hundreds of dollars of savings.
My parents raised five kids on a single salary. Naturally, the times and expectations were different in those days. Things were repaired instead of replaced, and we had only one car, which was typically used. I had few clothes; when I attended a Catholic grade school (grades 1-8), I wore a school “uniform” and had two pairs of navy blue pants and two light blue shirts. During the majority of my freshman year at a public high school, I had one pair of pants. I thought no one noticed until I got a second pair around three-quarters of the way through the school year. My lab partner remarked, “OMG, you have a second pair of pants!” He quickly realized what he had said and tried to retract his statement. I was embarrassed, but we went on with our lesson.
I knew money was an issue at home, but I never felt that we were in danger of not getting our true needs met. Food was always plentiful, thanks to my father’s passion for food and my mother’s expertise in stretching a food budget. My mom was a great cook, and my friends often wanted to eat at our house. Now, looking back, she was able to turn simple ingredients into marvelous meals. Much of this was achieved by cooking foods from scratch and occasionally using convenience foods, such as canned condensed soups, as an ingredient base, to expedite her meal-making process. I learned by watching.
I have had periods where I was objectively penniless. The eight years that I spent in medical school and residency were times of sacrifice. My first marriage ended while I was in medical school. By the time I started my residency, I was living in my own apartment, paying child support, and trying to live as frugally as possible. I was so poor that I survived on the change in my pocket, and I had to take drastic measures for even the most rudimentary tasks, such as buying and preparing food. I rarely ate in the hospital’s subsidized cafeteria as I found it too expensive.
I had roughly $20 for my weekly food budget (approximately $58 in 2025 money), so money was tight. In those days, grocery stores had “generic aisles” that featured basic foods with stenciled labels, such as “Green Beans” and “Flour.” This food was not on par with house brands; it was significantly lower quality. Additionally, I would search for (then) low-cost meats like turkey legs, hamburger with TVP added, and generic baloney, which was certainly something other than real baloney. I would often make enough food for two meals, and before eating, I would separate half of the food into a Rubbermaid container. That container would be my lunch for the next day. My system worked surprisingly well, and I believe that my lunches were often better than those of my richer colleagues, who were buying from the cafeteria.
Part of my ability to utilize my cooking system was my ease of cooking. I believe that this was due to learning by watching my mom cook, as well as my opinion that cooking was simply a matter of practical chemistry. Different methods often shared common roots. If I understood fermentation when making bread, I could apply that knowledge to other processes, such as making yogurt.
When Julie returned to the paid workforce, I took over a lot of the meal prep, but I did it with a twist. My kids became my co-participants, and we all worked on all aspects of food, from shopping to meal preparation to cleanup. I wanted to instill these fundamental skills in them, and I wanted those skills to become second nature.
Now that my kids are living independently, I hear them talk about shopping “the sales” and preparing food from scratch. My one daughter is in the habit of preparing recipes for a typical family of four, dividing that meal into four storage containers and feeding herself for four days on that initial preparation. She is a busy professional who enjoys spending time with her friends and engaging in activities. She doesn’t want to spend all of her time in the kitchen and realizes the cost issues of always eating out.
I have been retired for several years, but it is not uncommon for me to cook for groups of 3 to 6 adults. I have done my best to save for my senior years; when you retire, you spend money, but you don’t make money. I still cook many meals from scratch and use only a limited amount of prepared foods in my cooking. I’m not adverse to using some processed foods, and on occasion, I’ll make a frozen meal, but that is not the majority of the time, as those meals are of lower quality and much more expensive than what I can make myself.
I wanted to share some of the simple recipes that I use to take some of the mystery out of cooking. With a bit of practice and some basic tools, almost any type of meal prep is possible. This will be a random series that I add as my mood dictates.
Today’s recipe is:
Chicken Carcass Soup
I know that sounds horrific, so you can call it (depending on how you make it) “Chicken Soup” or “Cream of Chicken Soup.”
The Costco $5 roasted chicken is a bargain in terms of both convenience and cost. Additionally, it is delicious. I’m able to feed my family dinner with a chicken, but there is usually quite a bit of fragmented meat left on the bone. I developed this simple recipe to salvage this meat, and it has become a family favorite. I usually make the creamed version, but you can opt for basic chicken soup if you prefer. The recipe is very flexible; beyond some basic ingredients, you can be as creative as you wish.
-Refrigerate the chicken carcass with the remaining meat until used. I prepare the soup within a few days of eating the roasted chicken. You can also use your own roasted chicken carcass (not Costco) or just a cut-up fresh chicken. If you do the latter you can add the chicken to the pot as is or brown it first. Browning will add more flavor. I think the skin adds flavor, but you can use skinless if you prefer. Remember, pre-cut chicken is more expensive than a whole chicken. A carcass will yield a soup that is inexpensive to make. A boneless, skinless chicken pack will be more expensive and won’t taste as good.
-If using a carcass, remember that chicken is already thoroughly cooked, but you want to cook the vegetables. You can simmer the soup for an extended period to achieve a richer/deeper flavor.
-I often use a pressure cooker at high pressure for 15-20 minutes (quick release), but you can also use a big pot or Dutch oven. If you are using a pot, bring the contents to a boil and then immediately turn down the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and cook for around 30 minutes or longer (slow simmer) for a richer flavor. A slow cooker also works for around 4 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low.
-To make the basic chicken soup, I’ll use (very roughly) ½ of a chopped onion, anywhere from 2-4 stalks of sliced celery, around 3-6 cut-up carrots, and some salt and pepper. The vegetables can be a bit past their prime. In a pinch, I have used dried celery and even dried onions, but they are not quite as good. If I’m feeling ambitious, I’ll slightly char the onion, which adds flavor and depth. I’ll always add a broth extender, usually “Better Than Bullion,” but in a pinch, a few bullion cubes also work. I’ll add anywhere between ½ to 1 teaspoon of salt and a similar amount of black pepper. I am always very sparing with salt, as bouillon contains a lot of it, as does the chicken. I adjust the salt after the soup is cooked. I’ll add water to cover the solids, about two-thirds of the way up the carcass. You need enough water to cook the bones and vegetables. However, too much will make a diluted soup. You can always add water at the end of the cooking process if your broth is too concentrated.
-You can add all sorts of additional vegetables if you wish. Add some chopped, overripe tomatoes (not moldy, of course), or a can of tomatoes. Add fresh, frozen, or canned peas, corn, green beans, carrots, or any other vegetable of your choice. If using canned vegetables, drain and add them at the end of the cooking process. However, avoid strong vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower. Some soups do use strong vegetables, such as cabbage, and those soups can be delicious. However, chicken soup is not one of them.
-If all you have is salt and pepper, that is fine. But to add additional depth and interest to the soup, it is easy to add some spices. You can add some or all of these, depending on what is in your spice cabinet. I usually add ½ tsp to a scant teaspoon of each spice. Here are some dried herbs that I add: oregano, basil, parsley, 1-2 bay leaves, and thyme. I’ll also add a little MSG. By the way, all of that stuff about MSG causing medical issues has been disproven. Lastly, I add around one heaping teaspoon of jar garlic, because I love garlic.
-I’ll often break the carcass in half (or more) to easily fit into the pot. Sometimes, I’ll use a trick from my sister-in-law and wrap the carcass in cheesecloth, which makes bone removal easy. Otherwise, I’ll just “tough it out” and use a colander to separate the solids from the liquids. Using my hands, I’ll pick the meat off the bones, discarding the bones, and then return the rest to the pot for “stage two.” I’ll let the soup cool down a bit before removing any bones manually.
-I always add a starch, which can be anything I have on hand. You can cook the starch in the broth or make it separately. Both work, but you have better control and a better product if you make the starch separately. What starch? Anything. Any type of pasta, including noodles and even spaghetti. Potatoes cut into chunks (if it is a thin-skinned potato, all you need to do is wash and cut), rice, or other grain. When it comes to rice, I usually add it to the soup bowl and pour the soup over it. Rice disintegrates over time if it sits in soup for too long, and will turn to mush if you freeze leftover soup. However, you do you.
-When you get more confident in your soup making, you can add a little “acid,” which brightens up the soup. A small amount of dry white wine, dry sherry, hot sauce, or even vinegar can transform a soup (just use one). Think ¼-½ cup wine/sherry, a few shots of hot sauce, or a tablespoon or less of white vinegar.
-I often make the soup in the morning and then let it cool. I’ll use a colander and separate the broth from the solids, and then pick out the bones from the meat and vegetables. The bones are discarded, and the rest is returned to the pot. Conversely, if I have some cheesecloth, it is easy to place the carcass in the cloth, remove the fabric after cooking, and pick off the meat to return to the soup.
-If you are making a simple chicken soup, add water (if needed) to the desired dilution (this is usually none or a cup or two, don’t go overboard), and adjust the salt level carefully, ½ teaspoon at a time. Add and taste until you are satisfied.
Cream option
This is the version that my kids go for.
The first part of this soup making is the same as above. However, don’t adjust the soup concentration as you will be diluting the soup with dairy products. I may use slightly less initial water when cooking the soup.
-Put roughly 1 cup of sour cream in a bowl and add about ½ cup of broth and stir it in. This will make it easier to incorporate the sour cream into the soup. Stir the sour cream mixture into the hot soup. Add approximately ½ to 1 cup of half-and-half or whole milk, and stir it in. You can adjust the sour cream and milk/half-and-half to your preference, as I’m just “guesstimating” the amounts. Adjust the salt level, add a little more pepper if desired, or a shot or two of hot sauce (we like Frank’s). We don’t like “hot” foods, so we just add enough to add warmth and interest.
If the soup is too thin, I’ll mix a heaping tablespoon or two of cornstarch with a few tablespoons of cold water and pour it into the boiling soup in a stream as I stir the soup. This will thicken it nicely. Sometimes I’ll add a sprinkle of powdered garlic (remember, I love garlic). The secret is to taste and adjust in increments.
We will serve the soup with a variety of bread products, ranging from tube refrigerator rolls to homemade savory muffins to crackers. It is all good.
We usually have enough soup to feed everyone, plus leftovers. The leftovers will often disappear, as they are great for lunch the next day. If there is still leftover soup, I’ll freeze individual portions in vacuum-seal bags that can be reheated by boiling.
One simple, cheap $5 chicken yields two full meals with leftovers for several lunches. How can you beat that? The results will taste better than any canned soup. How good is it? My kids get excited when I make it, as it is a taste of home.
Bon Appétit
Mike
I’ll break up the carcass so it fits in the pot. I’ll add carrots, celery, garlic, onion, and some salt and pepper. I’ll always add an extender like “Better than bullion.” I’ll add just enough water, usually enough to cover most but not all of the chicken. If cooking in a pot and not a pressure cooker, make sure the vegetables are in the water. If all you have is salt and pepper, that’s fine. However, I’ll add some spices that I have to enhance the flavor. I’ll usually add 1/2 to a scant teaspoon of each of the above. If you only have some of these spices on hand, that works too! When it comes to salt, I initially only add around one teaspoon. I’ll adjust the salt at the end of cooking. Since the chicken is already cooked, I’ll pressure cook for only 15-20 minutes. If I were using fresh chicken, I would pressure cook for around 25-30 minutes. If I were cooking in a regular pot (without a pressure cooker), I would bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer. I would cook for at least 60 minutes or longer (hours) to enrich the flavor. You can make your starch directly in the broth. I prefer to make it separately as I have more control over the finished product. My family prefers the cream version of chicken soup, which is achieved by adding around one cup of sour cream and some milk/half and half/heavy cream (your choice). I’ll usually thicken the soup with some corn starch dissolved in cold water and then streamed into the boiling soup. Always adjust your seasoning at the end of cooking. In this case, when the soup is ready to be served. Served up, soup is a complete meal. Here, I’m serving it with some oyster crackers, but bread, savory muffins, or many other options can also be used.
Most personality traits have two sides, one positive and the other negative. Those sides may be equal, vary over time, or one side may be significantly exaggerated compared to the other. For example, you can have a trait that has mostly negative consequences or mostly positive consequences. In contrast, another trait may be more balanced, being positive in some situations, while negative in others.
Let’s say your partner is a fun, impulsive, risk-taker. A person who consistently pushes the envelope. They like expensive experiences and things. They dress in designer clothes, love top-tier restaurants, and enjoy the excitement of embarking on spontaneous trips and adventures. They may be very exciting during the early stages of your relationship, and you might view their behavior very positively. However, in the long run, as you are trying to build a future, you may find their actions to be quite the opposite. Their trait has not changed, but the situation has.
A woman may find that dating a “bad boy” is exhilarating. A man may find that a beautiful “high-maintenance” woman gives him status. However, neither may be a good choice in the long run.
Some of my traits include being someone who can become completely absorbed in a topic and who tends to overthink and over prepare. I know that in the past, this trait has aggravated my wife, who saw my scenario-building as a problem, as I was too methodical, tended to have backups of important things, and would derive solutions for issues that “could” happen, rather than those that “did” happen. That was the downside of this behavior coin. However, she also reaped the benefits of this same trait. I was the one who thought to bring cash for coffee when we were on a walk, the one who made sure that the car had enough gas and that the oil had been changed. The one who had the tools and knowledge to fix things, the planner who ensured that the bills were paid, and the person who made sure we saved for the future. That was the upside of the same coin. A coin has two sides; you can’t choose one without accepting the other.
In the above example, my wife eventually realized that this was who I was. The good outweighed the bad. In turn, I tried to be respectful of her wishes and concerns. A balance was struck.
Some traits evolve. A situation can push us into a place of discomfort, and we can actively move ourselves away from a trait that is no longer serving us. However, that is an active process. I made my living helping people do just that, and I’m here to tell you that changing even a simple behavior can be an arduous task. I may be a psychiatrist, but I am first a human being. Like anyone, I need to assess my behaviors and make adjustments as necessary. My primary goal has always been to advance myself and those close to me positively.
Let’s say that my behavior trait says, “eat that piece of cake.” I have chronic weight problems, and so I may choose to override my wish for the greater good. However, what about a behavior that has served me well throughout my life, but now needs to be modified? Enter the behavior of me never asking for help.
I can tell you where this behavior originated, but for now, I’ll just say that both my two living siblings and I exhibit this trait. It is extremely difficult, and at times impossible, for us to ask for help when we need it.
In many ways, this trait has served me well. It has made me very independent, an excellent problem solver, and it has given me confidence that I can tackle most issues as well as the next person. Despite graduating from an awful high school, I had the confidence to attend college, then graduate school, and ultimately, medical school. This confidence propelled me to become chief resident, co-found a successful clinic, and tackle projects that many would have found daunting.
However, my inability to ask for help had a downside. I wasted a lot of physical and emotional energy on trivial things that would have been simpler for others to do.
My inability to ask for help was not the result of grandiosity; instead, it was due to fear of rejection. Fear that I would be laughed at or dismissed or shamed for needing help. That was the pathological side of that coin.
My dilemma was that my inability to ask for help had positive benefits, but it was also holding me back. If I were in psychotherapy, the therapist would add deliberate exercises to push me in a direction to modify my behavior. However, I wasn’t in psychotherapy. Yes, of course, I could structure the change myself, but that would be an awkward and slow process.
In life, we are presented with numerous situations that can lead us towards a direction of change. Unfortunately, many ignore most of those opportunities.
In my case, change came with trust. Trust that I wouldn’t be ridiculed or shamed if I asked for help. Trust that the person I asked for help would actually help me.
Because I was open to change, my transformation came naturally, although it occurred slowly. It began with asking for help from my wife, and then from my kids. Often, my wishes weren’t too complicated. Simple things, like asking my wife to pick something up for me when she went to the store, or when she offered to do something for me, accepting that offer instead of saying, “Thanks, but I can do it myself.” As I became more comfortable with those actions, I also grew more comfortable asking my kids to help me. Here again, I started with simple requests, such as asking for their help with household chores. Things expanded from there. Often, my requests were for things that I could do, but didn’t have time to do.
Things were different with my friend, Tom, who has talents and abilities that I lack. Tom has helped me many times and has been a great friend. In turn, I assist him with tasks where I have greater strength.
With family, there may be a specific expectation for cooperation. However, that is not the case with a friend. For me, allowing Tom to help me also has two sides. It makes me feel uncomfortable, as I’m usually the one who helps others in most situations. I also want him to know that I value him as a person more than as someone who can do things for me. Still, it also feels wonderful at the same time to have someone willing to go above and beyond for me. Allowing someone to help me gives both of us greater value. There is a stronger connection and a deeper meaning to the relationship. We are social animals, and anything that builds connections with others strengthens both parties.. When a helper helps another person, the world becomes just a bit better.
Our need for help goes beyond physical actions. For instance, it is unlikely that I would ask my sisters to do a physical project for me, but I may need their advice or simply their ear to listen to me when I’m having a bad day.
We live in a black and white society that has ever moved to the extreme. Let me use an ice cream example. I love ice cream. Having some after dinner makes me very happy. However, eating an entire carton makes me feel physically and emotionally unwell.
The same could be said of asking for help. Some people are always asking for help, even for things that are well within their abilities. For them, asking for help is a lazy way to avoid responsibility. This behavior does not promote anything healthy. It is an abuse.
As with most things, being balanced and thoughtful is the solution. Reviewing one’s actions and behaviors is often the key to progress. Asking for help is not a get-out-of-jail-free card for life’s responsibilities.
I know that I will continue to be as self-reliant as possible; that is who I am. However, my ability to ask for help has made my life better and has improved my connection with others. I’m grateful that I have been able to make this change.
Do you have problems asking for help, or the opposite, asking others to do jobs that you are wholly capable of doing yourself? Do you want to change this behavior? Do you have other traits that you would like to modify? Remember, every journey starts with a single step, but to get to your destination, you need to keep walking.
When your kids move away, it is always special when they visit. My daughter called to let me know that she would be coming by on Saturday and would stay for dinner. Our grill had been out of commission for the last two seasons, but I had hoped to get it up and running with the help of my friend Tom’s expertise. Alas, that was not to be, but I did my best to throw together a pseudo-barbecue with some pulled pork and traditional sides.
I usually make dinner on one of the weekend days, and this effort fulfilled my obligation. However, my daughter spent the night, which meant I had to consider dinner plans for Sunday as well.
I grew up in the 1960s, which seemed to be the dawn of the processed food era. It was common for me to enjoy Campbell’s soups, cake mixes, and frozen pot pies. Over the years, the concept of convenience has exploded, and when my kids were younger, it wouldn’t be uncommon for all of us to go out to dinner several days a week, with my wife making dinner on the other nights.
When my wife returned to the paid workforce, something had to give, and suddenly we were eating a lot of frozen pizzas. My then-middle school-aged kids were up in arms. I told them that I would start cooking dinners, but only if they were equal participants in the process. This turned out to be one of my better ideas, as they are all now competent cooks. Beyond their newfound skills, we had a lot of fun cooking together through the years.
I never had a fear of cooking, as most of it is just edible chemistry, and I imparted that sensibility to my kids. Once you know the basics of cooking, you see the rationale behind the methods.
Although I’m no stranger to convenience foods, I prefer having a larder filled with basic staples. As I have said in previous posts, a box of frozen pancakes gets you pancakes, but a sack of flour can be made into pancakes and a thousand other things. Because of this philosophy, we always have some sort of meat in the freezer as well as a good selection of staples that range from canned tomatoes to herbs and spices.
I had already gone out to buy food for my fake barbeque, and I didn’t feel like going to the store two days in a row. What to do? Raid the pantry, of course! I knew we had some spaghetti and sauce, as well as some fixings for a nice green salad. I always enjoy having garlic bread with Italian dishes, and I usually keep a frozen loaf in the freezer. Alas, we were out. The solution came from the Internet, specifically the website “South Your Mouth,” and Mandy Rivers’ recipe for Cheddar Garlic Muffins. The ingredients were simple, and with the exception of fresh parsley, we had all the necessary ingredients. I knew that I could use some dried parsley as a reasonable substitute.
After a quick gathering of ingredients and a light mixing, the muffins were done. Delicious for today’s dinner (we did sample some as they smelled so good).
I’m writing this post to encourage people to consider adopting similar habits of utilizing basic foods, as this philosophy will lower your grocery bill while providing you with a higher quality dish. I can assure you that the longer you make food from scratch, the easier it becomes. I threw together the muffins in under 10 minutes, and that included washing the bowls and muffin tin. A basic cookbook, like The Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, contains many foolproof and easy recipes, and an internet search will yield thousands more. For fun, I’ll include the muffin recipe that I made today. Save money, control what you eat, and learn a creative new skill… start cooking today!
Cheddar Garlic Muffins
1 and ¾ C flour
1 T baking powder
¾ t salt
1.5 t garlic powder
4 oz grated cheddar cheese
2 T fresh parsley (I used dried, about 1 T)
1 egg
1 C milk
¼ C melted butter (in a covered bowl in the microwave for around 15 seconds).
Mix all dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another. Then combine the two, mixing only until combined. Bake for 15-22 minutes at 400°F (205°C). Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Don’t over bake.
Some actions are impulsive, some are planned, but most are in between. And so it was with the planning of our great adventure.
Julie was the healthy one in our family—the marathon runner who came from a family where people lived into their three digits. I was more of a couch potato whose favorite pastime was sitting in a chair and learning something new. But all of that changed two and a half years ago.
Julie developed physical symptoms that didn’t abate despite medical treatment. Further tests revealed a serious medical condition that required surgical intervention and significant post-surgical treatment. Those post-surgical procedures led to physical consequences. And those physical consequences have resulted in limitations that Julie experiences to this day.
Despite the above, we have both gone on to live an everyday life, or at least a life that we call normal. However, there has been one area where we have faced a continued challenge: vacations.
You see, I’m only a partial couch potato. I’m also a closeted adventurer, and nothing pleases me more than exploring places and hiking in the wilderness. In 2018, I built an adventure van, which I have continuously modified with the help of my friend and expert builder, Tom. That vehicle gives me immense pleasure, and I have traveled all over the country with “Violet the adventure van.” Violet is the clubhouse that I wished I had as a kid, and the escape fantasy that I dreamed about when I was working 60+ hours a week. She isn’t a passing fancy, and she gives me as much pleasure today as when we built her out for camping.
My travel plans were on hold when Julie got sick, but after she recovered and wasn’t ready to camp, I went on a few adventures; some solo and others with my son. As time went on and Julie became stronger, we attempted some trips, but there always seemed to be a disaster that required a trip or two to the ER, ending the adventure.
If you have read any of my past blog posts, you know that both of us are problem solvers. It is what we do for a living. In this case, the solution was obvious. On our previous trips, there was an assumption of normalcy. In other words, it was assumed that since Julie had improved, we could conduct business as usual. We could return to our adventures as we had in the past. That was not the case. Limitations had to be accepted, plans had to be modified, and new procedures had to be implemented if we were ever going to have a successful trip. Plans were put into action.
Julie brought up the idea of an extended trip out west. She did this for a few reasons. Several of her friends had taken extended trips, and she wanted to experience one for herself. She also wanted to prove to herself that she could do it. Lastly, she felt that her medical issues had curtailed some of my retirement wishes, and she wanted to give me an extended trip. I was all for it, but there were complications, the biggest of which involved our very aged cat, Mercury.
We had adopted Mercury as an adult when she was between 2 and 4 years old. When we visited the adoption agency, the volunteers observed how our family interacted with the animals. They wondered if we would consider Mercury, a jet-black cat with a bit of a history. She came to the agency pregnant and was taken into a foster home to deliver and wean her kittens, which she did. However, before she could be neutered, she escaped, became pregnant again, and then returned to the foster home on her own to find a secure place to live. Mercury had a mind of her own, and she knew what she wanted. After her extended stay in foster care, she was ready for adoption, and the agency thought that we could be good candidates. We accepted the challenge.
In the early days, Mercury would escape our house only to return with gifts: birds, bunnies, and once a full-sized rabbit deposited in the middle of our living room. We understood her good intentions, but did everything in our power to discourage her actions. As time passed, she grew content to remain within the confines of our home.
She quickly became the center of attention. She was 100% cat in her actions, yet very sweet and affectionate. If we grabbed her and put her on our lap, she would quickly jump off. However, after a few minutes, she would return to us, as any lap sitting had to be her decision. She refused to be our pet; she was an equal member of the family.
Mercury liked to lie on my lap. However, she had to be the initiator.
Mercury always wanted to be around us. I would feed her at dinner time, but she would wait until we were eating before she started to eat. That was the polite thing to do. She would come to the front door to greet us when we would return home and when one of us would go out she would wait until they left, then run to my study window and stretch herself to her full height and watch as that person left, as if she was making sure that they were safe.
Her actions seemed to follow cat etiquette. She was always appropriate and proper. Because of this, we started to refer to her as Miss Cat, a title that fit her behavior.
As she aged, she stopped eating her dry food and lost a tremendous amount of weight. It dawned on me that it was too hard for her to chew the dry food, so I switched her to canned food. Initially, I followed the can’s feeding instructions, but eventually, I was giving her three cans a day, as her appetite was ferocious. Yet, she remained skinny. She was likely dealing with thyroid issues, but she was happy, interactive, and living her life. We decided to intervene only if she appeared to be in distress medically. We didn’t want to subject her to tests or procedures that would traumatize her, as she was now in her 20s.
Her breakfast meal was at 6 AM, and I was typically the one to give it to her. If I were a few minutes late, I would hear loud and insistent meowing at our bedroom door. If that didn’t work, she would start to bang on the door, and if that didn’t work, she somehow would open the door and sit right out of my reach, mewing loudly, “Get up, you lazy bum, it is time for my breakfast.” If I had the nerve to then go to the bathroom before feeding her, she would walk into the bathroom, look at me as if to say “pay attention,” and then walk out of the room in a “follow me” gesture. She would repeat this action, Lassie style, until I finally complied.
She would patiently wait at our bedroom door, and precisely at 6 AM, she would start to meow for her breakfast.
I remember getting into a debate with one of my brother’s college friends when I was around 9. He had taken an animal behavior class that taught him the animals did not think; they relied only on instinct. I remember telling him that all animals, including humans, rely on instinct, but that doesn’t mean they don’t also think. It was clear by observation that my childhood dog, Bowser, thought, planned, and problem-solved. Perhaps she wasn’t solving Calculus problems, but that didn’t mean she didn’t observe and apply that knowledge to modify her behavior to get her needs met. In those days, some people still believed that humans were completely different and unique from other mammals. Even as a child, I felt that we were on a continuum with other animals rather than in a completely separate category. Animals do think, and Miss Cat was a master at getting her needs met.
Now that she was 22, she required more care and attention. If we were to go away, we needed someone in the house to care for her. We would not board her out or have a stranger look after her. That would be too traumatic. This fact determined when we could go on vacation. The only time we could be assured that one of our kids would be available would be in June. We quickly moved to make the trip happen.
I transitioned into planning mode and spent a considerable amount of time preparing Violet, the adventure van. I had her serviced, washed her inside and out, and performed the numerous other tasks required, including recharging all of her USB devices and ensuring that her emergency satellite communication system was in working order. We sometimes find ourselves in remote areas without a cell phone connection, and I want a backup way to reach someone in an emergency. As usual, I bought too much food. So much that I couldn’t even fit it all into Violet’s kitchen storage. I suppose that’s part of my Eastern European heritage.
One of the many campsites that we stayed at during the trip.
Since we had little time between our decision and departure, it would be difficult for Julie’s patients as there would be no transition period. It was decided that she would offer a remote session every Friday for those who wanted them. Many did, so on those days we stayed at a hotel where she would have the comfort of a real desk and air conditioning. During the other days, we camped out in Violet and developed a rhythm that worked well to accommodate the two of us in Violet’s small space. We had to work as a team. She had to accept my need for order, and I had to acknowledge her love of the Coke Zero that filled Violet’s way back and our little fridge. It worked out.
We focused on what we could do, rather than what we couldn’t do. Yes, it would be impossible for Julie to go on a hike where she would be scrambling up boulders, but many hikes didn’t require that. In turn, I needed to be aware and observant of her behavior, as she often reached her limit but would continue onward anyway. I knew from the past that these could be peak times for falls and injuries. The emphasis was on how to maximize our experiences while remaining safe. It was not about pushing the limits; it was the opposite. Neither of us is 20, and we both have to accept that.
We found many hikes that Julie could navigate.
Additionally, Julie can only drive a modified car, whereas Violet is not. I would be responsible for 100% of the driving, covering a trip of approximately 4,000 miles. Lastly, Julie, like most, doesn’t like to be told what to do. However, I informed her that I would announce when we were approaching a rocky surface, incline, or other hazard, even if she was aware. I let her know that I wasn’t infantilizing her; instead, I would be a secondary warning system, as it was these situations in the past that often resulted in trips to the ER.
With the above accepted and in place, we set out for a 3-week adventure out west. Our trip was cut short, but it was still a complete success. We hiked in five national parks, climbed a sand dune, toured historic Santa Fe, explored the “UFO crash site” in Roswell, and visited the wonderful Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. With our main goals accomplished, we began our journey back to Chicago.
Visiting the International UFO Museum in Roswell, New Mexico.Taking a break along a trail in Colorado.Successfully climbing a dune at Great Sand Dunes National Park.At the Four Corners Monument, where Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah meet in one spot.
We planned to make several minor stops along the way. Our first was going to be to Lindsborg, Kansas, the most Swedish town in America. We made the trip to Salina, Kansas, our stopping off point, which is about 20 miles from Lindsborg, when we got a text message from our son. “Mercury has suddenly taken a turn for the worse. She isn’t eating and can’t walk; she doesn’t seem to be in any pain, but I think this is the end.” At 22 years, this wasn’t a shock.
My two daughters returned home to be with Mercury and to help support William. After some discussion, we all came to the conclusion that it was time to let Miss Cat pass with dignity. The kids arranged for a home vet visit as they comforted our little family member.
It was going to remain in triple digits that night, and we decided to stay at a hotel even though we had booked a campsite. We were feeling the trauma of our impending loss. That night, we were in constant communication with our kids as the process unfolded. By 8 PM, Miss Cat was gone. We all grieved and cried, but knew that she had a wonderful life. We loved her and she loved us. We will not forget her.
I wanted to return home to be with the kids, but I told Julie that I would continue to Lindsborg if she wanted that. She said, “No, let’s go home.” I decided to make the journey in one day and drove from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Being home was the right thing to do.
I am incredibly proud of my kids and how they handled the situation. They came together, worked together, and problem-solved together. What more could a parent want?
Although we cut our trip short, it wasn’t because of a visit to the emergency room this time. The trip was a great success, and we have demonstrated that future trips are possible as long as we maintain our focus and recognize our limitations.
Although I’m sad about losing my good pal, Miss Cat, I’m happy that she went from a street cat to a home where she truly was queen—a place where she always had food, love, and attention. A place where she would live until she was 22. She gave us as much as we gave her, likely more. Rest in peace, Miss Cat. We love you.
I woke up this morning with a question in my head. I turned to my phone, did a Google search, and found the answer in under a second. I’m surrounded by information. My Smartphone and laptop can provide me with news, weather, music, and videos, and my Smart TV offers hundreds of channels to entertain and educate me. Welcome to the modern era, where information is instantly available. However, the modern era is fragile; all it takes is a power outage to have these conveniences disappear.
If the power outage is limited to my block, my cell phone will work until I need to charge it. However, if the outage is more widespread, cell towers will also fail. In these situations, I would be left without communication or information. That could be a life-threatening situation. There have been recent disasters where knowing where emergency services were available could make the difference between life and death. But, how do you know where they are if you can’t access information?
A while back, I read an article on the most significant inventions of the last century. More important than the Internet or even television was radio. Radio brought news, weather, education, music, and entertainment to the world, and could access rural areas rapidly and effectively.
In 1941, when she was a toddler, my sister recalls hearing about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor via our family’s radio. She was in the kitchen with my mother, who was ironing, and remembers that my mother uttered a word that she had never heard her say before. Radio instantly brought that information to her, faster than any newspaper could have.
On September 11, 2001, I was working at a VA hospital on a unit without a TV. We heard that there had been an attack on Federal buildings, so I logged onto the Internet. In those days, the internet was primitive and completely overwhelmed by increased traffic, making it impossible to access. Luckily, I had a portable radio in my desk drawer and was able to keep the staff updated.
I love to camp in Violet, my homemade adventure van. I’m often boondocking in remote places that lack cell coverage. I carry an emergency communication device, which is used for sending a distress call. Thankfully, I have never had to use it. However, I still need to know local weather conditions and what’s happening in the world. Thankfully, I have never been in a place where I couldn’t receive a radio signal, so keeping informed has always been easy.
Our country has recently faced significant disasters. Forest fires, hurricanes, and floods are becoming more commonplace. These events cause prolonged power outages and damage infrastructure, including power lines and cell towers. Re-establishing these physical structures can take weeks or even months. However, a single emergency radio transmitter can send information to thousands of people. What is the weather going to be? Where is food and water being distributed? Medical care can be found where? Only those who can receive its signal are privy to this critical information.
We all need basic emergency supplies, such as a flashlight, a first aid kit, and shelf-stable food. However, having a portable radio is equally essential. In today’s post, I’ll outline what you need and aim to demystify the ins and outs of making a radio purchase. Some portable radios can receive many different bands, so I’ll also discuss and rate their importance.
Why a portable radio?
A portable radio will provide immediate information when all other sources fail. Radios are very efficient and will run a long time on a set of batteries or a single charge. Many of them are simple to operate and have a zero learning curve. Let’s first examine what to look for in a radio, then I’ll discuss the importance of various radio bands.
In general, portable radios come in two sizes: pocket-size and table-size. Pocket-sized radios are similar to the “transistor radios” from the 1960s. Most have the AM and FM bands, although you can find some FM-only radios and others with multiple bands. The reception and sound quality will generally be inferior to those of a table-sized radio. However, it still should be adequate. Some “transistor-sized” radios can be had for $10. Better ones will cost more.
This portable radio can be had for around $10. It runs off two AA batteries.
Mid-sized radios often provide better reception and sound quality. Their abilities and costs vary, but they may offer additional features. Some can receive many extra bands. You can find workable mid-sized radios for around $20, with others costing in the hundreds.
This mid-sized radio uses D batteries. Its simple “analog” design allows for anyone to use it easily. Some portable radios use rechargeable batteries. They can be more convenient, but you have to have a way to recharge them when needed.
Classic portable radios typically use batteries, such as AA, C, or D. Some older radios may use the more difficult-to-find 9-volt battery. The larger the battery, the longer the radio will play. Some radios that use D-size batteries can play for hundreds of hours before their batteries need to be changed. Batteries have the advantage of being easily replaceable. If you have an extra set, you can continue to receive information when the first set is depleted. However, you have to plan to have them on hand. Batteries can last a long time in a radio. However, some radios will use a tiny amount of electricity even when off. This can eventually discharge a battery. A discharged battery can leak, destroying the electronics in a radio. Ensure that any radio is turned off when not in use. If it is on but the volume is turned down, the batteries will drain and leak.
Many newer portable radios utilize internal rechargeable batteries that can be recharged via a USB port. Their advantage is that you don’t have to remember to buy batteries. However, you need to have a way to recharge them, and you should have a schedule where you recharge an unused radio every three months or so to ensure it is available in an emergency. The best option is to put a reminder on your phone’s calendar. Most don’t come with a charging brick, so you must use your phone’s charger to charge them.
Almost all new radios are internally digital, built on a microchip design. This is the case even if they look like an old-style analog set. Older analog radio models utilize components, such as transistors and capacitors, to enable the radio to function.
Using a digital “radio on a chip” enables cost-effective production and reasonable, if not outstanding, performance. Microchip-powered radios often have decent FM performance, with AM reception ranging from satisfactory to acceptable for less expensive models.
Old-style analog radios are more pleasant to use and can tune between broadcast frequencies, allowing for better reception of distant AM stations. This is less of an issue when local stations are down due to a disaster. You can still find a few traditional analog portable radios based on older designs that have remained in production.
I suggest buying a radio with a traditional analog look. In other words a radio with a conventional tuning dial and knobs. Radios with many buttons and digital displays can be more capable and may offer additional features, but they have a learning curve. The best emergency radio is the one anyone in the family can easily use.
As stated above, the bigger the batteries, the longer the radio will play without needing to be recharged or replaced. However, even radios with AA-size batteries will play for a long time. You can conserve battery life by keeping the radio’s volume low and limiting playtime. However, a radio playing can be a good moral boost, so I would advise having backup batteries or a way to recharge a rechargeable radio.
Many companies sell “do-all” emergency radios that can be charged via a crank and/or solar panel. However, the practicality of charging a radio in this way is limited, and the charging components are poorly made. I have heard stories of people crank charging their radios only to have the crank crack off in short order. I believe that you are equally served with a traditional portable radio.
This emergency radio may seem like a jack of all trades, but its components are cheap and could fail when you need them. However, such a radio is better than no radio.
Unknown Chinese brands now manufacture the majority of portable radios. I have tested several of them, and they were all adequate, with some outperforming others. You want a radio that has both AM and FM bands. In the next section, I’ll explain why, look at a variety of other radio bands, and describe their utility in an emergency.
The radio bands
I’ll rate these using an A-F scale, with A being most important and F being the least important..
The FM band
Importance level = A.
Having a radio with an FM band is a must. FM is a local band, and some rural areas now only have an FM outlet.. An FM radio signal can travel around 30-60 miles. However, it is more realistic to receive an FM signal no further than around 20-30 miles. The more powerful the transmitter and the higher it is on the horizon, the further it will travel. A high-powered station with an antenna on a skyscraper will be heard at a greater distance than a low-powered station that serves a small community. Static and lightning crashes do not impact FM. Our town has a college FM station that would be put into service during an emergency.
The AM band (also called MW or Medium Wave band)
Importance level = A.
Having a radio with an AM band is a must. Some radios are now sold only with FM, so avoid those. You double your chance of hearing broadcasts if you have both AM and FM. Additionally, AM signals travel much further than FM signals. A strong AM station can be heard from around 100 miles away during the daytime. At dusk and night, AM signals can travel much further, providing you with information even when a regional disaster destroys local infrastructure. Clear-channel/high-powered stations can be heard for hundreds of miles at night. Using a decent radio from my Chicago location, I can listen to stations from New York City, Atlanta, St. Louis, New Orleans, Montreal, Denver, the Twin Cities, Boston, and more. I can also receive stations from Wisconsin, Iowa, and Indiana during the daytime when I use a high-quality AM radio.
Additionally, some communities, including the one I live in, have low-powered emergency AM radio stations that can provide vital information specific to that community during a crisis. These stations can run on backup power systems and don’t require giant antenna masts, so they can be used even when more traditional stations fail.
Although digital, this CC radio is simple to operate. It offers fantastic AM/FM reception as well as weather band and the 2-meter ham band. However, it is around $200.This radio offers a lot of functionality in a small package, but its complicated digital interface would be challenging for a non-radio person to use in an emergency.
Weather Radio band
Importance level = B
The National Weather Service operates over 1,000 low-power radio stations that cover more than 90% of the US population. This service exists on radio frequencies above commercial FM broadcasts and requires a radio that has “weather band.” NOAA radio broadcasts emergency alerts and detailed weather information, including information for aeronautical and maritime users. Although very useful, the reports can be tedious, and most people can obtain all the basic weather information they need from commercial AM and FM broadcasts. You can find some radios, both expensive and inexpensive, that incorporate this band.
2-meter ham (amateur) radio
Importance level = B
This amateur radio service also resides above commercial FM and consists of local ham radio operators exchanging messages and emergency traffic. Ham radio serves as a backup communications network during emergencies, as hams relay information and help coordinate emergency services. If you listen to their chatter, you can gain an inside look at what’s going on behind the scenes. The downside is that you need more technical skills and specialized radio equipment to listen to these broadcasts.
Note that the majority of emergency communications during a crisis is handled by first responders and government agencies who use their emergency frequencies, not ham operators, who mostly handle health and welfare traffic. Emergency responders often utilize “trunked” transmissions and digital/encrypted communications, which necessitate specialized and expensive equipment.
Shortwave radio stations
Importance level = C
The large swatch of frequencies between medium wave (AM) and FM is called the shortwave or HF band and includes many different services. The two most pertinent services for disaster information are the long-range ham (amateur) radio frequencies and the international shortwave broadcast frequencies. You can find radios that cover some or all of the shortwave bands. Inexpensive radios will pick up strong stations, but expensive and sophisticated radios will do a significantly better job. Radios that include the shortwave band can range from $10 for a cheap pocket portable to thousands of dollars for a pro-level radio.
Amateur radio on shortwave is used for longer-distance communications, and hams use these frequencies to contact ham operators located further away, sometimes in other states or countries. Most of the time, they broadcast using a transmission method called SSB (single-sideband), and a special shortwave radio is required to decode SSB into intelligible audio. These special radios will list “SSB” in their description. There may be some use to listening to these transmissions, but it is less important than other information sources.
This radio costs over $200, but it is an extremely capable device that can receive signals on multiple bands. Additionally, it is rechargeable. However, its digital interface is so complicated that I had to read the instructions several times just to understand all of its controls, and I hold an “Amateur Extra” radio license! Although capable this should not be your emergency radio unless you are willing to spend time with it beforehand to learn its many functions. High-end radios can get expensive. This ham radio sells for almost $5000!This radio offers reasonable reception, and its simple analog dial makes it easy to use.
There are segments on the shortwave spectrum specifically allocated for international broadcasters. When I was a kid, I fixed an old shortwave radio that I found in our basement, and it was transformed by listening to English-language broadcasts from dozens of countries located all over the globe. However, most of these stations have gone silent, as it is cheaper to stream their programming online.
I recently used an inexpensive portable radio that had shortwave and did hear some stations in Spanish (South American countries still use shortwave for some local broadcasts). I also heard around eight different stations in English. However, the majority were religious in nature (fire and brimstone stuff), and one was right-wing political to the extreme. These English language stations could be repurposed for emergency communications for the general population in a significant national emergency, as their signals can travel thousands of miles. There is limited utility to having a radio that can tune the shortwave band.
Emergency responder frequencies
Importance level = C-
Although important, listening to these frequencies typically requires a specialized radio called a scanner. These transmissions often shift and share frequencies and can be digitized, making them very difficult to eavesdrop on. It is unlikely that you will be able to receive these transmissions.
Personal radio services
Importance level = C-
There are several personal radio services that ordinary citizens use for local communication. These include the FRS, GMRS, and CB radio services. To listen to these stations, you will need a radio capable of tuning in to those frequencies. In most cases, it is easiest to use a walkie-talkie or a dedicated radio designed explicitly for these transmissions.
Listening is likely of marginal value, but having a set of these radios (called transceivers as they transmit and receive) may help you communicate with your group during emergencies. FRS, or Family Radio Service radios, are very inexpensive and easy to operate. They are short-range devices, typically having a range of 1 to 2 miles, depending on the terrain. Because they operate on a higher frequency than CB radios, they are compact and have small antennas, making them pocket-portable.
Many FRS walkie-talkies are inexpensive and can serve as a means for families to communicate over short distances when cell phones are unavailable.
GMRS radios require a license to operate, are more powerful than FRS radios, and can utilize repeaters on some of their channels to extend their transmitting range. GMRS radio can have a range of 2-25 miles and even further if it is connected to a repeater. These radios cost more than FRS radios.
CB (Citizen Band) radio can still be heard if you are near an interstate, as truckers continue to use it. CB radio can be a valuable source of information, as truckers often discuss topics such as weather conditions, road closures, and other relevant information that may be helpful. CB radio frequencies are located in the shortwave band, and some radios with shortwave capabilities can intercept these transmissions. CB radio transmissions can travel up to 7 miles. However, most mobile stations (ie, truckers) have a range of only a few miles.
CB radios are still popular among some truckers and can provide information about local situations or conditions.
Aeronautical band
Importance level = D
This is the band that planes use to contact ground-based stations. Transmissions are typically brief, technical, and of limited use to the general public.
Long Wave
Importance level = F
Longwave frequencies lie below medium wave (AM stations). At one time, there were longwave commercial radio stations, especially in Europe. However, only a few remain, and none are located in North America. You can hear some location beacons on longwave as well as time signal stations (stations that only broadcast the time for synchronisation and scientific use). Many cheap multi-band radios have longwave, which is pretty useless in the US.
For as little as $10 and a couple of spare batteries, you can be better prepared for yourself and your family. If you don’t have a portable radio, buy one today.
Images are from Amazon and are being used for educational purposes only.
Long ago I realized that I didn’t like most formal exercise. I thought I disliked exercise in general because I wasn’t willing to do endless burpees. However, with reflection it turns out that I do like exercise when it is paired with other activities. I love to ride a bike, go on walks, and do day hikes. All of these things give me quite a bit of pleasure.
A day hike is somewhere in between a walk and a backpacking trip. For me, it involves going to a trail, often for the first time, and exploring my surrounding. I’m a photographer, and hiking gives me many opportunities to shoot photos.
By the way, you may wonder why a day hiker would need emergency supplies. There are many cases where people went on a simple day hike, often on a well used path, and got lost, injured, or died. It is easy to go off trail to “do your business,” and become disoriented, take the wrong fork in a trail, or face weather/trail problems. Everyone has to decide what level of risk that they comfortable with.
I remember going on a day hike with two of my kids when they were very young. I asked some hikers who were leaving the trail if the trail was clean and if it was an easy hike. They said yes. However, it turned out to be a three mile hike with fallen trees, washed out parts of the trail, and stream crossings. There were a number of twists and turns and side trials, and I got disoriented. Because of the nature of the path it was very difficult to turn back, so we forged ahead. I had to motivate my kids to keep going and kept telling them, “Every step brings us closer to the camper.” At one point towards the end I wasn’t sure to turn right or left, but I had a little compass on my watch band and a simple map from the visitor center. I used those tools to go the right way. To go the other direction would have taken me right back on the loop that we spent most of the morning trying to get off of. We had to share one little bottle of water and I brought along only one little packet of Fig Newtons because I thought we would only be gone for a half of an hour. I should have been more prepared, but the little compass on my watch band and the park map saved the day.
If I am hiking anything more than a short distance I always bring my backpack and supplies. I have designed my hiking backpack system to be light and efficient. Everyone should design a system that meets their needs, and mine is certainly not the most comprehensive. However, after years hiking these supplies work for me. Let’s take a look at my necessary hiking gear.
I can’t stress how important a decent pair of shoes is. I was recently visiting friends in Florida and packed a cheap pair of sandals to wear to the beach. We did a little walking, and I was rewarded with three blisters on my feet. When I first started to hike, I bought a pair of decent hiking boots that I thought fit me. I used those shoes for several seasons and wound up losing my big toenail several times. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong until I went to REI and they told me that I needed to size my shoes up. Since then, I have retained my toenails! I now like to wear trail runner-type shoes. A good brand makes all the difference in the world. If you are going to spend money on anything, spend it on your shoes. Good shoes wear out, so be prepared to replace them. Everyone has their brand preference. If possible, go to a place where you can try on several brands. Additionally, good socks are important. I like Darn Tough socks, which are made of a Marino wool blend. I am a big fan of trekking poles. They steady me on declines and over streams, and they allow my arms to help my legs when going up inclines. You don’t have to buy the most expensive ones, but avoid cheap poles. I have had these poles for years. My wife bought a cheap pair at a big box store, and they cracked in half. Check reviews to find a sturdy yet reasonably priced set of poles, or opt for a brand name. For a day hike, you don’t need to go ultra-light. I bought carbon fiber, but in retrospect, an aluminum pair would have worked out just fine. I like cork grips as they don’t get slippery with sweat. Having a pack is a must. I like the Osprey brand as they make quality packs at a reasonable price. Avoid those little back sacks that use strings instead of straps, as they will undoubtedly make any long hike miserable. You can purchase more affordable packs that may better suit your budget. However, I have read reviews of no-name packs where straps have ripped off or zippers have frozen, so caution is advised. I used to use a larger Osprey pack (this one is only 13 L), but I’ve found that I over-packed it, which weighed me down. Beyond backpacks, you can get sling packs, and some find that a big “fanny pack” (called a “bum bag” in the UK) works for them. This Osprey pack model is called “Daylite.”This is everything that I carry in my backpack. the pouch has a lot of individual “kits” in zip-lock bags.This is what I carry for navigation. I’m using my phone to take these photos, hence the sticky note phone substitute. I mostly rely on my phone, but I try to carry a paper map. You can get them at a park’s visitor center for free. I also take an inexpensive compass. I’ll double-check to ensure it still points correctly at the start of the season. There are several excellent hiking apps available for smartphones. I use All Trails Pro. I have a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) that can send a distress call in the event of a life-threatening emergency. I purchased this around 4 years ago, but the price has increased considerably since then. Its advantage is that there is no monthly fee. I have also used a Garmin InReach device, which features maps and allows for text messaging. That device requires a subscription to work. Newer iPhones can now use satellites when out of cell service (US and Canada only), so that may be enough for some. Remember, a 911 call is NOT carrier-dependent. If your cell phone carrier doesn’t have a local tower, the call will bounce to a different carrier. However, sometimes there are no cell towers, such as in National Parks. That is when a satellite device of some sort may come in handy. Not in the photo is my emergency whistle. Three blasts followed by a pause and repeated is the distress call for hikers. If you scream, you will quickly become hoarse. Some backpacks have a whistle built into their straps; the Daylite does not.You never know if a hike will take longer than expected. I have had to rely on illumination to get back to my car. A headlamp is ideal and inexpensive. I also carry a tiny flashlight and extra battery as a backup. Additionally, my battery bank has a little flashlight on it. Of course, your phone also has a flashlight, but it is best to save its battery for navigation and communication.Protection from the sun is a must. I always wear a hat and try to use sunscreen. My eyes have become more sensitive as I’ve aged, so sunglasses are always part of my kit.I carry some simple first aid supplies that fit into a sandwich bag. You can go more minimal or extensive with such kits. I do have a more elaborate kit in my car. I have absolutely used many of these items on the trail, from mole skin to band-aids to ibuprofen. I have watched some YouTube hikers who say that you don’t need a knife. I don’t understand, as I use one all the time. Why three knives? I always carry the Leatherman in my pocket; it is my EDC knife. I have a small SAK knife on my keychain, which includes scissors and tweezers, and I leave the white knife in my backpack as a backup. It weighs nothing. When push comes to shove, I’ll grab the Leatherman in my pocket.I do carry a minimal fire-starting kit: a small Bic lighter, some fire tinder, including some cotton balls with Vaseline on them. I have never had to start an emergency fire. However, on a long hike, I may bring a cook kit. Usually, one of us will carry the pot/stove and the other the dehydrated food. Some sort of emergency shelter is another essential item. These are Mylar emergency sleeping bags. They are very compact. They are essentially large, sealed emergency blankets that are orange on one side and silver on the other. I have two because I’m often hiking with someone who is less compulsive than I am. Sometimes I’ll carry paracord too. Paracord has 100 and 1 different uses.I always bring more food than I think I’ll need. For most hikes, this would be in the form of snacks. If I’m going on a longer hike, I may bring “real” food or a Mountain House type meal. Yes, I usually bring enough snacks for my less prepared hiking partners.Water is incredibly important. I always pack more than I think I need, and I also have ways to get more if needed. I’ll sometimes sub out my flask for a Smart Water bottle. I also have several ways to purify stream water if needed. Lastly, I have some electrolyte tablets in my first aid kit.I have an expensive hiking puffer jacket and a raincoat. However, I can’t find them in my camper or house. I’m blaming my cat for hiding them. Better that than admitting that I put them/lost them somewhere! For now, this hoodie will do. I also bring some “just in case” emergency rain ponchos (a second for a hiking partner). If I suspect rain, I’ll bring an old, clunky plastic rain jacket that I have. It’s not as light or fancy as my lost raincoat, but it does the job.I always carry a charged battery bank. This one includes the charging cords. I have used my battery bank many times on a hike, as GPS hiking maps use a lot of energy. Don’t forget to bring a charging cord if your bank doesn’t have one built in. I also carry some duct tape. Another item with 100 and 1 uses. I have this cute little pack, but you can also roll a few feet onto a Bic lighter from a regular roll.
Additional items: I always carry an empty gallon Ziploc bag that has many uses. However, I mostly use it to carry out garbage. I’ll also carry a little travel pack of wet wipes to clean my hands or for an emergency potty run (so far I have never had to go number 2 on the trail). If you go “poo” frequently on the trail bring along an ultralight trowel. They are cheap and better than digging a cathole with a stick. Remember to bury any organic matter at least 6 inches deep and carry out any TP or similar wipe. Leave no trace! Another common thing I carry is a tiny bottle of hand sanitizer. Hand sanitizer is mostly alcohol and can be used to sanitize your hands, as wound antiseptic, or to start a fire. You can also get compressed towels that are the size of two TUMS tablets. There are usually 11 of them in a tiny tube and each one will expand to the size of a paper towel by adding 1 teaspoon of water to them (I think they are fun/cool). You can even buy a tiny bidet made for hikers (Culoclean) that attaches to a water bottle. However, wet wipes are multi-purpose and work best for me for many of these functions.
Meat prices continue to rise. This is most notable with beef, where formerly inexpensive cuts like chuck roasts are now sold at luxury prices. Traditionally less expensive meats, like pork and chicken, are also increasing in cost.
There are ways to reduce meat consumption. Many cultures substitute legumes, grain products, and mushrooms to make meat-free dishes. Extenders can be used along with meat to bulk up a recipe, with the breadcrumbs or oatmeal in meatloaf being an example. Meat can also be stretched by cooking combination foods, like casseroles, hot dishes, soups, and stews. In these dishes meat plays a secondary role to other ingredients. For decades, I have used these traditional hacks to stretch my family’s meat budget.
I was a medical student in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Let me rephrase that: I was a penniless medical student, and my poverty continued into my residency. My grocery budget was minimal, and I always looked for cost-saving options. In those days, ground beef was inexpensive, but ground beef mixed with TVP, or textured vegetable protein, was even cheaper. How did it taste? Like ground beef, but a bit drier and with a slightly different texture. You can no longer find ground beef with TVP at my local grocery store, but many frozen foods still use TVP as a meat extender. TVP never went away; it just went underground.
Manufacturers have jumped on the no-meat bandwagon with their meat-like creations, such as Impossible Meat, Beyond Beef, and Fable. Commercial products use various plant products, from legume flours to mushrooms, to create a meat-like texture. Their ingredients determine the nutritional value of these products, but many offer a relatively high amount of protein per serving. However, commercial “meats” are expensive, sometimes more than the real thing. These products are designed for non-meat eaters who are convenience-conscious rather than cost-conscious.
A while back, I became interested in alternative cooking methods. My goal was to produce good-tasting foods that were not clones of the “real thing” but similar enough to be considered viable options. This interest led me back to TVP and its many forms.
TVP can be made from various plant products, but is most commonly made from soy flour. Soy flour is a byproduct from making soy oil. I’ll be discussing that form of TVP today.
Soy flour is mixed with water, cooked under high pressure, and extruded in a machine similar to those used to make breakfast cereal.
Soy TVP is very high in protein; in fact, it can be higher than a comparable serving of beef. It is very low in fat, and unlike meat, it is high in fiber.
Soy TVP is sold dry and must be rehydrated. This usually involves soaking or boiling it in water or broth. The excess liquid is then blotted or squeezed out before the product is used in a dish. TVP comes in various shapes, from granules used in dishes like spaghetti sauce and Sloppy Joes, to curls and chunks that can be substituted for foods that traditionally require such shapes, such as a stir-fry or a barbeque sandwich. Roughly one cup of dry TVP, when rehydrated, equals around one pound of meat.
Soy TVP is essentially flavorless, but like it cousin tofu (which is made from soy milk), it takes on the flavor of whatever it is mixed with. For an omnivore like myself, adding flavoring agents like bouillon or other meat products is essential. Vegetarians need to be more creative and use meaty-flavored additions like miso, soy sauce, and liquid aminos. Many dishes rely on spices and sauces to add additional flavor and familiarity.
Depending on your additions, you can make TVP taste like whatever meat you need. In today’s example, I’ll make a “chicken” stir-fry, but I could have turned the dish into a “beef” version by adjusting a few ingredients.
TVP is shelf-stable and can remain usable for decades if appropriately stored. It can be a great prepper food as it requires no refrigeration and is a high-quality protein source.
TVP is significantly less expensive than beef, but your savings will be determined by where and how much you buy. TVP lovers buy in bulk and will save considerably more than if they purchased a little bag at their local store. Granulated TVP (Bob’s Red Mill brand) can be found in the health food/alternative section of many grocery stores, and granulated and other TVP shapes can often be purchased at health food stores, Whole Foods, Fresh Thyme, Sprouts, and online. One food blogger I researched noted that TVP was about half the price of beef based on their particular use case.
As a plant-based product, it is considerably more environmentally friendly than any meat source.
Some folks are concerned about using soy products; for them, there are a variety of TVPs made from other plant flours, such as pea TVP. You can also buy TWP, which is textured wheat protein. Note that TWP is a wheat product and contains gluten.
For most, soy TVP is the product to use as it is the most available and is tolerated by many. However, avoid soy TVP if you are allergic to or have digestive issues with soy. Some are concerned that soy contains isoflavones, which can mimic estrogen. However, most isoflavones (around 70%) are destroyed when making/cooking TVP. With that said, you may want to consider a non-soy TVP product if you have an estrogen-sensitive cancer or other medical concern. Always consult with your doctor if you have any food or health concerns.
There are various methods for preparing TVP. I’m not aTVP expert, so I combined several that seemed credible. Most methods will hydrate the TVP, then pat or squeeze out any excess liquid, and add some sort of seasoning or marinade.
My method in today’s recipe was a bit excessive. It did lead to a delicious dish; I’m sure it could have been streamlined. YouTube has many TVP recipes to help you start your TVP journey.
Here is the step-by-step recipe for my first TVP dish using TVP chunks, a “chicken” stir-fry. The results were delicious, and the TVP did have a meat-like texture. Did it taste like chicken? It tasted good and had a chicken flair, but it was not an exact dupe. However, the family said they would eat it again. In fact, my son went back for seconds.
TVP “Chicken” Stir-Fry
I boiled 1.5 cups of the dry chunks in a chicken broth for 10 minutes. You could use water, or meso broth if you were a vegetarian.I drained the chunks and then ran some cold water over them to cool them down.I then squeezed them out. If I were using the granules, I would blot them dry using a tea towel or paper towels.I then toasted them in an air fryer at 400°F (205°C) for approximately 8 minutes. My goal was to dry out the outside while leaving the inside spongy. This was because I was going to stir-fry them, and I wanted the outside to be crisp. This method is used in some recipes; in others, the chunks are added directly to the dish after they have been hydrated and squeezed out. This was another “extra” step that could be eliminated by just using a simple combination of a few flavoring ingredients. However, it did result in a delicious flavor for the soy chunks. The marinade consisted of 1/3 C mayo (can use vegan mayo), 1/3 C neutral oil, 1T meso or chicken flavoring, 1T nutritional yeast, 2T lemon juice, 1t garlic powder, 1t onion powder, 1/2t thyme, 1/2 t parsley. I mixed it all together. This marinade is from “The Burger Dude” on YouTube.I mixed in the rehydrated soy chunks and put the bowl in the fridge until I needed it.I searched my fridge and found a slightly soft red pepper, which I sliced, along with some green onions, and some frozen broccoli that I defrosted. I stir-fried a couple of eggs and removed them from the wok. You could leave out the eggs if you were going vegan.I added more oil, along with green onion, jar garlic, and ginger paste, and cooked the vegetables for around 30-60 seconds. I then added the broccoli and the red pepper and stir-fried until crisp-tender. I then removed these vegetables. Note: You can use any vegetables that you choose. I just had these on hand.I added the chunks and stir-fried them so they would be crisp.I returned the vegetables and reheated them. I then added the scrambled egg. I prefer to leave the egg in larger chunks so that it adds visual interest. At this point, I added some soy sauce and a small amount of sesame oil (not too much, as it is a strong flavor). I also added some jar sauces. In this case, I used some store-bought teriyaki sauce and orange chicken stir-fry sauce, both of which I had on hand. You could opt for a simpler mixture of soy sauce, cornstarch, water, and a little vinegar and sugar (or whatever you prefer). Here it is plated up. Honestly, it was delicious. The chunks had a meaty texture and tasted good (although not exactly like chicken). I would make it again. Next time, I would try a simpler marinade for the chunks to see if I could get away with it. There was enough for four decent-sized servings.
I switched my grocery shopping to Aldi some years ago and haven’t looked back. However, Aldi doesn’t carry everything I need, so I occasionally shop elsewhere. Those other trips have become a progressive nightmare and an exercise in exhaustion as every purchase requires an “evaluation” for price, quality, and deception.
Our town’s mid-level grocery chain is Jewel/Osco. It was a local company, but it has been sold and is now owned by Albertsons, which also owns Safeway, Vons, and Shaw’s, among many others.
I have been burned so many times at Jewel that I believe their practices border on deception. It is one of those stores where the receipt proudly announces, “You saved 20% today!” but I still leave the store with a lighter wallet and little to show for it. I understand that Jewel is a full-service grocer and part of their costs include stocking multiple versions of the same product type, many specialty departments, and scads of employees. Yet, that still doesn’t justify the fact that simple items, like Comet powdered cleanser, can be three times more expensive than the same item at Walmart.
However, what concerns me the most is the convoluted and draconian way that their sales run. I still haven’t cracked the code. Some sale prices are available for all, others require that I tap in a phone number at checkout, and still others require that I preselect the item using their shopping app.
I have been burned so many times by this insane system that I feel a sense of dread when I have to go there to pick up an item that I can’t get at Aldi. I recently went to Jewel to buy a spice; since I was there, I browsed the sales. Home Run Inn frozen pizza was on a big sale. It was typically around $10, but on sale for around $6. That sounded like a 40% savings! However, Walmart and Aldi’s normal price was similar to Jewel’s sale price. I passed on the pizza.
I also passed on the sale-priced Milk. When I read the small print, I had to buy two gallons of milk, way too much for our needs. I wondered how many didn’t read the fine print, believing that their single gallon was on sale, only to be disappointed when they got home and checked their receipt. That is, if they checked their receipt, as most probably don’t.
My eye caught some fruit on sale. Strawberries and blueberries were being sold at a good price. I picked up both. I went to the meat counter and found several “buy one and get one free” items. I have been burned on these in the past, as it seems that Jewel will often place a similar item next to the sale item, making it very easy to pick up the wrong item. Additionally, I have discounted items that would ring up at self-checkout at the regular price, and the attendant had to enter a code to get me the discount.
On this trip, I spied some BOGO pork chops. I read the sign carefully, noting that another pork product was next to the sale items. I matched the pork chops with the sale sign, feeling good that I had selected the correct item. I also ensured I went to a cashier to avoid other issues. When I got home I realized that I screwed up. I did get the strawberries on sale, but the blueberries were at full price. I was supposed to use the Jewel app and click on an electronic coupon for the blueberries. I also got charged for both packs of pork chops, and I honestly have no idea why. Yes, I could have been more vigilant during checkout, but I was in a hurry and thought I had done everything correctly, only to find that the system was so convoluted that I had done many things wrong. Grocery shopping should be a straightforward experience, not a master class in proofreading.
I have had different problems at Walmart, where it isn’t unusual for the price stickers in the aisles to differ from what I am charged at checkout. And don’t even get me started on my extreme displeasure of having to use Walmart’s self-checkout and 18” of counter space to ring up an entire cart of groceries.
I have shopped at Aldi as my main grocery store for years. There are typically only one or two product versions, making purchasing easy. There is no drive to impulse buy, and the stores are small, so I don’t feel that I have run a marathon. Plus, their cashiers are fast and friendly. My overall grocery bills are always lower at Aldi than at Jewel and Walmart.
Shopping insanity extends to the online world, which is now dominated by Amazon and Walmart. Lately, there has been a lot of press coverage on Amazon’s practice of controlling its Marketplace sellers. For instance, sellers cannot sell their items on a different web platform for a lower price. They are given preferential treatment if they use other Amazon services, which adds to Amazon’s profits and increases consumer prices. Marketplace sellers can also use deceptive practices, such as flooding a product type by listing the same product multiple ways or using false reviews to push a product higher in Amazon’s listing.
Over 60% of Amazon’s sales are via Marketplace sellers. It doesn’t seem that Amazon vets Marketplace products, so you never know if your product is genuine or a knockoff. I tested several battery banks I ordered from Amazon; some were legitimate, and others had less than 15% of their stated capacity.
Searching for something on Amazon can be a frustrating experience, as you are assaulted by page after page of products. Many products seem identical or may vary only by a different brand name. Significant price differences can exist between the items, requiring an exhaustive search even for simple products. Some consumable products list price per ounce, others price per product, and others have a nonsensical price. All of this requires an unnecessary amount of vigilance.
Sometimes, you need to be a chemist to determine the best value. I use a deodorant product called deodorant crystals, which is simply the compound Alum. No matter what brand you use, it is identical. However, depending on the label, there can be tremendous differences in the price.
These are exactly the same compounds, but one is $9.41 an ounce and the other is only $2.02 an ounce.
Most people believe buying a larger quantity will yield the best price. However, I have repeatedly found that this is not the case when shopping on Amazon, as buying a larger amount of something can be significantly more expensive than buying multiples of the same product. That is crazy.
Talk about confusing. The first product is the cheapest, but the unit price is listed as “price per load.” You might think buying two would save you money, but the second listing is almost twice the price. The third listing is even more expensive than the second!Here we have two products that differ only in the scent, which will fade as soon as the clothes are worn. The lavender scent is 50% more expensive!Here you have a product directly from Amazon. If you buy the twin pack, expect to pay 30% more! Buy two of the “pack of one” for $7.12 instead of $9.55. That is a substantial difference, but you must carefully read the product description.
I have heard Amazon’s and Walmart’s online prices are dependent on zip codes, and there are reports that you can get better prices by searching at a different location or using incognito mode. I have not confirmed this, but if true, that means you are being upcharge based on where you live.
Online sellers will often offer the same product in different colors at drastically different prices. Also, a shopper may have to deal with the same products with one offering a discount coupon and another not.
The only difference among these three coffee makers is the color. Talk about price confusion. It would seem that the red coffee maker is significantly more expensive than the black one ($49.00 vs. $36.00). However, if you use the coupon and do the math, it is only slightly more expensive, and now the orange coffee maker is the most expensive. Why???I know that these two radios are exactly the same except for the branding. However, one is over $10 more than the other. If you were not a radio nut like me, you may think that the more expensive radio offered more.
I have checked on the same item over the course of a few days to find that its price can vary dramatically in 24 hours. I have seen price shifts of 25% and more. A product may go up, then down, then up again over the course of a week. All of the above makes shopping exhausting and confusing.
When it comes to grocery shopping I consistently save overall by shopping at Aldi and I don’t have to deal with math calculations, product decisions, and confusing “deals” and coupons. I’m also starting to feel the same with online shopping. A while back I had to replace our toaster oven and was faced with what looked like a hundred different choices. Some were the same item, others were variations on a theme, still others were rebrands of what looked like an identical product. In the end I went to a local store where they had 4 different toaster oven models. I picked the one that would hold the pans that we normally use in a toaster oven and was done in about 5 minutes. Could there have been a better toaster oven in my life? I don’t know, but the one that I got works well enough and the shopping experience was not confusing, frustrating, and exhausting.
You can’t even trust apps that promise that they search the internet for the best deal for you. The Honey app was very popular and promoted by many influences. So, what was the real deal? This Reddit poster gives you the details:
One: if you click on an affiliate link from a creator to buy something, they will sometimes get credit or a commission for you purchasing that Item. However, if you scan it with honey, honey will reload the web page so they get the commission.
Two: Honey will say “We scoured the internet and found you 5 codes” well, they don’t actually search the internet, what is actually happening is the seller of the item chooses what coupon codes honey can use. So you may actually be able to find a better coupon code if not using honey.
Our lives are becoming progressively more complicated as we become ever more electronically connected. Is that email from a bank real? Who is texting me just to say “hello?” Is the FBI of the CIA really calling me to tell me that I just won the lottery and all I have to do is to give them my credit card information? How about that YouTube video that says that everything that I’m eating is going to kill me, but I can be healthy if I drink their “click the link below” green goop three times a day? Is that too good to be true advertisement on Facebook real, or is it too good to be true? How about all of those political videos and articles that feel like these are either the best of times or the worst of times? Those make me feel like I’m reading a Dickens novel.
I don’t want to vet every purchase I make or do a math calculation to determine if I’m getting a good deal. All of these things add to stress and are mostly unnecessary. My plan is to simplify whenever possible. I’ll continue grocery shopping at Aldi, and I’m moving toward buying less stuff online while choosing options that give me clear and less confusing choices.
This unnecessary decision fatigue cumulatively adds to stress and promotes fear and distrust. I know some love the sport of shopping; I’m not one of them.
I recently wrote a post on hygiene hacks and confessed that I did not use a traditional antiperspirant. I use alternative measures to ensure I am “daisy fresh,” so there was no need to hold your nose in my presence.
I watched a new episode of “The Great American Baking Show” yesterday. I was bombarded by commercials showing people spraying a total deodorizing spray not only on their armpits but on their saddle area, feet, back, neck, and just about everywhere else. I always felt that these areas were handled with simple soap and water.
I remember the push in the 1970s to get women to use “Summer’s Eve” vaginal douche, which led to all sorts of problems, from dryness to infections. I was surprised to discover that vaginal douching, a bad idea unless medically necessary, had been pushed by advertisers for some time before that. Lysol (the cleaning product) encouraged the use of a Lysol douche with ads with titles like, “She was the perfect wife except for one neglect.” By 1911, there were several reported deaths and poisonings due to this practice. Lysol responded by telling women to continue using Lysol, but dilute it first! Keep those customers coming, who cares if you are poisoning them! Doctors will tell you never to use vaginal douches unless directed by a healthcare provider. You will mess things up.
My father was born in Chicago in 1910 in a home that initially didn’t have a modern bathroom. When he was younger, he remembers being bathed in a washtub. As he got older, he went to a community bathhouse where you could buy a sliver of soap and the use of a towel for a few pennies. This would be a once-a-week event. I asked him if people smelled in those days, and he said no, people did a daily wash-up to ensure they were clean.
The first time that I traveled to Europe was in the 1980s. I remember hearing that no one used deodorant and expected my nose to be assaulted. I did not encounter smelly people on that trip. They were doing other things to clean themselves. Today, most Europeans have converted to commercial deodorants, likely due to advertising.
Although modern bathing and showering are the result of indoor plumbing, keeping oneself clean and good-smelling has been documented as far back as Egyptian times and has been recorded among just about any group since that time. Some used religious cleansing as the reason to keep clean; others had communal bath houses where they could socialize and bathe. Egyptians used simple soaps, while the Romans and Greeks cleaned their skin with scented oils. Other cultures relied on water or mild abrasives to clean away the stink.
We often think of Medieval times as odoriferous, but people from then were concerned about cleanliness and tried to keep themselves smelling nice. Then, as now, the more wealth you had, the greater your access to hygiene options.
Yes, there have been times when people thought bathing was unhealthy or a sign of moral degeneracy, but many still did their best to smell better by wearing pungent spices or perfumes.
Dirty clothing often causes a stink; in the past, cleaning clothes could be difficult. People would beat or brush out dirt, air out clothing, and sometimes remake outfits to remove stains. There were no dry cleaners in those days!
Often, their clothes were made of wool or linen, two natural fibers that are bacteriostatic and odor-resistant. They also wore layers of clothing so that their outer clothes never touched their skin. Their “underwear” was frequently changed. If you were wealthy, it was changed daily. If you were poorer, it was washed several times a week.
Research gains in the late 1700s and 1800s made the mass production of inexpensive soaps possible. Pears translucent soap was introduced in 1807, and Lever Brothers (now Unilever Corporation) introduced Sunlight soap in the late 1800s. During this time, soap went from a luxury item for the elite to a product that just about anyone could afford. In Germany, detergents were invented in 1900 and found their way into multiple products, including self-care items like Dove soap, a syndet (detergent) bar introduced in 1955.
Dial soap, which has antimicrobial agents, was the first deodorant soap and was introduced in 1949 with ads that stressed, “Dial stops odor before it starts!” Deodorant soaps have used a variety of antimicrobial agents that have been banned over the years. More recent studies have shown that consumer deodorant soaps are no different from regular soaps in reducing skin bacteria and pose a danger to the environment. Dial is still a popular soap; it uses an anti-bacterial agent called benzalkonium chloride, and I’m unclear why.
Liquid soaps were invented in the mid-1800s, but most current liquid soaps are not soaps but detergents. Softsoap brand hand soap (a detergent) became popular in the 1970s, and shower gels (also detergents) became popular in the late 1980s.
There are several methods to deal with odor. The first one is to clean your body regularly. In the US, this means taking a bath or, more likely, a shower. In other places with less access, it could mean a trip to the river or a sponge bath. Other methods are to use a masking smell, like a perfume, to hide offensive odors or to block sweat production in odor-causing areas.
I went on a hiking trip with a close friend. I stayed at base camp and did day hikes while my friend and his son did a five-day trek over the mountains. My friend is typically very clean, and I have never noticed him to have an odor problem. However, he wore the same clothes on this hike and had minimal opportunities to wash. It was sweltering hot, and he sweated quite a bit. When I picked him and his son up, I could only describe the odor as similar to a garbage dumpster. After a shower, he was as good as new, but I suggested he burn his hiking clothes.
Our bodies have two types of sweat glands: eccrine glands, which are located all over the body. When you sweat, your body uses evaporation to cool itself off. Most people can’t smell this type of sweat, but some can, including me. Eccrine sweat doesn’t smell bad at all; it smells like people, and I rather like it.
The other glands are the apocrine glands located in the scalp, breasts, armpits, and groin. These glands produce an oily sweat that serves as food for certain bacteria. The waste products from these bacteria give people body odor, or BO.
Feet only have eccrine glands, but sweaty, unclean feet trapped in shoes can generate odors due to different bacterial by-products. That is why smelly armpits and stinky feet have different types of pungent aromas.
I remember TV commercials from the 1960s in which a person would be identified as smelling bad, and the announcer would say, “He has BO!” But instead of him saying BO, a loud fog horn would blast, “BEEEEE OHHHHH!!!” That had to be a pretty effective commercial because I was just a young kid, and I still remember it vividly. It let me know that BO was a bad thing.
A fun fact is that many East Asians (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) don’t wear deodorant due to a gene mutation that impacts their apocrine glands. They don’t produce oily sweat, so those smelly bacteria can’t grow.
This history of deodorants is fascinating and has modern and historical components. People have used various methods to reduce odor, from Europeans who wore masking perfumes and spices to South Asians using alum-based products like the Thai deodorant crystal and Filipino Tawas powder. Alum is bacteriostatic; in other words, it slows down the growth of bacteria. Fewer bacteria mean less odor.
Washing your body is the primary way to reduce BO. Additionally, there are two ways to control underarm smells: deodorants and antiperspirants.
Commercial deodorants used to have antimicrobial agents, but they have mostly been removed due to health and environmental concerns. Now, most commercial deodorants are just masking agents; they are cheap-smelling perfumes for the armpits.
Antiperspirants use aluminum salts. These salts plugged up sweat glands, so there is no sweat for odor-causing bacteria to eat, and so there is no odor. Antiperspirants are the most effective way to control malodorous underarm smells.
There is a fear that antiperspirants can contribute to Alzheimer’s disease and breast cancer. These fears have been debunked many times and are not true, but they persist from self-proclaimed health gurus, often for their benefit.
I can’t tolerate antiperspirants because they make me itch. However, dermatologists now say to put these agents on at night to plug up sweat glands and shower them off the skin in the morning to eliminate skin irritation. I have not tried this as I already have another odor-controlling method that works very well. I’ll talk about that in the next paragraph.
I mentioned that some Asian cultures have used alum salts for hundreds of years to control body odor. These salts were marketed in the US starting in the 1980s as magic deodorant crystals, and I started using them in the early 2000s. These contain aluminum in compound form, but it is a different compound than those used in antiperspirants. Alum salts don’t block sweating; they are bacteriostatic and inhibit odor-causing bacteria. For me, they work like a charm. Ads say to wet the crystal and apply; I rub a dry crystal on my damp underarms after I shower. This method wastes less of the mineral and gets the job done.
Commercial deodorants were introduced in the late 1800s under the Mum brand, and antiperspirants were marketed in the early 1900s under the name Odorono. Neither was very popular for several reasons. Victorian era people felt it was improper to talk about such things as body odor, and they also felt that washing their underarms and wearing perfume worked well enough to keep odor at bay. The early deodorants and antiperspirants had many drawbacks including being irritating and staining clothes.
Edna Murphy’s father was a surgeon who developed an aluminum chloride solution to keep his hands dry during surgeries; she saw its potential to stop underarm sweating. Due to Victorian sentiment, she wasn’t very successful selling her antiperspirant until the 1912 Atlantic City Exposition, where she had a sales booth. 1912 had an especially hot summer, and visitors were especially smelly. She sold enough products at the exposition to hire the advertising agency, J. Walter Thompson Company. They assigned a new hire, James Young, to the campaign. Mr. Young was a former door-to-door Bible salesman without training in advertising. However, he was the man for the job. James Young is considered the father of shame-based advertising and could make potential customers worry about things they didn’t worry about before. He started to run ads for women saying that men would not love them unless they used Odorono, and sales took off.
From a 1937 ad:
You’re a pretty girl, Mary, and you’re smart about most things, but you’re just a bit stupid about yourself. You love a good time, but you seldom have one. Evening after evening, you sit at home alone. You’ve met several grand men who seemed interested at first. They took you out once, and that was that. So many pretty Marys in the world never seem to sense the real reason for their aloneness. In this smart modern age, it’s against the code for a girl (or a man) to carry the repellent odor of underarm perspiration on clothing and person. It’s a fault which never fails to take its own punishment—unpopularity.
He applied the same strategy with men during the great depression, stating that no one would hire them unless they used Odorono. Men then started to use the product. He turned a product that no one wanted into one that grossed 28 billion dollars in 2025.
There has been some backlash against commercial deodorants and antiperspirants, which has prompted companies to create green-washed products and home cooks to develop DIY concoctions. Let’s take a look at the marketing hype and ingredients used.
One is to continue to promote false claims that commercial antiperspirants cause dementia and breast cancer. To repeat, this is not true.
The other is to create fear about “unnatural” chemicals used in commercial products. You may be sensitive to a random chemical, but it is not thought that these agents are more dangerous than other deodorizing methods.
The term Natural has absolutely no real meaning. Frankly, the often criticized aluminum salts used in commercial antiperspirants are completely natural as they come from nature. Please don’t get hung up on this term, as it is used to manipulate you.
Antiperspirants are the most effective way to control underarm and foot odor due to excessive sweating. Natural deodorants use a variety of other agents to control odor and bacterial levels. Some work for some and not so well for others. Men sweat more than women and frequently work in more physically demanding jobs. Therefore, it is much more likely to hear women in office jobs claiming good results from a natural deodorant, where a man working in the field may be less enthusiastic. Here are some common ingredients used in natural deodorants:
Baking soda is a natural deodorizer, but it may worsen your BO as it is basic (remember acids and bases from high school chemistry?). The bacteria that cause BO in your underarms prefer a basic environment, and baking soda can encourage their growth. Plus, it can be irritating.
Essential Oils- Some essential oils, like Tea Tree, have mild bacteria reducing properties and may reduce odor-causing bacteria. However, all fragrances, including essential oils, can irritate sensitive skin, causing skin breakdown and more problems.
Coconut oil is used as a base that also has bacteria-reducing properties.
Arrowroot powder is a moisture absorber that may keep the underarms drier.
Corn starch has the same function as arrowroot powder, but is likely more irritating.
Activated charcoal- can reduce odor, but it can be irritating and staining.
Alcohol is often used as a preservative, but it could have some bacteria-reducing properties.
Magnesium salts have some bacteria reducing properties.
If you are a heavy sweater, natural deodorants are likely to be less effective. Additionally, they often cost significantly more than mainstream deodorants. You can buy an antiperspirant at Dollar Tree for $1.25 or a name-brand antiperspirant for about $4, while a Native brand natural deodorant starts at $13 (Walmart prices as of 4/2025).
There are many DIY recipe hacks for making your own deodorant, many using coconut oil and baking soda (see caution above). There are also several deodorant substitutes. Here are some of them:
-Spray or scrub rubbing alcohol under your arms. It reduces bacteria, but it is skin-drying.
-Use essential oils directly; this mostly masks odor, but can be very irritating to the skin.
-Use baking soda directly, it may cause overgrowth of harmful bacteria and can irritate.
-Apply glycolic acid directly; it reduces bacteria growth as it is acidic, but may be drying.
-Milk of Magnesia may reduce bacteria.
Some people have bacterial overgrowth problems that aren’t controlled by typical methods, and some dermatologists might recommend washing underarms several times a week with an antiseptic agent like benzoyl peroxide (PanOxyl), chlorhexidine gluconate (Hibiclens), or povidone iodine (Betadine). They would be instructed to wash their underarms with these agents and then leave the solution on for a few minutes before thoroughly washing it off. These cleansers can all dry out skin, so they should not be used daily. Most would use a daily antiperspirant or deodorant on top of this.
Whole body deodorants were introduced in 2017 with the brand Lume. Lume’s active ingredient is mandelic acid, which (like its cousin glycolic acid) makes an area more acidic and less friendly to smelly underarm bacteria.
Lume created a whole new market using funny but shame-based advertising; there are now many competitors. I recently checked out some at Walmart, and most seem to just be rebranded deodorants. Marketing is everything!
The Lume commercial makes people worry that they have offensive butt odor.
I’m a psychiatrist, meaning I’m also a licensed medical doctor. In my years of practice, I have been the medical director of several inpatient programs that required me to do a comprehensive physical exams…that is a head-to-toe exam, when a new patient was admitted to my unit. My nose has been very close to several thousand people so I feel I can honestly assess the need for a whole body deodorant. In my opinion, they are entirely unnecessary and could potentially disrupt the skin’s natural biome.
The vast majority of patients I have examined over my 40-year practice have smelled fine with basic hygiene. The ones that didn’t smell so good resulted from being dirty or having dirty clothing (or most likely both). They returned to being non-smelly with a shower and clean clothes.
For your saddle region, use gentle soap and water (or sometimes just water for women’s genital region). Your body cleans your internal structures automatically.
For stinky feet, change out shoes allowing them to dry, wear fresh socks, apply absorbent foot powders, and consider antiperspirant creams for severe cases.
If the above doesn’t help in those regions, it is best to see a doctor to determine if you have something that needs medical attention, like an infection.
Of course, there are other reasons why some people smell bad. We all know what we smell like when we eat garlic chicken or have a few beers, but those are temporary problems. Additionally, some illnesses, medications, and infections can cause odor problems. These are best sorted out by a healthcare provider. Lastly, some individuals have metabolic issues where they excrete malodorous scents. These individuals are rare, and I have never encountered one during several thousand physical exams.
For most people with odor problems, regular soap and water and clean clothing is the place to start, along with the application of an underarm deodorant or antiperspirant. If you don’t want to use anything under your arms you can try “washing up” a few times a day.
I’m not here to change anyone’s mind or to get them to start or stop any agent. If you are happy with your current hygiene routine, so be it. I’m here to educate, inform, and hopefully tell an interesting story.
Peace,
Mike
Sources for this post include the Smithsonian web page and other internet sources. Images are from the internet, and all content is used only for educational purposes. This post is not medical advice. See your doctor if you have medical or odor concerns.
