20 Things to Do By the End of the Year

 In no particular order...

1. Vote.  Needless to say in this contentious election season, everyone should vote in November.
2. Complete the census.  As soon as possible as it looks like it may be terminated early.
3. Complete these financial tasks prior to the end of the year.
4. Continue to stockpile (and rotate) food and supplies.  We may or may not have another lockdown due to the pandemic so everyone should be prepared for this possibility.
5. Continue your health and fitness routine into the winter.  Being in excellent physical health is a great hedge against chronic disease as well as the many viruses that circulate during the winter.
6. Complete all of your medical tasks (physical, vaccinations, visions exam, dental work, prescription refills, etc) before the end of the year (use up your HSA and/or take advantage of already meeting your health insurance deductible to do this).
7. Redouble your efforts to get out of debt as soon as possible.  More info here.
8. Review your bug out bag and make sure you have winter-appropriate items in it.
9. Make sure you vehicle emergency kit has appropriate items for winter in it (snow chains, de-icer, an ice scraper, etc.).
10. If you are still in a precarious financial situation due to the pandemic, filling out and submitting this form may keep a roof over your head through the end of the year; use it if needed.
11. Make a note of any problems your home has during the winter (leaky gutters, drafty areas of your home, missing door or window insulation, etc) so that you will have a to-repair list come spring.
12. Try your hand at winter gardening.  This may require a cold frame or a green house but any food you can grow yourself makes you a little less reliant on the grocery store supply chain.
13. Consider donating to those in need this holiday season if you can.  Food, gifts, money...there will be a lot of people needing help this year so consider helping others if you can.
14. Consider taking advantage of holiday sales to pick up items you need for your emergency stockpile/gear.  Today is Prime Day so people are sharing info on social media about prepper items on sale (LifeStraw and battery packs were a couple items noted), ammo is always a sought after item (again, social media groups usually post info about ammo sales they find), and bicycles, outdoor gear, etc. are all useful for preparedness and may be put on sale this holiday season.
15. Use YouTube to brush up on your survival skills while you are home-bound for the winter (HAM radio, shooting skills, outdoor survival skills, etc. are all covered ad nauseum on YouTube).
16. Try winter camping.  Camping in the snow is a completely unique experience and, even if you have to set up shop in the back yard, consider trying an overnight in the freezing outdoors (doing so as safely as possible, of course).
17. Polish up your resume and, if possible, learn skills that will make you even more marketable in the coming year (there are plenty of training resources available online for free to do this).
18. If you need to bulk up your emergency fund or pay off a debt, consider picking up a seasonal job.  Amazon, USPS, UPS, retail stores, etc. all tend to hire for temporary jobs ahead of the busy holiday season.
19. Practice your cooking and baking skills.  Most people got a crash course in cooking at home during the early days of the pandemic; being able to learn these skills at your leisure instead of during a crisis is always a better option.  Again, YouTube is a great resource for this.
20. Consider investing in bigger self sufficiency items as funds are available.  A Berkey water filter, a solar panel/portable power station set up, a wood stove if you have access to wood, a complete set up for canning, a complete set up for reloading...whatever your needs are, figure out how to be more self sufficient in these areas.