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A University of Expats short course

Live comfortably at home for 30 days without power.

A calm, practical plan for life in Mexico: water, power, food, medical, cash and safety, one simple step at a time. For you, your people and your pets.

Get Grid Down for $27 USD See what's inside
Instant accessPrintable checklistsMade in San Miguel de Allende
Hi, I'm Kat!
Kat Sparks, host of the University of Expats emergency preparedness meetings in San Miguel de Allende
Kat SparksYour guide. Twenty years of life in Mexico.
Your 30 day plan
What you will have in place, module by module
WaterKnow your tinaco, treat it, stretch it
Power and equipmentSolar, light, phones, cooking
FoodA pantry that needs no fridge
MedicalMeds, oxygen, CPAP, paper records
Cash and communicationWhen ATMs and phones go quiet
Safety and calmCO, fire, pets, keeping your spirits up
Start with a 15 minute kitReady in 30 days
6short modules, one simple step at a time
15 minto your first win, the Grid Down kit
11printable PDFs for your fridge and binder
Why this course, why now

Almost everything in your home quietly runs on electricity.

Most outages here are short. A storm knocks out a transformer, CFE sends a truck, and the lights flicker back on. A long outage is a different animal.

When the grid goes down for days, all of that goes down with it.

Your water

The pump that fills your tinaco and the one that gives you a decent shower both need power. Your tank can be full and your shower still dry.

Your fridge

The moment the power goes out, a clock starts ticking on everything inside it.

Your money

The ATMs, the card terminals, the OXXO registers and your banking apps all go down together.

Your phone

Cell towers have backup batteries, but they often last hours, not days.

Your gate

The electric gate, the garage door and the pressure system all stop at once.

Your pharmacy

The card terminal at the pharmacy goes down too, and getting to a doctor gets harder.

The silver lining

A lot of Mexico is still wonderfully analog.

  • Cash is king at the tianguis, the tortillería and the corner tienda.
  • The gas truck, the garrafón delivery and your neighbors still work on a wave, a whistle and a knock at the door.
  • Many homes cook on propane, not electricity.

That old school way of life is a real advantage, as long as you are ready to live it too.

The promise

You, your people and your pets can live comfortably at home for 30 days without power, and possibly without running water.

Your first win

Start in 15 minutes. Not next weekend.

Students who win on day one finish the course. So lesson one is a quick kit you can finish before your coffee gets cold.

Start my 15 minute kit
five easy steps
  • Put a headlamp and a box of long matches in your kitchen drawer.
  • Freeze a coffee cup of water and set a 10 peso coin on top.
  • Tuck an envelope of small bills somewhere safe.
  • Write 911 and CFE 071 on a piece of paper and tape it to your freezer.
  • Make sure you have at least one full garrafón.

Done? You are already more prepared than most of your neighbors.

What's inside

Six modules. One calm plan.

Every module follows the same easy rhythm: a short video, the lesson, the buy now items, one small Do It Today action, and a printable checklist.

Module 01

Water

You are your own little water company. Learn your system and stretch every liter.

  • Know your system
  • Tinaco math
  • Drinking water
  • Making water safe
  • The bathroom without water
  • When you get a warning
Do it todayFlip off your pump breaker and turn on a tap.
Module 02

Equipment

Solar, light, phone power, cooking and the tools every home should have.

  • Solar is the key, plus my buying story
  • Light
  • Power for your phone
  • News and information
  • Cooking and hot water
  • Comfort
  • Tools and safety gear
Do it todayPut a headlamp and matches in your kitchen drawer.
Module 03

Food

Eat in the right order and keep a 30 day pantry that needs no fridge.

  • The fridge and freezer clock, and the 10 peso freezer test
  • Your 30 day pantry
  • Cook smart
  • Don't forget anyone
  • Rotate, rotate, rotate
Do it todayPut a thermometer in your fridge.
Module 04

Medical

Medications, equipment that needs power, and your medical info on paper.

  • Medications
  • Medicines that need the fridge
  • Medical equipment that needs power
  • Your medical info on paper
  • First aid kit
  • Know the warning signs
  • Caregivers and elders
Do it todayWrite your medication list and stick it on the fridge.
Module 05

Cash and Communication

Small cash, a paper contact list and a neighbor plan for when the phones go quiet.

  • Cash on hand
  • When the phones go quiet
  • Your neighbor plan
  • Numbers to know
Do it todayText three neighbors and say hello.
Module 06

Safety and Calm

Carbon monoxide, fire, security, pets and keeping your spirits up on day three.

  • Carbon monoxide: the quiet killer
  • Fire safety
  • Home security
  • When the power comes back
  • Pets
  • Staying calm, staying you
Do it todayPut a deck of cards and a good book in your grid down bin.
Start HereWelcome, your 15 minute Grid Down kit, and how to use the course.
The Finish LineYour Master Checklist, your Grid Down Ready certificate, and what to do next.
Get Grid Down for $27 USD
Everything you get

Not just lessons. A ready to use plan.

Print it, tape it to the freezer, fill it in. The pretty version lives in the PDFs.

A short video to open every moduleKat walks you through what matters most before you dig into the lessons.
The full course workbook (PDF)Every lesson in one printable workbook, with a checklist at the end of each module.
Six module checklistsOne page each: Water, Equipment, Food, Medical, Cash and Communication, Safety and Calm.
Master Checklist: 30 Days at HomeEverything on a few pages for your fridge or your binder.
Emergency Info Sheet, English and SpanishYour medical information on paper, because phones die and paper doesn't.
SMA Emergency Contacts flyer911, CFE, Protección Civil and your own numbers, ready for the front of the freezer.
Grid Down Ready certificateSilly? Yes. Do people love it? Also yes.
Clear buy now starsYou will always know which supplies to grab first, before they get harder to find.
Get instant access for $27 USD
Portrait of Kat Sparks, author of the Grid Down course
con calma
Your guide

Hi, I'm Kat Sparks.

I grew up in Cozumel and have called San Miguel home for more than 20 years. I learned about emergencies early. I was about five the first time I had to take cover, when my mom pulled me into a ditch to wait out a tornado. Years later I rode out Hurricane Ike, and I helped people who were fleeing Katrina.

For the last two years I have hosted our Expat Emergency Preparedness meetings, and the same truth comes up every time: the people who do best are not the ones with the most gear. They are the ones who thought it through ahead of time.

  • Twenty years of real life in Mexico, not theory
  • Hurricanes, long nights without power and the lessons that are not on any standard list
  • Hosts the Expat Emergency Preparedness meetings in San Miguel
Not fear. Just a calm, practical plan, so that if the lights go out, you already know what to do. Con calma.
Kat Sparks, University of Expats
Is this for you?

You don't need a bunker. You need a plan.

This course is for you if

  • You live in Mexico, whether you rent or own.
  • You share your home with a partner, kids, an elder or pets.
  • Someone at home relies on oxygen, a CPAP or medicine that needs the fridge.
  • You would rather prepare calmly now than panic shop later.
  • You want to know your neighbors before you need them.

This course is not

  • A fear campaign. The tone is calm and practical, con calma.
  • A shopping spree. You start with what you already have.
  • A plan for leaving. It is about sheltering in place. Our free Bug Out Bag checklists cover the rest.
  • Medical advice. It helps you plan, and your doctor and pharmacist answer the rest.

You don't have to be worried to be prepared.

Instant access

Grid Down: Sheltering in Place When the Power Goes Out in Mexico

A University of Expats short course by Kat Sparks

$27USD

One time payment

  • Six modules: Water, Equipment, Food, Medical, Cash and Communication, Safety and Calm
  • Your 15 minute Grid Down kit, so you win on day one
  • The full course workbook and six printable checklists
  • Master Checklist: 30 Days at Home
  • Emergency Info Sheet (English and Spanish) and SMA Emergency Contacts flyer
  • Your Grid Down Ready certificate
Get Grid Down for $27 USD
Secure checkoutInstant accessPrint and keep your checklists
Questions

Good questions, straight answers.

Is this only for San Miguel de Allende?
The course is written for life in Mexico, from a San Miguel kitchen. Almost everything applies anywhere you live here, from tinacos and garrafones to ATMs and cash. A few local details, like the Protección Civil contacts, are for San Miguel, and you can swap in your own city's numbers on the contacts flyer.
How long does it take?
It is a micro course with six short modules, and each lesson is just a few minutes of reading. Your first win, the 15 minute Grid Down kit, takes about 15 minutes. Do one module a week, or all of it in a weekend.
Do I have to buy everything right now?
No. Start with what you already have. Panic shopping helps no one. The buy now stars only mark what to buy first, because some supplies, like butane canisters, are already getting hard to find here.
Does it cover oxygen, CPAP and medicine that needs the fridge?
Yes. Module 4 walks you through a 30 day supply of medications, medicines that need the fridge, a real plan for medical equipment that runs on power, and your medical information on paper in English and Spanish.
Can I print the checklists?
Yes. You get a one page checklist for every module, a Master Checklist for the fridge, an Emergency Info Sheet in English and Spanish, and an emergency contacts flyer. Print them, fill them in and tape them up.
Is this medical or emergency services advice?
No. It is general preparedness information. Talk with your doctor, pharmacist or equipment supplier about your own medications and devices, and in an emergency call 911.
How do I get access?
Right after checkout you will get instant access and can start with your 15 minute Grid Down kit.
con calma

Feel prepared. Feel confident.

Some supplies, like butane canisters, are already getting harder to find here. Start with the 15 minute kit today, and build your 30 days one calm step at a time.

Get Grid Down for $27 USD
University of Expats

This course is general preparedness information. It is not medical, legal, engineering or emergency services advice. Talk with your doctor, pharmacist or equipment supplier about your own medications, oxygen and medical devices. Product sizes, bleach dosing and local services vary, so read the labels and confirm emergency and CFE numbers for your own area. In an emergency, call 911.

Grid DownShort course, instant accessGet it for $27.86