So many folks choose to ignore the idea of preparedness because there’s such a negative connotation associated with the idea. Many folks think that “preppers” or “survivalists” are the radical extremists featured in survival fiction with an underground bunker, enough arms and ammunition to outfit a modern-day army, and enough long-term food storage to feed a small city for ten years. And it’s that impression that makes it tough for moderate preppers like my husband and me to geta dialogue going. It can be frustrating, but there are a lot of us out there who’re trying to change that perception. There are a lot of us who take a really common-sense sort of approach to our preparedness, and it’s the simple, no-nonsense kind of approach that’ll eventually help others find their own path to freedom through prepping.
Our approach works something like this. We start simple and we keep it simple. We’re not doing anything extravagant or elaborate; we’re doing simple things that provide for our basic survival needs. We store food and water, we provide for our shelter and security, and we ensure that we have other options for energy than just flipping a light switch and hoping it’ll work.
Even better, most of our preps have no risk to us if nothing bad happens. What I mean by that is this. I store food so that I have it in case of some sort of emergency. If that emergency never comes, because I eat what I store and store what I eat, the worst thing that happens is that I save some money on food I already use every day. The same thing can be said with water as well.
Because we don’t spend money we don’t have on our preparedness, and because we take a modular approach to preparedness, there aren’t financial hardships associated with our prepping. Food is getting more expensive by the day, so buying now what we’ll use later is a good money-saving strategy. And while fuel prices do fluctuate on a daily, weekly, and seasonal basis, we’re not going to get hit hard by rotating through our fuel that’s on hand.
Why do we prepare? The answer to that question is based in common sense too. Unlike the fanatical nut-jobs who’re hiding in bunkers in the middle of nowhere preparing for thermonuclear war, our preparedness is grounded in reality. The “emergencies” that our family is likely to survive are things like tornadoes, floods, winter storms, the loss of a job, illness, or the death of a family member. Sure, the planet could be destroyed by wide-spread thermonuclear war, but the risk is infinitesimal compared to the risks of us facing the kinds of emergencies for which we prepare. If the nukes rain down, feel free to tell me, “I told ya so!”, but if/until that day comes, I’d rather use my precious few resources on stuff that makes a lot more sense.
Having a prepper mindset isn’t depressing, and it doesn’t mean that you’re always thinking about the worst case scenario. I remember when my in-laws suffered a flood in their basement because of a plumbing issue. My husband asked them if they had a sump pump (he couldn’t remember), and his dad told him that they didn’t. My husband said, “Maybe that’s something you might want to consider,”, and my father-in-law said, “Well, this has never happened before.” To that, my husband said, “Well, now that it’s happened, it could happen again.” To that, my father-in-law replied, “Yeah, and a small aircraft could crash into my house, and you don’t see me preparing for that, do you?”
On one hand, I understood what my father-in-law was trying say. You can NOT be prepared for every eventuality. On the other hand though, comparing the flooding of your unfinished basement to the leveling of your house by a rogue aircraft isn’t even close to comparing apples to apples. Our mindset versus theirs is completely different in that area, and that’s fine, but I think some folks out there are more like my in-laws. The thought of preparing is too overwhelming because you can’t possibly prepare for everything.
My husband and I know that we can’t prepare for everything, and we’re not even motivated to try. We just try to keep it simple, keep it real, keep it positive, and keep it moving forward. Every day that you’re not moving forward along the path to liberty and personal freedom, you’re actually moving backward, and you’re missing out on one of the most amazing experiences a person can have — claiming liberty!
I’m with you and your husband on the preparedness thing..I keep extra food and water, buy extra things like toilet paper and deodorant when they’re on sale (and if I can use a coupon, all the better), have money saved, keep batteries and matches on hand,etc. The only thing I don’t have, and I’m looking into what my realistic options are, is an alternative energy source. Like you, the most common emergencies I might face would be tornadoes, snow or ice storms, flooding (altho in my case, my house wouldn’t be likely to flood since I’m on a hill, but it does sometimes flood to the point that I can’t get out). Illness or job loss (or cut back) are also possiblitles where I would be better off having some backup.
So I don’t think this is some crazy, alarmist thing to do…rather, it’s smart to be prepared.
Back in ’08, the city I lived in had a 500-year flood. While our house stayed dry, we were COMPLETELY cut off. We lost power, water, gas, and phone, and internet for periods of time. The interstates were closed, and we had no choice but to shelter in place. Knowing that we could cook, drink water, and stay safe without having to go to a shelter was so satisfying. We didn’t have to pull on the resources that others needed who lost EVERYTHING in the flood.
Small generators are a nice thing to have around if you have a man to help you carry them. I can carry ours for short distances, but it weighs about 80lbs! It’ll keep the fridge/freezer or sump pump going, and that, along with maybe a fan in the summer is the most important. I also like the Power Dome EX that Sam’s Club sells.
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