I was at the hardware store the other day to pick up some tools for my garage.
And I began to chat with this nice 50-year-old father of three.
At some point during our conversation, I told him how I was planning on using my tools to repair my solar panel.
And how I am preparing in case the grid goes down.
And he replied with something that I’ve heard many times before
“I would begin to prep too, but I just can’t afford it.”
I understood where he was coming from.
Prepping often requires you to spend some resources initially.
But it’s important to remember that in the long run, it will reduce expenses.
By being ready for emergencies, you can prevent last-minute purchases or expensive repairs.
For example, having a stockpile of non-perishable food and water on hand can prevent you from having to make emergency trips to the grocery store during an emergency.
(When everything will be more expensive due to high demand).
Similarly, generators or solar panels can allow you to reduce expenses by not relying on electricity.
Plus, there is something that everyone has to realize
Prepping is not just about gear, it’s also about skills.
Growing your own food, for instance, can significantly reduce your grocery bills.
Or being able to make basic repairs to your house will prevent the need to hire a professional.
There are so many ways that prepping can reduce your expenses in the long run.
And making a few purchases when you are starting out is a fraction compared to everything you gain in return.
Also, getting into prepping doesn’t have to be expensive.
For example, you can begin by creating a basic emergency kit with items you likely already have in your house, such as a first aid kit, flashlight, and buckets of water.
Or you can simply begin to spend fewer resources, and minimize waste.
As long as you are creative and willing to improve your skills, the ways to stay ready for emergencies are endless.
So if you are economically stressed, don’t let that keep you from prepping.
Take the necessary steps to protect your family for years to come.
If you are still reading this, I’m willing to bet that your family’s safety is your No. 1 concern.
As is mine.
I am doing my best to stay informed, vigilant, and prepared for the unexpected.
And it is something I take pride in.
However, constantly worrying about the worst can sometimes be a double-edged sword.
If you always think about everything that can go wrong and rarely about what can go right
It can lead to over-preparedness and paranoia.
I am speaking from experience.
A while back, whenever I opened the TV and saw a tragic story, I would begin to worry it could happen to me as well.
And it would overshadow my peace of mind.
The fear of not being able to protect my children would keep me up night after night.
I would sometimes crawl out of bed just to come up with a different survival plan.
This was no way to live
Prepping is supposed to give us peace of mind knowing we can survive, not the other way around.
It wasn’t until many years later that I realized what I was doing wrong.
The root of my worries was not survival situations or stories I would hear from TV.
No, the reason I was unable to sleep at night had to do with control.
I wanted to stay in control of everything.
To know which emergency would happen, when, and how I can make it through it.
But the thing about emergency situations is that they arrive without warning.
We can’t always know when or what will happen.
This doesn’t mean that we can’t be ready for them, however.
We can practice smart prepping that focuses on the basics and covers a wide range of scenarios.
This means stocking up on non-perishable food, water, first-aid, and essentials like flashlights and batteries.
If you do this stuff, you’ll be ahead of a wide range of the population.
And in most cases, that’s enough to allow you and your family to survive.
So I want to warn you to not make the same mistake that I did.
Don’t dedicate every waking moment to prepping for emergencies.
Instead, find the balance between prepping and spending time with loved ones.
And Finally…..Figure This Out Before You Bug Out
When I have some time to myself, I like to read articles about prepping.
A lot of them are about surviving in the wild.
Sometimes they provide some very cool tips.
But I always read them with a grain of salt.
I feel like when people talk about wilderness survival, they underestimate how difficult it’s going to be.
The truth is, wilderness survival is no walk in the park.
It takes a combination of skills, knowledge, and experience to make it in the wild.
Hunting and gathering for food, finding and purifying water, building shelter, and starting fires are simply the basic survival skills.
But it’s not just about having the right tools and knowledge.
It’s also about having the mental fortitude to endure difficult conditions and adapt to changing circumstances.
One of the biggest misconceptions about wilderness survival is that it’s easy to hunt and gather food.
The truth is, if everyone was forced to bug out and hunt for food, it would be “every man for himself.”
The animals would quickly run out.
And while foraging for wild plants can provide some sustenance, it’s not a reliable source of nutrition.
Most people (including me) are not ready to survive in the wild.
The natural environment can be unpredictable and unforgiving.
Extreme weather conditions, natural disasters, and territorial wildlife are just a few examples of the challenges you may face.
Does that mean that we are doomed?
Well, not exactly.
With the right preparation, we can survive anything.
If you have to evacuate with your family, you should view bugging out as something temporary.
Have a bug-out bag ready with everything you need to survive for 3 days.
But most importantly, figure out where you would move if your region was no longer habitable.
Wilderness survival skills are good to have, but we should remember that they are a temporary state.
In the end, being prepared for survival in any situation is about having a realistic understanding of what we’re up against and taking steps to mitigate the risks.
This is a much more realistic approach that will greatly boost your hopes of survival.
Jenny's Swinger Party and Dating Advice 🎉 