Is all my Prepping Just a Waste of Time?

Prepping, Second Guessing and Self Doubt

Let’s admit it, we all have our doubts about preparedness at times. Not necessarily about how important preparedness is, but about what we are doing, why we are doing it and how we are doing it. ” at one point or another we have all had it.

With everything we do (not just prepping) we are constantly second guessing ourselves and looking for justification. Second guessing yourself is perfectly natural, and doesn’t mean you’re not taking preparedness seriously, it actually means you’re thinking critically about every situation in order to make the best decision possible.

There are so many variables when it comes to preparedness and survival, and so many articles and books to read, that it becomes important to ask “Is this a credible source?” and “Does this apply to me?”

In this week’s show Lisa and I talked about 10 of the most common questions we ask ourselves about prepping, and how second guessing is natural for all of us.

SPP148 Prepping: Second Guessing and Self Doubt

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For more detailed information, make sure and listen to the show.

Am I ever going to use this stuff?

It’s fun to collect this stuff, but at some point we ask ourselves do I need this? Or could my money be better spent elsewhere.

The answer is both yes and no. Preparedness supplies are like life insurance to help us get through the hard times, but We need to use them and incorporate them into our daily lives, not just set them on a shelf

We also need to make good buying decisions by prioritizing, and Learning what you want (need) before you buy it. You don’t want to spend $200 on a survival knife everyone said you needed only to find out that a $100 knife would have been just fine.

Where am I going to put all this stuff?

Quite a few of us have limited space, and the more supplies we amass, the more cluttered everything gets. making organization a real pain…not to mention your spouse unhappy about your stuff being in every nook and cranny of the house.

Think outside the box and get creative. In the show we talked about hidden storage like a chest instead of a coffee table, creating storage space in closets and on walls, or even renting a storage unit to store some of your preparedness supplies.

Do I need to go all out?

If you pay attention to everything you read, there is so much to do that it’s almost impossible to be prepared for everything. On the other hand, we don’t want to get blindsided by something we didn’t expect.

The answer to this is that we can only do what we can do, and it really depends on your situation and your goals. Prioritize what threats you feel are the most important and set goals and take steps that fit into your budget to achieve your long term goals.

I don’t want my family to think I’ve lost it.

Everyone has their preconceived notion of prepping, before we dug into preparedness we probably had them too. Whether this is a family member, or a friend at work, everyone goes through something like this at one point or another.

The truth is prepping has become more accepted than it was a few years ago, so don’t just assume someone is going to label you “crazy.” Give them a chance to react (don’t make their mind up for them) and see where it goes from there.

Also, don’t start with gas masks and nuclear war, talk about some of the problems closer to home like job loss and natural disasters.

How can I justify buying stuff for prepping when I can barely pay my bills?

It can be tough to justify buying survival supplies when you need to keep the lights on and you are living paycheck to paycheck.

We have written a few article about ways to make extra money for prepping, and it doesn’t always mean getting a second job.

Another way to find some extra money for prepping is to pay attention to where your money goes. Most of us budget the big household bills, but pay no attention to what we spend on “extras” on a daily basis.

Last week I talked about my grandmother who was a lunch lady and had very little money. She lived through the depression and knew how to stretch every dollar. By making small purchases over time, she had around $20,000 in gold and silver when she passed.

I’m too old and feel like I can’t do what I need to.

This is a tough one, and a question I get all the time, and unfortunately there is no perfect answer. Age and physical limitations are something we just don’t have any control over, but that doesn’t mean we just give up.

We all have something to offer. In the podcast I talked about how my father in law is my most valuable resource. Not because of his physical ability, but because he knows how to build/fix just about everything. His knowledge is worth far more than is manpower to me.

Am I overreacting?

This is especially true for beginning preppers, am I just freaking out? Have I gone too far down the rabbit hole? From time to time we all second guess ourselves, and usually something brings us back to the fact that we are not overreacting…we are just aware.

My answer is that this might not be such a bad thing. we need to look at every scenario possible and plan for it. So even if it is a little overeating, it is necessary.

How do I tell the difference between fake and real?

There is a lot of misinformation out there it’s tough to figure out what’s real and fake. Unfortunately, there is big money to be made on playing on people’s fears, and we need to be vigilant about what information we give credibility.

Do your research and pick some websites you trust.  Websites like the Drudge Report and Prepper Website usually do a good job of vetting out the fear based article.

I wrote an article about fake prepper websites, and how to watch out for “fear porn” on the internet. The best thing you can do is get a second opinion, check around the internet and see if you can find more information about that topic.

Is it worth the stress thinking about this stuff?

Just because we look at all the negative aspects of life and society doesn’t mean we need to be negative people. Prepping actually give me a more positive outlook on life because I know I am doing everything I can to secure my future.

There are things we have control over, and things we don’t, we need to focus on what we can change…our own situation.

Just because an economic collapse concerns me doesn’t mean I live my life in fear, quite the opposite actually. I feel better about my situation because it won’t be nearly devastating to me as it will to others.

What would it be like if I went back to doing nothing?

In the show Lisa talked about the movie The Matrix and taking the red pill, once you know, you know and turning back means turning your back on problems you know exists.

I call this “the curse of knowledge.” Teenagers sometimes feel invincible because they don’t understand how dangerous certain situations are because they have never experienced them. Once they do, they tend to think a little more and are less carefree.

We could go back to doing nothing, and some people do, but we can never unlearn what we have learned, we can only put our heads back in the sand.