The Gift of Giving Preparedness

A Gift That Keeps On Giving

This time of year brings out the best in people. Houses are dressed up with festive decorations, and a lot of people are happy, wishing happy holidays and Merry Christmas to those they pass on the street. People tend to be a little nicer, and hopefully look forward to the gatherings with their friends and family. So why not take this opportunity to give the gift of preparedness.

With this happy time of year, will come giving of gifts to friends and relatives. Most of the time, people give gifts as a gesture so the receiving party knows that they were remembered by the gift giver. But sadly, many gifts are either forgotten, re gifted, are tossed into the trash, when the gift giver isn’t looking. So many times, people run out and spend money just to do it, and be able to give a gift to someone without putting any thought into it. They spend way too much money for something that has no practical use, and they do it just to do it. I know I have been guilty of this in the past, but I have devoted myself to stop the commercialism of the holiday season, and yes, I do like to give gifts, but I take joy in creating the gift that I am giving.

Looking for the perfect gift to give someone doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. With a little bit of planning throughout the year (and isn’t that we are all about…planning and preparing???) You can make amazing memorable gifts for much less than it would cost you to go buy the same gift from a store.

The Gift Of Preparedness

So how about this year instead of giving a gift that will probably be wasted, or forgotten, how about giving a gift that someone can really use, and appreciate? The best gift that you can give is something that will leave the recipient speechless! And the best kind of gift that can do that is something you have put some thought into. And, the best part is it can be inexpensive, and if given the right way, may help them to open their eyes, and begin their own road to preparedness.

It will take a little bit of planning on your part, but think about this. If you gave a thoughtful and sincere gift of being prepared to 5 people, and if out of those 5 people, 3 decided to learn more about being more prepared, and shared with 5 others, and of those 5, 3 each decided to become more prepared…..well, I think you get the idea. If each of us that are preparing shared this, and of our 5 gifts even 2 of those people took an interest in being more self-reliant and prepared, we would not only help for others to see the benefits of being more self-reliant, but theoretically the more people that are prepared, the better off we will all be.

So what kind of gift could you give to someone to get them on the road to preparation? Read on for a few suggestions:

• Jar Mixes – cake mixes, cookie mixes, soups, beans, in a pretty container or basket that can be reused or repurposed by the recipient.
• Prepper Fiction – (One Second After, Patriots, Apocalyptic Empire, for  few examples)
• Car Emergency Kit – including food, jumper cables, matches, candle, gloves, a small shovel, a stocking hat, water, windshield scraper, a blanket, and anything else you think the recipient may be able to use in their car.
• Basket of Homemade Canned Goods – Fruits, jams, pickles, vegetables, and anything else that looks pretty in the jar. Finish the jars with fabric and decorate the jars. Package them up in a fancy pot, and maybe add a hand made card.
• Fire Starter kit– flint sticks, pine cone fire starters, waterproof matches, and a few other fires starting necessities. Wrap it all up in a pretty basket.
• Stocking Stuffed with Survival Implements – flashlights, waterproof matches, survival knife, survival book, a water filter, Paracord key chain or bracelet, a few survival food bars, and any other little things you can put into a stocking.
• Hand Made Gifts -Homemade Jam with a loaf of bread in an attractive container that can be reused.
• Fishing Kit – including pole, reel, lures, and a book on local fishing spots, and maybe fish recipes.
• Cleaning Supplies – in a new caddy to carry all of the cleansers.
• Homemade Soaps and Bath Salts – in a pretty basket that can double as a decoration in a guest bathroom.
• Gifts for the Young Ones – Getting a gift you children can be tricky, if they don’t like something it will sit in the closet and never get used. Look for something they might enjoy and will help the build useful skills like erector sets, a make your own radio kit, outdoor supplies and even a BB gun could help you teach a young child about firearm safety.
• Children can also be tough to get involved with prepping, so fostering these skills and making it fun could help them become more willing to listen to their crazy parents.
• Gifts For The Non Prepper – Most of us like to keep quiet about what we are doing, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make this opportunity to increase someones awareness about self sufficiency. Gifts like hand crank charges, solar lights, emergency supplies and educational books could be great a way to peak someones interest about prepping.

All of the examples given can be a wonderful, appreciated, and low cost gift for friends and family. Not only will you be giving them something you put a lot of thought into, and in most cases took the time to make, but you will be getting them thinking.

If you give someone a couple of homemade jams and a loaf of homemade bread, when the jam and bread run out, they may think about making it themselves. Or giving someone a fishing kit will give them something to look forward to doing when the weather gets nicer, and they will be able to use that gift over and over again. And maybe, they will develop a skill for fishing.

By putting a little bit of thought into the gifts you choose to gift, you can create not only a memorable gift for someone, but you will also be sharing with them something about being prepared, without them knowing it.

Who knows, the gift you give may inspire them to want to live a more self-reliant lifestyle, or even better, it might nudge them in the direction of preparedness. So not only have you given them a gift they can actually use, but you may be a part in giving them the ultimate gift, freedom, and starting them on their way to becoming more prepared.

Happy Holidays to you and your families,

Lisa