To the average person, prepping is no more than a collection of wack jobs preparing for the end of the world. This perception is because of the MSM pushing the narrative and highlighting extreme cases and people’s hesitation to take a serious look at anything that might affect their daily lives.
Another reason people are apprehensive about preparing for disasters or unforeseen events is that people are reactionary and have very short memories. The recent pandemic has proven how true this is.
You remember the great toilet paper shortage of 2020 right? People failed to prepare beforehand and rushed out and emptied the store shelves of anything they could wipe their butts with. A few months later, the panic has subsided, and people are back to their everyday daily lives.
We saw the same thing happen during Y2K. People rushed out to buy generators only to sell them a couple of months later. There is no need to prepare for situations that may or may not happen to the average person.
We get labeled crazy for talking about an economic collapse and having some food storage, but it’s perfectly acceptable to say climate change will kill us all in 20 years and to wear a mask while you’re alone in your car.
The Preparedness Lifestyle
From the outside looking in, prepping is about nuclear bombs and large-scale disasters. But anyone doing this for a while knows that is only one piece to a giant puzzle. Disaster preparedness is about preparing for anything life may throw at us, regardless of the scale.
The big disasters get the headlines, but personal doomsdays happen all the time.
No matter how far to go with preparedness, it needs to be a lifestyle and not a fad or stage you go through. I’m sure you’ve heard it a million times, but prepping is no different than having insurance. If you let that insurance lapse, you are taking a considerable risk.
Living the preparedness lifestyle has more benefits than most people realize. If something happens tomorrow, we’ll be ready for it, and if nothing happens during our lifetime, that doesn’t mean prepping was a waste of time.
Prepping Life Skills
Living the preparedness lifestyle has more benefits than most people realize. If something happens tomorrow, we’ll be ready for it, and if nothing happens during our lifetime, that doesn’t mean prepping was a waste of time.
Prepping Mindset
You start to think about every situation through a prepping lens. The way we think about problems is different than before we knew about operational security and situational awareness.
Everything from the conversations we have with people to what we do daily is different because of preparedness. An example I used in the video was how I used to walk through a grocery store parking lot without a care in the world. Now I constantly scan my surroundings.
Looking for alternative routes while driving, having realistic expectations about people in a crisis, and handling our finances and health are all examples of how preparedness changes your outlook.
Personal Doomsdays
It’s not always about large-scale disaster scenarios.Life throws curveballs at us all the time. We can handle these minor problems more effectively because we are prepared.
Missing work, minor medical issues, or a car accident aren’t “the end of the world” when you have planned for them. These smaller personal doomsdays are far more likely than disasters on a large scale.
It Can Save you Money
While there is no doubt that prepping comes with its fair share of expenses, it can save you money in the long run. Gardening, buying in bulk, medical skills, and paying attention to our finances are skills we learn in preparedness that make us more effective with our money.
An example I used in the video was keeping up with your car maintenance to avoid high-cost repairs, and taking care of your health before any sort of SHTF event happens. Not having to go out to eat three times a week can also save you money.
Less Dependant on Others
Despite what the popular opinion of preppers is, it’s not always about gas masks and the total destruction of mankind. Prepping is about being able to handle any situation that life throws at us without having to depend on others for our survival.
The actual definition of a prepper is “An individual or group that prepares or makes preparations in advance of, or prior to, any change in normal circumstances, without substantial resources from outside sources.” Not someone who is waiting (or hoping) for the world to end.
Better Health (Hopefully)
Because we research topics about GMO’s and have heightened awareness about what’s in our food, we can become healthier. I say “can” because it’s still a personal choice. Because we’ve learned about calories, protein and fats, we have a better understanding of what’s in our food.
We also know that we need to be as healthy as possible before some sort of disaster strikes. an SHTF event is already going to be stressful enough without adding health issues that could have been prevented to the plate.
Better Budgeting
Because there is so much money to be spent on preparedness, and because we are aware that our financial system is fragile, we are more aware of where our money is being spent. Researching our prepping gear before we hit the buy now button can help us avoid wasting money. Buying in bulk or when something is on sale can also save us money in the long run.
We also pay attention to gold, silver, crypto and understand that the 1’s and 0’s in the bank that we call money might not be there when we need it most.
You Pass the Self-Reliance Mindest On
Society has lost the “You are responsible for you” mentality and has become dependant on systems and supply lines. In reality, the only person that you can depend on in a crisis is yourself, and those you trust.
Once our days on this planet are gone, we can pass on more than just food storage and bug-out bags. We can pass on the self-reliant mindset for our friends and family.
You’ll Never Run Out of TP
I’m half-joking here, but in reality, this means you won’t put yourself in the situation of desperation. We’ve seen it time and time again with people overreacting in a crisis, only to revert back to unprepared mode once the dust settles.
By prepping and trying to become as self-sufficient as possible we are avoiding going into panic mode. We can sit back with confidence knowing we don’t need to battle the masses at the grocery store of the last roll of toilet paper.
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