Psychological effects of living the double life

[Preppergirl]

One life: shopping with the girls at Tiffany's, heading to the luxury Spa to get a massage, doing lunch, living in a community where nobody cuts their own grass and always calls my hubby to catch whatever critter has crawled into the neighbor's yard (he is not an exterminator, just know as "the Man" on our street.

The other life: diligently preparing, spending weekends with hands in the garden dirt, aimed at a range and collecting spent brass, splitting logs, cooking over an open fire and (desparately needing a massage, lol)
It is definitely eeeeerie living a double life. Lucky for me , I can be happy with either one (pre PAW).
I know that many here have the same type of life day to day and just prepping along, but I'm sure there are those of you, especially in urban areas who do the extreme polar ends of prepping.

[Preppergirl]

Just curious, but does anyone here go to work in a suit and slip into camo and cargo on the weekend???

[MustangGal]

We don't. We are real country folk. lol We try to keep good opsec, but lots of people here can and raise animals.

DH is a police officer and I am a student - education major, so even once I start working again, our lives won't be dramatically different.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

I wear work attire as required by my job but when I'm off I wear what I consider normal BDU pants or cargos, what i've always worn. I didnt respond at first but here goes and I'm not trying to offend you. Probably will though
Why would you want to live thataway? Staying in the fancy and pretending, sneaking and hoping that you can make it in suburbia knowing dang good and well them folks around ARE the immediate threat when SHTF/PAW hits. You would chose that over living around hearty, knowledgable folks who can get it done and be of use to one another? Theres nothing wrong with wearin a suit or whatever and wearing camo later. Everyone needs a job. I'm not in real good shape but seems I'm a sight better off than alot as we lost our place during the crunch but when we rented rather than apt or tight house communities we found a country farmhouse and live the way we live surrounded by useful resources. Fancies, pretties, egos and brand names wont keep you in bad times.
Your first paragraph.....................
My Grandpa told me several times "Only thing a fellow gets from riding the fence is a sore crotch"

[monkeybird]

I hesitate to comment because many on this board think like Matt does. However, Preppergirl, I definitely live a double life. Primarily because I want to. My preps are just that MY PREPS. I continue to live the American life to the fullest. I'm involved politically, because when the SHTF I don't want to say I ignored what was happening and said nothing. I enjoy my friends, I enjoy my luncheons, bunco parties, shopping, beauty shop and massages. One of the organizations I belong to raises many thousands of dollars and spends many hours in service to our community.

I love technology. Iphones, laptop computers, TV with WiFi, internet, downloading books anytime I want one - these things are great. I would be miserable if the only thing I did was prep.

I intent to continue to enjoy these activities as long as I possibly can. I have no guilt about it either. I CHOSE to enjoy the conveniences of life while they're available. It'll be time enough when the SHTF to do without them.

I prep regularly in systemic manner. I practice shooting, gardening and other necessary skills. I don't believe I have to give up the modern life to survive.

Hopefully I haven't offended those of you who like living a survivalist lifestyle. I know myself well enough to know I'd be miserable. Just my thoughts.

[Preppergirl]

Let's put it this way
#1 my Bol is too far from work and my little kids schools
#2 I own my own business but it would not survive in the country financially, but would likely do well with barter-
#2.5 I can't leave my business, it funds my prepping. There is no way that I could have gotten as far as I have in a year without the duckies to back it up. I realize that when it hits that I am done in business and with my home.

#3 I didn't say I was buying anything while at Tiffany's, I'd rather have tangibles but it is still fun to look
#4 I dont desire to dump my friends, but I also know that many of them are not likely good survival buddies- many of them also have kids who are close to my kids and have been since birth. Many of these gals have been very helpful and supportive in my current day life. I am making new friends with the right stuff, but with OPSec, it takes time
#5 I put a lot into building our home and my Bol is really only livable in a shtf situation. To move I would need to sell my current home in THIS market. I'd rather try to salvage whats left after the crunch. I can make it to my Bol about 3 weekends a month and do all I can to prep form home in between. In fact this morning I'm waiting for a meeting to start and they served coffe and tea with tiny jars of honey. Honey welcome to my Bob, I'll have my tea plain for now.
#6 I already know that I am capable of doing what it takes in the country, I grew up there with a dad who was homeless in the woods when he was a kid and wanted us to know how to survive
#7 I'm not "pretending" when I'm living my current life. I love my life . I also realize that thre's no way that it fits into the post collapse world.
Much like the Gray's in"Patriots", I know that when it hits, I will be walking away from all of that.
.....and no offense taken ;)
In the mean time, I will prep as much as I can, enjoy the company that I have, make new friends and go on

[MustangGal]

I don't think you need to apologize for who you are. For where I live, aside from the prepper aspect, we are just average folks. When I finish school - assuming I can get a teaching job - we will have a slightly above average income for our area, but we will never be wealthy or even close. Which is not to say we don't enjoy some luxuries, because we do! We love going to Disney World - though being so far from home now worries me.

We are going to buy season passes for Silver Dollar City this year. Could I use the $200+ for preps, yes. But, we still need to have some recreation. On the plus side, SDC does a lot of primative stuff like making soap, blacksmith work, all kinds of stuff, so we may learn a lot there too!

I think the key is finding a balance that works for you. At first I was obsessed, prepping was all I could think of! Now, it is still very important, but I can let go and relax some too. Are we where we need to be on preps? No, but we are working on it.

[goatlady]

For many of us, like Matt, prepping is not something we "do" it's our chosen lifestyle. We do not live survival, we live less complicated, usually less costly lives and we DO have modern conveniences, for goodness sake! I have central air and enjoy it as needed knowing it may well be gone someday, so I only turn it on when the temps get 95 or more. I drive a nice SUV, but I use it to haul hay and feed and yes, even goats! I work in a good profession, but chosen so I can work at home 100% of the time in my sweats and slippers. I eat very well from my homestead - venison (which sells in my local grocery for $12 a pound BTW), organic eggs and chicken and turkey and gosling ( which sells in the grocery for $8+ a pound when available), variatel baby lettuces, Yukon Gold taters, all kinds of fresh, organic veggies plus extra to put up for the winters. I heat with wood taken from my own property, cut with my own chainsaw, split with my own splitter. Helps keep the forest clean and growing and helps keep me in good health with the exercise. It's all a matter of choices and priorities, but folks like us do not feel we have "given up" a dern thing, we have achieved our dream, and one we feel will stand us in good stead no matter what happens in the rest of the world. We will not have to make many, if any, major "adjustments" when times get hard or the economy collapses, or TSHTF.

[1Admin]

VERY WELL SAID Goatlady!

[Mikeg175]

I don"t live a double life , I enjoy the life I live . I am what you call a high tech redneck . I live in a nice suburb area where I have all the amenities of life . I enjoy knowing the head chef at the Japanese steakhouse . I have a 31 foot camper ( hilton on wheels ) that I use most times . I have a Denali with all the gadgets on it . I have a flat screen is almost every room . I have tablets , smartphones and all the electronic goodies .

I work/live 2 hrs from BOL , and I hope and pray when SHTF I can get there quickly , if not I will ride the storm till I can get there . I have an awesome living and live an awesome life , why should I give it up till I have to . We are all going to die one day , but I dont see anyone sitting at their prearranged gravesite till they are . You need to live and some people enjoy living . I spend 1-4 hrs a week at the range , I spend 3-4 times a year cold camping , 10-15 in my hilton on wheels . I have years of supplies at my BOL and my home .

I have many toys and plan on getting more , I am lucky enough to be able to afford the good life and still prepare the way most people would like to prepare . I dont want to survive , I want to "live"
, when it comes to survival , I will survive , but until I feel it is neccessary , I will live the good life . I do not want to be holed up and wondering what is coming till I have to . I will prep and train and hope I never have to use what I have learned or bought . I hope this S-hole of a country ( that I love ) that is a trainwreck can straighten itself out , I dont think it will , but I can hope . Till then I will drive my fully loaded SUV and eat out every chance I get . I also have an Excursion that is setup to roll out at anytime , fully setup Tacoma that I work out of , that can go anywhere , do anything , my Jeep that can do the same , even my Denali has a full medkit , parts , weapons , food/water/filters in it . I am lucky in that if I was out and SHTF and wifeand son is with me , I just roll out and get to BOL and we would be fine . I would not have to head back to the house , someone would walk into a gold mine if we did tho .

In essence , enjoy the life you have , if you feel it is not to your liking then change it . There is no right or wrong way to live . If you want a tinfoil hat and live in a bomb shelter , more power to you . If you have a good job and enjoy life , but are prepared for when things turn bad , that is good as well . The choice is yours and live your life the way you want to . I am not going to sit on the Titanic and listen to the violens as the ship goes down , but until we hit the iceburg , I will listen and enjoy the ride and I wont jump into my liferaft till I hear/see the crash .

[Onenite]

Confusing survivorship with comfort in surviving

Prepping for what? It is a personal question. New people to the concept get bombarded with lists and levels of achievement. Obviously their first desire is to continue on through catastrophe with out being put out. Most often this invokes the hoarding response.

Once a person realizes the hoard of supplies for comfort A B and C will run out, the prepping desire turns toward trAining one's self to reduce their perceived living comforts now as to eliminate the shock of them being cutoff cold turkey.

This prepping mentality evoles to the desire to reduce comforts to a level that cand be sustained by one's self and or group.

Some achieve this self sufficientcy by circumstance of work/income and other non monatary befallments.

Most of us can not obtain that dream for whatever reason, but that is nothing to be disparaged as the awareness that comes from struggling thru the above process is truly the resource one needs to overcome catastrophe.

So I keep what I can for food and supplies, but in the end I will more likely be subjected to catastrophe of which these items will not help.

I have made peace with my prep items and not to let them drive life or obsses over them. My current intent is to be able to use them as a source of giving sutainment rather than comfort if I loose my income. As long as the income holds out the Whole house AC stays on and there will still be the enjoyment of eating out and and cooking with modern conveniences.

Need to clean a bunch of ball jars and see how the 15$ all American canner works in the next few weekends though...

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Ok cool, glad i didnt hurt anyones feelings too bad. I dont care how ya live. I aint saying i live in a bomb shelter eating groundhogs wearing body armor full time either. It's a lifestyle with me but i enjoy plenty that has nothing to do with it either. Actually I have enjoyed the responses and it opened a good discussion

[WiseOwl]

. I aint saying i live in a bomb shelter eating groundhogs wearing body armor full time either.

Who was it on here that said Groundhogs tasted really good?


Hell, I WISH I had the toys and the income and the gear and such. We have lived on a less than 30K if not close to it or a lil over for the last 4 years while my wife was in school. (1 more semester YAY!)

We make it, barely. We survive. But we arent survivalists. I have always been into camping and backpacking and hiking so I have always had gear and known the outdoors. But until I found this site, I never thought about food or water. We may spend $20 a week if that sometimes on preps We dont do it for end of the world, we do it because its practical. We are about to start making our own washing powder (will share the recipe when we do). I cut my own wood (enjoy the workout, we dont have a fireplace.) Water is free. Rice and beans are cheap. Buckets are free. Skills can be learned for free. This lifestyle is practical. Once my wife starts teaching and matches my current income, then we are going to play catch up to where we think we need to be. if this mystical SHTF ever happens, no one will be ready. We as preppers are only like .01% of the population. You think you and your 12 friends in that nice BOL are safe? Think again. You may take out the first 100 but if 200 well organized come at you, you are toasty toast. I agree with 308, live life to the fullest and enjoy everyday. "IF" something ever happens, just know you have that insurance, you know, Preppers Insurance.:cool:

[MustangGal]

Who was it on here that said Groundhogs tasted really good?

I think I posted on here that during the Great Depression my uncles shot a groundhog, took it home for my grandma to cook, and many years later were telling that they thought it was the best meal they had ever eaten.

[WiseOwl]

I think I posted on here that during the Great Depression my uncles shot a groundhog, took it home for my grandma to cook, and many years later were telling that they thought it was the best meal they had ever eaten.

Yep, that was it MG. You really got me interested on that, but our local news wont have anything to talk about on GHog Day. :P