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If you're like me, you're thinking hard about where to spend your money. I don't make very much at all, and nearly every dime I get has two fingerprints on it before it lands on me. I do have a little disposable income, but it's very little. About eight months ago, I realized that I needed to start prepping. In my mind, it's a toss-up between some terrorist doing something stupid that we're all going to regret or a coronal mass ejection that's going to leave us all in the dark for a long time. I also live in the New Madrid earthquake zone, and that one's overdue for a big one too.
Frankly, it doesn't really matter to me WHAT causes it. I just believe it's going to happen, and I want to be somewhat ready when it does. I don't think it's going to take a year, because society will melt down long before that amount of time. Yes, it would be nice to have that much set back, but on what I'm making, it ain't happening any time soon.
When I first started, I bought mostly the stuff that I use every day. Canned veggies, etc. Then I started reading the ingredients labels on those cans. A can of beans provides about 60 calories. Nice side dish, but it ain't gonna keep you alive. Divide 2000 by 60 to determine how many cans of beans you need to eat every day to keep yourself alive. You see my point?
So I went for some more calorie rich food. The problem there is that I'm borderline diabetic, and I have to watch the carbs. Carbs are a great source of calories, and they're dirt cheap. The only real problem with them is that I can't eat very many of them. I can eat whole grains, because they metabolize more slowly and my body can keep up with them, but the standard stuff is bad news for me. I bought some cases of MRE's anyway. The local army surplus store has a deal on them, and although they get 56% of their calories from carbs, if it gets really sticky I'm not going to THAT worried about it. That's for the short term "keep my dumb-azz intact" stuff. The longer stuff is going to take more consideration. For that, I've learned how to make my own bread from 100% whole wheat. Next, I have to figure out how to make a solar oven, so I can bake it. My apartment has a gas stove, and I have loads of matches, so unless an earthquake breaks something, I'm good on that for now, but I'd like to have the backup. I decided that I eat a LOT of bread, so it might be good if I could get the means to make it. I mean ALL of the means. I bought a hand-crank mill for about $23 plus shipping. No, it's not as good as some of them, but it will work. Next I need to get some wheat berries, but I have a good source for them, and next month could do it.
Guns and ammo was probably the easiest, since I've been a gun nut for most of my life. I should be good to go on that. Next up was a get-home bag. I can't afford to shell out $130 for an Alice pack, but I can afford a $10 school backpack. No, it's not as good, but it should carry enough to get me back here.
Do you see where I'm going here? I had a talk with a fellow prepper and he was telling me all the really cool stuff he wanted to get for his preps. Sure, it would be nice to have them, but to me, having something that works beats the devil out of having an impressive wish list. If you talk to people that show an interest, and are maybe doing some preps, you're going to hear, "I'm gonna." Some are reasonable, some are fantasy. For me, "I did" is a lot better. You can hold out and save up for the big dollar stuff, or you can get something that works for now, and THEN save up. Your choice.
Frankly, it doesn't really matter to me WHAT causes it. I just believe it's going to happen, and I want to be somewhat ready when it does. I don't think it's going to take a year, because society will melt down long before that amount of time. Yes, it would be nice to have that much set back, but on what I'm making, it ain't happening any time soon.
When I first started, I bought mostly the stuff that I use every day. Canned veggies, etc. Then I started reading the ingredients labels on those cans. A can of beans provides about 60 calories. Nice side dish, but it ain't gonna keep you alive. Divide 2000 by 60 to determine how many cans of beans you need to eat every day to keep yourself alive. You see my point?
So I went for some more calorie rich food. The problem there is that I'm borderline diabetic, and I have to watch the carbs. Carbs are a great source of calories, and they're dirt cheap. The only real problem with them is that I can't eat very many of them. I can eat whole grains, because they metabolize more slowly and my body can keep up with them, but the standard stuff is bad news for me. I bought some cases of MRE's anyway. The local army surplus store has a deal on them, and although they get 56% of their calories from carbs, if it gets really sticky I'm not going to THAT worried about it. That's for the short term "keep my dumb-azz intact" stuff. The longer stuff is going to take more consideration. For that, I've learned how to make my own bread from 100% whole wheat. Next, I have to figure out how to make a solar oven, so I can bake it. My apartment has a gas stove, and I have loads of matches, so unless an earthquake breaks something, I'm good on that for now, but I'd like to have the backup. I decided that I eat a LOT of bread, so it might be good if I could get the means to make it. I mean ALL of the means. I bought a hand-crank mill for about $23 plus shipping. No, it's not as good as some of them, but it will work. Next I need to get some wheat berries, but I have a good source for them, and next month could do it.
Guns and ammo was probably the easiest, since I've been a gun nut for most of my life. I should be good to go on that. Next up was a get-home bag. I can't afford to shell out $130 for an Alice pack, but I can afford a $10 school backpack. No, it's not as good, but it should carry enough to get me back here.
Do you see where I'm going here? I had a talk with a fellow prepper and he was telling me all the really cool stuff he wanted to get for his preps. Sure, it would be nice to have them, but to me, having something that works beats the devil out of having an impressive wish list. If you talk to people that show an interest, and are maybe doing some preps, you're going to hear, "I'm gonna." Some are reasonable, some are fantasy. For me, "I did" is a lot better. You can hold out and save up for the big dollar stuff, or you can get something that works for now, and THEN save up. Your choice.
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