If you’ve looked into becoming a prepper at all, then chances are you’ve come across sites showing you how to become completely independent, and articles written by people who just tend to come off even more paranoid than they are prepared. Some of these people spend thousands of dollars (and recommend you do the same) simply because they are convinced that the world will end suddenly and they will be forced to fend for themselves.
To me, that’s not what prepping is about. While that scenario is, I suppose, possible it seems a little extreme to me and makes me far less than motivated to actually do any prepping. But to me, that’s not what prepping is really about. Prepping isn’t only so you can survive the apocalypse; it’s about being prepared for an emergency–any emergency–including the world ending, losing a job or simply losing electricity for a day when it gets icy or cold.
While I’m not much of a prepper, I believe that everyone should prep to some extent. You might not be in a position where you can become completely independent of the electric grid, but you can certainly stock medical supplies and food. You might have to rely on the city for water, but you can make sure you have other necessities covered. I think we can all agree that emergencies are going to happen, so you might as well not let yourself be caught off-guard, right?
Becoming a Prepper
Being a prepper is daunting, but my point is that it looks different for everyone. This fantastic article by Preparing Your Family has some awesome tips for how to get started prepping, but there are two things that stuck with me from reading the article: to start small, and to make yourself a dependency list.
Start Small
If you decide to become a prepper, then it doesn’t make sense to immediately start planning to stock six months’ worth of food, supplies and more right off the bat. Instead, plan for a much shorter period of time, like a week or less, and slowly build up to however long you want. This way it is not only easier on your budget, but you won’t have to make as many sacrifices along the way.
Dependency List
Make a list of everything that’s important and necessary–like food, water, shelter, etc–and then figure out what you are dependent upon for those things. Then, find ways to become independent or, to start, find substitutions for those things ie, you’re dependent on electricity, so buy a flashlight or a way to make fire.
Don’t Get Discouraged
Just like homesteading and raising a family, different things work for different people. You might not be able to become independent of the electric or water grid, or you may not have room to store more than a month’s worth of food at a time. The most important thing is to do what you are comfortable with and what you’re able to. After all, if an emergency happens, even a little preparation is better than none.
For some more great tips on how to get started, I highly recommend you check out this article. You’ll find steps and tips to make starting the process not quite so overwhelming.
Are you a prepper? What tips do you have for people looking to get started? Share with us in the comments!
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