Let me go straight to the point. What is a prepper? A prepper is somebody who actively prepares for future emergencies or catastrophes. A prepper believes that getting prepared is a process, a long and ongoing process, not an actual end goal. There is a goal but a prepper does not really stop at a certain point (I will explain this part further in this post). Do preppers prep for doomsday? This is the common rhetoric for preppers. Actually, doomsday poses only a little concern to the preppers I know. So why preppers prep?
- Job loss
- Sickness in the family (When the breadwinner of the family is sick or you are not able to go to a store for a period of time to take care of a sick family member).
- Death or Injury in the family or the primary breadwinner
- Pandemic
- Natural disasters (flood, wildfires/fires, hurricanes, storms)
- Economic instability and civil unrest,
- To prevent panic-buying
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Aside from the reasons that I shared above, there are also common myths about being a prepper. One is, that they are a group of crazy people who do not have faith, are downright paranoid, and who believe in the worst-case scenarios. Well, there's a good possibility that there are other people who are extreme when it comes to prepping. However, there's also a good amount of individuals and families who use common sense, and practicality and are purposeful with their prepping ways.
I mentioned faith, is it biblical to prep? Just this question alone can open Pandora's box. This question right here will raise a different set of views, and opinions, and stir emotions. That is what our sinful nature does, we interpret the Bible to our convenient situation and our own mindset. After we have interpreted the bible to our own understanding, we then push our convictions and opinions to other people.
Try posting this question on just one of your social media platforms: Why do Christians prep if you have faith or believe in God?. You will get a mixture of responses, some will troll your question, some will support you, and some will argue with you.
Since I value honesty, I will be the first one to admit that I am a Christian and I deeply love Jesus...and I am a prepper. I have always been a planner. I rarely go ahead with things without a plan. Is that a bad thing? No, if you are flexible. Realizing that you are not always in control is a good mindset. I always have extra in our pantry or stocks. When the COVID Pandemic hit the U.S hard, I didn't have to stand in line with people inside and outside the stores. I did not have fear in my heart. We all know fear is the gaslighting of panic buying. With fear, people's behavior dramatically changed.
With that note, let me tell you what a prepper is NOT?
A prepper does not hoard.
While the population fought and hoarded toilet papers, cleaning products, and ramen noodles. We were home, and we were telling friends to let us know if they need anything. When everything closed and jobs were affected, I didn't have to worry about not being able to feed my family.
I mentioned that preppers DO NOT HOARD. Remember what I also shared above? That there is no end goal but an ongoing process? A practical prepper buys his or her stocks over a period of time. We buy extra stocks now and again. We shop for sales and clearance items. We love discount stores. A prepper builds its stockpile over a period of time. We rotate stocks. We think outside the box. A prepper does not only build shelves after shelves of canned goods and MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat). A prepper also builds certain skills and knowledge that will help them to be self-sufficient. Skills and knowledge such as canning, dehydrating, hunting, fishing, sewing, cooking, tent-building, bushcraft, foraging, herbal medicine, and many more.
Is it too late to start? Definitely not! Can a family frugally and casually prep? Certainly!
Here are some ways to get you started:
1. Before you start to buy your stocks, first start with checking your storage place. If you are lucky enough to have a garage, and ample pantry space...then all you have to do is some organizing. If you plan on storing in the garage, be mindful of bugs, insects, and rodents. If you do not have space? Think about under the bed, closet space (maybe downsize your clothing by donating or selling them through Poshmark ( Sign-up with my invite code ABOUNTIFULLOVE, and earn $10 after the first purchase).
2. Insurance. It may sound counter-productive but you need one and if you have one, you still need to conduct an annual insurance policy check-up. The annual policy check-up will ensure that your policy will match the correct square footage and feature in your home. It is also necessary to update your policy when you have done any home improvements. Speaking of policy, do you know what your policy covers? As I had mentioned above, knowledge is imperative. Know the details of your policy.
TIP: Take a video or photographs of your home inventory-every room, appliance, and garage. If can make copies of your receipts (major appliance purchases). This part right here will save you a headache and time.
3. Depending on what state you live in (what disasters your state will face-hurricane, wildfires, etc.), have an emergency go-bag ready for you and your family. This is similar to a 72-hour kit. The concept is that you need to have a kit that will contain essential items (water, clothing, nutrient-dense food, copies of important documents, first-aid, medications, cash, cellphone charger-solar preferably) if you will need to evacuate your house in a short notice.
* I will be sharing what a 72-hour kit may look like as a part of the preparedness series. Please don't forget to sign-up for my newsletter. I only send a newsletter once or twice a month. I do not want to flood your inbox for a week.
4. Have a prepper pantry. A prepper pantry is a pantry that you stock up with non-perishables or shelf-stable items and rotate with food items that you and your family often eat. This is different from the working pantry. A working pantry is a separate pantry that you utilize on a daily basis. It is totally up to you if you want to build a two-week prepper pantry, 1 to 3 months supply, or 6 months and above supply. Your budget, your needs, your way!
When I say rotating your prepper pantry, it means that you are familiar with your inventory and expiration dates. First in, first out. This will avoid food waste and it will allow you to inspect your stocks for any insects or pest infestation. What you do is that every time you buy new stocks or every time you add to your prepper pantry, you place those items behind and place the items near their expiration in front. Use a sharpie or any marker to boldly write the expiration date. You may also want to build a sliding rack system for your canned goods. Again, this should be dependent on your budget and resources.
If you have a very small budget, please do not be discouraged. For as little as $5 extra from your budget, you can start your frugal prepper pantry. What can you buy for $5? *I live in California, so prices will be quite different.
- A 10 lb rice from Walmart ($4.54) or 5 bags of rice from the Dollar Tree
- Canned goods from Dollar Tree, Aldi, and Walmart. Canned corn from Aldi costs around 49 cents each.
- 5 bags of beans
- Pasta
- Condiments
You can even stock up on medicines and a first-aid kit. $5 at a time. The most important thing is to JUST START.
Here is a sample of what a two-week pantry may look like. Feel free to utilize it and share it!
***PLEASE NOTE that this is just a sample. Adjust accordingly depending on your family size and needs.
PDF FORMAT
The sample list above is based on a family of four and based on the stocks that we normally consume. Feel free to adjust and add to your list. Provident Living calculates your needs based on your desired span of preparation and family size.
5. Learn new skills. This is a piece of invaluable advice that I can give to you. To frugally start your preps, learn how to make basic pantry staples from scratch or from the ingredients that you already have in your pantry. I have included packets of seasoning such as ready-made taco seasoning in the downloadable list. along with that, I have also included dried herbs. If you learn how to make your own seasonings (also dry mixes), you do not have to buy the packets and mixes.
Some of the skill sets you can start learning are canning, cooking and baking, bushcraft, gardening, and first-aid skills (think CPR).
That's it for now friends, you don't want to miss these preparedness series that I will be sharing. I am a naturally frugal but practical person and I would love to share with you information so that you will be prepared and avoid unnecessary worries. Subscribe to my monthly newsletter and never miss giveaways, frugal and healthy recipes as well as tips, and our latest series (preparedness). SIGN-UP HERE.
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