Is It Possible To ‘Prep’ Without Becoming A Convert?

There are many out there who consider themselves ‘doomsday preppers.’ A majority of them are convinced that some kind of global catastrophe is coming, and coming soon. As a result, they enjoy preparing for that eventuality, by equipping their homesteads and living the kind of lifestyle that is the most self-sufficient of all. Of course, many people find enjoyment in ridiculing them. But the truth is, none of us can be sure that things will always remain the status quo. It’s why governments have emergency plans in place, and processes they continually practice. On top of that, there should be absolutely no problem with someone wishing to be safer and more self-sufficient. In fact, that’s behavior we should encourage.

So, how might you take inspiration from their efforts, without becoming a full blown prepping convert, changing everything in your life to match? Is there a means to ensure that your property is the last bastion of your safety without having to go without modern luxuries and possibilities you have become accustomed to? We would say: absolutely. You just need to know where to look.

Keep Emergency Cash

It could be that in an emergency of some kind (more likely personal than societal), keeping some emergency cash to hand could be quite vital. This could be worthwhile if you are locked out of your accounts, or the bank mismanages your money. There could be many reasons that accessing your accounts may be temporarily impossible, and so having a little stash of money no one knows about could potentially help you get through. It needn’t be too much, just enough for some fuel, food or potential travel costs. Unlike many crime movies out there, hiding thousands of dollars underneath your mattress is never a good idea. However, a little financial pick-me-up could be just what you need to avoid a somewhat inconvenient situation.

Live Frugally

It can often be tough to live frugally when we might have the means to live a certain standard of life. We become accustomed to the small conveniences and our favorite products that we purchase on a weekly and monthly basis. If you can support this kind of lifestyle, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it, of course. However, from time to time, we can also benefit by living a little more frugally than we might have done. And the best part? This is much easier than you might have imagined to begin with.

Simply deciding to spend less on your grocery bill once a month by buying items in bulk, freezing or committing to a meal prep plan for the following week can help you save money in the long time. Switching your lifestyle can be one of the most frugal things you can do. Why bother heading to Starbucks each day when investing in a nice coffee machine and bringing a Thermos flask with you could sort you out for the morning? Why head to grab lunch from an outlet near your office when you could eat the already prepared beautiful chili you made at the weekend?

But where is the long-term prepping in this? Well, when you live frugally, you don’t live cheaply. You can apply that funding to other, important elements of your life, be that keeping an emergency fund, investing in solar panels, or perhaps purchasing that greenhouse for your vegetable garden. A little goes a long way, and sometimes considering what resources you could apply to the long term can make the best difference. You would likely be truly surprised just how wonderful this effort can be, and how much of an effect it can have.

Learn To Grow Vegetables

A small vegetable garden can be a humbling thing to keep on top of. Not only can you see the power involved in Mother Nature when she is tended correctly, but eating vegetables you have grown from scratch can be a truly worthwhile experience, especially when you serve them up at your dinner table in front of your loving family.

Investing in a greenhouse, segmenting part of your garden for it, purchasing the right soil and purchasing shoot covers or creating a scarecrow could be a vital first step – and all these steps are fun! You might even decide to go further in your self-sufficiency effort by purchasing a few chickens to tend to, as when they’re laying effectively you can keep a near-limitless supply of eggs. For those living in rural environments, it could be that purchasing farm animals from a local farmer, licensing them and vaccinating them can lead to a freezer full of meat at the end of a few years. This is a long-term strategy of course, and so you’re better off building a great relationships with a professional butcher near you – and buying in bulk whenever you can.

Self-sufficiency is all about wisdom. What foods are in season? How might I create a good relationship with my grocer? What foods can I stockpile and preserve? For example, a large leg of Iberico ham can be salted and preserved for weeks and months under only a blanket if you learn how to cure properly. This is the natural final extension of the budding home cook, and it can be truly humbling and worthwhile to learn how to achieve these things in your spare time. Once you start, you’ll become addicted, to the point where growing multiple herbs on your shelf will be seen as a natural and normal extension of yourself, instead of purchasing dried and lower-quality supermarket options.

Purchase A Water Tank

Water tanks can be incredibly useful for many reasons. Watering crops as discussed above, irrigating your property, cleaning, etc. Also, you may be able to use rainwater tanks to limit water usage when using your plumbing, reduce the chance of flood peaks, and also prevent stormwater drainage systems from becoming overwhelmed.

On top of that, a great water tank can potentially last years and years on your property. This is where a little care and attention in your research can go a long way. We would recommend water tanks from Tanks Direct, as they have some of the most reliable products in their line. 

Renewables

Renewable energies are among some of the most important and worthwhile to keep. It’s not difficult to see why. Most people now understand that renewable efforts are preferable, and initiatives such as purchasing solar panels are now becoming even more practical and affordable to keep, paying themselves completely off within a number of years. Solar thermal panels can also use the heat from the sun to heat your water, which can be a great means of avoiding the high electrical usage of a standard, practical boiler. PVT panels can be a best of both worlds as far as this is concerned, giving you both the electricity and direct water transference needed.

If you have the land and investment to spare, wind turbines can sometimes be an appropriate option. However, because these are often over $5,000 a piece to install, it can be hard to recommend them to someone without excess land with great wind coverage and the money to spare. Biomass converters are much more appropriate for those who have excess space to house a feature larger than a boiler, as they can last for decades and can also make use of biodegradable components, which is one of the cleanest means of conversion. It can be worthwhile to invite a renewables consultant to come to your home and inspect it, to see if there are any chances you may have to install something relevant. Practical planning permission can then be applied for, potentially helping you save much in the long term. Some of these tips can be more or less appropriate for some depending on their situation, but it’s always best to check.

A Home Survival Kit

A survival kit can be a great means of staying healthy and safe in the midst of danger. It could be that an intensive snowstorm or hurricane is coming your way, or perhaps you simply wisht to prepare for the future, no matter what happens. We would recommend purchasing a large box or chest, and keeping it safe, under lock and key. Sometimes, two of these can be appropriate. A fully-updated and new first aid kid, rope, spare clothes, dried food, water jugs, a survival knife, spare fuel (likely stored outside of the box), pulley tools and a range of other relevant items you deem fit can work well here.

You may also decide to craft one of these for your car. A shortwave radio, walkie talkies, rope, pulleys, blankets, first aid, flashlight and even a flare can all be important should you become trapped within your vehicle and need a way home. We pray you will never need to use it, but simply having it in your property can be calming in itself.

With this advice, we are certain that you can ‘prep’ in a comfortable manner, more with a keen eye towards self-sufficiency and personal protection.