The fact of the matter is that anyone can be a prepper. The word prep is an action verb that simply means to prepare. You might be wondering what you should be preparing for. Well, there are all kinds of natural disasters and emergency situations that could happen in your area. No one is immune to these occurrences, and it is to your advantage to be prepared for when they do by having adequate food, water, and everything you and your loved ones need to survive if those suddenly disappear.
Create a Budget
Unfortunately, prepping can be expensive and time consuming. It takes time and money to build up enough supplies. Just remember that your efforts will pay off when it counts. The first activity to begin with is to create room in your budget for prepping. Look at where you could afford to save some extra and then dedicate those funds to building your supply stores. It will also be helpful to sit down and create a list of supplies that you already have because it might surprise you. Next, make a list of what supplies you need to purchase. This usually includes food, water, shelter, and tools to utilize these things. It might be helpful to purchase a few items at a time so as to avoid sticker shock.
Food Supply
Many people start as preppers by initially working towards obtaining an adequate food supply. Several different scenarios can cause food shortages and supply problems for extended periods of time. An emergency food supply for you and your family could be composed up of a combination of boxes or bins of freeze dried foods, processed or canned foods, and MREs. Besides food, drinkable water is also an important item to stock up on. Containers to hold water come in collapsible ones but also those that are made of high density polyethylene. Whatever container you choose for water, make sure it is durable.
Storing Your Supplies
Another issue to consider as a beginning prepper is where you will store your supplies once they are purchased. Many preppers dedicate space in their garages or basements for storage of their emergency supplies. Some disaster agencies recommend having a separate supply for your home and another for your vehicle. Wherever you decide to store your supplies, the key is to place them in a way that they will not be damaged in case of a disaster. They need to be accessible, and braced shelves are ideal for protection in your home.
Wrap up
In the end, how much you want to invest in prepping is entirely up to you. On top of having stored supplies of food and water, prepping can be a full-time endeavor. Some preppers go all out and grow their own food for canning, learn how to cook without stoves and other instruments, acquire new hunting and foraging skills and so on. For the beginning prepper, however, it makes sense to start with the basics. Assemble an adequate emergency supply of food and drinkable water. Then find a place to store them. Those simple steps will go a long way towards being ready for anything.
