Telling the other half you're a prepper

[diamond lil]

Living deep in the country it pays to have food stocks. And with frequent powercuts it pays to have backup methods of cooking and heating. One of my sons worked as a falconer and gamekeeper, the other one worked as a shepherd. Now they've both moved away and have "normal" boring jobs, but they still have the skills they learned.

[aldhelm]

I'm so glad I'm not on my own. The light of my life isn't on board at all, although she likes never running out of hairspray or toothpaste etc she constantly complains about how much room the stuff takes up, how much it costs and her favorite cry of we've got enough of that ..................

We haven't done much in the way of food shopping since the end of November, mainly bread and milk so now my stocks really need looking at but hey it's still gonna be "Do we really need that much?" I can hear it coming.

As for keeping it hush hush forget it, she's even phoned a local radio station to tell them that I prep, everyone in the family is made aware of whatever my latest purchase is, they all think I'm mad but non of the immediate in-laws have bought toilet rolls from a shop for over 3 months seen as I get 'em cheaper, and I make them buy 'em in lots of 45 so I'm still trying to push the message.

I figure if I keep the hairspray and skin cream coming maybe she'll let me get away with a little more (wish me luck).

[Deeps]

I'm so glad I'm not on my own. The light of my life isn't on board at all, although she likes never running out of hairspray or toothpaste etc she constantly complains about how much room the stuff takes up, how much it costs and her favorite cry of we've got enough of that ..................

We haven't done much in the way of food shopping since the end of November, mainly bread and milk so now my stocks really need looking at but hey it's still gonna be "Do we really need that much?" I can hear it coming.

As for keeping it hush hush forget it, she's even phoned a local radio station to tell them that I prep, everyone in the family is made aware of whatever my latest purchase is, they all think I'm mad but non of the immediate in-laws have bought toilet rolls from a shop for over 3 months seen as I get 'em cheaper, and I make them buy 'em in lots of 45 so I'm still trying to push the message.

I figure if I keep the hairspray and skin cream coming maybe she'll let me get away with a little more (wish me luck).

I do wish you luck mate, I'm sorry to hear your stash isn't exactly a secret though too. That Her Maj understood and appreciated discretion is a massive thing for me, saying that I've only got her word for it. No I've got no real doubts, her BFF has a good idea but I'm just as guilty of outing myself there.

[Britcit]

It does seem from the replies so far that there is a fairly even spread of 'how on board the OH is'.

I had been worrying that if the SHTF and I wasn't able to get home (ie. Dead), how likely was my wife to find the food stores. Admittedly, the stores are still in their early stages, but my worry was that she may struggle, without knowing that water and food were on hand. We do have a very large house and it is possible she wouldn't think to look where I have put them.

I think that just making her aware of them gives me peace of mind, and I could slowly get her more involved.

She does see the benefit of having a months worth of food on hand, and a weeks worth of drinkable water. (We have a fresh water Loch about 50 yards from the house.)

[ChefSimon]

I'm on the fence with the wife... She gets the concept and why but isn't too fussed either way so long as the bills are paid and it doesn't take over the house.

We've had a few power cuts, accidents at home etc and the preps have come in very handy and practical when needed and she has been thankful for them.

There was an incident last winter which kind of made her think and understand my prepping a little better. We were travelling back from Dorset visiting my parents and the weather turned in and we were almost stranded in the car. After a couple of hours I had dug out my bag, got a brew on the go, got the softie suits out to keep us warm and was about ready to get some food cooking when the plod made contact and got us moving along again.

When we got home she spoke at length about how simple I made the situation and wasn't even worried. She realised that the 'little bag' I always put in the boot on trips actually does. She is now kind of on board with it, doesn't want to know what and why but is reassured that stuff is there when we need it.

Unfortunately she got totally the wrong end of the stick about prepping from having watched Doomsday Preppers series on TV. (she still takes the p*ss sometimes asking me if I would like a bunker for my birthday etc - which I do ) Although she did get me a nice knife for Christmas.

[Deeps]

I'm on the fence with the wife... She gets the concept and why but isn't too fussed either way so long as the bills are paid and it doesn't take over the house.

We've had a few power cuts, accidents at home etc and the preps have come in very handy and practical when needed and she has been thankful for them.

There was an incident last winter which kind of made her think and understand my prepping a little better. We were travelling back from Dorset visiting my parents and the weather turned in and we were almost stranded in the car. After a couple of hours I had dug out my bag, got a brew on the go, got the softie suits out to keep us warm and was about ready to get some food cooking when the plod made contact and got us moving along again.

When we got home she spoke at length about how simple I made the situation and wasn't even worried. She realised that the 'little bag' I always put in the boot on trips actually does. She is now kind of on board with it, doesn't want to know what and why but is reassured that stuff is there when we need it.

Unfortunately she got totally the wrong end of the stick about prepping from having watched Doomsday Preppers series on TV. (she still takes the p*ss sometimes asking me if I would like a bunker for my birthday etc - which I do ) Although she did get me a nice knife for Christmas.

Oh hell yeah. Of course we all would, we're preppers.

The 'other half' thing is tricky, we don't always agree on a range of subjects, prepping is just another thing that needs ironed out.

[bettersafethansorry]

My mrs was one of the the "you are a nutter" thinking people when she learnt of my plans and preps etc but loosing a job suddenly win 0 savings and thrown in to my own little SHTF situation i sustained my family who didn't just eat when this happened but ate well all the way up until I started a new role.

This changed her mind and now she even actively seeks new preps herself. always ensuring medical/food/power/fuel supplies are always topped up and impulse buying torches candles and other such.

M

[bobble]

I'm a female prepper and judging from the comments posted, there arent as many of us as there are blokes. I think its a pity that most blokes OH's cant see the benefits of being prepped. My other half is right on side and i feel very lucky that we can plan stuff together. Hes good at diy and very practical, and i can grow stuff,knit and sew etc and its great! My sis thinks i'm stupid and my workmates tut and roll their eyes! I think people will only realise were right when some shtf and only then will they be willing to listen.
Bobbles

[Plymtom]

I may have mentioned before that as a family of 5 we're all along for the ride, that's the best way of putting it, of late I see panic in the statements and attitudes of non preppers at the state of the world, and if asked would I like a bunker, well yeah but not here and I would want it to look on the surface like a hobbit hole there are many things that would put is in a better place, under a bad location is little improvement than just in it IMO, but we can't afford to shift, a bigger vehicle would be nice too, but we have limits, I'm not afraid to tell my closest mates that we stay prepared, but they live a fair way off, and for the most part understand the need for us to be on top of the situation especially when enlightened to the differences between most UK Preppers and the Doomsday variety, honestly even camping/bushcraft gear which we don't get as much chance to use as we would like, whilst may come in handy, is there because we want to use it for fun, more so than feel the time coming where we would have to use it to survive.

I'm not sure I would have gotten together with someone who wanted to live so close to the wire that they paid for the corner shop keeper's foreign holidays and wore out more shoes going back and forth for stuff they run out of I think we represent a new mind set, which does not want to completely throw out the old, we've seen the railways dismantled and other things crazy progress I call it, put it this way I embrace technology, I type instead of write but i still have pens and paper, I love how easy my power tools make life, and yet still value my hand tools, pump screwdriver, brace and bit enough to not want to discard them, you want the other half on board then pretend to run out of toilet paper, that'll start the process

[jaffab]

My wife asked me if we were 'all set' last night - and I said yes. Again, she didn't want to know the details, but wanted to know if we were 'safe'. She also asked me 'why' I had put things together - did I feel it was getting that bad. I didnt want to worry her more than she already is so I just said....

We have house insurance, but that does not mean I want the house to burn down
We have car insurance, but that does not mean I want to drive into another car
We have our pensions, but that does not mean I want to stop working
Now we have plans should things turn bad out there, but that does not mean I want to world to end
I just want us to be safe, and just like the insurance, its something that hopefully we wont need, but in case we do, its there to fall back on.

She seemed happy with that.