prepp(ar)ing for normal life

[J23]

Hi guys.
I noticed that a lot of people prepp here for things that may never happen.
Prepper needs bug out bag, a bug out car (must be 4x4 like in movies, estate is not enough, prepper needs 4X4 or pickup), prepper needs sleeping bag for 100 quid and expensive tent. prepper needs knives, and all the other stuff. and all is fine as long as you treat it like a hobby, a style of life, and it's better than spending cash on booze. On the other hand I noticed that some people here subconsciously dream of shtf scenario, seek adventure, hope shtf will happen to be like movie stars.
but to the point: how many of you prepp for normal life? let me point you out how I see prepping.
The most important things are health, happiness and financial safety.

Health - it is worth to keep fit. sports activity at least 3x a week, and dont tell me you have no time for it as If you have time to write some shite on facebook every evening or watch silly soap's 10134 episode you'll find time for sport activity. it can be anything - gym, martial arts, running, walking, volleyball, football and many more. keeps you fit, your mood is better, you feel younger, it affects your mentality in positive way

Financial safety - this is my main point - when many of you prepare for bug out to your auntie next town or to sleep in woods for the rest of life - how many of you prepare for financial stable future? how many of you secure yourself for situations that are more likely to happen then zombie apocalypse or Yellowstone eruption?
let me white my point of view:

first of all you need emergency fund. at least 3-6 months salary in easly accessible account - money you can get within minutes in case of something wrong happened. funeral in family, unemployment (which is a threat for all of us, and it affects your mortgage payments, your bills, screws your life and can happen suddenly), and many more bad situations when you may suddenly need money. Why 3-6 months? it's so you have money to live off in case you lose your job and seek another one. You don't touch these money to buy new tent or upgrade your bov. You use these money only when you have to as shtf happened in your life

Savings - don't start savings before your emergency fund is ready. now how many of you have more than 5k saved? probably not many, and savings are important as well, and don't confuse them with emergency fund. Savings are for other spendings - new car, house refurbishment, or to cover longer period of unemployment. Imagine yourself situation in Spain at the moment - 27% of unemployment. Imagine yourself how hard it is to find a job. Imagine unemployment for few years - will fancy 4X4 car help you? will expensive bugout tent help you in situation when there is law and order? good luck. Savings will help you to survive

Long term savings/additional pension - important as well - what will you do if you won't be able to work? start saving on ISA or SIPP or company's pension plan (of course there is possiblity government will rob you of it to save its budget, or financial system will collapse, it is always risk). In some point you will get too old to work. will 40 years old landrover help you? really doubt it.

Investments - diversification is the key. First of all don't invest your emergency fund - this one is a holy thing. Don't invest if you can't do it (and don't trust investment funds - in long periods barely any of them wins. some of the funds may write that they made 20% within last 3 months. but check long term performance and you will notice that within 5 years they lost 20% and even if they lose they still charge their customers for "investing" their money), and it takes years to learn it. Once you do you diversify which means you invest a bit everywhere - for example some money into shares, some in commodities, some into properties. also once you invest in shares you invest in few companies, companies from different background - it is a wide subject and I can recommend some good (boring as well) books about it if somebody wants.

and try to live debt free. no credit cards, no buying goods without thinking

The conclusion is: prepare for things that are more likely to happen first, and then if you can afford it you can prepare for aliens attack, zombie attack, killer tyre attack, invasion of megazord, rise of the machines and other BS
Just thought it might help, as some people due to too many movies seen lost their minds.

Pages I can recommend:
http://www.getrichslowly.org/
http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/
http://www.thesimpledollar.com/
http://www.investopedia.com/
http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/index.php
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/


Prepping is not only about military clothes and 2 years of supplies of dry food and soups in cans.
Good luck with your financial side of prepping.

"Generations have been working in jobs they hate, just so they can buy what they don't really need."
"We buy things we don’t need, with money we don’t have, to impress people we don’t like."

Sorry if I made any mistakes, but as you probably noticed I am not native English speaker
Good luck and prepp with head

[grenfell]

Good advice . To be honest there are quite a few on here who share your view that it's more a personal SHTF than a global one that needs prepping for , unemployment ,family crisis and that sort of thing.
I've always had an eye on the future and have tried to be prepared for possible problems . I saved and didn't waste money on too much unnecessary stuff and always stayed out of debt. I'm now in the position of owning two and a half houses outright with no mortgage and still have funds in the bank and those funds protected us when I went through a bout of redundancies and the loss of both parents a couple of years ago.
I keep active and fairly fit. I'm not actually a big believer in a SHTF event , localised events yes but one that causes total society and world breakdown is , in my view, highly unlikely. I'm rather more inclined we are in a slow decline , a slow motion car crash if you like and the approach you suggest seems to me to be the best way to cushion oneself against it.

[lonewolf]

I'm not one that preps for unemployment, sickness or other "normal life" type situations, been there several times long before I even heard the word prepper, I'm more concerned with stuff I cant control and is out of my grasp, the stuff that others (politicians and TPTB) mess up.

[Wildfire]

I think you'll find most prepper's save for a rainy day, i agree that its more likely to need money to sort yourself out after a personal SHTF event than some of the more out there stuff.. however putting all your eggs in one basket is asking for trouble!

It should be a mixture of things not just one, health and fitness goes without saying, for some health is an issue, i struggle myself at times, i accept that there are things i cannot do, and it does effect how i prepare, fitness wise i push my growing children, and they are very fit and enjoy many activities that could help them if push came to shove, however the most important thing about it is the love and passion they have for these activities.

For many its about reaching a self sustaining life style, homesteading etc. which is highly commendable and something i feel most wish to attain, Rome wasn't built in a day, i will just keep trying things and improving where i can, but in my heart i feel that this should be near the top and with the ever tightening noose of austerity i feel this may be the only way to go, grow/raise your own food

For some it may be an interest in Bushcraft that drew them to prepping, or a military background, i have noticed there are a lot of ex and serving member in the scene, i am ex army myself and i love bushcraft and enjoy spending time outside with my Son's, teaching them what i know and learning other things together.

I doubt very much that the majority of preppers are just involved with one aspect, for many who stick around, it becomes a lifestyle if it wasn't before, which it may have been, yeah i agree that money to fall back on is important, but so is everything else, i wouldn't be happy with having just 3/6 months of my income squirreled away, what if money became useless, i guess it all comes down to personal choice and chances, and for me i will have a little bit of everything rather than put all my eggs in one basket

Oh and most importantly enjoy the ride.. it's great fun

[munchh]

You make some great points, I am yet to have all my affairs backed up and ive just found out that in 9 months time my job will change to the point that I will be earning £8,000 less than I am now, just as my daughter starts Uni!

its a worrying time, but truly out of my control.

[lonewolf]

most people either stay for the long haul, in which case you see familiar names popping up all over the place, or its a 5 minute wonder and they go on to the next "cool" hobby.

[jansman]

You make some great points, I am yet to have all my affairs backed up and ive just found out that in 9 months time my job will change to the point that I will be earning £8,000 less than I am now, just as my daughter starts Uni!

its a worrying time, but truly out of my control.

I feel your pain! Last year my little economy collapsed. We have recovered but like you, I am earning £10,000 less p.a.
The OP makes some very good points, but we all have our own reasons for prepping. I try to keep a slush fund in case the worst happens, but saving becomes increasingly more difficult.

[Briggs 2.0]

J23,

You make some very valid points about common sense prepping. However, my view, for what it's worth, is that you are overlooking other people's personal motivation to prep. You mention Health, Happiness and Financial Security as what should be the primary motivators to prep. I do not totally agree with you here. For example, if one was unfortunate to experience the urban disturbances from a year ago then one would be focused primarily upon personal safety, home security and the capability to bug out. For this prepper, the financial aspect is secondary. Likewise, if one was flooded recently then one's prepping priorities would be focused upon this catastrophe and I would say that financial security again takes a secondary position. I dare say that those recently effected by flood water would have been a lot happier with dry wellington boots on their feet instead of money in the bank.

I agree with you, it's all about a balanced approach but each 'prepper' has their own priority list. From my prepping perspective, I have experienced several occasions where I have been caught in a situation and I have been cut off from home so my priority, first and foremost, is to get home. I would say 25% of my preps are focused on getting my wife and I home and once we're there, I'll be very happy.

[FEISTY]

Hi guys.
I noticed that a lot of people prepp here for things that may never happen.
Prepper needs bug out bag, a bug out car (must be 4x4 like in movies, estate is not enough, prepper needs 4X4 or pickup), prepper needs sleeping bag for 100 quid and expensive tent. prepper needs knives, and all the other stuff. and all is fine as long as you treat it like a hobby, a style of life, and it's better than spending cash on booze. On the other hand I noticed that some people here subconsciously dream of shtf scenario, seek adventure, hope shtf will happen to be like movie stars.
but to the point: how many of you prepp for normal life? let me point you out how I see prepping.
The most important things are health, happiness and financial safety.

Health - it is worth to keep fit. sports activity at least 3x a week, and dont tell me you have no time for it as If you have time to write some shite on facebook every evening or watch silly soap's 10134 episode you'll find time for sport activity. it can be anything - gym, martial arts, running, walking, volleyball, football and many more. keeps you fit, your mood is better, you feel younger, it affects your mentality in positive way

Financial safety - this is my main point - when many of you prepare for bug out to your auntie next town or to sleep in woods for the rest of life - how many of you prepare for financial stable future? how many of you secure yourself for situations that are more likely to happen then zombie apocalypse or Yellowstone eruption?
let me white my point of view:

first of all you need emergency fund. at least 3-6 months salary in easly accessible account - money you can get within minutes in case of something wrong happened. funeral in family, unemployment (which is a threat for all of us, and it affects your mortgage payments, your bills, screws your life and can happen suddenly), and many more bad situations when you may suddenly need money. Why 3-6 months? it's so you have money to live off in case you lose your job and seek another one. You don't touch these money to buy new tent or upgrade your bov. You use these money only when you have to as shtf happened in your life

Savings - don't start savings before your emergency fund is ready. now how many of you have more than 5k saved? probably not many, and savings are important as well, and don't confuse them with emergency fund. Savings are for other spendings - new car, house refurbishment, or to cover longer period of unemployment. Imagine yourself situation in Spain at the moment - 27% of unemployment. Imagine yourself how hard it is to find a job. Imagine unemployment for few years - will fancy 4X4 car help you? will expensive bugout tent help you in situation when there is law and order? good luck. Savings will help you to survive

Long term savings/additional pension - important as well - what will you do if you won't be able to work? start saving on ISA or SIPP or company's pension plan (of course there is possiblity government will rob you of it to save its budget, or financial system will collapse, it is always risk). In some point you will get too old to work. will 40 years old landrover help you? really doubt it.

Investments - diversification is the key. First of all don't invest your emergency fund - this one is a holy thing. Don't invest if you can't do it (and don't trust investment funds - in long periods barely any of them wins. some of the funds may write that they made 20% within last 3 months. but check long term performance and you will notice that within 5 years they lost 20% and even if they lose they still charge their customers for "investing" their money), and it takes years to learn it. Once you do you diversify which means you invest a bit everywhere - for example some money into shares, some in commodities, some into properties. also once you invest in shares you invest in few companies, companies from different background - it is a wide subject and I can recommend some good (boring as well) books about it if somebody wants.

and try to live debt free. no credit cards, no buying goods without thinking

The conclusion is: prepare for things that are more likely to happen first, and then if you can afford it you can prepare for aliens attack, zombie attack, killer tyre attack, invasion of megazord, rise of the machines and other BS
Just thought it might help, as some people due to too many movies seen lost their minds.

Pages I can recommend:
http://www.getrichslowly.org/
http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/
http://www.thesimpledollar.com/
http://www.investopedia.com/
http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/index.php
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/


Prepping is not only about military clothes and 2 years of supplies of dry food and soups in cans.
Good luck with your financial side of prepping.

"Generations have been working in jobs they hate, just so they can buy what they don't really need."
"We buy things we don’t need, with money we don’t have, to impress people we don’t like."

Sorry if I made any mistakes, but as you probably noticed I am not native English speaker
Good luck and prepp with head

Absolutely agree. Very important to get all areas of your life as good as they can be. This year has been my wake-up call. Many people see our family as very fortunate, but I can tell you there are many areas that need work. Working on them now. Wherever you are in life, it's a good idea to take stock of everything, finances, home, family, friends, stuff to keep you comfortable in an emergency, etc, etc. Even if you start with small things - eg check those smoke alarms (how many of you do?), you will begin to get everything under control. I don't think we all need to be GI Joes - after all, most of us haven't succumbed simply to being around in the 21st century yet .

[PreppingPingu]

A lot of peeps here do prep for the mundane and try to be more self sufficient. It's the best way to start prepping anyhow - starting small and working your way up. Once you do that, you are half way there for the more improbably scenarios. Quite a few people on here, myself inc, prep by trying to be more self reliant and resilliant so in any shtf event, be it personal (redundancy etc) or global (Yellowstone/climate/mass pandemic) that they will manage and cope better and have a bit of a heads start on the average Joe. Prepping, as has been talked about before, is as much of a mental and physical fitness thing as it is about amassing stuff.