Is all my Prepping Just a Waste of Time?

Discussion in 'General Survival and Preparedness' started by Legion489, Apr 29, 2016.


  1. Legion489

    Legion489 Rev. 2:19 Banned

    Is all my Prepping Just a Waste of Time?
    by Dale
    [​IMG]Prepping, Second Guessing and Self Doubt
    Let’s admit it, we all have our doubts about preparedness at times. Not necessarily about how important preparedness is, but about what we are doing, why we are doing it and how we are doing it. ” at one point or another we have all had it. Read more of this post

    Dale | April 28, 2016 at 2:02 am | Categories: Beginning Prepping, Featured Posts, Prepping Skills, Survivalist Prepper Podcast | URL: Is all my Prepping Just a Waste of Time? | SurvivalistPrepper.net
     
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  2. VisuTrac

    VisuTrac Ваша мать носит военные ботинки Site Supporter+++

    One only has to experience one issue, be it a wide spread storm / hurricane, power outage or extended loss of employment to be able to swiftly answer that question.
     
  3. Motomom34

    Motomom34 Monkey+++

    I agree @Legion489 when I read it I thought this guy must have read TOTM April on Survival Monkey.
     
    UncleMorgan likes this.
  4. duane

    duane Monkey+++

    Just mailed health ins, car ins, house ins bills this week. Well over $1,000 and required or for peace of mind. Spent $35 for some ammo to practice and $150 on my greenhouse and enjoy both as hobbies. Now why is $200 for my hobby that might someday save my life be excessive, but $1,000 that might save my savings be considered prudent. Beats me.
     
  5. 3M-TA3

    3M-TA3 Cold Wet Monkey

    I pray to God that my prepping IS a waste of time...
     
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  6. Gray Wolf

    Gray Wolf Monkey+++

    I have a friend that I consider my brother because we have been friends since November of 1971. Just before the Y2K fiasco, we decided that our food storage needed upgrades, just in case. When my wife asked "What if nothing happens?" , I answered "that would be good, we will be eating the food weather or not something happens". That's another good point, store the stuff you would eat under normal conditions.

    As far as doubt goes, have confidence in your abilities. Understand that just by being a member of this forum, you are showing a level of common sense far above the herd. Ignore it if the herd ridicules you, and don't let them persuade you to rejoin them.

    Space limitations? Certainly. I live in an RV. I can find the storage space to be reasonably be prepared for emergencies big and small, you can too.

    Duane, both are necessary, and see above about believing anyone telling you that the $200 you spent on "hobbies" is excessive.
    Practice as though someday your skill with your firearms will save your life or someone else's, because someday it might. Owning firearms is not enough, you MUST be proficient with them. The only way to do that is practice.
     
  7. Motomom34

    Motomom34 Monkey+++

    You have to make sure life does not pass you by. Having the latest and greatest gadgets that you may never use could be a waste but having somethings set aside is smart
     
  8. duane

    duane Monkey+++

    Motomom34 the greatest gadget ever made is a beautiful sunrise or sunset and leading a good life is all that really counts. My grand dad said that only 3 things in life count, firewood, potatoes, and your health. If you are well, warm and well fed, you are wealthy even if you have no money, if you are sick, cold or hungry you are poor, no matter how much money you have. I am 78 and enjoy life and have the problem that I don't feel elderly, my body is slowing down and it takes a lot longer to do things, but the greenhouse, garden, working at work, not retired yet, but the wife keeps telling me that once I reach 80 I should consider it. Life now or after TSHTF always requires modifying and making do. I have cataracts and they say that they aren't ready to be removed, so I need to use a scope and night vision. So be it. Minister came to see my dad about a week before he passed. Dad told him that this was it and they had communion and the the minister asked dad about making peace with the Lord, dad said "I didn't know we were fighting." Been in a few places where I didn't expect to make the next 10 min so I have enjoyed the last 50 years to the fullest. Most people use money as a method of keeping score in life, not as a tool and the Bible stated that is not a good idea. I am tight with my money because I wish for new tools, greenhouse plastic, new solar panels, etc and not to impress someone at the golf club or even the church. I can't honestly say I prep, my lifestyle just takes a little longer view of the future and a lot more of the ability to do things for myself than seems to be common in this day and age and I seem to value a lot of things from my childhood and the past more then most people do today. I use the computer, but don't have a facebook, google, etc accounts and see no need for them. Life is good and hopefully we will all live to see the beautiful rainbow after even the worst thunderstorm.
     
  9. Yard Dart

    Yard Dart Vigilant Monkey Moderator

    I have to say, that is some of the best advice and wisdom.... that I have heard in some time!!! [chopper]
     
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  10. Altoidfishfins

    Altoidfishfins Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    Agreed YD
     
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  11. chelloveck

    chelloveck Diabolus Causidicus

    That is a good way of putting prepping into context, and proportion, duane.

    Prepping is the insurance policy that can be drawn against regardless of whether the times are good or bad. It is a policy which premiums have given me much pleasure and enjoyment to buy and have the use of.....with the assurance that they will be of greater use to me, for the survival of me or mine when needed, than FRNs of dubious exchange value.
     
    Last edited: Apr 30, 2016
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  12. UncleMorgan

    UncleMorgan I like peeling bananas and (occasionally) people.

    99% of everything a person does in their lifetime is ultimately pointless. That's just the way life is. The trick is knowing what the 1% is, or will be, or was. Lacking certain knowledge of that (usually), about the best a person can do in the meantime is to live their life as if every single thing they do matters.

    So, even if you're just sitting on a step whittling a stick, you should try to make that the best stick ever whittled--because you never know when a well-whittled stick may be important.

    Or the ability to whittle sticks.

    Our prepping is much like that. We don't know the future, so we don't know if any of it will ultimately matter. But if it and when it does, we should have all our prepping done with grace and style.

    We don't need to stress out about the future. No one survives the end of the world, whether general or personal. So we can just sit back and relax, knowing that we are as well prepared as possible to avoid the greatest killer of all: inconvenience.

    Not having food can get inconvenient in less than 30 days.
    Not having water can get inconvenient in less than three days.
    Not having adequate shelter can get inconvenient in less than three hours.
    Not being able to defend yourself can get inconvenient in less than three seconds.

    And running out of bacon is the very definition of inconvenience, on a very personal and specific level.
     
  13. marlas1too

    marlas1too Monkey+++

    as I have always said --its better to have and not need than need and not have
     
  14. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    You beat me to it. My father always says that.
     
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  15. AxesAreBetter

    AxesAreBetter Monkey+++

    I got into all of this because after surviving an event, I went out and bought things that I needed during the event. Rotate through a few hurricane cycles, and I have a pretty good handle on my needs...which now include a flood boat!
     
  16. Pax Mentis

    Pax Mentis Philosopher King |RIP 11-4-2017

    30+ years of (conscious) prepping for events that didn't happen could be considered by many to be a waste of both time and money. However, the way I look at it, the peace of mind it gave me would be cheap at twice the price. No regrets.
     
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  17. UncleMorgan

    UncleMorgan I like peeling bananas and (occasionally) people.

    A lifetime of preps: Umpty thousand dollars.
    Peace of mind: Priceless.
     
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  18. Gray Wolf

    Gray Wolf Monkey+++

    You can save a lot of money by shopping at garage sales and second hand stores. I couldn't believe my eyes when I recently saw a Big Berkey water purifier at Goodwill for $7.00. I had to walk over to it, and pick it up to reassure myself that I was not imagining it!
     
  19. arleigh

    arleigh Goophy monkey

    When you buy gas ,do you only get enough to get from one current destination to home ?
    Of course not ,there are too many unknowns, and obviously it cost you to make the trip to the gas station.
    The greater the trip to the gas station the more the effort to minimize it by filling each time, even if it's not very much .
    My motorcycle gets me roughly 135-140 miles per tank ( there is no gas gage) so I must pay close attention to my milage.
    I keep a spare 1 gallon on the bike in the event of an emergency. It's come close a few times on long trips. If i had the space I'd have 5 gallons spare.
    I live on my preps, and go to that cupboard each time I'm looking for something to eat.
    Kitchen cupboards have food in them, but it's just for looks.
    And when I go shopping I replenish those stores and add just a bit more sometimes.
    I have had months that I was low on money but had plenty in food, no sweat.
    I also have a gas reserve as well that I dip into nearing the end of the month , but it is the first to be replenished when I get my SS check. My water reserves are all over the place, and some are continuous flow to cisterns I added float control for feeding the chickens and the garden . I have water tanks that are tied in the system that are plumbed to the washing machine ,so water cycles through them each time I do laundry. There is a check valve in that circuit so it cannot back feed .
    My family both close and far away know about my reserves and should something happen to me they know it's all theirs.
    I do not hope for tragedy but I've been through enough adventure not to be foolish .
    The dollar is loosing value world wide and it won't be long before it's worthless , what are you going to do with it when no one accepts it any more? good looks , I can't, mine are all used up.
     
  20. Gaowlpoop

    Gaowlpoop Monkey++

    Every one talks about a "MAJOR" disaster. It can be more up close and personal. There was a time when we did not have the money to go to the store. We were newley married, not much in the way of income, baby on the way --- you get the idea. We lived off our prepping supplies at times. Back then it was called food storage. It was not a long term condition but we skipped more then a few grocery store trips.

    We did quite well to boot. One of the reasons was that we stored what we ate and ate what we stored. We also found out real quick where the weak points were.

    We have had to throw out stuff because it went bad. Again, lessons learned. We learned that you need to keep track of your storage items and rotate them.

    It is not a waste of time, money or effort. You never can tell when something is going to jump up and bite you.

    One additional benefit is being able to draw from your storage when you run out of something instead of making a trip to the store. "Oh darn. I'm out of baking powder". Get a can from storage, replace it next time you are at the store.

    I guess what I am saying is that prepping/storage need to be integrated into your life, not a side line of your life like a hobby would be.
     
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