As we continue building our emergency supplies, a question that comes up frequently in conversations is, “What if nothing happens?” Would this have all been a waste?
Part of this question is rooted in the whole Y2K experience, where a number of people were expecting a big disaster to happen, only to wake up on January 1, 2000 with everything humming along normally, nothing to see here… move along… Then the media publicized stories about the folks who had sold everything to move to a retreat only to abandon their supplies a year or two later. It seemed like one big waste.
I would disagree that this could all be a waste if nothing happens. Actually, it would be preferable for me if nothing happens and I still have all my supplies. I personally hope that things stay “normal” and that the s**t never hits the fan! But I would still continue to prep!
That is because:
- Prepping actually helps save money. Because we are buying necessities in advance, we are able to take advantage of sales and can wait it out when the items are not reasonably priced
- Prepping has helped me save time. Again, having commonly used items in the house eliminates having to run to the store because something ran out. When you go by “Two is one and one is none” you always know you have the item on hand and can go back to the store at your leisure.
- We have become more organized since we started our journey into preparedness. We’ve eliminated clutter in our home and have become more efficient in our storage efforts.
- Prepping and frugality go hand in hand. Though it seems to be a contradiction at first, since you know you have to buy stuff and gear in order to prepare, we have become more frugal in the long run. Because we examine the value of every purchase, we have gotten better at separating “needs” from “wants.”
- We are learning valuable skills that help us in the long run. I picked up some sewing skills and hemmed my son’s “back to school” outfits myself, which saved both time and money. Learning how to process green coffee beans and brew a fine cup of coffee without electricity was a great experience.
- We are teaching our children those same skills and learning to “Be prepared always” is a valuable lesson for them.
Emergency supplies will not get wasted as long as you are vigilant about rotating your stocked items.
I consider emergency supplies the same as having insurance. We have insurance for everything else. Health, car, dwelling and life insurance are all premiums we pay without worrying about “what if nothing happens.” The way I see it, better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.
And the very best part of prepping? It is FUN!
It is also a builder of confidence! A builder of skills that will last forever. You will make bonds with people that matter to you!
And the very best part? It is FUN!
As usual, your posts are great!
EDSG
Great post!
And yep, exactly. Learning how to cook from scratch & use a compass are fun and good skills to have regardless of what happens. Being able to save money on TP and groceries is a good thing regardless of what does or doesn’t happen.
Plus, we get to take advantage of coupons and sales more often 😀
My plans involve married and starting grad school next summer, so I always tell myself even if nothing happens, it will be nice when we are young, married and broke to have plenty of food, toothbrushes and toilet paper on hand 🙂
Sounds like a good plan to me. Taking advantage of coupons and sales is a good skill especially if nothing happens. Having a lot of supplies while broke sure beats having no supplies and being broke!
i’ve asked myself that question countless times and came to the same conclusion as you did. if nothing happens great, i’ve saved money, built up our food pantry and learned several valuable skills. besides, with the economy the way it is and living on one income, it is great to have 3- 6mos supply of food and toiletries and be debt-free(except for house) if my husband were to lose his job.
I guess how and how much one prepares determines if money is being saved or not. I am not saving any money on my preps, a lot of gear will sit ready to go until needed. But that’s ok, it’s insurance. Other items (bug out gear, firearms) will be well used.
But I think something will happen. Could be tomorrow or a decade. Almost impossible for our economy not to collapse at this point, got to be ready for the possible (probable?) chaos that could follow.
Apartment Prepper, I just found this website and know I will read it often; among other reasons, I too live in an apartment.
I agree with you that these skills are useful even if not needed in a SHTF scenario. I am a “rookie” prepper/survivalist, but I’ve been buying large amounts of canned food in bulk and have been rotating it; in fact, I’ve been saving money over the long haul by “brownbagging” to work as opposed to spending $5 to $7 per lunch daily. (A 24-oz can of stew is hearty, and four cans cost $6.29 at my local wholesaler; and, they are good for over 12 months from date of purchase).
I’m also a believer in the value of learning new skills… I’ve never been handy but want to learn various skills and I think this site will help me pick up some skills along the way!
I had someone ask me that question once; this is someone who always poo poos any form of preparation as paranoid. My answer to this person was that prepping is a lifestyle and not something you do once and forget it.
Even if you subscribe to the motto of “store what you eat and eat what you store”, it’s still an adoption of a lifestyle. More than that it’s finding enjoyment in preparing foods (especially from scratch), tending a garden, learning a skill from past times, reading relevant fiction and non-fiction books and sharing your skills. In other words, it’s living a better life.
Things ALWAYS happen and those of us who do prepare will always live a better life. The person who asked that question had a “negative” attitude, but most preppers I know have “positive” attitiudes and are happier people.