Don’t Break the Bank

There is no shortage of prepper gear we can buy these days. Some items are more practical than others, but “experts” will nevertheless try to sell us their latest product offerings. It’s important that we’re able to distinguish between something we need and something someone else wants us to buy. It’s even more important that we’re able to distinguish between those who are trustworthy and those who are not. I know that I need to earn your trust, so I’m not suggesting you buy anything. Instead, I will lay out a single fundamental principle you should take to heart: frugality. Below I detail how you can become a frugal prepper.

Exercise Common Sense

As I get increasingly more active in the prepper community, I’ve seen some suggestions that defy the laws of common sense. No, we don’t need to focus all of our time preparing for an EMP. We certainly don’t need to walk around with a gas mask on to protect us from the prospect of an aerosol attack. And we definitely shouldn’t be purchasing luxury prepper products as we begin our preparedness journeys. Is it important that we have a plan in place should any unlikely, yet possible SHTF events befall us? Yes, of course it is. But it’s more important to prepare for the most likely disastrous scenarios that could arise based on our geography and current state of affairs. Simply put, you should assess the statistical likelihood of potential SHTF events and prepare accordingly.

As an example, those on the southeastern coast should prepare for the prospect of floods. People out in California should prepare for droughts. People in Oklahoma should prepare for tornadoes. Your location should dictate what you prepare for and what you purchase. Don’t go buying a Farraday cage to prepare for an EMP without first having bought a supply of water and food. Practicality should motivate our decisions and influence what we buy to prepare. A frugal prepper understands that common sense is essential to survival.

Prioritize Skill Development

Developing survival skills is key to preparing for SHTF events. Simple skills like operating a sump pump to more complex skills like foraging in the wilderness can be developed at little to no cost. The person who has the coolest “stuff” won’t hold a candle to the survivalist prepared to hunt for his own food. I suggest you turn to YouTube, Podcasts, books, and other sources of information that can help you develop important survival skills. Skill development is the best investment that you can make. Better yet, you’re only required to invest your time and the frugal prepper invests his time wisely.

Inform Yourself

As mentioned above, there are plenty of sources of information out there that can help you prepare for SHTF events. I can say with conviction that the best way to become truly prepared for anything is to study history. Unfortunately, studying takes time. That said, it doesn’t cost anything to do it. By studying history, we can learn from the mistakes made in the past. We can determine what problems arose before and how they were ultimately solved. Cyclical events can be anticipated and properly addressed when we’ve studied them. Lastly, there is no better group of people to learn survival skills from than our ancestors. Our ancestors had no choice but to learn survival skills. If we study history, we’re learning from the best.

The Frugal Prepper is More Likely to Survive

The frugal prepper bucks the trends and takes preparedness seriously. He knows common sense is the key to survival and properly prioritizes what to invest his time in. He knows that developing survival skills is a better way to prepare than by purchasing a $500 bug out bag. The frugal prepper is also a student of history. He knows what SHTF events occurred in the past and how to mitigate the risk of being exposed to them again. Should they happen, he knows what his predecessors did to survive. Before you go on a preparedness shopping spree, read a book, get outside, and begin your training. Then, and only then, should you consider what bunker is right for you.

Do you have thoughts about being a frugal prepper? Leave a comment or contact me directly.