Is Prepping a Waste of Time?

If you’re like most others, you’ve probably wondered if all your hard work and money going into planning and preparation is a waste of time. What if the events you’re preparing for never occur? Couldn’t you have then taken extra vacations, bought some new electronics, maybe another type of car, or added on to your house. Or … the list goes on and it’s endless.

If you really wanted all those things we just listed, wouldn’t you have bought them already? 

Your hard work and preparation can feel like a waste of time, but how many times have you been surprised by events in the past year? If you prep and there is no doomsday event or emergency situation, you still have your supplies and in the case of the consumables, you can and should use them. Don’t let your hard-earned equipment, food and supplies go to waste.

The other day, one of our neighbors cut his foot while walking to his car. Our emergency supplies came in handy — turns out all he needed was some super glue and the right kind of dressing on the wound.

Second Guessing or Critical Thinking?

Second guessing all of your decisions is different from thinking critically. We’ve all heard the comments that being concerned about or prepared in case of events, and some of them are really bad, is “negative” thinking. Why not think positive, these people ask.

You can feel more positive and have stress-free days by knowing that you are informed and prepared in case of the type of thing many people refer to as “unforseen events.” 

Benefits of Emergency Skills Under Non-Emergency Circumstances

• Basic skills in cooking and food storage.
• Food preparation skills including butchering.
• Knowing how to get and keep safe water.
• Basic medical skills, health and safety.
• Safer, healthier foods.
• Security and peace of mind from your financial preparation.

Ways to View Disaster Preparation

Think about it this way: if any of the disasters we know to be potential occurs, then you and your family will be prepared to the best of your ability. If these foreseen, potential events do not occur: then this is good news!

Prepping means you are thinking “outside of the box” that so many people live in, in our society. Think about all of the people caught unaware by the subprime mortgage crisis. How about those whose cars broke down in extreme weather conditions who were outside of cell phone range? Or what about those who were just on their way to work, and slipped and fell on a patch of black ice? All understandable accidents, and all events that people could, more or less, have done some preparation to mitigate. 

Even if potential disasters never occur, few of us get through life without experiencing some unforeseen negative circumstances, whether it’s job loss, sudden illness, or sudden increase in fuel costs or other staples. Adopting a lifestyle of emergency preparedness means you will have emergency food, supplies and other resources to meet emergency challenges on the personal and society-wide level.