The older I get, the more I realize just how important skills are regarding preparedness. I know I’ve focused on “stuff” in my early days of prepping, but now I’m trying to focus on my survival capabilities, thus my interest in homesteading and all things related to longer-term survival beyond more “stuff.” Don’t get me wrong, I firmly believe that you should have more supplies needed to sustain you and your family during hard times, but that’s only one half of the puzzle.
So, I ask you: what skills do you have? I know many folks go straight to wilderness survival skills, but in today’s modern world, the ability to mend a hole in your pants or fix the plumbing can save you tons of money over the years, not to mention be super useful in a variety of scenarios. Personally, I suggest you learn all the survival skills you can, whatever that means to you, especially as times get tougher.
That said, the video below discusses several ways you can save money while getting better prepared, starting with bolstering your skills repertoire, as mentioned above. Beyond that, the video talks about several ways to save money, from shopping at thrift stores to using resources at the local library. If you need some help, consider the following advice. FYI, I skipped ahead to the 0:42 mark to get to the heart of the video. I will also offer some additional thoughts afterwards…
First, and for what it’s worth, I’ll link to my Guide to the Net pages, which includes dozens of links to many prepping-related content, all of which should be free. It’s a great place to get to know more about prepping when you have time.
As for my additional suggestions–and aside from boosting your skills–I would start with your biggest monthly expense: food. Consider doing things like shopping at wholesalers, such as Costco, but ONLY if you know you’ll use the food eventually. Buying a 3-lb container of garlic just because it technically saves you money isn’t wise if you’re going to toss most of the jar for lack of use. I also suggest buying bulk foods, which I don’t recall the video talking about, and adding them to your meal plans and preps. Foods like rice, beans, and pastas are all great for adding calories and saving money. Last, it’s often a good idea to make meals in bulk, which saves money and time. Thus, if you regularly make lasagna, let’s say, the consider making multiple meals at the same time and freezing the rest. It’s an easy way to use of bulk food purchases and save some money while you’re at it.
Beyond food, there’s a lot to consider. You can do things like saving 2-liter bottles to use for free water collection. You can use a bidet instead of toilet paper. You can buy clothing at the end of seasons, such as looking for winter clothing now, although it’s a bit late for that. And you can ask your friends and family (via Facebook and other means) if they have anything they’re getting rid of, such as canning jars or sleeping bags or and old tent … or whatever. Sometimes you can get these items at yard sales, too.
The point is that you can save money if you simply put in the effort. And, while I can’t say for sure what you will need given your specific circumstances, there are many universal items which many of us can and will use as times get harder. Stock up on these items now and, where possible, save money while you’re at it.
I also suggest watching the following video by Canadian Prepper:
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