Some people wonder if they should prep. Many years ago before Covid, and even before we heard of it I believe God told me to stock up. So I did. when Covid came and it was hard to buy even toilet paper in the stores I had 40 rolls of it and later 80 rolls once I could buy more. I had enough food that I could eat normally every day and not worry about not having what I needed. And so I have come to realize the importance of keeping extra food and supplies in the unlikely event we can find what we need in the stores for a time.

In the Bible when Joseph was in Egypt he taught them how to prepare for times when there was drought and other occurrences that could leave them without food.

Sometimes we don’t consider the fact that the smallest and most convenient storage space is in their own heads. If you find yourself in the midst of a disaster and you need to either build or fix something, having the necessary knowledge and experience in your mind instead of in a book will hugely benefit your ability to survive. If there’s something that you need from your neighbor but you’re not willing or unable to trade any of your supplies, you could do some work for them in exchange.

When some people begin prepping, they usually make a few mistakes. Sometimes it’s because they get caught up in the idea of prepping and rush into it without taking time to plan and really consider what they’re preparing for. Other times it is simply because they don’t have enough information.

As Alfred Sheinwold said, “Learn all you can from the mistakes of others. You won’t have time to make them all yourself.”

Don’t waste your time, money and energy by repeating the same mistakes that many others have. I’m here to show you some things I have come to know and understand.

Live Below Your Means

Someone once told me I need to live within my means. My perspective is to actually live below my means. Recently I have even been cutting down on the number of domains I keep, I even got rid of one of my internet servers. Hence the reason I put this site on a sub-domain. I have been getting rid of other things that cost money that aren’t absolute needs. Many of us have things in our life we spend money on that rob us of having the money we need to buy the things we really need. So much of this boils down to how we manage our money so we can prep.

Prepping is something that should not be done with haste but rather slowly and steadily. Oftentimes there are survival items you think you need, then later you find out there’s a better deal elsewhere or that you already own a suitable substitute. Patience is the key. Use your money wisely so you can gain as much as you can with the money available to you.

Store Plenty Of Water

Water is technically more important than food, and you will go through it quicker than you think. You don’t have to just buy bottled water. You can collect your own water and store it in collapsible containers or barrels for long periods of time in your garage or basement. Buying a water filter so you can filter water in the unlikely event you can find it in the stores will help. Or finding a spring in your area where you can get water. findaspring.org is a good resource for finding springs.

Purchasing barrels that are safe to drink from to collect rain water is one way to collect large amounts of water. But you must filter and even boil the water before drinking it.

What Should You Store?

The important thing here is to store food without using refrigeration. You can buy freeze dried food, but even canned food or dry foods stored correctly will last 3 years or more.

I buy instant potatoes. I put them in the freezer for a day or two to kill off any bacteria. Then I put them into air tight, sealable containers.

Canned meat is something I purchase and 3 or 4 years later it is still good. I store canned roast beef, canned mixed vegetables and canned cubed potatoes. I have put them together in a pot, heat it to boiling and have instant beef stew.

Don’t Forget About Hygiene

Make sure you have plenty of toilet paper and soap. Stay clean to avoid becoming sick. Getting sick during a survival situation–when hospitals are either closed or overrun–could end up killing you.

Don’t Forget Your Pets

With pets you have two choices: plan on feeding and caring for them, or abandon them. If you care about your pets, be sure to store pet food, water, and other supplies for them. Make the decision about what you will do with your pets now rather than waiting until it’s too late.

Be Wise