Episode-1486- 20 Simple Prepper Steps Every American Should Take that Most Don’t
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Yesterday I did a “back to fundamentals” show on permaculture, today I am going to do one on basic preparedness. On some levels it is great that prepping has become its own “industry”. This brings some unique products to the market and allows preppers to buy from companies that think like they do. On the other hand, it has also attracted parasites to our world.
Said parasites hype every news story to infer the end of the world, dollar, oil, _____, will be here in just a few short months. They cite “CIA insiders” that are likely some dweeb that grew up reading spy novels to make their case and other nonsense. Then networks like Discovery get on board and do nonsense TV shows like Doomsday Preppers, and other BS.
The problem is the person simply concerned by events like hurricanes, fires, earthquakes, realistic pandemic threats, loss of liberty, sustained inflation begins to feel prepping is for quacks. Or they feel that prepping is so expensive that it is just not possible anyway.
The truth is prepping doesn’t require a mountain retreat, it doesn’t require a bunker and it certainly doesn’t require 20 pallets of MREs down in your basement. What it actually requires us to do is simply think more like our grandparents and great grand parents and less like modern slaves who worship authority, conformity and debt.
Join Me Today As We Discuss these Twenty Rules…
- Step one – keep a food log
- Step two – keep a spending log
- Step three – perform a risk assessment on your life and geography
- Step four – build a basic black out kit
- Step five – build a basic first aid kit
- Step six – start copy canning
- Step seven – cut two expenses, just two of your choosing
- Step eight – Build a basic 72 Hour Kit – BOB
- Step nine – buy some source of back up power – any source
- Step ten – get some source of back up heating
- Step eleven – build just two 7.5 gallon tubs or four 5 gallon buckets emergency food
- Step twelve – store a minimum of 100 gallons of water, more if you can
- Step thirteen – acquire a minimum or two emergency radios
- Step fourteen – acquire some means of back up communications
- Step fifteen – build a basic documentation pack
- Step sixteen – build up over time a 30 day supply of commercial long term storage food
- Step seventeen – learn at least 2 methods of food storage
- Step eighteen – find local food producers and visit often, learn about seasonal opportunities
- Step nineteen – learn to cook 10 new recipes (try to use some of your storables)
- Step twenty – store up a reasonable amount of COH (cash on hand)
- Step twenty-one (bonus) – affirm your right and responsibility to survive
Resources for today’s show…
- Join the Members Brigade
- The Year 1486
- Join Our Forum
- Walking To Freedom
- GenForward.com
- TSP Gear
- PermaEthos.com
- AgriTrue.com
- Fortress Defense Consultants – (sponsor of the day)
- Ready Made Resources – (sponsor of the day)
- Bug Out Documentation Episode
- All Steven Harris Interviews on Back Up Power
Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK (866-658-4465) and you might hear yourself on the air.
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Love this: “What it actually requires us to do is simply think more like our grandparents and great grand parents and less like modern slaves”
Yesterday’s and today’s shows are a fantastic way to round out the year. Thanks Jack for building such an awesome community. [You do good work for being a permaculture libertarian ranter (:]
Thank you for keeping real and no chaotic …!
God bless,
AMIGO SFFS
This is a really practical, thoughtful, and intelligent list.
What got me started with a prepper mindset was experiencing a two week power outtage across a wide region in our state due to a severe ice storm. Widespread grid failure meant no gas stations, banks, grocery stores, or heat. It totally changed the way i thought, and made me realize how very dependent we were on a fragile system. and this list would have been a very helpful tool back then, and saved us some headaches. It is still useful now, and a good reminder to get a couple more tools in place.
i am happy to say i have at least something in every area you mention here, so i feel i am on the right track.
thanks
where is the link to “acquire some means of back up communications”?
Not sure what Jack was going to post but here on some awesome shows on the matter:
http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/1322-harris-on-radio-preps
http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/ham-and-scanners-tim-glance
http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/cb-practical-prep-with-clay-vitis
Hope it helps.
The thoughts of others
Were light and fleeting,
Of lovers’ meeting
Or luck or fame.
Mine were of trouble,
And mine were steady,
So I was ready
When trouble came.
Who’s the Author?
FC
A.E. Houseman
I have to say, the last bit about the $300 was great. Im generally listening to these at night at work and that had me laughing pretty good. Thanks for bringing some humor into these podcasts.
Hi,
Liked this one. I’ve been focusing like a laser beam on my financial health and well-being so I’m concentrating on number 2,7,15,20 and 21. So thanks for those Jack. Anyway, while doing a bit of study on finances I came across some ratios I thought interesting and wanted to share.
1. Liquidity Ratio: Ability to handle emergencies. Target 3-6 months.
Liquidity Ratio = Cash or Cash Equivalents/Monthly Committed Expenses
2. Asset to Debt Ratio: Determines what you owe vs. what you own
Asset to Debt Ratio = Liquid + Non Liquid Assets/All current debt(liabilities)
3. Current Ratio: Ability to service short term liabilities
Current Ratio = Cash + Cash Equivalents/Short term liabilities
4. Debt Service Ratio: Ability to make payments
Debt Service Ratio = Short term liabilities/Total income
5.Savings Ratio: Monthly surplus generated by total cash flow
Savings ratio = monthly surplus/monthly income
6. Solvency Ratio: Compares net-worth to total assets
Solvency Ratio = Net-worth/Total Assets
7. Investment Assets to total assets: Compares liquid assets held against total assets accumulated
Investment assets to total assets = Liquid assets/Total assets
8. Wealth Ratio: Make this ratio a part of my life and my life will change
Wealth Ratio = Portfolio Income + Passive Income/ Expenses
*Goal is 1 or higher
Ratios 1-7 are from a blog (I don’t remember the source). The ratios are from notes I took from the blog. Anyway, Number 8 is from the Rich Dad Poor Dad guy. I find these ratios interesting because I’ve never heard of them until now and I think these may the most useful ratios to determine my financial resiliency. I would like to learn more about these ratios; if anyone has heard of them or used them before please share 🙂
Anyway love the show and listen daily.
FC
I have been listening to this podcast for a while but never did any food or spending logs. I started today and the food one is much harder. I usually make my own lunches for work and just realized how much I have been eating. Spending one is much easier since i have receipts.