Summary: Today we get back to the basics of preparedness. I wanted to go over the Prepping 101 philosophy today to help you not get overwhelmed. This philosophy is as important to the beginner as to the expert. This philosophy will allow you to maintain your focus on what is really important. Worrying about the coming crash or the zombies next week will not empower you. You need to maintain focus on your priorities. This might be a good episode to pass along to your friends. Prepping 101 Philosophy Make your own road a little smoother. Everything you are planning for should make your life better even if nothing goes wrong. We prepare not for just one single event. By doing it in this manner we are less concerned about the specifics and are more concerned about the general. Debt is cancer. It makes you a slave to your job or to whomever you owe the money to. When you have no debt you are able to make decision which allow you not to compromise. I have yet to hear anyone who has said "I sure wish I had more debt in my life, being debt free was not any fun" Grow your own food. Growing your own food allows you to maintain some independence from the food system. There are so many lesson which come from gardening. Gardening is human activity. Reduce you tax liability. Do everything you can to minimize your burden. Just remember loopholes are legal deductions Store food. Food stored is a great investment. As food goes up in price you are buying tomorrows food at today's price. It is one way to mitigate inflation. Plan in order of probability. You are more likely to loose a job than have a global economic meltdown. Look at yourself, then family, neighborhood, community, city, county, state, national, global. Have renewable energy. Having backup power is not for those off grid or hippies. It is a way to build redundancy in your system. Energy prices are always going up. If you have something you bought today the energy you generate is at a fixed cost. Buy land. True wealth comes from the land and what you can produce from the land. I recommend having someplace where you can grow a perennial garden which requires little maintenance. Have cash on hand. You purchase a good deal if you do not have any money. Save money. Live a far below your means as you are comfortable. The less money required to maintain your lifestyle the easier it will be for you. Have insurance. If you die your family will need to be taken care of. I know it is boring but having life insurance is like having food storage, it makes you feel better when it is done. Find a secondary stream of income. Your plan is the most important. Your needs are different than mine. Take these tools and make your road a little smoother. Remember to connect with me on Facebook or Twitter. Send me an email at ric@prepping101.com or leave a comment below.
