I’ve always thought that prepping was kind of wacky. I mean the stock yourself to the ceiling with water bottles, grow a secret garden, carry a gun at all times, and wait for the zombie apocalypse type prepping. I mean, c’mon, when are you really going to need all that?
But in recent years, I’ve begun to realize that prepping is not just for nutsos, and that preparing for emergencies- and even common inconveniences like power outages- is actually a very smart idea.
The first time we really “prepared” for anything was when we took a cross-country family road trip, and camped most of the way. You’d better believe we took extra water for crossing the desert, a first aid kit, extra non-perishable food, and many other supplies. But I never really thought of having an emergency bag of supplies at home.
However, home ownership opened my eyes to the value of preparedness. We have a lot of power outages in the winter, and being without heat and water in -30 degree temperatures isn’t any fun. Then there’s the middle of the summer when your well-pump dies and you are once again without water.
Okay, okay, maybe I should keep some water and some food that doesn’t require refrigeration, just in case. But what are the chances of a real emergency?
Then there was that time I was at a friend’s house- both of us pregnant and watching our toddlers- when we smelled burning and opened the curtains to see thick black smoke billowing outside. We grabbed our kids and called 911, choking as we ran to the car to get out quickly. The fire was from someone’s (rather irresponsible) burning that got out of control outside. Thankfully, the fire department got there before the flames spread to the nearby apartments.
But what if that fire had burned the entire home? Or worse, what if you lived in a region where forest fires forced you to leave your home? What if you had to evacuate because of flooding, like many who live just down the road from us had to do several years ago? And would you be ready if a serious natural disaster struck?
There are so many reasons to be prepared. While I don’t believe in living in fearfulness, I do think it is prudent to take small steps to be ready in case of emergency. We have lots of non-perishable food (I consider this a side benefit of preservation), tools, water bottles, and other supplies- but nothing is put together yet. While we are often thinking of being more self-sufficient, we aren’t always thinking of emergency preparedness.
Where does one start? A simple beginning step is to pack an emergency bag or a basic disaster supplies kit. Another step is to set up a communication plan with your family in case of emergency. You can find lots more information pertinent to your individual situation on Ready.gov.
Why prepare? Hopefully not because you live in paranoia, but because you want to be wise and care for yourself and your family. Emergencies can and do happen out of the blue. Having a plan and simple supplies ready to go can sometimes be a literal life-saver.
Since September is National Preparedness Month, Amazon is giving away a $100 gift card to help you jump start your emergency kit. You can enter to win here:
Be sure to check out Ready.gov for more emergency preparedness information!
I shared this but I don’t know if I got the 10 extra entries. How do I make sure I get those?
Unfortunately, since this is a group giveaway, I can’t access the Rafflecopter account to check your entries. I actually didn’t see that option on the entry form- maybe I’m missing it? Usually there’s a spot to click to confirm your entries on the form.
Thanks for hosting a great giveaway!