I am here to tell you that if something has been pulling at you to put a little, or even a lot, by for a rainy day you are not alone. I was raised with a preparedness lifestyle but is wasn't called that back then. My mom didn't work outside the home and my dad didn't make a huge amount of money so when something went on sale my mother stocked up on enough to last the family until the next time that item went on sale.
Today this kind of practicality is called the "prepper movement" and sometimes folks that feel they should be prepared for changes in their lives are thought of as being a bit strange. Well, we are not and I think the movement is getting to be more mainstream by the minute. There are various factors leading to this. You only need to turn on the TV or radio and listen to what is happening around the world with disasters, the economy and the declining quality of our food to know that things are changing fast and probably not for the better.
I don't want to get political here, that is not my focus. I just want more folks to see that being prepared for these changes is a practical thing. That doesn't mean that you should go out tomorrow and buy two dozen cases of MREs (meals ready to eat) and store them in the bunker that you are building. Now if you live in tornado alley a bunker might fall into the practical category but you know what I mean.
Becoming "prepared" is not something that happens overnight unless you just won the lottery. Most of us have to take it slow, buying a few extra canned goods each week as we build up our pantry. Keeping a eye out in the local bargain hunter or Craig's List to find a generator or a pressure canner or any number of things that are considered prepper items for a price we can afford. The funny thing is that it is far more practical to buy things that you would probably use occasionally even if there wasn't an emergency. A portable generator comes in really handy if you go camping or need to use power tools away from the reach of a grid tied outlet. We use our food stores everyday when we eat and it is replaced the next time we go shopping. I pressure can the vegetables from my garden every year.
Don't get carried away, make a plan, make a list, revise the list, take baby steps. Taking baby steps is a good way to move into anything new. Make sure you talk to your family about getting prepared and hopefully they will be on board too. If not it is a little harder but when something happens and what you have stored or put away for just such a need saves the day you may well get a few converts. Just don't say "I told you so", they already know that!!
