what is a good job for a prepper?

Hi NDN,

This is an interesting question. I think that ideally, your prepper job should be able to pay you more than minimum wage. Working at either Walmart or sporting stores can get you benefits like 10% discounts, but this benefit will be hindered by the buying power you would have as a minimum wage earner. What I mean is that if you make $18,000 / yr working at these stores, the 10% off for prepping is not worth it if you could make $30,000 elsewhere.

If you are serious about prepping, I think that being self employed, with a solid trade qualification (carpenter, welder, etc) would be ideal. You get to work your own schedule, chose your salary and in a serious post SHTF event, you would have a very good barterable expertise.

good advice to get a trade.There is such a shortage of men/women who can work with there hands(I know)

you guys are funny, talking about working in a grocery store so you can get the 10% discount. LOL
Get a real job, Get a trade so you have some real skills when your stuck and you need to build a shelter and actually survive. Or you can barter your skills to others for trade. Knowing how to use basic tools is an absolute must. I ve met people who have never used a hammer, its friggin sad.

LOL,you hit the nail on the head!!When I was a kid,getting an apprenticeship was like winning the lottery,now kids think a trade is a meanial low paying end of the line job.Get A TRADE,during the dirty 30s,unemployment was 25% in north America.What a lot of people don't know,is that stat does not include skilled trades

Ya,work takes a lot of time(I just got home)lol.Heres an idea Ive been kicking around.Choose a trade or any occupation that will get you into a flyin/out situation.Oilfields,mines,ect...In Bc and alberta,this usually means that companies have a lot of different pickup points.One company I looked into flys out of,Van,Kelowna,Naniamo,Edmonton,and Calgary.What I'm getting at is you can live in your chosen location and build it up for half the time(all the time).Your only at a 50% chance of being away from your retreat if things go bad.I know if I lived in a large urban area(I don't),that would appeal to me.Finally,to the young fellow who started this excellent topic,I have 4 trades so I have one final piece of advice for you.Pick a trade where joe public isn't paying you,cause we all want a good deal,lol.And to the wornout ambulance attendant,you are more valuable then you give yourself credit for.Every bone in my body hurts too,but my asset is what I know,not how fast I get it done.Thats what puts me in demand now.Strange world when there are so few people who can do things with there hands and minds.

I'd like to

Medical cannabis....retired at 35 yo, this paved the way for much much prepping. Land, supplies, and gardening experience covered! Also always a great bartering commodity and skill to have.
I also recommend bee keeping as it can be very very financially rewarding as well as for bartering in future times....

But to balance that, I hope you have a big wall/fence/doc, etc . There would be lots of people looking for a fix when their stash runs out when the SHTF. And trust me, they know you're there:). Juicier looting targets would be harder to find!

Been nodding my head yes, yes to most of what knuckle has stated the last two pages!!! Well...to me and my spouse our jobs allow us to do what we really enjoy! Free time on the farm, prepping, preparing the place for friends and family.
We both work in employment that gives us a unique view of the under belly of society. I've dealt with a lot of death with medicals and suicides (that sort of thing) but I (luckily) haven't had to deal with having to take a life. My spouse unfortunately has! Anyone who said it would be easy-is talking out their butt!!! Your doing yourself an injustice not preparing yourself with an understanding that you will be affected when taking a life! If/when you are faced with such an event-what will you do/how will you DEAL with it!! Cause guess what...you will have to deal with it, and how you DEAL is different for everyone. I really have nothing more to say about that topic-as it is something people won't understand til their IN it.

So, more to point...we work so we can do what we really enjoy. Ours are not bad jobs, as far as jobs go. We get into our uniforms and go to work. We don't live for our jobs, but we work with a lot of people who think that's all there is! We understand it's a means to an end. We work to live, not live to work! We work to get money, benefits, pension, training. We also learn a lot about people in our field-and yes we're likely jaded because if it. We take advantage of the training through our employment and further invested our personal time to hoan those skills to be advantageous to our group. The JOB gives us the money, time, flexibility to be able to prep. Any job you love-should be your first choice. But if you don't love it-make it work for you!

Reading all the posts from the beginning I just keep thinking if you want to learn all the skills you will need to survive in a SHTF situation, perhaps you should consider apprenticing yourself to a farmer or just jump in on the deep end and work with youtube and people like those on this site. You will learn all the skills and trades you would need. Carpentry, welding, plumbing, animal husbandry, food production, prep and preserving, and harvesting animals, to put it politely; and, on top of all of that, a little medical learning too for every hammered thumb, cow-kicked leg or worse. Although I grew up primarily in cities, I had the great good fortune to have god-parents and a couple of other relatives who have/had farms. Even as a young girl visiting the farm, I learned how to deal with animals and use a hammer on a roof without getting killed. If you are young and have the time, it couldn't hurt to spend one year working on a farm. Oh an one more thing, all the stuff I found irritating when young (like weeding the garden) I now find it is my zen time just sitting on the ground enjoying nature and, literally, the fruits and vegetables of my labours. Just an idea!

I would second Ravencats views in that you just need to get out and do it. We have started up treks and overnighters to meet others. We have talked about what would be best and most prudent to start with as far as systematically taking the reigns on the future but by and large you just need to go out and start the vision. For some it may be furthering your supplies in a rural setting along with an escape plan but then what? You really need to know how to hold your own and that comes in many many forms. For some it may be people management/lead hand skills. For others it may be repair/design/manufacture skills. Some will be leaning towards medical abilities while others will revolve around security and OPSEC. Lots have gardening skills yet others have communication skills. All of this mimics the real world for me and I mean that by saying it really doesnt matter what you do as long as you do it well. Nobody likes a talker that cant walk the walk so do what your good at then do it BETTER. This is how you will solidify yourself and your skills in a group setting.You can have all the ambition in the world but if you dont have a plan in what and HOW you can move forward your really only spinning your wheels. Dont get me wrong we all spin a bit but its the focus that will reap the rewards.

Getting a job or even volunteering in the emergency services would be my best suggestion. As a firefighter I have learned many skills that I could use in a time of emergency.

Look into joining your local search and rescue group as well. Even if you are working at a grocery store at least you are involved, maybe in the future you could make it a career.