I totally agree, but want to encourage anyone who is a beginner or who is in financial straights and can't do too much prepping compared to others on this site, to take heart, do what you can and don't sweat too much about what you can't do. The Serenity Prayer from AA just popped into my mind which kind of sums it all up. You could google it if you're interested. (And no, I'm not an alcoholic, but I do have a few vices)

Anita posted a good article on the blog about low cost or no cost ways to prep.

Adding to Marthas thought, it isn't all what we put in place material wise either, being organized, learning skills, and fitness and health are all super ways to prepare yourself to be more resilient that do not have to involve buying much. All things I struggle with !

These posts are very heartening, thank you. I lost my job this year, live in an apartment with animals, and have very little savings but because I've been prepping for some time, am able to use my food/hygiene/medical stores to keep me and the cats going (conservatively) until the next job. There is a lesson here: the next disaster might not be a weather related storm; on the contrary, it will probably be a life altering event of the employment kind. Prepping is just common sense (or it should be).

Thanks!

I'm nowhere near prepared, but I'm still more prepared than the average person. I take it one day at a time. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming...

If you do not have a plan to survive: job loss, getting older and the medical issues that come with it, and a power outage/winter storm then you are not prepared at all no many how many NBC suits you put away, guns you own, or BDUs you own.

Many think prepping activities amount to paranoia. But it just makes sense. We have insurance policies on our life and health and home, so why not have "insurance" in the form of prepping for what's coming? Not everybody has the money it takes to do prepping on a major scale. It can be a very costly endeavor. But even if you buy some extra food supplies each time you go to the store, it does add up in time. Also, buy little bit here and there in the line of other emergency supplies to have on hand. Also, it was mentioned how important it is to be mentally and physically prepared. It doesn't hurt to pray either. Mind, body and soul folks. Keep them all strong and ready. And it's also critical to stay WELL informed! Be a critical thinker. Don't take everything at face value that the media is feeding you. We are only being "informed" in the most primary way and much of the news is not truth. So dig and research. Information can be your best weapon.

As paranoid as it looks to be always strengthening your position to redundancy in regard to general prepping , you really never know how many complicating facets there will be . For instance in Haiti the world rushed to their assistance and they have received aid . Who knows how that would have played out without that international aid. Now Haitians are looking at suing the U.N. because Nepalese aid workers introduced a strain of cholera that has been claiming lives in Haiti and as far as I understand it is poor hygiene at fault and people are spreading it as a result . No one foresaw this and while I am sure there have been attempts to improve the hygiene this still has had tragic consequences for Haitians . A few things that had me thinking, one being that you really have to foresee things like this, what if an earthquake here brought emergency disaster workers from Asia that had for some reason had last been in a region that introduces a new antibiotic resistant bacteria here or viral bird flu that could jump to people ? That certainly would be a wrinkle I would not have foreseen in an earthquake scenario . Another line of thought was , if you are going to sue people for helping you in a disaster , what if the day comes when the economic cost for whatever reason prohibits outside help from ever arriving? Look at Fukushima, not too many international experts want to put in time and money solving their debacle despite the facts its damaging consequences will eventually impact areas around the globe from one extent to another . I really don't think most people are truly ready , and even being aware , I certainly am not close to being ready .

http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/faultlines/2013/08/2013828102630903134.html

No one persone here is ready enough! It doesnt matter where your talent lies there is always more. Always better and more efficient. I of course am in the same boat. I hesitated to post here because I really do know nothing about systematic approaches ( except for the fact I dont like it ) I certainly dont have all my preps in order and the only thing I remember about a collapse was back in 06 and waking up under a small Japanese Maple in South Langley wondering how in the &%%& did I get here,... But seriously a thought has come to mind and maybe a good place for myself to start is, well,... with another list 😉 I could categorize and subcategorize areas of prepping concern and jot down what general things I have accomplished in all categories. Then afterwards I could assign,... say rating of 1-5 to each category, and then start to work on creating ballance accross the board. Might be a worthwhile place to start. I have invested more in certain areas and literally left others blank so for me I think its a good start with some foundation to a plan in progress.

Just thought I would share,...

Screed