I have been seriously prepping for about five years. Prior to that, I lived in town and felt frustrated and alittle anxious about the whole getting prepped thing! Then I talked my family into moving into the country. It has been an awesome experience! Aside from beans, bullets and band aids, I am huge on learning homesteading techniques. In the last five years, I have raised my own chickens and goats. We have been learning all about gardening in the area. We now know how to built log buildings and furniture. Extending my skills in hunting, fishing, and more medicinal plant knowledge are this years journey. I've always been into firearms and self defense, but have recently included a bow. It is true, people need to load up on food and other goods, but even more important is that you gain some of the skills/knowledge our grandparents used everyday. These are skills others look at as useful, AND...enjoy your journey. It is challenging, rewarding, exciting and enjoyable. The only thing that still nags at me, is that some friends and family have not woken up themselves. If nothing goes down....I have skills and a life style, I likely would never have experienced, that I have come to love! If the poop hits the fan...I've built a nice barrier between me and the fan.

I also wanted to add that... Since we started communicating more about our prepping interests, we have met wonderful, skillful and helpful people that were once strangers and are now like family. So...opening up to other people who are of the same thinking about preparing has given us positives all around! When I started 'prepping', i felt like I was alone in my concerns. As years went along, it became more apparent that I was not alone! Many people feel the urgency! Many people feel unsettled! Following my intuitive self has never steered me wrong before, but sometimes you feel you may be over reacting or paranoid-so you ignore that feeling for a while longer. It's not until you meet another person who believes in preparedness, that you get some relief. It is a great feeling to be able to talk openly about a subject that nags on your mind-like preparedness. Yes, I still have family, friends that roll their eyes at the subject. You cannot change that-don't waste your energy. But if you have even one buddy you can share ideas with-it's quite something! I'm not a forum/on line kind of gal-don't typically have that much extra time. But this site showed me that I'm not alone in my concerns and that helped me out when I found myself surrounded by people rolling their eyes. 🙄

Well put Dakota. I too have met some of the nicest people on this board and for that I am thankful. Being able to relate to people with the same interests/concerns has made huge difference in my life.

I no longer live payday to payday, after some widespread severe flood events here a few years back when basic services were disrupted eg groceries being delivered - I am a housebound disabled pensioner.. roads were cut all over the place, power was out in areas for days and I realised I didn't want any of my family to have to risk themselves to help me. I started buying better and more food, less instant stuff and more fresh and canned etc. I have about 3 months worth of food and about 6 weeks of water, I have plenty of 1st aid, vitamins, hygiene, lighting, ways to cook without power and ways to power electronic devices.

I even have gotten my elderly also disabled parents mildly prepping.. they are well covered for up to a week at minimum.

I have a small cash reserve and my tiny little apartment is set up to make things as easy as possible for me, I even have ways to cool in the summer without power.

My life has been a small series of near misses ( Huricane George, Florida 1998; tofino tsunami 2013 - the almost disaster that never made landfall but scared the proverbial out of me). My old headmistress had a saying "third time pays for all" which, in my case would be " you got away with a Huricane and a tsunami but guess what - the next one's gonna be a doozy!"
I started in 2012 ( doomsday approaching) making ALL of the classic mistakes. I bought cans and cans of crapola that none of us eat. Picked up radios that we don't know how to operate. Went camping with all the luxuries of modern day. I feel your eyes rolling.
Now, today, I am a great deal more confident in my skills ( gardening, canning, dehydrating). The Dh has a wonderful assortment of hunting, fishing, crabbing paraphernalia (best prep - PAL and CORSE licence).
I make lip balm and bath salts, soap and shampoo (still in hobby mode as yet though). I can knit square patches and sew two bits of cloth together. Basics!
I focus on raising two kids and working not on potential disasters which makes me less stressed but if I didn't have that little stockpile ( which will get me to a growing season) I wouldn be half as calm as I currently am.

Yes I joined up last year about his time last year,and have made some in my life.some prepping,but mostly reading to gain knowledge and skills.This things I hope to bring into more as I learn,because their's so to learn. The past has brought here and now,we have have learn about the things that got us through them.Renvent things,cope with out things.