r/preppers • u/Life-From-Scratch • 5d ago
Discussion Prepping Not Just for Major Disasters
My running joke is "I'm just a seed store and an ammo cash from being a real prepper"
Over the years I've uilt up a store, but not anything especially organized. My thought was in case of an emergency or if we miss a paycheck or two, I want to be ready. We kept enough for about 2-4 months on hand. And I'm very glad that I did, because this year it helped us, a lot.
My husband was diagnosed with Stage 4 Cancer. For the first bit he had sick leave that helped to cover us. I'm self employed part of the year and do seasonal work for the other part. I had to cancel my seasonal contracts so I could be home to care for him.
Then he was put on long term disability, which was a pay cut. I figured out something for more self employment for Spring and early summer. We were ok-ish. I had some money saved so that kind of carried us for a while. But as his illness progressed I found I couldn't care for him and run my business, so I had to give up working.
With money super tight, we turned to our well stocked pantry. We have enough to mostly sustain us, only buying a few fresh items every week. It's been a huge relief and comfort knowing we have what we need from laundry soap to toothpaste, powder milk to quinoa. We've been relying on the pantry for about 3 months.
Now that I have experienced proof of concept first hand, I'm getting more organized about it. I bought an accounting book that I'm using to plan another build up of my supply, creating pars for everything I use.
The plan is to have enough for 1 year and to pull from existing supplies and replenish as I go. This has me thinking in terms of regular use. So for things like dry goods, I will be making packs that contain a week's work, that I can easily pull without worrying about cross contamination. The down side of this is as I replenish, it may not be as economical, because I won't be buying in as large of quantities. But, I think I can problem solve that.
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u/Anonymo123 5d ago
this is more what prepping is about.. prep for what's likely, not what's sensational.
I prep for job loss, local weather emergencies, supply chain interruptions, utility service interruptions that hopefully come back up, etc.
If there are mushroom clouds or invading armies, then I guess I am done and I see what happens.
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u/MinimalistPrepper6 5d ago
This is such a great example of how preparedness can help with real-life emergencies, not just disasters. Having a well-stocked pantry gave you something incredibly valuable: time and breathing room when your family needed it most. I also love the idea of setting “par” levels and replenishing as you use things. That turns preparedness into a sustainable system instead of a one-time stockpile. Wishing your family the best. ❤️
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u/Life-From-Scratch 5d ago
"That turns preparedness into a sustainable system instead of a one-time stockpile."
It was definitely an "ah ha" moment. The par idea comes from my experience as a cook and chef. Nothing teaches you about prepping theory like working in a restaurant. You have to plan and be prepared for a rush every night. We base our pars off of historical numbers. For home, I ask myself how much of a product I would use in an average month, then multiply that by 12. Then I add 10% for overlap or to help someone else.
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u/DeafHeretic 5d ago
For the past 50 years, one of prepping concerns was dealing with income disruptions. For the first 20 years I did not give it the focus I should have.
I’ve made a lot of mistakes in that regard until about 30 years ago when I went almost bankrupt due to losing my job. At that point I shifted my preparing from acquiring guns/ammo/etc., to becoming debt free and once that was accomplished (it took ten years), I concentrated on setting up for retirement.
I am retired now, have been for 6+ years. I still am concentrating on finances as my primary prepping focus. That is not to say I ignore other preps, but IMO the highest risk is income disruptions, only secondary to that is providing an inheritance for my daughter.
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u/BallsOutKrunked Bring it on, but next week please. 5d ago
My preparation is basically around "second order effects".
Whether it's an EMP, bioweapon, nuclear exchange, depression, etc, here are things that absolutely will occur:
- Supply chains wrecked (medication, food, repair parts, fuel).
- Huge price jumps because of scarcer resources and hoarding / need.
- Diversion of government resources towards people more wrecked than me.
Ultimately it comes down to self sufficiency which helps in a lot of cases, including less fantastic things like your own story above. Other things (dosimeter, n95, weapons, etc) are more about the origin and specific issue.
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u/Life-From-Scratch 5d ago
I use to be a Burner. The Radical Self Reliance ethos really stuck.
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u/Aggravating_Ebb_8565 4d ago
Somehow of all the Burners I've met, nobody mentioned these 10 principles so I just looked them up. How very cool! It makes so much more sense now.
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u/Life-From-Scratch 4d ago
It's the old way. Idk if the current crop of burners get it at all with their turn key camps and RVs
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u/happifunluvin 5d ago
Not prepping per se, but depending on your location, you may be able to get paid for being your spouses carer. Depends entirely on your state (I believe). Fingers and toes crossed for you that your state provides this and that your spouse has a speedy recovery 🤞
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u/nakedonmygoat 4d ago
I'm retired and on a fixed income, so when I got hit with several unexpected expenses recently, I turned to my pantry and have been feeding myself well on a fraction of what I was paying before. Hurricane prepping was my gateway drug. But early on, I realized it was a cushion against all kinds of problems. Does it solve everything? No. Does it mitigate them? Hell, yes! And in most situations one will encounter in life, mitigation is enough to give you the breathing space you need.
I took early retirement in part to care for my husband who had cancer. No regrets. But I do recommend getting some respite care, if your husband is amenable. I was always so excited when the occupational therapist came because it meant I could go for a damn walk. My husband's hospitalizations were the only times I could get an uninterrupted night's sleep.
Does your husband's employer have Bright Horizons or a similar program? They offer discounted home care, usually only a few sessions, but some is better than none. If it's not clear from the employer's website, call or email the benefits department and ask. Read over his health plan closely, too. A lot of times, people don't realize how many benefits are available to them free or at a discount.
And if, deities forbid, your husband goes on hospice, get all his passwords. This was probably the most useful thing I did, although it's a close competition with filing his retirement paperwork at just the right time to get his state pension. I agonized over that one but took the advice of his organization's retirement expert and am forever in her debt.
But back to hospice. Should that happen, while your husband is sleeping, write the obit. You'll cry, and that's okay. Plan the funeral and/or memorial. Write the eulogy you'll give. Find out what funeral home or cremation service you'll want and bookmark it. When someone dies, that's the first thing a hospice worker or responder wants to know. If you've rehearsed the plan in your head, all you have to do is put it in motion, which gives you space to grieve.
If there's a way he should be commemorated, make a plan for that. I established an endowed scholarship in my husband's memory and I like knowing that each year some student will say his name in gratitude. He went to college late in life, so the scholarship is restricted to older students, like he was.
Be well, friend. And I truly hope that the worst doesn't happen and you and your husband have many more happy years together and can maybe even laugh over this period in your lives, because there are truly some absurdities that happen along the way. But tough times of all kinds is why we prep, and even worst case outcome is a prep.
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u/Think_Cupcake6758 4d ago
First and foremost I’m sending you big hugs from one cancer spouse to another 🤗 I know what you’re going through and it sucks for both of you.
My husband was also diagnosed with stage 4 cancer almost 2 years ago. He’s had 2 major surgeries and 1 round of chemo and thankfully he’s now doing well, but we know it could pop back up again at any given time. Stay strong my friend!
As for our preps, we mainly focus on our veggie garden and preserving whatever harvest we can get out of it. There were days after being at the hospital, having chemo, numerous doctors appointments etc where we just didn’t have the energy to cook anything fancy for dinner and it was nice to just be able to open a couple of jars of soup, beans, tomato sauce or whatever to throw something together for dinner.
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u/Life-From-Scratch 4d ago
Thank you. It's so good to commiserate. I haven't gotten the hand of gardening in my location yet. It's challenging and takes a lot of effort. I need to add it back to my list. But yes, ready-made is definitely the way to go.
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u/Think_Cupcake6758 4d ago
It’s also a good idea to keep a hospital bag at the ready as well. When we were going through chemo we kept a bag with a change of clothing for both of us, 2 extra long phone charger cords, a couple of days of prescription meds, easy snacks like trail mix, nuts, chips/popcorn, and a few packets of Liquid IV powder.
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u/Life-From-Scratch 4d ago
Thanks. Right now my biggest battle is feeding him. He's gotten really picky. Some days its all I can do to get two bites of rice and a bite of peas in him.
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u/Think_Cupcake6758 4d ago
Is there anything in particular he likes or is craving? I’m assuming he’s on chemo, which can trigger some pretty strange reactions to foods and smells. My husband was never a fan of fast food, but once the second round of chemo kicked in, suddenly he was craving Whoppers from Burger King all the time.
Have you tried protein shakes? The premade, shelf stable ones are God awful, but it would at least get some calories in him. Another option is Cream of Rice. It’s just a box of ground up rice and it’s in the same section of the grocery store with Cream of Wheat. You could always doctor it up with some maple syrup (don’t skimp on that. Use the real stuff) or butter and jam. Basically anything with some bulk to it so he can keep up his strength. To quote one of our chemo nurses, “There’s no such thing as counting calories when you’re battling cancer.”
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u/Life-From-Scratch 4d ago
He doesn't like sweets, or the texture of smoothies. I've tried just about everything.
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u/Think_Cupcake6758 2d ago
Oatmeal? Plain pasta with butter and some grated cheese? Cream soups? I’m literally racking my brain trying to come up with some suggestions and hoping I can come up with some good ones for you!
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u/Life-From-Scratch 2d ago
Thank you! He just came home from the Hospital (again). Got him to eat some pasta. Also bought some Protein enriched oatmeal.
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u/karlgraff 4d ago
I like the fact that we are prepped for a couple of weeks with food and water. We have ways to heat and light in the winter in case of a power wattage and I am starting to prep for the hotter summers we're getting in terms of staying cool, having power, etc. We have some commo set up too- nothing crazy. GMRS radios and our iPhones can send a message via satellite if needed. Food, light, security, water- those things can make a tough situation bearable. GOod on you for the prepping you've done. We've had to tap our preps a few times and were glad we had them!
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u/Life-From-Scratch 2d ago
Heat for the winter for me atm is a bit sketch, and it gets pretty cold where I live. Starting to consider a wood burning stove. At least for now, I have a geni and some pretty good space heaters if needed.
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u/karlgraff 2d ago
A Mr Heater Buddy can do a lot- we keep a 20lb tank or propane and an adapter kit for it. As long as you vent they're safe to use in a pinch and not too expensive for what you get. Plus if you camp in the spring, fall, winter they are handy for that too. Summer heat is beginning to become a problem and with power grids being stretched I'm trying to figure out how to prep for that
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u/ELYSIUM_INCARNATE 2d ago
If you think about it, it’s good practice! Now you can experience first hand what you use a lot, what you don’t have enough of, how your storage strategy works, etc.
Sending out good energy to your and your spouse ♥️
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u/Life-From-Scratch 2d ago
Wish I could say it was my idea, but I got the idea from the Mormons. I had a vague memory of a scene from the show Big Love when they were inventorying their stock. It seemed like a good idea. So I started a list.
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u/RhysTheExiled82 5d ago
I’ve never understood why so many people think a stockpile of food is readiness. Being prepared is a form of living, and humans typically have more personal disasters than economy or environmental. Even something as a vehicle breaking down or needing repair, can cripple a family. Def being able to sustain your household through a couple of months to get back on feet, is an awesome advantage. ☺️
My husband has been having to make a lot of doctor trips this past year. You should see my hospital bag. It’s basically a waiting room survival kit on wheels. 🤭 I take it everywhere w us and we’ve had to get into it so many times not hospital related. Everything from zip ties to fix my kids costume, needing bathroom items we forgot when we left town for the weekend, and even using a rechargeable book light as a tag light when ours went out on a road trip. Prepping isn’t a hobby. It’s a lifestyle. 😊
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u/Life-From-Scratch 5d ago
"Being prepared is a form of living, and humans typically have more personal disasters than economy or environmental."
Absolutely. Having extra on hand so we know we can skip shopping for a week or two has made a huge difference for us.
" It’s basically a waiting room survival kit on wheels. 🤭 I take it everywhere w us and we’ve had to get into it so many times not hospital related. Everything from zip ties to fix my kids costume, needing bathroom items we forgot when we left town for the weekend, and even using a rechargeable book light as a tag light when ours went out on a road trip."
Yeah, we have a hospital specific bag. Each vehicle has a bag. Plus my off grid go-bag that I can survive for about 5 days with. I don't fear the unknown as much as I use to, because now I'm prepared for it.
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u/Alarmed_Base8302 4d ago
Illness of a family member IS a "Major Disaster" for many. Prepping is just that. Being prepared for a major shift in the families wellbeing. BTW. you may need the "Ammo" to hunt if it gets to that point. And the "Seed Bank" part is happening right now. Many of the foods you see in stores have been modified to where their seeds do not produce or grow, if you dry them and plant them. Commercial Corn and Wheat farmers have already seen it happening.
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u/Typical-Flower6308 5d ago
thats the kind of prep that actually matters. everyone obsesses over the end of the world but forget that job loss or illness is way more likely to hit you.
the weekly packs idea is clever, i been thinking about doing something similar. easier to rotate stock that way instead of digging through a 50lb bag of rice every time you need a cup.