the frugal survivalist digest version 1 of 10- article 2 of 2 today

FRUGAL SURVIVALIST DIGEST VERSION part 1 of 10

Article 2 of 2 for today.

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INTRODUCTION

I wrote “The Frugal Survivalist” ten years ago.  Since then I’ve never stopped writing blogs, which served as a type of continuous update.  I wrote one book dedicated to updating this one, but in a completely different format approaching the subject from a different direction.  I think it is fitting to issue this update at the ten year mark.  Both because it is, well, ten years after all, and because time seems dreadfully short for us preppers and I’d like as wide an audience as possible to read this.  The original book still holds up surprisingly well for its age.  You just need to factor in inflation and adjust.  But this is for all the cheapskates out there who can’t throw an author a couple of bucks, yet far more importantly, for their friends and family who have no clue how cheap and easy it is to prepare.  In the end, all the money in the world is useless and I’ve proven to myself long ago that there is very little money in my writing.  So why not just disseminate this information as far and wide as possible and get some cosmic brownie points?  I’ve used the original books Table Of Contents, which is the only part not original to this digest version, and it might be a bit “off” at times.  Like “why prep”?  Isn’t that as obvious as can be.  Or, the gun section.  WAY out of date both in price and availability.  But, not only was it a handy way to sort out the information, it allows me to add the old copyright to this one.  I’m too clever by half.  I might be resigned to making very little money by writing but I’ll be double dog damned if I’m just giving up control of my property.

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WHY PREP?

Frankly, I can’t see how anyone can’t prep.  Not too long ago, we were all basking in the seductive glow of easy finances and credit, with gushing oil flows powering manufacturing from low labor cost China.  Now, it has all gone to hell and showing signs of getting worse every day.  If you aren’t worried, you aren’t paying attention.  If you only watch the mainstream media you have an extremely distorted view of life.  Only glittery unicorn farts and frolicking puppies are allowed to appear on the mega-corporation owned media.  And the media owners want you very happy and ignorant and showing up for work every day.  And what if me and “my kind” are far too paranoid and cynical and gun happy?  What if nothing ever goes wrong and we are just paranoid nut-jobs?  So?  What if we are?  You don’t think an insurance policy for your family is worth a ( very ) few bucks?

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INSURANCE POLICY

When one sides declares All Is Well, and the other screams out that The End Is Nigh, I’m not sure why you feel you must takes sides.  Even if you think everything will work out satisfactorily, having a minimalist survival stash is nothing more than an insurance policy.  One that if you never use cost you very little but one that if you need it will be invaluable.  You don’t have to read all the Fear Porn Prepper Fiction to have a small knot in your gut that all is not as well as they claim.  Speaking of post-apocalypse novels, the best part of the book “One Second After” was when the main character laments ( after members of his family die ) that if he had just had ONE bag of flour, the lack of food would have been far less tragic.  What does one bag of flour cost you?  $8.  And it is almost a months worth of emergency food.  Not great food, not very nutritious food but a bare minimum of calories.  Isn’t knowing you and your family can stay alive another thirty day worth $8 for each one?  Put in that context, prepping insurance is dirt cheap.  NOT having it is beyond silly.

 

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TRADITIONAL PREPS ARE EXPENSIVE

Reading almost anything else I’ve published will underline my continued disgust and frustration at most preparedness or survivalist “experts” whose only solution to anything is to throw money at the problem, in the form of products that are advertised on the site they inhabit. 

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Nobody likes to labor for free, something most readers now expect of authors, but being a pimp for overpriced unnecessary survival tools is a sad way to see a paycheck.  And, frankly, you can’t avoid a bias towards whoever is paying you.  Just as you don’t ask a barber if you need a haircut, don’t ask an expert with ads on their site what tools you need ( some ads such as from Google are immune to this bias ).  Yet, I have to admit that despite my ideological differences we are all here trying to do the same thing which is to help people out.  Some folks just want to get paid, but most started out trying to help their fellows in the process.  I just think the best way to help folks is to point out how little money you need to prepare.  Anybody can give you a list of expensive tools to procure to survive.  I’d like you to prep NOW, immediately, just in case the collapse doesn’t go by anyone’s schedule.  By all means, later on add to the bare minimum with every expensive toy you can find, if that is your pleasure.  But be prepared first, with the cheapest.  Because none of us are rich.  Even if we are high income, we are discretionary funds poor. 

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Becoming a frugal survivalist is easy and inexpensive.  It isn’t forty acres in the country, concrete bunker, cases of MRE, semi-automatic arsenal expensive.  It is less than one months minimum wage.  It is bare-bones.  It is Better Than Nothing.  And for most of us, all we can afford.  And it could be a life saver.

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