Should I do any kind of prepper stuff? Single mom

[Anonymous]

During a conversation the other night, I found out that basically all my friends (with husbands) have firearms, a safety plan, some kind of food and cash stores and go bags. Is this what everyone is really doing? I was shocked as these are not what I would have thought of as “gun” people.

I have an alarm system, go to the atm like once a year, have the typical kid Costco lunch snacks in the pantry and usually some basic groceries. I don’t really cook. Definitely do not have any firearms!

Can someone tell me what I should realistically put together? If you have “go bags” how frequently do you refresh them? (Just thinking kids sizes etc). What else should I be doing in case this Iran thing blows up, no pun intended.

Also, I live in the close in VA suburbs if that matters.

[Anonymous]

My 2 cents for you and your kids -

- Save money. Contribute to your retirement fund. Make sure that you contribute to get the full employer match.
- Declutter and sell off anything that you don't need in your house. Don't buy stuff.
- Learn to cook healthy and simple meals from scratch. Teach your kids too.
- Have a budget. Track every cent of your money.
- Exercise every day. Lose extra weight. Walk. Meditate.
- Drink lots of water.
- Wear sunscreen.
- Brush your teeth and do salt water gargle/rinse after every meal
- Wear a mask when going to a crowded public place where it does not matter if someone does not see your face - movies, public transportation, grocery stores, drs. office etc.
- Get timely vaccines and have your medical records on hand.
- Get all your medical annual checkups and appointments covered by insurance etc - in the first two months of the year.
- Get your vision checked. If you are eligible to get free eyeglasses covered by insurance, get it every year.
- Supplement your kids education yourself and keep a close eye on their schooling
- Be up to date with home and car maintenance.
- Have good home security.
- Don't let your kids be on social media. Educate yourself about screen addiction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 2 cents for you and your kids -

- Save money. Contribute to your retirement fund. Make sure that you contribute to get the full employer match.
- Declutter and sell off anything that you don't need in your house. Don't buy stuff.
- Learn to cook healthy and simple meals from scratch. Teach your kids too.
- Have a budget. Track every cent of your money.
- Exercise every day. Lose extra weight. Walk. Meditate.
- Drink lots of water.
- Wear sunscreen.
- Brush your teeth and do salt water gargle/rinse after every meal
- Wear a mask when going to a crowded public place where it does not matter if someone does not see your face - movies, public transportation, grocery stores, drs. office etc.
- Get timely vaccines and have your medical records on hand.
- Get all your medical annual checkups and appointments covered by insurance etc - in the first two months of the year.
- Get your vision checked. If you are eligible to get free eyeglasses covered by insurance, get it every year.
- Supplement your kids education yourself and keep a close eye on their schooling
- Be up to date with home and car maintenance.
- Have good home security.
- Don't let your kids be on social media. Educate yourself about screen addiction.

Seriously. If society collapses where are they going to go?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 2 cents for you and your kids -

- Save money. Contribute to your retirement fund. Make sure that you contribute to get the full employer match.
- Declutter and sell off anything that you don't need in your house. Don't buy stuff.
- Learn to cook healthy and simple meals from scratch. Teach your kids too.
- Have a budget. Track every cent of your money.
- Exercise every day. Lose extra weight. Walk. Meditate.
- Drink lots of water.
- Wear sunscreen.
- Brush your teeth and do salt water gargle/rinse after every meal
- Wear a mask when going to a crowded public place where it does not matter if someone does not see your face - movies, public transportation, grocery stores, drs. office etc.
- Get timely vaccines and have your medical records on hand.
- Get all your medical annual checkups and appointments covered by insurance etc - in the first two months of the year.
- Get your vision checked. If you are eligible to get free eyeglasses covered by insurance, get it every year.
- Supplement your kids education yourself and keep a close eye on their schooling
- Be up to date with home and car maintenance.
- Have good home security.
- Don't let your kids be on social media. Educate yourself about screen addiction.

Seriously. If society collapses where are they going to go?

🎶 Nowhere!!🎵

[Anonymous]

I think the odds are highest for a power/water outage, so having at least a week of food that doesn't need cooking and water to shelter in place is a good idea.

Basic first aid and any critical medications.

Keep the gas tank over half full.
Have bicycles.

In any kind of nuclear event we're all pretty screwed. Probably better to die quickly.

[Anonymous]

Having a gun and not knowing how to use it (which requires more than a couple classes/time at the range) you should absolutely not have a gun.

It's always a good idea to have some extra gas, food, and water. You never know when a basic natural disaster can hit. But PP has a good list. It's more about setting yourself and family up for success in a normal future. Let's be real, if what happens that they are planning for actually happens, it's not going to matter much. Where do they plan to go with their "to go bag". Unless you have a place not in a major city and are somehow able to get out before it gets bad, you're screwed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the odds are highest for a power/water outage, so having at least a week of food that doesn't need cooking and water to shelter in place is a good idea.

Basic first aid and any critical medications.

Keep the gas tank over half full.
Have bicycles.

In any kind of nuclear event we're all pretty screwed. Probably better to die quickly.

Yes to your last point. I have absolutely ZERO desire to try to survive in a post apocalyptic world.

[Anonymous]

Most important is water. I would also have a few days of food (like canned vegetables, tuna, etc). And some cash in case the internet goes down.

(NO gun. That outside your children at risk)

[Anonymous]

We have the following as an emergency kit.

Case of water
Flashlights and batteries.
Case of granola bars
Cash
first aid kit

[Anonymous]

I'm lazy. I got a big bottle of water.

I can walk to a grocery store. Even in 2 feet of snow. So I'm not hoarding food. Even in a regional blackout, things worked out for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The prepper stuff that we all need to do is not the nuclear war scenario or zombie apocalypse.

We all need to prep for job losses, electric grid loss, sewage back-ups, forest fires, contaminated water, supply chain shut downs, lack of essential medicines etc. And it cannot be a nervous panic reaction. You have to take very normal measured steps that you should have taken like every other person around the world for normal living. Ask these questions.

What happens if you lose your job? How on-track are your finances?
- Track your expenses. What are your real pared-down expenses to live on per month.
- Have an emergency fund. Save for 6 months of real expenses.
- Live a frugal life now. Sell off things in your home that you are hoarding.
- Have a budget and stick to it.
- Contribute to your retirement to get the full employer match.
- Save for your kids's college. Have your kids, parents, siblings etc...move in with you to save money.
- Can you start some side gigs (dog walking, doing laundry for other people, tutoring) to make more money?
- Keep a track of your credit reports. You are more likely to get scammed or your credit card compromised, or identity theft happen to you, than a war.
- Yes, keep some cash on hand, just incase you are unable to get to cash. Maybe $500.

What happens if you can't get to health services? In case of war, pandemic, natural disaster, unemployment or unaffordability?
- Keep healthy through your own efforts. Don't drink, smoke, vape, or do drugs. Exercise. Eat healthy organic foods. Eat a lot of greens. Exercise. Drink a lot of water. Mediate. Do yoga. Sleep well.
- Wear helmets when riding a cycle, scooter, or motorcycle. Wear seatbelts in cars. Check for lead in your paints and pipes.
- Be up-to date with all the booster shots and diagnostics that are covered by insurance. Same for your kids too.
- Do a health makeover through diet, exercise etc so that you are off prescription drugs for BP, Diabetes, Cholesterol. Cure yourself. End your dependency on drugs.
- Have natural remedies on hand - ginger tea, turmeric milk, manuka honey etc.
- Make sure that you wear masks when outside in public places
- Maintain dental hygiene and health, strengthen your muscles, improve your balance. Get your eyes checked.

What happens if schools closes or it is remote learning again?
- Be an involved parent. Be aware of the syllabus and where your kid stands. Buy second hand textbooks and start supplementing at home now. Make sure that your kids are preparing for an admission cycle that will be highly competitive. Get them in the habit of being good students.
- Get tutors if you can afford it so that your kid is not lagging behind.

What happens if sewage backs up in your home?
- I don't know. The sewage is still spilling in Potomac. This can happen and has been happening around DMV. Sorry if I gave you a new nightmare.

How to save your house from catching fire? Or water leaks? Or flooding. Or CO poisoning.
- Change batteries in all smoke alarms. Have working Carbon Monoxide alarms with fresh batteries. Keep the drains flowing to your sump pump clean. Winterize your pipes. Have fire extinguishers that are easy to use. Clean your dryer vents periodically. Clean your exhaust hood filter. Have water leakage alarms. Get regular maintenance of your home, yard and vehicles done.

How to protect your home from burglary
- Don't have valuables. Don't be flashy.
- Have good lights around your house.
- A good alarm system. Make sure that your doors and windows are secure.
- CCTV or ring monitoring. In and outside your home.
- Be aware of your surroundings.

Where to get your news
- Reuters and AP.

What happens if there is a chance of no electricity, no food, no water and no toilet paper.
- Have a manual can-opener, manual clock, match boxes, normal stand-alone battery operated transistor, flashlights, candles, first aid kit, masks.
- Get a hand held shower attached to the toilet to mitigate the risk of no toilet paper.
- Always fill a tub with water if an extreme weather event is predicted that can disrupt water supply. Keep some drinking water at home.
- Cans of food that you can eat and survive. No more than 2 weeks worth of food.

Unless you have a fortified bunker filled with food and that can withstand a nuclear blast, or a spacecraft that takes you to Mars, there is nothing more you can do.

Mitigate normal situations that you are most likely to encounter in daily life that can do you more harm. Don't worry about nuclear war. The more functional you are in peacetime, the more likely you will survive in war.

AI slop ^^^

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have the following as an emergency kit.

Case of water
Flashlights and batteries.
Case of granola bars
Cash
first aid kit

I always see cash listed. Is that because you didn't list toilet paper? If there's no power, the stores will not open. If society collapses, cash can be used to start fires.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have the following as an emergency kit.

Case of water
Flashlights and batteries.
Case of granola bars
Cash
first aid kit

I always see cash listed. Is that because you didn't list toilet paper? If there's no power, the stores will not open. If society collapses, cash can be used to start fires.

Oh please. There are plenty of plausible scenarios where people - whether your neighbors or the employees of a store - would take cash for groceries. Including power outages at the store, as they often have enough power to stay minimally open and will need to move perishables.

Everybody online wants to plan for social collapse, but can't seem to imagine a major weather event with severe short-term effects.

[Anonymous]

You need a plan for how your family would reunite if something happened while you were at work. Who are safe adults, how would everybody get in touch, and where would you meet if home was not an option? Assume cell service is down.

You should have important documents in one place with some cash, and recent photos of each of you in case you need to show police. Keep gas in the car, refill prescriptions early so you're not in a tight spot.

In the winter, bring coats and shoes in the car when you go somewhere, in case you get stuck (even if the kids aren't wearing them). If you normally drive in flip-flops or heels, keep sneakers and socks in the car in case you need to walk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have the following as an emergency kit.

Case of water
Flashlights and batteries.
Case of granola bars
Cash
first aid kit

I always see cash listed. Is that because you didn't list toilet paper? If there's no power, the stores will not open. If society collapses, cash can be used to start fires.

Oh please. There are plenty of plausible scenarios where people - whether your neighbors or the employees of a store - would take cash for groceries. Including power outages at the store, as they often have enough power to stay minimally open and will need to move perishables.

Everybody online wants to plan for social collapse, but can't seem to imagine a major weather event with severe short-term effects.

We had a three day power outage a few years ago. Safeway turned away people because only the freezers were on the backup generators. The tellers can't make change without a machine.