Sometimes not enough is enough
 

I just wanted to put this out there for all my fellow preppers. I have been stock piling supplies for quite awhile now, I have also had conversations with others whom are starting to see the signs and are getting themselves and their families prepared. At some point we have to look at the big picture. When is good enough good enough? It has been my tendency to put any extra money, above my bugeted expenses, into extra supplies. This has proven effective is getting what I feel is a reasonable amount of supplies. Could I buy more, yes, but it occured to me this morning. Am I neglecting living in my present situation to be ready for a future one? This SHTF scenerio is more likely than not, but by putting every extra resource I have into stockpiling I am not enjoying the present. Things we do in order to keep our families, what we believe to be safe, can rob them of experiences which may not be available in the near future. Once things go south, they are likely never to return to how they are. If your are relatively ready, which you will truely never be, think about this. The next time you have a few extra FRN's, take your kid to the zoo, or your wife out for a nice lobster diner.
In the end all we have are our memories and experiences.

Re: Sometimes not enough is enough
 

I think we all get to that point. You have to live your lives and enjoy it while we are here. You never know when it will end.

You can't just live in a cave waiting for the end. It may come a week from now, or never. I prep as much as I can, but all in moderation.

Re: Sometimes not enough is enough
 

My guess is there are many of us "prepping" but only a few are really living the semi or totally self sufficient rural lifestyle.

That being said. I just try and get what I think will be useful or hard to come by in the future.

I've got a bunch of stuff to make life more enjoyable or safer in the event of things going bad for a short time (a few months). Will I be able to survive the power and natural gas going out forever? Nope.

But look at Cuba. Bet the folks who stocked up on TP are sitting pretty comfortable right now. It's not the end of the world there but they are out of toilet paper.

Re: Sometimes not enough is enough
 

Maybe find a happy medium and spend some money on something you enjoy that could also be considered prepping.
Take some gardening classes. Build a greenhouse. Learn small engine repair. Maybe spend some time and money on stuff like that.
Many classes and materials are pretty cheap, some even free if you look around, and if you find something that you and the wife enjoy, it can become a hobby , as well as a source of some additional income maybe.
But I agree, don't completely cheap out on the wife and kids, take some money, and some time, and make sure they enjoy the present.
If you need a third wheel for the lobster dinner though , let me know.:biggrin:

Re: Sometimes not enough is enough
 

We met our goal of "prepping" and view it as an insurance policy only. Once we reached the level we were happy with, it became a normal "replace as you use" thing for us.

We continue to travel, treat ourselves to eating out and basically just living life. It's good to realize that TSMNHTF in our lifetime. No need to live in fear of the future.

Re: Sometimes not enough is enough
 

QWAK,It is NOT so much "WHAT" we DO as it is "WHY" we DO what we DO!:thinkey::yes::shine:

One must concider -- evaluate and JUDGE:yes: there own MOTIVES and the THINKING process:hahaha::thinkey::stupido2: because IT does make a HUGE difference in the total EQUASION!:yes::shine:

IF -- out of FEAR you are HORDING -- just for YOUR SELF and the ones YOU care about -- then YOU have a problem:yes: -- a built in FLAW as it were in your TOTAL EQUASION:yes: that will be AMPLIFIED over time and become OBVIOUS or should :wink: and IF IGNORED will result in DISASTER!:signs14::shine:

IF YOU are or have acumulated a reasnable stock pile which allows you some sence of SECURITY and YET continue to acumulate so that the growing STOCK PILE can and IS intended to SHARE with OTHERS then it is a GOOD (GOD) thing and the RESULT will be a GOOD (GOD) out come:yes: and YOU will have CONTRIBUTED positively to MAKING IT HAPPEN! :yes::yes::yes::shine:

Ponder on THAT one:wink: -- I have very often:thinkey: -- it is WHY I injoy SHARING so MUCH :yes: --- it helps me FEEL HAPPY!:yes::23_30_104::36_3_13:

BTW: When you feel GOOD (GOD) -- HAPPY :s1::shine: FEAR is minimised --- VIRTUALY -- non existent! :yes::36_3_13::shine:

PS: The "MIRICLE" of the fishes and loaves was ACOMPLISHED this way :yes: it was NOT MAGIC -- it was SHARING!!:yes::36_3_13::shine:

the DUCK :36_3_13::23_30_104::23_31_2::15_1_70v:

Re: Sometimes not enough is enough
 

I think you have answered your own question correctly. And it's an important question.

Re: Sometimes not enough is enough
 

I think you can do both, prep and still live your life to the best of your ability in the here and now. They don't cancel each other out. We strive for balance, preps, sure, to last us 10 years, hardly, maybe a year...but that's good enough, we have to live in the here and now...anything could happen between now and next week, next year, in 5 years, 10 years, etc.

Everyone is different in what it takes to feel secure in a changing environment, but that "feeling" of security is just that "a feeling" doesn't really mean you are secure in anything no matter how much you've prepped/planned/prepared.

You will always be challenged with unknown circumstances/events outside your control, your knowledge and how you react/deal with the situation is probably your best security.

Sometimes its not what you have, it's what you know....everything material can be taken from you, except your knowledge, and hopefully your health, with that, you can ALWAYS start over. Health/knowledge are as meaningful to survival as material preps.

Just my musings for the day.

Re: Sometimes not enough is enough
 

I think that the prepping steps I've taken have actually led to a happier, healthier life.

- Buying a bicycle to ride in anticipation of expensive fuel and actually riding it on a daily basis.

- Purchasing stores of food at the lowest prices when they are on sale and eating and rotating the stock.

- Accumulating whole grains, beans and rice and learning to cook wholesome meals.

- Starting a garden and growing my own peppers, peas and potatoes and either eating or canning them.

- Replacing the seals on my 25-year old Andersen casement windows and upgrading the insulation in my attic in anticipation of higher heating costs and actually reducing my heating and cooling expenses 30%.

- Buying a solar oven and learning to pasteurize water and cook food with solar energy.

- Storing gold and silver as insurance against a depreciating fiat dollar and sleeping soundly at night knowing I have real money.

The list goes on and on and on. But, I'm eating better at lower cost; I'm exercising more and improving my strength and endurance; I'm securing peace of mind. And I actually have more money to spend on movies and restaurant dinners because I've focused on buying preps at good prices and using them as I buy more.

Re: Sometimes not enough is enough
 

Damn I wish I would have put away a few more cases of corned beef when it was a buck a can!

Re: Sometimes not enough is enough
 

QWAK,"Breakfast in TEXAS":36_3_13: -- it brings back memories of "Little Buck and Lonsome Girl":36_3_13: and how LOVE can over come virtualy ALL DIFERENCES:yes: when "ALL is ONE":shine: is allowed to be the primary perception -- rather than "I am ONE":36_1_30::shine:


When FEAR is replaced by LOVE :thinkey:then TRUST becomes NORMAL and HATE and VIOLENCE virtualy UNTHINKABLE!:yes::36_3_13::shine:

the DUCK :36_3_13::15_1_70v:

Re: Sometimes not enough is enough
 

I can't tell whether you're agreeing with me or making fun. But the truth is my shelves are loaded down with corned beef that I bought in bulk at $2 a can. We're in no danger of running out before the next sale comes along. Same thing is true of Joy dish detergent. We buy it on sale at Meijer's when the 25 oz bottles are offered for $1 each. If you buy ten, the eleventh is free. I know I have at least 20 bottles on the shelf in the basement. And then there's the Campbells tomato and chicken noodle soup -- hundreds of cans purhased at 40 cents or less. Because we buy a lot when things are on sale, we never, ever have to consume them at the regular price. Always on sale is the way to go.

So my original point was that prepping was an economical and healthy way to live. And now I'm going to ride my bike over to PayLow and purchase 3 cans of VanCamps pork and beans for $1.98 and use a $1 coupon I have in my pocket. 33 cents a can isn't a bad price and the exercise is good for me. :emotions16:

Re: Sometimes not enough is enough
 

QWAK,FedUp;1861079,Perhaps concider THIS posability :thinkey::shine:

The ones who HAVE prepared and have FOOD and other abilities which they can SHARE ---:hahaha::thinkey: get the OPERTUNITY to PREFORM MIRICALS :shine:-- helping OTHERS and making it OBVIOUS that NO GOVERNMENT is NESSARY when people GOVERN them selves!:hahaha::thinkey::yes::36_3_13::shine:

When YOU shift POLARITY :wink: you gain the ADVANTAGE:yes: the RESISTENCE you were percieving/experiencing becomes POWER you can USE and DIRECT -- IF you have the WISDOM and KNOLAGE and CHOSE to use IT!:yes::shine:

When one is trained in hand to hand combat -- BIGER and STRONGER are over come by the SMALLER and more agile and using the aponents FORCE to take them down.:yes: It is a classic CONCEPT in and at virtualy all levels of reality.:yes::thinkey:

It is ALWAYS about FREE WILL and FREE CHOICE :yes: Your REALITY/LIFE is about what YOU chose to DO with IT both indivigualy and collectively:yes::thinkey: YOU can and DO change IT:yes: but MOST are UNAWAIR and have for EONS forgoten THAT TRUTH:dontknow: so SURENDERED them selves to be GOVERNED by OTHERS who are just as BLIND and unaware:yes::questionm:dontknow: as ALL the OTHERS they want/try to GOVERN!:thumb.aspx::10_1_19::confused_m:

You alter REALITY by HOW you CHOSE to RELATE to curent situations --- that sets up RESONENCE/HARMONICS that carry FORWARD in "TIME" so that what will be EXPERIENCED will be altered :thinkey: :yes::shine:

The TIDE/polarity is changing -- virtualy ALL GOVERNMENTS are in BIG TROUBLE as there FIAT CURRENCIES become WORTHLESS :yes: -- it is almost like ZERO GRAVITY and it will be AMASING what just a FIEW can DO! :yes::111::23_30_104::36_3_13:

Now THAT is somthing worth PONDERING ON!:wink::yes::shine:

the DUCK :36_3_13:

Re: Sometimes not enough is enough
 

Even a few months prep is infinitely better then none. Sure more would be nice but I think the main problem the unprepared are going to run into is that they will run out of the things they need before they have time to figure out how to adapt to there new situation. A few months prep is enough to give you time to think and find solutions to problems.

If you have the time and money to do more then great, but if not I wouldn't lose sleep over it.

Re: Sometimes not enough is enough
 

Make sure you eat well

Smile when you can

offer a kind word to others

But above all........

Just Breathe.