Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Better Late Than Never (part 1)



For anyone who has looked upward at a darkening sky, warily watched its swirling emerald-green storm clouds and wondered if they should be heading to the basement...right...about...now...this blog is for you.
After years in the emergency management field and just as many years preaching to family, friends and startled strangers, I realized that most people resist being prepared simply because they don't know where to begin.
If you’re like millions of others and an emergency happened right now, you might be able to grab two tins of tuna, a flashlight with questionable batteries and a candle that you got for Christmas.  It’s okay.  Between juggling the kids, the job and the mortgage, disaster preparedness is not high on your “to do” list.  I understand.
And, yet, here you are.  Reading and thinking about preparedness, perhaps for the first time ever.  Maybe, it was a disaster close to home or an extreme weather event that inspired you to start preparing.  Whatever it was, I’m glad you’re willing to learn what to do to protect you and your family.
I’m also happy to see that you have an open mind.  As one Twitter follower noted “a few bad preppers have made the rest of us look like loonies.”  I assure you that being prepared is far more common than most realize (three million Americans and counting) and, by far, the majority of preppers are average people who just want to take care of their loved ones in an emergency. 

If it makes you feel any better, your government actually wants you to be prepared and has devoted many resources and websites into teaching people how to do that.  But, in my opinion, the missing piece is money.  I spent nearly $10,000 on my emergency supplies and, along the way, I realized that, with a little effort, I could have done almost all of it for free. 
If you choose to subscribe to this blog (and I hope you will), you'll soon understand why and how every family should be prepared for unexpected incidents and emergencies.  You'll also learn how to assess the risks in your area and decide on how far you want to go with your preparedness plans.  You can do as little or as much as you feel comfortable with.
I'll walk you through the types of things you'll need and how to get them without touching your hard-earned cash.  You'll gain insight into the best gear out there and why savvy preppers covet it.  Before you know it, you'll be creating a household emergency kit, a car kit and kits for Fido and Kitty as well.  If you want to go further, we'll be using the same tips and tricks to create bug-out bags and long-term supplies.
Granted, prepping for free takes a little longer but the end result is exactly the same.  By the time you’re done, you should be ready to cope with anything that comes your way and your budget will never notice anything amiss.
Ultimately, you'll sleep better knowing your family is prepared, you'll be more self-reliant and your neighbors will be impressed.  Let's face it, their emergency supplies probably consist of breath mints and dog biscuits.


Thanks for reading,
Nancy

Don't forget to subscribe to this blog or you can follow it by providing your email address.  Also, please feel free to follow my Twitter feed @Plan_Prep_Live  and like my Facebook company page, both of which cover disaster incidents around the world.  And, if we haven't already connected, then here's my LinkedIn profile. 


© Copyright 2015 Nancy Argyle
 

2 comments:

  1. "Startled strangers..." Been there. Done that to them. Hopefully, prep-minded people will multiply as the word is spread. Following this blog. Have at it, Nancy!

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    1. Like you, I'd love to see more people interested in preparing for emergencies. From neighbors to work colleagues to family and friends, the dialogue is essential.

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