Prepping and Going into Debt Those new to prepping may wonder how to amass all the necessary gear and foodstuffs when their paychecks are already stretched thin. In our society of instant gratification it may seem tempting to use the easy credit that many of us have access to. Preppers are not unlike the rest of society when it comes to the lure of using credit to get what we think we must have. But this kind of thinking can lead you into trouble. Many of the same attitudes that we have towards prepping can transfer over into our attitude towards accumulating needless debt. Below are some points that we all should take to heart not only when it comes to prepping but also to incurring needless debt as well.
Being prepared isn’t about having stuff. If you think that more stuff equates to being more prepared then you are mistaken. In an emergency situation, your survival won’t depend on how much gear you’ve managed to amass. In order to be properly prepared, you will need to purchase some gear and necessities. But don’t bring the faulty thinking of our consumerist society into your prepping mentality. In other words, don’t think you have to have every latest and greatest gadget on the market to be properly prepared. Stuff won’t save you. Your skills and mental attitude will be far more valuable than any thing you may have in your bug out bag.
It’s about sacrifice. Becoming debt free is an uncomfortable experience. It takes long term commitment and the ability to deny yourself things you want but don’t necessarily need. But these are two important qualities of the prepper lifestyle anyway. That being said, if you find yourself driving around in a vehicle that takes up a large portion of your monthly income, sell it for something more reasonable. If you pull out your credit card every time you go out to eat, stop going out to eat. These are the sort of sacrifices you should be willing to make to dig yourself out of debt. As you may already realize, until you have paid off your unnecessary debt don’t plan on making any large expenditures. In addition, you will need to temper your purchases of preps while paying off your debt. This is not to say you have to stop stocking up. You just have to go about it more sensibly. Instead of buying an expensive quantity of dehydrated name brand food, opt for several bags of rice and beans.
Tackle one problem at a time. You may be looking at your mountain of debt and seriously think there is no way to pay it down. As a whole, it may seem overwhelming. Instead, break it down into manageable chunks. This is exactly how you would handle any issues that come up in an emergency situation. To get started, focus on paying off one debt at a time. Look at your resources (in this case money) and determine how much you can realistically pay towards your debt. Then look at your expenditures and cut out the unnecessary purchases you make. This should hurt a bit. Remember, it’s about sacrifice. If paying off debt looks like more than you can take on yourself look online for help with debt relief.
Paying off debt is prepping. A key part of prepping is being independent enough so that when a disaster strikes you won’t have to rely on the goodness of others for the staples of life. So why be dependent on someone else now to provide you with credit for needless debt?
Author: Gale Newell
Gale Newell has spent the majority of her career in the banking industry and took an interest in prepping shortly after the economy collapsed in 2008. She specializes in the collection end of mortgages, and has seen more than her fair share of the results of too much debt.
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