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I have always had an interest in survival planning and storage. My problem is how to my wife to participate and buy in?? plese let me know what worked for your wife significant other. I am especially interested in the women in the forums point of view, and how you came to your comfort level of preparing.
Thanks
Kman[Help]
One common tactic is to have them read One Second After or Lights Out. Let their imagination run with the worst case scenario so that their natural tendency to care for their family comes into play.
^^^This works!!!^^^Quote:
Originally Posted by dropped_71chevy
Get her hooked on smack. Then tell her if she wants a fix she is going have to let you go camping.
Mine is starting to come around. This may sound funny or go without saying but avoid any talk about zombies. Yes, we all know that there will never be zombies and that when we talk about zombies it's just an easy way to discuss TEOTWAWKI without describing a specific "event" that triggers it. I made this mistake once and she thought I was crazy. I wasn't being serious but it set me back a couple years in getting her on board. Every time I mentioned prepping she said "oh, in case we get zombies?" Truly what I'm worried about is economic collapse and a subsequent collapse of society. Far from zombies...
Anyway, assuming you are starting from ground zero, start slow. Start by working up to a few days supplies. Remind her what happens before hurricanes. The store shelves empty in mere hours. We have ALL seen that on the news. The same happens here, kind of...We're in Colorado so we can (and do) have winter storms that shut down everything for days. Stores simply don't open. So you should have enough food, water, batteries, light, warmth, extra fuel, etc. in case we do see a storm that big. The power can go out, the roads can be impassible. This a great time to ask for a kerosene heater. That's a bigger item but if your house is anything like mine it can't hold heat worth a ****. Turn your heat off right now and leave it off for this storm to simulate a power outage and I bet by Thursday she'll let you buy one.
What worked for me to get her interested in prepping for more than 3 days...I didn't even base it around an "event" at first. I made it about being frugal.
-Tell her it's a good idea to buy extra food when it's on sale so you save money. Who doesn't like saving money? Little by little...
-Make your food storage just a big pantry. You both will love having everything you need in the house and not having to run out to the store all the time.
-Discuss how the economy worries you and how everything costs more these days. Stock up now before it gets more expensive.
-More people get laid off everyday. You never know if you may be next so you want to prepare by buying food and supplies while you can. So if something does happen and you lose work your family will still be able to eat, etc. If you don't have a grocery bill then it will be easier to keep the roof over your head should jobs be hard to come by.
All these discussions will start to get her thinking about different scenarios and with only a little extra effort you can get her on board for full scale prepping.
And I'll leave it with this...I avoid focusing on doomsday stuff. That seems to get my wife to go the other direction. Leave your reasons for wanting to prep to "just in case of hard times", "to save money", "severe storm", "massive inflation", "economic depression" and the like. Hey, our grandparents did it and they certainly weren't worried about EMPs, mobs or looters. They just wanted to make sure they had everything they needed should they need it.
But if she does read the books mentioned and they scare her then you shouldn't have a problem.
My wife's growing paranoia about 2012 allowed me to buy a new Super Nova. A woman's imagination can go a LONG way.
Definitely avoid doomsday stuff, and talk of zombies also immediately makes her think you're not really serious "because everyone knows that's never really going to happen." Instead focus on being prepared for natural disaster.
Hurricane Katrina was what brought my wife around... she saw how all the stores closed, supply lines dried up, and anarchy ruled for a while. She was the one who decided it would be a good idea to have enough supplies stored so that we could hunker down here for an extended period of time. Of course I'd been socking in other things for years, and she was on board with that, but Katrina pushed her over the edge so to speak to become a full partner with me in the effort. Didn't take much explaining on my part of how fragile our nationwide power infrastructure is, or how simply the transportation infrastructure can be disrupted, for her to buy into it fully.
There's enough natural disasters in the news almost daily to use that as a starting point. Begin with a casual conversation and build on it from there as she gets used to the idea. Food and water wise, we started with only stocking up on the stuff we know we use all the time, then expanded into other supplies as time went on.
Hope this helps. Great topic. [Awesom]
Next time there is a major storm and the trucks cannot get in take her to the grocery store after the second day and see what's on the shelf. She will quickly see how reliant you are on the supermarket and quickly buy in to having some supplies on hand.
Buy a few MRE's and show her the little tobasco bottle in there. Then look at the package and say these things keep for three years on the shelf. "We should buy some just in case. And I like the taste of chicken flavored mac and cheese."
hahaha.. works for me on a 1966 Mercedes Diesel.. now I am trying to convince her that we need a mog.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bootifus
I guess I got lucky. I just started buying some things to have extra around the house in case of emergency. Next thing I know she's on a full blown prepper shopping spree every time she goes to the store and telling me I need more guns and ammo too. Now if I only had the funds to fully prep like I want to.
The canning and buying of many items mine never had an issue with. She did kind of raise her eyebrow a little when the #10 cans started showing up but when the trucks could not get to the springs for 3 days I took her to king soopers and showed here what was left.Quote:
Originally Posted by jhebrew
3 days and the store was 3/4 empty. No dary, no bread, shelf's empty of everything but auto supplies and air fresheners. She understands now.
A little at a time. Some items I may never use but we have on hand. The trick is to do what you can. Some big ticket items you have to save for or just keep looking.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rooskibar03
A few of my items I never thought about buying but they were so cheap I could not resist. Some things you can upgrade depending on the $$ amount. A couple of cheap lanterns for $20 then one day if you see a deal you may pick up an Aladdin and they are great in the winter because besides light they can heat your place as well.
Just some thoughts.
Our power went out this morning, yeah me and like everyone else on the front range. I was supposed to have medical procedure, but the hospitals power went off too. Well the power stayed off, and we ended up going home. But while we were there she suggested we should get a home generator. So maybe this will be a good place to start. But keep the suggestions coming in, because I REALLY appreciate them.
Mine is simple.. 5000w gen to switch to house box - 100amp breaker (or 50?) I don't remember.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kmanbay
Most of my family think I'm paranoid as it is. Then my wife and mother read One Second After. Ya, that did it.
Yep. Mine watched The Road and that was all it took. I haven't gotten her to read One Second After yet, but when she does, I'm sure she'll be locked in even tighter. I did get my parents to read One Second After though. I think that got my dad to start thinking a little as well.
Just do it. That's what I do. She knows who's boss.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jerrymrc
Yup, we used to live up in Edwards and it would almost get scary when 70 was closed and nothing could make it to the hills. It would only take hours to pick all the dairy, produce, meats, and bakery, after the second day all the water was gone along with everything else thats easy to cook, then after three days it was almost picked clean. All of that under a short-term, local shortage was enough to convince my wife.
The Road, I just read the story line in IMDB it is these kinds of things that will help too.
MB888 what kind did you get? I was thinking about a tri-fuel generator about the same size as yours, but I don't have any experience buying them. Mostly because propane/lpg lasts forever and doesn't gum, but gasoline may be more plentiful in a time of need. A high quality one that is usable with computers. I think it is called true-sine, but that about what I know about it.
Jackthewall81, Yes, she does want me to be the boss sometimes, but I think buy in in this case it is the better route.
I let mine keep her head in the sand. I'm plenty paranoid enough for the family.
I keep a 24 hour kit in the truck, a 72+hour Bug Out foot locker ready to go in the garage and the 30 day stockpile in the basement. I always add extra and pick up supplies as I find them or if I think I might need it.
It is a work in progress and it keeps my mind busy thinking of What If scenarios.
[AR15]
[Luck]
I don't have much knowledge on genset either. I was advised to get a gas generator by an oil pipe inspector who must live in the middle of nowhere in Alaska 4 months of the year. He suggested to keep your car, generator, emergency light (kerosene), stove fuel the same. I have few 55 gl drums in the shed out back. I am looking into whether I should store some gas and diesel (one of the cars) in larger quantity in them.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kmanbay
I am writing down all your names that promise no zombies... and when those foot dragging bastages show up.... oh I am going to be passing out the I told you so's then, count on that!!! [ROFL1][ROFL2][ROFL3]
[Help][Kick2][Kick2][Kick2][Kick2][Kick2][Kick2][Kick2][Kick2][Kick2][Kick2][Kick2]
You are too late.. there are herd of zombies in Denver downtown along with many major metropolitan nationwide trying to eat what's left of 1% of humanity.Quote:
Originally Posted by NitroxBoss
Um hum. So when did you stop beating your wife? Oh wait, you haven't. :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by jackthewall81
LOL!!! But they're worse than zombies... they're liberals! [ROFL1][LOL][ROFL2]Quote:
Originally Posted by MB888
LOL!!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by MB888
We rented "The Road" last night, but her respose was "this movie is depressing. We should watch one of the other ones."Quote:
Originally Posted by Irving
So maybe suggestions where preparedness makes a positive difference to a family? Heck, maybe with some romantic overtones.
You're just going to have to prep for her. Sounds like she isn't mentally prepared to even consider that as a possibility. Unfortunately, lots of people are like that.
My wife says to tell her that "The Road" was written by Danielle Steel.
LOLQuote:
Originally Posted by Irving
God, I wish Danielle Steele would write one of these.
The Road movie is not the way initiate the prep idea. Totally slow,depressing movie. You may try the book if she likes reading. I did the book first followed by the movie and I understand why the movie was kind of a flop to the non-prepper. Also a lot of the natural disasters that we've had lately to me are a great wake up call to prepping. Good Luck [Beer]Quote:
Originally Posted by Kmanbay
one second after allowed my wife to loosen her cobra clutch on our finances....now we have a year supply of food......and a decent amount of ammo
also start off just buying a couple of extra cans and some extra water everytime you go shopping...its adds up fast
I think I am close to getting her to read one second after. I told her I would read whatever book she wanted me to if she would read it.
So now I have to read a..... Romance novel... egads Nora Roberts. But it will be worth once she reads one second after. I told her, which is true, it is about a family and what a family will do to help one another out in a crisis.
Pick up Morgan's Cross by Nora Roberts and you'll get off easy!
Quote:
Originally Posted by cofi
This is the way that I started building up my food stock. Every time I went into a store I would buy an extra couple cans of food, or a pack of matches or lighters, or batteries, or propane bottles, etc.
Also, for a while with every paycheck I would go buy a box of ammo.
When I have the money that is something I get whenever I go to wally world.Quote:
Originally Posted by colocowboy01
Its up there with TP and hamburger.
Ya, me too... Unfortunately, I go there a lot and have to be careful I'm not working for ammo.[Coffee]Quote:
Originally Posted by DOC
Amen brother. I miss the days of $10 9mm 100 rd boxes, 550 rd 22lr for about $10 and 100 rd 40 s&w for $14, $15, $16.
Even then a $20 trip turns into a $100 trip and some explaining to do.