How to start prepping?

[Jakejekel]

ok, first off, HI! i'm new here.
now, i have a question for you guys that i have been trying to figure out for a couple of months now..... how do i begin prepping for S.H.T.F.?
i live in rhode island, (i know, rhode island? which ocean is that? it's not, it's a state.) so i live in an area with a lot of city, with my 4 year old, special needs son and my wife who thinks i'm nuts. i have no job (am looking..... for forever now it seems) and i want to find a way to at least begin preperations for a possable teotwawki situation..... anyone have any advice?

 

[MorelCabin]

ok, first off, HI! i'm new here.
now, i have a question for you guys that i have been trying to figure out for a couple of months now..... how do i begin prepping for S.H.T.F.?
i live in rhode island, (i know, rhode island? which ocean is that? it's not, it's a state.) so i live in an area with a lot of city, with my 4 year old, special needs son and my wife who thinks i'm nuts. i have no job (am looking..... for forever now it seems) and i want to find a way to at least begin preperations for a possable teotwawki situation..... anyone have any advice?

Yes, start reading the posts in here...there is loads of info!

 

[Jakejekel]

i have been for the last few hours..... and it is a lot, but from what i gathered most people here are on farms and such, and as much as i love farms, they just don't exist here.....

 

[Sunny]

Not every one lives on farms. I live in a small town.. And live in an apartment. Im not as prepared as others on here. Im a bit slow, because I dont have the money to do the exact things I want to.

But I did buy a fruit press. Now I can make apple juice.. From free apples from trees in a small park here in town. Or hopefully I can find some one who wants to get rid of some windfall apples.

I have grown almost every vegi so far in pots on my back patio. Potatoes even. The only thing that didnt grow was the corn. Only reason for that, the neighborhood cats ate it.. LOL..

I have strawberries planted in an old red wagon..

I have raspberries planted in a large pot.

I even have 2 plum trees and 3 cherry trees. One cherry tree has blooms this year. The first ones.. Ive had the trees for 2 years. IN very large pots outside the front of my apartment. I actually bought them reduced at the end of the planting season. They appeared almost dead, but for 99cents each. I took a chance on them..

I also find wild blackberries.. And pick tons of them and put them in the freezer for cobblers and pies.. Jam.. And the likes..

It can be done..

I even had coturnix quail in my house for egg production.. I had 9. I sold them when I ran out of room for them.. And the kids kept taking them out and playing with them. I was worried the dogs would eat them.

There are many things you can do to be prepared. Just wish I had more money to get the things that I need.

Edited because I cant seem to spell today.. LOL

Edited again to add
I also bought a canner. And now Im collecting used canning jars off of freecycle and craigslist adds..

 

[Jakejekel]

i do have a garden, but it didn't do so well last year, (first time i ever saw a 3 inch diamater watermelon!) will be trying again this year.....

 

[miss_thenorth]

First off, what do you do now? You can start by shopping the sales at your grocery stores, and stocking up slowly on the sale items that you typically use. don't stock up on anything you don't use. Next, do you have space for a garden? What are the zoning laws in your town--look into chickens, --and rabbits, quail and ducks easily live in the city. Next, you could start learning to can and preserve foods. There are lists on this forum ofhwat one would need, or at least suggestions, you could take a look at those. That's just a start.

 

[TanksHill]

Hello, welcome!

First of I had to google "teotwawki" because I had no idea what it meant. Which I think shows we are all here for different reasons but can still benefit from each others experience and knowledge.

I don't live on a farm. But I do have almost 2 acres. I only use about half that. Most of the SS things I do are money stretchers. Things which enable me to be home with my kids. I do anything I can to help cut the family budget and save money.

But these "Hobbies" as the naysayers call them are the things that will enable me to get by if by chance there is an emergency or natural disaster. Most likely in my case since I am in Ca. an earthquake or Charlie Sheen going back on TV. Sorry I had to.

Anyways, I garden, can, make laundry soap, have chickens, recycle, reuse and repurpose a lot.

Read some of the older threads there is a ton of info.

Good luck,

g

 

[lighthawk]

I assume you have been reading here for a while and feel as if you may have come late to the party. Much of the gloom and doom scenarios can make preparing seem like an insurmountable task. Withiut a window on your world there are a few thing I would advise you to do tommorrow.

Start with baby steps. Every time you go to the grocer you have a list. Many items on that list may be items that are canned. When you need one buy four and stash three.
Get a seed catalog stock up on seeds for the food you eat. You can store them in a vacuum packed bag in the crisper in your fridge and lengthen the time they will remain viable.
I started some last week that are three years old with 100% success.
Arm yourself. If you don't know how to use a gun take classes to learn.
Keep an eye out for closeouts on winter clothing selling at huge discounts this time of year sock it away, and make sure that your family all they need to stay warm for extended periods without heat.
Never keep all your cash in the bank. Put it in your matress if you must but if your bank fails you may not have access to your money for weeks or months.
Read, read, read.
Think, think, think about the things your family will NEED. Not the things they will WANT. There are almost 3000 users on this forum so I don't doubt you will get 3000 different opinions. In the end you have to decide what is the best advice for your situation.
Don't let yourself start feeling overwhelmed like you can't get it done.
There may be years to prepare there may not be but IMO doing nothing is not an option.
Good luck and welcome aboard.
Rich

 

[freemotion]

Wifezilla has a small yard and has a garden, grape arbor, and ducks....and quite the ecosystem going! There are others who do a lot in a small space....my dh and I did a lot in an apartment for a few years and were ready with some skills once we were able to get our little farmlet right in the middle of suburbia. We can see the grocery store plaza from our driveway....but we have livestock in the back!

You can do some stocking up, grow herbs and a garden (last year was rough because of the heat and drought here in New England, don't give up! Plant a variety, SOMETHING will do well!), keep a few hens (check local ordinances), raise rabbits for meat, learn to forage, etc....whatever floats your boat.

 

[i_am2bz]

Try finding a copy of "Mini-Farming: Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre."

But, it just isn't possible (IMHO) for the average person to grow everything they'll need when TSHTF. So yes, stock up on canned/dried goods, even if you only buy a couple of items every week. Think about fuel, too (can you get some propane tanks, or wood for a fireplace?).

And there are folks here who live on very small plots (WZ, where are you?) who sound like they just do amazing things with their small spaces.

My feelings have always been, it's better to do something rather than nothing. Start small & try not to feel overwhelmed.

(And my DH thought I was nuts, too, up until a year or two ago. )

ETA: Freemotion, you stole my thunder!!