We often get comments and emails from readers asking how they can convince their friends and family to start prepping.
From friends and family members that truly believe the government will save them during a time of crisis, to those that have been brainwashed into believing that preppers are all tinfoil hat wearing nut jobs, prepping can often be a touchy or even taboo subject to talk about.
Here are 7 reasons that might help convince your friends and family that it’s time to become a prepper.
1. Unemployment
According to the most recent numbers, the actual unemployment rate in this country is close to 22%. The average time it takes to find employment is at a record high of 39.2 weeks. Even those that see little value in prepping for a SHTF situation should understand the need to prep for the possibility of being hit by unemployment.
Prepping isn’t always about preparing for an end of the world scenario. It’s also about being prepared for those small-scale events in life that can feel cataclysmic if we’re not prepared
2. Economic Problems
You don’t have to buy into the possibility of a total economic collapse, but you should at least realize that our country is in big financial trouble. With over 16 trillion dollars in debt, and unfunded obligations that make the actual debt number about $120 trillion, it doesn’t take an economist to see that we are in for some major trouble in the months and years ahead.
3. Natural Disasters
A number of people woke up real quick after seeing what happened during Hurricane Katrina. In less than 24 hours, the city of New Orleans became a prime example of how quickly civilization could break down. Before our eyes we got a glimpse of what would happen during a full-scale collapse; as people took to the streets to loot, riot, rape, and even murder their fellow citizens.
4. It’s just like buying Insurance
Some people find the subject of prepping to be a little bit out there. When I come across these people, I often ask them if they have health or vehicle insurance. In my opinion, having a dedicated section in your budget for prepping is no different from buying vehicle insurance or a health insurance policy.
5. Shooters, Lunatics and the Extreme Fringe of Society
While active shooter situations and terrorist attacks are still pretty rare, it’s a phenomenon that does seem to be increasing in regularity. From the recent mass shootings to the growing number of terrorist attacks around the globe, these events do happen and they are something that we need to be prepared for.
6. The Cyber Threat
Our society is becoming increasingly dependent on cyber technologies; but according to Cyber Security expert Eugene Kaspersky, co-founder of the Kaspersky Lab, that dependence has left us extremely vulnerable. In fact, he is warning that emerging cyber threats could spell “the end of the world as we know it”. The threat is real, and the threat has the ability to set the world back 200 years in a matter of days.
7. The Pandemic Threat
According to Jason Tetro, a microbiologist and coordinator for two research centers at the University of Ottawa, the Emerging Pathogens Research Centre (EPRC) and the Centre for Research on Environmental Microbiology (CREM), “the world is becoming increasingly more likely to see a major (pandemic) event.”
When that happens, it will affect our infrastructure severely. By not having the human resources to work, protect and maintain our antiquated infrastructure, things will begin to rapidly deteriorate and leave us even more vulnerable to attack.
#8 I am not sharing my goods so prep your own shit.
LMao
Well iam sharing with my neighbors and they are sharing with me, as they have things i do not have i have what they do not have so numbers are stronger than alone, but better yet, i know they would die for me and i would them , rare you say nope just know true people …..
I wouldnt hold much faith in dying for each other, You really dont know people till after a crisis. Hungry destitute people will do all kinds of strange things. Brought that knowledge back from Iraq.
Actually a tight group of neighbors is a good plan; there is security in numbers, and being able to share resources between the ‘team’ helps distribute costs of items, so long as everyone is carrying their own with ongoing preparations. Some may provide additional food, while others provide means for security, as well as other skills and supplies.
As for dying for someone, unless they are blood relatives I would question that. As for having your back, and standing next to you presenting an offense or defense, I would agree to that.
Ideally, I hope that my small town would ban together for security and food production. I wouldn’t want to share what I’ve managed to store but sharing in the farm work or patrolling would benefit everyone. I’m in a rural area 1.5 hrs drive from a big city and in a SHTF scenario large groups of hungry people might walk by.
Sharing with neighbors by banning together and planning for disaster is different from having them show up after the fact looking for a hand out. We are stronger in numbers, so kudos for anyone able to convince family, friends and neighbors to start doing this together. I would love to have a community garden where everyone shares in the labor.
Great for your neighborhood, but you are the exception…I have seen 4 new cars on this street of 11 houses in the last 18 months.
They are all in lala land..charging propane with monthly fees, credit carding homeowners insurance, all necessities, but spending $2200 on concrete curbs for their flower beds??
I don’t think my door will be open to these leeches–they have NOTHING I need.
I am lucky… we have 4 families totaling 16 adults and 6 kids in four houses on a cul-de-sac.
We are like minded in respect to surviving disasters and many same or similar ideas around preparations. One has a deep pool, two have gardens, and one has an extensive shop, so hopefully most bases are covered, including security.
There are other neighbors that are newer to the block, so I am not as familiar with them, but they seem to be reasonable folk… Others agree that they are good people too and the kids play well together. I guess when SHTF time will tell.
Well I won’t be sharing, only my bullets.
Like others have said people do crazy thing when things ho wrong.
We have 4 mean and nasty Mo-Fo’s living in my house with a variety of skills. A good start to prepping, including guns and ammo, oh, did I mention the 4 mean and nasty Mo-Fo’s also ?
How do I protect my family inside my home when some one can just break a window?
I been prepping since 1999 just before Y2K , food guns ammo , trainning,
Am still waiting for that day. 12 years later and 75k rounds later am still buying and digging holes .never stop buying or training.
I think people will act like insane animals for those who did not prep. Unfortunately for those who did prep will have to fight to keep their resources.it is sad your own neighbors could be your enemies instead of working together.
i’m with you!
I would also include diminishing supply and increasing demand on petroleum resources for a world dependent upon an unlimited supply of cheap fuel.
Let’s not forget about GMO crops hindering our ability to be self sustaining food wise. Add to that recent outbreaks of toxic foods, and crops that are dying in mass quantities due to drought and fire, and this country could see major food crisises emerging in the not too distant future. All the aid that we keep sending out to other countries, in the form of food, money, and military power, is going to come back to bite us in the ass. We need to start tending our own house, before it collapses with us in it.
Great point. In my opinion the Federal Government is the biggest entity that needs to start prepping. Why isn’t the Federal Government storing billions of pounds of food and medication, and billions of gallons water? They sure bought enough ammo as they admitted to trying to dry up the supply. I say buy thousands of heirloom seeds for fruits and vegetables, start raising free-reange chickens, goats, cows, mules and horses. People don’t think about mules, and they don’t think about how valuable a horse is. Simply think back to pre automobile days, how did people get around? Horses!!!! How did people plow their farm, or till a garden? Mules!!!!
Great list! Survivalist Fiction is a great way to get people to think about the need to be ready. My wife ‘turned the corner’ after reading Octavia Butler’s dystopic tales.
good article… i see our very own gov’t as a viable threat as well… if 0bamination should have a 2nd term purchased for him, this nation could well explode – or maybe i should say implode… best be ready in any case to weather whatever storm may hit…
You forgot about good old fashioned robbery. The nogs moved here after Hurricane Katrina on vouchers, and never went back. Now they steal and commit all kinds of crime, and have joined with the other nogs already here.
If you need any more we stillhave plenty and would LOVE to send you a trainload or two,.
When trying to convice others that it’s not just some “lonney” idea, have them check out Red Cross….because they also recommend being prepaired for emergencies.
There are 7 of us here in my town that I know of. I do not trust anyone else. I have talked to a few people about getting prepared. They think I’m nuts so when TSHTF My door will be locked. If and when it happens it is good to have others around however, if you dont have anyone dont trust anyone.
Just reported from our local/regional news in the Central Valley of CA, the gas prices all over California has about a 20 cent jump overnight.
I think that the idea is just too overwhelming for some. But, you know, if we could all just agree that prepping IS indeed necessary (we, meaning our family and friends) we could all put our heads together, and our resources together and really get something done.
I’ve managed to get some of my friends to start prepping. Ecconomic collapse works well. One of my neighbours refuses though. She thought spending $500 on her daughters school ball was more important. Her car has just broken down permamantly and she’s hinting she wants to use mine. Will prob want my food when shtf. Lucky she has no weapons.
happy too see that u people are still thinking…..over here in holland (europe ) people are walking around with there thumbs up there asses……the all trust the good ol govverment and thinking that all is allright…yeah right starting prepping last month have a long way too go over here…like some says my door will be locked and i dont have nobody and i dont trust anybody…keep them posting comming loving all the story,s learning grat things on this site :) peace!!!
My Dad has believed for years that a one month supply for me my sister and mom along with my grand parents who lives with us is vital. My mom and sister and grandparents think he is nuts, and everything is a waste of time. I kinda think my dad is right, especially after he showed me what can happen if the eurozone goes down. Its scary and I feel you should have a plan
When the pending collapse happens, I think it highly likely either U.S. troops will be deployed domestically. Their mission won’t be peacekeeping, rather taking control of all important resources and functions; not my opinion, but what’s now federal law in various bills and acts passed over the last 10 years.
I think the result may wlll be biggest/nastiest civil war the world has ever seen!