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(The Most Important News)—Are you ready for what is coming next? Recently, I have been getting a lot of questions about prepping. Thanks to the war in the Middle East, a lot of people out there are realizing that we really are running out of time. So in this article, I am going to give some very basic practical advice. In the short-term, it is going to be very important for you to build up your emergency fund. Times are going to get a lot harder, and in the midst of those hard times you are going to need to continue to pay the bills. Looking beyond a short-term perspective, you are going to need to be prepared to survive in a world that has gone completely mad.
Those that are preparing for such a scenario are known as “preppers”, and “prepping” has become increasingly popular in recent years.
For example, the Daily Mail just published a story on a 38-year-old prepper named Rowan Mackenzie that has become extremely popular on social media…
A doomsday prepper, who has built a bunker, has revealed how she spent $75,000 to prepare for a nuclear disaster amid ongoing wars across the world and the soaring cost of the living crisis.
Rowan Mackenzie, 38, became a became a social media phenomenon after revealing she’s been prepping her home for 12 years because of fear of an emergency and has upped the ante, spending a whopping $75,000 on supplies as a result of the intensification of issues in the world – including the war between Israel and Palestine.
She has been able to accumulate so much because she did a little bit at a time for many years.
If you haven’t been preparing like she has, you have a lot of catching up to do, and it isn’t going to be easy.
I know that it can seem a bit overwhelming if you are just getting started, and so let me give you 4 key areas to focus on as you prepare for the chaotic events of 2024 and beyond…
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#1 Food
Without enough food, you will not make it for long. If you can hunt or forage for edible plants that will help, but that will only take you so far.
Anyone that has watched “Alone” knows exactly what I am talking about.
When things really start hitting the fan, most Americans will get very hungry very rapidly. In fact, it is being reported that 18 percent of Americans are already not getting enough food to eat…
According to consumer data firm Dunnhumby, one-third of households are skipping meals or reducing their portion sizes to save money.
Researchers found that 18 percent of the survey’s 2,000 participants noted they weren’t getting enough food to eat.
Furthermore, 31 percent of households have reduced their portion sizes due to empty pantries as a result of rising grocery store prices.
I recommend storing food that you really like to eat and that will last for a very long time.
If you like beef, that is going to be a challenge, because beef now costs a lot more than it once did…
Being a carnivore has never been so expensive. According to the USDA, beef prices soared to another record high this week, and are expected to face a 100% increase next month compared to the same period a year ago. Steaks will likely be out of the dinner table of many Americans in the coming months as shortages already started leaving grocery shelves empty. Even cheap meats like ground beef are about to shoot up in price due to the lowest supply in decades, the Department said.
The nation’s shrinking cattle herd combined with surging input costs at U.S. farms and ranches have pushed wholesale meat costs to over $8 per pound, official data shows. Analysts predict that the figure could jump above the $ 10 mark in December due to the seasonal spike in demand. As a comparison, beef costs in 2022 were hoovering around the ten-year average of $5 per pound. The rapid price appreciation means that you will have to pay double what you paid a year ago to bring your favorite cut home this winter.
And thanks to the bird flu, chicken and turkey are going up in price too…
An additional 1.2 million chickens will be slaughtered to prevent the spread of the bird flu after the virus was confirmed on an Iowa egg farm in the second massive case this week.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship announced the latest bird flu infection at a farm in Taylor County Friday, and Iowa’s governor immediately declared a disaster there to make sure the state has the resources to respond quickly.
The Iowa case is just the latest one in the outbreak that began early last year and has prompted officials to kill a total of nearly 63 million birds. Earlier this week, 1 million chickens were killed on a Minnesota egg farm.
Ultimately, you will want to store up enough food for yourself and for everyone that will be depending upon you for as long as you plan to stay alive.
#2 Water
The good news is that water is not expensive.
But when it stops coming out of your taps, what will you do?
I do believe in storing up bottled water. But you can only store it for so long, and no matter how large your property is you can never store enough.
Each one of us uses a tremendous amount of water every day, and in a survival situation you can reduce that amount quite a bit.
But you will never be able to store enough for a long-term survival scenario. So access to fresh water is key. You need to have a plan for gathering fresh water, filtering fresh water, and boiling fresh water.
#3 Shelter
Most of you already have somewhere to live. That’s great. But will it be suitable for a long-term survival scenario?
If not, you either need to move or you need to have a location to “bug out” to when things get really hairy.
If you are considering relocating, I give my thoughts on all 50 states in my new book. But thanks to absurdly high housing prices and rapidly rising interest rates, it will now cost you far more to relocate than it would have a few years ago.
And no matter how great your location is right now, you will need to be prepared to leave if for some reason staying at your current home becomes untenable at some point.
#4 Energy
A great survival home won’t do you much good if you can’t heat it during the winter. And you are going to need to be able to cook your food and boil any water that you collect. So you have got to have a plan for energy.
If you have rigged your entire home so that it can be fully powered by solar energy, that is great. But that is not feasible in all areas of the country.
A gas-powered generator is always helpful, but what will you do when you can’t get any more gas? Whenever the lights go out, we are reminded of what a world without power would look like.
Personally, I recommend having more than one source of energy, because that way you will not be in a desperate situation if the one source you are depending upon ends up failing.
Of course everything that I have discussed above needs to be protected. If someone comes in and tries to take all the stuff that you have stored up, what would you do?
That is another question that you need to consider, because when things get really crazy out there a lot of people will suddenly become very uncivilized.
Sound off about this on the Late Prepper Substack.
Michael’s new book entitled “Chaos” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
