"Mom always told you to put on clean underwear..."

“People were always getting ready for tomorrow. I didn't believe in that. Tomorrow wasn't getting ready for them. It didn't even know they were there.”

― Cormac McCarthy, The Road

I don’t think you really get how serious things are becoming.

I want you to take a moment and look at this photo.

Do you know where this is?

This is India over the past two days.

According to Associated Press, Reuters and other sources today there is 600 million people without power.

600 Million People! That is equal to the entire population of North America and Central America!

Can you imagine if that was here? 

What would happen?  What has happened before?  Remember the east coast black out in 2003? It affected millions of people!  No transportation, no power to the grocery stores, no power to the banks.

11 people died, and that was only in a 24 hour period!  What if it would have been longer? 

How would you react if the power went out?

Better yet… what if the power never came back on?  As I have posted before NBC is getting ready to launch a show that I am absolutely stoked for.  The premise of the power going out completely and never coming back on is really going to freak people out. 

<- Check out the trailer here.

Kind of a wild thought huh?

Today I want to talk to you more in depth about being prepared.  You know down in your heart that “The Event” is coming.  Remember, it is that feeling that something just isn't right with the world.  That too many bad things are all happening together at the same time.

There is too much info pointing toward it.  We have made the choices that are driving us into it. 

Poor financial decisions, poor environmental decisions and poor political decisions are all making it happen.  

I want you to take a good hard look at your life and circumstances.  Think of your family.  Think of your lifestyle.  What would you do if tomorrow if you could not use your fridge?  Your freezer?  Your stove?  Your computer or smartphone.

In America today there are already 3 million people who are considered “preppers”, and yes,  like any group out there they have their wackos too.

There is a stereo type that does go with it… Like this photo. 

But unlike what you think, see and hear what the mainstream media says about them,  these “preppers” are actually common sense, God fearing, down to earth, Patriots who love liberty and want the US to be once what it was.

They understand that if times were to get bad, they want to be able to feed, clothe and provide for their families!  They want to be more self sufficient.

They are your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers.

They’re not crazy or conspiracy nuts. They are not sheeple.  They are awake to the fact that the lives of those in their families and communities may someday rely on them for their food, shelter and maybe even protection.

They love their families and friends and want to make sure that when "The Event" comes they are well cared for when those in power have decided that the rest of us are expendable.

Even our inept government wants you to be prepared!

Sure Just look at this FEMA add.  But I have to say the the only reason they are saying it is because they known in a SHTF (S—t Hits The Fan) moment they don’t have the resources or the supplies to be able to help everyone in America.

I think they also posted this due to the fact that they massively screwed up their response to Hurricane Katrina and Ike.

I want you to be ready.  I don’t want your family to suffer.  I don’t want “The Event” to make your family suffer.  You can be ready.

So today we will be kicking off a weekly series on how you the average person can start to get ready to be prepared for “The Event”.  I’m going to do my best to combine both the social commentary that I have been giving you and combine that with some type of skill you can prepare with.

Today we’re going to start by talking about how you even get organized for this lifestyle shift, because that is what it truly is. 

A shift in the way you approach your life style and your life style choices. There are very few of them who can afford to continue in the lifestyle that we are in and focus on getting their families ready to tackle the unthinkable.

You can’t … unless you make gobs of money each year.  Somehow … I don’t think that is you, because it certainly isn’t me…

Let’s get started.

Getting your finances organized… and making sacrifices.

Sacrifice… what an ugly word huh?  It means you have to give up something!  What will that be?

How about your 3.85 dollar a day habit of starbucks ($65 bucks monthly)?   

What about your dining out habit habit ($51 dollars on the average / $2700 per year)?  

How about your entertainment choices ($54 bucks a week / $2827 per year on the average)?

What if you cut those by half?  Well then you would have a pretty good chunk of change to get started on, in fact it would $170.00 … not bad huh?

But here is the thing… you have to put aside your selfish nature and think about your family first. 

You have to make the choice to want to change.  You have to be able to make the sacrifices now that will benefit your family later.  Sacrifice now and you won't have to do it later.

“But Jay, what if "The Event" never takes place…?”

Good question… Even I have thought about that.  What if my planning is for nothing?

How about this…?  What if you lose your job?  It happened to me.  What if you need to supplement your grocery budget due to the drought going through the heartland right now?

It is truly better to be prepared than to not be prepared at all!

I’ve told you about the book, “One Second After” before – one of the scariest books I’ve read in a long time. There is a scene that takes place in a nursing home that has no power or supplies.  It is horrific and caused me to have to take a deep breath in between pages.  Vomit, colostomy bags that over flowed, people on pumps that have failed without power.  Diabetics without a long lasting source of insulin. People lying in their own waste.  The Nursing Home wasn't prepared. 

It is brutally intense, but worth the read. It will motivate you.

You need to be this motivated.  You need to begin to eliminate all wasteful expenses and put them into things that will benefit your family in the long run.

I have a home work assignment for you … over the next week, look at your personal budget, and decide what you could limit or even do away with.  How much could you save? 

Think and meditate on what would you do tomorrow if a natural disaster took place? What if the economy finally collapses? Could you feed your family for more than a month out of your pantry?  Could you perform basic first-aid?

These are things that you need to learn, these are things you need to begin thinking about because others will not do it for you. 

Next week were going to talk Beans, Bullets and Band-Aids!

If you are feeling the need to get a jump on things... here are a few links you can go to... we'll discuss more next week!

Augason Farms Emergency Food Storage Kit - 1 year - 4 people -

Grab 'n Go 3 Day Emergency Kit 2 Person Backpack - Emergency

AlpineAire Foods 7-Day Gourmet Instant Meal Kit - Emergency Food

Augason Farms Emergency Water Storage Kit - Emergency Supplies

Until next time…