What Is A Reasonable Amount Of Prepping?
When it comes to figuring out a reasonable amount of prepping time you have to determine a few things. One key aspect is to take things step by step but all the while keep moving forward.
In truth prepping doesn’t have to be all or nothing! It can be done in small increments and still be effective. You do not or should not need to spend countless hours daily preparing for an emergency or disaster. The point I am making is just getting started.
Then over time your skills and supplies will build up. Without taking over your life!
Determine How Much Your Family Will Need
If you’re like me, you’re interested in prepping. But if you’re also like me, you don’t want to go overboard with it and do so in a reasonable amount of time.
The problem is that there’s no exact science for how much your family will need in an emergency or SHTF situation. You have to account for how much each person will most likely need ahead of time.
This prepping should not consume your life and affect your spending time with family.
Getting Overwhelmed
You may think to yourself, “Well, I’ll just figure out how much food storage or water storage my family needs.” That might work well for some people, but others will find themselves overwhelmed by the process.
So here’s what I did: I started small. First, I looked at what my family would need on a weekly basis, just one hour a week over just one year adds up! Then I figured out what we needed to store based on that information and made sure it was easy enough that even someone who isn’t super organized could handle it!
Speed Up The Process
Life goes fast!
If you’re a prepper, you know that there’s no time to waste.
That’s why it’s essential that you not miss out on the important things in life. You should make sure to be hanging out with your friends and family. And one way to reduce the amount of time that you spend prepping is by speeding up the process.
You could even make it into an activity that the whole family takes part in. It could be a small part of a camping trip to learn a skill for example. Or it could be setting a small window of time each week to get one item for example.
Stick To The Time You Set
You can’t build a house in one day, and you can’t prepare for the apocalypse in one day either.
A prepper should allot a certain amount of time that they will dedicate to prepping. This time should not be extended.
But you can get started. And once you start, it’s important to stick to the time you set aside for prepping. You don’t want to over-prepare or over-commit yourself. You still need to make time for your friends and family, after all! So choose a period of time every week where you’ll dedicate it exclusively to prepping, whatever that means for YOU.
How Much Prepping Is Enough?
How much prepping is enough?
Well, it depends.
You can determine how much prepping is enough by your goals and lifestyle. Set aside goals for where you want you’re prepping to be in a year’s time.
Then list out the steps and estimate the time to get to your end goal. I would also factor in not having prepping overshadow important areas of life (family, friends).
It’s a question that doesn’t have a clear answer. In fact, it never will. You’ll never be able to say, “Okay, now I’ve got everything I need.” You’ll always be able to add more stuff, and you’ll always be able to do more with what you have.
But that’s not a bad thing! It’s part of what makes prepping such an exciting hobby. And it’s also one of the reasons why it can get overwhelming if you don’t set some boundaries for yourself.
How Much Prepping Is Too Much?
Prepping can easily become too much without realizing it! So, an easy way to figure out if you are prepping too much is by asking yourself questions. Such as: Do I only think about prepping? Am I not doing the normal things with my family that I usually do?
Prepping can become too much if you let it. The main thing is prepping is supposed to be a benefit to your life, not a hindrance!
Here are some ways to tell if you are prepping too much:
1. You aren’t spending enough time with family and friends. Prepper’s as most people are need social interaction. Especially from loved ones. If all of your time is spent preparing for the worst-case scenario, then there won’t be any time left over. For, friends and family members.
2. You’re hoarding food, and not storing food. There is a difference. If you start running out of space and you continue buying more, that’s a sign to slow down. Hoarding soon is a good thing to look out for.
Have A Set Area For Food Storage
To prevent this, have an area that is for food storage. That is the designated area for food stockpiling not all over your house. If you find that all of your kitchen and all over your house has food being stored that’s a sign.
You have to remember prepping is part of your life, it is not your entire life.
3. You’re stockpiling becomes excessive. Meaning you go beyond what you need. Prepping is to enhance your overall life and security. For you and your family. It is not to consume your life, to the point that everything is about prepping.
Take Small Steps, But Keep Moving Forward
Try not to become overwhelmed by the enormity of prepping. You do not want it to “paralyze you”!
What’s important is that you are taking small steps to keep moving forward. You can’t stop being a parent or a spouse. You have responsibilities that demand your attention every day.
A Fellow Prepper
You could also find a fellow prepper who has experience when it comes to setting limits. This person could help keep you accountable in prepping and not overdoing it. You can both help each other.
Setting Limits
So you need to be preparing, but also keep an eye on the clock. So that prepping doesn’t take away from your daily life.
Keep in mind, that this isn’t a sprint by any means! It’s a slow marathon. So take the time to set limits on how much time you can dedicate to prepping. Make sure that you stick to those limits so that your normal life doesn’t suffer from neglect.
Overprepping can lead to many negative outcomes when prepping. You do not need to go overboard but you should still prepare. It is all about finding what works best for you, to maintain your normal life. A reasonable amount of time prepping will be entirely based on your situation. Ask yourself the questions we mentioned to help make sure you have balance.
Stay safe!
