I’ll warn you right up front, odds are there will be something in this post that will irritate, perhaps even anger, you. Well, so be it. See, here’s the thing. I’m tired of listening to the same old complaints over and over. I understand that preppers are human beings just like everyone else and, that being the case, complaining about this, that, or the other thing is sort of hardwired into their DNA. But, I hear these complaints so frequently, I’ve decided to just answer them all at once in a single blog post. That way, I can just send out a link to the post rather than typing out the same response over and over.

Complaint #1 — I can’t find any local preppers!
Many people have woken up to the realization that long-term preparedness requires a team approach. Community survival planning is the way to go. Of course, that means you need to be in touch with others in your area who are of like mind. Over and over, I hear how preppers just can’t seem to find anyone in their local area who is interested in disaster planning. Look, there are over 3 million self-avowed preppers in the United States. There are countless more who might not think of themselves as preppers but are taking active steps to be better prepared for emergencies.

If you can’t find a single person who is interested in prepping, the problem lies with you, not with them. Sorry, I know that sounds harsh but that’s what it boils down to, really. One or more of the following likely applies to your situation.

A) You interact with exceptionally few people in your daily life. If you only ever speak to the same three people every day, you’ll need to expand your horizons a bit. Either that or quit complaining.

B) You tend to be more than a little passionate about the subject of prepping, which in turn makes people uneasy. Take it slow and easy when broaching the topic of prepping. If you go from zero to TEOTWAWKI in 0.6 seconds every time, yes, you do indeed sound like a whack job.

C) You just flat out aren’t trying very hard and expect people to find you instead. Face it, you’re probably going to actually have to leave your house once in a while. Visit some community events where preppers are likely to be in attendance, such as farmers markets and such. Go out to gun shows. Attend local classes on topics like gardening and food preservation (you can find these classes at your library or through the park & rec department).

Complaint #2 — I can’t afford to prep!
Yes, prepping costs money and most of us aren’t recent lottery winners. However, quite often I hear this complaint from people who, for whatever reason, feel they need to buy everything all at once and, if they can’t, they just give up. Not a very smart approach, once you stop and think about it. That’s like interviewing for a job you really need, but telling the interviewer that if you can’t start out as Vice-President, you’re going to pass on the whole deal.

In order to add funds to the prepping budget, one of two things needs to happen.

A) You need to increase your income. You could do this by working part-time outside the home or perhaps turning a hobby into a home-based business, such as woodworking or car repair.

B) You need to reduce your expenses. Most, though certainly not all, people have at least a few things they can do to cut down on expenses, such as reducing the number of drive-thru meals every week.

Complaint #3 — My spouse doesn’t support my prepping!
Often, this circles back to the point made earlier about how you talk about prepping with people. If this topic dominates every single conversation you have with your spouse or significant other, I guarantee you they are tired of hearing about it. Dial it back a notch or two.

When you do talk about prepping, keep it low key and free of wild predictions of the coming zombie apocalypse.

Sometimes, putting a financial spin on prepping can help get spouses on board. Explaining to them, and using real life examples, of how you can eat tomorrow at today’s prices by stocking up during good sales can go a long way toward getting the “buy in” from them.

Another point to consider, though, is the impact your prepping might be having on the family as a whole. If it has become all consuming on your part, it might be reasonable for your family to feel as though something isn’t right. Communication on the part of all involved is key to resolving any conflict.

Look, the reality is, these complaints are excuses, nothing more. If you truly want to be prepared for life’s little (and not so little) emergencies, you’ll find ways to overcome these obstacles, rather than sitting down and pouting because it hasn’t all worked out exactly as you’d hoped.