this post was submitted on 19 Oct 2024
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I have chickens, ducks and geese, raised beds, just built a solar battery charger, can my own food, dehydrate food, cook everything from scratch, etc etc. I go through all the same steps. My friends refer to me as a prepper despite me saying I'm a homesteader. They keep saying they are going to show up at my place if everything collapses. I started shutting this down by saying they need to be pre-approved, pay a $150 non-refundable deposit and $50 a month so that I can make sure I have food and other essentials for when they show up. Because it's really annoying to hear someone say "I'm totally not doing anything about my fears so I'm going to impose on you when the time comes."
I'm just trying to reduce the amount it takes for me to survive. It happens that if you are ready to be unemployed for a few months that a lot of the same prepa come in handy for a collapse of the economy. The same things needed to hunt squirrels are helpful against zombies.
That sounds like farming to me.
There is fine line between farming with guns and prepping.
I'd say that 'fine line' is 'doomsday bunker + Immortan Joe fantasy post "the big one."' vs. just having a farm and guns.
So not all that fine a line.
I agree that the motivation portion is entirely different. But the actions are the same.
I don't know that the actions are the same though. That's sort of the point of the thing I posted. People like you are actually doing shit. What most people think of as 'preppers' are people who have a closet full of MREs, two giant jugs of water, and a massive guns and ammunition collection, people who tell you about how the world will end if Trump isn't elected and they're ready for it.
I think if those people were like you, even if they had stupid motivations, there wouldn't be so much derision. But they don't actually put the work in. They essentially think if they buy enough ammo and Jim Bakker rapture survival food buckets, they're ready for every eventuality.
I've been doing this since before the orange blight. The people haven't changed. They are just more obviously hypocrites. They went from "keep government out of my life, I want personal freedom" to "only through government can we maintain control over anyone that makes us feel icky."
The rest of this is splitting hairs.
Homesteading is really cottage-core plus self-sufficency. Little House on the Prairie.
Gardening on crack. Not commercial farming.
Honestly...I got 9 hens now, and they are amazing. Literally the best pets. My wife wants to become a homesteader and live that life. Get some acreage, build a nice home and a nice area for the birds. Maybe Get a goat or two. Step up the gardening game.
The wife would probably have to quit her job, but she's only working part time at a grocery store. Her employee discount (20%) is more valuable to us then her paycheck, and we don't need that if we mostly living off our own grown food.
Would likely have to wait until the kids are a bit older and can help out more, too.
And for interest rates to go down...I refi'd in early 2022, I ain't given that up.
But it would be nice to be able to sell off a portion of land of we find ourselves hard off for cash. Or to know that my kids will have a place to build a home if the market falls flat on its face.
How much acreage does it take to feed a person? How does it scale?
I've done the same thing. Was already living off grid when I was surprise unemployed last year. Made it about 3 months with no outside input, but eventually got sick from previous medical issues, so had to file for unemployment so I could have enough money to see a doctor.
A year later I'm now back in regular society with a regular job, trying to save up and start over.
I've learned that I can be prepared physically to go months on my own. But mentally is a different game altogether. Most of the prepper types would likely struggle without a support group. Being by yourself for long periods of time is FAR harder than most people think (myself included). The first few weeks are pretty easy, but it gets significantly harder every day.
One of the more popular arguments from preppers during covid was that these hyper-independent minded people were suddenly demanding the ability to go out to stores and meet up with people in large groups.
After years of "I don't need nobody" they went hard core "people need interaction!". It was a beautiful thing that not one of them will admit.