Excuses People Make: Food Storage

People as a whole are becoming entirely too dependent on others. As a society, many of us have begun to expect to be taken care of. This was evident in the re-election of President Obama, who lists his welfare programs as accomplishments rather than the embarrassments they are. If a major natural disaster occurs, many people think that they can rely on the government for food and water. But we’ve seen with Sandy how this isn’t always the case. The New York Times reports that even ten days after the storm hit, “thousands of people in New York City’s public housing are still without heat, water, electricity or food.” The government is actually urging citizens to store food, water, and medicine in case of an emergency. Planning ahead and taking care of your family’s needs is the only way to ensure that you will be taken care of if disaster strikes. Yet here are some excuses that people use to fool themselves into thinking a food storage supply is not necessary.

· I live next to hard-core preppers. They have enough for the whole neighborhood. Even if they do have a large food supply, do you really think that they’re going to share it with you? Besides, mooching off a neighbor is a terrible plan for surviving a crisis.

· A national catastrophe is not going to occur. This is your excuse? Do you plug your ears and shut your eyes while you repeat this to yourself? Saying something isn’t going to happen and it not actually being possible are two different things. Don’t take a chance with your survival.

· If the government can’t help me, the church can. Even if your church has a storehouse for the less fortunate, it would never be enough to feed all of its members for any length of time.

· I have a 72-hour jump bag with a food supply. A jump bag is a great resource for short time periods, or if you have to get out of your house quickly. It is not, however, effective in situations where there is massive damage to a wide area, such as with hurricanes, massive snow storms, or even tornadoes. These types of disasters can knock out power for weeks, block roadways, close down banks and grocery stores, and leave you without food or water. A year’s supply of food is recommended. If a major national event occurs, you will have enough food to plant a garden, hunt wildlife, or scavenge empty homes and stores.

· I buy rare coins and gold and silver pieces that I can trade for food. Who’s going to trade you a basically worthless piece of metal for a hot meal? If you are starving, you’ll need food. You can make a trade if you have commodities that are important in a survival situation. If you own rental property, you have basic commodities – such as wood, nails, concrete, and glass – all within the structure of the house itself. You can then use these items to trade for that meal.

If you want to learn more about using investment rental property to prepare for an uncertain future, you should reserve your seat at Jason Hartman’s learning conference with top financial advisors at the Meet the Masters of Income Property Investing educational event. You’ll hear from some of the country’s most impressive financial gurus who will help you plan for investment rental properties that will make a difference in financial future as well as preparing you for unforeseen distant crises. (Top image: Flickr | legashee)

The Holistic Survival Team