It’s easy to look at people who prepare for doomsday as a little crazy. They seem to do things that are quite over the top, with little connection to reality. In truth, though, many of the modifications they make to their homes are just as useful for day to day life as they are for the apocalypse. Below are three practical home preparations that are useful today and when the end is nigh.
Making a Home Energy Self-Sufficient
One of the most common features of a good doomsday prep is pulling a home off the grid. While this takes a tremendous amount of work, it’s not a bad idea for those who want to reduce their electric bills. Taking some time to install solar panels and replace the energy-hog appliances in your home with more economical models is a great way to save money and a good first step to make sure that your home can survive even if the entire grid goes dark. While you don’t need to complete unplug, you can take some realistic first steps. This can also be done in small pieces. One month you can work on rewiring, the next can be getting panels, the next installing them. However you do it, it can save you time, money, and maybe even your life if society collapses.
Living Off the Land
Another major issue for preppers is figuring out how they will eat after the grocery stores run out of food. While those who live in the country might have the option to farm and hunt, those who live in the city have fewer options. You can, however, start a home garden to start supplementing your store-bought food with homegrown vegetables. Even if you only have a balcony, you can put together a good container garden that will allow you to grow herbs and a few vegetables. It’s a far cry from self-sufficiency, but it will teach you valuable skills. If you have space inside, you might also try growing a hydroponic garden indoors and see how it fares.
Creating Safe Spaces
While you probably aren’t going to build a full bunker in your back yard, you can start by creating a space that will keep your family safe in the case of a natural disaster. A full-featured panic room is probably out of the budget of the average home owner, but designating a room as a storm shelter that’s full of basic supplies is actually both easy and inexpensive. If you have the skills and time, you might even reinforce some walls, connect a generator, or take other small steps toward making a legitimate shelter. This is a lesser substitute for a real bug-out shelter, but it’s a great way to keep your family safe when a minor disaster strikes or the world is ending as described on biblically.com.
Doomsday prepping doesn’t have to be crazy and it can certainly help you to make your home safer and more practical. Start small and make sure you’re able to make use of the changes made in your home. In time, you’ll be both safer and more self-sufficient – two qualities that you’ll need if something truly terrifying ever really happens.
