self-sufficiency | Being prepared today

September 5, 2025

Minimalist Prepping: Be Ready with Less in 2025

For homeowner families on a tight budget, Minimalist Prepping in 2025 means focusing on efficiency rather than excess. This turns your existing home into a resilient haven without breaking the bank. Here are my thoughts on what it means to be prepared. Instead of stockpiling mountains of supplies, emphasize multi-purpose items that fit seamlessly into daily life. For example, a simple set of reusable water bottles can double as emergency water storage, while a basic toolkit already in your garage can handle minor repairs during power outages. Recent trends highlight Minimalist Prepping “micro-prepping,” which encourages small, affordable steps like rotating pantry staples to avoid waste, ensuring you’re prepared for short-term disruptions like winter storms or supply chain hiccups without overwhelming your space or resources. This approach keeps things optimistic. By starting small, families can build confidence and adaptability, turning potential stress into manageable routines.

Minimize things

Decluttering is a cornerstone of Minimalist Prepping, allowing families to prioritize what truly matters while freeing up home space for essential storage. Begin by auditing your closets and cabinets, getting rid of unused gadgets or expired items to make room for a compact emergency kit. For instance, repurpose an old backpack as a “go-bag” filled with family photos on a USB drive, a flashlight that runs on rechargeable batteries, and non-perishable snacks like nuts or granola bars bought in bulk during sales. In 2025, with rising costs, this frugal mindset aligns with broader minimalist habits, such as reusing containers for food storage instead of buying specialized bins. It’s realistic to acknowledge that not every family can afford high-end gear, but by focusing on what you already own: like blankets for insulation during blackouts—you create a safer home environment without added debt.

Electronics in 2025

Digital tools offer a space-saving way to enhance preparedness, especially for families managing busy schedules in 2025. Back up important documents, such as insurance policies and medical records, to free cloud services or an inexpensive external hard drive stored in a waterproof pouch. Apps like those for offline maps or weather alerts can be downloaded on family smartphones, providing real-time information during emergencies without needing physical maps or radios. A practical example is using a shared family calendar app to plan meal rotations that incorporate shelf-stable foods, reducing grocery runs and building a subtle buffer against shortages. This method keeps prepping discreet and integrated. It avoids the clutter of paper manuals while ensuring everyone in the household knows the plan.

Involve everyone

Skill-building on a budget empowers families to rely less on buying solutions and more on know-how, making minimalist prepping sustainable long-term. Homeowners can learn basic home maintenance through free online tutorials, like fixing leaks to prevent water damage during floods, or starting a small herb garden in window pots for fresh produce. For families, involve kids in age-appropriate tasks, such as assembling a first-aid kit from household items like bandages and over-the-counter meds. This teaches them responsibility while preparing for minor injuries. In 2025, community resources like local library workshops on canning or energy conservation provide low-cost education, turning prepping into a positive family bonding activity rather than a chore.

Community connections amplify minimalist efforts, turning individual homes into part of a supportive network without requiring extra spending. As homeowners, leverage your neighborhood by organizing informal swap meets for tools or surplus goods, or joining local online groups for sharing tips on weather-proofing homes. For example, during a recent heatwave, families could coordinate to check on elderly neighbors, using simple phone trees instead of fancy communication devices. This realistic strategy acknowledges that no family is an island, especially in uncertain times, but optimistically builds resilience through relationships. Bartering garden veggies for a neighbor’s spare batteries, fostering a sense of security that’s both practical and communal.

Additional ideas

Finally, integrate minimalist prepping into daily routines to maintain momentum, like weekly “reset” days where the family reviews and rotates supplies to keep everything fresh and functional. Focus on versatile foods, such as rice or beans that store well in airtight jars from your kitchen, providing meals for days if needed. A family example might be practicing “no-power” evenings once a month, using board games by candlelight to simulate outages while building fun memories. In 2025, with evolving challenges like economic fluctuations, this approach ensures preparedness feels empowering, not burdensome, allowing families to adapt gradually while enjoying the peace of mind that comes from being proactively ready.

Make the effort

Embracing a preparedness mindset is a true asset for families—it’s not about fearing the worst but about gaining control and confidence in an unpredictable world, turning potential vulnerabilities into strengths that last beyond 2025. Resources to get started include this website and the many self sufficiency posts and articles, free FEMA preparedness checklists at ready.gov, and community forums like Reddit’s r/preppers for shared minimalist tips. Also, check out Local extensions from organizations like the American Red Cross offer workshops tailored to homeowners, ensuring you have accessible, reliable support to build your plan step by step.

The church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has excellent literature resources on their provident living page to give more you more ideas and maybe assistance if needed.

I hope this article has given Ideas, inspiration and information.

If you have any questions, comments or Ideas please leave a comment in the box below.

October 18, 2023October 18, 2023

Dangers of power outages and how you can prepare

Numerous sources today predict rolling power outages and shortages of electricity worldwide not to mention disasters or other scenarios in the coming years. The extreme push towards clean renewable energy and away from fossil fuels will only put a strain on this situation. The threat of war and conflict puts strains on economies, so, thankfully there are many options and products to help you Be prepared for these events. Investing in a few things to defend your home and livelihood from power outages will pay off in the long run.

Training your brain to think in terms of preparedness is no easy thing. Try to think about all the situations that could happen and ways to mitigate, then gather supplies and practice putting skills and interests into use. Changing your lifestyle can either be a chore or a growing experience. I personally choose the latter.

Why would power outages happen

Its important to pay attention to what’s going in our societies and culture and as much as some people hate it, like politics, government and local conflicts even. There is a saying: You may not take interest into politics but politics will always take an interest into you. Meaning you need to participate in voicing your opinion and let your representatives know how you feel because if you don’t, others opinions will be the policy makers and become law whether you like it or not.

Tensions are escalating between countries and world superpowers. Everyone’s picking and supporting/supplying sides and issuing warnings to each other. As a result, the reality of an EMP or other devastating attack is becoming more and more likely.

The constant showcasing of bickering and conflict between the two so called political powers in America, the Democrats and Republicans and the crappy policies they propose and pass are destabilizing the economy of today. To top it off, our government seems to want to force us into clean renewable energy without having proper technology in place.

Wind, solar and hydroelectric alone without fossil fuels as a backup, are just flat out unsustainable at this point in time. Technology has not gotten that far. They are mostly unreliable.

With more children being born and people immigrating to the land of the free, the population is increasing and so is the need for housing, electricity and energy.

Dangers from power outages

Lack of electricity or energy has the potential to be devastating to life. Not only in the sense that our advanced medical and research technology would come to a screeching halt but also that exploration technology would cease as well. The systems that control and safeguard Nuclear power plants from failure would go down and all communications too. Water treatment plants would no longer function and provide clean water. But, I digress into worst case scenarios……I think you get the point of this one.

We’ve all seen or had that relative or friends relative that is bed ridden or on life support at home or in the hospital. If that equipment fails from a power outage, even for a few seconds in some cases, it could be devastating. Gas pumps do not work without electricity and neither do ATMs. Damage could occur to some appliances from flickering power and computers are the most susceptible to damage from power outages, surges or flickering energy.

A freezer full of meat or other goods needs to be kept frozen right? Also the central heating and air conditioning in your home would not work. To say the least even creature comforts would be inconvenient. These are just some of the more obvious examples of things that could happen.

Ways to prepare

Thankfully we have not given ourselves over to complete dependence of electricity, so things like candles do still exist! Have a few flashlights stored away too, even cheapies will work in an emergency. Batteries, I think, are an obvious. Gas and/or battery lamps come in handy as well.

Knowing how to can or jar foods for storage and having a sufficient food storage will be invaluable in an extended power outage.

candles/lighting/ batteries for light or radios
have a backup or a way to run your fridge or freezer to keep food for about 48 hrs
alternate power or connection for your furnace/ AC dependent upon season
charging capabilities for phones or computer

There is a pretty handy little trick that I learned of a few months ago. A clay flower pot of decent size flipped open side down and supported over a lit candle can supply a meager amount of heat for a bedroom sized area. There are dangers with this though as you don’t want to use too many candles and get it too hot. You will inadvertantly start a fire.

Some prepared minded people will have their AC and furnaces installed with an option to be able to plug it into a generator. Ya know, just in case. A 2000 watt generator with 2 plug in points is recommended as a minimum size. This will possibly provide enough power to run both your furnace and refrigerator, depending on the size of each.

Sufficient power generation

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Conclusion

Whatever your reason for being prepared, it is a good idea. There are so many skills, techniques and processes that have been lost to history because of technology. Lifestyles and ways of doing things that worked so well for its time. We should not let ourselves become too dependent on electricity and other energies because of complacency. Even the current system can be unreliable at times and if even that is taken from us…..It will be hard times for us indeed.

Thank you for reading. I hope this article was helpful or informative.

If you have any comments, questions or input please do so in the comments.

May 16, 2023May 16, 2023

financial self-sufficiency: how self-sufficiency effects personal finances

Many times people find themselves unprepared for an event that puts a strain on their bank account or ability scrounge up funds to pay for even some basic things. At times like this we think to ourselves “I wish I could do something differently so that I could save some money on this or that”. Learning financial self-sufficiency requires changing one’s thinking and maybe even living habits or daily rituals so that money can be saved, obligations or emergencies covered, stress can be relieved and life lived.

My aim in this article is to help with advice and direction in others’ journey to this destination of financial self-sufficiency through planning, budget, self-control, action, being proactive and thinking ahead.

Defining financial self-sufficiency

Let’s define practical thinking: It is defined as; ways to adapt to your environment or changing your environment to fit you, so that you are able to pursue a goal.

There are a few different ways to define financial self-sufficiency. One way I would define it is changing your financial environment to fit to you and your financial needs, such as not needing a lot of money to have the necessities of life and be happy. Living frugally, keeping your own personal cost of living down and providing as much as you can for yourself such as I have touched on some of these topics in other articles here on Being Prepared Today.

An Entrepreneur is one example of financial self-sufficiency. Finding new ways to actively generate or make money work for them creates Financial self-sufficiency. By doing so, they do not depend on a company, corporation or the government for their well-being or social survival. They are supporting themselves.

Educate yourself on various topics so you have the know-what and know-how to get things done. I have linked here in the picture, a book called The Ultimate Self-Sufficiency Handbook. It will be of immense help in any goal to be educated in certain areas of getting things done for yourself, your family and your self-sufficiency.

Frugal living and penny-pinching can help financial self-sufficiency

Cutting unnecessary spending, eating only home-cooked meals and leftovers as much as possible as well as saving any extra money as often as you can will lead you to this frugal lifestyle that is a staple of financial self-sufficiency and independence.

Growing a garden every year and learning how to store, can and jar foods will save you some money in the long run.

Buy certain non-perishable foods when they’re on sale and have a rotating food or cold storage.

That doesn’t mean to live like you’re broke by any means. It means to live smart, not beyond your means and build a lifestyle that suits you while at the same time having everything you need.

Be debt free – save first spend after. Even if you need to take out a loan or borrow money, pay it off as fast as possible. You will save money on interest by shortening the length of your loan payments.

Set goals or objectives. Take action so that your actions become habits. This is by far one of the most effective moves you can make towards being effectively financially self- sufficient.

Living off the land

This is one that a lot of people think of when the term ‘self-sufficiency’ is spoken. It is also another very effective way towards that goal of independence.

Growing your own food is effective because you not only save money on food from the grocery stores, you know where that food came from and how it was treated. Or rather, not treated with harsh chemicals and poisons. It can be a clean source of wholesome foods for you and your family.

Hunting game and raising animals such as chickens, cattle or pigs provides meat and eggs and usually doesn’t cost outrageously to keep them fed. Nor do you need tons of land to do it. So many people choose to raise Hens in their backyard because of the price of food and eggs inflating to ridiculous heights. Check your local laws concerning this however!

A lot of people here in America are still living off the land as much as possible and an increasing number of people are learning to grow food for themselves. There is a movement happening now, as folks want to be food secure.

Farmers and homesteaders

Homesteaders are ultra efficient in their methods because most have had the traditions passed down in their family for generations. Don’t let that discourage you as you can always learn for yourself and from others!

Food prep for winter is a skill that you can definitely start practicing. Plenty of people still jar and can their own foods from their gardens for winter and even all year ’round use. Pickling and preserves/jams are the most common but you can also do salsa, tomatoes, fruit and pie fillings too. Smoking and curing meats is a skill that some have perfected into an art form. Myself, I love smoking meats and making jerky on my smoker.

There are markets called farmers markets or town markets. Some participate in markets to bring in cash to support the rest of the farm/homestead as outlined below. They produce or craft wares that will be sold at these local farmers market

Small business and entrepreneur

Small businesses support can their lifestyle by selling or bartering surplus of goods, whether grown or handcrafted. Doing the small business thing if you have surplus of items, you will even bring in a bit of extra cash if there is a decent demand for what you are creating.

There are plenty of ways to bring in a supplemental income online as well by e-commerce, drop shipping and even affiliate marketing. This requires some measure of creativity and ambition so check it out and see if you have what it takes! you could open the door to so many possibilities.

financial self-sufficiency — Farmers Market

Families or homesteads will participate in farmers markets, own nurseries for trees and plants as well as buy and sell livestock and animals. They are the backbone of communities and can be the ultimate example of independence and self-sufficiency. A lot of times you will buy products that you never knew were produced by families or small businesses like these.

My Conclusions

This shouldn’t intimidate or overwhelm you or make you think ‘Hillbillie’ or anything like it. If anything you gain an appreciation for the natural cycle of the world and of life in general. You will learn quite a few cool things about self-sufficiency along the way and be knowledgeable in these areas.

There are plenty of other ways to save money and cut back on costs of various things such as biking or walking whenever you can, saving and recycling aluminum and other metals as well as line drying clothes and composting. All these things if done right, will save money and help you provide for yourself and your family. Whatever choices you make, with commitment, a little hard work and forward thinking your path will lead you to the independence you seek.

I hope you have found this article to helpful and informative. If you have any comments, questions or input please do so in the box below.

Thanks.

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Category: self-sufficiency