You know... maybe (maybe) one of the reasons people don't prepare is that it seems too difficult.

(Yeah, I know... but hear me out...)


We've all seen the Lists from various sources about the recommend stuff you should have for various emergencies. And I've seen the response first hand.... "Uh. That's a lot of stuff. I'll never get all that. And hey, if it's my time to go...". The list is too intimidating.

Really, it comes down to four things. Water, Food, Cash, Gas.

That's it. Have those four things, and you're good. It's the 80/20 rule... I think those four things cover 80%. Sure, things can happen those don't cover, and there are lots of extras in the 20% that you might wish you'd had, but just those four items can make a huge difference.

And as you point out, we're not talking about extensive underground 10 year food supplies. Just bread and peanut butter will keep you from being hungry for over a week. $20 or less of food and water will get you through the tough few days after most hurricanes. And fill your freakin' car. Get some extra cash. Not much, just some.

Eh. Who am I kidding. Before the storm, it's procrastination and denial. After the storm it's learned helplessness and the desire to transfer blame from oneself to society.

Still, maybe The Authorities should skip the huge lists, and have a cartoon character deliver the same message over and over and over... "Water, Food, Cash, Gas. The Cool Kids have theirs. Do you?". :-)