I often read website forums and Facebook pages where women talk about how their husbands are not on board for long-term food storage. They don’t see a need for it, and often, the wives feel ridiculed for their desire to be better planned. He calls her paranoid or a conspiracy theorist, bemoaning that the grocery is well stocked and just a short distance away. (And yes, there are plenty of men who are preppers, but in this case, it is hitting home about being a female prepper with no support from her husband or partner. You can still use these ideas if you are a male prepper, of course.)
To this, I bring you the Stealth Prepper.
What is a stealth prepper?
One that puts away food quietly, building a more robust long-term food storage in their pantry. They don’t have a separate prepper area for food, so you fit it into your regular pantry. It isn’t as noticeable since you are buying what you eat already. You may not have cans of freeze-dried food, but you can have plenty of food to nourish your family. It might only be a week or two worth of extra food, but every bit helps.
Is it lying to your partner? No. Maybe it’s on the edge of omitting, but it isn’t lying. You are just….expanding what you keep on hand. Your job is to win them over to your side pleasantly. Instead of being scared about our world, work on what you can do to make your small world safer. Work on things you can do to make yourself feel protected.
4 years ago? No. This was taken last night, on March 25th, 2024. It shows how easily stores can be empty. And this was only 1 of many photos I snapped last night.
Talking Points To Win A Partner Over:
- Family Sickness (Having sick people, from either a temporary illness or a long-term one, not having to spend money or shop takes off stress.)
- Job Loss (Job loss is a real thing right for many people. Not having to buy food when unemployed releases so much anxiety. This point is what often wins people over.)
- Weather (Snow storms, not having food on hand, flooding, etc.). Staying home keeps you safe and avoids situations where stores are stripped by scared people. Whenever you see a news show about stripped stores during a snowstorm or hurricane, this is the time to talk about it casually.
- Natural Disasters (When you are ready at home, you are not waiting around in a panic for help to show up, and if FEMA or the National Gaurd shows up, it is to densely populated urban areas first.)
- Cost Of Food/Inflation (food prices have increased by around 25% in the past four years alone; this point can win a partner over. Prices are not going down.)
Instead Of:
- NWO Takeover (This scares people when it is your first argument.)
- 2030 Agenda (Yes, this is real, but not a great talking point.)
- WWIII (I feel this one, but it’s best not to scare people.)
- Zombie Invasions (Probably pretty low on what to prep for.)
- Decaying Cities (A real issue, but again, it scares people. It’s a great talking point to show how bad San Francisco, Seattle, and New York are, but don’t obsess.)
- Upcoming Election in 2024 (After watching the mess 2020 brought, this isn’t a bad idea.)
- Food Chains Falling Apart (This is very true, but it scares people.)
How To Do It:
- Watch Sales In Stores (Let’s say you see a 75% off sale in a store, and it’s got a long shelf-life; it’s a bargain. Present it that way.) (Use your chain grocery store apps, and always “clip” coupons before you go. Some chains offer free items every month and nearly always offer money off gas fill-ups – or some chains let you turn those awards into cash off shopping trips.)
- Learn How To Compare Pricing By Ounce. (He may say, “We don’t need 20 pounds of flour/rice/oats,” but if you can show that when you buy in 20—to 50-pound bags, the cost per ounce goes down to almost nothing, you have won. Buying staples in small bags/containers rarely saves money.) (If you have a restaurant supply store nearby, visit it. They sell the basics and can be super affordable if you are willing to buy larger quantities.)
- Figure Out What Food Your Family Loves (If you hate canned black beans, don’t buy them!)
- Take Them Shopping With You (Too often, men never go into a grocery store after marriage. Make him participate. His eyes will see the insane prices and low stock in person. They will then be unable to deny it. It may wake them up to reality.)
- Brag About Your Shopping Scores (Presenting it as you won and how affordable the dinner will be. Humble bragging goes far.)
- Organize Your Pantry (Organize your pantry so the space is well used. Everything has a place and is tidy. This way, no food is wasted, and no random bags clutter it up.)
- Learn To Be An Ingredient Household (Cooking from scratch is more work but pays off. You will eat healthier and for much less money when you don’t buy highly processed foods or eat out. The more you save, the more you can invest in long-term items that you then incorporate into your daily meals so nothing becomes expired.)
- Buy Items In Non-Prepper Containers (Buying #10 cans of freeze-dried ingredients is excellent for long-term prepper storage, but the look of the cans can make others uncomfortable. An example is Augason Farms cans, which are a great deal, but instead, buy Anthony’s Goods products, which come in mylar bags and look more like what you would buy at Costco. They can be resealed into mason jars and stored nicely.)
- If You Live With A Financially Controlling Partner, work to get them to give you a set amount to spend on food in cash, and work within it to buy as affordably as possible. Present it as you are creating a budget to provide them with healthy meals and buying them in bulk to save them money.
~Sarah