“If this all falls apart, then I’ll just come over to your house!” – usually said with a smile and a nervous laugh.

Many of us who have been into preparedness for a long time have heard this. Usually it’s said with a laugh – a forced and unconvincing laugh. Many who do are serious, though they pretend not to be. So, how do we respond? Maybe it’s a close friend or family member. Maybe it’s a fellow church member. Maybe it’s the kind neighbor living right next to you.

It’s a serious matter with serious consequences, but you need to think about it and decide how you will respond. We’ll look at some responses for you to consider, but first a few key points:

  • In such a situation, we can assume that there is no reliable “fixed it” date. There won’t be any grocery store resupply.
  • You are responsible for your own family – just as others are responsible for theirs.
  • Every meal that goes to someone else is a meal that you are taking away from your own family.
  • You had no special, secret knowledge. Everyone else could have chosen to prepare, but they chose not to. It was a very conscious choice.
  • Others spent their income on things other than food and other necessities, but they didn’t offer to take you on their vacations or out to eat or loan you their nice new car, etc.

THEM: “What are you going to do? Shoot me?”
YOU: “Well, what are YOU going to do? Rob me? Take food from my family? That’s the real question.”

Let’s use a different example: Let’s say that you chose to buy stock in a company that did very well. I chose not to. Are you going to share your profits with me because you made the right choice and I made the wrong choice?

Charity is a good thing, but not when it endangers your own family. Give someone some food, and you have almost certainly started a long chain of events. They WILL come back, and they will often bring others. Telling them “no more” will be met with anger – and probably violence at some point. Past charity will be forgotten. They are hungry. You have food.

 

What CAN you do?

IF you have sufficient food, and IF you have very good reason to believe that they are reasonably trustworthy, THEN consider trading food for something of value that you need or that can be traded to someone else, such as sterling silver flatware or “junk silver” coins or other silver (NOT silver plate). Another option is food in exchange for labor. In every case, though, your own family comes first. Always. No exceptions.

Think about it now. It is very much a part of your preparedness planning.