I suppose I should start by explaining what I mean when I say "prep". With prepping coming to more light due to a few new TV shows, people are becoming more aware that others are doing this. Keep in mind that I do not have TV, so I have only seen a few episodes of this show; but I can't help but feel that this show seems to showcase the ones that are on the far fringe of survival and emergency preparedness. I'm not saying they're bad people; or what  believe that these shows make the rest of us look like nut cases.

   I don't have a bunker. I don't have gas masks or run practice nuclear attack drills. I won't be writing posts involving conspiracy theories. I don't think about foreign attack or lose sleep worrying about a zombie apocalypse. (though it is fun to talk about!), While none of these things are truly impossible, they aren't the reasons behind what I do.

   When I think of prepping, I think of common things that nearly all of us have experienced. Layoff/job loss, death of a family member, sickness, natural disaster, power outage, and others. Think about just the ones that I mentioned. With a job loss, you may not have the money or means to buy groceries for yourself or your family. With sickness, you can experience the same things if you aren't one of the lucky few with sick leave from work. A natural disaster or power outage can leave you with not only no electricity at home, but also possibly no way to get to the store; assuming that they are able to operate and/or have anything left on the shelf. Prepping doesn't have to be about doom and gloom. Remember that.

 I take the same view on vegetable gardening and homesteading. I build nearly everything that I use rather than buy it or have someone else build it. Other than a rototiller, all of my gardening tools are simple. I don't have a greenhouse with electric heat and window openers, and I don't spend countless hours testing my soil. You can go back to my old post at One Acre Homestead to read more about my simple approach.

 The biggest thing that I plan on doing with this blog is showing how to do both with a level head, common sense, and on a sensible budget. Thus the name of the blog. BUDGET Prepper. Setting aside food and supplies doesn't have to break the bank. Gardening doesn't have to cost $200 to grow $90 worth of vegetables. I'm just here to show you how I do things and give advice on doing it yourself.

 So........let the adventures begin. The first "real" post will be going up in the next few days.

Chris