When it comes to preparing for the ultimate emergency, many take the approach of stocking several years of supplies and implementing every shelter-in-place solution known to man. This can include underground living spaces, enough food to last 24 months, elaborate personal security systems and more.
While it is certainly admirable to take steps to protect your family from as many foreseeable situations as possible, keep in mind a situation may arise which requires you to leave your carefully curated command center. And this departure may not be temporary. If this is indeed the case, having embraced minimalism ahead of time can certainly work in your favor when it comes to repurchasing the necessary items for a basic lifestyle. Additionally, balancing the stocking of your supplies with preferred relocation procedures and a rough idea of how you'll re-establish revenue streams can go a long way towards helping you perfect your prepping plan.
Cash: Whether or not your emergency evacuation ends up being a permanent one, having access to a reasonable amount of cash reserves will be necessary. Expenses at a time like this can only be controlled so much, as the recovery process is unpredictable at best. Covering the costs of transitional accommodation, transportation costs and the replacement of any critical items left behind will likely be part of the picture. The amount required will be different for every family and situation, but six to nine months of basic income is a good start.
Having developed a few passive income streams in advance can come in handy as well. Rental income from properties in other locations, digital download products and online self-paced course sales are a few examples that might work for you, but there are other options as well. Whatever you develop for passive income, it will help tide you over if your main source of income needs to be re-established.
Lists: If the worst happens and you need to start over in a new location without any of your former belongings, having precise lists of what you require to land on your feet and become functional can be crucial for carving out a new life for less. These lists will be slightly different for everyone, but should include a list of minimal items for things such as your kitchen, home office, wardrobe and tool collection.
Developing these lists is definitely a time commitment that requires a great deal of personal effort and lifestyle experimentation.
Slowly eliminating certain items or setting them aside to see if you can indeed do without them is an exercise many people aren't willing to do. It can feel tedious, frustrating and even overwhelming at times. If you can stick with it however, your reward will not only be another level of preparedness, but the option to enjoy the overall stress reduction that comes from living with less. To do so will require completion of the actual downsizing, of course. However, the mobility that comes with a minimalist personal property inventory provides a rapid response capacity that is difficult to quantify in mere words to those who have never had to evacuate and land immediately on their feet.
Replacements: If the worst happens and all of your basic infrastructure is wiped out, it can be tempting to start shopping for replacements with abandon to re-establish some sort of comfort zone. I've been there. However, sticking with a more measured approach and selecting value-priced items to restart your life is much more likely to leave you with a healthy bank account balance. Especially if that check from the insurance company takes its time arriving in the mail. Using the lists of essential items you've created is a great start, as is considering a more mid-range price point or even bargain items where appropriate.
For example, you might want to wait a bit on replacing your professional grade chef gear from the luxury kitchen outlet, and get by with lower priced alternatives such as a paring knife from the dollar store or disposable casserole pans from the baking ingredients aisle at the local grocery. Similarly, multi-packs of cotton athletic shirts in colors that are gender neutral can help provide replacement outfits for numerous family members with a single purchase. This same strategy can be used for socks, toothbrushes and certain hair accessories.
