Prepper but Normal: How to Be Prepared and Not Be Weird
About increasing possibilities during life situations and in everyday life. For those who want to be normal or just want to look normal.
The point of the whole post is to show that there are many options (situations or things) in life that we don't differentiate much between in normal times, but in harder times some profile much better. That's when the impact of choice is not insignificant.
Preppers are people who prepare for the worst. Some are even weird and paranoid. This is for people who want to live their lives the same way. But at the same time be a little better prepared.
Options
Optionality gives a person options but not obligations. Often the additional cost is negligible. It was popularized mainly by Taleb.
It can be basically anything. Like buying multiple bus tickets with ability to cancel for free with different times. These get cancelled before you need to pay a fee, depending on which connection you're going to take. The cost is time and possibly the forfeited price of the ticket if one doesn't have time to cancel.
I only list if the additional cost of increasing options is negligible (sometimes even preferable) to the "normal" choice.
I don't go to extremes. Having an underground bunker (ideally in another part of the world) is a different discipline. The advice here is compatible with a normal person's life.
But I add more extreme versions as well. I know people for whom the extreme version is a passion and would find themselves in it. At that point it's the "try-hard version".
It's not a checklist. It's inspiration.
Physical things
Cash
Normal version: cash in the currency I use plus some EUR/USD
Extreme version: the whole palette from SDR
Advantages: reduced risk when preferred currency fails (if you have multiple currencies); liquidity (cash-only businesses); less spending; anonymity
Additional costs: weight of cash; exchange rate risk; impossibility of certain financial operations (interest on deposits); custody security measures
Compared to a regular card/transfer payment, it actually has many advantages:
- Cash people generally spend less
- No hidden (card) fees allow the business to get the full amount
- Theoretically it doesn't mind giving a lower tip because it goes off the record, win-win
- Anonymity
The money in the account is just a claim to the bank. Even though they are insured in Europe up to €100'000, if one needs to withdraw something from an ATM during a crisis, one will struggle to withdraw anything.
Because of the impossibility of financial transactions (inability to earn interest on cash), it only makes sense to have a spendable amount of cash. However, this must also be enough for the individual or the dependents (family, friends) to get to safe place.
It is important to have foreign currencies. In the event of a system failure, the preferred currency (the currency you normally pay with) may be worthless. A good inspiration for choosing a foreign currency in my opinion is the Special Drawing Rights (SDR). It is an international unit of account made up of USD, EUR, JPY, GBP and CNY. With the exception of the Chinese Renminbi, these extra currencies are at worst (at best?) exchangeable everywhere. At worse (at best?) exchange them while being on holiday abroad.
More bank accounts
Normal version: multiple bank accounts
Extreme version: distribution across jurisdictions and entities
Advantages: increase availability of funds
Additional costs: cost of administration.
There is need to have it only because of major disasters. Most of the time, there will be small ones. For example a bank service outage. It's always handy to have a backup card or another account in case you need to pay.
An extreme option may be to open an account abroad. In Georgia, for example, it's easy to set up an account. Both Revolut and Wise do a nice multi-currency account in Europe.
Crypto
Normal version: bitcoin on lightning network, maybe stablecoins
Extreme version: hardware wallet and anonymous coins (Monero)
Advantages: similar to cash; better portability of larger amounts.
Additional costs: Higher volatility; need to understand (especially the definite loss in bad custody)
Learning how to use cryptocurrencies is a useful thing itself. There is no need to learn whole complexity or go into detail.
It will be enough to play around with bitcoin (ideally on a lightning network) or stablecoins (cryptocurrencies pegged 1:1 to fiat e.g. USD).
A more extreme version might be to buy privacy coins like Monero. Or buy more and leave some of that in a hardware wallet.
Precious metals
Normal version: a nice piece of jewellery, low carat
Extreme version: real gold jewelry; physical commodities
Benefits: Diversification
Additional costs: transaction costs for buying and selling; storage; poorer portability
In case crisis hits there will be no time to find out how many karats the gold has. Even if they do, it's better to have a smaller piece of jewelry that can be quickly exchanged for food. With a gold coin, one may accept less advantageous transaction under the time pressure. It is advisable to have small "change" too.
For long term holdings and for larger portfolios, it makes sense to hold a certain amount of metal as a kind of hedge against the system, inflation and to reduce overall portfolio risk.
More passports
Normal version: multiple physical passports of the same country
Extreme version: multiple citizenships, no permanent residence, temporary stays
Benefits: flexibility multiplied
Additional costs: cost of passport; possible additional legislative burden
Having multiple passports of one country is a legal and normal thing in many countries. You may need to give a reason, but it can be anything from "running out of space" to "there's a stamp of a country that doesn't like the country I want to go to". Ideally order passports so that they expires differently.
In the case of a proper prepper, other citizenships can be considered. It can be bought by investment (buying government bonds, real estate) or domestication. A lighter version is applying for temporary residency.
Some version of the "in-between" is still the option of not having permanent residence at all, only temporary. One cannot vote in local elections and may not take a loan then. Or maybe you need to visa run then.
Portable things
Normal version: Buy portable versions of products
Extreme versions: Having only negligible possessions in things you are unable to take away quickly
Benefits: increased utility (use even during traveling), mobility
Additional costs: less options, possibly lower functionality/comfort, possibly price
If there is a travel alternative, buy it. Computer -> Laptop. Even things like router have travel versions. And regarding already portable stuff, you can "upgrade" them to a lighter version as well.
Honestly, this is a bit of an antiadvice, as with portable stuff the potential advantage (portability) is often proportionally compensated by price or comfort. A laptop versus a computer with the same performance score is more expensive, plus the ergonomics at work are significantly worse. In addition, mini computers with a decent performance already have the dimensions of tablets.
But it may still make sense to upgrade already portable things with more portable ones, i.e. buy lighter variants at a higher price.
Emergency kit
Normal version: Can food, water supplies/water filters for daily use, first aid kit in car, raincoat, flashlights
Extreme version: extreme amount of food, cigarettes and bullets; emergency kit, disaster supplies (radio)
Advantages: Durability
Cost: Storage space
While this seems beyond "normal" to a lot of people, natural disasters worldwide show that being materially prepared for an emergency may not be as unlikely as it may seem at first glance.
There is the golden trinity of the prepper "cigarettes, canned goods and bullets". The most versatile are canned goods. The extreme version is havind all three prepared. Especially if you don't smoke. The additional cost of canned is zero, at worst one gets away with it.
However, there are many more things that come in handy in a pinch. As Bárta (2021, p. 259) writes in The Seven Laws (Sedm zákonů):
Some countries, such as Sweden and Germany, have manuals for their citizens, urging them to keep a few days' emergency supplies at home at all times. These include, of course, a few litres of drinking water per person per day, non-perishable foodstuffs, food that can be eaten without cooking, sugar, coffee, tea, biscuits, chocolate, preserves and preserves, garbage bags, disinfectant, water disinfectant tablets, a power adapter for the car, a small gas cooker, candles, a battery-operated radio, a flashlight, basic common medicines, bandages, sleeping bags, head torches, ideally a small generator and naturally a supply of fuel in a canister, normal cash for at least three days and some others.
Water filtration equipment is also useful, either in the form of filters under the sink directly connected to the water, or a kettle with a filtration kit (e.g. Brita). In the event of a water outage, you can get by for a while without having to buy bottled water. Additionally, Georgia has trained me to stock water heavily.
And it's not just a Georgian thing. Even Japanese (extreme) minimalists keep barrels of water as their property. Because of less stuff, minimalists have to think about more possible situations and prepare for them. They can avoid disaster not only because their ability to move fast, but also by being prepared from previous more "normal" life event.
Intangible assets
Good relations
Normal version: Maintain relationships including more distant ones (less important friends, friends of friends)
Extreme version: Increase the amount of relationships to the widest possible range, have kids
Benefits: better life in general
Additional costs: possible fragmentation of relationships, time
Having good relationships opens doors. It is something we don't often think of as an asset. After all, it's the people and our immediate surroundings. But in the end, it's a wonderful source of enrichment in life, and it's mutual.
There are plenty of options, from casual socialising, through catching up with friends on social media, to wishing them happy birthday. The cost is low, often immediately rewarding, and the potential benefits are unquantifiable.
Soft skills: negotiation, communication skills, languages
Normal version: consume valuable content, educate yourself
Extreme version: unnecessary immersion in low probability problems, social engineering
Benefits: Better life in general
Additional cost: Annoyance with the green bird who recalls to do your Spanish lesson again
To build valuable relationships, it is also important to bring value to others and know how to get it when needed. It's a kind of necessary complement to a good life - to be able to make the most of life, we need to be able to recognize and use these opportunities.
Outside of various YT videos, Duolingo, books, and more, it's useful to simply try (and yes, fail).
Hard skills: driving licence, gun licence, courses for life
Normal version: Courses that I will use in normal life (e.g. cooking)
Extreme version: Courses I won't use every day, but could (survival courses)
Advantages: Optionality, ability to get into new life situations
Additional costs: time, cost
Same as with soft skills.
Online services
Normal version: try VPN, Tor, encrypted communication, cryptocurrency payments
Extreme version: Excessive use without added benefit
Benefit: Ability to use alternatives before needing them (when it's too late)
Additional costs: cost of services, convenience, time
It is useful to learn some things before they are needed. Then one is often stressed even because one doesn't fully know what one is doing. Change a tyre. Eating with chopsticks. Pay with a new payment method. Use a VPN. Ask the AI correctly.
This section can be applied to a wide range of services and knowledge. The main focus here is the online space just because we spend a lot of time on it, it's changing a lot and expanding rapidly. New services may be a useful tool for greater personal freedom in a few years.
Behave normal
And one more controversial thing at the end.
Rule 38 in 48 Laws of Power says: Think As You Like, But Behave Like Others.
The strategy is to fit into the definition of normalcy. The target of attack has historically been people who stood out in any way. The way to greater anonymity may be to not stand out (on paper) rather than rebel. An empty excel cell is more suspicious than an average value.
Zdroje
Books
- BÁRTA, Miroslav. Sedm zákonů. Brno: JOTA, 2021. ISBN 978-80-7565-640-7.
- GREENE, Robert. The 48 laws of power. London: Profile Books, 1998. ISBN 1-86197-139-7.