120 Powerful Pieces Of Advice For PreppersMichael Snyder, Contributor But for people that have never done much prepping before, getting started can be both confusing and intimidating. In fact, I get more questions about prepping than anything else. People are constantly asking me how they can prepare for the difficult times that are coming. When people ask me what they can do to prepare, there is usually one tip that I give above everything else. It is not very sexy, but it is absolutely foundational. During the last recession, millions of people lost their jobs, and because a lot of them had no financial cushion, many of them also lost their homes. What is going to happen to all of your preparations if something goes wrong and you suddenly lose your home to foreclosure? I recommend that everyone have an emergency fund that will be able to cover all bills and expenses for at least six months. Yes, cash is continually losing value. But during any economic downturn it is absolutely essential that you be able to continue to pay your bills. Having a cash reserve is the smart thing to do. So what else can people do to start prepping for the tough times that are on the horizon? In a previous article, I explained that a good place to start is by focusing on the five basics. If you have those five areas totally covered you will be in pretty good shape. The following are some more things to consider as you are prepping. The following are 6 excellent privacy tips for preppers that come from an article by an anonymous author that was recently posted on theintelhub.com. In one article that I did about preparation, I listed 10 things that you can start doing right now to get yourself into a better position for the chaos that is coming. Would moving to another area of the country be the best choice for you and your family? In an article entitled What Is The Best Place To Live In The United States To Prepare For The Coming Economic Collapse? I detailed some of the pros and cons for living in various areas of the country. In a recent article posted on shtfplan.com, Norse Prepper shared 11 questions that all preppers should be asking themselves. You can read the entire article right here. In the years ahead food might cost a whole lot more than it does right now. Your food dollars are never going to go farther than they do right now. Many people do not realize this, but you can grow herbs that have tremendous healing properties in your own garden. In a recent article, I detailed some of the things that you will want to consider in the event of a major economic collapse. You need to have a plan for what you will do if a massive wildfire comes sweeping through your area. This is especially true if you live in the western half of the United States. In a previous article entitled 20 Things You Will Need To Survive When The Economy Collapses And The Next Great Depression Begins, I made a list of 20 things that you will need when you are not able to rely on Wal-Mart or the grocery store any longer. In the comments following that article, my readers suggested a number of additional items to add to that list. There are more preppers out there than you might think. Dont be afraid to reach out and make new friends. In a recent article, Brandon Smith shared some of the factors to consider when choosing a location for a survival retreat. You can read the rest of that article right here. Almost everyone can grow a survival garden. Even if you only have an apartment, you can still grow a few things on your balcony. Dont underestimate the impact a major transportation disruption could have on our daily lives. You would be surprised what you can actually do with limited resources. For example, there is one family that is actually producing 6000 pounds of produce a year on just 1/10th of an acre right in the middle of Pasadena, California. Survival Mom once shared the top ten survival tips that nobody wants to talk about. An EMP burst caused by a high-altitude nuke or by a major solar event could fry most of your electronics. What are you going to do if that happens? Spending a million dollars on a survival condo in an abandoned missile silo in Kansas is probably not a very efficient use of your limited resources. Off Grid Survival recently posted a list of four powerful traits that most survivors have in common. You can always learn more. Organizations such as The American Preppers Network enable preppers to network and learn from one another. During the difficult times that are coming, in addition to physical preparation it is going to be absolutely crucial to be both mentally and spiritually tough. Many have accused me of being a doom and gloomer, but I dont see anything negative about being prepared. In fact, having a plan can give you a tremendous amount of hope. There will be a lot of people out there that will be tremendously blessed in the midst of the chaos that is coming. Victory often goes to those who are most prepared. But if you choose simply to have blind faith in the system and you choose to stick your head in the sand, you might find that ignorance is bliss for a little while but when the stuff hits the fan it is going to be incredibly painful for you. Previous generations understood that it was wise to store up supplies in the good years in order to make things easier in the lean years. Unfortunately, most people these days have never been through truly hard times sothey have no idea what they are like. Just because the world has enjoyed a tremendous amount of prosperity for the last several decades does not mean that things will always be this way. Wake up, take a look at the storm on the horizon and get prepared while you still can. If you choose not to prepare now, you will regret it later. This article first appeared here at the American Dream. Michael Snyder is a writer, speaker and activist who writes and edits his own blogs The American Dream and Economic Collapse Blog. Follow him on Twitter here. 