Removing Debt: Encouraging Future Survival & Independent Discipline

Guest Author: Gale Newell

Disaster can strike at any time and in any corner of the world. If you are a person that prepares for your future and independent survival, it is imperative to remove yourself from debt. Debt is the ankle chain that keeps you locked down. reduce+debt+to+prepare+moreIt keeps you from acquiring resources and limits your ability to prepare for survival. I once had large sums of debt and know the consequences it can have on your ability to build stores and resources.  Luckily, I have also had the experience of fighting and paying off debt. It’s a tough battle, but makes prepping all that much sweeter. I have found the freedom and comfort that comes from being able to keep your own—hard earned— money.

Erasing or eliminating debt encourages future survival and independent discipline. Both are required if you want to have a better life.

Future Survival

If a hurricane or SHTF hits, your future survival depends upon your ability to have resources and a sufficient survival education. Being debt free makes it easier for you to have both. When you remove financial restrictions in your life, you are allowed to buy emergency supplies, food stores and other miscellaneous supplies that you can use now and for later.

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It also allows you to free your mind psychologically from the anxiety that comes from figuring out how you are going to make it month to month. Imagine for a second that you receive your next paycheck and are allowed to keep it all.  It’s nice to be able to purchase the supplies you need for the future and have money for entertainment. When you have debt, this reality becomes obsolete.

Sure, you can probably purchase a few prepping items here and there, but true financial freedom is acquired when you tell your money where you want it to go and not the other way around. Your ability to survive in the future relies on it. If you aren’t sure where to start with getting out of debt, here are two good places.  The first place to start (if you don’t have too much debt) is with a structured budget. The budget should allocate a good portion on money every month to pay off debt. Another option, (if you have a lot of debt) is to consider other resources, such as consolidating you debt or negotiating your debt.

Independent Discipline

Debt has a way of sneaking in and taking over before you realize how bad things are. Far too often we aren’t even aware of the consequences it has on our ability to survive and prep for the future.  When you owe someone or some company, you are not practicing the independent discipline that is a cornerstone of being a prepper. Debt can enslave you. It severely limits how how you spend your money and can drain you of energy.  Sometimes, it even dictates how you value yourself.

Now is the time to develop the discipline you’ll need as a prepper. Avoid needless debt at any cost, but if you are already in debt then work hard to pay it off. Remember, don’t take on debt to prep, but get rid of debt to prep.  It takes discipline to prepare for the future and it will take discipline to navigate any forthcoming SHTF, so why not carry this same discipline over to your finances. Erase your debt and use your money for the truly important things in life, such as your family and preparing for the future.