We occasionally have people say that they are coming to my house when stuff hits the fan or in a TEOTWAWKI situation. While that may sound like a good idea to them, we may have different philosophies about good ideas.

When people tell us are coming to our place, I pause a bit. Some people get a quick “sure” and some people just get a laugh. If you get a laugh, we more than likely don’t want you to come here. We have our reasons. Most people are not capable of working hard or doing what they are told. Some people crack under pressure instead of just getting things done. We have family and close friends to think about first.

If you are planning to come here and you think we might be okay with that, you need to keep reading. We have criteria for you staying here. We will make exceptions for the elderly and disabled, but usually, they want to be more of a help than able-bodied people do.

Be prepared to work. If SHTF does happen, life will not be easier for you or me. The animals will still need to be tended and possibly even more food will need to be grown for them. We will need more animals which will require more care. The already good-sized garden will need to be bigger and will still need to be tended and weeded. Depending on the circumstances, there will be a lot of work to do inside and outside the house. You will be expected to contribute and work for your supper just like the rest of us.

Please bring your own living quarters. If you have a camper that can be heated, you will need to bring it. Have a generator? Bring that too. We have limited space and I have a feeling you will be happier with your own space. Now would be a good time to make sure you can live long-term in your camper. It is cold in the winter in Iowa. I would also make sure you can survive in your camper without electricity or heat. You may run out of gas and not be able to secure more for your cooking and heating needs. Maybe coming to my house doesn’t sound like a good idea…

Bring your food storage with you. In your mind, I may have a lot of food storage. In my mind, I will never have enough. If you are planning to come here, you better pack all the food you can safely bring in your vehicle and your camper. I don’t care if it is perishable or not because you will need all that food. With that line of thought, bring your portable water too. You will also probably need that too.

You will be coming to MY place. While I regularly seek out other’s opinions and wisdom, I will be calling most of the shots. This is MY place and I will ask for the respect that I deserve. You are coming here and you will be here because of my permission. Don’t like it? Too bad. You can find somewhere else to hunker down. 

If you have skills, you will be using them. I believe in having people use their talents in the best way possible. I also believe in learning new skills and you will be teaching other people your skills. Either way, your skills will be a benefit to the group. If you don’t think you have any skills, you still have time to learn some skills. 

You might not be welcome. We might turn you away. I don’t do other people’s drama very well. I have no desire to live in commune-like conditions. I have family and close friends to think about first. I don’t have that much room. You get it.

Trust me, I understand desperation and I understand having no other place to go. Life throws curve balls like that sometimes. However, if you aren’t planning ahead and/or do not have a plan in place about where to go when stuff does hit the fan, I might not feel that bad for you.

If you are bringing your kids, they need to understand that they will be contributors too. Kids as young as 3 can be put to work doing simple tasks. Start training them now to do simple things. Also, your teenagers’ attitudes will not be welcomed. Start teaching them now to do what they are told. I understand that mistakes might be made and sometimes teenagers do not understand timetables, but they will be doing what they are told to do.

A good attitude will go a long way for you to be able to stay here. We are not “work all the time” people, but we are not “play all the time” people either. I know some tasks will not be what you want to do, but I do things all the time I don’t want to do. That’s life. That doesn’t mean I get to be grumpy about that. I also understand that if you are coming here, something traumatic has happened and you might not have a good mindset. However, you are responsible for your attitude, your emotions, and your reactions. I will only put up with a bad attitude or a pity party for so long…

These may seem pretty harsh, but that is the way it is. We are preparing for worst-case scenarios and can’t afford to think that something might not be as bad as it could be. I know more people means more work, more food, and more planning. I can’t really afford to be relaxed about preparing for the worst case or for more people.

Thanks for reading,
Erica

Updated: 10/18/2023

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