The Prepared Life Squad Community Guidelines Welcome to our amazing preparedness community! These guidelines help us maintain the positive, supportive, and lighthearted space that makes The Prepared Life Squad so special. We're here to learn, grow, and build resilience together—without the drama or doom-and-gloom that can sometimes creep into preparedness discussions. 🌟 Our Community Standards 1. Share Your Real Experience This is a space for authentic stories and personal perspectives about your preparedness journey. When discussing topics, speak from your own experience ("I tried this and...", "When I lost power for three days...", "My biggest prep mistake was..."). This keeps our conversations grounded, relatable, and genuinely helpful. We want to hear about your wins, your "oops" moments, and everything in between! 2. Respect and Listen (We're All Learning) Our Squad includes everyone from complete beginners to seasoned preparedness pros, and that diversity makes us stronger! You don't have to agree with every approach or opinion, but you do need to listen respectfully. No name-calling, personal attacks, or dismissive comments like "that's stupid" or "you're doing it wrong." Challenge ideas constructively ("Have you considered..." or "My experience was different because..."), not the person sharing them. 3. No Hate Speech, Bullying, or Fear-Mongering Making others feel unsafe, unwelcome, or terrified is absolutely not tolerated. This includes any comments that are racist, sexist, homophobic, or otherwise discriminatory. It also includes extreme doom-and-gloom scenarios designed to scare rather than prepare. We're about building confidence and resilience, not spreading fear. Bullying and harassment will result in immediate removal from the Squad. 4. Stay Focused on Practical Preparedness (Not Politics) We discuss real-world challenges that affect our daily lives and preparedness needs, but this is not a political debate forum. We know that many preparedness topics touch on policy issues, but please focus on the practical, personal impact rather than debating political parties or policies. Instead of "The government is terrible because...", try "Here's how I'm preparing for supply chain issues..." Our moderators will gently guide conversations back to practical preparedness if they become overly political.

Welcome! I’m Sharon, also known as Vintage Prepper—and yes, my Amazon wishlist is basically a prepper’s dream list. My prepping journey started the hard way: I live in an area where we only got some wind and rain from hurricanes. Well we got our first direct hit in 2017. The power was out for days, and I realized I wasn’t ready. Since then, I’ve slowly built up my preparedness game—each storm taught me something new, and I’ve felt a little stronger and more confident with every challenge. But here’s the truth: preparedness isn’t just about hurricanes. It’s about being ready for whatever life throws at you—job loss, economic downturns, civil unrest, or even everyday hiccups like a sudden power outage. What I’ve learned is that you can’t prepare in the middle of a crisis. You have to start now, even with small steps. That’s why I created this community. Too many people feel unprepared—some because they don’t know where to start, others because they think prepping is too expensive. My mission is to make preparedness practical, affordable, and yes—even a little fun. With survival missions, budget-friendly challenges, and a community that shares both wins and “whoops” moments, you’ll never feel like you’re doing this alone. So whether you’re here to learn how to build an Emergency Fund on $10/week, Take the %-Day Prep Party Challenge, or just swap tips with fellow preppers—you’re in the right place. Together, we’ll make preparedness less overwhelming, more doable, and something you’ll actually enjoy.

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