Quantity or Quality?

An area that needs considerable thought in our preparations is getting the best value for our money. Making our purchases cost effective. Most of us have limited financial resources and we therefore are always looking for the biggest return on our investment. We automatically carry that thinking into our survival preparations but is it the right thing to do?

It is reasonable to look at something and say that is too expensive. I could buy 10 of the cheaper versions for that price and thus I would calculate how long would I get from one and then ask would I ever get my moneys worth from the money I spent. Another example; a saw. You could work out that the expensive saw could cut four times the thickness as the cheaper version without breaking and thus it was not really worth it. It makes economic sense to buy one of the cheaper versions and replace it when it breaks because you only cut that thickness once before out of thousands of cuts. It is the cost effective solution in this case.

However, in a survival situation it is not always the best solution as the objective is different. We must always remember what the primary objective is; Survival and not the cheapest solution. In this case the value for money and what are cost effective are twisted significantly by the objectives. We are planning to survive an unknown event, an event that could actually be TEOTWAWKI. This changes everything and thus the expensive saw would be the best purchase because it will last longer, cut everything you throw at it and, the most important thing, there will be no replacements. No stores to buy another cheaper version or even another expensive version from. You have what you have.

Now, that does not means that in another situation you would not go for the cheaper versions, just that you need to consider their use and how important they are for your objective; which is Survival.

Consider the following;

• A bag of over 1000 seeds with a 50% failure rate or a packet of 100 seeds with a 100% success rate
• A box of 1000 AAA batteries or a solar charger with 10 rechargeable AAA batteries
• An expensive knife or two cheap alternatives

There are no right or wrong answers here. It depends on circumstances that are unique to you.

My first thoughts are usually ‘Can I have both?’ but I can think of situations where I would choose either of those options. However, sometimes the expense does not justify that and so, even if you have the money or not, a decision needs to be made. You must consider the options for your specific circumstances whilst always keeping your eye on the primary objective; Survival.