Sunday, January 6, 2019

10 Useful Prepper Memberships

In no particular order...

  1. A library card.  Our local library system is amazing.  Besides the usual books and movies to check out, with a library card people can download books and movies and magazines and music.  Our library system also has the usual homework help centers and basic computer classes but also has wonderful public events (concerts, plays, and movie presentations all for free), free community classes (like how to prepare for a disaster), and monthly "talk with a cop" events.  Everyone should have a library card as part of their preps.
  2. A Costco card.  If you are really stocking up on food, Costco may be your best bet (I believe Sam's Club is the same but I have never been in one).  You can buy 50 pounds of rice, 25 pounds of dry beans, a massive amount of canned goods, plus they have great prices on the basics like toilet paper and bottled water.  Their return policy is also pretty stellar.
  3. A state parks pass.  If you use your state parks, even just a few times a year, buying an annual pass will usually pay for itself.  Our state park's system has the added bonus where if you visit 15 or more parks and get your "parks passport" stamped you will get a free annual pass for the following year.  In addition to access to the parks, with such a pass you can go on free guided hikes, attend free nature talks with a ranger, and attend free events too (our parks have some killer cast iron cooking cook-offs several times during the year).
  4. A gym membership.  While I prefer to head outside and do my own hiking or running to keep fit, many people lack the location and/or motivation to get fit and stay that way.  If a membership to a gym will do the trick and keep you inspired to stay health, it may be well worth the cost.  Note that memberships at the local Y area usually cheaper than at a commercial gym.
  5. A gun club membership.  Depending on where you live, places to shoot may be few and far between.  If this is the case and you have a local gun club where you can purchase a membership which allows you to shoot anytime, it may be well worth the money as well.  I've belonged to gun clubs which included several "extras" in the cost ranging from free shooting classes to the services of a gun smith to access to competitive shooting events like black powder and USPSA.
  6. A National Parks Pass.  Barring the current situation in our national parks (the government shutdown is creating havoc at many national parks), a National Parks Pass is often a great deal if you visit more than a few parks each year.  Besides access to 417 of some of the best locations in the US, entry into national parks also includes free or discounted camping, free ranger-led hikes, and access to other park events too.
  7. Entertainment memberships like Amazon Prime or Netflix.  The thing I like about these services besides their regular entertainment value is that you can download movies to watch at a later date.  This can be useful when traveling or when a storm is headed your way and the power goes out.
  8. Travel passes.  If you travel a lot, a Global Entry, SENTRI, NEXUS, and/or TSA Pre Check pass may be well worth the cost to get you into and out of countries quickly.  Frequent flier programs and hotel memberships also fall into this category.
  9. AAA membership.  If you drive, and especially if you tend to drive long distances, having a AAA membership is well worth the cost.  Besides the roadside service offered with a membership, most offices also offer everything from notary service to passport photos to discounts on all sort of restaurants and hotels to car insurance.
  10. A membership at your local points of interest.  Depending on what you enjoy doing on your days off, buying a membership for the family at the local zoo, garden, museum, theme park, etc. may be well worth the cost, especially if you use it often.

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