I just found this site a couple of days ago. It's interesting to think I'm not the only one with serious concerns, since I haven't been successful in convincing other people of the possibility of failures.

My question is: How do I prepare my household when my husband has a limited tolerance for this discussion?

-- margie mason (mar3mike@aol.com), September 19, 1998

Answers

My husband didn't either at first. It took his parents talking to him and me showing him on our computer with the financial tracking I do what may happen. That was 1 month ago. So don't give up.

Start preparing without him. Your #1 priority as I see it is your family! Every time you go to the grocery store buy 2 extra of everything you use, especially personal products! Whatever you do don't give up.

This web site was my safe haven at first. I found a lot of answers here. Go back through the posts they will help you get through this.

Good Luck

-- Grandma (ml@cusd.chico.k12.ca.us), September 19, 1998.

Buy him a copy of Ed's book. Make him read it. If he won't read it, read it out loud at the dinner table. There are also great short articles you can print out at: http://www.prepare4y2k.com These will help convince your husband. If he still won't listen, this has worked for quite a few people: Ask him "If you knew an earthquake was going to hit on a certian day (01/01/00), but you don't know if it will be a 2 or 7 in magnatude, what would you prepare for?" Stress the certian day part, and the answer is usually "prepare for 5-7, and hope for a 2" Some will say, "Get out of town" which leads to rural retreat discussions. If he still won't listen, don't try and convince him. Just start buying extra food, save some small bills in cash at home, think about heating your house without electricity or gas, get as debt free as you can, keep your eyes and ears open and your mouth shut.

-- Bill (bill@microsoft.com), September 19, 1998.

Margie, have you found the website by Karen Anderson especially for women? Karen is a marriage and family therapist and spends a great deal of time talking about the problems couples face when one wants to prepare and the other isn't convinced. There is a lot of helpful information, too. Read all of it as time allows. Please keep posting here, too, and let us know how you're doing. Here is the website:

http://www.y2kwomen.com

-- Gayla Dunbar (privacy@please.com), September 19, 1998.

I talked to my partner and did my best to explain it without getting emotional. That was tough, since I was still in a bit of a "panic" mode. I told her that we could prepare by stocking up on things that we could easily use if nothing bad happens. I described our preparations as insurance, and I just wanted all of us to be safe if there was any trouble. She's not as firm a believer as I am, but she sees that I'm sleeping better since we began preparing. She has also suprised me a couple of times with suggestions, so I know she's not just going along.

If your spouse doesn't 'get it' just do what you can now. He may get onboard if thing begin to get ugly.

BTW - The communications satellite that screwed up a few months ago might prove to be a good example. It wasn't Y2K related, but it's just a sample of what could happen if many digital systems crashed at one time. Good luck.

-- Mike (gartner@execpc.com), September 19, 1998.

You could look through the Westergaard site ( www.y2ktimebomb.com ) for those articles which are pretty much designed for the "rationalists" of us and who might need to be broken in a bit more gently. But, as others have said, your goal is to have all of thestuff you need for a roughly specific period of time (you get to choose the scenario) stored in the atic and basement so that you have provided for your family as best as you can. This will be a strugle but the look on his face as you serve a full course meal from teh basement on 1/2/00, with Coleman lantern running, will be priceless and worth every bit of the harassment you get for preparing.

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Hoewever, if the ********* decides to forbid you or cuts your budget to the point you can't prepare, consider trading it in on a more understanding, loving, trusting model.

cr

-- Chuck a Night Driver (rienzoo@en.com), September 19, 1998.

Tell him it will let buy a whole bunch new tools and gadgets for the house. Then make sure the first few gadgets are big and useful and noisy: like a generator, spare radio, kerosene heater, woodstove, etc.

In the mean time, you can quietly get the important, less expensive stuff.

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), September 20, 1998.

Let him buy a shotgun, too. Let him know you may need it to protect the supplies you are buying. This "T2" protector role should appeal to him.

-- Bill (bill@microsoft.com), September 20, 1998.

Thanks Bill! You just may be right!

Seriously, though. Thank you all. I kinda thought I was just going to have to go around him. It'll be a whole lot better than doing nothing.

-- margie mason (mar3mike@aol.com), September 20, 1998.

Hi Margie- I second the recommendation to Karen Anderson's site at http://www.y2kwomen.com. Did a lot for me AND did a lot to help educate my husband, who before always thought I was some kind of loon. (Partly justified in some cases.) Anyway, a pretty sneaky way to start storing food is to start buying 10% more when you do your grocery shopping. Cans of whatever is on sale. At the discount store - toothpaste, toilet paper, band-aids, Pepto-Bismol, ibuprofen. Buy 2 instead of one, stick them on a shelf under the stairs, and before you know it, you have quite a growing little pile. Makes you feel more in control. Tell him you want to take a family camping trip - get the kids sleeping bags and falshlights for Christmas presents - mine love them. Any start is a good start.

-- Melissa (financed@forbin.com), September 20, 1998.

Yes I guess the inflation rate on groceries is about 10-20% lately :)

-- Laurane (familyties@rttinc.com), September 20, 1998.

Hi Margie I have the same problem with my husband. All I can say is, I hope you have a house with a lot of hiding places. I am going to ask my family for a kerosene heater for Christmas. What's he going to do, throw it out?

-- Amy Leone (aleone@amp.com), September 21, 1998.

Another thing to keep in mind is that if TSHTF and you haven't prepared, and the kids want to know why they are freezing, and you say "Because Daddy said we didn't need to prepare", he will deny it. It also won't help if you say "But Rush Limbaugh said there was no problem." Rush is just a voice on the radio who will fade away, not a person who does your thinking for you. Action not words will help you.

-- Amy Leone (aleone@amp.com), September 21, 1998.

Margie - Just another vote for Karen Anderson's site. My husband has been slow on the pick-up as well, and he WORKS with computers all day. Sigh. Today, though I was shocked when he called and asked me to e-mail the latest copy of Karen's "e-zine" newsletter to him at work. I highly recommend getting on the e-mail list for this. She sends a new "issue" each monday. Topics range from water, personal hygiene, food storage, generators, home computers and more. Lots of information in one place, and I'm sure most of us don't have the time to research this stuff on our own. I know I don't. Take Y2Kare!

-- Debbie V (djvpool@frontiernet.net), September 24, 1998.

Easy. Do most behind his back, like most women do.

-- pauline jansen (paulinej@angliss.vic.edu.au), June 09, 1999.