I get that prepping can be a lot of time and money. It can be, but it doesn't have to be. A bag of dried beans can be bought for less then dollar and soda bottle can be rinsed out and filled with water. That's prepping almost anyone can do. I try to do some kind of prepping every day. This is the one thing that the Mormons have right. They encourage their members to put back one year supply. I'd like to see Catholics do that, too.
I'm not prepping for a worst case scenario. In a totally worst case scenario nobody but the Rothchilds of the world are going to survive, anyway. But I don't think things will come to that, not if the prophecies are correct and we're going to have a world that's Catholic after the tribulation.
I totally agree with the survivalists for the need to prepare for a collapse, which I believe is inevitable.
However, I can't really consider myself a survivalist, since I don't spend that much time or money on preparation. Or if you judge based on what you've done so far, I also fall short.
However, I would describe myself as "prudent". I do what I can, given the money -- and, more importantly, TIME -- that I have.
A gas can isn't that expensive ($13). I've bought a few. And right now gas is pretty cheap. You can't keep it long, but if you cycle through it you can store some 5-gallon cans. I figure it would be really nice to have gas for things like weedwhackers, mowers, cars, etc.
And like you said, making some provision for the VERY BASICS OF LIFE such as food and water isn't that difficult. Especially over time.
I don't have time to practice defensive military tactics, set up remote cameras, etc. And while my house is rural, it's completely visible from the street (albeit from a 200 foot distance). It's not secluded, nor is it an impregnable fortress with defenses laid out by an ex-marine.
And I don't have the MONEY to buy a solar panel system or even a generator. Generators are noisy anyhow; I'm more of a solar panel person. I have a few smaller panels to charge USB devices (and rechargeable batteries). Strictly speaking, electricity isn't necessary for life anyhow, unless you count "Air conditioning in Summer in Texas", and you're not going to be able to run a central A/C unit off a generator or solar panel system! At least not on the system most people would normally buy.
Let's put it this way:
Cost of a good generator: $1000
Cost of a good generator that can power an A/C unit able to cool your house during the summer in Texas: $10,000
(Where do you get the fuel for these things during a collapse anyhow? Fuel is going to be GONE as soon as the crap hits the fan. Then what?)
Cost of a solar panel system that can run almost everything in your home: $30,000
Cost of a solar panel system that can handle a central A/C unit: $80,000
The things electricity is most useful for, is precisely the things that soak up GOBS of it, like electric oven/stove, dryer, and central heat or A/C. The things you can live without (computers, Internet routers, lights, TVs) are much more easily powered with alternate means.