Towers of Spam, green beans, tuna and cranberry sauce cans line my grandparent's closet. Another room in their house holds bottles of liquor, over-the-counter medicine and dozens of generic soda-pop bottles. During spring break I went to visit my grandparents and was shocked to discover that they have been preparing for what seems to be a zombie apocalypse.

My grandmother proudly informed me that my grandfather and she were "preppers." They were not planning for a zombie apocalypse, but a natural disaster or the collapse of the economy. I had no idea what a "prepper" was or what would possibly drive my grandparents to hoard packages of cookies and rolls of Duct tape, but I was intrigued.

According to the American Preppers Network website a prepper is, "a person who takes personal responsibility and self reliance seriously." They seek to follow five principles of preparedness.

These principles include practicing frugality, being economically independent by not having any debt, being industrious and self reliant. The most extreme principle is to have one year's worth of resources stored in case of disaster to be fully independent.

Now, I know this sounds a little crazy, right? The majority of "preppers" are very conservative and many are members of the Tea Party movement. These political ideals do not normally appeal to younger people, but I believe the "prepper" attitude is something that should translate to our generation.

I'm not arguing that students should hoard cans of sardines, but maybe this older, conservative generation can teach us a few things about being responsible with money and being prepared for anything.

An attitude of preparedness is something that many younger people simply do not have. If a natural disaster was to hit Austin tomorrow, I would be screwed. The leftover Chinese food in my refrigerator probably wouldn't hold me over for very long.

Instead of going out and buying a new iPad (guilty as charged) or blowing money by eating out every night, practicing a bit of frugality can go a long way. College students amass huge amounts of student loan debt, and many of them have no clue about their plan to repay debts.
You shouldn't hoard a year's worth of supplies in your West Campus apartment, but some measures can be taken to contribute to an attitude of overall preparedness.

Having simple emergency supplies like a flashlight, first-aid kit and bottled water can keep you prepared and safe. Saving money by cooking at home and setting up a payment plan for student loans can help drastically with improving your economic independence.

Although the "prepper" lifestyle may be seen as an extreme fringe view, there are valuable lesson to be learned from one generation to another. Most importantly: how to snap a zombie's neck with your thighs.