Survival, Retreat, and Realism

First off, I'd like to explain the title of this....blog. I have long been an observer of the survival-retreaters "movement". They say that a glass half filled with water could also be said to be half empty. I say that a glass half full of water could keep you alive for days and the glass itself could be used as a weapon in a pinch. You don't need to buy the most expensive glass, nor do you need to make sure the water is purefied before you drink it. A realist makes due with what is at hand, and with what they can afford. Long have I read through magazines or seen online the thousand dollar rifles to defend yourselves, or the freeze dried food to store in your basement until the EOTWAWKI (End of the World as We Know It).
My hope through this blog is to share some of my personal experience through years of barely getting by, as well as my years in the military. Those that read this may have better suggestions, and I'm always open to hearing them. The theme here though is to make due with what most of us can afford and what we may actually use. I would love to have a Hk417 tucked away with a couple thousand rounds of ammo....realistically, I refuse to pay more for a rifle than I do for the car I need to drive to work everyday. I would love to have a 3 year supply of freeze dried food tucked away in my "underground shelter"....realistically, I keep food that I know my family and I will actually eat and like and I rotate it on a regular basis by actually eating it instead of watching the expiration day and throwing it out. I'll get more into these later, in the mean time, drop me an e-mail if you subscribe to this thought, I'd love to hear from a few more "Realists" out there.