Zombie apocalypse. Crimewave. Race War. World War. Economic collapse. EMP. Pandemic. Hurricane. Massive winter storm. Invasion of the Smurfs. The reasons people prepare vary but what we should all agree on is bad things happen to good people. Preparedness is common sense. One of the biggest challenges to preparing is doing so while on a budget. Most people do not have the resources which to go out and buy massive quantities of food, firearms, and other supplies.
If you are on a strict budget and struggle to find extra funds for supplies here are a few ideas that may help:
5 Ways to Prepare on a Budget
1. Shop Sales & Buy in Bulk – Overall, food prices are fairly inexpensive. Shopping sales and discount stores can provide increased buying power allowing more to be bought for the same amount of money. Couponing can also save money, however, be aware that coupons are promoting the purchase of name brand products – which typically are higher priced. Using coupons on products that are also on sale can provide deep, deep discounts.
Grocery stores often throw out big sales such as “Buy One, Get One Free”, and even “Buy One, Get Two Free” at times. Seasonal sales around Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Summer can put certain products available at very low prices. Realize the reasoning for grocery stores doing this is to lure you in so you will buy products that are NOT on sale and they make can make the most margin.
Stores such as SAM’s and Costco offer bulk products like rice and beans at extremely good prices. Purchasing a 25-lb bag of rice for under $10 is very common. This is a lot of food for very little money.
Non-food items can also be purchased on sale. Discount stores such as Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, and even the Dollar Tree can be goldmines for purchasing inexpensive supplies while stocking up. Websites like Craigslist can be a good source for budget-friendly supplies such as propane heaters, camp stoves, tents, and army surplus. eBay can be a useful budget-friendly source for preparedness supplies.
2. Repurpose and Fix Up – It is almost an art form the way people can take one item – such as an old, used door – and turn it into something like a rugged table for storage of supplies. Craigslist is a good source for what most would consider “scrap”. Construction sites are another. Driving around neighborhoods there are often piles of stuff being thrown out that is gold for the right person. An old, used grill for FREE is a good example. Grab that grill, fix it up – and now you have an off-grid cooking method for very little money.
Scrap wood from new home building can be repurposed for building raised garden beds. I’ve seen tillers sitting on the edge of yards because they no longer work. For someone who needs a garden tiller – pick it up and get on YouTube to see how to fix it. Often there are step by step instructions on how to do most anything.
3. Gain Knowledge –
With access to the Internet, information is basically free. Add a printer and survival & preparedness binders can be great for the cost of ink cartridges. Using an Amazon Fire and a microSD card a survival library can be created very inexpensively. With reading and research, a huge about of knowledge can be obtained for little to no money. This is very valuable.
There are courses on first aid, mechanics, welding, auto repair, and all kinds of other skills available at local trade schools. Financial aid is frequently available.
4. Invest Time –
Using your time to prepare likely costs nothing. Organizing supplies, performing inventories, and even prepping your land is extremely valuable and very affordable. Using the time to develop and practice skills is time well spent. Those on a budget can do so for little to no money.
5. Gardening –
Gardening is one of the most important activities to learn and practice. Seeds are extremely cheap. Using time and labor to work the soil, water, and grow your own food is so rewarding. It also does not have to involve a lot of money(although the option is always there).
If the land is available for in-ground gardening this is ideal. Regardless – raised beds can be created from purchased wood or rocks found out in the woods. Buckets can be used to grow vegetables where space is in short supply. The point being is anyone – including those on a very low budget – can garden and start to learn.
There are challenges to prepping on a budget but it is achievable. Those efforts can pay dividends not just when a disaster hits but in everyday life as well.
Hi Roarke, if you’re still looking, I plan to sell my 2000 Jeep Cherokee in a week or so.
Good inf. Rourke. HELP-does anyone have any ideas.My plow truck ( a Toyoto Tundra 2008) with 70,000 miles will start but then shuts right off within a few seconds.I need it to plow snow .I checked the internet and it said maybe a chip in the key is faulty-tried both keys- nothing. Any ideas are appreciated before I have to have it towed and repaired. First time this ever happened. THANKS !!! Lightning
LIGHTNING fuel filters have a habit of clogging & causing symptoms as you describe.
Rourke, you forgot Flying Monkeys. I’ve found that they are the #1 fear of many women my age.
1a. Buy an assortment of food whenever possible. When you get that sack of rice, think about how you’re going to cook it. Do you have a heat source and sturdy pan? Water? Do you plan to eat plain boiled rice, or will you add meat, vegetables, and a sauce to it? One of the biggest mistakes new preppers make is to focus their stock on large quantities of one or two items without considering the end result.
3a. Read everything you can find for every basic survival function, including those you don’t think you’ll ever need. Many articles should be taken with a grain of salt, but you’ll only learn this by reading a variety of opinions. The more you read, the more you’ll retain and learn. The day may come when you can’t Google your questions, and you’ll be dependent on your existing knowledge. If you don’t like reading books for enjoyment, just surf the Internet. There are websites and YouTube videos for pretty much every topic you can think of.
Since rotation is key, cooking up new recipe this week: “Easy Black Beans and Rice”. This recipe is simple, versatile, inexpensive and hopefully tasty. You can add meat to make this a one-dish meal or use it in burritos or simple side dish. Rice & Beans are one of my biggest prepping items.
Simplest thing I have done when the budget is tight is to pick up a little more of what you already use, obviously if something is on sale then that’s the thing you get but if not just get something, bottom line is if you already use it then it wont get wasted, it’s like a stuff savings account.