Host
Valerie Steward
Podcast Content
If you are working with a tight budget or limited capital, the key is to prioritize your prepping needs to ensure you and your family have the items most necessary to survive. Another key to preparing on a budget is that you do not have to buy all of your emergency supplies all at once. Now that you have your prepping items listed out with your budget, it is time to try and get as much supplies for the lowest cost possible, so that you stay within your goals.
The second step is to prioritize your list and items that you think you need to have in place on your budget prepping for the end of days. When considering a doomsday prep on a budget, listing out items that are essential for whatever scenario will help you become an ultimate doomsday prepper. Deciding what amount of money you are able to commit to your preps will help you to decide which items are most essential right now, and which things you need to build up.
Know ahead of time what you plan on spending on prepped items, and also your day-to-day needs. Do not purchase any supplies or gear for the preps before making an extensive list of what you are going to need. Buying items for a cheap prepping checklist is not all that is out there.
Now that you have got a list of prep supplies, you will want to determine the basic items that you will need. At the same time that you are planning out your supplies list, make a rough budget of what each item will cost. If you are doing a meal prep, jot down ingredients for each of the meals, as well as how many you need for each.
When doing grocery shopping to prepare, you will have to reference your prep plan, along with your lists. You will want to keep your prep planning on the schedule, and you need to consider what is the most critical for your survival before making your purchases. The best way to begin budget prep is to take a step back and consider what is most critical for survival in a disaster or time with no commercial supplies.
Creating and sticking to a budget will help you to have the greatest success with prepping. Decide whether you can cut out something in your current budget that can go toward prepping. In your budget planning, determine how much of the money you are going to dedicate to buying foods with longer shelf lives.
How much extra food you buy will depend on your budget, but you should aim for buying two extras of each food item that you plan on eating right now. If that means buying an extra jar of food each time you visit the grocery store, then start there at one can. Even buying this extra can of food regularly adds up fast. By years end, you would have spent just $120, yet it would have led to an extensive, varied pantry consisting of canned goods, pantry staples, and seeds.
Or, you could spend $60 on potatoes , beans, and a few fresh vegetables, and you will have meals for a week. You can grow your own food for survival, and that is within the budget. Sure, getting to the point is tough, but it is, over the long haul, number one prepping that you can do for yourself and your family: Even without any food or water in the house, you could still make it out somewhere to find it, as long as you are fitter than you are right now.
Water is at least as important as food in budget prep, but should cost you much less to build up a good supply. If you are like most Americans, you likely visit the grocery store once every week or two, then drop $2 on water next time you head out.
A water filter may be worth budgeting for, especially if you have to leave the house with your water drum and water canister at home in a hurry. In this case, a good budgeting idea is $5-10 dollars per week, so in 5-10 weeks, you could purchase a water filter, such as our current favorite, the Survivor Filter PRO .
Stocking up may save you some money, but be sure to store items properly and use the items you purchase. Buying items on sale, using coupons, and sticking with store brands can help you save money, which can be applied toward additional purchases.
You can also stock up your grocery pantry by collecting coupons and getting all of your best deals on produce. You can start your emergency food cache basic for free today, using things already in your pantry. When starting a food supply cache, keep things simple by buying 3 canned items at a time. Adding items like canned foods to your grocery list might add $10 to $30 to your grocery bill every time you shop, but you will be building up a supply of food that lasts.
My personal strategy for food storage is to stockpile lots of inexpensive prep foods I can use in different ways, then fill my prep pantry with extra food items not necessary like seasonings, that add lots of flavor and variety. Building your food supply is easiest to accomplish when you buy items that you normally consume, so that you can eat what you need right away, and stockpile what is left over. If you do not have a plan for what items you are going to purchase, you are going to end up spending too much on some items, or waste money when you end up throwing things out. Otherwise, you will end up buying duplicates of certain items and missing critical items.