Some of us are struggling
these days just to make ends meet. Saving for future concerns can be
frustrating when the now puts such high demands on your resources. When I first
began researching Prepping, my restless nights became even more so once I
realized I couldn’t afford to become an entombed king and wait out whatever
storm in luxury like it seemed everyone else was doing. How can I stockpile
anything when I can barely get through the week? It’s so easy to get
discouraged when faced with things you think you need that you can’t afford. By
not giving up and through countless hours of research I’ve discovered that it
is indeed possible to be a successful Prepper on a shoestring budget.
Make a realistic list
(no bunker palaces) of supplies you would like to accumulate, or think you need,
don’t worry, it will grow and shrink a few times over as you get more involved.
And don’t worry about how much it’s all going to cost, just make the wish list.
Designate an area in your home and begin
filling it with supplies from your list -many of the things you’ll need to have
in an emergency are probably already in a drawer or cabinet somewhere in your
home. Have an extra flashlight or box of baking soda? You’ll need them. Add
them to the survival supply area. Have an extra tube of toothpaste? Nevermind,
you don’t need it, you have baking soda! Consolidating helps to put everything
into perspective and is a visual reminder of progress. As you run out of room in
your initial supply space you can move on to cramming things wherever you can -the
initial space is just to help get you focused.
Check out yard
sales, flea markets and second hand stores every chance you get. You’ll be
surprised at how much treasure you can glean from what others all but give away.
The more you check supplies off your list, the more research you’ll be doing in
the process and you’ll gradually develop a clearer view of what you really need.
Now is a good time
to have a yard sale yourself. Take a day or so to go through that closet,
attic, garage and basement and take an honest assessment of what you really
need. Letting go of items that hold memories is not easy to do, I know, but if
you’re going to take preparing for your future seriously, you have to face
letting go of the past. Put the acquired funds towards your future.
Recycle every
container you empty (except those that held chemicals), sterilize, fill with
water and store. Set up rain catchers -barrels, buckets, kiddy pools, soup
bowls -anything that will hold water, to collect the rain and save energy costs
of running your home faucets. Water you collect and store yourself can be
thoroughly purified with chlorine bleach or some other method -check out my “Survival
Water Workshop” post for purifying tips. Every liter of water you store further
secures your future.
Save the seeds from
your produce -rinse, allow to thoroughly air-dry and store in a cool, dry place
away from light. They may not all be viable, but many of them will be. Even if
you’ve never been much of a gardener (“Organic Gardening For Beginners” post
coming soon) they may still prove to be valuable trading commodities. Every
seed saved is a chance for a whole new food source.
Survival stores
have many long-term storage food options like military MRE’s, freeze dried
foods, emergency food bars and so on, but can be costly on a limited budget. I
suggest comparing prices with as many companies as you can find -some of the
differences in pricing and shipping costs for the same products can be
drastically different. Keep in mind that a lot of these products need water to
rehydrate and a heat source for best results, but emergency food bars are
non-thirst provoking and ready to go. Check the nutritional values of these
products as well, as you may need to supplement with vitamins. Diversify your
supply as much as possible, not just to prevent palate boredom, but for better
nutritional variance and preparation requirements.
Canning your own
food at home can be very cost effective since bulk food items can be purchased
at discount prices. There are many different options for canning and picking,
but the simple boiling-water-bath method can go a long way to storing food and
will cost you no more than the jars and lids. You can even get away with
utilizing used jars as long as the lips are not damaged, but the lids need to
be in prime condition to make a pressured seal. Though home canning may be an
intimidating prospect to some of you, refer to my post “Home Canning For Beginners” so I may further encourage you to give it a try -you may find it’s not rocket science
after all. Compared to the price of preprocessed, long-term storage foods, home
canning can be much more manageable on a shoestring budget -and the pride that
comes with doing it yourself… priceless.
Expiration dates on
store-bought canned foods are there to protect the manufacturer from liability
pertaining to the degradation of flavor, color and advertised nutritional value.
As long as the can has not been damaged or exposed to heat the contents will
remain safe to eat, so avoid dented or bulged cans. Regular, store-bought cans
of food have been discovered on forgotten shelves and even the ocean floor,
decades after their stamped expiration date -thorough chemical analyses found
them to be safe to eat with minimal loss of nutritional value. Discount grocery
stores sell canned goods with damaged labels or expired “sell by” dates for
pennies on the dollar -they couldn’t sell them if they were contaminated, but I
would still avoid dented or bulged cans.
First-aid supplies
are necessities that need to be purchased from a reputable source. You could
easily waste money purchasing a first-aid kit which may contain a host of
supplies you’ll never use, so know what’s in it. Pain reliever/ fever reducer/
antibiotic ointment/ bandages and hydrogen peroxide or some other antiseptic
for cleaning wounds are a few of the essentials. Also, consider your medicine
cabinet and the products your family uses on a regular basis. Keep on the
lookout for buy one-get one free deals to gradually build up a stockpile. If
you take prescription medication -refer to my post “Pharmaceuticals After
Doomsday” for my research and opinion on that subject.
Baking soda is inexpensive
and a versatile asset to any emergency supply. Refer to my post “Baking Soda:
An Underestimated Amazement” for more information about its many uses,
including toothpaste.
If you’re the only
member of your immediate or extended family that is preparing for an uncertain
future, look to your local community for like-minded Preppers. Check with your
local social networks like CL and FB and see who’s out there, you might be
pleasantly surprised. Just like people have different social, religious and
political views, Preppers are no different. Find out what their views are. For
instance, you may not want to be a part of a militant militia, or pious
religious group, but then again you may. Ask questions, attend meetings and vet
them as much as I’m sure they’ll investigate you. You may not need to stockpile
so many supplies if you can tend a garden, cook, sew, work on cars, teach, etc.
Everyone has something positive to offer the right group.
Seeking to be more self-sufficient
and responsibility for your own safety can only be commended. Don’t be
discouraged by how far you seemingly have yet to go -every step you take, every
blog you read, every seed you keep, every fruit you can, every ounce of water
you store further ensures a more secure future for you and your family.
Keep striving -few things worth doing are easy
and nothing is more worthwhile than your future.
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