PREPPER: Budget Prepping: 6 Ideas to Help You Get Started
LATEST FORM THE PREPPER WORLD
For most of my adult life I have lived on an extremely tight budget. A huge amount of things in the prepping community are prohibitively expensive. I wanted to give you some guidance and encouragement to those who would like to be better prepared, but think it is too expensive. Here are some ideas for you to consider.
Taking Inventory
Prepping does involve some gear, but it doesn’t have to be expensive. Furthermore, you might be surprised just how much you already have.
If you’ve read any of my Prepper 101 series you might notice that I repurpose many items:
- An old plastic box with a lid used for Christmas ornaments became my One Month Food Box.
- My camping stove I purchased 30 years ago is now in my Bug Out Bag (BOB).
- My sleeping bag is now my car emergency blanket.
- My backpack I use to carry my computer back and forth to work is my Get Home Bag (GHB).
- My old cell phones will now be placed in a homemade Faraday cage.
- I collect my old pool chemical and paint buckets for a variety of purposes such as storing food, makeshift toilet and water carrier.
- My 25 year old bicycle is in excellent condition and is my Bug Out Vehicle in the event my cars don’t work.
- My camping tent is my temporary Bug Out Shelter.
- A gimmie bag that came with one of my wife’s cosmetic purchases is my Dopp kit kept in my BOB.
- The lid that came off my old toilet is being repurposed for use with a 5 gallon bucket as my survival toilet.
For some gear, don’t think of it as an expense when in reality it is an investment in a durable good. Let’s look at some of the things I have:
- I would still have the same bicycle I purchased when I was 14 if it were not for getting hit by cars and theft. I am on my fourth Peugeot bicycle which I purchased in 1990 for $400. It functions as good today as it did then. It has never broken down. The only things I have had to replace are the plastic and rubber parts (brake pads, tires, cables).
- All my camping gear is still in use. I purchased a new tent because I now have a family and needed a larger one.
- My bags are still in use although I have worn out a few of my Every Day Carry (EDC) backpacks (which still last several years).
- Most tools can last a lifetime if you don’t lose them or leave them out in the weather. I still have the same $25 socket set I purchased when I was 14. I also have some tools that belonged to my grandfather.
- The four guns my grandfather owned are still operating and now in my father’s possession. They were probably purchased shortly after WWII. The guns I now own I expect to give to my daughter.
- My fishing gear I used as a child is still very functional today.
- My books are reference materials and they don’t tend to become stale like most technology.
Salty’s decades-old bug-out vehicle., effective, multi-purpose and health promoting in the mean time
Initially I gave myself a budget of $50 every paycheck to apply to prepping supplies. I wouldn’t miss $50. That’s beer money for me. Every two weeks I placed an order with Amazon from my Shopping List. It’s like Christmas a couple of times a month. I started by purchasing all the inexpensive items. When I got to the more expensive items I would just wait until I saved enough to make the larger purchase. You will be surprised how quickly you can acquire the things you need using this method.
Make Better Choices
I realized I needed to stock up on bullets. Bullets are freaking expensive (another reason I RELUCTANTLY began acquiring more guns). I used to spend $11 a day purchasing lunch at the restaurant in my office building. I now take my lunch to work every day with the expectation of using the money I save to purchase bullets. Funding my stockpile is a POWERFUL motivator for me. The tuna sandwich I eat today is one box of 9MM target bullets. That’s 250 bullets per week or 1,000 bullets per month. Using this technique, I will have a significant starter stockpile of bullets by the end of the year.
Make an Amazon Wish List
Every time I need to purchase something for someone I face the same challenge – what do I get them? Guess what, others are thinking the same darn thing about you. You can create an Amazon Wish List and make it public so that others can see it. Let those who purchase things for you buy the things you REALLY want instead of guessing. Heck, Amazon will automatically send it to you. The Givers don’t even need your address, have to go to the store, or wrap the thing. That’s AWESOME with a side of AWESOME SAUCE.
Be Your Own Advocate
How much money will everyone in your family spend on you for birthday and Christmas presents? Why not tell everyone that you want something expensive that individually you would never get, but collectively you could afford? In lieu of purchasing something, please consider applying the money to this thing which you really want, would really appreciate, and wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford. At the end of the year you might have enough to purchase the thing or at least have a sizeable down payment.
Ask and Ye Shall Receive
As I stated previously, my grandfather owned four guns. My father hasn’t shot them since he passed away. He doesn’t even display them. I could probably explain to Dad that I would like to try hunting, but don’t want to spend a bunch of money to see if I liked it, and would he mind giving me one of the guns to try out to see if I like it. I bet he would just give it to me knowing my grandfather would appreciate his grandson wanting it. You might have a relative or two who has something you need that they don’t use. Consider asking them. You might even have an Uncle Salty who has a Mosin-Nagant he would give or sell you for a great price.
Emergency Food Prepping: 20 Foods That Last A Long Time
For water storage, whether you are doing your own water or buying bottled water, it’s pretty straightforward. And for security and shelter there are many different ways to set up your home security and use your own shelter or a bug out position, but for food, it’s important to know the range of choices we have and the foods that have the longest shelf life so that we don’t have to rotate our stock so much.
Choices in food matter. For myself, I wouldn’t want to be living off beans for a whole year if I knew there were other options I could easily purchase at my local supermarket that would last for more than five or 10 years, and I know you are the same. So let’s take a look at what can we eat that has the longest shelf life and the foods that last a long time.
20 foods that last the longest
1. Dried beans
Just like with rice, if you properly package dried beans they can last for up to 30 years. To get the longest shelf life out of dried beans they have to be stored in air-tight containers with moisture prevention to prevent the spoilage that happens in kept foods.Sure, I mentioned above that dried beans every day might get a bit boring, but if you add these in with rice and a few different spices you can make a lot of interesting mixtures to have some contrast to your food stockpiles and the types of recipes you could create out of your doomsday stockpile.
For storing dried beans, it is recommended you stick with airtight sealable food storage containers and mylar bags which stop oxygen absorption for long-term foods
2. Rolled oats
Oats are amazing and a very filling food source that can be easily used in breakfasts and sweets. Sure, they are not as easy to cook as most other food types but can last upwards of 30 years if kept in the same manner as beans.
3. Pasta products
Pasta is a great shelf food as it is another carbohydrate item to mix with anything else to make a cold or hot pasta depending on what you are after. For most commercially-packaged freeze dried pasta they sit around the 8-30 year shelf lifespan.Take a look at the packs in the supermarket as some Italian pasta varies quite widely in their expiry dates.
4. Dehydrated fruit slices
Dried fruits, or dehydrated fruits, are fruits that have been dried out such as raisins, apricots, apple and of course dates.Most dehydrated fruits will keep well up to five years, but dates and raisins may keep a bit longer if stored in the same preserved way as beans but in a cooler temperature.
5. Cheese
There are various ways to store cheese, such as cheese in wax, canned cheese from Bega or Kraft and freeze-dried cheese and can last for an incredibly long time for a dairy product.6. White rice
Rice is one of the must-have foods for stockpiles just because it is cheap, easy to get and easy to store for a great long shelf life.
Rice can easily last for up to 30 years but again, should be stored with food-grade containers and food storage bags.
7. Dehydrated carrots
Dehydrated carrots last for up to 25 years.8. Dried corn (10+years)
Canned corn and dried corn is cheap, tasty and has an easy 10-year shelf life.9. Legumes: lentils and peas (4-5 years)
If you are stocking lentils, which most preppers already do, consider getting whole lentils and not split 
ones,
as the whole lentils last much longer. These are also a great source of
fiber and are very easy to cook on their own or to add to other dishes.The shelf life for these is generally 4-5 years but if you add them into mylar oxygen absorber bags they can last up to 20 years.
10. Canned baked beans and canned spaghetti
I grew up on canned beans as a kid and absolutely love them. I keep small tins of these in my bug out bag and take them outdoors as they are super tasty and easy to eat hot or cold.11. OvaEasy Powdered whole eggs (hard to believe it exists – these last for up to 7 years)
I would never usually eat these, and perhaps if you had a good source of chickens these would not be necessary, but as an additive, canned powdered eggs are a perfect shelf item as they can last up to seven years.12. Pemmican
Pemmican is a survival treat invented by the Native Americans which was made from lean meat of local wild animals. The meat is dried over a fire, mixed with fat and flavoring berries and pressed into biscuit-sized snacks.
Bear Valley makes a range of pemmican products for outdoors regulars who are looking for a source of protein with a good taste and long shelf life.
13. MREs (Meals Ready To Eat)
Initially
made for soldiers to have high-energy sources of foods that last a long
time, MREs are essentially the basics of long-lasting foods that are
made to be compact but carry 24 or 72-hours worth of nutrients.These are great to throw in the bug out bag or any 72-hour survival kit as they always come with a lot of different meals in one pack which can be mixed or eaten on their own.
MREs are also great to use in short term scenarios such as in disasters where you need to rely on an emergency food source for a short amount of time. This is why most 72-hour survival kits will have an MRE or freeze-dried meal to go.
14. Twinkies
Even though they are sugar and fat packed, if you’re after a little bit of sweetness to add to the prepper’s pantry, Twinkies are the one dessert that have been proven to outlast a nuclear fallout.In 2012, a science teacher finished an experiment to see how long they would last. He ate a pack of Twinkies that were 30 years old and aside from the bread tasting a little stale, they were completely fine.
Condiments to add to your pantry foods that last a long time
15. Salt/Sugar (indefinite)
While you can use honey as a type of sugar, which also lasts indefinitely, sugar and salts are great to add to foods and are basic ingredients in many recipes.16. Baking soda (indefinitely)
Baking soda and baking powder last indefinitely, but again you need to think about if you actually want to be cooking breads or doughy items when the world is at an end. Some people avoid stocking too many items that require a lot of cooking.17. Honey (too long 100 years+)
Honey, as mentioned above, is a great natural sugar and lasts forever.18. Stock/bouillon (10+years)
This not only works for soups, but also potato or rice to add an extra flavoring to a dish.19. Instant coffee, cocoa powder, tea (10+ years)
Depending on your water reserves, you might not want to be drinking too much coffee if you need to be relying on your prepper’s stockpile of food.20. Powdered milk (20+ years. Should use a moisture absorber in their storage packs)
Powdered milk and even powdered protein supplements are a must-have for the pantry as the powdered milk can be cooked with or used in drinks and the protein powder provides a lot of nutrients you might usually not get.Freeze-dried ready to go emergency foods that last a long time
Every prepper’s pantry should also have emergency food supplies that can be grabbed in a bug outsituation, such as if your place
was to be overrun with people desperate for supplies, or you need to leave because of a disaster or other threat.
There are some great emergency food supply companies that provide sets of food supplies such as:
- Mountain House 3-Day Emergency Supply
- Military MRE Food Supplies
- Chef’s Banquet Emergency Food
- Survival Tabs Emergency Food Rations
How to start your own emergency food supply
When you first come into the world of prepping, there is a lot run through and it is easy to get lost. Here are some simple steps to help you draw up your own food supply and a way you can do it on a budget too.- Make a food and water plan for you and your family
- Use this list to identify foods under $5 that have a long shelf life
- Store your water the right way
27 Hygiene Products You’ll Need After The SHTF
Without tap water, most people will be hard-pressed to keep their homes and themselves clean. Not only will they be unable to shower, they’ll be unable to wash their clothes. And if they’re unable to flush their toilets, they’ll simply go outside when nature calls (and many of them won’t bother to bury it). When that happens, it will be a field day for bacteria.
Without sewage treatment plants, sewers could leak or overflow into the surrounding ponds, lakes, and pipelines. And if there’s no tap water, many people will collect and drink contaminated water without bothering to purify it. When that happens, waterborne diseases like cholera and dysentery could become commonplace.
Without garbage collection, trash will pile up all over the place. People will simply dump their garbage in their front or backyards, causing insect and rodent populations to grow exponentially. When that happens, we could see a return of deadly diseases like the plague.
On top of all that, the stress of living through a major, long-term disaster is going to weaken your immune system. When all this happens, it will be up to you to safeguard yourself and your family with proper survival hygiene. To that end, here is a list of 27 items you should have on hand in case the shit hits the fan.
Hygiene Products
1. Anti-Bacterial Gel – To be clear, I’m not recommending you start slathering this stuff on your hands all the time. In fact, there are many reasons not to, including the fact that overuse of hand sanitizer could lead to the development of superbugs. Instead, you should use soap and water. However, if you’re in a survival scenario where water is scarce and the people in your area are getting sick, you’ll be glad to have a bottle of anti-bacterial ge on hand.2. Anti-Bacterial Soap – You didn’t think I’d make a list of sanitation supplies without mentioning soap, did you? Bar soap is very cheap, but also consider getting some liquid hand soap as it doesn’t require you to use quite as much water (which might be in short supply).
4. Baking Soda – It’s not just for baking food. You can use baking soda to make shampoo (1 part baking soda to 3 parts water) or toothpaste (2 parts baking soda to 1 part water), and it can be used to clean and deodorize things around the house.
5. Bleach – Be sure it’s regular unscented bleach. This kind of bleach has a longer shelf life, and in addition to cleaning, it can also be used to purify water.
7. Dental Floss – There may come a time when dentists are hard to find or you simply can’t afford one. Take good care of your teeth in the meantime because a bad toothache can be completely debilitating. I prefer floss forks because they’re so easy to use.
8. Deodorant – I highly recommend stocking up on antiperspirants as you’ll be sweating a lot if you’re cleaning up after a disaster or don’t have air conditioning. It won’t stop you from sweating, but it will at least minimize it. And the less you stink, the better.
9. Disinfecting Wipes – Unlike anti-bacterial wipes, these are for cleaning surface areas such as counters and sinks. I use Clorox Wipes. They come in four-packs at Walmart.
11. Feminine Hygiene Products – I think this is pretty self-explanatory.
12. Kitty Litter – Not just for covering your cat’s poo. You’ll need it for your own poo in case you have to make an emergency toilet. Be sure to get the scoopable kind as it’s better at absorbing urine.
13. Laundry Detergent – You might be thinking, “How am I supposed to use laundry detergent if I don’t have power to run my washing machine?” Well, see #17 below.
15. Mouth Wash – As I said above, you’ll want to take care of your teeth, and if you and several others are in close quarters (such as small room that you’re keeping warm during a winter power outage), they’ll appreciate you having fresh breath.
16. Nitrile Gloves – You don’t have to wear them all the time, but you’ll definitely need them when you’re taking care of someone sick, cleaning the toilet, or handling trash. I prefer nitrile, as opposed to latex, because they’re more puncture resistant.
17. Non-Electric Washing Machine – There are several options such as the WonderWash or the Laundry Pod. The cheapest option is to put your clothes, water, and detergent in a five-gallon bucket and wash them with a Mobile Washer Learn more in this post.
19. Paper Towels – Don’t use cloth towels any more than necessary because they have to be washed. That will be a big problem if water is in short supply. Paper towels are the fastest sanitary way to dry off your hands.
20. Plastic Utensils – See #18 above. Unless you have a reliable source of water nearby such as a well or a river, you’ll want to be careful not to use too much.
21. Portable Toilet – If you’re unable to flush toilets, this will be more comfortable than crouching over a latrine. Don’t forget to buy some trash bags to use as liners along with some toilet deodorant. Learn more in this post.
23. Solar Shower – These are great. You just fill it up with water and the sun heats up the water for a few hours. After that, you can have a nice warm shower.
24. Toilet Paper – There’s an old survivalist joke that when the SHTF, toilet paper will be worth its weight in gold. I wouldn’t be surprised if this actually happened.
26. Trash Bags – You can never have too many trash bags! Get plenty of regular kitchen trash bags, but some smaller trash bags or large contractor bags could also come in handy.
27. Water Filter – This one is crucial, and there are several options. The LifeStraw is very popular because it’s so easy to use. The downside is that it’s only good for about 250 gallons. A better option is the Sawyer Mini because it will filter up to 100,000 gallons. (I have one in my bug out bag.) Unfortunately, neither of these will kill or filter out viruses. The Steripen is good for about 2000 gallons and it will kill viruses, but you’ll need to prefilter your water. I personally have a Big Berkey with Ceramic Filters, but it’s not very portable and it is a bit pricey.
Final Thoughts
Here are a few things that you and your family need to be doing in a grid down scenario:• Keep Your Clean Water Clean – Disinfected water should be stored in thick, sealed containers that are clearly marked “Clean water.” Wear gloves when getting water out of or adding clean water to these containers so it doesn’t get dirty.
• Keep Your Garbage Sealed And Separate – Use thick trash bags and tie them closed with a double knot. Just to be safe, you might want to put particularly hazardous things like dirty diapers and rotten food in gallon Ziploc bags.
Imagine having tons of food, survival gear, and weapons stockpiled, only to be taken out by a disease of some kind. Don’t let that happen. Practice proper hygiene when the SHTF.
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Re: prepping items....parboiled rice cooks quicker than regular and is more nutritious and tastes better than minute rice; duct tape and super glue; ora-gel in case you have a toothache; deck of cards; wind up flashlight and radio; extra medications and first aid kit.
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