Discover free or low-cost strategies to prepping — and safeguard yourself and your loved ones against emergencies.
Don’t let a tight budget give you a prepping wedgie. With a little creativity and resourcefulness you can unstick your situation and make great strides into being prepared for likely scenarios in your area.
Get ready to kickstart your prepper journey with little to no moolah.
Prepping on a budget: where to start prepping
What does it take to start preparing for the unexpected — without going into debt? Let’s break down some actionable steps.
1. Assess your needs
Create a list of potential emergencies that are likely to occur in your area and prioritize your preparations based on those scenarios. While you want to understand the breadth of the scenarios, your budget reality may only allow you to get the critical things you need to get through the situation. Don’t prioritize a gas mask over food, water, and communication needs.
2. Prep the brain
Your most powerful prepping tool is the one between your ears. Like they say, “What you put in your head is more important than what you put in your pack.” Capability is key. We prep for situations that will usually throw us for a loop when they actually happen. We’ll be missing several pieces of gear. We’ll be in the wrong place. We won’t have our supporting peeps with us. The more you are able to understand your situation and your options, the better off you’ll be to help yourself and those around you. While the show Naked and Afraid is a very purposefully unrealistic situation, it puts this concept to the test. Bottom line: know stuff, don’t be afraid… and put on some clothes.
Start now. Resources are all around you. Use the internet of course. YouTube is a veritable smorgasbord of moderately useful information. Buy a few key resource books that will forever be useful. Go to the library. Join up with local clubs for nature walks, plant identification, or mushroom hunting. If you don’t prioritize your learning, chances are you won’t prioritize the rest of your preps. It's knowledge that could preserve your bacon one day!
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3. Scavenge like a prepper
Like they say, “One man’s trash is another man’s old Coleman stove.” People give away free stuff all the time — and some of it can be useful for self sufficiency. Hit up community giveaways, freecycle platforms, or local events to score these items. Look for cardboard signs on the side of the road with “free” scribbled in Sharpie. We’ve found camp chairs, cast iron skillets, and Dutch ovens by stopping at piles marked “free.”
Maybe you'll find prepper supplies like an old camping stove, cookware, or a bunch of old blankets that double as emergency warmth. When you’re preparing for the safety of your future self, set your pride aside and make due with what you can get.
4. Go wild with wild edibles
Mother Nature's got your back when it comes to free and nutritious food. Learn about wild edibles in your area and forage for some delicious greens. Remember: never eat anything you’re not 100% sure about. Foraging is a learning experience and a journey. Don’t rush. Observe. Build confidence with other foragers. You’ll eventually realize that you are probably living in the middle of Nature’s Garden.
5. Find dollar-store treasures
Raid the dollar store for budget-friendly essentials — just make sure the stuff you’re picking up isn’t straight-out junk. You'll often find first-aid supplies, paper disposable goods, plastic containers for organizing, and even canned goods. You might even be able to start a low quality snack stash.
6. Embrace DIY
If necessity is the mother of invention, then prepping is the eccentric uncle of DIY. Get creative and craft your prepper gear with simple, low-cost materials. Make firestarters out of cotton balls (or dryer lint) and petroleum jelly, or repurpose worn-out jeans into quilts. Make storage shelving, or sheds out of used pallet wood. Pick up used bricks to build raised garden beds.
Generally speaking, doing things yourself is a critical prepping tenet. Be anxious and willing to learn new things and how things work. When SHTF, you won’t have contractors and repairmen at your disposal, and your uncle Grant won’t be able to come help because his Tesla won’t start.
7. Skill up
Skills are the gold in the prepper world. Practice fire-making, knot-tying, gardening, foraging, raising and harvesting animals, and basic first aid until you've got 'em down pat. Not only will you become more self-reliant, but you'll also impress your friends at the next barbecue with your freshly smoked bunny rabbit.
8. Network and team up
Build a network of like-minded individuals in your community. Not that you want to tell the world that they can come to your house for a BBQ when SHTF. Use discretion but join local prepper groups or online forums to share ideas, knowledge, and resources. Surviving a collapse is best done with a support system of people you trust. Each of you will have a particular set of skills and tools that can be shared well in a community.
9. Prep for food
Pretend you’re in college. Don’t actually go to college, because most degrees are a waste of money and teach you to buy a Prius. But the idea of eating on a broke budget can be good guidance in how to get started with your food storage. Invest in low-cost, simple, and nutritious foods like rice, beans, and oats. Buying in bulk is not only budget-friendly but also ensures you're prepared for a long haul. Add some spices to the mix and you can create different tastes with few ingredients. Unlike a college student, you should learn how to cook. This plan can be the foundation for a more diverse food storage down the road.
10. Create a bug out bag on a budget
Remember, a bug out bag is simply a stop gap to increase your survival and comfort level between locations and situations for a minimum of a few days. It is not a long term survival strategy. When you need to use it, you’ll be grateful for anything you did to improve your situation, so start simple. Assemble a small emergency kit with essential items, like a flashlight, multi-tool, emergency blanket, and a whistle. Include some low cost foods that can be eaten without cooking. A used school backpack is a great start and will keep you from breaking the bank.
When you're ready, build out a complete bug out bag.
How do you start prepping?
Just start prepping. Remember, it's not about preparing for every outlandish scenario; it's about taking small, practical steps to safeguard yourself and your loved ones. Don’t buy ridiculous, gimmicky items that serve no purpose other than looking cool and impressing your friends. Start with basics. Run through your scenarios and continue to build your strategy and storage. You will learn a lot in a short time and we’ll be around to help when we can.
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