A Guide to Prepping on a Budget

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A Guide to Prepping on a Budget

While we’d all like to be prepared for every possible disaster or situation all the time, sometimes life gets in the way. You might be raising a family or studying an important degree such as a nurse practitioner doctorate degree and trying to stick to a budget. While prepping is important, other things must come first. In these cases, you might find yourself looking for ways to be prepared on a tight budget.

While some people will look online and buy literally everything on the preppers’ checklist, this isn’t always necessary. If you are working within a tight budget it’s important to prioritize. Here’s a look at a few essentials which are worth spending money on:

Food

You don’t need to go out one day and spend a fortune on a month’s food stockpile. Instead, build it up sensibly. When you do your week’s food shop, add an extra bag of rice. Rice has a long shelf life, is cheap, and a bag could last for a month. Then, next week, buy two extra cans of beans. Concentrate on foods with long shelf lives and make sure you also have things like can openers and a portable stove to cook.

Water

Just like food, your water supply can be built up slowly. Buy one large 4-gallon bottle every month. One of the best sources of large water carriers is those used for water dispensers. These can be brought cheaply from grocery stores. Another idea when it comes to water is to start filling empty bottles from soft drinks with tap water.

Light

You’ll need a light source to survive. LED flashlights make a great option as their batteries last for a long time. Make sure you’ve got a few and then start stocking up on candles and matches as a secondary light source.

Medical Supplies

If there’s any medication you need, try to get a spare month’s supply from your doctor. Then make sure you have a well-stocked first aid kit with all the essentials.

Household Supplies

Add these to your stock in the same way you do food and water. Buy extra cleaning detergent one week and extra soap the next. Buying a bit at a time is key when you’re working on a budget.

Skills

When prepping for anything, your skills can be as important as your supplies. Look at the skills you’ve already got. For example, if you are studying an MSN to DNP online from Bradley University your medical skills and healthcare knowledge could be invaluable. Then, assess any skills you need to brush up on. These could include fire making, navigation, construction, and trapping.

Whether you are a keen prepper or someone with a growing interest in keeping yourself safe, you may have read articles online which feature people who spend thousands on elaborate survival plans, stockpiles, and futuristic set ups. This is great if you can afford it, but always stick to your budget. Don’t be so worried about the future that you forget to live. You can prepare an effective survival strategy to keep you and your family safe on a much smaller scale.