Prepping when you don’t have a lot of money to work with is something not many people can pull off. Most think that you can only be prepared and stock up if you have a lot of money. However, this is not true at all.
You can prep on a budget. In fact, with a bit of guidance, learning how to prep on a budget is something that can be done by literally anyone.
You only need the right mindset to make this happen. In this article, we’ll carefully look at the fundamentals of prepping when you have a little money to work with and how to source affordable prepper supplies.
Once you see just how financially approachable and easy this procedure can be, there won’t be anything that can hold you back.
Contents
#1 Start With Water And Food
Trying to prep on a budget generally means effectively prioritizing what you’ll need to buy. There are very many things out there that’ll help make life that much easier for you, but not all of them are essential.
Water and food aren’t in this category. No matter what kind of fancy survival gear you’re working with or how elaborate the setup you’ve come up with is, all that won’t matter if you lack water and food.
Dying due to starvation or dehydration will end the trip/journey pretty quickly.
That’s why it’s critical to prioritize water and food when doing your prep on a budget. It is not the place where you sacrifice efficiency or quality to save a couple of bucks here and there.
You’d instead save money in other areas. That said, it is inexpensive to start stockpiling food and water.
A good food storage plan for preppers can comfortably fit in both your long and short-term requirements without having to break the bank.
For instance, you can buy dehydrated and canned foodstuffs in bulk for very reasonable prices.
Depending on the budget you’re working with, what you end up buying can last you for quite some time, and they can provide you with the flexibility to look at other more sustainable long-term options.
You can also buy water in bulk and store it at a low cost as well, though this should not be the only option you have. You might want to consider getting a water filtration system as well.
This equipment can be beneficial, and it’ll help keep you alive when you run out of water.
When all is said and son, if you do not drink water or eat, it does not matter what other things you do. Ensure you’ve got enough to help you survive before getting other stuff.
#2 Get Only Essential Supplies
As we mentioned earlier, learning how to prep with little money is all about prioritizing. Once you’ve taken care of food and water, you can start thinking about all the other gear you need to buy.
With the plethora of excellent options and neat gadgets available to you, it is straightforward to get confused and distracted.
That’s why you should strongly consider getting the essentials first if you’re working with a limited budget.
The kind of supplies and equipment in this category have the following traits (or at least one of them):
- It is essential (such as a first-aid kit)
- Its versatility makes that particular thing a must-have
If what you’re considering lacks one of these two traits above, then it’s not an essential item. It is an excellent rule of thumb when buying SHTF situations or prepping on a budget.
Here are some examples of affordable supplies that can cut. Okay, this list isn’t all-inclusive. However, it’ll help set you on the right path;
- First-aid gear
- Paracord
- Tarp
- Mylar blanket
- A good-quality multi-tool
- Survival hatchet
- Duct tape
Using this list and ensuring any new equipment or gear passes the value test we’ve highlighted above will make it easier to prep on a budget.
It’ll also help you acquire the most impactful equipment and gear at an affordable price.
#3 Find Free Or Cheap Bug-Out Locations
Arguably the most intimidating part of prepping on a budget is when it comes to purchasing and choosing the best bug-out locations. Why?
Well, for starters, most survival and prepping experts often recommend you acquire some land in case of a disaster or catastrophe.
They say it’s amongst the most reliable ways of ensuring both you and your loved ones stay safe. However, it can be expensive to buy a piece of land.
Depending on your current financial situation and where you reside, buying land can completely ruin your prepping budget.
Fortunately, you can consider getting undervalued land. There are some lands out there that many people do not want to purchase because they have a different perspective from yours.
They probably want to be near a movie theater, grocery store, mall, etc.
However, you want to do the opposite. All those things don’t matter when you’re in an SHTF situation. Look for the cheapest stuff you can get.
#4 Create A Decent Exit Strategy
One area where you shouldn’t be stingy is when it comes to the equipment or gear you will require when you want to get out of a fix or crisis.
This typically includes the transportation you will be using to make sure you keep you and your loved ones away from danger and your bug-out bag.
A bug-out bag is an essential survival component. Yes, it may be easy to pick out a great getaway spot. However, it won’t matter if you don’t have the things you need to get yourself there.
Transportation is also essential as well. Assuming you will probably need a vehicle at some point, it is vital you properly maintain your car.
You won’t want to have a dead battery when the safety of both you and your family depends on it.
Spend what you need to ensure your car is well-maintained. If you want to go, you will need to have one full tank of gas, store what you’ll need, and periodically replace it.
#5 Look Out For Good Deals
If you’re looking for cheap prepper supplies, always ensure you’re keeping an eye out for good deals at all times.
Finding affordable prepping supplies when you need them most will be almost impossible. However, when things are ordinary, it isn’t that hard.
Go to the local thrift stores or swing by a few garage sales to check out what they have and see if they’ve got anything that can be useful to you.
It could be a survival tent, some clothing, tarp. You name it.
Even if there’s nothing essential you can find in these places, it can help you round out your supplies list while saving a bit of money.
Many “nice-to-haves” can be found and acquired by just keeping an eye out.
Another great place that has cheap prepping supplies is Craigslist. It’s very easy to search for the different items you want. You can also simply browse the catalogs and look for something useful.
#6 Have A Saving Strategy
You might think this is a bit obvious at first. However, it happens to be one of the best ways to start prepping when you have a limited budget to play around with.
Due to survivalism’s urgent nature, it is easy to feel like you need everything right at this moment.
This leads to folks thinking that if they have a limited budget, they should stick to buying the cheapest stuff and forget about the capital-heavy survival solutions. But that is not the best thing to do.
While you should do everything you possibly can to have your safety and needs to be ensured, that does not mean you should ignore the more expensive options.
There’s no scenario where having a little extra cash to buy extra food, additional gear, and more suitable land is a bad thing. If you don’t have this kind of money right now, you might have it in the future.
This is where smart saving comes in handy. While you shouldn’t ditch your traditional retirement and savings account, you might want to consider using some of your disposable income for prepping too.
Wrapping Up
If you’ve read until here, you should understand how to prep on a budget a bit better.
When you have a limited budget, the prepping process does not have to be intimidating, neither does it have to be expensive, and you follow through with the principles on this list, then all should be well.
Take a moment to think about what’s already in your possession and what you’ll need. If you’re prepping from scratch, make essentials a priority.
If you’ve managed to get your hands on a few supplies already, start thinking about all the other things you need. Hopefully, now you know how to start prepping with limited funds.
So, what are you waiting for? Go start getting those supplies today!
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