When the need to prepare for an uncertain future becomes a pressing reality for the new prepper, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. There are so many things to buy and to do that it becomes almost paralyzing. “Where to start?” becomes the question at the forefront of their minds.
Frustrated and anxious, many preppers assume that it’s going to cost a ton of money to get started.
While it’s true, prepping will require an investment of both time and money, you can begin to make yourself more prepared by focusing on the time aspect first.
Here are 18 things you can do to begin prepping for very little, if any, cost.
- Make a Plan. The first and perhaps most critical step in becoming more prepared is to make a plan. Consider what you have and what you need. Then figure out a way to get from here to there. Prioritize your purchases. Plan your time and focus on the most pressing things first. Divid the effort with others in your family.
- Do Research. Prepping is not all about buying. There’s a lot more to it than just acquiring stuff. Go to the library or search online and learn new things, adopt new skills, that will help you during rough times.
- Make a Budget. Being intentional about our expenses, planning them out ahead of time rather than just going through the month spending wherever we think we have a need, will help us to find a little extra money each month. That money help you to prepare.
- Make an EDC. Making a small Every Day Carry kit that you can carry with you at all times doesn’t cost much and will help you to be and feel more prepared. Household items such as a matches, cotton balls, band-aids, and safety-pins are probably lying around your house already.
- Make a Prepper Book. Information is critical and having it all readily available to you in one place (or better yet, having multiple copies of it) will help you during times of trials. Keep phone numbers and places to meet during an emergency as well as other plans in your Prepper Notebook. You can also put instructions that may come in handy later like how to purify water with Chlorine or how to field dress a squirrel.
- Fill’er Up. Make it a practice to fill your vehicle when the gas gauge reaches the 1/2 mark. Keeping a nearly full tank of fuel in your vehicle will help with life’s little emergencies (like running late to a dental appointment) as well as in a TEOTWAWKI style event.
- Tying Knots. Cordage can be so helpful during a survival experience. You can make snares, hang a shelter, or make a platform bed. The list is nearly endless. Knowing 5 or 10 basic knots will help you make the best use of your resources.
- Build a Simple Get-Home Bag. Do you have jumper cables in your car? Probably. But do you also have some other necessities that will help tie you over if you’re stranded for a day or two? What if you need to walk home? Do you have what you’d need? Putting together a simple Get-Home Kit for you car is worthwhile.
- Practice. Some skills are like riding a bike; once you’ve learned them you’ll never forget. However, you didn’t learn to ride a bike over night. You can read about it and intellectually know how to do something yet still not be able to actually do it. Practice your homesteading skills. Practice building a fire without matches. Practice cooking in a dutch oven.
- Start a Garden. Seeds are not very expensive, but knowing when and how to plant them, knowing how to nurture them and when to harvest them is priceless.
- Learn about Wild Edibles. Many of use walk past a smorgasbord of wild edibles each day without knowing. Plantain, dandelions, goosefoot, violets, and chickweed can all make a meal in trying times. Learn how to make pancakes from acorns.
- Get in Shape. Go for a walk or jog. Do some push ups or sit ups. You don’t have to be a body builder, but starting a survival experience in good shape will really give you an advantage.
- Collect Books. Go to the local used book store and look for reading materials that may help you in the future. Look for books on homesteading, gardening, animal husbandry, emergency first aid, hunting, and cooking to name a few.
- Become a Couponer. Look online or in the Sunday paper for coupons for things that you already buy. Got a coupon for spaghetti sauce? Buy an extra jar or two this month. Slowly you’ll begin to build your coffers.
- Read Blogs. You can learn a lot from others who have blazed the trail before you. Read blogs and participate in the online prepper community.
- Write Guest Posts. Better than being a consumer of information is to share the information you’ve learned. You don’t have to be an expert in the subject, just share your experiences. To really learn something, prepare to teach it to others.
- Stay Aware. Tune into the local and national news sources. Keep abreast of current events and the effect they may have on you. Everything from rough weather heading your way to heightened tensions in the Middle East to an outburst of solar activity can impact your life.
- Practice Home Repairs. Got a small appliance that’s broken? Go online and see if you can figure out how to repair it before call the service technician. Learning new skills like this could be valuable in the future and can save you some money in the short term.
Got some low-cost ways to begin prepping that you’d like to share? Leave a comment below and help the rest of learn from your creativity.
September 27, 2012 at 9:36 am
Even something as little as getting an extra can of something at the grocery store when you’re there for something else can add up. You’d be surprised how quickly your pantry can fill up if you make a point to get a can of beans, vegetables, or anything in addition to whatever else you’re there to get.
October 2, 2012 at 7:23 am
Yes, just a little extra with each trip to the grocery can really add up. Thanks, Aaron.
October 8, 2012 at 3:42 pm
When I go to the store I buy 2 of everything and if I can afford it I buy 3. I judge by how many people are in my home. Since we still have a small child at home I can still get by on just 2 but if the item is marked way down I buy more. I follow the seasons for sales as well. Gardening things are marked way down in the fall before winter comes and in the spring I buy winter things. Might be out of style but who cares what it looks like when your survinging whatever comes.
October 9, 2012 at 9:10 am
Absolutely, Shanna. Laura does the same thing. In fact, just the other day one store had a buy 2 get 3 free sale on something that we use. Laura bought as many as they’d let her buy. If you are opportunistic, you can find great values and stock up a little each week/month.
Thanks for the comment.
Joe
September 27, 2012 at 6:21 pm
Great Article! The things you mentioned are all very important. I would also suggest doing a survey of the area around your home to know where you can find fresh water sources, wooded areas for hunting, and caching, etc. Great job. Cheers JJ
October 2, 2012 at 7:22 am
Excellent point, JJ Johnson.
September 29, 2012 at 2:09 pm
Reblogged this on Zombie Periodical and commented:
People are waking up everywhere – and the group of preppers ever expanding
September 29, 2012 at 10:23 pm
nice start up pointers.
October 4, 2012 at 5:02 pm
What about number 19? Try to get your husband on board. Any blog articles or advice on that?
October 5, 2012 at 8:40 am
Great question, Carrie! That sounds like a topic for a post in itself. I’ll talk with Laura and see if she has any good ideas about it.
November 3, 2012 at 1:52 pm
That is my biggest issue too. I can only do so much before he complains a lot. He agrees that things are not going good with the economy and stuff, but isn’t the type to plan ahead
October 5, 2012 at 1:13 am
Wow I really feel so overwhelmed… I know these are supposed to help and honestly they do… I just really don’t know where to begin!!!
October 5, 2012 at 8:28 am
Thanks, Jennie!
I know the feeling! We Laura and I first had our Ah-ha moments, we felt overwhelmed and like there was a great burden on our shoulders to get everything done in a week.
We’ve been at it for a while now and Laura has written some pretty good posts in the Getting Started section of the site. Check out other sites as well; they’ll have some good ways to get started.
Most important is to plan. Take stock of where you are, were the gaps are, and then plan to address those gaps in a methodical and organized manner. That’s far better than rushing out buying things as they come to you.
Thanks and let us know if you have any questions or observations along the way.
Joe
November 2, 2012 at 7:26 pm
When I go shopping, I look for the 10 for $10 sales. Especially on frozen veggies. i can get 10 bags of frozen veggies and dehydrate them. I just bought 5 bags of carrots, peas, corn and green beans. I then place them in a mylar w/ oxygen absorber and they will last for years. Add in a 20# bag of rice and I have meals for 4 people for at least a month (depending on rations) for less than $40.00. Not exactly gourmet, but it will keep out tummies from rumbling.
November 2, 2012 at 7:31 pm
I have also started stocking up on chicken and beef bouillon. Very inexpensive and when used to cook rice, it will add a little something something to our “meal”. A little flavor goes a long way in a crisis situation. Really picks up your spirits. I have also started getting some candy. M&M’s, skittles, hard candy. Right now they are super cheap after halloween. Mylar bag’em and it is a great treat and mood picker upper.
November 3, 2012 at 9:20 am
Hi Frenchy! A great point. My family is sure to get tired of beans, rice, etc. However, by stocking bouillon and a variety of spices, those ingredients can be turned into a very different meal.
Joe
November 3, 2012 at 9:21 am
Hmm, I haven’t tried dehydrating frozen veggies. Something to look into. Thanks for sharing.
November 2, 2012 at 8:11 pm
Low cost prepping…look for stores that are closing ( cheap shampoo,.. soap …in a recent store closing was able to get soap and shampoo at 75% off…cheap enough to stock up a little) …look for produce marked down for quick sale. ..can dehydrate , can or freeze.
November 3, 2012 at 9:18 am
Great point, Barb! There are great deals out there if we only look for them.
November 21, 2012 at 3:36 pm
Hello, I am new to prepping and I work in a grocery store in a small town.
When i hear about people stocking up on canned goods from the grocery store, or in some extreme cases like on ‘Doomsday Preppers’ where they have a whole room full of canned goods bought from a grocery store, I have to wonder about the expiration dates. From my experience most canned goods that I stock on the shelf will only last for a couple years at most. It seems like it would be a big waste to buy so many of the name brand canned goods that will only last for a couple years. What am I missing?
November 25, 2012 at 7:59 am
Great question, Matt. I’m glad you’ve asked.
We’ve got a number of good posts that Laura’s written that touch on this topic. One that comes to mind is “Shelf-Life: What Do Expiration Dates Really Mean” (http://preppingtosurvive.com/2011/09/30/shelf-life-what-do-expiration-dates-really-mean/).
In short, canned goods will last longer than they claim on the label. But storing food is not about buying a bunch of stuff and forgetting about it until you need it. Instead it’s about buying some, eating the oldest and replenishing as you go.
The saying store what you eat and eat what you store really is applicable.
Let’s say you have a dozen jars of spaghetti sauce in your coffers. The next time you have a spaghetti dinner, use the oldest jar and then when you go to the grocery store, but another jar and place it at the back of the line.
Hope that helps. And keep commenting/asking questions. We’re glad to share our experiences with you as you’re on your own prepping journey.
Joe
December 12, 2012 at 11:07 am
Where I live everything indicates that prepping will soon be a lifestyle. Surviving until Armageddon may be as hard as surviving Armageddon. Thank you for a great blog.
December 13, 2012 at 9:49 am
I couldn’t agree more, Johann. Thanks!