“Prepping” as a lifestyle: Little things you can do on a budget

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past year, you’ve probably noticed many aspects of society are looking “less than stable” to say the least.  Politics are crazy, prices for gas and meat are on the rise, jobs are hard to find and we’re seeing crime and homelessness in our major cities at a level we’ve never seen before.   With the uncertainty of the future, many are attempting to become more self-sufficient and prepare for what may lay ahead, but that can be hard to do on a limited budget and knowledge on how and what exactly to prepare for.  

The last thing a new prepper on a budget wants to do is spend money on non-priority items, especially when they are just getting started.  So below is a list of tips and items that I believe ANYBODY can practice in order to at least get your bases covered in case you’re faced with a real crisis where you’re on your own. 

Here is a list of cheap and easy to find items that you can buy now while the gettin’s good before they are invaluable and few and far between when/if SHTF:

• Water
  • This should go without saying, but you will not get too far if you don’t have water, so grabbing a cheap case of water or jugs should be a priority, just make sure you store it in a cool area such as a basement or storage area off of the ground.  Rotating out the older cases and using them in your day to day life should become practice, this goes for all perishable items. 
  • Another thing to purchase with water is electrolyte packets, they are very cheap, lightweight and high in potassium/salt that will help replenish you during SHTF scenarios as your body will be in need of this sorely (pun intended).
• Food
  • Canned food is great for prepping as it’s shelf life is generally longer than most other stored foods, you can find cheap canned food on sale that may not seem too delicious at the time, but when your stomach is rumbling when there is no place else to get food it will start looking very nice and you’ll thank past you for having it on hand for your home stash. I usually grab one or two cans each time I visit the grocery store. 
  • Besides canned food there are other shelf-stable foods you can start stocking up on that don’t weigh as much because, let’s face it, you may have to take your things on the road if you have to find another safer place to stay.  I recommend foods such as; Peanut Butter (high in calories), Nuts and trail mix, power bars, packets of tuna, chicken and salmon, powdered milk, and don’t forget SPICES as cooking in a SHTF scenario may be less than delicious.
• Medical
  • No matter how careful you are, medical situations will arise, especially in a SHTF scenario.  What items will you and your loved ones need when you can’t go to Walmart, CVS, Walgreens or the hospital? 
  • I recommend stocking up on items like pain meds, antibacterial salves, bandages, multivitamins, latex gloves, hydrogen peroxide, tourniquets (at least one per person), tweezers, and a general first aid guide that you can carry around.  Stock up on one or two of these items next time you’re at the store and keep doing so until you’re stocked up. 
• Power and Fuel
  • Besides finding wood for fires, there’s not going to be a whole lot you can do when it comes to power and fuel during a SHTF scenario, so stocking up on things such as batteries, spare fuel, propane, matches and the like while you can is imperative.  Picking up a box of AA batteries or grabbing a box of matches doesn’t take much time nor does it break the bank.  Slowly build your stockpile until you’re no longer without. 
• Tools
  • When and if SHTF you’re going to need some hardware, so maybe on your next trip to the hardware store you can pick up an item like; an axe, buckets, wire (for repairs), shovel, screws and nails, bleach, hammer, siphon tubes, duct tape, glass jars, and other like items. 

This list above is mainly a beginner list of items you can buy slowly and ways you can “stock up”, but keep in mind prepping isn’t just about buying cool gadgets or stocking up on non-perishables, it’s also about learning new skills and getting yourself into a habit so when/if SHTF you don’t have to deviate too much from what you’ve already been thinking about and practicing.  Always be learning new ways to take care of things on your own, at home and without help, as getting into this mindset early could very well save your life or the life of others you hold dear.