How to Be a Prepper on a Budget

What is a prepper?  The best definition I have found of a prepper is from the website, prepper.org. They give the definition as:
“An individual or group that prepares or makes preparations in advance of, or prior to, any change in normal circumstances or lifestyle without significant reliance on other persons  or without substantial assistance from outside resources in order to minimize the effects of that change on their current lifestyle."

We've all seen the news of disasters over the past few years. There seem to be more big storms and fires that devastate people's lives.There are government websites, http://www.ready.gov/ and  http://www.fema.gov/, devoted to helping citizens prepare for catastrophe. Preppers are just people who prepare for emergencies.

The term “survivalist” has gotten a bad rap in the media lately. They’ve become synonymous with white supremacists and crazed people living in the woods and stockpiling weapons, but the original meaning of the term was exactly the same as prepper. There is really no difference between the two. People who say they are preppers are trying to be politically correct by keeping the focus on natural disasters, but they prepare for other disasters too.

My sister lives in Hawaii. Tsunamis are a very real threat there. Fortunately, they have a good alarm system, they have high ground to go to and they are prepared with survival kits and supplies. They are preppers. They live a normal life, working and raising kids, but that doesn’t mean they don’t also do a lot of things survivalists do.

Interestingly enough, while FEMA supports preppers,  the Department of Homeland Security sees them as a threat to national security. There has been a lawsuit filed again the DHS when several web sites dedicated to prepping discovered that they had a number of visits from homeland security. Private individuals who had viewed the site were being tracked and monitored through their social media.

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One thing that really scared me was learning how little food the grocery stores actually stock. If the supply line from the distributor was cut by something like a lack of fuel for the trucks, the stores would be out of food in a matter of days.

There are other threats to our food supply including the lowly honey bee which is a major factor in pollinating crops. The feral honey is almost extinct. Theories for their decline are the use of high fructose corn syrup and insecticides.

Other threats are the use of hybrid seeds that are not capable of reproducing true to form and the use of commercially produced fertilizers

The Mormon Church has been advocating prepping for many years. They teach classes for their members on food storage and preparation. They have booklets outlining methods of food storage and even sell boxes of food that can be stored for emergencies. They do make a good point in that when you have an emergency, it is too late to prepare. They recommend that everyone store enough food, clothing and provisions for shelter for a year. If you think about the recent disasters in the world, this doesn’t sound like such a bad idea. It even could prevent disaster just for an individual or family experiencing a job loss.

This is their definition of Level 1 readiness

Level 1: Can Survive Two Weeks of Minor Emergency (such as ice storm)

• Have sufficient food and water for two weeks of emergency
• Able to heat their home for two weeks without relying on the power grid by use of kerosene heater or fireplace
• Able to cook their meals for two weeks without relying on the power grid
• Has a first aid kit

One suggestion that all these groups agree on is an item called a bugout bag. It’s nothing more than a backpack, duffel bag or even a pillowcase with supplies and items for an emergency.  If you had to leave the house because of a tornado, or fire or some other emergency when you wouldn’t have time to pack, this bag could be a life saver.

There’s a good list and explanation this article Basic Disaster Supplies Kit.

Here are some additional things that have been recommended:

• Water purification supplies
• Cooking supplies
• Disaster plan – location of centers, meeting points, evacuation routes, etc.
• Basic camping gear
• Cash and change. ATMs and banks may not be available
• Fixed and folding blade knife
• Duct tape and parachute cord
• Plastic tarps for shelter and water collection
• Small game hunting equipment
• Compass

Prepping on a Budget
The best blog I've found on low budget prepping

Is Corn Syrup Killing the Honeybees
Interesting article by a bee keeper

Food Storage Made Easy
Has a free food storage calculator

Storage is always an issue unless you live in a big house.  I live in a 25 foot camper so storage space is almost non existent. I’ve learned a few tricks. There is no “under the bed” here. The bed is on a solid platform over the wheel well. I’d have to rebuild the bed to make storage there. I plan on doing that someday.

I did discover that I have a few drawers that are under utilized. I found I had room for a few cans and bags of food in the back of some of them.  I also use a shelf to store canned goods in my closet that was pretty much used to store junk. I’d like to build some narrow shelves,  one can deep and line the closet with them. There are plans online for making your own rotating can storage box out of cardboard.

Good totes with tight lids or new, clean metal garbage cans make good storage containers too. They can be left outside most of the year if not in direct sun or subject to freezing.

Preparedness doesn’t have to be a strain on your budget either. If you go grocery shopping on a tight budget, just try to buy one item at a time for your storage. If most of your food comes from a food pantry, put just one can of food away in your food storage every time you go. Start building your 72-hour backup. Then gradually increase it to two weeks. As you get your system and storage down, you can enlarge your stores. 

Be sure to rotate your supplies once a month to keep the food fresh. Making a list of what you need and what you have is important.  Don't forget to keep on hand non-electric items such as can openers, mixers and mashers.