# The first $300 - how did I do? Any advice?



## preppermama (Aug 8, 2012)

So I am a newbie prepper who is just getting started on this path. I had a budget of $300 to get going with some gear and supplies. 

I hemmed and hawed for two weeks over gear and what our first steps should be as a family. Online prepper forums and YouTube prepper videos have been a great help for me and got me thinking about what we have and what we might need in various scenarios. 

Before I tell you what I spent the money on, I wlll say we live in rural Maine. We already own a bunch of various firearms. We've got a fair amount of basic camping gear, cook stoves, propane, a generator, etc.. We have a manual water pump in an external pump house. 

Honestly, I don't see us ever bugging out as we already live in primo bug out territory. In fact, I think one of our biggest problems is going to be people trying to bug out/invade our location during a crisis Another big problem will be learning to maintain a winter food supply.So given our situation, I think our three primary concerns are food/water sourcing and storage, security and heating. I plan to focus on those areas in the next year. 

Here's what I got to get started: 
1. All American Pressure Canner 21.5Q size. I got an amazing deal on this - $185 after I used a coupon at casa.com. I saw people selling used ones on Ebay at this price point. 
2. A beginning supply of Ball jars to get started. I plan to pick up a supply of Tattler lids down the road too. 
3. A couple of canning books including the Ball Blue book and Ball's complete book of home preserving.
4. A couple of books on foraging: Foraging New England: Finding, Identifying, and Preparing Edible Wild Foods and Medicinal Plants from Maine to Connecticut
Also: The Forager's Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants - Samuel Thayer 
5. I also started building a reserve of stored food and plan to just add a few items each week as I see deals. 

How did I do? It seriously took me forever to choose this stuff. Any suggestions/feedback are greatly appreciated.


----------



## Leon (Jan 30, 2012)

You made some good choices, mama. Especially the foraging books, get to be a local expert and you will never go hungry in Maine or new england. There's wild edibles all over that place in high concentrations. I need to start using my pressure cooker, I got one havent even opened it yet.


----------



## AquaHull (Jun 10, 2012)

preppermama said:


> So I am a newbie prepper who is just getting started on this path. I had a budget of $300 to get going with some gear and supplies.
> 
> I hemmed and hawed for two weeks over gear and what our first steps should be as a family. Online prepper forums and YouTube prepper videos have been a great help for me and got me thinking about what we have and what we might need in various scenarios.
> 
> ...


New is good.

I bought a Mirro 22 qt pressure cooker with Kerr canning book, old school, used in good shape for $15, and 24 pint Ball jars and lids, seals for $10 new at a garage sale, 24 once used pints for $5 at the same sale. $5 for the new Ball Blue Book

The Foragers book is great.


----------



## preppermama (Aug 8, 2012)

AquaHull said:


> New is good.
> 
> I bought a Mirro 22 qt pressure cooker with Kerr canning book, old school, used in good shape for $15, and 24 pint Ball jars and lids, seals for $10 new at a garage sale, 24 once used pints for $5 at the same sale. $5 for the new Ball Blue Book


Well that's a score! I LOVE garage sales. I looked and looked for a pressure canner. Finally I just gave in and bought a new one. LOL. I plan to keep looking too. It never hurts to have a backup/extra on hand.

I think I paid $6 for my Blue Book. Surprisingly, it was cheaper to buy it at my local grocer than it was to buy it on Amazon.


----------



## preppermama (Aug 8, 2012)

Leon said:


> You made some good choices, mama. Especially the foraging books, get to be a local expert and you will never go hungry in Maine or new england. There's wild edibles all over that place in high concentrations. I need to start using my pressure cooker, I got one havent even opened it yet.


Thanks, Leon. I figure foraging skills will also give me a skill I can use to barter with people as well. When TSHTF, people will be starving and not have a clue about the edibles growing in their backyard. Duh!

BTW - Love your profile pic/video - Nunchucks FTW!


----------



## Leon (Jan 30, 2012)

preppermama said:


> Thanks, Leon. I figure foraging skills will also give me a skill I can use to barter with people as well. When TSHTF, people will be starving and not have a clue about the edibles growing in their backyard. Duh!
> 
> BTW - Love your profile pic/video - Nunchucks FTW!


I saw a guy on Bizarre foods up there who does exactly that for a living. Sells to restaurants and such.


----------



## Watercanlady (Jul 23, 2012)

I think you done well. A pressure canner will last a lifetime. Your canning books are a must. The foraging books will be great to study up on the plants in your area. I think you done real well.


----------



## survival (Sep 26, 2011)

Great choices. Leon has some great videos on YT with wild edibles.... I love it when he really gets excited talking about it. Classic Leon there!


----------



## PrepperRecon.com (Aug 1, 2012)

Well, you are in a rural area with your own water source and plenty of fire power. You are where I am working towards being in 3 to 5 years; if we have that long, otherwise I'll be sleeping in my brothers barn. Canning is great. I guess you are gardening as well? I just started canning my extra beans from my small "yarden" this year. We do all of our emergency food storage when it is on sale. My wife is an avid couponer which helps so much. $300 invested in the ability to preserve your own food was money well spent!


----------



## PrepperRecon.com (Aug 1, 2012)

How do we find Leon's videos? Does he have a channel?


----------



## Leon (Jan 30, 2012)

Stormfront Enetrtainment Group - YouTube


----------



## AquaHull (Jun 10, 2012)

Leon said:


> Stormfront Enetrtainment Group - YouTube


Bookmarked for later use.


----------



## preppermama (Aug 8, 2012)

PrepperRecon.com said:


> How do we find Leon's videos? Does he have a channel?


Look at his avatar pic. That's what I'm talking about. LOL. It cracks me up.

Ohhh Leon does have videos. I'm going to check them out right now.


----------



## Leon (Jan 30, 2012)

preppermama said:


> Look at his avatar pic. That's what I'm talking about. LOL. It cracks me up.
> 
> Ohhh Leon does have videos. I'm going to check them out right now.


You see the hit that guy took? I'm amazed he stood back up every time I look at it. He hit so hard the nunchucks flew out of his hand!


----------



## preppermama (Aug 8, 2012)

Leon said:


> You see the hit that guy took? I'm amazed he stood back up every time I look at it. He hit so hard the nunchucks flew out of his hand!


It's almost like he was on sheer adrenaline from the point forward. I think it's the way he got up and kept swinging the ones he still had in his left hand that gets me chuckling...lol.


----------



## mwhartman (Jun 26, 2012)

Congratulations! 

My thought -- this is an extended journey, therefore, any steps that one takes are good ones. The key, to me, is to continue. There is always something else one can add or do.


----------



## fedorthedog (Feb 28, 2012)

Look for the encyclopedia of country living great general info book. Jars hit every garage sale you can. I seem to find the most at barn sales for some reason. You will need 700 to 1000 quarts for a family of four to be able to provide and store from a garden.


----------

