# low budget prepping



## miho (Jun 10, 2012)

Looking for advice on low budget prepping. i dont have much but little at a time i manage to stock up to have enough for atleast 8 months. whats better to save grains or canned goods? I stock up on mostly store brand canned goods , is that ok? Is there an alternative to oxigen absorvers? the group i belong to now theyre mormons and i will be learning about canning, is there anything specific that i should can? They also know some amish people and they will be teaching me how to bake and. stuff. im always eager to learn the more the better. any advice from food to emergency supplies is welcome. now that i belong to this group i want to take prepping seriously. and just to mention i had my first gun lesson yesterday and i hit two targets outa 8. may not be impresive but for me it was lol.


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## miho (Jun 10, 2012)

Forgot to add i read about burying. small air tight containers with water and food. is that somethimg that willlast? Being that i might have to bug out on my own till i reach bol i was thinking on doing that .


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## MrsInor (Apr 15, 2013)

Good for you on the range. Isn't it fun? Water is number one - make sure you have enough for a good start and a way to filter or get potable water later. I prefer stocking whole grains and home canned or dried foods. The Ball Blue Book can get you started canning without a class. There are a ton of you tubes videos on canning, drying and cooking. And those are free.


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## inceptor (Nov 19, 2012)

I have tried a variety of ways and usually ended up throw it away. My suggestion, what we do here, is to stock up on what you normally use and cycle through it. This is always a work in progress.

I have bought long term storage stuff (dehydrated), canned meat and canned butter from this website. Not a lot but a little at at time. This is a family owned operation and the customer service is excellent. I am not affiliated with them either. I just happen to like doing business with them.

http://www.internet-grocer.com/

Recently I bought a vacuum sealer, some mylar bags and o2 absorbers. I think the o2 absorbers may be overkill but they came as a bundle. I have bought extra rice and beans in bulk at Costco and intend to break it down into smaller packages. This would be extra for barter or charity. It could even be for us if things go way south. I will also be vacuum sealing seeds, salt and other things as I see the need. If stored properly mylar bags can give you 25+ years according to research. But first, I have to get up off my butt and get started.


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## sparkyprep (Jul 5, 2013)

Get supplies at garage sales, and flea markets. One man's trash is another's treasure. You can prep on a very tight budget, you just have to be creative.


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## MrsInor (Apr 15, 2013)

inceptor - need a kick?


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## Ripon (Dec 22, 2012)

8 Months is a great start. The Mormon's know their canning but the FEDS won't let them turn you lose to can your own any more - they have to do it and sell you the cans which is still a better deal then the grocery materials and will last much longer. Start focusing on what you can do to increase the small budget - can you cook cheaper goods? Can you grow more? Can you hunt more? Can you replace expensive power with cheaper power? (bike instead of drive, wear a sweater instead of heat, turn the air off and stay cool with a glass of ice water, etc etc).



miho said:


> Looking for advice on low budget prepping. i dont have much but little at a time i manage to stock up to have enough for atleast 8 months. whats better to save grains or canned goods? I stock up on mostly store brand canned goods , is that ok? Is there an alternative to oxigen absorvers? the group i belong to now theyre mormons and i will be learning about canning, is there anything specific that i should can? They also know some amish people and they will be teaching me how to bake and. stuff. im always eager to learn the more the better. any advice from food to emergency supplies is welcome. now that i belong to this group i want to take prepping seriously. and just to mention i had my first gun lesson yesterday and i hit two targets outa 8. may not be impresive but for me it was lol.


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## inceptor (Nov 19, 2012)

MrsInor said:


> inceptor - need a kick?


Probably :lol:

My major problem multi. I have projects that need done around the house, I am working long hours and recently I stay tired. Take this weekend for instance. This was supposed to be a 3 day weekend. We worked the biggest part of Saturday. That made nearly 60 hours last week. The wife wants to replace the old carpet with wood floors. We have accumulated almost 20 years of stuff, plus my brother lived with us for 2-3 years before he past this past year. I've got all this stuff to sift through.

Man, it looks worse in writing than it actually is. I have 4 project rooms, one is nearly done. The others, one is my "pantry" along with other stuff and needs to be reorganized. Hopefully I will get to the mylar soon though in between. I really do have it set out on the breakfast table. Just gotta get to it.


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## Daddy O (Jan 20, 2014)

The best way to keep prepping low budget is to simply extend your pantry outwards. Rather than keeping a home pantry and an EOW stockpile, just have an extended pantry that you rotate stuff through FIFO. See, everything you stockpile has to be eaten or it gets wasted. 

Another way is to maintain a camping stockpile. I have lots of survival food and I keep it fresh by using it for camping trips (which bleed off a lotta food for 4 guys in snow country.) My system was good until my wife took over shopping. I was able to keep my stockpiles seamless financially because when I shop I buy little things I see on sale. You stockpile a bit at a time if you want to afford it. A case of beans this week, maybe some jerky meat next week when it goes on sale.


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## pheniox17 (Dec 12, 2013)

my advice, 
tools, knives, equipment, etc, it's cheaper in the long run to purchase quality (expensive outlay, but once in a lifetime items are just that)

food, we all will have food that will expire, just donate it to food banks, and now you know where the food banks are (some are very good, and cheap) go there and have a look, it's surprising what quality foods they have, just keep a eye on useby dates (do a little more research, as properly stored dry goods can last 25+ years)

other advice, Xmas, end of financial year, change of season sales are gold mine's 

half the fun is getting stock on a budget


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

I use a list - just a word type document that we print out that list 90% of the things we use and has open space to write in the oddball stuff.
When we use something we mark it down. We use slash marks for the quantity "////" and so on. If I feel we need more than current stock I add an extra "/" to the list. 
We buy bulk items like grain and dry goods and move the product from "storage" to the pantry as needed. When we open a bag of dry goods it gets checked off on the list and we get more. 

We always have a years worth of food and it is always fresh. I haven't had to throw anything out for the last few years since we started the list.


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## BamaBoy101 (Dec 9, 2013)

miho said:


> Looking for advice on low budget prepping. i dont have much but little at a time i manage to stock up to have enough for atleast 8 months. whats better to save grains or canned goods? I stock up on mostly store brand canned goods , is that ok? Is there an alternative to oxigen absorvers? the group i belong to now theyre mormons and i will be learning about canning, is there anything specific that i should can? They also know some amish people and they will be teaching me how to bake and. stuff. im always eager to learn the more the better. any advice from food to emergency supplies is welcome. now that i belong to this group i want to take prepping seriously. and just to mention i had my first gun lesson yesterday and i hit two targets outa 8. may not be impresive but for me it was lol.


I have been a low budget prepper for a long time and it can be a challenge. But, I have learned skills that allow me to make and sell a number of items and the profit from that goes towards preps. That said I would advise anyone to not be just about selling goods. Bring something more to the table or you wont be received well. In other words, I am here for much more than just selling things I make. In fact selling is the last thing and contributing is the first and most important.


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

Making thing - whether for your needs or for others needs is a great way to prep on a budget. I make my own tools and equipment. I can build just about anything I might need. I built can racks for food storage from scrap wood and wire. You put the cans in the top and extract them at the bottom - it's a great way to keep things fresh. Now, if I could just come up with a way to do that with 100 pound sacks of wheat.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

inceptor said:


> Probably :lol:
> 
> My major problem multi. I have projects that need done around the house, I am working long hours and recently I stay tired. Take this weekend for instance. This was supposed to be a 3 day weekend. We worked the biggest part of Saturday. That made nearly 60 hours last week. The wife wants to replace the old carpet with wood floors. We have accumulated almost 20 years of stuff, plus my brother lived with us for 2-3 years before he past this past year. I've got all this stuff to sift through.
> 
> Man, it looks worse in writing than it actually is. I have 4 project rooms, one is nearly done. The others, one is my "pantry" along with other stuff and needs to be reorganized. Hopefully I will get to the mylar soon though in between. I really do have it set out on the breakfast table. Just gotta get to it.


Inceptor,
You can do it! 
Seriously, sometimes life gets in the way of the things I want to do...or some weekends I just want to sit and watch sports and BBQ with an adult beverage and forget about the projects that I have. Stay focused my friend.


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## kevincali (Nov 15, 2012)

PaulS said:


> Making thing - whether for your needs or for others needs is a great way to prep on a budget. I make my own tools and equipment. I can build just about anything I might need. I built can racks for food storage from scrap wood and wire. You put the cans in the top and extract them at the bottom - it's a great way to keep things fresh. Now, if I could just come up with a way to do that with 100 pound sacks of wheat.


Same here. I make or repair what I have. My shovel is on its third handle, and since I'm done digging out yuccas, should be the last one lol. My axe is on its second (?) maybe third handle. Again, since yuccas are out, should be the last.

As far as budget prepping, grow grow grow. Pack of seeds is ~$1 add dirt, water, and harvest.

Depending on if you have land or not though. My trees range from 1-25 years old.

Also, shop only sales if you can.

Like you, I'm learning to can from the Mormons lol. And since my trees "should" be producing this year (apricots will be for sure) then I will can most of it. And since my trees are watered by rain water, its essentially free (minus cost of trees)

That's my solution to budget prepping. Growing as much as I am able to.

I am also raising chickens which if producing enough, I will eat eggs and chickens, keep some chicks to replace the chickens i eat, sell the extra eggs, sell some chicks. Same with the fruit. I will sell some extras, can some, and eat the rest.


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## 2000ShadowACE (Jan 14, 2014)

A lot of great advice here. I too am on a budget, so I have started looking at multi-use items. A pressure cooker can be re-purposed into a water purification still with a minor, reversible change. I also stocked up on rice and soup bases. You can split the rice up into meal sized packages, add the soup base flavoring and seal until needed. It is the same thing churches did for Haiti relief a few years back. All you do is add water and heat.


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## KYPrepper (Jan 17, 2014)

Nowadays I think any common man is doing low-budget prepping haha. Amazon is a great place I seem to find all kinds of great deals on things. One week they had a 10 pack of Mylar emergency blanket for six dollars, with free shipping on orders over 35 bucks. My advice is when you find an item you like, first read the customer reviews on it, those usually really help with the buying process. Secondly, shop around for the same item from a different vendor. Sometimes you'll find the exact same model of something for less. Another suggestion I have is decide a budget for yourself per shopping trip. Then go to a discount store like a Dollar Store or a Big Lots if you have those or something similar, and start in the lawn/garden and hardware section. You might just spend your budget for supplies in those two sections alone(tools, flashlights,tarps,batteries,zip ties, carabiners, bungee cords). Another place around me that I find some great deals on things for my BOB and for my BOL is the Goodwill. Those are great for finding odds and ends in terms of supplies and you can also find awesome deals on spare clothing to pack in your bags. Sometimes Goodwills have glass cases that contain the "expensive stuff"(usually between $20 and $60). I have found a NICE set of binoculars for about $30 in those cases! I also found a small(i think it's a civilian version) Ka-Bar knife with the sheath for $30! Of course I bought both of those haha. In a nutshell, Like pheniox said, prepping on a budget is actually a really good time. Good luck and happy prepping!


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## pharmer14 (Oct 27, 2012)

First you need to decide your tactics... Are you planning to bug out or bug in???

If you decide to bug in, you want to prioritize stocking food, water, and heat (for cooking and warmth).

If you decide to bug out, you want to prioritize things like camping supplies and a bug out location.

The big thing is to try to incorporate your preps into your daily life. Keep the pantry stocked and the freezer full. Prioritize a list and focus on one thing off of it a month. It might take you time, but you'll get there eventually.

I try to budget $20 a month on prepping. I also use gift cards and cash from holidays and birthdays exclusively on preps. It doesn't sound like much, but it adds up quick.


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## Montana Rancher (Mar 4, 2013)

miho said:


> Looking for advice on low budget prepping. i dont have much but little at a time i manage to stock up to have enough for atleast 8 months. whats better to save grains or canned goods? I stock up on mostly store brand canned goods , is that ok? Is there an alternative to oxigen absorvers? the group i belong to now theyre mormons and i will be learning about canning, is there anything specific that i should can? They also know some amish people and they will be teaching me how to bake and. stuff. im always eager to learn the more the better. any advice from food to emergency supplies is welcome. now that i belong to this group i want to take prepping seriously. and just to mention i had my first gun lesson yesterday and i hit two targets outa 8. may not be impresive but for me it was lol.


I am impressed you have 8 month of food, that is way ahead of the curve

Here are a few random thoughts.

Canned goods are good for 2x years, so if you get a good deal on them, pick them up as they are cheap, easy to store and reasonably nutritional.

My suggestion is don't worry about dry goods unless you have a way to process them like a "country living grain mill".

If you know how to sprout seeds then you won't need a grain mill but everyone gets tired of eating like a cow so if you want to make bread, a grain mill will be your best next investment

My favorite subject is fresh water, you can live for a month without food but only 3ish days without water, if you don't have "Berkey" water filter, that should have been your first choice. Just google it, the benefits are obvious.

I like the fact that you are starting firearm training, but consider this:

Target Focus Training ? Push the boundaries of self-defense and become a master on your own terms.

Within 21 feet you are better knowing what to do with your hands, I find this the best and easies resource on the planet.


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## Ripon (Dec 22, 2012)

I have a student in my class that is not being paid while he attends the academy. This is not rare, he is promised a job if he passes and by all accounts he will pass and get the job. He has a contract so if he passes and they don't employ him they have to compensate him for the time and school costs. His admissions rep told me he was being evicted and planning on trying to live out of his car the next six months to finish the PT academy. He was going to send his wife and children to live with friends or parents. I could tell he lost weight but didn't know his plight was so bad. 

A week ago I bought him a $9.99 25lb bag of white rice and for $9.99 8 large cans of chicken soup. Cost me $20. He loses his residence this weekend but he told me he at least fed his family with the rice and soup combo the last week - 7 meals for four with plenty of rice left over. People can eat for much less the more they try.


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## miho (Jun 10, 2012)

I was planning on making water filters... is that a bad idea? if it is ill invest on one. i know how to purify water in many ways plus i got about 50 gals in one of my closets.being im a single mom my budget is really tight  even though i now belong to a group i dont wanna depend too much on that thought.


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

You can make water filters that will do a number of things. They can filter out sediment - they can filter out suspensions - they can filter out metals - they can filter out some or all salts - they can filter out chemicals - they can filter out or kill bacterial and viral agents. It just depends on how good your filter is. Most makeshift filters do a decent job of filtering out sediment and particulates and if you pay close attention you can filter out suspensions. Filtering out metals and chemicals require a good deal of expertise and materials that have a limited life span. Filtering or killing bacterial and viral agents can be done by exposing the water the the strong U/V of direct sunlight for a period of time or through reverse osmosis. 

For less money than you will spend on a good filter system (home-made or purchased) you could buy the components to make a reflux still that will do all of that in a single repeatable operation. It is not very portable so not something you can put in a BOB but it is good to have in place at your BOL. You can also use the same still (at a different setting) to make alcohol for fuel, medicinal use and even to drink or barter.


Just a quick thought; boiling water makes it safer to drink but you cannot kill strep or staph unless you boil for 20 minutes at 15 psi. Treating filtered water with bleach will kill those in the same twenty minute time if the solution is strong enough. A still removes all of it (including radioactive salts) from your water.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

Miho, there are a lot of good options on this thread.
Let me just add what we do. My wife is in charge of all this, it's her full time job.
Rice and beans - these store well. We keep rice handy for cooking and bought some big bags (50 pound) that she divided up, sealed in mylar and put into food grade sealable 5 gallon buckets. The dry beans get put into regular canning jars after spending a day or two in the freezer to kill any weevils.
Canned goods from the grocery store - we only buy what is on sale at the time. If green beans are 10 cans for $8 we buy 10 cans. When Chef Boyardee was 10 for $10, we got 20 cans. If you miss a sale on something you like, everything gets repeated in a cycle, usually 8 weeks.
Before you know it you will have lots of canned stuff. We mark the date purchased on the lid with a magic marker, this helps us to rotate stock.
Canned tuna - we keep quite a bit on hand.
Spagetti is cheap and one or other brand of sauce is usually on sale. We stock pile it and also have it for dinner a couple times a week.
Water - bottled water in 24 count flats is cheap and stacks well. 

We just buy what's on sale at the time, and she uses coupons too. 
She is on Social security, I work but don't make a whole lot, besides us to feed we have animals too. But everybody gets fed, maybe not filet mignon, but we all get fed.

We have never had much money, but we have never gone hungry.


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