# What would YOU do with your $20???



## jbrooks19 (May 22, 2014)

Say someone had a budget that allowed for a max of $20 a week to prep..What would you buy if you were in their shoes?

My list would be as follows:

1-25rd box of bird shot 12ga $6
1-Bottle of dish soap (can be used for washing dishes, body wash, shampoo) $2
1-4pack of Toilette paper $1
2-cases of bottled water $6
1-4pack of ramen noodles $1.20
2-cans of chicken noodle soup $1
1-Tooth paste $1
1-Toot brush $1

Of course, i would alternate a few items to once a month or so (Tooth brush and paste, etc.)

What would you choose??

PS. I realize prepping on a budget has probably been covered before, i am just curious as to what people would get with their $20?


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## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

I would go with food. But I always do. 
Cases of vienna sausages and wolf brand chili from Wal-Mart that adds to 20$.


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## vandelescrow (Nov 17, 2012)

Need to look at what you already have first. But like James said, food. No matter the emergency food is what will be needed most, and the means to cook it. I know canned food does not need cooking but with some for sight, we can have a full belly and enjoy it while were eating it.

If you stock up on what others will be grabbing when it happens, you wont have problems getting the other stuff like TP, toothpaste etc.


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## sparkyprep (Jul 5, 2013)

Save it, let it add up.


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## Purkeypilot (Dec 21, 2012)

This is a great thread topic! Good idea jbrooks19! I'll think about it and post later


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## pheniox17 (Dec 12, 2013)

oh I done one if these a little wile ago

first please have $100 before you really start, and get some basics, a good quality knife, and basic first aid supplies

then the $20 a week don't seem so bad

first adjust your shopping habits, WEEKLY shopping minimal (people still shop day to day... wtf!!) with the money you save from this shift buy a few long term food stores on special (been, rice, dht milk, simply put the savings from week to week shopping will cover this)

look into free-bees 20litre cleaning drums are just garbage to any public access shop/business (car washes are a classic) clean well, and you have free water storage

now to the 20 a week budget, 
little steeps, spend time on this forum and look into bug out bag topics, and bol topics, growing your own food, and defense and use the power of eBay and specials to keep costs down....

just keep it up, within a year, you will have a good base, and stick with it, the thing with prepping is we don't know what's coming just that it will come, and who in their right mind will trust the government


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## sparkyprep (Jul 5, 2013)

I paid for a $1500 gun with $20 a week.


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## tirednurse (Oct 2, 2013)

jbrooks19 said:


> Say someone had a budget that allowed for a max of $20 a week to prep..What would you buy if you were in their shoes?
> 
> My list would be as follows:
> 
> ...


I see a lot of flaws to your list. 
Why would you waste money on toilet paper? this is a luxury item. Old cut up tee shirts will do the same job and they are free and can be reused. 
tooth brush and paste are important but how many do you need? I would only have extra of these if I was going to use them for barter
water is important but bottled water is not. you can pick up a 55 gal barrel for about $10-20 sanitize and fill with your own water. 
of the food items you mention I would have picked out more bang for the buck. a 50 lb bag of rice is about $20, so is a 50lb bag of beans of pretty much all types. 50lbs of flour is about $10. a dozen quart jars is about $10 that can be filled with many different types of food. 
Go fishing and start canning the fish, buy meat when it is on sale and can that. this is the season for fresh fruit and veggies so start storing them when you can find them cheap. If you cant can, learn it will save you a lot of money, especially if you can learn to grow your own at the same time.

what about your living situation? is live stock an option? even in an apartment you could keep small animals like rabbits. They are pretty cheap. I personally sell mine for $10 each. 2 of those will give you a start on "making" your own meat. rabbits will eat your vegie scraps, grass, weeds and so on and don't need to depend on store bought food. The also love rolled oats which is a cheap prep too. In doing this you can create a lot of meals with your $20 investment. Fried rabbit and rice with gravy! Yumm


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## jbrooks19 (May 22, 2014)

tirednurse said:


> I see a lot of flaws to your list.
> Why would you waste money on toilet paper? this is a luxury item. Old cut up tee shirts will do the same job and they are free and can be reused.
> tooth brush and paste are important but how many do you need? I would only have extra of these if I was going to use them for barter
> water is important but bottled water is not. you can pick up a 55 gal barrel for about $10-20 sanitize and fill with your own water.
> ...


That sounds nice in theory. Except we hate rice and beans so that does nothing for us. I also work so much that raising rabbits wouldn't work either. I also have this issue with trusting city water. We don't even use it for cooking. We will only buy distilled or purified water. Yes, we are picky but, why stock up on rice and beans if you hate them? They may be more bang for your buck but if no one at your home eats them regularly then to me it's not a good item to stock up on. I also had mentioned in my post that I would not be buying the same items every week. I know I don't need to buy a new toothbrush every week lol and yes TP is essential to my family.


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## Mrs_Clark (Jun 25, 2014)

I would definitely add some cheap high proof alcohol to your list. It has multiple use like disinfecting, Molotov cocktails, bartering etc...


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## Ripon (Dec 22, 2012)

Assuming there are no other preps.

1) $3.25 for a 5 gallon bucket, fill with tap water, recycle on plants monthly. 
2) $3.75 for 4 cans of condensed veggie brief or chicken noodle soup
3). $2.50 as big a bag of rice as $2.50 still buys
4). $3.00 oatmeal pouches, 8 of them, just add water
5). $4.00 Cree flashlight maybe w battery if lucky ... Watch amazon
6). $1.00 four rolls of TP
7). $1.00 two, sometimes three sm personal hand sanitizer bottles

Bank $1.50 for a back pack later, go cheap with the first one, watch garage sales.

BTW TP for a buck is a great barter item. At this stage if SHTF you'd need it to buy goods with.


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## shotlady (Aug 30, 2012)

Mrs_Clark said:


> I would definitely add some cheap high proof alcohol to your list. It has multiple use like disinfecting, Molotov cocktails, bartering etc...


 a good woman always appreciates a nice shot of whiskey- hello mrs clark 

I like ammo- has no shelf life- now ifn my only budget was 20 per week, water- canned chili, fruits and veggies and more ammo. id change it up every week of what I bought.


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## bigdogbuc (Mar 23, 2012)

For $20 I would pay Purkey to change his Anime Avatar. It drives me crazy. :lol:

Makes me want to smack my 12 year old for no good reason.


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## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

I would stay with the toilet paper. Think of it as currency. And it's cheap --for now


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## AquaHull (Jun 10, 2012)

tirednurse said:


> I see a lot of flaws to your list.
> Why would you waste money on toilet paper? this is a luxury item. Old cut up tee shirts will do the same job and they are free and can be reused.
> tooth brush and paste are important but how many do you need? I would only have extra of these if I was going to use them for barter
> water is important but bottled water is not. you can pick up a 55 gal barrel for about $10-20 sanitize and fill with your own water.
> ...


Saw a sign at a neighbors where he was giving away "baby rabbits".The question is,can you tell a buck from a doe at this time?
We get 2 salads out of a head of lettuce. The salad maker thinks she's still making 5 star restaurant salads,so there is much compost.


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## oldmurph58 (Feb 8, 2014)

bunnies and booze hmm.


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## tirednurse (Oct 2, 2013)

AquaHull said:


> Saw a sign at a neighbors where he was giving away "baby rabbits".The question is,can you tell a buck from a doe at this time?
> We get 2 salads out of a head of lettuce. The salad maker thinks she's still making 5 star restaurant salads,so there is much compost.


yes you can tell as early as 2 weeks old if you know what your doing. If it were me I would take all of them if they will end up being big rabbits. keep them until you can see yourself which are boys or girls, keep what you want and eat the rest
cant go wrong with that price! 
I have 26 does and 3 bucks so have continuous supply of bunnies. Saw a comment saying not enough time to care for them due to work? I don't buy it. I spend a total of 15 minutes a day feeding and watering. some times need to clean out a pen or nest on the weekend which adds a few minutes, but really not much time at all and I literally can have hundreds at one time. keeping 3 or 4 wouldn't take but a minute to care for and if set up correctly wouldn't have to be done every day either. 
Rabbits are an accepted "pet" even in most rental situations since they are quiet and clean, and don't usually tear up stuff since they would be in a pen. 
They would be my choice for a first livestock animal no matter where I was living.


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## jbrooks19 (May 22, 2014)

tirednurse said:


> yes you can tell as early as 2 weeks old if you know what your doing. If it were me I would take all of them if they will end up being big rabbits. keep them until you can see yourself which are boys or girls, keep what you want and eat the rest
> cant go wrong with that price!
> I have 26 does and 3 bucks so have continuous supply of bunnies. Saw a comment saying not enough time to care for them due to work? I don't buy it. I spend a total of 15 minutes a day feeding and watering. some times need to clean out a pen or nest on the weekend which adds a few minutes, but really not much time at all and I literally can have hundreds at one time. keeping 3 or 4 wouldn't take but a minute to care for and if set up correctly wouldn't have to be done every day either.
> Rabbits are an accepted "pet" even in most rental situations since they are quiet and clean, and don't usually tear up stuff since they would be in a pen.
> They would be my choice for a first livestock animal no matter where I was living.


I don't really care if you "buy it" when i say no time i mean NO TIME for it. I work 65 to 75 hours a week, my time when im home is spending time with my wife and son. My wife would never eat rabbit, she's a city girl. Prep according to what you eat, it is pointless to prep and stock up on things that no one in your family regularly eats. I do own my home so landlords would not be an issue, i just have no desire nor do i wish to waste the little amount of time i have caring for rabbits.


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## tirednurse (Oct 2, 2013)

jbrooks19 said:


> I don't really care if you "buy it" when i say no time i mean NO TIME for it. I work 65 to 75 hours a week, my time when im home is spending time with my wife and son. My wife would never eat rabbit, she's a city girl. Prep according to what you eat, it is pointless to prep and stock up on things that no one in your family regularly eats. I do own my home so landlords would not be an issue, i just have no desire nor do i wish to waste the little amount of time i have caring for rabbits.


Sweet heart have to say again don't buy it..... I also work long hours. at least 12 hour days 5 days a week some times weekends and often 16 hour days. 10 minutes a day or every other day is a small price to pay or a free meal. 
sounds to me like you guys need to evaluate what is important so your city girl wife wont die of starvation if TSHTF. eating a rabbit is no different than eating a chicken. if it was on her plate she would not be able to tell the difference anyway. 
whether or not you choose to use the advice you ask for is up to you. If you can't make changes in your life style now you certainly wont be any better off than the addicted to their cellphone, face booking fools that will be knocking on others doors looking for a hand out. You don't like rice or beans? those have been staple in the worlds diet for ever. Maybe it is how you are cooking them? experiment with some recipes. don't know any one that would eat a burrito without refried BEANS in it. 
The point I was trying to make in the first place is that you are wasting your 20. buying bulk items and making the food yourself will always save you money in the long run.


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

tirednurse said:


> Sweet heart have to say again don't buy it..... I also work long hours. at least 12 hour days 5 days a week some times weekends and often 16 hour days. 10 minutes a day or every other day is a small price to pay or a free meal.
> sounds to me like you guys need to evaluate what is important so your city girl wife wont die of starvation if TSHTF. eating a rabbit is no different than eating a chicken. if it was on her plate she would not be able to tell the difference anyway.
> whether or not you choose to use the advice you ask for is up to you. If you can't make changes in your life style now you certainly wont be any better off than the addicted to their cellphone, face booking fools that will be knocking on others doors looking for a hand out. You don't like rice or beans? those have been staple in the worlds diet for ever. Maybe it is how you are cooking them? experiment with some recipes. don't know any one that would eat a burrito without refried BEANS in it.
> The point I was trying to make in the first place is that you are wasting your 20. buying bulk items and making the food yourself will always save you money in the long run.


But you have to actually cook to make it yourself.... Someone said to spend money on the Instant Oatmeal packet - just add water... Wow, That and a bit of salt is all I add to my rolled oats and for the same money I can eat breakfast for a month. I can add in the cut apples and cinnamon, blue berries, or any flavoring I want.

If you store what you eat - that is good - but if you eat and store foods that you prepare then you are far ahead of the game. Eating foods that will be available after the SHTF means you won't have to get sick trying to change your diet when you are already under stress.


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## Guest (Jun 25, 2014)

Ok i read this thread earlier today and i just went to the store. I didn't spend 20 bucks my budget is 50 per week. So i cheated a little bit . anyways here is my grocery list and this is from HEB here in Texas.

1. Drinking water 3 cases of 24 bottles $7.77
2. Green bell peppers 5 $2.90
3. Hass avacados 6 $3.48
4. grade A eggs 12 count $1.68
5. whole leaf spinach 2 bags $2.30
6. Celery 1 bunch $1.28
7. Sea Salt $1.87
8. Dole pineapple juice 6 pack $2.68
9. 2 Broccoli crowns $2.44
10. Green Cabbage 1 $1.57
11. Leek 3 stalks $2.98
12. active dry yeast 6 packets $2.00
13. Twizzler licorice family pack $2.97
14. Whole chicken $3.73
15. White Onion 5 $3.14
16. Whole carrots 10lbs $6.98

Ok so we are talking survival here. I too do not like to eat rice and beans all the time..i love beans but not crazy about rice. however i do have rice stocked for a rainy day. a piece of advice about rice, try different kinds of rice and you may find that you like for instance wild rice. a major dislike of rice comes from the overcooking of it. It is one of the hardest grains to cook the right way especially since there are many varieties. you can fry the rice to add that nice savory component..one of my secrets is to add fresh orange juice when I'm making Spanish rice. with steamed rice you can put herbs and fresh ginger in and the aromatics will seep into the rice.

MY list contains a lot of vegetables and few meat..reason is fresh meat is quite expensive and i save for a treat with steak. I cook soups a lot and i package them for long term use in my fridge..you could easily can them..i do not mainly because I'm stupid  i need to start doing the canning thing. I make my own stock with this whole chicken and this not only tastes better but it saves me money. 

Ok i am gonna talk about rabbits now ^^..they are actually very tasty if prepared correctly. for instance you can stuff rabbit tenderloin with figs, mushrooms, pine nuts, parsley and spices..is not bad...When i met my girlfriend she didn't like lots of food, what i did was i hid the stuff she didn't like when i cooked dinner. after she was finished eating it and said that she enjoyed the meal i told her what was in it...mushrooms is a example here. some tastes i know people cannot get over but as far as meats go rabbit is a mild one. 

in a survival situation you and your wife will eat ANYTHING. So look for excellent deals. even if you think you wont eat it. think trade here too..if you have red beans for example and i have none i will trade you a food you like if i have it. long term white rice and dry beans will last a very long time. it is essential to have white rice and dry beans in my opinion. nutritionally rice acts as a energy boost and the beans are truly magical outside of "the more you eat to more you toot" they contain massive amounts of fiber. you cannot live on bread alone but you'd last much longer on rice and beans.

some tips on stuff to stock: I have an obsession with honey..i collect it from where i travel..its weird but i love the different tastes you get from various areas. Stock up on honey..it has a plethora of uses.


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## tirednurse (Oct 2, 2013)

PaulS said:


> But you have to actually cook to make it yourself.... Someone said to spend money on the Instant Oatmeal packet - just add water... Wow, That and a bit of salt is all I add to my rolled oats and for the same money I can eat breakfast for a month. I can add in the cut apples and cinnamon, blue berries, or any flavoring I want.
> 
> If you store what you eat - that is good - but if you eat and store foods that you prepare then you are far ahead of the game. Eating foods that will be available after the SHTF means you won't have to get sick trying to change your diet when you are already under stress.


totally agree Paul. may not be as convenient to start from scratch but you get so much more out of your dollar. Was at "cash and carry" today. don't know if everyone has these stores but we do here in the northwest. Price of a 50 lb bag of rolled oats is $16. That's a lot of bowels for breakfast or mixed in home made "granola bars" or my fav... oatmeal cookies. 
Very good point about changing our diets now and not waiting until all hell breaks loose to decide we need to cook from scratch. First of all many people don't have a clue what to do with the basic ingredients, and you are right changing our diet all of a sudden will just add to the stress of it all and make it so much harder to cope with.


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

tirednurse said:


> totally agree Paul. may not be as convenient to start from scratch but you get so much more out of your dollar. Was at "cash and carry" today. don't know if everyone has these stores but we do here in the northwest. Price of a 50 lb bag of rolled oats is $16. That's a lot of bowels for breakfast or mixed in home made "granola bars" or my fav... *oatmeal cookies*.
> Very good point about changing our diets now and not waiting until all hell breaks loose to decide we need to cook from scratch. First of all many people don't have a clue what to do with the basic ingredients, and you are right changing our diet all of a sudden will just add to the stress of it all and make it so much harder to cope with.


I bolded the part that really caught my eye. I believe the only real cookie in the world is a chocolate chip oatmeal cookie with crushed walnuts. I can turn away from any kind of food but if oatmeal chocolate chips are around I simply *MUST* eat them. I finally told my wife not to make them anymore. I made a batch for our family gathering celebrating the two new additions to our family this weekend. I will spread the word that real cookies do exist to the new additions (that will rile up my daughter  ).

Those of us who have been doing this sustainable life a while have learned that cooking your own food is a lot better than anything that comes in a box or can (unless we put it there). The money that can be saved! I love it because it gives me more money for my hobbies... oh and my wife too.


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## tirednurse (Oct 2, 2013)

PaulS said:


> I bolded the part that really caught my eye. I believe the only real cookie in the world is a chocolate chip oatmeal cookie with crushed walnuts. I can turn away from any kind of food but if oatmeal chocolate chips are around I simply *MUST* eat them. I finally told my wife not to make them anymore. I made a batch for our family gathering celebrating the two new additions to our family this weekend. I will spread the word that real cookies do exist to the new additions (that will rile up my daughter  ).
> 
> Those of us who have been doing this sustainable life a while have learned that cooking your own food is a lot better than anything that comes in a box or can (unless we put it there). The money that can be saved! I love it because it gives me more money for my hobbies... oh and my wife too.


Nothing wrong with cookies. Made right they are actually a good pick me up snack. Oatmeal cookie are full of all the good stuff oatmeal is and by adding the nuts or peanut butter you have added protein in addition to what you get from the eggs. the chocolate chips ( not a fan of chocolate myself) adds the energy boost you need in the afternoon after putting in a hard day of work.


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

And besides that they taste like a piece of heaven!


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## Seneca (Nov 16, 2012)

I like the pail idea, set them up for a weeks supplies. However I suspect I'm shopping at the wrong places because some of those prices seem a smidge low to me.


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## Deebo (Oct 27, 2012)

WELL JOHNY RINGO^^^^^^
On to serious prepping, with my friends. 
I would be hitting "food banks" also, while I prep. They have some great dry goods, and I used to say, those are for poor people. Then I realized, financially, IM POOR. 
I would also stay away from bottled water, just becouse of the price, For the price of a few cases of water, yopu could purfiy city water, since you stated you are apprehensive of city water.
As far as beans and rice, I feel the same way, I have less than two boxes of rice, and at the moment, no beans. i dont eat them, I would, but I stock what I use. 
The "mentality" is the main thing, reusing, recycling, repuropesing. 
Just like today, instead of buying bug spray for the gatherting, I grabbed a pack of fabric softener for 1 dollar. After vacation, it becomes fabric softener sheets again.


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## Ripon (Dec 22, 2012)

Here is my question. Are you better off with 24-16oz bottles of water or a 5 gallon bucket?

Shop Encore Plastics 5-Gallon Lowe's Bucket-Encore at Lowes.com

The lid runs $1.85 more so it's $4.70. Isn't that 640 oz of water?


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## Purkeypilot (Dec 21, 2012)

bigdogbuc said:


> For $20 I would pay Purkey to change his Anime Avatar. It drives me crazy. :lol:
> 
> Makes me want to smack my 12 year old for no good reason.


I'll take $20 for that!


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## tirednurse (Oct 2, 2013)

Seneca said:


> I like the pail idea, set them up for a weeks supplies. However I suspect I'm shopping at the wrong places because some of those prices seem a smidge low to me.


Seneca I don't know where you live but around here we have Costco, Cash and Carry, which sell bulk items that will save you a lot of money. I also shop at Grocery outlet which sell food at discounted prices. they get things from other stores as well as manufacture for reasons such as discontinued item, nearing expiration date and so on. you can get some super deals but just watch what comes in. May not always be the same thing but if it is cheap and something that can be stored long term I grab it. 
I used to see other discount stores when I lived more towards the Midwest. Stores that sell discounted canned foods because of dents or what ever. Supper cheap that way to but you have to be careful about what you buy. 
other store can be a resource also but you have to wait for a clearance or super good sale and then jump in and grab all of them. Coupons also can get you tons of stuff for free if you are willing to play the game and have time to do it.


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## Prepadoodle (May 28, 2013)

Week Item(s)
1 LifeStraw
2&3 Save and get a decent knife
4 Fishing line, hooks, sinkers, bobbers, etc
5 60 pound bank line and a small book on making snares
6 A field guide to edible plants
7&8 Save and get a decent small internal frame backpack
9 Zippo lighter, extra wicks, flints, and a can of fuel
10 2 - 1 qt uninsulated wide mouth stainless steel bottles
11 Small silicone-nylon tarp
12 Ace bandage, duct tape, triangular bandage 
13 Over-the-counter pain meds, caffeine pills, anti- diarrhea pills, and a small tube of muscle rub
14 Blood stopping kit: Israel bandage, Quick-Clot, ab pads

After that, save for a Ruger 10-22 and start picking up ammo.

The basic idea is to have sustainable sources of food and water rather than try to stock up on ramen noodles or whatever. In a real emergency, you would grab what food you have laying around your house and go.

The first aid supplies listed would do for the kinds of injuries that are survivable without outside help and long term care. Sprains are a real and survivable possibility, for example, while a sucking chest wound probably isn't so survivable if you're alone (unless you can get some serious help.)


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## Ralph Rotten (Jun 25, 2014)

If you are considering a bunkr, consider a biday toilet combo. When the tp runs out you will understand why.


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## Ralph Rotten (Jun 25, 2014)

And 20 bux a week would be spenton whatever was on sale that week. Done that for years.

The tough part of prepping is making sure to eat the food fifo style before any goes bad. My 2nd pantry is drained by camping.


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