How To Become A Prepper On A Budget
Most people believe that prepping is not really necessary. They think that they will only waste money, buying things that they will never be able to use. But for those individuals who want to come prepared for doomsday, knowing the cost-effective way to do so is essential.
How to become a prepper on a budget? First, make a written budget and inventory. Avoid buying commercial survival foods, start slow and steady, buy on sale, pay with cash, invest in knowledge, and spend time learning survival skills also helps to reduce prepping expenses.
A Must-Read: How Do You Survive Doomsday?
Below is a list of the tips that you can use to reduce the expenses of prepping. When you are on a budget, these tips will allow you to prep for doomsday without having to spend a lot of money. Take note of the following tips.
Make A Written Budget
Successful prepping requires excellent planning. The same applies if you want to prep on a budget. You need to establish a written budget to ensure that no cent will be wasted while getting ready for the possible occurrence of an epidemic or world crisis.
Establish a prepping budget that can meet your needs and, at the same time, your allocated budget. First, ask yourself if how much money you can shed on prepping.
And then, determine the areas of your budget that are least necessary so that you can reduce the overall cost.
You can think of prepping similar to health insurance or home insurance policy. If you are prepared for doomsday, you and your family have a higher chance of survival.
For those people who want to prep on a budget, writing a checklist of the things you need to buy every week is ideal. Set a certain amount that you can afford to spend weekly to buy a specific item on the list.
To help you start prepping, here are some of the prepping areas that your list should cover:
- Protection needs
- Evacuation needs
- Water needs
- Hygiene needs
- First aid and medicine needs
- Food needs
- Heating supplies
- Cooking supplies
These are the areas that every prepper should include in their stockpile list. Make sure to purchase the items that are included in these prepping areas.
Write An Updated Inventory Of Your Supplies
You will need to write an updated inventory of your supplies to ensure that what you have is enough to provide your needs when doomsday comes. Aside from that, the inventory list will allow you to skip buying the things that you don’t need.
Most people have more equipment and gear than they realize. For this reason, they keep wasting their money buying unnecessary things.
If you want to prep on a budget, always make sure to update your inventory. This way, you can avoid buying things that you already have. Also, it will allow you to sort things that you don’t need and sell them for profit.
Some of the common items that you will need for survival include pans, pots, tools, and blankets. But if you own a lot of these things, sell them on a Garage Sale or online.
Don’t Stock Commercial Survival Foods
One of the misconceptions about doomsday prepping is the need to buy expensive survival foods that are commercially available.
If you choose it over low-cost foods that are recommended for prepping, it will cost you thousands of dollars—not mentioning that you also need to buy some for your family.
If you buy commercial survival foods, you are literally wasting money. Always remember that when you stockpile foods, choose the ones that you will want to eat even in non-survival situations.
This way, you can still eat them before their expiration date.
Start Slow And Steady
You don’t have to do everything at once. When you prepare for doomsday, start it slow and steady. Do not be discouraged if you can’t have that equipment or tools for now. Continue prepping while saving up for that equipment until you acquire all the things you need.
Buy When It Is On Sale
Sale and coupons will allow you to buy things at a cheaper price. But this does not mean that you have to spend hours collecting coupons and spot sales. Nowadays, most food manufacturers offer coupons and promos printed or online, that allows consumers to save money.
Invest On Knowledge
If you don’t have much money for prepping, supplement it by increasing your knowledge. Learn survival skills that you can apply in the occurrence of doomsday and other world annihilation threats. While stockpiling food and equipment can increase your chance of survival, knowing the art of survival is better.
Among the essential survival skills that you need to learn is how to find water. It is primarily because a person can only survive for three days without it. To ensure that the water source you found is potable, run it through a portable water filter.

Aside from purifying the water, it is also lightweight and small for easy packing.
Another essential survival skill that you need to learn is fire starting. While you can find a lot of convenient fire starting kits online, knowing how to start one in a traditional way is beneficial.

It is also best if you learn how to catch fish, grow vegetation, and build a shelter using natural materials.
Spend Time More Than Money
It is not enough to have the necessary survival tools and knowledge to survive doomsday. You have to invest your time to further your skills by practicing all the knowledge you acquired for survival.
Being a prepper on a budget, spend more time on survival tips that will allow you to acquire and prepare food without the need to buy anything. For example, learn how to catch fish, how to clean it, and how to cook it.
If you have this skill during the occurrence of doomsday, you will be able to survive. You have a greater chance of survival if you train to survive.
Pay With Cash
Paying with cash is advisable when prepping on a budget. It is because overspending is easy when using a credit/ debit card. Aside from that, credit/ debit cards come with additional fees.
Shopping with cash can help you to save 18% to 20% than how much you spend with credit/ debit cards.
How To Minimize Prepping Expenses?
If you want to be stingy when prepping, make sure to know the things that you should prioritize. This way, you can avoid buying the things you don’t need, meaning fewer expenses.
Another is to make the right choices. As mentioned earlier, you should make an updated inventory of the things you have and then use it to establish a list of the things you should buy.
You need to decide on which items are essential and which ones are unnecessary to reduce your prepping expenses.
Once that you have completed your stockpiling list, be reminded to rotate your supplies. Canned goods and other products have their expiring dates, so it is best if you use them from time to time.
Just make sure to replenish you’re your prepping inventory regularly. Doing so will let you avoid wasting food and money.
Finally, you should put your mind into prepping. When you are mentally prepared, the entire process will be easier for you. It will also allow you to find the best ways on how to spend less while preparing for the possible occurrence of doomsday.
So from now on, take time on planning, creating lists, and updating your inventory.
Tips For Budget Preppers
Some prepping websites provide free prepping supplies. Typically, these items are low-value that they offer free as long as you pay for the shipping and handling charges. Below are the things you should do when you spot free prepping supplies:
- Check for affiliate disclosure – You can find a part of the prepping website offering free prepping supplies with something like, “We write about things that you may find useful. We are affiliated with other entities, which means that we get a percentage of the revenue…” Showing this message means that the website might be trustworthy, especially that they have to pay for the expenses of the site and somehow make a living.
- Ensure that shipping and handling are not higher than the cost of the items– This way, you can save more than spend.
- Be wise – Always remember that websites may offer free items as a part of their marketing strategy. Knowing this, always be wise when making a decision. The site may offer other prepping gear to you after receiving the free item, so make sure to read everything and think carefully.
Conclusion
To conclude, prepping requires you to spend not only time but also money. But when you put your mind into prepping, it will be easier for you to decide on which items are necessary and which ones are not.
Be wise when shopping your doomsday stockpile list and skip paying with credit/ debit card to avoid overspending.
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