The Poor Man’s Prepping

[Grumpy46]

For us poor people. The idea of prepping can be overwhelming! We've all seen the youtube videos of rich folks spending thousands on those pre-made Costco 30 year food supplies in those neat plastic buckets and storing them in those custom-made underground shelters. Being a poor man who's wallet has taken a beating in this economy and barely making it as it is....well, it can seem hopeless! You can see yourself after SHTF standing in line with ragged survivors waiting for the gov't cheese and a jug of water with your family. Being poor doesn't mean you cant prep! I prep everyday. It's a conscious act! I'm always thinking of ways to prep cheaply. Every time I go to the store. I get a prep. Whether it’s a can of milk or a tube of chapstick. It’s all preps!
In the past year since I've started becoming prep conscious. I have a good 3 month supply of food and water. I know that seems small, but it's better than nothing and it's growing everyday. My preps are not strictly food & water either. I have medical, communications, defense, sanitation, clothing and a bunch more important stuff. I don't have a lead-lined steel reinforced concrete bunker, but I do have a solid basement that keeps everything cool and dry. It's not as neat as the youtubers, but it is efficient for me and that’s all that matters. I have a roll-away bed down there and a wood stove. I also have a gun and ammo locker.

1. Prepping

A. Getting Cheap SHTF Food!

Those freeze-dried 30 year long- life lasting survival food kits from Costco kick ass! What a great thing! Even the buckets are square for easy stacking and have re-sealable tops that make em great to poop in! What more could you want? My god! If I only had a million dollars! What I could do with it!

Now back to reality....

I'm not a rich guy. I'm a poor person. I live on the cheap! A meal out for me usually means going to Golden Corral or a some pizza joint. I’ve only been to Red Lobster once in my live and it sucked! Tiny lobster(or a big prawn?) for $30 bucks? Gemme a buffet any day!
I live alone. So I don't cook big meals. Usually I heat up something. A can of beef stew or chili. Fry some eggs and have toast or a pop tart? When shtf I'm going to wanna eat the same way. Freeze-dried Beef Stroganoff and egg noodles sounds tasty, but I don't eat that stuff now so why would I eat it after shtf?
Being raised country and also being frugal (cheap) I like simple foods. One of the things that I make and eat usually every week is beans. I love beans! Pinto beans, navy beans, kidney beans and occasional black eye peas! Sometimes with rice. Most times cornbread or hoecake. Hoecake is a family thing my mother made for us when she cooked beans which was all the time! Beans is a great survival food! Easy to store and cook. To cook beans properly. According to my mother. You need good clean water, pork hock or fat back for seasoning. In those old days I guess pork hock was cheap? A pack of hocks at Wal-Mart runs about $3-4 bucks and you need refrigeration to store it. Being cheap (frugal) that’s not an option for survival. Go to your local commercial food distributor and get "pork base".Pork base (knorr is my favorite) comes in 1lb containers and cost about $9 each. One tablespoon per 1 lb of beans and needs no refrigeration. It will also last years! I have some in my kitchen that’s over 15 years old and still fresh. If you like soups? Meat bases are the way to go! In soup, broth means everything. Open some cans of veggies and throw in some chicken base and a little pepper and boom! A fine shtf meal!

I am a poor person. Getting enough to eat is challenging at times. Sometimes my cupboard is bare! I can’t(or really don’t want to) eat beans 24/7! I love em’, just not that much. Food is a moral boost. A good meal makes you happy and more productive. Ever try to sleep after a bad meal or have gone to bed hungry? No sweet dreams there. To survive in today’s world I need assistance. I go to local food banks every month to get food. Now I do go shopping at Food Lion like normal people, but the price of food is getting crazy! The other day I got a gallon of milk, a loaf of bread and 2 cans of corned beef hash and it cost $9.80! For someone who makes $13 an hour, that’s expensive! Food Banks give away some great prep items like canned vegetables, dry noodles, dry milk and dry beans. I don’t eat everything they give me. You can only eat so much canned corn or green beans. Those items go into the prep box. Sometimes they give toiletries, paper towels, bottled water, etc. I go to 3 different local food banks each month. You’re only suppose to go to one on the honor system, but one bank just doesn’t give enough for a month’s living. There’s one charity that gives away food 3 times a week and anyone can go without much hassle other than adding your name to a list. You just need a big shopping bag and when you go in. Fill it up with what ever is on the tables? I get baked beans, naan bread, pastries and fresh stuff like cob corn, peaches and potatoes. Then! After everyone has got a bag. They open it up and everyone can help themselves to the leftovers or as I call it the Mad Rush! Those Latinos’ can be some aggressive and rude people in there! Another place I get free food is in dumpsters. You may have heard the term Dumpster Diving?

Oh my God! He eats garbage!!!

The first time I read about dumpster diving I was appalled like any normal person. Getting food from garbage? Eww! But I was curious, so I started to look around. I was stunned at the amount of good food that the big chain stores throw away! I can remember my first big haul. A dumpster plumb full of cases of Hostess Snack Cakes! When I left, my station wagon was a cake mobile! Excited…I went to my parents to show them the booty!
Needless to say….They were appalled.
In time. My parents saw the quality of food I acquired for free which was better than what they would buy themselves and my father became an avid Dumpster Diver himself.
When I go dumpstering I follow some rules that I created for myself.

1. Never take more than you need.
16 cases of cream corn looks good until it’s in your living room.

2. Stay no longer than 3-5 minutes.
In some areas, dumpster diving is illegal so check with local laws. Some store managers can get very irate and nasty! (even if it is legal) Don’t fight them, just leave!

3. Never take meat unless its frozen or really, really cold!
Spoiled meat is no joke! You can’t cook away the bacteria. I saw some illegals carrying away packages of black meat once….yeeck!

Ever go to the dollar store? Man! That is my favorite place! I go to the Dollar Tree a lot! You can get 1 gallon jugs of spring water for $1 and a quart of UHT long life milk for $1 dollar too! 4 cans of potted meat for $1 and 3 cans of Vienna Sausages for $1. I don’t like the canned beef stew or chili they have (Its really greasy!) But it’s a great cheap(frugal) store!
Another place is food auctions. Sometime when the big stores overstock or go out of business. They have warehouses full of stuff and they have auctions! Cases of everything!
Keep an eye on Craigslist too. In the Free Section people give away food there too!

*** This is an article that I'm currently working on. This is the first chapter. I'm working on Chapter 2- Optaining drinking water and when it's finished, I'll post it --Grumpy46

[lowjohn19]

Good ideas. I like seeing prep on the cheap articles.

[duodecima]

Cool thread.

The ubiquitously-mentioned free food-grade buckets from the grocery store bakery, just need to wash the frosting out. (And resist eating the yummy smelling frosting that's left ). Even if you're not storing stuff in bulk they have many uses. Also, perhaps I am not a good enough shopper, but the cheapest place I have found to get most beans is my grocery store - buying bulk at the places I've found bulk beans has been more expensive. Lentils, black eyed peas, and pinto beans are (in my area) the cheapest at < $1/lb.

Don't envy the Costco package food folks - unless they bought one of the really deluxe packages, you can get more calories and (arguably) better variety for the same price. I already geeked out on that once

I look forward to the water entry - I have my (minimal!) water storage in 2L bottles that I got by asking on freecycle if anyone had them since we don't drink that much pop. If you've got extra water, you can probably trade some for food to folks like me!

[dukman]

You know you can get that 1gal of "spring water" for less at Wal-Mart, right? Dollar stores can have good values, that doesn't mean everything is a good value.

I hear a lot of people say how hard it is to scrape buy, and yet they go and buy a new DVD every week or spend money on other non-essential items. Sure you can budget for entertainment, but finding a cheaper alternative is always the best route to go.

[stonecutter2]

Regarding the gun and ammo locker part of your post, here are my poor man's prep tips for that:

A C&R (curio and relics) Federal Firearms License (FFL03) will let you purchase eligible firearms straight from dealers without paying an intermediate transfer fee - for the price of the license ($30 for 3 years), it will pay for itself quickly in savings from transfer fees per firearm, and you get discounts from online retailers if you email them a copy of your FFL03.

Many C&R eligible firearms are imported from European countries' surplus, including military and police surplus firearms. Or, they're older (50 years+) firearms that are still perfectly suitable for self defense. You can purchase some battle proven firearms this way, and usually cheaply.

My current favorite is:
CZ82 (aka CZ vz82) - Czech military/police surplus handgun, 9mm Makarov (9x18).
Runner-up:
P64 - Polish military/police surplus handgun, 9mm Makarov (9x18).

Advantages:
The biggest - the price. Both are available for between $150 - $220 dollars, with varying accessories and 1 or 2 magazines. This is a military/police surplus handgun, rugged and dependable, for less than $200! CZ quality is top notch, and the Polish P64 is also pretty high quality from the Radom factory.
Chrome bore, for both pistols. Easy cleaning and adds longetivity to the barrel's lifespan.
Polygonal rifling - CZ82 only - appears smoothbore, but has a twist to it. Adds longetivity as there is no rifling to "wear out."
Field strips very easily using no tools. Full disassembly for both pistols is, however, somewhat complicated.
CZ82 Spare/replacement parts are very easy to obtain brand new from CZ, as nearly all parts are interchangeable with the CZ83 which is currently manufactured. P64 parts are a bit harder to come by, but still available if you search.

Disadvantages:
9mm Makarov (9x18) is NOT the same as 9mm Luger (9x19), which domestically in the US is far more common. You'll likely have to buy ammo online, however you can find 9x18 ammo relatively cheap, and in large quantities to stockpile. This cheap ammo is typically non-reloadable steel cased ammo, though.

Important Safety Note: 9x18 ammo is just a hair shorter than 9x19. Don't put 9mm Luger into a 9mm Makarov firearm - the chamber won't close all the way and when fired...it could be bad.

Now, regarding a storage locker for firearms:
Surplus ammo cans (50mm type are nice size) can be made into a sturdy, lockable locker pretty cheaply by doing the following:

1. Drill a 3/8" hole in the can, through the hole in the latch (at the front of the can).
2. Using a 1" long 3/8" bolt, drill a hole through the bolt itself towards the tip of the bolt (this hole is where the padlock will go through). Make sure the hole you drill is big enough for your padlock's shank to fit through.
3. Stick a rubber washer on each side of the hole you made in the ammo can, so the bolt seals up well. Add a bit of silicone caulk if you want extra security in water/air tightness.
4. Stick the bolt through the hole, and screw a nut onto the bolt to tighten it into the can. Close the can, stick the shank of the lock through the bolt and lock it up.

You now have a lockable storage container for your firearms and ammo, and pretty cheap, too.

As an additional level of security, you can use a steel cable with loops on each end (using a crimper) to tie the ammo can to anything you want. Just stick the loops through the shank on the padlock that you lock on the can, making sure you pass the cable around something solid that can't easily be removed - like a water pipe, or an eye bolt stuck into some concrete.

[Grumpy46]

Regarding the gun and ammo locker part of your post, here are my poor man's prep tips for that:

A C&R (curio and relics) Federal Firearms License (FFL03) will let you purchase eligible firearms straight from dealers without paying an intermediate transfer fee - for the price of the license ($30 for 3 years), it will pay for itself quickly in savings from transfer fees per firearm, and you get discounts from online retailers if you email them a copy of your FFL03.

Many C&R eligible firearms are imported from European countries' surplus, including military and police surplus firearms. Or, they're older (50 years+) firearms that are still perfectly suitable for self defense. You can purchase some battle proven firearms this way, and usually cheaply....

I'm not going to discuss weapons in the article. I've seen those threads in forums debating the "perfect SHTF weapon". If your shooting zombies any gun with a large magazine would be ideal obviously. There are those rich guys that own mini-guns or even a bofors which is nice for them, but for us poor folks anything is better than nothing. My brother who was one those Y2K goons had only an old 22 revolver and 12 ga pump. What I concider my main SHTF guns are my SKS type 56,my 308 Spanish Mauser, my Remington 12 gauge and my 1911A1. I also have a CZ70. The SKS will be turned into a bullpup early next year. Granny use to say "Don't keep your eggs all in one basket", so I have mucho ammo and I have it buried all over the place. If you don't have a gun and you are poor. Maybe you should concider the C&R as a cheap investment. A Mosin Nagant is better than having to throwing rocks!

[Grumpy46]

I hear a lot of people say how hard it is to scrape buy, and yet they go and buy a new DVD every week or spend money on other non-essential items. Sure you can budget for entertainment, but finding a cheaper alternative is always the best route to go.

I have friends who say that can't afford prepping, but yet can afford smoking pot and eating out 3 days a week! One local virgin(pun) said "Since your prepping so much we'll just come stay with you!" Yeah, sure...whatever!

[stonecutter2]

If you don't have a gun and you are poor. Maybe you should concider the C&R as a cheap investment. A Mosin Nagant is better than having to throwing rocks! [/b]

Yeah, I got long winded but that was really my point. The Mosin Nagant 91/30 helped win WWII for the Russians, for $79 for the rifle, $30 for the C&R license, and $99 for a full can of sealed ammo...that's a lot of firearm for not a whole lot of money. There are fantastic cheap C&R firearm options out there right now.

[prepper7]

Very nice post. Love the positive, can-do attitude and creative ideas! Such a nice change from the whiny, justifying-future-looting, "Anyone who has more money than I with which to prep is an hoarder", posts.

<snip> I have a good 3 month supply of food and water. I know that seems small, but it's better than nothing and it's growing everyday.

Seriously? That's fantastic--and much more than many people who have better resources and more dependents! I will be watching this thread.

Have you jumped on the freebie/couponing bandwagon yet? Depending on your location (the number and competitiveness of your local retailers) you can score some great bargains, especially on personal care items. I haven't paid for name-brand lip balm, toothpaste, mouthwash, toothbrushes, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, OTC pain/cold/flu meds, eye care, razors... in years. And I pay low prices for the things I must purchase, too. I even have enough surplus to donate to others—as well as make gift “starter BOBs”.

Every dime you don't have to spend on something like that can be spent on other type of preps (or household expenses).

Here are some sites--

General Freebies personal care and drug samples are perfect for kits.
Software freebies
Daily deals

--and threads

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=74483&hilit=+coupon

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=51111&hilit=+coupon

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=42457&hilit=+coupon

--that will get you off to a good start.

Welcome to ZS

[Grumpy46]

Prepping really is a 24/7 conscious choice! Just today I needed dish detergent so I went to Dollar Tree. I also bought 2-8 oz. jars of Analgesic Gel(icy hot) and a gallon of water for $3 bucks. The gel went right into my medical preps! I'm also gonna do a future chapter on cheap medical preps.

[tscgmg3]

As a fellow income changlled person and family man(5 Ladies in the house 1 male) and grew up that way also. discount stores can and will be a boon for you and all those who need to prep at low cost. coupons, and sales, thrift stores and yard sales. don't forget the swapmeets, and trade shows. community events and churchs can and will help if you are really stuggleing. i was laid off for 11months from a great job had a 6mounths supply of goods. well i thought it was a six months supply not quite. was only a 4 1/2. learned the discount store way. a few rules.
1. check exp. date. if there within a mounth get to no the manger. gave me a discount on the iteams of course used them first.
2. most chain discount stores now have on line bulk order websites. 99cent only does and i got it sent to my store for free.
3. the ablity to try new products and brands cheaply. ( learned to hide box and can lables untill after the ladies ate. the were brand hogs before.)
4. coupons and flyer adds.
Your local ethic stores. go outside your local comfort zone. Just rember be nice it pays off. got a lot of free samples and discounts after i asked questions about taste and recipies. be open mindied and open your pallete.

[painiac]

1. check exp. date. if there within a mounth get to no the manger. gave me a discount on the iteams of course used them first.

Use expiration dates to your advantage, and don't be afraid of them!
People throw away tons of perfectly good food every year because of arbitrary expiration dates. Here's a little marketing secret: most expiration dates are geared towards predicting in broad strokes when customers will return to buy more so that regular stock can be maintained in the stores, and have nothing at all to do with when a given food item actually expires.

Except on baby food, expiration dates are not regulated by the FDA or any other government entity. It's perfectly legal, and sometimes happens, that grocers will stamp new expiration dates on food that has "expired". And there's nothing wrong with that. At best, an "expiration" date is when a food's taste and texture will start to decline, but usually the date is arbitrary. Even the USDA recommends common sense in this matter. If milk doesn't smell or taste sour, it's fine. Sour cream separated? Try stirring it. If cereal doesn't taste stale, it's fine. Etc. Trust your senses, food a couple weeks past the date stamped on it won't hurt you. (The major exceptions, of course, are meat and dairy products that have actually begun to spoil. Also, bread with visible mold should not be eaten because the mold on the surface is only the outermost reaches of it, and the entire loaf is full of it.)

[goblin]

You're more prepared than 99% of the people in this country so don't stress out. You'll be able to cope with the most likely events.

[PistolPete]

I'd suggest another disadvantage for going the C&R work is the cost of the license itself and the paperwork you have to keep with it. It makes a lot of sense if you plan to buy a number of historic firearms, but if you are just going to buy one or two cheap handguns the cost benefit isn't really there. Distributors sell CZ-82's for $200, then you add in shipping. Local shops often carry them for $225 to $250. Since shipping can run $20 you are only saving a couple bucks plus tax, and your license needs renewed every 3 years at a cost of $30. So unless you plan on buying a gun a year I don't think the economics work out as a cost saver.

I've never given much thought to checking out dumpsters for canned food, that's a good idea.

[painiac]

I've never given much thought to checking out dumpsters for canned food, that's a good idea.

When I used to work retail, I'd often hear customers comment that dented cans should never be bought. This is an over-generalization that comes from not understanding the reasons behind avoiding bulging cans, but stores will often throw away dented cans because they are harder to sell, just like any food product with damaged packaging is.

Cans bulge when they were not properly heated during the canning process, allowing Clostridium botulinum bacteria to grow inside and release gas as a waste product, as well as deadly botulin toxin into the food itself. However, much more often mass-produced canned foods are dented during shipping or handling. As long as the airtight seal is not broken, there's nothing wrong with the food inside.

[minikin]

I really like your post OP, being a poor man myself, I have seen myself doing the same stuff multi times. Dumpster diving, going to the food banks, living day by day. The thing is I have a very nice paying job, the problem is I was dumb in my early teens, so I am paying off a lot of debt. So until then I will be a poor man.

In my preps I did want some thing for defense. I ended up spending two hundred and sixty bucks. I walked away with two fires arms. One being a shotgun maverick 88 with the eight shot capacity, then I also picked up this neat lil six shot 22lr revolver called hs model 21s which ran me hundred bucks tops. The shotgun I love being able to use as a defense weapon, as well as a hunting one, with ammo being so so cheap if you go to the right places. The 22lr I love due to ammo being so damn cheap, plus it can be good for self defense. Given I rather have some thing more like a 9mm, the 22lr will work fine with proper shot placement.

One thing I have saved a butt load on is dumpster diving from apartments (With permission of course). When ever some one just took off and never came back, or got booted and did not have a way to take their stuff, the apartment complex would just have to toss it due to not being able to take it themselves. That's where I became friends with the maintenance, every time they were going to go cleanup a place and toss some good things, they would give me a call to inform me, so I could get my ass over there.

Again, good post OP.

[stonecutter2]

I'd suggest another disadvantage for going the C&R work is the cost of the license itself and the paperwork you have to keep with it. It makes a lot of sense if you plan to buy a number of historic firearms, but if you are just going to buy one or two cheap handguns the cost benefit isn't really there. Distributors sell CZ-82's for $200, then you add in shipping. Local shops often carry them for $225 to $250. Since shipping can run $20 you are only saving a couple bucks plus tax, and your license needs renewed every 3 years at a cost of $30. So unless you plan on buying a gun a year I don't think the economics work out as a cost saver.

I've never given much thought to checking out dumpsters for canned food, that's a good idea.

Yeah, good points on the C&R. Whether or not to get a C&R really depends on the plans of the person. I purchased a few firearms and some surplus ammo in bulk. My CZ82 was purchased when the distributor had free shipping on everything, so it cost me $199 total. I also purchased a Mosin Nagant 91/30 for about $80 (free shipping), and a P64 (uses same ammo as the CZ82) for $200 with free shipping. As you can see, I wait for free shipping specials Shipping is crazy expensive these days!

For my area, those firearms would have been $30 in transfers each, although I'm sure I could find someone to do the transfer cheaper if i really tried. Maybe $10 each. So with 3 purchases, I'm pretty much ahead or it's a wash for my license fee.

The paperwork I keep for my C&R was $3 or so at Brownells.com, and it's just a stapled book to record purchases. At the same time i ordered a tub of Lubriplate 130-A grease (which will last me a very long time, and is what i use to grease contact points on my guns). I get a discount on purchases from Brownells and Midwayusa with my C&R, too. A few dollars here and there. I'm planning on purchasing some cleaning supplies to stash away so those discounts might help.

[SByrd89]

this is great. Ive got tons of new stockpiling ideas that I never would have thought of for food and for firearms. Being a bow hunter I have learned that Arrows are a poor mans friend. If you are careful and watch where you shoot they can almost always be recovered again even if not right away.

[tiiijaaa]

New to this site, but was interested in the post regarding firearms. CHECK YOUR LOCAL LAWS AND ALWAYS OBEY THEM, but here is a tip. In my state, NY, no pistol permit is required for blackpowder pistols. Just a drivers license. The kicker is, you can't have the pistol if you have any of the components to arm it...black powder, balls, caps etc. The pistol stored in one location (i.e. your home) and the reloading components stored in another undisclosed location outside your home, will give you an emergency weapon if the shtf. Of course, martial law will have probably been enacted by that time and all guns will be illegal to own, but at least you will have something that is untraceable. All pistols that are on your permit will be taken, but the black powder pistols will not be on record. Just abide by the law until the time comes when there is no law.

[tiiijaaa]

Just one more thing. If anyone sees any flaws in my interpretation of NYS laws, PLEASE correct me. I always do my very best to stay legal.

[HackHack]

I agree with everyone here. you are more prepared then most people and that what matters.

I am also a Coupon/Dollar Tree Prepper and a little can go along way.

How i like to see prep is
For every 100$ at the grocery store you spend put 10$ towards prep.
in Dollar store terms:
Spend 10$ but min 1 item for Prep

Thats what helped me to slowly build up over time. Keep it up and thanks for the post

[Philippe]

The best cheap prep "poor man's prep" i have available to me are my well honed fishing/hunting/gathering skills i have worked on all my life. Nothing can replace these skills, not even the best MRE's are as good as fresh game and foraged greens/nuts/berries. With that said, i do however have some canned and preserved items stored away just to give us a jump start if something happened.

[zombiepreparation]

Right! I'm a low low income prepper too, who also lives in a small urban apartment.

So now, like you, Grumpy, I have prepping in the front of my mind every day, not all day, but absolutely every day. And like you I surfed the threads and YouTube preppers whom I just don't relate to because of their expenditures and light-years ahead of me education in doing this.

The 2004 tsunami shook me. Katrina opened my eyes. The Japan earthquake and tsunami saw me beginning my "what if..." self-talk. The Joplin & Tuscalusa tornadoes began my "how do I..." thinking. The History Channel introduced me to the whole idea of the zombie metaphor. Now I'm in full swing with active prepping. But I have few and sporadic discretionary funds, little serious prep education, live in a small apartment. I am preparation challenged.

I hope more people come back here and talk about the poor man's prepping.

I got stuck in my preps just before the new year. It took me from the end of October to the middle of December just to figure out how to get a reasonable BOB organized... id, FAK, water, food, shelter, cooking, transport, etc. I got a 72 hour BOB working (to be much refind as I go along) and then got overwhelmed with the idea of a BOL.

Then I stumbled onto the ZS thread "Mom's Journal of the Zombie Years" and began reading. The story plays out the scenario that is like an education for me as well as a fantastic read. It's in a first hand written account of a Zombie PAW event where I can listen to the thoughts, the preps, the needs, the emotional challenges, the .... well just everything and I got unstuck. I started getting prep ideas that I can apply to my own prep work just by reading this story. And I moved out of filling my mind with where can I go and added a lot of Bug In preparation focus. Which is a much more likely scenario I will face, while always having my eye out for the where can I go, EOTW, SHTF, INCB stuff too.

Today I've noticed my water supply is up to 14 days of potable water and three gallons of non-potable for other things. My FAK is much more acceptable for a short long-term bug in. And my food! It's beginning to come together, especially since beginning "Mom's Journal of the Zombie Years" and pulling everything out and grabbing some stuff here and there.

I am certain I can live quite comfortably for a two week Event at this posting.

With the exception of my water preps I am certain I can live for one month just fine and a second month of boring food with the food I have right now.

So I can exist well for two weeks period. Right now.

I can live for an additional two weeks just fine with the food I have in home. And I can live/exist/survive another full month on boring food if I have to with what I have.

Barring urgent needs my FAK is acceptable for a two month Bug In. Still needs work, but is acceptable.

I'm working on alternate ways of cooking if electricity isn't available. I'm doing all I can at this point to avoid planning with fuel I have to purchase and store here. I'm trying to learn to make a simple rocket stove. In process. I see how it's done and after I build my first one the others will be much easier but the first one's not done yet. I have a couple of days supply of pine cones for fuel. The apartment building has 'rules' about using the balcony for storage so I'm currently disguising the pine cone fuel as balcony decoration. Please. Anyone. Give me suggestions!

I have made the popular little can stove with the little holes to be ready if I need to resort to liquid fuel. I'm trying to organize a solar stove. Still trying to organize my thoughts on it. I want to make one of those ovens made out of a box & aluminum foil & a few bricks of charcoal. In the planning stage so far.

I'm getting ready to do some experimenting with sprouting to suppliment my canned and dehydrated foods in an Event. Please. Anybody. Give me some suggestions!

I learned how to make yogurt with powered milk. I'll take more ideas in this area!

Gosh. I guess I was excited about today's discovery that I have actually and really made a beginning in my serious prep work. When I found this thread tonight I was just going to post a little something. It turned into me telling the thread way more.

Please. Bring me ideas!

[KnightoftheRoc]

Welcome to the forum, Grumpy, this is the first thread I've read anything from you in, and it was impressive- great thread. Now, I'm not normally a grammar/spelling nazi, but- if you plan on making this a series of articles, I'd suggest using spell check, as it will make the reading of your excellent posts easier. I'm looking forward to the next installment.

I'm also on a tight budget, and it seems that there's never been a time that I wasn't. I've found that shopping around and tracking prices gives me the most bang for my buck. I currently buy in bulk at Sam's Club (paper goods, stuff for the baby's butt, detergents, soaps, etc., and my Mt Dew), Aldi's for the canned goods (we buy by the case quantity as soon as the shelf spot has room for a new one- veggies, fruit, tuna, and canned meats), and Dollar Tree and Family Dollar for the household stuff. Aside from my Mt. Dew, I try to buy our soda in clear 2 liter bottles, regardless of the flavor. I then use them for water storage, treating them with a touch of bleach before storing them in their crates. The reason I shoot for the clear bottles, is that they can be used for solar purification later on, if need be. It also make visual inspection a lot easier. I was (legally- discontinued style) given some Pepsi cases for 2 liter bottles, so I can stably stack them in layers of 8.

My fiancee and I started out by just adding what we could afford to get extra when we shopped- and on food stamps, it was often just one case of a canned good, but we kept adding- before we knew it, the pantry was STOCKED, and it was "bring on the apocalypse!"

I found that the biggest issue getting started on prepping was getting organized first. After that, it's just a matter of sticking to this new mindset when you go shopping. If you've been broke for any length of time, you're already used to having to resist buying a treat for yourself, just because you have the few extra cents. now, that treat is the extra couple cans of chili, or whatever. Having now run out of room, the change in spending habits has allowed some room in the budget for other preps, now that food's pretty well covered.

Other things we set aside were unopened packages of things like clothesline and clothespins, emergency candles, batteries (which we rotate as we use them), repair kits for various household items, light bulbs- all sots of the normal household needs that might see a change if TSHTF, like drying laundry inside the house instead of outside on a line, or in a dryer. We also have a mix of kerosene and propane fueled items for light and heat, plus spare fuel (which I'm currently working on).

I love the dollar stores- I practically furnished my entire home in those stores!