Editor’s Note: One of the pieces of advice in this article by Zoey Sky is to sign up for free FEMA emergency training. I’m not ready to recommend anything like that myself as I don’t trust FEMA any more than I’d trust the FBI or the IRS, but I left it in the article because some people aren’t as paranoid as I am. Here’s Zoey…
Prepping can be expensive, but if you are working with a tight budget, there are other ways to prepare for free before SHTF.
For example, you can learn new prepping and survival skills without spending money by borrowing books from the library or taking free training courses. (h/t to TheOrganicPrepper.com)
Review your emergency plans with your family
First, set aside some time with your family and review your emergency plans at least once a month. If possible, run fire drills or bug-out drills to work out any kinks in your plans. While running drills, check for any issues, like miscommunication, and clarify where the group should meet up and at what time.
If someone needs new medication for a recent health issue, update your bug-out bags and rotate your supplies regularly. If you have a guest at home, make sure you have an extra bag prepared for them.
Organize your food storage
Your food storage is useful even before SHTF. (Related: Budget prepping: Ways to make your food budget last longer.) When things are quiet, set aside some time to organize your food storage.
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When arranging things, place the items closest to their expiry dates at the front. This ensures that you eat them first and they don’t get bad in your stockpile. If you use up items, replace them so you have enough when SHTF.
You should also start taking a full inventory of your preps. To keep track, you can have both a digital copy and a hard copy. Organizing your food storage and doing a regular inventory will help you keep a more balanced stockpile. Try to update your inventory at least every one to two weeks.
Learn new prepping and survival skills
Adaptability is crucial for any survival situation, but there is always room for improvement in this aspect of prepping. Before SHTF, practice skills like scenario run-throughs with your family and monitor current events. You can also increase your adaptability and get better prepared for free by having healthy lifestyle habits to improve your overall well-being.
For example, you can improve your eating habits and exercise at home. You have to be in good physical shape because when SHTF, you might have to bug out and carry a heavy bag full of supplies.
If you aren’t in good shape now, start exercising. You can also consider doing some physically demanding tasks such as gardening or hauling firewood. If you have free time, try to exercise for at least thirty minutes five days every week. Here are some basic exercises that you can do at home:
- Burpees
- Deadlifts
- Jogging
- Jumping jacks
- Lunges
- Push-ups
- Running
- Sit-ups
If you don’t feel like exercising, remember that not being in good shape when facing a survival scenario will be a big problem. By working out regularly, you can help improve your odds of survival.
Work on DIY prepping projects
Projects and DIYs can be entertaining and useful. Make the most of your time by starting DIY projects like making homemade pillows or refinishing old furniture. If you have other skills and hobbies like sewing or woodworking, use them to your advantage. Working on projects will help improve these skills as well. Try checking online listings for free items. Most of the time, free things are the ones that need the most work.
If you see a project that catches your interest, pick the item up so you have something to practice your DIY skills on. If you are successful, you can keep the item for yourself or even sell it for some extra money.
Learn your way around your home in the dark
If you don’t have a flashlight with you at all times, start carrying one in your pocket now. This ensures that when you lose power at home in the middle of the night, you can safely navigate in the dark as you try to get to your supplies.
Since you don’t always know when the power will go out, try to learn how to make your way around your house in the dark without injuring yourself. When SHTF, you can save time stumbling around and get to your family members more quickly.
Read more
If you want to improve your prepping skills and add to your knowledge without spending a single dollar, read more. To do this for free, borrow books from the local library and read anything from fiction to non-fiction. Some libraries also offer other resources like eBooks and audiobooks so you can listen to a book while working on other tasks.
Sign up for free FEMA training
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers some free in-person and virtual classes. To join these sessions, register and sign up for training and lessons that you can use when disaster strikes, like cyber security courses.
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You can prepare before SHTF without spending money by being resourceful and creative. Even if you don’t have extra money for your preps, you can still improve your skills by taking part in free training courses and applying newly learned skills at home.
Visit Preparedness.news for more tips on how to get ready before disaster strikes. Watch this video below for more tips on how to prep on a budget.
This video is from THE HEALTHY AMERICAN channel on Brighteon.com.
More related stories:
- Prepping tips: Scavenging in the city when SHTF.
- 20 Cheap, nutritious foods with a long shelf life for your survival stockpile.
- Prepping tips: How to survive a long-term power outage.
Sources include:
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
