Survival prepping can appear incredibly daunting, especially when people look at its cost. Many people are under the impression that in order to be a prepper you need to have fat stacks of cash at your disposal. However, this simply isn’t true. Prepping on a budget isn’t just possible but manageable too. All it takes is a lot of careful planning and a bit of self-control.
Develop better money habits
Before you can become a survival prepper, you need to be a smarter spender first. This is especially true if you have very limited funds. Whatever you have, you need to maximize it to the fullest, and here’s how:
- Whenever you have money in hand, always set a little bit aside. You can start off with five percent and then gradually increase the amount as time goes on. The money you accumulate can then be used as your prepping budget. It may take some time, but this ensures that you aren’t financially depriving yourself.
- Avoid paying with debit or credit cards. They’re convenient, yes, but it’s easier to lose track of your finances this way. Paying with physical money, on the other hand, will give you a clearer idea of how much you’ve got. Plus, seeing your cash fly out of your wallet may just encourage you to be more prudent with your spending.
- Distinguish between needs and wants. Before you buy anything, ask yourself if it’s a need or a want. Needs are important; wants, not so much. You need water to survive, but you can enjoy soda at another time. Curbing your desire to spend on wants will definitely benefit you in the long run.
- Live within your means. This goes without saying, but sometimes it’s easy to forget. Don’t overspend, lest you find yourself strapped for cash and unable to prep as you would like.
Stock up on one-dollar prep items
Did you know that there are over a hundred, if not dozens upon dozens, of prep items that you can buy for a dollar or even less? It’s true, according to TheOrganicPrepper.com. When you combine this fact with good spending habits, then you’ll have an impressive emergency supply within a year or possibly even less.
Say, for example, you’ve got 20 dollars on you right now. That’s 20 dollars you can use to buy 20 prep items for the month. Next month, you’ve got another 20 dollars that can go towards another 20 prep items for your supply. You’ve just managed to amass 40 prepping essentials in two months on 40 dollars. Keep this up for another three months, and you’ll have well over 100 items in just five months. All while spending no more than 100 dollars. Of course, you can save even more if you buy secondhand items rather than brand-new ones. (Related: Prepping for the unexpected on the go: 10 must-haves for your glove box)
And if you need a place to start, consider these wallet-friendly, prepper must-haves:
- Soap
- Cotton swabs
- Bandaids
- Batteries
- Matches
- Salt
- Scissors
- Rubbing alcohol
- Needles
- Thread
Just like that, you’ve taken the first few steps towards becoming a prepper. Remember that prepping is all about getting yourself ready for emergencies and crises. It doesn’t entail spending big bucks on fancy survival tools and equipment. So no matter your budget, you too can be a prepper.
And if you’d like to read more prepping tips and tricks, then feel free to go to Survival.news today.
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