Inexpensive Ways to Prepare for an Emergency
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We’ve been talking about being better prepared for emergencies this month. While none of us wants to be put in an urgent life or death situation, it’s in our best interests and that of our children, to put a little thought into the what ifs of being prepared for fire, flood, or other natural disaster.
I remember as a public school teacher attending an in-service day where we got extra training on emergency responses. We also received a really expensive catalog of emergency supplies. I was stunned at the high ticket prices of the items involved.
Perhaps those were inflated prices. Or perhaps they were extra sophisticated supplies. I don’t know.
But, I do know that being prepared for an emergency should not be cost prohibitive. And while many of us can’t head off to the store and buy everything we might need, there are some inexpensive ways that we can get prepared.
Stock up on supplies over time.
I know, an earthquake could hit tomorrow. It could. I should be prepared today. But, I’m not.
Baby steps are better than sitting still.
1. Determine your needs.
Download a free copy of this emergency supply list. It has the basics of what you might need in a general emergency.
2. Gather the items that you already own in an easy to reach location.
This may depend on where you live and what kind of emergencies might be common in that locale. For some this might be in a basement. For others, like us in earthquake country, near the garage door might be a better option. I’m going to use a few plastic totes to house most of our emergency supplies as well as pack Go Bags for each of the kids, hubs, and me.
3. Look for sales.
As you go about your everyday life, keep your eyes open for the items that you don’t have. Scan the clearance sections of the seasonal items. So many summertime, back to school, and holiday items can be repurposed for emergency use. Camping items go on sale at the end of summer, back packs after back to school, light sticks after Halloween, candles at Christmas, basic household supplies and organizers after the New Year.
Food items to look for at low prices include:
- canned and dried fruit
- nuts and nut butters
- canned tuna and chicken
- canned soup and chili
- granola bars and crackers
- comfort foods (don’t forget the BBQ potato chips)
- bottled water and juices
4. Shop wisely.
Remember not to buy food you will hate or wouldn’t otherwise buy. Just because it’s a good deal, doesn’t make it worth it. Sure, it’s food. And in an emergency, you probably wouldn’t care. But, at the same time, the emergency probably won’t happen. And hopefully, you’ll check the dates on your supply before the foods hit their expiration dates.
No, canned foods are not good for a million years. Only Twinkies are.
Put your savvy shopping to good use, not just for today, but also for the unexpected.
How do YOU save money?
I just added my old glasses and my son’s to our emergency kit, good tip! Also I would suggest people pay attention to the storage directions of anything that expires. My in laws spent over $2000 on emergency food supplies in those #10 cans that are “good for 25 years.” But the specifics are to store it at 65 degrees or less and they have it in their garage. So clearly the shelf life will be seriously shortened. Of course they have no idea how to use their vat of wheat berries anyway, but if you want to actually BE prepared and not just feel prepared know how to store and use what you bought!
Excellent point! That is why I’m going to make my food stuff we would eat: crackers, sunbutter, chocolate, etc.
Your emergency preparedness series has me thinking about we already have in new ways. I got new glasses last month, and usually I keep the most recent old pair for a backup, and then donate the oldest pair to the Lions Club. This time I saved the oldest pair for the emergency kit. I am blind as a bat and partial sight from 2 prescriptions ago would be better than none!
Good thinking. Only one of us has glasses — and it’s a recent thing. I hadn’t thought that far ahead. Thank you for the reminder.
Don’t forget garage sales! One of the things we want to stock up on for emergencies is wool blankets. My husband had been looking at used ones online, but they were still too pricey. I found a couple of wool/blend blankets at a garage sale in the spring (a used one for only $3, and a brand new one for $3!) You may also find candlesticks, candles, and lanterns at garage sales.
I also found a pocket knife identical to the one I bought in Switzerland–for .25 (she actually bought hers there on vacation!) Mine was cracked and I was wanting another one.
I’ve also seen shovels, work gloves, and other tools at garage sales.
Brilliant!