Your First $20?

[Wasteland Charlie]

I honestly didn't know where to post this question, so I'm dropping it here.

You want to start prepping. You have $20 or its equivalent to spend. Where do you spend the money and what do you get?

If you feel like it, expand out after the first $20 to include the 2nd $20 to be spent and so forth.

[EBuff75]

First of all, congratulations on starting to think about preparedness!  The first steps are almost always small, so this a good question without a simple answer.  The reason?  Everyone's situation is a little different, so there isn't a one-size-fits-all response. 

A good place to start is to do some thinking / planning.  Sit down and consider what the risks are in your area.  The risks in Florida are different than those in New York City, which are different from those in rural Oklahoma, or in the California foothills.  These risks can be natural (flood, tornado, blizzard), man-made (political violence, terrorism, garbage strike) or personal (house fire, medical emergency). 

Most people have at least some "preparedness" items already, whether they realize it or not.  Flashlights, band-aids, camping supplies, and your own pantry are all starting points for this.  Assess what you already have to decide where you have the most need.  An initial goal might be the ability to get by for 3 days without outside assistance (food, water, sanitation, utilities). 

Ready.gov has a number of introductory resources that you can use and those start with the planning step.  They even have a page for low/no-cost prepping which is a good next step.  Once you've gone through those, we can get on to the basics, and once again, they have a page that lists basic preparedness items. 

There is a commonly discussed survival hierarchy call the Rule of Threes.  In short, you can survive for 3 minutes without air, 3 hours without shelter, 3 days without water, and 3 weeks without food.  For the purposes of this discussion, I'm going to skip over the first two and assume that you can breathe and that you have shelter (a place to live).  You're best off starting to prepare by considering how you would "bug in" at your own home, as "bugging out" generally requires a lot more expense than just $20.

The simplest answer for where to spend that initial money is generally food and water.  But don't just rush out and buy some rice and beans unless you already like those and know how to prepare them!  It's usually best to simply expand your stores of shelf-stable foods that you already like and buy.  Canned or dry items are generally best because they don't require power for proper storage.

The next time you go shopping, pick out a few cans of food or bottles of water which will be part of your preparedness stash (up to your $20 limit).  When you get home, set those aside (at least mentally) so that they aren't just considered part of your normal pantry.  If you have to, put them at the back of the shelf, in a different closet or cupboard, or in a box, whatever it takes for them to be part of your "preparedness supplies" and not just dinner the next time you don't feel like another grocery run.  There, you've started!

Beyond that, it comes down to what sort of things you already have and which things you need.  Maybe a water filter is next, spare batteries, some basic first aid supplies, or a radio.  Build up to having 3 days of self-sufficiency, then expand it a bit more until it's a week or two.  

Those would be my suggestions for the short-term, $20-at-a-time sort of approach.  Beyond that, there are many more things to consider, such as how to prepare for bugging out, getting training, making sure that you're properly insured, etc.  

And finally, don't forget that money can also just be... money!  Keeping some cash aside as part of your preparedness can help to deal with disasters big and small.  Most of us are likely to encounter unexpected financial "disasters" in our own lives at some point and setting aside one of those $20 increments from time-to-time can help with those too!

[Wasteland Charlie]

Wow, that post should be pinned by the admins. You obviously spent a great deal of time thinking and writing this out. With all sincerity, thank you so very much.

A bit of a disclaimer, I am not new to prepping, Although my interest in it has waxed and waned over the years. 

The purpose of my question was to simplify the process of determining  what to do.  What's a simple concrete thing you can accomplish with just $20? What is the very first act, other than reading and studying about prepping, that will give you the best ROI for money spent?

[MacWa77ace]

Well, at little to no cost, you can research the lists of emergency supplies you should have. Then figure out a budget to start acquiring them. $20 per paycheck?

$10 worth of water, and $10 worth of Rahman noodles. That might be about a 3 day supply of a very very basic food and water needs. You might be able to buy peanut butter and crackers as an alternative for $10.

I guess i'm saying knowledge is first and then food and water are #2.

Here's a hurricane preparedness sheet. Each bullet point could be $20 ( minimum)

https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20210318/proper-emergency-kit-essential-hurricane-preparedness

[Moab]

Ebuff did a great job! As did, Mac.

I agree with knowledge first. Then an evaluation of where your at. Then starting NOW with no money. Then spend your first $20.

I can't find my bug out bag contest thread. But it was basically a contest to come up with the best bug out bag using only free items you already had in your home. 

I created that contest after realizing I had been spending years coming up with the best equipment and preps. Agonizing over research. And trying to aquire the best group of preps I could.

What I didn't realize was that in the mean time I was missing a lot. Planning and research is vital. But it's crucial to do what you can NOW. And then improve in that. 

Even if you went around your house and gathered up a plastic grocery sack. Filled it with an extra set of old pants, shirt, boots or good shoes, socks, an old warm jacket, a rain jacket or anything waterproof, a plastic trash bag even, a book of matches and a candle in a ziplock bag, a warm hat, an empty coke bottle of water, a coffee can to boil and cook in, some dried food like ramen or soup or even cans, a flashlight of any kind, something to use as cordiage, etc. You'd then be more prepared than 95% of Americans. 

Don't wait until you have every category of the ten C's covered with your perfectly researched items in each category. Your buy once, cry once list of must have items. Start now.

A few years ago I realized I had a very good BOB. But nothing gathered for the rest of my family. I dug into my bins of outdoor gear and prepping supplies I had bought and replaced over the years. And came up with 4 total bug out bags. That were far from perfect. But met the requirements and all 10 C's. 4 backpacks full of enough supplies that we had run out of the house in a moments notice. We could survive for several days if not weeks. 

So do your research. Come up with a basic list of what you think you might need. Considering your AO. And first try to fill it for everyone in your house. With the crap you already have. You'll be surprised at what you can put together today. And how much safer you will feel. And actually more prepared you are. You just didn't realize it because you never gathered it up and out it in one bag.

[Z.O.R.G.]

Ebuff, Mac & Moab covered it really well.  Here's my 2 cents that I offered to a friend with a limited budget.  

Food, water, first aid/medical, light, protection from the elements, safety, mobility and communications are some of the basics you need to consider.  When you're dealing with a limited budget, buy small and consistently.  

For example if you can spend $20 a week (or month) put $5 in the "cookie jar" for bigger purchases like backpacks, tents, radios, etc.  With the remaining $15 make a plan and spread it around.  Buy a few extra shelf stable can goods when you get groceries.  A case of bottled water, a box of band-aids, lighters/matches, flashlights, a pocketknife, some candles, whatever is on your list.  The key is to make a list, prioritize it and follow it as best you can.  Over time this will add up.  

Don't be afraid to buy some "cheap" stuff at first.  A $5 multi-tool from Walmart or Harbor Freight in you pack when you need it is better than to $60 Gerber you're saving up for but don't have.  Once you get the Gerber the cheaper one becomes your back-up.

[Moab]

Ebuff, Mac & Moab covered it really well.  Here's my 2 cents that I offered to a friend with a limited budget. 

Food, water, first aid/medical, light, protection from the elements, safety, mobility and communications are some of the basics you need to consider.  When you're dealing with a limited budget, buy small and consistently. 

For example if you can spend $20 a week (or month) put $5 in the "cookie jar" for bigger purchases like backpacks, tents, radios, etc.  With the remaining $15 make a plan and spread it around.  Buy a few extra shelf stable can goods when you get groceries.  A case of bottled water, a box of band-aids, lighters/matches, flashlights, a pocketknife, some candles, whatever is on your list.  The key is to make a list, prioritize it and follow it as best you can.  Over time this will add up. 

Don't be afraid to buy some "cheap" stuff at first.  A $5 multi-tool from Walmart or Harbor Freight in you pack when you need it is better than to $60 Gerber you're saving up for but don't have.  Once you get the Gerber the cheaper one becomes your back-up.

I think another good idea for anyone starting out is to collect as many lists as you can. Combine them. And then cull from there. 

There are so many different AO's and use scenarios. What might work for one person may be totally different than someone else's situation. 

So culling from various lists is a great way to find things you hadn't thought of. Or to find great alternatives that work better than what you first thought. Or double duty items.

Also make a separate "need to buy" list. So that your prioritizing each thing you need to buy. And if need be even alternatives like your multi tool comment. Makes perfect sense. That $30 Amazon knock off might be 90% of that Leatherman Wave. But that Wave might be a next year purchase at $100+. And so on. 

When it comes time to build their bug out bag or get home bag or whatever. Be sure to send them the online weight calculator spreadsheet. And to make a list of all the items they want with weights. And THEN buy a pack to fit the amount of items they plan to take. Not the other way around. And to get fitted for a pack at REI or similar - it's free. 

Not a lot of new folks understand pack sizes, the importance of weight and that packs should be fitted to their body. This will save them a lot of money too. It's easy to get excited about doing this and start buying stuff. And before you know it you've got 50+lbs of stuff you need to rethink. 

[MacWa77ace]

@Moab sorry, what are the 10 C's?

[Moab]

@Moab sorry, what are the 10 C's?

Dave Canterbury's list of 10 essential survival items. But I believe the 5C's were before that:

Cutting tool: The most important item, and should be able to perform multiple tasks 
 
Combustion device: A device that can produce fire 
 
Cover: Shelter and clothing to protect from the elements 
 
Container: A container for storing items 
 
Cordage: A rope or string 
 
Cotton bandannas: A cloth bandana can be used for many purposes 
 
Cargo tape: A roll of duct tape can be used for many purposes, such as first aid, extending a flame, or making repairs 
 
Compass: A critical navigation tool that allows you to walk in a straight line 
 
Candling device: A device that produces light, such as a flashlight or headlamp, to see at night or signal to others 
 
Combination tool: A multi-tool, such as a Leatherman, that can perform
 multiple tasks