Preparation on a budget

Preparation, Preparedness & Prevention Disaster Preparation & Planning
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We often hear how people pour thousands of dollars into SHTF gear buying the very best there is, now in todays economy most people are laid off, reduced working hours with ever mounting bills. So with a very limited SHTF budget say $1500.00 lets see what we can put together to help are fellow SHTF brothers and sisters survive in bad times. Lets not make this a wish list but what $1500.00 would actually buy in todays market.

Just the basics

If you See A Good Deal on Items which can be used in times of need then POST it up in this thread

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Having been furloughed 20 hours a week, my income has been reduced in half, and prospects for getting back on 40 are looking extremely slim.

$1500 could assemble a very good amount of food. My actual preps primarily focus on food, and all else is secondary. I typically buy food with a long shelf life, that I normally eat, or wouldn’t mind eating.

Yesterday I bought 35 lbs of spaghetti for $21.00. A grocery store chain here in the Southeast was running a BOGO on Ronzoni. I may go back and get some more today.

Also, the best deal on Rice is at COSTCO, where a 50 lb bag will set you bag a measly $15.00. I’ve been buying those when I get a chance, and stuffing them in Paint Buckets. At WALMART, the 5 gallon plastic paint buckets are approximately $4.00, and can hold roughly 30-35 lbs of rice. The best lids for these buckets are available at Home Depot, as the HD lids have rubber o-rings. If you go to the paint department at WALMART, the white 5-gallon buckets ARE food-grade, they’re just not marketed as such.

At $15.00 for 50 lbs of rice, you can hoard a ton of the stuff, and if you are working with a budget of $1500.00, it will barely put a dent in it.

The good thing about prepping is that I’m still eating food I got at the end of '07/beginning of '08, that’s still a year out from expiration.

When you see how quickly prices go up, you can really appreciate the stockpiling factor. I bought canned Chicken of the Sea albacore for $0.65 back in '07, and the prices have gone up in a ridiculous way, making me truly appreciate buying as much as I did.

Despite not nearly having enough 5.56 ammo on hand, gun stuff is taking a back seat to food, medical/first-aid supplies, etc.

I used to be able to get lamp oil at the 'Mart, but they’ve since stopped carrying the Lamplighter brand in the giant bottles. It was insane cheap, and that was my only supplier of such, thusly I’m thinking I’m stuck with what I’ve got on hand.

I was fortunate to be able to get my emergency candles at $1.00 for 10, but it’s been awhile since I’ve seen those as well.

The 'Mart has the best prices on Mountain House, as well, but the selection isn’t anything close to REI’s.

My brother manages to beat me out on “doomer deals”, hands down. He picked up a Windmill Trekker for $5.00, an in-line Camelbak water filter for $9.00, an Aquastar UV filter for $5.00, and a CFP-90 for $30, among other insane bargains.

ETA: If you’re staying on a budget, shopping deals, sales, and using coupons is mandatory. Here in the SE, there is an awesome site that acts as a pre-mission briefing on hitting the grocery stores like an apocalyptic commando:

http://www.southernsavers.com/

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WOW!!! Nice site, thanks for posting it!

All the grocery stores here email their weekly specials every week. I normally only shop at 1 store, I only go somewhere else if they have real good deals and more than 1 good deal. Like when they have 4/$1 for canned vegetables or tuna.

But back to the original post, food and water are the most important things when you are on a budget.

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Something you can do that costs practically nothing is work on your skill sets. Fire building, snares/traps, morse code, etc. Taking all of your important documents and copying to a zip drive. Any good manuals or general shtf type information you find on the net can be printed off and hard copies saved for when the power goes out and might not be back on for a while.

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I tend to be a bit of a scrounger.

A couple months ago I was helping move some stuff at my office building and the manager was getting rid of two generators. I got one running, the other needs some work on the electrical side, probably brushes.

I picked up a slightly used 2000 watt inverter for $10 and am looking for some used golf cart batteries so that I don’t have to run the genny full time.

My wife shops the sales. She picked up Life cereal for $1 a box the other day and maxed out the 10 box limit. Check out the clearance isle at your grocery store, they always have some good sales similar to what The Landlord found.

I found her a Magic Mill at the pawn shop for $125. The same models are going for $450 on Ebay. We have ground corn, wheat, rice, and dried beans in it for different recipes. Dry goods are really cheap. Typically less than $10 for 50lbs of any of the above mentioned items.

We picked up 55 gallon soda syrup containers at the local bottling plant for $10 each. They needed rinsing a couple times to get the syrup out but once filled can be used for water storage.

You can start a garden for next to nothing. $50 would get you a couple tools, seeds, and some fertilizer.

If you can’t afford an AR then get a shotgun. I have seen many deals on used Mossberg 500 and Remington 870 shotguns for $100-150. A couple boxes of 00 buck and a 100 pack of birdshot will get you started. You can defend your residence and bring home some game with it. As time goes on you can save up for something better but it will get you something that is reliable and will do the job.

A friend recently was cleaning out his garage recently and gave me a 12 gauge MEC press, wads, 50 pounds of shot, and about 10 pounds of powder. All it needs is some shells and primers and it’s ready to go.

Start off with a 72 hour kit and work your way up from there. We started this a couple years ago and have amassed a huge amount of stuff by shopping around and having the cash in hand to snatch up the deal as it arose.

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Here’s how I list my priorities for a BUG-IN SHTF event,

Water: Collecting, Purifying, Storing

Food: Collecting, Preserving, Storing

Security: Firearm, Ammunition, Maintenance and Repair, Securing the BUG-IN Location

First AID: Kits for just about any emergency I can handle at my skill level

Basics: Clothing for the seasons, inside Solar/Battery run LED lighting at night, Heat for the winter

Secondary comfort items: A few items which reduce stress at extreme low cost.

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From the FEMA Web Site.

http://www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/water.shtm#2

Simple, Next to no cost if you use the Soda Bottle Method, Easy to do.

How Much Water do I Need?
You should have at least a three-day supply of water and you should store at least one gallon of water per person per day. A normally active person needs at least one-half gallon of water daily just for drinking.

Additionally, in determining adequate quantities, take the following into account:

•Individual needs vary, depending on age, physical condition, activity, diet, and climate.
•Children, nursing mothers, and ill people need more water.
•Very hot temperatures can double the amount of water needed.
•A medical emergency might require additional water.

How Should I Store Water?
To prepare safest and most reliable emergency supply of water, it is recommended you purchase commercially bottled water. Keep bottled water in its original container and do not open it until you need to use it.

Observe the expiration or “use by” date.

If You are Preparing Your Own Containers of Water
It is recommended you purchase food-grade water storage containers from surplus or camping supplies stores to use for water storage. Before filling with water, thoroughly clean the containers with dish washing soap and water, and rinse completely so there is no residual soap. Follow directions below on filling the container with water.

If you choose to use your own storage containers, choose two-liter plastic soft drink bottles – not plastic jugs or cardboard containers that have had milk or fruit juice in them. Milk protein and fruit sugars cannot be adequately removed from these containers and provide an environment for bacterial growth when water is stored in them. Cardboard containers also leak easily and are not designed for long-term storage of liquids. Also, do not use glass containers, because they can break and are heavy.

If storing water in plastic soda bottles, follow these steps
Thoroughly clean the bottles with dish washing soap and water, and rinse completely so there is no residual soap.Sanitize the bottles by adding a solution of 1 teaspoon of non-scented liquid household chlorine bleach to a quart of water. Swish the sanitizing solution in the bottle so that it touches all surfaces. After sanitizing the bottle, thoroughly rinse out the sanitizing solution with clean water.

Filling Water Containers
Fill the bottle to the top with regular tap water. If the tap water has been commercially treated from a water utility with chlorine, you do not need to add anything else to the water to keep it clean. If the water you are using comes from a well or water source that is not treated with chlorine, add two drops of non-scented liquid household chlorine bleach to the water.Tightly close the container using the original cap. Be careful not to contaminate the cap by touching the inside of it with your finger. Place a date on the outside of the container so that you know when you filled it. Store in a cool, dark place.Replace the water every six months if not using commercially bottled water.

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Food, BUG-IN USE.

The cheapest place I have ever found which offers very high quality food items at the lowest of cost is ALDI’s Food Chain. They are expanding in all regions of the U.S. so finding one unless you live in the sticks should not be that hard to do.

Store Locater,

http://aldi.us/us/html/service/store_locator_ENU_HTML.htm?WT.z_src=main

Checking the Date’s on every can or food item you buy, buy in large lots so the date of expiration is the same on the entire lot of that item.

Most canned items have at least 18 or more months before the “Use by Date” so rotating them allows a large window of use.

Stocking a 30 to 60 day supply of SHTF food which includes Canned Fish, Beef, Spam and chicken adding to that dry beans, rice and pasta and then the canned veggies, fruits and pasta sauces. You maybe eating out of a can, bottle or plastic storage container but your eating good tasting high quality items which ran us $275.00 for a 60 day supply.

I’m sure there are many other discount places one could shop at but to this date I have not found one that offered what ALDI’s could in the Philadelphia and surrounds area stores.

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Firearms,

This is a subject of much debate on what type, manufacture or caliber a firearm should be for SHTF use. If we stay with local common for your area manufacturers which have a long history of dependable service out of the box, are simple to clean and repair plus ammunition for this choice is common to the area you live in and procurable then most may find that the good old boys like the .22LR, 12 and 20 gauge, 30-30, 308 and 3006 and the 9mm, .40S&W and the .45acp are most available and affordable. Ammunition can be had at affordable prices at the local Wally World in White Box, UMC and Federal American Eagle form so as long as you find out when Wally World stock their ammo counters then hopefully you should be able to place a few boxes in the safe. Since we are on a tight budget of $1500.00 and we already spent funds on food and water storage and we still have to shell out cash for Securing the BUG-IN Location, First AID, Clothing for the seasons, inside Solar/Battery run LED lighting at night, Heat for the winter and Secondary comfort items we just cant blow all the remaining cash on guns and ammo.

So Gentlemen, what should the SHTF firearms be which allows us to have some funds left to cover the listed tasks?

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I would assume that the containers for the rice and pasta are sealed, no? I am employed by this certain grocery chain and he have issues in the summer with contaminated rice and pasta. Primarily weevils, the heat and humidity especially when being warehoused seem to be the largest issue…of course, per our regulations, the product is a “dispose at store level” which means scan and trash…

on a side note…toward the end of hurricane season, many of our items like tarps, larger flashlights, self heating meals, etc…are marked down for inventory control purposes and weather band radios are currently on sale right now:)

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The next time you or your sharp brother cross paths with more insane bargains, can you let the rest of us here know about it ? Those were some realy good deals, too cheap to pass up.

BTW, what is a BOGO ?

Thanks.

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BOGO=Buy One Get One:cool:

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A very wise man, named Kino, recommends freezing the pasta before storage to kill weevil eggs.

The rice is in sealed buckets.

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Quick question on freezing the pasta and rice to kill parasites, does not the freezing process and then the defrosting cause moisture on the surface of the pasta and rice which would cause bacteria to grow? Next week I was going to pick up “four” fifty pound bags of rice at the local BJ’s who has them at a great price. I already have new and cleaned food grade five gallon resealable buckets and a empty frost free stand up freezer were I can knock down the temperature to -20 degree’s or better. Is there any research on food storage out there which has the best ways to store dry goods?

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Back to Firearms,

This Saturday I did a little road trip to the area gun shops which in total are nine shops within a 10 miles radius. I was looking used only and was hoping to see at least a shotgun and a pistol for under $600 OTD. Well I was very surprised to find that the shops visited had a large variety of used choices and the prices were extremely decent. This variety was strange since the last time I did this type of road trip a few months back the used market for firearms was really tight without much selection and high prices. It appears that the current economy is to blame and many laid-off gun owners are thinning their collections to paid bills and to buy food. So Gun shops have been buying or selling on consignment a large amount of guns lately and the increase in inventory has reduced prices to move the stock. Well my very first shop had a like new Remington 870 Tac Desert Recon 12 gauge for $250.00, as soon as I pick the Remington up the shop owner called over that he would knock off $25.00 and do the back ground for $10.00 (I’M Known in these parts as a discount buyer who barters price like the best of them) so the reduced offer was a attempt to avoid a lengthly negotiation. I have never seen a Remington like this and the action was smooth and the trigger pull crisp so I started to walk toward the shop owner with shotgun in hand. This signals that I was now ready to negotiate my buying price and the shop owner flat out stated “What do you want to pay for that” I replied $200.00 OTD and without hesitation the shop owner returned with $210.00 finial price. So since this shop has its own range I wanted a few test fire rounds to function test the shotgun and after 10rds of old high brass #2 shot I decided that my research trip just turned into a buying spree. On the rack there were several other 12 gauge shot guns from different manufacturers all in great condition and at good price. I did not see any thing in a pistol but he had a few S&W Model 64’s stainless .38spl around $250.00

Shops 2-3-4 had a few items of interest but nothing I really would have jumped at as I don’t place much stock in older S&W auto’s or Mil-surplus pistols for serious work. Shop Number 5 does a lot of Police department deals so they sell the turn-In’s from these departments. Glocks seem to be the latest trade In’s with most being 9mm’s with a few .40S&W and .45acp’s thrown in. A few Model-17’s and 19’s were in excellent shape and some were really clean like-new pistols which shined through, most of the remaining showed normal holster and cosmetic handling marks but the actions were solid. The pistols were priced per condition as one would expect with the best running at $375.00 with three magazines and night sights of unk age but serviceable. Since Glock 9mm’s are well known for there durability and drop dead reliability out of the box these pistols would make for a serious SHTF firearm. So off to barter with the “Man” for the best condition Model-19 which appeared to have less then a few hundred rounds fired at best. He saw me coming and asked if I was there to “Violate Him” on a counter offer to the pistols sticker price. I said “Of Course” and fired a $300.00 OTD offer to him. As the man choked on his coffee he told me to return when I had a serious offer. Needless to say we went back and forth until a $320.00 OTD and a 10.00 back ground fee was agreed to. So far a total of $540.00 was now spent on two firearms and I paid a additional $60.00 for three extra used Glock Model-19 magazines and four 50rd boxes of Wolf Polly Coated 9mm ammo. I was given a used but like new Uncle Mikes plastic Paddle holster with thumb snap that fit the Model-19 perfectly by the owner as a bonus for being the only one that week that “F*** Him” as good as I did. Its not like I got the greatest deal on the Glock but shop owners now have to make some price concessions to move inventory and pay their own bills.

So I get home from this fact finding mission that turned buying spree after only five out of nine shops visited and I was able to procure a decent home defense option for $600.00. Now as a man I should not be posting this but the Glock Model-19 has been appropriated by the wife as consequence of my reckless spending spree (I used 60% of my Uniform Allowance Check I get every year from the department to fund the spree) and now she at this very moment at the range pinking away with her girlfriend.

I really didn’t need these guns but good deals don’t come that often and I’ll get another Uniform check next year. I did surprise myself by staying inside my spending limit and coming away with what I did. Well the good thing is I will get my Glock Model-26 back that was “appropriated” a few years ago after a similar gun shop road trip occurred.

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Tagging for interest

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Rice and beans, for example, form a complete protein.

More here.

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IMHO, all dry food should get the same process for long term storage… infestation can destroy your food stores, you should protect your food from all critters, weevils, rodents and democrats.

You will want to repackage a lot of stuff, especially things that come in boxes or thin plastic bags…

*cut the preparation instructions and nutrition label from the boxed foods, vacuum seal the contents and tape the instructions to the bag.

*Divide up large bulk packages into smaller packages; think “per meal sizes” and vacuum pack that way - you can even mix stuff now, rather than later… some rice, beans and dried veggies, a little spice all vacuum sealed in one bag and measured out to feed a certain number of people.

*Vacuum sealed bags of rice, grains, flour and pasta should be frozen for 72 hours to kill eggs that are in the grain… anything that you freeze needs to be in an airtight container to keep moisture from getting to it when it is thawed.

*Plastic buckets are great for storing bags of food… pre-pack them to feed a number of people for a certain amount of time; example: one five gallon bucket has meals, snacks and supplements to support two people for one week. Make sure you are using food grade buckets, or know for sure what was in the bucket before you got it! Square buckets make better use of storage space than round ones.

*Buckets can be purged before sealing by putting a small piece of dry ice wrapped in paper in the bottom of the bucket and then packing the food bags on top of the dry ice… set the lid on loosely and wait an hour or so before sealing it - do not lift the lid, just press it in place, the CO2 from the thawing dry ice will purge a lot of air from the bucket… you can also add some Bay Leaves to the bucket or food bags, and some folks like to “powder” the contents of storage buckets with diatomaceous earth, if you do this, make sure you are not using the stuff you buy for swimming pool filters - get food grade DE.

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BOGO… as was already mentioned is Buy One, Get One and I think it is also the warcry of women’s shoe sales; however, it is something to keep an eye on in grocery stores, it looks like obucina would know more about how stores stock their shelves than I do, but I know that they run on short cycles and often food is trashed at the store… The sales to get that stuff off the shelf before it is trashed can be quite good, keep an eye on these and think of the buy-one-get-one as “one for now, one for later” when you shop… or two for later :wink:

Holy crap! There is one?

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Lots of folks are looking to get equipped… and most of us don’t have a lot of spare cash; so let’s share the deals and help each other out. This is not a place to list stuff you want to sell, use the EE for that… this is a place to give others a heads-up on good deals for food and equipment so that we can, if I may steal a line from The Landlord, hit the grocery stores like an apocalyptic commando.

If you list the store in the title, it may help folks see what is in their area, so folks like say in Oregon can see Bi-Mart, 22LR Bricks on sale! - while other folks say “what the hell is Bi-Mart?” Mail order of course is accessible to everyone… if you find a deal, let us know!