Creative ways to finance your prepping

photo credit - Civil Defense Museum

Many people delay getting started on their food storage and emergency preparedness purchases because they feel that they don’t have the money to do it. It doesn’t have to be purchased in one sweep, folks, and even the tightest budget will often give up a few pennies if you squeeze it hard enough.

1. Barter excess fruit from your trees or vegetables from your garden for foods you don’t grow yourself.

2. Barter labor for food.
a. Talk to a farmer to see if you can work in exchange for meat, eggs, milk, etc.
b. Most CSAs offer reduced prices in exchange for working on the farm.

3. Barter skills and services you have for food items. Some ideas – sewing skills, haircuts, woodworking, accounting/bookkeeping, computer programming, web design, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, painting, etc.

4. Ask neighbors and friends if you can harvest the fruit from their trees. Offer to give them a portion of the fruit that you then can or dehydrate.

5. Cook with fewer processed foods. Learn how to cook from scratch instead. Use the money saved toward long term food storage. (you’ll end up eating healthier in the long run, too!)

6. Eliminate a high cost low nutrition food from your budget (common items are soda pop, cookies, other snack foods) and use that money toward long term food storage.

7. Eliminate a restaurant trip and use that money toward long term food storage.

8. Reduce your entertainment budget (turn off the satellite or cable tv, eliminate a movie night, etc) and use the savings toward purchasing preparedness items.

9. Reduce your reliance on costly cleaning solutions and make cleaning solutions yourself with inexpensive ingredients such as castile soap, borax, vinegar, and essential oils. Use the savings toward purchasing preparedness items.

10. Watch the grocery store sales and be prepared to buy in bulk when prices are low.

11. Consider a bulk purchase with friends or family members to buy food at a lower cost. Repackage the foods to store in convenient sizes for your family.

12. Learn how to preserve food yourself – canning, curing & smoking, dehydrating, etc. Foods grown and preserved yourself are usually much less expensive than commercially prepared foods.

13. Eliminate out-of-season foods from your menus and use the savings toward long term food storage. Food is always cheaper when it’s in season because less of the price involves fuel costs.

14. Consider using cloth napkins, cloth kitchen wipes (substitute for paper towels), cloth diapers, etc. Use the savings toward purchasing preparedness items.

15. Turn down your thermostat or turn up your air conditioner by a degree or two. Use a programmable thermostat to lower it while you sleep and raise it when you awaken and most people hardly notice the difference. Use the savings toward purchasing preparedness items.

16. Switch from incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs. Use the savings toward purchasing preparedness items.

17. Hang your laundry outside on a clothesline instead of using your electric dryer. Use the savings toward purchasing preparedness items.

18. Buy used items instead of new. Use the savings toward purchasing preparedness items.

19. Eliminate that second (or third) car. Instead use public transportation, bikes, or walk. Use the savings toward purchasing preparedness items.

20. Instead of buying expensive baby foods consider making your own. A simple food processor or blender can create pureed foods for your baby. Use the savings toward purchasing preparedness items.

21. Shop around and see if you can lower the cost of your auto insurance. Use the savings toward purchasing preparedness items.

22. If your checking and savings accounts have associated fees, switch to no-fee accounts. Use the savings toward purchasing preparedness items.

23. Consider buying your meat in bulk by purchasing a side of beef or a whole hog. The price per pound is much lower than buying in small servings at a grocery store. Not only do you save money, but you also have a head start on your food storage! You can contact farmers directly or consider buying at auction at your county fair.

24. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store. The cheapest foods are often the least processed foods. Buy from the produce, meat, and dairy departments more and less from the inner aisles. Use the savings toward purchasing preparedness items.

25. Have a vegetarian meal once a week and save money by not buying as much meat. Use the savings toward purchasing preparedness items.

26. Plant a garden. You will not only save money on your grocery budget that you can use toward long term food storage but it will yield food as well.

27. Plant berry bushes and fruit trees. Even the smallest city lot usually can fit in a few raspberry canes. Dwarf varieties of fruit trees don’t take much space and larger lots can handle full sized trees. You can also sell the excess fruit!


What are some of the ways you've been able to alter your budget to permit you to make preparedness purchases?

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