If you’re wanting to get started prepping, or even if you’ve been doing it for a while, take a look at these budget friendly emergency prep items. You never know when you may have overlooked on in your own preps.
Prepping doesn’t have to drain your wallet. In fact, a very large portion of prepping items are considered very budget friendly. That’s the great thing about prepping; it doesn’t usually require a ton of funds to get started and even the items that are expensive are typically once in a lifetime purchases.
Budget Friendly Emergency Prep Items
- Rice – Rice is the one prep that everyone should have. It’s super cheap and so versatile when cooking that it makes prep foods easy to come up with.
- Beans – Ever hear the terms “beans & rice?” That’s because the two go so well together. Beans are chock full of protein and fiber so they make an awesome prep item to have since during an emergency you may not be able to eat as well as you’d like. One word of caution though – If you don’t eat them now, don’t bother prepping them. You won’t eat them in an emergency.
- Duct Tape – Duct tape is the magical fix all for almost anything and it’s super cheap to pick up. Make sure that your preps have at least a few rolls included.
- Mylar Blankets – I’m of the opinion that mylar blankets get a bad rap from most preppers because they’re not great for what most people think they are. They won’t work as a blanket, but they DO have their place in your emergency kit. Pick up a few and use them as a reflector in case you need to signal someone OR you can actually use them to stay warmer in a tent. Line the inside of your tent walls with them to help reflect heat back into the tent.
- Water purification tablets – In an emergency, you may not have access to clean drinking water, especially if you don’t have much stored. Stocking water purification tablets will mean that you can make clean drinking water if you need to. These tablets usually run less than $10 for a pack of 6 so there’s really no reason to not have them on hand.
- Magnesium Bar – Do you smoke? If yes, you’ve probably almost always got a lighter on you, but if not, how would you start a fire if you need to? A magnesium fire starter will help you do that. They come with a striker and the bar. Place your kindling and use the striker against the bar to create a spark to ignite.
- Moving blankets – Ever seen those thick blankets that movers use to cover furniture and other bigger items? I’m convinced their one of the greatest prep items you can invest in that you may not know about. Why? Because you can grab them at a store like Harbor Freight for only $5.00 and they are warmer than any sleeping bag I’ve ever owned. In fact, when we camp, I only sleep with a moving blanket and I’m never cold.
- A Simple Blue Tarp – It may just be a piece of plastic, but that piece of plastic may be your saving grace in an emergency. Use it to cover your tent if waterproofing fails, to cover the ground if you need and more.
- Paracord (550 cord) – No emergency kit is complete without 550 cord and no, I don’t mean the stylish new bracelets.
- Canned Chili and Chicken Noodle Soup – Yes. I think you should prep canned chili and chicken noodle soup. Actually you should prep a lot of different canned foods, but I wanted to mention these two specifically. Why? Because canned chili WITH beans, has protein, fiber, and meat that you’d want in your diet in an emergency. Chicken noodle soup is full of antioxidants to help boost your immune system and really? What kid will turn down a bowl of chicken noodle soup?
- Water bottle – Having a reusable water bottle in your kit will mean that you can collect water from wherever you may need to. You can get a regular one and use your water purification tablets to make sure it’s drinkable or you can spend a bit more and buy one that already has a filter in it.
- Duplicate copies of your identifying documents – You’ll want to make sure you have copies of your id’s and other documents. Typically these will only cost you a few bucks each (although your license may run you more)
- An all-purpose knife – While you may not want to carry a knife, in an emergency situation, you’ll be glad that you had it. A good all-purpose knife can be used for everything from cutting small branches for tinder to defending yourself if needed.
- A backpack – You can’t build your BOB or GHB (Bug out bag or get home bag) without one.
- Trash Bags – In an emergency situation, hygiene is HUGE. Diseases and infections are made worse by bad hygiene. Trash bags will help you be sure that you can keep things cleaned up to help stave off sickness.
What other budget friendly items would you add to the list?
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