Prepping for any emergency can seem intimidating because of the amount of products needed to support a family.  The best way to stock up and save is to set a monthly budget and then buy according to your needs and financial capability. However, there are lots of ways to save money while gathering your survival gear, like preserving your own food or using coupons.

After setting a budget for your survival gear, make a list of priorities – what products you want to stock up on first. By prioritizing what you need, you will be able to have a starting point and not feel so overwhelmed by everything you want to have.  Food is a great place to start, making sure you and your family have food storage is an important and easy first step.  Make a list of items that your family all love and that can be stored in food storage, you can start with cereal or soups, things that have long shelf lives and can be agreed upon. Preserving your own food by canning or dehydrating is a great way to save money while prepping.  There is some upfront cost to both methods but if you are planning on making this a lifestyle, they are great investments.

Once you have a list of food and how much of each item you want, start a list of “extras” that you want in your storage like personal hygiene products and shelter.  These are great items to get on sale or use coupons for.  You can find personal hygiene items at a great deal when you combine sales and coupons and since you can build this up over time you have time to shop sales.  With the end of camping season coming up there will be lots of sales on great shelter and bedding and it’s a great time to look into getting these items for your survival gear if you do not already have them.

Emergency preparedness can get expensive but if you are smart about it and use these ideas it becomes a lot more manageable.  Being prepared for anything is a great goal and one that takes a while to get to, but don’t get discouraged!  It is possible!  Make this a priority in your family and you will be surprised what you can do.