If you’ve recently learned about prepping and its advantages, you might want to learn some basics to start prepping at home with your family. Preparing for potential emergencies like natural disasters is essential, and a war would be another reason.
You never know what can happen, whether it’s floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, wildfires, or hurricanes. Stocking up on essentials can help you be ready for most challenges. Check out these ten simple ideas on beginning prepping and becoming more self-reliant, which are easier than you might think!
I’m updating this post because I realize I have new followers who may need help. Please feel free to share anything on my website if you teach emergency preparedness classes, want to inform neighbors, or get extended family members involved. We all started small and added the needed items as our budget allowed.
10 Simple Ideas on Beginning Prepping
1. Start Collecting Non-Perishable Foods
As a prepper, it’s always a good idea to start collecting non-perishable foods at home. These foods included canned meats, tuna, peanut butter containers, protein bars, and more. You don’t need to run out and buy the first non-perishable foods you can find. Instead, try to catch these items while they’re on sale. Right now, many stores are holding clearance sales of canned goods. It’s a great way to get started.
If you grab them on sale, you’ll save money and add them to your stockpile simultaneously. Don’t waste money on food you know your loved ones won’t eat, even in an emergency! This may be one of those simple ideas on beginning prepping, but it’s important because you don’t want food to go to waste. During a disaster, you and your family still need good nutrition as a means to stay healthy and alert
2. Store Plenty of Water For Everyone in the Household
Storing water is a must. You’ll need it to stay hydrated, but it can also come in handy for boiling pasta, rice, and other ingredients you can eat in an emergency. If you store water, you need to do it the right way.
Don’t place it in old milk jugs. While it may seem like a good idea, it’s not because those jugs can easily break over time, causing the water to leak and get everywhere.
It’s best to store your water in quality containers with lids to keep it free of dirt and debris. I have a few ideas I want to show you. Some of you know about these, I’m sure. But for those who are getting started and may not be familiar with various products, I want you to have some options to choose from. I store water in many ways; that’s what we need to do.
Please keep your water safe by storing it on two by 4’s to keep it off the ground or concrete. You don’t want chemicals to leach into the water container(s).
Blue Cans
You may want to look at these Blue Cans. They are truly my favorite long-term water storage containers. They are good up to 145 degrees outside, but depending on where you live, they could freeze. Brownells sold out of them, so we can no longer get them there.
They taste better right out of the can than any stored water I have. These don’t need the product Water Preserver, which you add to your stored water so it doesn’t go bad for up to five years. The Blue Cans have a 50-year shelf life and are the best ever.
Yes, they may be a little pricey, but price isn’t an issue when you need water to survive. I want you to know how much I love this product. Please google for places where they are available to purchase closest to your area.
WaterBricks
I love WaterBricks, I have several of the 3.5-gallon ones and a few of the 1.6-gallon size. The larger units are more practical because you can carry one in each hand to balance them. They each weigh about 27 pounds if filled with water.
I used to have a guest room with 16 of the larger ones under a queen bed, so I had 56 gallons under that bed. No one knew they were there. WaterBricks are really handy because they’re designed to be stacked. You can see the ridges and grooves for stacking purposes in the picture below.
55-Gallon Barrels
I have four 55-gallon barrels on the side of my house. They are from my early days of prepping. They are inexpensive and need a pump to get the water out. When I lived in the desert, I covered them with UV water barrel covers to protect the plastic.
55-gallon UV Water Barrel Covers. I have only replaced them once in 15 years. This water may best be used for hygiene purposes but could also be used for cooking and drinking if needed. As a precaution, you may want to use a quality water filter to properly filter the water or even boil it if you’re nervous before you consume it in food or as drinking water. As mentioned above, I use Water Preserver in these, so I only have to change the water every five years.
As a note, many government agencies suggest one gallon of water per day per person in your family. I have always to my readers a more realistic number is four gallons per person per day. That should cover needed hydration, provide water for cooking, give you some to do limited laundry if required, and also for some sanitation and personal hygiene, even if it’s just a sponge bath. And don’t forget some water for your pets.
Some people use unscented bleach or water purification tablets to treat their water. Other than Water Preserver, I like products from Big Berkey and PortaWell.
3. Build a Garden in the Backyard
Focus on building your garden in the backyard. If you’re growing different fruits, vegetables, and herbs, you can access fresh food in an emergency. You can start small, especially if you have little gardening experience or growing space.
If you’re unsure what to grow, think of the vegetables and fruits you eat and add to recipes more often than anything else. Those are the best fruits and vegetables to grow if they work in your location.
Consider planting lettuce, potatoes, tomatoes, berries, and other produce you can use in an emergency. These pictures show some of the items we typically have growing in our garden a few years ago.
I update an annual post every month, outlining what you can plant in that particular month based on your growing “zone.”
4. Use Coupons to Get Must-Have Prepping Items
When you know that you need specific items while prepping, such as mason jars with lids for canning and storing food or flashlights to help you out when the power goes out, make a list of those items. Then, start looking through sales flyers or newspaper ads to see which stores are offering the items you want and need at discounted prices. The goal is to find what you need at a discounted price to save more money.
You don’t need to rush out and spend all your money in a day to get the prepping essentials. Take your time and collect what you can based on family size, budget, and storage space. This tip is essential when it comes to simple ideas for beginning prepping.
5. Get a Storage System Set Up in a Convenient Spot
Invest in a sound storage system that you can place in a convenient spot, such as the basement. It’s out of sight and out of the way, but you can use it to hold some of the most critical items, including bottled water and canned foods.
It would help to have a safe place to put your things to prevent them from getting damaged. You can buy sturdy, reliable, and spacious plastic or metal shelving units. We keep our storage food on metal shelves from Costco. I really like them because they are sturdy and have wheels so I can move them. They almost fill one small bedroom in our home.
The prepping gear that isn’t affected by temperature changes, like our 72-hour kits (bug-out bags), Sun Ovens, Dutch ovens, cooking fuel sources like charcoal, etc., are on the same kind of shelves but located in our garage. UPDATE: (now our 72-Hour Bags are in our home).
6. Buy Batteries While They’re on Sale
If you’re going to start prepping, you’ll need to have plenty of batteries. If you don’t have a power source, batteries are a must-have because you can put them in flashlights to see where you’re going and what you’re doing. Try to buy batteries when they’re on sale.
Batteries can be found at many different stores, including your local home goods store and grocery store, but it’s best to get them when they’re available at a discounted price. While the brand doesn’t necessarily matter, you might want to choose a brand known for its reliability. I love the Members Mark batteries from Sam’s Club. Thank you, Harry for the tip on Sam’s Club.
Please invest in some solar items as well. Many new devices use a portable solar panel to run or charge their batteries. Solar Lanterns or Solar Flashlights: Make sure you rotate batteries as needed. There is nothing worse than grabbing some in an emergency only to find your stored batteries are depleted.
Please consider getting a hand-crank radio for your home or evacuation shelter. This way, you can stay informed and not have to carry too many batteries in your inventory for needed communication in a disaster. It is a great addition to your family’s emergency kits.
7. Put Multiple First-Aid Kits Together
Work on putting multiple first-aid kits together using quality first-aid supplies. If you have several people living in the household, having a first-aid kit for each person is best. Over time, you can collect different items for the kits, such as rubbing alcohol, bandages in assorted sizes, gauze pads, ointments, allergy medication, and other helpful first-aid products.
Some families have members with special health needs who require medical supplies others don’t use. Consider their needs as you gather supplies for short—and long-term storage.
It’s always good to have these items in case someone gets injured or is in pain. In case you missed this post, First Aid: What You Need To Survive
I highly recommend these books: Bugging In by Raymond White and The Survival Medicine Handbook
8. Invest in the Right Cookware
Try to buy the best cookware for emergencies. You can find portable grills, emergency stoves, pie irons, and other products that you can use to prepare meals without a traditional power source. You might also want to invest in wood for fires in emergencies. If you have a garage, you can store the wood there until you’re ready to use it. Pie Irons for Cooking
Please invest in cast-iron pans and a 6-quart cast-iron Dutch Oven. You can survive with a cast-iron Dutch oven if you have charcoal and some matches stored, or have fire starters of some kind.
You’ll also need dishes to serve the food you prepare. I always have paper plates and other disposable products available.
9. Work on Eliminating Your Debt
Try to get out of debt. Being prepared isn’t just about having water, food, and a first-aid kit; it’s also about getting your finances in order so you can still meet your financial obligations when you are out of work or if your home or car is damaged.
You can start with your smallest debt and work up to the most significant debt to get everything paid off within a reasonable amount of time. Once you’ve eliminated most or all of your debt, you’ll feel better prepared for the future. You can also start saving some extra cash in a safe at home to become more financially secure.
10. Learn How to Start Canning
Don’t forget to learn how to start canning different foods at home. It can save you money in the long run when you’re trying to build your stockpile of foods your family will eat. Learn about different canning methods, such as pressure canning.
You can get the supplies needed and get started by canning some of your favorite foods, including vegetables, jams, fruits, and meats. Please invest in one of these canning books: USDA Canning Guide or The Ball Canning/Preserving Book.
Final Word
These helpful ideas are worth considering if you’re just getting started with prepping. As you start putting together a survival kit, you don’t need to rush out and spend your last dollar on essential prepping items. Consider making a checklist of what you need, taking your time, and getting items while they’re on sale to save more money.
You can focus on slowly, but steadily, building your stockpile until you feel comfortable with what you have at home. What are some simple ideas for beginning prepping you’d like to share? May God bless this world, Linda.
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