Last Updated on October 14, 2022 by admin_hunter
We are living in tough economic times, and operating on a budget is a reality millions of Americans face. There’s no shame in budgeting. Working on a budget does not necessarily mean that you are broke or homeless. A budget is a great way to control your money so that you can cater for necessities.
Budget prepping is a vital step to take, especially if you lose your job or source of income, and you have to struggle just to make ends meet. The prepping process is gradual but you can start today.
No matter how tight your finances are, there’s always a way to prepare and stock up. Ignore blogs, books and forums that try to convince you that you have to purchase expensive foods and other items that you’re not familiar with.
Here’s the bad news: prepping isn’t free. But also, it doesn’t require a fortune.
Working with a limited budget? Prepping draining your emergency funds? If you’re worried about how you’ll afford all the items you need for prepping, you’re reading the right article.
Understand Prepping on a Budget
Many people assume that prepping is all about stocking food in preparation for emergencies. What they forget is that prepping also includes buying appropriate gear that can come in handy in disaster situations.
Prepping on a budget is never easy, but it is necessary, especially if you are the head of the family. Keep in mind that food security is one of the stress reducers for parents, especially if something unexpected happens like loss of a job or a family member falling sick.
When prepping on a budget, you will be forced to switch from your regular financial practices so that you can have enough to survive on and some to stock your pantry.
Budget Prepping Tips
Some of the tips that you can apply include:
Use Cash to Shop (Avoid Credit Cards)
Many people prefer using credit cards because they are convenient and easy to carry around. What they seem to forget is that using credit cards carelessly can put you in serious debt. Using the money that you cannot see is easy and is the cause of so much impulse buying. As you probably know, impulse buying can make you buy something costly but useless as far as your survival is concerned. Prepping is all about developing a survival mindset, and that means you have to be stingy when it comes to spending habits, even if it means depriving yourself of some pleasures.
Pay Yourself First
If you are prepping on a low budget, you will want to ensure that from anything earn, you get to pay yourself a certain percentage. This will allow you to keep some money to spend on the most necessary supplies. After paying yourself, you can take care of your bills and any other expenses. Note that when in crisis, debts can put you in trouble. Taking care of your bills will also go a long way to ensure that any excess money is well accounted for. Remember that prepping is all about survival; hence, you need to be strategic and have the power to foresee potential risks.
Needs vs. Wants
Here is where many people go wrong and end up running out of money yet cannot survive with the supplies they have. When prepping, food, clothing and water are the most vital supplies. Needs include medical and hygiene supplies, flashlights, fire starter, and shelter. Avoid things that won’t help you survive a disaster. When out shopping, you are likely to get two kinds of everything, cheap and expensive. If you’re prepping on a budget, you may not have the luxury to choose select items. If the cheap ones are equally effective and can take you and your family through a crisis, go for it! You will need to prioritize your needs before you can consider what you want.
Buy Something Used
There are various scenarios that are considered a crisis, according to the United States government. When prepping, you should buy items for prepping for all kinds of situations. If floods are part of the dangers you face, you will want to be ready with waterproof supplies like floaters. Most of these equipment are costly and almost impossible to purchase under a tight budget. This should, however, not stop you from making efforts to get them because, when calamity strikes, you want to be safe together with your family. There are many apps where you can buy second hand items at a fraction of the price.
Declutter: Use Apps to Sell What You Don’t Need
Prepping is expensive, and for your safety, you will want to increase your purchasing power. Because you have a tight budget, the best way to improve your purchasing power is by selling the things you don’t need. You can conduct a yard sale or use the online platforms for selling and buying used items. To sell faster, classify your items correctly so that buyers can easily search and find what you’re selling. Put a considerable price tag and leave a small room for negotiation. This way, you will avoid going at a loss and still sell enough items to afford most of the supplies needed.
Don’t Shy From Bargaining
To reduce spending money that you don’t have in the first place, you need to be bold about spending less. You can start by speaking to your landlord so that he or she can lower the rent for you. You can suggest doing some work around the property in exchange for reduced rent. Landlords get to spend a lot of money to pay handymen, yet most of these tasks don’t require any special skills, for example, cleaning, mowing, or pruning. If possible, ask for discounts and price cuts for items you need.
Conclusion
To survive through any situation, you must start preparing early even if you’re working on a shoe-string budget. Remember prepping is all about having stashes in various places so that you are safe even if a calamity sweeps away most of your stuff.