You Can Prep for $5

Far more threatening than a natural disaster, civil unrest or a terrorist attack, is a much more likely calamity for American families: job loss.  Once more, nearly a half million Americans lost their job last month, and the unemployment rate is well above 10%.  As individuals and families face drastic income losses, those with a preparedness mindset may wonder, “How can I prep with little or no money?”

Dozens of fellow preppers over on the Survivalist Boards forum started a thread listing $5 preps, and after more than a year, that thread is still going strong!  Sure, there are some people who can fork over ten grand to pay for a year’s worth of food for their family. Most of us, though, do what we can, when we can.  Take a look at some of these $5 preps.  I think you’ll be encouraged!  Depending on prices in your area, you might even be able to beat some of these!

• Five packages of Idahoan instant potatoes (flavored)
• A case of ramen noodles (20 pkgs)
• five cans of sardines
• five gallons of purified water
• nearly two cases of bottled water
• four cans of peaches, pears or fruit cockatail
• 2 jars of mandarin oranges
• five pounds of rice
• three to four pounds of spaghetti
• Two cans of spaghetti sauce
• Four packages Dinty Moore heat and eat meals
• five packages of corn bread mix
• Four pounds of Sugar
• Five pound of Flour
• 1.5 quarts of cooking oil
• three one pound bags of dry beans
• two cans of apple juice
• a jar of peanut butter
• two boxes of yeast
• two bags of generic breakfast cereal
• 10 8 oz cans of tomato paste/tomato sauce
• four cans of soup
• four cans of Chunky soup
• 8-10 pounds of Iodized salt
• 100 rounds of .22lr ammo
• 25 rounds of 12 ga birdshot or small game loads
• 20 rounds of Monarch 7.62×39 ammo
• 2 packages of hooks and some sinkers or corks.
• artificial lure
• two packages of soft plastic worms
• three Bic Lighters or two big boxes of matches
• A package of tea lights
• 50 ft of para cord
• a roll of duct tape
• a box of nails or other fasteners
• a flashlight
• two D-batteries, four AA or AAA batteries or two 9v batteries
• a toothbrush and tooth paste
• a bag of disposable razors
• eight bars of ivory soap (it floats)
• a box of tampons or bag of pads
• two gallons of bleach
• needles and thread
• a ball of yarn
• 4 bottles 500 count 325 mg aspirin
• 2 boxes of generic sudafed
• 4 bottles of alcohol
• a box of bandages (4×4)

What others can you think of?  To read the entire list and see even more ideas, check out this Survivalist Boards thread.

Now, add all of this to all the free research material available online and through your library, and you are well on your way to becoming a very well-prepared prepper without maxing out that credit card or emptying your bank account!

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