It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the new gadgets and gizmos out there tempting you to buy them – and the preparedness industry is no exception. If you’re not careful you could be talked into spending $5000 for a year supply of food, $15,000 for solar panels, and even $36,000 for your very own survival shelter!
Nothing is wrong with any of those things, but it can leave many people ready to give-up before they even start. Too many times we make the mistake of focusing on how expensive prepping is or, even worse, go broke trying to get there.
It doesn’t need to be that way – you can prep without going broke! In fact, it can actually cost you more if you don’t prep! Prepping saves money!
Since our family decided to prep, prices for everything have gone up, but our bills have gone down. We’ve been able to spend less and save more – something that has always been very difficult for us to do.
Prepping can save you money too, and lots of it. Here are 3 of the ways I’ve noticed it’s made a difference in our wallets.
3 Ways Prepping Can Save You Money
1- Become a Do-It-Yourself Person
I never considered myself a do-it-yourself person, but when you realize you can pay $100 to have someone do something for you, or $1 to do-it-yourself, it just makes sense!
I’ve realized that preppers, on the whole, are very much about learning how to do things for themselves. That’s just part of being prepared. You never know if you’ll need a doctor, mechanic, or a handy-man, or even if they’ll be available if the time comes. You don’t have to wait until a worst-case scenario to use the skills you learn – you can start using them now! This will help you save big, because if you’ve been to the doctor or mechanic lately, they aren’t cheap!
Other than skills, learning to make & fix things can help you too! I’m constantly impressed with all the DIY projects I see people do. There are too many to name, but if you’re interested in making something instead of buying it, I’m sure there is a tutorial out there for you!
2- Get Huge Savings at the Store
Out of all the areas, the money I save from shopping (or more like NOT shopping) is the biggest! When I say I don’t go to the store often, I’m not talking about only going twice a month, but I’m talking about only going twice a year!
Stocking-up, which most preppers do, can really help you save big! Here are a few ways how:
- Buy in Bulk – When you’re stocking up on food and supplies you can buy in bulk – and bulk pricing is usually significantly less than buying in smaller quantities.
- Buy at the Best Prices! – If you’re only buying things a few times a year, you can buy when the prices are at the lowest. Therefore, you’re not stuck playing the grocery store game. You can play the coupon game instead.
- Save on Gas – When you have everything you need at home, you’re not having to make last minute trips to the store for little things. Depending on how far away you live from the store, this can add up to a lot!
- Not buying Extra Stuff! Maybe you have control over yourself and your kids when you go shopping, but sometimes I give in – I let them talk me into new shoes or a bag of Cheetos, and I usually find a cute necklace or something for the house. Even those these purchases may be small, they add up when you look at the entire year! Since I rarely go the store now, I’ve noticed my extra spending category has decreased quite a bit. Now if I could just figure out how to stay off Amazon I would be set!
3- Live a Self-Sufficient Lifestyle (instead of a Self-Indulgent One)
One surprising thing I noticed when striving to be more prepared: I stopped caring about keeping up with the Jones’. My priorities and focus definitely took a turn – I believe for the better.
No longer was I working towards a bigger house, nicer cars & more vacations, but instead I started spending extra time and money on starting a garden, learning new skills, and teaching my kids how to prep. One of our new mottos is…
I feel striving towards a more self-sufficient lifestyle helped me to embrace my cheap side and be proud of it! I’m fine with the fact that we don’t have the nicest things and my kids aren’t being spoiled to the max. I feel our society is becoming an entitled one, and I hope to not add to it.
Besides my focus changing, striving to be self-sufficient opened up a whole new world to me. There were so many things that never even occurred to me I could do for myself – grow my own food, raise chickens, make my own soap and laundry detergent, and so much more!!!
Has Prepping Saved You Money?
What do you think? Let us know how!
Guest post by Jamie Smith.
I admit that I admire you. I am trying to be more self sufficient. Thank you for your tips
Thanks Kathy, you’re so sweet! There’s not much to admire around here, except dirty dishes, and piles of clothes 😉 I definitely have a long ways to go, but it doesn’t matter the pace, just the direction I’m headed – at least that’s what I tell myself!
I definitely believe that prepping has helped me to save money! Buying items on sale, in bulk, and in advance tends to lead to fewer trips to the store, a stocked home, and less gas spent. This definitely leads to savings, in my opinion. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for your comments Caryl Anne! I definitely agree with you, that’s my favorite part of being prepared is less trips to the store!
“….it doesn’t matter the pace, just the direction I’m headed….” I like that. Awesome post with some great points. I def have a problem with not planning ahead and ending up with too many impulse items.
This was a great article! I recently quit my job, and I plan to work a lot on my garden and other preps until I found another job. Although I stayed at home when the girls who are now in college and the boy who is living on his own were much younger, it was very helpful to be reminded of the things I did then that I can do once again in a different phase in my life. Thanks!
Can we get a list of what to buy when buying in bulk in a priority order? I don’t know where to start! And where do you buy your items? Thanks so much. can’t imagine going to the store 2 x a year!