Preparing for disasters can be costly if you have to purchase everything at once. Many preparedness enthusiasts prefer the less stressful route in prepping a little at a time. That said, our monthly budgets sometimes do not allow for expensive, top of the line purchases. That’s when you have to get creative.
When my family rode out the aftermath of Hurricane Ike in 2008, we were off the grid for two weeks and used many emergency items purchased from the Dollar Store. At the time, we were paying off lofty debts and didn’t have the money to buy brand name items. Many of the items I purchased, I outlined in the first week of 52-Weeks to Preparedness, but there are many more Dollar Store finds that I wanted to list today.
Check out this checklist for suggested items to store for short-term emergencies
Below, are thirty prepper-related items you could easily find at your local Dollar Store or Dollar Tree. The listed items are supplies for one person, so if you have other family members to consider, multiply some of the supplies by the amount of family members. This calculator could serve as a starting point for items you may want to keep an eye out for.
- Paper plates and plastic utensils
- Zip-loc storage bags
- Water (1 gallon per day)
- Salt and pepper
- Spices and condiments
- Cereal
- 2 jars of peanut butter
- 3 cans of juice per family member
- 7 cans per family member of canned vegetables and fruit
- 7 boxed dinners (macaroni and cheese, hamburger helper, etc.)
- 7 cans of meat per family member (tuna, salmon, chicken, Spam, etc.)
- 7 cans of soup or stew for each family member
- 3 non-perishable items such as saltine crackers, graham crackers, oatmeal, granola bars, pasta, etc.
- Hand operated can opener
- Multi-vitamins
- Flash lights
- Batteries
- Weather proof tape
- Trash bags
- Soap
- Cleaning sponges
- Bleach
- Toothpaste/toothbrush
- Crisco (can use as makeshift emergency candles, fire starters, etc.)
- First aid items such as antibiotic ointment, band-aids, gauze, elastic bandages, tylenol
- Toilet paper and paper towels
- Feminine needs
- Cigarette lighters and/or matches
- Candles
- Canning jars
In addition to prepper supplies, discount stores also have storage bins and canvas totes you could purchase for additional organizing needs. As well, if you are a bargain hunter, check out weekly ads in newspapers. Sometimes there are some great deals at the Dollar Store that you could utilize. Here are some other tips to consider when shopping at discount stores:
- Expiration dates – It’s best to find items that have expiration dates that are 1-2 years away from expiring, unless that item is used frequently in the home, and can be rotated frequently
- Items on sale – Go for the deals. Larger sized canned goods generally have better deals.
- The serving amount in the food
- Vitamin content in the food
As well, don’t forget to include these items in your supplies:
- Family and emergency contact information
- Multipurpose tool
- Copies of important documents such as insurance cards, immunization records, etc.
- Extra cash
- Map(s) of the area
- Extra set of car keys and house keys
The purpose of this article is to show you that you don’t have to break the bank to prepare for disasters. These frugal shopping tips, checklists and food calculators can help you pay less than $50 for a week’s worth of prepper supplies.
