How to Start Prepping

Why to Start Prepping

To understand how to prepare you must first understand why you should. Below are examples that could cause you to use some of your financial, food, water or first-aid preparations.

Natural Disasters

No one is out of reach from natural disasters. They can strike any place on Earth in one form or another. Disasters can be quick and direct like a hurricane, tornado, or earthquake, or drawn-out like a drought or extended heavy rainfall that leads to flooding.

Unemployment/Economic Problems

These two go hand in hand. If you become unemployed you will certainly feel the impact. This can vary depending on the level of preparedness you have in the areas we will touch on later. Economic problems could effect you in a number of ways. Prices could go up on certain goods, hours could be reduced at work, or your savings, such as 401k or other stocks, could decrease. You have some control over this and prepare by having different types of savings, including a savings account, 401k, bonds, or cash on hand.

Disease Outbreaks

There has been an increasing number of outbreaks in recent years. Most have been contained to the region they started. However, with international travel being so common, it is far easier for a disease to travel beyond the point of containment than ever before. If the events of 2020 have taught anything, it is that such an event can effect many areas of our society from economies, to product availability, to heightened social tension.

Cyber Attack

With all the modern advantages technology has to offer, there is also a major flaw. Many technologies require Internet connectivity, whether directly or indirectly. For example, utility companies use the Internet to help create, monitor, and distribute their services. If a cyber attack is able to bring down or degrade their systems, it could cause major issues for the average person.

How to Start Prepping

You need to know what and how to start prepping. Let’s discuss the following categories: financial, water, food, first-aid/medical, home, and transportation. These are not the only areas you should prepare for, but they are a good starting point and have the biggest impact on your daily life.

Financial

Finances are an area where most people already prepare on some level. It may be a savings account for immediate access or 401k through your employer for longer term. Maybe you make a monthly budget and try to stick to it the best you can. The best approach is a combination.

The first step is to find out where you stand financially. To do this you need to look at pay stubs and see how much income you have per month. Then calculate outgoing expenses each month. The easiest way is to look at your checking and credit card statements from the last full month. Add up any purchases that are a monthly recurrence such as mortgage/rent, utility bills, cell phone, Internet, groceries, gas, etc. Also include any items you have set up on autopay such as Netflix, satellite radio, Spotify, etc.

The main goal is to see how much you have left over at the end of each month after paying the necessities. When you see how much is left you can decide how best to invest it, such as a savings account or one of the topics we will discuss next.

Water

Water is vital, you cannot live without it. You use it for cooking, cleaning, drinking, and much more. At least two weeks of water should be stored on hand. The standard minimum is considered two gallons per day for each person. That comes to 14 gallons per week for each person in the household. If you have room to store more then all the better. To store water you can use a combination of containers such as 55 gallon drums, five gallon containers, or cases of water. Your type of home and storage capacity will help determine what is best for you. If your water is not stored correctly, it will all be for nothing. Download our guide on how to safely store your water, absolutely FREE, at the end of this section.

Keep in mind quick ways to store water in case there may be an upcoming water supply disruption. Five gallon buckets can be filled or there is a bladder system for your bathtub to safely hold over 50 gallons, depending on the model. For extended periods of need, you can prepare for gathering water. One of the easiest ways is to tap into your gutter downspouts. Just make sure you have a way to make the water safe to drink after collecting it. Learn more by downloading our guide or continue reading for more prepping categories.

Food

Aside from your financial preparation, food is the most likely need you will have for many reasons. There may be a disaster in your area and access to your normal grocery store could be inaccessible. A financial expense, such as medical bills or car repair could arise and require reducing expenses for awhile. Building your food preparations consists of three categories.

The first is hopefully what most people already have in your refrigerator and kitchen pantry. Ideally, this is a one to two week food supply. The next category is what called your Deep Pantry. This is an extension on your kitchen pantry, including canned vegetables, fruits, meats, and pastas. Gradually build up the quantity you have. If you prefer fresh fruits and vegetables, you can buy dehydrated produce or get a food dehydrator and prepare your own. Dehydrated produce allows your produce to be good for months instead of a week or two. Deep Pantry food may need to be stored in another location, such as shelves in your basement or an additional deep freezer. Build up your Deep Pantry by buying a handful of extra items every time you go shopping to help spread out the shelf life ranges of food. It is very important to rotate this supply into your normal pantry rather than placing newly bought canned goods into your kitchen pantry. Freeze-dried foods, such as ReadyWise, are great additions and can be part of the final category, Long-term food storage.

Long-term food storage consists of more dry ingredients such as flour, rice, sugar, salt, oats, dried beans, dry pasta, etc. that you would need to make foods. It is easier to keep the ingredients separate for long periods of time. You must also know how to use the ingredients you stock to make the food you want, without using the Internet. Long-term food should be properly stored in food grade containers or Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers in a cool dry location.

First-Aid/Medical

You likely already have some first-aid supplies in your home such as adhesive bandages, antibiotic ointment, or gauze. In the wake of a natural disaster, local hospitals will likely be overwhelmed. If you or someone in your family is injured you may have to wait hours to be seen unless it is a life threatening injury. It is far better and easier to be prepared at home. Additional medical supplies to consider are eyewash, advanced clotting gauze to stop heavier bleeding, a SAM splint, cold packs, and a tourniquet.

We highly recommend at least one person in your household get First-Aid/CPR certified and they can show what they learned to the rest of the family. You may be able to do this free through your work or a local fire station. If you have prescriptions, speak with your doctor about possible ways to reserve a supply. A number of factors will determine if this is possible, such as how critical the prescription is, if insurance will allow it, shelf life, and if it has addictive properties.

Home

Your home is a important prep and should be treated so. Keep up with maintenance like changing the air filter in your AC/heater, clean out gutters, fix leaking facets, and address any electrical switches or outlets that may be acting up. This can save money in the long run and help prevent an avoidable disaster in your home. For example, if you never change the air filter in your AC/heater, it makes it harder to push the air through your home and works the fan more. You do not want your system going out during the hottest part of the year or the coldest nights. That can range from unpleasant to dangerous depending on who lives in the home and could cost extra to get someone out to fix it the same day. You want to have options in case of power outages also. A portable generator is a good option for people who live in suburbs or metro areas where a permanent backup generator may not be allowed due to zoning issues. You can get one for about the price it would cost to replace everything in your refrigerator if it went bad.

Automobile

Like your home, your automobile has maintenance that should be done to help it run better longer, safer, and save you money in the long term. Oil changes, tire rotation, and air filter changes are the most common. Fill your fuel up whenever the tank gets to half empty. You should also have a kit in your automobile for emergencies. Some of the items to consider are a tire plug kit, air compressor, headlamp, grease pencil, cash for fuel, spare pair of walking shoes, and a way to charge your phone. We would be happy to email you a full list of items, absolutely FREE, so you can print it off and get your kit started.

Time to Start

Now that you have an idea on how to start, make a small goal and complete it. Setup a savings account if you do not already have one and start adding to it. Decide the amount that is right for you, maybe $10 a week is a good starting point while you are compiling your other preparations. We recommend setting up automatic transfers so you never forget. Soon you will not think twice about that $10 a week, it is just there adding up when you need it. After savings, food and water should be next. Get yourself to having two weeks of food in your kitchen and if you already have that, start building up your Deep Pantry. You are now on the way to STACK THE ODDS in your favor.