Just a thought about some of the preps I'm currently doing. It got me thinking about when I first started prepping and buying an extra tin or 2 on a weekly shopping trip. Today I managed a £100 shopping trip with about £60 being prepped tins.
But I started to think about how useful it would have been if I had a route to follow or a guide to go by.
So, I'm starting this thread as an information system to get people putting thoughts and ideas towards how to prep on a super tiny-tight budget!
My first thoughts...get bargain basement items. Asda's Own branding or Tesco Value will keep you alive, so why not stock up with that kind of thing as of and when you can.
Also, go to the library and borrow a survival skills book, then practice the skills out in the woods. If you can't afford the gear and alike, then why not do what those without money do? The native Americans, ancient Scottish, and everything in-between managed to survive without money, so if you can learn those kinds of skills, you'll have a good foundation to build your preps on.
skills and knowledge will keep you alive post SHTF long after your store of food has all been used up.
(24 April 2014, 08:17)bigpaul Wrote: [ -> ]skills and knowledge will keep you alive post SHTF long after your store of food has all been used up.
What kind of skills would you recommend to a new starter as their 'first to learn'?
grow their own food seems an obvious one, nothing huge, start with say a grow bag and something fairly easy like lettuce, later move onto broad beans and maybe spuds. being able to spot wild edible plants on a walk would be another one, not everyone can do that one. track spotting and working out which animal made the tracks is another.
(24 April 2014, 09:32)bigpaul Wrote: [ -> ]being able to spot wild edible plants on a walk would be another one, not everyone can do that one. track spotting and working out which animal made the tracks is another.
I'd agree with that, definitely. Bushcraft would really assist a person whom was prepping with reduced financial means.
On a tiny budget, then yes you can get a lot of Asda/Aldi/Lidl own brand tins/rice/pasta for very little money and that has to be a great starting point that anyone can follow to at least have a couple of weeks basic rations.
Another point would have to be water storage tap water and rain water are cheap and easy to collect.
Having decent first aid supplies and pain killers is another must, as is basic equipment such as matches, candles, torches and a knife (or two...) none of which needs to be expensive and again the likes of Asda/Lidl and Amazon can enable people to get kitted up very cheaply.
Then as BP says, skills and knowledge is what will get you through any "long term" crisis, everyone should aim to be able to:
- Grow your own food
- Hunt and Forage
- Stay safe and out of trouble
- Scavenge food and other essential supplies
As well as library books, they should use this forum to ask questions and also youtube videos can be good to demonstrate specific techniques, all at no cost.
I do have a severely limited budget, just shop around to get things cheap. Own brands are good, also check discount stores, most of its crap but you can find good stuff, same with car boots. And learn usefull skills, its free.Most have been mentioned but stuff like making water safe to drink, also learn the skills to make or improvise things you cant afford, cant afford a bow? Learn to make one.
I'm pretty broke too, Danzord. Over the last couple of years, I have moved away from hoarding tins and wherever possible, store ingredients, which makes for a more versatile cupboard. I also look out for things that can be used for things other than for what they were intended. example; I found a candle holder lid that fitted the SVEA spirit stove and made a simmer ring for it.
Regarding skills, learn how to cook from scratch, start preserving, get a veg garden up and running, learn how to make and set traps, not just for small game, but for fish and crayfish too. Learn how to skin, pluck, butcher and fillet. Whenever you go out set a goal of identifying two wild plants.
PDF information is free.
There's thousands of free books on almost every subject on Amazon and project Guttenberg in Kindle format. Don't have a Kindle, there's an app for that! for computer, tablet and of course, phone. It's free to download from Amazon and gives you access to all their free and pay kindle books.