Posted: 2/21/2012 8:14:46 PM EDT
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We are finally getting our financial house in order, but have been lagging on any real prep activities. Complicating this are things like work schedules (the wife and I get ~1 hour together nightly after the kids go down) and family obligations (lots of family activities every weekend). We do, however, have access to some disposable funds.
How big of a head start on prepping could we get for say, $2,000-3,000? I'm talking ready to store/ready to use preps - not components which we may or may not have time to assemble or work on. And I also mean more than MRE's. 
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Do you have 6 months of expenses in-case everyone in your house loses their job? Do you have $1000 cash in assorted denominations in the house? Do you have $300 in each vehicle? Have you had a physical in the last year with a blood panel? If you're the bread winner of the family, do you have an appropriately sized life insurance policy to take care of your loved ones if you die today? These alone will protect you against 90% of all bad things that could ever happen. |
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Before you spend a single dime imho, you need to educate yourself first. Come up with a plan, check out survival boards for feedback, then slowly implement your plan. This will give you a little more time to build up funds, and also allow you to implement a plan a lot better.
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Money is preps. 
If you don't have six months salary stashed already, I would start there. That will cover 90% of shtf scenarios. You also need to be emotionally prepared to liquidate preps. Viewing your ARs and handguns as extending your "rainy day fund" might be difficult, but that's how you need to look at them. The odds of you selling them to pay for your kid's broken leg 7 months after you've lost your job are a LOT higher than you using them to fend off hordes of hungry looters, UN invaders, zombies or Obama's cattle car patrol. |
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Are you just talking consumables or everything? And by components are you saying no to dehydrated / freeze dried foods that aren't complete meals or entrees? Be a little more specific please. If just food and water $2-3K will get you a very good start. That's a good question. We're a little overwhelmed at where to start. It seems like most people develop a plan, and then implement it a little at a time as they have the time and cash to do so. I guess I was asking it if was feasible to buy some or lot of what we needed easily, so that when we have time to develop our plan (which will be rather slow) we'll have a head start and can focus on the large gaps. Quoted:
Money is preps.
If you don't have six months salary stashed already, I would start there. That will cover 90% of shtf scenarios. We have $30k in cash set aside, and $10k in silver. 
This doesn't include the $$ I was thinking on spending on preps. Quoted:
Do you have 6 months of expenses in-case everyone in your house loses their job? Do you have $1000 cash in assorted denominations in the house? Do you have $300 in each vehicle? Have you had a physical in the last year with a blood panel? If you're the bread winner of the family, do you have an appropriately sized life insurance policy to take care of your loved ones if you die today? These alone will protect you against 90% of all bad things that could ever happen. I forgot we have $2000 in cash on hand to be spread across 2 BOBs and 2 vehicles. I keep $500 in my wallet. My last physical was in 2010, including full blood work. My wife and I both work, and have insurance through work. We also have $200-250k each in retirement the other will have access to in the event of an untimely death. As I said, we have our financial house in pretty good order.
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Before you spend a single dime imho, you need to educate yourself first. Come up with a plan, check out survival boards for feedback, then slowly implement your plan. This will give you a little more time to build up funds, and also allow you to implement a plan a lot better. As noted above (first response), we are trying. I guess my question really is, In the absence of a good plan (yet) are there things we could buy to give us a good start? Or should we not buy anything until the plan is in place? |
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Do you have 6 months of expenses in-case everyone in your house loses their job? YES Do you have $1000 cash in assorted denominations in the house? YES Do you have $300 in each vehicle? YES Have you had a physical in the last year with a blood panel? YES If you're the bread winner of the family, do you have an appropriately sized life insurance policy to take care of your loved ones if you die today? YES These alone will protect you against 90% of all bad things that could ever happen. I can't believe I was able to answer yes to all of that!! I totally agree with your post as well. In all likelihood you will lose your job or die before SHTF occurs so do the above first. It wasn't until I had the above covered that I started working on "preps" such as generators, BOB's, etc. as I am way less likely to need those than I am to need $$. ETA: I see the OP is in better shape financially than I am so I'd suggest starting with BOB's and a generator. We always have a few months worth of food on-hand but it is food that we normally eat (we shop at Sam's Club) and buy in bulk. Don't forget extra toilet paper and bottled water (1 liter/day/person for 2 weeks is a good start). |
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Do you have 6 months of expenses in-case everyone in your house loses their job? YES Do you have $1000 cash in assorted denominations in the house? YES Do you have $300 in each vehicle? YES Have you had a physical in the last year with a blood panel? YES If you're the bread winner of the family, do you have an appropriately sized life insurance policy to take care of your loved ones if you die today? YES These alone will protect you against 90% of all bad things that could ever happen. I can't believe I was able to answer yes to all of that!! I totally agree with your post as well. In all likelihood you will lose your job or die before SHTF occurs so do the above first. It wasn't until I had the above covered that I started working on "preps" such as generators, BOB's, etc. as I am way less likely to need those than I am to need $$. ETA: I see the OP is in better shape financially than I am so I'd suggest starting with BOB's and a generator. We always have a few months worth of food on-hand but it is food that we normally eat (we shop at Sam's Club) and buy in bulk. Don't forget extra toilet paper and bottled water (1 liter/day/person for 2 weeks is a good start). We are working on BOB's now. The wife is on board and fully supports me buying anything I think we need, but has so far failed to set aside any time to help me actually organize and pack the bags (she's our packer), as well as figure out what is missing / what else we can add. 
I admit, we have a great life. The problem is, because things are going so well its hard to make her buckle down and help prepare for when things aren't going so well. @ felrom - I agree about the 90%, so my first plan is to prep for natural disaster style issues. Last year, we were iced in for about 5 days - but we have a large pantry so we had plenty of food for ourselves and a friend that was over. Had we lost water, however, we would have had to rely on things like soft drinks after a few days, so I see that as an immediate need. |
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On the BOBs... Don't just focus on the bags. The plan and means of getting there are more important. Where are you going? How far is it, how much gas will you need (have it on hand already, hint hint)? Do you have alternate routes? A fallback plan / location? Vehicle kits for the cars?
If you want advice on what you can throw down on right now with no effort on your part in order to have something on hand, while you develop a more fleshed out long term plan, you can always head over to Emergency Essentials and simply order some dehydrated / freeze dried foods, good water filter (I'd look at a Berkey-type or Katadyn Ceradyn for the house, a Hiker Pro for the BOB), and some water barrels. That is easy and will get you the basics, and 2K will get you a good start on things. You can have that stored just in case while you develop a more fleshed out sustainment plan - which will be a work in progress and will change as you go along anyway. You can use that dried food stash as a base to gradually build upon with canned foods while developing a rotation system, for example. On water, you could decide to get a large tank in the backyard instead of barrels, for example. There are lots of ways of doing this depending on the level of time, effort, and cash you want to throw at it. You will get many recommendations here, no one way is correct. One thing I would highly recommend is keeping track of everything with a Word or Excel file. I have a blank Word file you can use to start with, if you want it. |
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You said you have kids, but not how old they are. Kids grow, so picking up 2-3 outfits for each in their next few upcoming sizes wouldn't be a bad idea, even if it's just jeans, t-shirts, sweats, socks and shoes, etc. Buying kids clothing now so it's available over the next few years also helps hedge against inflation.
Also look into picking up some skills/training such as a basic first aid or first responder class. Do you have a veggie garden? If not, we're coming into growing season and you can start small and expand it in the future. If the kids are old enough they can help as well. |
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Quoted:
Money is preps.
If you don't have six months salary stashed already, I would start there. That will cover 90% of shtf scenarios. please explain. you can't eat it; you can't drink it; it won't give you shelter. when tshtf, you won't be able to buy much of anything; stores will be closed, internet won't work. money is not a life sustaining item. |
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Lol...this makes me think of a funny story.
A friend and I went to the largest gunshow in the country awhile ago. While there we spend well over $15k between us. As we were sitting in the truck after wheeling some things out he said, "Damn....we spent a shitload of money on this stuff". I looked at him and said- "No. What we just did is turn a bunch of worth less every day, Yankee Occupation Scrip, into useful tools for defense and survival". He damn near fell out of the truck he was laughing so hard...... |
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Money is preps.
If you don't have six months salary stashed already, I would start there. That will cover 90% of shtf scenarios. please explain. you can't eat it; you can't drink it; it won't give you shelter. when tshtf, you won't be able to buy much of anything; stores will be closed, internet won't work. money is not a life sustaining item. The key to your answer lies in "When SHTF". Now, like me, you appear to think that the term is way the fuck over used. It seems that divorce is SHTF, a minor boo boo is SHTF, a fucking snow storm that happens EVERY YEAR is now SHTF...but that's another rant I suppose......Many of the "issues" people will have in life such as loss of a job, unexpected medical or vehicle expenses etc....ARE solved by having an appropriate cash reserve on hand. Personally, I consider that financial planning and not "survival"....You don't need to come to the SURVIVAL forum to know that you should keep a cushion in your budget for unexpected expenses- Dave Ramsey isn't a wild eyed, gas mask wearing, Militia member.... but apparently, basic financial planning is not taught in public schools anymore and so people now need to be told that it's a "survival prep for when SHTF".....whatever......If that makes them actually do it, I suppose it's ok. One thing that I have noticed about those in the preparedness movement- they tend to be from lower economic strata for the most part. I have a theory about that- They NEED to prepare more than people with money-because what would be a minor inconvenience for some is a major issue for them. Many people with money are very much insulated from much of what would constitute a "disaster" for many people- their "preps" consist of a large checkbook and when something goes wrong....they write a check and the problem goes away. This is their frame of reference. There are a few exceptions of course but I find it a general rule. In any event, given the type of "emergency" that most people are going to face most often...a good supply of cash is a wise "investment". |
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Quoted: Quoted: Money is preps. If you don't have six months salary stashed already, I would start there. That will cover 90% of shtf scenarios. please explain. you can't eat it; you can't drink it; it won't give you shelter. when tshtf, you won't be able to buy much of anything; stores will be closed, internet won't work. money is not a life sustaining item. The most likely catastrophes have a strong financial component. Job loss, illness, loss of a loved one, etc... Plan for the most probably scenarios first. Worry about Mad Max second. |
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Quoted:
Money is preps.
If you don't have six months salary stashed already, I would start there. That will cover 90% of shtf scenarios. please explain. you can't eat it; you can't drink it; it won't give you shelter. when tshtf, you won't be able to buy much of anything; stores will be closed, internet won't work. money is not a life sustaining item. The most likely catastrophes have a strong financial component. Job loss, illness, loss of a loved one, etc... Plan for the most probably scenarios first. Worry about Mad Max second. yeah, it depends on what each person considers a shtf scenario. i was thinking more along the lines of tornado, hurricane, natural disaster or man-made disaster type situations. personally, i wouldnt consider illness or loss of a loved one a shtf situation. job loss, yeah, but money still wont feed or water you. go ahead and spend the money to buy things for life sustainment. the one thing money would be good for would be paying bills. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Money is preps.
If you don't have six months salary stashed already, I would start there. That will cover 90% of shtf scenarios. You also need to be emotionally prepared to liquidate preps. Viewing your ARs and handguns as extending your "rainy day fund" might be difficult, but that's how you need to look at them. The odds of you selling them to pay for your kid's broken leg 7 months after you've lost your job are a LOT higher than you using them to fend off hordes of hungry looters, UN invaders, zombies or Obama's cattle car patrol. I can testify to this! I hate to get rid of any of mine, but when it has come to needs that must be met (as far as my kids, bills etc) utilizing your 'preps' to fund necessities during a financial SHTF is sometimes the way to go. |
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Quoted: i wouldnt consider illness or loss of a loved one a shtf situation. job loss, yeah, All three can equate to loss of livelihood, as can losing your vehicle. Lack of preparation can turn an inconvenience into a life changing event. Get sick for a month, lose your job, get evicted because you can't pay your rent, end up living in the sewer and blowing hobos for soup. |
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yeah, it depends on what each person considers a shtf scenario. i was thinking more along the lines of tornado, hurricane, natural disaster or man-made disaster type situations. personally, i wouldnt consider illness or loss of a loved one a shtf situation. job loss, yeah, but money still wont feed or water you. go ahead and spend the money to buy things for life sustainment. the one thing money would be good for would be paying bills. The vast majority of SHTF events are economic. Job loss, protracted illness (think cancer) or disability, divorce, you get sued, you hear the words "you have the right to remain silent", the death of the family breadwinner, etc. Even in a natural or man-made disaster you can usually beat feet far enough so that your money becomes useful again. |
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On the BOBs... Don't just focus on the bags. The plan and means of getting there are more important. Where are you going? How far is it, how much gas will you need (have it on hand already, hint hint)? Do you have alternate routes? A fallback plan / location? Vehicle kits for the cars? You bring up a good point. My wife works at the office, I work at home. We need to iron out a plan for her to get home with details, not abstract ideas. I got a 20L jerry can for Christmas, and will order 2 more to keep on hand. Quoted:
One thing I would highly recommend is keeping track of everything with a Word or Excel file. I have a blank Word file you can use to start with, if you want it. That would be awesome, if you don't mind. I made an excel with the things I need we need for our bags. Quoted:
You said you have kids, but not how old they are. Kids grow, so picking up 2-3 outfits for each in their next few upcoming sizes wouldn't be a bad idea, even if it's just jeans, t-shirts, sweats, socks and shoes, etc. Buying kids clothing now so it's available over the next few years also helps hedge against inflation. Also look into picking up some skills/training such as a basic first aid or first responder class. Do you have a veggie garden? If not, we're coming into growing season and you can start small and expand it in the future. If the kids are old enough they can help as well. Kids are 3 and 5. I'd like to get certified as a first responder, but have basic first and and cpr training. We're in a small HOA subdivision, but my wife is going to try and get a small raised platform garden going this spring. Quoted:
I think the only things I can add here that I haven't seen anyone suggest yet is a way to cook your stored food with enough fuel, throw in a first aid kit, and defense. We have a camp stove with 3 fuel bottles, but will need something more sustainable. Hoping to add a rifle and pistol supressor to the inventory this year, but we could also use a few more firearms. Quoted:
The key to your answer lies in "When SHTF". Now, like me, you appear to think that the term is way the fuck over used. It seems that divorce is SHTF, a minor boo boo is SHTF, a fucking snow storm that happens EVERY YEAR is now SHTF...but that's another rant I suppose......Many of the "issues" people will have in life such as loss of a job, unexpected medical or vehicle expenses etc....ARE solved by having an appropriate cash reserve on hand. Personally, I consider that financial planning and not "survival"....You don't need to come to the SURVIVAL forum to know that you should keep a cushion in your budget for unexpected expenses- Dave Ramsey isn't a wild eyed, gas mask wearing, Militia member.... but apparently, basic financial planning is not taught in public schools anymore and so people now need to be told that it's a "survival prep for when SHTF".....whatever......If that makes them actually do it, I suppose it's ok. One thing that I have noticed about those in the preparedness movement- they tend to be from lower economic strata for the most part. I have a theory about that- They NEED to prepare more than people with money-because what would be a minor inconvenience for some is a major issue for them. Many people with money are very much insulated from much of what would constitute a "disaster" for many people- their "preps" consist of a large checkbook and when something goes wrong....they write a check and the problem goes away. This is their frame of reference. There are a few exceptions of course but I find it a general rule. In any event, given the type of "emergency" that most people are going to face most often...a good supply of cash is a wise "investment". You are dead on here. There are few financial SHTF situations for us. When I speak of preps, I want to be able to survive an extended ice storm (GA is notorious for being unable to deal with winter storms), significant tornado devastation, or other semi-likely weather scenario. I want to be able to weather the chaos of the next election, a terrorist scare in the region, or some other unforseen problem. I'm not expecting Mad Max societal collapse, but I want to have some preparation for unexpected events - starting with the most likely and working towards the least likely. |
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Quoted: @ felrom - I agree about the 90%, so my first plan is to prep for natural disaster style issues. Last year, we were iced in for about 5 days - but we have a large pantry so we had plenty of food for ourselves and a friend that was over. Had we lost water, however, we would have had to rely on things like soft drinks after a few days, so I see that as an immediate need. Get one of these for each bathtub: http://www.amazon.com/waterBOB-Emergency-Drinking-Water-Storage/dp/B001AXLUX2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329958329&sr=8-1 Think of this as concentrated powdered bleach. One heaping teaspoon full with 2 gallons of water makes bleach. Use the resulting bleach to purify more water. http://www.amazon.com/HTH-Sock-Pool-Shock-N-Swim-1-lb/dp/B003BPUM4U/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1329958433&sr=1-2 Water filtration to clean junk from your bleached water. 0.2 micron filter; be sure to order a couple extra. http://www.amazon.com/Gallon-Countertop-Water-Filter-Transform/dp/B002F5732Q/ref=pd_bxgy_hi_text_c Supplement this with 60ish gallons of water in 1-gallon jugs and cases of bottles. For about $260 you'll have your water issues taken care of w.r.t. natural disasters. Also, buy an Amazon Prime membership  |
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I got a 20L jerry can for Christmas, and will order 2 more to keep on hand. Keeping your car's tank full is a good prep. We keep the BoV full. 
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@ felrom - I agree about the 90%, so my first plan is to prep for natural disaster style issues. Last year, we were iced in for about 5 days - but we have a large pantry so we had plenty of food for ourselves and a friend that was over. Had we lost water, however, we would have had to rely on things like soft drinks after a few days, so I see that as an immediate need. Get one of these for each bathtub: http://www.amazon.com/waterBOB-Emergency-Drinking-Water-Storage/dp/B001AXLUX2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329958329&sr=8-1 Think of this as concentrated powdered bleach. One heaping teaspoon full with 2 gallons of water makes bleach. Use the resulting bleach to purify more water. http://www.amazon.com/HTH-Sock-Pool-Shock-N-Swim-1-lb/dp/B003BPUM4U/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1329958433&sr=1-2 Water filtration to clean junk from your bleached water. 0.2 micron filter; be sure to order a couple extra. http://www.amazon.com/Gallon-Countertop-Water-Filter-Transform/dp/B002F5732Q/ref=pd_bxgy_hi_text_c Supplement this with 60ish gallons of water in 1-gallon jugs and cases of bottles. For about $260 you'll have your water issues taken care of w.r.t. natural disasters. Also, buy an Amazon Prime membership
I will definitely look into these. |
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I have several of those bought locally for $50 apiece. They are used to catch rain water from the garage roof. Originally they were used to hold mineral oil so they are "human safe". Apparently the mineral oil is injected into deep water wells as a high volume pump coolant. |
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I have several of those bought locally for $50 apiece. They are used to catch rain water from the garage roof. Originally they were used to hold mineral oil so they are "human safe". Apparently the mineral oil is injected into deep water wells as a high volume pump coolant. Any real chance of one of these leaking? I could keep one in the garage of my townhouse apartment (rare freezing or sub-freezing temps here in Dallas area) but it would bring unwanted attention if it ever sprung a leak and maintenance guys showed up. |