One of the biggest myths out there is that prepping is TOO expensive for most people to really tackle.

It’s an unfortunate myth because it keeps a lot of people from even taking modest steps to be more prepared for emergency situations.

It is true that you can make prepping an EXTREMELY expensive adventure if you buy every tool, every gadget, and every weapon out there to keep yourself fed, clothed, and secure. When you start talking about going off-grid and buying a “bug out retreat” the sky is the limit in terms of dollars you can sink into this lifestyle.

But the great news for most of us is that prepping can be affordable.

Just like most things in life, you get to decide how much you want to invest in this lifestyle. You can make conscious choices up front to help keep costs down. You can also adjust your prepping timeline to fit your family budget.

If you have every thought to yourself, “I’d love to be more prepared, but I just can’t afford it,” then the 5 strategies I am going to share today are just for you!

1. Set a Prepping Budget - Just like with most things in life, if we don’t set a budget, we can overspend quickly. It’s important to determine how much money you are comfortable putting towards your prepping ventures.

   You can determine an annual amount, a monthly amount, or a weekly amount. Pick a strategy that is comfortable for you.

   We have settled on having a dollar amount per month that we are comfortable putting towards our prepping supplies. This allows me to plan out my purchases in advance and ensures I don’t get sucked into the Amazon scrolling trap of adding more things to the cart than I should!

   I also found having a budget reduces the friction my husband and I have as we are stocking up on supplies.

   We obviously talk about any large purchases, but having a monthly dollar target means one month I can buy extra wheat and one month I can buy water filters without stressing my husband out, which helps us stay on the same page with our prepping.

2. Create a Prioritized Buy List - Having a running “buy list” is a huge help for us (if you haven’t read it already, check out the 3 Ways to Organize Your Prepping Efforts post).

   Creating a buy list allows you to prioritize the supplies you want to buy based on your focus for the month. Some months you may focus on food storage, the next month might be security, and the month after that may be a medical focus.

   Having a prioritized “buy” list allows you to add things to your list strategically while still staying in your budget.

   I also keep a “prepping list” in my Amazon account (I’m sure you can tell by now it’s where I get 90% of all my prepping supplies). Then when I am ready to make my monthly purchase I can add things from my buy list that help me move forward on my overall prepping goals.

3. Shop in Bulk - For quite a few years I only purchased exactly what I need. I lived in a small house and I didn’t have the luxury of buying in bulk from Sams or Costco because I didn’t want to store the extra stuff. However, I will tell you they are now some of my favorite stores.

   The first time you walk into a Sam’s Club after becoming a pepper your heart will become just a little bit happier…it opens up a whole new way of thinking!

   In all seriousness, shopping in bulk should be part of your strategy for stocking up on household goods, food, and sometimes medical supplies.

   My only word of caution on shopping in bulk is make sure you spend a little extra time doing price comparisons. Sometimes you can find the items cheaper at other stores than you can at a Sam’s Club or Costco. If you primary objective is to save money just make sure you are doing a price comparison, which is super easy with a smart phone and an internet connection…we check prices all the time that way while we are in the store.

   The flip side for me is sometimes I’d rather spend a little extra money buying at big box store than spending time waiting for sales and cutting coupons or traveling all over town to go to three stores when I can get the items in one place. You need to decide what makes sense for you and your family.

4. Take Advantage of the Dollar Store - Okay, a little honesty here. I’ve never been a huge fan of the dollar store. I’m not really sure why, but I always felt like most of the products were low quality and not really that useful.

   Becoming a prepper changed my relationship with the dollar store!

   There are tons of household items and even some food items you can get for a great deal at the dollar store for a fraction of the price of even big discount stores.

   Some items to watch for at the dollar store are: paper products, canned goods, trash bags, cleaning supplies, and some medical supplies.

   If you haven’t strolled through your local dollar store recently, it might be time to revisit the store with your prepper hat on…you’ll see tons of “treasures” that didn’t exist before.

5. Shop Sales & Use Coupons - How many of you remember the extreme coupon shows that were on TV not that long ago?

My mom, sister, and I used to have binders full of coupons we cut out from the weekly paper that my dad so graciously tracked down for us on Sunday mornings. We’d cut coupons take out the sales pages for Walgreens and CVS and go to town!

It was amazing how much money we saved on toothpaste, deodorants, shampoo, and chocolate!

You don’t have to become quite this dedicated to coupon clipping, but by watching the weekly ads for sales and adding some manufacturer coupons you can stock up on needed supplies at significant discounts.

Not all of these strategies will fit your goals (or your personality), but they can help making prepping more affordable.

I’d love to hear about your strategies for saving money on your prepping journey.