Three Ways Preppers Can Save Money
Kevin Felts 11.03.17
One of the biggest issues facing preppers is how expensive it is to get started. Just paying the bills and raising kids takes almost everything the average family earns. So where is the extra money supposed to come from?
As people make more money, they tend to treat themselves to the nicer things. For example, rather than cooking at home, the family may go out to eat more often.
In the course of a month, where do you spend money that could otherwise go to preps?
Drinks
One of the biggest waste of money is store bought drinks. This could be coffee, energy drinks, beer, wine, or whiskey.
I use to work with an older gentlemen who only drank water and milk. The company we worked for supplied coffee, so he would drink that on the companies dime. His logic was, “Why buy something you are going to piss out?” That is a sound mindset.
Rather than going to Starbucks, buying a six pack of beer or bottle of wine, put that money to the side and spend it on preps.
Here is an example. Let’s say a six pack of beer cost $8 + tax. As I write this, Gun Mag Warehouse has Hexmags for $8.99. For every six pack of beer someone pisses out, they could buy a Hexmag.
Once you get into the craft beers or imports, each six pack could buy a Pmag. As this article is being written, Gun Mag Warehouse has a 10 pack of gen 2 Pmags on sale for $99.99. Over the course of a month, if you buy 10 six packs of craft or imported beer, that equals to one case of gen 2 Pmags.
Going Out To Eat
Why take a family out to eat and spend $40, $50 or even $60, when you can cook at home?
Let’s say the family goes out to eat four times over the course of a month. Each trip cost $45. That equals $180 that could of been spent somewhere else. Cooking at home cost money, so let’s estimate you save $30 on ever meal you cook at home. The grand total is an estimated $120 that could be saved by not going out to eat just four times in a month
$120 would buy a bunch of seeds, several fruit trees, potting soil, everything a family needs to start a garden.
The Sawyer PointOne Squeeze water filter is $29.97 at Amazon with Prime shipping. $120 would buy four of those water filters.
So by cooking at home four times when the family would of other wise gone out to eat, you saved enough money to buy four water filters, or start a home garden.
Going out to eat also includes going out while at work. Pack a lunch from home.
Entertainment
One of the biggest funnels of money is entertainment. My wife and I go to the movies once a month, once every couple of months. Depending on whether we go to Lufkin or Beaumont Texas, the drive could be one hour, to an hour and a half.
- Cost of the tickets.
- Snacks.
- We may grab something to eat on the way home.
Adding everything together, including fuel, we probably spend $100 just going to the movies. Rather than going to the movies, we can rent the movie for a couple of dollars from Redbox.
Buying a movie on DVD was a waste of money. My wife and I watch the movie once, put it on a shelf, then we may watch it again in a few years. The only movies we buy are ones with replay value, or good for when company comes over.
The main source of a movie when we eat dinner is Netflix. Over the past week we have been watching Stranger Things season 2. Before that it was Daredevil, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Haven, and Dexter.
Rather than sitting home and listening to the kids complain they are bored, take them fishing. Some state parks allow fishing from the bank without a fishing license. Call the local parks and ask about day use areas.
Maybe join a naturalist club. I am a Texas certified Master Naturalist. The meetings are a wonderful way to meet new people, and there is a lot to learn from the guest speakers.
Final Thoughts
Try cutting out the extra stuff for one month. Do a 30 day challenge to spend no more money than you need.
At the end of the 30 days, see how much prepping gear you can buy with the extra money. Even if the addition is an outdoor grill that can be used to cook with during a power outage, you added something to your preps.
