logo
mobile-logo
HomePosts Tagged "how to save money"

Money is the lynchpin to all prepping. There are several things out there that you can do for free but that has serious limits. The reality of prepping is that you are going to need some money to get things done.

The good news is that most preps don’t cost a ton of money. Things like food storage can be built up over time. The same could be said for things like ammunition, first aid and even a garden. However, there are some things that could run you a couple to a few hundred dollars.

Things like generators, firearms, outfitting a family with reliable gear for a bugout. Communications can be very expensive.

For many preppers this investment is a huge problem. So many people are living paycheck to paycheck. That doesn’t mean that they are maximizing their money but the idea of setting aside $50 a week for prepping just doesn’t make any sense.

There are many things that you can do to be better with your money. They aren’t easy, because we are set in our ways. However, we are going to look at several ways that you can start saving money for prepping.

Free Preps

Yea, earlier I said there are some free preps. I am sure you didn’t miss that. Here are a handful of preps that can seriously be accomplished at zero dollars and zero cents.

  • Write Plans
  • Take a CERT Course
  • Talk to Your Neighbors About Natural Disasters
  • Organize the Preps You Have
  • Join an Online Community
  • Practice Skills

Cut Your Bad Habits

We have a lot of habits here in the nation. You know, its not uncommon for a large percentage of our weekly income to go towards habits and pleasure. We get so you to it that we believe we NEED those things.

One thing you can do is sit down and consider what you could cut out of your life.

Most people have a tremendous amount money sunk into things like alcohol, cigarettes or drugs. These things become part of your weekly budget.

Another big one can be video games. With the introduction of IN GAME PURCHASES people are spending thousands of dollars on a single video game.

Stop Eating Out

It’s so easy to eat out at a restaurant. Who wants to make food every night of the week?

Most people don’t really know how to cook. That’s the problem. What kind of system have we set up where people grow up to adulthood and don’t know how to feed themselves?

You spend exponential amounts of money when you decide to eat out. It might seem cheap but when you really do your math it’s killing your wallet and you will never have money to prepare.

One of the most popular quick service restaurants is Chipotle. They serve chicken, beans and rice. Let’s put this in perspective. You are going to spend about $10 per person at a place like chipotle. If you go to Sam’s Club, you can buy 50lbs or white rice for $20!

Think about that. You get one burrito for $10 or 50lbs of uncooked rice for $20.

50lbs of rice is 30,000 calories! That’s a serious prep.

Get Up Early and Go to Bed Early

When you get up early you are more productive. Its pretty much that simple. If you wake up early you have time to make money before work. You can write books, sell products, push a website and make that side hustle viable.

After work we are all exhausted and we have other responsibilities. However, if you can get up two hours earlier you have some serious time to sit down and really play things out.

The opposite side of the coin is that by going to bed early you spend less money. Think about it. Think about that last monster bar tab you ran up. What about that last huge restaurant bill you ran up? Those things don’t happen if you wake up early and get to bed early.

Practicing a frugal life where you are up early and in bed early is about as safe as it gets. You will see the money start to stack just from this lifestyle change.

Side Hustle

Lots of Americans are working overtime or working a side hustle altogether. Whether that is something like an internet business or doing side jobs in your trade or profession, there is a lot of money to be made out there.

The economy favors the person who hustles. Those who work 5 more hours a week, per week make roughly 30% more a year.

You should decide if you are the type of person who wants to operate a side hustle you own and operate.

In other words, do you want to start a side business?

OR

Do you want to hop under someone else’s umbrella and make money through things like network marketing or even just getting a part time gig?

No matter which side hustle you choose, you will be making more money and that money can be diverted to your prepping goals and plans.

Conclusion

While everyone lives on a budget there is always a way to change that. For some, we can simply cut out some unnecessary spending and divert that towards prepping. Things like vices and going out to restaurants on a regular basis can be paired back. There are also health benefits to this, as well.

If you are stretched to the max and cannot cut anything out of your life, well, you need to get back on your hustle. You need to work more, on a side hustle, and get more income for prepping.

The great news is that you have options. No, it’s not going to come for nothing. 

Of course, there is also the chance that you start a simple side hustle and it becomes your main business. Maybe its even something you love. For the blessed few this happens but it can never happen to you if you don’t give it a shot!

For the ones who have no clue how to make the extra buck, make sure you read our next email.

On a different note, here’s some other self-sufficiency and preparedness solutions recommended for you:

The Lost Ways (The vital self-sufficiency lessons our great grand-fathers left us)
Survival MD (Knowledge to survive any medical crisis situation)
Backyard Liberty (Liberal’s hidden agenda: more than just your guns…)
Alive After the Fall (Build yourself the only unlimited water source you’ll ever need)
The Lost ways II (4 Important Forgotten Skills used by our Ancestors that can help you in any crisis)
The Patriot Privacy Kit (Secure your privacy in just 10 simple steps)

0 Comments

There are many things that you can do to be better with your money. They aren’t easy, however, we are going to look at several ways that you can start

We’re by no means rich or even moderately well off, but we do believe strongly in living within our means. Granted, we’re probably not as strict on some things as Dave Ramsey would be, but on most financial matters we try to follow what we believe to be the spirit of Dave’s financial ‘school’ of advice. While he teaches specifics that any family who wants to get out of debt and attain to financial freedom should follow, the basic things we have done to get and (for the most part) stay out of debt (except for our house, unfortunately) include some of his and even a few of our own – one of which is… prepping!

Prepping?!?! When most people think about prepping, they probably think about spending gobs of money on doomsday bunkers, 30-year freeze-dried goods, solar panels, and other expensive items. Sure, those are fun and, given a few truckloads of discretionary income, would be great things to purchase; but prepping, ultimately, should be a money saver first. We firmly believe EVERY family, on even the most modest of budgets, should take some basic prepping steps. But today, in case you’ve been considering preparing your family for the inevitable hard times to come but have been holding back for financial reasons, we’d like to explore five ways prepping can actually save your family money over the long haul.

1.) No matter what you buy, buying in bulk is usually less expensive.

This is often true whether you are buying raw ingredients or your favorite canned, frozen, or dried items. While it’s certainly important to check the cost per ounce, buying things in bulk, especially from a wholesale retailer like Sam’s or Cosco, is normally less expensive than buying things one at a time. Furthermore, seasonal, local, fresh vegetables from a co-op or local farmer’s market can often be less expensive than the grocery store (gardening yourself is even cheaper!). This could be the understatement of the century but… preppers like buying things in bulk!

2.) Raw ingredients are usually cheaper and store longer than processed foods.

For our philosophy of prepping and overall wellness, cooking from scratch is a key. It’s less expensive than eating out or even buying processed foods from the store. Basic rule of thumb: the more ‘hands’ (or machines) that touch the food, the most it costs. Even buying that can of soup from the store is much more expensive than making the soup yourself. It’s not as hard as you think, but it does involve a lifestyle change, albeit one that is well worth it. Added bonus – cooking from scratch is healthier. Not only does processed food cost more, but it’s also usually less nutritious.

3.) Prepping allows you to buy almost everything on sale.

Except for fresh items like milk, eggs, fruit, and the like, we rarely buy a food item that’s not on sale. Let’s say you want to make a nice chicken casserole from scratch one night for dinner. Great idea, except you don’t have any chicken in your pantry – so you go to the store, only to find out that the chicken you need isn’t on sale. In fact, it’s marked higher than it normally is! Had you been prepping all along, you wouldn’t have run out of chicken in the first place, and the chicken you have in the pantry would have all been bought on sale. A smart prepper will pretty much clear the shelf when he sees a good deal (score!). After all, who knows when that deal will come around again?

4.) Prepping saves time, and time is money.

See point #3 – how much time, gas, and vehicle wear and tear do those avoidable trips to the grocery store take?

5.) Prepping in this way will help you eat healthier, and eating healthier will save you money in the long run.

The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates once said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Cooking and eating healthy ingredients from scratch is certainly not something only preppers do, but preppers who practice this will reap the same rewards. A healthier lifestyle = a healthier family = less medical expenses = more money in your pocket! Win-Win-Win-Win!!

It’s a no-brainer – prepping, properly and smartly done, can SAVE the average family money over the long haul. Then, later, maybe there’ll be enough for those doomsday bunkers and solar panels!

0 Comments

We’re by no means rich or even moderately well off, but we do believe strongly in living within our means. Granted, we’re probably not as strict on some things as