My goal is to shatter those assumptions and prove that you can be prepared, do it on the cheap, and on your own time. Getting prepared is really something that is simple. The goal is to be prepared to the point that if any disaster comes your way and causes power outages, water outages, or disrupts the local goods supply chain (mainly food) that you will not have to worry and stress. If you're prepared and a disaster does strike, you can continue with your daily activities and go on with "business as usual."
Before we get started, a good way to sort out all the information you get from this blog and others, is to organize them in a feed reader. I won't go into detail but it gives you all the information in one, easy to read place. See my post about Reading Blogs Through Feed Readers for more details.
A get home bag is a great starting point on your journey to preparedness. A get home bag is something that accompanies you while you travel for business or pleasure. It is there to provide you with the means to get home, whether in your car or on foot. If you are caught out in a disaster getting home to your preps is going to be top priority. Your get home bag doubles as a bug out bag if something happened that forced you to evacuate your home. Especially in the case of a fire, chemical spill, flood or hurricane. It would include all the necessary items you would need in the event you had to hold up at a shelter, hotel, or relative's house. See my post on Get Home Bags for a detailed look on what goes into a Get Home Bag.
A car emergency kit is also a great way to begin your path to being a prepper. A lot of things can happen on the road and it's important to have the supplies you need to handle nearly anything that might arise. Warm clothes for the winter, a good pair of boots for hiking/walking, and some spare engine fluids are all important parts of your vehicle emergency kit. You can view my post on Car Emergency Kits for a good look at what goes into a vehicle emergency kit.
Next you really need to sit down and assess your own personal situation. There are a lot of variables that makes everyone's preparedness plan different. Each person's needs in the house would have to be addressed. Most of us are working Americans trying to get prepared and pay the bills at the same time. If you don't have one already, start a budget. There are lots of ways to cut back on expenses. You can check out my post on Getting Your Finances in Order, and also the post on How to Save Money and Build Your Food Storage with Coupons.
The most likely scenario is you being stuck at your home. The best way to get prepared is to do it around the idea of bugging in. This means your food storage needs to be comprised of food and meals that you already eat! You can see my post on Starting your Food Storage for more information on getting your food storage planned. I also have a 3 month food supply list made for anyone wanting an idea of how to build theirs. A 3 month supply is a great way to start your food storage. Just make sure each family member has 90 days of breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Water storage is also essential to the bug in plan. It is recommended you store a minimum of 1 gallon of water per person, per day. 90 days of water (90 gallons) for each member in the house would be essential to go along with the food supply. Water is just as important, if not more important that your food storage. Make sure your water storage is a priority. There are a lot of different options on how to store water, to review some of those options you can check out my post, Water Storage Options.
This is by no means a complete guide to getting prepared, but a getting started guide that will get you well on your way to being prepared. A get home bag is a great way to get started and get a "feel" for being a prepper. Then move onto setting up a budget, mapping out a meal plan, and finally getting your food and water storage together. This is a process that needs to be taken slow and with a lot of thought. Don't rush into anything. Make your purchases and decisions wisely and you will not regret it. Making the right decision or purchase the first time can save you a lot of time and headache in the end.
