The penny-pinching prepper : save more, spend less and get prepared for any disaster

177 Pages·2015·1.92 MB·English

by  Carr

Text copyright © 2015 Bernie Carr. Concept and design copyright © 2015 Ulysses Press and its licensors.
All rights reserved. Any unauthorized duplication in whole or in part or dissemination of this edition by any
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be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Published in the US by:
Ulysses Press
P.O. Box 3440
Berkeley, CA 94703
www.ulyssespress.com
ISBN: 978-1-61243-514-5
Library of Congress Control Number: 2015937560
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Acquisitions editor: Keith Riegert Managing editor: Claire Chun
Editor: Renee Rutledge
Proofreader: Lauren Harrison
Indexer: Sayre Van Young
Front cover design: Rebecca Lown Interior design: what!design @ whatweb.com
Cover artwork: pistols © Orfeev/shutterstock.com, bushcraft icons © zelimirz/shutterstock.com, camping
icons © Panptys/shutterstock.com, survival kit icon © supirloko89/shutterstock.com, penny © Pete
Spiro/shutterstock.com
Layout: Lindsay Tamura
Illustrations: Evan Wondolowski Distributed by Publishers Group West PLEASE NOTE: This book is
independently authored and published and no sponsorship or endorsement of this book by, and no
affiliation with, any trademarked events, brands or other products mentioned or pictured within is
claimed or suggested. All trademarks that appear in this book belong to their respective owners and are
used here for informational purposes only. The authors and publisher encourage readers to patronize the
quality events, brands and other products mentioned and pictured in this book.
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
Chapter 1
RAISING ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR EMERGENCY SUPPLIES
Chapter 2
WATER
Chapter 3
FOOD
Chapter 4
SHELTER AND COMFORT
Chapter 5
FIRST AID
Chapter 6
HYGIENE AND PERSONAL CARE
Chapter 7
CLEANING
Chapter 8
COMMUNICATIONS
Chapter 9
SAFETY AND DEFENSE
Chapter 10
WHEN YOU’RE ON THE MOVE
Chapter 11
LOW-COST SURVIVAL AND PREPAREDNESS PROJECTS
Chapter 12
MAKING YOUR OWN
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
INTRODUCTION
I started my preparedness journey soon after Hurricane Ike in 2008. In the
aftermath of the hurricane, many Houston communities were left without power
for several days, roads were flooded, and food deliveries to numerous area stores
were delayed. It was then that I learned that when the trucks stop coming,
grocery stores quickly become emptied. I resolved to be prepared and have
enough supplies to sustain my family for a few weeks in case of emergencies. I
read everything I could get my hands on, online and at the library, about food
storage, water purification, the best backpack to have, fire starting, emergency
shelters, and all manner of gear. While living in the city, I chronicled my own
family preparedness steps in my blog, Apartment Prepper. In 2010, I wrote The
Prepper’s Pocket Guide, a book about taking small, easy steps to prepare for
disasters.
Over the years I have received hundreds of emails from readers who want to
know how to find extra money to spend on being prepared. A common
misconception, due in part to TV shows such as Doomsday Preppers, where
many of the featured individuals appear to have an unlimited source of income
to pour into their preparedness and survival supplies, is that you need to have a
lot of money to be prepared. In “TV land” that may be the case, but out in the
real world, most preppers are just ordinary folks with jobs struggling to make
ends meet. I won’t lie, there is some outlay, and certainly a lot of prioritizing
involved, but it does not have to be out of reach for average people.
With all the interest in preparedness and improving one’s finances, the idea to
write The Penny-Pinching Prepper was born.
WHAT ARE YOU PREPARING FOR?
If you read any emergency preparedness books or survival blogs, there is always
a list of perils to be ready for, ranging in severity from a simple snowstorm to
more terrifying disasters such as nuclear war or an EMP (electromagnetic pulse)
that takes down the power grid. Of course there are lots of other threats in
between, including natural disasters, epidemics, or economic upheavals. And
let’s not forget personal disasters such as job loss, divorce, and medical
disability. Just thinking about all these possibilities can become overwhelming,
but don’t let yourself get carried away.
The best way to approach this is to consider the most common threats in your
immediate area. Some areas are prone to hurricanes, earthquakes, snowstorms,
tornadoes, etc. While some people may fear a natural disaster, others may feel
insecure in their employment situation and feel a job loss may be imminent.
What are the most likely threats facing you? Answer this question and you can
start prioritizing your needs and plan your expenses.
The good news is, once you get started preparing for one thing, you will have a
good foundation to be prepared for other types of disasters.
IS YOUR PARTNER ON BOARD WITH
PREPARING?
This is another question you must ask. If you have not brought up the subject of
being prepared with your significant other, now is the time to do so. The process
of getting ready will be a lot easier if your partner shares your enthusiasm.
Becoming a prepared household is a joint decision. If your partner does not share
your desire to be prepared, try to understand his or her point of view. Sometimes
people are resistant to being prepared because of fear or lack of understanding
about the need to be prepared. Do not try to argue and be confrontational.
Instead, approach the subject in terms of immediate regional threats, such as
being prepared for earthquakes or hurricanes. Another good approach for parents
is the idea of protecting the children and making sure they are safe in a disaster.
Start slow and soon your partner will realize the benefits such as money savings
from your stockpile as well as an increased feeling of security that comes from
being prepared.
TIME-AND MONEY-SAVER
Since I started the journey to be more prepared, I have found lots of ways to save
myself both time and money. By adopting a mindset of being ready, you will
avoid lots of unnecessary expenses and wasted time. How is this possible? In the
coming pages, you will find out.
HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THIS BOOK
Chapter 1 of this book deals with saving money and finding extra funds that can
be used for emergency preparation as well as building your cash cushion. In
Chapter 2 and thereafter, I will give you lots of ideas on preparing for
emergencies with a small budget. The fun part is being able to make some of
your own preps with stuff you already have around the house.
You can start your preparedness journey AND save money simultaneously. You
don’t have to do this in any order. The only thing you need to do is just get
started.
Chapter 1
RAISING ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR
EMERGENCY SUPPLIES
This may sound like a cliché, but I have to say it anyway. A great first step to
saving money and getting started with being prepared is to get organized. By
taking this first step, you will get your finances in order and identify your
important papers by eliminating all the junk.
ELIMINATE CLUTTER
You may be wondering why a penny pincher’s preparedness guide would go
over the exercise of getting organized. Clutter may seem harmless enough, but it
ends up costing you money in the long run. For instance: • Have you missed a
credit card payment and gotten charged a late payment fee?
• Have you been charged an overdraft fee because you forgot to balance
your checkbook for a couple of weeks and lost track of how much you
had?
• How many times have you had to run to the mall and buy the first thing
you spotted, at full price because you forgot someone’s birthday was
coming up?
• Do you have a huge stack of papers that you have not looked at or filed?
I have missed out on deals and allowed gift certificates to expire from being
disorganized and burying these opportunities under piles of paper.
Getting organized applies to both paperwork and electronic records. Not long
ago, I took my car for an oil change and ended up paying full price because I did
not print the email offer for a 25 percent discount. It had gotten buried in my
overly full inbox. I was really annoyed at myself and resolved not to let my
inbox get that full again.
Knowing what to save and what to keep will also help you choose which files to