The Biggest Money-Wasting Mistake Beginner Preppers Make

A frugal prepper shares how to prepare your family for emergencies without spending a fortune.

Garage sales and thrift stores are great places to find bargains. Paul McKinnon/Shutterstock

During the prepping craze of the early 2000s, shysters and honest businesses alike made a fortune selling backyard bunkers and a year’s worth of freeze-dried food to their fearful customers. Highlighted on TV shows such as “Doomsday Preppers,” it seemed that the only way to prepare for a major crisis was to empty the savings account or max out credit cards.

The truth is, you don’t need to spend a fortune to prepare. In fact, being prepared can help save money in the long run because emergencies have the potential to completely drain bank accounts. If you’ve planned and are prepared, you can mitigate the financial impact and avoid last-minute, rushed purchases.

Plastic buckets are a bargain prepper's best friend. Safargalieva Ilsiar/Shutterstock

The Best Way to Save Money Prepping

My best tip is to avoid the urge to panic shop. You know the feeling. A newspaper headline screams that war is imminent and, by the way, there’s going to be an economic crash and a shortage of baby diapers and cocoa! It’s natural to worry and feel tempted to make purchases that promise to protect your family. Still, the people who spent thousands of dollars on backyard bunkers out of panic might now regret their decision.

Step away from emotion, and you'll be able to make the best proactive decisions within your budget.

Keep track of the prices of items on your "to buy" list and comparison shop. BearFotos/Shutterstock

3 Lists to Stay Focused and Save Money

As you consider how to best prepare yourself, your home, and your family, it’s easy to be overwhelmed. One way to avoid the temptation to panic-shop is to create three lists: To Learn, To Buy, and To Do. Jot down ideas for things you want to learn, products to consider buying, and a to-do list so you keep making progress. Keep these lists handy in a small notebook you keep with you or on a note-taking phone app. They'll remind you that prepping isn’t all about spending money; it’s also about taking action and continually learning.

When you do have to spend, the To Buy list will keep you focused on what you really need and help you avoid the shiny object syndrome of some new survival must-have. It’s handy to have as a reference when you’re shopping.

If you want to be even smarter about shopping, include model numbers and prices of items on your list and use that information to comparison shop, whether online, in a brick-and-mortar store, or at a yard sale. At an estate sale several years ago, I found a used water bath canner priced at $20. A quick check on Amazon showed me that it wasn’t much of a bargain, and I could pick up a brand-new one for only five dollars more.

Don't stop with your ongoing education, especially the practical skills and knowledge that are a major part of being prepared. Ahanov Michael/Shutterstock

Where to Find Bargain Buys

Garage sales and thrift stores are great places to find bargains for most things on your To Buy list. I found my wheat mill at a thrift store and cast iron skillets, canning supplies, and a perfectly good emergency radio at yard sales. Estate sales can be treasure troves with high-quality hand tools, medical supplies, and helpful reference books.

Look for deals online, too. I bought my first food dehydrator for $35 on Craigslist. Other online resources for bargains are Facebook Marketplace and your town’s Facebook groups. One local group I’m active in is all about giving things away for free, and for me, that has included plant cuttings and gardening supplies.

One expense you’ll encounter is building up an emergency food supply. This can become a significant expense because of inflation, up a whopping 27 percent in the past four years. However, you can still find bargains on canned food when you look for store sales and shop at discount grocery stores and dollar stores.

As you buy foods such as rice, pasta, beans, and anything packaged in a cardboard box or flimsy plastic packaging, protect your food investment from pests and moisture by repackaging those foods in more protective containers. These can be canning jars, 2-liter soda bottles, heavy mylar bags, and plastic food-safe buckets with tight-fitting lids.

Plastic buckets are a bargain prepper’s best friend. With dozens of uses beyond food storage, you can often get these for free or very cheap at grocery store bakeries and delis. Verify they’re made from food-grade plastic if you'll use them for food storage. They can be used to organize your supplies, as bug-out containers, and even as an emergency toilet.

Build Your Bank of Knowledge for Free (or Almost Free)

One category of preps that can never be stolen or destroyed is what’s inside your head and on your To Learn list. Fortunately, here is where you can save a lot of money. YouTube has video training for just about every type of survival, prepping, and homesteading skill you can think of. Public libraries, county extension offices, home improvement stores, and sporting goods stores offer free classes in everything from setting up an outdoor kitchen to seed exchanges.

County extension offices may be one of our country’s biggest hidden treasures. These offices and their websites offer free and low-cost resources to help you learn how to preserve food, the best livestock breeds for your area, and when to plant specific crops for your growing zone.

Here’s a tip: You don’t need to live in a specific county to utilize their online resources. Check out extension offices in areas similar to your growing zone for reliable and relevant information.

Continue with online learning from Udemy. I’ve found courses in survival skills, permaculture, food storage lessons, and herbalism, most for less than $20. Read the reviews and details so you know exactly what the course includes.

Don’t stop with your ongoing education, especially the practical skills and knowledge that are a major part of being prepared. Pass along what you learn to your kids and grandkids—maybe even take a class together.

Always Make Progress With Your To Do List

It’s impossible to be prepared for emergencies if you aren’t taking action. For many people, it’s simply easier to focus on To Buy, which is, admittedly, a lot easier than learning and doing!

Your To Do list may be the longest of all three and, ultimately, the one that produces the most results. Some tasks may take just a few minutes, while others might be major projects. It might include comparing different brands of freeze-dried foods, making a 30-day menu for your emergency food purchases, or tracking down a local rancher for fresh beef.

A few items to consider adding to your own To Do list are:

• Check for any weak spots in your home’s security, such as the door locks and outdoor lighting.
• Declutter drawers and cabinets to make room for food storage.
• Assemble an emergency kit for the car.
• Find a source of free plastic buckets.
• Compare prices of canning supplies at Walmart and Amazon.
• Round up all the flashlights and make sure they have working batteries.

It’s surprising how many of your To Do items can be finished quickly and without cost.

More and more of us are feeling the squeeze when it comes to rising prices, but when it comes to prepping, you can accomplish much of it on a penny pincher’s budget.