Week One - Survival Shopping

As we engulf on the ‘end of the world’ preparation journey, it is so important to remember that while I am trying to keep you on a shoe string apocalypse budget, there will be a few things you may need to buy on the side. Most are very inexpensive and I’ll try to incorporate them into our weekly budget.

Did you find you space? Your area to store you supplies? If not, that is a must. The worst thing you can do is store them away from your home. What if you get stuck? What if you can’t leave? You need to prepare your home.

The easiest way to save money is if you are a milk or soda drinker. Those half gallon/gallon jugs that you recycle? No more. I want you to wash them out and ONCE a week, fill one with tap water. This will save you money.  Just one gallon a week.

And now for the weekly shop and prep list. Ready?

Preparations:

This is fairly simple. Go through your closets and drawers and find 8 articles of clothing you no longer wear that are warm. Or at least as many as you can. These will be stored in your shelter for layering.

If the world ends tomorrow, if everything shuts down and even without a stockpile of food, you can still survive. However, essential things need to be had right away. Starting with the ability to cook your food.

No lights. No gas. You need to eat and boil water. Hence why it is important to have these right away.

If you don’t have a Coleman stove you need to make one. Or what I call a Sterno stove. One of the best sources of cooking inside is STERNO.  You can buy a six pack of Sterno at Walmart for just a couple bucks. These are something I’ll include on your ten dollar a week list occasionally. But to jump start, get three cans of Sterno.

You also need 3 bricks and a metal grate (Small and for a Coleman stove) These are also available at Walmart for 5 bucks. Except the bricks, you can find them anywhere.

A VERY thin tin pan with a lid. Thin will help heat faster and the lid seals in heat. You don’t need a large pan, small is better. Like an egg poacher. You can boil two cups fast. Did you know that once the water boils, you can blow out the Sterno,  add a fist of pasta, place on the lid and let it set and it will cook on its own? Hence conserving the Sterno.

Many things can be cooked/heated with Sterno. Remember four hours of heat per can.

How to make the stove:

Prop the grate on two bricks and a can of Sterno under the grate, one a brick. Light the Sterno. That easy!

And finally, here is your FIRST weekly list. ALL of these items can be purchased at the dollar store.

·         One box of Band Aids

·         One bottle of Ibuprofen

·         One bottle sanitizer

·         One bag of beans (Any kind)

·         One box of instant Rice

·         One box of Oatmeal

·         One gallon of water.

I realize it doesn’t seem like much, but I promise, after 51 weeks, you’ll be stocked up!

Good luck!

Tomorrow: Surviving in your house without preparation.