No money to prep

[Brent S]

I built my whole bunny habitat with spare wood I had (like old stall boards, left over plywood from other projects, old broken fence posts, etc.). I even had a roll of chain link fence I got in a barter arrangement once (one of our horse boarders was short on board for the month), so used that. All I had to buy was some more screws, hinges, gate latches, etc. Everything else was recycled.

Better yet, I still have enough materials for two more projects I want to do.... dog house (I even have a few pieces of old metal roofing) and garden fence and gate (which I'll build from scrap wood and chain link). (again, will just need to buy some fixtures).


Definitely a must have. We basically convert our jars to a WalMart gift card around Christmas time, and use it for Christmas shopping. Typically, it is about $100-$150, so a nice little additional money around the holiday.

Hell, I went to Costa Rica for a week on my change jug once! Never underestimate the power of the Penney, espechially when saved for three or four years.

 

[Rob Painless]

This is a good thread & I'm glad Benjamin started it....I don't want to see it die off. This is where so many people, who would like to delve into prepping, get discouraged. I just want them to know....getting prepared is not necessarily about spending money. It can be more about how we spend our time. Learning, planning, discussing our ideas with others ( like here!) and making improvements to and around one's living space are all important. If I can figure out how, I am gonna start putting a link to this thread on all greetings in the New Members Check-in area. I think it's a great place for a lot of folks to start.

 

[jimLE]

i've started doing better,when it comes to buying the foods we eat.i'd go through the diff foods we have.and only buy whats needed that month.and buy just a lil extra can or 2.or extra mac n cheese.or a package of 8 cans of tuna.we now have enough vieanna sausage to do us for 3 or 4 month.in which we have enough BBQ sauce for all that.and then some.we're stocked up on knorr rice and pasta side,corn bread and chicken stuffing.hamburger and tuna helpers.peanut butter.and of course cans of chili.ranch style beans,baked beans,black beans, pork n beans, and green beans.and because of that.i can now leave those items alone until i need more of one or more of them.and that allows me to buy other items..

 

[Brent S]

i've started doing better,when it comes to buying the foods we eat.i'd go through the diff foods we have.and only buy whats needed that month.and buy just a lil extra can or 2.or extra mac n cheese.or a package of 8 cans of tuna.we now have enough vieanna sausage to do us for 3 or 4 month.in which we have enough BBQ sauce for all that.and then some.we're stocked up on knorr rice and pasta side,corn bread and chicken stuffing.hamburger and tuna helpers.peanut butter.and of course cans of chili.ranch style beans,baked beans,black beans, pork n beans, and green beans.and because of that.i can now leave those items alone until i need more of one or more of them.and that allows me to buy other items..

I like stocking up on rice, beans, mashed patatoes, pastas, etc. they all are easy to make and can be mixed with just about anything. They also store really well. I have a good sized collection of mason jars now, and with oxy absorbers they store well for years. It really dosent matter what you store as most of the country is completely unprepared. Just by thinking about it and doing a little each week or even month you are allready smarter than most.

 

[Myrrph]

I normally stock when there is an offer. Curry Lamb, Curry beef only once a year, so I stock 4 to 8 cans each time. Tuna happens few times a year, so 2 cans each time. I tend to do stock up once a month to once every 2 months on cans which are on promotion. Same with rice.

 

[jimLE]

i do need to buy some bags/boxes of rice and beans.and then can them as is..i wonder if i can do that with instant potato flakes..i buy the 6-packs of tuna.in which we don't eat to often.but yet its there and we have it.

 

[Brent S]

i do need to buy some bags/boxes of rice and beans.and then can them as is..i wonder if i can do that with instant potato flakes..i buy the 6-packs of tuna.in which we don't eat to often.but yet its there and we have it.

I have a few cases of the wallmart brand potato flakes in jars. I imagine you could even make a substitute for flour with them as well. I eat lots of potatoes here, in all sorts of ways. One note about tuna. I had some cans that became dog food as after a year or more they started seeming 'off'. I don't think they store as well as chicken.

 

[jimLE]

we get the 1 gallon cartons of potato flakes at sams club...i went through our dry foods on my home made shelves yesterday..in which there's good n bad there.bad news,is we let certain dry foods go bad.good news is.i now know that i WILL start dry canning certain dry foods now.in which i now need more canning jars,seeing how i've started canning..

 

[jimLE]

i started going to a 2nd hand store in town,a while back..in which i've been getting some good deals there..one item i got there for $15.00,is a collapsible cot with air mattress.air mattress holds air.and the cot is like new..they have hand tools there.like open and closed end wrence's.ratcehting hand drills,etc etc..i plan on getting another drill or 2,seeing how i already have 1..their worth their whight in gold,and then some,where there's no electricity..

 

[lonewolf]

a few extra cans every time you go to the store costs very little, its where we all started.

 

[jimLE]

yeah..and maybe a bag or 2 of beans and/or rice..

 

[Dani]

Saw a local ad that said 5lbs of potatoes 97 cents. ...that is a darn good price! Thinking about getting some myself right now. So much cheaper to just buy a bag of potatoes, make a big batch of mashed potatoes and the dehydrate them into a powder, rehydrate when needed.

 

[Brent S]

Saw a local ad that said 5lbs of potatoes 97 cents. ...that is a darn good price! Thinking about getting some myself right now. So much cheaper to just buy a bag of potatoes, make a big batch of mashed potatoes and the dehydrate them into a powder, rehydrate when needed.

You are the queen of finding sales!

 

[Silent Earth]

The header " No money to prep made me smile" Local authority is trying to encourage people to prep for bad winter storms, encouraging folks to set aside an extra bit of food etc. The woman in front of me in the coop store was saying she is on benefits and cannot afford to set money aside for extra food, and added they should GIVE me extra food. Then she said " Oh I'll have 100 Lambert and Butler as well please Sheila" to the girl behind the counter. Lambert and Butler are cigarettes costing about £6 ($9) a packet of 20.

 

[lonewolf]

yep, good to see she's got her priorities right!!

 

[Brent S]

The header " No money to prep made me smile" Local authority is trying to encourage people to prep for bad winter storms, encouraging folks to set aside an extra bit of food etc. The woman in front of me in the coop store was saying she is on benefits and cannot afford to set money aside for extra food, and added they should GIVE me extra food. Then she said " Oh I'll have 100 Lambert and Butler as well please Sheila" to the girl behind the counter. Lambert and Butler are cigarettes costing about £6 ($9) a packet of 20.

I smoked as a teenager, so I can't preach here. At least I was smart enough to quit eventually. It so expensive, gives you cancer and dosent even get you high. Need I say more? I am glad that govts around the world are encouraging some prepping now though.

 

[user 6493]

Saw a local ad that said 5lbs of potatoes 97 cents. ...that is a darn good price! Thinking about getting some myself right now. So much cheaper to just buy a bag of potatoes, make a big batch of mashed potatoes and the dehydrate them into a powder, rehydrate when needed.

buy that same bag of tatters cut them in half, plant them and soon you will have tatters for the entire year

 

[user 6493]

The header " No money to prep made me smile" Local authority is trying to encourage people to prep for bad winter storms, encouraging folks to set aside an extra bit of food etc. The woman in front of me in the coop store was saying she is on benefits and cannot afford to set money aside for extra food, and added they should GIVE me extra food. Then she said " Oh I'll have 100 Lambert and Butler as well please Sheila" to the girl behind the counter. Lambert and Butler are cigarettes costing about £6 ($9) a packet of 20.

man when I was a teen we were dirt poor ,all my buddies were smoking and doing some drugs but I only had so much money and I was hopelessly hooked on hunting and fishing so that was where my extra money went,,,I am so glad I never picked up the smoking habit,I don't see how people can afford to do it

 

[Silent Earth]

man when I was a teen we were dirt poor ,all my buddies were smoking and doing some drugs but I only had so much money and I was hopelessly hooked on hunting and fishing so that was where my extra money went,,,I am so glad I never picked up the smoking habit,I don't see how people can afford to do it

I was the other way round , I smoked, drank and went clubbing whilst my mates saved their money to pay for night school courses. I was nearly 30 before I woke up and smelled the coffee.

 

[lonewolf]

I was married by the time I was 20, money was tight and we didn't have any to spare, we used to grow most of our food.

 

[Brent S]

We were poor, but I just thought everyone was in the same boat so I never gave it much thought. As I got older I realized the wealth was not spread equally in the world. I have to admit though, I did waste a lot of what little money I had on beer and chasing girls. I grew up eventually, sort of...

 

[user 6493]

We were poor, but I just thought everyone was in the same boat so I never gave it much thought. As I got older I realized the wealth was not spread equally in the world. I have to admit though, I did waste a lot of what little money I had on beer and chasing girls. I grew up eventually, sort of...

we all wasted a lot of money chasing girls...................lol

 

[Dani]

buy that same bag of tatters cut them in half, plant them and soon you will have tatters for the entire year

Have done that before too!! Last year my potato crop suffered with the rest of the garden unfortunately so I do keep my eye out and preserve in different ways. After I get thru the holidays, I do plan on getting a few bags. A couple I will let go to seed and cut them, others I will do mashed potatoes to dehydrate. I have plenty already canned up in storage. I am thinking that I can also slice them thinly to dehydrate for scalloped potatoes and to add into soups.

 

[Dani]

My sweet hunny used to toss the money around chasing after me too, but then I was tossin mine right back. . . priorities change once caught and that is how I prefer. My sweet hunny bought me a Ford 1710 tractor for this years Christmas present. Yeah I got it early but the price was something that we could not pass up! It is an 86' model but runs good and it have a frontend loader and a box blade. This will mean that I do not have to clean out the goat barn by hand any more since it is smaller than hunny's international. It does need a paint job which will get done once spring gets here. Due to our wet weather during the winter months, paint just doesn't set well. I have never been a girly girl, but since we have a granddaughter now and more will eventually come, Nana is thinking of a pink tractor, white fenders, and big lavender flowers. Any grandsons will love Pops tractor, but us girls will need our own and hopefully will keep Pops from taking it out to the cow pasture to have our bull Charlie 'play' with it. .

 

[Maverick]

The header " No money to prep made me smile" Local authority is trying to encourage people to prep for bad winter storms, encouraging folks to set aside an extra bit of food etc. The woman in front of me in the coop store was saying she is on benefits and cannot afford to set money aside for extra food, and added they should GIVE me extra food. Then she said " Oh I'll have 100 Lambert and Butler as well please Sheila" to the girl behind the counter. Lambert and Butler are cigarettes costing about £6 ($9) a packet of 20.

During hurricane Sandy they (media) was interviewing the residents of a hard hit area in NY Or New Jersey? they were complaining about no one their helping them as they were leaving a store with a case of beer. Yep, they sure were in dire straits.

 

[user 6493]

My sweet hunny used to toss the money around chasing after me too, but then I was tossin mine right back. . . priorities change once caught and that is how I prefer. My sweet hunny bought me a Ford 1710 tractor for this years Christmas present. Yeah I got it early but the price was something that we could not pass up! It is an 86' model but runs good and it have a frontend loader and a box blade. This will mean that I do not have to clean out the goat barn by hand any more since it is smaller than hunny's international. It does need a paint job which will get done once spring gets here. Due to our wet weather during the winter months, paint just doesn't set well. I have never been a girly girl, but since we have a granddaughter now and more will eventually come, Nana is thinking of a pink tractor, white fenders, and big lavender flowers. Any grandsons will love Pops tractor, but us girls will need our own and hopefully will keep Pops from taking it out to the cow pasture to have our bull Charlie 'play' with it. .

A PINK TRACTOR,,,,,,,,,,,,damn it girl,that's cool,,,,,,,,,,,,LOL,,,,,,,we will need pictures for proof after you get er done,,,,,,,,,,,,,my best Larry the Cable Guy imitation

 

[Dani]

A PINK TRACTOR,,,,,,,,,,,,damn it girl,that's cool,,,,,,,,,,,,LOL,,,,,,,we will need pictures for proof after you get er done,,,,,,,,,,,,,my best Larry the Cable Guy imitation

LMBO ghost. . Mark my word, it will happen!!

 

[Dani]

We were hit hard durning hurricane Ike and Rita both. didn't ask for a damn thing!

 

[user 6493]

LMBO ghost. . Mark my word, it will happen!!

I will be around to see the photos,,,,,,,,,,

 

[lonewolf]

I saw one old lady on the news after storm Sandy complaining she didn't have any food in the house.....it had been like 24 hours!!