Preparing on a Budget, Without Debt
Get ready step by step with free planning first, then one or two extra items per grocery trip, and never with borrowed money.
⚠ Our one firm rule
Never put preparedness on a credit card or go into debt for it. A pile of supplies with a bill attached leaves you worse off. Spend only what fits your normal budget, and let your supply grow slowly.
The most useful first steps cost nothing: a plan, a contact list, alerts on your phone, and copies of your documents.[1] After that, build your supplies slowly, one item at a time.[1] This guide shows you the order to do it in.
How much do I need?
One or two extra items per trip.[1] If you shop once a week and add 2 items each time, that's about 100 items in a year, without one big expense. For water, just do the math: people × 1 gallon × days. A household of 3 needs 21 gallons for 7 days.[5]
Free steps first
- Make a plan. Pick two meeting spots: one right outside your home and one outside your neighborhood. Decide where you'd go if you had to leave, and include your pets.[1][2]
- Choose an out-of-area contact. When local lines are jammed, a long-distance call or text may get through more easily. Everyone should have the contact info written down and saved in their phone.[2]
- Make contact cards. List each person's work, school, and cell numbers on a card that fits in a wallet.[3]
- Turn on alerts. Sign up for your local government's emergency alerts. The Red Cross Emergency app is free and includes National Weather Service alerts.[1]
- Protect your documents. Keep copies of key papers in a waterproof container, and make password-protected digital copies.[4]
Start small: 7 days, then 2 weeks, then 30
The Red Cross target is 3 days of food and water in a grab-and-go kit and 2 weeks at home.[5] Break that into steps you can afford:
- First goal: 7 days of water and food at home. That covers your 3-day go-kit, plus a few extra days.
- Next goal: 2 weeks, the Red Cross target for staying at home.[5]
- Later, if it fits your budget: 30 days. Older adults especially should try to keep at least 30 days of medications.[6]
Water is a simple place to start. Plan on 1 gallon per person per day.[5]
Buy one or two extras per trip
- Add one item at a time instead of buying everything at once.[1]
- Watch for sales: buy-one-get-one deals, clearance bins, coupons, and discount stores. Some areas also have tax-free shopping days for emergency supplies.[1]
- Buy extras of food you already eat so nothing goes to waste. Use the oldest first and put new items at the back.[7]
Use what you already have
- The canned goods, dry mixes, and staples already in your cupboards count toward your food supply.[7]
- Clean 2-liter soda bottles can hold stored water. Don't use milk or juice jugs.[7]
- Check drawers for flashlights, batteries, a manual can opener, and phone chargers. They all belong on the Red Cross kit list.[5]
A small cash reserve
Keep some extra cash with your emergency supplies.[5] A power outage can disrupt stores and banks for days or longer.[8] Start with whatever small amount you can set aside without strain, in small bills, and add to it over time. Don't borrow to fund it.
Checklist
Mistakes to avoid
- Putting supplies on a credit card
- Buying everything at once and running out of money
- Skipping the free steps: plan, contacts, alerts, documents
- Buying foods your household won't eat
- Relying only on cards when power and banks may be down
Do this this weekend
Do the free steps. Choose two meeting places and an out-of-area contact, write everyone's numbers on wallet cards, and turn on local emergency alerts on every phone in the house.[2][3][1]
Gear that helps
Affiliate links: we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. We list items for why they matter, never by price or ratings. Disclosure
- Water storage7-gallon water containerOne container holds a week of drinking water for one person at 1 gallon a day.Check it (opens retailer site)
- Water storageStackable water storage containersStack under a bed or in a closet to build up two weeks of water.Check it (opens retailer site)
- First aid kitsHome first aid kitCovers cuts, burns and sprains; check it against the Red Cross list and add your own medicines.Check it (opens retailer site)
- First aid kitsBleeding-control kitPairs with free Stop the Bleed training for serious injuries.Check it (opens retailer site)
- Headlamps and lightsLED headlampKeeps both hands free and is safer than candles in an outage.Check it (opens retailer site)
- Headlamps and lightsBattery LED lanternLights a whole room without fire risk.Check it (opens retailer site)
Sources
- National Preparedness Month: Get Ready for Emergencies with These Easy, Budget-Friendly Steps American Red Cross
- Make a Disaster Preparedness Plan American Red Cross
- Be Informed American Red Cross
- Flood Safety Week National Weather Service, Louisville KY office (NOAA)
- Survival Kit Supplies American Red Cross
- Older Adults Emergency Preparedness American Red Cross
- Food and Water in an Emergency (FEMA 477 / Red Cross 658613) American Red Cross and FEMA
- Power Outage Safety American Red Cross
Related guides
Build a Backup Pantry in Three Tiers
Build a backup pantry in layers: extras of what you already eat, then bulk staples, then fats, vegetables, proteins, and seasonings, sized with simple calorie math.
Water, medicine and safetyEmergency Water: How Much to Store, How to Keep It, How to Make It Safe
Store at least a gallon per person per day, keep it clean and dated, and know how to boil, disinfect, or filter water if your supply runs out.
PracticeYour Home Readiness Plan
One plan that organizes home prep into five areas and builds it up in stages, starting with 3 days.
Water, medicine and safetyMedicine, First Aid, and Key Documents
Work out a medicine buffer with your doctor or pharmacist, keep a written medicine list, stock a family first aid kit, plan for medical devices that need power, and protect copies of your key documents.
CommunicationsStaying in Touch When Phones Struggle
How to get warnings and reach your people when cell service is jammed or the power is out.
SupplyBuild Your Own Food Storage or Buy a Kit?
An honest side-by-side of building your own food storage and buying pre-packed long-term kits, plus the one calculation that tells you the real cost per day.