Getting Ready on a Budget
Getting prepared for disaster should not be an activity possible only for people with financial means. A community is not truly prepared unless everyone in it is prepared. There is no equity unless everyone is able to feel relatively safe.
So what can you do if you’re living on a tight budget? Here are some suggestions:
Food banks: If you qualify to shop at your local food bank, make sure to take advantage of their occasional seasonal giveaways as these often include items that can be added to an emergency kit. In addition, every time you shop, be sure to pick up one item that can keep for months (like rice or canned foods) that you don’t consume right away but that goes into your emergency food supply.
Flea markets/garage sales/Buy Nothing Bainbridge: Try to monitor local sales and giveaways for items that would be helpful in an emergency kit. Keep a list of these items in your bag or vehicle or on your phone so that whenever the opportunity arises you can quickly check if anything you need is available.
Giveaways at expos, conferences, events: Be sure to attend expos and events where items are being given away. For example, at the the latest Bainbridge Prepares Day of Preparedness in September, we gave away hand sanitizer, water pouches, milk crates, first aid supplies, lanyards, whistles, emergency blankets, packaged snacks, fire extinguishers, glow sticks, handwarmers, face masks, and rain ponchos.
Dollar Tree
You probably won’t be able to get everything you need at no cost. But you don’t need to spend a fortune. City Emergency Manager Anne LeSage and I recently traveled to the Poulsbo Dollar Tree store to see if we could build an emergency kit on a budget.
We did not include food items because these can be obtained through a food bank or through the SNAP program and because personal preferences vary so much. But regular Dollar Tree shoppers know the store carries canned soup, canned beans, ramen noodles, canned fish, and snacks, among other items.
As far as water goes, you can stock up with large water containers (1 gal. or more) at your local grocery store. You don’t need distilled water or fancy water. Go for the cheapest. But even cheaper is your own tap water. You can store it in plastic bottles that you already have. If you store the bottles in a cool, dark place, you should only have to replace the water every six months. The only plastic bottles you should use are marked #1 or #2; you should replace them every year.
Following are the results of our shopping spree. Note that you won’t need all of these items and you may need multiples of some.
Sanitation
Bleach 64 oz. (Note: Bleach only keeps for about 6 months. Make sure not to get scented bleach or bleach with added chemicals): $1.25
Hand sanitizer (2; 2 fl.oz each): $1.25
Oral care travel kit*: $1.25
Garbage bags (30 gals.; 7 bags): $1.25
Pool noodle (to make toilet seat for bucket): $1.25
Facial tissue (3 packs of 10 tissues)*: $1.25
TOTAL: $7.50
Personal Protection
Nitrile coated gloves (1 pair): $1.25
Safety goggles: $1.25
Face masks (5 pack)*: $1.25
TOTAL: $3.75
Power Outage/Home Damage
Plastic drop cloth (9 x 12 feet; for covering broken windows): $1.25
Emergency candles (6 pack; each candle burns for 4 hours): $1.25
Wooden clothespins (54 pack; for hanging wet clothes): $1.25
Bungee cords (5 pack; assorted sizes): $1.25
8-in-1 multi-use knife*: $1.25
Duct tape (1.89 in. x 10 yds.): $1.25
Zip ties (100 pieces; assorted sizes): $1.25
Zip ties (60 pieces; 8 in.): $1.25
Sewing kit: $1.25
Sharpie pen*: $1.25
Sharpie pen: $1.25
AAA batteries (2 pack): $1.25
AAA batteries (2 pack): $1.25
LED flashlight (100 lumens)*: $1.25
Eyeglass repair kit: $1.25
Backup reading glasses (+3.25): $1.50
TOTAL: $20.25
First Aid
Vinyl gloves (8 pack): $1.25
Elastic bandage (3 inch): $1.25
Self-adherent wrap (2 in. x 5 yds.): $1.25
Paper tape (1 in. x 10 yds.): $1.25
First aid pack (15 items): $1.25
Assorted plastic bandages (110): $1.25
Kid bandages (14): $1.25
Rolled gauze (3 in. x 2.5 yds.): $1.25
Acetaminophen (6 caplets): $1.25
Menthol analgesic gel (7 oz.): $1.25
Gauze pads (10 pads; 2 in. x 2 in.): $1.25
Naproxen sodium (220 mg; 6 tablets): $1.25
Menthol cough suppressants (14 drops): $1.25
Immune system supplement drops (14 drops): $1.25
Hand warmer: $1.25
TOTAL: $18.75
Entertainment
Sudoku puzzle book: $1.25
Jumbo word find book: $1.25
Playing cards: $1.25
UNO card game (mini): $1.25
TOTAL: $5.00
OVERALL TOTAL: $55.25
*Items that can also be included in a go bag
