# Poor man prepping



## moondancer (Dec 21, 2013)

Ok so as a man who just makes it in life I'm looking for thoughts on prepping for poor man . I'm just able to pay my bills I tend to have 20$ a week left over that I use on ammo and fishing gear for subsistence living . Me and my family are happy and need nothing but it leaves little room for other preps . I have a months food preps but wood love 6 months. Besides working more jobs ( I work full time 4:30 am till4:00 pm ) left over time is for choirs and hunting fishing . I'm not complaining I'm looking for tips on things I haven't thought of and have come to cherish your views and knowledge 


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## mosquitomountainman (Jan 25, 2010)

The book, _Poverty Prepping_, has insight on how to stock up on food and other supplies on a low budget. You can also work on skills that will be valuable for your own self-sufficiency and for barter when/if TSHTF. Many if not most can be learned through a trip to the library or over the internet. Never in the history of man has it been so easy to access so much knowledge. Barter whenever possible. Look for extra ways to make money that cost little in time or equipment.


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Recycle, reuse, repurpose. Water storage can be done in 2 liter soda bottels. 5 gallon buckets can be had fer free many times. Barter system, use somea yer game meat fer other items with friends.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Being in a similar boat I add one meal or days worth of food for the family a week when I am at the market. You know, a few cans of beans and veggies and maybe a can of chicken or beef. I try to keep it less than $5 a week.

Also checkout the freeze dried food vendors. Most offer a free sample or a sample and you just pay shipping. I have a month of FD foods that I got as samples. (I did this with dog and cat food too) Here are some of the vendors you can hit up...

Wise Food
Legacy
Daily Bread
Efood Direct
GoFood
Family Food Storage

There are many more you just need to look. 

I also use the Prepared LDS Family monthly guide to help with what to buy or stock.


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## Dixie (Sep 20, 2010)

*Like Grimm said, $5 a week can do a lot. You sound like my brother, I can't afford it. I have even asked him to give me 5 or $10 a week and I would do it for him. Dried beans, rice, ramen noodles, chili, beef stew, water....then using coupons and you have your start. 
Wish I could afford an IPhone..*.


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## prepare_survive_thrive (May 7, 2012)

Get a used pressure cooker and mason jars. If you have leftovers, you have preps.


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## CulexPipiens (Nov 17, 2010)

$5 gets you 20 packs of Ramen noodles.
$5 gets you 5 (or more) cans of something (beans, corn, etc.)
$5 gets you 5 - 1lb packs of pasta
$5 gets you flour or sugar or cornmeal or .....

Most of the time when buying our groceries for the week I tack on an extra $5-$10 and with just that little bit extra each week it really does add up pretty quickly.


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## alwaysready (May 16, 2012)

Buy in bulk for both preps and daily/weekly use try this example. (The prices at the local market I shop at.)

Rice 1 lb bag $1. 38 Cost per lb = $1.38

Rice 5 lbs bag $5.82 Cost per lb = $1.16

Rice 10 lbs bag $9.60 Cost per lb = $0.96 

Rice 25 lbs bag $13.27 Cost per lb = $0.53

Its the same with flour, beans, sugar, ect. Just take out enough for your immediate needs, get some mylar bags and buckets and store the rest. You'll be suprised how fast it adds up. If you can't afford the bags and buckets right away store in the freezer until you can. Good luck and remember where there's a will there's a way.


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## BillS (May 30, 2011)

Sell your iPhone. Get a landline. Look at what stuff you can sell so you can buy more preps.

$20 a week isn't even enough to cover vehicle repairs. Look at your vehicles and see if you can downsize. The last two cars we bought were an older Buick and Oldsmobile that we bought for $2000 each on Craigslist. Both had less than 60,000 miles.


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## BillS (May 30, 2011)

OldCootHillbilly said:


> Recycle, reuse, repurpose. Water storage can be done in 2 liter soda bottels. 5 gallon buckets can be had fer free many times. *Barter system, use somea yer game meat fer other items with friends*.


Exactly. You can live trap rabbits with a cage and a trip wire.

Start a garden in the spring if someone can work it. If it's small just grow potatoes.


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

*Bugget Preping*

Budget prepping like anything else on a budget takes planning, I have found out that making my meals from dry goods (dry beans, rice, etc) saves me money and is a healthier, and I canned my own beans and meats like meatloafs, stews, instead of buying bacon I cook fresh pork with spices for a better taste, makes for a great breakfast meat, three bean salads are great made from fresh beans, make my own frozen TV dinners, especially with left over pastas or meatloafs,in other words I canned what we like at home, learn to baked,5 lbs of flour go a long way in savings, potatoes go a long way canned with sausage for a nice hash and eggs breakfast, soups are great also and cheaper made and canned at home. The key here is to learn food preservation and canning that way you can stay away from store bought groceries.
Good luck.:2thumb:


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## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

The key is to recognize that each of us have advantages and disadvantages. Money is an advantage if you have it. Good health is an advantage. Friends or family that are supportive are an advantage. Skills are an advantage. None of us have all these things going for us but most of us have a mix of advantages and disadvantages.

Plan out what you think you need and what you can realistically accomplish over a period of a few months or a year. Do that and reassess. You will make progress which will feel better as that happens.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Dixie said:


> *...Wish I could afford an IPhone..*.


Me too. I have a cheap flip phone that is 4 years old. No smart phone for me or K. No expensive gadgets or toys at all.


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## moondancer (Dec 21, 2013)

The iPhone is all I have to get on internet or to talk . No land line no cable no satalite no gas to house one vehicle . I do garden a big garden I do canning I do hunt and fish I heat with wood only I have four girls one is handicap I am married I do take care of my family very well to pick on the fact that I have an iPhone ( that I got for .99 by the way ) is not the kind of response I was looking for but thank you for your responces 


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## moondancer (Dec 21, 2013)

No car payment only bills are electric water and house payment and medical bills from wife ( almost lost her to an internal bleed took five surg) 


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## Tweto (Nov 26, 2011)

It seams like the most common complaint is that I don't make enough money. I have heard that all my life.

Ya, making money is important, but what's even more important is what you spend it on and your expenses. For my entire working life I managed to only spend 50% of what I made after taxes and then saved the rest. I drove old cars and used motorcycles and lived in a 100 year old farm house that I purchased for $40,000.

After the first few hard years of saving I had enough money to pay cash for even new cars and anything else I wanted. I have never worked paycheck to paycheck.

As far as my job was concerned I always walked into work with the attitude that I could be replaced at any time and that I had to put in 100% effort everyday and then at the end of the day I always graded myself but asking if I had earned my pay today.

I also, worked every min of available overtime which ended up being 10-12 hours a day 6-7 days a week. I had a few years where I only had 4 days off the entire year. This went on for 30 years. I have purchased 4 new cars over that 30 years, but I still drive 3 of them. I only have liability insurance on the cars ($125 a year each vehicle). I do live in a newer house now, but I keep the expenses to a minimum. I do all the maintenance myself (just replaced the heating elements in the water heater at a price of $28 or I could have paid someone to install a new water heater $750). My current project is replacing a fuel pump and brake line on one of vehicles, this will save me $1000.


If you are serious about having the money to do what you need to do then you have to be 100% out of debt, pay cash for everything. After you are out of debt then you can be amazed at how much money you have and how much easier life becomes.


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## moondancer (Dec 21, 2013)

Ok I guess I did not explain clearly I am not complaining I am not a sad sack I was just trying to find smart ways to prep with low money . I got some great responses and some knife jabs that I'm not sure why . That being said I take the blame because I must not have stated what I was looking for properly . But lately I have noticed a lot of other threads of attack on people for some reason I guess it's human nature 


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Check craigslist, newspapers an such fer stuff ya can use, many times there be free stuff out there ifin ya go pick it up.

Round these parts towns have a clean up day, stuff gets set outa the curb. Ya would be amazed what some folks through out!


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## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

moondancer said:


> Ok I guess I did not explain clearly I am not complaining I am not a sad sack I was just trying to find smart ways to prep with low money . I got some great responses and some knife jabs that I'm not sure why . That being said I take the blame because I must not have stated what I was looking for properly . But lately I have noticed a lot of other threads of attack on people for some reason I guess it's human nature
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum


Actually, we get a fair number of folks who feel overwhelmed by the scale of the effort to really prep fully. Most of us have felt that way at one time or another. I took your post that way. Everybody has to budget. The answer is plan then do. Enjoy the sense of accomplishment and then repeat the cycle.

I'm not sure what level you are at but just putting together a BOB for each family member can be a challenge.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Tweto said:


> Ya, making money is important, but what's even more important is what you spend it on and your expenses.
> ...SNIP...
> If you are serious about having the money to do what you need to do then you have to be 100% out of debt, pay cash for everything. After you are out of debt then you can be amazed at how much money you have and how much easier life becomes.


I had the choice on Friday to pay almost $300 to fix the vent window in my Jeep or pay about $50 for the window used and install it myself. I saved myself almost $250 on that one.

While I want the best for Roo I have to be (as K's family says) CHEAP. I can spend the money for designer clothing for her or get the basics for a tenth the price. I do get her some of the designer clothing for holidays but even then I spend 1/3 the price from thrift stores or ebay.

Every time K and I have moved we have cut our rent. If it means moving further away from the city hubs then we have to do it. The savings in rent more than covers the extra gas and helps put more money in my savings and preps on the shelves.

You do what you have to to make it work rather than bitch and moan.

As for using a cell phone for internet access- I pay an extra $10 a month on my cell bill to have a hot spot rather than DSL/dial-up etc. I am saving $30+ a month on that right now and still don't have internet on my phone or even an expensive data plan.

To the OP you can still sell the expensive iphone and get enough money to get a cheaper phone, cheaper cell plan and even a hotspot for internet. Over all selling the iphone will still save you money monthly on top of the upfront cash.


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## helicopter5472 (Feb 25, 2013)

I work at a college and at the end of the year many of the kids throw out furniture, microwaves, ect. I see dumpster after dumpster over flowing with some goodies. Many of these kids don't have the room to haul them home. Found many shelves, steel bed frames, ect. Just a thought for free items you can get for your BOL...


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## Cabowabo (Nov 6, 2012)

Grimm, I'm not sure the Iphone is the problem here. We don't know what iphone it is. For instance if its the first 2-3 generations of Iphone, he/she probably couldn't sell it for very much. 
I think it may either be an income problem, or very simply he has a sick daughter as I think he said in his first post that with medical bills eats a lot of the income. 
If their is a local farmers market, see what isn't being done. So for instance if everyone and their mother is selling Veggies and Fruit. Raise some chickens, rabbits, pigs etc and sell fresh meat. If you can butcher, why not butcher other peoples animals that they shoot? The scrapes can be fed to dogs, or pigs, maybe even chickens.


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## moondancer (Dec 21, 2013)

I live in the country so I plan to bug in . We do have get home bags I have three cases of MRE,s and a large cooler full of bags of beans and rice. A clear spring on the property for water . If I had to put a finger on it I feel the food stock is the problem. It's been a hard winter and I used more food out of stock then I wanted but I'm very happy I had it . But now I'm back to almost square one . SO I guess With my situation it's just more hunting fishing and gardening with a few canned goods thrown in every week and just build it back up 


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## moondancer (Dec 21, 2013)

Grimm said:


> I had the choice on Friday to pay almost $300 to fix the vent window in my Jeep or pay about $50 for the window used and install it myself. I saved myself almost $250 on that one.
> 
> While I want the best for Roo I have to be (as K's family says) CHEAP. I can spend the money for designer clothing for her or get the basics for a tenth the price. I do get her some of the designer clothing for holidays but even then I spend 1/3 the price from thrift stores or ebay.
> 
> ...


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## Cabowabo (Nov 6, 2012)

Stay away from MRES. They start off at $5 a meal and goes up from there. For a family of 5 thats $20 per meal. Besides that MRE'S taste like Sh*t and make you constipated. Personally I'd say sell the MRES, and the freeze dried crap, and buy the basics Rice, Beans, seasoning. You raise some chickens and have rice and or Beans, maybe some Corn-meal for some corn bread. And you'll be eating healthier then you would with MRES or freeze dried food. You loose so much nutritional value with MRES...
.02


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Cabowabo said:


> Grimm, I'm not sure the Iphone is the problem here. We don't know what iphone it is. For instance if its the first 2-3 generations of Iphone, he/she probably couldn't sell it for very much.
> I think it may either be an income problem, or very simply he has a sick daughter as I think he said in his first post that with medical bills eats a lot of the income.
> If their is a local farmers market, see what isn't being done. So for instance if everyone and their mother is selling Veggies and Fruit. Raise some chickens, rabbits, pigs etc and sell fresh meat. If you can butcher, why not butcher other peoples animals that they shoot? The scrapes can be fed to dogs, or pigs, maybe even chickens.


I get the health issues. I have Graves Disease and my medication just tripled in cost after my insurance pays their bit. So monthly I have to pay over $35 for 30 pills. I can't get the generic as I am allergic to them. Yeah for me. Health care is only going to increase til it bankrupts us all.

Even a first generation iphone sells for almost a hundred or more on ebay. Here...

Plus it was a suggestion as data plans can be expensive if you are online all the time with your phone.


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## moondancer (Dec 21, 2013)

Grimm said:


> I had the choice on Friday to pay almost $300 to fix the vent window in my Jeep or pay about $50 for the window used and install it myself. I saved myself almost $250 on that one.
> 
> While I want the best for Roo I have to be (as K's family says) CHEAP. I can spend the money for designer clothing for her or get the basics for a tenth the price. I do get her some of the designer clothing for holidays but even then I spend 1/3 the price from thrift stores or ebay.
> 
> ...


Grimm you seem stuck on the phone thing I don't know why but it is a third gen . Thank you for your responce but you seem to express yourself like I'm not doing what I need to to take care of my family as I have already stated they are well fed with a roof over ther head I work very hard for them . Please change to another helpfull subject if you wish to keep helping me. Thank you

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## moondancer (Dec 21, 2013)

I only use wifi on the phone I sit by a window and can pick up a neighbor with there full knowledge and consent 


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

I don't think there's any b*tching and moaning going on, just an OP who's relatively new to the forum, looking for advice. That's a good thing. 

moondancer, I get the feeling that you want to be able to do everything for your family right now. I am not the financial provider in my family - my husband is - but I know there can be a lot of weight on one's shoulders when a man wants to be a good provider. There's a lot to prepping and it can seem daunting, especially at first - and especially as the world gets crazier and crazier and our need for prepping seems more and more imminent.

There is a lot of 'stuff' to prepping, and yes, that can cost $. But it can also be a matter of creativity, too. Like some folks have said, think 'barter.' Maybe you barter with something you already have, or maybe you barter with some of your time. One of the coolest barters I've heard of lately was one of the guys on this forum - he wanted to learn how to process game, so he offered to help out a local processor just so he could observe and learn. For the cost of his time, he learned a valuable skill. How great is that?

Remember that prepping isn't just about stuff, it's about knowledge, too. Use the library. A lot. I have been surprised by some of the titles that my library system carries. And I'm always trying to collect info into binders. Sounds like you can't really print stuff off the internet, but you can always take notes.

And as several folks have said, $5 a week at the grocery will add up. It won't happen as fast as you'd like (because I know as a provider you are probably feeling that weight on your shoulders to have everything in place sooner). But it _will _happen. As the saying goes, slow and steady wins the race.

Another great example from this forum - there's a member who posted regularly about paying off his student loans. His loans seemed so big when he first started posting about it, and he could only pay off a little each month. But he kept at it. Slow and steady. And not all that long ago he posted that his loans were paid off. How great is that? Now he's spends that $20 a month (I think I have the figure right) on preps.

Since you have a big garden, do you and/or your wife do any canning and dehydrating? We've got a couple running threads on those topics on this forum - they're good info, and there's folks willing to help out if you're just getting started.


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## moondancer (Dec 21, 2013)

Goshengirl thank you for your words you are right I do worry a lot about it and the more I see things go bad in the world the more the rush . As for the garden canning and dehydration we just started last year so I'm very happy about that . I got a canner an dehydrator from a garage sale for five dollars last year they work great . I never thought of bartering my hunting fishing and butcher skills that's a great idea thank you 


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

moondancer said:


> Grimm you seem stuck on the phone thing I don't know why but it is a third gen . Thank you for your responce but you seem to express yourself like I'm not doing what I need to to take care of my family as I have already stated they are well fed with a roof over ther head I work very hard for them . Please change to another helpfull subject if you wish to keep helping me. Thank you
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum


I was responding to someone else about the iphone bit. BTW a 3rd gen sells for over $200...

I already gave you 3 other pieces of advice which you seem to have ignored. But whatever. Do whatever you feel you need to do. I'm glad you are providing for your family. We each do what we have to to get by and be happy.


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## Cabowabo (Nov 6, 2012)

moondancer said:


> Goshengirl thank you for your words you are right I do worry a lot about it and the more I see things go bad in the world the more the rush . As for the garden canning and dehydration we just started last year so I'm very happy about that . I got a canner an dehydrator from a garage sale for five dollars last year they work great . I never thought of bartering my hunting fishing and butcher skills that's a great idea thank you
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum


Look at it this way man. 
I have no bills, well for the most part. So I can buy pretty much what I want/need to. But the only real skills I have are in providing security. Which means if SHTF when I get home, all I can do is offer security. You have me beat on the skills area, that being said I'm going to try and learn what I can about butchering and the other skills I want to learn. But if SHTF tomorrow I give your odds a lot better then mine. 
.02


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## timmie (Jan 14, 2012)

moondancer said:


> Ok so as a man who just makes it in life I'm looking for thoughts on prepping for poor man . I'm just able to pay my bills I tend to have 20$ a week left over that I use on ammo and fishing gear for subsistence living . Me and my family are happy and need nothing but it leaves little room for other preps . I have a months food preps but wood love 6 months. Besides working more jobs ( I work full time 4:30 am till4:00 pm ) left over time is for choirs and hunting fishing . I'm not complaining I'm looking for tips on things I haven't thought of and have come to cherish your views and knowledge
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum


see if you can pick up a pressure canner or borrow one and start canning your own meats , soups and stews. i don't know where you live , but i am getting paranoid about electricity. the sooner i can get off grid the better i will like it.also maybe wood heat and cooking. read through the forums here and you will probably pick up a lot of tips. GOOD LUCK!!!!!


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

Cabowabo said:


> Look at it this way man.
> I have no bills, well for the most part. So I can buy pretty much what I want/need to. But the only real skills I have are in providing security. Which means if SHTF when I get home, all I can do is offer security. You have me beat on the skills area, that being said I'm going to try and learn what I can about butchering and the other skills I want to learn. But if SHTF tomorrow I give your odds a lot better then mine.
> .02


I totally get what you're saying to moondancer, but with security skills like yours, you've got a solid bartering tool if the SHTF tomorrow.


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

timmie said:


> the sooner i can get off grid the better i will like it.


Same here! :2thumb:


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## Beaniemaster2 (May 22, 2012)

Don't know where you are Moondancer but here is a link to all the LDS Food Centers...

http://providentliving.org/self-reliance/food-storage/home-storage-center-locations?lang=eng

They've gone mostly to #10 cans but the prices can't be beat...

Dollar Tree is my new found friend... I rarely have any problems with their products and all the food items I have bought there has always been fresh... Some stores even have a frozen section in them now 

Just keep doing what you're doing... alittle here and there adds up... Good Luck


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## mosquitomountainman (Jan 25, 2010)

You have an impressive resume with the gardening/food preservation/hunting/fishing skills. You don't state where you live but there are often feral species you can hunt in your state or one nearby. We spend winters in southern Nevada and right across the border in AZ they have a feral hog problem. No license is needed and there is no limit on how many you can take. Jack rabbits are another example. If you trap, many fur-bearers are edible. 

Personally, I'd sell the MRE's and use the money to stock up on beans, rice, barley, and wheat. Buy a hand grain grinder (new ones can be had for under $50.00 and used ones are cheaper yet) if you don't already have one. I prefer rice since it makes a good "filler" for many meals or can be made into many tasty meals by itself. It also cooks quicker than beans meaning you need less fuel. My favorite is to mix it with chili or make fried rice (with eggs, peppers, etc.) for breakfast. Barley can be added to many soups and stews as well.


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## moondancer (Dec 21, 2013)

mosquitomountainman said:


> You have an impressive resume with the gardening/food preservation/hunting/fishing skills. You don't state where you live but there are often feral species you can hunt in your state or one nearby. We spend winters in southern Nevada and right across the border in AZ they have a feral hog problem. No license is needed and there is no limit on how many you can take. Jack rabbits are another example. If you trap, many fur-bearers are edible.
> 
> Personally, I'd sell the MRE's and use the money to stock up on beans, rice, barley, and wheat. Buy a hand grain grinder (new ones can be had for under $50.00 and used ones are cheaper yet) if you don't already have one. I prefer rice since it makes a good "filler" for many meals or can be made into many tasty meals by itself. It also cooks quicker than beans meaning you need less fuel. My favorite is to mix it with chili or make fried rice (with eggs, peppers, etc.) for breakfast. Barley can be added to many soups and stews as well.


I started trapping this year . We do have hogs down south and can take as many whenever we want but know one here eats them . Are they like farm pigs or do I need to do anything diff to butcher them . My cousin lives in tx and wanted to pay me to come take out a heard of them man I could fill a lot of freezers and smoke them

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## moondancer (Dec 21, 2013)

I live in Indiana by the way


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## timmie (Jan 14, 2012)

moondancer said:


> I started trapping this year . We do have hogs down south and can take as many whenever we want but know one here eats them . Are they like farm pigs or do I need to do anything diff to butcher them . My cousin lives in tx and wanted to pay me to come take out a heard of them man I could fill a lot of freezers and smoke them
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum


we do ours the same as the farm hogs.if you can afford to go to texas and kill them , then do it,by all means.


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## moondancer (Dec 21, 2013)

timmie said:


> we do ours the same as the farm hogs.if you can afford to go to texas and kill them , then do it,by all means.


Cousin is paying the way to help her so it's free

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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

moondancer said:


> Cousin is paying the way to help her so it's free
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum


So she is paying your expenses? If so do it! All that FREE meat...!?! YES!


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## moondancer (Dec 21, 2013)

Yes she is she is having a lot of problems with wild hogs and cougars the hogs are no problem the cougar she has to get permits for ( she working on that ) 


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## gabbyj310 (Oct 22, 2012)

Moondancer,I know how you feel.I make good money working but.....after my daughter lost her job(after 17 years) and a then 2 year old granddaughter,they moved in with me.Daughter was so upset she almost had a breakdown.It has been a long and hard struggle to help get her back up on her feet ..and then....illness....so she was out of work with a major illness for weeks at a time.In steps Mom (again) and all the savings I had is now gone...At 65 I can only hope that I can keep on working a few more years to TRY to play "Catch-Up"...Daughter is now working ,but at a much lower paying job,but she is also trying to pay me back a little at a time and get back into management..In fact I've put re-doing my "Tin Mansion"on hold for many months now.I still try to "watch" for bargains when I find them buy 2(just in case) and I'm going back to work as soon as pass the darn test I have to pass to work(UGH tomorrow is test day)..You have a number of skills I would love to have access to.When you are a single,older,female some of us aren't as talented as a few of us on here(Grimm is that you???)but we keep on trying just as you are.So far I've seen slow and easy on here a lot,it works!!!!! One can at a time,one extra box at a time,one anything is better than nothing and there are a lot of people around with their heads in the sand that will be SOL when TSHTF,you have skills and barter will be the way to go when our paper money is just that(paper)..My .02 worth....


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## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

I'd echo the canning and other preserving methods others have mentioned.

I'd also recommend looking for sales and coupons. For example, I pressure can a lot of chicken, but I also do chili, soups, Hooch's Beef & Been delight, meatloaf, ham, roast beef, butter, cheese, jalapenos, I'm sure there's things I'm forgetting, plus I do water bath canning for other stuff like syrups and jams/jellies

One of my nephews has problems with HFCS, when I first tried making jelly, I made a mistake and I learned how to make syrup instead, which was interesting, but now guess what, if I send anything like that, we all know exactly the ingredients.... fruit + sugar. thats it, no preservatives or HFCS.

On the coupons thing, for instance I really like making chicken helper or hamburger helper, regularly that is $1.89 per box at the store. I wait until they have the sale 10 for $10 and then on top that, the manufacturer had coupons ON THE BOXES, buy 4 and get $1.50 off which stacks with the sale price. So instead of paying $1.89 per box, I'm paying .63 per box, and I also got to give the .gov the middle finger with more taxes they didn't collect. I grabbed about 50 of those things, I've just about used them up, I wish I'd been far more brazen and taken like 250 of them off the boxes  

I understand that hamburger or chicken helper may not be everyone's idea of a "good meal" but it's just an example, there are coupons and volume sales all the time, I check online to see who has chicken on sale for $1.99 or less per lb instead of the usual $3.49-3.99 price. I'm fortunate to have several different brands of grocery stores on my way home so if I want to spend a weekend canning yardbird like I did yesterday and today, boom! I now have 1 lb of chicken pre-cooked ready for dinners that requires no energy to store and has an exceptionally long shelf life. (except now I have 32 more of them!)

Good luck. 

have you tried getting creative? take your extra fish or game meat, and make smoked fish or jerky with some kind of home cooked up syrup or meat rub and then sell it at a public farmers market? I have a recipe for a jalapeno syrup that is absolutely amazing for making jerky. And the best part, it has a little bit of heat, but it's really mellow and you get this awesome tangy flavor without any scorching hotness that turns people off of peppers. just another thought...


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

With them wild hogs, younger is better. Just bleed them quick an get em cool as fast as ya can. You'll have bacon and ham as well as the other cuts. They can be good eatin ifin ya prep em right.

Just be carefull, they can be a mean critter.


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## Foreverautumn (Oct 25, 2010)

Grimm said:


> Me too. I have a cheap flip phone that is 4 years old. No smart phone for me or K. No expensive gadgets or toys at all.


I have a $20/3 months TracFone that's almost 10 years old, a desktop computer that runs Windows 98, a laptop that still runs Windows Vista, dial-up internet access, and an '03 Kia Spectra! How's THAT for kicking it Old School? :2thumb:


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

In addition to MMM's recommendation of the "Poverty Prepping" book, it also has a companion Blog that has very good info

http://povertyprepping.blogspot.com/

A lot can be done with just a little money but you would need to invest in a few "overhead" items like a dehydrator, canner/jars and vacuum sealer/bags. On the following thread I listed some examples of just how much "Food" could be purchased with a small amount of money if you scour the grocery stores and farmers markets.

http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f36/encouragement-stocking-up-8486/

Last week I made 2 pies with the pumpkin I dehydrated in that thread, they were ordinary field pumpkins and not good pie pumpkins but they made some excellent pie. That 96 pounds of pumpkin will keep us in pies and breads for a LONG time and it was dirt cheap.

At the same time I made a few pies from the sweet potatoes in that thread, same story, great.

If you have a dehydrator and/or canner, most leftovers can dried or canned, they accumulate fast and since they were already budgeted for the meal the net cost would be the the price of running the dehydrator or canner.

Then there is gardening, if you have the space you can grow your food and preserve it. If you dont have space you could offer your time to those who need help in their gardens for a share of the produce. I have a standing offer of 1/2 the produce for anyone willing to help pick vegetables, I dont have many takers but if I need the help I'm sure others do also.

On the current "Potato Price Increase"

http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f36/potato-price-increase-23711/

OCH posted a plan for a 4 x 4ft potato planter that can yield 100 pounds of spuds, a lot of food in a small space and it could probably be adapted to an apartment balcony.

If you use your imagination and smarts you can find a lot of food to store for hardly any money at all, I recently read that in the U.S. that as much as 320 million TONS of food is discarded before it ever reaches the market and after it gets to market as much as 40 to 50% is discarded before it ever consumed. Some of that can be intercepted and "preserved" with a little planning and effort.

Then there is feed grain, corn and wheat! Just because it's labeled "Animal Feed" doesn't mean it isn't fit for human consumption. Many people are concerned about "Aflatoxin" but the permissable levels for animal feed are the same as for human consumption so in my book its a good deal, $15.00 for 50 pounds of corn verses $50.00 or $60.00 is a no brainer, it does sometimes require a little time to pick the "debris" from it depending on how well it was cleaned.

Those are a few ways you can increase your food stores on a budget, with a little imagination can probably come up with many more


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

I stack coupons like nobody's business. Go to the pet store for about $100 is supplies and only spend $30 after coupons. That is one of the only reasons we can afford to feed the premium foods to the furries.

Also check the barter/trade section on craigslist. Look if someone is looking to trade for something you need/want. Offer a trade for some of that yummy boar/hog meat you'll be getting! I'm sure you'll get some 'bites'.


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Moondancer, ifin yall be in Indiana, any Amish er Menonite stores round yall? Some a them have some good deals on foods an such.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Foreverautumn said:


> I have a $20/3 months TracFone that's almost 10 years old, a desktop computer that runs Windows 98, a laptop that still runs Windows Vista, dial-up internet access, and an '03 Kia Spectra! How's THAT for kicking it Old School? :2thumb:


You win! I am using a Macbook Pro that is almost 2 years old but that may be considered NEW by some. I had to get a new computer and the Macbook was on sale and I had gift cards and rebates that made the darn thing $300 when all was said and done. That reminds me I need to renew the protection plan in May...

Yeah, K has a 2014 Versa and I have a 1995 Jeep... soooo...
 I wish I still had my Ghia...


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## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

more thoughts on defraying prepping on a budget...

for small game, rock rats (squirrels) and rabbits and such, are you using a .22 or are you using a solid high speed air rifle? my Ruger puts out 1000+ fps and that is more than enough to do the job on small critters, it's fairly accurate too!

once you have rabbits, are you tanning the skins and trading/selling them to leather workers? They will use those for things like vest pockets, glove liners, small pouches, etc. You can do that yourself with materials from the critter (the brains) and a little bit of other stuff that you can either dig or buy... Ash, uhm some other things... like that. Look it up online, look for tanning skinning free ebook downloads or apps for your phone, watch youtubes for free if you can on the phone (or on a pc if you have access, I forget if you mentioned having a pc at home, or possibly you have one at work or at a library? etc...)

plan for, and plan for CORRECTLY saving and tanning those hog skins if you go do that. If you're going to go anyway, and you're gonna get the meat, know in ADVANCE what it takes to process and preserve the skins. sell those too!!! (rabbits today just gives you a little bit of practice time in advance)

Do you have a bar code or QR code scanner app on your iPhone? they are free downloads, and if there's something you're looking for, scan it, those apps will tell you if it's on sale or cheaper elsewhere at other stores and online. maybe you can get the store you're already at to do a price match, instant win!!

Is there a low overhead/cost hobby you can do that starts helping? growing *and* selling meat rabbits for example? Like anything, it takes an investment to make money, but if it rewards you with preps, and a couple more revenue streams (rabbit poop fertilizer is paid for top dollar by rose gardeners among others, apparently it doesn't "burn" the flowers, chickens are good too for fertilizer, but rabbits are the best from what I've read) Also you can raise earthworms in the fertilizer pile and those to bait stores or just sell them yourself to other people out fishing where you go. could probably sell those to pet stores too, I'm sure there's other critters like peopls (or the stores stock of parakeets and fish and who knows what all else would want to eat them for dinner)

what do you have? how can you use it?

Do you have a 4ft x 4ft piece of dirt you can devote to a rabbitry and build a hutch that starts doing the meat rabbits and such? if so, and you can figure out a way to budget the money to build the hutch, keep it secure from predators (yotes, wild dogs, raccoons, etc) do it!


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## Foreverautumn (Oct 25, 2010)

goshengirl said:


> Another great example from this forum - there's a member who posted regularly about paying off his student loans. His loans seemed so big when he first started posting about it, and he could only pay off a little each month. But he kept at it. Slow and steady. And not all that long ago he posted that his loans were paid off. How great is that? Now he's spends that $20 a month (I think I have the figure right) on preps.


Hey! LOOKEE HERE! I just found a SOAPBOX!
:soapbox1:
MoonDancer, I'm the guy she's talking about. Prepping can seem VERY overwhelming; so much to do, so little time, money, and resources, not to mention so. many. BILLS! Around August of '06, I was looking at $10,500 in student loans and about $5,000 in credit card debt. I only make about $27K/Yr., and to top that all off, I wasn't putting much, if anything, into savings.  Needless to say, between that and feeling the need to prepare, I was feeling just a little bit overwhelmed.

I made a list of priorities - I determined to:
1) Stop the money hemorrhage
2) Get out of debt
3) Stay mobile - i.e. keep my car well maintained
4) Acquire preps as time and resources permitted, but I was NOT going to go further into debt just to get more preps! In other words, I refused to obsess over prepping, and after I came up with a realistic plan for paying off my debt, I refused to obsess over THAT, either!

I cut costs wherever it made sense; I got rid of some magazine subscriptions, as well as EverQuest (an online game - suffice it to say it was a HUGE time and money sink). I stopped going to quite as many movies, and discovered the Library - great source of Music CDs, DVDs, Broadband Internet, and of course, books. I discovered 2nd hand stores, where I can get clothing and other stuff MUCH cheaper than I can at a dept store. And finally, I doubled up on everything I bought whenever I could. Aspirin and other OTC meds, toilet paper, anti-perspirant/hygiene stuff, batteries, emergency drinking water, things like that.

I also found that in my case, I was having to whip out the plastic every time something went wrong (car repairs, my bed collapsing, missing work due to illness, etc). Murphy, it seems, had not only moved in, but was thinking about bringing his three cousins - Broke, Desperate, and Stupid - along with him! I cured that problem by building up an emergency fund. I started putting $20 out of each paycheck into a cash reserve, my goal being $1,000 (your mileage, I realize, may vary). Though I've never reached that goal for very long, it's saved my financial bacon more than once!

Even then, it took me years to finally get it all paid off. Sometimes I backslid a little, and other times I had to rob Peter to pay Paul, but at least I didn't have to resort to credit cards every time Murphy put in an appearance. I paid off the last of my credit cards (what? around Dec of 2012, I wanna say? somewhere thereabouts), and I paid off the last of my Student Loan in November 2013! :2thumb:

That's a real burden off my shoulders! To put it into perspective, I was sinking $110/month into into my credit card and $150/month into my Student Loan, and fortunately I was able to put another $100/month into savings. Now, I'm putting $200/month into savings, and the other $150/month is now discretionary income, some of which I've already decided will go to some kind of broadband access. Some of it will go into preps, and the rest of it is a VERY WELCOME buffer for right now.  Oh, yeah, and I'm STILL putting $20 out of each paycheck into my cash stash!

And now, I'm not only debt free, but I've also got about 7 months of canned food stored up (about a month's worth of which I'm having to eat because it's at/near/a little bit past it's expiration date), about a week of drinking water, a small crapton of batteries, about 4 YEARS worth of TP, a spare pair of glasses, and even a spare pair of shoes. My emergency fund is roughly 70% funded, and I'm currently working on getting my savings built up to about 6 months worth of living expenses should the economy (God forbid!) ever crash or I lose my job. Rest assured, all that did not happen overnight.

Just keep plugging away, Moondancer; I realize that everybody's situation is different, but my overall prepping philosophy is:
1) Preparedness is a LOT more of a journey than a destination - there's ALWAYS some other scenario you may need to consider, some other additional skill, some other piece of gear/equipment that you need to acquire.
2) Do whatever you can, with whatever you've got, wherever you are, because
3) One size does NOT fit all, I don't care WHAT anybody says! Circumstances, locations, situations and even dispositions are always different!

So let the OTHER GUY go on NatGeo, blow every OUNCE of OPSEC he ever had, go $250,000 in debt that he likely can't afford on a "castle" somewhere in the boonies, hang on every word Wesley Rawles, Alex Jones, et al, says, hyperventilate to "One Second After" (and every OTHER disaster/prepper/survivalist fiction book he can get his hands on) and wind up getting so thoroughly obsessed with prepping that he completely alienates his entire family and everybody else around him, and to top that all off, COMPLETELY forgets to...wait for it...LIVE HIS LIFE!
:brickwall::gaah:vract::scratch

WHEW! THERE! Now that I've cured everybody's insomnia, I'm off my soapbox, now!
:soapboxzipper:


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## Foreverautumn (Oct 25, 2010)

Cabowabo said:


> Stay away from MRES. They start off at $5 a meal and goes up from there. For a family of 5 thats $20 per meal. Besides that MRE'S taste like Sh*t and make you constipated. Personally I'd say sell the MRES, and the freeze dried crap, and buy the basics Rice, Beans, seasoning. You raise some chickens and have rice and or Beans, maybe some Corn-meal for some corn bread. And you'll be eating healthier then you would with MRES or freeze dried food. You loose so much nutritional value with MRES...
> .02


Although I've never had a bad experience with the limited experience I've had with MRE's, I do agree they're pricey, and I've heard an unkind joke about them once. I've heard MRE stands for Meals Rejected by Ethiopians!


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## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

Foreverautumn said:


> Although I've never had a bad experience with the limited experience I've had with MRE's, I do agree they're pricey, and I've heard an unkind joke about them once. I've heard MRE stands for Meals Rejected by Ethiopians!


MRE's, three lies for the price of one...


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## mosquitomountainman (Jan 25, 2010)

There's always gleaning. If you live in farm country ask the farmers if you can glean the leftovers from their fields after harvest. Modern machinery leaves lots of leftovers no matter what is harvested. Check corners and wet spots in particular. Also check down the harvested rows. Corn in particular gets knocked off the stalk and falls to the ground before it enters the combine. Wheat and corn will do for either people or animal food. I've often picked a pickup load of corn in an hour. Wheat is more work since you have to thresh it but it will give you something to do in the long winter evenings. If you have chickens or other livestock you can feed it without threshing. The critters do it for you. The same thing with straw. You can often get enough for animal bedding with a couple of hours of work. 

If you roam some city neighborhoods you'll often see apple and other fruit trees with fruit falling to the ground. In most of those cases they'll let you harvest the fruit and gladly see it go. If you take them a fresh apple pie afterwards they'll love to have you back next year. The same with berries of all kinds.


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## Dixie (Sep 20, 2010)

Ok so as a man who just makes it in life I'm looking for thoughts on prepping for poor man . I'm just able to pay my bills I tend to have 20$ a week left over that I use on ammo and fishing gear for subsistence living 
*
I took this to mean that after all your obligations were met, you only had $20 left over and you used that on ammo and fishing gear so you would have meat. It's good to know that this is not the case. It's also nice to know that you are prepping and have the canner and dehydrator to put up your garden. Sounds like you are coming along just need a boost to catch up. Kroger usually has 10/$10.00 many items can be had on those sales. I wish you had a Publix, they have BOGO...buy one, get one. If you have a printer, print coupons, but I doubt you do. If you can get a newspaper, get the coupons out. Sometimes a fast food place will have a paper in the mornings for their customers in their lobby. Check the store fronts of grocery stores, they usually have them there.
Have a yard sale and use the money for preps.....as soon as it stops snowing so much.
I still say I wish I had an IPhone....I figured you got a deal on it. I would like to talk to Suri instead of having to go through so many steps on mine to get the Internet. *


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

Between yesterday and today, I bought 100 pounds of potatoes that are all headed to the dehydrator. After all the drying is done they will fill a 5 gallon bucket with space left over, thats a lot of food and they can be ready to eat quickly by pouring hot water on them and letting them sit for a while. One bucket of spuds would go a long way toward feeding a person or family during the "Holidays(what my DD's call a SHTF scenario)".

Total price was $25.00 and many times(maybe not in the future with drought conditions being what they are) I'm able to get 15 pound bags for $1.99

I know someone that goes to their local grocery stores and gets the discard produce for free, most of it is still perfectly good and can be dehydrated or canned then added to your long term stores.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Davarm said:


> I know someone that goes to their local grocery stores and gets the discard produce for free, most of it is still perfectly good and can be dehydrated or canned then added to your long term stores.


I read a blog a few years ago about a woman that made a deal with the produce managers at the supermarkets in town from her. They called when they had a few bushels of discards and she picked them up for free. Then she and her kids would sort through the produce. Any badly bruised produce went to the chickens and hogs and the rest was eaten by the family.

*Here* it is if anyone is interested...

EDIT
I would also like to add that when I was single and working/living in Los Angeles for the studios I use to eat free all the time. I lived a very "freegan" lifestyle. 3 meals a day while on set thanks to the craft service table and the catering trucks. And when not at set or working I hit the dumpsters for the major markets like Whole Foods. I would have grown a huge garden but living in a townhouse with 4 other people makes things hard when you don't have ANY room.


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## Beaniemaster2 (May 22, 2012)

I too buy a lot of stuff like Hamb Helpers and boxed potatoes.... Not the best nutrition but it's food... I vacuum pack all the contents, they last for years.... I'm still eating 2010 stuff... I also get all mine with coupons really cheap...

Unlike a lot of people who want to pay down those bills, I invest in preps, if there is a complete crash of the government, the bills will be gone anyway but I'll still have my preps 

I also cashed in my government TSP and really stocked up on cans of dehydrated foods and supplies... I felt I would rather have everything I need for a crash than a piece of paper that may be worthless later...

PS: I also wish I hadn't sold my Ghia... She was a mint 1964 but somebody came along and made me an offer I couldn't refuse...
I did keep my 1971 VW Bug so I would have something to drive if the grid totally went down....


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Beaniemaster2 said:


> I too buy a lot of stuff like Hamb Helpers and boxed potatoes.... Not the best nutrition but it's food... I vacuum pack all the contents, they last for years.... I'm still eating 2010 stuff... I also get all mine with coupons really cheap...
> 
> Unlike a lot of people who want to pay down those bills, I invest in preps, if there is a complete crash of the government, the bills will be gone anyway but I'll still have my preps
> 
> ...


My Ginny was a 1974 painted Porsche red with a Porsche engine. :lesigh: Some jerk ran a red and hit me head on. Totaled my pretty baby... But I am always on the look out for one of her sisters.


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## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

I had a 1960 356B for about 15 years. Restored it with a 912 engine. Lot's of fun.


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