# $100 for preps this week: what if



## Lake Windsong (Nov 27, 2009)

Similar to the $10 prep thread, my question is if you had an *extra* $100 for preps this week, what would you spend it on? Any holes or weaknesses in any area that you would focus on?
(And yes, I am picking your brains for any category of preps I may be overlooking.)


----------



## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

I would buy a couple large drums for water. Might push the $100 limit by just a bit but would be close. I need more water storage for my new rain barrel system. Water has and may always be my prepping weakness (at home). If not that probably medical supplies like non-prescription medications, homeopathic cures, ointments, etc. I have good stores already, but things like that will be hard to come by if the supply chain is suddenly gone.


----------



## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

Since my answer to that would change it might just be easier to tell you the categories I use in my planning:

1. BOB
2. Water (incudes storage, purification, etc.
3. Food
4. Energy (includes, diesel, wood, solar, batteries, etc.)
5. Hygiene (soap, waste diisposal, dental floss, etc.)
6. First Aid/Medical
7. Security (firearms, cameras, etc.)
8. Shelter
9. Transportation
10. Communications
11. Tools and Materials
12. Library

That's the top level. There are lists for each category that are topics unto themselves. I am continually reevaluating based on the simple criteria of how long could I go without resupply. Whatever is shortest goes to the top of the list.


----------



## ras1219como (Jan 15, 2013)

Water is also my weak point. I would probably try to get another 50 gallons stored up and maybe add some additional fruit servings to my stores (fruit is my food weakness). I'm setting pretty good on medical supplies and security at the moment so I definitely wouldn't spend in those areas. 


Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum. Please forgive typos.


----------



## GrinnanBarrett (Aug 31, 2012)

I would go to the Rockport outlet store and buy a couple of pairs of waterproof ankle high boots. They normally are $89 a pair but you buy one get the second half off and if you have AAA card or a AARP card you get an additional 25 percent off that. Brings them in just over $100. I like Rockports because I can get them in wide and they last more than a walk to town. I like to keep a pair for my both my wife and I in our trucks.


----------



## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

I think you would have all the basics covered by now, and know what you REALLY need to survive.

So, take a breather and look around. Do you have a backup of items you use the most? Like an extra bow saw blade, or a pack of them? Do you have an extra 8" or 10" mill bastard file wrapped in oilcloth, a good file sure comes in handy. That favorite paring knife you use everyday, do you have a spare, a near facsimile or a sharpening stone to keep it your favorite knife? Spare sharpening stone? Your favorite handy dandy herb and garden small scissors, what if they broke? Sure, you can use any sharp implement but damn, they sure are nice to have on you.

If you can't think of anything like that, go out and spend it on something to make you happy! Remember we are still living today, not living for what the future might bring.
Or, plan on a little surprise in your preps! If you like wine, buy a bottle of nice wine and tuck it away. No, not a $100 bottle but maybe that $15 or $30 bottle you had once and really liked. Or think of something you might really miss that would be a treat to pull out after a month of no electric, or some other disaster to make you smile. Mine was a #10 of maple syrup granules. Yes, I have molasses, honey, white and brown sugar but what a treat to open that and have actual maple syrup on something!!!


----------



## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

Sentry18 said:


> I would buy a couple large drums for water. Might push the $100 limit by just a bit but would be close. I need more water storage for my new rain barrel system.


If you look real hard, you can find these for about $50 each:

http://madison.craigslist.org/grd/4500136596.html


----------



## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

GrinnanBarrett said:


> Brings them in just over $100. I like Rockports because I can get them in wide and they last more than a walk to town. I like to keep a pair for my both my wife and I in our trucks.


Look into getting some Belleville ICWT boots.

I bought a pair off ebay with two complete sets of Gore-Tex liners to my door for $40! I couldn't be more pleased with them


----------



## Lake Windsong (Nov 27, 2009)

Thanks, y'all are giving me some great ideas!


----------



## swinneyswitch (Apr 6, 2014)

*100.00 to spend*

I need a battery charger that is solar or uses a car battery for flashlight batteries etc. I also need communications stuff but do not know where to start for that. If I have anything left over, I would get some really good soft  licorice. Love that stuff.


----------



## RevWC (Mar 28, 2011)

Sentry18 said:


> I would buy a couple large drums for water. Might push the $100 limit by just a bit but would be close. I need more water storage for my new rain barrel system. Water has and may always be my prepping weakness (at home). If not that probably medical supplies like non-prescription medications, homeopathic cures, ointments, etc. I have good stores already, but things like that will be hard to come by if the supply chain is suddenly gone.


My son just picked up 6 each 55 gallon drums for rain water at $15.00 each. Craigs List.


----------



## RevWC (Mar 28, 2011)

More Mason Jars..


----------



## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

Save it till it grows up and you can buy a bigger item?


----------



## Gians (Nov 8, 2012)

You could buy a mix of junk silver to possibly trade with if :shtf:


----------



## Wellrounded (Sep 25, 2011)

Spare parts for equipment we use a lot or stock minerals or tattler lids. 

These are my big three at the moment.


----------



## Lake Windsong (Nov 27, 2009)

Here's what I did:
Found a deal on 5 tray food dehydrators and got 6 of them. Five to give as gifts for families with gardens (some for the first time this year) as a starter dehydrator to see how they like it. Some of the families will be canning for the first time this year as well. Saving one as a back up replacement for myself. Then I got 40 bars of Fels Naptha soap for me and to share a few with those same families. Cheated a little by not counting shipping in the total since it was part of larger orders. Hundred dollars well spent, I think.


----------



## Lake Windsong (Nov 27, 2009)

Woody said:


> If you can't think of anything like that, go out and spend it on something to make you happy! Remember we are still living today, not living for what the future might bring.
> Or, plan on a little surprise in your preps! If you like wine, buy a bottle of nice wine and tuck it away. No, not a $100 bottle but maybe that $15 or $30 bottle you had once and really liked. Or think of something you might really miss that would be a treat to pull out after a month of no electric, or some other disaster to make you smile. Mine was a #10 of maple syrup granules. Yes, I have molasses, honey, white and brown sugar but what a treat to open that and have actual maple syrup on something!!!


Woody, this is my favorite post so far! And you are right. What makes me happy is seeing others open their eyes to a more self-reliant way of life and trying to help the ones who are doing everything they can to help themselves. Hopefully they will appreciate my efforts when they put up their garden harvests and make their own laundry detergent.


----------



## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

swinneyswitch said:


> I need a battery charger that is solar or uses a car battery for flashlight batteries etc.


Charging AA, AA etc batteries from a 12 volt source is an excellent plan that I feel all preppers should have implemented. A 12 volt system that is solar charged is a MANDATORY prep item.

Something like this for battery charging:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BM200-Batte...-AA-AAA-C-and-D-Cells-12V-Input-/231019038042


----------



## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

LP conversion for the Troy Bilt XP 7000 watt generator.


----------



## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

Lake Windsong said:


> Similar to the $10 prep thread, my question is if you had an *extra* $100 for preps this week, what would you spend it on? Any holes or weaknesses in any area that you would focus on?
> (And yes, I am picking your brains for any category of preps I may be overlooking.)


A shortwave radio and portable cable antenna.

OR 5 boxes of soft point 308.


----------



## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

LincTex said:


> Charging AA, AA etc batteries from a 12 volt source is an excellent plan that I feel all preppers should have implemented. A 12 volt system that is solar charged is a MANDATORY prep item.
> 
> Something like this for battery charging:
> 
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/BM200-Batte...-AA-AAA-C-and-D-Cells-12V-Input-/231019038042


Thanks for the recommendation. That's something on my agenda - a good project for the youngest and me.


----------



## FatTire (Mar 20, 2012)

Im spending about $50 a week right now, mostly on ammo and canned food. Im figuring out systems that fit with me being a single mobile prepper, so an extra hundred would probably go to gettimg a bicycle trailer, spare bike parts, or a game cart. That, or maybe junk silver.. whatever I can find a really good deal on.


----------



## swinneyswitch (Apr 6, 2014)

*BatteryCharger*

YES!!!! That is exactly what I am looking for goshengirl. Have you used this particular kind before. Do you have any recommendations. I want to get Eneloop batteries for it.


----------



## swinneyswitch (Apr 6, 2014)

*Great Thread*

This is a really great thread. It gives me ideas without giving me a headache since it is on a small scale! Thank you for starting it!!!:2thumb:


----------



## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

swinneyswitch said:


> YES!!!! That is exactly what I am looking for LincTex. Have you used this particular kind before. Do you have any recommendations.


I have not used that exact one, but I have one that is quite similar.

I use plain ebay NiMH batteries in it with good success.


----------



## RevWC (Mar 28, 2011)

Woody said:


> I think you would have all the basics covered by now, and know what you REALLY need to survive.
> 
> So, take a breather and look around. Do you have a backup of items you use the most? Like an extra bow saw blade, or a pack of them? Do you have an extra 8" or 10" mill bastard file wrapped in oilcloth, a good file sure comes in handy. That favorite paring knife you use everyday, do you have a spare, a near facsimile or a sharpening stone to keep it your favorite knife? Spare sharpening stone? Your favorite handy dandy herb and garden small scissors, what if they broke? Sure, you can use any sharp implement but damn, they sure are nice to have on you.
> 
> ...


So, because of your post I bought a new guitar...I guess I can use at as a paddle when shtf..


----------



## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

Sure! Multi purpose item! Entertainment, personal defense, boat paddle, firewood, source of snare wire, bow for arrows...


----------



## Foreverautumn (Oct 25, 2010)

RevWC said:


> So, because of your post I bought a new guitar...I guess I can use at as a paddle when shtf..


Either that, or you can "El Ka-BONG!" somebody with it.


----------



## Enchant18 (Feb 21, 2012)

Since I'm lacking in medical preps, a good trauma kit and suture set.


----------



## ras1219como (Jan 15, 2013)

Enchant18 said:


> Since I'm lacking in medical preps, a good trauma kit and suture set.


Enchant18, I put together a trauma kit for around $50. A good place to purchase items is Amazon-the individual medical items are cheaper there. My kit includes 3 pair gloves, 2 chem sticks, trauma shears, 1 CAT tourniquet, 1 Asherman chest seal, 1 6" Isreali bandage, 10 2ply gauze 4x4, and 1 roll of 3" gauze. It's all inside a Molle compatible pouch.

This is mostly for gunshot wounds and stab wounds as I carry it at work. It's also small, basically one wound type kit, so it fits on a tac vest/chest rig.

A larger trauma kit would definitely increase the price since tourniquets and chest seals aren't cheap.

Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum. Please forgive typos.


----------



## Enchant18 (Feb 21, 2012)

Thank you for the information. I will definitely check out Amazon. And that will leave $50 for additional preps!


----------



## notyermomma (Feb 11, 2014)

My local Red Cross offers a day-long first aid class for $70. They have online classes that are much cheaper. But I'm experiential learner, so I'd rather get it right the first time. After that? Maybe get some first aid supplies or something. After buying a pint at ye corner tavern. CPR is thirsty work after all. 

:beercheer:


----------



## Mnrdnck (Jun 27, 2014)

As i am just starting i have been looking at food dehydrators.:shtf2:


----------



## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

Mnrdnck said:


> As i am just starting i have been looking at food dehydrators.:shtf2:


Food dehydrators are a great investment, and I would highly recommend pairing that with a vacuum sealer. FoodSaver is probably the biggest name brand around, I have one and I really like it. I can even vacuum seal used jars, you buy the vacuum seal cannisters they sell for pasta noodles or whatever, use the accessory hose and instead of pasta in the container, you put in your used salsa jar full of whatever is getting sealed. it works like a charm! 

anyway, you can dehydrate and vac seal your own veggie soup mixes, jerky, dried fruits and nuts... all kinds of great things!


----------



## swinneyswitch (Apr 6, 2014)

Dakine said:


> Food dehydrators are a great investment, and I would highly recommend pairing that with a vacuum sealer. FoodSaver is probably the biggest name brand around, I have one and I really like it. I can even vacuum seal used jars, you buy the vacuum seal cannisters they sell for pasta noodles or whatever, use the accessory hose and instead of pasta in the container, you put in your used salsa jar full of whatever is getting sealed. it works like a charm!
> 
> anyway, you can dehydrate and vac seal your own veggie
> 
> ...


----------



## HardCider (Dec 13, 2013)

I'd buy 4 more bricks of 22LR ammo


----------



## invision (Aug 14, 2012)

[ QUOTE=HardCider;350232]I'd buy 4 more bricks of 22LR ammo[/QUOTE]

Where are you getting "BRICKS" (assuming 500 rounds plus) for $25 per??? I am a dealer now and my distributors are double that price "when" they have any....

This space for rent.


----------



## millertimedoneright (May 13, 2013)

Bricks at academy are around 30-35


Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum


----------



## mojo4 (Feb 19, 2012)

millertimedoneright said:


> Bricks at academy are around 30-35
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum


Same here in Colorado but they are always out of stock!


----------



## millertimedoneright (May 13, 2013)

I have a buddy that works at academy so I always call him up and he tells me the delivery dates so I know when to show up. 


Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum


----------

