Okay. The right word I needed to find the article popped into my head shortly after the previous post. While it is quite long, and there is much additional information that does not really apply to prepping quickly on a tight budget, much of it does, and many of the concepts apply even if the specific items might not. The part that most closely covers frugal prepping is the section on being homeless and/or a refugee.
One other thing I want to stress is that we are a pretty tight-knit community. While I would not do it over the air, there are many articles that a budget minded prepper can often obtain from a friend, be it a prepper friend or not. For instance, a package of heavy-duty construction clean-up trash bags is fairly expensive, one usually only needs a few, not a whole box. I am more than willing to give someone three or four, as I have quite a few because I use them to line milk crates that I have accumulated from people that did not want them. I buy the larger box so always have plenty on hand that I do not need at any given moment.
Many other things fall into this catagory. Friends, neighbors, co-workers, and family members are more often than not willing to give, or trade for something that you have, including skills, items that you need for your preps. I would not mention why you are looking for the items, nor that you are a prepper at all. Simply bring things up in conversations when the opportunity comes up that you were, say, wondering about finding something to pad some breakables. Perhaps a couple of old flannel or fleece blankets. That you need to see if you can find a few. This, knowing that the other person likely has such blankets that they are no longer using. Even stained, with some (small) holes or rips, that can be repaired, would be fine for the use stated. One would just take them home, wash and sanitize them, make any repairs needed, and then wash and sanitize again. And now you have a way to stay warm if caught out on the road in a snow storm, or you have to campout in the back yard because the house is too dangerous to re-enter and the moment. (You would have a kit outside the home, of course, that would have the blankets and other items inside, and ready for use.
Many of the items listed throughout the article do not have to be brand new. So, check pawn shops (not always very cheap anymore, thrift shops, swap meets, yard sales, and such. I have two friends that have made me feel very inadequate when it comes to finding bargain gear. They both have picked up many, many, many perfectly good items, some of them brand new still in the packaging, that ranged in price from a few dollars for old items that are not even manufactured anymore, to some items worth several hundred dollars for literally pennies on the dollar. This means that many of the gear choices actually can be had for very low cost.
It is a matter of mindset and the willingness to not always have the newest, brightest, shiniest, coolest piece of gear. And I must reiterate, that in many of my books, and in many of my posts, I list name brand and other high(er) end items. However, if one takes on the mindset that many of my readers have told me that they do, simply look for a less expensive option to do what the expensive item was acquired to accomplish. It is the ideas, procedures, techniques that are the most important, most of the time. One of your good, but older, kitchen knives will do almost everything a $300 'survival' knife will do. Not everything, no, but unless one is prepping for a true end of civilization situation, then your knife does not have to do all those things the kitchen knife cannot do. As long it is a good one you keep it sharp, then wrap it in a piece of leather, canvas, or even thick cloth, and there is your field knife.
These are all just a few ideas, to prime the pump, so to speak. Once a person begins to think about such things, with at least a little point in the right direction, then it is amazing how many other things they come up with. Many of which would never occur to me, since I have different life history, experiences, education, and everything else that makes a person the person they are.
While we have not done so in some time, NNPG has had prepper swap meets before where we were able to practice our bartering and trading skills while getting rid of surplus items and obtaining things we needed/wanted in exchange. No cash allowed, though precious metals, including gold and silver coins were allowed. So, if anyone wants to get together (safely, of course) and do some bartering for items, I have a few things I would be willing to part with for certain other items. And skills. I have many skills, but not all that are needed, and even some of the skills I do have I am no longer able to use because of my health and physical condition.
Of course, the offer to just provide a few things of which I have a surplus stands. Such as the HD Contractor trash bags to go into small kits to be used as a poncho, sleeping bag, shelter, etc.
If anyone is interested, just let me know through the forum here. And as long as nothing is said about any of the details, a mention during the Wednesday Prepper Net that someone wants to take me up on my offer, and I would be watching for an email address here, or through someone you trust, so it could be discussed.
Just my opinion.
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