Originally posted by IslandGirl
OK say you are starting out now in preparation. For whatever reason you just woke up and realized "Hey we are about to experience a BIG SHTF situation." You have 90 days to prepare more or less and are on as limited budget. What to do/ What do you buy? What is THE most important thing/s to have? You are preparing for a family of four with small children.

edit on 21-10-2011 by IslandGirl because: hit enter too fast

edit on 21-10-2011 by IslandGirl because: (no reason given)

edit on 21-10-2011 by IslandGirl because: i suck at typing

Start with the basics like water. Two gallons per person per day should be adequate. Next work on your food cache. Buy canned goods that you and your family eat. I'd suggests things like beef stew, tuna, sardines, corned beef hash, luncheon meat (spam), soups, canned hams, etc. All these items are packed with calories, vitamins, and fat. As someone else mentioned, peanut butter is a great source of calories and a good survival food.

Rice and dried beans are also good meal stretchers and cheap. Add some spices to perk up those otherwise drab rations.

Even shopping at the dollar stores and Sam's Club it get expensive real fast! Depending upon how long a period you wish to buy for it could cost several hundred to several thousands of dollars.

Originally posted by Mcupobob
Well I am in a family of four, including me. With one small child. We already decided our plan. Grab the guns, grab the bread, don't forget the dog and head to Dan's ranch.

Cool! But must be pretty boring sitting there waiting for 90 days?
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Personally I would buy a sh*tload of stuff. Creditcards are something you have in case of an emergency. If you`re not using them why not have a bunch of them? You`d have access to let`s say a couple of hundred K. You could buy whatever you need as long as you could get your hands on it before someone else. Like an airplane ticket to wherever, buy a ranch in the mountains, gear for growing food, cars,, you name it..

With SHTF in 90 days - the real question is what kind of efforts would be put in place to keep everything running for as long as possible? Maybe relocation and mass evacuation would be up and running, but I don`t think all kinds of industries in all locations would be shut down at once.

First few days of prep. would be your most important time. Spend money, fast - it`s better to live than going bankrupt