Guides / $100 a month

How to Build Your Preps on $100 a Month

Updated October 2026 · 9 min read

You don't need a big check to get prepared. Spend about $100 a month, in the right order, and in a year you'll have water, light, food, first aid, sanitation, and heat covered for a real multi-week outage.

The order matters more than the gear. This plan puts the things that fail first, and the things that keep people alive longest, at the front of the line.

How to use this plan: each month is a theme. Buy what fits your budget that month and carry anything left over to the next. Prices move around, so check current prices and swap in a smaller pack size when you need to.

Month 1: Store water

Water runs out first. The federal guideline is one gallon per person per day, for drinking and sanitation. Start with sturdy, refillable jugs and fill them from the tap.

Scepter 5-Gallon Military Water ContainerA rugged, food-grade jug for storing drinking water at home. A few of these cover the gallon-per-person-per-day rule.

Scepter Flow Control 5-Gallon Jug with SpigotA leak-proof storage jug with a built-in spigot, so you can dispense water without lifting 40 pounds.

Month 2: Treat water

Stored water runs out eventually, and municipal water can stay off long after the power comes back. A filter lets you make more drinking water from rain, creeks, or a pool.

Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter (SP129)A 0.1-micron filter that removes bacteria and protozoa and is rated for a very high volume. Works by squeeze, gravity, or inline.

LifeStraw Personal Water FilterNo batteries, no pumping. Drink straight from a questionable source. Small enough for every bag and glovebox.

Potable Aqua Tablets with PA PlusLightweight chemical backup for when a filter clogs or freezes. PA Plus tablets remove the iodine taste afterward.

Month 3: Light and batteries

Hands-free light changes everything after dark: cooking, caring for kids, finding the first aid kit.

Petzl Tikkina HeadlampA simple 300-lumen headlamp that runs on AAAs and keeps both hands free during an outage. One button, three modes.

Lichamp LED Camping Lanterns (4-pack)Inexpensive collapsible lanterns on AA batteries, one for every room.

Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA (24-pack)Long shelf life, light weight, and leak resistance make these the AAs to keep in flashlights, radios, and kits.

Month 4: No-cook food

Start with food that needs no water and no heat, and keep a manual can opener with your cans. It's what you'll actually eat in the first chaotic days.

Hormel Compleats Protein Variety PackShelf-stable full meals with no refrigeration. Edible at room temperature when there's no microwave.

StarKist Chicken & Tuna Creations (12 pouches)Ready-to-eat protein pouches. No can opener, no draining, no cooking.

Justin's Peanut Butter Squeeze Packs (10)Single-serve peanut butter that needs no jar, knife, or fridge.

Chef Boyardee Overstuffed Beef Ravioli (12 cans)Fully cooked, so you can eat it cold from the can. Keep a manual can opener with it. Kids will actually eat it, which matters more than you'd think.

Month 5: Information and CO safety

When cell service drops, a weather radio is how you find out what's coming. Add a battery-powered carbon monoxide alarm now, before you ever run a generator or a fuel heater.

Midland ER310 Emergency Crank Weather RadioNOAA weather alerts plus AM/FM, powered by hand crank, solar, or batteries. Also a flashlight and phone charger.

Kidde Battery-Powered Carbon Monoxide AlarmGenerator CO poisoning is a leading cause of death after storms. A battery CO alarm works when the power is out.

Month 6: First aid

One organized kit you can find things in under stress is worth more than a drawer of loose bandages.

Surviveware Comprehensive First Aid KitA well-organized, labeled kit in a water-resistant bag. The home or vehicle kit to build the rest around.

Month 7: Sanitation

When toilets can't flush, a bucket toilet and the right bags are the difference between unpleasant and unbearable. Nobody plans for this one, and everybody wishes they had.

Reliance Luggable Loo Portable ToiletA 5-gallon bucket toilet with a real seat. The most-needed item when water is out.

Double Doodie Toilet Bags with Bio-Gel (6)Liners that gel waste and contain odor, so the bucket toilet is actually usable.

Hefty Contractor Bags (42 gal, 26 count)Thick 3-mil bags for storm debris, ruined food, and waste.

Month 8: Cooking without power

Coleman Classic 2-Burner Propane StoveCook real meals and boil water outside on 1-lb propane cylinders.

UCO Stormproof Match KitMatches that burn for about 15 seconds and relight after being dunked in water, in a waterproof case.

Month 9: Trauma gear

Storm cleanup brings chainsaws, glass, and sheet metal. Add the gear for serious bleeding, and pair it with a Stop the Bleed class.

North American Rescue CAT Tourniquet (Gen 7)The genuine one-handed tourniquet used by the U.S. military, from the original manufacturer. Get trained before you need it.

First Care Israeli Bandages, 6" (3-pack)Pressure dressings with a built-in applicator for serious bleeding. Vacuum sealed with a long shelf life.

Month 10: Heat

An indoor-safe propane heater keeps one room livable when the furnace is out. Use it only as directed, with ventilation and your CO alarm running.

Mr. Heater Portable Buddy Propane HeaterThe smaller indoor-safe heater for one room, up to 225 sq. ft.

Swiss Safe Mylar Emergency Blankets (10-pack)Fold to the size of a deck of cards and help prevent hypothermia. Put one in every bag and car.

Months 11 and 12: A long-term food bucket

Save two months for the backbone of your pantry: a bucket of 45 days of meals for one adult, with up to a 25-year shelf life.

Augason Farms 45-Day Food Supply (281 servings)45 days of meals for one adult (about 1,200 calories a day) in a single pail, with up to a 25-year shelf life. Just add water and cook.

Year two: power

With the basics covered, keep the $100 going toward a generator or a power station. Our generator comparison will help you pick the right size.

FAQ

What should I buy first for emergency preparedness?

Water. Store at least one gallon per person per day, then add a way to treat more. Light, no-cook food, a weather radio, and first aid come next.

Is $100 a month enough to get prepared?

Yes, if you buy in priority order. A year at $100 a month covers water, light, food, first aid, sanitation, and heat for a multi-week outage. Bigger items like generators can come in year two.

Sources

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