Ready Nutrition May 2013
One of the most frequently asked questions on Apartment Prepper is how can someone living in a small space prepare for an emergency. I’ll be the first one to admit that it can be challenging, but it’s definitely doable.
1. Free up some space
Although it is tempting to just go out and buy supplies and gear, and a lot more exciting, the first step that I recommend is to designate a space for your supplies. Find a closet or drawer or even a corner of the house that you will use for your emergency supplies. Depending on how organized you are when you start out, you may have to declutter and get rid of stuff in order to accomplish this.
Take a Saturday going through your belongings and weeding out stuff you no longer use.
The purpose of this step is two-fold:
- You clean up an area and find an empty space for your prepping supplies.
- You may find items you can sell at a garage sale, Ebay or Craigslist that can net you some extra funds to fund your emergency budget. Or, you can donate items to charity and get a tax deduction.
Decluttering is a win-win for everyone, plus you will feel better in the process. Do not skip this step!
2. Track your usage
The next step that I recommend is to take about three days to track everything you use. From the time you wake up until bed time, keep a little notepad with you and make a note of every time you and your family uses. The purpose of this step is to make you aware of all the items you and your family uses, including drinks and food, so you will only stock up on stuff you actually use. You will want to have items that you will use, even if no emergency happens.