The number one thing people tell me is "I can't afford to prep." I get it. When you see those big stockpile rooms online, it feels like you need thousands of dollars. You don't. You need a plan and a little bit every payday.
Buy in the right order
Water first, always. Then a few days of food your family already eats, a light for everyone, a first aid kit and a way to deal with the toilet. After that, keep building: two weeks, a month, then bulk rice and beans for the long haul.
Don't let money sit
If something costs more than one paycheck, like a 55-gallon water drum, save toward it, but keep buying the small things you need in the meantime.
Do something free every time
Fill a few soda bottles with water. Write down phone numbers. Practice a lights-out night. Free steps make you more ready than most of what you can buy.
I built a budget planner that does all of this for you. Tell it what you can spend and how often, and it lays out every trip, in order, with the date you'll reach each goal. At $50 every two weeks, most families of four can be ready for two weeks within a few months.