Our family recently endured the snowpocalyptic polar vortex that hit Texas. We lost power for 28 hours in addition to random shutdowns and our home was without running water from sometime after midnight Monday the 15th until Tuesday the 23rd because our water line froze at the meter and subsequently had 9 breaks (all eventually fixed by my handy husband!). We fared much better than many who were longer without services as well as others whose homes and lives were damaged and we do request your ongoing prayers for our area.

Our income supports five adults – including three with immune or developmental issues – on a single modest paycheck. So when I say that it is possible to prepare for a crisis while living week to week financially, know that I am speaking from experience, not theory. It is impossible to be prepared for everything, but having general emergency preparedness is both confidence-building and comforting.

REMEMBER! The idea is to do this gradually, as your budget permits.

1.I will begin with this: Trust God, pray often, be aware of His nudges and the opportunities He presents to provide early for a possible crisis. Life is nothing if not unexpected and things rarely go the way we plan in this fallen and difficult world. God is so much more than just a backup plan.

2. Be a good neighbor! The best way to have kind, friendly neighbors is to be one yourself. You don’t need to be besties, but neighborly connections are important for amiable living and are also nice to have if an emergency arises for either of you. My husband is great at wandering the neighborhood making friends. I am often better online, so I know that joining your neighborhood or community social media group (on Nextdoor, Facebook, or similar) can be a great way to get to know people. We woke in the wee hours the first day of Snowpocalypse (Monday, February 15) with our water frozen at the meter and our neighbors kindly filled our water jugs for the day until we got our snow melting going (for flushing) and their water went out. My husband shoveled the nextdoor neighbor’s walk first thing in the morning and, after everyone’s power went out, we offered use of our gas stove. Neighborhood as well as social media connections made us aware of needs in the neighborhood both during and after the event and my husband (a capable driver on snow and ice) was able to assist.

3. Build your pantry as you can afford. Stock up gradually by purchasing an extra non-perishable item or two for the pantry whenever you are able. Online preppers tend to push for stocking up on dried food, rice, and beans, but we can’t afford to stock up on stuff we don’t eat regularly and neither do we have the space to store it. Buy things your family normally consumes because you will need to rotate through the items to avoid expiration dates. For instance, my family loves turkey chili so I try to always have several cans on the shelf, using the oldest cans first. I do the same with canned chicken, canned tuna, pasta, soup, refried beans, flour, sugar, condiments and other items that we use regularly. We also have an extra refrigerator in the garage (look for a cheap or free older frig or freezer online) and I buy similarly for frozen food. My family likes fresh, perishable foods, but we use enough canned and frozen goods to make the system work. If you have critters, don’t skip the pet food. This is a gradual process and food and water are the most important but, as you can, add in backups for such items as bandages, soap, and cleaning supplies.

4. Shop ahead if possible. Keep an eye on the weather and current events and shop accordingly. Last-minute panic buying occurs just before a weather or other high impact event. Early in the week before Snowpocalypse when the forecast was for about four days of rough weather, I decided to plan for seven to ten days – just in case! – and went to a normally stocked and uncrowded store to purchase just a bit over my usual list. I didn’t have to overstretch my budget because I knew my pantry and freezer were in good shape. I forgot to get cheese, though, and when my husband stopped by the store for it after work on February 12th, he snapped the photo you see here. Be aware. Shop. Early.

5. Water! We were pretty sure we would lose power, but were not expecting the extended loss of water. However, we like to take spontaneous mini roadtrips so we usually have a case or two of water bottles standing by because taking food and beverages with us instead of eating out is a significant savings! I also occasionally buy the random gallon jug to have a few on hand. Before a weather event I purchase extra since a flooding rainstorm can result in a notice to boil drinking water. We were careful with drinking/washing water during the polar vortex and we had enough to get through.

6. Heat. During the snow event, I was so thankful that we live in a small, one-story house with a fireplace! We all enjoy a warm and cozy fire on winter nights, so throughout the year we stock up by saving wood from our own tree trimming and sometimes pick up what neighbors leave on the curb for City chipping. My husband recently found a used Buddy heater and I highly recommend saving up and shopping for a used one, if you can – especially if you are without a fireplace. Gotta say, that is one area we did not plan ahead and had only four canisters for the Buddy, so mostly heated with firewood. I lit the gas burners on the stove to take the early morning chill off the kitchen. And definitely supply your home with extra blankets! We have purchased lovely, warm, like-new comforters and quilts very affordably at thrift stores and yard sales. Our kids are sensory and love snuggly things, so we actually have way too many blankets for our normal Texas climate – but it worked out well for us this time!

7. Let there be light! We live in an older neighborhood where the power goes out pretty regularly during electrical storms. Over the years I have supplied everyone with flashlights as stocking stuffers at Christmas and we also own heavier duty lights for emergencies, repairs, and general use. We purchase batteries on sale to stay stocked. But our best source of light during outages? Candles! A few tapers provide adequate light and can be acquired cheaply (along with inexpensive holders) almost anywhere, including most dollar stores. Candles that melt down into a glass container are primarily decorative and do not give as much light as tapers. Camping lanterns also work, of course, but we only have one of those so mostly stick with candles. And do NOT use candles for night lights! All candles (and the fireplace) should never be unattended and need to be extinguished when you go to bed.

8. Paper goods – not necessary, but incredibly helpful! I have a confession to make: we indulge in the luxury of paper plates. I know there are those who are critics of this but I gotta say – it saved our bacon when we went nine days without water! I occasionally buy paper bowls and plastic utensils for special events so we still had those and I definitely plan to keep them in my emergency stash. We do not use paper napkins, choosing cloth napkins for regular use because they are effective, versatile, and easy to wash, but do use paper towels for certain types of cleaning and were thankfully stocked up. If you have a fireplace, random paper products around your house (paper plates, food boxes, paper towels, scrap paper, junk mail) make great kindling.

9. Cooking with limited ability to wash: Our gas stove can be lit manually so I was able to use the stove top without power. Certain foods stick to my preferred stainless steel cookware, so I also have a large nonstick saucepan and large nonstick skillet (with lids). I was so very thankful for these! Just for fun, we made fudge by candlelight during the power outage and the nonstick saucepan cleaned up easily with a paper towel and minimal water. Keep an extra roll of foil around, as well; we poured the warm fudge into a foil-lined pan, and during the days with no water I cooked in the oven by lining crockery and baking sheets with foil for minimal cleanup.

10. Stay charged! We all have portable charge units (AKA battery bricks or portable/solar chargers) so we can keep our phones and other small electronics working when traveling or away from an outlet for any reason. Obtain these as you can afford, plug them in regularly and keep them powered. A good portable charge unit with solar recharge ability also makes a great gift for anyone in the family frequently frustrated by dead electronics! During power outages here when we are without wifi or a consistent cell signal, we are still able to use the random signals to periodically send through texts and calls since we keep our phones and tablets powered.

Bonus Thought: Entertainment – games, books, etc. – Yup! You need this stuff! If you or your children’s primary form of entertainment involves electronics, then be sure you have games, books, and/or puzzles to while away the hours. Even if you have charge units or a generator, you may need to conserve the power in those so have a few old-school forms of entertainment ready.

Whether your overall income is modest or you are on a tight budget trying to get out of debt, save for house, or support a large family, building your supply base is crucial – and not only for a possible national crisis or weather event. Like many, our income and expenses do not always match comfortably, so stocking up bit by bit when we are able has really saved us when the money doesn’t make it to the end of the month. It is decidedly reassuring to look into the supply closet and pantry and know a good meal will grace the table no matter the circumstances.