When it comes to prepping supplies that will “save your life” there is literally no end to what we can buy. While we all know that skills will be more valuable than gear in a disaster situation, there are some supplies that we shouldn’t skimp on.

When it comes to buying supplies that help you become better prepared, there is a difference between getting a good deal, and skimping. Price doesn’t necessarily equal quality. You can spend $100 on a few Sawyer Mini water filters, but if you live in an urban environment, it won’t do a thing for you.

On the other side, you can find some great deals at thrift stores, garage sales, eBay and Craig’s List. The bottom line is, if the product fits your needs, and is going to work when you need it to, that’s more important than what you paid for it.

SPP227 Prepping Supplies You Can’t Skimp On

A SHTF or survival scenario is no time to find out that that cool little gadget that you just had to have is not all it’s cracked up to be. Most of the time, the tried and true method is the simple one, and the more we know, the less we need.

Today in the show we talked about some of the prepping supplies we shouldn’t skimp on (or be cheap like me sometimes) and some that we don’t need to break the bank on. We also mentioned a couple buying tips to help you make good purchasing decisions.

Buying Tips

Do Your Research: When you are making a purchase, don’t just take the manufacturers word for it, they are trying to sell you on their product. Look for honest reviews from people who have used the product. Amazon has a good review system, and if the product has enough reviews, you can get a good idea about the product.

Impulse Buying: Before you buy something “you just have to have” give yourself a little time to think about it. The same principal applies at your local grocery store. They put chips, gum, candy and gadgets in your face while you are waiting in line to try and get you to buy 1 more thing before you leave.

I try to give myself a full day to think about something before I buy it. During that time, I might decide I didn’t really need it, or find something else “I had to have”. Sometimes these companies will even send you an email saying you forgot something in your cart, and offer you a discount.

Check Expirations:  The fact that we can but just about anything on line these days is both good and bad. People can sell things online at a super low prices when they get their hands on something that is expired, or near expiration.

Water purification tablets, MRE’s and medical supplies are all examples of supplies that the seller should disclose the expiration date. If they don’t, you should probably move on.

Gimmicks & Hype: Because we get advertised to just about everywhere we go these days, it’s harder than ever to avoid hype, scams and gimmicks. This is where doing your research and avoiding impulse buys is important.

We have all probably been burned a time or 2 in the past, and we will probably get burned in the future as well…I’m pretty use I will haha. If we take our time, and do our research, we can save some time money, and headaches down the line.

Skills: This probably goes without saying, but knowing how to use your supplies is more important than the item itself. If you don’t have a lot of knife skills, you can get away with a lower cost model…for now. The one exception would be if you need the supplies to learn something. I did this with my...