Start with water, a flashlight, and a written list of emergency phone numbers. That takes 15 minutes and zero dollars. Everything else builds from there.
You are not here because you think the world is ending. You are here because you have noticed things feel less predictable than they used to. A pandemic emptied grocery store shelves. A winter storm knocked out power for millions. None of these were apocalyptic. All of them caught people off guard.
Preparedness is not about fear. It is about margin. The same reason you keep a spare tire in your car and money in savings.
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Step 1: Water (This Weekend)
Water is the single most important supply in any emergency. Start here because it matters most and costs almost nothing.
The minimum: Fill a few clean containers with tap water and set them aside. Aim for one gallon per person per day. A family of four needs 12 gallons for three days.
The upgrade: Buy a portable water filter. A Sawyer Squeeze ($35) threads onto standard water bottles and filters 100,000 gallons. This single item dramatically extends your water supply.
For the complete guide, see our Home Water Storage article.
Step 2: Light and Communication (Week 2)
When the power goes out, you need three things: light, a way to charge your phone, and a way to get information.
Headlamp ($15 to $25) with extra batteries. Better than a flashlight because it keeps your hands free.
Portable phone charger ($20 to $40). A 10,000 mAh power bank charges most phones two to three times.
Battery-powered weather radio ($25 to $40). When cell towers are jammed, AM/FM and NOAA weather radio is how you get information. The Midland ER310 ($40) runs on batteries, hand crank, or solar.
Step 3: Food That Requires No Cooking (Week 3)
Start with food you already eat that does not require refrigeration or cooking.
Granola bars and energy bars
Peanut butter and crackers
Dried fruit and trail mix
Canned tuna or chicken (with a manual can opener)
Beef jerky
Aim for 1,500 to 2,000 calories per person per day. Three days of no-cook food costs about $15 to $25 per person. For a deeper dive, see our emergency food supply guide.
Step 4: First Aid Basics (Week 4)
A basic first aid kit handles the injuries most likely to happen during a disruption: cuts, burns, blisters, and sprains.
A pre-built kit like the Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight .7 ($30) covers the basics. Add your own prescription medications (72-hour supply, rotated monthly) and any personal medical items.
More importantly, learn three skills: stopping bleeding, hands-only CPR, and recognizing shock. These skills save more lives than any kit.
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Step 5: Documents and Cash (Week 5)
Photocopies of IDs, insurance cards, and prescriptions in a waterproof bag
Emergency contact list written on paper (5 to 10 numbers)
$100 to $200 in small bills (ATMs do not work without power)
Photograph all important documents and store them in cloud storage
Step 6: Build a Go-Bag (Week 6)
A go-bag is a pre-packed bag with everything you need for 72 hours if you have to leave your home on short notice. Grab a backpack you already own and pack:
Water bottle and filter
3 days of no-cook food
Headlamp and phone charger
Emergency bivvy or space blanket ($5 to $15)
Change of clothes
First aid kit
Documents and cash
Any critical medications
Set it by the front door. Total cost: $100 to $150. Full guide: What to Put in a 72-Hour Kit.
Step 7: Make a Plan (Week 7)
Supplies without a plan are just stuff in a closet. A plan turns them into a system.
Communication plan: Designate an out-of-area contact everyone calls if separated. Write down 5 to 10 essential phone numbers on a card.
Meeting points: Pick one near your home and one outside your neighborhood.
Evacuation routes: Know two ways out of your neighborhood. Drive them so they are familiar.
Pet plan: Know where your pets can go. Most shelters do not accept animals.
What NOT to Do
Do not buy everything at once. Gradual preparation is sustainable. Panic buying is expensive and usually results in the wrong stuff.
Do not start with the expensive stuff. A $1,300 power station is nice, but it is step 20, not step 1. Water and a flashlight are step 1.
Do not build for the apocalypse. Build for the things that actually happen: power outages, storms, job loss, supply chain disruptions. The boring scenarios are the ones that matter.
Do not let perfect be the enemy of started. A mediocre kit you actually have beats a perfect kit that only exists in a browser tab.
The 15-Minute Start
If you do nothing else today, do these three things:
Fill a container with tap water and set it aside.
Find a flashlight and put fresh batteries in it.
Write down 5 emergency phone numbers on a card and put it in your wallet.
That is 15 minutes. Zero dollars. And you are now more prepared than the vast majority of people.
Stay Prepared, One Week at a Time
This guide gives you the starting point. THE READY BRIEF newsletter walks you through the next steps, one topic per week.
Subscribe to THE READY BRIEF and build your preparedness one step at a time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the first thing I should do for emergency preparedness?
Store water. Fill clean containers with tap water — one gallon per person per day, minimum three-day supply. Water is the most critical supply and costs almost nothing to store. After water, get a flashlight with fresh batteries and write down emergency phone numbers on paper.
How much does basic emergency preparedness cost?
You can build a solid foundation for $100 to $200 spread over a few weeks. A water filter ($35), headlamp ($15), phone charger ($25), three days of food ($20), and a basic first aid kit ($30) cover the essentials. Use a backpack you already own. Spread purchases across regular grocery trips to minimize the impact on your budget.
Am I being paranoid for wanting to be prepared?
No. FEMA recommends every household maintain supplies for at least 72 hours. The Red Cross, the National Guard, and every emergency management agency in the country encourages basic preparedness. Keeping a spare tire does not make you paranoid about flat tires. It makes you practical. Preparedness is the same concept applied to life.
About The Ready Brief
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