Sensible Prepping UK

Getting ready on a small budget

Published

Most households already have half the list. Start with the free steps, check your cupboards, then add the cheapest missing things on your normal shop.

You’re not the only one

In the government’s 2026 survey, the 3 most common reasons people gave for not getting ready were not having enough money (29%), not wanting things to go out of date (25%) and not knowing what to do (23%). Here’s an answer to each.

Not enough money

Do the free things first. They cost nothing and they matter most:

Then check your cupboards. Be Ready suggests looking at what you already have before buying anything. Many homes already have blankets, warm clothes, some plasters and a few tins.

Then add the missing things one or two at a time, on your normal shop, so the cost is spread out. For 2 adults for 3 days, the food comes to about £35 at a supermarket. If you're starting from nothing, the kit is roughly £95 to £175. You’ll already have most of the kit, so you’ll spend much less.

Things going out of date

Buy food you’d usually eat, as Be Ready suggests. Keep it at the back of the cupboard and use it in your normal cooking, then replace it. Be Ready says to check expiry dates every six months. Nothing goes to waste if you eat it.

Not knowing what to do

The calculator tells you what your household needs, and the checklist puts it all on one page. That’s the whole plan.

Not enough room

18% said they didn’t have the storage space. You need one box. Our budget pick is the STASH’D 50-litre clear storage box (Ad), and under the stairs or the bottom of a wardrobe will do.

The cheapest picks

Where something’s missing, these are our budget picks:

The rest are on the kit pages, each with a cheaper option.

Sources