Pay off any credit cards and then cut them up and close the accounts. One shouldn't pay interest for their preparedness and self reliance needs.

Help them create their threat assessment and plan accordingly. Evaluate, plan, then plan some more, then do.

Don't forget mundane issues like documentation packages, computer backup etc. Not sexy I know, but if your house burns down and you've backed up your computer on a hard drive and have critical documents stored off site at a family member's or friend's house, you'll be very, very happy. Seen it many, many times when people have lost EVERYTHING.

Their stockpile of food should be created by determining what they actually eat and how that food can be stored and rotated through their normal consumption cycle. I do suggest some freeze dried 72 hour kits and maybe, just maybe, one case MREs or equivalent. Buy a couple extra cans at a time of whatever they eat when it's on sale.

Water can start with refilling the ubiquitous 2 liter soda bottles and storing them in an opaque plastic bin. Add a couple jerry cans if they can.

Gear stuff is solely based upon the threat assessment and their plan to deal with it. Chaosmagnet, Xbanker, Ironraven, and Jim are spot on.

Looks like I'm with the majority here. Don't rush into anything except research, planning and training. Help them get a 72 hour kit together and learn to be resourceful with what they have at hand. Most homeowners will have more on hand than they realize. Knowledge is key!

This makes abundant good sense - most folks already have a lot on hand to address emergencies and disasters, sometimes in an disorganized state though. It all depends on what you prepare for. Fires, winds, floods, cold weather - those are most encountered, and most folks in environments subject to them are already prepared whether they know it or not. Earthquakes, tornadoes, etc - less so, but often they are not so far from being prepared. When they make an inventory of their risk exposure, and compare it to what they have available around them, its simply a matter of filling in the blank spots with judicious use of their money. In terms of material, I recommend starting with Doug Ritter's inventories of recommended gear for different survival contexts (home kits, car kits etc).

The best plan is one where you don't set out to exhaust $5,000, or $1,000, but you begin by taking stock of what you have and what you need, both in supply as well as knowledge. Most folks fall down on the basics - food, water, first aid training and supplies - and those can be remedied relatively inexpensively and gradually, and within a monthly budget. And a percentage of people will go whole hog and spend the budget and then some on unlikely preparations - call it zombie preps. Sure, you have some neato gear, whether you will ever need it or use it. Or not.

Got to library - Check out some books

Cost $0

But information -- Priceless

I wouldn't go that far and say $1000 worth of gear would be completely useless. There are many bargains around at this time of year for those invaluable camping items with retailers disposing of summer stock.

I was in my local Tesco superstore today and they had on sale a Campinggaz Bistro Stove for £3.50 or about $5.

http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.200-3031.aspx

And a 3 man tent for £7.99 or about $12.

http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.100-8628.aspx

Possibly one of the best ways to introduce someone to preparedness would be to go around to their home and turn off the water and gas main then the electricity, then let them figure out what they need to be comfortable for a couple of weeks or months.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEP6wVSN_Ks

A few hundred dollars expenditure is all that is really required to last a couple of weeks even in the most difficult circumstances.

I wholeheartedly agree that libraries are an outstanding resource. Imagine that, a place where knowledge, information and entertainment are provided for free to anyone who cares to show up. Most libraries have substantial collections of books useful for preparations and survival. A person could spend weeks closely reading the Foxfire series. It might take years if you wish to carry out the techniques presented.

Obviously you can look up survival and wilderness survival. But also look into manuals and guides for hiking and camping. Survival is a matter of keeping warm/cool, fed, watered. protected, and healthy. Hikers and campers share these concerns.

Field medicine, staying healthy and handling injuries, is a big part of survival. Learn more about it by finding manuals for EMT training, firefighting, first-aid. If you can find them nursing manuals from the forties often have detail instructions on wound dressing with materials you are likely to have on hand and conditions you will face in the field. Everyone will want to update their knowledge base beyond what was conventional wisdom in the mid-forties but much of the modern methodology is based on materials and techniques that are more suitable for a hospital than the field.

Many libraries have extensive sections for DIY and crafts. Learn to sew and you can start modifying and repairing your gear. In time you can make your own outdoor clothes and gear.

My library has a small section of books on knives and knife-making, and related metallurgy. Even if you never make your own what you learn can make selecting a knife an informed choice.

The list of useful things you can learn at a good library is endless.

If you look up a subject and find the local collection wanting talk it over with the librarians. Every library I've gone to has been positively enthusiastic about hunting down and obtaining what patrons want.

I think there are a few essentials that you should suggest. They can start with the idea of a 72 hour kit and expand it by adding more supplies. This list assumes "bugging in" and that you already have the basics (eg knives, can openers, silverware, clothing, etc).

Water & storage: While you can recycle soda bottles, I find they often impart on off taste (depending on what was in them). For a nominal cost you can buy food grade plastic jugs made for water storage. Available in sizes from a few gallons to 55 gallon drums, most have spigots and large openings and are much more durable and reusable. I think spending $20 on a [url=http://www.waterbob.com/Welcome.do]Water BOB[/url would be a good idea. You have to have an hour's warning or so to fill it but it would be a good way to just keep water when you need it.

If they get deeper into prepping, and depending on where they live, there are many types of water filters and purifiers available. It could be as simple as some bleach or as advanced as carbon filters or desalinizing gear. I won't go into detail because the gear capable of removing chemicals like benzine or petroleum products is going to be expensive. In the short term and on a budget you're better off keeping a well sealed supply of water than trying to purify it.

Food: Spending a few hundred bucks on long storing food is always a good idea. Your plan can range from the purchase of larger quanities of the same canned foods you already use to incorporating freeze dried foods (eg Mountain House). The canned food has the advantage of not needing extra water and being a bit cheaper. Certainly you can keep things like cereal, buying extra and rotating it. Powdered milk is also a good staple to stock, especially if you have kids to plan for. The one thing I would generally avoid would be frozen foods- if you have an emergency where you lose power your freezer will only keep food frozen for a few days.

You may also want to keep a few cases of commercial bottled water as well. Add in some Perrier or sports drinks for some variety to keep morale up (although soda is a negative in a survival situation).

Heat & Light: This will vary greatly depending upon where you live, but in a 72 hour kit you should at least make sure to have a good stock of quality candles. Good quality matches (perhaps backed up with a few lighters) is also essential. Dietz lanterns are inexpensive & reliable and kerosene stores well and has other uses. In northern climes a few good space heaters that run on natural gas and propane would be a good idea. Do your homework here and make sure to pick units that are safe to run indoors (oxygen depletion sensors, O2 sensors, etc) and then apply caution- learn to maintain adequate ventilations. It's probably impractical to use such heaters for long term use due to fuel storage requirements but for short term emergencies they're great. If they're prepping for the long haul, it would behoove them to check into a wood stove. Newer ones are very efficient and if you have access to wood they'll keep you warm for many years.

Blankets is another obvious thing to stock up on. Depending on your latitude, keeping a few extra sleeping bags and/or heavy comforters is a good idea.

Having some good flashlights can be a huge advantage as well. You don't need to spend a fortune but be sure to get decent quaility. I've pretty much gone to all LED models for their durability, reliability and superior battery life. CR123A models, like SureFires, are very high quality- I have several of them. They're also expensive. The batteries are a bit more expensive but have a 10 year shelf life. Whatever you get, keep a good supply of batteries on hand. And keep them rotated- check the dates to be sure they'll work when you need them. Lastly, it might be advantageous to settle on one or two basic battery types. If most of your devices take the same ones it's easier to stock them.

Plastic: I think keeping a good supply of rolled plastic sheeting, drop cloths and contractor bags is a good idea. Combined with duct tape and a few basic tools it can winterize or seal doors and windows. Keeping basic tools like a hammer, nails and some furring strips will improve the ability to seal things up with the plastic.

Five Gallon buckets with lids: These are good for basic sanitation. A visit to a camping store will provide some products to make a camp toilet. Again, depending on what you're prepping for, you may not have access to sanitation or sewer services in the time after a disaster.

First Aid: What you keep for first aid will vary based on your knowledge and your needs. Certainly you should keep a stock of any prescription meds you require. For 72 hour situations antibiotics and the like probably aren't a huge priority but can be important in some situations. For instance, Cipro would be good to have on hand if you come into contact with Anthrax. At a minimum you should keep a well stocked first aid kit with plenty of tape, bandages and sterile dressings. Antibiotic ointments and disinfectants are also important. Really first aid is a huge topic best addressed as a separate topic. The best thing would be to seek out basic 1st Aid from the Red Cross. It's cheap and will get you on the right track.

Misc: A couple of radios would be good, especially ones with weather/emergency bands. Some form of entertainment will also be handy (think books, games for the kids, a deck of cards, et). Depending on where you live and what you're prepping for, you might also consider weapons, etc...but that's probably a bit beyond the scope of introducing them to preparedness.

Beyond that, encourage your friends to plan and study. Tell them to pretend they have no power or running water- anticipate what they'll need to deal with just that reality. Once they get their minds wrapped around that, add other variables- windows blown out by a hurricane, basement flooded, ice storm knocking out power for a week, etc. Eventually they may want to add electrical generators, solar panels, drill a well, etc.

Best of luck with your new preppers.

The simplest and most effective way of dealing with a disaster is to avoid it. By far the most common reason people end up in a survival situation in the US is a setback in their financial situation. Losing a job, a major medical crisis (insured or not), a sudden increase in monthly expenses, and/or a reversal in the value of investments can financially sink a family.

The one thing that gives you a big bang for the buck is paying off debt.

I wouldn't necessarily be too quick about canceling any accounts, assuming they don't have a substantial annual fee or penalties for non-use, because canceling an account represents a loss of credit that can adversely effect your credit rating and result in higher interest rates on any debt you maintain. If an account has no annual or other maintenance or non-use fees there is little direct benefit to canceling it.

I totally agree. Nothing provides more insight than hands-on experience, and a simulation is the safest and smartest way to do that.

Going with the idea of preparing his family in the house. I'm going to stay away for camping or shelters other than his home. Way to many variables. I would start with the very very basics. I would have him get a basic 3month food supply, first aid kit, 80gallons of stored water, basic tools, and a Generator. If there is a local water source that he can get to, I suggest a gravity fed water filtering system like a katadyn drip, or a Berky. After that, I wouldn't make any other purchases until he did a little research.
With some basics in place, there is now a chance to do things slowly without wasting $$$.
I would suggest classes and books on Gardening, Canning, long term food storage and self defense.
I think the remaining $4000 will go further if he has some knowledge behind his purchases.

$4000. Firearms. Rifle or shotgun. upgraded first aid kit. addtional light sources like rechargable flashlights and propane lanterns. Depending on region, I would be thinking of additional heat/cooking options. You should be familiar with your source of heat/cooking and not wait for an emergency. I'm a fan of something that can be used frequently. propane burner, wooden stove etc. Upgraded gear/clothing should be a consideration......man....the more I think about it. It gets alittle overwhelming. I'm beginning to think that I have a lot left to to.
Any thoughts on my line of thinking?