Do it bit by bit and do it wisely.
Try making a list of what things you want or need to put in your kit. (and what you already have or is around that you can use)
Then go over the list and work out the needs and make them a priority.
Also work out items on your list that are multi use and work out items which are specialized. Some items will be used in any disaster and some in only one type of disaster. So work out how you plan to use items on your list and then prioritise again.
When buying items, buy items that can be trusted when you need them. Quality doesn't mean highest priced. But if you buy an item and you dont trust it, thats a mental hit you dont need when the SHTF. Potentially worse is over trusting an item that fails because you didn't do your homework when checking in to it before purchasing.

There is a lot of good info here. But we cant give you specifics about where you live. So research your area and find out what you are most likely going to face. When we are born we are a statistic. So look into some statistics around you. Look at your country side and find out likely events. Look back hundreds, if not thousands of years and see what has happened around your area. The earth works on a different time scale to humans. Also check weather history.
It is better to know what you are likely to expect and make plans towards it.
Start basic and work up from there. It might seem daunting but adding bit by bit while working to a plan, soon brings results.

Some of the things I have found out for myself about my local area includes living 80km away from the epicentre of the strongest quake in Australia for the past 200 years. And also living a few kilometers away from Australia's youngest volcano, and then finding that its last siesmic activity occured in 1978.
I haven't specifically prepared for an earthquake (yet), but after receintly finding out about how big the quake was and that it damaged buildings in both Adelaide and Melbourne, (about 900km apart) Earthquakes has gone up on my priority list to prepare for.

You might consider approaching from the other side of the equation too ? increasing your spendable monthly income by reducing other expenses.

Awhile back, went through this exercise with one of my brothers. I?m the ?financial guy? in the family, and he admits to being fiscally-challenged. We started by looking at where his income goes now, then ways to trim output (fertile ground in his case). These aren?t for everyone, but the results:

1. His cable package included occasionally watched ?premium channels?. Nixed. Annual savings: $180

2. He and wife have cell phones w/family plan w/lots of minutes, and free nationwide calling. Landline phone service plus average long distance charges totaled $35/month. He?s considering cutting, and relying on cell-only (see #3 below). Annual savings: $420

3. Alternative to #2, if wife resists getting rid of phone: internet access is cable modem, (although uses internet primarily for e-mail and occasional web surfing) at cost of $39/month. For his limited use, dial-up, at $10/month, will do the job OK. Switching = annual savings: $348

4. Homeowner?s insurance: hadn?t shopped rates/companies in awhile, and carried an unjustifiably low (IMO) deductible (low deductible = higher premium). Shopped rates, changed companies, increased deductible to $1000 (little stuff, he?s capable of repairing himself, and is it wise to submit small, potentially rate-increasing, claims?). BTW, he hasn?t had a claim in over 10 years. Wide premium range among insurance companies for identical coverage. Annual savings: $300.

5. Carried full-coverage auto insurance on his 15-year old work truck; reduced to liability-only. Annual savings: $300.

6. They subscribe to local newspaper, but admit admits pretty much uses only for TV schedule (despite fact cable has on-air guide); the rest pretty much ends up unread in the recycle bin. Stopped subscription. Annual savings: $120

7. Between him and his wife, used ?other than their own bank? ATMs an average of 5 times a month to replenish pocket money, at $2 fee per pop. Convinced to carry more cash/reduce frequency of replenishment, and to get cash-back when pays for groceries with debit card (effectively making grocery store his free ATM). Annual savings: $120.

8. Has had same checking account ?package? for about six years. Costing $5/month for ?benefits? he didn?t need or use. Switched him to a more-appropriate ? and free ? checking account with same bank. Annual savings: $60.

9. Unable to pin down cost of outside-the-home eating (mostly fast-food). For two of them, anecdotal info suggested $150/month (2x week). Cutting in half, minus cost to eat at home, still results in annual savings ~$450.

Without significantly impacting lifestyle, trimmed ~$1900 from annual outgo (could?ve trimmed more, but his eyes were starting to glaze over).

Lots of preparedness toys can be bought with $1900, or put into savings account if you?re into ?practical.? <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Like other posters mentioned, it's a long, slow road.

Keep an eye out for web/catalog bargains and sales at such sites as (in no order of preference or endorsement):

- Sierra Trading Post
- REI Outlet
- Northern Mountain Supply
- Campmor

I don't think I've paid full price for *any* of my gear. Everything has been the result of careful shopping.

Also, like others, I've had good luck buying quality items that will last. Not bottom of the heap or top-of-the-line, but somewhere in the middle. Respectable brand names seem to do pretty good.

What really makes me laugh is how manufacturers will put last year's items out to pasture simply because of the color change of a piece of gear. Apparently people want banana slug yellow this year instead of wilted lettuce green. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

"Careful shopping." Yeah, that's the ticket. Sounds good to me. Can't afford to do otherwise, anyhow.

-- Craig

Already doing 6, 7, 8, and 9. The rest won't work very well in our situation.

Have you ever tried to work from home and connect to your database at work using a dial-up connection? Ain't gonna happen. I read newspapers for free, online only. I use free ATMs at the local Wawa. I have accounts and credit cards at credit unions. I gave up on banks years ago.

Thanks for the reply.

-- Craig

If you are working at home, is the company picking up at least part of the tab? If they aren't, you may be able to claim it on your taxes.

Also, check to see if a DSL line might give you a better price vs cable, or the other way around.

It is worth it to drop the thrity bucks on a tax guide book, and READ it, if youare going to prepair yourself. Unless you have really basic taxes, you will pay for the book. And then, you might want to go to an indipendent tax prepairer- they usually want to find you more stuff.

Clearance sales are the best.

Craig,

I remember when my parents planned a vacation when I was a kid, they put a little money aside until they had enough. Great advice, which I never could seem to follow! My take on things is to budget for it, either a certain amount each week, like maybe $5 for canned food when grocery shopping, or $5 per week for 5 weeks in order to buy a couple of Mora knives. I think the key is to have some kind of plan, and being able to stick to it. A twist on the old "pay yourself first" from the book The Wealthy Barber. Unless you have unlimited financial resources, you won't be able to do everything simultaneously.

A great idea, sure enough. Baby steps, you could call it.

-- Craig

My wife works from home sometimes. Her company considers working from home a luxury. Her company is a non-profit. They do not pay for it in any way. Sigh. The cable modem helps my wife work from home when she wants to. That makes it pay for itself.

-- Craig