I'm a big fan of second hand stores, and in the same vain, one good piece of advice I got when I starting thinking about BOB, was to use things that we already had around the house. Clothes, bedding, pots and pans, bottles, etc. Most of us have extras that can put in a BOB and not be missed.

Don't overlook that value in re-purposing items either. There are a gazillion DIY projects out there that can save you a tonne of dough and are fun to make too. Watch out though, it can be addictive.