FFTAC / SURVIVEResilience & Prevention Program

PRINTABLE BUDGET GUIDES

Preparedness kits that start at $0

No fear marketing, no gear checklist you must buy. Prioritize practical gaps, the people in your household and local hazards. All prices are illustrative U.S. estimates, not guaranteed quotes.

START WHERE YOU ARE

Four starting points. One priority: continuity.

NO PURCHASE REQUIRED

$0 plan

Use what you already have. This is the strongest starting point for many households.

  • Write two contacts and a meeting place on paper
  • Inventory food, water containers, flashlights and batteries
  • Save official alert, shelter and utility contact information
  • Make offline copies of essential records without exposing sensitive data
  • Find local food, housing, benefits and legal-aid services
  • Ask a trusted person about voluntary check-ins
ILLUSTRATIVE BUDGET

$25 plan

Complete the $0 plan, then fill your most important short-term gap.

  • Choose between safe commercially bottled water and missing shelf-stable food
  • Consider inexpensive hygiene items or spare batteries if needed
  • Keep receipts; compare unit prices locally
  • Do not buy “survival” products before covering urgent medicine and rent
ILLUSTRATIVE BUDGET

$100 plan

Add realistic short-outage continuity, adjusted for the household.

  • Safe drinking water reserve following CDC instructions
  • Foods your household already eats and can rotate
  • Reliable flashlight and appropriate batteries
  • Basic hygiene materials, first-aid supplies and contact list
  • Modest phone power bank if compatible and safe
ILLUSTRATIVE BUDGET

$500 plan

Invest in verified gaps, not in dramatic gear. Adapt to the risks that affect you.

  • Extend water and food continuity where storage is safe and feasible
  • Consider a weather radio and tested phone charging solution
  • Safeguard backups and printed emergency contacts
  • Fund relevant first-aid or community emergency training
  • Share non-sensitive resources through voluntary neighbor coordination
  • Prioritize health and accessibility supplies before extras
Water and medical safety: CDC recommends at least one gallon of water per person per day for a minimum of three days, with more for some needs. Never assume home filters remove chemicals. Do not store prescription drugs in unsafe temperatures or substitute these lists for a clinician's advice. CDC water guidance ↗

HOUSEHOLD ADAPTATION

What matters more than a budget

  1. Choose hazards relevant to your home: outage, heat, flood, job loss, disability access or evacuation.
  2. Count people, pets, accessibility needs, feeding needs and devices that require power.
  3. Use the interactive checklist and review supplies every six months.
  4. Call local service providers to confirm eligibility; never assume a promised resource is operating.
Plan for income loss →Official sources →