I'm a Cheapskate, Are You?
Prepping can be extremely expensive. Whether hobby, vocation, or lifestyle, the gear, food, weapons, and training can be really costly. Today I was reminded of a way to make it a little easier on the budget.
I took some things by to donate to the Disabled American Veterans thrift store near my office. I didn't have a whole lot of time, but a quick scan of the book shelves showed a ton of books that could be of great use to a prepper, and at pennies on the dollar of original costs. I picked up two 2010 issues of Popular Mechanics with cover stories about surviving (How I Survived and Disasterproof Your Life) for 25 cents each. There were a lot of cookbooks, gardening books, and many homeschooling books and videos. Most were in the $0.99 to $1.99 range. I had been in one other time and saw quite a few camouflage clothes. I work in a military town, and I guess when folks end their enlistment, a lot of them donate their uniforms.
I've read stories of thrift store finds such as cast iron cookware, camping supplies, and electronic devices. Everyone knows you can find clothes there. Today's visit got me thinking about a challenge.
Between now 8 p.m. EST on February 13, take $10 to your favorite charity thrift store and buy whatever survival or prepping gear gives you the best bang for the buck. Post your list of what you got for your $10 on the comment section of this posting, and I'll pick a winner that I think got the best deals. If you win, I'll send you something useful from my barter larder.
I think this can be a lot of fun for everyone and a great learning experience. Everyone is really a winner since you'll be getting prep items at a steep discount, and one person will win the bragging rights of "Best Thrifty Prepper - 2011" and something extra from me. Plus, the money you spend goes to a good cause.
Good luck, have fun, and in the words of celebrity survival expert, Bear Grylls, "Put on the meat ponchos!"
Im glad you reposted about the thrift store finds. for the life of me i couldnt remember what site it was i has read it on. a few weeks back i was called by a friend of mine who happens to run my local thrift shop to come over and see if i could fix a few bikes that were donated. my payment is usually what ever i find within reason for free. usually its some junk that they couldnt or wouldnt sell. theres always a corner of the back room thats got stuff they havent put out. after fixing the bikes i could, and loading the junk ones in the back of my truck for scrap i was able to reach a brown metal tool box that ive had my eye on in the corner but could never reach to see what was in it. this day i was able to reach it and as soon as i grabbed it i was told they would have to have $20 for it and what ever was inside. ever the bargin hunter i am, i offered $10 "i got a bet going with some friends on who can get the best deal for $10". she said DEAL! the box had a cheap`O lock on it so i took it home. i could hear there were a few tools inside but could tell what. when i got home and cut the lock i found everthing was coated in dirt oil and rust. someone left it either in the trunk of there car for awhile or bed of there truck best as i could tell cause it was pretty beat up. the box alone i figured worth 10 bucks. Inside was my treasure. a few stanley screwdrivers, hammer, cheap`o plyers, and a set of 7 metric and standard ratching wrenches. They say gearwrench on them. WOW these go for at least $60 bucks a pop at autozone. i felt guilty so i called my friend up and told her what i found and what it was worth and all she told me was "Good deal" then said if she remembered right it was dropped off by a woman who's boyfriend had left and brought in all his stuff. seems as they didnt have anything to cut the lock it just sat in the corner and was forgot about. Not by me it wasent. ive seen it sitting back there for at least 6 months.
ReplyDeletesorry for the long post but i felt it was needed to better tell my story. the wrenches work great and ive always wanted a set. just could never afford them. most of the rust was surface and wiped right off. the box is now sitting behind the seat of my truck with a everything but the wrenches in it along with a few other tools for an emergincy kit.
Great story! You're in the lead so far!
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