Best Budget Preps You’ve Actually Used?

[AquaFern1028]

Curious about the best low-cost preps you’ve actually put to use, not just stocked and forgotten. For me, a Berkey water filter knockoff and my Food Saver have paid for themselves many times over. Hard as it is to resist fancy gear, the basics seem to get the most real-world action. What frugal purchases have really pulled their weight for you? Any underrated tools or supplies you’d recommend?

 

[OrbitJazz21]

Funny enough, dollar store tarps and some cheap paracord have saved my gear (and my sanity) more times than any of the pricey stuff. Used 'em for rain catchment, makeshift shelters, even a blackout curtain once when the power was out. Those solar garden lights you stick in the ground—super handy inside during outages, way cheaper than fancy