I have been prepared for years. It’s called being thrifty. Never spend more for living expenses than you earn. Live in a home you can afford. Never buy new things just because your old stuff is “outdated”. That includes your car, your appliances and your winter coat. Luxury items are for special occasions and “I’m too tired to cook” is not a special occasion. Children don’t need a closet crammed with clothes or a room filled with toys. Try limiting gifts to Christmas and if the grandparents are buying toys, give the kids clothes Besides Christmas underwear and pj’s, shopping should be limited to back to school and maybe a couple of spring/summer things. Don’t forget Goodwill or home sewing for play clothes. Instead of buying gifts for the inlaws, host family dinners. Grandpa doesn’t want an iPod, he would rather have a nice supper with well behaved kids-then 2 hours later he gets to go home.
Before you go crazy gardening/preserving think about the real costs. Do you have the the pots/pans/jars/condiments needed. What do you have to do to your yard? Do you have to buy tools, rent a cultivator, enrich your soil. Before you start a money saving project think of the alternatives. Growing corn, beans, squash and tomatoes may look economical but are you willing to store a years worth and eat 3 or 4 vegetables over and over. Buying a variety of canned and frozen fruits and vegetables on sale might prove to be more economical.
The idea is to pare down not to take on expensive and time consuming projects. Just like a food diary helps you to lose weight, a spending diary can help economize. But the most important thing is to always have 3–6 months expenses in a savings account, whether the economy is good or bad.