Hurricane preparedness kit: What to buy and how to save

Preparing for a hurricane on a budget

With hurricane season at its peak, it's crucial to be prepared, even on a tight budget. Heather Sullivan and John Dawson share essential tips for smart, cost-effective emergency prep.

Houston - While we're still in hurricane season, now is a great time to prepare for an emergency. But with so many families facing tight budgets and high inflation, Consumer Reporter Heather Sullivan and Meteorologist John Dawson teamed up to help you pull together an emergency kit on a budget in a special episode of Sullivan's Smart Sense and the Hurricane Gear Test.

First, you'll need to focus on Dawson's recommended top five essentials: food, water, a light source, a power source, and a first aid kit.
HURRICANE GEAR TEST: Battarix power card

Food

You may have heard about "apocalypse buckets." Costco sells the Readywise Emergency Food Buckets for $80 to $100. One version contains 150 dehydrated meals that will keep for up to 25 years. This is one option, but you'll need a lot of water stored to make the food.

If you prefer having real food on hand, we also went grocery shopping for an emergency stash for a family of four for 3 days, using a suggested grocery list from RealSimple magazine. Shopping at Walmart, we spent about $75.

We bought non-perishables, including:

Canned fruits, vegetables, beans, meats, fish
Canned juices, broths and soups
Shelf-stable "boxes" of juices and milk
Crackers and Melba toast
Peanut butter, jelly
Dry, ready-to-eat cereals and granola
Dried fruits, nuts and trail mixes
Jerky
Granola bars
You may also want to buy some perishables before the storm that will keep for a few days without refrigeration if the power goes out:
apples
Citrus fruits
avocados
tomatoes
bread
cucumbers
squash
potatoes
Hard, packaged sausages

SMART SENSE: UH food pantry sees surge in usage

WATER

You'll need one gallon per person per day. Gallon jugs and bottled water cost about the same per oz.

LIGHT

We picked up a light kit containing several mini lanterns, flashlights, and batteries from Walmart for about $12.

FIRST AID KIT

We also bought a small first-aid kit for about $12. You can find smaller kits for less, and larger kits for more, depending on your needs.

POWER SOURCE

Finally, Dawson says the most critical source of power you need is to be able to recharge a cell phone. If you already have a car charger, you can tap into your car battery's power. You can buy one for $20, or buy an emergency cell phone charger for anywhere from $8 to $100.