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A few years ago, during the Texas freeze, we lost power for four days.

Four days.

We eventually ended up going to a hotel. I bought a generator later, after we moved, but that experience taught me something about being prepared.

You don’t necessarily need to run out and spend a thousand dollars on a generator. There are quite a few things you can do for a lot less money that will make a power outage considerably easier to deal with.

And some of those things are probably already sitting somewhere in your house.

So before you start shopping for generators, let’s talk about seven things I’d make sure I had covered first.

One thing before we get started: if somebody in your household depends on powered medical equipment, or your house becomes dangerously hot or cold, you need a more serious backup plan. This list isn’t a substitute for that.

1. Drinking Water

This is where I’d start.

Most of us take running water for granted. Turn on the faucet, fill a glass, and go about your business.

But depending on where you live, a power outage can also affect your water supply. If you’ve got a well with an electric pump, for example, losing power can mean losing water.

And even if the water keeps running, that doesn’t guarantee it’ll stay safe to drink. Pay attention to any local water advisories.

A good starting point is one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days. That’s three gallons per person for three days. More may be needed depending on the weather, your health, and how long you’re without service.

You don’t need expensive survival water packaged in some tactical-looking container. Ordinary bottled water works fine.

Keep enough on hand for your family, store it properly, and don’t forget the pets.

And here’s something worth remembering: a water filter isn’t the same thing as having drinking water. It may be a useful backup, but it can’t make every contaminated water source safe. Even boiling won’t remove many chemical contaminants.

2. Flashlights and Batteries

I know. Flashlights.

Not exactly exciting stuff.

But try finding your way around a dark house without one. Suddenly that cheap flashlight in the kitchen drawer becomes pretty important.

Before you buy anything, find out what you’ve already got. Make sure it works and that you have batteries for it.

Personally, I’d want at least one flashlight or headlamp for each person in the house. A headlamp is particularly handy because it leaves both hands free.

Something like the Energizer Vision HD+ headlamp is one option worth looking at. The manufacturer lists up to 350 lumens, three AAA batteries, and up to four hours in high mode. That’s a manufacturer’s rating, not a promise it’ll run at maximum brightness all weekend.

A battery-powered lantern is nice for lighting up a room, too, but I wouldn’t buy one before I had the basic flashlights covered.

And check your batteries. Having a drawer full of AA batteries doesn’t do much good when every flashlight you own takes AAA.

I’d also stick with LED lighting instead of relying on candles. The last thing you need during a power outage is a house fire.

3. A Power Bank for Your Phone

Your phone is probably going to be one of the most useful things you have during an outage.

You can contact family, get weather updates, check emergency information, and communicate with people outside your immediate area.

Assuming, of course, that it has power and the network is working.

A decent power bank can keep your phone running when you don’t have access to an outlet.

You don’t need the biggest, most expensive model available. Something in the 10,000 mAh range may be a reasonable starting point for ordinary phone backup, depending on your needs.

The Belkin BoostCharge 10K, model BPB011, is one example. It has two USB-A ports and one USB-C port. Check the exact connections, available output, and compatibility with your phone before buying.

But don’t get carried away by those capacity numbers. They don’t translate directly into a guaranteed number of phone charges.

And here’s the part people forget: you actually have to charge the power bank before the electricity goes out.

I know. Seems obvious.

So does keeping gas in your car, but we’ve all pushed that one a little farther than we should have.

Keep the correct cable with it, test it with your phone, and check for recalls or damage. Don’t use a swollen or damaged battery pack.

4. A Battery-Powered Radio

We’ve gotten so used to getting information from our phones that it’s easy to forget about radios.

But cell service can become unreliable during a widespread emergency. Even if your phone still works, the information you’re looking for may not be available.

A battery-powered radio gives you another way to find out what’s going on.

I’d look for something that receives AM, FM, and NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts.

The Midland ER10VP is one example of a compact emergency radio. It runs on three AA batteries and has a weather-alert feature.

There are also hand-crank radios, like the Midland ER210, that offer other ways to charge the radio.

Those can be useful, but here’s a catch: Midland itself says the ER210’s solar charging is mainly meant to extend the radio’s battery life, and its emergency phone-charging feature may not work with modern smartphones. Keep a separate, charged phone power bank.

Also, don’t assume every radio that receives NOAA broadcasts automatically sounds an emergency alert, or that every alert radio lets you select your county. Check the features on the exact model.

Whatever you choose, try it before you need it. Find the weather station, learn how the alerts work, and make sure you can receive a signal inside your house.

5. Refrigerator and Freezer Thermometers

Here’s one people don’t always think about.

When the power goes out, your refrigerator and freezer start warming up.

Now you’ve got to figure out how long the food is going to last.

According to FoodSafety.gov, an unopened refrigerator generally keeps food cold for about four hours. A full freezer can hold a safe temperature for roughly 48 hours, or about 24 hours if it’s half-full, provided you keep the door closed.

Those are planning windows, not guarantees.

A couple of inexpensive appliance thermometers can help you make better decisions instead of guessing.

And resist the urge to keep opening the refrigerator to see whether everything is still cold. You’re just letting more warm air in.

If the outage goes beyond four hours, refrigerated perishables generally need to be discarded unless you’ve kept them safely cold, at 40°F or below, with another cold source. Use the CDC’s guidance and check specific foods instead of guessing from how they look.

Don’t taste questionable food to find out whether it’s safe. That’s a pretty lousy way to save twenty dollars’ worth of groceries.

6. Food You Don’t Have to Cook

You don’t need a bucket of freeze-dried survival meals to make it through an ordinary power outage.

You need food you can eat.

Canned meat or fish, crackers, peanut butter, fruit cups, and other shelf-stable foods you already enjoy are good places to start.

And don’t forget a manual can opener. There’s something particularly irritating about having plenty of canned food and no way to open it.

I’d concentrate on things that don’t require refrigeration, an electric stove, or a lot of water to prepare.

You can build up a reasonable supply over a few grocery trips instead of spending a bunch of money all at once.

Buy foods your family actually likes, too. An emergency is a lousy time to discover nobody in the house will eat what you stocked.

One more thing: don’t bring a charcoal grill or an outdoor camp stove into the house or garage to cook. Carbon monoxide can kill you, and an open window doesn’t make that setup safe.

For more food options, see our budget emergency food guide.

7. Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms

This one isn’t particularly interesting either, but it belongs on the list.

Make sure your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are working and have battery power or working battery backup where appropriate.

Check the manufacturer’s instructions and replacement dates.

If you don’t have working alarms, I’d move this one straight to the top of your shopping list.

And since we’re talking about generators, remember that CPSC says portable generators belong outside, at least 20 feet from the house and other buildings, with exhaust pointed away from doors, windows, and vents.

They don’t belong in the garage, even with the door open.

If you’re going to connect a generator to your home’s electrical system, have a qualified electrician install an appropriate transfer switch or interlock arrangement. Don’t improvise a connection or backfeed through an outlet.

A carbon monoxide alarm is an important warning device. It isn’t permission to operate something dangerous indoors.

What About the Generator?

Look, I’m not against generators. I own one.

They can be extremely useful, especially during a longer outage.

But they also require fuel, maintenance, storage, and some planning about what you’re going to power and how you’re going to do it safely.

And they aren’t cheap.

I’d rather see somebody spend a little money getting their basic supplies together than buy an expensive generator and discover they don’t have drinking water, working flashlights, or a way to charge their phone.

Take a look around your house before you start shopping. You may already have half the things on this list.

Get the basics handled first, then figure out whether a generator makes sense for your situation.

And remember something else I learned during that four-day outage.

Sometimes the smartest emergency plan is knowing when to leave.

We went to a hotel. There was nothing heroic about sitting in a house without power just to prove we could tough it out.

The whole point of being prepared is to give yourself options.

Not to see how miserable you can make yourself.

If you’re just getting started, our no-cost survival kit guide is another place to start with what you already own.

How I picked these examples

These are researched examples based on manufacturer specifications and public preparedness guidance, not hands-on tests of every product. Check the exact model, current price, and any recalls before buying.

Affiliate disclosure: Some links on Budget Prepping may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.