Being single and trying to prep In a small place

[Taz Baby]

How to you prep when it is just you? You have a apartment or a house and it is just you. How do you go to work come home try to get the gardening done,(if you are lucky enough to have room for it,) store what you need gather water ect. If you are in an apartment like me now with no yard, can't have animals, no one to help you prep, very little time to do anything but work and sleep, what do you do. I am turning my windows into greenhouses from the inside. Making a bay window from the inside with shelves and plastic. have to plant everything in a pot in front of the windows and hope the sun can get to it. but this will cause defused sun and you have tio turn it daily so it wont grow to fast and not produce. Help me out here fellow ants.

[Brownwater Riverrat 13]

Comes a time for new challenges, take a deep breath. One bite at a time, "chew your food" as mom always said. This will take a little bit of planing and imagination. I'll have to see if I can come up with some ideas, looks like you've gotten off to a pretty good start. Right now you've just concentrated on the plants/herbs. You're in confined quarters and that makes it difficult, give me some time. But help me out and tell us your NEEDS. We are at your service.

[Possom]

I am not sure what area you are in but many areas have community gardens. If you can find an empty lot in your area, talk to the owner. They might let you start a community garden or lease the lot to you to grow a garden. It is tough to do in the city or town in an apartment.

Ideally you would be much better off from a prepping standpoint to move out of whatever town you are in. Move to the country. Buy a small parcel of land. It doesn't take a giant house for a single person. Build a small cabin or have one built.

[Onestep]

Like BR said, start with herbs. Tomatoes and peppers grow good in pots. I'm sure green beans (KY Wonders) in a large enough pot with a large tomato ring to support them would produce. Burpee even has a new corn specifically for patios (they have some other variety of veggies as well I think). There's also a method of gardening that is tiered but can't remember the name.
Small scale gardening does not really take much time at all, just water and feed, which can be done at the same time with liquid fertilizer. It's when you get bigger that they take time. Even then as long as you weed on a regular basis it's pretty easy once the ground is prepared and seeds are sown.

[Taz Baby]

Bwrr I need a hug. My needs are simple, I want what I want at the time I want it. Now with the BS aside, reality setting in, I am on the 2nd floor of an apartment that the other tenants keep to their self. the landlord is very nice and sweet. But I don't think he will let me till up the side yard for a garden or hang meat in the huge basement/laundry/storage room. I am in the corner so if he will let me I can put a rack with plants on it this summer because No one has to pass by my place to get to theirs and I don't think it will be a fire hazard. I just got a part time job 2 months ago and moved when I could afford the rent on this place so now I am extremely limited to what I spend as everyone knows this winter has been a COLD one. I know about container gardens but not when you live in an apartment, upstairs. Most of what I can grow will be inside and we all know that that really does not work well, except for herbs. Those I will always grow as most of you know me well enough to know I make meds with them. So what I need is a design for an inside greenhouse that does not have to have a grow light to make everything grow the way the sun does. Grow lights use a lot of electricity and they cost more that I can pay. Maybe when I get on full time I can swing one small one but now, NO WAY. So all you McGyvers sisters and brothers of this little ant, give me some Idea's. If it works I'll let you know and you can patent it, and please make it with free if not then cheap materials. Thanks Oh and by the way this family is the best.

[LUNCHBOX]

The gardening is a great choice. I would lean toward some dry goods....rice and beans as $$$ allows. Maybe even look at selling the medicinal salves you make and use that cash for materials.

I saw something about hanging tomato plants you might be able to put to good use. I can't vouche for the crop output.

[Caveman Survival]

Not sure about your indoor space availability, but for herbs or even smaller veggies (onions, baby carrots, etc) you can convert an old pallet into a vertical garden or even one of those hanging shoe caddies you can get at most dollar stores (the ones with pouches). Set these up near a window and you can grow year round. Invest in a small dehydrator and or canning gear and you can preserve these for later use.

You can even convert an old rain gutter into a window sill planter (prop up either side with stools or whatever your fancy). You could grow strawberries in this or other smaller veggies.

Remember, prepping isn't about having everything the way you want it NOW (if it were it would be called finishing). It's about learning the processes needed to get prepared.

Dry meats, fruits and veggies as they are in season (and cheaper) for use when they are out of season.

Not sure your social situation, but if you have friends or family relatively nearby, ask them if you can use a 2x2 or 3x2 spot of their yard for some containers or raised beds... You can grow your tomatoes or potatoes here... Get a few friends that are willing and start your own 'share' cropping... Each of you grow something and split it at end of season, or you maintain all the sites and give them some canned goods in exchange.

For me... Two good fall foraging days at the dog park in the fall get me enough berries and crabapples for a winter full of jams, applesauce, and sauces... All free. Find good young birch leaves and dandelions in the spring and you can dry your own tea.

Being single is no excuse... In fact it's probably better and easier for you. You have more 'me' space, you don't have to ask to reserve windowsills, something may look odd but it's functional and works so you don't have to worry if your other will approve, the only obstacles you have to overcome is your imagination and desire.

[Taz Baby]

Thanks for all the good advice It helps to get ideas from other people. As far as the outside stuff, it has to look pretty or the landlord wont go for it but ia can make it pretty. Now the inside yes your right, no one to ask permission.Buying extra can goods and stuff is not that hard to do. I got a good deal at the grocery store, Margaret Holmes can goods 10 for $10 so I bought 10 of everything they had. Came home with 140 cans, then they had pick 5 on their meats and 5 for $20.00 ea.alone was $5, so I got 80/20 ground chuck. pork chops and 2 different kinds of steaks. Anyhoo I wound up saving $68.42. I have a dehydrator so this weekend I am going to try it on the pork chops and ground chuck. I am finding out that it is harder on prepping when there is only one person doing it and you don't have any room for building or outside gardening. Most of my time is working and when I am home I am making my medicines , soaps lotions and stuff to try and sale.It just takes time to get it done. And as you guys have said every little bit helps and adds up in the end. Thanks guys and gals for the support.

[The Stig]

The key, IMO, is prioritization.

You have to figure out what you are prepping for, what items you will need to be prepared for those events and then plan accordingly.

You'll also have to make some cost-benefit decisions especially since you don't have assistance. In other words, is an hour spent tending a tomato plant that produces 3 tomatoes a wise use of time when in 2 minutes you could order 50lbs of food for dry storage. The remaining 58 minutes can be spent cleaning, building storage shelves, scouting out evacuation routes, etc.

The other thing I'd suggest is considering all the various SHTF events you might face and asking yourself about the probability of sheltering in place in your apartment.

If most of the scenarios have you leaving your apartment, for whatever reason, then you need to consider how much time & energy you invest in preps that would eventually be abandoned. Put the energy you would have put into another activity in figuring how how you can deal with more "mobile" preps.

All of us could stand to have a better understanding of what scenarios might unfold in our areas and how we would respond. For someone who has limited time, space and assistance it's even more important. Because that understanding will allow you to focus your plans, cut out the wasted activities and get right to the point.

Anyway, just some rambling. Hope it helps.

[Illini Warrior]

don't know about your individual area .... but in many small towns/suburbs people have to abandon their gardening for various reasons .... if you could hook up with a senior citizen type that gave up the garden for physical restraint reasons .... you could possibly get the use of tools and gardening wisdom along with an established garden space .... share cropping is an old well established tradition

[ladyhk13]

Taz don't forget about how you will cook if your power goes out. Look around for a couple of used (or new if money allows) Coleman propane grills. They fold up small so they don't take up a lot of storage space, you can buy a 2 pack of the fuel at Wally World cheaply still. Pick up a case or two of sterno from Costco and you can heat up small items using them as well.

[Grumpy Old Man]

Some advice from Grumpy the Hermit.

First, take a deep breath and know that you can do this!
Second, use coupons and BOGO offers at the grocery.
Third, hit thrift stores, Salvation Army, Dollar General.
Fourth, do guerrilla gardening in any woods nearby. Or farther away for that matter.
Fifth, as has been mentioned, container gardening.
Sixth, plan and work toward finding a place where you can grow what you need to grow.
And finally, place your faith in whatever Deity you follow.

It isn't easy being alone and prepping for the future, but it can be done.

My prayers are with you Taz!

[ladyhk13]

Have you gone to freecycle.org and looked in your area or surrounding areas to see what people are giving away or even post the stuff you are looking for? Might be worth a look.

[mitunnelrat]

Wow. I know that was for Taz, but I forgot all about freecycle. Crap! Thanks for the reminder!

[Taz Baby]

Thank you for all the idea's. This thread is not just for me, it is to help anyone who is the sole provider for their self and trying to prep on their own. Lady no I have not checked there, didn't know it existed. Thanks I will check it out. as for getting a propane stove, well the landlord does not allow propane or kerosene because of it being an apartment. So that is out. but I can get those Sterno cans and if need be he won't know it if I have to use them. I have been getting the can goods and packaged meals at the store when they have them on sale, (10 for $10) so now I have 6 months worth of food stored. Now i have to start on water. Bottled water is cheap but water is included in the rent so even tho it is tap water, I can get a filter for the faucet and bottle it. I am going to do the container gardening inside and outside this summer and see how that works out. I go to the thrift stores all the time, you could call me a yardsale, thrift store junky, I love them. I pick up a dining room table cheap and 2 grocery store metal floor racks that they put cookies and snacks on display. 1 is slightly slanted for can goods. They have the big rolling,locking casters and they are big. I got them really super cheap. The place where I work has people always getting rid of things, and selling cheap if not free just to get rid of it. I pick up a tv and a small bookshelf. So little by little I am getting that stuff. YES I CAN DO THIS. Thanks again for all the help you guys and gals are great.

[Stormfeather]

Taz Baby. . . quick question, do you drink bottled soda or juices? If so, recycle those once you finish with them! The kids here go thru TONS of juice, so what I do is once a juice bottle is finished, I run it thru the dishwasher, and refill with water, cap, and store under the bed/closet/out of sight & mind. You will be surprised how fast your water supply builds up! Just a thought! Good luck!

[ladyhk13]

Taz I don't see why you would be banned from having camping equipment in your apt. Just don't use it unless shtf, your landlord probably won't be around then to tell you no then anyway and you can use it outside, you don't need to cook inside your apt.

[Vodin]

My suggestions for a inexpensive start up to prepping.

1st Work a BoB into shape. Look around the place and see what can be used in it.

Gather all of your documents and scan it to a USB stick keep it in your BOB or on your key chain.

(These take little supervision)
Used 2Liter Pop bottles to store water, as temp planters for my aquaponics system and a funnel for putting gas into the vehicle.
Make your own Vinegar.
Make your own alcohol.

Save dryer lint. (Makes good kindling)
Try not to eat premade foods (expensive not healthy). Learn to cook. It will save you money on your food bill and provide you a skill.
Research Aquaponics see if it interests you.
Take walks with your BOB and learn about your environment that you live in.
Do research on the Internet and learn plants, medical, water treatments etc.
If you have a vehicle do you have an extra gallon of gas?
Can you start a fire? (Matches, Striker, Magnifying Glass, Friction) It sounds easy but practice making one with each method then it will become easy.

Knowledge is your number one approach to deal with any problem. Everything you have could be taken from you Knowledge is there always.

If you don't work with the skill you have researched it is not something you can rely on. So practice them.

[Taz Baby]

Taz Baby. . . quick question, do you drink bottled soda or juices? If so, recycle those once you finish with them! The kids here go thru TONS of juice, so what I do is once a juice bottle is finished, I run it thru the dishwasher, and refill with water, cap, and store under the bed/closet/out of sight & mind. You will be surprised how fast your water supply builds up! Just a thought! Good luck!
No I don.t but I get people who do to save them for me. I had tons of them but now I don't.

[ditchmedic]

Taz, keep this in mind. Container gardening requires a lot of water. If you plant tomatos, keep up on top of pinching off the suckers. Its wasted energy, that is needed elsewhere. Seriously, drown those plants twice a day.

[Gunfixr]

I read this thread, and wasn't sure about whether to really say anything, as I just haven't been in your situation. We did live in an apartment for about 7yrs, but I was not alone. It was my wife and myself, and our 1yr old son when we moved in. Our daughter was about 2 when we left. Almost the entire time, I was the sole income. So, it was similar in many ways, and even tougher in some. We did prep then. Of course we had less space with more people, and very little "expendable income".
We never did gardening, as we didn't have any sun-filled windows. Trees close to the buildings on the sun side prevented most of the sun from coming in. We just stocked what we could.
You really have to prioritize. Space and income are limited, so without prioritization you will end up without something you need. As for the stove, I'd still have one and stash it under everything else in a closet. Stash the fuel the same. I know the landlord can more or less invade at will, but generally they won't dig through your stuff. Therefore, you don't want to make your stocks look suspicious. You can cook with a camp stove inside if you open windows for ventilation.
You also want to think about whether you would stay or not. Like mentioned, if you're leaving, all you need is enough to get you to your leaving point, plus some. Put the rest somewhere else.
Be careful about your preps. There are a lot of people crammed into a close area in the apartment complexes, and most will not prep. Combined with an apartment is hard to defend, and you have a potential problem. Ideally, you get your neighbors to prep also. Then you find a place to have a community garden. If you have any friends who have an area of yard they aren't using, a deal may be struck where you garden in their yard, and they get some of the rewards.
Start with what you are preparing for, from most likely to least likely.
Then, you can figure what you need to get through what you are preparing for.
Just do it a little at a time, as much as you can.
It's tough in small spaces. You have to prioritize, and you will have to be organized.

Remember, just a little bit is way ahead of the rest. With a weeks food, you are already staying safe at home while those who ran out after 2-3 days hit the street. You said you had 6 months, and that is a very good start, beyond many. With 6 months of food, I'd start looking at other areas. Water. Medical. Defense. Heat. Can you stay warm enough in the winter?