The short answer
Yes: one person can build most of the GOV.UK Be Ready 3-day kit for about £5 a week over 12 weeks. Do the free steps first: a household plan, numbers on paper, the Priority Services Register and stored tap water. Then buy 3 days of no-cook food (£19.74 at ONS average prices for September 2026), a wind-up torch, a first aid kit and a wind-up FM radio, £61.63 in all or about £5.14 a week. For two people it's about £81, so allow 16 or 17 weeks.
Prints the checklist without the menus.
You don't need a big shop or a big budget to get ready for an emergency. GOV.UK's Be Ready says being ready for 3 days helps you manage while help reaches those who need it most, that many steps cost nothing, and that you can build your kit gradually by picking up an extra item or two when you shop. This plan does exactly that, at about £5 a week.
Do this now
- Check your cupboards. Be Ready says to see what you already have first. Tick off anything on the list below.
- Put the free steps (weeks 1 and 2) in your diary for this week.
- Set aside £5 in an envelope or jar. That's the start of your radio fund.
Free: the Alert Action Card
The first six steps for a nuclear or radiation alert, a missile or air attack alert, no water from the tap and a power cut, on one page for the fridge, plus a phone version you can open offline. Every step checked against GOV.UK, UKHSA and Be Ready on 3 November 2026. No sign-up needed.
Print card (A4 PDF, light) Phone version (PDF)
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How we worked out the costs
- Food: Office for National Statistics average UK prices for September 2026, the latest month in its shopping prices data. These are averages across brands, so own-brand is often cheaper.
- Torch, radio, first aid kit and power bank: the lowest prices on our own buy list from UK shops, with the date we read each price. Prices change, so check before you buy.
- Who it's for: one adult. Two people share the torch, radio and first aid kit, so only the food doubles.
- What it assumes you have: blankets and warm clothes, a phone charger, some cash, and any medicines you take. These are on the Be Ready list too.
The 12-week plan
| Week | What to do or buy | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Free: make a household plan; write important numbers on paper; check the Priority Services Register; put £5 in the radio fund | £0 spent (£5 saved) |
| 2 | Free: fill clean food-grade containers with 9 litres of tap water, label and date them; put £5 in the radio fund | £0 spent (£5 saved) |
| 3 | 3 tins of tuna (£1.09 each) and a pack of crackers (£1.32) | £4.59 |
| 4 | 3 tins of baked beans (£0.88 each) and 2 tins of fruit (£1.17 each) | £4.98 |
| 5 | 3 tins of soup (£1.19 each) and a pack of wet wipes (£1.39) | £4.96 |
| 6 | Peanut butter (£2.02) and dried fruit (£2.77) | £4.79 |
| 7 | Nuts (£1.81) and a wind-up pocket LED torch (£3.60, price we read on 1 Nov 2026) | £5.41 |
| 8 | First aid kit, half (St John Ambulance home kit, £10.50, price we read on 3 Nov 2026) | £5.25 |
| 9 | First aid kit, second half | £5.25 |
| 10 | Radio fund: add £5.47 | £5.47 |
| 11 | Radio fund: add £5.47 | £5.47 |
| 12 | Radio fund: add £5.46, then buy a wind-up AM/FM radio (£26.40, price we read on 1 Nov 2026) | £5.46 |
| Total, including the £10 saved in weeks 1 and 2 | £61.63 |
That's £61.63 over 12 weeks, about £5.14 a week. Food prices are ONS averages; torch, first aid kit and radio prices are from our buy list. Brands are examples of a type, not recommendations.
Weeks 1 and 2: the free steps
These matter as much as anything you buy.
Make a plan. Use our make a plan tool or Be Ready's printable plan. Agree a meeting point with your family, and a backup plan for anyone who lives alone.
Write numbers on paper. Be Ready suggests including 105 to report a power cut in England, Scotland and Wales (03457 643643 in Northern Ireland), family contacts, your regular medicines and doses, insurance details, and the frequencies of radio stations you use for news.
Check the Priority Services Register. The PSR is free in England, Scotland and Wales. It gives extra help if your electricity, gas or water is cut off. People who may be eligible include those of pensionable age and households with children aged 5 or under. Be Ready says in Northern Ireland these are called Customer Care Registers. See our PSR guide.
Store water. Be Ready asks for 3 litres of drinking water per person per day for 3 days: 9 litres for one person, 18 for two. It asks for bottled water. If money is tight, the US CDC says use food-grade containers (or tough, non-glass ones with tight lids that never held chemicals), label them "drinking water" with the date, keep them cool and out of the sun, and replace the water every 6 months. If you'd rather buy bottled water, the ONS average price of a single 500ml bottle of still water was 47p in September 2026; larger bottles aren't in the ONS list, so check your shop.
Weeks 3 to 7: three days of food
Be Ready asks for non-perishable food for 3 days that doesn't need a fridge or cooking, and says it's best to buy food you'd usually eat. Our example for one adult:
| Item (ONS pack size) | How many | ONS average price | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuna, tinned (150g) | 3 | £1.09 | £3.27 |
| Baked beans (425g) | 3 | £0.88 | £2.64 |
| Soup, tinned (400g) | 3 | £1.19 | £3.57 |
| Fruit, tinned (400g) | 2 | £1.17 | £2.34 |
| Crackers (250g) | 1 | £1.32 | £1.32 |
| Peanut butter (300g) | 1 | £2.02 | £2.02 |
| Dried fruit (200g) | 1 | £2.77 | £2.77 |
| Nuts (225g) | 1 | £1.81 | £1.81 |
| Total | £19.74 |
That's 3 tins a day (tuna, beans or soup), plus fruit, crackers and snacks. Swap anything for food you prefer at a similar price.
Eating tins cold: the Food Standards Agency's home food fact checker says many canned foods meant to be heated are not a safety risk eaten cold, but it depends on the product. Follow the instructions on the tin. Keep a manual tin opener with your food if your tins don't all have ring-pulls.
Weeks 7 to 12: torch, first aid and radio
- Torch. Be Ready lists a torch and spare batteries, and says torches are safer than candles. A wind-up torch needs no batteries. If you choose a battery torch, the ONS average for a 4-pack of AA batteries came to £5.10 in September 2026.
- Wet wipes and hygiene. Be Ready lists hand sanitiser, wet wipes and bathroom products.
- First aid kit. Be Ready lists items such as waterproof plasters, bandages, a thermometer, antiseptic, eyewash, sterile dressings, gloves, medical tape and tweezers. Check what a ready-made kit includes and add what's missing over time.
- Radio. Be Ready asks for a battery or wind-up FM radio, and suggests writing down the frequencies of stations you use for news.
After week 12: what next?
- Power bank. Be Ready lists a charged power bank for phones and some medical devices. If you don't have one, the cheapest on our buy list cost £34.99 (price we read on 1 Nov 2026). That's about 7 more weeks at £5.
- A second person. Add another £19.74 food set (about 4 weeks) and another 9 litres of water.
- Keep it going. Be Ready suggests a reminder every six months to check dates and swap items. Eat the oldest food and replace it.
For a bigger budget, see prepping essentials by budget and our costed Be Ready 72-hour list. Short of space? Read prepping in a small flat on a small budget. The full kit is explained in the Be Ready 3-day emergency kit.
Printable tick-list
Free (weeks 1 and 2) - [ ] Household plan made, with a meeting point - [ ] Important numbers on paper, including 105 (03457 643643 in Northern Ireland) - [ ] List of regular medicines and doses - [ ] Priority Services Register checked - [ ] 9 litres of water per person in clean, labelled containers - [ ] Blankets, warm clothes, phone charger and some cash set aside
Food (weeks 3 to 7) - [ ] 3 tins of tuna - [ ] 3 tins of baked beans - [ ] 3 tins of soup - [ ] 2 tins of fruit - [ ] Crackers, peanut butter, dried fruit, nuts - [ ] Manual tin opener
Kit (weeks 5 to 12) - [ ] Wet wipes or hand sanitiser - [ ] Torch (wind-up, or battery plus spare batteries) - [ ] First aid kit - [ ] Battery or wind-up FM radio, with station frequencies written down
Next - [ ] Power bank, kept charged - [ ] Second food set for a second person - [ ] 6-month reminder to check dates and change stored tap water
What to buy
About these links: plain links to ordinary retailer pages. We may earn from some links in future; we don't now. We haven’t tested these and we don’t rank them: they are examples that were in stock when we checked. Prices change. Check what you already own first. Full kit list
Torch or head torch, plus spare batteries
Look for: Runs on the same AA or AAA batteries as your other kit, so one spare pack covers everything. A head torch leaves both hands free.
- Alpkit Ionic 350 Lumen Head Torch · Alpkit · £15.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Lifesystems Intensity 155 LED Head Torch · Lifesystems (UK brand store) · £19.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Alpkit Kula 550 Lumen Head Torch · Alpkit · £19.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Lifesystems Intensity 480 LED Hand Torch · Lifesystems (UK brand store) · £29.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Dynamo Powered Wind-Up Pocket LED Torch · EVAQ8 · £3.60 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
Battery or wind-up FM radio
Look for: FM (Be Ready asks for FM; DAB as well is fine). Both a crank and ordinary batteries, so you have two ways to power it.
- Duronic Wind-Up AM FM Radio with Solar Panel and USB Charging · EVAQ8 · £26.40 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
First aid kit
Look for: Waterproof plasters, bandages, a thermometer, antiseptic, eyewash, sterile dressings, gloves, medical tape and tweezers.
- St John Ambulance Home First Aid Kit · St John Ambulance shop · £10.50 (price on 3 November 2026) Shop
- Lifesystems Adventurer First Aid Kit · Lifesystems (UK brand store) · £26.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Lifesystems Mountain First Aid Kit · Lifesystems (UK brand store) · £42.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
Power bank
Look for: From a seller you know. Check the capacity (mAh) against your phone, and that you have the right cable for each phone. Keep it charged.
Frequently asked questions
Can I really prepare for emergencies on £5 a week?
For one person, mostly yes. Our 12-week example covers Be Ready's food, water, torch, radio, hygiene and first aid items for £61.63, about £5.14 a week, using ONS average food prices for September 2026 and the lowest prices on our buy list. It assumes you already have blankets, warm clothes, a phone charger and some cash.
What should I do first if I have no money to spare?
Start with the free steps. Make a household plan, write down important numbers (including 105 for power cuts), check if you can join the free Priority Services Register, and fill clean food-grade containers with tap water. Be Ready says many of its steps cost nothing and take a few minutes.
Do I have to buy bottled water?
Be Ready asks for bottled water, 3 litres per person per day for 3 days. If money is tight, you can fill clean food-grade containers with tap water, label them with the date and, as the US CDC advises, replace the water every 6 months.
What does the plan leave out?
A power bank, which Be Ready lists. If you don't already have one, the cheapest on our list cost £34.99 when we read it on 1 November 2026, so save for it after week 12. Cash, copies of documents, blankets and medicines come from what you already have.
How much does it cost for two people?
The torch, radio, first aid kit and wipes can be shared, so only the food doubles. Two people comes to about £81.37, which is about 16 to 17 weeks at £5, or about £6.78 a week over 12 weeks.
Sources
We opened each page on the date shown. Official advice changes: if a source says something different now, follow the source.
- GOV.UK Be Ready: be ready for emergencies (Be Ready checklist, build it gradually, PSR, make a plan) (read 4 November 2026)
- Priority Services Register (energy and water networks) (read 4 November 2026)
- Office for National Statistics: Shopping prices comparison tool (average prices of items in the consumer prices basket) (read 4 November 2026)
- Office for National Statistics (ONSdigital on GitHub): shopping prices tool data, avgprice.csv and metadata.csv (latest month September 2026, file updated 27 Oct 2026) (read 4 November 2026)
- US CDC: How to create and store an emergency water supply (read 4 November 2026)
- Food Standards Agency (GOV.UK): Home food fact checker (eating canned food cold) (read 4 November 2026)
Related guides
- The Be Ready checklist, explained for your home
- Priority Services Register: a plain guide
- UK emergency kit checklist (printable)
Free tools
- Make a household emergency plan
- Emergency supplies calculator (food and water for your household)
- Emergency cash calculator
We're an independent UK site, not the government. We check guides against official sources and link to them. In an emergency call 999.
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