Budget the supplies for a family emergency kit.
Emergency preparedness guidance from FEMA and equivalent agencies starts with one gallon of water per person per day — half for drinking and half for sanitation and cooking — and at least three days of supplies, with two weeks recommended where you can store it. Water is the constraint people underestimate: a family of four for seven days is 28 gallons, which is over 200 pounds and needs real floor space. Food should be shelf-stable and, importantly, food your family will actually eat, since a kit of unfamiliar rations tends to go untouched and out of date. Equipment — a battery or wind-up radio, torches, first aid, sanitation supplies and a power bank — is a one-off cost that does not scale with the number of days.
Family Emergency Plan Budget
Water gallons = people x days x gallons per person per day; food = people x days x daily food cost; total = water cost + food + equipment
General preparedness planning, not emergency management advice. Follow the guidance of your national or local emergency management agency, which will reflect the specific hazards, evacuation routes and shelter arrangements in your area.
One gallon per person per day. For a family of four over a week that is 28 gallons — plan the storage space before buying, since it weighs over 200 pounds.
Check dates twice a year and rotate food and water annually. Batteries and medications expire too, and a kit that has not been opened in five years is a kit you cannot rely on.