Buying it item by item
When newspapers priced the government's kit list on Amazon UK, the full list came to about £309, with single items like ready-to-feed baby milk adding up quickly. Food and water alone are much cheaper from a supermarket: one consumer blog put it at around £25 per person for 3 days.
Building it bit by bit
The government's own advice is to build your kit gradually. A sensible order:
- Water and no-cook foodThe things you need first, and cheap to buy.
- Light and newsA torch, spare batteries and a battery or wind-up radio.
- Power and first aidA charged power bank and a basic first aid kit.
- Warmth, hygiene and paperworkBlankets, wipes and sanitiser, cash, copies of documents, and a medicines list.
When a ready-packed box makes sense
If you'd rather have it done in one go, or you're buying for someone else, a box saves the shopping, the checking against the list, and the job of tracking best-before dates. Ours covers every line of the checklist except the things only you can add: cash, documents and your own medicines.
Questions
How much does a 72-hour emergency kit cost in the UK?
Bought item by item on Amazon UK, the government's full list came to about £309 in a national press analysis. Food and water alone cost far less from a supermarket.
Do I have to buy everything at once?
No. The government advises building your kit gradually, starting with water and food.
Every line of the checklist, sized for your household, in one delivery.
Sources: Express & Star: what it costs to prepare · Karmactive: affordable preparedness · GOV.UK Be Ready. BeReady2Day is an independent business, not part of the government.