Build a stockpile on a budget

Choose a target and how many weeks you'd like to spread it over. You'll get a short list for each week, starting with water and food that needs no cooking.

Who's at home?

Adults

Children

Pets

Saved in this browser for the other tools.

Add your own prices (optional)

Type what your shop charges. We never show prices of our own. These stay in this browser.

Your weekly budget, £

Bottled water5 L bottle

Baked beans400 g tin

Corned beef340 g tin

Peanut butter340 g jar

Cream crackers200 g pack

Mixed nuts200 g bag

Raisins500 g bag

White rice1 kg bag

Dried pasta500 g bag

Porridge oats1 kg bag

Red lentils500 g bag

Chickpeas400 g tin

Example: two adults, two children, 2 weeks over 8 weeks

120 items, about 15 a week.

Week 1

5 × Baked beans (400 g tin)
3 × Bottled water (5 L bottle)
3 × Cream crackers (200 g pack)
1 × Corned beef (340 g tin)
1 × Mixed nuts (200 g bag)
1 × Peanut butter (340 g jar)
1 × Raisins (500 g bag)

After this week: about 1.4 days of food, 1.3 days of water.

Week 2

4 × Bottled water (5 L bottle)
5 × Baked beans (400 g tin)
1 × Corned beef (340 g tin)
1 × Mixed nuts (200 g bag)
1 × Peanut butter (340 g jar)
2 × Cream crackers (200 g pack)
1 × Raisins (500 g bag)

After this week: about 2.7 days of food, 2.9 days of water.

Week 3

2 × Corned beef (340 g tin)
1 × Mixed nuts (200 g bag)
1 × Peanut butter (340 g jar)
4 × Baked beans (400 g tin)
1 × Cream crackers (200 g pack)
4 × Bottled water (5 L bottle)
1 × Dried pasta (500 g bag)
1 × White rice (1 kg bag)

After this week: about 4.4 days of food, 4.6 days of water.

Week 4

1 × Red lentils (500 g bag)
4 × Baked beans (400 g tin)
1 × Porridge oats (1 kg bag)
1 × Peanut butter (340 g jar)
5 × Bottled water (5 L bottle)
2 × Dried pasta (500 g bag)
1 × White rice (1 kg bag)

After this week: about 6.7 days of food, 6.7 days of water.

Week 5

4 × Baked beans (400 g tin)
1 × Corned beef (340 g tin)
1 × Red lentils (500 g bag)
5 × Bottled water (5 L bottle)
1 × White rice (1 kg bag)
1 × Porridge oats (1 kg bag)
1 × Peanut butter (340 g jar)
1 × Dried pasta (500 g bag)

After this week: about 8.9 days of food, 8.8 days of water.

Week 6

4 × Baked beans (400 g tin)
1 × Corned beef (340 g tin)
1 × Red lentils (500 g bag)
2 × Dried pasta (500 g bag)
1 × White rice (1 kg bag)
4 × Bottled water (5 L bottle)
1 × Porridge oats (1 kg bag)
1 × Peanut butter (340 g jar)

After this week: about 11.3 days of food, 10.4 days of water.

Week 7

2 × White rice (1 kg bag)
5 × Bottled water (5 L bottle)
4 × Baked beans (400 g tin)
1 × Corned beef (340 g tin)
1 × Red lentils (500 g bag)
2 × Dried pasta (500 g bag)

After this week: about 13.4 days of food, 12.5 days of water.

Week 8

5 × Bottled water (5 L bottle)
4 × Baked beans (400 g tin)
1 × Porridge oats (1 kg bag)
1 × Peanut butter (340 g jar)
1 × Corned beef (340 g tin)
1 × Red lentils (500 g bag)
1 × White rice (1 kg bag)
1 × Dried pasta (500 g bag)

After this week: about 15.5 days of food, 14.6 days of water.

From preppantry.app. Checked 2 November 2026. Independent tool, not official advice.

How it works

Money is one of the main things that puts people off. In the government's 2026 survey, 29% named it as a barrier. The Be Ready checklist answers that directly: build it up gradually, and pick up missing items on your regular shopping trips to help spread the cost.

This planner works out your household's total, then shares it across the weeks you choose, so each week's list is about the same size. The first 3 days' worth comes first: water, and food that doesn't need cooking or a fridge, as Be Ready asks. Anything beyond that moves to dry staples, which need cooking.

We never show prices, because they vary by shop and by week, and we've no reliable figures. Type what your shop charges and your weekly budget if you want, and we'll add up each week and show how long your budget would take. Those numbers come only from you, and stay in this browser.

Food is worked out at 2,000 kcal for an adult and 1,600 for a child a day, the planning figures in the Prep app. Water is 3 litres per person per day, which Be Ready gives for drinking, and 1 litre for a pet, which is our estimate. Calories per pack are typical values. The list is a starting point, so swap in what you usually eat: Be Ready says it's best to buy food you'd normally eat.

Why slowly? Buying a little at a time is easier on your budget, and it means nothing all goes out of date at once. There's no need to buy everything in one go.

Common questions

How can I stockpile with no money to spare?

Start with one extra item on a normal shop. Be Ready says you could have some items at home already, so check your cupboards first, and build up step by step when you can.

What should I buy first?

Water, then food that needs no cooking or fridge, such as tinned meat, beans, nuts and dried fruit. This planner puts those in the first weeks.

How much will it cost?

We don't say, because we have no reliable price data. Type your shop's prices into the planner and it'll add them up for you.

Can I change what's on the list?

Yes, please do. It's a starting point. Swap anything for food your household eats, and aim for a similar number of calories.

Will it all go out of date?

Not if you eat it and replace it as you go. Put new stock behind old, and use the oldest first. Be Ready suggests checking dates every six months.

Is it wrong to stock up?

No. A small supply built up over weeks is what the government's campaign asks for. Spreading it out over time also avoids buying more than you need all at once.

Sources

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Checked on 2 November 2026. This is an independent tool and not official advice. See sources and method.