The Real First Step to Emergency Preparedness (Hint: It's Not Buying Food)

I thought I needed more space for emergency supplies. Turns out, I needed less stuff.

For months, I'd been frustrated by the same problem that plagues so many of us who want to be prepared: where do you put emergency supplies when you don't have a basement, your garage gets too hot in Florida summers, and every closet in your house is already packed full?

I kept reading preparedness advice that assumed I had endless storage space, or maybe even a budget for a major home renovation to create it. But the solution wasn't about getting more space—it was about making better use of the space I already had.

The Problem Most Preppers Don't Talk About

Here's what no one tells you about emergency preparedness: most homes are already stuffed to capacity with things we don't actually use. We're told to stock up on supplies, but where exactly are we supposed to put them?

Living in Florida, I face the same storage challenges as millions of other families. No basement for that classic "prep room" you see in preparedness blogs. The garage hits 90+ degrees for half the year—forget storing food or water out there. Same with our little mini barn in the backyard.

Meanwhile, preparedness advice assumes you have spare closets, empty pantries, or unused rooms just waiting to house your emergency supplies. The reality? Most of us are already playing storage Tetris with our everyday belongings.

So I kept putting off getting truly prepared, thinking I needed to solve the space problem first. Maybe a shed. Maybe reorganizing the garage with better climate control. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

I learned this lesson the hard way. I had purchased emergency supplies—I wasn't completely unprepared. But I had no proper place to put them. Some items got stuffed in various closets, others ended up on the laundry room shelf, and things like our propane camping stove lived in the garage.

Living in the land of hurricanes, I found out exactly how problematic this scattered approach was when a storm was actually heading our way. I spent an entire day scurrying around the house, searching for my emergency items, and carrying them all to the dining room table so I could see what we had and what we still needed.

That's when I realized that buying emergency supplies before you have proper storage space actually makes you less prepared, not more. You end up with supplies scattered throughout your house because that's the only way they'll fit. When an actual emergency hits, you're not just dealing with the crisis—you're also playing hide-and-seek with your own preparedness supplies.

My Closet Revelation

The breakthrough came when I finally tackled our primary bedroom closets. Not because I was thinking about preparedness—I was just tired of the morning frustration of digging through piles of clothes to find something I actually wanted to wear.

We have two sliding-door closets in our bedroom. Both were packed full. I mean stuffed—clothes jammed in so tight that hangers could barely move, shelves loaded with items we'd forgotten we owned.

My husband started with his closet first. As he pulled everything out and sorted through it, something remarkable happened: he kept maybe a third of what had been in there. Just the clothes he actually wears, plus a few nicer shirts he genuinely likes but doesn't reach for often.

I went through my clothes next, and the results were even more dramatic. I kept about a quarter of what I'd been storing. Turns out, I'd been housing a lot of "someday" clothes—things that didn't fit quite right, styles I'd moved past, pieces I'd bought on sale but never actually loved.

Here's the amazing part: all of our actual clothes—the ones we reach for regularly, the ones that fit our current lives and bodies and preferences—fit comfortably in just one closet.

One closet. For both of us.

That second closet? It became our climate-controlled emergency storage space. Perfect temperature year-round, easily accessible, right in our bedroom where we'd definitely remember it during a crisis. Now all our emergency supplies are in one organized location instead of scattered throughout the house.

What started as simply cleaning up a messy closet turned into the solution I'd been searching for. We finally had a proper place for emergency supplies that we could access quickly when needed.

The Bigger Vision

This closet transformation opened my eyes to what's possible throughout the entire house. I'm working room by room now, with a simple goal for each space: keep only what we actually use and need, plus a few meaningful sentimental items that bring us genuine joy.

I love cozy spaces filled with plants and homey vibes—that sweet spot between cottage core, grandma core, and boho. Comfortable and welcoming, not pretentious, but clean and organized enough that we can actually find what we need when we need it.

The vision isn't minimalism for minimalism's sake. It's intentional living that creates space for what matters most—including the peace of mind that comes from being prepared for whatever life brings our way.

Every room I tackle using this approach creates more functional storage space. Space that can house emergency supplies without making our home feel like a bunker or a warehouse.

The Real First Step

Before you buy another case of water or bucket of emergency food, try this: pick one closet, one cabinet, or one room and empty it completely.

Sort everything into three piles:

• Use regularly: The stuff you actually reach for in your current life
• Keep but store differently: Items you need but don't use often (like seasonal decorations or important documents)
• Let go: Everything else

Be honest about that third pile. Those "just in case" clothes you haven't worn in two years? The kitchen gadgets gathering dust? The books you'll probably never reread? They're not preparing you for emergencies—they're preventing you from being prepared by taking up space you need for supplies that would actually help your family.

Here's what I've learned: you can't organize clutter, and you can't prepare effectively when your storage space is already overwhelmed with things you don't actually use.

When you create space first by removing what doesn't serve your family's real life, you're not just making room for emergency supplies. You're also making it possible to see what you have, access what you need, and maintain systems that actually work during stressful times.

The most beautiful part? This approach means your preparedness supplies integrate naturally into your home instead of fighting with your existing belongings for space. Your emergency storage becomes part of your home's organized, peaceful flow rather than a source of additional stress.

Ready to Start?

Emergency preparedness doesn't have to wait until you have more space, more money, or a different house. It can start today, in whatever space you have, with whatever belongings you're currently housing.

What's one closet, cabinet, or corner of a room you could tackle this week? Start there, and watch how creating space for what matters transforms both your daily life and your family's preparedness.

Because the real first step to emergency preparedness isn't buying supplies—it's making space for the supplies that will actually serve your family when you need them most.

What area of your home is ready for this kind of intentional transformation? I'd love to hear about your progress—share your before and after photos on Instagram @sunshinepreppers and use #IntentionalPreparedness to inspire others on this journey.