01 / OUR PURPOSE

What this is

5-by is calm, practical information for ordinary households about getting a little more ready for everyday bad days: a power cut, a burst pipe, a flood, a gas leak, a bad month. The articles are written for beginners, and each one ends with a short checklist. You don’t need to do everything. Start with one thing.

Why we do it

Prepping is like fire or accident insurance. You don’t have it because you want it to happen. You have it because it might happen. Our grandparents kept a full pantry without anyone thinking it odd. We’re just picking that habit back up.

02 / OUR APPROACH

How we do it

“The best teachers are those who show you where to look, but don’t tell you what to see.”

Attributed to Alexandra K. Trenfor, this sums up our philosophy on learning. We will show you where to look, and how to think critically about the information you find, as well as the answers to questions you ask.

03 / OUR PRINCIPLES

How to read this site

Information, not advice. When we say what we do, it’s only what we do. Your home, health and budget are different, so you decide what’s right for you.

We say where things come from. Articles link to the official bodies and charities we used. Read them, and make up your own mind.

We don’t claim to know what we don’t. If we don’t know, we say so, and we’ll try our best to find out.

Things change. Official advice gets updated. Check the date on anything important.

We’re not a substitute for professional help. In an emergency, call 999.

04 / EXPLORE

How the site is arranged

Basics: the first steps, free and open to everyone.

The Weekly Five: five things from the week that could affect your household. No politics.

Going Further: the next steps, free with an email sign-up.

Knowledge: free books and other places to learn.

05 / TRANSPARENCY

Your email

If you sign up, we use your address only to send you 5-by. No spam. We never sell or share it. Unsubscribe any time with one click.

Affiliate links

Some links to kit we use may be affiliate links. If you buy through one, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only link to things we use ourselves, and we always say when a link is an affiliate link.

06 / GET INVOLVED

Supporting 5-by

Everything here is free. If you’d like to say thanks, you can buy us a coffee.

Spotted a mistake?

Tell us, and we’ll correct it and say so. Find us on X, Telegram and Instagram when those channels are ready.