What many seem to think of as much too expensive ,isn't so,instead of spending hard earned money on products that will be useless in a power outage,why not focus on an item that can help you defend not only yourself but family and friends as well.
The following list is of different firearm makes and models that most can very easily afford.
Hi-point Semi-auto pistols (granted your location doesn't have laws in place that forbid these models because of Anti-Firearm restrictions).
Any of the current Hi-point handguns can be had for an M.S.R.P. of $149.00-$199.00,in popular semi-auto calibers from .380 ACP -.45 ACP,they might not be pretty to look at but they work well and are very accurate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbvvurXmAmg
The vid link is the first of many torture tests the Hi-point pistols were put through.