Economic Prepping for Survival Events
Tips that can save you problems down the road and help increase your nest egg.
As someone who is currently absorbing information to protect yourself and your family in the event of various survival disasters, it's imperative that you not exclude economics as one of your most important preparations. We’re currently seeing this at the grocery store along with the stock and bond markets.
Experts have been sounding the alarm about a potential economic collapse for years. While it has happened in certain countries, such as Venezuela, many Americans used to feel untouchable, which is a dangerous mindset to have. Especially with the recent stock and bond market roller coaster ride that continues since ‘Liberation Day’ on April 2, 2025.
The fact that yesterday’s news brought out that the first quarter of 2025 showed a decrease in United States GDP (gross domestic product), which was the first since going through COVID and this wasn’t caused by a natural disaster or pandemic. When things like this aren’t caused by a disaster, that is when it’s time to pay attention.
There was a great story about a student who was afraid of being deported (and he did get detained), but rather than ignore the issue, he and his friends devised a plan of how to deal with it if it happened. They thought it through and devised a simple but smart plan of what to do if it happened. Guess what, their planning ahead worked as this young man has now been freed. Just creating a simple plan for the ‘what if’ can save you so much down the road….even if nothing happens.
I think in this country we are so used to the movies showing us the heroes will always come in at the last minute to save us, but this is reality, and things are looking a lot different in 2025 than even in 2024.
We rely on the convenience and stability of our banking system, but our own government is constantly under threat of shutting down based on their own budget needs.
There are many things that could cause an economy that threatens your way of life. In fact, inflation is already here and is causing middle income earners and those less fortunate to suffer at the grocery store as well as the gas pump.
Preparing for Inflation or a Total Economic Collapse
The sad fact is inflation has already hit America worse than we have seen it in decades. If you go to the gas pump, you can expect to pay several dollars more per gallon. Right now, gas prices are fluctuating daily, showing that they will be rising again.
Meat in some areas has exploded in cost. These kinds of economic issues, while minor to some of the more elite individuals who may not notice it, have a big impact on whether or not people can drive to and from work, put food on the table, or even buy gifts for the holidays. While eggs were taking over the news cycle for months, we all know that there was more to that with the chicken influenza that hit so many farmers. Just another aspect of why survival preparation can come in handy.
When it comes to an economic collapse on a national or global scale, we may not be experiencing it yet, but that doesn't mean it's off the table. This is an issue that you always want to be prepared for.
The first thing you need to do, whether you are buying based off inflation or a total collapse, is to save money on your purchases by buying in bulk early and often. You need to be looking for sales on supplies and staples and stocking up on them whenever you find good discounts.
The last thing you want to do is wait until the last minute to purchase the necessities your family will need to survive. Even during the 2021 holiday season, consumers were being advised to buy gifts as early as possible because store shelves would be less stocked than years prior.
This issue is supposedly due to a shipment congestion problem, but it all boils down to the economy and whether or not you are able to get what you need. As we saw when the pandemic hit, supplies quickly dwindle and then price gouging occurs.
You don't want to be in a situation where you are having to spend more to get what you need. You want to look for deals on food and water, but also your toiletries, comfort items, and even gasoline for your car.
Whenever you go shopping, look for something that your family will need in the future that you can buy in bulk to keep them alive if and when the economy tanks. Make sure you are not bragging about your wealth or supplies to friends or on the Internet.
Some people like to share how prepared they are becoming, but this only puts a target on your back if a situation unfolds and people become desperate. Make sure your supplies and valuables are stashed away and hidden so that if civil chaos ensues, they will be safe from any sort of intrusion.
As can be seen with all the protests around the country, people haver begun to better understand just how fragile our democracy is and can be undermined in a matter of months.
The Uncertainty of Banking and Cash - Buy This Instead
It's hard to believe, but even in the year 2025, there are places that are not accepting cash or that will flat out tell you that you cannot receive coin change from your purchase if you use cash.
The banking system has said that there are not enough coins in circulation to be able to handle these transactions. This is from a pandemic standpoint, but something even far more nefarious could occur and your cash would be useless everywhere.
That includes your debit card. Just because you are not carrying cash on hand does not mean that the cash in your bank account would hold any value. It all depends on the economic disaster that unfolds.
Even if banking is still working, you may end up in a situation where the electric grid goes down, making your debit card useless to be able to purchase things. This may mean you have no access to your bank account and cannot withdraw money, either.
Many people will advise you to buy gold whenever possible. It has a history of being a symbolic and steadfast currency overtime. This is easy for you to store and you can buy it in small portions that are hidden throughout your homestead.
It's always good to have cash on hand, too. Right now, and in many situations in the future, it may not be a worthless currency. So you do want to have many smaller denominations that you can purchase supplies with and not have to worry about receiving change from a vendor or individual.
In terms of banking, you never want to have all of your banking with one company. It's good to have several different accounts at a variety of banks that you do business with. Over the past several years, people have had their accounts shut down based on their political beliefs, so it's always wise to prepare.
You also want to make sure that your family has something valuable to trade during a survival situation, when money is not considered important. For example, you may be able to trade for food using ammunition if it is in short supply.
Another thing that may come in handy is being able to trade some of your food and water supplies for other things you may need, such as gasoline or a tool. If you have gasoline yourself (or coal that could fire up a grill or be used for warmth), then you can trade that for something else you need as well.
Skills That Will Take the Place of Traditional Payments
It's not always tangible goods that are used in place of money. In the event of an economic collapse, you may need to trade skills for something you need. You want to take time to prepare for this situation early on.
For example, in a survival situation, people won't be able to simply call someone to provide services for them and repair something that has broken. This is a skill that you can use, such as car repair, in exchange for supplies that you and your loved ones need instead.
Another reason it's good for you to learn skills is because it will save you money and resources during a survival event from having to hire someone to help you with whatever you need repaired or done.
Being able to do things yourself can also protect you from having to bring a stranger into your homestead, where they can see certain supplies that you have that they may want to come back for at a later date as an intruder.
Besides the trade skills that can benefit you, you need to learn some negotiation skills, too. In a major economic collapse, people will be bartering on the street for things they need.
Negotiation is a skill that not many people have. You need to know how to talk down a price point, how to analyze a proper price for an item so that the trade is equal, and what to do if you discover that you are being taken advantage of.
Emotions will be high during a major economic collapse and survival event. You may be putting yourself in danger having to interact with others when it comes to goods and services that are in demand.
There are experts that can teach you the art of negotiation, and in the meantime, you can watch YouTube videos, read manuals, and practice learning the skills that will help you be fully self-sufficient and that you can pass down to your family as well.
Other Worries You’ll Face During an Economic Disaster
When we think of an economic disaster, our mind instantly focuses on money. What would you do if the cash in your wallet had no value anymore? What would you do if you pulled out your debit card to pay for your groceries, and it simply didn't work?
You might panic at first, and that would be a normal response. But there are other issues that you will be facing that may be far more serious during an economic collapse. The economy affects many different areas of life.
The first thing you'll have to look out for is the supply chain causing shortages, as it is now or will be shortly. Not only will things like Christmas decor and gifts be in short supply as they are about to be this holiday season, but you will find food shortages everywhere. We’re already hearing about small stores already conferring with bankruptcy lawyers now that many shipping container from China are only a third full. This summer is when many of us will begin to see store shelves not quite full as it takes two to three months to really see the effects.
Shelves will empty out until there is almost nothing you can buy. Everyone will cause a run on the bank, yanking out their money so that they can hoard supplies. If you have prepared for this ahead of time, you'll be in good shape to survive this disaster.
When money has no value for some people, they will turn to violence and chaos as a remedy. During a major economic collapse. You will begin to see people looting stores as well as homes to seize the food and other valuables they want for themselves.
You have to be able to protect yourself and your family as well as your supplies and valuables. Not only does this mean fortifying your home and learning self-defense measures, but it also means being savvy in hiding your goods so that if someone does enter your home, they won't be leaving with much.
You also may find that services begin to shut down. If companies have no way of paying their employees, if gas pumps are empty and people can't get to work, then there will be no one to run the companies that provide water and electricity or gas to your home.
The economy will affect all of this, so you have to be prepared with a water supply, solar power, a generator, and other means of survival if the economic collapse results in a broken grid.
Social chaos is almost guaranteed to ensue, because there will be no money for services such as police or EMS. The fire department may not have access to water or firemen to show up and serve their community. Sadly, this is where you really see the ‘human’ in human beings come out.
And it could even mean that a war is on the horizon. If there are other countries that are more equipped than yours to handle the economic issue, they may seize the opportunity to initiate a war with their enemies to overtake them.
There is definitely a chain reaction that occurs when the economy is under stress. While we often rely on government officials to handle this for us, the truth is, they do a poor job on handling almost everything, so we are better off being self-sufficient. Again, people are quickly realizing now that being prepared will be a life-saving event.
How to Prepare Early for a Potentially Poor Economy
While it sounds terrifying to think of an economic collapse of a first world country, there are many things that you can do to prepare early on so that this type of survival event does not affect you as much as it will others.
Start by watching your spending. You want to have ample supplies set aside for an economic collapse, and this means spending less on frivolous things so that you can spend it on what is most needed. When things are going awry, some people have a tendence to just say “screw it, I’m gonna buy whatever I want now.” This happened way back in 1999 when the ‘Y2K’ phenomenon hit and many thought that everything would go down so they could just max their credit cards out and it wouldn’t matter. Well, they learned a harsh lesson with that thinking.
Saving money now will save you a lot of stress and anxiety if something does happen. If it doesn’t happen, you’ve created a nice nest egg for yourself.
You can do this by purchasing store brand items instead of brand name goods for things like food and clothing. You can cut some things out of your life that are not necessary, and you can look for sales and good deals at stores you may not have shopped before.
Another thing you want to do to prepare for an economic survival event is to eliminate the debt that you are currently holding. Start by getting all of your medical debt paid off, your credit card debt, your educational debt, and even your mortgage.
Make the commitment to stop charging up any debt, and clear the debt that you have so that if the economy crumbles, you will have an easier time keeping up with your monetary needs.
You may also want to consider your current living situation. Many people live in the suburbs in a modern home for convenience, and there's nothing wrong with that. But it may also be wise to prepare an off the grid homestead that is outside of the city.
If you are homesteading, it helps you save money in many ways and also eliminates the worry you may have during an economic collapse. For example, you will be off the grid and not have to worry about traditional electricity.
You will also be growing your own food, including meat sources such as chicken, beef or pork, as well as vegetables and fruit. So, you won't have to worry if the store shelves are bare.
You won't have to suffer from anxiety about whether or not your debit card will work so that you can put food on the table for your little ones. You'll have everything you need in one place, and you will have prepared adequately for an economy that sadly lets everyone else down.