Preppers Economy Checklist

Financial security during and after a disaster resides just beyond sustainable survival on anyone’s list of concerns. Once you’re confident you and your family have​ stocked enough supplies and resources to survive for a time on your own, the next issue to address is how to plan for when community, or society as a whole, begins to repair itself.

How will you fit into and work within the new economy? Many suggest precious metals (gold, silver, platinum) as basis for financial security. This is good advice for when society stabilizes itself again. In the meantime, your neighbors and your community will be looking for the basics to rebuild their lives. Remember, you cannot eat gold. After a disaster, regional or widespread, the inner workings of the economy will, temporarily, come to depend on a bartering system where people trade supplies and skills for those things they need but are unable to provide on their own.

You and your family should prepare for the changing needs and priorities of a community and a society on the rebound. There’s lots of different opinions as to what items will be best for preppers to barter after a societal collapse, where a bartering economy may be the only viable one left for the trading of goods and services. With that said, consider this list as a starting point as you begin to prepare for and acquire goods for bartering.

Money & Banking

• Keep $1,000 or more in emergency cash in a secure, fireproof location
• Hold cash in small denominations ($1, $5, $10, $20) for barter and change
• Save 3–6 months of living expenses in an accessible account
• Keep physical copies of account numbers, contacts, and recent statements
• Keep a checkbook and know how to access funds without power or internet
• Set aside silver dimes and quarters as a low-denomination metal hedge

Barter Goods & Trade Stock

• Accumulate silver coins and fractional gold as portable, recognizable value
• Stock ammunition (if you own firearms) as a high-demand trade good
• Keep small bottles of alcohol, coffee, and tobacco as classic barter items
• Store stabilized gasoline and propane as fuel to trade or use
• Buy heirloom, non-GMO seeds that can be grown and traded
• Stockpile batteries, matches, hygiene items, and tools as trade stock
• Learn a barterable skill: medical care, carpentry, repair, or food preservation
• Build a trusted local network of neighbors and like-minded preppers
• Document your assets, debts, and inventory so you know your position