Pretty soon everyone will be in "survival mode" fever...

Why? If the Earth is going to end, why prolong the inevitable?

Could be. But I think if they did that, it would be in order to get everyone to go broke while stocking up.

What proof do u have if any. That this will happen?

And your word is not proof.

Because it's not going to end...

Duh - just being facetious...

You northeasterners see what happens when they predict a good snowstorm? Wait until they predict the long-term end of ALL supply chains for everything. The looting of neighbors will start well before there is any shortage of anything. Then it will become a self fulfilling prophecy when martial law needs to be implimented.

Psych

We need a sarcasm font

The probabilities of some cataclysmic event are growing exponentially. Another thing to consider is the lack of redundancy and the overspecialization of labor in the global economy.

Everything in our current economic system is predicated on growth, insane growth to cover the amount of debt that has been extended with the underlying assumption it can be paid off with interest in current purchasing power.

Other items to consider than pure survivalist items are items which last a lifetime. Most products have a design lifetime built into them to ensure increased consumption, they have designed obsolescence or limited functionality to increase consumption.

Things like durable clothing (not as "fashionable") tools which only specialists buy now (think plumbing, electrical, automotive, etc) and building/repair materials which specialists have (nails, lumber, etc). If one were to buy and then store these things they will have long term value.

If I had the money I would liquidate any investments I had, move to a small rural area and start a hardware store or a junkyard.

"Materialism"? Maybe you mean profiteering? Mostly though costs will reflect Supply/Demand. Have warned of this since 2007 when I began posting of my planning and gear testing experiences.

The problem is Our Nation has been LED Down The Primrose Path Of Betrayal:
-The USDA no longer buys/stores any surplus foodstuffs.
-The US Agri Giants no longer store grain in surplus here but sell it and future production in International markets. These facts are one reason that there is only a couple day reserve of food Nationally.
-Just In Time inventory methods have been promoted to reduce in-house stock. Retailers used to buy deep to get the best prices, now they don't worry about their costs; you pay whatever they charge, and they don't warehouse on site. Once they're sold-out, the goods are gone and who knows if they will get more?
-Most everything is imported.
-All delivery systems are very fuel intensive so fuel costs not only reflect this, but many weekly deliveries also are a hidden cost you pay to enable Maximum Inventory Turn.

All has been stripped-out of our National safety-net. Bad harvest this past Summer Fall in the grains complex. Too much rain, bad conditions at harvest, disease, and then you got the Sacramento Snail Darter which has shut the 2nd largest Food Production Farming Area down due to EPA mandated curtailment of irrigation.

The USA has been setup to fail. The economic failure is upon US. You got money? Still live in a suburb of a major metro area? Figure that will be a safe-place to reside when food riots begin? Most likely, the military & police will cordon off your freedoms also. Can't really discriminate against any class of citizen; right? No profiling...

Gonna live on what Govt decrees your share of the daily allotment will be?

Think you ought to be sure of your food reserves NOW and also have a way to transport them. Frozen food is not viable unless you live out of the major pop areas and have alternate energy production or generator etc to preserve your freezer foods...

What is your money for and what is it worth?
In 1988 at end of Reagan era, the USA brought down the USSR and ended the commie threat, and our Natl Deficit was about $3Trillion. By 2002, just after 9/11 it was about $5T. by 2008 it was $9T; now it is $14T. Where you think the money is/has been going if every program that could buttress America's Survival has been gutted?

All you can do is prepare as best as you can for self-sufficiency. A good MSR personal water filter and a home sized 3gal drip filter like Katadyn Expedition should be tops on your list. Not a lot of money; about $300 for both, but... Need to be able to cleanse water for drinking and food preparation, if nothing else filtering by toweling or other cotton filters rigged between buckets and chlorine bleach and large kettle pots to boil over outside fire pit will work. Not too likely this works in the suburbia or apt developments though....

Need to be out of the line of fire and where you have some freedom and resources to live as you need & prefer.

The good and necessary gear and supplies will go first. Not much production of stuff in America anymore. They make only what they expected to sell last year... Once cast iron cookware, sharpening tools, canned foods, and quality boots, socks, clothing, rain gear etc are gone they will be expensive if you see them again.

Money or no money, you are FAR from broke if you are "stocked up".

Its the trend....noticed MSM is running stories on preparing now?.....remember back in the day when anyone preparing was considered a fringe element right wing gun nut?.....fwiw, I overhear soccer moms buying stuff to be prepared nowadays....mostly clueless but they're trying....

I'll sell you Equipment


I'm selling Gear on Ebay

This will continue and intensify. Look at the seals that just died, jesus! I just said yesterday there would be livestock dying...watch for larger mammals and creatures to start dying off en masse.

Everyone Got all Their Preps Then..