You have $36,000 to spend on any preps you choose, and you must spend it all. How do you divide it up?
Posted by AtuXIII@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 150 comments
Assuming the following:
- All of your previous preps have vanished
- You’re given $36k on the condition that you must spend it all on prepping
- You have reliable intel that a zombie apocalypse will become rampant in 3 months (but you can’t leave the country)
How do you divvy that spending up among preparations for long-term survival? Consider access to water, food, clothing, electricity, heating/cooling, defense, medical supplies, and whatever else.
Friendly_Swan8614@reddit
That is an oddly specific number that makes me suspicious you've come into some money. Do not drop all of this on prepping.
We go over this all the time. Just buy extra of what you already use. Seriously.
iwannaddr2afi@reddit
10k for updates for life without electric grid access: small off-grid solar to run furnace and ventilation primarily, manual pump for well water, install a real root cellar,
10k for diy heavy duty fencing and security - since it's night of the living dead, I'm afraid I'd have to opt to cage us in so we can use our outdoor kitchen, continue to garden, maintain the house from outside, take aim at the you know what's, absorb sunshine, pump water, etc. We can do the labor ourselves but would want some backup/patch materials on hand. We have a small property.
3k for fruit and nut trees and food perennials we still need
10k for a 1000 gal tank of propane, filled (idk the cost exactly but I think this is almost right)
Remaining 3k to expand food and med supply stores and if anything didn't get spent we'd throw it at ammo I guess.
Thanks for the cash, you're a gem! Hope we get to have a beer when this is all over lol
Turbulent_Bed2701@reddit
If it’s a zombie scenario with 3 months warning, here’s how I’d spend the $36k:
Ztunyknum@reddit
Six grand zeroes out my revolving credit. Ten grand gets spent on all the stuff City Prepper (love you Kris) recommends for solar power, water purification and energy independence. Ten grand goes to fixed debt reconciliation. The last ten goes to the few people who live in the overlap of the Venn diagram of "people whom I want to see ride out the Apocalypse" and "people who say they're coming to my house when it hits the fan." The rest is details.
Eazy12345678@reddit
solar panels. battery banks for solar, food and water. starlink. guns and ammo
since zombies gotta cover the windows with wood and reinforce things they could knock down.
premar16@reddit
I would create a 3-6 month food pantry minimum, get stuff for a power outage, get first aid stuff with over the counter meds needed for the people in your family, then I would get household supplies needed for 3 months as well. Do upgrades to your house and your backyard. If things get dicey you need to have your backyard and home to be your sanctuary for everyone in the family so they can be entertained at home
AlternativeAthlete99@reddit
I’m so happy someone addressed the entertainment piece. We have a huge storage box of board games, and extra toys/books for the kids should something happen because god forbid i have to live in a house with people who complain 24/7 of how bored they are if electricity goes out and shtf
Alarming-Leg-2865@reddit
Me personally, I have a library full of books that I can never catch up on. I have history from before the revolutionary war, WW2, The cold war, Reference manuals and instructional manuals out the wazoo. Once I knew the home front was safe and had some downtime I would be pulling my books out one by one and getting to know them.
FMLUsernameTaken@reddit
No weapons?
TiredBookkeeper@reddit
About 12,000 cans of beef stew
Def_not_EOD@reddit
35,920 on rice and beans 80 on an Atari 1600
Delicious-Duck9228@reddit
Grains are not good for you. I'd recommend buying some massive freezer space, solar generator/battery, and about 20,000 on local farm meat, and butter. If I lost my chickens and coops, then I'd have to split it so I have eggs too
Corporate-Shill406@reddit
Rice and beans provides all essential amino acids and will keep you from starving/wasting away for a very long time. There's a reason Mexican food has so much of them, and it's because modern Mexican food is extreme poverty food with a glow up.
Delicious-Duck9228@reddit
Maybe so but for peak mental and physical health I'd recommend stocking up on meat and freezers. Grains are notoriously inflammatory and not needed overall. I can understand for a survival standpoint, but if you've got money to blow meat is where I'd stand everytime
OtherwiseAlbatross14@reddit
You'll stave in 1/20th of the time that the rice and beans person would.
Delicious-Duck9228@reddit
Not even remotely. I don't eat rice and beans now. I eat nearly only meat and eggs. I feel amazing and it's cured some pretty significant deficits I had for a number a years. You seem to think the food pyramid is an accurate representation of the ideal diet. I disagree
OtherwiseAlbatross14@reddit
I know we're working with a specific budget in this scenario and your calories would run out long before pretty much any other possibility other than just not buying food.
Delicious-Duck9228@reddit
I picked what's best for my body for the longest amount of time. Like I said I'd grow the other things and hunt when/if I could. I'd rather not be super unhealthy and inflamed when I have 36k to blow. Most of us already have a lot of necessary items so bulk food would be most important. I get what you're saying but I'm not into grains as they're not even remotely necessary for survival. I get what you're saying but I think I'd be okay for a while. People that eat grains tend to need to eat more and more often. I eat 2x a day and have been having muscle fairly rapidly for someone that does basic homestead work.
Corporate-Shill406@reddit
Freezers add complexity though, which is the opposite of what you want. They require you to have like six hours of stable 120v electricity every day (assuming a chest freezer, the most efficient type) or your stockpile quickly disappears.
Delicious-Duck9228@reddit
That's fair, but with the question presented you've got a significant amount of money to spend. I'd be buying solar and wind turbines and following Nikola Tesla's examples as well as stocking up on batteries. I think it just boils down to how much you want to spend and on what things. For me, meat is important. I feel it would be especially difficult to get meat in a Z apocalypse so I'd want to have a stockpile of it whilst growing whatever fruits and vegetables I can. You make a fair argument, I don't foresee a situation where I've got that lump sum of money and a notice beforehand so it leaves a lot up in the air for imagination in my opinion
MoarSocks@reddit
Coffee and cigs as well. One pack of smokes, when it comes to it, is worth more than a bag of beans or rice. Same with coffee. Don’t underestimate nicotine/caffeine addiction in a barter environment.
This_Highway423@reddit
you die.
captaincrunch00@reddit
Everyone dies in Frogger dude.
This_Highway423@reddit
I'm glad I won't have to compete with resources with you guys. Makes things easier.
CattleDogCurmudgeon@reddit
I'd put most of it in an investment account and prep for retirement.
MeccaIsland83@reddit
LOLOLOL! You alright over there?
kitachi3@reddit
Based
ElectricZombee@reddit
10k for a years supply of food from LDS storeoom.
OtherwiseAlbatross14@reddit
If you know the start date, why spend extra on the long term storage when you're only buying enough for a year and really shelf stable food lasts long enough?
ElectricZombee@reddit
Good point.
AtuXIII@reddit (OP)
Sounds about right. I dropped $2k for a year’s supply for myself, and could easily see the extra $500 going to some more milk or whatever
gabrielthebrave@reddit
I'm spending it all on my meds, I'd literally be dead if I didn't have them
ruat_caelum@reddit
In the US this could be one moth's worth!
OtherwiseAlbatross14@reddit
Fuck we need to get those moths some healthcare
AtuXIII@reddit (OP)
Are you able to get that much of them with three months notice? I’m limited to how much I can be prescribed at a time
Ok_Cartographer4626@reddit
You can get a year’s supply if many meds through Jade medical. That’s what I did and it’s a life-saver (literally). I paid about $200 for a year without insurance
ElderScarletBlossom@reddit
How do you know if the meds are still at full potency a year later? It's not a big deal for something like tylenol to degrade a bit, but my prescription meds really can't drop at all.
Ok_Cartographer4626@reddit
A lot of pharmacy labels will tell you when the medication expires. A quick google search says that the FDA found that 90% of prescription meds are good for 15 years. I don’t know how stable your meds are or what your situation is, but maybe if SHTF something is better than nothing? I use up the bottle and store my monthly prescriptions, so I never have pills older than one year
gabrielthebrave@reddit
That's awesome. Mine are controlled narcissistic, so no one is going to dispense more than I already have, sadly.
Libra_lady_88@reddit
I just looked them up. "Jase" thanks for mentioning this. I'll be ordering
Ok_Cartographer4626@reddit
Yes, Jase. Autocorrect… thank you!
gabrielthebrave@reddit
I'm prescribed a 90 supply, but my insurance doesn't cover early refills, so I'd need the full amount to survive lol
Unlikely-Ad3659@reddit
15 grand on booze, 15 grand on weed, the rest spent boarding up all the windows and doors
One bullet saved for when the booze and weed have run out.
Britney_Spearzz@reddit
Why spend 15 grand on weed when it's so easy top grow?
Unlikely-Ad3659@reddit
What else am I going to do with the money, in 3 months there won't any more shops to spend it in.
Necessary-Film7832@reddit
If you're smoking all that weed you might want something to eat, because you'll be starving!
OtherwiseAlbatross14@reddit
Just eat more weed
ruat_caelum@reddit
Dude forgot the gun but he'll be so drunk and high he will just keep looking for it.
Unlikely-Ad3659@reddit
You don't need a gun to fire a single bullet at point blank range.
candlecup@reddit
For a zombie apocalypse, I'd be bugging in, so presuming I'm in my home and it's normally appointed (beds/blankets/towels, pots and pans, normal tools in the garage and all my clothing/shoes), my preps would be:
- Water: enough water barrels to provide 1 gal water per person for a full year, water filtration devices (mechanical and purification chemicals, incl pool shock)
- Food: canned dry food staples from the Mormon stores (esp wheat, rice, oats, beans, sugar), salt canned foods including soups, beans, fruit, mixed veg, tuna, sardines, spam, spices and seasonings
- Defense: home defense weaponry (shotgun and shells, ideally with silencer to reduce noise, 10-22 rifle and ammo, 9mm handgun and ammo), emergency radio like Midland or Eton
- Power: Rechargeable power station (ecoflow, Jackery or similar), solar panels, dual-fuel generator
- Sanitation: 5-gallon buckets, plastic bags, and sanitizing chemicals
- First Aid: multiple packs of band-aids, gauze w/bleed stop, splints (esp fingers), tape, sterile gloves, multiple packs of general meds, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, allergy pills, etc. Burn cleaners and ointments
- Tools: quality multi-tools, quality full-tang outdoor knives, string, thread, scissors, light and medium-duty paracord, camping stove and fuel (propane) w/extra propane (3 ea 100-lb tanks and 10 ea 20-lb tanks), solar oven
- Misc: flashlights (normal battery and also rechargeable), heavy duty tarps, heavy duty thicker garbage bags, space heater, binoculars, lighters, fire-starter materials.
That's mostly off the top of my head, but I'm sure I could supplement the hell out of this given some more time.
OtherwiseAlbatross14@reddit
If you only have enough water for a year, why bother with Mormon food which is more expensive than the same items purchased from a regular grocery store that last longer than a year?
Or are the filters in addition to the year's worth of water?
No-Nose-9468@reddit
That's a great list! The tools list (2nd from bottom) is going to be hard to put together for $1k, though. Empty 100# propane bottles are around $200 and 10# around $50. That's $1100 for empty bottles. The "quality" multi tools and knives aren't going to be cheap either. I think you're going to have to cannibalize some of the other lists. Still, an exceptional plan.
candlecup@reddit
Thanks! I bought my 100# propane tanks on sale, but I think you're right. It'll probably be more than $1000. I'd have to go back and reduce in a couple other areas.
addywoot@reddit
Full home generator?
candlecup@reddit
I like the idea, but would have eaten a pretty big part of the budget.
Fun_Journalist4199@reddit
That’s hard because, are guns preps or is hunting a hobby? Are home canned foods preps or is canning a hobby? Are knives preps or am I a collector? Fire starters, BOB, ultralight gear? Do I camp as a hobby? Are beans and corn and grinders and tortilla makers and thermal cookers preps or am I just into traditional cuisine? Do I have gas on hand for the dirt bike and lawn mower or teotwawki?
At this point my “prepping” is just 99% stuff I have because I like it or use it, it just also comes in handy sometimes.
AtuXIII@reddit (OP)
Guns would be preps in this case, so the funds would have to include any guns, upgrades, and accessories you’d want. Basically I was wondering what people would do if they had to start doomsday prepping from scratch for a near-term disaster.
OtherwiseAlbatross14@reddit
Fuck there goes my hobby tank
Fun_Journalist4199@reddit
I get to keep everything else tho?
I’d get an ar10, ar15, 22 rifle, 9mm pistol, say 5000 rounds for each. That’s what, 10 grand tops?
Everything left goes to a solar setup and a manual well pump. Having refrigeration and a functioning toilet (on well and septic) would be a godsend
datguy2011@reddit
That's what I'm screaming. I live in south Mississippi and we call ourselves a hobby farm. Because we are rural and country and was raised that way, what everybody else considers prepping is just normal daily activity for us.
datguy2011@reddit
So if my preps aren't really preps just how i normally live then id probably spend the money on a sweet electric golf cart and the solar equipment to keep it charged
Fun_Journalist4199@reddit
Yeah a full solar setup would be dope
Dry-Code7345@reddit
First off, acquire a hundred sandbags (free from some municipal agencies).
Build a “sandbox” in the back yard. (With a chicken wire cover to keep neighborhood cats from using it). That’ll give you a supply of sand for when you need it.
Arrange for a cistern of below ground water. Rig up a hand truck dolly as a mobile fire fighting rig.
Put in a supply of screw-in heavy hooks for every window and door. Get a long roll of chicken wire and wire shears and baling wire.
Get solar security lights under high eaves and replace the bulbs with infrared. Get several pair of IR scopes/binoculars.
Buy two dozen pool monitoring alarms and monofilament (in black) to use as trip wires.
Buy ten 5# fire extinguishers and place in every room.
Since it’s fireworks season, buy several dozen packages of smoke bombs. Different color smoke.
Buy six pair of walkie talkies with spare batteries or way to solar recharge them. Print and laminate a code word card so comms can’t be interpreted correctly.
Prepare exit rope ladders from upper floors in case of fire or lower floor danger.
Buy two or three drones of same make and model and learn to fly wide perimeter patrols. Get extra battery packs.
Water purification, food stores, sanitation, hygiene, security shift planning, rally points, caches of survival gear away from house in case of abandonment.
Cargo bike with trailer, wagon, ‘80’s car with sandbagged extra fuel.
The list could go on endlessly.
Country_bloke100@reddit
Get out gutters fixed. (We live entirely off tank rain water, but only half of our gutters are actually catching anything ATM. Still haven't had to buy water but would need it fixed)
Buy some more 12V batteries and solar panels which would let me finish setting up my little off grid set up to power fridge, freezer, water pump, and some cooking gear (currently can all be run by generator)
Order and plant a bunch more veggies (recently planted some seed potatoes, not sure how they are going turn out)
Finish the chook pen and finally get chooks
Repair the fences in the paddock
Get the goats we've been meaning to get
From there, I would just start stock piling food.
marybane@reddit
I’ve always wondered what $36000 in tuna cans would look like. Guess I’d find out
Meanness_52@reddit
I would rent an RV scheduled just before the event (since I can't say the z word). I would find a place that's fairly vacant of folks to camp at. I would then get a prepaid visa for gas for traveling to the spot. I would get a number of propane tanks. Then I would stock up on food. I would rent a trailer that could be towed with the RV. I mean after the event starts no one is going to be trying to collect if you don't return them. I would prefer a spot that's by water where you can fish. I would get some seeds and tools for planting crops. I would get some defense not loud, more blade or crossbow type. Depending on the type of Z's would depend on how long you could survive. Probably a spot that has longer winters that freeze would be best.
Meanness_52@reddit
I would rent an RV for the just before the event
Elkyforme@reddit
33% energy (solar, lithium etc), 33% defense (pew pews, surveillance) , 33% supplies (food, gear, medical).
throwawayt44c@reddit
10,000 on an rV and shielding, 3k on solar, 2k on MREs, 500 on rice, $50 on seeds, 1k on medicines, 500 on sanitation, 5000 on defense, 500 on snacks cause that’s how I roll. Also making sure my rv has plenty of those blue food grade water barrels.
I would probably rent a bunker or silo a few weeks before considering it would take considerable effort to evict.
Mysfunction@reddit
I initially thought RV too, but have you looked at RV prices? Do you intend for it to be drivable? If so, you either need to spend all the money on the RV or 10,000 on the RV and the rest on parts.
throwawayt44c@reddit
I own an RV and see decent class A's from the early 2000s at around 8k fairly often.
Mysfunction@reddit
2000 was 25 years ago. I think my point stands.
throwawayt44c@reddit
I wouldn't allocate much more than 1/3 of my budget on an RV. Old is fine as long as it runs and drives and isn't a dodge, I'm not too picky. I think the Toyota Dolphins are a great option and definitely reliable and repairable. I have never needed fancy or modern, just practical.
Mysfunction@reddit
My point is that it doesn’t make sense to spend any of the money on it because it won’t stay running.
throwawayt44c@reddit
Nothing lasts forever. My preps aren't for much longer than a year anyway, long enough to get out of dodge and get some plants in the ground. I would expect that in an actual scenario there will be other discarded forms of transportation that would be better than what my hypothetical budget allows for, but I'm of the mind to not let perfect be the enemy of good.
--kwisatzhaderach--@reddit
Renting is a smart idea. You could try to find the most badass, secure property on Airbnb right before you know the apocalypse is about to start too
addywoot@reddit
When shit hits the fan, you can’t assume you can rent or travel anywhere.
Free-Database-9917@reddit
Problem is you REALLY need to be good with defense if you're using someone else's property bc they will know that property exists and come try and take it
AtuXIII@reddit (OP)
Do you think so? I’m renting in California and the owners now live in a new property that they also own in Virginia. I’d be banking on them not wanting to take the risk of crossing the country to get back to a little condo.
Free-Database-9917@reddit
Yeah a condo is definitely different from renting a bunker haha
--kwisatzhaderach--@reddit
I guess I’m banking on the owner being one of the z-ombies in this scenario
OutlyingPlasma@reddit
So like 3 epi-pins?
wtfredditacct@reddit
I remember seeing an old missile silo on Airbnb. Trent it for a few nights when your "intel" days shit's about to go sideways.
Best_Pollution6847@reddit
Half on Bitcoin and Half on XRP, Lol
Specialist_Welder215@reddit
There is a real-world equivalent to the zombie apocalypse. They are called pandemics.
There are both natural and man-made/caused, and engineered bio-weapons/pathogens for research that could be used by governments, terrorist, or escape from a lab, or be released by accident.
The “zombies” are sick people or carriers of the disease. They may not behave as the zombies in the movies, but if you are not careful, and they are careless, they could make you sick.
So, a large part of your prepping will be for isolation in pandemic-type situation and holding out until a vaccine is developed or other treatment or the pandemic subsides.
Typically, pandemics last two years, but with the new mRNA vaccines, vaccines are now available within weeks or at most months, depending on with country you live in. The 2023 Nobel Prize in Medicine was jointly awarded to the two scientists who developed the mRNA vaccine process, Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman.
Pandemic prepping could get expensive. You want to avoid having to go out in public. So, stock up on food and other living necessities, maybe, whole-house air filtration, test kits, masks, tamiflu (anti-virals).
Access to healthcare just in case someone gets sick will be important and as will having way to isolate someone who does become sick. The CDC, the WHO, and ready.gov have more complete lists and guidelines.
If you cannot work remotely, a good portion of your $36K could go towards living expenses.
Mysfunction@reddit
The mRNA vaccines are an amazing feat of science and Kariko is a fucking brilliant scientist.
That said, they are not sterilizing and they have not ended the pandemic even four years after their rollout.
AtuXIII@reddit (OP)
One thing I think about when I consider pandemic prepping, is that if America ever gets hit with one worse than COVID was, the situation is going to be so much worse because of how badly COVID was politicized and how many people believe that all of the precautions were an overreaction (and therefore, our response to future pandemics may be woefully inadequate)
Specialist_Welder215@reddit
America’s enemies now know that vaccines can be politicized and will use this information to their advantage.
Imagine a bioweapon being used by some bad actor who believes they can take advantage of this weakness with a massive anti-vaccination disinformation campaign. Perhaps they have vaccinated their population at the start. They will be counting on the Americans to refuse vaccines and succumb to their bioweapon.
In a museum in Mexico City, I once saw a woodblock print of the 1521 Battle of Tenochtitlan led by Hernán Cortés, where more than half the Aztec defenders lay incapacitated on the ground or in bed with smallpox.
What happened to the Aztecs could happen to us.
Conflicted83@reddit
36000$ on guns ammo, thermals,nvgs, and junk food.
AKC74Y@reddit
Homie 36k is way more than I need. I’m going to Hawaii, gonna chill there for 6 months until the apocalypse is over and I can go back to my day job.
ThisIsAbuse@reddit
Reinforcements to the home, maybe create and extra safe part of the home, guns, battle axes/swords, food, and meds.
elitodd@reddit
If you know exactly when the apocalypse is going to start, rent a cave/bunker and start loading it up with all the supplies and defense you can afford a few weeks before.
In true SHTF you absolutely have to be deep underground in a bunker or the meltdown of every single nuclear power plant on earth’s current fuel and spent fuel in active cooling will kill you just like it will everyone else.
Green-Collection-968@reddit
Renovating the local food pantry for my community.
The best way to prep for disaster is to make certain the most desperate amongst your community has a basic safety net so they don't get desperate enough to start doing crimes.
Civil_Employee_4736@reddit
Mountain House food, water storage, and ammo
OfficerBaconBits@reddit
28 days later style is a year bug in. I'm fairly confident for 10k I could turn every door and window into a stronger point that my walls themselves. The rest would just be food, water, and other essentials. You wait.
Walking dead and I would spend 20k on reinforcing the home and back yard fencing. Couple 22 rifles, spare parts and enough 22lr for 150k. Rest would just be long term off grid living supplies.
Dawn of the dead and I would just need about $200.75. Thats the cost of a break action and single 12ga shots shotshell. $203.75 if the store isnt willing to sell me just one.
Brieremage@reddit
15k on medical supplies, 15k on transportation, the last 6k on learning how to use medieval age weapons
TexFarmer@reddit
25% Guns & Ammo
25% Food
25% Equipment
25% Shelter
Embarrassed-Aspect-9@reddit
15k on land with water access in a remote area. 10k in building materials. 3k on food and fuel and 3k on useful " tools" a pole chain saw and flame thrower would be a bit fun to use on 🧟♀️ 🤣
jaxellen1162@reddit
$36k in one-tenth ounce Silver Bitz for wealth retention and for local barter like for a basket of vegetables or a dozen eggs
ApprehensiveStand456@reddit
Wouldn't this be like 2 ARs and about 100 rounds of ammo?
AtuXIII@reddit (OP)
So here’s the story. I picked this specific number because it’s the amount I spent on preps this year as a brand new prepper. I was curious to see how others would align vs differ from what I chose.
I got a pretty high end AR plus upgrades, built a fully tricked out 10/22, got a match revolver, and a Glock for concealed carry, plus ammo, for under $10k, and I’m working on a Daniel Defense AR, a really good precision rifle, and three more handguns next.
Had plenty of money left over for other preps though (a year’s supply of food, lots of water storage and purification, comms, off-grid power, BIFL clothing, medical supplies, and more)
Jtktomb@reddit
A zombie apocalypse ???
AtuXIII@reddit (OP)
I just needed to pick some arbitrary doomsday situation where most every category of prep would be needed
myOEburner@reddit
VFIAX
davidm2232@reddit
$10k on solar/battery $10k on bulk food, dehydrator, butcher supplies $1k on hunting ammo $25k on gold to build wealth after the emergency
jdubizzy@reddit
Math not checking out.
davidm2232@reddit
Fixed it
OnTheEdgeOfFreedom@reddit
How is your novel coming?
There's not enough info here about your zombie outbreak. Is it an airborne disease or transmitted by bite? What's the CFR, R0 and infection manifestation period? Is this going to be a short intense pandemic, a localized outbreak, or something with a long tail? Do they move fast or slow? Will the traditional shotgun take them down? Are they distracted by shiny objects or virgins?
I'll assume it's same old, same old, the condition is transmitted by bite, they aren't too fast or smart, and they hunger for brains so I'm probably pretty safe. But I'll dig a shelter, stop a few shotguns and ammo, lots of food and live on my farm in he middle of nowhere with a solar powered shortwave. In a few months a Mythic Hero Figure will come up with the pathogen/anitdote/nuclear blast that wipes out the source of the infection and then we'll all just shotgun through the cleanup process.
So my expenses are a hidden shelter, the shotguns and shells, food and water and my back issues of Apocalypse Weekly, for helpful tips.
nunyabizz62@reddit
$600 for wheat berries
$400 for Mockmill 200
$200 in various dried beans
$300 in wood parched wild rice
$300 in supplies needed to grow 100s of pounds of fresh gourmet mushrooms.
$100 in seeds and supplies to grows tons of Broccoli sprouts and micro-greens.
$500 in freeze dried food in #10 cans.
$200 in various canned goods, beans, tomatoes
$100 in supply of spices
$300 military grade water filter
$300 in various soy based protein, like soy curls.
All the rest put into solar panels, large battery banks, backup generator
Tells-Tragedies@reddit
I'm homeless and broke on the streets with my wife and kids?
ruat_caelum@reddit
Come on man. Be honest. You only shacked up with her and spit out the little ones to haul water. You are alone on the street! All preps are gone.
Tells-Tragedies@reddit
Not to mention the backup protein source!
Used_Ad_5831@reddit
Can't forget jobless and without any skills!
throwawayt44c@reddit
Gotta love a good “hypothetical”
BaldyCarrotTop@reddit
About $3,600 of that is going to be spent on a hybrid power system. Solar panels, EG-3000, 5KW server rack battery, a generator to charge the batteries when the sun isn't shining, Some gas cans and gas.
Zombie apocalypse you say? Then about $3K to buy some "Boomers" and an S-load of buckshot.
About $3K for food (or more).
1K water storage and treatment.
I have no idea what it would cost to fortify the house (bars on 1st floor windows, extra heavy door.)
IDK on a camping stove and fuel, Buddy heater, first aid kit, hygiene items.
Ra_a_@reddit
Yes all of the above. What you listed Things we use and will use and consume later also
suzaii@reddit
I would buy a rugged vehicle. One in which I can pack up the family and preps, to get out of dodge.
Cherimoose@reddit
If your previous preps have vanished, obviously rebuild your previous preps.
dittybopper_05H@reddit
I spend it all on hookers and blow. I may die quickly, but it will be with a smile on my face.
iamfaedreamer@reddit
down payment on an off the grid property far to the north. I can use our regular income to build back up the food water etc. but getting away from the urban environment where we currently live would be my number one priority. up north because the undead would be extremely weak to cold.
Capable-Matter-5976@reddit
I feel like there are so many variables depending on what the shtf scenario is.
Lauramoon808@reddit
With pre-known knowledge in mind of an apocalypse happening in 3 months i would get a job back home (born and raised on O’ahu, Hawai’i) as my job would pay for my relocation + give me 7,500k-10k for misc allowances. Would take about 4-6 weeks to move. I would rent a house big enough for myself and my mom that has enough space to set up a water collecting system, if i could build a well system, even better and grow food. Hopefully solar already included. usually properties out in Hawai’i are owned by people who do not live there and are run by property managers so wouldn’t have to worry much about owners claiming their property. It would need to be in a location where access to the ocean is fairly easy, as once gas runs out, no more is coming. hoard beans, rice, canned proteins, seeds, water, water purification, gas, salt, smoking system, dehydration system. Maybe find a cheap dinky boat and invest in good fishing/diving gear to catch things in the ocean. Guns and ammo for self defense/boar hunting. Build property defenses. Food is priority as Hawai’i relies pretty much solely on imports, once the supply chain is cut off, its over. Luckily, you can grow pretty much anything in Hawai’i. Make sure my mom has enough medication for a while, first aid/antibiotics/whatever other meds would come in handy. Feminine hygiene/basic hygiene products. It sounds a little crazy to want to be stuck on an island through this but Hawai’i is my home where my family and friends are. I have a community there and theres more of a chance we will come together and help each other even in desperation. My friends have a lot of skills i dont have, and vice versa. Weather is tolerable and i wont need to worry about staying warm in winter.
Uhohtallyho@reddit
Is it just me? If so how much is it to rent a tank, I'm ok going out by squishing a bunch of zombies for the team. Some scenarios I don't want to struggle through and that's one of them.
Bufger@reddit
Getting out of the tank is an anxiety nightmare with limited close range vision. You don't really want to open that hatch to take a look either and you can't refuel from the inside 😅
northernwolf3000@reddit
That’s why you get one of those street snow blowers on the front of a truck… grind em up and spit em out !! lol
AgStacking@reddit
if you already had a little plot of land for the homestead covered, I’d be investing most of that money into improvements for the property so that you can grow your own food and raise livestock. food security is baseline of real wealth
KJHagen@reddit
Backup generator, hand pump backup for our well, lots of MREs, a couple guns, and a lot of ammo.
Onlyroad4adrifter@reddit
Install a solar system
InfiniteEnergy_@reddit
Things that haven’t been mentioned but I think would help a lot:
Medical training - even just a 3 day course may be a few hundred but worth it.
Health check up - get any simple or quick issues dealt with or a plan to deal with them. Maybe include some exercise equipment to keep up health.
Entertainment - offline music,blurays,podcasts,books,older game consoles etc would be easy enough to get and store.
These things may cost you maybe £2,000 if spent well and could be the difference between just surviving and living while trapped long term if you’re bunkering down.
Happy_Raspberry_6299@reddit
Two large one thousand gallon full propane tanks will get me through two winters. Solar panels put on my roof. A couple ten thousand gallon water tanks and some better fencing around my gardens and property, seeds, Jase cases for the family and lots of rice and beans. And more ammo for my weapons. I’d buy supplies and do most of the work and install it myself to save money.
FemshepsBabyDaddy@reddit
I spend it all on guns and ammo and then go hunting for the guy who stole all my previous preps.
DeafHeretic@reddit
Shelter, water, food, health (meds, hygiene, FAK), energy (fuel), transport
I would put $30K down on a small simple house with a water source, arable land, as far from population centers as possible/feasible and has a decent growing season.
The rest of the $ I would spend on the prep categories I mentioned.
adam3vergreen@reddit
Guns, no ammo, just guns
Very-Confused-Walrus@reddit
A bayonet, a shit ton of zyn pouches, and a singular sock in case things get messy
adam3vergreen@reddit
I wanna be in your camp, just zooted on double zyn horseshoes
Background_Lemon_981@reddit
I’d be spending a good amount of that securing heat when the power goes out. There is nothing so miserable as freezing your a$$ off during the winter. Heat is likely one of the primary reasons people live longer today although that’s rarely discussed. Sitting in a house with no heat when it’s 20 degrees F out will quickly remove your will to live. Within a few days you’ll want the zombies to take you.
Jukka_Sarasti@reddit
30k into various investment platforms(Prepping for your financial future is, IMO, one of the most important preps).
6k would go into a better generator and various food/water storage preps.
Leading-Job4263@reddit
$3500 - cover grass with paper, layer walkways and rows with compost and wood chips. Amend with cow and chicken shit.
$500 - mixed vegetable and fruit seeds. That’ll last a family for 2 years easily.
$500 - build chicken coup
$100 - electric fencing and solar charger to rotationally graze animals.
$1500 - ruger mini 14 and 200 rounds.
$15000 - have well dug and pump installed
$$$$ - update insulation on home
$2500 - install inverter driven heat pump
$1000 - build rain water catch system, basic sand filters
$$$$ spend remainder on solar system, inverter, DIY install everything above yourself.
AncientFloor5924@reddit
Geothermal and water well with solar panels to power it all. I’d have to spend my own money on food and meds.
thechairinfront@reddit
Pft. This is dumb. Why are all my previous preps gone? The house I bought? The land I farm? The money I saved? The skills I developed?
Pilgrim-Heart@reddit
I would put up a perimeter property fence and then fortify my windows and doors and then spend anything remaining on food for my family. 😊 Someone else on this thread said an RV so I wonder where the best place to be is... your home that's fortified or some location where you're not likely to run in with people. Interesting thought exercise
anuthertw@reddit
15k on fixing up my truck- 10k on repairs and preventative maintanance with any extra going to things like window tint and weather related/tactical vehicle prep and 5k for extra parts like tires, radiator hoses, extra fluids, batteries, tools etc.
6k on misc gear like hiking boots, rubber boots, hard shell camper thing for the truck bed, solar batteries, solar oven, water filtering, tarps, fishing pole, small animal trap, knives etc
2k on food preps like rice/beans/vitamins
8k in cash because I feel like people will still take cash for quite some time until its obvious society has collapsed to the point of no return/people will stay in denial for a long time
1k on a good bike and bike ìuŭparts
2k on a small trailer and cattle guard.
The rest on maps, books, clothes, bug spray, soap, toothpaste/floss, first aid stuff, knife sharpening stones, cleaning supplies, tobacco and liquor, etc
johnnyringo1985@reddit
Putting aside how specific $36,000 is…
I’d prioritize, in order: 1. Security of place - while we usually prioritize water first, having a safe place creates an environment where we can plan or figure out how to address subsequent needs if necessary; this also includes at least a rudimentary plan for hygiene and waste disposal 2. Water - whether this is installing a well, getting a few IBC totes, or something else 3. Food - getting some supplies ready both to have on hand (deep pantry, MREs, etc.) and to produce some food (3 months is enough time to get a garden going) 4. Energy - to stay warm and prepare food in the deep pantry 5. Security - gun & ammo 6. Medical - so once I’m all set, I can start researching a cure 7. Communication - so once my research into a cure fails, I can establish communication
WhereDidAllTheSnowGo@reddit
100% into Retirement investments
Then start working, saving to build it all up again
recyclingloom@reddit
$36,000 in which currency? I’m asking g because each currency doesn’t transfer evenly into each other such as the Canadian Dollars into USD.
SnooCupcakes4729@reddit
First priority would be 10k worth of food then another 10k setting up some solar power. Next I’d do maybe 6k to get a well. With the last 10k I’d add security and various homestead type food production strats.
Used_Ad_5831@reddit
55 burgers, 55 fries, 55 shakes, 150 hash browns.....
the300bros@reddit
Sign lease on a nice very remote property. Start fortifying it. Most money would go into emergency food and whatever is needed to fortify. I would spend 99% of my time just prepping that properly
bikumz@reddit
20k on food and water
10k on fortifying home
6k on a trailer and associated accessories to load said preps if I need to leave.
This is a pretty easy question.
Enthusias_matic@reddit
:( but my emergency fund is a prep