I wrote bits of this in another post, but I think it needs to be common knowledge if things get turbulent.
I popped a couple grand out of the bank the other day and scrapped my old debit card for a new one, to get me out of any subscription that still have the info logged in.
I don't think the money is gonna matter though. If the banks all go down, then the value of the dollar won't mean anything anyway. Cash will be as valuable as your ability to sucker someone into believing it still has value.
Gold and silver, unless you have it in your possession, is also as useless as money in the bank.
Even if you do have gold and silver on hand, don't expect to barter with it. People have no clue what it is actually worth anymore.
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Instead, buy food and stuff that makes stuff. Don't buy more than 2 weeks of food, though. A minor shortage will turn into a major shortage in the panic, which we learned from the Toilet Paper Shortage before the China Virus started up.
When I say "stuff that makes stuff" I mean buy firewood (or better yet, source your own) and hand tools that don't need electricity. If the power goes out, and people need to build stuff, all the electric hand drills in the world won't be worth anything but their weight in copper coils. Instead, buy braces, old wrenches at thrift stores (can be gotten for pennies), nails, screws, bolts, ANYTHING elastic, yarn, cordage(paracord/rope), matches and candles(to melt the ends of paracord), saws, tarps, knives, hatchets; you get the deal.
Barter is the oldest and honest form of commerce -- and one they can't tax or monitor!
Buy some craft books. Put your "manliness" or "girliness" aside and get things like cookbooks, knitting/crochet/sewing books, wood working books, mechanic books, and the like. If the internet goes down, you'll be glad you can still crochet a blanket or pair of socks. It's really not as hard as it seems.
Next, the holy grail of crafts... PVC Piping.
PVC pipe in all sizes is more valuable than gold in an extended blackout. It can be used to make tents, collect water, or heated up and shaped to form armor plates. You can duct tape a kitchen knife to the end to make a spear, or even lash it with some cordage and make a bow. The interlocking cylinder's are the most versatile crafting base for any project to date. Expect a single Tee adapter to be worth a sack of flour on its own.
Don't glue unless you're working with water. You can always tear down what you make and use it for something else. Don't cut pipe unless you have to. Measure twice, cut once. Learn to make wood dowels to connect two small pipes together, in case you screw up.
Once you realize you don't have to buy something-ready made and that everything is only a sum of its parts (that you can scrap and reuse) you really get a rush of independence that only a Creator knows.
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In summary...
Use these things to make things. Then trade the things you make. Make boxes, bags, knives(from old wrenches) and anything else needed for a more "rustic" lifestyle. You and others in your community will be glad you had the foresight.
So many goobers get all these mail-order "bugout bags" and prepper supplies, but they neglect getting the things that actually matter -- tools.
Make yourself so invaluable to your community, with your knowledge and intuition, that you'd be the last person they'd eat. It's a silly conclusion, but absolutely true in its merits.
Edit:
Feel free to add your own advice in the comments. Knots are something else to keep in mind.
It’s possible to stockpile long term food storage as well. You just have to be organized about it. Many grains can last 10-20 years if stored correctly. Create a system for using stuff that’s coming within a couple years if it’s shelf life, and replace it as you eat it.
It's really easy if you're single, much more difficult if you've got a lot of mouths to feed.
A system is an absolute must.
My system:
When building my stockpile, I would spend an extra $50 each time I went shopping on non-perishables. Always seeking sales. You'd be surprised how much mac n cheeze or soup or broth or other canned goods you can get when they're on sale. Just recently I got corn and green beans for $0.55/can.
Now that my pantry is full, I'm stocking up on other items but only as they come on sale/clearance. Things like tooth paste, tooth brushes, cleaning supplies, bathing supplies, trash bags, OTC meds, etc. etc. Couponing will really help here if you're inclined to do it.
When eating, I pull from the front and slide everything new in the back.
This is where I think it would be difficult with the family, you're probably better off having 2 or 3 "pantries", or it's how I"ve planned to do it.
first one, is your eating food. It's the stuff you're working on right now. All the stuff closest to your expiration goes in here.
2nd one, is your backup stock. That's where everythying is that's good for a year or more. Move to the 1st pantry as room permits.
3rd, overflow. Buying sales is key and it's harder to convice 3 other people to cut down rations for a while than a single guy. When you're buying in bulk, you'll end up n eeding extra space. Put the extra here and use it to keep the 1st 2 full. As things get moved up to the main pantry, refill and organize by date.
It only takes a little extra money at first and once you get into the practice of shopping smart (so many people have no idea how to actually shop) and eating healthier (even more people don't realize how much money and health they're tossing out by buying processed crap, premade crap, and sugary drinks) you'll find your bill will go down anyway.... so make that difference your "prep" supply.
I leave a big black marker in my prepper pantry and write expiration date big on front of all cans, bags, boxes etc. makes it very easy to use older foods first
Get protein. Stock up on protein. Meat is the most essential part of your diet and it'll be the hardest thing to get your hands on. Beans are okay but they just aren't any substitute for animal based protein.
Buy whey protein too.
My wife got hook up with another lady that gets surplus from food pantries, stores. We get boxes of all kinds of non-perishable food weekly, so much that we give lots of it to friends, relatives.
I have three months of ReadyHour survival food. But would only use it as last resort. Also have lots of rice, oats/grits, canned goods, cereals, powered pancake mix, powered milk, and milk that does not need refridg.
Advise that you get a propane grill, and at least 6 - 12 months of propane.
My only shortage currently is the thing that is most important - water. I have a 15 - 20 thousand gallon pool, and about 6 months worth of chlorine tabs, but need to purified water for drinkin.