ffffiirrss..iinndddd iivv 1111//99//0099 11::1122::3344 PPMM The Ultimate Suburban Survivalist Guide THE SMARTEST MONEY MOVES TO PREPARE FOR ANY CRISIS Sean Brodrick John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ffffiirrss..iinndddd ii 1111//99//0099 11::1122::3333 PPMM Copyright © 2010 by Sean Brodrick. All rights reserved. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. Published simultaneously in Canada. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 750-4470, or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions. Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages. For general information on our other products and services or for technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (800) 762-2974, outside the United States at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. For more information about Wiley products, visit our web site at www.wiley.com. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: Brodrick, Sean. The ultimate suburban survivalist guide: the smartest money moves to prepare for any crisis / Sean Brodrick. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 978-0-470-46316-1 (hardback) 1. Finance, Personal. 2. Saving and investment. I. Title. HG179.B7445 2010 332.024—dc22 2009029127 Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ffffiirrss..iinndddd iiii 1111//99//0099 11::1122::3333 PPMM To my wife, Cindy, my partner in all things. And to my children, who, along with other children, are the last and best hope of this world. ffffiirrss..iinndddd iiiiii 1111//99//0099 11::1122::3344 PPMM ffffiirrss..iinndddd iivv 1111//99//0099 11::1122::3344 PPMM Contents Foreword vii Acknowledgments ix Introduction xi Part I The End of the World as We Know It Chapter 1 The Most Likely Disasters You’ll Face 3 Chapter 2 The Quick and the Dead—and the Survivors 23 Part II Money—Personal Finance, Cash, and Precious Metals Chapter 3 Personal Finance 39 Chapter 4 Gold, Hard Assets, and Alternative Currencies 59 Chapter 5 Investing for the Five Emergencies 87 Part III Be Prepared—Grub and Gear Chapter 6 Water 127 Chapter 7 Food Storage for Couch Potatoes 137 v ffttoocc..iinndddd vv 1111//1100//0099 1122::0099::0011 PPMM vi Contents Chapter 8 Smart Shopping—How to Plan Ahead for Next Week’s Meals (and Save Significant Money) 163 Chapter 9 Gardening 175 Part IV Health, Home, and Education Chapter 10 Health, Medicine, and Disease 193 Chapter 11 Your House, Home Security, and Power 217 Chapter 12 Education and Entertainment 253 Part V Transportation and Evacuation Chapter 13 Transportation 277 Chapter 14 The Final Option—Evacuate 297 Notes 317 About the Author 323 Index 325 ffttoocc..iinndddd vvii 1111//1100//0099 1122::0099::0022 PPMM Foreword F or many years, the author of this amazing book has been helping show investors how to protect themselves from fi nancial harm and profi t from opportunities around the world. Along the way, he has traveled to far - fl ung locales from Guanajuato, Mexico, to Labrador, Canada. And he has kept us all informed and entertained with some of the wittiest research I’ ve ever had the pleasure of reading. In this book, Sean Brodrick takes several giant steps further, giv- ing proactive prescriptions for steps you can take to make your life richer and safer . Only this time he ’s sticking a lot closer to home, by helping you prepare for threats that, in not- so - unlikely worst- case scenarios, could literally strike right in our own backyard. If you read my book, T he Ultimate Depression Survival Guide, you learned how to survive and thrive fi nancially. Here, Sean will show you how to survive physically! We all pray and hope that the scariest of future events will never come to pass. And even in a depression, which could return with a vengeance in years ahead, I remain optimistic that most will not come true! But suppose I ’ m wrong. Or suppose the forecasts of some of the most reasoned scientists— regarding an infl uenza pan- demic or the impacts of global warming— come true sooner than most of us dream possible. Then what? Sean will prepare you, and he ’ ll do so without ever having to pack up and head for the hills. He’ s written each chap- ter like a stand- alone mini- book on each major challenge you face. Together, they form a complete guide for protecting yourself in even the wildest of crazy times. You ’ ll not only see more clearly the swords of Damocles hang- ing over our heads, but you’ ll also learn through the real - life stories of people who learned to cope under similar circumstances. vii ffllaasstt..iinndddd vviiii 1111//99//0099 11::1122::5588 PPMM viii Foreword Worried about the real potential for a swine fl u disaster and the resulting drug shortages? This book tells you how to prepare ahead of time and how to use drug alternatives in a pinch. What would you do if gasoline became unavailable? Sean has multiple answers for you. If a major disaster hit your neighborhood right now, would you have an emergency bag packed and ready to go? After you read this book, I guarantee you will! All without costing a small fortune or going to extremes! Sean ’s book opened my eyes to a whole range of threats (and solutions!) that I had never before considered. I am certain he will do the same for you as well. As Sean shows us, the solution is not getting rid of our creature comforts or living in caves. It’ s to take simple, logical, incremental steps towards self- suffi ciency and better preparedness. This book tells you what to do, and how to do it. It’ s intelligent, engaging, and entertaining. Read it now and keep it by your side as a handy refer- ence for years to come. Martin D. Weiss, PhD President, Weiss Research, Inc. Author of the New York Times bestseller, The Ultimate Depression Survival Guide (published by John Wiley & Sons) ffllaasstt..iinndddd vviiiiii 1111//99//0099 11::1122::5599 PPMM