Lol, PK, the "experts" always say the "event" is two weeks away or a month away, or... We all suspect that something is coming, but only God knows when and what will happen. All we can do is prep in the way that best suits our concerns. I say prep, pray, and plan, but realistically I know that something could happen that I didn't prep for.
I'm finishing the third volume of the Wyoming Chronicles by W. Micheal Gear, which detail an economic collapse. In the novels and also in Patriots by Rawles, hard currency, i.e., silver, gold, etc., are not usable except during the very initial collapse, and late in the recovery. Food and water will be the most important items to stockpile, and of course weaponry to defend said stockpile. The above novels do an excellent job of describing how the scarcity of food will effect the population. Mothers will kill in order to feed their kids. I wonder how many millennials have experienced extreme hunger? Pets will run wild when food becomes scarce, and then they will become a threat and a food source. You can't eat silver or gold... well you can, but it's not very nourishing. I remember one of my siblings swallowing some coins, and as the physician said, "This too will pass." And they did...
Hard currency is a great prep item, but it shouldn't be a priority. Personally, I do indeed have some hard currency, but I tend to invest in lead based currency, i.e., cartridges.
Meanwhile, civilization plods along, totally oblivious to the storm over the horizon. I'm guessing that third world countries will be minimally effected by an economic collapse, as most of those citizens are focused primarily on producing their next meal, using basic farming techniques. Farm tools would be a good investment, perhaps a better investment than silver or gold. Don't forget to stash some handles for those implements too!
