The Ultimate Suburban Survivalist Guide: The Smartest Money Moves to Prepare for Any Crisis

355 Pages·2010·2.51 MB·English

by  Sean Brodrick

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, [phone], fax [phone], 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 [phone], 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
[phone], outside the United States at [phone] or fax [phone].
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