The Apocalyptic Economy: Investing in the Worst Case Scenario

When the sun rises on a blasted landscape teeming with disease and mutants trying to eat your brains, you are going have to decide what is really valuable to you and your survival. Sadly, it is not going to be that fancy sports car, those super sexy stilettos, or any of the toys that you own. Survival will depend upon arable land, drinkable water and the will and ability to fight for these things. The modern human all too often makes the mistake of valuing objects that are merely shiny and decorative rather than actually useful. Diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but in the event of world ending horror, they are only useful if they are a weapon. A nice sharp diamond dagger could really do some damage to a mutant's soft and dangly parts. Guns are all well and good, but you also need to stockpile ammo or have the ability to make your own. So in preparation for the worst case scenario, what is the most profitable way to spend your time and money?

The number one investments for those preparing for the collapse of society are weapons such as swords, knives, and spears and lessons on how to use them effectively. This will be essential to surviving long enough to reach a safe sanctuary and give you the ability to defend your limited resources and personal safety. For those with the ability to think on a grander scale, investing in several acres of land that is remote from major population centers and contains its own water source and fertile soil is the best investment you can make. It is a plus if the land contains natural features such as mountains that make it easily defensible.

Once you have your land you can start refining it to create your own post apocalyptic sanctuary. It would be wise to first create some sort of shelter. Either sturdy above ground dwellings or a network of underground bunkers would be good, but a mixture of both is optimal. Whatever you decide make sure it is self sustaining and completely off the grid. This includes a sanitation and water filtration system and the ability to generate your own energy through the use of solar panels or wind mills of some sort. Building a mill and a forge would also add value to your apocalyptic shangri-la.

Now that the compound is built you will need supplies. Stock up on canned food so that you give yourself time to grow crops. The apocalypse will not occur on your planting schedule. Make sure you have plenty of seed available to plant. Your next investment should be livestock of some kind. Now don't over do it on the livestock, you don't want to be struggling to feed five hundred head of cattle when supplies are scarce, but horses, cows, and chickens would be a beneficial addition to any compound. Simple medical supplies will also be useful but don't expect to be able to rely on modern medicine. It would be better to spend time and money studying natural herbal cures and obtaining as many of the necessary plants as possible. There will be no supply trucks so think self sustaining and renewable resources. Now the last and most important investment you can make for the doom of humankind may seem strange, but I urge you, nay implore you to stockpile salt. This versatile substance is necessary to preserve food and life, and in the post apocalyptic economy may become more valuable than gold. So when thinking about your future or lack thereof, I encourage you to rethink that great new IPO or ten thousand shares of Microsoft because when things get gritty those investments will make really great toilet paper.