Look, I’m going to be straight with you. If hyperinflation hits the way economists are warning it could, the stuff sitting on your shelf right now for $3 could be worth $50 next year or a hundred or might not even be available at any price.
I’m Zach. I’ve been prepping since 2012, and today I’m walking you through 23 everyday items that transform from boring household goods into absolute gold when currency collapses. And I’m not talking about stockpiling freeze-dried meals or fancy survival gear. I’m talking about the mundane stuff you walk past at the grocery store every single week. Stuff that’s cheap right now, but will become priceless when supply chains break and inflation spirals out of control.
Let’s start with something you probably have under your kitchen sink right now, but definitely don’t have enough of.
Bar Soap
Plain, simple, boring bar soap. Here’s what most people miss. When inflation gets bad, manufacturers cut the fancy stuff first. That fancy body wash with the moisturizers and the nice smell? Gone. What survives? Basic bar soap. And here’s the thing about soap during economic collapse. It’s not just about staying clean, though that’s critical. Soap becomes a trading commodity because everybody needs it and nobody can make it at home without serious chemistry knowledge.
Back in 2015, I was reading accounts from Venezuela when their inflation was hitting a thousand percent. And you know what people were trading for food? Soap. Bars of soap. I keep at least a hundred bars stored in a cool, dry place. They last forever. They’re compact. And when things get bad, that $3 four-pack you bought becomes worth its weight in actual silver. Buy the cheap stuff. Ivory, Dial, whatever’s on sale. Just buy a lot of it.
Salt
And I don’t mean a couple extra containers. I mean bags of salt, the big ones. Salt is one of those things that sounds too simple to matter until you realize it’s been used as currency for literally thousands of years. The word salary comes from salt. Roman soldiers were paid in it. Why? Because you can’t live without it. Your body needs sodium to function. But beyond that, salt preserves food. Before refrigeration, salt was the only way to keep meat from rotting. If hyperinflation crashes the power grid or just makes electricity too expensive to run your freezer 24/7, you’re going to need salt to preserve your food. Plus, it’s medicine. Salt water for infections, for gargling when you have a sore throat, for wound care.
A 50 lb bag of salt costs maybe 15 bucks right now. In a collapsed economy, you could trade a pound of salt for a whole chicken. Stock up heavy on this one.
Baking Soda
This is one of those items that has so many uses people forget how valuable it is. You can cook with it, clean with it, use it for personal hygiene as toothpaste or deodorant. It treats heartburn and indigestion. It puts out grease fires. You can use it in your garden to test soil pH.
I learned this back in 2014 when I was just getting serious about prepping. I was reading accounts from the Great Depression, and baking soda kept coming up over and over as something families rationed carefully because it did so many jobs. The beautiful thing about baking soda is it stores forever if you keep it dry. Buy the big bags from the bulk section. Arm and Hammer makes these huge ones. Get five or 10 of them. At current prices, that’s maybe 50 bucks total for something that could become absolutely priceless.
White Vinegar
Same concept as baking soda. The uses are nearly endless. It’s a cleaning agent, a disinfectant, a food preservative, a medicine for minor ailments, and even a weed killer for your garden. I mentioned baking soda and vinegar many times in my videos before simply because they are that good.
During inflation, the fancy cleaning products disappear fast. The specialty items with 12 different chemicals, they’re made in complex supply chains that break easily. But vinegar, it’s simple. It’s been around forever and it works. You can buy gallon jugs of white vinegar for $3 or $4 right now. I keep at least 20 gallons stored. Some people worry about vinegar going bad, but if it’s sealed properly, it lasts for years. And even if it gets a little cloudy, it still works fine for cleaning and most other purposes.
Bleach
Now, bleach does have a shelf life. It degrades to salt water over about a year, but hear me out on why you still want to stockpile it. Bleach purifies water. Just a few drops per gallon makes questionable water safe to drink. It disinfects surfaces. It keeps disease from spreading when sanitation systems fail.
During hyperinflation in Zimbabwe, people were dying from cholera because they couldn’t disinfect their water. The ones who survived, they had bleach or knew someone who did. Here’s my strategy. I rotate my bleach stock. I buy it cheap when it’s on sale, use the oldest bottles for regular cleaning, and always keep at least 10 fresh gallons on hand. Yes, it goes bad eventually, but during a crisis, that bottle of bleach could literally save your family’s life. Worth it.
Aluminum Foil
This is one of those things that sounds ridiculous until you think about what happens when supply chains collapse. Aluminum foil is made in massive industrial facilities. It requires electricity, raw materials, complex manufacturing. When inflation hits hard, production stops or becomes impossibly expensive.
But the uses? Cooking obviously, but also signaling for help, reflecting heat, making emergency repairs, protecting food, even creating makeshift solar ovens. I watched a documentary about Cuba during their economic crisis in the ’90s, and people were washing and reusing the same pieces of foil over and over because they couldn’t get more. Right now, you can buy those big bulk packs of heavy duty foil at warehouse stores. Get several, store them somewhere dry. This is one of those purchases you make once and you’re set for years.
Now, before I continue, I want to share something with you because I know how overwhelming this can feel. When I started prepping back in 2012, I was completely lost. I was reading all this advice about buying 6 months of food and I’m looking at my bank account thinking there’s no way I can afford this. But here’s what I figured out. You don’t need a huge budget to get started with food security. You just need a smart plan.
So, I put together a completely free guide that shows you exactly how to turn $50 into a 90-day food supply. I’m serious. 50 bucks. I’ve included the exact shopping list with specific brands and prices, 37 essential preparedness items most people never think to stockpile, and the simple storage tricks that work even if you’re in a tiny apartment. You’ll also get emergency meal plans you can make with zero cooking fuel or electricity, which is crucial if power becomes unreliable or too expensive during inflation. There’s even a section on the gas station snack that’s perfect for bartering.
The whole guide walks you through scaling up from 1 week to 3 months with confidence, includes storage strategies to keep everything organized and fresh for years, and covers the one oil that stays shelf stable long term. This is all yours, completely free. The link is in the description and in the pinned comment. Just click it and let me know where to send your copy. It’s genuinely helpful and it compliments everything we’re talking about today.
All right, back to our list.
Lighters
Forget the fancy fire starters. Forget the magnesium rods. Yes, those have their place, but for everyday fire starting, you cannot beat a disposable lighter. They’re waterproof enough. They work in wind. They light thousands of times, and they’re dirt cheap. I’m talking about the basic Bic lighters. You can buy them in bulk packs of 50 for maybe $20. Do that. Buy a hundred lighters. Buy 200. Store them in a cool place away from direct heat and they’ll last for decades.
During economic collapse, fire becomes critical for cooking, for heat, for purifying water, for light. The person who can reliably start a fire has power. The person who can give someone else that ability, they can name their price. This is one of the easiest preps you can make.
Candles
Even if you have flashlights and batteries, candles provide light without draining any resources except themselves. They provide heat. They last forever in storage, and they’re incredibly cheap right now. The basic white emergency candles burn for hours. Tea lights are compact and versatile. I keep several large containers of various candle types.
Here’s a tip I learned in 2016. Buy the religious candles you see at dollar stores, the ones in the tall glass jars. They’re usually a dollar or less. They burn for days and the glass container makes them safer. Stock up on these heavily. When electricity becomes unaffordable or unreliable during hyperinflation, you’ll be very glad you did.
Matches
Yes, I just said buy lighters, but matches are a good backup and they’re useful for other things, too. The strike anywhere matches are getting harder to find because of shipping regulations, but the regular ones are everywhere. Buy the boxes of 10 packs. They’re usually just a few dollars and they store well if you keep them dry. I actually vacuum seal mine in groups of five boxes with a little silica gel packet. They’ll last 20 years that way. Matches are also great for trading because they’re small, lightweight, and everyone needs them.
Batteries
And I mean lots of batteries. Double A, AAA, 9V, whatever your devices use. Here’s the reality of inflation. Batteries are made from materials like lithium, zinc, and alkaline compounds. When supply chains break and currency collapses, these complex products become scarce fast. But our dependence on them doesn’t change. Flashlights, radios, medical devices, all need batteries.
Buy the big bulk packs when they’re on sale. Store them in a cool, dry place. Yes, they slowly discharge over time, but quality alkaline batteries last 7 to 10 years in storage. And rechargeable batteries are great if you have solar power, but also stockpile regular disposables as backup. During hyperinflation, a pack of batteries could be worth a week’s worth of food.
Duct Tape
I know it’s a cliche. Everyone talks about duct tape, but there’s a reason for that. This stuff fixes everything temporarily and sometimes permanently. It patches leaks, repairs torn clothing, holds broken tools together, seals windows, creates emergency shelters, even provides medical support for sprains.
Industrial civilization makes duct tape cheaply and abundantly. Post collapse, not so much. Rolls of quality duct tape are $3 to $5 each right now. Buy 20 rolls, 30 rolls, store them in moderate temperature, and they’ll last for years. The adhesive might get a little less sticky eventually, but it still works. This is another one of those items where having extra makes you the person everyone wants to trade with.
Plastic Sheeting
The rolls of thick mil plastic sheeting from hardware stores. This stuff is gold for so many reasons. Emergency shelter construction, waterproofing, creating clean rooms if disease breaks out, greenhouse construction to extend your growing season, protecting supplies from moisture, catching rainwater. The uses go on and on.
A roll of quality six mil plastic sheeting, maybe 10 by 25 ft, costs around $15 to $20 currently. Buy several rolls. They’re compact when rolled up, they last indefinitely if stored properly, and when things get bad, you’ll find a dozen uses you never imagined.
Tarps
Similar to plastic sheeting, but more durable, the heavy duty canvas or poly tarps in various sizes, these things are workhorses. They protect equipment, create shelter, collect water, cover leaking roofs, conceal supplies. During the Great Depression, tarps were worth their weight in gold because housing quality deteriorated and people couldn’t afford repairs. A good tarp kept your family dry.
Right now, you can get decent tarps at reasonable prices. Buy a variety of sizes, the small ones, the medium ones, and at least a couple of those big, heavy duty ones. Store them folded neatly, and they’ll last for many years.
Rope and Cordage
Everything from thick half-inch rope down to paracord and light string. Rope is one of those fundamental tools that humans have relied on for thousands of years. You need it to secure things, build things, repair things, create shelters, hang food away from animals, make clothes lines. The list never ends.
And here’s the thing about rope in an inflationary collapse. It’s made in factories from petroleum products or natural fibers that require industrial processing. Small-scale rope making is possible, but it’s time-intensive and the quality isn’t as good. Buy rope now while it’s cheap. Get variety. Natural fiber rope like manila or sisal. Synthetic rope like nylon or polyester. Paracord, which has a million uses, even heavy-duty twine. 100 ft of quality rope might cost $10 to $30 depending on type. That’s nothing compared to its value when you can’t get it anymore.
Zip Ties
These simple plastic fasteners are insanely useful. They secure things quickly. They’re reusable if you’re careful. They’re weatherproof and they’re cheap as dirt right now. You can buy bags of 100 zip ties for maybe $10. Buy several bags in various sizes. Use them for everything from securing tarps to organizing cables to emergency repairs to improvised handcuffs if you need to detain someone threatening your property.
I learned about the value of zip ties from a guy I met in 2013 who’d worked disaster relief. He said zip ties were one of the most requested items because they solved so many problems quickly.
Sewing Supplies
Needle and thread, scissors, buttons, patches. In normal times, we throw away torn clothing. During economic collapse, you repair and repair and repair until there’s nothing left to repair. Sewing skills become valuable. Sewing supplies become valuable.
A basic sewing kit costs maybe $10. Buy several. Buy extra thread in common colors. Buy heavy duty needles for thick fabrics. Buy patches. This is all lightweight, compact, stores forever, and becomes incredibly important when new clothing is unaffordable or unavailable.
Over-the-Counter Medications
Ibuprofen, acetaminophen, aspirin, antihistamines, antacids, cold medicine. These are complex pharmaceutical products made in massive facilities. When inflation hits and supply chains break, these become scarce fast. But people still get headaches, fevers, allergies, and colds. The demand doesn’t stop.
Right now, you can buy huge bottles of generic ibuprofen for maybe $10. That’s 800 pills. Buy several bottles. Same with acetaminophen, aspirin, Benadryl. Check expiration dates. Sure. But here’s a secret. Most medications remain effective for years past their expiration date if stored properly in cool, dark, dry conditions. The FDA did a study on this. Obviously, I’m not giving medical advice, but I’m saying these medications remain valuable long-term. Stock up heavy.
First Aid Supplies
Bandages, gauze, medical tape, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment, elastic bandages for sprains, all the basics. When inflation makes healthcare unaffordable, people handle more medical situations at home. You need supplies for that.
Build a serious first aid kit. Then build a backup. Buy the store brand stuff on sale. A box of 100 bandages costs a couple dollars. Gauze pads, medical tape, all of it is cheap now. It won’t be later. And having extra means you can help others or trade for what you need.
Seeds
Heirloom seeds, specifically the kind that aren’t hybridized, so you can save seeds from your harvest and plant again next year. When food prices skyrocket, growing your own becomes essential. Seeds are your food security insurance policy.
But here’s what most people get wrong. They buy seeds for food they don’t even like. Buy seeds for food you actually eat. Tomatoes, beans, squash, peppers, whatever your family consumes. Also, buy some common, easy to grow varieties, even if you don’t love them, because those are good for trading. Someone else will want those lettuce seeds or carrot seeds.
Seeds are cheap now. A packet is $2 to $4 usually. Buy diverse varieties. Store them in a cool, dry, dark place. In an airtight container with silica gel packets, seeds can last 5 to 10 years or more.
Hand Tools
Not power tools, hand tools. Manual drills, hand saws, hammers, screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers, axes, files. During hyperinflation, electricity might become unaffordable or unreliable. Your fancy power tools become decorations. But hand tools work forever with no fuel, no electricity, nothing but your muscle.
They’re also becoming rarer. Younger generations don’t have them because power tools are easier. This makes quality hand tools increasingly valuable. You don’t need to buy everything new. Estate sales, garage sales, and flea markets have quality vintage hand tools dirt cheap. Clean them up, keep them oiled, and you have tools that will outlast you. Someone who can repair things, build things, fix things will be valuable in any economic collapse. The tools to do that work become incredibly precious.
Toilet Paper
Yes, we all laughed about the toilet paper hoarding in 2020, but there was real logic behind it. Toilet paper is bulky to store, cheap to buy now, and absolutely miserable to live without. It’s also harder to improvise than people think. Sure, you can use cloth and wash it, but that requires water and soap, which might also be scarce.
Toilet paper is made in industrial facilities, and it’s surprisingly complex to manufacture. When supply chains break, it becomes scarce. Buy extra when it’s on sale. A lot extra. Yes, it takes up space. So does everything else worth having. If you have the room, stock up. You’ll either use it yourself or it’ll become valuable for trade.
Feminine Hygiene Products
For half the population, these aren’t optional, they’re necessary, and they’re another complex manufactured product that becomes scarce during economic crisis. The reusable options exist and they’re worth having, but disposable products are still important to stockpile. They store well, they don’t expire, and they’ll be worth their weight in gold when stores are empty.
If you have women in your family or household, stockpile appropriately. If you don’t, stockpile anyway for trading. These will be incredibly valuable.
Baby Supplies
Diapers, baby wipes, diaper cream, baby food, formula if you use it. If you have a baby or young children, you know these aren’t luxuries. They’re absolute necessities, and they’re going to become incredibly expensive or unavailable during hyperinflation.
Diapers don’t last forever, but they last several years if stored properly. Baby wipes stay good for years. Formula has expiration dates, but it’s still worth rotating stock if your child needs it. Even if you don’t have babies, these items will be desperately valuable for trade with people who do. Parents will give you almost anything for diapers when they can’t get them.
Now, here’s what I want you to understand. This isn’t fear-mongering. This is pattern recognition. We’ve seen hyperinflation destroy economies over and over throughout history. Germany in the 1920s, Zimbabwe in the 2000s, Venezuela in the 2010s, Argentina multiple times. It follows predictable patterns. Currency becomes worthless. Complex manufactured goods disappear. Simple, practical items that meet basic needs become the new currency.
The people who prepare ahead don’t suffer like everyone else. They stay comfortable. They stay safe. And they often help their communities by having supplies to share or trade.
You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars to make this happen. Most of what I talked about today is cheap right now. Incredibly cheap. We’re talking maybe $500 to $1,000 to build a solid stockpile of all 23 categories I’ve covered. That’s less than most people spend on entertainment in a few months. But the security it buys you? Priceless. Literally priceless.
If hyperinflation hits the way the warning signs are pointing, start small if you need to. Every time you go shopping, add one or two extra items from this list to your cart. That extra bottle of ibuprofen, that extra box of garbage bags, those extra bars of soap. It adds up faster than you think. Within a few months, you’ll have a solid foundation. Within a year, you’ll be genuinely prepared.
And if you haven’t grabbed it yet, that free guide I mentioned is still available in the description and pinned comment. It walks you through building a 90-day food supply for $50, which is the perfect complement to everything we talked about today. All the essential items people forget, the storage strategies that work in any space, the emergency meals that need no cooking. It’s completely free. Just click the link and let me know where to send it.
Look, I hope we never see the kind of hyperinflation that makes all of this necessary. I genuinely hope the economy stabilizes, supply chains hold strong, and life continues normally. But hope isn’t a strategy. Preparation is. And the beautiful thing about everything I’ve covered today is that none of it goes to waste. You’ll use this stuff eventually anyway. You’re just buying it now at current prices instead of inflated prices later. That’s just smart economics regardless of what happens.
If this video helped you, do me a favor and hit that like button. Drop a comment below telling me which item you’re stocking up on first, or if there’s something I missed that you think belongs on this list. I read every comment and I learn from you folks all the time.
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And remember, the goal isn’t to live in fear. The goal is to live in confidence, knowing that whatever economic challenges come, you’ve got the basics covered. You’re ready. You’re prepared. You’re going to be fine.
About the Author
Ban Vitu is the creator of Everything Preppers, a preparedness website focused on practical survival guides, emergency planning, DIY backup systems, and self-reliance skills.
