11 Things To Own If The Dollar Collapses And Ideas On What To Do Next

There are many who believe some sort of TEOTWAWKI (The End Of The World As We Know It) scenario could topple the all-mighty dollar, and if that happens, you'll need to get creative with what you have and what you can do to still get what you need.

Let's examine the top 15 items to possess when the dollar eventually runs out of steam, in my opinion.

DeflationPhoto byRichelleg

1. Gold

Gold is the king of concentrated value. It has long been considered one of the greatest investments, dating back to the biblical era. Because of its special qualities, gold is also impossible to make or fake; nothing comes close to the actual thing. Purchase possibilities for gold include:

• Gold certificates on paper: Paper notes including a gold foil 1/1000th of an ounce
• Fractional gold coins: these coins range from 1/10th to ½ ounce, enabling you to buy gold in smaller amounts.
• One-ounce gold coins: The most famous ones are Chinese gold pandas, American gold eagles, and Krugerrands.
• Bars of gold: Iconic!

Silver and goldPhoto byRichelleg/canva

2. Silver

Although silver is less valuable per ounce than gold, it has historically been just as desirable.

Different types of silver are:

• Junk Silver: US quarters, half dollars, and dimes, produced prior to 1964, are commonly referred to as junk silver because they actually contain 90% silver.
• Fractional: 1/10th to ½ oz bars and coins, enabling you to buy silver in lesser amounts
• One-ounce silver coins: that are cheap and simple to stack are American Silver Eagles, Canadian Maple Leaves, British Britannias, and Australian Kangaroos.
• Silver bars: ranging in weight from 5 ounces to 1 kilogram

3. Additional Metals

It's not necessary to fill your safe with only gold and silver. There are other valuable metals that could come in handy later on. You could start collecting all-copper pennies and true nickels. The melt value of nickels, which represents the value of the base metal, is greater than the coin face value. The same holds true for coins prior to 1981. Even though it's now against the law to melt them down, they might be worth far more than their face value in the future.

Older pennies are worth more than you thinkPhoto byRichelleg

Metals to buy or collect in bulk right now include:

• Pennies from 1981 and earlier: They are 100% copper-minted, and their metal worth exceeds their face value.
• Every nickel
• Platinum: Not as well-known as gold or silver, but equally valuable

4. Small Bartering Goods

When resources are limited, even small goods can be helpful. The only thing limiting the possibilities is your imagination.

• Entertainment: We become bored even in the best of times, so when things get tough, we need something to keep us occupied. Invest in a few book boxes, board games, and piles of DVDs.
• Cleanliness: Personal hygiene items will be priceless
• Canned Goods: Even the most ordinary canned items could fill a tummy, or save a life.
• Batteries and chargers

These will come in handy for surePhoto byRichelleg

5. Large Bartering Goods

Things like generators, HAM radios for communication, and even clothes, especially winter apparel (check out Salvation Army, Goodwill, and other thrift stores for inexpensive bulk clothing).

Don't stop there. As the value of the dollar declines, solar systems, heating and cooling systems, and water treatment alternatives will all increase in value. People will always desire the amenities they are accustomed to. They will therefore exchange or pay a hefty price for those goods.

Large barter items include:

• Generators
• Solar panels and their parts
• Clothes
• Engine and vehicle components: Possess the capacity to repair the major worn parts on everything from tractors and cars to small engines (chainsaws) (carburetors, tires, breaks, etc.)
• Gas and other fuels

6. Animals

One of the most difficult things to store is protein. The greatest method to always have a fresh supply is to keep it "on the hoof." If you have the space, owning livestock—from goats and cows to hens and rabbits—is a wise investment.

• Investing in a modest flock of chickens or bunnies will pay for itself many times over as things get out of hand. Over the course of a year, a family of four can get all the protein they need from a single male and four female rabbits.
• Quail and chickens are valuable for their meat and eggs, and raising quail is particularly simple and don't need much space. They start producing eggs at only 6 weeks old.
• Goats: Easy to keep and valuable for their meat and milk, these animals can eat nearly anything, clearing land for more garden spaces.
• Equines: You can navigate around town and the homestead with the assistance of a decent pair of working horses.
• Cows: Although it may require several years for a cow to reach its ideal size, having one can result in hundreds of pounds of freezer-worthy beef.

Farm animals could keep you fed when there's no grocery storesPhoto byRichelleg

7. Land

A good investment, if you have the money, is land. Land is an excellent way to hold large sums of money, whether you're using it for farming, development, or an off-grid home.

8. Tools

We will always need to be able to fix things since they will always break. Even a hammer can appreciate in value when money runs out and you can no longer afford to replace it. All tools are great, but think about stocking up on hand tools in case the power goes out for good.

9. Water

We can't live three days without water, and our capacity to survive is severely compromised well before then. Filtration is necessary to prevent a potentially harmful disease, whether it be chemical purification or mechanical filters. Things like:

• Berkey water filter: The industry standard for home water filtration; any model that is comparable will last you for tens of thousands of gallons.
• Life Straws
• Chlorine: The only chemical that needs to be used is calcium hypochlorite, as one-pound bags may disinfect tens of thousands of gallons of water.

Save and store it!Photo byRichelleg

10. Food in Bulk

Beans, rice, pasta, and oats are good long-term storage foods that will fill your pantry and fill your belly. Think about:

• Rice and beans: These two foods make up a large percentage of the world's diet and are among the least expensive sources of calories.
• Pasta: When stored properly, pasta lasts for decades.
• Wheat
• Dried corn
• Rice

11. Services

Without the right knowledge, tools are useless. One of the greatest ways to store wealth right now is to invest in survival knowledge.

• First aid
• Foraging
• Animal husbandry
• Gardening
• Self defense
• Food preservation

Think aheadPhoto byRichelleg/canva

So there you have it! Let me know in the comments below how you are preparing for a rainy day!

Attributions and citations:

Barber, F. A. (2023, December 14). How To Prepare for Dollar Collapse: The Basic Checklist. Oxford Gold Group. https://www.oxfordgoldgroup.com/articles/how-to-prepare-for-dollar-collapse/

Britt, C. (2023, November 21). What to Own When the Dollar Collapses? - The Ultimate Asset. Wealth Nation. https://wealthnation.io/blog/what-to-own-when-the-dollar-collapses/

https://www.marketwatch.com/investing/index/dxy

Inflation Calculator | Find US Dollar’s Value From 1913-2024. (2024, July 11). US Inflation Calculator | Easily Calculate How the Buying Power of the U.S. Dollar Has Changed From 1913 to 2023. Get Inflation Rates and U.S. Inflation News. https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/