It shouldn't be a mystery to anyone that has been paying attention to what's going on in the financial world that our economy is in a dire strait. It's also no mystery in order to payoff interests on debt, United States has been pushing that print money button 24/7 like a 4 year old child pushing the horn on his toy truck. First thing we need to understand about an economic collapse is that the value of our dollar is going to be worthless, you can look up what happened during Weimar Republic where people have to use a wheel barrel full of cash to buy a loath of bread. There are many other economic collapses that can demonstrate why your paper money will be worth no more than the paper that it 's printed on. During an economic collapse there will be food shortage and there will be mass famine and chaos throughout the cities. With all that being said, safety will be an issue during this period of chaos, there will be protests and looting across the cities. I know the mental picture that I just painted for you is dire and full of fear but it is reality. I am here to help you organize yourself so that you can be ready, so here are the things you need to be doing to prepare for the coming economic collapse:
source: google image
Acquire tangible assets that can retain purchasing power such as gold, silver and painting. The general idea is you have to buy items that suits your personal situation. For some people it could be a piece of land or a watch....you get the idea. Also, keep in mind you can also store some bartering items such as toiletries, first aid kits, etc.*
You will need to store food and water for at least 3 months out. For food storage I personally do not recommend MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) because not only do they taste horrible but it's extremely unhealthy for you. Personally I'd go with items like rice, beans and some canned foods of your choice. I prefer these items not only because you can store them for a long period time (especially if you vacuum seal) mostly because they don't taste like the processed "franken" foods like in MREs. As for water, just save some jugs of tap or filtered water. You can either reuse the jugs you have left over from milk/juices or you can buy several of the 5 gallon water jugs (I recommend this).*
Self defense will be necessary as during this period of chaos security for you and your family is going to be a major issue. You will need a weapon of some sort to defense your home or even your car while you are on the road. I think a 9mm pistol or a .22 caliber pistol will be the ideal choice since these calibers are more common and easier to find. If you are not gun friendly then maybe go pick up a machete at your local Wal-mart Superstore where you can do some whale watching while you shop :)