Core Household Reserves: The Standard Preparedness Checklist

Why this list doesn’t change based on the cause

The practical reserves a household needs during a serious disruption are largely the same whether the trigger is an AI-driven economic shock, a natural disaster, or a regional infrastructure failure. This list follows standard emergency-management guidance (FEMA/Ready.gov-grade), not a speculative AI-specific inventory.

The checklist

• Water: minimum 1 gallon per person per day, a 2-week reserve.
• Food: 2–4 weeks of shelf-stable supply your household actually eats — rotated regularly, not stockpiled and forgotten.
• Power: a tested backup plan sized to essentials — refrigeration, medical devices, communications, heating or cooling — not necessarily a full-house generator.
• Medical: a supply of household prescriptions beyond the standard refill cycle, a written list of medications and dosages, and a basic trauma-capable first aid kit.
• Cash: enough physical currency for two weeks of function if electronic payment systems are degraded or untrustworthy.
• Documentation: physical and encrypted-digital copies of IDs, deeds, insurance policies, and medical records, stored in more than one location.

The rotation discipline

Reserves that are bought once and never checked tend to expire, leak, or become unusable exactly when needed. Build a semiannual rotation check into a calendar reminder — it’s the single most commonly skipped part of household preparedness.

Scaling to your household

These figures are minimums for an average household; adjust upward for medical needs, infants, elderly family members, or pets, all of which meaningfully change what “adequate” reserves look like.