I know, you’re sick of hearing about swine flu – and so am I.  Personally I think it’s overhyped, as the media tends to do with any sort of disease.  That being said, I’m not a doctor, and I don’t know if this is something worth really getting scared about.  Also, lots of regular folks *are* freaked about the swine flu, so we need to take that into account when we go about our business.

Stock up now, before the rush

Yes, this part involves spending money, rather than saving it.  Tomorrow, right after work, it’s time to go grocery shopping.  These are the sorts of things you need to be buying:

• Water ( bottled, gallons, whatever you prefer )
• Enough food to stuff your freezer
• Anti-diarrhea medication
• Particulate masks ( may have to visit the hardware store to get these )’
• Flashlights
• Plenty of batteries

Why in the world would you need these things for a simple flu?  Well, if things get very bad, these simple items might not be available in any sort of reasonable quantity.  If everyone is getting sick, you’ll probably be wanting to lock yourself up at home – so you’ll need plenty of food and water around.  And for those times when you *must* go out, a particulate mask might just be enough to keep you from being infected.  If by chance you do get sick, staying hydrated is very, very important.

What in the world does any of this have to do with personal finance?

It’s always important to be prepared for the unexpected.  If you take a few simple steps to prepare yourself for a potential disease outbreak, you needn’t worry about trying to obtain these things later, possibly at a much higher cost.  Think about it – if the grocery store shelves are empty, and you’re forced to buy food from the guy selling cans of beans out of his trunk on the corner, do you think he’s going to give you a good deal?

All of the things I’m recommending that you purchase are useful things to have around for a variety of emergencies.  I’m not saying that you need to go drop 3 grand on supplies, but it’s prudent to have some things on hand, “just in case”.

Disclaimer:  I don’t expect swine flu to amount to much.  So far it hasn’t ended the world, and I don’t think it will.  But there’s no harm in stocking up, just a little, is there?