You see, a lot of people might laugh at my hobby, which is, to put it simply, prepping my zombie plan.
I am fully aware that an actual zombie apocalypse is unlikely, however having a plan to survive a complete collapse of basic infrastructure will help me in any emergency, whether that happens to be a bad flood, an earthquake, a global depression, or all three and a tornado. Assuming that I survive the initial incident, which is, sadly, more a matter of luck, I have a three stage plan for surviving any incident, which I'll detail below using the framework provided by the OP.
Stage One: This is the early phase of the collapse, news is grim, but people are still ignoring it for the most part. While basic infrastructure still works and exists, increased layoffs in non-vital sectors will be on a sharp rise. I utilize this time to begin my preparedness planning in earnest, this can be as simple as double checking my supplies and replacing or stocking up on anything necessary, to running evacuation drills and sharpening my aim with my gun. As I live uncomfortably close to a major fault line, I must constantly stay at or near this state of readiness for the simple reason that my home and city, which are not prepared for a major earthquake, could drop to a stage of full chaos at literally any moment, with no warning.
Stage Two: In an economic collapse, this is when things start getting bad, crime will increase sharply as people get desperate, businesses are laying off literally anyone they can afford to lose, or can't afford to keep. Government institutions will also begin feeling the squeeze, and vital resources like police and hospitals will become strained and understaffed. As my job is likely one of the first to go, this is when I have to be the most careful with my money, as it will still be worth a little, and spending it wisely here can make a huge a difference later. But for the most part during this stage I will be keeping my head down and riding the storm, hoping for it to pass, but preparing for the worst.
Stage Three: This is the end, the government has collapsed, basic infrastructure is gone, money is worthless and it is literally every man for himself. In this absolute worst case scenario, a city is a bad place to be, and I have a simple plan for removing myself and a small group of friends and family from my home and into the countryside where we will survive.
Yeah, I may have put too much thought into this, but better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
