Cut off you TV and learn to think for yourself!
Educate yourself, the things you learned in school may not be the truth.
Learn to work with your hands...Learn to use a hammer, drill, saw, and other hand tools. Learn to sew, spin, weave, knit, crochet, work with leather, canvas, etc.
Learn to produce your own food even if it's just a portion of it....remember Victory Gardens?
Learn to can and dry what you've grown, don't use pesticides and chemical fertilizers, use heirloom non-hybreed seeds. Remember the flowers!
Learn about composting toilets (the book Humanure is great) Water will go a lot further if you not flushing it down the toilet.
Raise some rabbits or other small animals for food.
Get your kids out of the school system, Homeschool!
(Winter)-Think wool and laying in the winter for warmth. Save candles. a candle in two clay flower pots makes a small heater. (look it up)
(Summer)-Let cool air in at night to cool house, cover windows with dark shades during the day
Use Cash
Barter
Buy Gold, Silver
Stay informed!
Store water anyway you can. Try rain water it's a little better than treated or well water.
Use a good water filter with any water (Berkey is good) your tap water?...yes it's contaminated with all kinds of things...do a search and see.
Question everything!
It does not take a lot of money, you don't have to move to the wilds to survive when things get bad.