SHELTER - WHERE TO START?
Start with a location where you plan to ride out the most likely crisis situation. For many of us, it's where we are right now! Having a survival retreat is wonderful but not realistic for most people. If you live in town, formulate a plan that gives consideration to loss of all utilities and public services. Store non-perishable food, bottled water, and medical supplies and acquire alternate heating, lighting, and cooking sources. Formulate a plan to vacate the premises if necessary and set up an alternate location immediately - this can be the home of a friend or relative for whom you can provide some maintenance service and perform general chores in exchange for emergency shelter and storage. Check out your neighborhood and find some like-minded neighbors with whom you might form a support network. Keep in mind that if your neighborhood streets aren't safe at night now, security will deteriorate when the natives get cold and hungry!
If you live in the country, assess your home for the best storage area. If you don't have an extra bedroom or a basement you may have a closet that can be emptied and turned into a survival pantry by adding shelving for your supplies. Do you have a well and if so, how will you obtain water if your submersible or jet pump is suddenly without power? Will a pitcher pump work and do you have the correct piping to mount it over your well casing (which I hope you have already located)? How defensible is your perimeter? You can plant hedges of blackberry bushes to provide both food and protection from trespassers. There are several varieties of thorny shrubs that can be planted under windows to prevent easy accessibility. Do you have room for a garden and do you grow one? Kentucky bluegrass is lovely but you'll stand a better chance of avoiding hunger if you have some carrots, beets, pole beans, tomatoes, peppers, etc. growing in the back yard.
For a taste of survival living, read and then do the exercise
At Home After a Natural or Man-Made Disaster