I'm going to be getting items slowly over time for my shtf pile and heres the list in order of what I would get first if I thought that things were going downhill and why so far. I dont have a lot of money so I'll be buying cheap things a bit at a time. I'm not saying that a SHTF situation is likely, at least not a zombie apocalypse kind, but having these things would enable me to continue to function in any environment (plus the stuff I already have) and perhaps keep myself employed in my current trade:
Water purification tablets. - Can never have too many.
Vitamins or LifeCaps.
Bags of rice.
Bags of beans.
Flour.
Lighters. -matches are overrated
OTC meds.
Tinfoil. -you can cook anything in tinfoil
Bullion Cubes. -to turn anything into a soup
Bar soap.
Socks. -they'll run through fast and if you dont have your feet 100% life would get very hard very fast
Knife/Sharpener.
Seeds.
Cheap vodka. -water it down and trade it off later.
Water Containers.
Garbage Bags.
Rubbing alcohol.
Whatever tools I might feel I need that I dont already have.