Skills

As times get tougher, you are going to have to make due with less. We live in an amazing time of prosperity and wealth, but that also leads to people having to learn less and less basic skills.

19% of people don't feel comfortable changing a lightbulb
47% of people can't change their oil.
70% of people can't change a washer on a tap.

In these situations, the people who have some skills are going to be better off. Sewing, repairing things for yourself, as well as making a little extra money by doing work for others that they can't do for themselves can mean the difference between going hungry and leading a close to normal life.

You don't need to be an expert at any of these things. Don't shoot for sewing a wedding dress, but having the equipment and skills to sew a button on, build some shelving or find a burnt out fuse and replace it. Slowly develop your skills and tools until you are comfortable handling most projects, even if you have to look up how to do them.

Keep in mind, in some SHTF events you will not have electricity so learn to get the job with and without it. For example, you might learn to sew a patch on your clothes with an electric sewing machine, but then make the effort to do it with a needle and thread. Even better have a foot pedal powered sewing machine as backup. Make a point of picking up some books on DIY projects you can't do yet. Youtube might now always be available.