I'm not unsympathetic but the time to build an ark is before the rain starts. With so many living paycheck to paycheck it can be challenging to build up stores of things you need but in many cases it's not the money as you've noted. Psychologically it's a stretch for a lot of folks to prepare for things that are, in their minds, 'black swans'. But having some preparation isn't just for the zombie apocalypse, it's handy for common emergencies (winter storms, layoffs, etc).

Who knows- maybe in a few months whoever survives and looks back at this thread will say I was pollyannaish but I don't think it's going to go to guns. Folks won't need an AR to repel boarders coming to take their TP. That said, I have my firearms and a good supply of the ammo calibers I use the most (9mm, 5.56, 12ga). Be prepared is the saying!