In this segment of the Motley Fool Money podcast, host Chris Hill, Million Dollar Portfolio's Jason Moser and Matt Argersinger, and Total Income's Ron Gross, consider this bellwether of our times: Bulk retailer Costco (COST 0.53%) is selling a bunker-sized supply of food designed to meet an entire family's needs should some variation on the total collapse of civil society make it impossible for you to run to the store for a year.
A full transcript follows the video.
This video was recorded on March 9, 2017.
Chris Hill: Guys, let's face it, we all want to be prepared for the zombie apocalypse, but who has the time to do all of the shopping? Good news! Costco is selling emergency food kits that can feed a family of four for one year. For $6,000, your Costco kit comes with freeze-dried broccoli, corn, dehydrated apples and other gains and proteins that have a shelf life for up to 30 years. Ron, don't tell me you're not interested in this.
Ron Gross: Who wouldn't be interested? This is good stuff. But, you know, after I consume the 42 cans of pinto bean flakes and the eight cans of butter powder, I'm going to need 144 four cans of Pepto-Bismol there. And a can opener, too, would be nice.
Hill: Is that way you're adding?
Gross: Yeah, I'd like to add that.
Hill: I looked at this and I thought, to me, this is one of those things where, at some point, Jason, you have enough things in this kit that I'm going to say, "You know what? I'm going to buy that now."
Jason Moser: Maybe. I see this as geared toward the family. But, Chris, I didn't see beer anywhere on that, and that's going to be shelf stable for a year, so I'm throwing a few 12-packs in there. That'll at least get you through the tough times.
Hill: Forgive my ignorance, is there a Kirkland private label beer?
Moser: There is. I think Mac would probably be the man to really confirm that. I'm quite certain there is a Kirkland private label beer. I've seen it.
Hill: Matty, if you're adding one thing to this kit to at least get you more interested, what are you going with?
Matt Argersinger: I think, if you're living in some dark shelter in some post-apocalyptic world, it's pretty depressing, you're going to need to be reminded of the trivial things in life. So, I think, a DVD set of all nine seasons of Seinfeld. Look, you can watch it over and over again, it never gets boring. You can watch it for more than a year. I think that's a great addition, assuming you also have a DVD player --
Gross: Living the apocalypse with George, oh my goodness.
Argersinger: It'll get you through it.
Hill: Let's go to our man behind the glass, Steve Broido. Steve, one, are you interested in this kit just as it exists right now?
Steve Broido: I don't think so, and I'll tell you why. It's because I can't get into a Costco parking lot as it is. I'm imagining the zombie apocalypse, and everyone is rushing to get their survival kit, and no one can park in the parking lot anyway.
Gross: [laughs] The great thing is, on the site, it says, if you don't want to let your neighbors know that you're preparing for the apocalypse, they come in boxes that are very discreet. But it's hundreds of pounds of products!
Moser: It's 1,800 pounds.
Gross: You're not sneaking that by Mr. Jones next door!
Hill: Here's another tidbit from the Costco website, and I'm quoting here. "Enjoy the comfort in knowing you have the essential foods your family will need to survive an emergency or natural disaster!" I so want to meet the marketing person at Costco who came up with that line.
Moser: Enjoy the comfort ...
Hill: Moreover, that person's boss --
Moser: ... as the world's coming to an end.
Hill: -- who said, "Smith, I need you to work on some copy for me." For me personally, throw a little Cap'n Crunch in there. The real stuff, not the Kirkland brand.
Gross: But you only have powdered milk.
Hill: I'm going to make it work.
