Never saw Diary of The Dead. I tend to be picky with my zed movies, since so many are done SO badly... and the bad ones aren't even entertaining!
It's surprising how many dollar store chains popped up during the recession, and how much stuff they score on overstock, out-of-date or product change from major megacorps. Just today we saw PALLETS of Pepsi 2 liters for a buck each when they're going for 1.68 to 2 bucks everywhere else... and that stuff is ALWAYS in demand! We went there to pick up stuff for the first aide kit, and some of the basics that I realized we don't even have in the house anymore since we moved and everything got shuffled! Multiple flashlights, duct tape, batteries, several bottles of hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol (.79 cents each on those! Although in Meth-topia they actually LOCK UP the hydrogen peroxide and iodine) and a host of other things you never even think of for cheap. Even picked up a hand saw for a buck! Yeah, it's a cheap bit of Pakistani steel with a plastic handle, but it's a BUCK! And, it works. The only thing I forgot to pick up was another 5 gallon water jug simply because it slipped my mind.
Of course, there is stuff you can't skimp on price but even then you can buy smart. In our little "Emergency Tupperware" (the name we give to the SHTF box in the hall closet), I even keep a spare Hi-Point .380 and 50 rounds. Picked it up from a Tea-Bagger for $99 who insisted that it was a "blackie's" gun and refused to even pull it out of the box for fear of being seen with a "criminal gun"
Come to think of it, I have no idea how I resisted beating the guy over the head for being such a douche. But, a cheap never-fired pistol with ammo for 100 is worth biting your tongue.
Along with that we have enough food for a few weeks (basic pastas, rice, canned bits) and I always make sure I have a spare 5 gallon propane tank filled and on the grill since the closest thing we get to natural disasters in Arizona are power outages and water outages, which are bad when summer temps top 120 degrees and all utilities are electric only. The only thing we're lacking is a solar charger and, eventually when we can afford to move into a house, a small petrol generator.
Either way, it's a reliable backup that you don't have to think about, and if you do things right you can be prepared without it taking over your entire life. If the CDC can get the word out by being prepared and understanding how infrastructure works in your city by co-opting the Zombie fad, then I say go for it!
