Buy “junk” silver. This is circulated U.S. sliver coins minted before the silver was sandwiched with copper.
It is the least expensive way to go and you can still use them as money, if necessary.
A bag of face value $1000 junk silver will cost you $16,580.00 at Affordable Jewelry & Precious Metals in Portland, OR (ajpm.com). Or you can sort through your pocket change religiously, which some people do.
Ann Barnhardt agrees with this, buying bags of old silver coins
That would be dimes and quarters 1965 and under, as I understand.
I haven’t seen a silver coin in circulation in decades.
Actually, it's before the cupro-nickel was sandwiched with copper. Half dollars from '65 to '69 excepted...they were "silver clad."