WHAT, IF ANYTHING, ARE YOU DOING TO PREPARE FOR WHAT SOME THINK ARE VERY TOUGH TIMES AHEAD?
I probably communicate with the people on my homeschool board more than any other group........IRL or cyber. Today I spotted a thread that pulled me right in:
Ok, so I am finally absolutely convinced Americans are going to face VERY rough times
http://welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=245957
and I began to read it because DH had been talking about the same thing the other night at dinner. I paid attention to him for a little while but then realized I had messed up the pick up times for lacrosse practice and I flew out the door.
Coupled with the fact that we have not had tv broadcasted into our house in a year (see previous post), I am totally clueless to some extent about these coming TOUGH TIMES. I read the thread cited above, I jotted down the title of a book recommended by an individual on the board for whom I have the utmost respect, asked some questions, and now am asking here:
WHAT, IF ANYTHING, ARE YOU DOING TO PREPARE FOR WHAT SOME THINK ARE VERY TOUGH TIMES AHEAD?
Honestly, I think I personally will have to take it a little bit further than 'maybe I won't buy a new dress to wear to Brunch on Sunday.'
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
I intend to read every single comment -- I am going to somehow plan a giveaway around this -- I will announce those details later -- perhaps a $50. American Express Gift Card (or a card of the Winner's choosing) -- that would buy a fair amount of canned goods - and no, I am not being snarky.
I am going to give away a $50. Gift Card to a randomly selected individual who comments legitimately
(SPAM will not be considered)
I will announce winner on the blog on Tuesday night, February 22, 2011 and provide contact instructions for them. Thanks and good luck!
And, just in case you are as clueless about this as I was, here are some links that you may find helpful:
The Backyard Homestead and Country Wisdom and Know How
The link to Amazon is a publication recommended by someone whose opinion I highly respect.
My mom and dad have done a lot of research and they watch a lot of Glenn Beck. They definitely believe that something is coming and it won't be good. I don't watch a lot of news myself, but I have a lot of faith in my parents' research and choices. I have done a limited amount of research also. So, we are preparing.
ReplyDeleteWe are going to plant a very large garden this Spring and we plan to do a lot of canning and preserving. We are getting chickens. My mom is storing up groceries/supplies (we just don't have the extra money right now ourselves.) My husband is stocking up on ammo as we are able. We are considering ways to make food if we didn't have electric (wheat grinder/cast iron cookware.) We heat with wood already so we are trying to increase our woodpile.
I'll definitely be checking back to see what other replies you receive :)
I think it's all relative. If you can save, isn't that always a good idea, ESPECIALLY in uncertain times? Having a plan is great; living in fear & panic is not (which is why I have to avoid those threads, lol).
ReplyDeleteFor us, we're not making ends meet now. If things get worse, we'll do what we're doing, lol. We have family who'd let us live w/ them, & gardens could be planted in those places, but for us *personally,* there's nothing we can do.
It reminds me of the doom of Y2K. Dh & I were newlyweds. People were trying to get us to go in w/ them on big vats of grain, etc. It didn't matter how bad things were going to get, though, because we. had. no. money.
Luckily, we were fine. Someday, maybe we'll be financially stable enough to think beyond the moment. :D
It's hard to plan/stockpile for the future when you are a military family and will be moving in 5 months. Right now I just try to keep the pantry stocked with what we regularly use, and some things we don't use regularly but will eat and would be good to have on hand in an emergency. My biggest concern is always water. I buy bottled water to have on hand, and we use maybe one pack of sports bottles a month to keep it circulating so it doesn't just sit there and 'go bad'. (it has an expiration date, but I don't understand how water can 'expire' if it's sealed up).
ReplyDeleteWe are just getting the last of our debt paid off. The next step will be to save up six months worth of expenses as our "emergency fund."
ReplyDeletephathui5@hotmail.com
I completely understand Aubrey's comment about wanting to be prepared but only being able to do so much because there are only so many resources to go around. I'm in a similar boat.
ReplyDeleteI believe with every ounce of my being that things are going to be much harder in the not-too-distant future than what most people imagine. Every single economic indicator except the stock market points to it. Inflation is rising and will continue to do so as the Fed prints more and more money; the jobless rate is underreported and is going up; foreclosures are escalating and it's projected that there will be a greater number this year than ever before; the dollar is declining in value and will continue to do so, particularly when considering the performance of the Euro and how tied our interests are to that currency; and the rapidly increasing instability in the Middle East will affect the U.S. economy probably more than any other in the world. So....yeah. I'm nervous.
That said, I do not have the resources to go stockpile precious metal, although I have purchased some silver and will continue to do so. I stopped contributing to my 401(k) and am using that money for the silver purchases. When I started buying silver early last year (I think) it was going for about $15 an oz and now it's trading at just over $30, so that's a great investment even if the dollar collapse that I'm convinced is coming never actually comes.
I wish that I had room for a garden but I'm in a town home and it's not allowed anyway. Obviously I can't buy a cow or chickens for the same reasons. :-) I don't have a big freezer or pantry to stockpile food. So for me, it's staying aware and trying to make sure I have some form of currency (for me, it's silver, purchased a little at a time) to be able to get the things I need when I need them. Not saving more dollars, because the silver is worth more (and is going way up in value while the dollar loses value) and can always be used to purchase other currency.
It's an interesting topic, for sure. The stock market has risen dramatically based on no solid economic factors over the last few months, and people are looking at that as economic recovery. Can you say...bubble?
I have been learning various skills. We hunt and process our own meat. I make most everything from scratch. We are planting a big garden- I am still learning this skill. I have a food dehydrator, and a pressure canner. I am learning more about herbs, and wild edible food. We have chickens and goats. I am trusting in the Lord to provide. I am doing what I can and know God will handle the rest.
ReplyDeleteLooking for a rock to hide under? *smiles*
ReplyDeleteReally, just remaining frugal, already having life skills, and loads of prayer. You can have everything prepared and still lose it over night. With a large family and a limited budget, there's only so much "stocking up" you can do.
9/11, for all intents and purposes was a localized event. When 9/11 happened I didn't have any need for extra money, extra food, extra anyting. I was living in SW GA at the time and life went on as usual. There were no shortages at the bank and the ATMs worked as normal.
ReplyDeleteI think for any localized event be it a terrorist act, act of nature or specific city riots the rest of the world will continue on with little to no need for food/water/money. If one is at ground zero for the localized event common sense, what is in your pantry and a couple hundred dollars should see you through. Help will be arriving within hours.
Now a catastrophic event which collapses the government I think one will need just a bit more on hand. That said I also think we will see a coming together of family, neighbors and friends. Resources will be pooled and bartered. I think having a few things in abundance would be handy also. At least 4 weeks of food. I'd also like to have about $2000 cash on hand for things like fuel - heat and auto. If the event lasts longer than a couple weeks, money will be pretty useless. People will be trading beans for eggs or rice for greens.
Maybe third time is a charm?
ReplyDeleteLive simply. Stay out of debt, buy locally, cook your own meals. We are a nation of immigrants. Most of us have immigrant grandparents who exemplified frugality. They ate cheap foods that they prepared at home. They turned off lights and kept the thermostat turned down. They always had a garden. They didn't even use their telephones unless they had to. I can only remember two times that they went out to dinner, one was their 50th wedding anniversary, the other was my cousin's wedding. They certainly didn't have credit cards.
I am much less worried about myself than I am for my children (and your children and grandchildren, etc) because we had it much easier. On an entry level salary, I was able to afford to rent an apartment, drive a car, go to college. The working man/woman has so much less now that it is frightening. And these trends do not show signs of improving any time soon.
Our Italian cousins still live like our grandparents did. They are extremely frugal, they keep large gardens, they still raise a pig every year and then make salami, they can tomatoes every year from their gardens. The Italian economy has plummeted in the last 10 years but I don't see much change happening to our cousins. They still have health insurance, they are still living like they have been for a long time. That's because they're keeping it simple.
My 32 year old son made bread the first time this week. Is this a skill that could help him survive? sure. Will he need it to survive? probably not, but these basic life skills sure can't hurt!
Dh and I started this journey a while ago and before we were really thinking about the economic problems in this nation. The heart of our journey began when we got tired of "the system". Our taxes on an otherwise very old, seomwhat updated house just kept going up and up in order for the township government to perpetuate a prosperity myth in the neighborhood where we lived. More and more control over what we could and could not do with our property spelled more and more discontent. So, we decided to work toward something a little more self-reliant and sustainable with a lot less intrusion from the powers-that-be.
ReplyDeleteIt's been a five year journey. In that time, we've renovated an old church in an unincorporated community that is six miles from a "village" and 50 miles from a city. We have converted it to heat on an exterior wood boiler with wood we either buy from farmers or harvest ourselves. We have a propane water heater that costs us $3.95 per month in fuel for all of the hot water for a family of six that is currently not in water conservation mode. We will soon have enough solar panels and car batteries to generate enough electricity to power the electronics on the wood boiler and the well pump. Water is always a must so additionally, an old fashioned hand pump is being installed and we deliberately purchased in an area with not only a high water table, but also other fresh water sources nearby.
We have a garden plot and live two blocks from my parents who have a HUGE garden plus seven acres on which to hobby farm. More food production is going into place this year with an emphasis on getting more fruit. We've been nursing some very stubborn apple trees along and cherries will be added. Hopefully, the new strawberry plot and grapevines survived our harsh winter, oh and the asparagus patch as well.
We have ducks which have been, to this point, 4-H projects, but we should be seeing eggs this spring and will be adding some chickens to the menagerie. We are currently eating the pig we raised last season.
I'm learning to can over a fire so that this aspect of our food preservation won't be electrically dependent should utility costs skyrocket. We are going to try our hand at dehydrating food in the sun with screens this summer. We'll see if we can keep the bugs at bay.
Dh is a master fisherman by hobby and thankfully we've got naturally occuring lakes and lots of rivers and creeks within walking distance plus control of my uncle's bluegill and bass pond. In hard times we would certainly expect the neighbors fish there.
Dh needs to learn to hunt. He owns hunting guns and ammo...he just hasn't been able to make himself go out and shoot his first bambi or pheasant. Thankfully, my dad knows how to hunt quite well! He grew up back in the day when nine year old boys were allowed out in the woods ALONE with shotguns.
As for debt, we are 2.5 years (at current payment schedule) from being 100% debt free. If the economy can just limp along that far, we will be able to breathe a huge sigh of relief.
Ultimately, one of our goals is to have enough to share. We live in the tiniest of communities and so it isn't out of reach to have enough to give some fish, vegetables, and apples to hungry families. We've got family members that live in this neighborhood and have about as much fiscal sense as can be fit into a thimble. So, we are planning to help take care of them too!
The biggest call in our lives however, was not so much because of fear of financial collapse, though there are certainly indicators that this is a real possibility, but the desire for a more sustainable lifestyle that would someday free us up so that dh can quit his high pressure, high stress job for something more rewarding.
At the root of it all is our faith. There aren't any storms in life that we wish to weather without Him. Above all else, we seek to have a sustaining faith.
Faithmanor
Well, I think the first thing you should do is get three months supply of food you eat everyday (at least the non-perishables) and water. If something does happen it will most likely be short term, and keeping things as normal as possible around the house will help the kids deal with it better and keep the stress down.
ReplyDeleteNext, I would begin stocking up on longer-term food, such as wheat, rice, beans, sugar, water. If stored properly, these items will last 30+ years. Get at least a year supply. There are calculators for this on the web.
Work on getting out of debt. I like Dave Ramsey's advice on this. Save $1000 first. Pay off your debt. Then save 3-6 months of expenses in cash.
For cooking we bought two solar ovens and an effecient outdoor stove called a tornado stove from emergency essentials, and we store charcoal in buckets.
Start learning about canning and buy the equipment. You can can butter and cheese. Even candy:)
Start learning about gardening.
I've recently started to learn about herbal medicine, how to grow it and how to make it.
Start with the food, then the money, clothes and supplies, and just keep learning and doing. No need to panic, just begin.
Well, since I'm Canadian, a mail order would work for me :P
ReplyDeleteCanada is so effected by what happens in the US that I'm more than a little concerned.
I've already been studying Carla Emery's encyclopedia, and Wolf and I are praying hard that we're able to get on an acreage before all the trouble hits the fan. Especially in terms of likely collapses of power grids.
Too many skills have been lost over the last few generations. Too many ppl consider the grocery store to be where food comes from, rather than a farm.
If things hit the way I suspect they might, cash isn't going to be worth doodley. It'll be useful in terms of toilet paper, fire starter, but not much else. It'll be goods that will matter. We'll see bartering be the 'cash' for whats needed.
Wolf and I have also speculated as to what we'd end up having to break in for...stuff that alot of ppl wouldn't think about...material, sewing goods, patterns. Since we doubt anyone would be working, hence the need to 'break in'.
I think at some point we're going to see a collapse of current infrastructure, and need to recreate it on some level. The CEOs of today won't be worth diddly. It'll be the farmers that survive. Cities will collapse, raiding will happen, and a slow move out to the country for those that can still travel.
Buying heirloom seeds and working on a garden. We live in town on a small lot, so I'm researching 'bucket gardening.' We camp a lot, so we have portable living essentials, already, and I coupon so we have more toiletries than we currently need. As for food, we have enough in our pantry to ration for several weeks, but I haven't stocked for an extended period.
ReplyDeleteWe pulled our $$ out of the stock market a while ago, but don't keep enough cash in the house to really do any good...that's something to think about.
We also don't have a solid evacuation plan, if we ever needed one, in case our family was separated and we had no way to communicate. That's something we should work out.
My husband thinks we should all have guns.
I pray for wisdom and protection.
Cindy aka gooblink
While we are not panicked, we have been working to live more simply. We recently moved and cut our housing expenses by a significant percentage. We are also looking at starting a small garden this spring.
ReplyDeleteWell, we have about $1000 cash on hand right now and we are working on adding to that. We have a backyard garden, but honestly, things are pretty tough right now. I'm not sure how much farther down we can go without having to sell our house.
ReplyDeleteI have a son who has glaucoma and it is not particularly well controlled. So any talk about how to cope is always colored for me by the fact that if we don't have access to the many medications that control his eye pressures, the first thing we have to cope with is that my son will go blind. Honestly, it is sort of a motivation killer when it comes to planning what we will and won't do. I have a hard time caring what we will do for deodorant if my kid is going blind.
But, we are certainly not adding to our debt right now and have most of our debt paid off. We are saving. My mom and her husband are planning to move to Costa Rica if things get bad here, but that won't be an option for us.
We are prepared for hard times because we have savings, we garden and have our own chickens but for catastrophic times, I would pool our resources and talents with my extended family survive. Food, clean water, shelter, clothing, and protection are the bases that need to be covered for a catastrophic event.
ReplyDeleteI don't watch T.V. either, so I'm not whipped up in a frenzy right now, but a small amount of preparation just makes me feel better.
ReplyDeleteAs I posted on the thread, I have chickens, turkeys, cows and goats plus a garden. I'm not convinced that the entire American economy is about to collapse, but I do think food and gas prices are on the way up.
My best friend is stocking up on canned foods, but I can hardly force myself to choke down a canned vegetable, so I prefer to put my money in heirloom seeds.
I did surprise her with $1,000 in 20s to put in her emergency closet. I keep the same amount. I want to have a little bit of cash on hand if I can't get to a bank.
I am planning a very large garden this year, and planning on canning/freezing/dehydrating what I can for future use. I'm buying local produce/meat/eggs/milk, so I'm not reliant on stuff grown halfway across the world. I am not sure that a money stash would help if things truly fell apart; what if the dollar was worth nothing? what good would that do? things will turn to a barter system it seems
ReplyDeleteWe have a garden, are paying down our debt, and building an emergency fund. However, I have no idea what else to do. I can't worry too much about it since I can't raise cattle/chickens/goats, etc.
ReplyDeleteWe have been working towards a simpler lifestyle for the last couple of years. This is not always easy to achieve living in our area. There is a lot of pressure to be a consumer.
ReplyDeleteI make most of our food from scratch-right down to grinding my own flour. I have started to make my own laundry detergent. I have been making my own household cleaners for a few years. I have greatly reduced our paper goods consumption. Next on the list is to learn how to can. We cut up our credit cards back in 2000. If we don't have the cash it does not get purchased.
Every spring I try my hand at a little kitchen garden. This one is tough since I have a black thumb. I have only ever had real success with Russian Kale and Basil. Maybe one day I will get the knack.
I feel like we have already been through some pretty tough times so we are hopeful that the steps we have taken to simplify our lives will help us through whatever else comes our way.
I've never really read a lot on the topic and I know there are lots of website predicting doomsday, however, the last couple of years I have felt a gentle urging to learn how to do more things to provide for the family. I've always had a small garden but each year I grow a few more things. I've started buying more things in bulk and learn how to make things from scratch. I started with yogurt, then homemade bread, then condiments (mostly just salad dressing and bbq sauce), then spice blends, cream of X soup etcand most recently canning. We now buy 1/2 a beef and a 1/2 pig at a time. I also buy bulk fruit in the summer and can/freeze what we need for the winter. This year I'll be adding dehydrating to my skill set. I'm also learning how to process veggies for winter use. Two more future goals on the list (although I'm not sure if it will happen this year) are cheese making and pressure canning.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to develop resources for food outside of the grocery store.
I can't raise any animals as our plot is too small for even chickens but I also don't feel like we are suppose to move. So I work on simplifying our needs where we are at and trust God to provide the rest.
We started thinking 'frugally' about 5 years ago and became debt free except the house 2 years ago. That will be huge when we can claim that freedom. My main goal is not to panic. Knowledge is good, learning how to garden, can, & getting to know people (like local CSA's) It's also huge to know your neighbors. You very well may need them or can help them when your own extended family is too far away. DH was laid off 2 years ago, it's actually been good in that it's forced us to prioritize and simplify. Needless to say, trust in an Almighty God has made for a peace that can't be explained.
ReplyDeleteWe try to keep a full pantry. We are working on learning how to garden. We also want to raise chickens and goats. Wish this city girl luck. Haha.
ReplyDeleteI have not read the previous posts.....saw your thread on the WTMB. I think I prepare moderately but not frantically.
ReplyDeleteSome of the things I do or plan to do in then near future
-learn to live in our income
-get rid of debt and save a little
-store moderate amounts of grain and rice and learn to use it making pleasurable things to eat.
-planning a larger garden this summer using heritage seeds
-make friends with like minded people that I can share jobs and resources with that live within walking distance (sometimes I rely on them and sometimes they rely on me)
- support local businesses that would be helpful to me when I face an emergency (ie. our local grain mill-I know personally the secretary and would cherish that rappore if something does happen).
-learn about stuff that helps make my time more successful (ie. gardening, baking,preserving, heating effectively)
-save things and store things that might be helpful (ie toddler potty seat and old dirty food bucket make a great temporary potty)
-learn to use a menstrual cup with comfort.
-plant fruit trees and long term food sources
-teach my kids about being careful in their spending
-keep curriculuum that will be useable across grades even if they are not used now (ie SWR, IEW) so we can continue school
-collect QUALITY books, clothes and whatnot that we can grow into
-learn to cook without electricity
-train my dog to love us and not disuade her from barking as warning.(She is really very gentle natures and would never hurt a soul....she just barks at men and I let her know that is not a bad thing by my nonverbal communication)
-read books that teach not instill panic
-think about where to buy chickens if I want chickens for eggs....look at our local laws so I know them
-focus on our family relationships so they can survive whatever comes our way (good and bad)
I think I am reaching now......but that is a list. Keep in mind-I am a very normal person and many people have no idea I do any of this) I am not in a panic.....and I try to help others prepare without panic as well if they feel the need.
Once
I am not certain what the future holds for this country, but I don't think it is going to be good. I have read lots of different things, some say inflation, some say hyperinflation, and some say in the longer term deflation (look up HS dent for this, he is looking at it strictly based on population trends.)
ReplyDeleteWe have some cash on hand, some metals, and some stocks. Right now we are in transition for living arrangements. We are trying to decide whether to buy a small house now or wait a while for the banks to decide they are really going to sell off all their foreclosures. I expect that even in Florida housing hasn't really hit bottom.
I would like to have some land in order to garden, but haven't convinced the husband of that yet. He grew up on a farm so he knows what he is doing on that topic.
We are paying down debt, cook from scratch and have a large garden, put up produce. I like food storage that doesn't depend on the freezer. We are going to get an alternative heat source (which we had before the house fire). Could easily raise chickens and farm animals- we've done that and h.a.t.e.d it. We aren't consumer oriented in many ways and I try not to get caught up in the crisis that will come. My biggest hedge is trusting that the Lord will lead us to invest as we need to cause we dont have extra resources to invest in pantry items, or other things beyond how we live. Sounds simplistic. I hope it's more, "faith like a child."
ReplyDeleteI can get freaked out about all of this; so I try to keep a level head. In our house, the rule is only incorporate new habits/knowledge if it something we would be interested in doing in good times or bad. That helps me keep a check on myself.
ReplyDeleteSo, living frugally, cooking frugally, gardening, water conservation, paying off debts, saving $, making friends and keeping them, and I have been toying with quilting.
lmkzbcb
I started raised bed gardening last year and I will likely add another bed this year. I like the idea of buying a large amount of rice as well. One item I will definitely keep and share with my local hs community is our curriculum. Even though it takes up a lot of space, I believe this is one item I find indispensable. (SnowWhite on WTM)
ReplyDeleteIf something major happens - worse than now, we will do what we can and put our faith and trust in God which is really what we have done for 25 years together. Disasters - regardless of what nature cannot be totally anticipated. You can be prepared but you likely will never be prepared enough.
ReplyDeleteWe have chickens, we have a garden, we have heat independent of the power grid. We will continue to save as much as possible even though I don't know that currency will be the most valuable possession. Perhaps more valuable will be the skills to live off the land, ingenuity and faith.
I am convinced things will be tough for at least another year. I do have a farm with bees, a huge garden, poultry, and dairy goats. However, I just bought a second home in the middle of a nearby small city. Why? Because it is 1.) super good deal- buy low and sell high is my motto and 2.) gas prices will rise in the next few years and it will be a great investment to have a home within walking distance of major grocery stores/library/restaurants/schools/university
ReplyDeleteWe have plenty of money saved, and about 10K in cash. I think we are in good shape if things get really weird, but also in good shape if things get moderately hard, or stay the same ;) I really believe that things will be just fine within 5 years so I am a firm believer in long term investments.
I try not to get worked up! This is the type of thing that would drive me over the edge with worry! That being said we are in the process of getting out of debt, beginning to think about planting or moving to someplace we can......there will be no stockpiling here, as we have very little space. Other than that trusting that God is in control and trouble will come no matter how prepared. I guess that's it!
ReplyDeleteWe have the challenge of living in a desert. We live on a property where we have a well and are not dependent on city water. This year we have started to dig lowered beds for garden space. I hope they are ready for planting in the next two weeks. I bought heirloom seeds so we can save seeds for the next year. We have quite a few fruit trees. I have plenty of canning supplies and we have started stocking up on non-perishables. We have a few chickens and plan to get a few more. We have considered getting a rooster but I will save that for if and when we are really desperate! Over the past year we have paid off some of our debt and plan to be completely debt free within two years. We have reduced our living expenses and are saving cash. We have firearms and ammo. Our main focus is for hunting. My husband has been a lifelong hunter and fisherman. He also did some gold mining when he was younger and was in construction for over twenty years. He also lived deep in the Idaho mountains for many years while growing up. He has many useful skills! We have an RV that we plan to keep. It gives us mobility plus we will always have a roof over our heads. Next on my list is purchasing books like The Encyclopedia of Country Living. I already know how to sew. I would love to learn how to make wine or beer. I figure that would come in handy for medicinal purposes or bartering!
ReplyDeleteI am not in America but presume Australia might also be in for hard times- probably not as bad as America though.
ReplyDeleteWe have bought gold and silver with spare money. If the American economy goes down, it will affect everyone. Every time we get some savings, we invest it in something that might be useful if things go down. We also bought a motorhome.
I have planted 2 vegetable gardens and have 7 chickens, even though we rent in the city.
I support local farmer's markets and local food systems, because these are what we will need to rely on.
My husband and I stock up on food items. We have extra canned goods, wheat, oats, etc. I have overloaded myself with looking into everything I could possibly need for an "emergency" like gardening, canning, dehydrating, cooking w/o electricity, farming, raising animals, etc etc. But it is too much for me right now. There's all these things I want to do and spend lots of time researching, however, that means that all the stuff I'm supposed to be doing in the meantime (homeschooling, cleaning, playing with children, etc) hasn't been getting done. So now I'm only working it one step at a time, which right now is grinding my own wheat and making my own bread. All with the help of an electric wheat grinder and an electric bread machine :D Once I get that down, I'll be moving on to the next step, an herb garden.
ReplyDeleteI don't see much news so I don't know a lot that is going on.
ReplyDeleteWe are barely getting by now so I don't know what would happen if times get tougher.
Guess we would do what we do now and hope that's enough.
- We have a stockpile of stuff - beans, rice, frozen veggies, flour, sugar, etc. I do partly because it's cheaper to buy in bulk and partly because I want to be prepared.
ReplyDelete- We have a garden in our backyard each summer. Mostly because I like fresh, organic vegetables and can raise them cheaper than I can buy them. :) And I want my kids to know that fruit/veggies come from the ground, not a store shelf.
- We're getting chicks in a month or so once the cold weather ends. I want fresh eggs and I want the security of knowing that we'll have a source of protein if something did happen. And I think they'll be a fun learning experience for the kids.
- I've taken up knitting, crocheting, and sewing again. Yes they're fun...but it's also a skill set that might be in high demand in the future...
From a Christian standpoint PRAYER, and behaving in a Christian manner (sharing with others) are always at the top of my list. But I DO believe there are some serious issues we're facing, starting with the economy. I don't think what's going on with the economy will be a minor hurdle, I think it's major.
ReplyDeleteIf I lived anywhere north of Florida I would want a small wood-burning stove in my house. Because we live in Florida we don't have one. But my brother and I bought one for my parents. It can keep the house warm, and if you get the kind with a flat top you can cook on top of it. They do cost a few thousand to buy and get installed, but the whole process was easier than I imagined. Stove plus firewood is something people will be wishing they had if the economy goes as far south at it appears to be heading.
Second: a garden. Nice hedge against inflation, and being totally dependent on your local grocery chain. If you know how to preserve food, so much the better.
Third, I've bought some basic clothing for the kids a few years up the road.
If you have any sigificant assets that you need to protect, precious metals will protect them better than the stock market, that's for sure!
I wouldn't "stockpile" stuff, but if you see the economy really start sliding into disarray, it might not be a bad idea to head for the store to get whatever necessities you simply can't do without.
We have about a 3-month supply of food on hand. We live in Florida, so are prone to hurricanes. We rotate our food, or donate to charity periodically, so nothing goes to waste.
What I DON'T consider particularly useful is a generator. Those need gas to run, and local gas stations need electricity to pump it. So unless you're storing a whole lot of fuel on your property, a generator can only run so long. Also, they're noisy. And if you're the ONLY one in the neighborhood who has one...
They're good for a very short-term situation, though.
Consider that our economy is VERY dependent on three pillars: financial system, transportation system, the electrical grid. (average transport of our food supplies is about 1,100 miles, I think?) If any ONE of these goes down, the rest of the system collapses in short order.
So if the financial system goes down, then within a matter of a week (or less) your grocery store is either closed, or has major shortages. Especially based on the Just-in-Time inventory system most companies use these days.
The debt used to be a relatively small proportion of our GDP. It has now gotten so big, that it is becoming exponentially unmanageable. Consider also that this is based on cheap interest rates. The moment those rates go up a point or two, the house of cards becomes completely unsustainable. Then everyone will be saying why didn't we see this coming? (actually it's very visible from where I sit)
To a certain degree I feel there isn't a lot you can do. We live in a neighborhood house, not on a farm. So I live a normal day-to-day life, but the larger picture out there is growing increasingly frightening. (pause. stop. pray. Trust in God.)
Anything you truly can't live without, buy now! That's the best advice I can give. Also read some of the prescient websites such as Zero Hedge and Automatic Earth. They are saying what the news media doesn't quite understand about this situation.
From a homeschooling standpoint, this is one of the reasons I BOUGHT an actual set of encyclopedias. (got 'em for $10, too. No one wants the real books anymore, I guess!) So you might want to buy ahead on your homeschooling materials.
BTW although this financial situation has been developing since at least 2005-06, I think we're going to see things take a major turn for the worse this year, 2011. So this is a VERY timely point to be talking about this.
Thanks for asking!
We are going to be stocking up on food and other "necessities". Also I am looking at alternative medical supplies and trying to keep some regular medical supplies and medicine on hand.
ReplyDeleteI think the most important thing is to approach this with a mindset of joy, not fear. Moving towards increased sustainability and self-sufficiency is likely to increase your overall physical and mental health, even if the current financial situation remains stable or improves. Garden-grown food is almost always tastier and healthier than food from a store. Learning handicrafts like sewing, knitting, and weaving is fun and fulfilling. Bicycling and walking instead of driving when possible are good exercise and recreation, and having a bicycle, decent bike trailer, and associated repair supplies gives you something important if gas is unaffordable or unavailable.
ReplyDeleteAnd this sort of lifestyle will prepare you for pretty much any sort of disaster - from hyperinflation to asteroid impact to the primary wage-earner developing a serious illness.
If you have spare cash on hand now and are looking for something that can be done immediately in preparation for a near-future crisis (like hyperinflation), my personal opinion (which should be taken with a grain of salt, as I'm not a professional at this) is that stocking up on food, supplies to grow food, things to keep you warm in absence of utilities, first aid supplies, and books to learn from make the most sense. Get stuff that you will use anyways - rotate your food and seed stores, for example. That way, you're spending money that you would have spent eventually anyways, rather than spending a lot on stuff that will sit around gathering dust.
If you don't have the spare cash to stock up for long-term (3 months to 1 year), do it gradually. Buy an extra few cans of food or bags of beans or rice every shopping trip. Eventually you'll have a good supply.
Look for LDS resources (either online or at a library or LDS bookstore) - they've always recommended a prepared lifestyle, and have a lot of resources about what and how to store things in a realistic manner, regardless of available space, family size, or income.
Get hardcopy books on gardening/small-scale farming, how to make things, local edible/medicinal plants and how to use them (if possible have someone experienced teach you to recognize them), and field medicine.
For longer term, I think the most important consideration for much of the US is going to be water security, and moving to somewhere where it won't be a huge worry would be an important consideration. You can survive on relatively little food for a long time, but water is more important, plus water security contributes to food security when it comes to gardening, available wild foods, and so on.
Since you specifically ask about how much money you should have on-hand - money is something that will be useful for personal disasters, and it makes sense to save enough to cover basic living expenses if you had to go at least 4-6 months without income (remember that you can use food stores for this eventuality as well, which will reduce your living expenses!). But in an actual widespread infrastructure-disrupting crisis, including hyperinflation, having useful stuff (and possibly gold and silver) is going to be more important. 6 months of living expenses isn't going to do a whole lot of good if it suddenly covers more like 6 weeks.
It's a balancing act, prepping for different possibilities, especially if you don't have the money to do everything at once. Just keep in mind that doing something is better than doing nothing, invest the most money in things that can be used regardless of what happens (including continuation of the status quo), and try to treat prepping as a positive and enjoyable life change rather than a panic reaction.
My husband and I talk about this at times, but we do try to stay on track for a normal, frugal lifestyle. I make almost all our meals from scratch, at home, and some of these meals are extremely frugal and nutritious. If we had to, we could probably live indefinitely on oatmeal, beans, rice, and stew. ;) We have stockpiled a bit on those things, but we have a long way to go to really be ready for a melt-down.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that cash is meaningless, exactly, I just don't think that a dollar today will be worth a dollar tomorrow. So when I have $40 "extra" floating around, I buy "Stock Box" food with it. Or toilet paper. Or bottled water, sleeping bags, or other things we might need.
My one concern for a meltdown would be my medication. I can't get it ahead of time, and I can't live without it. I would be, literally, dead within a few months of not having any. Sigh. I could kill a sheep, dry out its thyroid, and grind it up, I suppose. Anyone out there have an extra sheep floating around?
I plan to read all the comments too! And that entire thread. Then start stocking up on toilet paper.
ReplyDeleteLee (5wolfcubs)
I already coupon and will continue to get things cheap & free that way. I am going to start saving some cash back and just over all we already live pretty frugally, so I will really not change my ways too much. I love on a lot less than people that I know.
ReplyDeleteHi Mariann, Ibbygirl here. :) For me it's hard to know what to do because my plan of action would be different depending upon the type of disaster. Currently I live in a place that is warm year round (and has a year round growing season) next to the ocean which is an abundant food source. There are plenty of trees too that could be used as a fuel source if there were no electricity and with the warm weather I could even live outdoors in a tent if I needed too. BUT suppose the disaster were to come in the form of the melting of the polar caps which scientists warn could be completely melted in the summer in the next 50 years. Where I live now would be completely underwater so there's no sense hunkering down and stock piling RIGHT HERE if I would have to move on anyway. Land is still very expensive in South Florida and it is next to impossible to find acreage here anyway. I think to myself, well, I could move to Central Florida where there are hills and live in a tent and drink the water from the freshwater springs and even hunt for game (we have deer and, boar and other animals), but what if the disaster were to come in the form of a nuclear or chemical attack?? Then everything would be spoiled anyway.
ReplyDeleteA disease epidemic won't spare you if you are stock piled or not and that still doesn't give you the foresight of WHERE to live and stock pile since there are all kinds of environmental things that COULD happen.
Not knowing the WHAT of an impending doom when there are so many variables is what is the tricky part for me.
For me, I think it's best to stay where I am for now. My home is almost paid off. My husband has a job and is bringing in income every week and we have enough food on hand in our house right at this moment for several weeks if not even a month or so. There are plenty of fish in the ocean close by and it is warm so no need for heating in the winter. I personally think it is better to be able to travel light so that no matter WHAT the disaster, I can be in a position to be flexible and not have all of my eggs in the single basket of my home, land and stock piles. I hear people on the forum talking about marauders and having to have guns to keep people off their land, but what about government lands and national parks and what not? If the government collapses and our society as we know it became every man for himself, who is to tell me I can't go into the Ocala National Forest and live in a tent and hunt and fish they way the Indians did. That land would not belong to anybody any more and I would eat what I catch which if it is wild game doesn't belong to anybody. To me the most important things would be food, fresh water and shelter. All of that can be found in the forest and it is warm besides.
The Indians lived here for centuries living a nomadic lifestyle and survived without owning land, having stock piles or even having money. I think my survival plan would be something akin to that. That is my long answer. My short answer of what I would need are fishing poles, tents, warm blankets and boots, a frying pan, a small pot, a couple of good knives and a whetting stone, some rope and a gun. I think I could get by with that. :)
Dh and I have trying to be more prepared for the last few years. We have fairly well stocked pantry, we pay off debt as quickly as we can and we are trying to save as much as possible. We have invested in chickens so we can always have meat and eggs, we plant a large garden and preserve that food for later use. We have also invested in simple things like a yogurt maker that can help us save money by doing it ourselves. We have made sure we always have an alternate heating source should prices become too high to afford.
ReplyDeleteEven if times were not looking so rough we would continue to prepare in these ways. Not because of any sort of doomsday thoughts but because tragedy of all kinds can strike anytime (like our year and half unemployment!). Prepardness is just smart planning.
Honestly, I have been pondering this question since the discussion began on WTM a few days ago. I had some great anxiety, which is unusual for me. I expect it was exaserbated by our own unemployment situation, and the fact that I have been reading the Restoration Series which is a fiction series about the country losing all power and infrastructure. The whole combination of things was making me feel powerless.
ReplyDeleteI have since concluded that while I am powerless to find DH a job (noone wants to hire a 50+ former sr manager), and I am angry that despite having the emergency savings and the plans etc. our life has still changed drastically, we are surviving. God has provided. My suburban kids have learned the difference between want and need, they have learned that not ordering pizza is not the end of the world. I cook more, think more about what we purchase and find more ways to entertain the family at home. We are much less consumer and consumption oriented than we were 2 years ago. These are all good things. We have learned to live with less, and even with less are still so blessed.
So what will I do to prepare? I will keep on keeping on, knowing we are doing the best we can. There is no spare money for stockpiling, but I know how to can and grow food and make a fire. We have fishing equipment and a place to use it. I will continue to foster a spirit of perserverance in my kids. I will stop reading the threads on WTM that cause me anxiety! I won't bury my head in the sand, but I will deal with the immediate before worrying about the possible. And I will pray - often, and with faith.