14 Questions People Ask About How To Prepare For The Collapse Of The Economy

by | Aug 8, 2012 | Emergency Preparedness | 145 comments

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    How in the world is someone supposed to actually prepare for an economic collapse?  What should you do with your money?  How can you make sure that your family is going to be okay?  How can you prepare if your resources are extremely limited?  These are the kinds of questions people ask me all the time.  Once people understand that the economy has been collapsing and will continue to collapse, then the next step for most of them is that they want to get prepared for the storm that is coming.  So where should someone get started?  Well, the truth is that no two people are facing the exact same set of circumstances, so preparation is going to look different for each individual.  But there are certain core principles that we can all benefit from.  For example, when a financial storm is coming that is not the time to be blowing thousands of dollars on vacations and new toys.  You would be surprised at how many people there are that claim that they have no extra money in their budgets and yet somehow have plenty of money to run down to Wal-Mart and buy a big stack of DVDs.  When times are difficult, each hard-earned dollar becomes much more precious, and we all need to start getting into the habit of making the most out of our limited resources.  The seemingly endless prosperity that we have all been enjoying for decades is coming to an end, and most of us have absolutely no experience on how to deal with truly hard times.  If you are under the age of 60, it might be a really good idea to read a book or two on what conditions were like during the Great Depression of the 1930s.  There is a lot that we can learn from our own history.

    Another key characteristic that we will all need in the years ahead is flexibility.  Anyone that has spent any time in the military knows that very few plans ever work out perfectly.  As the global economy breaks down and the world becomes increasingly unstable, conditions are going to change rapidly.  What might work really well in one situation might be the exact wrong thing to do 6 months later.  If you are not willing or able to adapt to dramatic change then you are going to have a lot of difficulty in the years ahead.

    Many people refer to me as a “doom and gloomer” because I run a website called “The Economic Collapse” and I am constantly pointing out that the entire world is heading for a complete and total financial nightmare.

    But I don’t think that it does any good to stick your head in the sand.  I believe that there is hope in understanding what is happening and I believe that there is hope in getting prepared.

    It is those that are completely oblivious to what is really going on that will be totally blindsided by the coming crisis.  When they finally realize what has come upon them many of them will totally lose it.

    From my little spot on the wall I am trying my best to warn people so that they can have a chance to be prepared for what is coming.

    I am not spreading doom and gloom.

    I am spreading hope.

    And I want to make another point.  Generally, things are going to be getting progressively worse as the years roll along.  As I have written about before, I believe that the economic collapse is not a single event.  Rather, I see it as a series of waves that will be punctuated by moments of great crisis.

    So advice about preparation is going to be different depending on whether you are talking about the short-term or the mid-term or the long-term.  Hopefully you will keep that in mind as you read my answers to the questions below.

    The following are common questions that people ask about how to prepare for the collapse of the economy….

    #1 How Do I Get Started?

    When the financial crisis of 2008 hit, what was the biggest danger for most Americans?

    The biggest danger was that they would lose their jobs and not be able to pay their bills.

    During the last recession, millions and millions of Americans did end up losing their jobs.

    And because many of them were living paycheck to paycheck many of them also ended up losing their homes.

    You do not want that to happen to you.

    So what I am about to say next is not considered to be very “sexy” in prepper circles, but it is absolutely crucial advice.

    You need to have an emergency fund saved up that can cover your expenses for at least six months.

    That way if you lose your job or your business goes under you will be able to keep going for a while as you figure out what your next move will be.

    These days it takes the average unemployed American nearly 40 weeks to find a new job, and it will likely be even worse in the next major economic downturn.

    So make sure that you have plenty of cash saved up just in case.  If you are currently living paycheck to paycheck you are extremely vulnerable.

    #2 What Should I Do With My Money?

    I get this question a lot.

    People always want to know where they should put their money.

    Well, my first piece of advice is always to build an emergency fund.  See #1 above.  Most people do not have one.

    After that is done, I am a big believer in not putting all of my eggs into one basket.

    Sometimes people will tell me that they are going to take all of their money out of the banks because they don’t feel safe having their money in them.

    Well, if you stick all of your money in your mattress, what happens if there is a fire or what happens if someone robs you?

    That is why I believe in spreading your risk around.  Having money a bunch of different places is a good thing.

    But one place I would not put it is in the stock market.  If you were fortunate enough to catch the recent rally you should get out while the getting is good.

    If you have blind faith in the stock market you are going to be deeply disappointed eventually.  I do not have a single penny in the stock market, and a couple of years from now that is going to look like a very wise move.

    #3 Should I Invest In Precious Metals?

    A lot of people that write about the economic crisis in this country really advocate investing in precious metals because they tend to hold value over time (unlike fiat currencies).

    I like precious metals myself, but if you are going to invest you need to get educated so that you know what you are doing.  If you go in blindly you are likely to get burned at some point.

    In addition, you need to be prepared for wild fluctuations in price over the coming years.  There will be times when gold and silver absolutely soar and there will be times when they drop like a rock.

    So if you are going to play the game you need to be able to handle the ride.

    #4 Should I Get Out Of Debt?

    Many that write about the coming economic collapse say that you shouldn’t even bother to pay off your debts because the financial system is going to collapse anyway.

    I don’t see it that way.

    I don’t believe that our banks are going to totally collapse and suddenly go out of existence.

    Not in the short-term anyway.

    So I believe that it is actually a good idea to get out of debt.  When financial troubles hit you don’t want a horde of bill collectors coming after you.

    There is a lot of freedom that comes with getting out of debt, and in this environment it is wise to become as independent of the system as possible.

    #5 What If I Don’t Have Any Money To Prepare?

    In this kind of economic environment it is no surprise that I get this question a lot.

    Many families are just barely scraping by each month and they do not have much money to put into anything.

    And I can definitely sympathize with that.

    However, I would say that there are very, very few families out there that do not have anything that can be cut out of the budget.

    The truth is that American families are experts at blowing money on really stupid stuff.

    In general, I recommend that all families do what they can to reduce their expenses.

    The smaller of a financial footprint you have, the better off you will be and the more resources you will have to help you get prepared.

    Also, now is the time to be looking for ways that you can increase your income.

    For many Americans, starting a side business is a way to bring in some extra cash.  Yes, this will cut into your television watching time, but now is not the time to be lazy.

    The time you spend working hard now while the sun is still shining will pay off later.

    Don’t be afraid to work harder than you ever have before.

    #6 Should I Rent Or Buy?

    This is a question that I also get a lot, and it really depends on your situation.

    If you rent, that gives you a lot more flexibility.  You can move for a new job or a new opportunity without having to sell a house.  And you get to avoid a lot of the expenses and hassles that come with being a homeowner.

    If you buy, you get to “lock in” your housing expenses for many years.  In a highly inflationary environment this would potentially be very beneficial.  And interest rates are very low right now.

    In addition, it is going to be really hard to rent a really good “prepper” property.  If you are looking for a property that is away from the big cities where you can grow your own food and become more independent of the system, then in most cases you are going to have to buy such a property.

    But if you do buy, it is going to be much harder to move if something does happen and you need to go somewhere else.

    #7 What About My Health Condition?

    Over the next few years, our health care system should continue operating at least somewhat normally.  But the truth is that our health care system is in horrible shape and it is not a good thing to be totally dependent on pills and doctors.

    Even if economic conditions were perfect it would be a good idea to learn what you can do on your own to improve your health.  But this is especially true as we move into a time of great economic instability.

    #8 Should I Be Storing Food?

    Yes.

    However, even though the United States is experiencing a historic drought right now, I do not believe that there will be major food shortages in America this year or next year.

    Down the road, however, is a different story.

    And your food dollars are never going to go farther than they do right now.  As I wrote about the other day, this drought is likely to cause food prices to go up substantially, and so the food you store now might end up being twice as valuable a few years from now.

    In addition, you never know when a major disaster or emergency is going to strike so it is always good to become more independent of the system.

    I encourage everyone to learn how to grow a garden.  Yes, your space may be limited, but there is actually one family that produces 6000 pounds of produce every year on just 1/10th of an acre right in the middle of Pasadena, California.

    If they can do such extraordinary things with their little plot of land, why can’t you try to do what you can with what you have?

    #9 Should I Be Storing Water?

    It is always good to have some water on hand in case disaster or emergency strikes.

    And you should be rotating whatever water you currently have on hand because you don’t want water sitting around indefinitely.

    But what is much more important is to make sure that you and your family have access to a source of water that you can depend on if disaster strikes and the grid goes down.

    In a previous article I discussed a report put out by the American Trucker Associations entitled “When Trucks Stop, America Stops” that detailed just how incredibly vulnerable our water supply really is….

    According to the American Water Works Association, Americans drink more than one billion glasses of tap water per day. For safety and security reasons, most water supply plants maintain a larger inventory of supplies than the typical business. However, the amount of chemical storage varies significantly and is site specific. According to the Chlorine Institute, most water treatment facilities receive chlorine in cylinders (150 pounds and one ton cylinders) that are delivered by motor carriers. On average, trucks deliver purification chemicals to water supply plants every seven to 14 days. Without these chemicals, water cannot be purified and made safe for drinking. Without truck deliveries of purification chemicals, water supply plants will run out of drinkable water in 14 to 28 days. Once the water supply is drained, water will be deemed safe for drinking only when boiled. Lack of clean drinking water will lead to increased gastrointestinal and other illnesses, further taxing an already weakened healthcare system.

    So yes, water is definitely something you should be accounting for in your preparations.

    #10 Other Than Food And Water What Other Supplies Will I Need?

    Anything that you use on a regular basis or that you would use in an emergency situation is something that you should consider storing up.

    For example, if you could not buy any more toilet paper from the stores, what would you do?

    Basic things like that are often overlooked by many preppers.

    In a previous article, I listed dozens of things you may want to consider storing.  Preparation is going to look different for every family, but hopefully that list will give you some ideas.

    #11 What Happens If The Power Grid Goes Down?

    This is a very important consideration – especially if you live in a colder climate.

    Some people have a backup generator for such circumstances.

    Others have set up wind and/or solar systems for their homes.

    Alternative energy solutions are great if you can afford them, and they will enable you to become much more independent of the system.

    But not everyone can afford to put in solar panels or a big wind turbine.

    So do what you can with what you have.

    #12 Should I Leave The Big Cities?

    A lot of people ask me this, but there is no easy answer.

    In this day and age, a good job is like gold.  It can be really, really tough to give up a good job and move to the middle of nowhere.

    But without a doubt, society is starting to come apart at the seams and I do expect rioting and major civil unrest in our major cities at some point in the future.

    In the end, you need to do what is right for you and your own family.  Nobody else can make this decision for you.

    #13 Should I Get Some Self-Defense Training?

    America seems to be overrun by psychopaths and sociopaths these days, and in such an environment being able to defend yourself becomes more important.

    When criminals come to your home, they are not going to sit down and have a debate with you.  They are not going to care what your political outlook is or if you sympathize with their plight.

    The criminals are simply going to do what they came there to do unless someone stops them.

    So yes, some self-defense training may come in very handy in the years ahead.

    #14 What Should I Do If My Family And Friends Won’t Listen To Me?

    This is another very common question that I get.

    What should people do if nobody will listen to them?

    Well, you just have to do the best that you can.  If they won’t listen now, just keep planting seeds.  Keep sending them articles that are packed with statistics and information that show why an economic collapse is going to happen.

    In the years ahead we are all going to need our families and our friends because communities will endure what is coming much better than “lone wolf” individuals will be able to.

    No matter how hard you prepare, at some point you are going to need the help of someone else.

    So don’t be afraid to reach out to others.

    If nobody among your family or friends will listen to you at the moment, you may have to prepare on your own right now.

    In fact, you may have to do extra preparation because at some point it is probably inevitable that your family and friends will come to you for help.

    That is the perspective that my wife and I take.  We are not only preparing for ourselves.  We are also preparing for the family members that may have to depend on us someday.

    Nobody said that preparing was going to be easy.

    But beyond any physical preparations, I also believe that it is absolutely crucial to prepare mentally and spiritually.

    The times that are coming are going to be incredibly challenging.  They are going to require a great deal of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual strength.

    If you are a “lone wolf” that believes that you don’t need anyone or anything, then I feel sorry for you and I honestly don’t know how you are going to make it.

    None of us have all the answers.

    I know that I certainly do not.

    I have just written nearly 3000 words, but after I post this article I know that some of the great visitors to my site will post ideas that I never even considered for this article.

    We can all learn from each other.  Most of the people that I have met that think “they know it all” are some of the most clueless people that I have ever come across.

    I never want to stop learning, and hopefully that is the case for you as well.

    If we work together, perhaps we can all make it through the horrible, horrible times that are coming.

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      145 Comments

      1. If you haven’t already started, you’re just about out of time.

        • When the most asked question is “How do I avoid the corp and live free”, the other questions will not matter nearly as much.

          • Amen GC! Also a reminder to all who may be as brave to disregard the corp. If this one falls, any that try to replace it with something “better” will not, it’s all the same when it comes to the want for control over others. Its a sickness that has no cure once started. Let us take the time to educate ourselves and make sure this doesnt happen again. If you’re an “adult” and still need a mom and dad to wipe your ass and blow your nose, know there is something very wrong and that you should look in to correcting you dependence on others.

            Government = Death

        • Lots of time but start now if you have not started your prep. Its never too late to use your head.

        • The article is interesting and right on “target”. Maxim that I got from one of the Army”s senior tactical schools was “worst case everything when planning. If you’ve got to look at a worst case scenerio.” That maxim definitely applies to this article.

      2. I have for myself and my immediate family. I have warned my friends, but they don’t listen. When it all falls apart, they’re on their own if they have nothing to contribute. They were warned.

        • As far as “owning” your home. Do you ever really OWN anything if you continue to have to pay taxes, which are consistantly going up and up every year? Try not paying taxes on that house you “own” for a few years and see how fast it becomes someone elses house…..

          • there are towns and cities up north that the property taxes have gone so high that old folks have lost their homes that were paid off simply because they are living on only social security and can’t afford the taxes. i seen this years ago in Lexington Mass. whenever towns needed more money they just raised property taxes. taxes wre the biggest reason i left Mass. also the lunatic left there as well.

            • My property taxes have gone up from 65% in the 15 years I have “owned” my small 2 bedroom house in Maine. We’re not far behind Mass, and even ahead in some area of taxation. Need to get out of here…..

            • Now all the people from “up north” are showing up down south and voting in the same type of politicians they voted for “up north” and they are raising our taxes.

            • I pay $325 a year on my 10 acres. And in the city was $2400 on a 815sq’ home. Cities suck for many reasons.

          • In Colorado, that would be a matter of months. I agree though, in that we don’t own our homes. I have satisfied the lien, and the bank is paid off, but the state owns my home. People always told me that if I rent, I don’t own anything. Well guess what – you still don’t own anything.

            I find it hard to consider getting up and leaving a house that is paid off. All the other stuff was easy by comparison. I am out of debt, even no mortgage. I don’t plan on ever taking out a loan for anything again, since I don’t want to give banks free money.

            • correction, The state owns the land under your home not your home. You could move your house adn it would still be yours.

          • Tina..Unfortunately, no you do not own your home or property unless you have been one of the lucky ones that have been able to aquire an allodial title.This is the major problem for us that have debt free property. The cards are stacked against the common (wo)man.The only thing I can see is to save a number of years of tax to try and stay ahead of the game and hold on to your land. A trust will protect you somewhat for liability concerns, but the property tax “rent” will still have to be paid from the trust.Good luck trying to free yourself completely from the government corporation. If you find a way please let me know.

            • My point exactly. We are very close to paying off our home but over the last few years I have come to the realization that you never completely own it as long as someone can place a lien on it for non-payment of something. Many in my area own a lot of land (family farms) and they are going broke every year trying to pay the taxes on it.

              They actually put your name in the paper if you are late paying your taxes in this county. I guess they feel that they can shame someone into paying on time.

              It is really sad and don’t know what we will do when we retire and the taxes get to high to pay.

            • Tina.. The corp statutes require it to be posted in public for you to know they are coming after your property. This is why I disagree with many posters that say the sheriff is on the side of the common man. He is the one that will post your property and evict you in the name of the corporate government. The sheriff is an agent for the government.Be advised they do NOT have your best interests in mind.

          • Just to add to my comment….This property tax problem is why so many lost their land in the Great Depression.With the slow inevitable “boot on your neck” devaluing of the currency, even if you save, it may well not be enough if you can’t provide for the rest of your needs and have to spend your stash just to live.Silver and gold will not help you if you’re living arrangements are not sustainable.Get crackin’. BTW this is a very well thought out article and should wake up all the fence-huggers.

            • JRS….Our property taxes are due Dec 1st of every year, if you have not paid your tax note by Feb 1st your name is placed in the paper for non-payment. There is actually a “special paper” printed with all the names of the people, how much they owe and how much land they have. Often times land holders names are in there multiple times because they hold multiple pieces of land and every parcel is listed.

              Land here does not actually go up for auction until you owe at least 3 years of back taxes yet your name is placed in the paper 60 days after the payment is actually due

          • Wanna save on taxes and protect your home from thieves? Start a church in your home if your home is paid off and you intend to remain there.

            Try “Church of the Holy Prepper”; or “First Prepping Church of (your town here)”.

            Use your imagination.

            • Maybe if religious organizations paid proprety taxes, other property taxes would not be as high. Why should religious organization be tax exempt anyway?

            • How about some actual advice people can use.What happened to your “free trade” and “fair trade” arguments between you and clark?If you think just anybody can get a 501(c) exemption you are mistaken.

            • JINC: If you cannot change the law use it to your advantage.

              Anon: It is advice people can use. ANY group can create a church. In Arizona for example it only takes three people.

              How many adults in YOUR family? 🙂

            • just need 10 members :)not sure if that number has changed lol.

            • anon and others, dk is correct. You can even get your own tax number, which can help you save on sales tax also. I’ve had mine for over 20 years.

              Churches shouldn’t be taxed Joe. Libs want to state ‘seperation of church and state’, so keep it that way as it has been our history to protect religous freedom from gov’t. Taxation is a form of attack upon all individual freedom. By churches not being required to pay taxes, neither church nor state is beholding to the other. Instead fight against the illegal income and social security taxes.

            • OR!! Hows about this….

              “Church of the BLAZEING 44 Magnums!”

            • But then you are governed by a tremendous amount of rules and regulations. The question must be, is it worth it?

          • I just look at it as rent.

          • Only because the people don’t shoot the thieves

          • I almost hate to say this, but where I’m at there are no taxes on homes. In alaska there are no state income taxes, and our community doesn’t have any property taxes.

            Choose your home wisely.

            • I’ve always wanted to move to Alaska

          • It’s certainly not popular, but if you own a mobile home, the value depreciates so your taxes go down each year or usually remain the same in the case of tax increases. In an environment where property taxes are bound to go up, a mobile home may be a good hedge against increases and $ loss. You can buy a refurbished mobile home for less than most people pay for a new SUV and make it nice and liveable.

          • If you can have it taken away, then is it ever really yours?

            I’m tired of paying taxes so all the little Trayvon Martins can go to school and study how to be leaches on society and be little gangstas scarfing down skittles and tea and chasing the ho’s around the town…. all on my dime.

            • Umm…. What?!

              Your one of the reasons why this country is messed up. Hatefulness. basically your saying “I don’t want to pay for black kids who eat skittles to go to school” go fuck yourself. And btw I’m a white male. Before you start making assumptions.

        • It’s stunning how many people refuse to open their eyes despite the blatant truth they see every single day. Some people are simply unreachable and sadly, these are the people who will be jumping out of windows and murdering each other when SHTF.

          • Yes, it is stunning when the truth of our situation is so bad and so obvious yet so many refuse to look at the facts. Unfortunately, Sheeple are reactive while Preppers are pro-active, so we all have to recognize the basic character of both and deal with them in the best ways that we can.

            My wife and I have 2 kids… a boy and a girl. He “gets it” but she does not. He is into prepping and has a nice food storage program in full swing. He also is a former US Marine and has a nice collection of ARs, a shotgun, a couple of handguns, and plenty of ammo for all of them. The girl’s plan is to avoid thinking about bad times but if they actually come, head for Mom and Dad’s place! OK, that makes my job more difficult but I can handle that. I would prefer that she get much more active in prepping for her own survival and that of her 2 kids but if not then I will. I am not into “I told you so” recriminations. I am into family, friends, and community getting through whatever form of hard times come to us. That they will come, and probably sooner rather than later, is not in doubt.

        • Seriously it’s not too late. I have for my family too. I sell food storage and other prepper stuff now and wish I had had this option when I started out!! It’s called the Q!!! You can budget how much food storage you want a month to be sent to you if you can’t afford to buy all at once. It tastes amazing too unlike other brands you will find!!! There are calculators to tell you how much you will need for your family. Check it out!!!

          ivymeecham.shelfreliance.com

      3. There is still time left, git er done…

        • Yes there is time. Thank God for that, and I have good family and great friends that are wasting it. My sister is a nurse, her skills would be valuable to me, but getting her to think about prepping has been impossible. She won’t even think of it.

          So for Christmas last year I gave her a book. It was written just for her, by me. In the book I printed out maps to the stores she’ll need to rush too, and three travel paths to my BOL so she and her husband and son could reach us. I also outlined how much fuel they’d need for their diesel Ford F250 4WD and was excited to learn her hubby put that into a storage tank for them a few weeks after the holidays – YES – they actually read the book.

          • Jim, I bet that’s all he did, too. Just enough to get them to your BOL so they can suck you dry. These people KNOW what’s coming but they are so slothful, mentally, that they just will not face it because it requires planning, action and a change of heart. I hope you’ve stocked up well.

          • Well, it IS good that they at least read the book. Now is the time to let them know that people who show up on your doorstep need to have their arms filled with things that are useful to your group. Empty hands and bellies are not any kind of survival help. If you can prep for others and choose to do that, such as many of us do for our family members, kudos to you for making that effort.

            Another thing to consider is, what will happen if hard times are brought on by an EMP that fries the computers on most vehicles? Got an old beater car or truck that has no computer? If not, it could well be worth the effort to get one and get it ready to serve as your transportation back-up.

      4. thank you for this succinct article that I can forward to family

      5. Great article!

        I wish more people would listen and make preparations.

      6. You are dead wrong about getting out of debt.

        • Why is he wrong about getting out og debt? I paid off all of my debt two years ago, including the mortgage. No bank can lay claim on my assets. The state..that’s another story.

          • Debt would be one of the “best” investments to have in a hyper inflationary state. Especially if you held ample supplies that you could turn into “worthless” dollars and pay off the mortgage in cash at the right moment. Its a high risk though and shouldn’t be the case on a primary residence or bug out property. I scored a 105k mortgage just about six months ago now on a rental property which cash flows well. I have enough silver (some gold) that if we hyper inflated I’d be selling about a week in and take my cash down and exchange it for that note.

        • At least when you look into your crystal ball of knowledge, you could add why it’s “dead wrong to get out of debt.”

        • Didn’t we just see are article expecting the collapse within the next couple months. Sure, work on paying down debts and I’ll buy hard assets and we’ll see who is better off when the dust.

          I’m not saying it isn’t a worthy goal, but I saw even Suzie Orman was for the first time telling people to keep their money and make minimum payments.

          Transition debt from secured to unsecured. Even if the banks don’t collapse soon it will not matter that you have the best credit rating in the FEMA camp.

          • Excellent advice government guy.

          • Why not do both? I’ve been buying hard assets for the past twenty years, WHILE paying off debt. Now I have the assets, and no debt.

            If I kept my money and made minimum payments, the bank would still be getting a whole lot of free money. I saved over $129,000 in interest by paying the house off in seven years instead of thirty.

            • Scout Motto ~

              I think that the recommendation is more for people on a tighter budget. I’ve only got one payment but I’ve dropped back to the minimum on it in favor of buying more preps.

              My “extra” money is about $100-150 a month and right now, that will get me further if I buy food, etc, than if I tack it on my debt. If I had an extra $500 or so, I’d be much more likely to split it up between debt reduction and prepping.

              Just my .02

              ~D

            • Scout,

              Now that the system has been exposed for the fraud it is, continued payment is a vote of support for it.

          • Thanks govt guy–I think like you–what matters most?
            How much money you saved for future taxes and leaking roofs and stored supplies, or your credit rating??
            Your score doesn’t improve when paying extra toward principle—but when you DON’T have that mortgage pmt, the holder of that lien won’t care how many months you paid on principal either!!!

          • My home was built on unsecured credit. But banks can still seize items to pay the loan from what I understand.

          • On the other hand, anyone who ends up in a FEMA camp probably deserves it.

        • Debt is Slavery.

          Getting out of it is always a great idea.

          • Exactly. Minimum payment my behind, on that basis alone.

      7. regarding #7: lose the extra weight, give up the tobacco, booze, and recreational drugs, exercise regularly even if it is only a brisk walk bike ride.

        • Wine and beer are good for you… in moderation. And 2 oz of bourbon a night isn’t going to kill me… especially when it’s Booker’s. Yum.

          Prostitution may be the world’s oldest profession. But alcohol production must certainly be a close second.

          Cheers,
          Mal

          • Plus it makes good trade goods, medical uses, cleaning supplies, fuel for cooking, running vehicles, small engines, distillers grain is a good food for livestock when dried, and of course the ability to get blasted and watch everything crumble before your eyes. Best movie ever made up close and personal.
            “Beer is proof that god loves us and wants us to be happy.” – Ben Franklin

        • Investing in yourself is never a bad idea. Doing all that you can to improve your health is very wise, indeed.

          Another thing that we can all do to improve our survival skills is to do more with BOTH hands and not just get really good with one of them. There could very well come a time when our “good” hand is injured and not available. Being able to do what needs to be done with our other hand could be a real life-saver.

          I normally shoot right handed or with both hands but lately have been practicing with my left hand. The first 20-25 shots were terrible! But, it is better to find that out now than when it counts. After that, I started getting better at hitting targets, even some moving ones. It’s coming along. Might take several boxes of target ammo to get decent with my left hand but it will be worth the effort.

      8. Anyone who doesn’t feel the squeeze is still asleep and at this point, I’ve stopped nudging them into awareness.
        I think in my area, I’m the only one walking out of ALDI’s with $200 in food extras while the masses continue to buy wkly items and complain about having to be behind me at the checkout.

        • lil bit—We belong to a ‘special’ shoppers club; the others have no clue.
          I still am amazed at why people go to aldi’s to just get one green pepper??
          Only shoppers of aldi’s will understand why that bothers me!!!

          • What a great place to shop! I just walk down the isle and buy by the case. Stop when the cart’s to loaded to push. $200.00 every time.

        • “I think in my area, I’m the only one walking out of ALDI’s with $200 in food extras while the masses continue to buy wkly items and complain about having to be behind me at the checkout.”

          My comment to them would be along the lines of, “Well, WAAHHH!”. lol

          I know what you mean about heavy duty food shopping, though. Wife and I went to Costco the other day and came out with $560 worth of groceries. About 1/3 of this was for us to eat this month, 1/3 for longer-term storage, and 1/3 to add to the basement food hoard. That was one VERY full and piled high shopping cart!

          The drought in the middle of the US this year is bad and it will impact the price of food, perhaps as soon as this fall / winter. Many farmers and ranchers are cutting the sizes of their herds and flocks because they either can’t get animal feed for them or they can get it but it is so expensive that they cannot make any money on their animals.

          Anyway, we are buying meat to freeze and lots of dry beans, rice, pasta, soups and stews, meat, and canned fruits and veggies. On top of that, we are stock-piling flour and sugar plus other baking needs. We have not met our goal yet but hope to do so in a few months.

          Our garden is doing real well and that is nice. Everyone who has even a little space should be doing this. Even if they only have room for a patio garden in a few pots or buckets, it will be worth the time and effort to grow some food. Home-grown tomatoes taste WAY better than any of the store-bought tomatoes that are grown to travel well but not taste all that good. The green beans are great this year and I am eating a ton of them. 🙂

          • @ 41 MAG.And I was proud that I bought 2boxes (48)of granola bars!!Guess I’ll be chewing on a rabbit or other game when TSHTF !!Can’t do any better with my limited income!!But I know where some rich REpub’s live!!

      9. ARRRGGGGHHHH….TOILET PAPER!!! Maybe its just me but I think there are better things to prep than toilet paper. I think toilet paper is necessary but I save old rags for that purpose that can be cleaned and reused. I happen to be fortunate enough to have a creek on my property that I can use to get water and wash such things but if you don’t have access to a water source, TP Is okay. I plan on wiping my ass with politicians shirts and suits when it comes down to it.

        • I don’t live by a creek, so I stocked up on TP when it was on sale.

          • TP is what I always tell people who say they can’t afford silver, ammunition, and food stocks. Its better than nothing and they can score 4 rolls for a buck at the dollar store.

          • Big Lots has the 24 double rolls this week for $8 again–unless you’re one of those that really care how soft the TP is that touches your hiney? Me, I don’t care..but I do have years of TP from DG(angel soft) and Big Lots.

            • I plan on using Benjamins.

        • Why not just wipe with the politicians, heck with their shirts and suits….

          • sounds like a good idea at first

            but on second thought you’d probably come down
            with some God awful skin disease

            • Nancy pelosi… hmmm no way. You would have to get her away from her “botox EMT’s” to get to her. OMG her face is melting…. what a world, what a world…

          • How about using a “spotted” owl? 😉

        • Watch what happens upstream of your creek – your neighbors might be bathing, washing or going to the bathroom in it!

          • drinking from a creek stream body of water 101

            buy a bug out shovel weapon walking staff life saver put in prep locker with guns must have prepper tool .

            when thirsty – dig a 4 foot deep hole below water line 10 feet from water source edge cover it with tarp wood etc

            drink from here , better for you cleaner , naturally filtered .

            ~N.O.

            • Coco I actually did that but it was about 50′ away and am getting about 1 gallon per minute. Mind you its from a pond that is about 15 acres in size. I was so exited to have that alternate source. Dump it in the Berkey and I am set.

        • Blackriflewarrior — I’m sure glad I don’t live downstream from you and have to try to use that polluted water!

          • IMHO, only an idiot would dump used wash water back into a creek that is used as a drinking water source. I assumed that he was not doing that but was just getting the wash water from the creek, using it, and then dumping it either into a septic tank or on the ground away from the creek for some trees and bushes to enjoy.

        • OLD PHONE BOOKS!
          Thin paper,can also be rolled into burnable logs.
          Also good for insulation.
          Free every spring right?
          Check out the dumpters or recycling center.
          We get about three a year, plus when they come to our work site I tell them we need about 10 of them and I take them home.
          No one uses them here!

          • Our phone books are a 1/2″ thick. ( we’re out where the buses don’t run)

            • Use plantain tree leaves .. You can eat a banana and wipe your butt with the leaves and peal!!

        • lol actualy I have roughly 10 years of tp stored :)( thats 1 roll per 2 days ) will end up being a nice little barter item 🙂

        • Same here. You can get 18 white wash cloths at the dollar store or Wal-Mart for $4. Wash with collected rain water and re-use when the time comes. 30 years ago I had an aunt and uncle that did this anyway. TP was for visitors in their home.

      10. Anyone who has not started to prep should start now. Better to start today, than not at all.

        Indeed, we are running out of tomorrows.

        • I am glad that some of us at least are seeing the writing on the wall. The time to prepare is NOW! We are stocking up on food storage to prepare for what is surely to come. Check out srmarketplace.com The food is fantastic and the prices low (… for now). I’ve got car insurance, and home insurance…. food insurance is the logical next step. Even if things are getting better, which I doubt, we can always eat the food!

          • “Even if things are getting better, which I doubt, we can always eat the food!”

            Exactly right, Pauline, and it makes a decent hedge against inflation too. Food prices are likely to be moving higher soon. Dollar value is just as likely to be moving lower. Best to lay in a good supply while we can.

      11. Bill collectors hardly speak english.Call themselves Steve,Frank,Joe with a screwie accent lol.Outsoursed collectors lol.Sick sick country with a wicked band of gluts.

        • I thought they were all named Peggy.

      12. In all seriousness, I believe it is a balancing act

        You must have food and water or you die, but if someone kills you for your food and water, you die…. so security is about as important.

        Security goes beyond weapons and ammo; it’s also the ability to react under extremely stressful conditions..

        i.e. calmly engage an enraged human being trying to kill you and get your stuff!

        Then there are the medical concerns…

        Are you knowledgeable and prepared enough to deal with the wide variety of conditions that will undoubtedly crop up after tshtf.

        Since TP seems to be a topic of some conjecture and ridicule, let’s take it a step further.

        Have you ever had a hemorrhoid (no not B. H. Obama) I mean a real anal fissure.

        If not, welcome to the party.

        Add the stress of surviving, change in diet, sleep patterns et al, and then wiping a most sensitive area of the anatomy with a different source than accustomed to and my friends, the majority of you will end up with some rectal discomfort.

        It would be kind of funny if it wasn’t so serious.

        I believe it all begins mentally and extends from the knowledge that no matter come what may, there is a good chance most of us will not have prepared well enough or are hardened enough to weather a long term decline.

        Western civilization (in general) puts a great deal of value on the issue of “sanctity of life” the concept that we and or our loved ones are not expendable, and we will do anything within our power to prevent the loss of life. I am not trying to be cold hearted, but this is an over the top culture paradigm that will be met with a full frontal facial blow when tshtf.

        Death will be real, it will be hard, and it will be all around us. Those whom we desire to protect the most (the old and very young) in general, will be the hardest hit.

        As the father of 3, and husband of a beautiful loving wife, it is a real stomach wrencher as I ponder what will I do if I lose one or all of them, or they lose me, then what of their well being?

        I will spend what I can, make the wisest decisions based on the best available knowledge, and then sit back and hang on.

        • That is all we can do. Great statement.

        • If I vote, I get rectal discomfort…

        • Roids are the worst. I called mine K2.

        • Plant witchhazel. If you look on the Tucks hemorrhoids package, you’ll find the active ingredient is witchhazel. Hemorrhoids are no joke.

        • Yes, our best IS all we can do. So let’s make sure that we really are doing our best.

          Other than death and taxes, there are no guarantees in life, much as we might like there to be. Just do your best, help those you can, pray for those you can’t, and let God handle the rest.

          Yes, faith WILL be a powerful ally in getting through really hard times. Just be aware that God expects us all to do ALL that we can and not sit back to let Him do the heavy lifting. That’s not His mission. It’s ours, so let’s get to doing it.

      13. Learning how to grow a garden is critical.

        It takes years to learn the ins & outs and even then there are crop failures due to excessive temps, lack of rain, too much rain, etc – factors outside your control. Diversification in your garden is important.

        We’ve spent several years learning what grows well here in our region & what doesn’t (which is a lot of it). Also learning what we can grow with minimal effort.

        Anyone who starts gardening after the shtf is in serious trouble. For one thing, a pack of seeds will cost them a diamond ring or more.

        They will likely starve while they try & figure out why their tomatoes didn’t sprout or if they did, why they have black spots on them.

        START GARDENING NOW! Even if you don’t need it for food – do it for practice.

        • Plant your orchard now too. It takes 4-5 years to get good fruit from a tree. Tear out your crepe myrtles & add apple or peach trees. Tear out your shrubs & add blueberries, blackberries or cherry hedges.

        • @ Mr Blutarsky…..need your advise…my tomatoes did not do well at all this year(we have a bad drought here in my part of Canada too) Although the “beefsteaks” are very small, they are tasty, however, I had about 1/2 doz. with black spots on the very bottoms….what would cause this? Please advise so that I can prevent it next year. Thanx in advance.

          • If you are serious about your garden get a complete soil test done. The black spots on the bottom of your tomatoes is called blossom rot. This usually means your soil is low in calcium. You can correct this with gypsum or working in egg shells and compost around your plants. At least check your soil pH. It should be 7 or lower. You can correct that with sulpher or iron sulphate.

            • Saved my scrap drywall for that reason. Heard it works. I figure saving what looks like trash today will look like gold tomorrow. No I will not be on hoarders this year. I can still see my floor.

            • Soil tests are cheap and can save you so much time, money, and effort. Adding pulverized lime to the soil also helps with calcium deficiency.

            • Used egg shells are great in the garden. We use them in 2 ways. 1st, as broken shards sprinkled around the garden edge to discourage slugs and 2nd, blended up in water and poured on the soil around the plants as a calcium supplement. This is a lot more useful than simply throwing them away. They can also be used to supplement chicken feed, if you have any chickens. We don’t have any yet but would like to get some after we move out of town.

          • Canadian Canuk ~

            What your tomatoes have is blossom end rot. My patch of Romas suffered the same fate. It is from a calcium deficiency in the soil.

            Here’s how to fix it.

            Pick and discard all of the tomatoes with rot on the end. Then take a source of calcium and put it on the soil around the tomato plants. I used dry milk that was near its expiration date and absolutely turned the soil white with it. I worked it in carefully and then water the plants thoroughly.

            All of the tomatoes that have grown since I did this are fine – no rot!

            Other recommendations for calcium additions are bonemeal, crushed egg shells, crushed Tums, and I believe they sell amendments at garden shops.

            Good luck – I hope this helps!

            ~ D

            • Yep, I had the same problem with black spots this year. Plus damage to them from the extreme temps, excessive rain, followed by drought. It’s been a tough year to grow a garden….

        • hydroponics learn it, can be done in your basment, or a small quick structure green house works too. Also have seen growing chambers in ppls basements which also works great. Also if shtf last alot longer and gets to the point of O SHIT, think of small breedable animals for meat. Rabbits breed well, and fast.

        • Excellent advice. Although I have gardened off and on for many years, I haven’t gardened for several years. It was not until this year that I really got serious about it. The garden that I have is small… maybe 16 x 24 feet. But it is highly productive. I have learned a lot from this little “test” garden. We also have some pots on our deck that contain tomatoes and peppers and they are doing well too. Considering the small space that we have in this, we have a good variety of edible plants: corn, green beans, potatoes, cukes, squash, musk melons, tomatoes, peppers, and onions. Would like to add some more space next year and include some beets and carrots. They grow well in the cool / wet climate we have.

      14. Spot on reality check list. I might add to underline Get Debt Free and starve the corp. It will take living within your means, but you will be able to direct your income to preps instead of WellsFargo or Mastercard… think about that seriously. I’m in the country with my garden, doing mostly barter work, taught by an old man who lived thru the last great Depression – my dad. The drought is rough and makes you realize just how important your water source is. Keep prepping and don’t put any energy towards people who are blind and comfortable now. OUR DAY IS COMING SOON! Peace be with you all

      15. Mac,
        This article is fluff.
        Maybe suitable for your new offshoot site “shtfplanforbeginers.com”

        • Be prepared for the wrath.

          • FP,
            One cannot show fear on this site,
            or they will be eaten alive….
            But, perhaps I shall not double down on my statement.
            I understand the necessity in many casses of providing very basic info
            To bring about and advance the discussion.
            And perhaps I’m a bit spoiled by a steady flow of quality information
            From Mac, and his contributors, that I felt this article was a bit vapid and lacked a bit of heft
            And depth, That I have grown accustomed to over the years.
            Damn….
            I just doubled down didn’t I.

        • Mac forgive Slick, he hasnt learned that the articles are here to start discussions on the topics of prepping, for beginners as well as the seasoned.

          Slick,

          youre name fails you horribly

        • I thougth the same–but being fair, there are many lurking here for just that information and if that keeps one vulture hungry, isn’t that a noble deed.

      16. One of the questions I think everybody should consider is just how fast an economic collapse is going to occur, as this is one of the 64 thousand dollar questions along with WHEN is it going to happen. It is going to be a sudden hit like an invasion or a rapid natural worldwide disaster? Is it going to be a slow drawn out process in which times are going to worsen like 2008, but this time not recover? Or something in between? How long before the freefall begins?

        These are all important considerations because it is going to be the difference between just how someone prepares. For example if there is a war or something else that brings about an extremely fast collapse then likely the best way to prepare will be for this will be food, water, firearms, and other supplies. If the collapse is slower then it might be a good idea to go by the way of precious metals along with food and supplies.

        One thing to consider is an event that can bring about the economic collapse much sooner than it was meant to collapse. I still monitor what is going on in the geo-physical world, especially the San Andreas which will shutdown the economy after it breaks. There is a powder keg in the Middle-East that could easily collapse the entire U.S. economy along with most other countries’ economies.

        Much attention should be watched to what is going on. A severe natural catastrophe such as a 8+ Toyko earthquake, the San Andreas breaking or the New Madrid, maybe the Cascadia fault, a large enough volcano, etc. Manmade disaster such as war. When someone sees an event that can bring down the economy there will be a lull before the storm, it may be a few minutes, few hours, but there will be a window of opportunity for the prepper to take advantage of. This is something to look for, act as quickly as you can before the store runs begin, before the fuel runs. IF the economic collapse happens because of an event or series of events then the prepper has the advantage over the rest of the shocked masses and the time, even if it is short, to further stock up. Be alert and ready and watchful of what is going on, and act if the collapse is likely to occur because of a disasterous event, IT WILL BE WORTH IT.

        • No matter what form disaster takes, prepping for it in general is HUGELY superior to not prepping for it. No one knows the future. At least no one who will tell us what is coming and when it is coming.

          My thought is that financial disaster is looming and since it is a man-made creation, men and women can and will deal with it. It is a slow-motion train wreck situation. It is not an event but a process and that process is occurring as we speak. This has been building for the past 20-25 years, so will not be “caused” by any current event, although the media will likely tell us that it is. Europe is unraveling, the UK will be next, and then it will be our turn. My best guess is that it will hit us in 2014 or 2015 but I have no data to support that. This is the “feel” that the situation has and I am going by that because it has served me well throughout my life. I have no reason to doubt that it will do so again.

      17. God’s in control. He takes care of His childern. Pour yourself a stiff drink and enjoy watching the world fall apart, which it seems about to. Don’t to frightened.

        Matthew 10:28 (Jesus said)”And do not fear those who kill the body but connot kill the soul.But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both the body and soul in Hell”.

        • ummmmm yeah “go with god” my son … ;0P pssszzt

          i’ll go with my .45-70 rifles and pistol !!!

          gods job is to judge them as traitors … my job is to arrange their meetin’ !!!

          ~N.O.

      18. If you are planning to rent make sure to ask your landlord if they are financially stable. Just like they require you to prove you can pay rent on time ask if your landlord can afford to make payments if the economy takes a turn for the worse.

        In 2008 I and everyone in my apt building were evicted because the new building owners aka “property flippers” took a huge hit during the 2008 depression and we were all out on the street looking for another place to live. We were given 30 days to vacate as the property was sold to new owners.

        If you truly want to own your place to live, then buy an RV where you can move around in case things get real bad.

        • A little over a year ago I was looking to move. So while the landlord was asking me about MY financials I in turn began to ask him in return. It turns out he could barely afford the rental property and was looking to sell.

          I decided to look elsewhere. I have read of tenants being thrown out on the street for similar reasons.

          • by the house for the remaining mortgage? But only if its woth it. friend from college did just that and got a 4 bedroom home for 30K that was left.

        • make sure your landlords aren’t crooks thieves liars – run their crime criminal report online get their personal references info soc # veh license plate # home address phone numbers and install cameras on your rental property doors, lock up your stuff if your a renter !!!

          landlords are the new thieves in todays renter saturated real estate market !!!

      19. Anyone else been seeing p-3 orions, cobras, apatches and c130s flying low and slow lately? I’m in north TX and there are no mil installations within 100 miles of my local. These aircraft have been flying over and around my home at around 200ft off the ground at slow rates of speed. It’s normal to see chinooks flying in pairs due to the ammo depot but never the above mentioned aircraft especially the p3 Orion which is supposed to be for locating submarines as far as I know there aren’t any of those in north TX. Was chopping down a storm damage tree today when a p-3 buzzed my house and caught me off guard I ran to my truck and grabbed some optics to make out what branch it came from so I could complain, but to my surprise there were none, no tail marking no numbers anywhere no Id on the plane whatsoever and it was shiny silver. If anyone knows anything about this seemingly military movement please share.

        • Nope–but the chemtrail sprayings have returned this week.

          • JJ: Funny you said something about the (there no chemtrails), in my neck of the woods for 10 days no CHEMTRAILS and you know what- cooler temps and that 4 letter word RAIN. SO DO NOT TELL ME THAT THERE ARE NO CHEMTRAILS AND THAT THEY DO NOT CHANGE THE WEATHER! If anyone says there aren’t any I say BULL-SH-T to you period…

        • jtd: seen no aircraft lately but saw some train cars loaded with tanks ( painted green ) go though the upper mid-west monday going west. Train was moving very fast. Have a friend that lives in IN. around Terre Haute that is where they fly DRONES out of, said activity there is up quite a bit. Looks like the TPTB are getting restless.

        • I live here in SW Michigan and while coming through Kalamazoo on our way home we saw a huge 4 prop plane fly over at 200 feet tonight. It went right over where the Arcadia commons festival site is and they had a big biker rally going on there tonight. Just like you said flying low and slow and we don’t usually see these type planes around here and everyone was looking up to watch it.

          • Oh and this one was all silver too with no markings I could see either.

        • JTD in southeast MI we see alot of it. A friend lives near the airbase says he has also been seeing alot of non military cargos flying in and out late night only.

        • May be from Sheppard Air Force Base. LOTS of pilot training there and new aircraft may have been brought in. A big concern is the number of foreign pilots they have training there…..

      20. A few years ago I purchased 12 of the same book on survival from Paladin Press, “Survival on a Showstring”. I then gave them to my close, family, friends, and neighbors.

        When the SHTF it’s every man for himself as my conscience is clear.

        • Thanks for posting this. As things have begun to accelerate (decline) I feel my anxiety increase– there’s never enough time to do everything that I need to do in a day. Waiting for the other shoe to drop everyday is stressful. Took a few days off from this site to get myself together and relax. Now I’m digging back in, canning and preparing the beds for the fall garden. I hope and pray that things don’t get as bad as I think they will, but in case they do, I hope that we have enough put back and enough skills to get us through. I have a toddler at home, so these issues really hit home for me– what kind of world is my daughter going to inherit? So I keep going for her. Sorry for the rant. Long day…

      21. well if you can get into a house do so, if there are major electric outages and major bank failures and lost data and paperwork and backup servers it will be hell for them to figure who owes what and when etc. if an emp blast hits and wipes most computers wonder how that would work for all of us. im just wondering what would happen to people in the prisons, are they going to let them go or what detain them and how., you know what mean. we do need a reset and dont want any kids to be hurt by this, i just wish the people that caused all this mess pay their dues for what they have done.

        • I asked a local prison guard about the electric locks they use at the prison. He said without power the default is “locked”. They can power them from backup generators if necessary. He told me if an EMP hit, guards wouldn’t set the prisoners free. Not so much to protect the populace as to protect themselves as the prisoners first targets would be the guards. He seemed to suggest it was something that had been discussed, as least casually between the guards.

          • That’s unfortunate since many of those in the cells are political prisoners guilty of nothing.

          • But what if the power goes out while the criminals–and unjustly jailed(wink-wink), are not in their locked cells and the back up doesn’t work??

            • At any given time the majority of prisoners, at medium and high security facilities, are in their cells or at least restricted to a block or a wing. Probably unlikely the ones who are out can overpower the guards or outrun their bullets.

      22. When the shit hits the fan the people who will own your house will be those with the greates fire power.

      23. i think that the best advice for anyone is to pay off their debts as fast as they can, but to also stock their larders with food, seed and things that they just cannot live without..simplify your lifestyle while also becoming self reliant, learn skills that might seem old fashioned by todays standards.

      24. 1) Stop paying credit cards and other unsecured debt. 2) Pull your cash out of your bank.3) Live very frugal, pay cash only, quit buying crap.4) Hookup with like minded people.

      25. Of course we are preachin’ to the choir, but I remember being a new, ‘just swallowed the red pill’ peep. I spent a few (many) hours wondering how to re-plug myself because it was just ‘too in my face’ at my ignorance. So, I plead – go gentle. New and welcomed guests might show up and as repetitious as it might seem – you never know who’s life you might turn around or seed you plant.
        This site is top shelf on waking folks up. I believe the site residents are justified to say ‘we tried to tell ya’ because we are now hard-wired to true facts; but some may just have a hard time adjusting to reality. It’s important to note that from the cradle we are programed to ‘accept the program’. Some found it easy to reject for whatever reason, but others have been so indoctrinated by the corp to believe ‘those loons’ must be ignored.
        I refuse to give up on humanity, no matter how pathetic is appears. I also reject that I am a loon (no offense to a favorite bird species – note: Where ‘crazy as loon’ may have come from – that odd, sort of laughing sound made by loons give such an impression it’s insane; especially that it sometimes does it at night, when most birds are silent).
        ~..` carry on, because you know what to do.

      26. If you have access to recharging batteries I found a very good Nimh battery – Eneloop. Up to 1500 cycles while the AA holds 2000 – 2100 Mah charge. Plus for a little bit one can purchase cylinders to convert to C or D batteries. Charged batteries retain 90
        % of charge after a year. Extremely good for rechargeable.

      27. The way I see it when TSHTF for real, it will not matter if you owe mega $$$$$ or your debt free. TPTB will come for your property no matter what, so that should tell you what you have with you is all that matters peroid. When they come they are coming for it all lock, stock and barrel. The so called law if they are with the corp is just thugs and need to be eliminated from the gene pool, they are no different than the ones trying to steal from you. Defend yourself and your property with all you have, because more than likely they will kill you anyway. TPTB don’t give a rats a-s about you or your family. If you go down, go down fighting tooth and nail. Remember there are NO SECOND PLACES IN A FIRE FIGHT. Look I have a small chunk of land here on this third rock from the sun, and it is mine bought and paid for with a lot of BLOOD- SWEAT- AND- TEARS, been in the family for awhile and I’ll BE DAMNED IF I LET SOME CORP S-O-B TAKE IT FROM ME WHILE AM STILL BREATHING and that go’s for my family as well we are all in agreement on that. So if you owe or not, taxes are the same in my books after TSHTF there will be no taxes. There are going to be a lot of people in the same boat with you so you will not be alone in the struggle, look to one other for support. BUT THATS JUST ME.
        LIVE A FREE LIFE AND MAKE IT COUNT FOR SOMETHING GOOD AND RIGHTEOUS!!!!!

        • solar garden/path lights have rechargable AA batteries. Good idea to have a flashlight that holds these AA battieries. You can get the small solar light for a couple dollar or the larger one on clearence at the end of the season for next the same price. They put out as much light as a candle and no fire hazard. Most last all night and recharge them during the day.

      28. I have old washcloths in case I run out of tp. But more then one person has told me I have more then anyone else they know. That you can see anyway, I stock up when it’s on sale. Oh and I hate that we use clean water to flush the toilet. Food, water, and family. My husband brought me a lot of free food samples from work that last years.

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