This guide has been contributed by Daisy Luther of The Organic Prepper.
With all that is being written about the national economic collapse, people seem to be waiting for some huge event.
However, for many North Americans, the collapse is here. This isn’t relegated to only lower income neighborhoods. As an article from a Cinncinnati new station stated, “Hunger doesn’t know a zipcode.”
For many people who were formerly financially comfortable, the economic collapse has already happened, in the form of a job loss, hours that have been cut back due to Obamacare requirements for employers, an exorbitant medical bill or other crushing debt, or simply an inflation rate that has outstripped your pay increases. Despite all of the warnings, many people are still going to be absolutely blindsided.
For many families, personal finances have reached a catastrophic level – they are left to make terrible choices:
- Which utility can I live without?
- Should I walk away from my mortgage?
- Should I eat something so I can work harder or should I skip meals so my kids have food?
- Should I use the grocery money to take my child to the doctor or should I wait and hope he/she improves without medical intervention?
- Do I risk the IRS-enforced penalties by forgoing enrollment in Obamacare or should I skip that whole grocery shopping thing so I can pay the monthly premiums and enormous deductibles in order to stay in the government’s good graces?
These are the kind of decisions that people across the nation are grappling with every day.
I’m talking about good people, hardworking men and women who have always been employed and paid their bills. A personal financial crisis does not just strike those stereotypical “welfare queens” with the long manicured nails, Gucci knock-off purse, and a grocery cart full of EBT-funded lobster.
I’m talking about the person next door, who seems to have it all together. I’m talking about that quiet family that sits two rows in front of you at church. I’m talking about that two-income family with two children and a car in the driveway that takes them to work and school 5 days a week. I’m talking about people just like you and me.
What is a personal economic collapse?
A personal economic collapse is a little different than the major crises you see all over Europe right now, where huge segments of the population can’t feed their children or stay employed. It is a crisis that just hits your family due to a given set of circumstances. (In actuality North Americans are on the brink of the kind of collapse that is occurring in Europe, but because of easy access to credit and a buy-now, pay-later society, many of us still have the appearance of prosperity.)
Here are some signs that you may be in the midst of a personal economic collapse:
- You can only afford to pay the minimum payment on most of your bills.
- The same dollar amount you used to spend on groceries doesn’t buy enough food to feed your family for the week.
- You can’t afford to go to the doctor when you’re sick.
- You are taking dangerous steps to “stretch” needed medications because you can’t afford the prescriptions.
- Your utility bills are past due and your power is in danger of being cut off.
- You skip meals in order to save money or to have enough food for your kids.
- You’ve lost your job or had your hours cut.
- You have lost property due to foreclosure or repossession (such as your home or your vehicle).
Surviving the crisis
Times are tough but you can survive this.
1.) First you have to see exactly where you are.
It’s time for a brutally honest assessment of your finances. If you use your debit card or credit card for most expenditures, you’ll easily be able to see what you’re spending and bringing in.
Print off your bank account statements for the past 2 months. On a piece of paper, track where your money is going. List the following
- Rent/Mortgage
- Utilities
- Car payments
- Vehicle operating expenses (fuel, repairs)
- Insurances
- Credit card and other debt payments
- Telephone/Cell phone
- Cable/Satellite
- Internet
- Extracurricular activities for the kids
- Extracurricular activities for the adults
- Dining out
- Groceries
- School expenses
- Clothing
- Recreational spending
- Gifts
- Miscellaneous (anything that doesn’t fall into the above categories gets it’s own category or goes here)
Don’t say to yourself, “Well, I usually don’t spend $400 on clothing so that isn’t realistic.” If you spent it, then it’s realistic. You are averaging together two months, which should account for those less common expenses. Brutal honesty isn’t fun, but it’s vital for this exercise.
So….what do you see when you look at your piece of paper with your average monthly expenditures for the past two months? Are there any surprises? Did you actually realize how much you’ve been spending? Most of us will immediately see places that we can trim the budget. Those $1-$5 purchases can really add up. Reining them in may just allow you to take care of an important need that you thought you could not meet.
It can’t continue like this. The economy will not withstand it. Step one is to see where you can cut things out right now from the above expenditures. Can you reduce your grocery bill? Slash meals out? Budget more carefully for gift-giving and school clothes?
2.) Rethink necessities.
If your finances are out of control, the best possible reality check is a stark look at what necessities really are. It is not necessary to life to have an iPhone, a vehicle in both stalls of your two-car garage, or for your children to all have separate bedrooms. People in Southern and Eastern Europe right now will tell you, as they scramble for food, basic over the counter medications like aspirin, and shelter, that necessities are those things essential to life:
- Water
- Food (and the ability to cook it)
- Medicine and medical supplies
- Basic hygiene supplies
- Shelter (including sanitation, lights, heat)
- Simple tools
- Seeds
- Defense Items
Absolutely everything above those basic necessities is a luxury.
So, by this definition, what luxuries do you have?
3.) Reduce your monthly output
Reduce your monthly payments by cutting frivolous expenses. Look at every single monthly payment that comes out of your bank account and slash relentlessly. Consider cutting the following:
- Cable
- Cell phones
- Home phones
- Gym memberships
- Restaurant meals
- Unnecessary driving
- Entertainment such as trips to the movies, the skating rink, or the mall
4.) Waste not, want not.
We live in a disposable society. Food comes in throw-away containers. People replace things instead of repairing them. If you throw out more than a couple of bags of garbage each week, that’s a very good sign that you may be wasting resources.
Before throwing anything away, pause and think about how it might be able to be reused.
- Food: Many times small amounts of leftovers can be recycled into a brand new meal. Meat bones can be used to make broth or stock. Small amounts of veggies or grains can be frozen and added to a future soup or casserole. Leftovers can be frozen in meal-sized portions to take to work for a brown-bag lunch. (Learn more about repurposing leftovers HERE.)
- Clothing: Clothing that is torn or damaged can often be repaired with only rudimentary sewing skills. If it has been outgrown or cannot be repaired, often the fabric or yarn can be reused for other purposes, from cleaning rags to fashionable accessories like scarves and headbands, or home items like throw pillows, potholders or rag rugs. When all else fails, the fabric can be used for cleaning rags or patches to repair other items. Keep jars full of buttons, elastic, and other notions that can easily be removed before you throw a clothing item away or relegate it to the rag bag.
- Electronics: Obviously, initially you should attempt to repair (or have repaired) electronic items that are not working. If this is not feasible, are there components of the item that can be reused, either now or in the future? What about hardware such as screws or fasteners?
- Containers: Most food comes in a container of some sort. Before throwing the container away, consider whether or not it might be useful. Glass jars, plastic tubs, and plastic bags can often be reused to store food in your refrigerator or to contain food in brown bag lunches. Clean aluminum cans can hold all manner of items, from hardware and tools in a workshop to sewing and craft supplies. Use your imagination.
5.) Take control of your food budget.
The price of food is skyrocketing. Who hasn’t been to the grocery store recently and been shocked at the high price of that cart full of groceries or at the mysterious shrinking food packages that are the same price as yesterday’s larger ones?
- Stockpile: Create a stockpile of nutritious, healthy staples at today’s prices to enjoy when the cost goes even higher tomorrow. (Learn how to create a frugal food stockpile HERE.)
- Preserve: Learn to preserve food yourself when you come across a windfall. Pressure canning, waterbath canning, freezing, and dehydrating can allow you to take advantage of great sales or end-of-season scores.
- Eat less: This suggestion isn’t for everyone, but many of us could stand to shed a few pounds. Perhaps now would be a good time to cut back a little and shrink both your waistline and your weekly food bill. Lots of people eat for the sheer entertainment of it or out of habit. Next time you’re watching TV, grab some mending or a crossword puzzle instead of a bag of potato chips. Dish out slightly smaller servings at dinnertime to leave enough to stretch the leftovers for a brown bag meal the next day.
- Drink water: Skip the beverages and drink water instead. At less than $1 per gallon for purchased water you simply can’t beat the price. It’s better for you, also, than sugar-y drinks. If you are lucky enough to have well water or access to spring water, your drinks don’t have to cost you a penny.
- Focus on nutrition instead of convenience: Buy the best quality of food you can, and skip the processed, nutritionless convenience foods.
- Grow your own. In the summer, grow the biggest garden you can. In the winter, or if you are an apartment dweller, put some sprouts and greens in a sunny windowsill to add some fresh produce for pennies.
6.) Reduce your dependence on utilities.
Energy rates are skyrocketing. As the prices begin to rise, more and more people will be unable to pay their bills and eventually their power will be shut off. Check your bill each month and as prices increase, use less power. Try some of these ideas to reduce your reliance and drop your bills.
- Hand wash your clothing
- Hang clothes to dry
- Cook on a woodstove or outdoor grill
- Can foods to preserve them instead of relying on a large chest freezer
- Turn the heat down a few degrees and use non-grid methods to keep warm
- Use rain barrels to collect water
- Direct the gray water from your washing machines to reservoirs
- Turn off the lights and open the blinds
- Use solar lighting whenever possible
How do you intend to weather the storm?
There are bleak days ahead. Have you planned for this? What strategies do you intend to use to weather the financial crisis that is coming for all of us? What suggestions do you have for families who are undergoing their own economic collapses? Please post questions and ideas in the comments section below.
Daisy Luther is a freelance writer and editor. Her website, The Organic Prepper, offers information on healthy prepping, including premium nutritional choices, general wellness and non-tech solutions. You can follow Daisy on Facebook and Twitter, and you can email her at [email protected]
Please feel free to share any information from article in part or in full, giving credit to the author and including a link to this website and the following bio.
Clothing: thrift stores! Treasure hunting time!
I can’t say enough about money in the bank in tangible goods right there in your home that you can use 24 hours a day 365 days a year, 366 in leap year. A personal SHTF can come simply from an illness. How many people run out of many items, and end up going to the store when they feel like death warmed over with a bout of the flu? This can be prevented by making sure you have at least something of everything you need ready to go. You don’t have to go way overboard at first either. Just have at least a little verything of the basic needs. Not only will you be grateful at 2AM with a case of the runs, but also thankful on top of your own stockpile when SHTF outside your personal life.
Think of your refuge and/or home as the local market with everything you need in stock, even one little item that you seldom use is so wonderful to have when you need it on top of everything else you have. Might be a spare button, zipper, certain type of thread or needle, a type of cleaner, etc. etc, etc. That bucket of spare parts for example comes in so handy rather than having to run to the hardware store. The little things no one should forget about on top of the hard core essentials. This is all valuable items that cost money to purchase when you need them and don’t have them.
Pretend you’re disabled and let Obama take care of you.
A Five Star article, Daisy.
My “hit the ditch” moment came with my wife’s
catastrophic medical. I gave everything I
have to keep her by my side. No Regrets.
Where to from here, who knows?
But we started out with nothing Together and
that was good enough for us. If we end up with
nothing Together, it will still have been a life
well lived — Together.
OutWest: Your comment touched me deeply. We’re in our 60s. She always gos to bed before I do. I’m up on the computer perusing SHTF and other REAl information sites.
When I turn in I look at her sleeping and realize she is EVERYTHING….she is MY LIFE….I’m NOTHING without her. I came back from buying some canned goods and ammo this morning and she gently scolded me. I told her “Hon, I don’t gather weapons, ammo and food because I think it’s a fun thing to do. I do it to serve your best interests.”
With that she said “I know” and gave me a kiss on the cheek. As Lou Gehrig once said “Today…..I consider myself the luckiest man…on the face of the Earth.”
God Bless and Keep you and your wife.
I read all comments, but have never replied to anyone.
I am touched by the sentiments presented by Outwest and Old Gringo. My wife and I have been together for 38 years. I love her more today than ever. I cannot imagine life without her. When I come home with any preps — she knows it is because I love her and our family and I am compelled to protect us to the best of my ability. I think she would rather have a new rug though.
Gentlemen, I hope there are young couples out there who are working toward — together forever. It is very rewarding.
Same here. Been together almost 30 years. We’ve had our ups and downs, but it all just gets better and better. 🙂
One more advise: Get at least half of your salary in cash. A week ago multiple stores in our area stopped accepting credit and debit cards due to security breach. This times electronic money becoming less reliable each other day.
OutWest and Old Gringo:
AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!
OutWest.
I will keep you and yours in my prayers.
You are right my wife is everything to me and I will do everything I can to make sure she is all right, Safe and comfortable to the best of my abilities. God gave her to me so I’m going to do my very best not to let God down.
Old
I see you get scolded like I do, but its ok I will take all the scolding I can get if for one second it keeps here her with me safe and sound.
May God watch over you and yours,
Sgt.
OutWest & Sgt. Dale
It’s my honor to be in the company of honorable men.
God Be with you and yours always.
Sgt Dale,
You’re a good, decent man. I agree. We’re the warriors: the shields for all of our wives and those who cannot stand on their own…we will defend them.
I’m a retired Major, but I salute you, Sergeant.
DE OPPRESSO LIBER,
Snake
“”””Do I risk the IRS-enforced penalties by forgoing enrollment in Obamacare or should I skip that whole grocery shopping thing so I can pay the monthly premiums and enormous deductibles in order to stay in the government’s good graces?””””
Who on earth would ask that question?
I said screw the IRS twenty years ago. When everybody else follows suit we can get rid of the bankster scum ruining this country because that is their collection agency and only source of real income from their slaves.
When people stop fearing that paper tiger freedom might gain a foothold. The banksters would lose control and be forced to start a war against the best armed citizenry the world has ever known.
The banksters hope the masses will continue to fear them long enough to take the guns away over the next 20 years or so to avoid that war and save their own arses.
Quit paying their “protection racket” and accept the responsibilities of freedom. Do it now while freedom is still possible.
Quit feeding the beast, and it will die. Keep feeding it, and it will kill not only you, but freedom for all of Gods creations.
The penalties at their greatest will still be less than paying insurance one cannot afford. Besides at the rate things are going it is possible that we could see Obamacare crash under its own weight since no one is signing up.
It’s really funny how quiet people are being about ObamaCare.
They just don’t sign up, but nobody’s really raising a big stink.
They ought to be, given the fact that it’s the absolute, complete, total opposite of that which was advertised…
TheGuy, they won’t start squealing until the IRS starts hitting people with fines for not signing up. Until then they’ll just keep dreaming.
I’m 68, wife’s 63. We’ve been married 43 years and I could have written the same post as the one you just did.
I’m 67 and my wife is 69. Been married 46 years. She grew up on a dairy farm and is as much a prepper as I am. TOmorrow we are going to a gun show in Knoxville to shop for a handgun for her—-she is going to take a concealed carry course. Having grown up on a farm, she knows work and how to do without.
Lucky so-and-so’s…
Yours was the last generation where the women could actually be happy with nothing, and actually stayed with you.
If for no other reason than the fact that those expectations in a wife are long, long, LONG gone… this POS society’s gonna go, man.
I’m the exact opposite—it was my ex who always had his hand out want-want-wanting more. He figured since he made $8.50 hr pushing a pen and I made $22.00 hr (in the early 90’s) swinging a hammer, that I should support HIS lifestyle…did I mention he is my EX?
Not so TheGuy, There are still some good ones out there. Just when I gave up on finding a nice guy, I found my soulmate. We dont have much but we will always have each other.
Amen OutWest
your love for each other is the only thing that is real everything else is just fleeting vanity ,i just had my 37th 2 weeks ago ,and my wifes mother passed away on our annaversary ,she’s so positive that her answer to that was ,that she was her mothers favorite ,and that was her way of letting her know
Unrecon:
I would give you a thumbs up on this but there are already too DAMN many people do that.
If you do that with Obullshits health care plan you will be the first name on the list for the death panels.
Sgt.
I doubt the first, Sarge. I’m sure we’re at least one notch above. They can pick them up off their couch any day they want to.
Daisy,
Thank you for a much appreciated article and a hat tip to your excellent presentational skill.
ur an uneducated f**k,walk a day in my shoes first->least u judge! it’s not all gravy -everything comes at a price- if it comes at all!
I had it in my head that I needed to have gallons of water and extra food ready by late July 2009- it was an urging in my heart that I could not ignore, so I did it. That’s about the point I began to feel sick with what turned out to be mono. I truly believe that was God’s urging because we used those supplies. My job was part time so I had no sick pay. Also I was too sick to go to the store and I needed to drink lots of good clean water to overcome the effects on my liver and spleen. That was a stuff-meets-fan event for us and it took a while to overcome the effects of it to our finances and my health, but it proved to me that it’s never a waste to prep.
Becoming disabled when you weren’t before, IS a personal SHTF event. Everything you know, everything you used to love to do is gone. Where you never needed help before, now you depend on it. Many people who used to be around, aren’t. You find yourself on your own, struggling to just feel human again. Especially if you’re still YOUNG.
If you’re permanently disabled, you’ll have to leave much of your former life behind and relegate it to nothing more than memories…fond memories, but still, just memories.
When you start noticing people treat you differently, it makes you mad at first, then depressed. You realize that YOU are now the one being pitied. To me, THAT is the worst SHTF moment you probably never planned for.
The moment when you realize you’ll never be yourself again. Take it from me, that’s something most people don’t plan on…at least, not until they get really old.
I am a Disabled veteran. ONE THING I DO is not take life for granted sure there are changes but Look at the positives you have. As for me there are things I am not able to do but plenty I still can do and do every day. take it from a Veteran, we still have plenty of days to be grateful for
MARK W
Amen. That’s my outlook exactly. It’s what keeps me from giving up.
Last year I came to the same conclusion as Daisy. This year I have eliminated over $11,000 of business debt. My advertising will be relatively cheap (Google-Free and Craigslist).
Fortunately I live in Florida and during the rare cold winter nights I don’t use the heater, just wear warm clothing to bed. Last winter my electric bill was around $14 per/month.
I buy food when it’s on sale at Publix B1G1 free. I’m close to retirement age now and honestly I expect the worse and I seriously doubt there will be any retirement money for me by the time I hit 67.
Thankfully i’m self employed so that helps pay the bills. 2014 could turn ot to be a very bad year.
We have done the same thing. Our business debt is zero (except for salaries, taxes, etc).
More importantly, we just did this 2 days ago with our personal expenses. Right now we have a staggering amount of monthly bills. And we don’t spend much on clothing, eating out, entertainment and that sort of stuff. We have no debt other than a mortgage, just regular old bills! Utilities, cell phones, life insurance, auto insurance, gas, food, health insurance, clothing, taxes, college tuition, expense of 2 kids, you name it. It adds up FAST.
We own outright about 35 beautiful acres not too far from here that we could live on if we had to. We ran a new budget for just my spouse & I (kids are out of house in 2 years) and we figured we could live on about $1000 per month if we HAD to.
But honestly, you’d have to go without health insurance, life insurance, etc. to get to that number. So can you really do that?!
It’s expensive to live in America these days. Thanks Fed. Jackasses.
mr blut , i commend you on your efforts.
But let me remind you (from experience).
Them kids come back sometimes and with empty pockets.
And sometimes with grandkids , just sayin….
If you wanna hear god laugh , tell him your plans.
“””But honestly, you’d have to go without health insurance, life insurance, etc. to get to that number. So can you really do that?! “””
YES, you can. Insurance is a bankster racket used to protect the banksters interest in what you believe is your property, at your expense.
Take the money you spend on “premiums” and use it to buy silver. Either that, or you can use the “money” for toilet paper and at least it will benefit you in some small part of your life.
Doctors are killers anyway, best avoided.
They didn’t kill me. They added 20 years to my life…
And it looks like I going to see another generation of my family.
And 3/4 of them were directly employed by the VA.
FBP.
Sounds like you should play the LOTTO.
They killed my dad with their pills, and indirectly my brother by negligence. They cut off my cousins foot because the only pharma approved pills couldn’t treat it and they didn’t try natural remedies (colloidal silver in this case) that could have helped. Now they are shooting for his leg, but I am helping him to start using colloidal silver before it is too late.
Doctors are idiotic drug pushers that kill nearly a 750,000 people a year in this country alone. Insurance is prepayment for subjecting yourself to them.
Occasionally they can do some good for traumatic injury. Other than that, they are useless.
The certainly don’t know enough about food as medicine and other alternative remedies.
GC,
You’re a buffoon.
Face Book
Doctors have there place and in some cases have healed and or repaired many people, the problem with normal medicine is it is geared for AFTER you get sick and or hurt, what most of us are talking about is that we try to do preventive medicine with the use of herbs and the foods we eat. most diseases could be prevented with this approach, yes we cured my cancer for an example.that is the point !!!
I just spent $185 on antibiotics for my stash. I hate doctors.
You should also invest 15 bucks for some silver rods from Amazon, and learn to make colloidal silver. Then you can trade your antibiotics because you will not need them.
Thanks!! Learning that skill is on my list too!!
GC-
I agree.
Because, if they’re gonna open a (pathogenic) Pandora’s box on us(see depopulation agenda), it’ll be a quick-kill virus w/ a 3-7 day kill window.
Thus conventional antibiotics/nationwide ICU/quarantine care, will be rendered useless.
..call it Ebola(Reston) or an airborne Marburg(yet another hemorrhagic virus).
That said, whatever is employed will be a weaponized strain, never doubt
——————————————————!
The MSM talking heads will be near breathless, extolling said horrors and…film at 11 will quickly become a 24/7 loop feed.
Updated CDC/DHS instructions will scroll continuously across the bottom of your TV screen…….
…at least until TPTB are satisfied w/ the results!
—————————————————–
Please folks, always THINK from the enemy’s position!
-(i.e.)- ..if you/I were given said ‘X’ task, to render ‘Y’ results…inside a ‘Z’ time-frame.
..what are yours/mine operational variables/resources and how do we enact/deploy them to maximum effect?
Call it NWO style cost/benefit analysis, writ large.
——————————————————
..just theorizing, of course!
-(Good night and may GOD BLESS you all)-
“Either that, or you can use the “money” for toilet paper and at least it will benefit you in some small part of your life.”
You know, every so often you read people suggesting using “money” as toilet paper.
Are you freaking kidding me?!
Have you looked closely at that nasty stuff and imagined where its been?
I would NOT even THINK of touching that gross paper to my butt hole! No way!
You can do as you wish.
🙂
Yup- my thoughts exactly. If you have money to waste in that fashion, better to buy up a bunch of old towels at a thrift store and cut them into washable reusable rags for those purposes. Keep an old sports water bottle on hand full of water or cleaning solution and squirt your bum clean, then towel off.
Oh and Rodster, you are right about 2014. It’s gonna be a very bad year. We are also self employed and have already had quite a few clients say that they will not be with us next year. Budgets were slashed and they are cutting EVERYTHING.
It’s way worse than many think. Those of us who are self employed are seeing it first hand.
I’m in the auto service business and I have seen people not have the money for repairs. I decided that not only dropping my phone book advertising but my parts storage shed eliminated 11K per year and that’s just last years numbers. I did not add roughly 10-15% inflation to the 11K.
Buddy of mine, no job, flat broke. I ‘loaned’ him some tools, he’s now working on cars in the owners driveway. Doing OK, but lots of folks can’t pay the full bill, so he’s taking first half to cover parts, and payments for the rest. So far, he’s getting paid.
Beth I know that’s right. Just came home from a thrift shop. No excuse for so-called poor people to not have warm clothes for the winter and this is a small town. Looked at lot of nice coats and nice warm shirts for about the price of a pack of smokes. No problem with cigaretts, but it always seems that those that can’t afford anything else, can always buy smokes,booze and drugs. Trekker Out. It’s warmed up to -1
Thanks for the reminder- I’d better go hit the thrifts in search of a winter coat. Last year the rain jacket with layers got me through the worst of it, but I don’t think we got below freezing once. This week we’ve been below freezing several times and today we haven’t gotten above it.
Another cheap way to keep warm are the hand warmers. I’ve been buying them to stash away and will put some in every Christmas stocking as well.
FYI Sierra Trading Post usually has pocket and foot warmers for closeout prices…..just bought 12 pair for stocking stuffers @ 0.55 per pair….they’re a faith based Christian organization with fab prices on everything…not being paid for this plug, just think people should share ideas and righteous places to spend their hard earned $$. For me, 2012 was a personal SHTF year and it hasn’t ended yet. Lost husband, job, three surgeries, two faithful canine companions died, elderly mom living with me had multiple hospital admissions and can no longer take care of herself. Thank God for his mercy and wisdom in giving me prep mindset. Scraping by selling organic veggies and eggs, firewood and puppies, cut expenses to bare bones.It’s not fun, but strangely satisfying. Had lots of food in freezer, cupboard, root cellar. Suggest folks also stock some oral pain med in their prep-stash nothing worse than tooth pain.
Burn it all to the ground!
Well done Daisy my friend
snake
There isn’t any valid reason people should go without food. Even without SNAP (food stamps) there are food pantries in our small city where anyone can get a bag of groceries free no questions asked. At least two meals a day are available at different soup kitchens to anyone who shows up.
I just disconnected my cell phone because I rarely used it now rely on the Internet (email, FB, Skype) for home communications and I can access the autopatch on the local repeater with my HT. I moved my desk to the window and am using the free wifi from the neighborhood bar.
One of the first things I did when I moved here was install a 99.9% efficient vent-less gas space heater. It’s already paid for itself because the 65% efficient gas furnace barely kicks on anymore cutting the heating bill by 1/3.
We buy most of our daughters clothing at a consignment store then take them back and resell them when she quickly outgrows them. One car means no payments, one insurance bill, one inspection, one tax and registration. I can rent a car on the weekends for $9.95 a day if we want to do separate things at the same time.
So it’s O.K. to “steal” free wifi huh? (After all, you’re a “Man of God”, so you’re above God’s law, right?) You’re some kind of example buddy. It’s Pastors like you that drive people away from Christ.
Steal free wifi? Oxymoron. how do you steal something that is free? You have to be some piece of work casting about to brow beat anyone and everything over your idiotic self appointed aggrandized judge complex. i truly hate people like you.
The WiFi is free to the customers of the bar, who pay for it by purchasing food and beverages.
The WiFi obviously reaches his home whether he uses it or not. If the bar is that close to his house I’m sure he’s had to put up with annoying late night customers in the past, so consider the free WiFi his payment if it makes you feel better. Heck, the bar is invading his “air space”. Prepared Pastor is doing just fine.
Whoa, a pastor bragging about using a neighborhood bar’s internet connection instead of paying for his own, or do you go and sit in the bar and drink to “pay” for it. I hope somebody reports you. Not impressed.
Multiple Income Streams….
Don’t rely on one job. If you are handy build something or provide a service to people in your area for extra income. And either work on a cash basis or hire a good accountant and get tax benefits.
If you are not handy, well read some how to books and learn something that you can enjoy marketing.
I never made a lot of money in life. It wasn’t my objective. On the other hand, I’ve a brother (mortgage banking) and sister (big pharma) who made mid 6 figures. Both of them saved nothing, squandered what they had, and are now out of work. I don’t feel smug about it. I was never jealous of them. As I matter of fact, I feel badly for them. Funny how life paths take us to different places…………
I’m the same way. As i’ve gotten older I have gotten less materialistic. I know live by the rule ‘you ain’t taking it with you’. As long as there’s a roof over my head and I can eat, it’s good. I have 2 cars, one for business and the other for cruising around. Both are older cars and paid for.
I was able to reduce my car insurance by 60% by eliminating uninsured motorist from my policy. Both vehicles cost me $650 per year.
The best deals we have obtained we’re at yard sales. The good stuff like tools, lawn mowers and clothes for pennies on the dollar can’t be beat. Pride? I have tremendous pride buying great items for cheap.
Gene and I go to a huge indoor, year-round, consignment-type flea market near us about every 2 months.
My house is filled with those treasures bought at bargain prices.
Every room has ‘something’ from that shop.
I like going there and saving money for things I need.
Things like Eddie Bauer sweaters for $2 is a bargain any time of the year.
A 1500 watt heater for $4 was also a bargain.
Maybe I am stupid or something but haw could anybody thumbs down this comment. Just plain malicious. Regretfully after seeing the way some people are attacked here on this site it is believable. kevin 2 you get a thumbs up !
It not the comment being thumb down. It the poster getting the thumb.
you should know all about that, FB.
Purple Dragon, The way it works, is if you don’t have a positive comment to make, just attack some one and then like a child you will get everyone’s attention. And if you don’t have a negative comment, just give someone a down thumb. Hard to believe we’re all in this together! Trekker Out. Si vis pacem, para bellum!
love ya Trek. But how can you say: “We are all in this together”, without your nose growing? We are all in this and I’d be happy to give you a cup of ammo or a jar of P-Nut Butter. But there are a bunch of people out there I’d only give ammmo to one rd at a time.
Paranoid, you are correct. I did use the term we’re all in this together, rather loosely. I was really thinking in terms of most on this site, that make comments to help each other prep, and sometimes add a little humor and just give good information in general. I know that we all make comments that we don’t agree on, but that’s how we learn and grow. Just as you question me on my statement, I take no offense because I understand your intentions. But some want to make personal attacks and to them ( No we’re not all in this together) they can join those that we are trying to resist. No lie intended so no new growth on the snout. I prefer Creamy Jiff but in a SHTF senario I’ll take anything. Trekker Out. Semper Paratus!
Kevin2, the Difference between a rich person and a Frugal person is a rich person will Bragg how much they paid for something, a frugal person will brag how little they paid for something. I’m frugal..
I’ve managed to furnish my entire house with like-new antique or used furniture for perhaps $7500 in total. Spent a few years doing it, got one or two nice pieces per year for 10 years. The tools in the shop are mostly used, all of my camping cook gear, etc., are used and from yard or estate sales.
I worked 40 years outdoors and bought every single one of my work shirts, and several pairs of boots, etc., at thrift shops. I hate to think what I would have spent had I bought it new.
We are working towards self sufficiency because I feel we MUST in order to survive what’s coming. So far we are a long way from it but we are also a long way from the starting line…
Just the fact that you’re an active prepper is what’s important. No one can be 100% prepped; after all, how do you stock up on every item you could possibly ever need?
The ability to survive is what’s key. Anything else can be dealt with.
A few tips:-
Feminine savings
Reuseable sanitary protection such as a luna cup or home made towels. Amazon sells a variety of cups that last 10 years apiece. (Ensure you have a small milk pan for sanitising each month after shtf too).
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/sanitarypads.htm
(hillbilly housewife is a handy site for all sorts of household/meal stretching stuff anyway).
The modern disposable versions of these eat into a meagre budget just when you need that last few pounds to buy milk for your kids. You can make your own out of scrap (I find flannel fabric to be the most comfortable). Store in an ice cream tub behind the loo till you are ready to wash them each month.
Re-usuable napkins at meal times. Again how many dollars do you waste on these over the years? Make a nice set from old cotton or linen sheets that are on their last legs like your Grandma did. Ideal project for youngsters to practice their hand-sewing skills on.
Reusable nappies for your babies. I asked for a set when my own child was born – that same set went to my niece & are now being used on my nephew and are good to go for AT LEAST 2-3 more babies. My sister and I have saved a fortune over the course of 3 babies compared 9 years worth of paying for the disposable baby nappy at the store each week.
If times are really tough there are many patterns on the web to show you how to make these from old bath towels and the wraps from woollen jumpers. If you are in the UK many councils will give you £100 to buy your first set of reusable nappies, they just don’t advertise it much.
Breastfeed if you can, for as long as you can – again massive savings over purchasing formula. If you work – learn to express that FREE nutrition for your child. kellymom.com is a great site to help you with this.
Kids clothes – teach em young to reject “name brands” and go for comfort, durability and comfort. ALL Tweens love fabric painting/tie dye etc so teach them how to personalise their hand me down jeans BEFORE they get to that awful teenage stage where they feel they have to confirm with their peers. If they develop their own sense of style, and can adapt garments to suit their own tastes you’ve given them a heads up on both a marketable skill, and made thrift fun.
Entertainment – relearn the art of afternoon tea. Even the most rumbustious boy responds well to homemade cakes on a nice stand and a nice teapot. Kids love the ceremony of the event and even adhd urban warriors regard it as a real treat. (I’m giving away my trade secrets here!). Simple food nicely presented makes you appreciate it far more than a TV dinner on the sofa in front of the telly.
Make meal times in your home a time for conversation once more, even if family work schedules mean you can only manage this once a week.
The humble picnic – when did these go out of style? Mulled wine for the adults in a flask, mulled apple juice for the kids and a thermos of hotdog sausages. The fine art of the winter picnic is a forgotten one. make up the hotdog yourself at that firework display rather than joining the long queue for over priced nonsense.
This site has free activities (worksheets you follow) for almost anytime of year for those of us in Northern temperate climates. Combine with a picnic and you are sorted for an afternoons free, healthy entertainment for the kids at any time of year. http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/learn/children-and-families/autumn-adventures/
Thermal cookers/hayboxes.
If you can use a slow cooker you can use one of these! Ask for a commercial model for your preppers Xmas list this year, OR make your own free haybox from the many patterns on the web. Reduces your need to use fuel to an absolute minimum, which when finances are really tight can really help you out.
A great UK based site for hints on living cheaply but still having fun:- http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=33
Consider intergenerational living as a viable positive option. Granny will have a far more positive impact on your child than the public school system will! Can you close off a section of your too large home to reduce bills or rent a room out so the rent helps with the mortgage.
Do you really need that telly at all? We’ve ditched ours altogether, simply because I couldn’t stomach the nonsense streamed into my home any longer but it’s had the side effect of saving cash.
Clothes – if you HAVE to buy new, buy out of season. I’m years into the habit of getting my son’s new coat for the winter 2 sizes too big in August (those years when I haven’t picked up a bargain at a second sale or got a suitable handme down).
Household cleaning products. We really don’t NEED 101 different products to have hygenic homes. Research the uses of white vinegar, borax and baking soda before going out and spending a fortune on chemical poisons. A good scrub with plain ol generic brand white soap is better than all those fancy anti-bac hand washes that help create superbugs.
Use a hotwater bottle or wheat bag in bed at night rather than turning on the heating, or using an electric blanket. The utility company will not thank you for it. It’s also OK to wear a hat to bed.
Your Granny wasn’t daft. Keep a jar for buttons, one for zips and one for nuts, bolts and screws.
WALK or cycle if you can! When you have no money for fuel you discover just how many miles you can cover a day to get what you need at the best price for your family.
Education – check out coursera.org or edx or the open university for FREE college level courses. Some even come with a formal transcript for accumulating credits towards regular campus degrees. Sometimes a skills refresh or upgrade is what we need to get that job to get us out of that financial hole we’ve found ourselves in. I did the solar energy course this autumn and learned loads.
Don’t be proud. 10 dollars for mowing your neighbour’s lawn is 10 dollars you didn’t have when you started. I paid my mortgage for a couple of years by face painting at children’s parties a few days a week. Not what I went to Uni for, but meant I didn’t have to take the gubberment dime. £120 sterling for two hours work was not to be sniffed at!
Once you drop your pride about what you do to earn a living and be willing to try anything so long as it’s decent and honest, it’s really & truly surprising what strange things people will pay good money for.
Private tuition has become so expensive that people will pay a surprising amount to be taught how to maintain their own car, scratch cook, sew, a language or an instrument. What skills do YOU have? Could you teach online? (Your pupils no longer even have to live in your locale!). Or if you are good at writing you could give self-publishing for amazon kindle a whirl.
Be creative and think outside the box, as for many of us that nice white collar job just isn’t gonna come round again. The quicker you accept that reality after job loss the better you will fare long term.
Do you HAVE to reside in your current location. I’ve just moved from one of the most expensive parts of my country to one of the cheapest in order to kiss that mortgage goodbye. Is this an option for you? (Sometimes renting your McMansion and relocating your family to a cheap rental or even park home is the way to go rather than risk complete destitution).
Old PC? – use Ubuntu & Open Office instead of paying to upgrade to whatever windows is churning out now. They’ll still run (albeit a bit slowly) on a 486 PC. Now you can continue that job hunt or run that ebay store ; ) (Open Office is fully compatible with microsoft documents others may send you) FREE software that’s less popular with hackers/NSA is never a bad thing.
Snowball your consumer debts. If your credit card spending has gotten out of hand look up how to snowball your debts. Basically you make the MINIMUM payment on everything so no red letters arrive. In the meantime you throw everything you can at the debt with the HIGHEST INTEREST RATE (usually store cards then credit cards then hire purchasing)until the darn thing is cleared 100%. Then you do the same with the next debt and so on.
Snowballing is a way of motivating you to get debt sorted BEFORE shtf for you as often people just feel so darn helpless they wind up letting it drift until it really is too late. This is a way of regaining some sense of control over it all.
(I do realise many on this site will tut at the above advice, but I’ve learned not to judge the reasons WHY people get into debt sometimes.)
Change what you eat. Beans on toast is pretty nutritious. You do not have to have meat with every meal. If you can’t afford seeds then use the ones from the fruit and veggies you buy at the grocery store instead of doing nothing.
Well said and well done comment. Many of the things you suggested I had not thought of.
When I go to Target I peruse the end cap clearance aisles first.
I rarely dine out.
I rent videos from the library for free OR I hook up my tablet to my TV and watch shows on YT.
I get great bargains at CVS on the clearance aisles and weekly ads.
I make my own degreaser, all over cleanser with apple cider vinear, water and some pure lemon extract. Works great. That same formula of equal parts water and ACV minus the lemon makes a great facial astringent.
We are in the process of selling our urban home. Will be debt free soon.
Since I’m officially middle age, I’m no longer a fashionista. I wear comfortable practical clothes. I’ve had the same clothes for years. I rarely dry my clothes. I let them hang outside.
I do my own hair. It’s long. I trim, dye and highlight my own hair. I get compliments on it all the time. I think my hubby would throw a fit if I even thought of cutting it.
I have a serious diet soda habit. I’ve been cutting way back and drinking lemon water.
Thank you again and all the other great posters on money saving tips.
And prepper Daisy, best darn article I’ve seen in a long time.
I have had my own SHTF problems over the years, is why i am a grower now, little bit more control over my destiny,
Have learned to do with very little if need be, can keep patching clothes until they fall apart,
Keep lots of fuel on hand so if theres no money can at least still drive somewhere,
Have small markets for oddball stuff so can always scrounge up money if need be,
Have stocks of canned foods and try to keep the freezer stocked as well as grow stuff to eat,
Im pretty lucky though, have family close by and they most likely wont let me starve, and visaversa,
Its just the stuff like dental emergencies and medical stuff that is tough, still not exactly sure what to do about that in a pinch,,,,
never had money and never will .
Life has been one finacial emergency after another.
When a depression sets in on the ecomomy , we wont notice a thing , LOL , sounds bad , but life is good !
I learned here at SHTF that i have been a prepper all my life and didnt even know it.
Thought I was alone in thinking like that hammerhead. Have always had a problem throwing something out. Always knew I could find a use for it just as soon as it was gone. No money in the bank, but plenty of beans, band-aids and bullets in the back. Bring on the reset so the culling can begin.
yep , maddog , like i always say : i shoulda been born
rich instead of so damn good lookin !
Thats my saing, was funny when my girlfried and i hooked up 16 years ago her friend told her i was rich and had a great tan! Well i had 3 trucks and a bunch of heavy equipment all bank owned and a farmers tan from being out cutting trees and running equipment all day every day!
Money comes and money goes, and stuff is just that, stuff! Can always get more stuff.
Every time i get a business rolling something inevitibly happens and it all comes crashing down, and then i made the mistake of thinking working for someone else was going to be better, maybe in some field but not construction!
Even what im doing now has had ups and downs, so am sticking with a down and just desiring less stuff!
“Every time i get a business rolling something inevitibly happens ”
LMAO , some of us are better “tradesman” than we are business men , for sure .
ya , i’m over the material stuff but i havent given up yet. its just all about not goin backwards from here!
Yep, born good lookin is a bitch ain’t it.
Mad:
I like how you put it.
You got what you need, so bring it on!!!!
Sgt.
My wife and I are really applying the above recommendations each and every day. However I must confess to my personal weakness……I can’t stop buying 5.56 Ammo when I see it on the shelf. My wife thinks I need professional help.
Thanks Mac for the article.
I feel your pain!
Im sure there are some gun grabbing progressives who would agree with her, but most likely not for the same reason!
Tactical,
Oh how I do understand, I am in therapy now once to twice a month. I would like to recommend my therapist to you, Dr. Gun Range. He has been very helpful and I do feel whole after I leave.
He hasn’t cured my urge to buy more 5.56 rather the need has increased. Dr. Gun Range has taught me that it is OK to buy more 5.56. I’ll PM his number, lol 🙂
LOOOL Cujo and Kula. I am in a right community then. Let’s call it “5.56 Anonymous”.
Tac, KUl, Cujo,
If you need help for the 5.56’s I’m in deeper trouble than I thought!!!
I have this urge of 5.56 7.62×51, 7.62×39, 6.8MM, 30-06, 30 Carb., 9mm, 45ACP, 357, 7.62X25, 12 Ga. 00 and slugs.
Can you recommend a Dr. for me PLEASE. SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!
Sgt.
Sounds like we need to start a support group,
Ballist-o-holics anonymous
My children step in and forbid me from shooting so I don’t leak. With no good food or shooting I am going crazy. I may start shooting from the bedroom window with a 10/22. To get a fix here soon.
I have laugh a flare save me save me.
Brave heart. Hope you are just dealing with storm. Kick it ass. Brush it off we will be here to abuse when you have a minute
There is a 12-step program for you ballistoholics :
Begin at 7 yards with a handgun,
Move to 50 yards with a .22,
Then at intervals from 100 yards to 1,000 yards with a centerfire.
It won’t cure you, but you will calm down a lot.
Sgt.Dale, I (we) hear you loud.
Mac,
Can we get some Resident Therapist on site (not sure if one would be enough)? Please help us and our wives and family will thank you.
First step…..breathe Sgt Dale. Hahaha. Admitting there’s a problem is actually the first step of beating any addiction. And the only step necessary. You are normal.
Sorry Bro, you’re screwed. Just keep buying. lol
You need help all right; Your memory is failing; you forgot 9MM and 22.
Forget aiming, use a M86 on the whole area.
slugs and 00 buck? Oh man.. you want to really get a mega bang for the buck? Ever hear of waxers? Made from cheap bird shot and crayons.. look out! Next thing you know the real fun begins and you start putting in dimes, or washers and waxin those. Hell you can even wax gravel. The sky is the limit and they make slugs look tame.
youtube waxer
I can recommend Dr. Strangelove if that works for you.
It is only abnormal if you feel that you must be sneaky or if you get a neurotic excitement from your supplies.
Otherwise I suggest Keep doing that which is normal for you and yours. Paper Therapy, clover style.
To all the folks above:
Thanks for the advice.
But I don’t think there is cure for PATRIOTITIS. other than death. (from my cold dead hands)
Patriotitis is starting to effect memory to. I did forget 22s, 35Rem, 35 Whelen, 7mm, 8mm,.
Patriotitis is described a person that buys all this stuff just incase he or she is call upon one day to stand up and defend the U.S.A. Symptom. “See above”.
LOL
Sgt.
My favorite 25-06 is feeling neglected. I had to put her in with some 30-06 AP to make her feel better.
Hi Tactical:
A couple of subjects back on the Detroit bankruptcy you ask for verification that Detroit was not bankrupt. I know this if off topic but I want you to see this because it is coming to a city near all of us and will eventually affect nearly every citizen who pays taxes or has any investments.
Go to realitybloger dot wordpress unmasking the CAFR scam in every city USA
Also check the same reality bloger site for the 2013/10/24 rahm-emanuel-once chief of liars now mayor of lies about Chicago’s real financial position
Also realitybloger site for Detroit the latest bankruptcy lie.
Be sure to scan down and read the comment sections on these subjects, Tactical, and also look at the right hand column of subjects that will educate even the most skeptical among us.
This site is an education in itself. Glad to share it with you. I can see your blood pressure raising through my computer already…….
Hi POG.
Many Thanks for the link. My blood pressure indeed increased. I highly recommend all of the SHTF participants to get there and to read the materials. Knowledge is power.
Majority of us have been deceived for decades. We are obligated to preserve what is left for our loved ones, each other and the future generations.
Thanks for the link POG, good stuff here !!!
Tac-
Try this approach:
The next time you’re hit with a ‘professional help comment’…
Give her a husband’s devilish grin, complete w/ a knowing eye-twinkle-
-then snatch her ass up and plant a passionate “I really LOVE YOU” kiss on her-
..then in a husky whisper, breathe into her ear saying..
..”baby, the professionals are only interested in profits($$$)…I’m only interested in having the means to keep YOU, my better half….alive!
“I need you!”
—————————————————–
BTW, it worked for me!
Good luck, pal!
There is a difference between Teotwawki and job loss or saving money. Look at the lists above, If it’s not the end of the world, forget the rain barrel, if you have running water, use it, far better than typhoid etc. If you have running water figure out how much it costs you, a rain barrel costs more than a 1000 gals of water. Anyone reading this, if you have a job and there is any chance of losing it; SHOULD cut their expenses now! Stop cable, papers, reduce your utilities. Most of you are wasting 3/4 of our utilities now. Turn down your heat, cut the size of your light bulbs. Visit thrift shops, forget Xmass for adults, cut you junk purchases.
I taught retirement, years ago, most people by 50 had saved less than 10C per day, since they were 18. In spendable cash in hand: They had less than $2,500. They had spent more than they had on any one of: Pop, Cigarets, Purchased lunches, lottery tickets, alcohol etc. I told them drinking water. and packing their lunch; rather than buying it, would make than a million by the end of a working life. No one believes it. Wish you luck Daisey, but I’m not sure stupid can be overcome at this late a date.
This was personal SHTF, not TEOTWAWKI. That said, you gave good advice and I appreciate your contribution. I have no job since mine was cut this summer (thanks Obamacare!). Never had cable nor papers. We use pay-as-you-go cell phones so no monthly plan, no overage. Water when we do eat out and the two of us will buy one value meal, one extra sandwich and split the drink & fries if we do fast food. Most meals are at home though.
I haven’t had a job in 5 years. Except for 5 months working for the Census in 2010. I started my own internet business. I don’t make a lot of money but it’s more than a full time job in retail or fast food would pay. My wife has a good job with insurance so that helps. We don’t go out to eat like we used to, that’s for sure. We’ve cut spending enough so that we accumulate about $500 a month in extra money.
Glad to hear it. I am planning to start an internet-based business after the first of the year if the S hasn’t HTF yet.
I can’t imagine why anyone would give you a “thumbs-down” for your post. Some people are just contrary for contrariness’ sake.
They’re “againers” or jealous of BC’s prosperous business. BC- you say you aren’t making a lot of money- to me beating a full time retail job in income sounds like a lot to me, certainly enough to be worth doing.
A personnel collapse huh.. Check
Money in bank gone with ex… Check
House, business, health insurance gone… Check
Living at BOL with 7 dogs a pile o’ ammo… Check
Ok what else is there for me to do?
A friend o mine said I need a Jewish lawyer?
Now what??
Get rid of the worthless mutts.
Lay off of the Man’s dogs.
Cheap guard.
Friendly company.
Bed warmer.
Hunting companion.
Alternate food supply.
A good dog can catch it’s own food & help you guard your vegetable plot & hearth ; )
We have a whippet – she’s an incredible hunter that can find her own silent way home. She costs VERY little to keep even on commercial food.
Considering adding a Jack Russell next year as a companion for her – again costs very little to keep but will protect my chooks from foxes & help guard my property for when shtf.
Can you get the Bedford Danbury in the US? A one litre engine on some models mean max fuel economy and a camper van that can also double as your regular car. Here in Europe you can pick them up pretty cheaply. Not many of us can afford to prep and own and run a status vehicle right now.
What a great post. Kudos to Daisy.
Just got off the phone with my dear cousin in another state who was laid off a few months ago after a long career with ATT (they sent his job offshore), and in spite of terrific qualifications, no job offers have been forthcoming. He’s 50 plus, and turns out younger guys have been getting the work he was interviewed for. No worries, He’s perfect for a job with my company, which I own.
Over the years found myself in the same situation a couple of times – scared, broke, angry and demoralized. The last time was in 1989 and I could not find work anywhere. After a lot of prayer, woke up one morning with clear direction. Started my own business, and kept at it. Very tough in the beginning. But in reviewing Daisy’s suggestions, followed many of them, and even today try to live and economic and efficient life. Having been desperately broke, have no desire to ever go there again!
One thing that always helped me was a willingness to do any kind of work. Been a janitor, garbage man, construction laborer, bus boy, underground hardrock miner, tunnel rat, you name it. It takes what it takes. The second part of that equation was a willingness to go where the work was. Finally went into business for myself. Best thing I ever did.
Amen, best 30 years of my life have been spent working for me
I have always enjoyed self employment .
But my boss is a cheap POS .
Ha,
Thats a good one,
He sounds like my wife’s husband.
i might be 😉
Willingness to do anything,
My husband’s moto is, “I’ll shovel shit if it pays.”
You can never think you’re too good to do the job.
I’ve been hoping to get something where I don’t have to do a lot of physical labor due to some back issues, but nothing much pans out. I’m nearly ready to bite the bullet and go to the local CNA trainings the nursing homes advertise. I figure if I can’t hack it with them once I am certified, I can always use it to go work as an in-home caregiver to more petite folks. My one fear is that I’ll get too fond of people who will die on me.
That’s easy. just deal with people like me, you’ll be glad to see me go.
ask yourself why there are so few Operating Systems (OS) , and why all of the existing ones are giving into the government to subvert your information from them.
You know competition is normally the case on things like this ,, yet.. still few OS’s
And ( if they could be protected) someone could come out with one that the gov. couldn’t get their eyes and fingers into ..now wouldn’t that be more like free market or at least more like America
Those operating systems already exist. It’s called Linux. Open source, free, and a lot more secure than anything Microsoft produces.
One of my favorite features of running Linux is that I can customize the desktop exactly the way I want, not what Microsoft or Apple decides I should have.
take a look at distrowatch.com, and you see how many linux distros are out there.
I run Kubuntu 13.10 on my computers, and the Virtual Machine program (VMware) I experiment with about 10 different Linux distros.
ScottyK, do you have an email I can write to you at? I am interested in trying linux but don’t know ANYTHING. I am afraid if I out in on a machine ( If I could even do that) that I won’t be able to figure it out etc.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Trent – happy to help! Email me at avsrule @ gmail.com
My son is an IT guy at a university. He keeps telling me I should run Linux.
Now I’m convinced. I’ll have him install it on my computer when he comes home for Christmas.
I’ve been running various versions of Linux for about 5 years now. Even got the kids computer running it. Windows 7 is the last Microsoft OS in my house, not even going to touch Windows 8. I figure the more I can help people make the switch the more secure their computers will be in the long run. Plus it keeps the NSA out of your computer!
Keeping Big Brother’s nose out is worth it all by itself! Besides, I’ve been dreading Windows 8 too. All I want is a stable OS that works and does what I want it to do.
Scotty, I have an older laptop with Vista on it. What hardware requirements does Linux need? Maybe I can put it on both my laptops.
Silversax –
email me at avsrule @ gmail.com (no spaces) and I’ll walk you through the process.
Thanks so much, Scotty, but I’ll just let my son do it for me while I praise him for being so smart and talented!
ScottyK you took the words right out of my mouth. I prefer Ultimate Edition myself. For the uninitiated Linux can be scary, since you can do anything. I work in the High Tech industry and this is what we use. Most all of our desktops in cubes are Windows but all of our servers are Linux not even Unix. I run Linux and Windows on my desktops. Only use Windows when I have to.
Hank really look into Linux. It’s much much better, and FREE!!
CO Beach – I tried Ultimate Edition in a VM once, but thought it was rather busy! It was a while ago, perhaps I’ll give it another look. I’ve been searching for a good distro to recommend to folks who are new to Linux. I prefer Ubuntu flavors, mostly because of the ease of the apt-get system. But Mageia and OpenSUSE I also follow. Big KDE fan myself.
Folks we are on a parabolic curve down, the only way to see it is to pay close attention to everything. A change in living standards is a given due to the way things are going. Take heed of the warning signs, prepare for hard times, and hope that you don’t miss the curve and fall off…
2nd that.
at some point reality will hit the world and govts will try their best to steal your money, ala cupruss; to keep themselves afloat.
i’m expecting months of panic, a lot of scary situations and then acceptance that the world has to accept a lower level than they were used to while countries rebuild.
So here’s a good, cheap prep that you may (or may not) have overlooked –
Get one or two of those electric converters for cars – it plugs into the car’s 12V DC outlet and converts it to 110V AC, and it has a regular AC outlet on it. If you get the higher-amp version, you can run larger AC equipment from your car’s electrical system.
Silver Sax.
I also have one of those battery jumper boxes with a 12V port. Inverter plugs in and run small stuff.
Portable, multi task unit.
SilverSax slingshot
Look for one of those emergency battery packs for computers to let you shut them down and save your work in case the power fails. Usually what goes wrong with these things are the batteries. They use 2 small 12 volt batts and are run in series producing 24 volts. The thing is an inverter!! Just built ya a box replace the batts with deep cycles and you are good to go. A very cheap way to start your off grid experience. Hope this info helps
Idaho Bill
I have a Stanley 450 amp Fat Max. Works fine.
Jumper cables, air compressor and some electronic ports.
Sadly the ones you can afford (big box stores, Harbor Freight, truck stops, etc.) tend to die in a very short while. I’ve got the proof in my junk room. Best thing you can do for an inverter is to buy a cast-off Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) intended for backing up computers. They show up on eBay all the time. The battery goes dead, and the dopes buy new ones instead of just replacing the battery. The inverters themselves last and last, and they put out a nice sine wave that will make you electronics happy. (Cheap inverters put out more of a square wave, and f’rinstance neither my satellite modem nor my portable phone base station will even light up on them.) Don’t have the seller ship the battery to you, it will raise the price of the shipping double.
UPC is the brand I look for. I now have three, one of which is tied to my “big” battery bank which will be solar charged if TSHTF.
Many thanks to all that provide info here and a way to make beneficial things too. Getting a new site up with a product many here can use is taking up even my humor time.
Y’all Beware! Keep Smilin and thanks again.
Good advice indeed. We had our personal crash when my husband lost his job, but we were ready. We grow most of our own food and feed for our animals, we paid off our farm five years ago, we live almost off grid, and can do so any time completely if needed. We don’t buy new anything, and we don’t drive anywhere unless we must. We never take vacations, eat out, or go to malls or movies. We make our own cleaning products for pennies, wash our clothes Amish style, and dry them outside most of the year. We cut our own hair, eat simply, play games at home, cook and heat on a wood stove, and on and on. We do not barrow money…if we don’t have the money, we do without. Our lives are richer and better for all our simple ways, and now we are closer to the land, and best of all to God. I do get frightened now and then because of everything that is happening, but then I remember what it says in the Bible, that fear is the beginning of wisdom. It motivates us to do what we need to do!
Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but regard for consequences is important motivation as well. It’s funny, but until I read your post I wasn’t truly aware of how simple our own lives have become. We spent the weekend in a large, international city and I was SO ready to be home. The experience of being in a mall again was alienating.
I always enjoy Daisy Luther’s down-to-earth, common-sense articles. Do her a favor and visit her website. Click on some of the advertising banners there and she’ll see a revenue increase.
And do the same here for Mac. Website income is mostly determined by the numbers of people who click on the advertisers’ banners. Let’s bless Mac and Daisy by visiting their advertisers’ websites.
Just clicking through Mac’s advertisers, I saw two or three products I’d like to have.
The flojak well pump works fine , i put one in an abandoned stab well .
In a pinch it would provide all the water you need.
We had another well dug and a deep we’ll pump put in before my husband lost his job…so glad we did that…the water is very good, and it is not too hard to pump! You are wise to have this resource too!
@SilverSax: Totally agree with you on Daisys’ articles…since I started taking her advise and using her delicious canning recipes from her site….I’m MILES ahead!! Thanx girlfriend! take care, CC.
SilverSax,
I agree! I too enjoy Daisy’s articles. Check out her website. Her recipes are practical, tasty and easy to fix and help save money.
Thanks Daisy!
I dont know. Will the NWO/Globalists/Illuminati/Elites allow us to have anything? Imminent domain, bail ins, confiscations, taxes, inflation…..They steal everything and anything they can get!!! They have created a complicated web of debt and laws which everyone is mired in. Hard to save. Hard to prepare. My take is we all have to band together and somehow fight back these evil bastards and take this country back!!!! I’m just waiting for a legit leader to step up so I can follow. Let it collapse!!!! So we can restart!!!! Like Christ, we have to die in order to resuurect agian!!!! I’m ranting again. Peace to all this Christmas!!!
I started reading and learning from this website 3 years ago and I feel truly blessed to have stumbled on it.I felt deep down inside that something was not right with our country , and world for that matter, that I started to do the things you good people suggested. And now, I feel that I will stand a good chance to take care of my wife and extended family and friends,since they to have opened their eyes. Thankyou to all for your teachings. I will be by your side in the end.
Got $600K in the bank, 2-3 years food socked away, gold/silver too. Wife’s jewels are estimated to be worth around $150K. Both new cars paid for in cash. House worth 500K+ and mortgage paid off. Art collection worth $40K, gun collection $30K.
Don’t own a cell phone, no cable/dish TV, shop only at Target/Walmart/Gander Mountain. Use coupons and sales are mostly when I shop.
Favorite scripture verse Matt 16:26A “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?” NKJV
Withdraw the bank money , sell the house and buy a farm, sell the art and jewels.
Keep the art and jewels. You work for it so enjoy it. But the farm and cash point dead on.
Keep the art and jewels. You earned them. So enjoy them.
On Monday we have bread and gravy.
On Tuesday it’s gravy on bread,
On Wednesday and Thursday it’s gravy on toast, but that’s only gravy on bread.
On Friday it’s dry bread and gravy.
On Saturday whole wheat instead.
But Sundays a treat, we cant wait to eat, we get gravy without any bread.
Rusty Nales, you gotta major problem here. No one should have an art collection that’s worth more than their gun collection. You get that straightened out, and you will have a perfect portfolio. Trekker Out. Free Men Own Guns, Slaves Don’t.
I buy a 50 lb. bag of rice at Sams Club for $16.00 and a 50 lb. bag of beans for $36.00 Some days we have beans and some days we have rice and for a real treat we have rice AND beans. You can take rice and pour soup over it and make one large can of soup feed a family of 4 when served over rice. And the secret is, it’s great. Actually you can pour lots of things over rice to stretch out a meal. You can take Rice-A-Roni and add a couple hands full of rice to the mix and it makes it go a lot further. You can buy lots of food items in bulk (just make sure you store it properly or the bugs will get in it) This is one way you can feed a family of 4 for about $4.00
Yes rice by itself is rather bland so we always have something to eat with it. And as for beans you can fix them several different ways, with canned ham as a real treat, with hot sauce, with pickle juice or vinegar or you can squish them and re-fry them and serve them on tortilla’s as homemade burrito’s. I even found a recipe to use beans to make imitation hamburger and the author said it tasted GREAT. (As for that I can’t say I haven’t tried it yet). Keep prepping time is oh so short…
Being frugal is a beautiful thing!
Learned in Russia: plain white rice, cooked, mixed with mayonnaise and curry powder. Serve with boiled hot dogs.
Breaking news…..Nelson Mandela dies. The MSM and the US government and politicians honor him as if he were Jesus Christ. I know of Mandela. He is a communist. He is a terrorist. He went to prison, not for speaking out against Apartheid, but for blowing up public places during a campaign of terror against the White South Africans. He sang the ANC songs celebrating killing white people in public and on stage. This communist is not my hero. He is my enemy. He is the enemy of every freedom loving human being. May he rot in Hell. He and his wife, Winnie, tortured and murdered any black African who disagreed with the policies of the ANC. He was a member of the Xhosa tribe. If I remember right, that tribe migrated south into RSA after the Boers did.
Right, Maudy.
South Africa was originally an uninhabited land. The Dutch sailors rounding the Cape of Good Hope used Table Mountain as a place for communication with other ships. A passing ship would leave mail for the next ship to come by. Eventually the Dutch began to settle the area.
It wasn’t until much later, as the Zulus migrated south, that black Africans arrived in South Africa.
Apartheid became the official system because of the violent Africans who were threatening the peaceful Dutch/Afrikaaners. It wasn’t a system of repression; it was a response to the violent Africans.
South Africa was no more uninhabited than North America was. Sadly history is written by the victors. Those victors were the Bantu’s of central Africa and the white settlers from Europe.
The remnants of the original inhabitants have been victims of genocide for generations, but are occasionally allowed to exist as Museum pieces in much the same as the first nations of the US.
Nelson Mandela was a symbol for many of the triumph of stoicism and endurance and the dignity of the human spirit over hatred, injustice and oppression. The cause he stood for – FREEDOM, was more important than his personal gain and he was willing to put EVERYTHING on the line to ensure that the generation coming after him would inherit a better world.
Our youth NEED symbols like that, like never before in human history. Instead they get Miley Cyrus and the Kardashians! Individual greed is good, live for today, etc, etc.
The Soweto uprising was instigated by SCHOOL CHILDREN. Here in the West they only kick off if there is an opportunity to loot a sports shoe store or if someone switches off their igadget.
Yes much of what Mandela was trying to achieve has been corrupted. The masses still exist in horrible poverty (the same degree of poverty as is being planned for us btw!. the horrors and brutality of the apartheid era have proven the old saying that it takes the children of murderers AT LEAST 7 generations to be cleansed of the sin. I am not denying the terrible violence & crime rate of that society today.
The same criminal cabal who controlled most of South Africa’s wealth during apartheid (the global bankster elite) still own it today. What Mandela represents is HOPE for a better future. I just don’t see that as I look around me as our own way of life sinks inexorably into the mud.
I was fortunate to have grown up with dear friends who were refugees (ANC) in the 1970’s and then met and worked with dear friends from the S.African white community who had also arrived here in the UK as refugees from persecution and violence in the 1990’s.
In both cases I have been impressed with the family values, common decency and courtesy both groups demonstrated in their daily lives & have had to compare their spiritual and mental strength with those of us in the West who have been spared the worst ravages that life can throw at us.
Both sides were & are still forced to live under regimes that represent a total abomination of God’s teachings on so many levels they can’t be fully accounted for by the same banksters that are in the process of bringing their fun and games to the shores of the US, and Europe right now. I worry that we will not rise to the shtf challenge half as well as South Africans.
Winnie did the necklacing, he decried it.
Maudy-
Agreed!
Good riddance to yet another MLK wanna be communist/marxist piece of shit!
…burn in HELL Nelson, hopefully bath-house Barry and his handlers and fellow travelers will follow soon enough.
I hope the Michelin tire guy is assisting in your eternal “re-education” experience.
..in the meantime, enjoy the local ‘heat-index.’.
——————————————
Yeah, you played the hand of ‘hard-core evil’ in this life!
..now, you’re facing the ultimate “HONEST DEALER”.
…sux to be you right now, huh!?!
Hunter:
Thanks for blessing us with your posts. You are JUST the BEST!
Dunno about that Granny! -(see best)-
…but thanks anyway, baby!
=====================================================
That said;
I am obligated, as all of us are…to defend the TRUTH, especially the truths of GOD.
He is not a passive/nonchalant deity(IMO).
..the proof being, the universal acknowledgement that ultimately, HE IS IN CONTROL!!!!
Yes???
Thus his DIVINE CONTROL is the antithesis of the passive subterfuge/wickedness enveloping humanity, even as I type this reply.
Its our job to identify his enemies unto the ignorant/unknowing. No matter the personal cost.
We must engage, not merely cheer-lead.
..and to their credit(you included), there are many here who are superior to myself, per documenting the historical events and those responsible for the…slow coming DARKNESS that’s bent on destroying all that is GODLY and GOOD!
————————————————–
Thus, I try to:
..have a ribald good time, whilst stationed/deployed out here on the front lines of GOOD vs. Evil !
—(knowing grin)—
——————————————————
Keep the faith Granny, we’ll WIN in the end!
-(wink)-
——————————————————-
GOD Bless!
I am sure we will have a Nelson Mandela holiday within a year.
President Obama boards Air Force 1 headed for South Africa.
Sign on White House gate,
Be back in two weeks.
He was not a peace maker to me.And saying that I have little trust in united nations also. If so the world would not have to deal with north korea . If we look at most of the world it is Communist . That said without God . We are screwed
A question I have which maybe someone can give me some advice on ……my wife has a 2008 altima which is paid for and I have full coverage on it ….at what point does a person decide to remove fill coverage and put basic liability on a car
RICH — my personal rule of thumb
is when the damage could exceed the
worth of the car then it’s time for
PL & PD.
(i.e. car worth $2000 — damage $4000)
I drop full coverage to just PL and PD when the low blue book value reaches 5 times the yearly premium. Example Full cov cost additionaly over PLPD is $500 yr and car is worth $2500.
At the point when you dont give a crap if it gets wrecked!
Usually at about 10 years, should check what your insurance company would pay you for it now if it was totaled,,
An example..
I have a pretty nice 96 F350, lifted, nice rubber, nice alloys, 4×4, no dents, good paint, good interior, clean, low miles, farmers ins said they would give me 500$ for it if i wrecked, just the dana 60s on it are worth more than 2k so figured it wasnt worth it. Ill part it out if i wreck.
I have an ’04 Tribute Mazda–almost like new, with 29,000 miles. I’m not ready to carry just liability just yet.
The 95 Ranger and 91 Sonoma have only liability.
Not yet, it’s only 5 years old. Wait until 10 years.
If you’ve paid the car off, keep making the payments to savings, then pay cash for a good used car when it’s time to replace the one you have.
Thanks for all the advice !!!
I’m an ASE certified auto tech ….if you people ever need advice or have questions let me know !
Retraction; I’d stated one time that I buy a brand of Pasta sauce at Aldi’s Grocery store called Priano’s Spicy red pepper for the jar to can with, and thats true it makes a nice waterbath jar. But Priano’s also makes some other flavors, the ring wont Fit the Shoulder on the other flavors, just found out. so anybody that took that advise from a retard like myself I Apologize..Keep prepping.
Aldi is a great place to buy preps on the cheap…we get there about three times a year to buy a few things to add to our stores. I have never tried the pasta sauce, but it sounds good, that pepper flavor…as for canning jars, I’ve had good success in get many at yard and barn sales for near nothing!
I have managed to live a very frugal life, being a cheapskate has served me well. Dumpster diving is not below me either, having found many useful and valuable items. A testament to my cheapness is that I have survived into my 60’s on a total life work income of 105,000 dollars.
That’s not living ….that’s self inflicted TORTURE !!!!
You would be amazed at what you can find in a dumpster.
I found a 16 x 20 garage package with all of the fasteners, minus the front and back tarp. We built one as a greenhouse about 4 years ago and it worked amazingly well.
I found the gunsafe that I use at home in one. The store had locked it and instead of having a locksmith open it they threw it out. It took me an entire night of trying and prying, but 2 pots of coffee and a fresh can of paint I had a $450 safe for the hassle of lifting the several hundred pounds 5 feet up and out. Have a tool chest half full of nice tools and spare parts for free for chainsaw weed eater etc… because most people will not fix anything. Nothing wrong with getting something for free.
Brilliant. Been there, done that. It works. I’m now debt free, retired and living on my wholly-owned deep rural BOL, no TV, no drinking or smoking, eat for about $3.00 a day, pay only electric, land-line phone and satellite internet bills, one credit card that is paid off every month with cash left over, (which I don’t spend except on preps), and am happier than I ever was before.
Off topic……experiencing my own SHTF right now. I’ve missed the support here. I’ve got a family member known for borrowing and not repaying, stealing, and pulling guns on fam members who has called me twenty times in the last six days since stepmom passed wanting info about my dads financial affairs. He’s a slick ass bastard with lots of palms greased and favors owed him. I have to go home at least a few weeks to work, I’ve found a job opening here and applied. With hired help dad will be fine own his own, with frequent visits from me and other immediate relatives but I’m afraid if I’m not here dear relative will monkey with dads mind and sue for conservatorship. My job is to protect my father. He’s not bad enough for me to have him declared incompetent, and seek guardianship. I do have POA, but the POS uncle could talk my dad into revoking and signing him. my uncle told me how he coached my grandmother to get POA after she lost most of her function. I’m at a loss. I can’t be everywhere at once. God help me help my father!
I’ve thought about you 100 times this week. My prayers have been with you and your family. May God give you the strength and opportunity to have things work out as easily as possible.
Thank you so much. I have many supportive family and friends. I’m beginning to feel cornered. I’m trying to be polite, but my grandmother always said ” you do whatever you can for people, give the the shirt off your back if you have to. BUT, if they ever cross the line you’d better not piss on them if they are on fire”
I’ll pray for you, my friend! And I’ll pray against your uncle’s schemes.
If you are in Christ, the favor of God is on you. Walk in it. Believe it. Let his favor go before you.
If this post appears multiple times, I apologize. I’ve had trouble getting it to go through.
My step mom was the epitome of a Christian woman. I’m doing everything I can to honor her and what she and dad had planned for. All she wanted was for him to be taken care of and that everything left be used to do the best for him. I don’t think that God would take that away, as long as I follow their wishes and be honest and true.
@Nopittypartyhere: Have been wondering how you are doing too. Remember, ‘ If HE brings you to it, HE’LL bring you through it’…..
I think you are a person of Honor, also you seem to have real ‘spunk’…I believe you will do all the right things for your dad and you will not be ‘walking’ alone. Prayers to you, take care, CC
You need to grow some balls and tell him to fuck off! Protect the sheep!
My father does not want me to tell him to not come around. I will not go against his wishes. Dear uncle will only use it against me. I’m getting a video system put it with wifi so I can checkup anytime I want….
Your father cannot give away what he does not own/control. Get a checking account that has his and your name on it and requires both signatures. You cannot spend his money, but no one else can get him to either. Put a small amount in his only account every month; that’s all anyone can get from him. Find all his credit cards and kill them. Get him a debit card, without a line of credit, on his small account. Get a lawyer and get a conservatorship. Put his cash a lifetime annuity for him and payout to you, all he can lose is some cash flow. Buy his house from him, with him lending you the money, let him rent. There are lots of things you can do to get him in shape where no one can cheat him
Paranoid, good ideas there. I’ve thought of all of it (the accts). And yeah, maybe I’m paranoid (lol, no pun intended) for all you other folks out there. I was told by an attorney that because I live out of state I would never get conservatorship. I call BS on that I take care of pts all the time who have conservators out of state. But that’s not this state. Hmmmm.
My dad has zero debt, and has lived below his means for 30 plus years.
You can get a lot easy, if he agrees, far better if you can get him to help you on the grounds of SOMEDAY something will need to be done. Save a lot now with his help. Older people are not stupid, they just want to run their own lives while they can.
Sorry for your loss.
As an aside, don’t tell ANYONE about your parents’ financial affairs. DO inform the home staff that any visits from the oily bird must be supervised, and to watch out for slick behavior.
DO talk to an attorney and have your POA amended to specifically EXCLUDE the oily bird and require your consent for revocation, absent cause.
When I lost my job in September, I never worried my kids would not have food. 🙂
Just glad my boss hired me back 3 weeks ago, asshole.
Come home. The crew of the Enterprise is throwing a party.
For the above comments, driving without underinsured motorists coverage is good until you get hit by another driver who is underinsured. When you switch from full coverage to liability only make sure you have enough for a down payment on a new vehicle in case you total yours. Remember being prepared is the best insurance.
Its call self insure.
Insurance is a ponzi scheme, collectivist gambling, and is endentured servitude to bankers corporations.
FUCK YOU BANKERS!
We live very frugally. I have cut my hubbies hair for all our married lives of 23 yrs. Can you imagine how much just that saved? Recycle aluminum foil. You can wash it in the dishwater if it needs it. Never reuse foil that has had meat on it. Reuse cooking oil. When you fry something, strain it with a funnel and coffee filter into a mason jar with a lid. If it looks too bad, you can fry a piece of potato in the oil to “clean” it before straining. Don’t go to the store every day and buy stuff to make a meal. Stock up on what’s cheap. See what you have at home to make a meal that you bought on sale with coupons. Be creative and learn to substitute with what you have. Remember to put God first and tithe. He will stretch the rest.
I’m single now(divorced after I was dumped because I was laid off).
I been living in my camper trailer for four years. Got a minimum wage job without benefits. The only benefit I get is that I’m allowed to park my truck (camper on it) in the company’s parking place. I get access to electrical and bathroom/shower. I figure I’m saving a thousand dollars a month by not renting. Hope to buy a shack in the near future. Life is a bitch. One must learn how to cope with “ANY” kind of loss. What does not kill you, makes you stronger.
Just as there are physical laws of nature, there are also spiritual laws which cannot be circumvented.
If you wholeheartedly and cheerfully give your financial life to God, he will bless your finances.
An older gentleman once said to me, “Your wants are many; your needs are few”.
Wise advice.
We’ve been living close to the bone for a while now, but we’re in an economically depressed blue state (WA) where the leftist have gotten even worse, the machinist union chased off Boeing’s newest line business even as SEA/TAC voted in $15/hr minimum wage. This kind of stupidity kills jobs which will ripple through the entire state economy; who knows what we’ll be looking at in the next year. Even if it’s not nation-wide TEOTWAWKI, I suspect 2014 will see an actual depression in this state if not the region. I’m always glad for the practical advice from the commenters on SHTF Plan. Take care and stay warm tonight if you can!
Many thanks to all that provide info here and a way to make beneficial things too. Getting a new site up with a product many here can use is taking up even my humor time.
Y’all Beware! Keep Smilin and thanks again.
Last US lead smelter to be shut down in Mo. Backdoor attack on 2nd amend. continues via lack of ammunition…No lead, no ammunition.
I’m pretty sure we can just import lead if we need to, not to mention ammunition.
With the demand for bullets and loaded ammunition as high as it is, we should have already seen some real shortages in the last couple of weeks.
Get rid of your crap,keep what you absolutely need. Have backups to everything and have lots of food and water!
A few years back, i noticed that the males of my generation were generally fat, lazy, and ignorant. ( I am 26) It was a rude awakening that lead me to cut my electricity, water and cable. For a year i lived without what i now consider “conveniences”. Iwas tough for about a week. Then everything became a learning experiance. I ate and drank (warm beer but hell, it was still beer) by fire and bathed using urban version of drawing water (i walked to a water dispensor with a five gallon jug every two days.) I read and studied plan life an maps and DYI weapons and tools. I grew while others wasted.
Obviously food and water stores are a must and a way to grow food may be also. In addition I have stored supplements and nutritional powders/drinks and super foods to help stay healthy in times of severe stress. A good rule of thumb to use is “two is one and one is none” when planning your preps. Best of luck prepping!
Just back from the local grocery that is closing down, up to 70% off the goods. Great for preps.
48 pounds of sugar, 40 pounds of flour, 36 cans Dinty Moore, lifetime supply of gas lantern mantles, 48 cans of soups, 6 boxes of baking mixes, 75 rolls bath tissue, 10 tubes of toothpaste, 2 fifths of Myer’s Rum, 3 pounds raisins, dried currants, 12 cans whole tomatoes, 3 pounds pasta, 1 pound couscous, 6 boxes Lipton teas,
5 pounds popcorn, 48 cans of Del Monte vegetables, etc., for $196.48.
I like it. Felt like shopping in 1985. Shelves were pretty well picked clean, would have spent $400 if more was available.
Frugality sure saved MY day! Five years ago, I suffered botched gall bladder surgery at the hospital I was a nurse at (Penrose Hospital, Colorado Springs, CO). After a two-week septic coma, I woke up to find myself crippled for life. The response of my caring employers?? I was FIRED a day before I checked out to go home. The health insurance benefit went away a month later. It has been rough since then. If my wife and I had not been living frugally for years before, we would have lost our home.
Matt P,
I sure hope that Penrose Hospital got a letter from your lawyer! How despicable!!
I just lost my job (just in time for the holidays) and am looking for anything but that is not easy in NW Wyoming in December. Refuse to go on any of Oblunder’s programs! Thanks to prepping, my kids and animals all have food though 🙂 God Bless!
I enjoyed reading about everyone’s experiences … inspiration …! I will be 60 this year. Take care of my Mother… she will be 88 this February … she and I survived Hurricane Katrina … lost all… and this RANGER dam sure did not sit whining with my hand stuck out waiting on the Government …! I can tell all that the hardest thing was trying to decide what to salvage … of course important documents … but I simply went into a priority mindset. Did not have a lot of time…nor the means to carry much. I value life… family … and after all …that is what is important … everything else… we walked away… started over…! The one thing that got me through that…? $13,000.00 CASH in my pocket and my Colt 45 Govt…! I have just recently had the pleasure of meeting a Retired Navy O 5 that retired from the CIA … told me… “We are going to have a revolution! “….Hmmm…? Responded …”Really…?”.. one thing I do is network …!
Be Well…!
White Arrow