Topic: Preparation for the struggling economy

[BLACKDOG]

Just curious, what is everyone doing to prepare, or has done to prepare for the continuing struggle in the economy?  I'm just curious, because at work, there are many different people doing many different things, from stockpiling guns, ammo, food, and water; to people taking money out of the banks and keeping it in cash form in their home; to people buying gold, silver, etc.; to people doing nothing, hoping everything is fine.


I'll start out:
Personally, I try to save as much money as possible anyway, so I'm not really saving more than usual, but I am aware of it.  However, it is in the bank.  I've been buying guns and ammunition fairly consistently over the past few years, and I'll probably step it up a bit, not much though.  My main concern is not "the end of the world" but rather our next presidential choice, and knowing how he feels about guns, and what he plans to do to restrict their ownership.  Food, I've got plenty of, not for any particular reason but I was raised to have food to survive off of for at least a few weeks.  Mostly canned vegatables, chili, etc.  I've got plenty of bottled water at my house, no other reason than because I like keeping some handy for day to day use, and to be ready for an emergency (earthquake, blizzard, whatever).

[Duffil]

I've begun stockpiling whisky. Keep all the food and water you want, I'll trade everyone for booze.

[Rocksurfer]

Very dark German beer, you will get the liquids you need, you can live off of it and not have to eat food, and it will help you forget the hole you dug for yourself by cashing out your home last year.

[kneedownnate]

Very dark German beer, you will get the liquids you need, you can live off of it and not have to eat food, and it will help you forget the hole you dug for yourself by cashing out your home last year.

  an old coworker used to say there was a ham sammich in the bottom of every bottle 

Just curious, what is everyone doing to prepare, or has done to prepare for the continuing struggle in the economy?  stockpiling guns, ammo

  Slowly but surely.  I'm trying to motivate myself to get off my ass and finish a few projects so I'll have enough money to buy the guns I want while I can.  I'm also slowly but surely stocking up on ammo.  Not enough to really say stockpiling, just 2 boxes or so a payday, though there is a gun show this weekend, and if I find some cheap ammo I'll buy it!  I'm also looking seriously into reloading my own and plan on buying the supplies to do so now before the prices potentially sore.

You mention bottled water;  I keep seeing people buying flats of the tiny little bottles for a few bucks or so, but when I look at it I see the gallon bottles from a good brand for $1, and keep thinking I should stockpile them.  As for food, nothing yet.  You also mention canned chilli, which made me think.  In desperate times I could easily go on 1 can of chilli a day if needed.  Yes, I'm small, but even on days when I'm hiking all day I consume very little.  Jerky goes a long way and will keep for some time too, especially if you research which ones have a longer shelf life    Freeze dried meals are an option, but a spendy one.  Never had an mre, though I do keep thinking I should try some and see if I like any.

Bank or money:  I'm poor, I don't have money in the bank to worry about pulling out    If the does hit the fan, we won't really have to worry about paying debts or anything.  That said, like you I don't think it's necessarily going to be the end of the world.  My biggest concern is with the incoming president is firearm and ammunition restrictions, be it new purchases or the taking of current firearms. 

[79coyotefrg]

i'm trying to prepare by .......  not letting anyone hunt on my land so my deer and squirrels grow big and fat

thats the best i can do

[jrock]

I try to save as much money as possible anyway.

Isn't that one of the reasons the economy is down? I'm not picking on you BB, you just brought up one of the topics.

[BLACKDOG [OP]]

Isn't that one of the reasons the economy is down? I'm not picking on you BB, you just brought up one of the topics.

In a sense, yes, but its mostly because our (American in general) lifestyle is a lifestyle of greed and indulgence.  It started a long time ago, and it has finally come to bite us in the   When credit became easy to get, they started spending more, artifically funding the economy.  Low interest loans furthered that, especially when the housing markets started soaring, and homes were selling for 5-8x what they were worth.  So now, people are hurting, and they aren't spending as much money anymore, money that they never really had anyway.  Stores and businesses came to rely on that easy credit, and now that its not there, they're hurting too.  If people had continued to live within their means, and only spend money what they had money to spend, didn't have to keep up with the Joneses with all the biggest and baddest stuff, we all would have been better off then, and now. 

Sure, I could try to stimulate the economy by spending all my $$, but to what end?  In reality, this struggling economy needs to happen, in order to bring the artifically inflated prices down, and do away with easy credit.  Sure, a lot of people are going to feel the pinch, and many are going to feel it hard, and sadly, most of those that will feel it are the ones that were barely scraping by anyway. 


Ever heard the phrase "save it for a rainy day"?  This is what they are talkign about.  If you live within your means, and save money when you can, your contribution to the economy is more even over a long period of time.  For instance, if I got laid off tommorow, I've got enough money to pay my bills for 2 months.  I may not eat as well as I'd like, or be able to go out, or go wheeling, but I could pay my bills.  Which is more beneficial to the economy?  Me staying in my house, and paying my bills while looking for a new job, or falling behind on my house payment, my truck payment, etc.  ??

By saving money, you can spend that money when the economy is rough, and make it through.

[Plekto]

I bet there are going to be a lot of new trailer parks in the next ten years...

As for saving - 100 ounce silver bars or ounces of gold always work fine.  Because hyperinflation is coming soon.  $6 a loaf bread will be considered inexpensive in a decade.

Of course, have a firearm.  Something cheap and one of the old reliable calibers that you can get ammo for easily(basically look at the local gun store at the boxes and bricks on the sale table)  Oh - and have a simple .22 as a backup, because for getting meat to cook with, a brick of .22 lasts a lot of days worth of foraging and costs a couple of cents a shot.

Or if you are *really* cheap, a high powered spring piston air rifle.  A box of pellets can last you a crazy long time and a squirrel will be just as dead with it as a .22.  Last forever and get the job done for pest control and survival hunting.

As for a vehicle, a diesel.  Preferably something with carbs due to the problem of finding replacement parts at a reasonable cost.(think old 1960s or 1970s Mercedes diesel as a backup car)  An old 60s or 70s diesel truck also is a good option.  Because when gas gets to be $20 a gallon due to hyperinflation, and you can run your truck on vegetable oil in a pinch...

And obviously, pay off the debts.  It's better to live debt free and have a meager job(which is likely in the future) versus running towards the cliff while trying to hold onto your toys...  I have this mental image of a generation or two who never learned HOW to live without credit taking this fully loaded semi down a mountain road...  all that dead weight pushing them towards that cliff...

Oh -
http://www.panelconcepts.com/

A spot of land and a small cabin can be quite affordable as an alternative to a yuppie-lot-of-sameness-and-financial-ruin in the suburbs.

[jrock]

BB, well put.
As for me, I have no $$ and thus have nothing worth saving, so I spend it all. As school ends and I find a "real" job, that will change.

[Rocksurfer]

I'm with you BD I'll be Ok for about 8 mos. to a year without a job.

[red]

guaranteed job (military) with little pay, paying off my debt and stockpiling the weapons i want before this new administration eliminates that right.

[Birfailed]

I've thought about going back to the Army.  Definetly will be chillin with Obama runnin the show

[COToy91]

Nothing like being Mormon and having a years worth of food, water, and about everything else you can think of lol. Plus we budget money like there is no tomorrow

[87pickup]

I am still spending $. Not as much as i would have if the market wasnt in the condition its it but nontheless still spending. I do believe things go both ways. I think people should save but when people have a year of cash socked away and still save like the world was coming to an end it is bringing down the economy that much further. Like my dad for example, I am trying to get him to either buy or build a 4runner or tacoma for next years roundup. Which he could easily do and not have problems making ends meat but he gets nervous and doent want to spend a dime. I think people who dont have some savings stashed should be saving and people who already do shouldnt let the way things are going to scare them from buying what they want or need.

[Gnarly4X]

A resurrection from 16 years ago.

The first rule of "prepping" is don't tell anyone you are prepping.


Gnarls.