Author of What to Eat When You’re Broke and Bloom Where You’re Planted online course
As our banking system implodes all around us, you may be wondering how on earth we can be financially prepared for the future in a world where our national currency is at extreme risk. While it’s easy to say, “Invest in precious metals,” it’s also important to know that PMs, while important, aren’t your first layer of financial preparedness.
In this article, I want to talk about how to layer your financial preparedness to help yourself through the tough days ahead. Keep in mind that you may not be able to delve into every single layer, and that’s absolutely fine – you have to prep for your unique financial situation just the same way you prep for your unique living situation. Being realistic is the key.
Layer 1: Your financial foundation
The first layer is the foundation for the other layers. If you don’t have this in place, then the others aren’t really extremely worthwhile.
To establish a basis of financial preparedness, you need to get your personal finances in order. This includes things like:
- Paying off debt/maintaining freedom from debt. Here’s how to pay off debt fast.
- Having the supplies to go for a month or so without spending money – these are your basic stockpile items like groceries, shampoo, laundry soap, pet food, etc.
- Establishing an emergency fund (we used to recommend a thousand dollars but at this point, it won’t get you too far. I would suggest your bare minimum should be one month of your family’s expenses.) Here’s how to build one.
- Getting your budget to a manageable level – you may need to cut your fixed expenses to do this.
If you’re sensing a theme here, you’re right. The first layer of financial preparedness goes back to the money-savvy wisdom of the frugal community. Get your expenses under control, reduce your output, and be prepared to go for at minimum a month without any additional money coming in.
Layer 2: Tangible essentials
Once you have your basics established, it’s time to move on to the next layer. This is where our passion for prepping comes in handy.
You’re going to want to invest some of your excess money in the supplies that will get you through a difficult period. Whether that difficult period is related to your personal finances or national supply chain instability, your preps will see you through it.
This is a very important layer of financial preparedness even though it’s not cold, hard cash. Before you start investing every spare dime into hunks of gold and silver, make sure you have your basics covered. (That’s something Selco talks about any time you’re in an uncertain situation – go back to the basics.)
This includes things like:
- Stocking up on food
- Learning skills like gardening and herbalism
- Home and automotive repairs
- Taking care of medical and dental issues
- Putting back non-food items
- Focusing on sturdy manual tools
In this layer, you are building your personal preparedness. You’re taking care of things that might be difficult to address in the future, whether due to money or other issues. You’re learning skills, buying tools, and putting back essential supplies that will see you through a longer period of time.
Layer 3: Financial assets
Finally, once you have the other things handled, it’s time to focus on the bigger picture. A lot of folks make the mistake of thinking they should be hoarding gold and silver like a dragon, but this doesn’t come until after you’ve covered the basics. Once your preps are in order, your debts are paid off, and your home, vehicle, and family are maintained, then it’s time to put some money back for later when the crisis is over.
A lot of folks say that they use precious metals as a medium of exchange right now. I suppose that’s possible if you are dealing with folks who will accept junk silver dimes as payment or gold ingots. However, I see metals as more of a medium of savings than of exchange.
The purpose behind stocking up on precious metals is that gold and silver will hold their value when the dollar may not. After the economic disaster is over and our society is beginning to recover, precious metals will have value regardless of what has happened to the dollar. Even if we have moved on to an entirely different currency by then, whether or not the dollar is still the reserve currency of the world, or whether we have turned into a cashless society, the value of a precious metal remains consistent. When you need to make a payment on your property taxes or some other expense, you can convert precious metals to whatever the currency is, at whatever value the currency has at that time.
How can you invest in precious metals?
A lot depends on how you personally want to do it. If you are thinking that gold might be an important bribe, a suggestion from Selco is to buy a lot of plain gold wedding rings. You can slip one of those off your finger to offer a guard or other person you might be bribing, and nobody will expect that you have six more just like it. It’s one of those things that seems like it’s probably the only thing you have. I have followed this advice and often hit up pawn shops to check out their bands. I’ve also gotten some good pieces from yard sales mixed in with bags of “costume” jewelry.
You can also invest in other types of gold or silver jewelry. If you are going out to purchase jewelry, you want to be sure you’re getting a good deal. This information comes from when I was married, and my husband and I owned a jewelry store.
It’s a great idea to have one piece that you know the weight of so that you can test the digital scale at the shop. I’ve seen these scales be off by several grams, so having your own piece to confirm it is important. Secondly, you need to know the price of gold and silver that day to be sure you are getting a fair price. If it has stones or other inclusions, you’re paying for that too, and they are generally not as easy to convert as metals. I tend to go with plain gold or silver pieces when making investments so that I know exactly what I’m getting.
Look for a hallmark or stamp on the jewelry to indicate the karat purity of the gold or that the silver is 925. You don’t want anything that says GP (gold plated), GF (gold filled), or GEP (gold electroplated.) Gold and silver are generally not magnetic, although there are some rare occasions when the secondary metal is iron. If a piece responds to a strong magnet, it’s likely not what you’re looking for. Here are some more tips to make sure you’re getting what you’re looking for when shopping for gold.
While jewelry is one way to purchase precious metals, buying bullion or coins may be the best method. This is how governments and central banks create their reserves. Bullion is gold and silver that is at least 99.5% and 99.9% pure and is in the form of bars or ingots. This medium is ideal because of its purity, set weight, and recognizability. I purchase all of my solid gold and silver this way from ITM Trading. They actually offer a completely free strategy session if this is something you’re considering. I strongly suggest you set up a call – you’re under no obligation to buy. But the information you receive may make it some of the most valuable financial education you ever get, particularly given that our banking industry is in such dire straits.
This is a unit of storage.
Just to be clear, gold and silver pieces are stores of personal savings. They aren’t emergency funds, nor are they generally easy to spend. This is for money that you do not need immediate access to, although you can liquidate them reasonably easily today. This investment is made so that when things finally settle down after the current economic crisis, you still have wealth and it hasn’t all dissolved or dwindled in value like money in the bank can do.
How are you preparing financially?
I hope you find this little primer useful. I’m not a financial adviser, and none of this should be construed as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. This is just my personal strategy that I’m sharing in the hopes that it provides you with a direction for your own research.
Are you preparing financially for the looming economic crisis? Do you have other strategies not mentioned in this article that you are comfortable with sharing? How bad do you expect the situation to get? Let’s talk about financial preparedness in the comments section.
About Daisy
Daisy Luther is a coffee-swigging, adventure-seeking, globe-trotting blogger. She is the founder and publisher of three websites. 1) The Organic Prepper, which is about current events, preparedness, self-reliance, and the pursuit of liberty; 2) The Frugalite, a website with thrifty tips and solutions to help people get a handle on their personal finances without feeling deprived; and 3) PreppersDailyNews.com, an aggregate site where you can find links to all the most important news for those who wish to be prepared. Her work is widely republished across alternative media and she has appeared in many interviews.
Daisy is the best-selling author of 5 traditionally published books, 12 self-published books, and runs a small digital publishing company with PDF guides, printables, and courses at SelfRelianceand Survival.com You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, Gab, MeWe, Parler, Instagram, and Twitter.
We live in an area where the cost of living is low. We paid off our house and vehicles as well as learned to produce as much as we can for ourselves. It didn’t take us as long as most people think. (3 years) We have some food and supplies set back and we live frugally. It’s nice not being forced to run on the hamster wheel.
One prudent idea is to diversity bank accounts. Banks and credit unions operate under different regulations so laws that affect one may not affect the other. Also stick with small, local institutions with AUM < $60B. I avoid large banks like Citi and Wells Fargo like the plague, even though the Fed has been most helpful to them. I have my money divided between two at the moment, one bank and one credit union. I've also pulled a fair chunk of my money out of the stock market, although not as much as I'd like. And while flipping short-term T bills at a high interest is fun, I'm waiting to see what the final debt ceiling deal is before investing any more.
If I tried to buy my groceries with silver ingots, the cashier would likely call the guys in white coats! Not to mention that's horrible OPSEC.
Get out of all Banks all together and have a Credit Union Acct, where your deposits are a share in the Credit Union’s ownership. Never put your job income deposits /assets or savings in the same banking institution as your loan obligation or debts. You miss a payment they will take all your savings to pay off the loans if left in the same institution. Also request a copy of your credit card application you signed via Certified mail. If your bank cannot show proof of your signed credit card agreement application fir terms and conditons, then tell them to go pound sand, you do not owe the CC Debt. You can erase all that debt by doing this. And contact the credit reporting agencies to remove this derogatory and harmful reporting for this unlawful and un-enforcable CC debt you never agreed to nor signed for.
Case Law-
A. Plaintiff failed to attach the signed credit card application, request or
agreement allegedly executed by Defendant in violation of Rule 7.050, Fla.Sm.Cl.R. Instead it attached a generic customer agreement, which does not state the Defendant’s name, is not signed by her, is not dated, and bears no discernible relation to the Defendant. Even though it is titled an agreement, there is nothing indicating that anyone, let alone the Defendant, has agreed to it. This is insufficient documentation. Capital One Bank, Inc. v. Mary B. Livingston, County Court, Florida Fourth Judicial District, Duval County, Florida, signed August 10, 2006, the Honorable Russell L. Healey; North Star Capital Acquisitions, L.L.C. v. Lynn S. Krig, County Court, Florida Fourth Judicial District, Duval County, Florida, signed September 13, 2006, the Honorable Brent D. Shore; and Capital One Bank v. Jean C. Miller, County Court, Florida Fourth Judicial Circuit, Duval County, Florida, signed by Judge Angela M. Cox, October 24, 2006.
B. 15 U.S.C. §1642 provides that no credit card shall be issued to any person Except in response to a request or application for a credit card. In its complaint, Plaintiff fails to state when, how, or from whom Defendant requested or applied for the alleged credit card that is the subject of this action and has failed to attach the credit card application, request or agreement executed by Defendant in violation of Rule 7.050, Fla.Sm.Cl.R.
So first request by certified mail to your bank regarding your credit card to provide you the original signed copy for this card you are holding and issued. Many banks just keep rolling you into a new CC financial instrument without getting a signed application for this new card type. If so you do not own the debt on this newly issued credit card and you can get this debt erased off your credit history. The bank will need to go pound sand for their negligence in obtaining an signed application to enforce the terms and condition of the debt. which in most cases is a nonsecured debt. You win again.
Well, we got nearly all the financial foundation accomplished.
Got most of the second level, still needing the occasional hand tool. Probably should get another rake, the one is looking kinda sad.
Third, considering it seriously.
We still use a CC occasionally, but pay it off at the end of the month.
“The 925 hallmark is actually used primarily on sterling silver jewelry. It indicates that the material’s composition is 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper. This means it’s both fairly malleable and bright.
However, some people assume that when a piece of gold jewelry features this hallmark, it means the piece has a gold content of 92.5%. This is not the case. In fact, 92.5% is not a recognized value for gold. If you find a piece of gold jewelry with 925 or some variation stamped on it, odds are very good the piece isn’t solid gold. It’s instead likely the piece’s base is sterling silver and gold has been plated or otherwise applied atop the base.”
source: https://www.naturallycolored.com/buying-guide/what-is-925-gold
This article misses the mark in many vast areas. Prepping and being financially prepared is a mindset that you need to adapt to, over years to survive whats coming. Like selling all your needless toys in the garage in yard sales, ditching your Cell phone and cable bill expenses, Netflix and sell your TV’s and flat screens. You need to decouple your Grid tied mentality. Then once all your grid consumers is sold, then sell your City house, with high property taxes and insurance and sell your $80K SUV’s, When selling your needless consumerism junk, convert the cash into Gold and Silver. Then go find some rural property and pay cash for it all, and set up your Off the GRID homestead. Build a Tiny house, Build a stand alone PV Solar Array for your power, get your septic and rain catch or water well set up and start living debt free with Near to ZERO monthly expenses. If you own your house and property be self insured at zero costs, and get rid of your needless Hazard insurance. Never take on any debt, cut up your credit cards, stop watching TV, no cell phone and start living your life again and reclaim your Freedom as life was meant to be, Spend most of your days outdoors tending to your livestock, your gardens, breathing fresh air and and get some sunshine on your face and build up your Off Grid Lifestyle in a Robust manner. Of course most people are too weak minded to sacrifice all of these needless shallow and hollow electronic devices they are so attached to, like a sucking codependent pacifier. I started preparing back in 2010, sold my city house in 2015 and did all of the above. My total monthly expenses now are vehicle insurance and satellite dish for internet are just about $200 a month. That’s it, beside gasoline and 3 yrs of food put back and raising rabbits for meat and about $500 in annual property taxes for 3 wooded rural acres on fresh water in FL. Become one with nature and get off this codependent Greedy Grid tied lifestyle. Just saying, How you live your life is a choice, making all the right decisions to get you closer to your goals is key. RE Physical Gold and Silver in your hand; be your own banker sugar daddy. And I have not had a single Utility Bill in over 8 years. Do the math on all of that, and that’s how you become financially independent. So when a grid or economic comes and crashes, I will hardly notice. Besides hearing all the whining from the broke and hungry unprepared that life is not fair. Every decision in your life you made, got you to where you are today. Is it good place?
I think that you are in a great situation. But I really hear is that you scorn everyone who doesn’t live like you. Not everyone WANTS to live like you or is willing to make that choice. There’s nothing wrong with what you call “a grid-tied lifestyle.” A lot of us prep to live but don’t live to prep. And for those of us who do enjoy modern amenities while they’re available, I believe Daisy’s advice is fantastic.
Again, congratulations on your personal freedom – I mean that sincerely. But you made choices, and other people make choices too. I choose to work at a job and live in a house with electricity and running water that I pay a monthly bill for. I choose to spend time with friends and family doing enjoyable things like going to museums AND doing enjoyable things like camping.
There’s room in the world for more than one lifestyle. Sure, maybe you’ll have the last laugh. But I want to laugh (and connect with the people I love) throughout life, not just when everyone else is suffering and I feel like I’m better than them.
Wow – you’re in a great situation! Congratulations on everything you have acheived.
I think you hit the nail on the head when you said that not everyone is willing to do this. We all have a different path we’re willing to travel in this world, but if we’re here it’s because we want to survive. I believe there’s more than one way to do it. My suggestions are for people who aren’t as far down the road to self-sufficiency as you are.
If you’re interested in writing a detailed, positive post about how you accomplished this, I’d love to publish it.
Daisy! In a word: “NO.” Actually, I like the way FL Prepper expressed it. “This article misses the mark in many vast areas.”
With utmost respect (seriously), let me join with FL Prepper in speaking from experience. Which is to say for all practical purposes at least two of us today are FULLY PREPARED. With several more people that make regular comments well on their way. You can hear the voice of experience loud and clear in these comments telling you that your theories are exactly backwards. Said differently, our REALITY does not match your THEORY.
Please remember though, your area of expertise is in writing and publishing, not necessarily “Prepping.” And you are extraordinarily good at it! But even now, you are engaged in frugal living while enjoying a nomadic lifestyle. However, that’s not even close to preparing for an Apocalypse. No worries, many of your readers are well advanced with their apocalyptic preparations, and you are able to draw upon and write about their experiences. And we all benefit!
Please be patient (and tolerant) with me, as this is a very important topic – and I do not mean to insult you or anyone here. I speak boldly as others do, because time and again the Theories & Opinions expressed here by “newbies” in the community are woefully inadequate. While time is running out for all of us.
From the beginning, I would say your Financial Foundation needs to be SILVER EAGLES. Which fill all the squares in terms of being Legal Tender, a medium of exchange, store of value, leverage against the dollar, protection from inflation, and so on. There are no other forms of precious metals (IMHO) worth having – other than Gold & Silver Eagles, and maybe a little bit of Lead
As an aside, when we get to the point where you’ll need to barter or exchange precious metals, most likely it will be a high stress environment with people pointing guns at you while you conduct your business transactions. I for one don’t want to compound the problem by having to wait while somebody checks my “objects” for purity and counterfeit (etc). Drop a Silver Eagle on the table, and you can be quite certain it is authentic. And exactly 1 oz of .9999 silver. Apocalypse “Rules of Etiquette,” yes?
Ok, please allow me to PROVE that your best option by far was to build a foundation with Precious Metals. All else comes in a distant 2nd, 3rd, and so on.
Grab a Compounding Interest calculator like this one:
http://www.moneychimp.com/calculator/compound_interest_calculator.htm
As I progressed from my teens into my 20’s and picked up a little bit of school along the way, I received some very good advice to purchase $100 per month of Silver Eagles for my entire adult working career, which is about 40 years for most people. (And a “Generation” in the Scriptures). Just about anybody can put away $100/month.
Running the numbers using the above calculator, you’ll see than in 40 years you will have put away $48,000. (That’s $100/month = $1200/year x 40 years = $48,000) At the time I did my research, Silver had never had less than a 15% average annual return (40 year period) in our Country’s history, and during my 40 years of working it averaged a little over 18% per year. Hit the “Calculate” button and you’ll see where $48,000 grows into $5.9 Million at 18% compounded annually. That’s from only $100 per month. Real numbers using a historically proven Financial Strategy.
From that point it would be easy to retire, and draw about 8-10% per year interest on your nest egg in a stable world, and never touch the Principle. Or in a scenario like we are facing now, it is a simple matter to convert some of your Silver Eagles into a Fully Prepared Homestead. To include a robust storm shelter, greenhouse, barn, windmill, solar panels, well, garage, shop, guest quarters, surveillance & security, and so on.
Which I posted how to do that in my response to your March 12th article, because there were so many ill informed and naive comments about precious metals:
https://www.theorganicprepper.com/fdic-svb/#comments/1051143
Investing in precious metals is (IMHO) by far and perhaps the only consistent strategy that works in a fractional reserve banking system, where they are always expanding the money supply – which always guarantees inflation. Precious metals protect you from inflation, and just about any other form of wealth confiscation. We’ll save the discussion about precious metal confiscation for another day.
If you don’t BEGIN with a foundational strategy to Invest and protect yourself from Inflation and other threats to wealth generation, then you will forever be living paycheck to paycheck. Then find yourself scrambling to prepare piece by piece, and not being able to afford much of anything. Can you retire on $48,000? Can you build a Homestead on $48,000? Then Investing in Precious Metals (Silver Eagles) is indeed your best Foundational Strategy – by a long shot!
There is a wealth of vital information to be found in these article comments, mixed in with a ton of naive opinions, theories, and speculation. It would be wise to consolidate the ideas & wisdom from experienced preppers and homesteaders, and separate it from the chaff. Many forums do that, where you can search for all the comments by a particular person. Perhaps Daisy can configure these comments to do the same?
For those that have put away religious dogma and seriously studied what we are prepping for, you’ll realize that the really tough times begin to manifest in earnest after Sept 15th this year. Call it the Grand Solar Minimum, End, Times, Tribulation Period, APOCALYPSE (!), or whatever SHTF scenario you resonate with. But it is TIME to act, and put away the senseless chatter. It is why Governments and Deep State Agencies (UN, WEF, etc) are working so furiously to get all the man-made components of the orchestrated collapse in place. I think they are several months behind schedule.
No worries, it is an absolutely wonderful scenario – if you understand the Paradigm we are in and Timeline we are on. It will ALL be over by Oct 2030, and what comes next is truly the most spectacular period in human history. However, if you don’t understand or aren’t prepared, then the ride will soon be over for you.
Wishing the best for everyone, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this body of knowledge, and exchange ideas with other like minded individuals. Especially when it comes to discussing and learning about preparing for the “Real” Apocalypse!
I think your strategy is very unrealistic.
Some great points there, RBI! Thanks for sharing them.
Precious metals don’t earn interest. Where did you get that from? If they pull an annual interest return, then why is the silver I purchased three years ago worth less now than the day I bought it?
That was my thought also. If silver actually “earned” 18% interest per year, then you could buy 100 ounces and one year later have 118 ounces. Doesn’t happen. Quick example:
Suppose you bought silver for 10 years from about 1994 to 2004 when it was only $5 an ounce (I’m rounding for simplicity). At the proposed spending of $100 per month, you’d get 20 ounces each month, or 240 ounces per year, or 2400 ounces after ten years, having invested $12,000.
According to that moneychimp calculator, if you invested $12,000 cash and got 18% interest for the next 20 years, you’d have over $328,000 (even with zero additional investment during that 20 years).
But at today’s silver price of roughly $25 per ounce, your 2400 ounces are worth $60,000 after 20 years.
Granted, that $60,000 is five times more than the investment of $12,000. And the growth rate (I won’t call it “interest”) is roughly equivalent to 8% a year. But it’s a far cry from the compounded interest rate. And it really isn’t “growth” but just a change in price. Next year, silver could be $20 per ounce.
More, if you’d bought silver from 2011 through mid-2013 when it was mostly over $30 per ounce, you’d have lost money by today. I used the lowest price in the last 30 years for the above example.
PMs are a hedge against inflation, not an investment, and they don’t earn interest. Could silver hit $100 per ounce? Maybe, and the value would go up. But that still doesn’t make it an investment and I’d advise against estimating the future value using compound interest calculators.
So the “Grand Solar Minimum, End Times, Tribulation Period, APOCALYPSE” will “begin to manifest in earnest after Sept 15th this year.” Since your comment was written in May, 2023, we can assume “this year” refers to Sept 15, 2023. Funny how that date came and went without my even noticing the apocalypse was at hand.
I was a young man in early 1988 when I read a pamphlet entitled, “88 Reasons Why The Rapture Will Be In 1988.” But September, 1988, came and went without the promised rapture. Bummer!
https://www.amazon.com/reasons-Why-Rapture-Will-1988/dp/B00073BM8O/
Perhaps, RBI, you should make sure your prep supplies include a generous stockpile of tinfoil. There’s a hat in every box.
Daisy and commenters, thank you for your input. I’ve been on this road of preparedness for awhile yet keep learning new approaches and strategies.
Getting out of debt is the #1 move. An older vehicle in good running order beats that shiny new $50k bauble on your driveway, but sometimes you need to invest to grow: for example, our new side-by-side will be a valuable work tool for me as well as mobility enhancement for my wife, and we’ll pay it off in short order. The trick is to have the income available to close out that loan before it comes back to strangle you.
Land and real estate may be the best prepping investment value but look at the market histories; around here in the Barrens (soil only good for ticks and poison ivy) the best time to buy was 7-10 years ago, since then prices have doubled at least. They may go down again when the recession bites down hard enough. Lots of farms occupied by old folks will come up for sale soon.
Precious metals? I love the wedding ring trade for barter and bribes. I used bullion once, to pay out in divorce, otherwise I’ve never traded with it. Cash is still king. Liquor, ammo and meds will be handy anytime.
Off grid sustainability sounds good but doesn’t always pan out. I see folks around here with wind and solar generators standing idle due to poor maintenance and weather. Batteries are expensive and wear out. Grid tied systems are a waste. Work the numbers before you sink a lot of cash into a dream.
Food in your pantry and in storage is always a good idea. Remember to cycle it through before it goes bad. I’ve learned to make good bread, it’s not hard. We have enough eggs from 5 chickens to feed us and hand out to the kids when they come around. I’m working for neighbors with farms & livestock to hold a place in line come harvest season – that porterhouse steak we had the other night came from an angus cow I helped move last season and was omg tasty.
Move out of the city, they get worse every year.
Is it possible to integrate some principles of underbanking/unbanked to this? For example, what possible rules of thumb for how much cash one should have on hand versus how much to keep in the bank?
Personally, I keep only my month of bills in the bank and withdraw the excess and keep that in cash which add it to the cash I have on hand.
I continue to go back and forth on the PMs issue.
Yes, historically speaking PMs have always had value.
BUT, only IF the very bottom of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is met first. You can have ammo cans full of PMs, not going to be worth a thing if you have not eaten in three weeks or access to fresh water after four or five days.
Other things required: A functioning society, and a viable economy. I would argue the former is in serious decline even now with the lights on and the latter is not far behind.
Flip side is preserving wealth till after a “Real” Apocalypse.
Here is the question, if we experience a “Real” Apocalypse, how long does that last?
According to Wiki, Weimar Republic of Germany lasted from November of 1918 to March of 1933 or fifteen years.
Can we really compare Weimar Germany to the US of today? I do not think so. Back then, people still had grit, common sense, skills needed to survive. Go to Wal-Mart, look around and ask yourself, how many of these people would survive if the lights go out, the toilet does not flush, no water comes out of the tap, and the trucks stop bringing in food. Some cities already look like a dystopian novel and the lights are still on.
I agree with other commenter’s about having land and access to fresh water. Although I would not want to live in the deep south when the power goes out. Not suggesting the lack of AC, but that would be uncomfortable. Talking about mosquito control. A good friend of mine works for a county down in FL. One of his jobs is to test for mosquitoes and spray as necessary. The “Real” Apocalypse happens they stop spraying, you could see all kinds of jungle diseases make a come back.
Is any place perfect? No. They all have their pros and cons. Pick which one is best for you and run with it.
I’ve been shopping at Wal-Mart for almost 50 years, and I’ve seen a lot. That being said, if the shtf, I choose Wal-Mart customers over the suv/yoga pants crowd for neighbors every time. Poor people know how to survive on little to nothing. Yuppies only know how to phone Door Dash and turn up their noses at us trailer park folks.
We don’t know what the future holds, nor the best way to meet it. Being out of debt is one of the important things, because debt enslaves one to the lender. But beyond that …? Storing up supplies is good for the short term, but once they run out …? Precious metals, what value will they have post collapse? The only viable solution that I can think of for the long term is to become a producer. Even there, what are the things that will be in demand? Food will always be in demand, but what about the people who won’t be able to produce food? What other things will be needed for barter? Who knows?
Thinking of the long term, investing in tools and skills is a better investment than precious metals. And supplies should only be considered a short term investment.
Good points R.O. and a number of questions I have as well.
Using Jared Diamond’s book Collapse as reference, it is only when a society has an abundance of food, that it can advance into other fields and more technologically advanced. That is when things like formal economy, banking, trade and commerce can become established.
Again, gotta meet that base level of Maslow’s Hierarchy.
I have a question. After the shtf and before civilization returns to normal, how do you reestablish trust and a safe environment for financial needs, assuming your regular monetary exchange locations no longer exist?
Great question.
I have no answers.
Hey Arthur, I have the same thoughts. In order to begin building trust, I sincerely believe that all of us are going to have to have or belong to a Preparedness group. And having that is NOT easy.
I teach self reliance classes for my church, would like permission to use your guidelines for my class.
Sure – drop us a line at hello@theorganicprepper dot com and we’ll send you some more information, too.
Learning of a new use for a magnet is always of interest. I like carrying a strongly magnetized steel washer (thanks to Home Depot) on a string because it’s flatter (and far more durable) in a pocket than a mini-compass but can help you find north in a strange city when the sun is clouded over and you don’t have a map (as has happened to me). Another use is to check for a strong attraction on the bottom of cookware you’re considering buying to see if it’s suitable for use on an induction cooker, etc, etc.
There are some tradeoffs when choosing (or not) to use debt. One highly valuable use is in paying for the learning/training to increase one’s earning skills. That can turn out to be a really good — or really bad — choice depending on the person, the circumstances, and the eventual death of some kinds of work (which is a very serious concern as we see AI metasticize in an economy and replace people). This becomes especially useful when gaining skills to operate one’s own business where you have the opportunity to set and raise your prices as inflation (aka government counterfeiting) goes through the roof and steals purchasing power from the victim population. An employee does not have the same freedom to set the price of his/her services.
Another sometimes worthwhile use of debt is to fund purchasing all (or a percentage interest in) businesses or real estate that are seriously cash flowing. A final observation on debt is that as hyperinflation wipes out the value of money … the numbers on a debt contract don’t change. So the person paying down that debt benefits enormously while the lender gets burned badly. That’s why new private lending dries up quickly.
Not mentioned above is an opportunity to use gold to facilitate purchases where charge cards are accepted. It helps to know that in 1933 when FDR confiscated most gold from Americans there were two exceptions. He didn’t touch gold coins with numismatic value since they were often owned by his mega-wealthy supporters. The other gold was bullion held in foreign countries over which FDR had zero legal authority. Back then there were no charge cards and rural electrification had not even arrived yet.
Today much has changed with a largely electrified world. Charge cards today are widespread and well accepted. The UK-based company via https://glintpay.com/us provides you with an opportunity to buy as much gold bullion (to be held securely in a Swiss vault) as you wish and are able. In exchange you get a Mastercard linked to your bullion holdings that are out of reach of any future US government confiscation. Understandably just like crypto use of that gold-backed Mastercard is dependant on the power grids. If they go down your use of those funds is suspended until power is restored. Happily whether there is power or not the purchasing power of that gold bullion cannot be stolen by government-caused hyper-inflation (criminal theft of the dollar’s purchasing power). If you do any international traveling … check with GlintPay to see which countries are compatible with their chargecard. In the US they have a support office in Colorado.
How the rules and defense might change as governments and central banks try to force populations to use only CBDC (digital money) is hard to predict. I suspect that support office in Colorado might have some useful insight into that issue.
None of the above discussion is intended to diminish the possible importance of a stash of barter goods (and skills) and some knowledge about using them well — especially in a long term power outage when or if digital money has been forced on the population … and only barter is useful for some time.
–Lewis