My family and I moved back to Missouri from Washington state a few months ago for several reasons, chief among them for me is to prepare for the coming collapse because I firmly believe we’re better off trying to survive in the heart of the country when things go to hell in a handbasket.
Aside from being busy trying to find a place to live and homestead, it’s been nice to see friends I haven’t see in a long while. Of course, they’re all doing well and most are quite successful in the IT industry. They’ve made a lot money by working hard and making wise investments in stocks and whatnot. Personally, I’ve neither been quite as driven to make money as they are nor capable of playing the stock market game. It’s just not what drives me.
In any case, everyone knows I’m a prepper, including friends and family. I’m sure most think I’m a little off my rocker (for reasons beyond simply being a prepper) but now that things in this country–and the world–are clearly getting worse, I don’t see them choosing to prepare themselves properly, even financially.
I’m not saying they’ve chose to do nothing. One friend, for example, is stockpiling a lot of cash at home and is even considering buying gold and silver, which is a start. Another close friend is attempting to keep his investments in more liquid assets, but they’re both still missing the ultimate problem.
You see, they still believe that, even if prices rise dramatically (which they will), that they’ll be able to continue to buy the goods they need, even if they’re forced to pay through the nose to do so. Granted, my guess is they don’t truly believe prices will ever get out of hand or else they would do things differently, but they’re no different than most folks, in my opinion, in that they would rather keep their heads in the sand and hope everything works out. That’s just not reality.
The problem, IMHO, is that we could very well see a time where one simply cannot acquire the goods and services they’re accustomed to relying upon no matter the price. Well, perhaps the uber rich will, but the rest of us won’t. And I’m not only talking about being able to afford a quarter-pounder at McDonald’s or a T-bone from the local grocery store.
Nope. I mean, you might not be able to get food. Period. You could find that electricity or natural gas aren’t being produced, which means you won’t be able to heat the house, cook food, refrigerate it, or keep the lights on. (Yeah, power really is that important.) You might not be able to get prescription medications–most are made in China–and the same can be said for any OTC medications you currently take. Heck, even water prices could soar. How does life sound when you can’t get food, power, medications, or water even if you could potentially afford dramatic price hikes?
I haven’t even mentioned services, which are a huge concern that most preppers–including me–can’t do much about. I’m talking about doctors, dentists, auto mechanics, any trade (e.g., plumbing or electrical), and the like. I can only imagine how in-demand, scarce, and expensive many of these services might get when times get tough.
Granted, there is the possibility of using alternative currencies (e.g., Bitcoin or gold) or barter, but that presumes you already have them in your possession and that whomever you’re trading with wants them. It’s good to have alternatives, but not a failsafe.
What to do? There’s only one thing you can do: become as self-reliant and self-sufficient as possible to weather the storm. That not only means having food stockpiled, but have the ability to grow and preserve more. You should not only be capable of living with less (or without) power, but generate your own via solar or wind. Mediations are a more difficult concern to deal with, but it certainly can’t hurt to stockpile as many OTC medications as you can. Perhaps it’s even possible to reduce or get off of some medications with drastic changes in diet, exercise, or lifestyle. Deal with health concerns now, while they’re still affordable and available.
This is why I’m so dead-set on homesteading. sh*t is going to get real for a variety of reasons, in particular because of inflation. Granted, I’ve been saying inflation is a problem for years, so maybe we can kick the can down the road for years longer. I really don’t know.
What I do know for sure is that the “check will come due” (have I used enough puns in this blog post yet?) and it won’t matter how much money in the bank or stashed away in your closet because the waiter ain’t takin’ U.S. currency.
Let me be clear: This isn’t about having more stuff. You can buy all the food storage food you want, but it will eventually run out. You can purchase more propane tanks and medications, but they’ll run out, too. This is about renewability. This is about planting the seeds now to reap the rewards later.
Ask yourself: What can you do right now, and in the coming months, to continue to produce for you and your family when [fill in the blank] commodity simply isn’t available? Can you grow a garden, raise chicken or livestock? Can you put in a solar power station? Can you grow medicinal herbs? Can you make nice with a neighboring doctor or dentist or mechanic?
What can YOU do RIGHT NOW to prepare for hard times? Do that now and as often as possible going forward, and I’d say you have a better than average chance of surviving the coming collapse.
If you’d like to know more of my thoughts on this topic, read my book about the coming collapse…and then prepare like tomorrow isn’t coming.
