Preparing for the oncoming depression. ... What are you doing to prepare?

[xultar]

I'm pretty frightened out of my tiny mind about what is about to come down the pike.

How are you preparing? Maybe your preparations can help me get prepared. Also how are you preparing for your pets?

[taterguy]

1. Buying lots of stuff on credit

[Billy Burnett]

2. Guns. Lots of them.

I'm surrounded by armed knuckle-dragging freepers.

[SlipperySlope]

70. Plus thousands of rounds of SS109

I expect the thugs to be wearing bullet proof vests.

[MADem]

3. Spend less. Be frugal.

Use it up, wear it out,

Make it do, or do without.


It's a skill one learns the older one gets.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

30. The first thing I see whenever I open my checkbook:

It's a photocopy of an entry I found in my mother's journal, which I took possession of when I became executor of her estate in 2002.

My parents were definitely better at this than I am, but you're absolutely correct. It's a skill one learns the older one gets, and the only thing I'd add is that the skill improves over time.

:toast:

[MADem]

33. Your mother must have been friends of our family~!!!

We've been doing that since before the first foot landed on American shores, a few generations ago! It's ingrained!!

:toast:

[zanne]

86. Yup.

Whenever I'm thinking of buying something, I ask myself "Do I need this or do I just want this"?

[SlipperySlope]

71. Frugal vs Cheap

I like to live frugal, but have been accused of being cheap. Sometimes it seems like people don't know the difference.

To me, Frugal is getting the most for your money, but cheap is trying not to spend any money.

Frugal is a way of being wise, cheap is a way of being mean.

[davidinalameda]

4. drink heavily

[peace13]

The thought has occurred to me that a few jugs of something

buried out back might not be a back idea. LOL!

[KayLaw]

48. Very strange

Your post has no number.

Anyhow, I've been expecting this for a long time so I've everything I can about the Great Depression and books written for people who just want to spend less. The Tightwad Gazette was a good one and there's another called Cheap Tricks that I like.

[peace13]

55. That is very odd!

It doesn't' show up in my "My DU" either. Must be going directly to Agent Mike! Thanks for the info. I will be interested to read more. I feel better if I am prepared. Peace, Kim

[tomreedtoon]

80. Want to talk to my sister?

She asked me for a formula for nerve gas - not tear gas, but gas that will cripple and permanently maim people - from The Anarchist's Cookbook. She wanted to bury the canisters under the front and yard and use electrically-operated explosives to release the gas. Her reasoning; when things went bad the...um, group of people to whom the "N" word apply...would come roaring out of downtown Saint Louis to rape and kill all the whites. And not necessarily in that order.

It sounds like you, and a lot of the people in this thread, are thinking in these terms. Even if your fear target isn't specifically racial (but I bet in the back of your mind it is), it would be just as unfair to identify them as "freepers" or "Bushies" or "survivalists" or whatever.

You want to see who you should fear? Find a mirror.

(Of course, if you're a member of the "vampire elite" that some moron keeps ranting about on DU, you won't be able to see yourself in the mirror, either.)

On edit: I forgot to mention that "burying something" is what my sis wanted to do to the nerve gas. She also gave her son a semi-auto rifle hidden in the wall of his room, and instructions to pull it out and use it if the "n-word" people made it past the gas. How is your weapon, by the way?

[zanne]

87. Did your sister get help for her mental illness?

I'm not trying to be insulting, but that level of paranoia is not at all healthy.

[tomreedtoon]

95. "That level of paranoia" is NORMAL now.

No offense taken. But you seem to think it's unusual. It is VERY common now. I don't accept it, but a lot of people do.

This is the reason why I think we need more than specific remedies to solve our problems, like investing in the infrastructure or universal health care. We need something in addition; we need a moral inspiration. We need to be reminded that we are all people, not each other's enemies. That's been forgotten by nearly all Republicans and most Democrats.

[demgurl]

94. Um, you may want to look up past threads like this one.

They are not at all about people coming to get you but rather about what we can do to reinforce our ability to make it through hard times. Past threads have included tips about gardening and such. The OP was trying to get tips for survival, not about how to survive others around the OP. I think you are off base on this one.

[Redstone]

5. Not a damn thing. Whatever happens is what will happen.

Redstone

[xultar]

10. I hear ya. I have 5 dogs and 2 cats under my care. So I'm really concerned

for them. I want to make sure they are fed, cared for and healthy.

Honestly I could give a shit about myself.

[zanne]

88. I second that!

Although my husband likes to eat, too. Seriously, I am so protective of my pets. They were all rescues (I have three) and I couldn't bear to see them go back to scavenging and fighting to survive!

[roguevalley]

96. google pet recipes and learn to make your own dog and cat food

also, there are pet medical things that you can google as well. My boys and I, all five of us, are prepared to drop dead together. More than any gun, it would take my cold dead fingers before I give up one of my little dogs.

[Deja Q]

11. .

:applause:

:yourock:

Still do the usual like studying and working on a trade and building skills, even social skills, but we could die in a 50 car pile-up tomorrow.

[dysfunctional press]

19. that's the tack we're taking too...

as soon as spring comes, we're planning going to build a 3-car detached garage, and turn our current 2-car attached garage into a new woodshop, and i'm adding a shower to our half-bath.
if a recession/depression happens, it happens. but it probably wouldn't alter our plans all that much.

[Redstone]

44. A woodshop. Hot damn, I wish I had the space for a dedicated one of those, and

the time to use it. Good luck with your plans.

Redstone

[dysfunctional press]

61. thanks...it's been a longtime coming, and we're not going to let a recession stand in the way.

we bought this house a 1 1/2 years ago, but it took a year to sell our place in the city, and by the time we closed, it was too late to get started on it this past fall.
but it's given us time to ponder, and refine what we want to do- something tells me that we should be able to find a builder at pretty good price come springtime.

the woodshop is mostly for my wife- she's itching to do some lathe work...i'm going to have a metal shop for my part- i had thought about combining them in the same space, but then decided that it wouldn't be the wisest thing to do, welding/cutting in a sawdust laden environment...so i'll have to make some different arrangements for that. probably one of the bays of the new garage- we don't need 3 car bays, but as long as we're building it only makes sense to make it that size for resale value.

i've got about a decade or so worth of "projects" ahead of me at this place...

i love it.

[Pale Blue Dot]

22. Frankly, Redstone, if people believed that this was coming,

we could do something about it now. It IS going to happen precisely because good people like you are choosing to ignore what's happening in the economy.

I'm acting as if it IS going to happen, and if it doesn't (a very remote possibility, I think), then I'll still be in great shape.

[Redstone]

43. Feh. There's NO way me ignoring it (or not) will change anything.

I'll deal with whatever happens when it happens. That's worked for me all my life.

If everything goes to hell, well, Mrs R and I have both been poor before. We can do it again.

Redstone

[dysfunctional press]

77. actually that's not quite true...

those of us who choose to carry on with our day-to-day lives and enjoy the very short time we each have of life, despite the era that we had no choice in being born into are the ones doing the most good.
a recession/depression can also be a self-fulfilling prophecy- if everyone believes it will happen, and act like it's about to happen- it will.
my wife and i have spent quite awhile being down, and now that the cards have started to turn our way for a change, we're going to enjoy it while we can.

[fenriswolf]

6. grandma has an empty room we can always use

I'm sure you will see alot of family consolidation going around. time for big family homes again.

[MADem]

37. We've been ahead of the curve for years! NT

[End Of The Road]

7. I got through the Reagan Recession by

keeping my head buried in the sand. Figure it will work again this time.

[thunder rising]

8. I'm getting a roommate. I just want to keep my house.

[xultar]

16. I'm thinking of doing that myself. I want another single person and no kids

I don't care about pets really. So I think I'll start asking around.

[Deja Q]

9. Well, aren't we optimistic today...

[peace13]

12. Making my footprint on the earth smaller.

Consolidate home and office, emergency generator, RO water purifier, some food in store, increase garden size and plant fruit trees. If things continue the way they are my family will take the concealed carry classes and learn about proper gun handling(hope I don't have to go this far). I am trying to make a spot in the house to accommodate other family members should an emergency arise. Until then I continue to call my representative, speak out and demonstrate against the war to try and get this ship turned around. As 'Dr, Phil' might ask, 'How's that workin' for you?'...not so good. Peace, Kim

[Deja Q]

15. How big is your garden? Can it carry you as long as you think?

BTW: Shoot me if the time comes. And aim properly.

[peace13]

26. We have always had a vegetable garden just for fun

but in the past couple of years we have had enough to share with others. Although my in-laws used to live pretty much off of their home canned produce I am too paranoid about botulism to go that far. Every little bit helps and yes I pick up pennies when I find them. If you were poking fun at me that's OK. And on the shooting thing, it's not really something that I would ever want to do but if I had to I would want to be good at it. Peace, Kim

[Warpy]

13. No debt

That's the key. Debt is going to be pure poison.

The first thing that will happen is steep inflation. People will be able to buy only enough food to keep themselves alive. The rest of the budget is going to go to servicing their debt. Eventually the debt will take over and they'll lose everything.

Y'all are going to have to learn how to cook if you want to get through this one. Learning how to fix your clothes when they start to wear out is an added advantage, especially for kids. Kids will actually like the patches if you make them in interesting shapes.

Face it, the rich have sold us their snake oil again and enough of us bought it that we're all going to get badly hurt. There is no way around it except to be as generous to each other as we can. Barter what you've got to offer and be generous to folks who are hurting so bad they have little to bargain with. We're all going to be in it together and it's going to be worldwide. There will be no place to outrun it.

Not even the CEOs who bailed out on platinum parachutes and landed on Roatan Island are going to escape.

[xultar]

18. I hope the CEOs get their asses burnt. I say that with a smile.

[Warpy]

28. Yes, I'm hoping they're all Enron types

who have outsmarted themselves by investing in high risk securities to maximize their income.

You know, like hedge funds and other outfits that bought a lot of CDOs.

[bdamomma]

58. yes, I would love to see them scratching in the mud too.

[roguevalley]

97. if there are enough people in default on debt, I would like to see

what the damned oligarchs would be able to do about enforcing it. armies won't shoot their parents, brothers and friends. good luck, citibank, you fuckers.

[elehhhhna]

14. We're fattening up the dog.

[xultar]

21. I only have Chihuahua's so at most a one meal pet.

[roguevalley]

98. five small ones from what I've heard. (HINT: pictures, hmmm?)

RV, being pesky again

[Caretha]

85. Oh My!

:rofl:

[elehhhhna]

89. welcome to DU, Caretha

[TomClash]

17. Guns and Ammo

Rations and, of course, duct tape - in case they nuke me - the Repukes I mean.

Of course, I cannot afford 99.000 acres of land in Paraguay like Shrub & Co.

[Donnachaidh]

20. paid off credit cards for one

NOT using them for anything but emergencies.

Bought a freezer. I have family to feed, and am filling it fast. Also stocking up on dry goods.Keeping a cash stash for emergencies. Making a list of belongings with re-sale value. Researching REAL low cost services for supplies like car repair, etc. Researching consignment shops for gently-worn, used clothes that waste space in the closet.

Got rid of *yuppie toys* - cell phone services that lock you into contracts. That extremely cool Borgian device can add several hundred dollars of debt to your credit rating if you lose your job and cannot pay the bill. Same with all the other gadgets.

[radfringe]

23. treading water

don't have resources to do more than that

[Medusa]

24. The US will never see a depression like we saw in the 20's

there are built-in safety valves now that we didn't have then.

[Pale Blue Dot]

27. Please do a little research.

Most of the "safety valves" have been systematically removed over the past decade in the name of "deregulation."

[peace13]

31. That FDIC...the big F for federal as in bankrupt nation.

I just hope that the bank will offset my debt by the savings that they claim when the last door is locked. Peace, KIm

[Pale Blue Dot]

36. About the FDIC...

On January 14, 2008 the FDIC web site began posting the rules for reimbursing depositors in the event of a bank failure. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is required to “determine the total insured amount for each depositor....as of the day of the failure” and return their money as quickly as possible. The agency is “modernizing its current business processes and procedures for determining deposit insurance coverage in the event of a failure of one of the largest insured depository institutions.” ( http://www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2008/fil08002.h... )

The implication is clear, the FDIC has begun the “death watch” on the many banks which are currently drowning in their own red ink. The problem for the FDIC is that it has never supervised a bank failure which exceeded 175,000 accounts. So the impending financial tsunami is likely to be a crash-course in crisis management. Today some of the larger banks have more than 50 million depositors, which will make the FDIC's job nearly impossible.

Good luck.

It's worth noting that, due to a rule change by Congress in 1991, the FDIC is now required to use “the least costly transaction when dealing with a troubled bank. The FDIC won't reimburse uninsured depositors if it means increasing the loss to the deposit insurance fund....As a result, uninsured depositors are protected only if a bank acquiring the failed bank will pay more for all of the deposits than it would for insured deposits only.” (MarketWatch)

Great. That's reassuring. And there's more, too. FDIC Chairman Shiela Bair warned that “as of Sept. 30, there were 65 institutions with assets of $18.5 billion on its list of "problem" institutions;” although she wouldn't give names.

http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article3643.html


So much has happened under our nose, with the willful ignorance of the American people.

[peace13]

41. Thank you for this information.

Much food for thought. Peace, Kim

[sarcasmo]

47. Come visit Michigan and then tell me we will never see a Depression.

Our numbers here rival that of the great Depression.

[NickB79]

49. Frankly, I think the recession is only the tip of the iceberg

Come over to the Environment/Energy forum and read a bit about Peak Oil, Peak Natural Gas, global warming, and resource depletion in general.

I have this bad feeling that by the time all the economists predict we'll be coming out of this recession, we will be entering a permanent depression due to skyrocketing oil, natural gas, and food prices.

Downward spiral, and no one has even thought about putting in safety valves against resource depletion yet.

[Auntie Bush]

68. Damn, Now you're scaring me! n/t

[donsu]

90. you wish

nt

[beezlebum]

25. my husband's grandma

has always told us that we'd never know what to do if we had to go through what she did as a child. chewing gum for weeks at a time, savoring the 14th in a row serving of cabbage stew for supper (day in day out), if they were lucky to get that, having to save literally every penny, wearing old, patched up clothes- blouses that were once dresses but had gotten so tattered they were beyond repair, except for the top.

my in-laws laugh at her for washing ziplock baggies and reusing foil and everything else (i do this too, but for different reason), and she tells us, "ya'll just wait and see! i hope you never have to face the day we did!"

i have learned a lot from her. i'm being as frugal as possible, paying off all debts, reusing everything (environmentally and economically responsible), learning to sew and reuse clothing- my son ripped a hole in every single pair of school pants, and i didn't have the money for another pair- i learned to patch 'em up!

old t-shirts- this is more of an environmental thing, but i imagine eventually, the environment will impact our economy significantly as well- instead of BUYING reusable cloth bags, my dear friend is teaching me to sew them together and use the sleeves as handle.

whether doing this for environment or economy, i think it would be wise to just get a handle on it. i'm already pinching pennies as it is- i hate to see it worse. things may not get as bad as the Great Depression, but you never know. better safe than sorry. i don't know many people who would even think of patching an old pair of jeans before throwing them out.

[dmosh42]

29. Try to be close to debt-free, because...

depressions mean hard money. That means also, the money is hard to get. So if you go into a depression with a lot of debt, that stays with you, and becomes much harder to pay off.

[Hersheygirl]

32. I started to buy gold.

By the end of this year it will really start to get bad.

[poppysgal]

34. Well, I'm building

an ark. O8)

[CanonRay]

35. Goats and Chickens

I'm going to stock feed, and raise goats for milk and meat, and chickens for eggs and meat. Then I'll have something to barter, which is how most of the economy will function. Like to get a horse and wagon as well. I have some pretty good pasture. I figure gasoline will be hard to come by.

[peace13]

42. Did you read the book 'Cold Mountain"?

The goat woman was sitting pretty on the mountain side during the Civil war. Not a bad plan. Peace, Kim

[donsu]

91. good thinking

nt

[Nay]

38. As a 55-yr-old crabby old lady, I am appalled at the number of people

who cannot take care of even the simplest things. So, here's my list:

1. learn to sew, mend, and patch clothing and linens. Keep it SIMPLE. There's no need to sew ball gowns--find a good jeans pattern, blouse pattern, shirt pattern and dress pattern for everyone in the family. Practice making these items and WEAR them, even if only for digging in the garden.
2. Learn to cook, fer god's sake! Not everything comes from a box or a drive-thru! And since really bad economic times can mean lots of beans and plain food, learn to prepare those first. Learning to bake decent bread is a good idea, too. $3 a loaf in the store is insane.
3. learn to dry foods and can foods
4. Get a basic book on electrical and plumbing, since you as a homeowner are going to need to know this
5. Learn biointensive/square-foot gardening techniques. Use them, starting now, if only in a very limited area, so you can get a feel for them. When you need to radically expand your gardening, you'll at least have a passing knowledge.
6. Start an inexpensive or very useful hobby. It will keep you sane.
7. Collect used books on subjects that will be useful during hard times -- gardening, raising rabbits, skinning deer, being thrifty, knitting/crocheting, simple cooking, simple repairs. Get one of those fix-it manuals (Chilton's) for each of the family cars.
8. Know and love your neighbors! They will be in hell there right with you!
9. GET OUT OF DEBT AND STAY OUT.

Have I done all the above? Yes. But not because I'm a survivalist. I've done it for fun. Mr. Nay and I also are totally debt-free except for about 6 more years on the mortgage.

10. I never thought I would have to say something like this, but I have recently met a few people who have the oddest quirks. If you have one of these quirks, get rid of them -- pay money to a shrink if you need to.
a. Weird food compulsions -- can't mix food; can't eat whole categories of normal foods; can't drink water plain; etc., etc.
b. Can't use the bathroom except at home or some "safe" place.
c. Can't stand to see or touch dirt, insects, animals, worms, etc.
d. Germ phobias to the point of insanity
e. General fear of living - you'd be surprised at the number of women I know who are afraid to drive, by themselves, to the next town over. Never mind driving to another state. Get over this!

[xultar]

40. Wow that is some good stuff. I have recently taken up sewing...but for my dogs.

I figure when I'm done screwing up mending their beds and such I can then sew shit for mysel

[beezlebum]

50. awesome tips

thanks :)

[malaise]

52. Great post

I've done several of them but hubby will have to deal with the electrical and plumbing. I cook, sew (mostly mend, although I make my own cushion covers and drapes), dry food. I'm a decent gardener. No phobias and no shrink. No debt here either.

You're a survivor.

[Rosemary2205]

57. PLEASE do not fix your own car !!! That is BAD NEWS.

A pre 1980 model you might can get away with, but good lord even putting new brake pads on a recent model screws up all the electronics.

[Nay]

62. No worries on this one -- Mr Nay and Sonny Nay are both mechanics.

For those who don't have mechanics in the family, your advice might hold true.

[Auntie Bush]

69. Crabby old lady,

That's the best post of the week! I'm going to print this out and read it regularly ...like a long mantra.

By the way...I'm older! I think you have me beat on crabby...except on DU.

[Nay]

107. Aw, shux.

:blush:

Thanks, Auntie. I gotta say, I look around me at all the people who can't even sew a button back on a shirt, and I despair. How the hell are they going to manage? Well, they aren't.

And that's why I'm crabby. You try to lift 'em up, and all they do is go and sit in front of the damn TV.

[Raksha]

84. Excellent post...a keeper. n/t

[NickB79]

39. I have short-term and long-term plans

In the short-term, I'm stocking up on dried and canned food, eating out as little as possible, saving to purchase a small chest freezer for our apartment and stock it up, and I'm paying off debts as fast as possible. I've been shopping at Aldi's a lot; very few name brands but the quality is decent and the prices are cheap. Otherwise, I buy Cub Brand products at Cub Foods; I buy name-brand when there's nothing else cheaper. So far, my girlfriend's car is paid off, our credit cards get paid off at the end of every month, and I only have a few thousand left on my car. We rent, so no big mortgage payments for us, either. All the lightbulbs have been replaced with CFL's.

My girlfriend drives as little as possible, and when we go places together we take my car, since it gets 40 mpg on the highway (that's the main reason I bought this car, even though my friends looked down on me at the time for buying an "econobox"). I pick up overtime when I can at work; she just got a new job as a pharmacy tech that includes union membership, health insurance, better pay, and more hours than her current retail job. It should be a more stable job in a recession than selling cheap knick-nacks in the mall.

I get a lot of exercise at work, and also take advantage of the weight room at our apartment complex to stay in shape and healthy. I get two free dental cleanings per year and one free check-up through my health insurance, and I take full advantage of them. Preventative care can save you huge amounts of money in the long run; take advantage of it if you have it.

I've always loved plants, even as a kid, so I'm purchasing edible trees and shrubs to plant around my dad's farm to add to his small orchard. I'm adding a third apple tree, a pear tree, 1-2 peach trees, and maybe some cold-hardy apricots. It will be a few years before the new trees bear fruit, but better safe than sorry. I also have a few dozen apple tree saplings I've grown from seed that I'm going to practice grafting on this spring. My grandmother's orchard has at least 6 different varieties of apples that I'd like to try to graft onto the rootstock I've grown.

I also have small groves of hazelnuts and walnut trees that are starting to bear heavily, so long as the squirrels don't get them. If they do, well, I like squirrel stew just as much as nuts :). I'm also purchasing a few hybrid chestnut saplings this spring that are blight-resistant, but it will be years before they start to bear nuts. This might get me labeled as a survivalist nut, but I've also experimented with making acorn flour from the numerous burr and white oaks in the 20-acre woods on my dad's farm, like the Native Americans did hundreds of years ago. So long as you soak the acorn meal long enough to get the tannins out, it tastes pretty good.

I'm purchasing new garden seeds, especially heirloom varieties that breed true from year to year (unlike many hybrids), to plant in the large garden my dad has me grow every year. Usually, he has so much produce in the fall that after stocking his freezer, the cellar, and giving my grandmother stuff to jar, he feeds what's left to the pigs. I should be able to stock my chest freezer with beans, corn, peas, tomatoes, zucchini, apples, etc and still not use up everything he grows.

I have the guns and ammo thing pretty well under control, but I've liked hunting and target practice long before I started worrying about a recession/depression. My few assault rifles, a shotgun, and 10,000 rounds of ammo should last me a loooong time.

You might have figured out from what I've posted above what my long-term plans are. If things get so bad that my girlfriend and I can't afford rent, can't find friends to move in with, or lose our jobs and can't find new ones, we'll probably move out to the farm. I really don't think it will come to that, but one can never be too prepared nowadays.

[donsu]

92. I'm jealous - I miss having property.

your plans are great

[roguevalley]

99. make sure you plant fruit trees by twos. they do wonderfully when

they are together. alone, not so much. Do that with all fruit plants.

[NickB79]

105. Yes, cross-pollination is vital for most fruits

There are a few varieties that are self-fertile, but better safe than sorry.

[mike_c]

45. odd that you should mention pets....

I have a pretty secure job with a decent, if not extravagant salary, I rent my house for a reasonable cost, and have no consumer debt other than my car. I live with four cats, all of whom I've raised from kittens. They are as much my family as any human beings have ever been and are dependent upon me for their welfare.

I'm not at all frightened about my own future. Even in the worst possible scenario-- lose my job, lose my residence, etc-- I'm pretty confident that I'll be OK, even if that means being uncomfortable. I've been homeless before, I've been broke and unemployed. I've gone hungry, and I've accepted charity. It sucks, but I can survive it.

I'm MUCH more worried about my cats, frankly. Their safety depends upon my living in circumstances where they're protected, fed, have medical care, etc. *I* can do without those things if I have to, and can even cope with dire circumstances if necessary, but I have tremendous anxiety about my cats. I'm responsible for them, dammit. What will I do if I have to leave this house, for example? How will I keep them safe?

I'm going to end this line of thought now because it causes me enormous discomfort.

[beezlebum]

51. i'm a cat lover too

i have two adopted from SPCA. always financially strapped, and sometimes i have a hard time imagining how on earth if things get worse would i ever afford their food and medical care?

an added concern indeed.

[OutNow]

46. My Plan = I Moved To Oregon

This is a very good question. We recently retired to Oregon after 25 years in Texas. I lived in the high tech world, large house, spend spend spend.

I am finding that people in Oregon have a much better view of life. There wasn't a big boom in high tech or housing (compared to Texas and California) so many folks in Oregon have been living a frugal lifestyle for a long time. I'm learning from my son and daughter-in-law and their Oregon families that the best things in life aren't things. I get more pleasure out of playing with my grandson than buying a new CD.

That said, I've also used the past year to upgrade to a good quality heat pump from an old gas furnace, added lots of insulation to the attic, etc. The primary reason was to help the environment, but I will be saving money too.

If (when) the economy slides into a real depression (about a 60% chance I think), the folks in Texas that need to run their air conditioners 24X7 for 6 months every year in their large poorly insulated houses will be in deep trouble.

Last, get rid of as much debt as possible as fast as possible. If we have stagflation, the interest rate on your debt will be shocking.

[roguevalley]

100. Oregon rules. where abouts in Oregon?

[B Calm]

53. Cutting firewood, hoarding money, and filleting fish.

[Cruzan]

54. Open a margin account and short the market.

How it was done a hundred years ago.

[Rosemary2205]

56. I'm going to run 5 credit cards to the max while I still can.

Not a chance in hell Capitol One is going to come take the stuff back when I stop paying the bill. All that cheap chinese crap I'm buying will be worth a lot of beans and cornbread the the dollar hits the fan and we all have 15 families sharing space in those megamansions no one wants anymore.

Just about the time the bad debts go off my credit report and economy will be looking up again and I'll be living high on the hog. LOL





(I kid, of course)

[djkevvy]

75. Just run them up by...

Taking out cash advances in Euros. Then when everything crashes, you'll at least have something stable!

[Kitty Herder]

59. I'm already too broke to be able to prepare.

I don't know what to do to prepare with no money and no credit. :scared:

[donsu]

93. knowledge can save you - cram your brain with survival info

nt

[ileus]

60. ammo and fishing equipment....

[backscatter712]

63. Save money. Live under my means.

That will give me at least a little cushion if I lose my job.

[ananda]

64. Nothing in particular.

I rent, and I'm cool with that.
I have no debt, so that's a relief.

I have health insurance to whatever degree
the sucky company decides to provide, but
at least it's something.

I'm concerned about rapacious, privatized
utility, phone, and cable companies that
all need to be regulated.

I plan to stay as healthy as humanly possible
and just pray that people come to their
senses when it comes to the economy.

But I'm not holding my breath waiting or hoping.

[Subdivisions]

65. I have been stockpiling...

Been buying canned foods, flour, sugar, rice, beans, cornmeal, and more. Have a well-rounded stock of vegetable seeds. Purchased gardening tools (even though I live in an apartment!). Tents, sleeping bags, candles, machete, hunting knives, tarps, axe, fishing gear...and a bunch more stuff. So much so that I have to upgrade the size of my storage unit.

I didn't begin preparing because of the coming depression though. I began preparing whenever I saw FEMA and BushCo in action post-Katrina. But then I began really taking a good, hard look another issue and, after alot more research and analysis, came to the realization that oil and oil-based products will soon become unavailable or inaccessable to those of us down here at my level of society.

In fact, I'd be willing to hazard the statement that nearly everything bad we see happening in the world today can be tied directly to some aspect of oil depletion along with a healthy dose of resource wars and geopolitical turbulence thrown in for good measure. So, I began taking my preparations more seriously - adding items to cover the potential for a situation where survival may actually mean escaping suburbia for the relative safety of wilderness.

The thing I hadn't considered preparing for until recently was a recession rumored now to have the potential to become a depression of unprecedented proportions. Ironically, this will actually give us a little more time to prepare before we begin the long slide down the right-hand side of the oil production curve - a slide that will continue unapologetically downward until there is no more oil available.

The recession is merely a warmup for what's I'm really preparing for.

[roguevalley]

101. there is also the worry that as the GReat Basin becomes harder

to live in -drought and loss of arable land- where will those people go?

[NickB79]

106. It's amazing how often a few of us point out the link between oil depletion and what's coming

And how so few people actually take it seriously.

A friend of mine just called me a few days ago, freaking out about a story she's seen about Peak Oil. But like she said after we talked for an hour about what resource depletion entails, "Ignorance is bliss, isn't it? I almost wish I didn't know what I know now." I actually felt bad telling her what I see coming in the next 5-10 years.

[alittlelark]

66. We threw our dollars into currency funds

primarily Latin American currencies, Euros, and a few E European denominations.

We have a well stocked home, and I learned to make cat/dog food.http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/185104 Many links.


It's all scary.

[Auntie Bush]

67. I'm chewing my fingernails to a stub. Now I'm going to stock up on artificial nails.

Regarding my pet...he won't be a problem. :cry: We're presently trying to get the courage to help our wonderful 16 year old Jack Russell pass to the other side. :cry: :cry: :cry: Damn, I really got myself crying.

Now to answer your question...I've quit spending and am saving as much as I can and putting it under the mattress...so to speak.

Now that you mention it...I'll think about it more and hope someone on here posts some good ideas. I'll book mark this and be checking in. Thanks.
Except for asking that pet question.

[roguevalley]

102. bless your little baby, Auntie Bush. Hugs to you and yours over

this. My Robby had cancer but we beat the tumor. I feel your anxiety.

[bvar22]

72. We sold everything, left the city, moved to the deep woods,

and planted a garden.


We have a protected water supply, National Forest on 3 sides, and plenty of game.
We will have free range chickens this Summer, and goats soon.
We started 2 honey bee colonies last year, and will add 4 more this year.
We are working to be Energy self-sufficient (windmill + panels) within two years (sooner if need be).


We are NOT "Survivalists", and don't associate with people who have romantic relationships with their guns (though we do own several).
We aren't running from an impending collapse as much as embracing a lifestyle we both find attractive.
We both pray that a collapse doesn't happen.

We have wanted to do this for a while, and after another stolen election in 2004 and the quiet acquiescence by the "Opposition Party" we figured that the time was right. The performance of the 2006 Democratic Majority and Campaign 2008 only affirms our decision. Nothing much is going to change.

If we can't make it, or grow it, we will do without it.

[MadHound]

73. Moved out to the country a few years back

Growing an orchard for fun, profit and survival. Grow an extensive garden, and can and freeze each year. Putting in a large cistern system with wind driven irrigation, a wind turbine, a woodstove(complete with a filter and will be making my own biodiesel. If need be I can harvest the deer, rabbits and other game that roam my land.

I'm preparing for a lot more than a depression, but hey, if everything comes out OK, I'll still be saving lots of money.

[Old_Growth]

74. What's to fear?

Is the earth going to stop producing food and materials we need to survive? You may become dispossesed from them. It's only because you cling to a flawed system of beliefs (economic concepts). Will it be like the last great depression? Widespread poverty and hunger while crops and livestock are destroyed. Insanity!

[quakerboy]

76. Im a little worried about it

Fortunantly I have Canadian connections, so at worst, I can make a run for the border. And my elder family were all civil servants, so Unless the govt goes under, I've got a pretty solid support structure. I also feel lucky in that I actually really like Plain white rice, which is really easy to get, and I dont see becoming too scarce too fast.

My main immediate concession to such things is to relearn the lost art of Couponing. My fiance thinks its a bit odd, but its a practice i remember my mom working. And its kinda fun, to be honest. find the add with the item on sale, find the coupon for the same item, save double, and win. like a puzzle game. When you can find a rebate or some other twist all the better. I just made 3 net bucks buying toothpaste. Like sudoku only more rewarding.

I don't really have much in the way of debt. There's a car loan, but It's through a credit union at a pretty solid fixed rate. And we have the money to pay it off, did the need arrive. We just prefer to keep the cash saved for the things we actually saved it for. The only think I really worry about is student debt. I need to research more, but I am under the impression that i am stuck with it even were i to go for some sort of bankrupcy. That worries me a little. Anyone have any insight into that?

[Name removed]

78. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[seabeyond]

79. 4 years of said depression a comin..... so i have had plenty of time

hording my money and dropping all expenses not necessary. just sittin here waitin....

[drmeow]

81. DH and I already live WELL within our means

and have decently secure jobs. Even if one of us lost our job (mine is more likely than DH's), we'd be OK. We walk to work so gas prices don't affect us. I already sew. I already cook. I already do a lot of home repair. I already have low cost hobbies. I haven't tried my hand at veggie gardening ... I really should.

I am currently and, as long as we are doing well, I will continue to try to keep the same amount of money moving from my household into the economy for as long as I can. In my position I think that's the best thing I can do for the economy. I'm not going to go crazy (still save as much as we do now) but I'm also not going to change my spending habits unless I have to. I already try to buy local. I'm willing to barter my sewing if people need it and don't have a way of paying. I have been trying to think of other skills I can barter but most of my skills are not what I would consider necessary which means I would only have a need to barter them if I didn't have the funds to pay.

This summer I'm going to convert my yard to desert landscaping - money into the economy. That will include some fruit trees and I will also try to start a veggie garden at that point. I'd like to put solar panels on the roof next year (probably a zero sum game but an upfront infusion of cash into the economy with long term reduction).

The last item there is the only thing I hope might help me if there is an armed uprising of the downtrodden against the ruling classes who I hope to God go after the filthy rich rather than the merely very comfortable like me :) The ability to provide my own power if necessary (or even barter power) would be great. And a revolution/civil war is what I am much more afraid of - and collapse of the Federal government (especially since I live in a red state). I've already lived through part of one (Beirut, 1974 - 1975) and that is scary.

[leftofthedial]

82. stocking up on antidepressants

and alcohol

and rope

[Donk Yore]

83. I have made certain that my family is okay

If my brains get blown out, there will be cars, homes and other things for people to take.

All is good.

[Perry Logan]

103. Lots of wheedling prayers.

[DaveJ]

104. I would invest my time in solving the problem n/t