Don't Panic------ Prepare

[SoCalDem]

As the news gets "grimmer" by the day, I see people getting more and more frightened, and the sad fact is this.. There is very LITTLE that the average person can DO to change policy or to affect what goes on in corporate offices, workplaces and/or government.

Whatever is going to happen in the economy will have a very large effect on the people who have the least ability to forestall the events, and who will bear the most pain from the policies set into motion.

Panic is a normal reaction to anything we are afraid of, but when one is in panic-mode, bad decisions often are made.

People DUmail me from time to time to comment on these two threads, so I am re-posting them so people who may be just now entering the Panic-zone could take heart and perhaps start on their path to preparedness..

Forewarned is forearmed :)


...............................................

Taking back control over your food.

Posted by SoCalDem in General Discussion

Sun May 06th 2007, 02:17 PM

I know it sounds impossible, but every little bit you do CAN help.

Many people under 40 have been raised on "fast-food" or "packaged-mixes" or "frankenfoods".

The franken-foods are harder to eliminate since the very essence of them has been manipulated at the start, but there's a LOT you can do about the others.

NUMBER ONE:.. Ignore all the glitzy ads on tv and in magazines/papers

NUMBER TWO:... Stop buying the prepared stuff

NUMBER THREE:... Invest in some old cookbooks (used book stores/flea markets/estate sales..or even online)

NUMBER FOUR:...Buy a decent food processor

NUMBER FIVE:... PURGE your cupboards and freezer of all the "combination foods".

NUMBER SIX:...Learn how to cook..(It's not rocket science, and once you get the hang of it, it actually takes less time than you would think.

NUMBER SEVEN:.. Make your OWN "frozen dinners" for times when you don't want to cook.

NUMBER EIGHT:... Plant a garden and let your kids help..Anti-veggie kids will probably eat "their" own veggies..(Mine did)

NUMBER NINE:... Buy good spices

NUMBER TEN :... Make your OWN cake mixes, pancake mixes, baking mixes (HP Make-A-Mix Cookbooks are wonderful)

Modern people think they have no time to "cook from scratch", but it's not that hard and it takes less time than one thinks.

It's not a cheap as buying $1 Banquet frozen dinners or 2/$5 Dominos Pizza, but it's a lot better for you, and so-called convenience foods are LOADED with salt and artificial flavors.

Look for canned foods that have the FEWEST "ingredients".. Choose the no salt added, if you can.. Choose UNSWEETENED when you buy canned fruits.

Buy local and buy local in-season when possible.

Unsweetened iced tea made from water & teabags is better for you than soft drinks & adulterated juices. (My own kids did not have their first taste of soda pop or koolaid until they were school age, and they still prefer unsweetened iced tea as adults.

There are many things you can make on your own that are so cheap, you cannot imagine. You probably just never tried, and don;t even know it.

Here are a few family "specials" that we have always loved..and are super fast too

Left over rice, a little chopped ham, sliced green onions, julienned carrots, a little soy sacue and some other veggies and you have instant stir fry

Peel an apple, core it, split it almost to the bottom (in fourths)..sprinkle a little cinnamon on it and zap it in the microwave (covered)..serve with a dollop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream

Light frosting for a cake.. whipped cream with mooshed frozen strawberries blended in.. (sweetened with real sugar)

Make your own cookies.. (just about any ole recipe will yield more cookies and there's no comparison on taste)

MOST of the prepared foods actually started with a "real" recipe that has just been adulterated to accomodate the middlemen... not the comsumer.

Salad dressings take about 10 seconds to make..

If you have a breadmaker, and then buy the "mixes", you are still getting the "add-ins" from the corporate food companies.

Get a nice breadboard, and assemble the dough yourself from the basics.

If the box-mixes end up staying on grocers' shelves instead of in grocery carts, they WILL change . As long as people keep buying the stuff, it will elbow out more healthy stuff..

To us oldies, these tips are second-nature, and I am not trying to be "preachy", but I know there are busy people out there who just never took the time, or had parents who taught them to cook.

Commercials have been selling us "fast & easy" for so long that many people actually believe them.

That's a myth that needs busting..in a big way..
Read entry | Discuss (223 comments) | ............................................................


and



Prepare your family for the hard times ahead.

Posted by SoCalDem in General Discussion
Sat Mar 10th 2007, 08:06 AM

No one is immune from the hard landing ahead.

Even with a democratic congress, we will still have almost a year left of this mal-adminstration to screw things up even more than they have.

As a boomer, I have lived through many recessions, and they are no fun..

The mini-recession (was it really even a real recession) in the post-Clinton /early Bush years was NOTHING compared to what may be looming on the horizon.

Many people are in way over their heads and a few missed paychecks can send them right onto the streets.

We all think that our family budget is carved in stone and there's no room for "adjustments", but in most cases that's not entirely true.



Easy stuff first:

1. Learn to cook:

......a) Even with higher grocery prices, it's still cheaper (and better for you ) to cook , than to order in, nuke a frozen dinner, or use prepared mixes
......b) grow some fresh veggies if you have some yard space
......c) stock up on bargains at the store when you see them
......d) shop with a list, and stick to it
......e) buy store brands whenever possible
......f) use coupons if they are for things you already buy
......g) Cook several meals at the same time and package your own "frozen dinners" for the rest of the week


2. GET RID OF YOUR CREDIT CARDS

.......a) If you cannot pay them off, please consider filing bankruptcy (if you qualify, and can do it). The deck is stacked against consumers, and it's only going to get worse, folks. The sooner you get "out from under", the sooner you can start rebuilding your financial stability .
........b) Keep ONE credit card with the lowest interest rate possible, and use it once a month (to keep it active)..and pay it in full BEFORE the due date..(If you need to rent a car or reserve a hotel room, you will need a credit card to avoid paying a large cash deposit.
.........c) If your bank offers it, use the online bill-paying service. This eliminates the cost of writing/mailing checks, and it provides a detailed record of what (and where) you are spending your money. It saves on postage too and gas..and time.
........d) Ask your bank for a checking account that comes with over-draft protection (ours has $1k) so if you ever screw up, you will not be charged a bunch of bank fees...or keep a savings account where you have your checking, so you could transfer (online) between accounts.
.......e) Buy a shredder and USE IT. Shred all papers that have any identifying information on them.
.......f) Pay your bills EARLY and pay extra if you can.

3. Examine your "extras".

.......a) Do you really "need" that cell phone package? Are your calls on it, the yak-yak killing-time calls or is it truly for "emergencies" like people tell themselves? Could you get by with a prepaid cheapo-phone that "lives in the car", and a cheaper "frill-free" land line for the yak-yak calls? (People managed this way for over 100 years)
.......b) Cut the cable bill by going to the bare-bones package and have friends tape the HBO stuff for you.
.......c) Take your lunch to work. Even $4-5 a day ends up being close to a Benjamin a month.
.......d) Send kids to school with a lunch too, It's better for them than what they get in the cafeteria. let them make their own, and they might accept it more.
........e) Shop the sales at upscale department stores, and you can often find better clothing/accessories than at Walmart/KMart/Target..and there is no stigma for shopping at resale shops/flea markets/yard sales.
.......f) PAY OFF YOUR VEHICLES (if you can) and figure out exactly what those extra cars are costing you. You have to consider insurance, gasoline, repairs, tires, finance charges.. the whole enchilada
.......g) Take a hard look at the secondary income job (usually the wife's). What are you actually getting to KEEP from that job, after the daycare costs, lunches at work, extra car expenses, extra costs associated with the job, and any income tax implications. Now figure out if it's actually worth the trouble. remember that you only get to spend what's left over, and often that part-time job ends up costing the family money in the long run.
......h) Start saying "We cannot afford that" to your kids. SHOW them the family budget and make them a part of the financial team.
......i) Cancel magazine subscriptions.. (Most probably don't even get read..or when family asks what you want for your birthday/xmas/etc , let THEM subscribe to your favorite magazine as your gift
.....j) When you eat out, go early and use coupons for meals if you get them

4. Maintain your appliances, cars & equipment. An annual "check-up" is cheaper than a complete breakdown.

5. Network and barter casually

.....a) Everyone has a special skill, so trade services within your group. (be careful how you do this, because the IRS is "interested" in bartering .)..
......b) When you buy something pricey, show them cash and ask for a cash discount
......c) Shop in your community, with privately owned businesses, if you can. Often they deliver free and are eager to please you
......d) Ask your friends for referrals for things you need done (if you cannot do them yourself).
......e) If you have young kids, set up an "exchange" with other families..for clothes & toys.
......f) Set up or join a babysitting co-op (It's easy, fun and it's FREE babysitting (as in no money paid..just your time)

6. Consider "shared-housing" . If you are an empty-nester with a big house, you could "rent a room" to a single who cannot afford the high cost of an apartment..or you could incorporate a parent/grandparent into your home (cue fingernails on a chalkboard here)..but if it's the difference between losing your home or keeping it, you may need to consider this

7. Energy use can be cut down

....a) Obviously the new lightbulbs help, but there are other things you can do.
.....b) Do laundry & dishes at off-peak times
.....c) Close off registers in unused rooms
.....d) Set the turn-off timers on tvs incase you fall asleep
....e) Replace washers in faucets so they don't drip
.....f) Plan your shopping /errands in a circular trip.
.....g) Make sure your car has a locking gas cap




I've droned on long enough, but let me tell you, that when a REAL recession hits, and hits hard, many families will be hit hard. Most young folks have never experienced wage-freezes or 15% mortgage loans .. But when WE endured those things, there were no killer health care premiums or $25K cars or all the distractions we have today.

Start now and if it doesn't come to pass, you mightr only end up with a savings account & some good habits.. Wait too long, and you might be homeless and broke.
Read entry | Discuss (298 comments) |

[sarcasmo]

1. The locking gas cap is #1 IMHO. We have already had people busted for stealing gas.

Pay off your debt and stay out once you pay it off.

[reggie the dog]

33. a gas caps

lock over here in France. It costs 1.14 Euros per liter for diesel aned 1.34 per liter for gasoline.

[xultar]

2. I will admit, I'm panicked.

[SoCalDem]

9. I don;t know how old you are, but we are 64 & 58 and we are scared too.

We assessed the future a while back and figured and figured..and set a plan into motion where we "could" survive on just social security..We did that by paying off everything we owed, and use only cash...

Luckily, we have a decent income (now)..but we know/think/hope? that will end sooner than our demise.. As a boomer, I always "knew" that right at the time WE might need to sell our home and downsize, the real estate market would tank.. Every milestone of our lives has seems to usher in "bad times", so why would our retirements be anything else?

Even with bad times, we have enough equity to be able to pay cash for "something less", and are perfectly willing to do so...and if our house has lost values, so have the ones we might move "down" to..it's all relative..and for all the years we have lived here, we have been able to deduct the interest ($9K this year), so living here and paying as mortgage has been better than paying rent for nothing..

Excessive worry will only make you sad and sick, so we decided long ago to NOT do that :)

Chin up, friend.. Things usually do work out, and being prepared is always better, even if things are not as great at we want :hug:

[NMDemDist2]

3. done, done, done and done

we tilled the garden yesterday and my seedlings will get started next week.

hubby has a good and stable job, we have only 17 months left on the car and own our house and '2nd car' free and clear

we're in good shape, but many aren't

PS on the 'learn to cook' thing, think of it as a new 'hobby'

when I started thinking of it that way, it was a lot easier to get my arse into the kitchen.......

[Individualist]

4. Do you buy vegetable seeds locally or do you order them?

I could use some advice about where I could order seeds at a reasonable price.

[GregD]

6. Baker Creek is one good source

My wife has been purchasing seeds from a number of online sources, and Baker Creek seems very good.

[NMDemDist2]

7. i use a local company since their seeds will be selected for my area

I still 'order' them as the company is 70 miles away one way but the seeds are tried and true for my area

[NickB79]

27. I like Territorial Seed, Burpee, and Johnny's Select

If you grow open-pollinated or heirloom vegetables instead of hybrids, and don't mix more than one variety per garden to prevent cross-pollination (ie, no acorn squash grown next to pumpkins), you can save seed to grow for the next season.

http://www.territorialseed.com/
http://www.burpee.com/
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/home.aspx?ct=HG

If you have time to do some reading, www.gardenweb.com has an excellent assortment of gardening articles and knowledgeable people on their discussion forums. The site is huge, with forums for practically any kind of gardening you could imagine.

[GregD]

5. Moved to the country in 2005

Since then we have built a shop, a barn, a chicken coop and a vegetable garden. Several fruit trees are in the ground, with more to go as time permits. In the summer we eat almost exclusively - in terms of veggies - from our own crops. She bakes our bread (3-4 loaves a week from organic ingredients) using the NY Times no-knead recipe (try it - it's awesome), we have fresh eggs daily, and are hoping to purchase the adjacent acre so we can widen our crop production.

We have more to do, but it's a start.

On edit: oh yeah, we also built a greenhouse using a 10x12 kit from www.harborfreight.com

[NMDemDist2]

8. you can make "hot boxes" for almost nthing with scrap lumber and old windows

or heavy clear plastic


reuse, recycle.....

[StarryNite]

11. I have been tempted

to buy that greenhouse many times. How do you like it?

[GregD]

25. It's ok. For the money it is well worth it.

I got one of the early kits where the instructions were incomplete/incorrect. They have improved since then.

This forum http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/strucs/ has a lot of folks who got that or the smaller unit. By studying the posts you will learn that for less than $100 of extra material, such as aluminum angle stock to stiffen the front wall and 1/2" emt as cross-braces at the top of the walls you can really turn it into as good a unit as very costly greenhouses. But if you live in snow country, you have to reinforce it at the point mid-way between wall and ridge, as that is the weak point. Mine got partially crushed in a snow storm this year and I'll have to repair it.

[StarryNite]

36. Thank you

so much for the information. :hi: I really appreciate it. I don't have to worry about the snow, I live in the Phoenix area. :)

[GregD]

26. dupe post

nt

[GregD]

29. HFGH Assembly blog:

http://hfgh10x12.blogspot.com/2007/08/this-is-greenhouse-we-bought-link-it.html

Just spotted this. You should find this tremendously helpful.

[StarryNite]

37. I just bookmarked

both links. Thanks again!

[ReadTomPaine]

10. K&R. These posts definitely deserve a second round.

Thanks SoCalDem!

[TheCowsCameHome]

12. Good pointers. Thanks.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

13. These are good things to know

been doing them for years.

[Musty]

14. Can our economy crash on a weekend?

It seems that the MSM only talks/reports on our troubled economy when the stock market falls a few hundred points--I know there is more to our economy than the stock market,though, but when will we actually know when our economy crashes?

[Rosemary2205]

32. AARP will send you a notice.

They obviously know every single American's address and age. They even manage to time it so on your 50th birthday, the actual day, you get a birthday card and a "join AARP" package. (Unless you are classless enough to turn 50 on a holiday or Sunday, in which case you'll get your card exactly 1 postal day prior)

So when the economy crashes, they would be the best choice for letting us all know. :)



Sounds like I'm kidding but I'm not - it's spooky.

[L0oniX]

15. I'm already there and doing those things but it's not just the recession.

We are going to run out of gas. We are almost out of the easy to get oil and what remains will be taken up by the military, federal, state and local governments. Once we are on the hard oil, the costs will jump drastically. Look at it like this if you will; right now it takes 1 barrel of oil to get 10 of the easy to get oil and it takes 1 barrel to get 3 of the hard to get oil. Add in the profit that these asscarrot oil companies want and you end up with very expensive energy. Most people and companies will not be able to absorb this cost. These is no answer to this problem and science will not be able to replace the energy we get from oil with an equivalent alternative. In the end it comes down to water, food, conservation and defense. You need water to grow food and you need clean drinking water. Using the resources we still have for things like the existing educational system are almost a total waste because what your children will need to have is farming and conservation skills. Face it, your kids will not have gas or cars so to be fare to them you need to prepare them for the reality the awaits them. If you do grow food, you will need some defense like several guns and solar powered communication devices that are shared with others that you form a farming co-op. You will need to assist those with whom you are with in this co-op and they in turn will assist you in the protection that you will need from the unprepared bullies therefore you need to live in a close proximity and have communication. You cannot survive on your own! You need to think about this real hard and decide if it's real for you. You could also consider moving out of this country to one that is more agriculturally subsistence based. I of course don't have all the parameters explored here and they are many to be explored but we all need to really think hard about this and start to do something to prepare yourselves and families for the inevitable.

ps: You might want to look at the peak oil group here on DU and or Google peak oil and do some serious study of the situation at hand.

[NNN0LHI]

16. You always come up with real useful stuff

Much appreciated.

Don

[roguevalley]

35. I wish I lived in a more temperate climate. SIGH! Must be nice

starting seedlings. I am so jealous.

RV, getting over a -24 spell in Alaska

[GliderGuider]

17. great list

I just have one recommendation. Under the food security list, I'd change #4 to "Buy good knives and learn how to use them."

I put food processors in the same category as bread makers, rice cookers, waffle makers, etc. Yuck! If you're really learning how to cook, you don't need those kinds of appliances. And besides, they draw current.

A good set of pots and pans (no teflon), good knives that you can sharpen (no serrated knives except for a bread knife), and, like you said, OLD cook books. My favourite is The Kate Aitken Cook Book. I have my grandmother's copy and it's falling apart. It taught me all sorts of tricks for when you need to be thrifty. It was taken for granted once-upon-a-time that hard times will be a part of your life and prepared you for it.

(FYI, I'm GG's partner, the cook in the family. His culinary repertoire is tasty, but limited. And I leave the room when he's using knives so I don't have to watch the ends of his fingers fly into the food.)

Thanks for re-posting!

[SoCalDem]

18. Yum.. extra protein in every dish..and he can regenerate the flesh lost

:rofl:...what a guy :)

[GliderGuider]

34. He's got a finger in every pie.

He likes to give me a hand in the kitchen.
He tells me it's better to give than to receive. He's a real cut-up!
:+


Also, I love your sig graphic. Just one question, though. What's that big land mass on the NW corner of Canada?

[SoCalDem]

38. Alaskanada??

:rofl:

[SoCalDem]

19. AMEN.. I have one small food chopper thingie Moulinex-mini

and it does all I need.. My son & DIL have a gigantic chi-chi gizmo and they never use it because it's so huge...

and a rice cooker...puh-leeeeeze.. Rice is the EASIEST thing to cook and having a gadget to cook it in is silly to this ole cook..

[CrispyQ]

40. Speaking of old cookbooks, I have to share this story.

I read it in a woman's magazine a few years ago.

A mother was teaching her daughter to cook. On this particular day they were cooking a pot roast. The mother instructed her daughter to first cut the end off the roast & then put both chuncks in the pot along with water & veggies. The daughter asked why they had to cut the end off the roast. The mother admitted that she didn't know but that's what her mother had taught her. A week or so later the mother was talking to her mother & asked why they cut the end off the pot roast. Her mother admitted she didn't know & said that she would ask her mother. When grandma asked great-grandma why she cut the end off the pot roast, great-grandma laughed & said, "Oh goodness! You're all still doing that? I did it because my pan was so small it wouldn't fit the entire roast in one piece."

;)

[Kazak]

20. I'm pretty much there, can I panic now?

:shrug:

[AngryAmish]

21. No

[SoCalDem]

22. well okay, then (I see you speak toddler )

:rofl:

[Donnachaidh]

23. We're having our first apartment porch garden this year

I'm setting up -3- levels of pots to grow tomatoes, peppers, bush beans and peas. Heck, I may even grow cucumbers, with the vines being twined around the ironwork railings - I've done that in the past. The tomatoes will be made into freezable sauces. Other veggies will be prepared and frozen - and I'm also researching drying them. I know how to can, and make bread. I have two functioning breadmakers, and those will be used to make bread for the family, and possibly to sell.

My biggest concern is for the pets, and we've reserved a portion of the freezer for foods for them. Whenever times get tight our local supermarkets start selling the odd cuts of meat (I've even seen pig's ears for sale). I'll be buying those (no, not the ears) odd cuts and freezing them in case we need to have home made pet food for awhile.

Go through closets and clear out gently used clothes and see if there is a consignment shop nearby. It's not a ton of money, but if you are a hoarder it's a bit of income that most people don't think about. See if anything you've collected over the years has re-sale value. Make a list and keep it handy. You don't need to sell everything immediately, but knowing you have something of worth is like having a hidden change jar.

And PLEASE don't forget your elderly neighbors and friends! When you're going out to shop, even if it's just groceries - offer to take them with you, or offer to pick things up for them. We're all scared - but can you IMAGINE what this is going to do with people on extremely limited incomes? And many, many times they will NOT ask for help. Many of them will resort to buying the cheapest canned foods they can get. The stories about elderly people eating cat food to survive years ago are FACTUAL.

We can all share information easily enough, but if we don't reach out to the ones who will suffer the most -- what does that say about us?

[Redstone]

24. We already do most of that, not because we NEED to, but because it's stupid NOT to.

Redstone

[dragon82a]

28. Thanks for putting this out

I am kinda low on the survival skills, this is a real godsend.

Thanks!

[knitter4democracy]

30. Buy a crockpot, too.

I use mine at least once a week, usually twice. Major help. Worth every penny.

Oh, and some cast iron if you have a fireplace. Then you can still cook easily. :)

[Rosemary2205]

31. It saddens me that we even need a post like this.

Americans are just so fucking wasteful in EVERY respect.

[shanti]

39. k&r!

lots of super advice here, socaldem! i was once a college student on welfare, raising three boys and i've used many of your tips. i don't NEED to pinch a penny now (thank god), will be doing it again in about 3 years when i retire. it's easier to do it when you don't have to, so when you do have to, it's not so hard.

[zonmoy]

41. none of this will help much when the whole world goes cannibal

because of hunger.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

42. Great information SCD!

Highly recommended.

[windoe]

43. We rarely change lightbulbs-

dimmer switches warm up the bulb gradually enough that they do not blow nearly as often. Bulbs in Thomas Edison's house are still burning to this day because of the low voltage they run on. Most of the time we have the lights turned way down, in order to just navigate around, unless we are reading or cleaning, ect. Bulbs blow from the hot surge of electricity to a cold filament and bulb, dimmer switches allow a gradual enough warm up so they don't blow.

[truth2power]

44. Thank you, thank you, SoCal...Is this the "Make-a-Mix" Cookbook

you mentioned?

http://www.amazon.com/Make-mix-Over-Recipes-Every/dp/0762426020/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_k2a_1_img?pf_rd_p=304485601&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-2&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0917413083&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=13CSH5S20Z7VHVZZAG9C

I'm already down to the bare bones, and do much of what you suggested, but the cookbook is a good idea.

[SoCalDem]

46. Yes.. that's one of them.. I have the ones that came out in the '70s

..there were about 6, I think.. but I'm sure this is a newer version..

They are great:)..and have many good recipes..

[truth2power]

47. Thanks. Going to check my local Borders, first of all. n/t

[End Of The Road]

45. About the gardening thing

I love to garden, and I love to eat home-grown veggies, but sometimes I wonder if it's the best practical advice at this time. Here are my thoughts:

The majority (I think it's the majority, but it's ahelluva lot at least) of Americans live in suburbia. Suburban yards are not the ideal for large gardens, especially if you've got trees and a privacy fence causing a shade problem. Lots of newer subdivisions (at least in Texas where I live) have homeowners' associations which limit what you can do with your yard. For instance, if you're going to garden, you ought to start a compost pile, and I've seen restrictions about this. If you're going to garden you ought also to think about water harvesting, and I've seen restrictions about this also. If you've got pets or rabbits/possums to keep out of your garden, then you're going to have to fence it, and guess what -- yep, restrictions. You can still grow a few carrots and cucumbers and tomatoes, but larger scale can be tough.

For any of you who might find yourselves in this type of situation, here are a couple of suggestions:

Join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). We pick up a box of locally grown organic produce at a fair price once a week (during two growing seasons), and we've learned a bunch of new recipes for veggies we didn't used to eat alot.

Shop at farmers' markets, buy some freezable stuff when it's in season and cheap, and freeze it. Want peaches in January? Pull them out of your freezer, don't buy the ones imported from South America.

If you've got one near you (sadly, I don't), get some space in a community garden. I wish every suburban developer set aside land in new developments for this purpose.

Anyway, those are just my thoughts.