Economic survival DU group?

[tpsbmam]

I've been thinking about this while I've been reading lots of posts about surviving this economic mess. I just looked through all of the groups and I didn't see anything about economic survival in the coming years.

I think it might be really useful for people in terms of both what do to financially and also what one can do practically. For example, I just joined my local food co-op thinking that maybe that's a financially better decision than counting on local supermarkets. I've been stocking up on food and staples (e.g., TP) for months now and have at least 6 months worth of human and dog food (2 dogs) stored away. But I'm not so sure I've done some of it wisely -- I don't cook much and probably should have started learning about legumes etc and damn well learning how to cook that stuff so I was stocking up more on grains and maybe freeze dried food.

I have friends who say they can't afford to stock up. But when I look at what some of them are spending their money on, they damn well could start stocking up on some things, including bulk grains, legumes, etc. But I'm not really aware of what resources are out there for them. I actually go to a local health food store that carries grains at a reasonable price (unlike much of their stuff) -- maybe there are other resources out there I don't know about though.

I know I could use information and I suspect others could too.

Good idea? Bad idea? Don't give a shit?

PS I emphasized food storage and the like too much. Investment, paying bills, getting property taxes paid (see below) -- all of this is information people need. I now lots of people have questions about what are relatively safe investments vs. riskier investments. I've actually learned from some of those posts I've read but they're pretty scattered all over the place.

[Hugin]

1. Sadly, this is a good idea...

Time to start separating the 'wants' from the 'needs'.

[Cobalt Violet]

2. Sounds good to me...

but I'm unemployed and can't afford a star.

[tpsbmam]

5. Maybe someone who could afford it could give you a star and at least you'd

be able to read and pick up tips. I hate to think that the people who might benefit most would be excluded. :-(

[Cobalt Violet]

14. Someone did give me a star!

I don't know who it was but I do thank that person. Once I get back to work I will be sure to buy someone a star who needs it. :)

[snappyturtle]

3. K&R Excellent idea! nt

[murielm99]

4. What worries me

is how we will pay our taxes.

We own a home in the country. It is no McMansion. In fact, it is rather beaten down in some ways. We have lived here for thirty years, and we raised our family here. But it is paid for, and we have never used it as an ATM.

We also own two small parcels of farm land. We thought we were doing pretty well, and my husband is ready to retire.

How will we keep what we have earned over the last thirty years? Think about what happened to people during the Depression. We can survive if we can hang onto what we have. And we would be willing to help family members and others, to the best of our ability.

[akwapez]

6. There was another recent suggestion for an emergency preparedness forum

For now, the Frugal Living forum has been "Hijacked" and threads with a survival and preparedness topic are being added with the Post beginning with "EP".
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=353
Hopefully, with enough EP threads, a new group will be formed.

[zuzu98]

7. check out DU's Frugal and Energy Efficient Living Group

lots of practical tips

[elocs]

8. I go to PeakOil.com for anything that deals with any kind of preparedness.

Economic: http://peakoil.com/forum33.html

Planning for the Future: http://peakoil.com/forum8.html

They have a big archive and lots and lots of information about what to do to invest or to make any kind of emergency preparations. You could spend days there just reading.

[Geek_Girl]

9. Sounds like a good idea

I've actually used financial advice on these forums and have come out better for it. A couple of years ago DU'ers you predicted just what is happening now. I followed the advice that many were giving at the time. Pay off credit cards, scale back, get a hybrid vehicle ect... and it really has mitigated the pain of the economic problems so many others are having.

[SoCalDem]

15. Yep.. lots of people called me a "Nervous Nellie"

but it's really just the way I was brought up..and how I raised my own kids..

"Waste Not, want not" had been my way of life for a long time..

[MercutioATC]

10. We've tried to get an Emergency Preparedness Group here for months.

Followed the instructions, have a mission statement, got the votes.

...so far, no dice.

[CoffeeCat]

11. I have a stockpile also...

I know this may sound bizarre, but I am really into "couponing."

You know those coupon booklets in the Sunday newspaper? Our local convenience
stores allow me to take them from their unsold Sunday newspapers, if I go in at
midnight. I usually get about 100 of them.

So, when there is a $1 any Jif Peanut Butter coupon, and it goes on sale at Walmart
for 99 cents--I can get 100 free jars of peanut butter. And I do. I donate a lot.
I have a major stockpile of food, paper products and shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste.

I haven't paid a dime for shampoo, toothpaste, laundry detergent, deodorant, toothbrushes,
razors, household cleaners--in more than 4 years.

I belong to a "coupon club" and we call each other when we spot a great deal. There are also
national online Web sites, where people post their "good deal finds" from Target, Walmart,
Walgreens, and grocery chains.

I get free food and other products every week. Last night, a coupon buddy and I went to several
different Walgreen's. We got free razors (the $10 ones) and toothbrushes.

Right now, you can get free grapes at Super Target. Here's how. Grapes are 99 cent per pound
at Super Target right now. Target has a "$1 off 1 lb of grapes" coupon on its Web site. I
bought 1.1 lbs of green grapes and 1.1 pounds of purple grapes--and paid less than 10 cents for
each bag. Just go to this site, to get the Target grape coupon: http://www.afullcup.com/forums/cmps_index.phpIn the second paragraph on the front page, click on "Target Coupon generator." There you will find
the Target coupons. Follow the instructions to print as many as you want. And remember---you can combine the Sunday manufacturer coupons WITH the Target coupons. I get tons of free or nearly free stuff this way.

I hope this was helpful. If you want to know more about couponing, I'll be glad to help...or you can
google "couponing" and you'll find many resources. You don't need to get 100 Sunday inserts to do
this. If you can get a hold of 2-3---you can still save lots of money.

[kestrel91316]

12. Frugal group exists. And we ASKED for an Emergency Preparedness group

and never got it.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

13. I like the idea - under this or any other name

Emergency preparedness, etc.

[BelgianMadCow]

16. EP : DU disaster preparedness thread & condensed heating advice

I started a while ago:

Disaster preparedness:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1842215

Heating advice:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2372014