Surviving Economic Collapse

As preppers or survivalists we frequently consider preparations as something intended for when the world has finally pushed those lethal buttons and nuclear bombs have departed for many of the world's largest cities. We center our survival kits upon scenarios intended for total destruction with a hopeful overview of getting started fresh once again. Few people reflect upon their survival supplies with the implication of economic preparations to get us over the economies downside.

As we cautiously peek at the evening newscasts being televised on the TV screen we can take note of all the mayhem being generated by the various European nations as they face fiscal catastrophes entailing drastic infusions of loans to hold them afloat.

Our national debt is essentially positioned no better when we grasp that the federal deficit is currently in the trillion dollar amounts. It may be flatly denied by those in public office but in effect America is bankrupt, we owe more money out then we are currently worth.

Families are having increasingly difficult times preserving their simple physical resources which they require to sustain their day to day lives. Many are on the threshold of losing their homes as well as their future savings. A good many American families are without work and losing their means of livelihood. Fossil fuels, so needed for our transportation demands have sky-rocket in price leaving many to ponder how they can survive.

If I may be as blunt as to state we will likely encounter one of three serious situations in our near future.

1. Nothing will change. Things will remain the same as they are right now. We as a nation will persistently trudge along as our government continues to fling towards us small tads of hope after each and every crisis. Our elected officials are apt to sink our nation deeper in debt as they inject what they deem as stimulus money into the arms of overbearing industries.

2. As a nation we will be obligated to initiate some fundamental adjustments in the way we do business in order to elevate our economic progress to a more positive level. No longer will it be acceptable to survive financially beyond our means but rather each entity in the economic food chain will revert to a physical-collateral system based upon what we own and what we owe. We will once again look at the books of life as being either in the black or in the red.

3. Our third choose consists of continuing to formulate wrong economical decisions ultimately triggering our financial system into collapsing. The current arrangement of trade whether is based upon dollars, euros, yens or what have you, will be nothing more then entries found in a collectors book of past monetary tokens. When this occurs we will be able to honestly admit that our society has plummeted to one point short of pure chaos.

Now we have no choice. Since employment will rarely exist at this point in time our spending both by individuals and by government entities will quickly come to be curtailed. Our government will no longer be capable of financing their accrued debt. Their income via taxes will be near to nil since there exists no one being gainfully employed.

At this point our government leaders will be confronted with the seizure of private physical assets however; the people recognizing their need these items to survive will finally fight back. The question here is how can we survive until the system balances itself out and becomes self-sufficient once again.

Your first consideration will need to center upon your income. Are you currently depending upon the government handing you a monthly paycheck? Do you receive your livelihood from a government retirement plan? Is social security your means of income? The solution to this dilemma is simply not to depend upon a single source of income. I know it's difficult but is essential to survive.

Your second point to ponder is how much money you currently owe out. Will the person or agency you owe this money to come after you for it if you are unable to pay it? What seized assets do you risk losing if you can no longer afford the payments on this debt? At this point your best course of action would be to eliminate those debts as soon as you possible can. Above all do not incur additional debt.

The third point we will make here is where are you keeping your assets? Are they in government bonds or tangible items which can be bartered? If it comes down to joining a bartering system do you have additional supplies you can use or are your sources limited?

Our forth important point I would like to make concerns perceived skills which you may possess. Over the years have you acquired specific skills which could be in need by others? Would they be willing to adequately compensate you for your efforts? Having skills which can help you pay your bills can greatly increase your chances of survival.

Lastly, be realistic with yourself and determine what chances you have either alone or in a limited community for providing most of your needs, including security, for a short time period of time. Physically where are you located? Are you in the suburbs or in an urban environment? Is your current neighborhood good or bad as far as safety is concerned?

Do you have a yard or a patch of land that you could put to good use growing food on? Do you have the means of raising small livestock? Have you stockpiled supplies such as toilet paper, aspirin, batteries and cooking oil during your times of plenty?

When the infrastructure dropped out the bottom of the bottom of the barrel, will you have friends or neighbors that are likely to arrive at your doorstep with their hands outstretched? Or perhaps their goal is not so honorable and they arrive with evil intentions. Are you currently maintaining a low profile and provide the appearance of suffer with the rest of the people?

It seems like a lot to think about and it really is but if you take each issue one step at a time and make wise decisions you can be prepared for the next downfall. As long as people exist we will not have an economic collapse which lasts permanently. People generally want a society with peace and order. Looting does not thrive for the long term. Think and plan accordingly.

Copyright @2010 Joseph Parish

http://www.survival-training.info

For more information relating to survival visit us at http://www.survival-training.info

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Mental Preparation For the Coming Collapse

Sometimes it is difficult coming to terms with the fact that a strong, turbulent time is approaching and that our quality of living will diminish in the recent future. It is equally as hard to put on that happy face in front of family and friends (especially during the holiday season) knowing that the next year could bring job losses and personal struggles for loved ones. Some struggle with and immensely dread a new year because they know that every new month brings the collapse closer and closer. The time for mental preparation is now. Preparing the mind for possible worst case scenarios and training the mind to stay calm when anxieties, fear and pressures flare is one of the most important survival techniques anyone can master.

Fear and Anxiety Can Be Used For Preparation of the Mind

Anxiety and fear are the largest emotional components that drive a person to prepare faster and harder, yet they are also motivators in times of disaster. Prepping can be fun at first, but there are times when imagining what one would need, or the situation it will be needed for can overwhelm a person to the point of feeling lost and completely out of control. When a person gets to this place, they have gone to the "dark side". And the dark side is not a fun place to be in, but it is a great time for mind exercises to learning how to stay focused at the task at hand and finding ways to face fears and move past them.

Finding the reins to control those feelings of hopelessness and fear can be found in the very closet or room that holds all the preparedness items.

* Review the plan of action for you and your family. Write down the plan of action for other family members to have.

* Walk through and take a look at all the preparations. And take comfort in what you have prepared for -and your future plans of preparing.

* Center yourself and find comfort from your belief system.

* Get physical. Go for a walk or work out to let out frustrations and anxiousness.

* Stay the course and continue to prepare in order to find the control.

These mind control exercises can also be adapted and used in a disaster scenario as well.

Mental Preparation

When preparing for a disaster or impending collapse, staying focused in the wake of things can be quite difficult (if not impossible). Many know that athletes train their mind as much as they train their body. Experts say that there is a link to mental preparedness and success during a competition. Prepper's must do the same. And this is often one of the last things many prepare themselves for. Training the mind to deal with stressful situations and unplanned issues that will arise will help a person stay focused and not to get "rattled" as easily. Additionally, it will keep the focus on the situation and not on needless things. Keeping a positive perspective and clinging to those seeds of hope can go a long way in a tough situation. Having a negative attitude is contagious. If a person begins to hear negative thoughts, they tend to get "siked" out faster. Stay away from any negative thoughts or persons who could be negative. This is the last thing anyone needs during a high stress situation.

Sooner rather than later, people will have to face the fact that time has run out to prepare and that it is time to put the plans of action into full effect. Some have even begun to have with "prepper's guilt." Even though they are proud of being prudent and preparing for possible disastrous events, there is still a sadness that dwells knowing that there are friends and family that chose not to see the signs before them.

No one can foresee what the future holds or how bad it could be. Being wound up like a stress ball from anxiety and fear is no way go through life. Accepting that some things can be controlled and other things cannot is a way to get a person out of the "dark side". Additionally, knowing that the best way to survive a disaster is to prepare for them. Having a plan in place, preparing as much as a person possibly can, and practicing the skills that one has learned will keep a person confidant in their survival abilities. Keeping these aspects in mind when preparing fully for unforeseen disasters can put a person at a great advantage. Planning ahead is the key, but staying calm and finding the best case scenario is ideal.

Tess Pennington is the lead content contributor for http://www.readynutrition.com. Ready Nutrition is an educational resource for those wanting to learn more about home safety preparedness, learning how to cope in disaster situations, and for those wanting to learn how to be more self sustaining. Her career at the American Red Cross left her with years of experience in safety and disaster preparedness. Tess is establishing herself as one of the foremost authorities on safety development and disaster preparedness on the internet. She describes herself as a mixture of Martha Stewart and Les Stroud. Tess lives in Texas with her husband and three rambunctious children.

Tess Pennington's work today encompasses: Teaching disaster preparedness Informing readers about the importance of preparing for any given situation. Writing Speaking Media consultation

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Preparing For Dollar Collapse Under Obama - Financial Preppers Get Ready For the Worst

Those astute investors who want to protect their assets from a possible collapse in the value of the dollar - who are nowadays looking to invest in foreign multi currency accounts, foreign residency and second passport programs - have a new name: "Financial Preppers." In a recent article, "Rise of the Preppers," Newsweek describes them as, "...regular people with homes and families. But like the survivalists that came before them, they are preparing for the worst." They are not, however, holing up with canned food and gas masks in their basements. Modern financial Preppersare sophisticated international financial planners who are learning the secrets of offshore asset protection.

One website, The American Preppers Network, receives 5000 visitors a day. Its founder, Tom Martin, observes that, "There are so many variables and potential disasters out there, being a Prepper is just a reaction to that potential." For a Prepper, these "variables and potential disasters" include the collapse in the commercial real estate market, government nationalization or appropriation of 401ks and IRAs (something Obama is already dropping hints about), the unfunded and off-balance-sheet liabilities of Social Security, Medicare and other US Government programs, and trillions in new debt for more and more bailouts.

All this has only one logical conclusion for financial preppers: devaluation of the US dollar against hard currencies such as gold. Many more people are joining this financial prepper movement, following obvious questions raised about the competence of leadership due to the healthcare bill and the controversial HIRE Act. As one prepper puts it rather sarcastically, "in times of crisis, the only sure thing is that you can count on your government."

When residential real estate and the stock market crashed in 2008, unemployment doubled. Yet when the US Government, i.e. the taxpayer, came to the rescue with trillions borrowed from the Chinese or Arabs, unemployment continued to rise along with the big bonuses on Wall Street. The natural result of unemployment so high is record home foreclosures predicted: 7 million for 2010, twice those of 2009. In view of all this, I believe the article in Newsweek should not have been about why more and more are being becoming Preppers, but why anyone would not!

With the fall in housing prices in the US as a result of so many homes going unsold, it is indeed ironic that many Preppers, along with others, are turning to acquisitions of international real estate. It is unsurprising, however, when one considers the advantages of international real estate as a primary residence, vacation home or investment property. Why live in OECD countries and pay high taxes, when you can legally live abroad and take adevantage of $90,000 a year tax free earned income?

Most buyers in tax-free offshore havens like Panama and Belize are overtaxed Europeans and Americans looking for a milder climate, lower taxes and a higher quality of life. As international real estate is becoming more popular, two factors have evolved that make it a shrewd investment. The first is that, despite the crisis, foreign banks are increasingly willing to finance these properties. The second is that with more buyers and easier financing, prices in countries with business-friendly regimes and financial systems like Panama and Belize are continuing to rise from basic "supply and demand."

While buying international real estate is a relatively new Prepper strategy, Preppers are also turning to the time-honored hedge of buying and storing gold bullion and other precious metals stored in offshore vaults - often located in Switzerland, Austria or Singapore. Gold is, and always has been, not just accepted, but preferred as payment for goods and services around the world when currencies tank. It is the best asset protection there is against the threat of currency devaluation. This is evidenced by the way the price of gold has soared recently, while the purchasing power of the dollar has plunged.

Storing gold bullion and other physical precious metals offshore, like investing in international real estate, offers prepper investors the security and peace of mind that comes with traditional financial privacy. With Swiss-style bank secrecy under attack around the world, and the US Foreign Bank Account Reporting (FBAR) form now requiring individual Americans to list bank names and account numbers, holding physical bullion and real estate have both become increasingly attractive. Neither ownership of foreign real estate nor foreign physical bullion need be reported on tax returns or FBAR forms.

The bottom line? Preppers have been growing in ranks since Hurricane Katrina. Preppers are responsible adults making rational decisions to protect their families' assets and wealth by buying international real estate and gold bullion stored offshore to protect their investments.

This article by Peter Macfarlane was originally published by the Q Wealth Report

The Q Wealth Report is a privately-published newsletter based in London and Switzerland covering freedom, wealth protection and privacy issues, with practical advice on offshore banking, asset protection and precious metals investing. To find out more or to receive a free five part course that would train you to be a sophisticated financial prepper within the next week, visit the Q Wealth Report.

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Urban Survival, Economic Collapse and Foraging for Food

With unemployment at a sustained high, the economy in tatters and both the national debt and deficit out of control, more people in the US are feeling insecure about putting food on the table. There is also a growing number of people who call themselves "Preppers" that are storing food and supplies in case our economy collapses and we see hyperinflation and a situation worse than the Great Depression. How will they feed their families? What makes so many people worried is that they don't know much about growing food or preserving or canning or anything beyond going to the grocery store. As a result, Urban Survival skills are becoming more important to more people.

Although more people live in suburbia today than live in an actual "urban" environment, for the purposes of this discussion, "urban survival" refers to anything happening in any size city or suburb that is not rural. These are the population centers where hundreds of millions of people could go hungry if there is any kind of a collapse.

If the store shelves are empty, or your pockets are empty, it doesn't really matter - you and your family face hunger. While there is the possibility in an extreme situation that food banks may still operate, nobody wants to be in a position where their life depends on the charity of others. So how do you put food on the table?

Urban Food Sources

Retention ponds are a gold mine of food. First off, there are almost always ducks or geese there, which can be an instant source of a good meal. While many of the geese are protected by wildlife laws, if there is a breakdown in society, that will matter little compared to feeding your family. The great thing about these fowl is that they are easy to catch. Soaking corn or grain in alcohol and feeding it to them will make them drunk and sluggish and easy to catch, in case post-collapse pursuit of the birds becomes more common and they are easily scared. In other urban environments, there are pigeons as well, which can be caught just as easily.

In addition to fowl, retention ponds offer cattails, which are a very good source of food year round, and not very well known. In the spring, the tender green shoots of cattails can be pulled up and eaten just like thin cucumbers. Later in the year the heads sprout pollen, which can be collected and used as flour. Year round, the roots of the cattails can be collected and processed to make a very nutrient dense flour as well.

Trees bearing fruits and nuts abound in parks and forest preserves, if you know how to identify them. Oak trees drop acorns that can be gathered and processed to make acorn flour, and even crabapple trees that have tiny fruit that is bitter when eaten raw can be used to make jelly that tastes great and provides vital nutrients.

Hunting small game in an urban environment is not recommended, but rabbits and squirrels can easily be trapped using improved snares once you learn how.

Skills To Develop

All of the food sources listed above are plentiful and, at least in the beginning stages after an economic collapse or societal breakdown, they will not be highly sought after. Thus, competition will be sparse and it will be easier for you to forage and ensure your family survives. Developing these urban survival skills is not difficult, as all can be found demonstrated quite well on YouTube, though it requires an investment of time. For families with children, this is a great way to learn more about the environment and a great excuse to turn off the TV and spend some quality time together learning how our ancestors fed themselves.

For specific plans about being prepared, you can go to a 'nuts and bolts' regular guy Prepper YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/survive2day.

Mike Kuykendall is an expert in Emergency Preparedness, Disaster Planning and Urban Survival affiliated with Survive2Day. His articles are featured at http://www.Survive2day.com, and is a contributor to the book "When the Last Bubble Bursts: Survival Without the Tinfoil Hat.

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Economic Collapse in the US - How to Prepare

Economic Collapse: Could It Happen Here?

With out of control government spending and more cities, counties and even states having financial crises, the possibility of a Collapse in the US is becoming more and more real to many people. Hyperinflation and riots are what many experts predict could be coming our way soon, and it wouldn't be the first time in history. The country in the Western Hemisphere most like the US, Argentina, suffered a total economic collapse just ten years ago, plunging their once thriving country into a period of chaos, riots and crime.

Before the collapse in 2001, the Argentine middle class was at least as well off as the middle class in the US. Argentina was, and remains to this day, one of the top grain exporters in the world. However, incompetent government officials, bad economic policy, runaway borrowing and spending led the government to one day having to devalue its currency, once on par with the dollar, to one-third of its former value. This happened almost overnight, as banks were closed and accounts frozen and middle class workers who saved their entire lives saw their savings evaporate. The pensions of retirees were suddenly worth a third of what they had been the week before.

What Do I Do If My Money Becomes Worth Less and Less?

Argentine author Fernando Aguirre advises Americans to invest in precious metals, as they are a "hard currency" that will hold value much better than the paper currency that the government continues to print. With cash being less valuable, expect property crimes to skyrocket. For this reason, Aguirre devotes a large percentage of his book, "Surviving in Argentina" to self-defense, as his former middle class life has turned into one in which personal security is of paramount importance in light of skyrocketing crime.

How Will I Feed My Family?

The other lesson that should be learned from what happened in Argentina is that Americans should have a food storage program, where they have several weeks of non perishable food in their home. In times of economic crisis, grocery store shelves can be empty and, even if there is ample food, it may either be unaffordable or civil unrest may make a trip to the store dangerous. If you store food that your family is already eating, there is no financial risk, as you will definitely eat it anyway. But if there is an economic collapse, you will be glad you put money into your pantry instead of a bank at one quarter of a percent interest.

For the specific plans about being prepared, you can go to a 'nuts and bolts' regular guy Prepper YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/survive2day. You'll find practical advice instead of just guns and ammo and camouflage.

Mike Kuykendall is an expert in Emergency Preparedness, Disaster Planning and Urban Survival affiliated with Survive2Day. His articles are featured at http://www.Survive2day.com, and is a contributor to the book "When the Last Bubble Bursts: Survival Without the Tinfoil Hat.

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