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

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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.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.