How to survive the possible Economic Collapse?
I strongly believe that the United States of America, my home, is going to go through another depression. We heavily rely on oil to fuel our cars, make our tables, run the machines that make everything you see around you, and much much more. Without oil, we have a million new problems to fix. Although fixing those problems now and before are/were good ideas, the government has chose to go into a war to get more oil, rather then to find many MANY alternatives or find ways to use it less. That is facts, yes there is hybrid cars that run on electricity, but it also takes oil to make the electricity, as well as all the car parts. Believe me we haven't done nearly enough. My point is, the US has spent nearly a trillion dollars on the war, yes a trillion.... 1000 billions, and is.. get ready for it.. ---> Approximately 13 TRILLION Dollars in debt (Sourced), to other countries, and much much more in promised benefits such as social security and others. Maybe you remember all of America's money being backed up in gold at places such as Fort Knox, well that ended a long time ago if you haven't heard. It's now backed up in "The promise of the American Government". But, as always with a promise, sometimes you just, simply, cannot complete it. Like if you promised a relative you would see them, but you missed your flight, there is nothing you can do. Same with the government. So now, the countries that we borrowed from "China, Russia, and a few others", are probably going to want that money back. If the do ask for it back, and we can't pay them. America is not going to just say "Oh, yeah invade our country and take all our stuff". No, America will do whatever it can to survive, even if it means getting the nation mad at the other countries by making them look bad, when all they want to do is collect their money back. I'm not saying I'm on either side, all I am saying is things should be fair. BUT ONTO THE SURVIVAL If the world does go crazy, we need to preserve the good things (much like the doomsday vault), so I will try my best to survive, like evolution suggests, and make a time capsule and bury it so future generations can better understand our history. What are you going to do to survive the (possible) economic collapse? Personally, I am going to live on a farm, grow my own food, away from big cities, because if the food supply runs out, people will raid farms. Supplies I am going to buy before this all happens, and their estimated prices- Stockpiled amounts of seeds- $200 A book about Biology (To study, and put in the time capsule), I prefer the Campell and Reese one, it is very detailed and is the book used in my AP class- $150 Books on how to grow crops, make soap, make toothpaste (if possible, otherwise stockpile toothpaste), treat wounds, survive in the wilderness, hunt, fish, and survive on a limited income, I know this is quite a list but it will be worth it- $500? maybe around there. A good rope, for rope bridges, and many other things, so very very useful- $150-$200 Bullet-proof vest, I hope it NEVER have to use it, but it could happen- $800 or (approx $2400 with specialized plates). Probably pick the $800 one if I can't get enough money. A complete ACU, BDU, black camo, and hunting outfits- $900, I could use these for hunting, surviving hard times, and other things, NOTE- I would never impersonate someone in the military, they are used by the military and can be purchased, they are VERY reliable. Hunting materials (traps, nets, etc...)- $400 maybe? Hunting Rifles- 2 rifles at about $1,200 each for all accessories. ($2,400) I won't name brands tho. A Pellet gun is quiet and useful for small game- $80 Rosetta Stone- A language software program, for one language its approx $700, I might get 2 but am planning on one at the moment, French or Spanish, just incase I have to go to Canada or Mexico. Clothes, jeans, shirts, sweaters (A good sweater can save lives), and a good jacket- $600? This next item is more of a luxury, but, a really good rifle- Check out the second link in the source section. It is approx $6,500 for the gun and bunch of accessories, it is low maintenance as well. I do play COD and if you do you might notice it is VERY similar to the CheyTac Intervention system. I would never shoot anyone with this gun, I don't think it would get that bad, but I would have a shotgun and/or pistol for self defense, don't go trollin on me :). Target practice and hunting are what I would use it for. And just the fact that its a sexy gun :) Other stuff I might need- $800 (Notebooks, house supplies, little stuff) It adds up to about (Based on math from notebook earlier)- $12 or like $5-6 without the rifle. That's, at minimum wage, and 40 hours a week, 48 weeks of work (1 year about). I am 17 at the moment and jobless What are your thoughts and recommendations?
Conservation - 2 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
-Don't stockpile too many seeds- they won't grow after a couple years in storage. Find out how to gather your own seeds from plants you already grew. Got to be a book on it somewhere. -AK 47's are really durable and only 4-500. They will take down anything you're hunting or needing to protect yourself against unless you live in grizzly country. Don't forget to get plenty of ammo- by the case is cheapest. 50 Cal. are fun but overpriced and would do much more damage to anything than really needs to be done. -Dry, clean, cold wood ash is good for brushing your teeth with. Make sure to rinse well or lye will form and burn you. You do need lye to make soap though, so can get it from soaking wood ash overnight. -A $4 coat from the Salvation Army saved my life as I spent 2 days along the road in N. Dakota in a blizzard once. Forget about fashion statements if the world is ending, just get what you need to keep warm. Get something that looks too nice and someone will want to kill you for it.
2 :
Well, it looks like you have put a lot of thought into your plan. I would, however, suggest that you make some modifications. It makes sense to take reasonable precautions, but your thinking is a bit extreme. If the US debt collectors come calling, they are not going to carve up the country looking for their share. I think it is much more likely that they would ask for a more aggressive repayment schedule. This would involve dramatic reductions in a lot of sectors: military, social security, basic services, etc ... This would be a lot smarter and would give them a much better return than liquidating US assets and getting a "pennies on the dollar" re-numeration. Such a scenario will play out over the next decades, not years. Even if the US economy does completely collapse, it is not going to be complete anarchy. You will still have some producers making food, clothing, etc ... It might involve some pretty lean years. But to address your purchases, here are my suggestions: Farming: Good choice, but where are you going to get the farm? Are you just going to put a stake in the ground and start plowing? Last time I looked, most of the land in the US was already spoken for. That is unless you were planning to take it forcefully, which dramatically increases your risk. I think a better idea would be to go into agricultural studies and try to become a farming assistant. That way, in an agricultural or basic economy, your skills become much more valuable. Stockpile of seeds: are we talking about nuclear winter here? Unless you are talking about a global cataclysm, there are probably going to be plenty of seeds lying on the ground. Skip this. Books on biology, hunting, farming: a little knowledge never hurts ... make sure you read them though. Rope: can't see anything wrong here. Make sure one of your books tells you how to use it. Bullet-proof vest, $6500 gun: ok, this is getting into crazy land now. If people start going crazy and killing each other, then this looks like a good investment. I think it is highly doubtful. Skip this unless you really think the economic apocalypse is going to turn into a zombie apocalypse. Or if you are crazy enough to think that deers are packing heat ... Hunting stuff: go ahead, but start learning how to use it. Find yourself a hunting buddy and start learning how to hunt before the economic meltdown hits. There is only so much about hunting that you can learn from a book. Even if the world doesn't end, you have found yourself a hobby. Rosetta Stone stuff: a little knowledge never hurts. This is fine. But don't count on using it for an economic apocalype scenario. The mexicans aren't going to be coming up to take your land. Clothing: never hurts to be prepared. Some stuff that I think you missed ... Water purification tablets. These are good on an emergency basis. Clean water can sometimes be hard to find. A knife. Maybe this is assumed if you are going hunting, but it is not on your list. This is necessary for cleaning your kills. Emergency gear. This includes a first aid kit. Good to have in any scenario. Multi-tool like a swiss army knife. At least get a screw driver. All-in-all, I would say go ahead and increase your knowledge. Getting some survival skills and having some emergency supplies on hand might save your or somebody else's life someday. I would suggest, however, not to go overboard. The world isn't going to end, so don't live your life in fear. It doesn't make any sense to plan your economic future on a worst case scenario.
