Poor Man Survival
Self Reliance
tools for independent minded people…
ISSN 2161-5543
A
Digest of Urban Survival Resources
Prepping for Retirees (And Those on SS &
Fixed Income)
I read an interesting article this week. It's from The
Wall Street Journal. The article looked at how state governments would fare
if/when we have a recession. Nearly 47 states have pension plans which are
broke or are unable to pay out their promised funds to retirees – Illinois is
at the top of the list.
"If the next recession hit the U.S. this year, more than a quarter of states would be financially unprepared to weather even a moderate downturn, according to a new report. Fifteen states would struggle in the case of a recession-related tax revenue slump and spike in demand for services, such as Medicaid."
"If the next recession hit the U.S. this year, more than a quarter of states would be financially unprepared to weather even a moderate downturn, according to a new report. Fifteen states would struggle in the case of a recession-related tax revenue slump and spike in demand for services, such as Medicaid."
How would you fare if/when we have a recession. Have
you taken steps to be ready for an economic downturn? Or would you face a
potentially critical situation? You might want to ask yourself the same
questions.
Do you have an emergency fund? If not, learn how to build an
emergency fund.
Don’t Spend A Dime On These Resources
Many preppers forget that preparing for a crisis doesn’t
just mean stocking up on supplies and hoarding survival food. It’s also about
preparing your mind and your abilities to survive. Being prepared beats being unprepared. That's true for
hurricanes and earthquakes, and it is also true for recessions. Both are bound
to happen. We just don't know when.
I hold a very strong belief that absolutely every person
in this world can contribute something in a survival situation. Whether you’re
elderly, have a disability, or have very little money, it doesn’t matter.
Everyone has the ability – and the responsibility – to contribute something of
value in a crisis.
That’s why it’s crucial
to start learning all you can – and you can do this without spending a dime.
For instance, there are TONS of videos and websites online that offer important
information on how to survive. And, if you don’t want to pay for internet, you
can always go to the public library and use theirs. You can also check out
books on survival.
These resources can
teach you incredibly valuable skills that’ll help you when SHTF. My advice?
Pick a topic that’s interesting to you (or one that you already know about and
want to learn more) and read deeper into it. Love to sew? Enjoy cooking?
Interested in first-aid? Want the best ways to build a fire? How about shooting
and hunting tips? No matter who you are, there is SOMETHING you can do (and
actually enjoy learning about) that will help you prepare better for an
upcoming emergency.
Note: Here’s another idea. Trade skills! For example, maybe you have a
pressure canner and a smoker, which you use to preserve meats, fruits and
veggies. Well, if you’ve got a buddy who just went fishing, you can offer to
teach them how to smoke/preserve their bounty. In return, maybe they can share
a few survival skills with you that you need help/practice with. The
opportunities are endless!
Survival Supplies For Cheap
Needing a good deal?
You can’t just expect to go to any store and expect that they’re giving you a
good deal. If you really want to save money, you’ll need to do some price
comparisons.
Many people forget that
the Dollar Store has tons of items you can use for survival. It’s seriously
surprising how much gear you can get for cheap! Don’t believe me? Look at the
videos below (there are even more on YouTube) showing you just how far your
money can go at the Dollar Store if you’re smart about it.
One of the best ways to
do this is online. By simply searching for terms like “survival gear discounts”
and “survival coupons” you can instantly get a ton of websites that have
survival gear for cheap. I’ve even seen some that are 50-80% off retail.Heck, by
doing a simple Google search I found First-Aid-Product.com, which offers 88%
off survival gear. That’s hard to beat!
Amazon is also one of the best websites for this, as it allows
you to search for specific items and do price comparisons in one easy site.
Also, you can add the specific items you’re looking for to a wish list. The
prices will automatically update over time, so you can keep checking back and
seeing the prices increase and decrease. This will help you ensure that you
really are buying at the lowest price.
Make Some Extra $$
Money is one of the
primary stressors that people have – and it only gets worse when you’re living
on a budget. That’s why it’s important to take advantage of all the
opportunities out there to make some extra money for preps!
One of the best ways to
make some extra cash is to go through your house and do some serious
decluttering. Set aside the things you never use and don’t need, and put it in
a pile. Then sell it to friends, or start a garage sale. It may surprise you
how much stuff you have lying around that you don’t actually need!
Now this is just one
example, but there are lots more ideas out there! Here are a few videos with
more ideas on how you can earn some extra cash to help you prepare for the
worst.
Thanks to the ConcernedPatriot.com!
Postscript:
Like most
Americans, our costs continually escalate, especially those relating to
government [health insurance, property taxes, auto
registration fees, etc.] yet our income seems to erode due to declining online
sales. Colleagues who also use the same
selling channels [eBay, Bonanza, Facebook, Craigslist, etc.] report the same issue. Many categories that used to be successful
for me are now dead in the water or items that once sold well have become
virtually impossible to find at reasonable prices [antiquarian books, for
example]…even thrift stores such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army are now
bypassing local retail customers & selling their better quality donated
items online via their own ecommerce stores or through eBay.
I always like to have at
least six streams of income and ever since I spent so much time in the hospital
recuperating from heart surgery, that number has dwindled to three but our cost
of living has increased by roughly 12.5% in that time period…not keeping
pace.
Now that I’m feeling
almost back to normal I’ve contemplated seeking some kind of part time job
however, where I live, opportunities are rare and honestly, I’m unsure anyone
would hire an ‘old’ fart such as myself who has essentially been out of
commission for the past few years.
Fortunately, we have
virtually zero debt, no mortgage or car payments, no credit cards or other
long-term interest payments but the ever increasing toll of government-related
costs are taking its toll on us and most other Americans. We’ve had to cut back on our charitable
giving as a result. Nor do we live the ‘high
life’ as many others in our circles do…no casinos, no sporting events, no
expensive vacations, etc.
Any extra cash we get goes
into improving our mini-farm and because we procrastinated on its expansion a
year ago, costs have increased by 35% due to local officials enacting tighter
regulations and the cost of building materials have skyrocketed due to all of
the recent natural disasters.
Nonetheless, I still manage to give away highly useful
reports and other goodies to our readers so why not take advantage? See below for a selection.
How to Survive the War on the Middle Class
14 of the best reports I’ve assembled on protecting your freedom…Here is the download link.
http://1drv.ms/1d9kfiU
Related
posts:
A Final Note…
Contributors and subscribers enable the Poor Man Survivor to post 150+ free essays annually. It is for this reason they are Heroes and Heroines of New Media. Without your financial support, the free content would disappear for the simple reason that I cannot keep body and soul together on my meager book sales & ecommerce alone.
>>Want to improve your brain? Learn how here:
You Have a 16-Cylinder Brain-Learn How to Use it &
Re-Awaken the Genius Inside You!
I know everyone is short on time in this hectic world so I’ve kept this
PDF short and to the point with links to expert how-to articles and guides
including:
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How to Increase Your Intelligence
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6 Step Brain Exercise Steve Jobs Used to
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6 Simple Habits to Boost Your Intelligence
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The Best Vitamins to Increase Brain
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How a Harvard Brain Specialist Keeps Her
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A Review of the Top 10 Brain [Limitless]
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How to Protect Your Cognitive Function
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3 comments:
Like your comments about how tough it is getting to simply survive-every time I turn around, the government or an insurance firm is gouging me for more money and I can barely keep up as I am on a fixed income...the idiots in DC say inflation is under control-they are full of crap.
It is getting tougher to survive as America has become a high cost country and I suspect its HUGE number of laws, rules and regs are causing it to be so...
You consistently offer top-notch information and resources. Great job@
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