Poor Man Survival
Self Reliance tools
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ISSN 2161-5543
A Digest of Urban Survival Resources
A Cloudy New Year Greeting
As we
head into 2019, we’re expecting to see a lot more volatility and even more
losses as reality once again steps back into vogue…
I wish
the Federal Reserve, the ECB and the rest of the world's major central banks
had not printed up $16 trillion of thin-air money and caused the greatest
collection of asset price bubbles in all of history. I wish that the US had
heeded Jimmy Carter back in the 1970s and developed a workable long-term energy
strategy that made sense…In the US, after spending $trillions on unnecessary
wars and neglecting to invest for the future (adequately funding pensions,
maintaining vital infrastructure, etc), the establishment decided 2018 would be
a good year to pass more freedom restrictive laws, spend even more cash on
screwy socialist programs thought up by left-wing loons…
Any
recovery built on a foundation of cheap credit will not only end, but end
badly.
Ironically,
many of our younger generation became uber-consumers of high-end goods as a
result of the generation of ‘yuppie’ parents who spoiled kids rotten with
expensive toys and alternative [and expensive daycare]. I admit, my boys attended a private school
with tuition which cost more than my out-of-state tuition at Arizona State
University and ultimately, it was a complete waste of money.
It’s
important to note that the mainstream press has a couple of important jobs:
keeping everyone firmly seated in the consumer mind-rut, and deflecting any
criticism away from the wealthy and their corporate masters (should any
distinction between those groups exist).
If
I sound harsh on the mainstream press, that’s because far too many in that
profession have settled into being little more than scribes for the powerful;
doing little more than repeating scripted talking points, inaccurate “facts,”
and overt corporate and political propaganda.
2018
has been the year that things began to unravel, as the accumulated mistakes of
the prior decades finally settled in.
2019
will see the repercussions of that unraveling. It's going to be a very hard
year as reality starts to settle in.
As
far as the financial markets go, which are the preferred self-enrichment and
public signaling devices of the powers that be, our operating model is
contained in the phrase: Until and
unless.
It
is still Very Important that we
stick together and offer each other support and encouragement as we navigate
increasingly difficult waters over the coming months and years.
For
those who'd benefit from specific guidance and support in developing a personal
preparation plan or those whose public pension plan might go south…the
following urban survival tips from the homeless might prove inspiring.
Most
importantly, what happens when ~40 years of excessive debt accumulation comes
to an end? Do financial systems and institutions even function anymore?
Nobody
has a good answer to these questions, which is why the Federal Reserve, et al.,
are terrified to find out what happens when their grand debt bubble experiment
comes to an end. Mad max is not out of the question folks. A lot of
things very suddenly no longer work when the credit not only dries up, but goes
in reverse. Very basic things like food and gasoline distribution networks
and public safety payrolls become difficult to maintain. Just ask
Venezuela.
Of
course, our newly minted batch of social-democrats seem ignorant of world
events taking place in South America where citizens are losing weight because
they cannot get enough to eat thanks to its socialist policies…
13 Urban Survival Tips From The Homeless
It’s
hard not to look down on homeless people. Even if you’re a compassionate person
who gives to charity, you probably feel uncomfortable when a homeless person
approaches you and asks for change. In the back of your mind, you can’t help
but wonder, what is wrong with this person that made him or her end up without
a place to live?
Of
course, that’s very unfair. Yes, some homeless people are just plain lazy, but
there are many who simply had a long string of bad luck and no one to help them
out. And ironically, in a major
disaster such
as an economic collapse, they would actually fare
better than the average person.
If you
find yourself in an urban survival scenario that forces you onto the streets,
you might find yourself turning to other homeless people for advice. After all,
they’ve been doing it for years. They must have learned a thing or two about
how to survive.
Dress In Layers
Homeless
people know a thing or two about staying warm, as many of them have to sleep
outside when it’s incredibly cold and snowing outside. A common strategy they
use, which is very applicable to survival situations, is to dress in layers.
The
first layer is the layer in direct contact with your skin, the second layer is
the insulation layer (or the layer designed to keep you warm), and the third
layer is the shell layer, or the layer designed to protect you from the wind and the rain and snow.
If
you don’t have enough clothes for three layers, use plastic, cardboard, and
especially newspapers, which brings me to the next tip…
Use Newspapers
In
addition to insulation, newspapers have a wide variety of important survival uses. For example, you
can use newspapers as shelter, as a sheet, as a pillow, as toilet paper, and most importantly,
as fuel for a fire.
Unfortunately,
there aren’t as many newspapers out there as there used to be, but you could
also use junk mail, circulars, and old phone books for these purposes.
3. Use Water Bottles
Another
tactic that the homeless may use to stay warm is to place hot water bottles
into their clothes as they walk, or to surround themselves with hot water
before they go to sleep.
Now
obviously, as a homeless person, you won’t have access to tap water and a water
heater. However, you could still heat water in a tin pot over a small fire or
trash can fire, then pour that water into your bottles. As a last resort, you
could urinate in a bottle and keep it in your pocket until it’s not warm
anymore.
4. Sleep Near Other Homeless People
It
might seem dangerous to encroach on the territory of other homeless people, and
there is some risk involved, but it could be even more dangerous to sleep
completely alone. Bad guys are less likely to rob or attack you when there are
witnesses around. But if you’re by yourself, who knows what might happen?
That’s
why you’re better off sleeping in an area where other homeless people sleep. If
a lot of them sleep in a particular park, alley, or abandoned lot or building,
it’s probably because it’s a fairly safe area that the police ignore.
But
don’t wait until the last minute to go to this area and sleep. Instead, go
there during the daytime and chat up a few homeless people. Share your story,
and listen to theirs. If you can make a friend or two, you’re more likely to be
left alone.
5. Be Ready To Leave
Homeless
people are also constantly on the go and rarely stay in one place for
long. They may be forced to leave if a homeless group or law enforcement
kicks them out of the area where they are staying.
In
an urban survival situation, chances are very good that you’ll be constantly on
the move as well, and you may not get to stay in one location for more than a
few days. Besides being forced to leave by the cops, you may also be forced to
leave by an angry mob if a major crisis is unfolding.
So
don’t leave your things all spread out. Unless you’re using something, it
should be in your bag, and your bag should always be on your back, even when
you’re sleeping. This will ensure that you can stand up and leave right away.
That’s why you also need to…
Pack Wisely
In
order to keep everything you have in your pockets and your bag, you’ll have to
pack light. Don’t carry anything you don’t actually use on a regular basis.
That’s why I recommend carrying multipurpose items such as bandanas, plastic bags, paperclips, and so forth. All of
these can be used for many different things, which means you won’t have to
carry as many items.
Don’t Fight Anyone
Are
self-defense skills something that you should be learning? Absolutely. But the
most valuable self-defense tip is really to learn how to avoid a
conflict to
begin with.
Take
note that even the smallest of injuries will need to be treated with the
strictest of attention in a survival situation. A simple cut or scrape may
seem like something minor, but if an infectionsets in, it could
result in serious complications.
Another
problem with getting in a fight in a densely urbanized area is it’s almost
certain to attract unwanted attention. Specifically, you could attract
attention that is not on your side, in which case you are likely to end up with
more than just a few cuts and bruises.
Consider A Dog
It’s
not an uncommon sight to see homeless people with canine friends. But the
truth is that dogs have many legitimate uses not only for homeless people but
also in an urban survival disaster.
Besides
offering you badly needed companionship, dogs are also good for protecting you
against those who would seek to harm you. Also, they can help keep you warm
when you’re sleeping.
Carry First Aid Supplies
As
I said, a cut or scrape could lead to an infection. So in case you do get hurt,
carry some Bandaids antibiotic ointment with you. It doesn’t cost much, and it
could literally save your life.
Another
tip is to wear sunscreen if you know you’re going to be in the sun all
day. A sunburn could also lead to open wounds that get infected. Make sure that
doesn’t happen.
Blend In With The Crowd
It’s
not exactly a well-known fact, but homeless people tend to be very skilled
at blending in with their
surroundings. There’s a reason why they are often referred to as the Invisible
Population
here in the United States.
In
the survival world, this is what is referred to as being gray man (or woman). A
gray man is someone who can blend into a crowd or the surrounding area and not
be noticed.
They
dress just like most people in the crowd, they move in the direction of the
crowd and never against it, and they avoid making eye contact with people.
Being a gray man is not exactly easy, but it can go a long way to help you
avoid detection by criminals and law enforcement.
One
of the best ways to blend in is to keep a clean look. Use public bathrooms to
shave and clean yourself up as much as possible. People are also likely to
treat you better if you look more presentable. One way to keep clean is to…
Use Baking Soda
Personal
hygiene and sanitation is perhaps one of the most overlooked subjects when it
comes to survival. Sanitation standards are not going to be good out on
the streets, to say the least, and you’re going to need to take action to keep
yourself clean so you don’t get sick.
One
of the most important personal hygiene items of all time is baking
soda. When mixed with water, it can be used for anything from soap to
deodorant to shampoo to toothpaste and so on. What’s more, it’s incredibly
cheap,
and can be bought for less than one dollar at most stores.
12. Don’t Eat Just Anything
If
you’re hungry enough, it might be tempting to eat food out of the trash, but
you risk getting food poisoning if you do that. If you’re forced to either eat
discarded food or starve, choose things that don’t go bad as easily. That means
foods that don’t have meat or dairy in them and are mostly made up of sugar and
carbs. For example, leftover candy or chips will probably safe to eat.
But
on that note, you don’t want to just live on candy and chips. They are empty
calories that will leave you feeling hungry, and they don’t have the nutrients
your body needs to function properly. Living on junk food like that will cause
your health to decline rapidly, making it even harder to survive.
If
you can gather some change, buy foods like beef jerky, trail mix, granola bars,
and other foods that have plenty of fat and protein in addition to
carbohydrates.
Control Your Emotions
Last
but not least, another hugely overlooked aspect of survival is controlling your
emotions. You’re going to be desperate, and hope is going to be in short
supply.
Homeless
people are confronted with the exact same thing every day. They don’t know
where they’re going to eat, where they are going to sleep, or even where
they’re going to go the very next day. And yet they don’t let their emotions
get the better of them. If they did, they wouldn’t stay alive for as long
as they have.
Instead,
what you need to do is to control your emotions and use your head. Replace
anger, depression, hopelessness, and desperation with logic, reasoning, and
hope. Positive thinking never hurts either, no matter how bad the situation may
seem to you.
Every
time a negative thought enters your mind, stop it in its tracks and replace it
with an optimistic thought or focus on the task at hand. As the author of the
blog, Guide2Homelessness wrote, “There is
nothing so bad that it will not pass.”
A question that is commonly asked
among preppers is “How much food should I store?” There is no single answer
which can fit the needs of all, for each prepper has different income levels
and storage space. Some may be responsible for feeding more than one person
while others live in the midst of an abundant natural food supply. How well one
intends to eat during a crisis is another indiscernible factor which will vary
from person to person.
Being a military member comes with all sorts of
financial complications and benefits. Military members can take advantage of a
separate retirement system. And they get a variety of tax breaks and benefits.
But all of those tax breaks can also be confusing when it comes to filing your
taxes
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I
think the worst is yet to come next year, we’re still in the first half of a global equity
bear market with more to come next year,” Mark Jolley, global strategist at CCB
International Securities, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”
At
this point last year, nobody on Wall Street was talking like this.
In
fact, nobody was talking like this even four or five months ago.
But
after three extremely painful months the outlook has completely changed, and a
lot of market participants are really starting to freak out.
And
this is not just happening in the United States. The truth is that most
most markets around the world started to fall well before U.S. markets did, and
at this point almost all of the big global indexes are in a bear market…
Bear
markets — typically defined as 20 percent or more off a recent peak — are
threatening investors worldwide. In the U.S., the Nasdaq Composite closed in a bear
market on Friday and the S&P 500 entered one on Monday. Globally, Germany’s DAX, China’s Shanghai Composite and Japan’s Nikkei have also entered bear market levels.
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Additional FREE Resources
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Other
notes of interest…
Living Frugally In Suburbia
You live differently than your neighbors.
You live differently than your neighbors.
14
Frugal Food-Rescuing Tips from Grandma
These depression-era frugal tips still work today!
These depression-era frugal tips still work today!
8 Simple Ways to Put More Money in Your Pocket
Have more money without working harder!
Have more money without working harder!
Knowing
When and How to Stockpile Groceries
Stocking up could save your grocery budget!
Stocking up could save your grocery budget!
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