Poor Man Survival
Self Reliance tools for
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A Digest of Urban
Survival Resources
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You Can Begin to Use Now
As regular readers of
the Poor Man know…
We're gorging ourselves on debt as if there will be no
tomorrow.
If you're reading this, you're probably already concerned
about the state of the U.S. and global economy.
If
you're still sugar-coating it in your own head, my advice is WAKE UP! The
warning signs are all over the place. Standard and Poor's downgraded the United
States credit rating in 2011 and 2012, and it's up for review again with
another potential downgrade looming. Standard and Poor's, Fitch and Moody's,
and the three major rating agencies have all shared negative outlook sentiments
with the media.
The
U.S. National Debt has been rising at an unimaginable pace, reaching a historic
high of over $17 trillion, with our country borrowing nearly half of every
dollar that it spends. Scholars, economists, and scientists around the globe
have published countless research papers on the subject and their findings
suggest that a major economic collapse is imminent — along with food, water,
and energy crises.
Several
cities across the country are on the verge of declaring bankruptcy. What
happens if the interest rates (which are incredibly low now) go up? Can you
spell D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R? Municipal governments are going to become helpless.
Municipal bond investors (among which are other municipalities,
employer-sponsored retirement plans, and thousands of individual investors) are
going to go broke…as I’ve indicated previously in this blog.
Meanwhile,
countries in the global community are slowly backing away from the dollar. Our
government has been printing so much money that when the market corrects itself
the next time, inflation is going to go through the roof. This will not be
another Great Depression; it will be worse. Can you imagine what happens when
the dollar bill you hold in your hand becomes worth 1/10 of a penny? How about
that jar full of pennies? It is going to do you no good! The real value will be
in the commodities.
For example:
Total household debt has climbed for 18 straight
quarters... setting a new record at $13.54 trillion in the fourth quarter of
2018. Consumer debt – which includes student loans, auto loans, and credit
cards – is also on the rise... It just exceeded $4 trillion for the first time.
According
to the latest report, Americans now have 480 million credit cards.
That is about 100 million more than during the last recession.
In
other words, there are about 1.5 credit cards for every man, woman and child in
the entire country.
The
total amount of credit card debt in the United States has now reached a
whopping $870,000,000,000.
That number has never been higher in the history of our nation.
And
when you total up all forms of individual debt, U.S. consumers are now 13.5 trillion dollars in
the hole.
NOTE: Perhaps
most concerning, is that for the first four months of this fiscal year, interest payments on the
U.S. national debt hit $192 billion, $17 billion, or 10% more than in
the same four-month period last year and the most interest ever paid in the first
third of the fiscal year. As Reuters’ Jeoff Hall points out,
annualizing the $192BN interest expense means that the interest on U.S.
public debt is on track to reach a record $575 billion this fiscal year, more than
the entire budget deficit in FY 2014 ($483 BN) or FY 2015 ($439 BN), and
equates to 2.7% of estimated GDP, the highest percentage since 2011.
I believe 2019 will see
significant accumulation in the precious metals market, which will finally
break out of the horrible sideways trading pattern we have been in for years.
Americans today are more
apathetic about getting prepared, and yet this is exactly the time when the
urgency to get prepared should be at the highest. Over the weekend I setup as an experiment at
our local flea market to see if emergency supplies would sell. I stocked my table with emergency food
supplies, radios, lanterns and such. These
did not sell. My books and knives
sold. So either our area residents are
already well prepared or they’re like most other citizens and they don’t care
about such events…in other words, they’re not Boy Scouts!
As you probably know my opinion
of the average American has diminished in terms of self reliance over the
years. Our educational standards have
fallen as well as the idiocy of what is aired on cable and broadcast television
and if the ranting I see from the loony Left on Twitter is any indication of
the direction of our nation, God help us.
The Left, despite economic
gains, gains on the justice front, gains on our ridiculous nightmare of
regulation [I just loved the media whining about the ‘shock’ people had when
they discovered they had less money in their income tax refunds…obviously, they
overlooked the bigger take-home earnings in their weekly checks and if they
listened to financial planners they shouldn’t be giving Uncle Sam free loans
anyway! Still – nearly 41% do not pay
any income taxes at all!]
As we’ve see TIME AFTER TIME
during natural disasters when TV newscasts featuring people lined up at grocery
stores AT THE LAST MINUTE to clear store shelves of water, canned food, flashlights, batteries and other
emergency essentials, etc. because they never prepare in advance…
In
fact, one survey found that only 39 percent of Americans have any sort
of an “emergency kit” whatsoever…When it
comes to being prepared for an emergency, 39% say they have an emergency kit,
while another 39% have a non-perishable food stock. A little less than
one-third (28%) of people have stockpiles of water, and one in four people
(25%) have an evacuation plan.
Of
those who have an emergency kit, the most common items to have in the kit are:
a first-aid kit (86%), flashlights or other light sources (83%), food (65%),
water (63%), and blankets (62%).
Disasters can and do
strike without warning, and when they strike, most of the population is vastly
underprepared. Truth be told, the vast majority of people aren’t prepared at
all, and hardly anyone has enough survival food to last them through the month.
It’s for this reason
that when a disaster occurs, hoards of people will swarm the grocery stores and
supermarkets in order to get as much food as they possibly can. You could end
up being one of those people if you don’t start preparing right now.
So take advantage of
the comparatively small crowds and short lines you can find at grocery stores
during the good times, because there could come a time when going to the store
is like something out of a disaster movie...
Be
smart and prepare now:
1.
Prepare to have cash to
survive the first wave (the time when everyone thinks that the crisis is
reversible or repairable); you probably won't be able to access the money in
your bank.
2.
Prepare to have
commodities. Whether it is gold, seeds, water filters or knowledge.
3.
Prepare for the social
unrest and for the possible security threats.
4.
Stock as much food,
water and survival items as you can afford.
Here's a list of food items that will sell out quickly when
disaster strikes, so you'd be wise to
stock up on them now while they're in supply:
Tuna. Offering around 10 grams of protein, B vitamins and
Selenium, tuna is the prepper's pantry staple. Buy the kind in oil, as it is
packed with more calories and you can use oil for some other dish. Sardines are
also a good option.
Canned meat. Canned chicken, ham, pot roast and spam are good sources of
protein and calories and store for a long time.
Canned fruit and vegetables. These will fly off the shelves quickly, so
unless you have your own garden, horde the canned produce, too. It will provide
vitamins and minerals during the time of crisis.
Rice. Rice has been used for years as an emergency food in
impoverished countries, war-ravaged regions, and U.S. states that have
experienced a natural disaster. Rice is a high-carbohydrate, high-calorie food
— just what your body needs when it's in "survival mode".
Beans. You knew it was coming. Beans are like the goldmine of
protein, fiber, nutrients and calories. They are the perfect food during a
crisis.
Salt. Salt provides critical electrolytes and flavors meals. On
top of that, salt can be used to preserve meat (if you can catch some).
Cornmeal. Cornmeal is ground corn and can be used to make hot cereal
or bake. It tends to store better than flower and is easier to use when you
don't have baking powder or yeast.
Nuts, seeds and dry fruit. These are your "high-energy"
items. They are loaded with calories, protein and nutrients and will provide a
quick and easy energy-boosting snack.
Oil and vinegar. This is more than just a salad dressing.
Oil and vinegar are both useful for an array of things. No doubt, you've read
about various ways to use vinegar. From a medical item to a cleaning agent, it
is irreplaceable. Oil is great for high calorie cooking, lighting fire,
moisturizing dry skin and more.
Honey. Honey lasts forever, has important healthful nutrients,
provides calories, soothes throats, and enhances tastes.
Sugar. On top of providing valuable carbohydrates and making things
taste good, sugar can be used in emergency medicine and is a good bartering
tool in a survival situation.
Lards, fats, oils. Fats, such as shortening and coconut oil
are awesome additions to a survival pantry for many reasons. For example, they
serve as high calorie meal supplements and tinder enhancers.
Grains/hot cereals. They provide tons of protein, fiber and
B-vitamins and last for a while.
Things
to keep in mind:
1.
All of the foods you
store (even canned) should be stored in a cool dry, dark place.
2.
You will need to
determine how much water you need to prepare the dry foods.
3.
Make decisions based on
your personal situation. If you can easily get your hands on fish or game, hoard
canned produce, fat, and snacks.
4.
Store rice, beans,
grains, and pastas in 5 gallon food-grade plastic buckets, with food-grade
oxygen absorbers (or an open baggie full of salt on the bottom and 2 blocks of
dry ice on top) to remove oxygen after sealing.
5.
Most people who go off-grid do it one step at a time.
6.
The main consideration for going off-grid is choosing the right
location. You want to have land that aids in energy production. You also need
to acquire water and mineral rights for the piece of land that you purchase.
With that said, there are 5 additional considerations for going off the grid:
electricity, water, water heating, sewer and energy back-up.
7.
Electricity/Gas. Two
primary sources of power that are not derived from fossil fuels are wind power
and solar power. Installing solar panels and wind turbines are simple enough,
but both options are pretty expensive if you buy pre-manufactured systems from
commercial dealers. They're still well worth it in the long run, but you can
save up to 50% (or more) on the costs by building your own home energy system.
Ideally, you'll use both sources to power your home. There are many other ways
to create energy for your house, such as using Propane gas or using fertilizer
and waste, but solar and wind energy are free, abundant, and easy to harness
once you know how.
8.
Heating. If
you live in an area that gets cold in the winter, you need a way to heat your
home. While you can use electric power to heat your house, you may want to
consider installing a wood burner as well.
9.
Water. To
truly live off the grid, you'll need to have your own water. You can install a
well and a pump. Whether you're building a new, energy-efficient home or
thinking about installing a well for your current home, check your area water
table to see if a well makes sense. Also, most municipalities in the U.S. do
not allow wells to be installed within their boundaries, so check your local
zoning laws.
10.
Heating Water. You
may not have thought about the need to heat water yet. Actually, there are many
options. You can install a solar water heater or a propane water heater, use
solar panels or hook your water heater up to your wood burner.
11.
Sewage. The
only way to deal with sewage in a sustainable way is having a septic tank
installed. The tank will process the waste and release the product into the
soil. This can be costly and can be tough to implement in urban areas, but if
you plan it right for your off-grid property, a septic tank will last a
lifetime.
12.
Backup plans. Having
a generator and/or battery backup to meet your energy needs in the event that
your primary energy sources fail is a no-brainer. Everything I teach is about
being prepared for unforeseen circumstances, and if you don't have a well
thought-out backup plan then you're not really prepared for anything.
13.
I go into more detail about alternative energy sources and
building your own solar & wind systems in Power
Efficiency Guide
Stockpiling food,
water, and supplies to sustain you and your family for a long time can get very
expensive. For some, it just isn't feasible to spend hundreds of dollars or
more every week buying supplies that won't be used right away.
Don't be embarrassed.
Most people can't afford to do that. The trick is to buy used supplies so you
can put the money you save toward your food purchases.
Shopping at thrift
stores like the Goodwill store is a great way to save money. It's extremely
satisfying to score a good deal on something you really need. You'll find
yourself bragging about how cheap something was rather than how expensive it
was...
Extra Goodies for
You!
To put it bluntly,
we’re spoiled. Finding and buying just about anything we need is as easy as a
quick trip to a store or a couple of keystrokes on the Internet. And while it’s
true that we can improvise many of the things we need, medical supplies don’t
make those swap-outs easy.
The obvious solution
is to stockpile, but there’s more to it than an assortment of bandages and some
over-the-counter medications. We’re going to explore a condition-driven
approach to a stockpile based on the types of medical conditions that are
common during and after a disaster. Some will be in short supply very rapidly
after disaster strikes. Others are difficult to find in most stores even now.
For those items that
may be difficult to locate, we’ve provided links in this article. Many items
can be found at a pharmacy, but if they are a bit obscure, the Internet has
it...
Your bug out
bag might not seem very heavy, but after carrying it all day, it will begin to
seem like the heaviest thing you’ve ever held. Multipurpose items can help you
reduce the number of items you need to pack, thus making your bag lighter.
The list
below includes some of the most useful survival items you can get your hands
one. You don’t necessarily have to put all of these items in your bug out
bag–like I said, you don’t want it to be too heavy. But I encourage you to
seriously consider each one of them. Take your location and personal needs into
account and decide whether these items are worth including...
What to use when you run out of toilet paper…
https://urbansurvivalsite.com/ways-to-wipe-your-butt-when-the-toilet-paper-is-gone/Rosefield is a classic traditional cabin, which can be built for less than $6,000. The cabin is open plan, which has the advantage of making it far easier, cheaper and quicker to build than more intricate cabins with separate rooms. This particular plan also includes a detailed cabin assembly diagram and step-by-step instructions which includes a foundation guide. [282sf’]
Your Free Middle Class Survival Kit
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& MAKE Money
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2 comments:
I'm guilty! I've not prepared as much as I should despite having read your blog for years. Too caught up in day-to-day BS and keep putting it off. However, I've made up my mind to start this week to at least get enough essentials, food, water, batteries, etc. to tide me and the missus over for at least 30 days!
Your title sums it up well & that is precisely how many in life operate-wait until the last minute for everything. Lots of terrific resources-thanks!
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