Is it just me or is the world coming to an end ...

G

GEL99

Joined
Jul 10, 2007
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112
Okay, so gas has blown through the $3 per gallon mark and has, according a snippet on CNN, even exceeded $5 per gallon in some ... I would hope ... remote parts of the country. The US Dollar has fallen something like 15% against the EURO since last October and is at a 12-year low against the Yen. Unemployment is up. Foreclosures are up. Equity in homes are down. Bear Sterns, which traded at something like $170/share last year and $30/share last week, was sold over the weekend at $2/share which essentially makes the entire company worth less than the real estate it headquarters sits on. I notice this afternoon that Lehman Brothers is down something like 35% today making me wonder if it will be the next $2 bargain/fed bailout. Three quarters of Americans now think we are in a recession. Some significant number of economists tend to agree.

Politicians seem to be mostly busy counting Super Delegates.

So it looks like we may be in for a spell of hard times. One would hope that this is not a SHTF scenario … you know … general collapse of civilization as we know it … zombies roaming the countryside some 28 days later … Mel Gibson in the outback pulling the last of the V8 Interceptors with a team of camels looking for gas … but you never know. My question then is this … what are you doing “different” … if anything … to help you and your loved ones survive whatever uncertainties we are currently looking at?
 
There was a gas station here that had diesel for 2.87/gal the other day. You should have seen the lines to fill up. I bet someone got fired over that mistake. People were filling up their farm tanks at 500gal. It was a sight.
 
What will all the folks who sneaked across the border do when nobody has the cash to hire them?

Actually all of them are probably more adept at "surviving" in an economic sense than we are.

Remember it has not REALLY been so long ago in the US that several generations lived under one roof. Had a garden not for fun but to supplement their food budget.

Need to get my potatos in the ground soon........
 
Starting to question every penny we spend. #1 priority now is ridding ourselves of debt. With a family of 4 to support, things will get interesting for sure...

May start riding one of my bicycles to work, not out of necessity, but more for trimming the expenses where possible...
 
Sheez,anything good to post ! Keep on living life like I have ,If you change that is what makes everything weak & frail ! We all are like a heard of Buffalo or whatever out in the open feild of life,and you start change your ways ,spooks everybody else and the herd Collapses.
 
Not really doing anything different, as I try to always live within my means and plan ahead well financially.

If there are ups, there must be downs. The economy can't stay at steady state and can't rise forever. I am hoping that the gas prices will cause market demand for anther form a fuel, which if domestically producible would be a great boon.

For all the SHTF preps, I don't think there is much one can do except prepare themselves mentally, which is something you either do all the time or you don't. Saving thousands of rounds of .223 isn't going to help much, as I don't think daily firefights would really be a reality for any person. I think a few reloads worth of whatever weapon you choose would be plenty. As for food, a bit of stock to see you through seems most rational to me.

Keep cool, keep calm.
 
I moved my family 800 miles to live rent free in my dad's duplex. Nowadays, I'm glad I didn't pull the trigger on a home a couple years back like I planned. Isn't that a shame? My family's roots are like moss. Oh well, the 70's were pretty crappy from what I remember, and things improved then...keep the faith.
 
Im not too worried, I will keep living life as usual. I don't invest, I ride a bicycle and I am generally happy no matter where I stand financially. Life will keep scooting along.
 
Not doing much different, always had to watch the money being retired on fixed income.

Keeping my better halfs and my vespa motorscooters in good shape for running around on. At 75 to 80 mpg its not too bad.

Keeping out of debt, not taking any loans or such against the house. No mortage payment, intend to keep it that way.

Buying extra long term dry goods at Sam's. Rice, beans, tea, suger, salt and pepper. extra could be trade goods.

Buying extra boxes of Federal 550 round bulk .22's at the Walmart. Have about 5,000 rounds on hand, want to build up to 10,000. You can do alot with a .22 if your carefull.

Keeping both our cars at least half full, never less. Could park one and use a car to refuel our Vespa's if we have to.

Alot of common sense being carefull.
 
I'm not doom and gloom yet, but I have started watching what I buy more now and have even thought about trading in my Dodge with the Hemi for something that gets better mileage for a while. I hate to loose my truck bed, but I don't really use it that often. I have a trailer I could use instead. I just need to put pen to paper and decide if the savings in gas, insurance, and registration verifies the idea or not. I guessing it might not since the truck is paid for.
 
We decided that spending some money to put us in a better possition if food and other items become too costly down the road, was better than holding onto our money, just to have to spend more later. So we've been stocking up on everything, paying off existing balances, invested in a few firearms that were needed, along with appropriate ammo, dumping a couple of vehicles and will be picking up an older classic style 1/2 ton with 6cyl and extra parts for me to use.
 
The late 70's and early 80's were tough times where I live.

People did a lot of gardening, bought smaller and smaller cars, bought wood stoves and all kinds of other stuff to deal with prices.

Just like now it had a lot to do with oil going way up.

This has the potential to be worse than the 70's IMO.

Just like the 70's other countries are way ahead of us in dealing with it.

Glad my house and all my cars are paid off.:thumbup:
 
Looks like hard times ahead for sure. But are we on this forum not survivalists? Stock up on .22 ammo and Moras! Plant a garden. Sell your Busses for gold (not greenbacks). Pay off your debts. Lock and load. :eek:
 
I would say buy up busses, they will be worth a fortune in the event of a collapse in both barter goods and self use. you can always sell them at a profit or break even.
 
Liam Ryan said:
I would say buy up busses, they will be worth a fortune in the event of a collapse in both barter goods and self use. you can always sell them at a profit or break even.
Click to expand...

only thing about that is who is gonna make change...I mean I came for some can goods and Water and he charges me a Game warden...kinda short sided...:D
 
Hollow,

Huntin' that ginseng. :D

I don't believe anything the media says, I don't believe a damned thing corporations or their spokesmouths say. This has been a long, long time coming because Joe Average thinks his can of Del Monte Corn, Peas and Green Beans arrive on a puff of Genie Smoke instead of on gasoline and diesel.

Remember when diesel was cheaper or the same price as regular grade gasoline? They have a half dozen excuses for "why," but it costs more than premium grade gasoline now and right there is the lie. Diesel is cheaper than gasoline, compared to gasoline, diesel is a junk byproduct. People can scream that it's supply and demand all they wish, it doesn't hold up and it's killing the country.

Along with a 72% rate increase on natural gas and electric in the State of Maryland. If you really want to see inflated prices, go there. People, again, think the refrigerators and freezers and lights and cash registers in grocery stores all run on Genie Smoke - they are going to learn the hard way.

People can say that oil companies and power companies should be able to charge what they want to, they can continue to say that, until they cannot afford to feed their kids and realize that sometimes, you cannot afford the luxury of high and mighty Limbaughistic Principles. (Thrown a little Benjamin Martin in there for you.) :D
 
This sounds less like the world ending than it does US financial problems...I really hope you guys all weather them well, but business is booming up here... If I could walk out the door I could go get another well-paying job this afternoon (actually it is a bit late, better to try tomorrow.)

And I still have my regular job, guess.

I would seriously consider spreading out your investments across North America, Europe and Asia if you can, though. No point tying yourself to one particular ship if it might be sinking.
 
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