My Plan for 2012: Getting It Together For The Meltdown

Originally posted by chrismarco
reply to post by MRuss

 

Sorry 2012 means a reset of a calendar...nothing bad is going to happen any worse than what is going on today...and if it did hit the crapper...planning is only going to take you so far for x amount of day...

Okay, I'll bite

It is widely known that Greece will default on its debts. Economists all over the world are now stating it. Governments around the world are preparing for it.

At the very least, this will mean Greece exiting from the €. It's very likely that politicians will fight until the end to stop Greece from defaulting, meaning the austerity on the people there will increase. We've already seen massive protests in the county, and I really wouldn't be surprised to see the government fall in 2012.

When Greece leaves the €, the contagion and uncertainty about other EU nations in a similar position (Spain, France, Italy, Ireland) has the potential to cause a panic in the markets and likely send us into another global recession, before the first is over. It could genuinely cause a crash of the global markets the likes of which we have never seen.

Other nations already struggling with their debts have hardly begun their austerity measures, and once Greece does default, who would be buying government bonds issued by other bailed-out nations?

We can't predict what's going to happen, because there have already been impressive schemes by those in power to prop up the failing banks and governments by papering over the cracks. But we can prepare for the most likely outcomes. And right now, the most likely scenario is a Greek default, followed by a deepening collapse of the global banking system and markets.

That event in and of itself is, in my opinion, dangerous to all of us beyond loosing a pension or paying more for fuel.

Of course, this is without considering the ramifications of Iran successfully closing the Straight of Hormuz, or even a war in the region without a successful closing. The Straight allows the transport of 20% of the GLOBAL oil trade. Imagine the prices of fuel when 20% of the supply is immediately cut off, or even restricted.

OP, you're spot on in my opinion. The priority should be to leave urban areas. I always say that, and that is the first action in my plan.
I would say that self-sufficiency in food production is also a priority. One thing that a hell of a lot of people forget when it comes to these scenarios is that the average store only has three days of stock during normal trading conditions. In a panic buy situation those shelves will be empty within a day. When it comes to a large scale crisis affecting a larger area (such as a global financial collapse) every industry will be affected. Many large companies depend on regular trade and daily banking to operate, and without either traffic will halt. Once that store is empty after that first day, where's the next load of stock coming from? Will that store even open again after being looted?

When a flood hits, it hits a localized area, the waters recede and things get back to normal, often within a couple of weeks at most. When a hurricane hits, it again causes localized disruption, you can still get supplies from the next town or city. When a global economic crisis hits, it hits everything at once, everywhere, and will take years to recover from.
It's not enough, in my opinion, to plan to shop somewhere cheaper. I'll be stocking up with 3 - 6 months of supplies and planting from day-one.

I love your thinking on the process and what you're doing. You've clearly thought about it all with a common sense attitude and intelligent planning. This is what we should all be doing.
If nothing happens and they somehow find a miracle solution to the trillions of $'s of imaginary money floating around the world, great, we've lost nothing. But if they don't find a solution (as they still haven't after almost five years) we're prepared for it while millions of others fight amongst themselves for the last loaf of $100 bread.

Sunflower!

I loved your post so much. Thank you so much for responding. I love how you have adapted so well to a new and less stressful lifestyle. Your style of life, the gifts you make, the way you see things...are really so amazing.

I have learned a lot from you tonight...

Thank you

reply to post by detachedindividual


Really impressive response. It read like a book. You have an amazing grasp on current events and future scenarios....

Thanks for getting what I was trying to say....and putting it so much better.

Originally posted by MRuss
reply to post by detachedindividual

 

Really impressive response. It read like a book. You have an amazing grasp on current events and future scenarios....

Thanks for getting what I was trying to say....and putting it so much better.

I don't think I put it better, I just think a lot of others read these threads and respond with flippant or dismissive responses too often. I think a lot of people don't really understand the situation the world is in right now.

It's really amazing how everything is connected, but a lot of people don't see it.

You've got a great grasp of what's happening too, and it's clear that you're really planning for this coming year the way someone should be IMO.

We'll probably be the people packing up and moving out 24 hours before the rest of the planet watches the markets crash on their nightly news and runs out to loot the local store of their last goods. It's not pretty, but being pessimistic about the economy is a key to surviving it in my opinion.

migrating into the grand canyon where only true survivalists will have a real chance in outliving everyone else, because no one in their right mind would go there to survive

reply to post by sweetnlow


LOL , do not have to go that extreme. If SHTF , people will stay in the city , desperately hoping for the government to solve their problem while life gets harder and harder. I do not expect a sudden invasion of the countryside . If something happens and people will HAVE to go , unfortunately not everyone would make it. People will only leave the city when they are already hungry for days.If you still choose to stay in the city, i guess it is important to know when to get out , and make this a priority.

I made homemade corn tortilla chips tonight. With it I had corn, blackbean, and salsa, just added dried cilantro and some liquid smoke for flavor. But something occurred to me while I was preparing the chips. If I can make tortillas I can have burritos or chips, or veggie wraps. Now I know I can dehydrate the corn, grind into cormeal, and will be researching the proper prep techniques for making the tortilla itself. That is a basic bread source that opens up a whole genre of food and helps me target next years garden wish list. More corn more cilantro. Beans as added protein. Will be able to make regular corn bread as well.

As I consider self sufficiency, making basic breads and pasta actually leads me to what am I gonna grow in my buckets this year. What I save in money by not buying premade at the store, has a multi fold affect. Besides saving money, I appreciate the product more and will limit how much I make of it, thus limiting consumption and enjoying moderation and avoid over eating and not introducing unknown ingredients into my diet. I expanded my knowledge base learning how to do it, expended the energy and time to create it just didn't drive to the store then plop on the couch and stuff my face. I also have a basic bread and pasta recipe, that lends to the tomato and peppers and herbs I will be growing. This years plantings will be in quantity enough for more freezing, drying, and canning.

Sorry my epiphany was if you learn to make breads for a preferred type of food, it leads to being able to prepare foods in that group easier, leads to gardening redirection, exploration of foods you might not had previous considered. I discovered I love hummus and couscous, easily stocked up on the ingredients to make my own.

Eating in hard times can be a challenge. Not sure out palates will take to hard tack or beaten biscuits anymore. This is assuming other basics like shelter water and heat have already been accommodated. Which reminds me i need a small tarp for my get home bag. Packed a coffee can stove and at least 4 different ways to start a fire to get warm if I am hoofing from the job to home and shtf before I could get there. Just redid my bag this week, added nylon pantyhose, for added filtering, added insulation, or tourniquet. Made sewing kits for him and thee. His has bigger needles for bigger hands. Pre threaded needles and wrapped the thread around end of needle and a little piece of tape to hold loose end and unwraps with getting tangled. included one white shirt button, one midsize larger brown button for pants. Safety pins and straight pins. You know those lead refill pencils, used an empty refill canister and got all this in one of them. Go figure. Come on somebody else feed this addiction I have to be resourceful and ingenue. Need more ideas, please...

reply to post by SunflowerStar


I'm interested in exploring the idea of solar ovens. I haven't really gone there. Also, hay box cooking. If we have power shortages, this might make sense?

Another one is getting better at sustenance gardening as opposed to just growing stuff we like, or low production crops that are not vital for nutrition.

One of the problems in this journey is that we keep swinging back and forth with what we have in our diets. We no longer eat sugars, wheat or grains for health reasons, and soy is out, too. If we had a food crisis, we'd probably eat anything! But for us now, storing TVP soy or ramen noodles or factory foods, even with long shelf life, is not gonna happen. I find it tricky.

reply to post by JustSlowlyBackAway


My science project 30+ years ago was a solar oven, worked better than I thought it would. But kept having to turn it cause the sun kept moving, go figure. I have found even if I grow things I don't like, we wont eat them. So not venturing too far off the likes list to save water and energy in tending. Sorry you have had to eliminate gluten from the diet, but bet that makes for adventures in taste buds interesting.

reply to post by SunflowerStar


We only grow what we'll eat. But I was referring to crops that the yield is so poor for the amount of space and effort, that they simply aren't worth it. We love Brussels Sprouts. But the things take up too much space and take too long for the small harvest. We are very limited here, so we choose carefully.

reply to post by JustSlowlyBackAway


How can you de-stress when you have to be aware of everything unknown. How can you de-stress when you have to say no to easy living?

Originally posted by novuslibertas
reply to post by JustSlowlyBackAway

 

How can you de-stress when you have to be aware of everything unknown. How can you de-stress when you have to say no to easy living?

I don't know. For some reason, I feel really calm and okay with this. I am not terribly stressed. I don't mind living simply. We do anyway. I've become sick of striving and consuming for the sake of striving and consuming. That's not easy living!

If things go bad, there will be a lot of challenges, but we'll cross those bridges then. In the meantime, just keeping an eye out and making small adjustments will help.

A few years ago, I worried a lot more. Now, not so much. I think it will be okay. We'll figure it all out together.

reply to post by JustSlowlyBackAway


I've been vegetarian for a while because of similar reasons. I've quit two weeks ago and I can say that I have disallowed myself access to 60% of available foods.

I have never had trouble being a vegetarian as in not eating meat but that's probably just the complexity of your personality.
Some people would have a hard time and some would not by not eating meat.
Aside from that, confrontations with meat eaters do hurt and make it hard. Always having to account for being vegetarian. I'm pretty sure this is the same for any 'abnormal' abstention (abnormal for the mainstream groups and sheeple).

That's what I mean I think. It's not so much the abstention but the confrontations with the sleepers that makes it sometimes very hard to continue going on.

reply to post by novuslibertas


It's odd, but I don't confront or defend. I see it as a personal choice - mine. Everyone else has a right to theirs.

I would find it hard being vegetarian because I'm a protein type. But If there was no meat, then I suppose I'd want to raise chickens for eggs and occasional meat. If you're vegetarian or vegan or whatever, then that's great. If you can do it, it makes things much easier, in my opinion. We also don't eat most of what is available in today's grocery stores. LOL Most of it is not even food, in my book.

I don't think it's nice for people to get in your face and tell you that your choice in this is wrong. That stinks. But defensive confrontations? Nope. Not worth the energy.