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Economic Collapse
Most of us have seen footage of soup lines during The Great Depression or the bread lines years ago when Russia was still the USSR. In both instances, the economy of each country had collapsed and people either could not afford to buy food or there was not enough food to go around. Unfortunately, the threats our families face in instances like this are almost too many to name. However, you need to be aware of the types of threats that you may face in this instance and prepare yourself according to what you see as the most likely to affect you short term and long term.
Currency Fluctuation: In instances like this, the value of a currency can change overnight where all of a sudden what cost you $5 today could cost you $25 tomorrow. This has far reaching effects into the domestic economy and can be a very difficult cycle to break out from (could take years and years). It is unlikely that the company you work for would all of a sudden adjust your wage to make up the difference so it is a good idea to have on hand items that tend to have universal value independent of currency fluctuation (precious metals, gems, etc.). Other, more common items may also see their value grow. What if you had an extra water filter that you could trade someone who had something you needed? You would be wise to critically consider things like this since they are typically cheaper to purchase ahead of time and could end up being even more valuable than gold at certain times.
Utility Interruption: For a variety of reasons, basic services like electricity, sewer and water may become unreliable in an economic collapse. Buying a water filter large enough to serve your family is paramount. You may also want to purchase a smaller, mobile water filter (camping style) in case you have to travel large distances in search of goods or services. Do you have extra filters for your water filter? One would also be wise to be prepared to capture rain water in case outages are long term. Educate yourself on planning the best spot for a latrine. You don't want it contaminating a water or food supply and yet you don't want to expose yourself unnecessarily by traveling long distances to use it.
Food Shortages: In an economic collapse, you are likely to face interruptions in the distribution of food. Do you know how to prepare food for long term storage without a refrigerator? There are many good books and websites on this topic but I would encourage you to purchase a hard copy in case you need it for reference during the process (there is no guaranty your computer will still be functioning). You would be wise to purchase MRE style meals to keep your family fed for at least a month. MRE's are cheap and keep well for long periods of time. Are you prepared to hunt for your food and then prepare your kill for eating and storage? Again, there are numerous books on this subject that can tell you not only how to stalk your prey, but where to shoot it and how to prepare it once it is dead. Make sure you have prey appropriate weapons as well. You don't want to shoot a rabbit with a .270 and you dont want to be forced to hunt deer with a .22. Trapping is a means of passive hunting that can pay off if you are on a large plot of land. You can set your traps and turn your attention to other pursuits such as actively hunting or searching for water.
Perhaps the best way to prepare for food shortages, though it is something that needs to be undertaken well in advance, is to start a garden. With a garden you can learn how to can your vegetables, how to save the seeds for use next season and learn how to mulch your waste. This is a great hobby/skill that will pay dividends regardless of whether or not you face food shortages. Start small to keep it manageable in the beginning but expand it every year. You can visit our section organic gardening to learn more about gardening.
Home Invasion: If the situation becomes desperate enough, there are going to be many people unprepared to survive in these circumstances. Therefore, they may look to take from people who are prepared. You need to have a home defense plan as well as weapons and enough ammunition to defend your family and property. Make sure each member of your family can operate weapons safely and effectively. You can minimize this risk by being discreet in your affairs. If people are not aware that you have properly prepared, you are less likely to have a bullseye on your house.
Price Gouging: Though our government can enact laws to prevent price gouging, if the economic turmoil is bad enough, there may not be anybody around to enforce anti price gouging laws. One would hope that basic decency would prevent this in most cases but you never know. The best defense for this is to not need what they are trying to sell at artificially inflated prices.
These are just a few of the circumstances you may face in an economic collapse. The purpose of the article is not to be exhaustive in it's descriptions, but rather to facilitate critical thought on the subject. The fact of the matter is that no country is immune to such circumstances. If you read the headlines of the day, in fact, it seems that the U.S.A. is well on it's way already. You don't have to be caught by complete surprise by these events that are out of your control. Even the basic preparations described above will give you an advantage over the vast majority of Americans.
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written by boyscoutmotto, February 03, 2012
Peak Oil and oil price shocks comes to mind, and with that an increase in price for all goods and services since transportation of those goods and services rely on oil. Not to mention the US debt and entitlement program obligations and liabilities. The list goes on. The US is coming to a tipping point with the economy and there are emergent threats today that undermine my hope for a better tomorrow.
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