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One of the most forgotten areas of prepping is financial preparedness. It’s as if we all think that whenever the brown stuff hits the air movement device, all debt and other financial concerns will disappear. While that might be true in a few situations, like an EMP, it’s not something we can count on. We’re just as likely to be faced with a scenario that causes us all to lose our incomes, while still being stuck with the mortgage on our homes and the loans on our cars.

Planning our finances as preppers can be challenging. We are faced with the problem of planning for the same things our non-prepping friends and neighbors do, while also planning for any number of possible disasters. So we have to have a plan for retirement; a plan to survive short-term disasters and a plan for surviving a TEOTWAWKI event.

 

This makes investing a real challenge. The things most people invest in, stocks and money market accounts, can’t be relied on in a post-disaster world. For that matter, trusting in them in a normal world is a bit dicey, as the stock market can always crash. But that doesn’t eliminate the need for investing; just like everyone else in the world, we need to have our investments in order, both for the good times and for the bad.

This really means investing in such a way as to protect ourselves in the event of a disaster. If we do that, then our investments should carry us through the good times as well. What we need, in addition to our stockpile of supplies, are things that we can invest in, which won’t lose their value, even in a post-disaster world. May I suggest the following…

Gold & Silver

This one is obvious. Perhaps the most classic investment of all time is precious metals, specifically gold and silver. During times of financial crisis, these metals always increase in value, even when everything else is dropping in value. In addition, precious metals are what people are likely to return to when needing some sort of money to trade with. So, as long as you have them, you can do business.

If you want to learn more you can check out this book. It provides specific and essential wealth-protecting ideas, techniques, and strategies.

In this regard, silver is actually better than gold, as its value is less. So when it comes time to barter, you’re not dealing with a one-ounce gold coin, which has a huge value. That might be useful when trying to make a major purchase, but not when trying to buy food.

Land

When I’m talking about the land here, I’m not talking about the typical way of investing in land. What I’m referring to is the land your home is sitting on or land that you can use for homesteading. One of the best investments you can make, especially for surviving a financial collapse, is ensuring that you own your home. That way, it can’t be taken away from you.

Granted, it is hard to pay off your home and the land it sits on; but if you will make an additional payment of say $100 each month, that money will go directly towards the principal on the loan, not the interest. I don’t have the exact figures at hand, but check it out; that could cut your 30 year mortgage down to 15 years or so.

Food

As preppers, we’re already stockpiling food. But we need to realize that our food is an investment too. Even in normal times, the cost of food is rising faster than the inflation rate. So, that food will increase in value faster than a savings account. Of course, in a time of crisis, it will be invaluable.

A Cottage Industry Business

Many major disaster scenarios are serious enough that they affect the world in which we live, as well as the economy. Rather than just investing in things, think about investing in the skills, knowledge, and tools to make a go of it, if your current job falls apart. You don’t want an internet business here, but rather something that you do with your hands.

Repair businesses could be an excellent choice, as they do extremely well after a financial collapse. Many of the old trades would do well after the loss of the grid. Ideally, you want some sort of business that will provide an income after as many types of disasters as possible. Start with the skills you currently have and look at what might work well for you.

Alcohol

People will hang on to their vices, feeding them, more than they will hold on to their most basic needs. in this, I think that Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is wrong. People will feed their vices, even at the cost of their lives. That’s why alcoholics and drug addicts spend the money they need for food and heat to feed their addictions.

But you don’t have to be an alcoholic to want alcohol. People drink and use drugs to escape their problems. So in a time of severe problems, many will trade away the food they need, just to get a drink. This makes alcohol one of the most powerful barter goods there is.

Tobacco

Tobacco is like alcohol, in that it is a vice. People smoke to deal with stress and in a post-disaster world, there will be plenty of stress. Having a stock of tobacco on hand could be extremely valuable, perhaps even more so than silver.

I wouldn’t recommend investing in cigarettes, as they can go stale. Rather, invest in raw tobacco and rolling papers. If people want to smoke, they’ll learn to roll their own.

Coffee

There are even more coffee addicts in the world than there are alcoholics and smokers. If you want something that people are going to be lusting after, willing to trade just about anything away for, this might be the golden ticket. Just about anyone is going to want coffee.

Whole beans will store better than ground coffee, even if you are keeping them in airtight containers. That means having a grinder on hand as well so that you can grind their coffee for them.

Ammunition

Some have said that ammunition will become the common coin in a post-disaster world, especially in a post-EMP world. There will clearly be shortages, even with all the people who have already built stockpiles of ammo. Concentrate on calibers that are useful for hunting and self-defense. Probably the most popular caliber for trade will be the .22LR.

Gasoline

Gasoline is difficult, as it doesn’t store well for prolonged periods of time. The more volatile hydrocarbons tend to evaporate off and there is some oxidation of other components of the gasoline. Adding a fuel stabilizer to the gas can extend the life, but then only to about a year.

If you can store your gasoline in sealed metal containers, it will last longer than it will in plastic gas cans. I’ve kept gasoline in a sealed steel barrel for over a year, without a problem. And that was without adding fuel stabilizers to it. Even so, I would consider gasoline only a short-term investment, as it won’t last forever. You’ll want to cash in on this investment faster than others.

Toilet Paper

There have always been alternatives to toilet paper. In the pioneering days, they used corn cobs and the Sears & Roebuck catalog. But for those of us who have grown up accustomed to toilet paper, making that switch will be difficult. I’d say that it will be even more difficult for women.

This one is a bit of a gamble, but I think that toilet paper will become highly valuable in a post-disaster world. You just might want a few extra cases, over and above what your family is going to use, that is.

Seed

If it comes down to long-term survival after a TEOTWAWKI event, probably one of the most important things to own will be seeds. Not only will you need it, so that you can plant a large vegetable garden and grow food for yourself and your family, but everyone else will need it too. They’re also going to need your knowledge about gardening so that they can get their gardens going and feed their families.

This is probably only a short-term investment but could have big returns. I say it’s short-term because once they grow their own crops, they can harvest the seed as well. So you shouldn’t have people coming back to you for the next growing season, looking for more seeds.

 

That concludes my mission for the day. Let me know what you think. If you find the time. Or something to add. 

Have a good one! 

Other Self-sufficiency and Preparedness solutions recommended for you:

The Lost Ways (The vital self-sufficiency lessons our great grand-fathers left us)
Survival MD (Knowledge to survive any medical crisis situation)
Backyard Liberty (Liberal’s hidden agenda: more than just your guns…)
Alive After the Fall (Build yourself the only unlimited water source you’ll ever need)
The Lost ways II (4 Important Forgotten Skills used by our Ancestors that can help you in any crisis)
The Patriot Privacy Kit (Secure your privacy in just 10 simple steps)

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One of the most forgotten areas of prepping is financial preparedness. It’s as if we all think that whenever the brown stuff hits the air movement device, all debt and

When disaster strikes, will you be ready? Will you be organized, calm, and ready to adapt to whatever the situation brings? Sometimes we have some warning, and sometimes things happen out of the blue. There is one simple secret that will allow you to sail through nearly any crisis. It doesn’t cost a lot of money or take up an entire roomful of storage space: acceptance.

You can’t take the actions that could save your life until you have accepted the fact that something bad enough has happened that those actions need to be taken.

The more time you spend denying that this  – whatever “this” is – could ever happen to you, happen in your hometown, or occur at all, the less time you have to take definitive action. In fact, your willingness to accept that disaster could strike before it ever does puts you even further ahead, because you’ll be ready for immediate action without wasting valuable time wrapping your brain around it.

I’m not the only person who thinks that acceptance is important. Selco wrote that when the SHTF in Bosnia, most people missed the fact that it was all going down until it was too late to take steps to protect themselves.

You may miss the signs. I did.

I have seen all the signs above, and I failed to run. I ended up right in the middle of SHTF.

It is not only important to see and recognize signs. It is important to believe that it can actually happen. Because after I saw all the signs, I just said to myself, “Oh, it cannot happen here. Somebody somehow is gonna solve everything.”

It is very hard to trust in something that you did not experience before. Only now do I believe that a lot of horrible things are possible. (source)

He wrote in another article that because he didn’t accept how bad things were getting, he did not loot as much as he should have when society broke down. He didn’t accept the fact that new rules were in play.

Please understand that when I talk about acceptance, I’m not telling you to just sit there and accept your fate. I’m advising you to avoid your brain’s way to protect itself through denial because that will slow you down.

We watched denial at work firsthand during the King Fire.

A few years back, we hovered on the edge of evacuation for 12 days due to the King Fire, a forest fire that nearly reached 100,000 acres. We got up on a sunny Saturday morning,  never realizing that would be the day an angry man would punctuate a domestic dispute by setting fire to a tree in the other person’s yard. Certainly, no one expected that one act of anger to set off a fire that would exceed the size of the city of Atlanta.

However, he did set that fire, and it came as close as 2 miles to our home over the almost-two-weeks that we watched with bated breath.

During the fire, I joined a number of local groups online so that I could get the most up-to-the-minute information, and during this time, I took lots of notes of my observations. The thing that was very clear is that those who were at least somewhat prepared handled the situation far better than those who simply couldn’t accept that this threat was actually happening to them.

As someone who has studied preparedness for many years, I witnessed firsthand the classic exemplar of human behavior during a disaster. Tess Pennington, the author of The Prepper’s Blueprint, wrote an article called The Anatomy of a Breakdown. In the article, she pointed out that in the event of a disaster, society devolves in a predictable pattern with four distinct phases. Her observations were accurate during our experience. As we watched the events unfold, some people changed dramatically.

What helps you to be calm during a crisis?

The difference between the people who crumbled, becoming easily offended, snarling, and hysterical, and the people who were generous, calm, and effective? Their levels of preparedness, both mental and physical. Because they were prepared, they had already

Think about any stressful situation that has ever happened to you. Once you accepted the fact that it had happened you were able to set a course of action. Once you had definitive steps to take, you probably felt much calmer. You took control of the things you could, and you executed your plan. Only by taking that first step – accepting that this mishap had indeed occurred – could you take the next two.

1.) Accept

2.) Plan

3.) Act

No matter what situation you find yourself in, these steps will nearly always see you through. (Here’s an article about that process.)

Here’s how it all went down.

During our own experience, here are the things I witnessed. They could apply to any type of disaster, natural or otherwise. Notice how acceptance plays a starring role in many of them.

Bug out bags are absolutely the first prep you should make. If you’re just getting started, do this one thing. You can do it without spending a penny, by just gathering up things that you already own. You may not have a top-of-the-line, ready-for-the-apocalypse bag like this one, but you’ll still be far ahead of most people. When we first learned of the fire and realized that evacuating might become necessary, I had only two things to do. I had to get documents from the safe (the documents, by the way, were already housed in a plastic folder, so I only had to grab that one thing) and pull the pet carriers out of the shed. In less than 5 minutes, we were ready to roll. Had it been necessary, we could have left with only the photocopies of the documents, because those always remain in our bug-out bags. Having your bug-out bag ready means that you have accepted in advance that disaster could strike.

Any time one disaster strikes, several more are sure to follow. This is highly probable.  Some people in the fire zone not only stayed on the edge of evacuation for nearly two weeks, but they also lost power due to the fire. This greatly reduced their ability to get news and information, which is vital in a disaster situation. It leads to even more worry and stress, and while you’re dealing with the potential of your home burning down, you’re also living through a power outage lasting several days. Getting prepared for a two-week power outage is absolutely vital and can see you through most regional disasters. Also, when it finally began to rain, although it helped to quench the flames, firefighters were suddenly threatened by flash floods. These were made worse because the areas no longer had the same natural obstructions to deter the flow of water.

Unprepared people panic.  Some people panicked initially. When we got the first evacuation alert (a notice that evacuation was highly likely within the next 24 hours), a woman who lived down the street was wailing and sobbing as her husband tried to pack up their vehicle. She was rendered absolutely useless by fear. Meanwhile, my 13-year-old was fulfilling her list while I fulfilled mine and we quickly made an orderly stack of important belongings, then turned on a movie to beat the stress. Had our area actually been forced to evacuate, those who panicked would have either been the last to leave, or they would have forgotten important things as they left in a disorganized rush. It’s important to decide ahead of time who packs what, and for each person to have a list. Sit down well before disaster strikes and make an evacuation plan with your family.

Get organized.  All the lists in the world won’t help you pack quickly if you don’t know where things are. One change we’re making is that all of the items we deemed precious enough to pack and take with us will now be stored in one area so that we won’t have to look for them when seconds count. Another friend ran into the issue of dirty clothes: he actually had to evacuate with hampers of unwashed laundry. Having your home tidy and organized (and your laundry washed and put away) will help your packing go smoothly in the event of a sudden evacuation.

You can’t be prepared for everything.  Disaster situations are always fluid and they don’t go by a script. It’s vital to be adaptable to the changing situation.

Keep your vehicle full of fuel.  If you have to evacuate, lots of other people will be hitting the road too. When you’re stuck in traffic, you don’t want to be worried about your fuel gauge dropping to the empty mark, leaving you stranded in a dangerous situation.

The criminals come out, like cockroaches. Within 24 hours of the first evacuations, we learned that the local scumbags had looted some of the homes that had been left unattended. Within 48 hours, we learned that the scourge had reached the outlying areas, with these people breaking into cars that had been loaded up with the things that families had determined to be most important to them. Of course, if you’ve evacuated, there’s nothing you can do about what’s happening to your home. But before evacuation, or in the event of civil unrest, it’s vital to be prepared to defend your family and belongings. In these situations, the first responders are busy, and that’s what criminals rely on. You should consider yourself to be completely on your own, and be ready for trouble. Keep in mind that during the civil unrest in Ferguson recently, the only businesses that didn’t get looted were the ones at which the owners stood armed and ready to defend their property.

The longer the stress lasts, the worse some people behave. As continued stress is applied, the true nature of a person becomes evident. People who formerly seemed like perfectly nice individuals were on the local message forums saying terrible things to one another. They were verbally attacking others for imagined slights and taking offense at things that would normally never ruffle feathers. Some folks were launching tirades against the very people who were performing the greatest service: the admins of the webpages who worked round the clock to keep us informed. If it was this bad in a potential emergency, can you imagine how bad things will get in a truly devastating long-term scenario?

But then…some people are wonderful. Alternatively, sometimes you see the very best of human nature. The generosity of many of my neighbors cannot be overstated. They housed livestock, pets, and families full of strangers during the evacuation. People showed up at the shelter with food and comfort items for those who had been evacuated. Firemen who came from near and far to fight the blaze were constantly being treated to meals at local restaurants, as other diners surreptitiously paid their tabs. Watching the kindness and gratitude helped to restore some of my faith in human nature, after seeing the squabbling and crime. It was interesting to me that the people who gave the most generously were the ones who were the most prepared. These folks were calm and could focus on other things besides “Oh my gosh, I don’t know what to do!” We definitely learned who the people were that we wanted to surround ourselves with when the S really HTF.

Take steps now to be one of those calm people later.

Today, I want you to think about disasters. It’s certainly not a pleasant thought, but considering these things now – when there’s no fire bearing down on you, no hurricane heading your way, no chemical spill poisoning your water, no pandemic in the next town over – allows you to think more clearly and make a definitive plan of action. Instead of hoping it never happens to you and fearing that the actions you take will make it happen, accept that at some point, something bad will strike. And you’ll be ready.

So…

  • Check your bug out bags.
  • Organize your most precious belongings.
  • Discuss your plans with your family so that everyone knows what to expect.
  • Understand the most likely disasters in your area and know what to do if they strike.
  • Learn more about the nature of the people around you and expect all that you know to change in the blink of an eye.

When – and it’s always “when” not “if” – disaster knocks at your door, be prepared to respond immediately. Learn about what to expect from others in order to keep your family safe and on-plan. Human nature isn’t as much of a variable when you can predict their behavior.

But most of all, accept the fact that bad things can happen. Don’t wallow in denial and waste precious time that could be spent surviving.

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When disaster strikes, will you be ready? Will you be organized, calm, and ready to adapt to whatever the situation brings? Sometimes we have some warning, and sometimes things happen out of

The truth is although you may get some advanced warning of a SHTF situation, no one will predict it with absolute certainty. There are however some predicted behaviors and events that experts can predict may happen leading up to the chaos and afterwards.

These predicted behavior patterns are important to understand for anyone who is trying to protect their family and homestead during and after a SHTF event. If you are aware of the changes that could take place, you can prepare your homestead for SHTF and its aftermath. The more steps you take to prepare, the better off you and your family will be.

You don’t have to wait for a crisis to use this book. Details here.

What Could Happen When SHTF

  • extended power outage
  • widespread panic and looting
  • overwhelmed emergency services personnel
  • stores and businesses are wiped out or closed
  • shipping delays or complete stop
  • pandemic due to poor sanitation or lack of medical care
  • spoiled or stolen food and other supplies
  • injuries, illness and/or mass casualties or death

Plan for Food and Water

One of the big issues following a SHTF event is going to be having access to enough water and food to sustain you and your family through an extended period of chaos and possibly indefinitely. Below are some steps you can begin to take now to help ensure that you and your family have an ample supply of food and water when you need it.

Most people may not be able to do all of these at once but it’s a good idea to make a plan for implementation over a period of time. Do what you can the first year and gradually add to your food and water resources when you can.

  1. Start a food garden to grow vegetables and fruits to sustain your family when grocery stores shut down.
  2. Plant an orchard now so that you’ll be able to harvest fruit for pies and jams to boost morale following a SHTF event.
  3. Grow an herb garden to supplement your food stockpile and for medicine when pharmacies and professional medical services are shut down.
  4. Start a compost pile to use to fertilize soil so your garden will flourish.
  5. Gather/Buy manual kitchen appliances and equipment so you can cook without electricity.
  6. Stockpile food for livestock and pets when shipping is delayed or stopped.
  7. Create a hidden food forest to sustain your family if your garden and stockpile are confiscated or wiped out.
  8. Build a rainwater collection system to use for watering the garden, for livestock, personal hygiene, and if necessary for drinking.
  9. Build or buy a solar oven for cooking without power.
  10. Make a smokehouse for preserving meat if refrigeration fails.
  11. Gather/Buy manual tools for gardening and other homesteading tasks.
  12. Install an aquaponics or hydroponics system to supplement your garden
  13. Plant berry bushes so they can mature and be ready to harvest following a SHTF event.
  14. Stockpile home canned food to create a sustainable food supply without refrigeration.
  15. Build a root cellar for preserving harvested vegetables to extend shelf life through the lean winter months.
  16. Stockpile as much water as possible to prevent dehydration.
  17. Identify nearby fresh water sources to supplement your water stockpile.
  18. Begin raising livestock for food that can enhance the nutrition level of your food stockpile.
  19. Save seeds from garden for future crops in the event shipping is shut down.
  20. Identify wild game and fishing resources on and around your property to supplement your food stockpile.
  21. Identify wild edibles on and around your homestead as a backup food supply.

Plan for Security

Another major issue when it comes to a SHTF event will be shelter. Whether it’s an extreme weather event or something else, steps you take now will mean you can quickly protect your house and livestock shelters against extreme weather or intruders.

  1. Build storm shutters to protect windows and doors to protect against extreme weather. Have these ready and accessible or even installed so they can simply be closed and locked with very little warning.
  2. Reinforce door locks to keep intruders out of your home. This is a step everyone should do anyways to protect against burglary and home invasion.
  3. Build a safe room to use in the event intruders do get into your home or in the event of a tornado or other extreme weather event.
  4. Clear out brush around your home to create a clear line of site to protect against intruders sneaking around your property.
  5. Stockpile firearms and ammunition and other weapons for self-defense.
  6. Consider forming a “survival group” with trusted neighbors or family/friends.
  7. Build a secure fence with locked gate around the perimeter of your homestead to secure against intruders.
  8. Establish early alert systems and other perimeter deterrents to protect against intruders.

Additional Ways to Prepare Your Homestead for SHTF

  1. Prepare for waste disposal (Composting Toilet/Humanure) when sanitation systems shut down.
  2. Install a fireplace for heating your home and for hot water.
  3. Install a solar power system to run critical appliances if the power grid fails.
  4. Stockpile batteries of various sizes to use during a power outage.
  5. Install a wind turbine for supplemental power in case of a grid failure.
  6. Buy/Build a generator to run critical systems during short term power outages.
  7. Bury backup supplies in hidden cache locations on and around your homestead as a backup in the event your supplies are stolen or confiscated.
  8. Stockpile personal medications or identify natural alternatives to treat chronic medical conditions when pharmacies are closed.
  9. Buy/Build a ham radio system for communication with family or group members and to monitor news and events happening in your area.
  10. Make any repairs to house and livestock buildings regularly to safeguard your shelter.
  11. Stockpile replacement parts for vehicles and manual equipment in the event of a mechanical failure.
  12. Create plans and assign duties for possible scenarios (in case of fire, tornado, intruders, etc.) so each family can act quickly in a crisis.
  13. Consider bulletproof options for your vehicle and house to safeguard against an intruder attack.
  14. Establish a method for properly storing gasoline and other fuels for vehicles and for heating your home.
  15. Begin growing your own fodder to feed livestock to sustain them if feed supply stores are wiped out or shut down.
  16. Improve insulation in your home and barn to increase your ability to stay warm in cold weather and cooler in hot weather.
  17. Establish a system for washing clothes without power.
  18. Stockpile firewood to use for heating and cooking in an extended grid down situation.
  19. Pay off as much debt as possible, use excess to enhance your stockpile.
  20. Create ways to make money from your homestead even in a grid down situation.
  21. Stockpile items (honey, cigarettes, sugar, coffee, etc.) that can be used to barter for other items you may need to survive.

Is your homestead prepared for SHTF? What steps have you taken to prepare? Which of the 50 ways to prepare will you consider?

Other self-sufficiency and preparedness solutions recommended for you:

The Lost Ways (The vital self-sufficiency lessons our great grand-fathers left us)

Survival MD (Knowledge to survive any medical crisis situation)

Backyard Liberty (Liberal’s hidden agenda: more than just your guns…)

Alive After the Fall (Build yourself the only unlimited water source you’ll ever need)

The Lost ways II (4 Important Forgotten Skills used by our Ancestors that can help you in any crisis)

The Patriot Privacy Kit (Secure your privacy in just 10 simple steps)

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The truth is although you may get some advanced warning of a SHTF situation, no one will predict it with absolute certainty. There are however some predicted behaviors and events