Could your family weather a depression?

[the1much]

Quote:
Maybe I'm viewing the world through rose tinted lenses.

I prefer to think that those living in the country or away from the city will have little to fear. If things tank that bad then the city folks won't be able to get to the country unless they walk. Most of them will not walk that far.

I have firearms but I do not have ammunition stockpiled for protection of my food storage.

if you and your family was starving to death,, and you heard that 300 miles away were "farms" ,, what would you do? ( saying you wasnt prepared)

 

[Ricks Chicks]

This is why I started with chickens. I also have a small garden. some canned stuff but need to do a lot more. i am expanding my coop size to get more chickens and next season the garden will be bigger.my house is electric and i should have a generator. I ride a motorcycle and have a truck just in case I need one. I can and should do much more and just with this post i have started thinking about more and the fact that this country is in dire straights financialy. maybe Obama will make the changes we need.

 

[the1much]

and its not JUST the city folk you need to worry about,,,"big time" drug dealers, they have guns,people,and a starving stomach, how many farms will the government take over? ,, the wild animals will only last so long,, a year or 2,, then, the only ones prepared,, will be the "last ones" eating,, , Safety for you and your family should be the very FIRST thing prepared for,, cause without ya, theres no need to stockpile food or anything.

 

[the1much]

Quote:
hehe,, is why we started too,, and my wife just learned to do some canning, make bread ( she comes from "city folk") ,, me and my friend are always saying,, people gotta do 2 things,, eat, and poop,,, and i got the "eats" , so he's gonna invest in toilet paper,,,hehehe

 

[werblessd1s]

YES, that is another issue. The government can do anything they want. If they want your property they'll get it. They are allready taking peoples property.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

If you haven't already, join FREECYCLE! You would be surprised what you can find there.

I don't like sharing personal things with people on public forums to much, but I spose I will share a little.

I like being a stay at home mom, homeschooling, etc. Three years ago that changed when my husband was injured. We have since been doing everything we can to be as self sufficient as possible on our 7 acres.

It is about sacrificing what you really don't need to get what you do need or can use.

I wanted chickens, but the extra money wasn't there. I sold my digital camera to purchase my chickens this year. It was so worth it. (I have a cheap digital camera now, but it will go too if necessary!)

We sold our fancy smancy convertible and down graded to a 20 year old van, and we don't go more than 5 miles from home unless we absolutely have to.

We plant a garden every year. We pick the produce we need to survive the winter, and then save our seeds from the plants to replant the next year.

This year we planted potatoes...I tell you there is no reason for me to buy potatoes this winter! Our tomatoes did horribly this year.

We barter barter barter!! If we hit another depression, money won't be worth a plugged nickel! It will be what you have that is worth anything. Think I won't trade chicken for a roast if it comes down to it? YOU BET!

I have started washing clothes by hand, and I no longer use a dryer. SURE I have a washer, but if things get really bad, and I have no money, how will I pay the electric to run the dryer?

My chickens will have to free range when I can't buy feed.

That is part of the reason I wanted goats, so we could have a way to have milk.

I have started using cloth diapers.

Our biggest splurge right now is home phone and internet, but I am OK without them if it comes to that.

I have a question for all of you, and want to know how you are planning for it...if you are at all....

When no one can pay for utilities how do you plan to get water?! We have a fresh running spring on our property and we have spouting set up with rain barrels to collect rain water.

I have been collecting all of the cast iron cookware that I can get, learning how to cook outside on an open fire.

We heat with wood.

Yes, I expect it to get so bad that people will be robbing, killing, etc to survive. I am doing the best I can to prepare for the worst, so my family will survive.

History was never one of my favorite subjects as a child, but one lesson my history teaches ALL taught, History repeats itself. This depression will be far worse than the first.



ETA: I didn't have to go to Meyer hatchery for more chicks, but I argued that those chicks would eventually grow up to lay eggs, so I rationlized that splurge..shame on me!

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

If depression comes I wall buy goats, cows, sheep,lots more chickens, and lots of veggie seeds to start up a garden. you also need to have protection. Whether it be guns or electric fences with barbed wire. Thats if people go into a riot mode. Ever seen mad max or the road warrior (mad max 2)?

 

[hoosier]

dacjohns - Where did you find it at that price?

 

[ZooMummzy]

Quote:
Doom sayers.

I completely agree. I refuse to live my life, whatever amount I have left, waiting and thinking about the end of the world. I plan to enjoy every last second I have here!

With that said, we wouldn't starve but it would be a struggle financially, something I do worry about constantly. I learned a lot from my grandparents and great grandma about surviving a depression by using and saving what you have "just in case". I didn't fully appreciate it then, but I find myself thinking about it a lot more these days. My family, even despite my attempts to teach them how to live this way, just doesn't get it. They laugh at my homemade laundry soap and softener and at my clipping coupons and trying to buy things on sale. They also think my chickens are just a silly hobby.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Ok, all these people mentioning homemade laundry soap and softener, will you please tell me how so I can too?!