Self-Employment

by Bob

When owning physical gold & silver there are a few general concepts to understand:

1. Don’t tell the world! (2 or 3 is enough)
2. You aren’t planning on using them in regular retail businesses in normal times.
3. The best thing that can happen to them is you leave them to your heirs (you never needed them).
4. They preserve wealth over time (they are not intended to “make money”).
5. They are low-cost insurance for emergency money in unusual times and against inflation.
6. You don’t have to buy them all at once (add to them as funds are available & needs change).
7. You should also store cash (5’s; 10’s & 20’s) for use as needed for emergencies or the unexpected. The goal should be 3 months expenses or @ $2,000.
8. Start with small denominations (change not needed & more transactions).
9. Having a reasonable supply of things you normally use is a great addition to this plan.

What to own:

1. Pre 1965 US dimes, quarters & half dollars (they are 90% silver & usually the lowest premium over spot silver price). Ultimate goal is $500 to $1,000 face value.
2. One ounce silver coins (issued by a government) and one-ounce silver rounds or bars (issued by private mints & companies (usually less premium than coins). Watch the premium as it varies from time to time (I personally won’t pay very much extra for American Eagles over other governments coins). Ultimate goal is 1,000 to 2,000 ounces.
3. Gold coins (government minted as the premium is less than for silver & less likely to be counterfeit than lesser known brands). Start with 1/10th and ¼ ounce coins for the first 5 to 10 ounces and then add the half & one-ounce coins. The ultimate goal is 10 to 20 ounces.
4. Ten ounces and larger bars are good for major holdings but are harder to store & use in daily transactions. Items of this size normally should not be stored at home (theft & insurance problems). The goal amounts shown above can be split between home and safe deposit boxes if it doesn’t get you out of your comfort zone.

How to store at home:

1. Storage vessels for small amounts can be made out of large plastic pill bottles using the white plastic plumbers tape for a better waterproof seal.
2. Larger amounts may be contained in a two foot long two-inch diameter piece of PVC pipe with a glue cap on one end and a screw cap on the other end. Larger pipe can be used but gets expensive.
3.  #1 & 2 above may be buried outside or hidden in the buildings (make sure they can be relocated).
4.     Between the studs metal lock box (generally not waterproof) (hide well).
5. Home safe (well hidden & sized to meet your needs).
6.      Each container should have a variety of type & size of items so they can be used one at a time.
7. Oxidation of items (including food & ammo) can be reduced by either putting a piece of “dry ice” in the bottom of the container and letting it evaporate (co2) or adding “nitrogen gas” from a portable tank. These gases are heavier than air & will drive most of the oxygen out. Containers should be sealed quickly (wait for dry ice to evaporate). The nitrogen tank could be fitted with a flexible hose and a four-foot length of ¼ inch copper tubing for ease of use. This is for waterproof sealable containers only.
8.        If you are a known proponent of owning precious metals, you should also let it be known that you do not store them at home. Your options then are storing at a close by relatives or close friends (small amount) with the rest in a nearby safe deposit box or private vault.
9.          Insurance for these items can be expensive, hard to get and defeats your secrecy plan.

Safe deposit boxes:

1. Contents are not insured and subject to theft, but can provide a fairly secure close by location to store items you are not comfortable having at home. Cost is @ $100 per year.
2. Some banks do not allow you to store cash or bullion coins (check the rental agreement).
3.  Bank safe deposits may not be available to you during “bank holidays” (think Greece).
4. Check your area for private (non-bank) safe deposit companies to avoid the bank holiday problem. Remember, your items are only as safe as the company & location that has them.

Vaults:

1. Non-bank vaults are preferred to avoid coming under all the various bank laws, rules and regulations.
2. Decide if you want the vault inside the “COMEX” warehouse system or don’t care (inside the system avoids having metal retested upon sale) (usually only important for large amounts & large bars).
3. Segregated storage is best (you get back the exact same thing you gave them).
4. Minimum requirement is “allocated” storage in your name.
5. Go to “goldsilvervault.com”, click on the description of services and then click on interview & overview to watch a 40-minute video that covers vaulting very well. I use this vault personally.
6. Cost is generally between .6 & 1% per year depending on the total value of metals stored with the vault. This is close to the management costs of ETF’s and such. This means you should have in excess of $50,000 worth of metal to store before considering using a vault for storage.
7. Do your homework, you are trusting a very liquid (easy to sell) asset to the care of someone else. I also recommend that you separate who you purchase the metal from and who stores it. This at least gives you additional assurance that the metal was purchased & not just a paper transaction.
8. Storage outside the USA is an option, however, usually, that is only as a part of a much larger life plan and beyond the scope of this essay.

IRA’s:

There are basically two ways to have physical metal in an IRA. One is to have a trustee store the metal in trust for you at a vault and the other is to set up an “LLC” inside your IRA and have it store the metal at a vault.

Going the LLC route requires legally setting up and maintaining it in some state (costs vary depending on the attorney & trustee & which state) and there are very strict rules on what you can & can’t do as LLC manager.

The metal allowed in IRA’s is also restricted by the US government IRS laws & rules. If you use a trustee it may be very difficult to get segregated or allocated storage and the metal is stored in the trustee’s name. To go the LLC route you should be thinking about around $100,000 of metal because of the setup & annual expenses.

This area of physical storage is complex and should be researched carefully to make sure it is really beneficial to your overall plan and not extra work for not much gain.

Goldsilvervault.com does have segregated storage for IRA’s and works with two trustees that I know of (theentrustgroup.com & mountainwestira.com). You can check out their websites for additional information on IRA’s holding metals. Another trustee & plan set up company is accuplan.net.

I hope this helps you get started, but remember no one will look after your investments for you better than you yourself.

And remember – If you can’t touch it you don’t own it – check out Renaissance Precious Metals…

Disclaimer: The above references an opinion and is for information purposes only.  It is not intended to be investment advice.  Seek a duly licensed professional for investment advice.

Homesteading is also about earning a living! by D. in Kansas

My husband and I were freaking out about the economy in 1978, so moved from a metro lifestyle in another state to rural Kansas where we fenced and planted a half-acre garden. I learned to can, soon filling the basement with Mason jars. We went “off the grid” for a while, so learned to live by the light, getting up early and going to bed early. Taking a bath by candlelight is no fun.

We bought gold and silver. We kept it under our own control. We stocked up on ammo and such (click here to read – how many rounds of ammo does a prepper need). Tools. Food. Seeds. Practical things. We had a 90-foot well. We became vegetarians. Life was good. Weekend auctions were our entertainment. It was so much fun driving to different farmstead auctions, meeting super-nice people, spending a very few dollars for fabulous deals.

About auctions. I cherish a 12-seater dining room table and caned chairs purchased at auction for a mere $210. After kids put their knees through the cane years later, it cost $22 per chair to repair in a small Kansas town. The next generation of kids, that gent was gone, so it was $450 to repair just two chairs in Wichita. Yow!

This year, I was blessed to meet a 90-year-old in Missouri who repaired three chairs for $75 total. I then bought the materials from him to cover the next round of repairs in 10 years, for all the chairs.

Had to drive for 18 hours total to deliver then retrieve my chairs, but it was a fabulous deal. He and his wife are awesome. Spent quite a bit of time with them. If you need a caned chair, they have a basement full of them that he has rehabbed. He has amazing war memorabilia, and she has a great garden. They were peeling apples and making applesauce last time I visited.

Back to survival. I substituted, tutored, and sold vegetables. I protected our homestead and worked hard in the garden, while my husband traveled and sold industrial supplies. We saved as much as we could. Gold went from about $200 to $800. Before long, we had saved enough to live 10+ years (frugally).

We had essentially traded even from our city home to our rural home, giving up a newer house with a small yard for an older home with land. It was my first experience with high ceilings, plaster walls, a basement, and tall windows being so high off the ground.

The glass in the windows had “runs” which distorted the view. Our outbuildings included a super-high-ceiling garage for a combine, a stable, and a large bee-keeper’s workroom tricked out with a deep sink and toilet.

There were pear, peach and cherry trees, and lots of roses, irises, and lilacs. The asparagus bed was impressive. I had never eaten asparagus, but now love it!

I bought all the Mother Earth News issues, and How to Live on Five Acres, and similar reading. Still, have them all. Excellent information. I spent winters poring over seed catalogs, planning next year’s planting.

I started a home-based business, to be able to work at home and raise kids. My “office” was a country sunroom with windows on three sides. No A/C, very hot in the summers, but my husband installed a gas heater from Graingers, so winters were relatively pleasant.

Here’s what I can advise.

Live on less than you earn. Life has waves. There is a rhythm. Up and down. Seasons. Hills and valleys. Cut off the tops of the hills, and tip them over to fill the valleys, and you will be fine. The difference between what you earn and what you spend is the source of your WEALTH.

For business, SOLVE PROBLEMS! All the money in the world is hidden under the rocks called problems. Great opportunity is brilliantly disguised as insolvable problems. Be a CONTINUAL LEARNER, and you will do well. While I had to order and read a bazillion books, today’s access to information makes it incredibly easy to learn. SPEND THAT TIME. Learning is the best thing you can do with time.

People will trade. The gent who painted our house was happy to work many evenings (until dark) in exchange for our old Toyota for his daughter.

Beans + Rice. All the amino acids! There’s nothing as delicious as a big bean pot plus cornbread. Soak dried beans in water overnight in the fridge, then cook them the next day. Almost all day. Slowly. The more different beans, the better.

Peanut butter + milk. All the amino acids! If you don’t like to drink milk, then soften peanut butter and mix in dried milk powder. My son, a National Merit Finalist, grew his great brain on beans/rice and pb/milk.

No chemicals. Homemade oil spray protects fruit trees. Homemade pepper spray protects most vegetables. Plant flowers, with a bias toward perennials. Established irises can survive anything. For annuals, petunias, zinnias, and hollyhocks prosper in hot weather.

Deadbolts. Lock up. Keep a loaded (though shell not chambered, to protect kids – unless children are well trained) shotgun by your bed. When you get up to pee during the night, pick up the shotgun, and go through the imagined motions of chambering a shell, taking off the safety, and shouldering the gun.

After a while, you can do it in about two seconds, second nature. The life you save will be your own, or your family’s. The chuck-chuck sound of chambering a shell is unmistakable and a powerful deterrent… maybe. It would be terrible to have to actually shoot someone, but hey, don’t break in!

Think critically. Be aware. Consider who is telling what, and why. Though country people are generally wonderful, some may try to take advantage of nice people. Do NOT give out information to anyone who calls or visits you. If you call them, that’s different.

Freeze your credit. At present, it costs $30 to freeze with all three bureaus. You will be unable to get a car or home loan until you unfreeze it (another $30), but you will not be a victim of identity theft. DO NOT be the low-hanging fruit for thieves! You can de-activate charge cards until you need them. When you are ready to go shopping, call and re-activate.

One in the hole. ALWAYS have extra.

When you need something, buy two. Back to business now. If you work for wages, you are taxed on EVERY dollar you earn. If you own a business, you are taxed on the dollars left over after you have spent for what you need.

And, if you happen to lose money occasionally, a business can GET BACK federal taxes for the past three years, and in Kansas, not have to pay state income taxes for up to 10 years forward. Sweet. So every fourth year could be a loss. You cannot take depreciation on a loss year, so plan for that. Overall, a small business can avoid most income tax (but not payroll or other taxes).

If you operate a small business, you are in charge of your schedule. You never need to miss a school meeting, a doctor’s appointment, or a child’s sporting event. Not much need for daycare. Children who grow up with a WORKING parent are blessed. They learn what work is ­– that parents don’t disappear all day then show up with money.

They learn how to speak to customers, how to organize, how to plan, how to follow through. The best thing I EVER DID was start a business so that I could stay “home” to raise kids.

Though my little business started out small, over the years it has grown to provide jobs to dozens of people. I am proud of that. Our kids come to the office, and I spend time teaching them to be learners and problem-solvers. Kids are our future.

Also, read:

• 31 Simple Ways To Make Extra Money on The Homestead
• How to Start a Profitable Blog – A Step-by-Step Guide
• Start Saving Today and Live Your Homesteading Dream Tomorrow

If I can do it, anybody can do it!

by Sandra

There are many of us who are or have been classified as the working poor, meaning we are employed and we earn a few bucks above the national poverty level ($12,140 for a single person and $25,100 for family of 4—2018 figures), but we don’t earn enough to pay for everything, e.g., food, shelter, transportation, medical, child care, etc. We live paycheck-to-paycheck; robbing Peter to pay Paul. I am not a big fan of government handouts but when I was down and out I sure would have accepted a few until I could get back on my feet.

According to the dictionary, self-reliance is the state of not requiring any aid, support or contact for survival; it is a type of personal independence. Another version of self-reliance is confidence in one’s own capabilities, judgment, or resources; freedom. I know many people with confidence, even arrogance in their abilities; but I don’t know anyone who is totally self-reliant. Instead, I like to say we are working toward becoming more self-reliant.

This article is for the people who think being prepared and learning to be more self-reliant is out of reach for them. These are folks who work one or two jobs, pay rent, make car payments, don’t have medical insurance and don’t really own anything. I used to be that way and I still have people in my extended family just like this; good people who are running the maze and think they are trapped. Some may be slightly depressed because they’re in the same downward cycle of go to work, come home, go to sleep and repeat the cycle day in and day out.

They are sick and tired of being sick and tired. I know because I have been there. Getting out of the “I’m trapped” (victim) mode is important. As Viktor Frankl wrote, all people will suffer tribulation but each individual can choose how to cope and overcome it. So, break the cycle, set goals and try to do one thing a day that will help you work towards independence. Try it; one thing a day which moves you toward self-reliance is not that difficult.

There are many stages of self-reliance but most of us begin with realizing that no group nor the government is able nor wants to help us. Just read/watch the news for a week or so and you will understand what I am saying. If you don’t want to be a victim then the next thought should be realizing you (and your family) will always be way down the list to receive help. That should lead you to the “aha” moment of I/we have to move toward self-reliance now while there is time, rather than later when a disaster event occurs.

A Change of Attitude

The first step in gaining independence is changing your attitude from “I can’t” to “I can.” Many people have been told and/or treated as if they were stupid, told they are less than someone else or compared to (insert name here), which can produce a defeatist attitude.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not a fan of the liberal “everybody-is-a-winner” policy because success at anything can be brutal and painful; young people need to realize they are going to be evaluated by someone all their working careers.

But negative school or work evaluations do not translate to “you-have-no-value.” If you are a believer, do seek support from your religious leaders. Realize that everyone has a positive value; it just surfaces in different ways. So take off the destructive baggage you have been carrying around and realize you can become more self-reliant if you want to.

Control Your Money; Spend Less and Save More

Beginning the self-reliance journey, one of the primary things to do is to get control of your spending and debt. Almost every depressed person I know is in financial bondage. As long as you are in debt to someone or some company or some bank, they control you, you are the servant; the lender is the master.

As many articles have mentioned, getting out of debt is worth the sacrifice. If you don’t have a budget for your family, make one; at least list how much and where you spend $$ each month. It will be an eye-opener to see how much money you fritter away on temporary pleasures.

Pay for the critical items first; for me that was shelter (apartment rent) but for you it may be transportation or medicine. I figured I could always stand in line for the church food handout. Sometimes I was late with the electrical bill but I would call them and tell them the payment would be late. They never cut my electricity off. When my old car broke down, I found a retired fellow who liked to fix old cars and he fixed the car quickly and would let me pay him off a little every week. I never missed a payment to him.

• Start Saving Today and Live Your Homesteading Dream Tomorrow

Don’t Try to Compete With Others

Stop trying to keep up with your brother, sister, neighbor, etc. and discipline yourself. I have family members who try to impress others by having a bunch of stuff; boats, ATVs, lots of parties, vacations every year, etc.; but they are in debt to everyone in town.

Live within your salary and income. Pay cash for most items and put some cash away each month for emergencies or get-out-of-town funds, even if it is $5, it is a start and it will grow. My very first savings account began with $1.00 each week.

Be Thrifty With What You Earn or Have

All the usual money-saving tips apply: shop at thrift stores or yard sales, on trash day scavenge in affluent neighborhoods for cast-off furniture, planters, toys, repurpose old items into needed items, etc. A very wise person made me memorize this little jingle: “Use It Up, Wear It Out, Make It Do, or Do Without!” Don’t waste things.

Before you throw something away ask yourself if there is anything else you could use it for. Here on the farm, we have a boneyard of items that could provide additional uses, like PVC pipes, wiring, old lawn tractors, old gutters, chains, fencing, scrap wood, etc.

Take care of things; maintain tools, cars, appliances, etc., so they will last longer. This will give you money for emergencies. There also the 4 Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle and repurpose. If you can incorporate these phrases into your daily life you will move more rapidly towards self-reliance.

A long time ago I decided instead of spending money each day for a soft drink out the machine, I would buy a liter of soda and take it to work with me. It only saved me around $4 a week, but that $4 gave me $200 of extra money each year.

Later on, I gave up soda all together and switched to water. As a young mom, dead tired from working 10 hours, picking up the kids from daycare I often wanted to stop at a fast food place to get something to eat.

Exercising some self-discipline on those nights, instead of $10 of happy meals, it was grilled cheese or PB&J when we got home. That gave me about $500 more of emergency money in a year. If you can cut out $30-$40 of restaurant eating each month you can purchase a silver coin each month.

Pay Cash Instead of Using a Credit Card

Stop using those credit cards for everyday stuff; keep one credit card for real emergencies and cut the rest up so you won’t be tempted. Take a get-out-of-debt course or read the book. Thousands of people have been helped by these courses.

Many sellers will give the buyer a no interest deal if the total amount is paid within 6 months. If you can pay cash, ask the seller for a 10% discount, most independent stores will give it to you. Paying cash for most things really controls how much you spend; if it’s not in your pocket you won’t spend it.

If you have a new car payment loan make a deal to trade the car and get a reliable used car. A neighbor of mine had two cars he was paying 5% loans on. He went to a car dealer and traded in both cars and got a used SUV, which freed him from $1000/month payments and reduced his cost of insurance and maintenance. If you have to drive long distances for work (salesman or regional manager) talk your manager into giving you a company vehicle. They can get it wrapped in company advertising and it can be a marketing deduction for the business.

The Poor Credit Syndrome

If you have poor/bad credit, work with your creditors to get relief. You don’t have to hire a company to negotiate a reduction of the amount owed. Call your creditors up and have a truthful discussion with a second or third level manager. To lenders, some money is better than no money.

Most credit card sponsors will dramatically reduce the amount owed. Once out of debt, don’t be tempted to spend money you don’t have. Work to improve your credit. If you receive a direct deposit check, you can work with your bank to “loan” you money.

For one of my kids, the bank gave him a $200 loan, which he did not spend but left the money in his account, and the bank took an automatic payment of $50/month from his wage check. When the loan was repaid, the bank gave him a positive credit reference on the big 3 credit check companies.

If you use a credit card do so only for emergencies and if your credit is average to good, negotiate a reduction of percentage on your charges. Call up the card sponsor and get your percent rate reduced. Most banks will lower the percent to 5-6-7 percent instead of the usual 18 or 20 percent charge on the unpaid balance. Many people pay the balance off at the end of every month.

A friend of mine who works for one of the big 3 credit companies told me it is best to pay one charge over a 2 or 3-month period each year, which improves your credit rating (go figure?). It shows that you are reliable and meeting your commitments when you repay on a short-term charge.

Last year I bought a scratch and dent refrigerator on sale for no interest charged if paid within 6 months. I paid the amount off in 3 payments to make the credit companies happy. My friend also told me to pay cash when I shop at discount or thrift stores because if you use a credit card there it looks like you can’t afford new things, which in turn, lowers your credit score.

Make the effort to manage needs versus wants; often times our desires are bigger than our wallets. Instead of taking the family to Disney World, go camping or to a local water park. Kids will beg for the world but they will be happy with your time and attention.

Teenagers will cry and complain they don’t have a $900 I-phone and unlimited talk-text-data plan that costs you hundreds of dollars a month. But rather than do without a phone, they will take a $100 Straight Talk smartphone with an unlimited talk-text-data plan for $45/$55 month.

Overcoming Dependence on Commercial Stores

Many years ago, after analyzing my spending habits, I decided to cut my weekly trips to various stores to once a month. This was really hard for me because all the best stores were on my way home from work and weekly sales helped to stretch the ole budget.

It took about five months to get to once-a-month shopping. I had to not spend the weekly grocery $$ on anything else, inventory the items I had on hand, plan some menus, make lists of needs (versus wants), drive to the farmer’s market and improve my self-discipline. Just achieving this one goal gave me the confidence to try to reduce my dependence on commercialism, plus it saved me a minimum of $100, usually $150, every month.

In recent years, some stores are offering to pull your orders for you (online order and local pickup). You can just go to the pickup window or park in a certain spot and your order is available in minutes with no wandering around the store. This saves time and stops the impulse spending! There are lots of ways to save money and I bet readers can list at least 50 easy ways in the comments section.

Don’t Become a FEMA Statistic

Realizing you need to get ready for emergencies is a big step toward self-reliance. Sure there are weather emergencies, tornados, hurricanes, floods, etc. These things are usually temporary and relatively easy to prepare for because you know they are coming…maybe not the exact date, but you know your location experiences these types of natural disasters and you better be ready for them. If you live up north you will have blizzards and flooding.

If you live in tornado alley you need a basement or separate storm shelter stocked with necessities. If you live near water sooner or later you will experience a flood. If you live in the east or south you are going to get hurricanes, severe thunderstorms, and flash flooding.

If you live out west you will have droughts and wildfires. And if you live on the west coast you will have fires, mudslides, earthquakes, volcano eruptions and flash floods. There are lots of articles on internet sites explaining when, how and what to prep for natural disasters and even more articles on how to prepare to evacuate if needed. Take them seriously and store what you need to shelter in place or to evacuate.

Moving Toward Self-Reliance for an Emergency

Working towards self-reliance also means being able to cope with family and societal disasters. For example, what happens if you lose your job? How in the heck are you going to support yourself and your family? You may be eligible for unemployment benefits but believe me that check doesn’t go far.

How much savings do you have stashed in a bank or somewhere else? Depending on the state you live in and your cultural background, you may be able to get some assistance for example, food stamps, free public transportation and job training. But it takes time to receive these benefits and you have to fill out the forms, talk to the folks behind the desk and be willing to meet their requirements.

When I was unemployed, the state required me to apply for two jobs a week, either in person or via resume. I had to list those companies on a form and take/mail the form to the unemployment office in order to receive the check. I did not qualify for medical care and my kids were too old for WIC. I got a temporary job training the trainers in the job core, but I still got some unemployment and I was still looking for a permanent job.

After 8 months of being unemployed, I got a job in my field at half the salary of my previous job. By then my husband was mowing lawns for people and businesses and I got a second job keeping books for a small company. But we survived, mainly because we had some savings and about a 10 month supply of food stored.

There are many worse things than losing your job so you need to ask yourself if you are emotionally and spiritually secure to cope with a catastrophic loss. Losing your home in a wildfire or earthquake, severe accidents or war injuries where a limb is lost or the body paralyzed does happen to good people. Family members do pass away and many without insurance to help the surviving family.

These are life-changing events and if you are not emotionally and spiritually prepared they can overwhelm you. Without God to comfort you during such devastating events, healing may take much longer and some folks may never recover from such a devastating loss.

Moving Toward Self-Reliance While Living in the City

I understand that not everyone can or wants to live out in the country. I used to live in the city in order to have a decent paying job and go to night school. Every time I changed jobs or apartments I moved further out of the city. Eventually, I ended up at the furthest little town on the edge of a large metro area. This meant cheaper rent plus it was great for safety and quality of life, but terrible on the commute.

I talked my employer into letting me work early hours (05:30 to 14:30), rather than the standard work shift. It was good for them because the stuff that people didn’t get done at night, I would come in early and finish.

This enabled me to beat morning and afternoon rush hour traffic and get home in time for the kids getting out of school, thus saving the cost of extended care for the kidos. Less time sitting in rush hour traffic and no after-school daycare meant more money in my pocket.

Learning to Grow Some of Your Own Food

The first things to disappear in an emergency are food and water. A big phase of self-reliance is learning to grow some of your food. I say ‘learning’ because gardening is more than putting seeds in the ground. Mother Nature is in charge and no matter how long you have been gardening, the weather, the bugs, the dirt, even the seeds can change your harvest.

For a while, I had to plant double the fruits and vegetables I wanted because at least half of them died! Every year I tried something different to see if one way worked better than another. Even now, some years I can grow summer squash and some years I can’t. This year I sprayed a homemade potion for beetles and I almost killed a tree!

The city apartments I lived in didn’t have patios or balconies so I didn’t grow any vegetables. However, a family from church shared their excess fruits and vegetables with me and encouraged me to try planting vegetables in window pots.

Of course, it wasn’t a huge harvest of radishes and cherry tomatoes but it got me thinking about a future garden. When I eventually moved to another apartment I wanted a balcony for potted vegetables. Nowadays, cities sponsor garden plots so apartment dwellers can have gardens. Just do your research and garden in groups. Other people working in a garden can help you learn and could become friends.

If you live in a city townhouse or single family home, even the strictest HOA will allow some container gardening or a small garden in the yard. You can plant a few fruits and veggies mingled with lovely flowers, maybe an apple tree. Growing a salad garden with lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers is moving toward self-reliance. If you start something you will be moving towards self-reliance.

Many of you already know that when you cut off the root end of spring onions, celery or romaine lettuce, etc., you can stick them in potting soil and they will sprout again. Just an old can or large yogurt container with a drain hole in the bottom, some decent soil and water will get you veggies growing in a window.

Food prices keep going up; so anything you can grow, even if it is in a pot in a window, gives you experience, saves money and puts you ahead of where you were six months ago. When you can live somewhere with a bit of a backyard, turn it into an experiment and grow some veggies!

If you don’t grow your own veggies or have a garden now, buy from the farmer’s market or road-side vendors or on sale at bulk stores and learn to preserve what you buy. Get a pressure canner and the Ball Blue Book on canning. I got my first canner at a yard sale along with a couple dozen canning jars.

I’ve had that canner for 38 years and it still does the job. When I lived in the city I used to buy fresh veggies from a Vietnamese family who had a roadside table. I asked them if they had any ugly vegetables for canning and they began bringing me a box of tomatoes, cukes, squash, peppers, peaches, etc., every week. They had the biggest laugh selling me the uglies for half price, but I always thought I got the best deal!

Overcoming Water Worries

There is nothing worse than that terrible feeling when your water goes out. Anticipating and planning for the lack of water-on-demand will go a long way in keeping your family calm during a crisis or temporary outages. Having the newer toilets which flush with 1.3 gallons (instead of 2.5 gallons) makes difference in emergencies because you can store less water to flush.

Having water stored in gallon containers for your small animals, dishwashing, flushing toilets and having several cases of bottled drinking water on hand allows you to focus on the emergent issues. Get one of those bathtub size bladders comes with its own pump to fill with water for emergencies they are relatively inexpensive and easy to store. Just a few simple steps will keep you moving toward self-reliance, even if you live in an apartment.

Practicing Good Health Care and Learning First Aid Procedures

A very important part of moving towards self-reliance is health care, first aid or emergency treatment. I don’t want readers to think I am against doctors and hospitals; that is not the case. I wouldn’t be alive today if it weren’t for good medical professionals and hospital care. I suggest folks change their mindset from “I’m not a doctor so I can’t do anything,” to “Is this something I can treat at home?” I recently read about a hand, foot and mouth disease going through daycare centers and schools. There is no pill or cure and although it looks scary; it can be treated at home with TLC for about 2 weeks.

I knew a rancher out west who broke his ankle during calving season; he and his son set the bone and used his western boot as a cast. When he finally went to the doctor (days later) he wouldn’t let the doctor cut the boot so they used vegetable oil to work the boot off. He let them put a cast on because his foot was itching and the boot made it impossible to scratch his foot. I remember thinking that is one tough dude but when I look back on the event I realize he lived a lifetime of home-based medicine and was comfortable with setting his own bone.

I used to think a majority of folks could handle what I would call “the usual health problems,” such as colds, sore throats, flu, sprained wrists or ankles, or common diseases like chickenpox, stomach and bowel issues; but I have been proven wrong on that assumption. I have neighbors who run their kids to a specialist for antibiotics when they have runny noses or throw up, others who call an ambulance at the drop of a hat and a bunch of neighbors who can’t tell the difference between when to use home treatments or to go to the doctor.

For those folks (probably not in this audience) who identify with running to the doctor, please take some classes/courses in basic health care, many of the courses are free from the local county extension service or fire departments. Get a copy of “Where There is No Doctor” (free download from the internet) along with similar books and read and study them. If you have a grandmother or other senior citizen nearby, talk to her/him about how she/he handled illnesses at home.

A good basic website detailing free home remedies is https://commonsensehome.com/home-remedies/.

If you have an on-going medical issue where you need to be monitored by doctors/PA/nurses, ask them to get you home monitoring equipment so you can cut back on doctor visits. I have a medical issue that is not going away, but I cut my monthly visits to once or twice a year by getting online monitoring. I can still get face-to-face visits if I think I need them, but not having to drive 2 hours each way, every month, to the doctor’s office is liberating.

Learning to Use Herbs and Essential Oils

There are tons of articles and books about herbs and essential oils, when and how to use them and several experts on this blog who can advise you on what to keep on hand. Essential oils and herbs can save you big $$ on medical bills if you are uninsured or under Obamacare.

A while back I had an attack of vertigo which totally changed what I could do and where I could go. I couldn’t drive nor attempt any work where I could fall nor handle any kitchen utensils due to dizziness and loss of balance. A friend gave me her doctor’s name and said he had helped her over a period of 6 months with pills and inner ear procedures.

I could not endure vertigo for that long as I don’t have someone to do my work or drive me around. I asked for advice on the blog and some knowledgeable people shared with me their experience about peppermint oil and oil of oregano. I immediately followed their counsel and even though oil of oregano tastes worse than antifreeze, I was healed in 3 days. The cost of the essential oils was about $15 while my friend told me her medical bills were over $3500.

Learning to Differentiate Between Medical Issues

I am not saying people shouldn’t go to doctors and other medical professionals; all I’m suggesting is folks need to learn to tell the difference between a medical emergency and when chicken soup, aspirin and bed rest is appropriate for healing. You can save a bunch of money if you can learn to recognize symptoms. Talk to a nurse or doctor, get some used medical books sold on Amazon and eBay and obtain the necessary items for basic health care and first aid. This moves you another step toward self-reliance.

Taking Advantage of Free Services

Some drug stores have free tests (like blood pressure) plus free or low prices on a group of tests (blood pressure, Body Mass Index (BMI), glucose and total cholesterol screenings) several times a year. Check out a Kroger Food Store or CVS/Walgreens store that have walk-in clinics to have a required school/CDL/work physical. We found the Kroger charged $85 for a basic physical with a urine test, while the doctor’s office charged $145. The Diabetes website (http://www.diabetes.org/) offers a free diabetes risk test to determine if you are heading in that direction.

Costco members can get a free heart, diabetes, osteoporosis, and lung health screenings throughout the year at some locations. If you live in or around a large city or metro area there are lots of free health screenings from organizations like The Kidney Fund (www.kidneyfund.org). A word of caution, there are some scammers lurking out there so be careful what personal information you give out; we have never been asked for anything other than our name. Never give your medical insurance ID number, Social Security number, or banking information to anyone.

Self-Learning, Education, and Training

I get it that you are tired after working 10 hours a day and going to night school is hard; but; knowledge is power. Maybe going to college for a professional degree is not for you; maybe a technical apprenticeship in plumbing, electricity, welding, engine repair, etc., might better fit you. A degree or license does not guarantee you will get the best job; instead, it gives you more options. Knowledge and skills help you learn to be more self-reliant.

Currently, YouTube and similar video sites offer how-to instructions on an unbelievable number of things. Most of these can be downloaded for future reference. Even the smallest cities and counties have public libraries providing a free loan of books, movies, DVD courses, etc. If they don’t have a book you want they will order it from another library for you.

The larger cities and counties have evening and weekend adult education programs for minimum costs which include courses covering things like basic auto mechanics, house painting, basic plumbing, etc. When I lived in the city I took an adult education basic auto mechanics course to learn how to perform standard service on my car.

But it also taught me to know what-was-what so I wouldn’t get ripped off by some unscrupulous person if I took my car to a shop. Later on I took a beginner gardening class held on Saturday mornings at the county’s gardening site.

Some things you can learn and practice on your own but other things you will need guidance/supervision so you don’t hurt yourself or your family. The school of hard knocks, aka experience, certainly teaches us, but it is time-consuming. I would rather learn from someone else’s mistakes than make those same mistakes myself. Whatever learning you can acquire now will save you time and money later.

Learning to Use Renewable Resources or to Create Usable Products

I read an article a while back and the author said “If you are a prepper, there comes a point after your preps have been consumed there is no way to keep living.” Unfortunately, I misplaced the website and can’t give credit on who said it; but I recognize it as a simple truth. Look around you right now; what are you using or making that can be a renewable resource? Solar and wind power are renewable energy sources but you need a supply of equipment to harness them.

Small livestock such as chickens, ducks, rabbits, pigs are renewable resources that are relatively easy to raise if you have a little bit of private land. Many people are on prescription medications; what happens when you can’t get access to those medications?

Do you know enough about herbs, natural plants or essential oils to substitute healing herbs for medication? If your power goes out for weeks how will you heat your home? Do you have a wood stove?

If your city/county water supply is damaged or contaminated will you have water to use? Do you have a water source to give you access to drinking, cooking, bathing water plus water for your animals? The list goes on and on. Learn to be more self-reliant now to survive in the future.

Trading and Bartering

At some point, alternatives will be needed. As I said earlier, I don’t think there is anyone who is totally self-reliant. Even the mountain men, Alaska homesteaders, or southern swamp people need gasoline, kerosene, cast iron cookware, etc., etc. A lot of what we don’t have or can’t make can be bartered for, but we have to have something the other person wants to make a good trade.

Homesteading in 2018 is hard physical work and the older we get the harder it is. I really don’t want to go back to living a “Little House on the Prairie” lifestyle, but I know all of us must learn to be more self-reliant, especially for water, food, and shelter.

I don’t know how to make gasoline or propane, nor can I smelt iron ore to make tools; however, there are a lot of things I CAN do which are survival related. This knowledge can be used to trade and barter for what we can’t do or don’t have.

Some of the most valuable assets are located out in the country and on farms, such as sources of water, hidden gardens, small livestock and a forest full of trees for building or fuel and which also feeds and shelters wildlife. But can you make clothing, repair shoes/boots and preserve food in multiple ways along with other survival skills? These will be powerful bartering assets when the time comes.

If you are not prepared for emergencies, if you are without self-supporting skills, if you have a dream of becoming independent, begin now to work toward becoming self-reliant. Take an inventory of your knowledge, skills, and abilities so you can determine what you need to learn in order to survive in the future. Don’t wait for a Haiti or Venezuela crisis to come to your area. Do one thing a day which moves you toward independence, self-reliance, and self-confidence.

by Sarah L

I was raised in a very religious, conservative family. My parents had several of us kids that they were putting through private schools, so there was never any extra money. We lived below “paycheck to paycheck”. I’ve been to food pantries, salvage stores, garage sales, and used coupons. Anything to save money. I decided when I was grown I was living high on the hog…no more pinching pennies for me!!

Well, turns out saving had become a way of life. When my ex-husband left us, I discovered he had taken my credit cards and charged thousands of dollars. At the time I was working a part-time job (and recovering from cancer and had 2 toddlers). I immediately was put into a dire situation of paying these bills off or ruining my credit. I used a debt consolidation place for over a year only to discover the total amount of my bills wasn’t coming down. I then got a signature loan from a credit union and was able to pay off my bills within the next year.

One way I used to mentally trick myself into paying off more of the debt faster was to pay a few extra dollars on my monthly utility bills (works best with utility bills as they credit your account). If I owed $60, I’d pay $65. I would do this every month until I was one full month ahead on that bill.

Then I would move on to another utility bill. I would do the same thing there. Eventually, I had enough paid ahead that I would “cash in” and use my credits to pay those bills that month. That way, the month I used all the utility credits, I would be making a double payment on my debt. I know this is really just a mental trick, but it was easier to put a few extra dollars onto a small bill and then be able to make a larger payment on the big bill as opposed to putting a few dollars on the big bill and not really being able to see any progress in paying it off.

You have to have a mentality that you will not spend unless it’s absolutely necessary. We were eating as frugally as possible, not going out to eat, not going anywhere that cost anything. We found lots of free entertainment and activities to do!!

Another way of saving money or stretching what you have is to use coupons. I’m not into the “Extreme Couponing” craze. If I have a coupon for something I normally buy, I will use it. However, if I don’t normally buy name brand products, then I’m not saving money by switching to a name brand to use a coupon when it’s still more expensive then the off brand. I know how much money I can spend each month. If I don’t have extra money, I don’t look at the ads that come out (other than grocery stores). I don’t go to a garage sale (no matter how tempting it may be) if I don’t have money to spend. I also weigh the cost of saving a few cents with driving across town (is it worth the gas to save a penny-probably not!).

During this time when I was newly divorced and had NO money, I picked up a deer that had been hit on the road in front of me. I called a friend and he helped me field dress it. We had been eating tuna helper with no tuna so having a freezer full of meat was a huge blessing. Another friend invited me to go deer hunting the next year.

He loaned me a gun and took me with him to some property he had permission to hunt on. It took 2 years but I finally got a deer and have every year since. When my son shot his first deer at 8 he was so proud to tell everyone that he had brought Bambi home for his family! Now, we bag at least 3 deer a year and that’s our meat for the year unless I can shoot something else we can eat (squirrel, rabbit, etc.).

I’ve learned how to hunt all kinds of game (and cook with the meat – it’s all in the way you cook it.) Hunting is a great way to get inexpensive meat for the table. Most hunters would gladly help a newbie and show them the ropes, lend a gun, etc. I would encourage anyone interested in taking up the sport to go to a Hunter’s Education Class. Most state Fish & Game Departments have programs to teach new hunters (or anglers). Most Departments have hunts for new hunters where they provide the gun & the place to hunt.

I’ve gardened and canned since I was a little girl. Most University Extension offices have canning classes. If you buy a “Blue Book” it walks you through the process step by step. A canner is a big expense but well worth it as it will last for years. If you can find someone who cans they can mentor you and help you along the way.

I’ve been fortunate to garden my whole life. I always meet people who are just starting to garden and decide to grow 50 tomatoes or 20 zucchini plants. They are just setting themselves up for a failure (with the weeds alone). I advise going slow if you are new to gardening.

Plant a FEW plants, that you know you’ll like. Learn about gardening, then plant a few more the next year. I tell new gardeners to plant what is native to the area or will grow well in the zone you’re in. If you’re in northern Wisconsin, for example, peanuts and okra won’t be good plants for you!!

Plant both vegetables and flowers that are native to your area and you will have a lot fewer headaches trying to grow them. Do some research…there is a ton of information online. Go to a garden center…go to a garden club…stop by someone’s house that has a garden and ask for help. I’m always excited when someone stops by my house and asks for gardening help.

There are also a lot of free edible things out there in parks, cemeteries, etc. It’s amazing how many people I meet picking mulberries that don’t know what a mulberry is! Do a little research and learn what’s out there. It’s exciting to get food for your family from little seeds or from areas that people don’t think of.

I hope these hints can help someone.

For the past 11 years I have been on a fixed income, with a family this not easy nor is it recommended. If you can avoid a fixed or low income, by all means, do so, after all a greater quality of life is essential to spiritual, physical and emotional self. However, the reality is that due to substantially raised costs of living around the United States if you make under 30,000 dollars a year and have a family you are struggling to meet your obligations in rent, utilities and more than likely shop at Walmart regularly because you believe that lower cost is saving you money. The real test is going from comfortable to strict in budget, which is difficult when single, even more so when you have a family!

My goal is to show you how to prepare in a way that allows for eating better, building supplies, gaining more knowledge and still meeting your obligations. I believe firmly that you can, in fact, raise your individual or families quality of life by simply doing what I am going to show you. It is important to note that my approach is not a quick and easy save, rather it is a journey like all good things in life. Everything takes time to be well done and of course if you take the time necessary it will mean that much more as well. We are going to look first at budgeting based on an income of $15,500 dollars. This is the current fixed income I live on and support myself, two children and still prep regularly including but not limited to actively seeking new training in medical, firearms and even food preparation.

Form local groups or get to know your neighbors. Lower-income families need to have support to do better for themselves. It is essential to understand that I firmly believe that to gain support one must also be willing to lend it! This means that I am not suggesting you seek out charity for the sake of charity, but rather look at generating acquaintances and friend groups that benefit you as much as you benefit them. As an example, my knowledge and active abilities which allow me to trade that for items or abilities I cannot and do not know or need to know have allowed me to have work done on my vehicles for the cost of parts. I than gift a bottle or two of spirits that they cannot make themselves. With that, it is time to look at eating as a part of prepping.

Eating better, this is essential to a healthy life and a greatly improved quality of life. How do you eat better, when you have an annual income that is less than most people will make over the course of 3 months in the United States today?

• Buy local and look for programs that have large amounts of greens, vegetables, and fruits for little or no cost. We have two locally in Arizona called the 3000 club and Produce On Wheels. By attending one or both every week or even every other week I have been able to not only keep ourselves well fed with vegetables and fruits but also the chickens and canning which simply benefits us even more as a result! And this is all for $20 and a few minutes of time on a Saturday.
• Reduce your carbohydrate intake, a large amount of food manufactured these days is carbohydrates. While pasta, rice and grain-based products can seem to be inexpensive; the reality is the overall health costs will in fact cost you more than simply reducing your intake of them. Regardless your income you can easily gain excess weight if you have limited mobility and bad diet!
• Even if you live in the city, you can have a garden, once you begin growing your own greens you will find that your taste and desire for them increases. I am most definitely a lover of meat-based products, I enjoy steaks, hamburger, ham, bacon, venison, chicken and fish. However, whittling down the amount of animal products we eat and replacing with greens can, in fact, have a large impact on our health and weight.
• Buy or barter local, grass/pasture fed for your meat, you will pay more on average for small cuts of meat if you buy local. However, if you have other individuals you trust around you, you can look at group buying a full beef, pigs and more and by doing so actually save money in the long term.
• Alcohol and cigarettes; in moderation, good alcohol can be beneficial and is definitely fun to drink, however, if you are unable to control yourself I would suggest staying away from this. Cigarettes are a habit that has no long-term benefits, nicotine has anti depressant properties but for anyone who hunts and is active we know that long-term heavy use of these reduces our chances to capture prey or continue being active.
• Avoid all fast food and cut your eating out down to once a month or less! This alone has been a significant factor in my reducing weight and feeling healthier in the last few months. Additionally, it has reduce expenditures and allowed for a greater amount of healthier food options in shopping.
• Coupons, use them, learn to use them and do not be afraid of the people who get mad while you are using them (though for manner reasons alone I suggest waiting till after 7 pm to use them in a major store simply to avoid the rushes and prevent issues.) My wife has been a coupon using lady for years and is struggling to teach me her craft! With coupons and knowledge of how to use them appropriately, you can easily save hundreds of dollars every month! (just do not get caught in the trap of addiction with coupon use). M.D. published a good article on using coupons a few months ago that you’ll want to read.

Next, we need to look at ways to build supplies while staying within our budget, this part has become increasingly easier for myself and my wife as we have been more willing to look for the deals while still maintaining quality especially in life-saving items.

• Personally, I budget 15% of my monthly income specifically to this. With a monthly income of $1300, it stands to reason that to simply survive it is essential to have an extremely regulated budget. I will admit that saving money overall is quite difficult. However, it is possible to still maintain prepping and do so well. With $145 or less every month for the following extras, it takes planning and preparation to properly ensure solid approaches using quality items. (this is why I write the reviews I do).
• Buying gas when the prices are down and you have spare funds, using the stored gasoline when funds are tight! I buy 15 extra gallons every few months and always have a half or more full tank! Store it in a well-ventilated area that is relatively temperature controlled. I use gas extension products that allow me to use this gas as long as a year to 18 months after purchase. Gasoline costs rise around elections, and weekends and are lowest after elections and from Monday through Wednesday.
• Firearms, it takes 4 to 6 months for me to have the funds available for a firearms purchase. I refuse to do so if it means shorting our family for any reason. This is also why I am a budget shopper with firearms. As I have noted in several articles less expensive is not a bad thing much of the time. I have tested 3 different AR15 brands over the last decade to the tune of 10,000 to 15,000 rounds each, what I found was that Palmetto State Armory Freedom AR15s (their budget line), worked exceedingly well and were 90% reliable. However, I will be writing and article with my overall findings soon. It must be noted that the 90% reliability was not all firearms, this means that one of the tested firearms had issues occasionally and was replaced for one that functions, FREE OF CHARGE BY PALMETTO STATE ARMORY, all of the ones we currently have run 99% of the time which is the most you can expect. Additionally, I have saved and purchased used Glock 19 gen 3, Mossberg 702 .22lr rifles and other firearms all which function almost perfectly and which allow for easy repair should they have any issues.
• Ammunition, some people suggest buying a box or two here and here and there as you get the money. I actually suggest a different approach for several reasons. I suggest saving for a month and buying a minimum of a case at a time from a dealer online. Firstly, you will actually save money by doing this and you will get exactly what you want and what works best for your firearms! I enjoy using The Lucky Gunner and *SGammo* for my needs, though I do sometimes shop pricing using AmmoSeek which allows me to input exactly what I need and then find the best overall prices including shipping. I can suggest defensive and hunting ammunition for your use as long as it is in the following calibers, 7.62×39/5.45×39/ .22lr/ 5.56×45-.223/.308-7.62×51/7.55x55swiss/.243/9x19luger/9x18mak/.40sw/17hmr . For practice purposes, any Walmart special will work, unless you are me.
• Dry goods, like sleeping bags, tarps, blankets and tents or even ropes can be had for reasonable prices with a quick Amazon search. Again quality is essential, however, you can get that quality without always buying a certain name brand! Especially because most if not all of those name brands are sourcing their materials from the same factories making the off brands these days. While some people believe a cotton duck tarp is best, I have used poly-plastic tarps for years with no real negative effect. Additionally, I peruse local second-hand stores and pawn shops regularly. It is amazing what you can find for little or no money especially if you also haggle for it before buying. One of my favorite websites to use for prior used military gear is KeepShooting.com they also manufacture aftermarket magazines for one of my favorite 22lr handguns and many others!
• Medicines, these take a whole other approach. I know people that swear only home remedies and others that do not use any home remedies, I prefer a balanced approach and while I have access to doctors and testing equipment will continue to avail myself of their services. This being said I also tend to use our local flora for many really solid home remedies that do in fact work quite well. For instance, I use apple cider vinegar, blackstrap molasses and local dark honey for a daily “pill regimen”. I also am versed in and use many other local wild plants that are amazing for their many uses. I also keep stocked several full “runs” of modern antibiotics, even though we rarely use them in our house!
• Car and animal repairs and adjustments fall under this category as well. You may need to invest in a prepaid credit/debit card that is not attached to your bank account for saving purposes. These do not generate interest, however, they will allow you to place the cards out of sight out of mind and ready for emergencies. Additionally, you can have direct deposit of small amounts sent directly to the cards in most cases and there are several that have no charge or a small opening fee.

Gaining more knowledge, this takes an active mindset and desire to better yourself and your family overall. Knowledge these days can be had with nothing more than a mobile device or library membership. As a child, I spent many hours reading, practicing what I read and testing hypothesis based on presumptions taught me and or learned by reading and studying. I was a voracious reader, who at this point in my life have read over 12,000* books and have no plans to stop. Even with my active ability to learn and apply knowledge acquired through reading, I have found it necessary to find others who have greater knowledge in areas I wish to acquire and solicit their help or pay for it.

Among those who read this, I am aware of two engineers, a doctor, several nurses, a professional highly skilled dog trainer, several law enforcement (current or prior) and a plethora of mechanics and much more. I doubt that any of these trained professionals simply learned their craft by reading books at a library, though many of them have augmented their knowledge by doing so! (and this is highly recommended) Rather, it is the active engagement with qualified instructors and solid material that allowed most to learn their trade. This means that for many areas it is essential to learn the basics from others who know and then build on that knowledge gained.

What I have found to be the best approaches for this with a small fixed income is this,

• Barter your skills and knowledge for theirs, I would not associate myself with anyone who believes what they know is so valuable that they would not be willing to exchange that knowledge or teach it for a reasonable sum.
• If you must pay for some knowledge, seek out avenues that allow you to make payments over a few months. (lay away for education exists especially in the firearms training and legalities training world)
• Local shooting ranges often need volunteer assistance with range master duties, they will often offer to pay for your NRA range master class in exchange for your volunteering a few hours every other month or so. (I received my RSO certifications this way)
• Shooting instructors will often need RSO assistance on the range, and this can be exchanged for a free class or two! This assists you in making connections and finding others who are accomplished shooters, as well as opening the door to the groups that exist on every public or semi-public range I have ever been on across the United States and in Canada, the groups of advanced shooters who train regularly. (training with individuals like these will help you polish your skills and because many of these groups are people who work in various fields that require regular training it will also allow you to increase your knowledge further in those areas as well. )
• For medical and other skilled professions I have found that if you are willing to exchange your skills they are often willing to divulge information for little or no fee. For instance due to my continued visitation of various medical professionals over the last many years I have learned how to gather information and supplies by simply asking! (I am not suggesting you beg or steal, rather I would suggest you ask the doctors and nurses caring for you or your loved ones what care is required, write it down and be specific, than ask what supplies may be needed- in many cases hospitals cannot reuse supplies that have been in a patients room, asking about these can mean you end up with added stock)
• Seek out training groups, I have found a few over the years made up of individuals who recognize that more civilians need medical and firearms based knowledge. Some are defunct and others are non-starters, however, all have further increased my direct network allowing for the added benefit of knowledge of local and national (even international) training centers and individuals whom I can recommend without hesitation.
• Learn to read a diagram, schematic, map and the like. Do not hesitate to use one or gather any that may be of assistance to you on your homestead or while prepping. For instance, I have a collection of maps spanning the American Southwest and much of Mexico. Additionally, I have manuals for my vehicles and several in-depth slightly outdated but still viable medical tomes as well. Buying these written works from 3 or 4 years ago will allow you to have access to amazing amounts of knowledge while avoiding the high fees associated with brand new volumes from this year. For instance, the Physicians Desk Reference from 2012-2014 is around a half or quarter of the cost of the same from this year or even two years ago! It is an extremely valuable guide to have available in print.

Meeting your obligations, the unfortunate reality of life in the United States is that our government promotes rapid inflation which quickly outpaces the value of our dollars which depending on the type of fixed income we may be on will not rise fast enough to make a large difference. For instance the real inflation over the past 10 years now has meant that while I used to be able to pay rent, utilities and buy food with some money left over for special extras that are essential for quality of life with children, I am instead forced to resort to gray market and back door dealing to continue simply paying rent.

Our house that cost $500 to rent 10 years ago now costs $1100 and utilities have increased over 200% since 2008. My income has increased by 15% overall which means that paying for the mandatory “free” insurance, taxes (yes, poor people pay taxes too), utilities and rent I am left with a deficit every month of around $250. This is before I put aside for extras and saving for just in case emergencies. The government has mandated that I am not to work given the extent of injuries, this means that I am forced to find alternative means of meeting my obligations every month while still raising two amazing children and maintaining my personal strict code of ethics.

There are many ways to generate additional income that are legal yet for fixed and low-income families will need to be gray marketed simply because of the regulations governing additional incomes. Some of those approaches have been bartering, buying – fixing – reselling items using local craigslist and other sources and there are many other avenues that may be available to you depending on your individual abilities and ethical considerations. For myself it is simple, I believe that whatever is agreed with open knowledge and consent between two individuals is always right, if something is done that has not had the consent of all involved it is always wrong. I have neighbors in a similar situation that have a yard sale every couple of weeks for a couple weeks running then take a break to stay within the law. I barter our chicken eggs and the product of my hands for items that I then resell at times.

Case in point my computer failed on me several weeks ago, I had several other partial computers I had been cannibalizing for a few years and unfortunately this one needed parts I could not afford nor did I have access too. I was partially assisted by one person (thank you) and looked around at locally available rebuilt computers and was able to purchase a computer that I am now using to write this article on. The computer is not brand new, it is, however, extremely solid and with the addition of two parts will easily run for at least two more years allowing me time to save for a new or newer one.

Simply put to save money and really be independent you have to be willing to forgo designer clothing, and addictive habits like coffee, smoking and soda. We drink water at our house, and I make teas from local and traded tea gathered. We have our chickens and I trade my knowledge and abilities to local farmers, ranchers and take advantage of every single available program that exists at this time. While I detest the idea of state-based welfare, I endorse the idea of private aid and earning your way. I worked for decades and still pay taxes today (though grudgingly so) as a result I do not see my main income as a problem. After all, I earned it, unlike so many others who abuse it. However, this is not a political article, it is a guide meant to help those who may need that!

Free the mind and the body will follow…

* It should be noted that this number of books is based on my average reading speed, time that I have been reading and may be off plus or minus a few hundred. Additionally, the number will increase as long as I am able to read, for instance at the writing of this article I had just completed a 9 book series I began 3 days ago. (I love good well thought out science fiction/ alt history/alt future)