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Thursday, February 5, 2009

My top five things to do that don't cost money

I have read many things about the state of the economy and the need to be prepared for a depression or hyperinflation. What do you think is the most important things to do or that you are now doing before the economy goes south even more, that can be had or done without spending money?

I don’t think there is any doubt about what is coming down the pike. The dollar is going to take a steep dive and we are going to see things we never dreamed we would see right here in the good ole US of A. I am hopeful that we have some time before it happens and that it is a slow decline.
I am listing the top five of the things I am doing and will try to challenge you with some questions related to them.

One of my top five is gaining skills. I am learning a new skill from a friend. She is so willing to teach interested people. If I want to get the “certificate,” then I will have to spend some money. But to have the skill is much more important. Do you have basic first aid skills so you don’t have to run to the doctor’s office unnecessarily? You can learn much from books and reading how other people made it through tough times. Do you know how to cook? So many people do not know how to make a real meal or what makes a complete protein. They don’t know why they need fruits and vegetables or what can happen if they don’t get enough vitamin c. They have absolutely no idea of what foods are nutritious and what foods are not. Do you know how to use alternatives to expensive meds? For example cool or hot rags put on the head can ease many a headache.

One of the most important things to get now imho is connections. Do you know who has the skills or knowledge you don’t have, but may need? Do you know who you can trust? Do you know people that are honest and will keep their word? Do you know who may need your skills and expertise? And the unspoken component of connections is the skill of bartering. Have you read up on how to barter? Do you have a library card from your local library? Make a good friend of your library staff; they can be invaluable!

The next thing to get is knowledge of your area. Do you know where there is a water supply that you can trust? Many areas have water that bubbles up or comes out pipes set up by the locals that is good clean water. One city I lived in had one right in a city park. People came from all over with containers to get this water that tasted good and had no need to be chlorinated. The city even tested it from time to time to ensure its safety. Do you know the back roads if the main ones are closed or jammed with traffic? Do you know what edible plants grow wild in your area? Do you know what crops grow best in your climate?

This is something that may save your life or the life of your loved one. Do you know how the people you love most react to extreme stress? Do you know what they need to be able to calm down? Do you know what it is you need to be able to think clearly? The old movies always show a slap across the face and the person is miraculously sane again. I wish that always worked! I turn to prayer and scripture and know I need encouraging words from others. I need to focus on the positive, sometimes having to dig deep to do so. And yes, sometimes I fail. Also, if you know that two different people may end up living with you and you know they don’t get along in the best of times, what can you do to set the ground rules now? Everyone has different needs, but learning about how to diffuse situations is a great goal to set for yourself. How can you learn the skills of a peacemaker? (Being friends with your librarians comes in here.) Do you know there are herbs that help people to relax and herbs that can help you fall asleep? If you have to deal with anyone, friend or foe, under extreme stress, do you know the basics?

And the most obvious one is a plan. Do you have a plan? Plan A, B, and C? The plan may include spending money, but the plan itself is just your ideas, and you don’t have to spend money to think! At least not until they devise a way to tax thinking! LOL If you or your spouse were to lose your job today, what will you do? Do you have a plan in place? After losing his job a couple times, my dh said he will get his CDL and go drive truck if it happens again. I wonder if he still has that same plan in his head, we haven’t talked about it for a while, but I do know they still need drivers around here. I am part of a MLM business that I could really put more effort into if I wasn’t working at my day job. I wouldn’t have to learn everything about it; I could just hit the street with it today. Now if they declared a bank holiday, we would have to move to plan B and maybe C.

If you invest in acquiring skills, knowledge and wisdom, you can reap gains that no one can steal from you.

HUP

4 comments:

ErinAndBrad said...

Good post HUP! Enjoyed it and you had some good info too. What MLM are you working in - I am looking into one too that deals with natural cleaners etc but IDK yet.

Ernie

APN said...

Hello, I'm just running through all these states real quick to double check with everyone. Are you signed up at our Forum at Ning.com? Which E-mail address would you like me to provide to the other preppers? Have you gotten already or would you like an e-mail address specific to your state preppers Network?
Let me know by e-mailing me at AmericanPrepper@yahoo.com
If you are already set up or have already replied, please disregard this message.
Thanks,
Tom

Help U Prep said...

Thanks Ernie. I will email you,and you too Tom. Just gotta find a few minutes. Off to get supplies for the next two weeks right now.
HUP

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