How To Prepare For The Difficult Years Ahead

TEC ^ | 1-10-2011 | Michael Snyder

[rpierce]

Re: what difference does debt make...

You know that's an excellent question that I've wondered as I've been seriously prepping for awhile now. I wonder if we can get some good Freeper answers on that. What would you rather have, some extra debt, or prep items purchased with that credit (assuming that's the actual situation).

Obviously that's not going to be most people's situation (i.e. their credit goes to purchasing pleasure and luxuries), but I've wondered about the efficacy of buying preps with credit now, and never seen it addressed.

[katykelly]

I do the same . I also stock extra parts for my canner .

[Vermont Lt]

I guess one way to look at it is to hold off paying off debt until the hyper inflation hits. Then you can pay off your debts with fiat that is worth a lot less.

[Future Snake Eater]

b4l

[metmom]

And once again another list that has no firearms or ammo on it. One knife on the whole list? Please.

Actually, he has this listed, but not with nearly enough emphasis on its importance.....

Rifle For Hunting

[metmom]

There are also these.....

Tattler Reusable Canning Jars lids.

http://www.reusablecanninglids.com/

They work on the same principle as the old style bail canning jars. I bought some and tried them this year. Not all the jars sealed well, I think I had two failures, but should the regular Ball kids be unavailable, it’s better than nothing.

[GonzoGOP]

Why would someone planning on TEOTWAWKI worry one wit about credit card debt?

Because the world might not end, it might just get real s#!tty for a while. My running gag is that I'm not worried about the end of the world, just the end of the party. Because unlike the end of the world when the party is over you have to clean up.

[metmom]

The canning jars from Wal-Mart are made in China. I understand that Ball/Kerr are made in the USA, but cannot find the information on the web, but honestly haven’t searched thoroughly.

However, in my search, I found this interesting web site....

Made in USA Forever.com
http://madeinusaforever.com/info.html

[metmom]

Get a good and recently published book on safe canning, and follow every instruction to the letter. The USDA might also have a current publication online for canning.

I don't follow their instructions to the letter.

My biggest point of rebellion is in heating the canning jars. I put my clean ones in my oven and set the temperature to 200, close to the temperature of whatever I'm putting in them and have NEVER, EVER had one crack on me.

It would not be wise or safe to heat them much beyond that, but it warms then enough to take the hot food without the thermal shock that tends to crack them.

I hot water bath can all my tomatoes and have never had a problem.

[jacquej]

How do we get our adult children to understand that they are frogs in a pot?

They do not want to believe that the future could be, at best, problematic, and will do nothing to prepare. We can’t do much, since we are in “senior-assisted living.

We will have to depend on our adult son, but his very nice wife is not interested in the thought of “hardship”.

I suppose they see me as the “granny who cried wolf”, because of the Y2K alarm, and now I have no “creds”.

[CodeToad]

“I’m not worried about the end of the world, just the end of the party. Because unlike the end of the world when the party is over you have to clean up.”

Actually, that is a great way of putting it.

[familyop]

"I canned wild grape jelly several years back and wanted to do more of it, but my wife was on me about the costs of the lids and such so I didn’t continue."

Jelly isn't as dangerous as, say, green beans (extreme botulism hazard without following canning directions).

"I knew you could reuse the jars and rings after checking them...I’m sure there must be a way to reuse the lids if they aren’t damaged...just a matter of figuring out what needs to be done I suppose..."

See the thinness of the seal on the bottom of a lid. The cost of lids is really low--roughly $1.50 at a Walmart near me for 12 of them (only the flats without the rings), and I get supplies in a resort area.

[familyop]

Heh. I never thought of heating jars in the oven for sterilization. Interesting. Thanks. On tomatoes, I’m just old enough to remember the kind that left a burning sensation in our mouths. Most people don’t grow that kind any more.

I live in a place that’s somewhat like Mars these days (high altitude) and am trying some of the shortest season tomatoes (small but acceptable heirloom types) with covers during the first and last months of summer (hard freezes).

[TheOldLady]

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[blam]

Don’t bring a pointed stick to a gun fight.

[blam]

"If they're quarts, that's a good number for a Midwestern family of three for the colder side of a year. ...extra for folks in the South. ...good advice. "

I plan to keep buying them at yard sales. They'll be good for bartering too.

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

You’re right. It is a silly statement to say that 2012 won’t see a famine. No one is saying there will be a famine in 2012.

Food shortages are coming. There will be those that are enslaved to the government who will have to line up (literally or figuratively) to be fed, and then there will be the rest of the population who knew this was coming and figured out a way to become self-sustaining. These people will not be labeled preppers but “Enemies of the State.”

If Obammie the Commie manages to heist the election in 2012, that is when he and his communists and globalists will really tighten down the screws on the thumbs of Americans.

Troubles are coming. When exactly? No one knows. I seriously doubt 2012, as TPTB will do what they need to to defeat Romney (who would not solve the problem anyway) and ensure their puppet with the big ears is in the WH with his white-hating, America-hating, middle-class hating, komrades, which includes pumping the economy enough to float through 2012.

[Oatka]

Add a bottle or two of Hydrogen Peroxide.

[metmom]

It’s not really for sterilization, although since the water is close to boiling, it probably does that. I did it just for the convenience of having the jars hot enough to not crack when I put the hot food in it. If I’m cold packing the stuff, I don’t do it.

You’d be surprised how many jars fit on those oven racks. You just need to be careful getting them out. I use a nice dry towel. It really speeds things up and saves on stove top space for not having boiling water to dip the jars into (which also tends to crack them very effectively).

I just got a seed order in and ordered the shortest growing season, cool weather tolerant seeds I could find. We’re in Central NY and the last date of frost is always a crap shoot. It’s been as early as late March and late as June 3.

And we have this annoying tendency to have weeks of mild weather and then just before Memorial Day, some light frosts. You wouldn’t believe the stack of old bedding I have in the barn that I use for protection once it’s no longer any good for the beds. Who needs to buy floating row covers?

[metmom]

Troubles are coming. When exactly? No one knows. I seriously doubt 2012, as TPTB will do what they need to to defeat Romney (who would not solve the problem anyway) and ensure their puppet with the big ears is in the WH with his white-hating, America-hating, middle-class hating, komrades, which includes pumping the economy enough to float through 2012.

I agree. I think things are going to take a decided turn for the better this summer. You watch, gas prices are already going down some. Watch them drop like a rock and a tax rebate be offered. I'll betcha unemployment figures will be manipulated to make it look like employment is going up and interest rates at the banks will start going up.

Then watch the SHTF right after the elections, depending on who gets in.