Is Recession Preparing a New Breed of Survivalist? [Survival Today - an On going Thread #2]

May 05th,2008

[nw_arizona_granny]

Yahoo ran an interesting article this morning indicating a rise in the number of survivalist communities cropping up around the country. I have been wondering myself how much of the recent energy crisis is causing people to do things like stockpile food and water, grow their own vegetables, etc. Could it be that there are many people out there stockpiling and their increased buying has caused food prices to increase? It’s an interesting theory, but I believe increased food prices have more to do with rising fuel prices as cost-to-market costs have increased and grocers are simply passing those increases along to the consumer. A recent stroll through the camping section of Wal-Mart did give me pause - what kinds of things are prudent to have on hand in the event of a worldwide shortage of food and/or fuel? Survivalist in Training

I’ve been interested in survival stories since I was a kid, which is funny considering I grew up in a city. Maybe that’s why the idea of living off the land appealed to me. My grandfather and I frequently took camping trips along the Blue Ridge Parkway and around the Smoky Mountains. Looking back, some of the best times we had were when we stayed at campgrounds without electricity hookups, because it forced us to use what we had to get by. My grandfather was well-prepared with a camp stove and lanterns (which ran off propane), and when the sun went to bed we usually did along with it. We played cards for entertainment, and in the absence of televisions, games, etc. we shared many great conversations. Survivalist in the Neighborhood

[Eagle50AE]

May want to double up: Higher prices are here now!

Worst Housing Number in Decades: What Is the Wall Street Media Smoking?

The housing numbers are as bad as they could possibly be. They show year-over- year housing starts to be down by 45.2% from May 2008. I cannot recall the numbers, but, if memory serves me, this decline is of the same magnitude as the housing decline which occured during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Housing sales always are greater in April than in February. Furthermore, people almost always buy more houses in May than in April. The fact that they repeated that pattern in 2009 is not surprising. It’s been happening since the days of the Roman Republic.

The real news is that housing starts are deeply down year over year. On top of that, we must consider that fact that 2008’s numbers are way down from 2007, and 2007’s numbers were way down from 2006. Housing starts in May, 2006 were running at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,957,000 (www.census.gov/const/newresconst_200605.pdf). In other words, since the height of the housing market, housing starts have fallen so deeply that they amount to only 27% of what they were 4 years ago.

Full Article Link :

http://seekingalpha.com/article/143696-worst-housing-number-in-decades-what-is-the-wall-street-media-smoking?source=email

[Marmolade]

“An excellent financial blog,”

Thanks for posting this, Granny. It's got some great tips. I'll have to go back and spend some time checking it out more thoroughly.

[nw_arizona_granny]

I have been all night attempting to get on the internet.

I called support and they couldn’t help, so I shut down and started again.

Have no idea if I am going to be able to stay on.

I could connect, but did not have enough strength to open anything, it was not sending enough bytes or receiving either.

So don’t be surprised if I disappear.

granny

[nw_arizona_granny]

It hurts when you loose someone you love, even our pets.

You are often on my mind and always when I find a cat story.

Stay well and be safe.

[nw_arizona_granny]

They say Las Vegas is selling again, at reduced prices of course.

It is not surprising that the new houses starts are down, the people are busy snapping up the bargains that are on the market now, would be my guess.

Lack of bank loans, will keep the housing market dead for now.

[nw_arizona_granny]

“An excellent financial blog,”<<<

Yes, it struck me as being useful and I also need to go back and really read it.

[Eagle50AE]

>>> could connect, but did not have enough strength to open anything, it was not sending enough bytes or receiving either. <<<

Thats what I’ve been fighting over here in the east also. everything looks normal but the packets are not constant.
best of luck and keep on watch for worms and etc..

you may want to try this Quickscan from Bitdefender

http://quickscan.bitdefender.com/

It takes a few minutes longer than 30 seconds on dial-up

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.preparedpantry.com/weeklyspecials.aspx

I should not have looked at this sale.

Cocoa powder by the pound and buttermilk powder also on sale.

The metal colanders are on sale, large and small and beautiful.

Many other kitchen special pans, etc on sale.. and sauces and spice mixes....

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http://www.preparedpantry.com/over-100-bread-mixes.aspx

LOL, this is what I wanted to see, order up to 5 bread mixes and get one jar of free jelly per pak, about 100 bread mix types to choose from....

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This is the kind of sale flyer, that my friend Mary would say to go ahead and make out an order, but wait a week to mail it and then whittle it down to an affordable one...LOL

Won’t work, for this one ends Friday.

I have not ordered from this company, but like their recipes and got the link from a Yahoo group that spoke highly of it.

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http://www.preparedpantry.com/pancake-mixes-waffle-mixes.aspx

Fancy pancakes/waffles and 1 free syrup for buying 3 mixes.

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[nw_arizona_granny]

Thanks for the link, maybe after my nap, I will look at it and run it.

For I sure do not know what is going on, even considered that it could be the modem, but it is working fine now, or so it seems.

[CottonBall]

Oh yes! We've found that most people who heat with wood share a profound philosophy. They understand a lot about putting steady work into something....so that we can benefit later!

Here's our new pride and joy: our woodshed! Built entirely of scrap lumber left over from building the cabin and logs from our property. (Note the wood pile behind it underneath the blue tarp - those are all over the property. Some might find them unattractive, but to me they represent years of heat! (Without having to put out cash or pay the government taxes for the purchase - even better).

[CottonBall]

They say Las Vegas is selling again, at reduced prices of course.

Same here (in Bakersfield). We went from having 3 years of houses on the market to about 6 months worth. Of course, prices are back to where they should be. And many buyers can't get the credit to get a good loan, so it's even a better buyer's market for those with good credit (ie., can get a conventional loan and put 20% down.)

[CottonBall]

ps. I just don’t see this market lasting, however. I think prices will fall even further after the stock market quits it’s little rally. Just like before the Great Depression, there was a little buildup of home right before the big crash.

[CottonBall]

“home” should’ve been “hope”

Darned fingers just won’t listen to me!

[nw_arizona_granny]

That is a neat wood shed and lovely trees.

You say you have piles of wood under tarps all over the lot.

As I looked at the blue tarp, my first thought was, here fire wood is $200. per cord and I have never gotten a full cord from the local sellers.

Why not pile brush over the tarps, so that they look like they are piled up brush and small tree limbs???

Until a few years ago, we could get permits for a fee and cut on the gov land, the last I heard, that had been canceled and I have not checked for several years.

There was a time that a man could get a permit and cut enough wood to feed his family, when he sold it, so stealing it will be even easier.

My 2 cents worth.

[nw_arizona_granny]

ps. I just don’t see this market lasting, however. I think prices will fall even further after the stock market quits it’s little rally. Just like before the Great Depression, there was a little buildup of home right before the big crash.<<<

You may be correct.

I am just riding it out, as I bought my place over 30 years ago, the dirt alone is worth more than I paid.

On Arizona wages, we could never buy the Calif and Vegas priced homes, so I don’t think that Kingman is that involved in the housing market.

We are short on jobs, the casinos have cut back to half or less of the normal employees and all are afraid they will be the next to be laid off.

The way the whole world plays with our money, I will not be surprised at anything.

[CottonBall]

Why not pile brush over the tarps, so that they look like they are piled up brush and small tree limbs???

If it comes to that (people stealing wood), then we'll likely even put up a fence and have a guard dog! It's a very small community and anybody up there that is stealing would be noticed. Everyone knows us and a stranger on our lot messing around would be questioned. Plus, it's quite a ways from civilization. Most thieves would go closer to home.

It's sad so many are in big cities where the sense of community and looking out for neighbors is nonexistent.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Yes, we need more with the community spirit, there is not much here, never has been.

I was thinking of folks stealing the wood for selling.

[DelaWhere]

>>>When lukewarm add one Magic yeast cake ...

Sounds like something from the 60’s, doesn’t it? <<<

Hmmm, I wouldn’t know about that... I was too busy with being a straight laced Army soldier, husband and father to get into those things during the 60’s... 8^)

[DelaWhere]

>>>Here is the link to this thread’s archive of the first 3000 posts.<<<

Thanks, got it. Looks great. I am copying them to a thumb drive to have them portable and safe from a HD crash.

[CottonBall]

And I was somewhere between -1 and 9 (born in 61). But....I read about it!