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Hi everyone. Thanks a lot Travis ;-)

I dont disagree with stocking up on essential (TP, food, tools, etc) what I do disagree with is stocking up on these expecting them to become some sort of currency or make you any significant money after SHTF. Whatever it is you do its, better to save that money in precious metals.
I have many tools, also drills, grinders, and others, I know how to use them of course and do most of my house repairs.

“To: djf; Black Agnes; Lurker
Given these kinds of things, I don’t see the practicality of depending on foreign properties. It’s not like you would have six weeks to get your passport in order…”

That’s why you should get your passport in order NOW. More than likely, if you keep alert and looks for the signs you can take “extended vacations” with more than enough time.

“and arrange for some nice neighbors to watch you place”

Right about that. That’s why I don’t encourage people to have a fixed location with all their eggs in one basket.
IF , (big if) hordes of raiders come your way, call me crazy but I’d rather not be there. There’s no winning against what you have in mind. Either you lose your home with the stuff inside, or you lose your home and stuff AND your life. I’d rather be elsewhere by then.
Travis has a plan, he has means to leave in his “pod”, others can have other plans to leave in a hurry as well.

“and go to the drugstore to stock up on suntan lotion or something...”

Suntan lotion is available world wide as long as you have the money.

Another point worth making, you can get your papers ready in a day or two if you know the right people and have a nice stash of cash. Not getting into much detail, it can be done and I’ve done it before, doing something in that line right now as a matter of fact.
A bit of people’s skill and cash goes a long way.

Moral issues aside, sometimes you simply don’t have an option.

“Owning real estate means you have to manage it. You can manage a rental in France from Costa Rica- not without paid help to get the rent and to get it to you. You cannot rely on such help in hard times. That part is quite unrealistic. Food stockup makes sense. About which see the “Mormon one year plan” etc.”

Unless there’s a complete collapse and that with a socialist/communist twist, you still have your property and can manage it. About the cost, its less than setting up a loaded retreat/bunker with some of the setups some survival gurus claim you simply must have.
One little lesson I’ve learn: If you didn’t even try doing it don’t say it can’t be done. It can be done, doesn’t require a small personal fortune and I know one American that did just that recently on an average salary. Some bestselling financial authors write entire books that sum up the following way: Rent your place, have a US based business, and live in a 3rd world country were money goes 3 to 5 times further.
I don’t recommend living in a 3rd world country because I know 3rd world countries and the risks involved better than some of these guys that only see the advantages, not the cons. But still it is true that property can be very cheap in some countries and make you good money per month. Of course there’s always risks like everything else in life but mostly it’s a matter not knowing how to do these things, rather than not being possible.

“To: angkor
How did you go about buying property in another country? I would have no idea how to do that.”

Best thing to do (and cheapest way) is to actually go to the places and countries you’re considering, staying there some time and doing research. Get in touch with local realtors, then to a realtor that wont steal from you and find you a good deal.

“To: 2ndDivisionVet

But investments? WTF? You’re liable to get robbed or killed if you go to the supermarket, much less an ATM or bank!
And I don’t necessarily agree with him summarily dismissing stocking up on TP or whatever. There was a show on a while back called “The New Pioneers” or something like that, a reality show where these folks tried to make it as ranchers in the old west.”

You have to be smart about it. Being honest, I dress like crap drive in a beaten up import car that is as dirty as it gets.
The car is dirty, attracts less attention, you don’t look wealthy. The car is a tricky deal: The most common models, even though less expensive, get stolen MUCH more often than my Daewoo Lanos that costs almost twice as much than Renalut 9, Fiat Uno, etc. But why do bad guys look for these common cars and not mine that is more expensive? First, as I said it looks like crap, has dents and bumps from roadblocks and protesters, never fixed it, never will.
Second, and here’s the little secret: These inexpensive, more common cars, there’s a much greater market for their stolen parts. :-)
So you see, things aren’t always easy, black or white, US wont go directly into Mad Max “ Oh, no here nothing like what happened in Argentina would occur, here we’d go straight for Roadwarrior” People, don’t mean to offend anyone, but you’re already starting to look like Argentina. Hope you’ll never go down the way we did in 2001 but there are so many similarities, the society is being affected in such a similar manner in spite of the differences.

” There was a show on a while back called “The New Pioneers” or something like that, a reality show where”

And guys, PLEASE don’t base you’re preparedness plans based on reality TV shows.
The thing about TP never going to be worth more than it already is world wide is that we’re full of scrap paper and cardboard, and TP is extremely easy to make, even in psot collapse society. Buy lots of it for you and future use, but don’t make the mistake of thinking you can make a buck selling TP after SHTF
Take care guys.

FerFAL