Hello from Wilmington, NC!
I’m just your normal everyday disabled person who, like all of you, is trying to figure out the best way to make it through the coming economic craziness. Now, I’ve always heard about how the “rich get richer as the poor get poorer” and it seems to be all too true. Unfortunately, I’m on the latter end of that slippery scale, so I need to prepare by stocking up against higher prices and shortages. All eventualities must be considered – from electrical power loss, to gasoline for your car, to food for your family, to self-defense and protection and a myriad of other concerns.
It’s overwhelming to think about how much could go wrong and how many people could suffer from lack of proper preparation. My own preps are woefully inadequate, but I’m working on it as hard as I can. Luckily, the years I spent driving over the road prepared me to live on less. I knew how to stock up on foods, run my microwave (in my truck when I had one) on an inverter connected to my batteries and so on and so forth. Now I’m doing the same thing with solar panels on the roof of our 35′ camper, charging banks of batteries that feed inverters that run the fridge, the microwave, the small heater, etc. The stove and furnace are LP, but I have back ups that don’t require fossil fuels. The water heater is electric or gas, but I have plans to build a solar water heater that will feed into the existing heater and will heat well enough for bathing and washing dishes. Water storage will be accomplished by rain water barrels filtered by a Berkey and other water filters. I also have several 5 and 6 gallon containers and cases of bottled water in the back room of the camper. My food stores are a little lacking, but hopefully when Dee gets back to work we can build them up.
I have MS, and have been spending what I got from a small insurance settlement from being rear-ended by a drunk driver last year-[damn near broke my neck-totaled my tow vehicle) Still, I spent $100 at Sam’s Club yesterday to add to the stores. Donna (Dee) started to put a small bag of rice in the cart, I said, “How long do you think the economic crisis will last? Months or years?” She put it back and got the big bag. Riceland rice is only $8.60? at Sam’s for the 25# bag, $16.79 for the 50# bag. Jasmine rice was twice that. Rice alone doesn’t contain all the amino acids that you need, but rice and BEANS does. Don’t have a Sam’s card? Find someone that does.
Like a lot of people, many of my plans are yet to be realized and are waiting for one thing or another to happen, which means that they’re already riding the ragged edge of “too late”. I’m just hoping I can get down to SC and get a little plot before things get too bad. Call it crazy, but there’s some unnamed sense of urgency that’s pushing me to get things done. I can feel it itching and tickling at the back of my neck telling me that things aren’t as they should be, hunker down and get ready. If nothing happens, all the better. I’ll eat my food, drink my water, leave a smaller carbon footprint and feel better about myself for being self-sufficient.