TOTM January 2021... Prepping Strategies for the coming year

Discussion in 'Survival Topic of the Month' started by Dunerunner, Dec 31, 2020.


  1. Dunerunner

    Dunerunner Brewery Monkey Moderator

    Times have changed, at least from my perspective. I cannot depend upon the economy, food supply chain, utility services, banking, or availability of anything...

    I'm changing how I look at my preps and how I can circumvent some of the above issues. It may be untannable to keep my home, boat, and second car. I may have to become mobile. I may have to live a day at a time.
     
  2. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    "The Plan" for 2021 is to fade to more grey and look less like a nail.
     
    Ganado, Tully Mars, Dont and 11 others like this.
  3. Ura-Ki

    Ura-Ki Grampa Monkey

    The further down this dark and lonely road we travel, the more it looks like we are going to be living like our great grand parents did in the 1800's! Those living rural or remote should be well set, and those in the cities will have lots of challenges, but as long as we all stick together, should be fine!

    To that end, we are moving ourselves back to the ranch in Feb. And getting all that back to working order. We have plenty of preps there, but will have to rotate through a bunch of it to get things back into sync with "the plan" as it were! To that end, it's going to get spendy, we need to stock all the fuel, and flush the water supply, and we need to build back the food stocks as well as get the green houses back to producing food. We are also going to be adding live stock to the mix within the next two years, so as to have those options available in the future!
    The family farm here is up and running, and should be in the black this year, so we can leave it to family to run and all should be well. Dad's health isn't great, but with the Rona, he is pretty much a shut in, so we're packing him up and moving him with us, so at least he has better scenery to enjoy and no worries about the homeless robbing him! We have the room, so might as well get him set up where he can have more to do and keep his mind off all the shit going on in this world!
     
    Last edited: Dec 31, 2020
    jim2, Tully Mars, Dont and 9 others like this.
  4. Ura-Ki

    Ura-Ki Grampa Monkey

    I need a flat bed truck, prolly a Freightliner FL-70 single screw and a 12" bed with head ache rack! As good as a pickup is, a flat bed is going to get a lot more use! So begins that journey, hoping to find one with a Cat diesel and 8 speed stick, so will prolly end up with some sort of tractor that will get converted to the flat bed!
     
    SB21, duane, Dunerunner and 1 other person like this.
  5. mysterymet

    mysterymet Monkey+++

    This is exactly it. Keeping head down and paying off all debts.
     
    Tully Mars, Dont, techsar and 7 others like this.
  6. duane

    duane Monkey+++

    Dunerunner hit the nail on the head. I don't think prepping is an option any more, I think it is time to change ones lifestyle and reorder priorities and lead a life that is sustainable for the long run. Getting firewood ready for year after next, bit the bullet and bought the 52 hp non electric injection diesel tractor, building a new garage, reskinning and improving the greenhouse, rotating preps and using much more in day to day lifestyle. Eg, buying dried beans, cooking them,, and freezing them instead of buying Bush"s best.
    Selling a few papered firearms and putting in diesel tank with pump for new tractor, want a diesel low speed generator, etc. Well past time to be grey, but time to see about picking up things from people who are losing things to the bank, solar cells, solar batteries, tractor equipment, garden supplies, etc. Finding a lot of high end hydroponics bought by pot growers that can be repurposed for veggies etc for pennies on the dollar. Not into grow tents and such, but lights, heaters, fans, and such are often almost free. They have high hopes of selling it for big bucks, but when they have to move, and not sold, price comes down.

    In my location a greenhouse is not a luxury, it is a needed item that may double your growing season and cut your pest and disease problems by 90 %. Big box stores in fall will often sell grow products for 20 cents on dollar. Buy them and both save money and have at least 2 to 3 years of basics for greenhouse production in storage. Make sure greenhouse basics, pumps, fans, lights, can run off solar and be self sufficient.

    Most of real needs can be sourced if you watch, take time, and have cash to pay for them. That expensive custom built sq ft garden will not bring in 1 dollar when the bank forecloses, nor will that chicken house, garden shed, small greenhouse, irrigation system, etc. Try to have a few hundred dollars for "good " buys as a lot of people in bad financial shape do not want a paper trail and cash talks very loudly. If thing do go south, a few hundred for that last minute buying of things like cooking oil, butter, cheese, pancake mix, pancake syrup, last minute rice,bean, baking powder, spaghetti sauce, spice, etc would make the first 6 months much more comfortable.
     
  7. SB21

    SB21 Monkey+++

    I've been trying to work things thru on this whole issue myself. I've got a small place now,, nowhere near what I need. Found 10 acres raw land,, away from everything,, i could buy the land , but would be broke,, having to have to work to do anything else,, or i can take the money i have, and invest in other property and build and sell,, and pick up a spot in a year or 2 with a little extra cash and set up shop there . Or keep working and bank everything for the next year or 2 and stay where I'm at . Everything depends on the economy at this point. What I want to do is buy the 10 acres and start living ,, there I can start the farm ,, not sure what my health will be like in a couple of years. I'm in a conundrum,, the next couple months will tell I guess . I know it's hard to see my situation without living it ,, but just venting,, and possibly looking for others thoughts as well.
    Basically I've got a 10 acre living area ,, or a 10 acre investment area , to get to the living area ,, but not sure the living area will be available in a year or so. The plus is the living area is secluded,, and game rich ,, which means,, j shouldn't have much problem feeding myself out of the city stores .
     
    jim2, Dunerunner, duane and 1 other person like this.
  8. duane

    duane Monkey+++

    Don't get caught in trap of putting things off for ever in search of the perfect. At some point the old good enough to get by may well keep you alive, but the non existent perfect that you are waiting for will not. In our area, the average $100 or so TV cable bill would buy a lot of beans and rice. In the short run I think being as debt free as possible is the most important thing. The actions of the big companies, banks and government in foreclosing on houses, on back taxes, on fines and permit fees, in the past would indicate that they will use any debt as a way of both destroying you and to control you.
     
    Tempstar, jim2, Dunerunner and 8 others like this.
  9. Lancer

    Lancer TANSTAFL! Site Supporter+++

    @duane - operative word being "control"
     
    Dunerunner, BlueDuck and SB21 like this.
  10. VisuTrac

    VisuTrac Ваша мать носит военные ботинки Site Supporter+++

    2020 was a rough year.
    Company gave us a covid paycut in March, and we worked even more hours (salary sucks i tell ya).
    I continued to pay my debts and bills while struggling to put back some supplies for the future.
    The company did extremely well this year and gave us bonuses this month that more than made up for the pay cut that is going to be reverted back in less than 6 hours.
    So, in essence, I got my pay plus some back in a lump sum. So, I took all of it, paid off the car, the credit cards, both of the wifes' student loans, both of the kids college student loans that they've incurred thus far.
    I've only got the house note and now with the other debts out of the way, I can pay the note off faster.
    I'm just going to keep plugging along as a gray man and hope ride out the coming storm.
     
  11. Airtime

    Airtime Monkey+++

    Once you are totally out of debt it feels like such a huge relief. You will not want to ever go back. I said it before but debt is the anti-prep. It can wipe out everything if you get in a bind and can’t make the payments. Avoid it by any and all legal means.
     
  12. SB21

    SB21 Monkey+++

    Theres part of my dilemma . I can get this property I really want,, and take a chance of a struggle,, not that I haven't before,, and i can handle a struggle ,, but I wont be much help to my daughter and granddaughter if they hit hard times. What i want to do , versus what i need to do ,,, I guess I may know within the next 20 days whether I've made a good decision or not.
     
    Dunerunner likes this.
  13. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Struggles are easy if there's no debt to aggravate it. Yes, there are some of us that KNOW that. Best of luck with your choice.
     
    Dunerunner, Dont, Airtime and 3 others like this.
  14. techsar

    techsar Monkey+++

    Perhaps then this is a blessing in disguise for some. Preparing for us has been to better withstand another breakdown of the aforementioned services, although the last time was a relatively small region as opposed to a national event.
    Having no debt, a ready supply of food (and the ability to produce more), alternative energy, and supplies to make your own (pick your item) have been in the forefront of our plans for several years...but there is always more in the "to-do" category regardless of what direction the future takes.
    Do the best you can with what you have...and pray it is enough when the chips are down.
     
  15. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    You've touched on one of the characteristics of a prepper mindset. ALWAYS be flexible enough to deviate from whatever plan was in place WHEN circumstances dictate. Who among us anticipated a pandemic? Yup, some of what we do covered MOST but not all of that eventuality.
     
    duane, Dunerunner and techsar like this.
  16. techsar

    techsar Monkey+++

    Haha...pandemic actually was one of the things we have covered..to include a whole house overpressure unit...funny we haven't needed to use any of it.
     
    duane and Dunerunner like this.
  17. T. Riley

    T. Riley Monkey+++

    Inventory, purge, restock, upgrade.
     
  18. Tempstar

    Tempstar Monkey+++

    I think shortages are coming, and will be far worse this time as the last go 'round brought forth a new batch of preppers. We are dumping 20% of income into supplies for the next 2 months to get us back on firm footing. All food and comfort products because I finally woke up and realized that we can't eat ammo and if something requires the use of what I have in stock I'm not gonna survive it anyway. Dug a few holes with the rented backhoe at the fall back site, and welded up brackets for cross bar braces on the exterior doors.
     
  19. snake6264

    snake6264 Combat flip flop douchebag

    Ever forward keep up the grind
     
  20. Dont

    Dont Just another old gray Jarhead Monkey

    Has anyone considered paying ahead on their property tax? Or allowed for a significant increase in said tax's?
    I can do little up at the cabin until spring, however I am putting away some things to improve my food production there, and continue to buy extra can goods every payday.

    This is 2021 and TPTB do have plan's for us.
     
  1. Dunerunner
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