What's an average girl to do...

[mich]

I have been reading this forum daily for many months. My family is having it's own financial crisis and I am fascinated with where our nation is headed. All the talk of inflation and deflation, recession and depression, is over my head. It's fascinating and I read it all, but I am at a loss as to how to translate the knowledge into steps I can take.

So tell me, what's an average girl to do to prepare for an uncertain future? I grasp the 'eliminate all debt/save cash' (in a mattress?), but beyond that is there something else I should be doing? The basics please, I don't thing I can handle advice like buy a gun and stockpile glass jugs of water.

Thanks!

[nadia105]

I'm in a similar boat to you, I take in what I am reading and hearing and trying to figure out what to do with all of that info.

For me, I am working on building up small reserves of things like laundry detergent, foods that we use regularly, etc. The idea of massive stockpiles intimidates me and I don't think you can go from nothing to a huge reserve easily.

I'm also getting more into gardening this year, I think you can never go wrong learning skills like that -- then you can always put food on the table. Along with that, I started canning last year. Easy things like jam that my family loves and will eat. Not sure if I want to jump into pressure canning vegetables this year, we'll see.

Another thing is switching away from disposable things. We always have used cloth diapers, but we're working more on using rags instead of paper towels and cloth napkins. Not huge changes, but they are better environmentally and financially.

That's all I can think of right now, I'll be watching to see the advice you get from the experts in this area (velochic)

[LilyGrace]

Brush up on your basic skills. Can you till a garden, sew a seam, can food? Do you economize and stretch pricey ingredients? Learn the lessons of the Depression and keep them handy in case you need them.

[Violet2]

garden, can food, make your own laundry soap, stock food and watch the news closely so you can anticipate things that will impact you.


V

[mich]

Thanks guys, that I can handle. I have already started the homemade laundry soap adventure. Our loss of income has proven to me that I can cook cheap and well. We have talked about putting in a food garden this spring. My mom is coming to visit this summer and will be bringing me her sewing machine she does not use. Basic skills, and save every penny. Sounds like a plan I can handle.

[marimara]

I agree, I can't get too crazy with stockpiling, etc. I suggest trying to learn some basic self-sufficiency type things.

Learn to cook with simple ingredients. And keep a *few* simple ingredients on hand, like bags of rice, garlic, onions, potatoes, at all times.

Bone up skills, for me it's sewing and gardening. I've been working on increasing my limited skill set of sewing hems, curtains, cloth napkins, diapers, cloth pads, basically anything with right angles I plan on starting and indoor/outdoor herb garden as well as cherry tomatoes in pots. (my backyard soil is like a brick and no I'm not going to amend it)

Save of course. Limit spending, eating out. Reduce expenses so that things are manageable on a lesser income.

Move if you need to before things get bad. Try to figure where things are that you could walk/bike to if you need food, etc.

Learn about simple healing the body, human and pet if needed. Get a reference manual on natural medicine. Keep some basic herbs and supplies on hand. Keep vitamins too.

[Rhiannon Feimorgan]

Gardening and learning what food grows wild near me. Last year I picked loads of berries and froze them. We are still eating them now.

Sewing, knitting and other ways of making my own things are important to me but even more so mending. If you can sew on a button or patch or replace a broken zipper or darn a sock and make stuff last longer you don't have to buy (or make) things as often.

I'm not really stock piling food although I'm trying to find more local sources. I just found a local farmer who can sell me grass fed beef for about what it costs at the grocery store. I'm supporting my local economy, getting great healthy food and she'll still be there with her cows if the grocery store get's too expensive.

I'm also building of my supply of well made tools that will last. Gardening tools, home repair tools, kitchen tools and so on.

[EmsMom]

I am a stockpiler, but I definitely did not get there overnight. It really doesn't pay to stockpile foods that you don't know how to cook. So if you don't know basic skills like simple cooking or simple sewing/mending skills, how to repair things around your house, etc., that would be a great place to start. Learning how to manage money carefully and plan for the future are also great skills to have. Ditto for gardening. ALL of these things have to be kind of started small to be the most practical. Also, it is easy to feel as if it is paranoid to stockpile food and water, but even the US govenment recommends having a three day supply of food and water and there is good reason for this. Even minor emergencies like a power outage are more comfortable when you are prepared and a large emergency can strike at any time. In a good year (fiscally speaking), govt agencies had trouble getting help to New Orleans. How much worse will it be now? I also think that one of the best things to do right now is invest time (and money if you have it) in obtaining and preserving personal health (physical, emotional, spiritual). Also, build or build on family ties, neighborhood/community ties and look for ways to create a strong economic infrastructure for your community. For example, pay cash to small vendors which immediately increases their revenue, frequent local businesses, buy local food. Create community gardens and other gathering spaces.

[Violet2]

I would reconsider stockpiling. Food costs are expected to rise another 7-9% this year and if you are unemployed (gods forbid) you can't count on food banks. Demand is so high they are running out of food.

So I would revisit that. You don't have to go crazy or do it hard core. Just keep a good supply of basics on hand. Take advantage of sales (10 for $10 of the spaghetti sauce we like this week!)

V

[Alyantavid]

I agree, I can't get too crazy with stockpiling, etc. I suggest trying to learn some basic self-sufficiency type things.

Learn to cook with simple ingredients. And keep a *few* simple ingredients on hand, like bags of rice, garlic, onions, potatoes, at all times.

Bone up skills, for me it's sewing and gardening. I've been working on increasing my limited skill set of sewing hems, curtains, cloth napkins, diapers, cloth pads, basically anything with right angles I plan on starting and indoor/outdoor herb garden as well as cherry tomatoes in pots. (my backyard soil is like a brick and no I'm not going to amend it)

Save of course. Limit spending, eating out. Reduce expenses so that things are manageable on a lesser income.

Move if you need to before things get bad. Try to figure where things are that you could walk/bike to if you need food, etc.

Learn about simple healing the body, human and pet if needed. Get a reference manual on natural medicine. Keep some basic herbs and supplies on hand. Keep vitamins too.

That's what we do.

We have a garden that has lasted us most of the winter and we have plans for a bigger one this year. And I plan to learn to can this summer as well. We raise our own beef and pork and plan to get chickens this spring too. Dh can fix almost anything so we don't have many repair issues as he'll just do it. The few things I do buy at the store, I can live without and only buy on sale so I do tend to have a small stock pile. We are very close to being debt free, both have relatively stable jobs and we live on a small acreage so I feel pretty good about how we're sitting.

[mizlizzy]

In addition to food security, think about transportation and energy use, which will vary depending on where you live.

Some ideas:
Get (used) bikes for the family. Keep in running order and know how to do simple repairs, like changing a flats and messed up chains. If you live in the city, this is more feasible for daily transport than if you live on a dirt road, but even in the country, they are useful for fun and emergency transport. Garage sales are good sources for bikes.

Have candles and possibly an oil lamp on hand. Good for power outages, as well as cozy nights in.

If in a cold climate, get a woodstove, and have a stockpile of wood. Woodstoves can be cheap to free. In case of emergency, you can use it to cook simple things and heat hot water as well.

Have basic handtools on hand, and warm clothes and good shoes for every one in the family.

I really recommend The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn for tons and tons of ideas on frugality and self-suffciency.

[lolar2]

Definitely read the Tightwad Gazette.

[marimara]

I've already posted my response but just in the last hour compiled a short list of things I would like to accomplish this year, keeping in mind that we may be putting our house up for sale spring of 2010 and moving to a smaller apartment. Here's MY list:

Goals for Self-sufficiency 2009


Grow herbs this spring/summer in pots, try to overwinter them indoors
Bone up sewing skills; learn to put in a zipper, learn to sew buttonholes
Stretch laundry detergent w/borax
Feed Mia more natural/homemade food; http://www.mahalo.com/How_to_Make_Your_Own_Dog_Food
Rotate pantry, keep stores of basics on hand
Get Natural Medicine Reference, Nutrition Reference
Get First Aid in the field reference
Learn what I can forage for in South Georgia, my immediate area
Learn how to dry herbs for winter
Use cloth/diva cup more often
Use cloth diapers more often
Potty train Brooke
Grow Garlic in pots: let sprout in paper bag, plant punch a finger hole, drop in a clove (pointy end up)- thats it. In 4-5 weeks, harvest the entire plant, or just the leaves, which can grow back four or five times/After about four months you should have some lovely strong garlic, you can tell it is ready when the foliage dies down
Grow potatoes in plastic bags ( certified seed potatoes), let sprout then plant, http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/gr_fru...463475,00.html
Grow onions in pots or storage containers w/holes drilled in bottom http://gardenhobbies.com/vegetables/onion.html
http://urbangardencasual.com/2008/07...in-containers/

[Violet2]

Originally Posted by tumblingstar

I've already posted my response but just in the last hour compiled a short list of things I would like to accomplish this year, keeping in mind that we may be putting our house up for sale spring of 2010 and moving to a smaller apartment. Here's MY list:

Goals for Self-sufficiency 2009


Grow herbs this spring/summer in pots, try to overwinter them indoors
Bone up sewing skills; learn to put in a zipper, learn to sew buttonholes
Stretch laundry detergent w/borax
Feed Mia more natural/homemade food; http://www.mahalo.com/How_to_Make_Your_Own_Dog_Food
Rotate pantry, keep stores of basics on hand
Get Natural Medicine Reference, Nutrition Reference
Get First Aid in the field reference
Learn what I can forage for in South Georgia, my immediate area
Learn how to dry herbs for winter
Use cloth/diva cup more often
Use cloth diapers more often
Potty train Brooke
Grow Garlic in pots: let sprout in paper bag, plant punch a finger hole, drop in a clove (pointy end up)- thats it. In 4-5 weeks, harvest the entire plant, or just the leaves, which can grow back four or five times/After about four months you should have some lovely strong garlic, you can tell it is ready when the foliage dies down
Grow potatoes in plastic bags ( certified seed potatoes), let sprout then plant, http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/gr_fru...463475,00.html
Grow onions in pots or storage containers w/holes drilled in bottom http://gardenhobbies.com/vegetables/onion.html
http://urbangardencasual.com/2008/07...in-containers/

That's a great list.

V