dystopia « Robin Writes

How do you do it? How do you plan for the future?

In the last few years, there have been a lot of news stories about the “end of the world” and “believers” who sell everything they own and get ready to be raptured. Most people shake their heads over this kind of behavior, but isn’t prepping a little bit like this?

Yes, it is.

If you believe in an apocalypse, or economic collapse, or even zombies (yeah, right), and you’re prepping – just how far do you take it? How do you balance the present with the possibilities of the future?

I’ll tell you how:

Just like you prepare for any future.

See, if you weren’t worried about the economy, the food supply, the criminal element (including, of course, politicians), you’d be planning for the future, right? College for the kids, savings of your own, home improvement, retirement, etc., etc.

As a prepper, you’re planning for the future too – but not necessarily one in which you picture the kids coming home for the holidays or lounging around your new pool or traveling in your golden years.

But what if there IS no apocalypse? No disaster? Is it possible to be prepared for everything, for any eventuality?

Yes. I think so. It’s like a work/life balance, except preppers have life/prep balance.

Back in the day, I had a little book with pockets on some pages. The book talked about saving versus spending, and the pockets were to divide up your allowance. Still cute for kids today, if you can find one. The point is that, just like in this little book, we as adults are instructed to save 10%, donate/tithe 10%, spend 10% on ourselves, and the rest is for bills and so forth.

Sure, it’s hard to do – even more when you divide up the savings part into college, retirement, short-term, long-term, and whatever else you choose. And, too, with rising costs, well, it ain’t easy!

But I simply propose another 5% or 10%, whatever you can squeeze in there, for prepping of another kind, the kind we do “just in case” SHTF. You can call it your SHTF Fund. Catchy, huh?

When do you expect your prepping to pay off, so to speak? Next year? Five years? Ten? Not in your lifetime? For myself, I’m thinking in the next two to five years. If we make it past that, maybe all this work will pay off in our kids’ lifetimes, or in our later years. Hard to say, really. Those with more knowledge than I may have a different timeframe – feel free to weigh in!

The point is that you have to be ready for ANYTHING.

What happens to money when SHTF?

Credit cards will likely be useless. Cash might disappear completely. And access to it could be very, very limited.

Let’s think about this: if the grid goes down, you can’t swipe a card, either credit or debit; of course, you also can’t pump gas at the station or probably purchase much of anything at a store. And that’s assuming there’s anything left to purchase – not to mention assuming the electric doors could actually open to let you come inside.

Anyone watching Under the Dome? Yeah, kind of like that, except most places in the cities and urban/suburban areas don’t have back-up generators. Or tons of propane lying around.

Let’s assume that you’re able to enter a store, and they have food or other products available – you better have cash. They’re not going to take plastic, even if they do it manually, because, as we all know, that’s not real money – it’s just “on paper” so to speak. Uploading aside, there’s no way for the business to retrieve that electronic money.

And if you run out of cash? Can’t go to the neighborhood ATM. Electricity, baby! It’s there, theoretically, but you can’t get to it – just like a credit card.

Two things: cash and trade.

Have a stock of cash. Or change. Or gold, or silver, or whatever the market is calling for at that particular time. Hedge your bets – have some of each. But do keep in mind weight and storage.

And for heaven’s sake, don’t TELL anyone! SHTF aside, there are still criminals around right now, as we speak. It’s likely to get worse.

Good trade items include matches, cigarettes, alcohol, chocolate, batteries. Small things. Portable things. Easily hidden items. Remember, value and availability dictate the market. Some things will be more scarce, some more needed, and some simply wanted – it all depends on the individuals with whom you’re dealing at that particular time.

Be prepared. Be ready.