I could spend a year telling everyone everything I have researched, and tips to be productive or stocking up their pantries. I want to shift gears for this blog though. I want to talk about another highly important matter as the economy gets worse and strange things continue to happen. "Make sure that everyone in your boat is rowing, not drilling holes."
What do I mean by this? Really, it is just as it says. Make sure those you keep close to you, are on the same team. You don't need someone or multiple someone's drilling holes in your boat, while you are rowing your butt off to reach the finish line. So, how does this fit in with our current situation?
If you are out here every day, working your fingers to the bone, gardening, stocking your pantry every chance you get, preparing your home and your life; you don't need a good-for-nothing degenerate to come in and take advantage of your hard work, while they do nothing but take. So, I ask you, do you know who your "tribe" is?
Have you had a conversation with your family, those living in your house? Have you made a plan, or multiple plans in the event of further chaos? Do you have backups for your backups? A lot of conversation has happened in the past week talking about people that may show up at your door if things get bad. What would you do? Have you become familiar with your local producers? The egg ladies, the livestock producers, those gardeners with possibly extra vegetables/fruits. Have you been learning any new, useful skills? I guess my question should be, if shit hit the fan and you had to go somewhere else, what would you bring to the table to be able to earn your keep?
Our family has had many conversations the past year about this exact subject. While I am for faith, family, and helping others, I am not for supporting lazy. So, if someone showed up at my door, I would help them once. Then, the situation would dictate where it would go. However, I am not helping anyone that is demanding anything, nor am I helping someone who is unwilling to help themselves, and anyone that would show up here, had better serve a purpose. I am a nice person, but my family needs will always come first.
Do you know other like minded people? Do you have a network of people that could help each other if needed? Do you have something that could be traded, be it food, material, a skill, or trade? You see, in times of trial, it always brings out the worst in people. It doesn't matter who the people are, you have some that believe "bugging out and coming to your house," is just a given. The thing with that, what are they bringing with them to help? It doesn't matter if it's family, friends or neighbors...if they aren't productive or serve a purpose, they are of no help in times of trial. So, if you are planning to "bug out," somewhere, I recommend you be ready to prove your worth.
Get to know a network of producers. Get to know people that will do some bartering and trading. Learn a skill/trade that could be of use - sewing, cooking, canning, jelly making, electrician, plumbing, farming, animal husbandry, fence building - something of use. I will tell you, many of us that have spent a lot of years in preparation mode, have no tolerance or desire to give hand outs. We bust our asses everyday, and if you show up here...you will too.
I recommend that you be prepared for whatever chaos may rear its ugly head. Know how to grow your own foods, learn to eat those things that you are not fond of now, get your pantry stocked to the hilt, get necessities stocked up now. Every little bit you get now, is going to be cheaper and there's a better chance of it being available now, than just days from now. In my area, gas prices have jumped 30 cents in 2 days. Canned goods at the Aldi have almost doubled. Getting chicken/turkey is nearly impossible. Get your garden seeds, get containers to grow in - even if it's just 5 gallon buckets. Get your potting soil, your hand held garden tools. Make your mistakes now...so you will know how to do this better later.
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