A little Fall chat

 

Above all, we need to pray!

So, I just posted a pretty long but very summarized post of the thoughts racing through my head today. I have been very busy the past week or so with my son's wedding. I took a lot of time away to focus on that, and spending time with people we had come in for the wedding. While I needed that break, and wasn't really given a choice of taking it...I dug in to some news stories this morning to catch up...and holy cow! I honestly do not know how anyone can still have their head in the sand, clouds, between their legs...whatever! The signs are everywhere!!

Let's dive into my own findings over the past week. We'll start with fuel. One week ago, gas was $3.29 and diesel(I think) was $3.89. As of yesterday, gas was $3.60 and diesel was $4.19. IN A WEEK! Crude oil barrels were around $91 yesterday. It is being estimated that crude barrels will top $150, do you realize what that will do to our fuel prices, anything that is made from petroleum based ingredients, or the cost of trucking/rail travel for our supply chain? I had to actually look to see what all was made from petroleum based ingredients...the list is MASSIVE!!! We are already facing a pharmaceutical drug shortage, since most of them come from China. The Panama Canal has reduced it's traffic flow by 40% because of low water levels. China has an economy as bad or worse than ours...and they are not producing near what they did. India is now going into lock down because of some new virus there. Do you all realize the effects the entire world stage has on us, here in America?! When 90% of our GDP is consumption, from products from other countries...we are in BIG trouble! The UAW is now on strike again. Our labor market is pretty slim pickings. There are little to no skilled trades anymore. We have a federal government the entire world is laughing at, and has ZERO respect for...where exactly do you think this will lead America? 

I don't do "doom & gloom." I believe in being real, educated and facing battles head on. I refuse to bury my head in the sand and pretend that life is hunky dory just because the fear of reality is overwhelming. The truth of the matter is, we as American's have become oblivious to anything beyond worrying about hurting the feelings of others. That has turned a lot of folks into pansies. I apologize if my straight forward conversations offend you, but I do not apologize for keeping things real and being aware of what is happening. I don't care what supposed party you affiliate with, that is nothing more than a wing nut...left wing, right wing....SAME DAMNED NUT!! The entire "political arena" is a circus, doing all it can to divide and conquer. Those elite nuts, are not coming to help any of us!! They are sending OUR TAX DOLLARS, to other countries, charging us more and more in taxes, inflating our dollar, and have put us $32 TRILLION in debt. What happens to YOU if you get in debt? You don't get out of debt by borrowing more money. That is elementary knowledge, for any one with half a brain. 

Here's a little more reality check. Our real wages have DECREASED for 25 straight months. This means that our wages, have continually had LESS buying power for over 2 years. The median income in America right now, is around the $40K annual level. Yet...the average price for a home is over $300K, the average rent is over $800 a month. The utility payments have increased, the food prices have increased, the insurance prices(health and auto) have increased, fuel has increased...yet our incomes are NOT increasing to meet the overall increases in needs alone. The amount of debt held by the consumers has topped $1 trillion for the first time EVER. That tells me there are an awful lot of people living well above their means. Our federal government is sending BILLIONS to Ukraine alone. The federal reserve has continued to print money out of thin air for that spending, which has added to our inflation. They have also admitted that most American's will be in complete financial distress by October 2023. The average American doesn't have a $400 emergency reserve/savings, and 60% of American's are now living pay check to pay check. Do you understand that federal moritorium on student loans comes to a halt this month? That means the average student loan repayment of $500, will start having to be repaid in October. Where do you think that is going to take our economy? Imagine all those who were planning to have that debt wiped out by this administration, and have not had to make that payment....they are now back on the hook to repay THEIR debt. That is going to effect millions of households!

So, what can we do about any of it? First of all, get your head on straight! Stop thinking that someone else is going to fix things, someone else is going to take over your debt, someone else is responsible for YOUR life. Take on your own responsibilities, and get educated. Learn a skilled trade, learn something that could potentially allow you to make a little extra or be of use. Be willing to learn to barter for things you want. Shop only local markets, owned by local people. Do not tell me there are none in your area, you aren't looking hard enough. There are local businesses every where, and local people offering items/products - they just may not have a brick and mortar building. Get creative. Talk to local farmers are meat, eggs, produce. Utilize second hand stores, yard sales and auctions. DO NOT BUY WHAT YOU DO NOT NEED!!! Learn the difference between needs and wants. Now is not the time to make frivolous purchases. Learn to ration. Instead of a Dunkin coffee 5 days a week at $8 per trip, cut yourself to just once a week...and take that extra $30 to add some extra food to your pantry! Learn to make foods that stretch! A homemade pizza - can be eaten for supper, lunch, and then froze to reheat another meal. Learn to use less, consume less. Do you really need 2 pounds of burger to make a pot of spaghetti? I can feed 8 people on a pound of burger, and having homemade bread and a veggie. Buy in bulk when possible. Many times, even Walmart, you can purchase a 10 pound roll of burger. Buy that and some quart freezer bags. Divide that burger out into meal portions per bag, label it and put those baggies in the freezer! Not a huge fan of cooking? Get a group together, each of you bring something to add in, and spend a day with your group preparing a weeks worth of meals. You can each bring a recipe, make enough for each person and all of you have a weeks worth of meals, and a variety. Learn to preserve your fresh fruits and veggies! You do not need much for this! Listen, I do a lot of this but there are some EASY means of preservation! Tomatoes - you can freeze them! If you pick some up from a local producer, you can wash them off, pat them dry, put the whole tomato into a freezer bag, and pop them in the freezer to use later! You will need to use them for cooking as once they thaw, the skin will fall off, but just think of the incredible pasta sauce or tomato soup you could make in January or February! Peaches are the same way. Blueberries are the same. Bell peppers are the same. Realistically, you only need to know how to wash off most fruits and veggies, how to open a Ziploc freezer bag, have a freezer to hold them, and you can preserve foods!!! It truly is a simple means to preserve foods! 

Talk to your neighbors and family. Many of us have seen the writing on the wall since 2020, and started preparations. We all saw the toilet paper debacle of 2020. What if it's the food in 23/24? Can you survive 3-6 months on what you have in your home currently? Could you ration what you have to last that long? What about if you didn't have access to electricity, water, or medical care? What about your pets? Do you have children that have specialized needs? I know I have shared some items to stock up on, but I have recently added to my own lists and I'd like to share a few more things.

Foods:  shelf life foods - canned goods-veggies, soups, meals that can be eaten without being heated, dried beans, dried peas, minute rice, tortilla shells, spices-you can change the flavors of repeat foods with different seasonings. Water - bottles and gallons. Also, wash out and save your milk/OJ containers. You can fill those containers with tap water to clean with/wash with. I personally keep gallons of water, for tea and coffee. Speaking of, extra tea, coffee, or drink mixes. Also consider having some herbal teas on hand. Learn some herbal tea remedies. They are worth learning!

Pets:  Food, litter, veterinary supplies, minerals, etc. 

Medical:  bandaids, butterfly stitches, gauze, medical tape, sinus/allergy/cold meds, triple antibiotic ointment, hydrocortisone creams, pain relievers, tooth brushes, tooth paste

Other:  Soaps - body, hair, cleaning, pets, etc. Disposable sponges, old t-shirts(to use as rags), flashlights, batteries, matches, lighters, candles, solar lights(these help use less batteries and provide more light if the power goes out). Toilet paper(again, 2020 was a lesson learned), paper towels, disposable plates/cups/utensils. Foil pans/cast iron - if the power goes out, do you have a means to cook? Propane, charcoal, wood.... CASH - I know this doesn't look to fit in, but it does. Since we are coming into winter, Texas can tell us all how things get when the power fails. Having cash on hand, at all times, will allow you to make purchases even when the card readers are not working, and many local businesses will benefit more from you shopping with cash. They are charged stupid fee amounts for you to use a credit/debit card! Recipes!!!!! I can not stress this enough! WRITE DOWN RECIPES LIKE IT'S 1993!!! If there is no power, there will be no internet! Utilize those thrift stores and yard sales, and buy those cook books! You can never have enough! Learn some simple recipes for things like bread, homemade pasta, tortillas, etc. 

PAY OFF DEBTS!!! I know this is easier said than done. Most of us have debt. Work to pay off what you can, start with the smallest one and work your way up! Those little debt payoffs will help you to not only eliminate debt but will also show you the progress as you go, to keep you moving forward. Now is NOT the time to take on astronomical debts. It's always easier for others to spend your money, but they don't have a dog in the fight. It won't ruin them if you lose your butt. So be smart and only take on what you have to right now. Do not let pride keep you from taking a step back if necessary. Moving in with family, going back to your parents, having a room mate, etc. whatever you need to make sure you stay afloat. Pride and ignorance can have devastating effects on your financial strains, and can cause a world of relationship problems and even divorce. So use your heads for more than a hat rack! 

Learn to define needs from wants. This is a tough lesson for Americans. We have had it pretty good for a long time. It's difficult for most to grasp that we could see a complete break down in not only our supply chain but also our monetary system. Sadly, all you have to do is look back to History. We are about 50 or so years into what historically was 20-25 year reset. Our elected officials have continued to kick the can down the road for more than 30 years with constant raises in the debt ceiling and increased money printing. In 1971, Nixon took America off the gold standard, and our dollar has since been leveraged from strictly debt. Borrowing against junk bonds, commercial mortgages, and pensions. A little word of warning to those depending on your pensions to survive, I hope you have a backup plan. There are over 700 banks in the US alone, that are insolvent. Meaning they have more debt than actual revenue to back it up. It also means that their leveraged debt, typically commercial mortgages, as those goes into default...they will take from the pensions AND the deposits made to those banks. Did you know that once you put money into a bank, it is technically no longer your money? I just learned this last year. After the 2008 crash, it was made into law that banks are legally able to confiscate any all monies to remain afloat...this means CDs, deposits, etc. It's called a bail in. It's amazing how much you learn when you are willing to do so. So, my best advice....only keep what you have to in your bank, get yourself a waterproof/fireproof safe to keep in your home....but keep it on an outside wall! 

So, in the words of another person preparing....get your beans, bullets and bandaids! Treat others in the manner you want to be treated. Help those you can, BUT you have to help yourself FIRST! You will not be of any value to anyone, if you aren't helping yourself. You can't pour from an empty cup. If you want recipes, easy food preserving tips, those sorts of things...let me know. I will share what I know!