Any Thoughts

[hurleyjd]

It has been 90 years since the start of the great depression in 1929. There are some parallels to the United States now as there was then. My question to every one is how do you insulate your financial life from a depression. Not bragging here I have no debt. About half of mine and my wife's income is from pensions and social security. This could all go away pretty quick if the economy failed. Also investments that produce income could go away. Cow prices could drop drastically. Land taxes would be hard to meet even with a little income. A lot of the cost of doing business would be much greater. Could you keep up with the utility bills for the energy we depend on for our every day living. Should anyone have a bundle of cash on hand that you could get to very readily. How much land would you need to support yourself and would you be physically able to tend to it. Do you have enough canned goods and staples on hand to go a year. Or until the next growing season. Would you invest in gold. Would any one be willing to swap you ten laying hens for some gold. What value would gold really have. Anyway before 1929 every one thought the gravy train would not end. During the presidential campaign of 1928, a circular published by the Republican Party claimed that if Herbert Hoover won there would be "a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage." ... With the Depression at its lowest point, voters elected Franklin D. Roosevelt to replace Hoover in 1932. I hope this last post does not get this deleted. Just reporting history here.

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

The unemployment rate during the great depression was 25%. If I can't manage to rank in the top 75% of the American workforce, I have failed. With regard to insulation from financial ruin, diversity should be the key. Cattle, land, rental property, cash, gold, silver, food, ammunition, cash, diverse skill set, tools, etc. Being prepared to buy when there is blood in the streets has made many a man financially rich.

 

[hurleyjd]

The unemployment rate during the great depression was 25%. If I can't manage to rank in the top 75% of the American workforce, I have failed. With regard to insulation from financial ruin, diversity should be the key. Cattle, land, rental property, cash, gold, silver, food, ammunition, cash, diverse skill set, tools, etc. Being prepared to buy when there is blood in the streets has made many a man financially rich.

During the depression a cow would bring about $10 dollars. The government bought cows and killed them and buried them. A laying hen would bring $4 to $5. In my county a man who was the tax collector here would go out and have a bid for foreclosed land for taxes so he entered his brother's bid who was not there and the tax collector bought the land from his brother after the bid. The oil boom hit and they got rich with the oil royalty that went along with the land.

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

The unemployment rate during the great depression was 25%. If I can't manage to rank in the top 75% of the American workforce, I have failed. With regard to insulation from financial ruin, diversity should be the key. Cattle, land, rental property, cash, gold, silver, food, ammunition, cash, diverse skill set, tools, etc. Being prepared to buy when there is blood in the streets has made many a man financially rich.

During the depression a cow would bring about $10 dollars. The government bought cows and killed them and buried them. A laying hen would bring $4 to $5. In my county a man who was the tax collector here would go out and have a bid for foreclosed land for taxes so he entered his brother's bid who was not there and the tax collector bought the land from his brother after the bid. The oil boom hit and they got rich with the oil royalty that went along with the land.

Compare ag commodity prices from the great recession of 08-09 to today's prices. Adjust for inflation, if you want. All recessions are the same, but different. Plenty of bankers that pulled the same stunts as the tax man. Something tells me that they have all ended up with the same breakfast menu in the afterlife. Being an opportunist does not mean that you need to be a dirty rotten scum bag. I will take your advice to heart, and diversify further with laying hens. Any value to a lone drake yard duck?

 

[Jogeephus]

Interesting question. I think I'd be in pretty good shape since my wife would be content to only eat chicken and rice anyway I and I probably have two years of food put aside with electricity but only one year without. If things were bad enough I'd sell or let the government take some of my land since they have land overpriced for taxes and lending collateral anyway and its all a house of cards. Just a big ponzi scheme.

I believe in diversification and do have cash and precious metals tucked away. I don't think precious metals will be that useful in a depressed economy that still uses our currency but it would be extremely useful if this currency is replaced by another. I believe if things got really bad your ability to barter would be of utmost importance. I'd think American necessities like beer, wine and whiskey ....and now pot ... would be valuable forms of currency.... and to a lesser extent ....food.

I also don't think a new depression will be as peaceful as the last as I believe it will be utter anarchy with lots of violence since most citizens being so far removed from food production and so many having the entitlement mindset. With most towns only have a three day supply of food I believe it will get bad and fast. I saw this recently with hurricane Michael coming our way and how people who just a few days earlier guzzled Fanta Orange like it was going out of style fighting over the last case of water at the grocery store when our water supply was still up and running and our wells flowing. It was hilarious but at the same time a little scary.

I'd like to think I'd be alert enough to cash out my retirement accounts and replace it with some form of precious metals but I'm afraid the reality of it is all this would be lost and I'll have to start from scratch again. This would suck but at least I will have more experience at climbing sand dune than I did the first go round.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Problem would be protecting your assets from the masses. A box of 22LR would be worth more than precious metals that would have no value.
You have to remember the majority of the country was on the farm with the ability to feed themselves in the Great Depression.
Demographics have completely swapped.
No investment is safe my great grandfather lost 300K in bank failures in the crash.
The only thing that matters is debt free and the ability to feed yourself.

 

[hurleyjd]

Problem would be protecting your assets from the masses. A box of 22LR would be worth more than precious metals that would have no value.
You have to remember the majority of the country was on the farm with the ability to feed themselves in the Great Depression.
Demographics have completely swapped.
No investment is safe my great grandfather lost 300K in bank failures in the crash.
The only thing that matters is debt free and the ability to feed yourself.

What do you think the feral hog might be a great asset to have in the country side. My Aunt who taught at Colmesneil TX would always trap a hog and fatten. I am not sure they were exactly feral. She had a hog pen that she fed all of the scraps from the kitchen in she let them come and go with a gate similar to a pet gate in the house. When they got really accustomed to the gate and food she made it a one way gate. She taught with an eighth grade education in the schools there.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Problem would be protecting your assets from the masses. A box of 22LR would be worth more than precious metals that would have no value.
You have to remember the majority of the country was on the farm with the ability to feed themselves in the Great Depression.
Demographics have completely swapped.
No investment is safe my great grandfather lost 300K in bank failures in the crash.
The only thing that matters is debt free and the ability to feed yourself.

What do you think the feral hog might be a great asset to have in the country side. My Aunt who taught at Colmesneil TX would always trap a hog and fatten. I am not sure they were exactly feral. She had a hog pen that she fed all of the scraps from the kitchen in she let them come and go with a gate similar to a pet gate in the house. When they got really accustomed to the gate and food she made it a one way gate. She taught with an eighth grade education in the schools there.

Yep value would definitely increase,got the shoulder of one on the smoker right now.

 

[jltrent]

A lot depends on the individual. I have probably two years food right now on shelves, plenty of cattle to eat. Seed laid up for two years and ability to grow my own food. At least 10,000 rounds laid up and just saw 14 deer on the back side of the farm. In the short run I will be alright.

 

[Jogeephus]

A lot depends on the individual. I have probably two years food right now on shelves, plenty of cattle to eat. Seed laid up for two years and ability to grow my own food. At least 10000 rounds laid up and just saw 14 deer on the back side of the farm. In the short run I will be alright.

You really need a comma in your number because my eyes aren't what they used to be and I was about to chastise you but my eyes got in focus and I see you are golden.

 

[sstterry]

A lot depends on the individual. I have probably two years food right now on shelves, plenty of cattle to eat. Seed laid up for two years and ability to grow my own food. At least 10000 rounds laid up and just saw 14 deer on the back side of the farm. In the short run I will be alright.

Don't forget pond fish if you have them. They can also be a good source of protein in the event of a catastrophe.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

I think for those of us who have 'planned', are able to take care of ourselves and have some forms of barter goods, we would be spending a fair amount of time (initially) defending & protecting what we have along with our ability to survive.

I say this, because there are waaayyyy more folks these days who have only 1 or 2 days worth of anything in their homes and have no idea how to survive "without" and who have no clue how to be self sufficient.

 

[greybeard]

A lot depends on the individual. I have probably two years food right now on shelves, plenty of cattle to eat. Seed laid up for two years and ability to grow my own food. At least 10000 rounds laid up and just saw 14 deer on the back side of the farm. In the short run I will be alright.

Don't forget pond fish if you have them. They can also be a good source of protein in the event of a catastrophe.

I guess I'll be eating fish and beaver............ :hide:

 

[True Grit Farms]

I see no problems if the deadbeats and freeloaders will just leave us alone. We have a good fishing hole right outside the front door, and all the deer out the back door. We're pretty well set, I was expecting the worse in 2016 and pretty much went all in. If your not prepared already it's your own fault, the signs have been loud and clear for years.

 

[Caustic Burno]

There is a guy that wrote a book about the economic collapse of Argentina .
It is an eye opener for modern day collapse. He gives a first hand account.
Found it, I gave mine to someone to read years ago.

"The Modern Survival Manual is based on first hand experience of the 2001 Economic Collapse in Argentina"
By Ferfal

 

[jltrent]

A lot depends on the individual. I have probably two years food right now on shelves, plenty of cattle to eat. Seed laid up for two years and ability to grow my own food. At least 10000 rounds laid up and just saw 14 deer on the back side of the farm. In the short run I will be alright.

Don't forget pond fish if you have them. They can also be a good source of protein in the event of a catastrophe.

Two rock throws from a river down from my front door that has fish, a pond would be nice.

 

[sstterry]

A lot depends on the individual. I have probably two years food right now on shelves, plenty of cattle to eat. Seed laid up for two years and ability to grow my own food. At least 10000 rounds laid up and just saw 14 deer on the back side of the farm. In the short run I will be alright.

Don't forget pond fish if you have them. They can also be a good source of protein in the event of a catastrophe.

Two rock throws from a river down from my front door that has fish, a pond would be nice.

If something happened, everyone would be fishing in the river. The pond is yours!!!!

 

[Dave]

Don't forget pond fish if you have them. They can also be a good source of protein in the event of a catastrophe.

Two rock throws from a river down from my front door that has fish, a pond would be nice.

If something happened, everyone would be fishing in the river. The pond is yours!!!!

Distance to major population center will be a huge factor. City people won't have food or the ability to feed themselves. A friends dad said as a kid he thought the depression was great because all his city cousins came to live with them. It gave him someone to play with. The reason those kids came was because they had food in the country. The demographic in this country as changed hugely since that time.

 

[Turkeybird]

A good woman who knows how to shoot, cook, garden,clean fish and animals, would be the biggest asset I do believe. Most nowadays would perish once the power quit

 

[Supa Dexta]

25% unemployment back then is a lot different then it would be today.

Now you have women in the work force also, you may luck out and have one that keeps her job, but more likely both people were needed to be bringing in money in the first place.

There are also many more jobs that are basically useless nowadays, they rely solely on the economy doing well and people spending money. When that starts to slip, the dominos speed up and spread out falling. Jobs back then were in hands on survival/production/ keeping people alive jobs, how many uselss t1ts are out there now sitting at a desk just filling a spot?