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Mark
Mark
16 years ago

If you are dependent on city water who is going to keep that system going in a major incident? I think they will be busy elsewhere if not dead ! Water is the Number 2 preparadness item .

kurt
kurt
16 years ago

There are always ways to store water at your place.
Yes, barrels are needed, but one can haul 4 or so each trip out to your survival plot of choice and emptied into a cistern. I thought much about it as I
have limited cash flow and as of yet have no well. But get the cozy LITTLE cabin done and so I can lay in a bed and stay warm. Most important reminder,
alot gets mentioned about wells but, at least here in Colorado, All water is owned by the goverment.
So be sure to get your well permit. And right soon

Bailey
Bailey
16 years ago

Jack,

How does your wife feel about preparing? Is she on board with helping you? Just wondering…Bailey

Trash
16 years ago

Jack,
While I am really likng the podcast and the good practical insights that are coming out of it I must add in something.
The more off the grid and under the radar you become the better. Rather than life insurance a pocket of money hidden squirreled away somwhere oother than a bank is better. Money in the mattress so to speak. Our grandmothers kept money hidden for the “rainy days”/ After the Depression they didnt trust banks.
As for personal debt. Rack it up before you die and keep the assets in intangibles that no one can find/ use/ garnish other than your relatives.. If wifey has a jar of cash that noone knows is there the better for her. You cant bleed turnips.. If they think you are broke they write it off. And in a depression who cares.
My spouse and I are hard core survivors together. We both have been homeless at one time and down on the skids. We have learned many skills the hard way.
Keep up the good work.

Trash
16 years ago

Jack,
I think I was a tad misunderstood. When I said off the grid and under the radar. I meant something different. We live in civilization in a community surrounded by people. The point was to live under a contained footprint. As Independent and self-reliant as possible.
As for number 2 I totally agree with you. The only debt one should truly have is their mortgage.The point I was trying to draw home was with the squirreling away of money and assets out of the sight of the banks etc. Like our elders did.. Remember they didnt trust the guvt or the banks either. The stuffed in the mattress mentality.
Life insurance is great if the assurance of solvency is there. BUT what if it isnt.. Better to have a stash of cash to depend on then the solvency of the insurance company.

My philosophy on personal debt is “If you aint got the cash dont buy”. But our economic system is based on the perpetuation of failure and guilt. And our citizenry has bought into it. Buy now, pay leter. If you cant pay, ask the guvt for bailouts. Or drop your head in shame and pay pay pay, while your kids starve or you wind up on the streets. The guilt of Poverty.
If it works for the corporations why not for the citizens. Therefore the off the cuff comment about “rack up the debt”.. Corporations do it all the time with no semblence of remorse. As we have seen. They hide their assets, they steal from their workers,and when the SHTF they go beggin to the guvt for handouts. And who is the thief?

Trash
16 years ago

“Really? So you are better off with 5K “squirreled away”

You are dead, so it doesnt matter, but the spouse and kids who remain knows that the squirreled away money is right under her nose without having to jump thru the hoops for the insurance company and her mental state can remain at ease.

“when a primary bread winner of a house hold who had an income of 50K a year dies?”

If the primary breadwinner makes 50k then at least 6 months of squirreled away survival money (using your example $25k)should ideally be stashed with immediate access for you/ your surviving spouse.

“When a 250K policy on a healthy person 25-45 years old can be had for about 200 bucks a year? Tell that to the widow who just lost that husband.Saving money is good but while anyone is dependent on your income not having some form or insurance is just plain irresponsible. It is so god forsaken cheap in the grand scheme of things not doing it as a bread winner is just dumb in my book anyway.”

Having spent several years in insurance what I can tell you is its not as simple as making a phone call and wowser the 250k is immediately available.. Remember the bureacracy and the paperwork to collect. By then your corpse is rotting..And what widow should have to spend her grieving hours on the phone dealing with the adjuster who want paperwork proving your death. And what if the insurance company becomes insolvent and they cant pay the 250k that you spent 200 bucks on.. I would hate to depend on corps to bury my corpse.

“Not at least covering the cost of being buried and your outstanding debt makes ZERO sense.”

Here we agree totally. But I would rather my spouse have the money under her nose should she need it then having to be at the mercy of the Insurance company. AS for the rest of the debt. The only debt should preferably be the mortgage (which we have the insurance whereby if one of us dies the mtg gets paid off). As for any medical bills, what the insurance doesnt pay off pay something every month to keep the collectors at bay while you get back on your feet.

Mark
Mark
16 years ago

Jack, We have some people in our group that insist on urban survival, I wouldn’t but i try to help them anyway.Real simply you sandpoint drive a small shaft well and hand pump it (being done in Africa over 100 feet.).Don’t you live in a flood area , Hurricane type flood. Anyway things happen and a list of probability does not guarantee reality. I have my two years of food , my cabin , guns ,that’s why I need to get my well in next because I have no services out there.

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