It was a bumpy road getting here, but we’ve finally arrived at 2009. We are 9 years into the 21st century and still no flying cars or silver unitards. Looking down the road at what’s ahead, it looks rather stormy.

I’d like to say that we’re past the worst of it, but I think that’s still ahead. If you’ve been following the state of the economy and what’s coming up in the near future, you know that it’s not a rosy picture. But, that’s life! Life is full of challenges and this is no different. The best way to get through this is to meet the challenge head on. When ships encounter stormy seas, they turn the ship into the waves, for if they turn away from them the waves will capsize them. This is no different.

So, what’s ahead? We’re still looking at economy going down. How far is anyone’s guess, but the outlook from many analysts suggest that we won’t see the bottom until, at least, 2010 and possibly as late as 2012. So buckle and prepare. The housing market will see another major hit with the Alt A mortgages starting in March of this year (that’s right around the corner), and there is still some fallout to come in a few of the financial markets.

Not to mention, we’re still running the money printing presses day and night. CNNMoney has an article today about the total cost of all the bailouts so far. This should come as no shock to you if you’ve been following this blog and listening to The Preparedness Podcast. So far, we’re up to almost $8 TRILLION, and Obama’s plans will push that higher.

This means that there is a distinct chance we will see hyperinflation in this country. It’s a given that inflation is coming at this point, we’re just hoping that all of this settles down before we get to hyperinflation, but it’s not looking too good. Do some research on what’s going on in Zimbabwe and what happened in the Weimar Republic.

There is time to prepare for this, but you must start now. If you have been preparing, take this time to wrap up anything that you need to finish, and top-off your supplies. If you haven’t started preparing, start by making a plan so you don’t get off track. There is no time to get sidetracked on this. Your plan should include what you need to do in order to prepare your home for what’s coming. This means that you need to be able to live for a period of time with no support from the ‘outside’ (grocery stores, electricity, heat, gas, etc.). 

Go over the Preparedness Capability Checklist thoroughly and look at the minimum capabilities. This will give you a pretty good idea on what you need to accomplish. If you’re just starting out, set your goal for 1 month of preparedness. Normally, I’d suggest starting with two weeks and then increase it to 1 month, but time is too short.

I would suggest that you prepare to be able to stay in your house for one month without utilities; meaning no leaving for a quick trip to the supermarket, no electricity or gas and even no running water. Think about it as a camping trip without leaving home. That should get you started in the right direction.

Now, do not go into debt to get prepared; just don’t do it. If money is really tight, then you need to prepare where you can. You can make preparedness plans, budget plans, bug out plans, stay-at-home plans, communication plans, etc. You can also do the research for free on the Internet, as there are many, many sites that have preparedness info. Go to The Preparedness Forum and ask any questions you might have.

The thing to do is to be proactive about this and start now.

- Rob

Add Bookmark