Do you want the truth?
I'm waiting for the "crash" myself. Not necessarily gvt programs to be shut down, although I have a sick feeling we may watch welfare and foodstamps become obsolete at the very least. But the entire economic crash like in the last great depression. I don't buy into news reports. I judge based on what I see in my community and in those in my area, on what others tell me from their areas of the country / world (I have God knows how many friends all over the world I talk to regularly). We're not the only country in big trouble, that is the problem. I'm not sure China could bail us out if they wanted to, they're having their own issues. Of course poor Japan is overwhelmed. Europe from what I hear is bad, Germany in many parts has been bad for a while. Odd weather, natural disasters, economy in general are taking their toll.
Most farmers did NOT get their crops out this year. Many of those who did, got them in late and either were rained out or are expecting pitiful yeilds. Food prices are going to continue to rise.
Scarier still? Govt is buying up huge food / supply items from private providers of bulk food staples (survivor type stuff). A year ago you could order easily online just about what you wanted. Now? Most are back ordered due to govt buy outs. It's driving prices up AND making the stuff hard to buy. It's bad when that scares the hades out of the very people selling the goods. Seems the govt itself may be expecting a "crash" of sorts.
Me? My survivor instinct went into effect a year ago, went I once again shifted from stock pile to meet normal needs to stock pile for a long haul. In the past 3 momths, I can't shake an urgency feeling to get stuff stock piled asap.
Another alarm went off in my head when aldis started posting signs they've got the right to limit quantities. NEVER has that store done that. And it's NOT due to coupons because you can't use coupons at aldis. What store is gonna tell you how much of their stuff you can buy?
I'm hoping I'm dead wrong. But regardless I'm preparing for the worst, while hoping things turn around. I remember my stepdad's and grandma's stories of the depression all too well.........AND more so, I remember my grandma's stories of things that should have tipped them off before it hit. It wasn't just the great dust bowl that was the cause, that just made it worse, it was coming anyway. I'm seeing a lot of the same things now. I think that's why my survival instinct may be on high alert.
Another thing that caused me to sit up and take notice? We've got awesome school sales going on. Every year I've always had to fight huge crowds for sales no where near as good as these, yet NO ONE is buying....only like 1-2 people other than easy child and I. Where are the crowds? These kids still have to go to school.
And I'm sorry but I don't buy the news the economy is getting better. I'm certainly not seeing it. I also don't buy the unemployment posted rate......they don't count any of the people who's benefits have run out, and a ton had their's run out not long ago. husband's runs out in sept. Although he still probably won't have a job, he'll no longer be counted among the unemployed.
I talk with people in stores and such, funny, MOST have the same feeling. That's when easy child and I decided we weren't just paranoid. And I noticed at the stores today there are huge bins set aside to donate school supplies just as you would food and such. Goodwill is ALWAYS crowded. Stores, not so much. Our extreme couponers have suddenly stopped. I didn't believe the cashiers when they told me it was because the people had run out of money. Because I thought that was silly, it gives you MORE money to work with........but after what I've seen and NOT seen in the past 3 wks, I think she may be right. We have people in this area who have been unemployed for 4 yrs or more!
I'm having to re-evaluate my whole attitude about katie and M finding jobs. Our stores aren't hiring. Our restaurants aren't hiring. I mean you really have to catch a huge break to get one of those. And of course idiot man had to go and lose the one he managed to get. ugh Our food pantries are basically EMPTY. No one has the money to donate.
I had a long talk with katie this morning. I was busy trying to make her see reality. They can't keep wasting money that may not be there tomorrow. They need to hold on to every penny and start putting food back for emergency. She got scared. Good. Now maybe ( I can dream) maybe she'll stop and think of what she buys.
easy child and I are learning to can to go along with our stockpiles. FYI, you can can just about anything. Never knew that, but now I do. My Mom who lived through the depression is so worried she sent me the funds to buy a pressure cooker and canning equipment even though I'd just called her to borrow her pressure cooker. My mom doesn't do that stuff.
There is a lady 94 yrs old who has put her famous depression recipes online. You can have a cook book sent to you. Anyone wants one pm me for the link. easy child got one and she says it's fabulous....and Nichole and I and katie are getting them too. They're free.
easy child and I are stock piling food, medicines, and first aide supplies, and water. I plan to be as prepared as much as possible given our low income for whatever emergency happens, be it natural disaster, economic collapse, whatever.
Now some of you may think I've taken a nose dive off the deep end. So be it. I hope I am being just paranoid. But the past has a way of repeating itself to those who don't pay attention to it. Our govt has been throwing money at problems for decades without bothering to fix them. It's catching up with them now. They're not going to take money out of their pockets to fix it. If they believed in hard work, they wouldn't be politicians. They didn't warn anyone the great depression was about to hit as I recall either, they were poo pooing it and trying to make it sound like it was no big deal up until they ahd food riots from starving people.
Just my humble opinion. Like I said. I hope I'm wrong. If I am.......I can use all the stuff I have stock piled anyway. win/win