Tips for surviving a recession

[Denis4x4]

As one who pays off credit card bills in full twice a month, I'm wondering when we might start getting a "responsibility fee"? I recently received a notice from CitiBank jacking up interest rates and fees for late payment even though I've never carried a balance with them.
I monitor my bills very carefully and I'm seeing a lot of nickel and dime increases every month. And, I challenge every one of them and usually end up winning three out of four times. You'd be amazed at how much money you can save every month just paying attention to your statements and comparing charge receipts to credit card bills.

[Over59]

Originally Posted by mistral blue

You claim to have little debt but you think that maybe now might be the right time to max your credit cards in order to stockpile "gold, gems, equipment, guns, bullets, etc..." ?

I think that if you put yourself in that position you would be forcing yourself to pray for utter failure. I have NO problem at all with stockpiling the above goods if it's done prudently. Using credit to do so is foolish IMO.

Kind of depends on what happens next. The Feds seem to be trying to figure out what will happen when Europe starts to fold up, "stress testing" the banks my butt. Do you want to be debt free and not prepared or have a balance and hope. Thus if you are maxed out already, you are maxed out already.

Join a secret society, pull together and buy a 100 acre farm south enough to grow most your own food and fuel.

[mistral blue]

Originally Posted by Over59

Kind of depends on what happens next. The Feds seem to be trying to figure out what will happen when Europe starts to fold up, "stress testing" the banks my butt. Do you want to be debt free and not prepared or have a balance and hope. Thus if you are maxed out already, you are maxed out already.

I want to be debt free AND prepared. I think I've been pretty clear about that.

Originally Posted by Over59

Join a secret society, pull together and buy a 100 acre farm south enough to grow most your own food and fuel.

By George, I think she's got it!

YouTube - My Fair Lady - The Rain In Spain

[76sovereign]

Awesome! Thank you so much for posting this....after seeing this video I remembered my grandma used to make this dish along with others but had not remembered until I saw this....Plus I didn't know how to make it and now I do! Thank you again!

Originally Posted by Luminati

I found this wonderful series of films on YouTube

Clara, who is 93 years old, recalls recipes from The Great Depression and talks about the struggles and joys that got her family through those difficult times. Her grandson, Christopher Cannucciari, filmed her and presents a wonderful insight into that era. Clara is full-on charming, funny and a joy to watch!

[76sovereign]

I like the way you think!

Originally Posted by toastie

Tips for surviving a recession

DRINK BEER!

[76sovereign]

ARE YOU KIDDING?!
We are KEEPING our Airstream in case of deep depression! Am I missing something here?

Originally Posted by flyfisher

Get rid of your Airstream, forget about camping, and prepare to enter a deep depression.

[Luminati]

Originally Posted by 76sovereign

ARE YOU KIDDING?!
We are KEEPING our Airstream in case of deep depression! Am I missing something here?

I totally agree with 76sovereign...when the going gets tough, we'll be in our Airstream! It can function anywhere, go anywhere and feels oh-so-good. It's the ultimate in down-sizing!

[ArtStream]

Hey Luminati

Thanks for the great YouTube clip!

[Luminati]

Originally Posted by ArtStream

Hey Luminati

Thanks for the great YouTube clip!

Hey Michael! You could probably teach us all a thing or two-being that you're a full-timer!
Food, drink, art & music are essential to survival, no?

Remember this from last year? You on Conga and me on fiddle!

cheers! Karin

[myboyburt]

Originally Posted by mistral blue

I want to be debt free AND prepared.

This is our strategy too.

[flyfisher]

Originally Posted by 76sovereign

ARE YOU KIDDING?!
We are KEEPING our Airstream in case of deep depression! Am I missing something here?

I didn't say it would be an economic depression, it might be the other kind.

[wheel interested]

High health care payments amounting to more than pensions will cause debt with retirees with preexisting life endangering conditions as the 30 plus year employees' companies cut their "losses" to keep themselves afloat rather than file bankruptcy which would allow for the benefits of retirees to be covered. People too young for medicare and social security but forced from their life's careers are in a real red zone. Having had no prior debt and excellent credit and work ethics, they have watched their savings plummet to nothing and with no hope of recovering their life's savings later as the market improves as for those currently working and paying into their accounts for the future. Being unemployed in a very competitive high unemployment market will cause them to first lose all of their savings, run into debt and then lose their homes and then lose their insurance for lack of premiums or visa versa, they will lose their insurance, then have a medical emergency, and then their savings and then their homes. These workers didn't do anything wrong, they were not lazy or greedy. They were not liabilities as they paid into the companies with service and their resources for decades preparing for their futures dilgently and responsibly. It is not always so simplistic as living correctly and trouble will not visit you.

How do you prepare? As others have mentioned, realizing what is important, getting in touch with real values, escapee entertainment, especially humor, and human kindness... all good chicken soup for the soul. OH and camping!!! Keep the Airstreams, I repeat. They make good boxes or should I say non-boxes, to live in, in case you end up homeless! ha!

[Foiled Again]

You'll probably have to beat the crap out of two or three health insurance agents to get them to admit that these kind of policies even exist, but you CAN get a policy for MAJOR MEDICAL ONLY - $5000 deductible, then 99% coverage for everything on up.

If worst comes to worst most of us will be able to make payments on the first $5000 of debt, or write bad checks then arrange to pay them back gradually, or go to a local church or TV station and beg like a dog. (Yes, I know it's horrible, but in survival mode you survive!)

Some employers are even doing this and self insuring the first $5000 per employee because the premiums are so much lower. If you go back to the pre-HMO days, insurance was only designed to cover major illnesses and injuries, not the common cold or removal of a mole.

If you're already squeezed, consider upping your deductible. Keep the premium savings in a sock, cause you can't trust your bank.

--------------------------------------

Another Rant - if the banks like Citicorp are now trying to improve their cash position, why don't they offer an interest rate amnesty (or at least a big reduction) to anyone who substantially lowers their balance? I normally pay mine off every month... and use it mainly for convenience at gas pumps when it's cold or miserable, but I still am getting charged interest on just the current month's purchases. REWARD ME... and encourage others to follow my example.

Paula

[FreshAir]

Originally Posted by Luminati

I totally agree with 76sovereign...when the going gets tough, we'll be in our Airstream! It can function anywhere, go anywhere and feels oh-so-good. It's the ultimate in down-sizing!

Yeah, we're keeping ours too. 'It can function anywhere.' I'm telling my optimistic "Wealth Advisor" that we may just park it in his driveway should we lose much more of our retirement!
Neil

[toastie]

DON'T WORRY OUR GOVERNMENT WILL TAKE CARE OF US

[ArtStream]

Originally Posted by Luminati

Hey Michael! You could probably teach us all a thing or two-being that you're a full-timer!
Food, drink, art & music are essential to survival, no?

Remember this from last year? You on Conga and me on fiddle!

cheers! Karin

Karin, sure I remember the fancy fiddle jammin of yours.
You were great

I'm currently hold up in the Anza Borrego desert and lovin it. 3 months rent free with a billion dollar view.

[FreshAir]

Originally Posted by ArtStream

Karin, sure I remember the fancy fiddle jammin of yours.
You were great

I'm currently hold up in the Anza Borrego desert and lovin it. 3 months rent free with a billion dollar view.

Hey, with all those empty wine bottles I'm believing doorgunner is with you.
Neil.

[Bohemian]

Organize your expenses by category in a pareto chart Wikipedia

You won't save much money on the little things on the right that don't add up to much anyhow. Cheaper soap, for example. Where's the big money, the categories on the left, going? What can you do about that?

[ROBERT CROSS]

When your not dream'n.....try Stream'n

[53flyingcloud]

All this got me thinking...
I have been lurking (on and about) this forum since... like forever..
I can remember the day when AndyR posted a invitation to me to join up with a bunch of fellow streamers on a new forum called "Airstreamforums".
What a change 7 years later..Now, we are on the verge of a beeping recession~!!~
First, let me say..
what a wonderful example of clear minded, analytical thinking. Both as individuals and, collectively, as a group. I have read all of the suggestions put forth and, they are all excellent inputs. We need to preserve this topic, even better, a copy of this entire forum both in print and, on a series of DVD..No disrespect to AndyR but, given the hard times that are abound..we might not be able to keep this forum intact as we know it.
I am just thinking ahead to a day, when God forbid, things are so radically different than we know it now. We really should preserve, preserve all of this info in the widest possible manners available. Not just in the hands of a few but, spread across the different regions of the USA..
BTW, I support a move to a 100 acre site for the purpose of setting up an Airstream commune! Excellent idea Over59'..
Just to post an interesting story of..
Slab City, Niland, CA..
FREE CAMPGROUNDS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
It's still snowing here..yuck~!!
keep warm all...