Best Inflation Resistant Assets To Buy – Before It Gets Worse

The obvious assets are gold and silver. They are real money that will maintain value through the bad economic times.

The less obvious assets are the things you will actually need in the event of hyper-inflation or any other disaster – food, weapons, and barter items.

The even less obvious “assets” are survival skills – how to grow food, how to repair the house and appliances, how to fix cars, how to make hooch. Basically any skill that enables you to take care of your family, or produce extra income to support the family, will only increase in value as times get tough.

Good Productive Farm Land

Land has always provided wealth for kings, dukes and barrons for thousands of years.

A good piece of property with good security, well water, low population and the ability to grow food, raise animals for consumption and a conservative population with a small intrusive county and state government. Becoming very rare.”Sounds like Shangri-la”.

A well built, secured home with alternative heating and electrical generating ability.

Light bulbs, filters, gas, propane, diesel or anything necessary to maintain must have items like auto mobiles, gardens, work clothes, generators, etc.

Stay healthy and fit since medical cost will only rise.

Medicine, first aid supplies, prescription glasses or any other life sustaining needs that can be stored.

If high inflation occurs the basics such as food, shelter, taxes, medical needs will take priority over other needs. Wishing one had a pair of work boots or gloves after the money has run out is not the time to start thinking about it.

The best return on investment can be found in SEEDS, land to grow the food on, and the knowledge of how to grow the food, preserve the food, and save seeds for the next growing season. I’ve been working on this for the past 8 years and feel pretty secure in the fact that I grow enough food to keep myself alive.

Now is the time to load up on ammo, magazines, guns etc. These are really durable, shelf stable items that hold for years. You can rest assured that in the next ten years or so, we are again going to be under an assault on our 2ndAm. rights.

Bullets, beans and Band-Aids.

Get out of debt! Invest in an acre or two of land, buy some seeds, and grains, canning equipment like pressure canner, water bath canner, stock pots, quart and pint jars and lids, gardening hand tools, firearms and ammo. A bushel of wheat weighs 60 pounds and costs today about 8 or 9 dollars from the farmer. A sealed bucket of wheat is only 40 pounds but costs $40.00 to $70.00 depending on where you get it (since a bucket of wheat is only 2/3 of a bushel that weight differential puts a bushel of wheat costing $53 – $93 in a bucket.) The second best investment I ever made was back around 1999-2000 when I bought about 5,000 pounds of mixed grains (buckets of 7-grain mix, hard red wheat, barley, oats, corn, rye etc… but mostly wheat). At that time I paid about $12.00 to $15.00 a bucket when wheat was about $3.50 a bushel from the farmer. I could not afford to buy that same grain today in buckets since it costs nearly five times or more than what it did then. The cheapest I ever paid was back in 1995 for several bushels from a farmer down the road. It was soft red wheat and cost me $2.25 a bushel. The down side of this was that I had to winnow all the dirt and garbage out of the wheat and put it up in jars myself. I still have a couple cases today. Canning equipment is a long term investment since most of it will last a life-time and it is not getting any cheaper. Gardening hand tools, seeds, guns and ammo should be self explanatory. A lot of folks say buy gold and silver. This is a delicate but explosive and arguable topic but never-the-less, there is some historical credence to that assertion, but only in a broad sense and only for those that are in control of the money system. Even if gold and silver were used as legal tender, but in today’s America it isn’t and because of that I don’t see gold and silver as a viable investment for the lowly commoner like myself. The people who have a monopoly on gold and silver can just as easily deem it unlawful to own or use anytime they want. Plus, I have a problem paying $1,400.00 for something with a face value of $20.00 or $50.00. When the price of gold and silver comes down to be more in line with the face value of the coins then I might consider it. If America were to ever go back to an honest money system, then I might consider it. While I do have a small stash of gold and silver eagles and a bag or two of silver dollars, I’ll be damned if I’m going to spend them on something of lesser value from what I paid for them. What for example, pay 15 silver dollars for a $15.00 bottle of wine when… Read more »

Interesting; I’m planning on retiring in a little over a year and have been massaging this exact question.

Remembering you asked; “So what are the things, the assets, the goods, the products that might be better to get your hands on now”

Goods/Products; My simple answer is this; make a list of the everyday things/consumables you use (everything you use), most of us have done this, and fill, fill, fill OVER FILL the Deep Pantry with these items, the cost and availability of some/most will continue to rise, or the supply ‘may’ dry up on some. And for crying out loud, do NOT forget the TP & Gin LOL

Assets; are NOT consumables (stuff we use), things like Gold/Silver and Land are assets that will rise in cost and continue to do so, Money in the bank, a savings account, cash are not assets. Although I don’t like Gold and Silver, I do agree ‘some’ is a good idea. As far as land/home in my 50+ years of buying/selling I have never lost money on those “investments”. So if you do NOT own a hunk of dirt, ya might look into it, “they” are not making any more dirt and the price WILL always grow.

Skills are not an Asset in the sense of ‘cash’/inflation; but a must know if one wants to fight inflation with “doing it myself” skills are a must, I will agree with the proper skills one can cut down the “cost” one pays and charge others for their skills, but I will argue that skills are not a tangible asset BUT are assets for sure

Unfortunately there are some “items” that we cannot “stockpile for inflation, Taxes, Insurance, Haircuts, ETC. will continue to rise forever, the hard part is to plan for those….

NRP

I’ve noticed a sharp increase lately in FD foods. Maybe it’s just supply and demand now that the left is starting to panic. But one Augason item we enjoy went from $34 to $57 in a year. Given their long shelf life, that would be a good inflation hedge.

What about refrigerant? People in the dead of summer will do almost anything to get the AC working again. Thanks to the low-functioning trash at the EPA, a jug of R-22 is going for >$500 now, R-12 for $700, if you can find it. Even R-134a is highly restricted here in Cali requiring a $15 deposit on each 12 ounce can. Then there is all the new-fangled azeotropes like 410a and 404a. You can’t just top-up a leak, it all has to be removed and weighed in with virgin refrigerant. And even those new ones are on a short list for replacement. The stuff keeps forever. Bans and regulations seem to change yearly.

Also propane! My fuel of choice, especially here in LaLa land where our boutique-blended gasoline goes rancid in 90 days and eats non-metallic engine parts. Propane is great, stores forever, not messy, easy to stack on a shelf.

@ McGyver

OK OK, you had me there… My Quote “yes I still, and probably always will, dislike CA.”

You just sent me back to the “I HATE California.” HAHAHA

“Did you know that effective 01 January 2017 it is ILLEGAL to sell a transformer based battery charger in California or Oregon?”

Sorry McGyver, but ya just can’t fix stupid in the .gov… Remembering they are the same people (EPA) that shut down ALL underground Nat-Gas storage in CA. yes-sir you guessed it, ALL Nat-gas in CA is now “real-time” supplied.

NRP

As I started reading your post, I thought you were going to say the skills to barter successfully. Which would include reading body language, etc..

I’m kind of on the fence about gold and silver. In that it is only worth what someone else is willing to give you for it. And you cannot eat gold.

When I got my FD or DH food on sale it was a little more expensive than fresh back in 2010, but cost me 25% less than fresh, 6 years later. It is inflation proof after a few years in the 3 to 20 year term storage.

Growing your own home garden with heirloom seeds used generations after the first investment of seeds or wild gathered food is inflation proof since there is no price on it.

Salvaging in junk piles and finding free giveaways are inflation proof. I got board lumber, my computer, crabapples, apples, squash, electrical wiring, nails, and fix up furniture/cabinets this way for free.

Libraries are free for borrowing books on survival, gardening, homesteading, etc.. Just don’t be late turning in books. Fines probably will be inflated year after year. Getting info on the internet still costs for internet service, always inflationary.

Water can be non-inflationary if it comes from a spring or a hand pump well. I’m lucky to have an artesian well nearby–free fresh water.

Land can be inflationary or deflationary, so I don’t count it as I have seen with Detroit, farmland, and even my own property yo-yoing all over the place in assessments over the last few years. I think it has to do with banks lending practices, the economy, and the demand.

For products to trade, I like the 3 T’s .Tobacco,toilet paper and tampons. Indefinite shelf life and everyone is going to want at least one of those items.

Land and skills. Gold and silver might have value, but only if those you’re trying to pay put the same value on it. Currency is based on trust, not intrinsic value. Precious metals have no intrinsic value, but that’s another argument.

So land, skills, and the ability to restock your assets. Land is for making food and other products that someone might want. In order to have livestock or a garden you must have land. You must also have the skill to grow your food and/or raise livestock, or whatever you use your land for. Sooner or later everything else will be gone.

This is a subject (inflation proof assets) i have been working on for years. These are:
1. Planting fruit trees, peach, plum, blueberry, pear, pecan, apricot – to name a few
2. Planting asparagus, sweet potatoes, garlic, onion
3. Planting grapes, black berries,
4. Raising cows, chickens, ducks, pigs
5. Catfish, perch,
All of these are eaten, self renewable and I do not even have to barter for them. This is my basic plan

Tissue Paper….never goes bad!
Need money? Sell some at a flea market. That stuff has doubled in price!!
Smash them, pack them in a 55-gal drum and close it up!
Sugar, salt, spices in bulk.
Spices 8-years ago where about $2.00 each. Now they are $3.00-$5.00 each.

Diversification is important in investing as well as having priorities to invest in . We will need water,food,clothing and shelter in order to survive . Those would be my first priorities .These needs can probably best be met by owning your own land that can provide you with water and have arable ground to grow your own food. That was our goal.

I suggest investing in work boots and other clothing.Another area is to invest in the equipment to can and preserve food that you will grow in your garden . Another area to invest would be in nails,screws,fencing materials,plumbing parts and a wide variety of hand tools . The list would be different for each of us because we are a diverse group.
Another of our goals is to have enough cash to pay 1 year of property taxes . We also want some cash to use in extreme emergencies.Remember your friendly bank is only open 1/3 of a day 5 days a week and closed on holidays. In a martial law situation cash may be outlawed and replaced by government script .

Gold and silver would be at the end of my priority list . In the 1930’s FDR confiscated gold from American citizens, it can be done again .

Lots of great lists already posted. I think of inflation-proof as any asset that will increase in value faster than the rate I could earn interest or other income on that money if it is invested elsewhere. To narrow it down further, the best choices are those things that increase in price faster than average price increases in the economy.

Real Estate (in most places)
Food (including food-bearing plants, trees, seeds and livestock)
Useful Education (formal and informal – including trade school & books)
Alternative energy sources (to combat ever rising utility costs)
Good fishing/hunting equipment
Personal Security items & training
Paying down debt – inflation equals higher interest rates so minimize debt
Equipment that pays for itself with increased output or efficiency that exceeds your investment (planting, harvesting, canning/drying, building/repairs, etc…)

I agree with everyone here, especially about holding land that is productive. The only reason we have any gold or silver is if something happens to the dollar, or the economy crashes, or whatever, and we still have to pay taxes on our land. Thankfully, we are debt-free but there will always be taxes. Also, the first thing that came to my mind as far as tangible goods, is good fencing materials. Come next month, God willing, I am going to town on all the fencing materials we might possibly need for the next few years.

Oh, and add to my list cocoa, coffee, and TP.

Great topic Ken. We like to think that our little piece of heaven on earth will supply us with most of what we need but of course that is a bit of a lie we tell our self. As we age we can do less for our self. And of course we can’t make our own shoes but we can make moccasins, we can’t make our own prescriptions but we can try to learn alternatives, we can’t make our own sugar but we can tap maples. We can’t grow coffee here on the prairies but we can learn to roast wheat or dandelion roots. What I am trying to say is the best thing to invest in is skills & some tools to use with the skills. Of course seeds, & dried foods like rice, beans, wheat will also be very handy. One thing I have noticed that has really inflated in the past couple of years has been canning supplies like jars, & snap lids so I would suggest a stock of them. Even used jars have really shot up in price in our area.

I agree. No one besides a billionaire can cover all the bases for the future and not even these resources are enough (think medical, dental, weather problems, …). I have quite a lot of the needs covered for a few years, but even I get frustrated by all the holes I see for a sustained future unless I can organize the entire community for miles around me. So, unless you can be satisfied with the progress you have made in prepping and fighting inflation/economic problems, you will never be happy. But keep the fight going and have faith and hope.

Gold and silver may be a good barter item,but if they become worthless, they’ll pour into good bullets.I’ll also hammer mine out into useful items.Also lots of toilet paper.Lots.Good trade item.Also need lots for myself.Seeds,yes.Heirloom preferably.Skills,definately an asset.Most posters here seem to have a good handle on things.Good to see.

Its late, and i skimmed the comments.
IMHO – Food and water first. Education and skills. Being a DIY of ALL and not mastering any perfectly – but, enough to “pass” is always a good thing. The more you know, the more you grow, and the more you can take care of self and the ones near you – the better off you’ll be.
Growing food is one thing – preserving is another. Anyone can toss a seed in dirt and water the dirt… knowing what else to add to the dirt is always the educational and skill part. Etc… After your harvest – you must save some… Preservation – educational and skill… Etc. I could go on. We all know Water and Food is the most important… If we don’t hydrate and eat – we can’t continue… I would say Heirloom seeds, salt, and water are the most important, everything else is up to you, and your priorities.
Shelter. But, if 2/3’s of the world were to be gone – there would be plenty of ‘shelter’

Didn’t know you could buy skills. maybe I read the question wrong

A question for y-all;

Are Firearms an Investment that are “Inflation Proof”?

NRP

I have read with my own eyes an official white paper the California Air Resource Board(CARB) presented to various regulatory agencies in California.

In a nut shell they trying to develop a regulation that will limit what color of cars that can be sold and painted within the state. They are not defining color but more the technical performance of the color. The darker the color the more the car absorbs sun thus more Air Conditioner use.

Along this same line of thinking,I suspect all roofs will have to be white. Black Asphalt (racist I know) will be replaced with white asphalt.

I don’t know the time line of the car color nor do I care. I’m done with California and its over regulation and too many people!!! seriously, there everywhere, like cockroaches….most in debt up to their eyeballs, most could care less about community or for the most part sovereignty of California and/or the United States.

I am a believer in guns and ammo butt remember that gunpowder is an organic compound that does degrade if not stored properly. (cool and dry storage conditions that do not suffer from extreme temperature fluctuations.) Most important: protect from extreme heat as in a storage shed in Arizona or within a CONEX container in the middle of a desert somewhere.

Both black powder and smokeless will degrade and has a tendency to burn hotter or ignite spontaneously when exposed to temperature extremes. Knowing this, I do the following with my powder, loaded ammunition and reloads: I write the date of the reload or date of purchase on the package or box that contains actual gunpowder and try to use it all within 10 years of purchase.

Knowledge is power so pass it on. These bits of info were obtained from arson investigation reports from cities and towns within Arizona during the 1980’s and 1990’s. Fires caused by presence of large amounts of unstable gunpowder within garages, outbuildings and storage units. All said locations had no air conditioning to help moderate the temperature during hot summer months.

Toilet paper and tampons? Why not paper plates too. How will these items be replenished? Disposible paper products are terrible investments.

Cloth diapers and wash cloths are cheap and reusable.

Ben Pow

The key to bartering is not immediately needing the item you are bartering for. If you are haggling, say your not paying that much and walk away. They will almost always come back with a lower price. I just got back from Mexico and used this tactic successfully several times. I got a $24 hat for $11. I wanted the hat to keep the sun off during a tour, but I walked away willing to endure the sun. The guy ran after me and offered it for $15. I told him I just wanted a cheap hat and his cheap hats didn’t fit my larger head. I kept walking and he said $11 for the really nice custom hat. This was less than the cheap hats and it’s a great souvenir. I also got a $65 dollar silver pendant for $30. My daughter wanted it, but it was too much. She and my wife left the store to look elsewhere, but I stayed looking at some other things. The guy kept going lower and lower on the pendant. He finally offered $35, and I told him I’d give him $30 cash. He had to go ask his brother if this was ok. The brother said no. I told him I didn’t want it and started to leave. He says, “I guess I can do this if you have cash.” I had them throw in a $45 box of Cuban cigars for $20 too. He saw I was kind of interested in the cigars, but I kept refusing to buy and he kept lowering the price. I finally said I didn’t know if I was allowed to take them through customs and didn’t want to be out the money. He dropped the price again. (I don’t smoke, but my dad will love them). In all, I spent $65 for items marked $145. My wife couldn’t believe it when I caught back up to her. We passed the store later on our way to the tour bus. The guy was hanging is head and looking sad. He says, “Come back into my store and buy something so I can make some money today?”

Yes fixed interest debt with the purchase of some thing good is a great correction.

I wonder what the reasoning for him saying get out of debt was. I ask this because I don’t know but debt has so many facets. One does not want to go broke.

“Best Assets To Buy That Are Inflation Proof?”

Great question! That is an age old question.

Some great answers too!

Plane ticket.

Inflation proof stocks!

A farm with fixed low interest non callable mortgage. The farm should include all capital equipment spares and supplies stockpiled ahead paid for by said mortgage or loan. All capital must last through the episode because if it is replaced it will be at a higher nominal price. Add a few more farms and rent them? Worked in the Wiemar republic until… Maybe the farm could have finished production facilities also. Factories can do well.

But, in theory landlords could do well. But, in Wiemar the rents were controlled by laws. Yet the real mortgage liabilities evaporated.

Ken,
This a good time to study this subject again. I look at this chinese flu situation as a test run for the future.We are now experiencing food rationing and shortages as well as shortages in many other products as well. To top it off there are thousands of businesses that are closed , many never to reopen again.
I think the things to buy as a hedge against inflation are things we use or need on a regular basis. The list can be large and cover much more than food items. The list will certainly vary from one person to another. You also need space to save your stuff in. You must determine between a “want’ and a “need”. Is it nice to have or do I really need the item?
I like lists, so wife and I have discussions,determine needs,make lists ,examine the budget and make decisions and move from that point forward. When products get scarce,prices increase and we see that right now especially in food products.
We have a window of opportunity right now and I fear it is slowly closing. If you have the financial means to invest in things that you need ,do it soon.

Interesting repost of a good thought provoking article Ken.
Did a quick reread of the comments, WOW we thought it was bad 3 years ago.
Look see where we are now, and headed in the next year or so.

I still believe consumables are the best way to go, yes TP and Gin. HAHAHA.
Blue said to kick in some additional Dog Food.

A question, how many out there are already seeing higher cost on food goods?
I personally have seen close to 10% on most goods, even more on vegetables and the sorts. Some meats are simply not available so cant say.

Inflation IS interest, paid to the Federal Reserve. Debt is the primary way that new counterfeit money is introduced to the system.

JMHO
The value of nothing will be safe.
We are headed into uncharted territory re government manipulation of everything.
Assets that may have been considered safe may well prove to be our undoing.
I have never put a lot of faith in predictions or discussions like the future plans like the 2030 or whatever, but you really need to wonder about this crap going on and where it is truly headed.

Governments, in trouble from their past policies, in trouble from this virus and pushed by the government needs to save us crowd will start taking peoples business, property, equipment,
There will be no other choice for them other than theft from industrious and prudent individuals and business.
IMHO
That will be the spark that lights the fuse.
Think about it,
You live in the country,
You have a huge garden and some acerage,
You have livestock, supplies put back, are largely unaffected by the insanity going on,
These government people coming around to take your swab for their universal testing see this and report back to you,
Next thing you know you have a court order stating that you need to appear before some “local authority” before you can even balk you are ordered to produce food for the “greater good” to give shelter to needy and to be inspected regularly,,,,,,

You going to just roll over and say yes massa????

So tell me again,
Exactly what is a safe asset?

2020 update: Several months into the covid 19 affair:

I am selling one of my 9mm Glock clones to a friend that is raising some beef cattle. The gun will be sold at a discount because he is a friend and I am trading for some beef later this Fall.

I will not be a hermit going into the future as I have been trading finished products, goods and services for other goods and services from other deplorable types that raise vegetables and livestock. Develop an expertise in an area of knowledge and keep those connections open with other like minded folk.

This website is an example of that. There are those that are master gardeners, farmers and those that raise livestock along with those that have a body of deep knowledge in other areas. My area of knowledge comes in handy prior to hunting season.

I admire the Jack-of-all-trades yet now I realize that I have expertise in a few areas that are now in high demand. I suspect most of us are that way.

I moved what I could control to a stable value fund, didn’t lose as much as others but had a steady gain the last few weeks.

Food. I remember collecting any food from the wild and growing a garden for my supper during the last recession years when I was as poor as a church mouse. That was all I ate. I never took food stamps or food bank supplies, and worked some undesirable jobs to make money. I was on dial-up for access to MSB for a long time–the only one in the county. LOL. Because I did this, I saved money to pay off my CC bills and mortgage, and buy a large supply of dehydrated/freeze dried/ canned foods. Perfect conditions to use it now.

Although Ken you are right in getting out of debt, I did it and money now rushes in like a water fall. I am retired now, my assets are used in trading stocks where instead of a bank paying me their “high” yield of 1.5% APR a year, I earn 2 to 4% of my account in as little as 15 minutes. This is where I see ways to fight inflation. Not for most, but works for me.

No more money worries and no more poverty I used to live in, but it took perseverance. I look back on those days as old folks did the great depression. I know what kept them going during those hard times as I believed in the saying that helped me: “There is nothing beyond the reach of determination”.

My Daddy always said to buy land, it’s the only thing they ain’t making more of.

Every time you borrow money, some one owns a part of you. You no longer are free.

Slavery in the U.S. didn’t end with the Civil War. Instead of buying humans and caring for them like working stock (mules, oxen), they sold food and housing on credit with the promise they would ” work it off “. The old Tennessee Ernie Ford song ” Sixteen Tons” lamented “I owe my soul to the company store”. As a child, I had conversations with old black men who had spent their lives as “free men” working as laborers on cotton farms. They couldn’t leave for better jobs because they were so far behind on the rent they owed on the house the farmer owned, and the bill at the “store” most farmers (they larger, wealthier ones) maintained on the farm to sell them food and supplies on credit. In the south, sheriffs would track down, arrest, and either jail them, or release them back to the farmer until the bills were paid (they never were) if they ran off.

The insatiable need for instant gratification that most folks seem to have, turns them into slaves.

If you have an adjustable rate ARM mortgage, now is the time to convert it to a fixed rate. Easily done. Otherwise just refinance into a fixed rate mortgage. That way you can pay the balance off with vastly cheapened dollars once inflation gains traction.

Security, shelter, water, food, communication.
Prepper’s priority list.
Lots of resources go into making these sustainable either in periods of economic insecurity and/or high inflation. Or to be prepared for a sustained collapse.
Was just talking with my farm helper this morning “What if everything went south tomorrow? What would we wish the most that we had bought today?”

I think the most valuable asset takes hard work, time, a little disappointment, and sometimes starting over. That is a community of loved and trusted family, friends, and neighbors. As one of the 2017 comments mentioned, the older I get, the longer things take to accomplish, and the less I can do for and by myself. Taking time to care for others, spending some of my money on their needs, helping with projects, just being a good neighbor even if not a friend, all will go a long way to improving the security of my place. That security will preserve the value of the assets I do invest in for the long term, especially knowing those assets will be used to support more than just me and whoever else might be living under my roof.

Next on my procurement list is even more propane and woodcutting hand tools, and a set of big water squirters for the neighborhood kids. Knowing that if the day comes, cooking will be communal, as will firewood gathering. Playing together will continue as before.

Food is still number one, I think. Next on our lists is procuring enough socks and good footwear/work boots to last the next few years. And I wouldn’t mind some new waterproof outerwear to stock up on either. Some of our winter clothing is showing it’s age. I also like the suggestion of more hand tools and wood-cutting tools. And more fencing. I want to cross-fence the pastures. My brain keeps screaming to get this all done by September…..by September….by September. I’m not sure why. Think the global economy will even last that long? Gonna be a crazy summer that’s for sure.

When we retired almost 3 years ago & moved home to Texas, we really downsized both home & possessions to simplify our lives & concentrate on enhancing family relationships to leave a legacy of kindness & knowledge for our loved ones. So we are not acquiring stuff so much @ this time as we are maintaining a lifestyle of preparedness & a mindset of precaution.

We are stockpiling food, learning new skills like ham radio & working on genealogy. We live in the “burbs” close to our grandkids so I am also storing up clothes, shoes, books for their needs. We have stored extra sheets, blankets & towels as well as clothespins, a washtub, etc. We have a burn barrel for trash in case that is needed. Faraday cage is full. Although we don’t yet need a walker & geriatric supplies, we will put those up also.

We have a friend who used to work for a car rental agency which has just declared bankruptcy & he told us the market will be flooded w/ vehicles soon & they should be cheap. Commercial refrigerators/freezers, tables & chairs from restaurants, etc will be coming on the market too. I really believe things will go get terrible w/ foreclosures, empty houses & vacant buildings, & boarded up businesses. In fact, we are having security film applied to our windows this week & are checking on solar power next.

Buckle up. Keep up the great work, Ken. This is the best place to gain knowledge & be edified in the process, friends.

Before this mess with cv-19 started I didn’t worry much about my stored food because the warehouses will be commandeered by govt. long before going house to house.
Now?? I’m worried!!

Not giving advice just explaining my current purchases. Excalibur dehydrator, 9 tray with a timer. Just bought a second one, my first one is almost 20 years old and working awesome.

Also canning lids/jars. I use mostly tattler lid’s but still do abut 20% of my canning with metal lids. I like the 2 quart jars for dry storage.

Food saver wide mouth vacuum sealer and a hand brake bleeder for sealing dehydrated food and dry goods.

All chainsaw supplies, extra tuneup stuff, bar oil, chains, spare bar, oil mix. Spare ethanol free fuel with stabilizer. Also starting fluid, and carb cleaner is really handy

Layer feed to make it at least thru summer for chickens, now is a great time of year to cut fresh greens for the layers and cut back on your feed bill.

If you have fruit trees/bushes. Mason bee tubes, lots of them. Just bought 400 more tubes. I just use empty #10 cans or the long pork and bean cans for tube holders. My local native bee population is exploding, almost all blooms on everything is pollinated this year. Going to have to thin apples and pears like mad to save limbs

So I have been researching this for over month – how and when in collapse like Wiemar republic as an example… Reading a lot of ZH too.

We are currently leading into a bizzarro economic time… You will see hyper inflation on certain items i.e. Food. Then you will see deflation in other items like gasoline… This is a supply / demand pricing structure for needed assets and goods. This devaluation will collapse and cause even more trouble i.e. energy sector.

The General publik aka ‘sheeple of Merica’ have no idea about the hammer that is about to drop on them.

Basically this is a period of Deflation occurring as we speak… This precedes hyper inflation….

During this current deflationary period of time, there will be economic blood in the streets…

If you still have a fair amount of fiat currency on hand you will be able to find really awesome deals on certain tangible items during the next few months… If needed in my opinion, Make those purchases. Ken has mentioned several tangible hard assets in this article.

Forget about precious metals at this point. 1oz us mint silver dollar has a $8-10 buying premium on it above the spot price at $15/ troy ounce.

Buying Opportunity Example: Possibly unbroken, non-improved, vacant land as land owners start to freak-out and need to liquidate the land for fake fiat currency to cover the cost of loans on other properties they own…

There will hopefully be a few buying opportunities out there.
Always think MACRO not MICRO

Anything that is a true multi use item.

IMO, nothing beats grain alcohol. 1. Drink it
2. Tincture medium
3. Antiseptic
4. Cleaner/disinfectant
5. Cooking fuel in a Trangea style alcohol stove
6. Mixed with other items, it can be used as an explosive…for removing tree stumps.
7. Placed in certain containers with an external wick, it can be used as a projectile….as an aid in igniting your slash piles when cutting firewood or cleaning underbrush.

Grain alcohol will always have value.

Definitely food, first. Then good clothing and outerwear, including shoes and workboots. In addition to our own currency devaluation, if there is a shooting war, anything imported that’s not already affected by the slowdown in China will get very expensive and hard to find. And the price of American-made substitutes, if there are any, will also increase in price. Not sure what all of that includes, but I’m imagining my life for the next year and acquiring everything I need to live it, as budget allows.

I would definitely stock up on animal feed of all sorts. My next batch of broilers is due to arrive in July, and I will be getting their feed in place in the next couple of weeks. I saw someone advertising this season’s hay already – all cuttings, $75 a round bale. Yikes. Not as high as it gets mid-winter, but that’s a high starting price. If you need hay, you might think about locking in a supplier/price now, and hope we get good hay weather this year. I’m also planning to grow black oil sunflower seeds, buckwheat, flaxseed and blue corn, as a feed alternative for chickens, and mangels as a feed supplement for cattle. Figure that’ll stretch out the purchased feed.

Once the life sustaining and life saving preps are in order PMs will help
to get you thru the difficulty’s that are coming.
Due to price and availability I think pre-64 silver coins are the way to go.
A bag of quarters(400coins/$100.00 face value) is around $1550.00.
The premiums are going up every day.If you snooze,you loose.
IMHO.

Another thing I’m considering for my two youngest is converting a portion of their savings into silver. By the time they come of age, I’m sure the FRN that comprise their savings won’t be worth much, if anything. I’m looking at junk silver, as it seems to have less of a premium than the currently minted silver eagles. I checked your advertiser link, Ken, and silver is still available there as of today.

I’m not converting any of my FRN to PM’s, until I have my list of essentials acquired. My list includes items needed to be as close to self-sufficient as possible – tools, manual well pump, self-defense items, seed stocks, fencing supplies, wood cutting tools, etc…

We were able to get our 401k money out after we reached the minimum age, and not have to pay the penalty. Bought some silver bullion 1oz .

Invested in the rural piece of land. And are building a new home- stead there. With cash, the only debit we have are on the mortgages on two houses. That pay off next May. At that time we are going to sell them off?

Food is always going up, cheaper today than tomorrow. And we already have food stock piles. Plenty of water, artisan well. Plenty of land, high dry and fertile. So we have the start of a fruit orchard, garden.

Expanding our seed bank, from some that don’t work to those that don’t.

Also remembering the rule 1 is none and two is one. So tools, clothing,and anything such as major assets.

For example, one of our freezers just recently went down. A replacement was not available. But through a contact in that field who I had purchased major appliances through. Had a unit on the floor that he would sell.

I have a hoard of gardening hand tools, remember they don’t last forever, and good bartering items.

And on bartering items, the garden, orchard, chickens both egg layers and meat. Goats, pigs, cattle. We raise all and already have an income from them.

Both the wife and I have expanded our skill set. Which we also get an income from.

So in summary , water, food, shelter, tools, talent and skills. With the ability to become self sufficient.

Great ideas everyone. I’m onboard.
Speaking of folks still asleep to the situation, my son still doesn’t realize that the country is broke. They think I’m a tin hat wearer.
He is also a real estate agent and claimed that the market will drop soon, due to the virus. I believe the virus is a cover up of the economic situation that we have been in since 2009.

I own my house and thinking of selling before the market drops then buy a cheaper one when it does. My house isn’t expensive at all.I live in Iowa. I’m actually concerned about them taking us to a cashless society though. Ron Paul is a hero of mine as well as other like minded folks. Any thoughts?!

Deborah
Also, I live in the city and thinking of moving to a smaller community. My house is on a half an acre lot. Great for gardening and thieves. I would like to grow enough for others (hungry hoards) but shoot, I’m getting old and live alone.

I have a number of US Savings Bonds that are over 15 years old. Should I cash them in and use the money for other things?

The problem with gold/silver bullion is authenticity.If you plan on using it
for person to person barter/purchases at some point you’ll need to prove
that it is genuine and for that a test kit is necessary.
Junk silver is recognizable to everyone and likely accepted by everyone.

FYI. The government considers gold bullion to be any configuration that
are coins or bars and can be confiscated in a national emergency.
Except gold coins minted prior to 1933. Why that date lord only knows.

There is so much privately held gold that it seems that it would be nearly
impossible to locate it all. Maybe they will develop a devineing rod.

Land is good if you can pay the taxes every year. Consider paying the taxes ahead a few years. There will always be opportunist to swoop in during and after a war/calamity to take advantage of those that cannot pay the taxes. The Civil War is a lesson in that respect and greed knows no barrier.

Those who said food might be on to something.

Just caught a news bit on the radio (ABC affiliate) that said retail grocery prices spiked highest in 50 years in April. They recommend that folks buy in bulk as much as they can.

Think the shelves will be even emptier as we go into the summer?

Propane mentioned by others and needs emphasis. Friend has a family member who drives pressure tank trucks (propane and ammonium nitrate). Says the big depot he picks up from is operating at only 50%. With fracking fields down through combination of virus impact and collapsed fuel prices, some processors are also shutting down. Reopening natural gas wells and processing plants is difficult and can take months.

Around here there are miles of empty pressure tank train cars sitting on the sidelines. Think I’ll add some more to my reserve. Just In Case.