My wife and I are living in the midwest on 15 acres of wooded land. We are fully solar powered for electicity.We have a garden every season which we dehydrate the excess produce and we have plenty of deer and turkeys and other edible wild game that we make jerky from our dehydrator. We are debt free at this time. Our major weakness is I travel in my job and the fuel cost has become the major expense for my business.We have internet providers Hughes Network and Wildblue which are both satellite providers.

That is sensational. Even if others will suggest that preparing for disaster is 'alarmist', isn't being debt free and self sufficient a big part of The American Dream?

JackieRodzinski

TheInquiringEye

I have enough land to be self sufficient, and enough ammo to defend it! I have a small sailboat and a pirogue. The boats give me access to inshore waters and the deltas. Deer are abundant, but they are on land owned by others, so I don't really consider that, there would be too much competition for them. The wild hogs are plentiful, and there is a year-round open season on them.

What about becoming a brigand? A war lord? perhaps I could organize a band of marauding bloodthirsty cut-throats to pillage the weak, stealing everything I need? Hmmm . . .

Savage.

oops. Namecalling. Off limits. :)

Preying on the meek is easy. The 'art' lies in not having to do that.

Cheers.

TIE

I do expect the economic conditions to get worse. I saw a lot of stressed people this tax season and I think I will see a lot more next year. I carry no debt and have always been conservative in my spending. I expect fuel and energy prices to continue to climb and food will as well. I also farm and have a market garden, so we can eat what we growand if we stay healthy, will be okay. I have also increased my contributions to charity in an attempt to help the less fortunate.

Taxguy, The world needs more 'taxguys' like you!

I am concerned that the coming winter (2008-2009) might be the back breaker. There is no sight of a downturn in oil prices, one good hurricane, maybe an attack on an oilfield...forget ideology. We are not in a stuggle against Islam, we are at the beginning of the Great Energy Wars.

JackieRodzinski

TheInquiringEye