Personal Finance - National Preparedness Month

By Tim Gamble

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September is National Preparedness Month. The previous article is a look at the problems and solutions for when the electricity is off (Article link). This article takes a look at the role of personal finance in preparedness. 

Here is a bit of foundational advice for preppers and everyone else: Eliminate debt and build savings.  

We've all heard it before, but how many of us actually follow that advice? My gut feeling on the matter is that most folks, preppers or not, don't. It is difficult, takes time, and requires a certain amount of sacrifice. In other words, it isn't fun.
 
Yet, bad economic times are a part of most collapse scenarios that worry most preppers. And even if a full collapse never happens, can be certain of economic downturns and recessions in the future. Bad economic times are especially difficult for folks who live paycheck to paycheck (which is most of the middle class in America today),  are in debt up to their eyeballs, and have little or no savings.  Debt – whether personal, business or government – is bad for many reasons. So, my personal advice to you (and to me) is to make paying of debt and building your savings a major part of your prepper activities.

In your personal life, work quickly towards eliminating consumer debt – credit cards, car loans, payday loans, personal loans, and installment plans. This will mean you have to put yourself on a budget and stick with it. It will mean putting off major purchases, avoiding impulse purchases, and denying yourself luxury items. It may mean taking bag lunches to work. Or selling your car to get out of the loan, buying an older model with cash, or perhaps making do with only one. Consider having a major yard sale to raise some money, or try to find a second job. It will take time and sacrifice to eliminate debt in your life, but the benefits will be more than worth it.

Debt Busting Idea #1 - Making payments on your vehicle?  Sell it and buy a more affordable vehicle with cash. Downsizing your vehicle to get out from under the loan is an idea Dave Ramsey often suggests to his listeners. If you can't get enough for your vehicle to pay off the entire loan, you will need to raise some extra cash, perhaps by using this next debt busting idea:

Debt Busting Idea #2 - If you own any "big toys" such as ATVs, boats, sports cars, RVs, pool tables, dune buggies, hot tubs, motorcycles, or other big ticket items that you use only for recreation and entertainment, consider selling them and dedicating the proceeds to debt repayment. Same goes for any pool tables, home gyms and exercise equipment that you don't really use. Depending on what you have to sell, you may be able to raise anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. That's a lot of debt you can pay off.

Building some emergency savings will have to be done at the same time. Yard sales are a great way to bring in extra cash to do this. So is a second job in the evenings or on the weekends. Put the money somewhere safe, such as an insured CD or money market account in a stable bank or credit union (do your own homework, or check with one of several companies that offer ratings on the soundness and safety of various financial institutions). Don't worry about getting the best possible interest rate. Safety and liquidity are the goals for your emergency savings, not growth.

Pro Tip: Check out Dave Ramsey's Baby Steps and read his the book Dave Ramsey's Complete Guide to Money for more on getting out of debt.

Once your debt is paid off and you have accumulated some emergency savings, you can then turn your attention to saving for long-range goals. Use common sense, avoid overly-risky investments, and, if needed, seek professional advice of someone you can trust.

No investment is perfectly safe. Cash savings are subject to losing value to inflation. Stocks and mutual funds are subject to the ups and downs of the market. Land is subject to property taxes and eminent domain. Converting all your money to gold & silver and burying it in the backyard is subject to thieves. There are no guarantees in life. The best you can do is use reason and common sense, to remain vigilant, and to take responsibility for ensuring your own future.

Why pay off debt if we are headed towards high inflation?  It may be true that by waiting to pay off debt, you will be paying it off with cheaper dollars. However, there are other considerations. For one, debt puts you, your family, and your assets at risk. Pay off your debts now while you are employed and you run less risk of losing your home or other assets if you become unemployed later.

Debt can be very stressful, especially in difficult times, which can be a real detriment to your health and your ability to make calm decisions at a time when you most need both.

Proverbs 22:7 "The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender." (NKJV)

Another reason is that debt can shackle you to your current job and circumstances, when what is really needed at a time like this is freedom and flexibility.

Additionally, people tend not to realize how fast interest, late fees, and other penalties can add up. You may be paying off your debt later with cheaper dollars, but still end up paying more in real terms because of all the added interest and penalties.

Finally, debtor's prisons are a thing of the past, but depending on what a future collapse looks like, they could return. This is particularly true if the future includes a true police-state phase in which the Constitution and Bill of Rights are suspended or done away with completely. 

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