Three strikes - Contingency Plans

[offroad]

Can people here on the discussion board share their CONTINGENCY PLANS with the rest of us?&nbsp; These are the plans you put in place when your place burns down, a storms hits and wrecks everything, or your loved one is mentally falling apart.&nbsp; What will you do?<br /><br />Would like to frame it as THREE STRIKES because it seems you need three different ways to handle events that can happen, and find a way out of them.<br /><br />Mine is:<br /><br />1)&nbsp; Money - Have a few grand in the bank.&nbsp; Plus can get a payday loan, or a vehicle title loan in 24 hours.<br />2)&nbsp; Place - Have relatives with a place nearby that I could camp at.&nbsp; In theory.&nbsp;&nbsp; Friends farther away that would let me stay nearby.&nbsp;They do check on me.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />3)&nbsp; Job income&nbsp;- Can tap into a 401K as an emergency, but would take a few weeks.&nbsp; Work has a medical retirement available, that I could use if I was disabled.&nbsp; If job-work dried up there is a need for my profession at other branches, and my talent is worth it.&nbsp;<br /><br />so what are your three strikes ways to handle the SHTF situations?&nbsp;

 

[wandering mike]

1. &nbsp;Money: &nbsp;a year's worth of expenses<br />2. &nbsp;Expenses: &nbsp;knowing I could live on cornmeal mush, red beans and rice and some ramen noodles for fancy days.<br />3. &nbsp;Positive attitude: &nbsp;Trying to keep in the forefront of my mind that no matter what, I get to choose my attitude.<br />4. &nbsp;Kinship: &nbsp;Keeping close relations with my kids and family and friends and supporting them if they need it. &nbsp;(Builds good karma and warm feelings)<br /><br />I guess that is four items. &nbsp;To keep with the baseball analogy, instead of three strikes, that is how in the event of adversity I am going to try and assure I finish the "at bat" and get four balls and walk (or hopefully skip) on down to first base.<br /><br />

 

[Guest]

In my favourite book "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse, the protagonist is asked what he can do and he responds:<br /><br />&nbsp; &nbsp;"I can think. I can wait. I can fast."<br /><br />&nbsp; &nbsp;"That's everything?"<br /><br />&nbsp; &nbsp;"I believe, that's everything!"<br /><br />My contingency plan is simple and based on this philosophy. &nbsp;I cannot rely on my plans for the future any more than I can change the past.<br /><br />Of course, I try to be practical by socking money away and making smart decisions regarding the possible future, but I never lose sight of the fact that life offers no guarantees.<br /><p style="color: #333333; font-family: verdana, Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /><br /></span></p>

 

[Where~the~wind~blows]

For me my health is an issue and I can at any time become unable to work (what I am currently doing) so, I think about this all the time<br /><br />Money: Going on disability&nbsp;is always a possibility. Aside from pet grooming, I can paint, crochet, macrame, do para legal work, be an online researcher, and a few other things, I have always been able to make a buck.<br /><br />Food: I can hunt, fish, trap, raise, garden, butcher, can, dehydrate, and forage for food. even if mobility becomes an issue I will still find a way, by horseback, quad, scooter, or dragging along by my pinkies.<br /><br />Shelter: I can live in almost anything, As long as I can heat it I'm golden. and by heat I mean wood stove.<br /><br />Clothing: I am in no way a fashionesta, I tend to have clothes until they could barely be used as rags.<br /><br />Company: I have rarely felt lonely in my life, I like my alone time, but if I am lonely I go somewhere... I could find people to talk to just about anywhere...<br /><br />my best asset is my ability to think on my feet and I rarely panic

 

[tink]

Improvise, adapt, overcome.

 

[offroad]

It's funny how people's contingency will focus on food. It takes three weeks to starve. Only takes three days without water to start loosing it. Have a LIFE STRAW at home that will allow me to drink nasty water if needed.&nbsp;<br /><br />Also shelter is a big need for contingency. &nbsp;Three hours to freeze or get hypothermia. If you can't get out of the cold, and get some heat on you.&nbsp;<br /><br />This is of course SURVIVAL CONTIGENCY and not simply financial contingency. Financial is much easier to work via some kind of savings.&nbsp;

 

[offroad]

Single person - fired from job, &nbsp;get injured long term rehabilitation, &nbsp;etc.<br /><br />family unit - fired from job, &nbsp;significant other needs direct care.<br /><br />Just the real stuff that happens every day&nbsp;

 

[sl1966]

Oh in that case here's a wordy explanation then.<br /><br />1. <em>Finances</em> - I'm paying off my final bill in march of next year, and will be debt free. I've been through two downturns so far. The 2nd one was bad by my standards, but I know it could've been a lot worse. Because of that ordeal I learned to live with only what I really needed and&nbsp;how to stretch a dollar pretty far. For that reason I saved enough this time to last me a while, even longer if I collect unemployment full term. My credit is in good standing and I have a few high limit credit cards for life or death emergencies. I know how to do a great many things to make money, but my current career can make me enough to live off of in a month for only a few days work. Food falls under this, but I have a stash of survival food for when I might not have money.<br /><br />2. <em>Shelter</em> - I own a travel trailer to live in, and five acres of land (adjacent to a national park) to park it on. I already did the homework and am allowed to do that on it. I wouldn't stay there the whole time since there are plenty of places nearby that also don't cost to stay at. A change of scenery is a good thing after all.<br /><br />I can't think of three right now but will update this later if/when I think of it.<br /><br />

 

[Guest]

Short version:
For most of my life the offal has been impacting the air churning device, usually at a high rate of speed. So I've learned a lot and learned it fast. Never had other options.
Method:
Whatever it takes. STFU and Adapt.
Personal attitude:
Whatever doesn't kill me better start running.

Ppl - don't rely on money. You may not be able to get to it or it may have zero value if you can.

 

[lampliter]

Live off the land.<br />It's all there.<br />Although I prefer to see the light through my own eyes; I liked the book; The Education of Little Tree.

 

[Where~the~wind~blows]

I am a prepper at heart, so I have lots of crazy stuff, for water I have an reverse osmosis machine, makes up to 50 gallons per day if I remember.... only used it for a few days, it sits onto of a 55 gallon drum and has a shut off if the drum gets full, It was 800.00 from a company out of Texas. I think it depends on the&nbsp;humidity&nbsp;in the air as well. I have some food stores of Rice, Corn, Beans, Oats, Wheat, Sugar, can foods, etc... but I don't have YEARS worth, a couple of months at best. It's impossible to be prepared for every type of emergency, as "Sandy" has proven, such prepping would have been a waste. I was here (long island) on 9/11, the scary part was the loss of your phone,&nbsp;while&nbsp;satellite phone technology is here, it's still to expensive. Some people talk about CB and ham radio's (something I lack in knowledge and equipment) I should have some kind of communication in case of emergency and phones are down....oh I could go on...but my mind frame helps me in van dwelling because "less is more" helps so much.... you really learn what you need and don't need and how you can do things "outside the box" so to speak....

 

[josephusminimus]

I figure I'll lean into it and keep coming as long as I'm able.&nbsp; When I'm no longer to do that I'll do whatever comes next.

 

[VanTrekker]

Mine's gonna sound a little strange but the worst care scenario is from having lived with bipolar disorder for many years and been admitted a handful of times (prior to 2006)...<br /><br /><strong>Worst case scenario</strong>...&nbsp; Can't earn a living, totally broke, no van, depressed, etc...&nbsp; I would just be a bum, scavenge around and beg for food, become a nuisance to the police&nbsp;and get institutionalized...&nbsp; It's sort of an "if all else fails" type of thing.&nbsp; It's not the best existence but better than&nbsp;nothing.<br /><br /><br /><br />In the meantime...<br /><br /><strong>Savings...&nbsp; </strong>I am not rich but do have some money left from an inheritance.&nbsp; It will sustain me for some time to come if need be... In eight years I will get a small pension from a previous union job (which I was a dumb a** for quitting!).&nbsp; I agree with the title loan thing, etc.&nbsp; I have a few things I can sell / pawn.<br /><br /><strong>Job... </strong>I can always do a little day labor or get a part time job and pick up a few bucks.&nbsp; The problem is that most part time jobs now days treat a person like a slave and multi-task you to death.&nbsp; I hate to say this but the best way to get a crap job is to bullsh*t a little on applications and in interviews.&nbsp; In politics they call it "spin"...&nbsp; <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"><br /><br /><strong>Food... </strong>It's a strength and a curse...&nbsp; I love to eat (too much) but am a pretty good cook.&nbsp; I can take cheap ingredients and make something pretty darn tasty out of it...Even with resources, if you are working minimally or not working, you can receive food stamps.&nbsp; I get $200 a month and try to use them as wisely as possible.&nbsp; Since&nbsp;the amount is&nbsp;dependent on how much you work, I don't work much.&nbsp; Most of&nbsp;the monthly expense is&nbsp;food.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br /><br /><br /><strong>Clothes... </strong>Sweatpants and t-shirts get worn a lot mainly due to comfort.&nbsp; As far as a coat - I won't wear a nice one... My favorite means of warmth is a dark blue&nbsp;fleece jacket that's as grubby as Columbo's raincoat... and just as treasured.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Companionship / Intimacy ...&nbsp; </strong>Strangely, that's something I can pretty well live without for the most part.&nbsp; It's good to have contact with friends in the outside world just to stay sane.&nbsp;&nbsp;Occasionally&nbsp;volunteering helps with loneliness.&nbsp; I hang out with a few friends (one with benefits which is nice).. As far as sex, it's far less of a priority that&nbsp;it was a few years ago.&nbsp; Besides, it can be synthesized in the privacy of one's van if need be.&nbsp; (and without all the expense and drama!)<br /><br />Oh well... that's my two cents...<br /><br />V.T.<br /><br />

 

[Seraphim]

Back on topic:

I don't quite know how to put it as three strikes, though. Our finances are set, so Im not worried about normal financial or health disasters If the economy failed to the point our assets were worthless, a multitude of others would be worse doff. My instinct would be to organize friends and immediate family into a mobile community, combining assets and assigning communal responsibilities according to skill sets. Most friends own land, RVs, firearms (one owns a gun shop), tools (another just sold his repair shop but has keep his tools and shop equipment, including lift), most hunt and fish, a couple farm. Others are builders. All have significant others, none have underage children. Several members of the medical community.

 

[Sheryl]

I'm with defunkt. I can park in a warm wilderness (Vancouver island) near a lake (Lake Couchiching is clean enough to drink.)&nbsp;and fish,grow,forage for my food.&nbsp;<br><br>We don't need anything else. Phone and internet are "iffy" up here in the Rockies anyway. At the campsite last summer we had neither. No contact with the outside world and we loved it! We are putting some money away for emergencies.&nbsp;<br><br>We save a surprising amount workcamping. Since we eat cheap and don't spend any of our pay on moving around or toys, we save most of what we both make all summer. We saved enough so far to buy another more reliable, truck to pull the camper. &nbsp;<br><br>If anyone goes off the deep end, it will be me &nbsp;<img rel="lightbox" src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif" class="bbc_img">&nbsp; They'll find me wandering around the wilderness talking to myself <em>(Wait! I already do that!!)<br><br></em><br><br><br>

 

[offroad]

reviving the topic a little. does anyone have an UMBRELLA INSURANCE policy? &nbsp;you hit some black ice and slam into a bus of school kids. parents go nuts and sue you for all your future earnings and any retirement account you have.&nbsp;<br><br>hate the idea of paying for this kind of insurance. many people here have a retirement account, plus pension, plus social security. &nbsp;but what if some court attaches those checks? &nbsp;<br><br>or maybe LEGAL INSURANCE? &nbsp;<br><br>just seems like if you save any money, there is always someone who can try to take it away.&nbsp;