Preparation Check List for the Upcoming Depression!

So now what? The debt ceiling is out of control; whether Obama raises it or not, the economic weather is going to get nasty ahead, and no doubt the majority of the population, mostly the poor and middle class, will suffer greatly without any preparation.  So how do we prepare?

Here are some tips to help you prepare for the harsh times ahead:

#1. Stock up on food.
Even if you can't afford alot to begin with, start with five or ten dollars a week, at the very least in food stock purchases. The best places to look for food at a discount include dollar stores, food pantries, Costco (for bulk purchases)  and even your local grocery store often has discount values if you look hard enough.  Don't forget other essentials in your saving stock such as medicine,  and batteries and bandaids. Get a good radio too. Water is also important.
Best foods to stock up on that have long shelf life is imperative! Check the expiration dates on your foods, but generally canned goods are safe for up to 2 years past the expiration date. You will want your food pantry list to include the following essentials:

Peanut butter and Jelly, canned Spam, canned tuna and canned chicken, canned veggies, pasta and
spaghetti sauce, sugar, flour, spices, rice, mashed potatoes, oats, grits, cereal, powerered milk, powdered eggs, packaged gravies, hamburger helper, chocholate, bottles of water, canned peanuts, olive oil, and some bread mixes; also don't forget toilet paper, medicines such as triple antibiotic ointments, rolaids, vitamins, bandaids, and any other medicines you can buy ahead of time such as asthma medicines, etc. Other food items include dehydrated foods.

Important storage tips: Store your food in a clean, dry, dark place preferably. Also, store your food in plastic containers with lids to keep out any buggies that might try to infiltrate your food stash.

Dont forget  free food via food samples from major companies: I googled "free food" and "free samples" and was suprised how many listings came up. So far I have free cereal samples, free gum, free soup and free granola bars! Not bad for two hours of online samples searching!

#2 Use your Coupons! You can get coupons from the newspapers (Sunday paper is best), or go to online coupon sites where you can print out coupons from your computer. Dont have a computer? Head to your local library  which offers free computer usage, and print the coupons out from their computer, or borrow the computer at your local church or school. Any google or yahoo search for FREE COUPONS will bring up a multitude of great coupon sites. Another great place to get coupons is Ebay. Do an Ebay search for coupons and/or gift cards and you'll find all kinds of discounted restaurant gift cards,as well as a large assortment of coupons for as little as .99 cents.

#3 Save gold, silver and copper.
Though markets are volatile, currently gold, silver and copper are going up. If you cant afford to buy larger amounts of gold, silver, etc buy grains of them instead. Many websites offer for sale single grains of gold. Ebay is another great place to buy grains of gold. Grains usually go for about  5-10 dollars a grain on Ebay. Silver grains and copper grains are a cheaper available alternative.

THE POOR MAN'S INVESTMENT: if you cant manage that, save your copper pennies! Pennies printed in 1981 and earlier have a large quantity of copper. Everyone is calling copper the new silver; save/hoard your copper pennies. Currently it is illegal to melt down the copper pennies, but they still have currency value that can be sold or traded. Ebay is a great place to sell your copper pennies. Currently pre-1981 copper pennies are worth 3.4 cents. The fastest way to get copper pennies is to go to your bank and ask for penny rolls. Of course not all the pennies will be 1981 or earlier, but you'll find about 15-20 percent will be. You'll still make out. DONT FORGET WHEATBACK PENNIES!
Keep an eye out for your "wheaties". Wheatback pennies are worth quite a bit if you find the right one; some are valued in excess of 800 dollars while others are worth around 10 cents or so.

#4 Diversity your investments. Remember the old addage "never put all your eggs in one basket?" Dont put all your money in any one account or investment; invest in other national currencies, invest some in gold, invest some in silver, etc. This is the best way to keep from losing everything in an upcoming financial crash.

#5 Build a strong social network of friends, family and church. During hard times, we need to pull together. Look to forgiving a family member and reconnect, seek out social support groups such as churches or similar interest groups, develop your friendship base; we will all need each other during these times of hardship ahead.

#6 Quick ways to make cash when you're out of a job.  For the unemployed, needing to survive, one of your best investments is a computer. If you can't find a job, make a job. There are many ways to earn extra cash if you have a computer. One quick way to earn some fast extra cash is to sign up for www.inboxdollars.com, www.sendearnings.com www.inboxpays.com www.winspinwin, and other similar sites. You won't get rich on this of course, but it can garner you an extra 100-200 a month while you're looking for something more substantial and secure. Other ways to earn a living are through such sites as www.liveperson.com and www.keen.com  both formats offer opportunities for work in many fields including tutoring, computer services, bookkeeping, spiritual/psychic advising, life coaching, among many others. I know many people who earn as much as 100,000 or 200,000 a year on these programs, depending upon their expertise and client following.
You can also try Ebay of course. Good ol' Ebay, your personal online garage sale! I have made extra money on Ebay selling books, or reselling silver I bought for a deal at a local garage sale.

Sell your gold and silver! Don't forget to go through your jewlery box! I know people that went through their boxes and came home with 800-1200 dollars in cash from their return trip to the jewlery store. Gold and silver are selling high and now is the time to reap the financial gain from your jewlery box. Also look for any sterling silver silverware you may have, etc. for an easy money return.

Don't have a computer? That's ok too. Sign up for the local flea market. Most people have at least 1000 dollars or more of unwanted stuff they can sell for a  good return at a local flea market or from their own home garage sale. Don't have enough to sell? Well that's ok too! Go to Craigslist, and look for sidewalk freebies and free stuff. You can find alot of merchandise for free from sidewalk items unsold at yard sales or from perusing the newspaper classifieds under free stuff. If you have a talent for upholstery or wordworking you can redo old free furniture and resell it as well. The possibilities are only as limited as your imagination.