You MUST Learn to
Provide for Your Family
in the Coming Hard Times
Hard times ARE coming. You may not yet understand it logically but you know it in your gut. Many families would swear hard times are already here. They’re struggling to simply get by, living paycheck to paycheck, and definitely wondering why things continue to get more and more expensive while their paychecks get smaller and smaller. Maybe that describes you, maybe not. But it could be YOU, and MUCH faster than you realize.
Ask anybody who lived through the hyperinflationary periods in Germany, Greece, Hungary, or more recently Zimbabwe, Iraq, Romania, and plenty more examples. In fact, many, many dozens of countries have experienced hyperinflation to varying degrees in a single lifetime… even the United States experienced it during the Revolutionary War. Yes, we’ve been fortunate here in America. We really have. The problem is that inflation is coming back home, and with a vengeance. There’s just no way around it. You’ve got to be ready.
Let me ask you a simple question: How can you honestly expect to provide for your family’s well-being when times get really tough without:
-> the SUPPLIES to See You Through
-> the GEAR to Get the Job Done Right
-> and a Real PLAN to Make it Happen?
Truth is, you can’t. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You CAN do better, much better. You really can provide for and protect your family even in the worst of times. You’ll learn how in a moment. But first let’s understand each other…
Yes, I really do believe hard times are coming. When? I don’t know. I’m not a prophet. The thing is, though, I’m not alone. There are many, many people far smarter than I who see the same things and I’m willing to bet you see it as well. So, let’s be honest. Are things really getting better as the government and mass media like to constantly reassure us they are? Of course they’re not… our situation is just being “hidden” better.
But, just to be clear, let’s look at a two crucial real-world examples that directly affect your quality of life…
Gas Prices are Poised to SKYROCKET
and Why That’s Spells Certain
“Death” to Your Way of Life
Our lives here in America are literally run on gasoline. Seriously. It’s not just about getting to and from work, dropping off the kids at school, or even getting to the grocery store. It’s much more than that. Instead, it’s really about the semi-trucks that keep you and I happy and content consumers. If you don’t believe it, I challenge you to try this: the next time you’re out on the road—especially the interstates—try and count how many semi-trucks you pass by in a single minute (roughly a single mile)… I’m sure it’s easily dozens.
Now, multiply that number by the nearly fifty thousand miles of interstates that these very same semi-trucks travel day-in and day-out, 365 days a year, day and night, to bring you the countless consumer goods you rely on from places like Walmart, the food your kids are eating for dinner tonight, the clothes on your back, and even the gasoline you need to, well… get anywhere you want to go. It’s mind-boggling to be sure. But there’s a problem, a huge problem…
You see, our American society is such a well-oiled machine it should bring a smile to your face just contemplating it. Our forefathers would have been so proud of what we’ve accomplished in just a few hundred years. But herein lies a glaring fallacy: Our forefathers may have smiles but they would NOT have been proud. Nope. Not at all.
Fact is, our forefathers were very smart people. They would have understood that, although this societal model–of buy, buy, buy–functions quite well in good times, that’s just not the case when times are bad… and they understood bad times too. Oddly, it’s precisely our need to buy, buy, buy that WILL create the worst hyperinflationary period ever experienced here in America.
The sad truth is that it doesn’t take much to throw a giant monkey wrench into the works and foul it all up. Modern societies have seen this time and again. Fortunately, we’ve always rebounded but times are different now. Take, for example, this chart of gasoline prices for roughly the past 90 years:
 www.energytrendsinsider.com See anything disturbing? You should!
First is the obvious: the blatant trend is that gas prices have been rising more steadily. Second, in only the time-frame of a single decade gas prices are beginning to show the “hockey stick” effect. What’s that, you ask? Well, imagine laying a hockey stick on the ground (in this case at the bottom of the chart) with the business end of the stick pointing upward on the right side of the chart and there you have it: a hockey stick. What does it mean? As it relates to our lives this decade is the time-frame where gasoline prices begin to skyrocket out of control.
In reality, it’s not gasoline prices that are the problem, it’s the oil prices. Believe it or not, crude oil is used to manufacture so many modern day products it would make your head spin, from obvious ones like refining gasoline and diesel to less obvious ones like creating plastics, pesticides, cosmetics, and fertilizers, which brings us to our next major problem…
Food Prices are RISING
Out of Control and it’s Only
Going to Get Worse
Don’t take my word for it. See for yourself in the following chart depicting the Food Price Index from 1990 through 2011:
 www.money.msn.com For starters, you need to understand what the food price index is: “The FAO Food Price Index is a measure of the monthly change in international prices of a basket of food commodities.” Basically, it measures how expensive food is world-wide.
The important thing to note is that this chart is starting to do the same thing that the gas chart is: hockey stick upward. Besides, in just the past year or so (since the end of the chart) the index has added another twenty points. Things are getting more expensive and this is only what they want us to see!
You know how I said it’s going to get worse? Well, it is, and here’s why…
The inherent problem is that crude oil and food production are so intertwined that they cannot be separated. Not only does most food travel 1500-2500 “food miles” to get to your dinner table (yes, you read those numbers right), but the pesticides and fertilizers that big agriculture utilize to grow the food you eat are inexorably dependent on—you guessed it—crude oil.
I must then ask you an obvious question: what happens to the cost of your breakfast, lunch, and dinner when the underlying cost of a barrel of oil tops $200 or more? How about $500?
There’s only one honest answer: the cost of your food skyrockets along with crude oil prices. The outcome is inevitable. Sadly, you’re getting double-dipped, not only because you’re paying for the higher prices in gasoline to transport food to your local stores—as well as every other consumer good you purchase—but in the underlying costs of the pesticides and fertilizers to grow food. Talk about a double-whammy!
But that’s not even the best part. Manufacturer’s getting sneaky too. You know what else they’re doing to our food, especially here in America? I know you know the answer…
Food Packaging is Getting Smaller
to Make Inflation Seem Lower
You see it everywhere you look these days. From lighter bags of potato chips to smaller jars of peanut butter, and even fewer slices of cheese per package to less meat too. It’s happening right before our eyes! Go look in your pantry and refrigerator. I dare you.
Granted, that’s not such a bad thing for our waistlines but I can guarantee you it’s definitely not good for our wallets and long-term prosperity. You and I are paying more and getting less… and it’s only going to get worse.
There’s Much MORE to Prepare for
Than the Coming Hard Times
As much as I would like to say that we only have to prepare for coming hard times, life still happens. More precisely, disasters still happen…
Even Mother Nature is Against Us
Take something as simple as water for example. If there’s ONE thing in life that we tend to take for granted yet rely on the most, it’s undoubtedly water. Here in America we have been blessed with an abundance of water-rich resources. We’ve harnessed it to our benefit for many decades now. We’ve even funneled water to places where none is found naturally and built entire metropolises where none should exist. Yes, we’ve conquered Mother Nature, haven’t we? Well, not quite. The truth is that Mother Nature is ALWAYS in charge. Regrettably, this could be a scene coming to your town very soon:
 www.trendflux.com Don’t believe it?
Do you remember that just last summer (of 2012) we had widespread droughts, record low river levels, and even farmers slaughtering livestock all because of a lack of rainwater! Yes, the tides can turn just that quickly. Needless to say a lack of water only exacerbates food price increases because less food is being grown per acre, but that’s not the point here. The point is that even something so seemingly plentiful as water could disappear without warning. What will you do then?
Let’s look closer to home. In fact, let’s look inside your home…
Did you know that—according to the EPA—the average family of four uses 400 gallons of water per day? Ponder that number. Do you have any idea as to how much water that really is? To put it into perspective the average bathtub holds 42 gallons of water, so let’s just say your family uses on average ten bathtubs worth of water per day. You think, ok, that’s not THAT bad, until…
…until your tap water stops flowing. Maybe it’s because of a drought, a boil water order, or even something as simple as a broken water main. The reason why isn’t that important. The fact that you and I simply cannot survive without water for much more than three days is what’s critical to understand. Take a moment and think about how short three days really is… it can be gone in a flash! You’re accustomed to using 400 gallons per day and just like that you have no access to water. What are you going to do? What will your family do?
Oh, and I didn’t even mention the kicker: water MUST be clean and free of pathogens otherwise you’ll likely contract diseases that are among the most probable causes of death worldwide such as cholera or perhaps you’ll just die of good old fashioned dysentery caused by diarrhea. Really. Diarrhea still happens to be one of the top causes of death worldwide… and all because of a lack of access to clean water. Yes, water is THAT crucial.
Let’s Not Forget the Microscopic
Organisms We Cannot See
Are you aware that we’re due for a major flu pandemic? On average, flu pandemics happen about every 25 years or so (according to flu.gov). Major flu pandemics, more specifically, seem to happen about every 90 years or so with the last one being the Spanish flu of 1918 (which was more than 90 years ago). Here’s a sobering photo from that time:
 www.cbc.ca I’m sure you wouldn’t want to be one of these people. And you definitely wouldn’t want your spouse or children to be one of them. So, what’s the plan for you and your family in a major flu pandemic? Do you have one? Or, are you going to be running around like everything is normal? Perhaps wearing a basic dust mask because the authorities suggest it, still going to work because you NEED the money, your kids still attending school because that’s what everyone else is doing, and buying food at the grocery stores because you have nothing to rely on? I hope not. If you’re smart you would be home riding it out, but not in desperation… in relative comfort.
What about everyone else? You know, the people who stock the grocery store shelves, keep the lights on, the water flowing, and bring gasoline to the filling stations? Will they still be out doing THEIR jobs? Honestly, I can guarantee that’s not going to happen in a true pandemic. And if you naively expect so then please stop reading now. This isn’t for you… either that or you desperately need it. The truth is that people will be scared and, as a result, they will stay home. The difference between you and them is that YOU will be prepared.
Remember That Natural and Even
Man-Made Disasters Cause Havoc Also
A major aspect of being prepared is to be ready for those things that we typically consider natural disasters, including earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, tsunamis, and wildfires to name a few. You only need to consider the vast number of people displaced or otherwise affected by Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy, the earthquakes in Haiti, the Joplin tornado outbreak, and even the Mississippi river floods to recognize how devastating such natural disaster can be. In fact, these are precisely the types of scenarios that I intend to help you prepare for and avoid becoming a “statistic” of.
That said, there’s even more to be concerned about than natural disasters alone. House fires, blackouts, biological and chemical scenarios, terrorist attacks, home invasions, active shooters, and even seemingly far-fetched ideas such as EMP attacks and solar flares are all viable scenarios to concern yourself with. There’s no doubt that life is rife with danger.
Regrettably, news of any impending natural disaster WILL cause store shelves to go bare in a matter of hours:
 www.beforeitsnews.com History has shown this to be true time and again. What would you do if you arrived at your local grocery store and the above scene is what you encountered? You would panic! And, obviously, you would immediately be looking for handouts–maybe even DEMANDING handouts–along with untold others who were ill-prepared as well.
Regrettably, the sad fact is that…
You Cannot Rely on FEMA
or the Government to Save You!
As much as I want to believe in my fellow Americans at FEMA and those in the government—at all levels—to help you and I out when we need them the most, I simply cannot bet my life (or that of my family’s) on their actions or in-actions, and neither should you.
There are examples abound as to how FEMA failed to do what they’re expected to do: to help you when you cannot help yourself. In my opinion, they were never setup to succeed in the first place. Hurricane Katrina and, more recently, Hurricane Sandy should have made this point abundantly clear. And if you haven’t figured it out by now, there is NOBODY that you can trust to save your skin other than you. Please don’t be one of the hundreds of people living in a FEMA shelter like this one (which looks eerily similar to the 1918 Spanish flu photo):
 www.deep.med.miami.edu … with authorities literally telling you:
-
when you may eat
-
what you will eat
-
when you will sleep
-
where you will sleep
-
when you may come and go
-
what you can bring into the shelter
-
waiting in lines for a bathroom
-
and worse
And good luck getting any sleep at night. While you’re at it, pray that you and your family doesn’t get sick (it’s almost inevitable in a crowded place like this) and pray that nothing bad happens to you, your spouse, and your kids because not everyone there is so nice and certainly not happy to be in the same situation as you are. Tensions get raised when confined like this. Everyone is just as desperate as you are or else they wouldn’t be there. I would bet some people are on drugs (or need to be). And I’m sure there a few bullies who would be happy to take your kids last granola bar. A FEMA shelter is no place to be, ever.
You Don’t Have to Live
in a FEMA Camp
Remember how I said at the start that is takes “the supplies to see you through, the gear to get the job done right, and a real plan to make it happen?” Well, it’s true. You do need these things. All of them, in fact.
The Supplies…
Bare grocery store shelves are only the most glaring example as to why you must stockpile supplies to see you through–not only disasters–but hard times as well. Think of all the consumer goods you and your family purchase in a single month, let alone an entire year. Food and beverages are primary examples, but what about other things like gasoline for the cars, medications (both OTC and prescriptions), an assortment of disposable goods (toilet paper, facial tissue, paper towels, napkins, etc), soaps and shampoos, even entertainment in it’s many forms… and I haven’t even touched upon less-frequently purchased items like clothing and shoes. No doubt there are MANY supplies that we rely upon even in a single month that would make life very difficult to do without.
The Gear…
As humans we’re a technologically-driven species; it’s in our nature to use tools and rely upon them for a variety of tasks, never more so than in our modern society. Think about all the ways that technology has touched our lives–and we’re not even considering things like computers, Facebook, or bluetooth–I’m thinking about more mundane actions like flipping on a light switch to illuminate a room, watching the television or listening to the radio for news and entertainment, stepping on a gas pedal to propel a two thousand pound vehicle down the road so you can get your kids to school. These, among many other activites, are all luxuries that we’ve grown accustomed to and rely upon without question.
What would we ever do without them? Freak out, that’s what!
More importantly, your kids, your spouse, and maybe even YOU will begin to panic when the sun has gone down and it’s pitch black inside your house. Maybe you hear what you think is gunfire off in the distance but you can’t turn on the television to find out what’s going on? These are relatively basic modern-day needs that really require a variety of gear to see you through. Equipment like lanterns, flashlights, AM/FM radios, two-way radios, police scanners, and a wide variety of other gear WILL be needed. In fact, this course outlines hundreds of equipment options you may find yourself in dire need of one day.
The Plan…
How many activities and projects have you started but not finished? How many have you thought about but never started? Are you the kind of person that needs direction to get things done? The problem isn’t a lack of enthusiasm, not money, not even a lack of time… it’s the lack of a plan.
You see, when you’re held accountable to a plan you’re far more likely to see it through; that’s just human nature. And, with that in mind, I’ve created a plan to help you see your family’s preparedness planning through to the end.
It’s time to prepare yourself and your family…
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