Slow Breakdown - How will you be hit?

[Scythe13]

This is a more precise look into the ways people see themselves being hit by a slow breakdown.

For myself, because I work in insurance and on a farm, I see one part of my livelihood being hit hard! The travel insurance side of it. If there's an economic collapse, people won't be going on holiday. Simple as that. However, the farm side I see as being ongoing and steady. People have got to eat. So I would be able to transition my hours and workload from one job to another. It might be more manual work, but I love that, and it would pay the bills.

So I see a financial collapse causing issues there. Also, the way a student loan could, potentially, be called in. That would really blow! I would be hit very hard by that, but then again, a rise in interest rates would also hit the mortgage. But thankfully our mortgage is pretty low, and if precious metals go the route I'm expecting, if there is a financial collapse, then I'll be able to smile and pay off the mortgage, as well as the student loans we have. So I do consider ourselves well hedged against that.

Gas prices can do whatever! We don't have gas.

Water prices….well, we have very little water usage, and have ample storage to be able to keep the house supplied at little extra effort. Maybe a few minutes on a converted water pump-static bike combination, to keep the hot water tank topped up.

Electricity prices increasing, now that would be a hit, but only a small one and it will not be as big an effect on us as for a lot of others. Having said that, I'm sure we could cope for a long time without our phones and laptops. We could run just the fridge and the cooker on electric, and we'd be happy. Even without the cooker we have a nice little store of solid fuels to cook on, so that's a major bonus for us.

The major effector for us would be if taxes were to be increased. That would hit us for both fuel, insurance, and general house living expenses. The problem being, that although you can grow your own food, harvest your own water, and reduce the amount of petrol/diesel you use, you cannot grow your own council tax payments or insurance.

Slowing down of food availability will be gradual. So much so, I feel we will have at least a year. I'm seeing very few items not available that we eat, in the supermarkets. The idea of empty shelves is only the beer shelf on Friday evening's.

How do you see a slow collapse effecting you?

[Spandex228]

All I can say mate is I am in a similar situation too yourself, but instead of getting half a percent interest on my ISA, I cashed it in and purchased a transit sized van, its currently full of fire wood and pallets too, make a log store, for the cut logs, I have limited solar power , but enough too supply some lighting and, im also clearing the garden of trees and shrubs too be able to grow more veg , and my mortgage is cleared !!

[Straight Shooter]

SCYTHE13 i am now changing your name to Scenario13 LOL i have to tell you your recent posts have really had an effect on my outlook ( in a good way ) i seem to be thinking lately am i really tooled up (like i like to think i am ) ....all i see is big gaping holes here and there and a forced rethink is due....to add to my frustrations as you all know....i am moving into something i have yet to build....and lack the funds to fulfil the dream until they become available ....that said..... i could fair well under this scenario...no mortgage no debts , with regards to food we could manage with the poly tunnel and greenhouses and the ground ...cooking no problems....electricity would be limited for sure...some small solar and alternator power (at present ) as for money (at present) oh has her pension so if push came to shove i would concentrate all my efforts on food production along with fuel gathering and security issues.....no mobiles no internet, no tele...would not be a problem for us.......i would by means of entertainment for my beautiful wife ...be willing to pole dance on an old rusty scaffold tube in our lounge ....accompanied by Shirley,s HAY BIG SPENDER sung be me of course and completely nude....okay not fucking pretty ! but well worth the trip !

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Well not completely nude........green Wellingtons.....i know....big turn on !

[bigpaul]

in an economic slow down the first things to be affected will be insurance and holidays, the next will be the building trade-it always gets hit hard in a recession or downturn-I speak from personal experience. in an economic downturn I EXPECT the supermarket shelves not to be empty but missing some items, but this will increase as the problem escalates.

[SecretPrepper]

Job wise I think I will be ok but I have a mortgage and a student loan.
We don't use much gas and I am setting up a large water butt collection system
I think we would just cut back on electricity but I do use a pump for my aquaponics so I would have to find a balance

[Scythe13]

Job wise I think I will be ok but I have a mortgage and a student loan.
We don't use much gas and I am setting up a large water butt collection system
I think we would just cut back on electricity but I do use a pump for my aquaponics so I would have to find a balance

Could you pump 12V, battery and solar?

[Sunna]

7/8 years after the economic crash .
nhs still going
no power cuts
no wars
no deaths from hunger or cold
prices did rise then fell again , same with gold .
no matter what happens , folk will need to eat , drink , keep warm , get their roof mended or buy a new set of dishes .

it all boils down to spair cash .... some have some others none a lucky few loads .
but the sunna will still rise each day.

a slow meltdown ....we have all been going through it over the last 7/8 yrs .....how did you fair ...compaired to someone from Iraq or the west bank.

[bigpaul]

yes many people lost their jobs and had to wait 12 weeks or more for their unemployment benefit to come through, have you seen the growth in food banks all over the country, now just imagine neither of those are available, people cant pay their bills cos nobody saves for a rainy day anymore, so no mortgage will be paid, no rents, no gas, electric or water, and all these things get cut off and people get evicted. I think you might just call that WTSHTF.

[Sunna]

so 7ish years ago very large economic meltdown .....how many died.....how many are starving ....how many living without ..gas ..eltrc...water...how many kicked out into the streets .

go and live in the west bank ...if Israel do let it in they don't get it.

hospitals bombed not re built , same with homes , water works power station doctors , almost all means of production , factorys , farms bombed .

they are still alive in their shtf part of the world.

[bigpaul]

tell that to the families they buried a lot of relatives...and still are.

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I saw a report of an 18month old kid being buried only yesterday.