There is a chance that the world could be heading in to a depression, so it seems appropriate to make a list that will come in handy should that eventuate. We all hope that it won’t be the case, but there is no reason at all to not be prepared just in case. Hopefully at least one or two of these tips will be useful to you all.
It is a very good idea to get to know your neighbors well – even in times of a normal economy. Your neighbors can keep an eye on your home while you are away, they can feed the pets, and they can lend you a cup of sugar if you need one! In the event of a depression they can be even more useful – you can create a small community where you can share necessities that one may have and others lack, you can set up patrols (if the situation were so dire as to need it), and you can even have shared meals which can help to keep waste and costs down.
If you have a considerably large amount of money, you will probably want to consider investing some of it in metals – such as gold and silver (though these are already seeing massive price increases). Of course, if you have a fortune you probably already know this, but it doesn’t hurt to remind people. In the event of a collapse of your nation’s currency, you will need a backup – and precious metals have been shown in the past to be an excellent one.
If you regularly take medication, try to stockpile as much as you can. In a depression you may find that you can not afford drugs, or – in a worst case scenario, the drug companies may go under! Additionally, store up bottles of aspirin and other common over-the-counter drugs that we all tend to use from time to time throughout the year. As you use these drugs, be sure to use the ones that are the closest to their expiry date – to prolong the life of the others.
Right now. Begin saving as much money as you can. Cut down on all of your expenses (except debt repayment) and save every penny. If we end up in a depression, you are going to need it. This is also a good time to start thinking about selling any items in your home that you may not need. If it becomes very likely that a depression is going to hit, sell everything non-essential – that means the TV, DVD player, stereos, etc. I would recommend that you keep your computer (preferably a laptop in case you lose your home and need to move around) as it will come in handy when the depression ends.
You should try to get rid of as much debt as you can right now. While you can pay your mortgage now, you may not be able to in a month – and as banks are feeling the pinch, they are not going to tolerate even one missed payment. This can obviously lead very easily to you losing your home. If you think the recession now is painful, try suffering it on the streets! This is a tip to help you cope before the depression hits. If you find yourself in an untenable situation and the depression has already arrived, forget this tip and read the bonus item carefully.
If you own stock, it is now a good time to consider the types of companies that are likely to do well in a depression – these are the companies you should move your stocks in to. The companies most likely to survive and profit are dry food manufacturers, diaper and toilet paper manufacturers, and any company making products that are seen as essential to survive. “Comfort” and “sin” stocks like cigarettes, alcohol, etc. are also stocks that do extremely well during bad times as people rely on them to blot out their suffering.
Some trades are more in demand during a depression than others. For example, a baker, a handyman, or an electrician should be able to find work during the worst economic downturn, but a change control facilitator may not. Invest in some good old fashioned skills now and not only will it help you survive a depression, it may well be a complete career change for you in the future.
Right now you should be hoarding dried and canned foods. Also tablets for purifying water and other nice-to-haves like toilet paper, candles, and batteries. I know this sounds like preparations for a nuclear holocaust, but the effects could be horrifyingly similar. Keep all of your goods in a dry clean area. I would also recommend a book on the basics of cooking, so you can convert your flour to bread and perform other culinary miracles that require nothing processed or pre-packaged. This is a skill that will be invaluable whether we have a depression or not.
If you think you are in a job that is likely to not be needed during a depression, you should consider relocating to an area that has a lot of wildlife and land. If you lose your house, an investment in an RV now (not on credit!) could be your life-saver. You can drive it to a new town, find a private area where you won’t be disturbed, and park up while the depression rides out. Make sure you find an area where you can rely on plentiful fresh water and animals – which brings us to item one…
If things get so bad that people begin to steal off each other, this will come in very handy. You can use it to protect your family and belongings, as well as to kill animals for food. And if you really are in dire straits, you can use it to rob someone else! (Okay – I didn’t mean that – we should all try to help each other out – not kill each other). A gun will be most useful in hunting so be sure to buy one that is practical for shooting birds and larger animals. You will also want to buy a book on how to skin, clean, and prepare wild animals for human consumption.
Okay – this is going to appear very controversial – but this is about surviving a depression; this is a matter of living or dying. If you are about to go bankrupt, are out of work, and see no hope in the foreseeable future of correcting this situation, use your credit cards right to the limit to put yourself in a better position – whether it be buying food, or moving somewhere you might be able to find work. If we really do enter another great depression, you will have to be prepared to do things you would normally not do in order to ensure the survival of your family and yourself. Under any other circumstances, this would be a very very bad thing to do.
looks like this is a jamie list -and i know you're a kiwi- but #1 leaves a bad taste in my mouth as an american.
reason? well, regardless of what is happening in the global economy (and bad things are happening) since the obama election all the right-wingers are rushing to buy guns like it's the end of the world. they're all so terrified that "democrat gun control" is going to rob them of their arsenals that gun sellers have said the sales figures are higher than the reactionary sales for 9.11 or hurricane katrina. that, coupled with the same redneck/closeted racist/open-about-it-racist segment of society constantly muttering "he'll be shot within a month" is *****ing me off.
now i agree that having the knowledge and fire power to shoot and eat game in a post-supermarket world would be a life saver, but the timing of this list is unsettling to me. my cousin just visited her southern baptist (white) farmer inlaws in oklahoma and they basically told her to expect a total failure of all society within ten years because obama was elected, it made me want to puke!
anyway, i still love LV and this is a great survival list, let's hope nobody needs it any time soon.
p.s. you can see a humorous take on the gun-crazy thing on the nov. 13th daily show clip "baracknophobia!"
http://www.thedailyshow.com/
It is not so much Obama as it is years and years of stupid government policies. This country is in real trouble and failure is imminent.
See thats what I have been saying for years. GET A GUN!!! Because even if there is no depression you still need protection. And I'm not saying carry one every where you go but at least have one at home away from children that can be accessed in a emergancy. To put this in perspective the average police response is up to five mins. Thats alot of time for someone to harm your family.
5 mins if you’re lucky. I live in the UK, literally a 5 minute walk from the police station. We had a bit of trouble with our next door neighbour knocking the hell out of his girlfriend. I called the cops, they turned up 20 mins later. The one-way system through town holds them up in a car, but it’s only 5 mins to walk it. Don’t rely on the police to come to your rescue.
A well thought list.
But does it not seem a little far-fetched???
I accept the situation is bad. But getting a gun, stocking up food, getting an RV all prove the insecurity of the western world…
But the list would be of great help, when the situation really does arise.
The younger generation has been raised to get pretty much everything a person wants. Those in poverty get regular free handouts from the government. When interest rates jumps to 10-15% in one day and our unemployment goes to 40 or 50% it is not going to be pretty at all. In fact…it will most likely spell the end of our republic.
i hope the economy won’t get so bad that I might actually find this list really helpful!
still, what a great list!
Good list =) … never suspected #1
lol, pics look funny,, cant guess why they look funny.
, 
But they made me laugh atleast
I think a gun would help just in case things get so bad that my all white neighborhoods explodes into violence haha
it won’t be your neighbors causing problems, it will be the poor people who don’t have anything & they come to take yours!
The picture for hoarding food…are those cans of food? It looks like vintage motor oil cans. But I could be wrong. Good list and yes maxing out your credit cards is controversial and not a good thing to do. But whatever it take…right? Totally agree with #1. For those of us in America you might want to purchase a firearm before Obama is inagurated.
Space-barred guns on the list, g, although I was hoping it related to real depression, not a financial one.
Yikes!
You know, I have always enjoyed reading your comments. The first time I read one it took me the better part of 10 minutes to figure out what you were saying. Now, on the other hand, I think they are very funny and original! I like to scan the comments to try and find one of yours! Keep commenting please!!!
Ducky423: I must confess – it is a photograph of what MY hoard will be – it is a room full of beer cans!!!
Dont see any Lion Red
Lol people will have to start buying guns if I don’t get any money.
I will be like a ravenous dog clawing at your pennies…
Great list
We’ll need it…
OMG, only Americans could come up with a list like this. Buy a gun and move to RV.
Ever heard about working harder, not only eating? In times of great depression, unemployment rate was around 20-30%. Wich means that the best workers kept their job. Others were probably thinking about buying a gun…
No wonder the rest of the world think about You as retards…
The best way to get a country out of depression is to continue to spend responsibly in order to stimulate the economy. If everyone took this advice, decided to stop spending money, live as cheaply as possible, and not do anything productive then it would be the end of society as we know it. How will the depression ride out if we don’t do something to help stimulate trade and economic activity? Keep buying products responsibly, keep using the services of professional tradespeople, keep spending at a balanced and regular pace – these are the ways to stop a depression.
Telling people to max out their credit cards is plain ridiculous too. Perhaps better advice would be to suggest that people with big credit card bills to consider bouncing the balance over to a new card that offers a 0% balance transfer rate for as long as possible. Failing this people should consider getting unsecured loans to pay off credit card bills. Unsecured loans in the UK can still be arranged with an APR of around 7% – this is far better that the 16% – 20% you’ll be paying on a credit card. Plan your finances responsibly, come up with a decent financial plan, set a monthly budget, save money, stop buying things on credit if it can be avoided.
you have a Tagalog (Filipino) advertisement?? “Ikariam”??
Alex #10-Actually the guy that wrote this list is in fact NOT an American. He is from New Zealand.
@10, alex
I don’t even think you understand what a depression is. You can be the best *****ing worker in the world, but if your company goes belly up in a depression you are up ***** creek without a paddle. In the first depression some people with high level college degrees were camping out in hoover-towns. My great grandfather lost his construction business when the depression started, but he barely scrapped by working at fishing docks up in Maine. Once the economy stabled again he started his business backup and made it highly profitable.
Having access to a firearm is always a good idea. Maybe you don’t realize it, but nearly the entire mid west and north western states are forest and rolling plains. Perfect place to hunt, if you know how to, considering that in some places in the mid west the damn deer breed like locusts. You give me a good tent, a durable rifle, plenty of ammo, and some basic camp tools and my family and I could ride out a depression. Not to mention the thousands of heads of cattle some of my family members own up in South Dakota/Montana.
And if you’re from europe then don’t even get me started on “hard work.” Half you western european countries are quasi-socialist ministates. I hope to god our country doesn’t follow europes lead with our new president who has a raging hard on for european style politics.
Oh, and for the record, Alex, this list wasn’t made by an american. If fact, the author is literally on the other side of the world.
@luna1580
People are buying their guns now because two years from their either wont be able to, or the red tape they have to cut through just wont make it worth it. Say what you want about gun ownership, but it is protected by the constitution and those “rednecks” are doing nothing more than excercising their rights that were guaranteed by the founding fathers.
I also think that before Obama’s first term is up an attempt will be made on his life by some nutjob. Now I didn’t vote for Obama, and I dont like him much at all, but I hope to god he isnt murdered. The last thing america needs right now is a dead president. We have enough problems to deal with, lord knows we don’t need riots in every major city with a large black population. I mean *****, look at what happened to Los Angeles when Rodney King was brutalized by the police. Now imagine that x100.
#7: “Cut down on all of your expenses (except debt repayment)”
#6: Get rid of debt
Wrong. Wrong. Double wrong!
It’s a completely stupid idea to increase debt payments before a depression. In a depression, you get inflation. Lots of inflation. Hyper inflation. The thing with inflation is that everything goes up. Price of food, price of fuel, price of energy, price of labour, price of materials. Everything except debt. Debt stays the same. If you remember the Great Depression (hypothetically speaking, because nobody alive then would be on LV, prove me wrong if you can though :p ) the value of money went down, so in order to buy a loaf of bread, you might may 100x or more what you paid previously (especially so in Germany). The benefit of not paying off loans before is that your loan then becomes worth 100x less as well. Pay rates go up (although not as much as inflation) and as a result of the numbers being higher (not value, just numbers) loans are a LOT easier to pay off. The bank can’t adjust your loan for inflation, if you borrowed $10,000 then that’s what you borrowed, if inflation goes mental and suddenly a bottle of milk is $500 and the hourly pay rate is $70, the bank gets ****ed, not you. That’s one reason they justify their relatively high interest rates. So basically a period of hyper inflation is good for your loan to be paid off, not before the inflation sets in. Obviously if your house is at stake, it’s a different matter, a house is a solid asset and you wouldn’t want to lose a solid asset during a time of economic turmoil.
Wow, that is a lot to go through just for depression. I would just take some Cymbalta or something. I also don’t think you should suggest someone with depression to buy a gun! Yeah, just goofing. Really good list.
A list of little practical help in the UK methinks…especially numbers 8, 3 and 2. Stopping spending will only increase an economic downturn/recession – spending, both public and private, is what is needed to reverse a recession. Still, decreasing your debt and learning a useful trade is good in any economic environment, as is getting to know your neighbours.
ScubaSteve – this is for an ECONOMIC depression…not the mental condition
wait…just read the ‘just goofing’ part…nm!!
Well, I don’t think most countries allow people to have guns anyways.
At least in Korea they don’t.
Koreans- I’m sorry that you guys can’t have guns.’they’re pretty awesome. Call me a redneck all you want but my shotgun is my prized possession.
i>if you borrowed $10,000 then that’s what you borrowed, if inflation goes mental and suddenly a bottle of milk is $500 and the hourly pay rate is $70, the bank gets ****ed, not you.
Jono – don’t forget that the small matter of interest-rate changes can apply.
Eg. you borrow your $10,000 @ 10% pa, to repay monthly over 10 years.
Repayment = $132 per mth.
Hike the interest rate to, say, 50%, and the monthly repayment increases to $420 per mth.
This equation is especially evident with credit card debts, whose interest-rates are typically variable.
The exception to the above is where you have a personal loan with a fixed interest-rate, which, in the UK at least, is relatively common. I’m not sure about the US.
In any event, banks are – from long experience – very smart. Always check the small print!
ohh.. great list, but thinking about Depression, bad, bad, bad… i don’t want to experience a Depression..
I call this survival tips. Interesting read. What about those of us who find ourselves in countries where credit cards are not used?
You might want to be careful about using credit cards when it is evident that you are insolvent and would not be able to them back. A bankruptcy court could easily order this debt to survive bankruptcy.
#1 is the best!! how about handgranade…….
this is really a ridiculous list. & not helpful at all. sounds like a child that doesn’t quite know what a depression exactly entails wrote a list of things he’d do.
this is a miss as far as i’m concerned.
if you want a gun “that is practical for shooting birds and larger animals” you probably need two guns.
You shoot birds with shotguns. You shoot large animals with rifles.
I really hope I don’t need to buy a gun and subsist on Korean wildlife…thankfully rumour has it this whole thing will resolve in a year or so, and not blow up into a 1930s “Angela’s Ashes” ordeal for most people.
The guy at number four looks like a giant tool. He’s so out of place in that factory and I can totally see him thinking of “you want my peice of wood? How about this lube?” jokes.
Nice list though. I always wanted permission to run up my credit cards
How does one buy a gun if he/she does not live in America? Especially in my country where the penalty for owning just a single live round can be life imprisonment?
This list was a joke right? Just making sure…
since luna(c) was so quick to crush gun owners and point out the true whack job rascists I suppose someone should point out to her that not all of the guns being bought up are civilization marring rocket launchers, uzis, and anti aircraft weaponry. There handguns and rifles. And maybe its me being a little bit cynical but Im part of that crowd thats making sure I have my guns(whether for protection or for hunting) before the restrictions on them are set in place. If you remember back to the brilliant idea of outlawing alcohol in this country that didnt work out so well did it. If criminals and generally shady people want to get a fully auto rifle or 15 shot handgun clip theyre going to get it. Drug runners and criminals arent going to start packing heat in the form of baseball bats, machetes, and slingshots just because their guns are now considered illegal. so when it comes down to it I would rather have the ability to defend myself and fight fire with fire rather than run to the police and hope they catch that mean man who just stole my wallet.
And just because I like my guns doesnt make me a “redneck” who hates black people. Im from a suburb of Toledo, OH. Trust me its far from southern baptist farmer, in-law country. But I do like to hunt and I would like to protect my wife and 2 sons. When an intruder smashes my back window and comes in in the middle of the night I would like it to be a fair fight. And dont tell me about odds or chances because it only takes once and when you win the unlucky lottery I know I would like to be prepared. Its probably hard for you to see that,though, with your “guns are bad” blinders on.
BTW I did vote for McCain. Does that mean I think Obama is going to fall flat on his face and destroy this country? No, not at all. Im going to suck it up and stand by the president until he gives me a reason not to. I didnt like some of his policies that’s all. And to be honest with you I think there are some crazy ass irrational rascists out there who wouldnt mind if someone made an attempt on his life. And god forbid if that time comes I dont think the assassin is going to be wielding a hatchet or bazooka he’s going to be using one of the recently outlawed guns.
There’s a reason felons cant own guns. They lost that right when they broke the law. Why should I lose that right? I never broke the law. All Im saying Miss Luna is dont punish me because some jackass decided to break the law.
Guns Dont Kill People. People Kill People. Lock Them Up, Not The Guns.
wow…intense
@badlist: Well said.
Re: Badlist
Seriously, how many times does someone break into your house while you’re asleep and murder your children. Can’t say it happens to me very often. A thief is more likely to break in while you’re out of the house, and that gun you keep next to the kid’s room is a good target to steal. Where do you think the bad guy’s stolen guns come from?
If you’re that worried, buy a dog you redneck.
Buy a freakin Gun jeezz what is wrong with you people. Its just an economic downturn, its not like the Zombies are battering down your door. I understand that Americans are fond of their money but for christsake buy a gun, get a hold of yourselves. Guns don’t kill people morons do.
Lark- insert tongue in cheek.
*****..buy why not buy something better than a gun..dickhead
this is stupid!
we are only scaring people! buy a gun???!!!
this is so wrong!!!!
flgh said:
“Especially in my country where the penalty for owning just a single live round can be life imprisonment?”
A country exists on the planet Earth where this statement is true? Please elaborate…..
How f’in stupid. I work for Americans, clearly this list was done by stupid Americans.
Your bonus item is a big reason why a depression may occur in the first place. Two main reasons for the declining economy are that people are buying houses that are too expensive for their income range, and that people are racking up debt by making unneeded purchases using credit cards. It is a very similar situation to the depression of the 1930′s in which people bought stocks on margin despite the fact that they couldn’t afford them.
wouldn’t saving all your money help lead us into a depression? people need to spend money and keep the economy moving.
I agree with you, Sam. Fear is what is going to lead to a depression. We can’t be afraid of a depression and start selling our stocks, because then the economy will continue to decline. I think that instead of bailing out the major corporations that are struggling, the United States government should send out stimulus checks to every citizens so that the ecomony can improve from the bottom up.
I also disagree with the “buy a gun” thing. I’m sure a gun is useful for hunting, but the people talking about defending their families forget that they’re not living in an action movie. The chances of someone breaking into your house and giving you the chance to pull a gun on them are very slim. I have never met a single person who defended themselves this way. On the other hand, I have known personally, or known the families of, nine people who have committed suicide by way of a gun. Seven of these people were teenage boys who took the gun from their parents. Their parents bought it to protect them, and the only use they ever got out of it was the death of their kid.
Also, enough with the American bashing. We get it, you don’t like Americans, they’re arrogant and stupid. Perhaps, though, before you launch into a tirade about the ignorance of Americans, you should check to see if the “ignorance” you are witnessing is even written by an American. In this case it is not. In fact, I see America bashing of non American blogs so often, I’m starting to wonder if it’s more along the lines of the “shopped” joke. I shouldn’t get my hopes up, though. Seriously, how ironic is it to blindly hate the entire contents of a single country because some of them are ignorant?
#2… if preparing for a “Depression” involves spending $100K or more on a moving house like the one pictured… well, it can’t be much of a Depression, can it?
49. Hillery
It’s a shame that you’ve been personally involved with not just one, but NINE tragedies like that. That’s a shame for everyone involved, especially the families.
However, you make it seem like these boys committed suicide BECAUSE their parents had a gun in the house. When someone is in such a mental state that they want to commit suicide, then they’re going to find a way to do it, gun or no gun.
lighten up you lot
Ok, so i’ll begin with this: i’m french, and i don’t want to get abused for what i’m going to say because we’re supposed not to like americans (for those who think we do, i suggest you stop watching foxnews).
Anyway, i read a few comments and got quite appalled! Jeez, why do you all rely on guns so much? Do you really think someone is going to break into your house anytime soon? And don’t you think that violence might come from the fact that so many people cary a weapon? Why do you live with so much fear about being mugged, violented, etc…
And I will add that carrying a weapon during this kind of crisis might not be the best idea at all: you’ll get into a never ending circle of violence once someone starts using his/her.
All the best to everyone
Chichikov, first of all, you can use one gun for hunting both animals and birds. A shotgun can come with a rifled barrel suitable for animals when outfitted for slugs, though admittadly it is generally reserved for large game like bear and deer.
Without #1, you are risking your ability to protect 9,8,7, 3,& 2 if neccesary, not to mention the food resources it would help you obtain.
When did owning a gun automatically make you a redneck? I know several white collar people who work in skyscrapers who enjoy hunting and gun ownership, some making 7 figures with MBAs and law degrees. Also, many consider shooting a gentlemen’s sport – just ask the wealthy in Great britian and other countries. Hardly rednecks, don’t you agree?
For all you non-Americans (as well as those Liberal Americans), the right to gun ownership is ingrained in our Constitution, as well as the country’s psyche. Also, hunting plays an important part in control of certain animals, as the alternative is generally population explosions followed by large starvations.Study ecology and you will find that every healthy environment needs a top predator, and in virtually all cases, this has become man. What is more humane for an animal, starvation or a quick death by bullet or shotgun shot? Also, lack of hunting can lead to dangerous interactions with humans, be it car/animal collisions, attacks, etc. In cities where hunting has been prohibited here in Wisconsin, for example, the deer poulations are actually higher per mile than in areas where hunting is allowed, and there are higher rates of deer/car accidents. Often these communities pay sharpshooters to come in to hunt the deer, at literally thousands of dollars a deer. Is this supposed to be extended to all areas? This would be neccessary if guns of all kinds were outlawed. I know this is a nonissue in most of Europe since centuries of killing and dense populations throughout have removed virtually all large wild beasts of from the countryside. Here in the US, we pride ourselves on managing our animals through humane population control. In other words, killing them as quickly and painlessly as possible.
Two final points: Since a person already committing illegal acts has no reason to worry about commiting another crime (possesion of a firearm), why wouldn’t criminals keep their weapons while law abiding citizens gave theirs up? The last thing a criminal wants is an even fight while commiting a crime, so their possession of a gun when it is improbable that their victim has one would only encourage them to commit more criminal acts. Finally, most guns here in the states are not obtained through theft; most are obtained through illegal purchases known as “straw purchases” where a legal buyer buys it new and immediately sells it to a criminal, or through private legal transactions between citizens of used guns where the seller is unaware of the buyer’s intentions (or doesn’t care). Outlawing them would just mean they would be smuggled in, giving criminal enterprises the profits rather than companies and their shareholders. Think the prohibition with guns instead of booze. In case you didn’t know, this is how the Kennedy’s made their fortune…
Canadian Dan: Again, this list was written by a Kiwi, not an American. Damn, you are more stupid and lazy than Alex; he was the first to say it and you were just too much of an idiot to actually look at the previous comments.
18. Jono: I can. Anon, who lists here frequently, has revealed his age to be 72.
For those opposed to guns, as am I in this current time, they can actually be quite handy when things get very dire. Should you have the suggested stockpile of food, are you going to just let someone walk in, take your supply, and be chipper as your family STARVES? How about if you do live in an RV, near the woods: you now have something to hunt with. It really comes down to how desperate the depression is. Hopefully we will never see one so bad that people kill each other over food and shelter, but JFrater wrote the list with that probability in mind.
list was not written by an American. America is not only not the only country this site is accessible in, it is also not the only country @ threat of economic troubles. there’s a reason why its called ‘a global economy’.
as a Texan..wish folks would stop w/ the America bashing or assuming every list or comment on this site is American. its the internet for chrissakes…the freaking world reads LV, k? geesh.
generally..i think any prudent person anywhere would be already preparing for more econonmic troubles. i do think things have changed across the globe in terms of becoming more realistic about how we should spend money. the party is over folks! time to pay the band. way too much excess for way too long.
as for guns..hell, i’m in Texas so not only is gun ownership not an issue ..if i could afford one, i’d have one!
“Guns Dont Kill People. People Kill People. Lock Them Up, Not The Guns.”
Funny then, how in countries where fewest people own guns, fewest people get killed by guns, eh?
So logically, ever household and every law-abiding, responsible adult citizen in the USA needs, and should have, an efficient firearm to protect themselves and their family, if they have one. It is also their right. That’s how it reads. How many guns might that amount to, allowing for the odd multiple ownership?
Pardon my non-US doubt, but under that circumstance, might not a whole ton more of people get killed in error and even by the design of opportunity than if a really massive effort was made to eliminate and control firearms altogether, as far as possible?
And of course, let’s be quite clear that guns are ‘locked up’ BEFORE anybody gets killed. You can only lock up a person AFTER they have killed (with a gun). Rather cold comfort for the dead person.
Apropos, I enjoyed the *gun-happy* Marge Simpson episode.
51. Phillies
Certainly it is not the only way to commit suicide, but I do feel the immediacy and efficiency of gun death is tempting people who might otherwise not go through with suicide. For the people I have known, I won’t say I wasn’t shocked for every one of them, but some where more shocking than others. There were a couple I believe would have found a way, but for many of them, it was after the heat of an argument or a breakup- something that could have been resolved if they had taken more time. I am not completely against owning a gun, but if depression runs in your family, I wouldn’t take any chances. Even among inevitable suicides, it is an exceptionally upsetting way to find your own son (or husband,or best friend).
It’s not going to get as bad as a depression, but you can count on a deep and long recession.
Many of the suggestions above are good, while a few are pretty wacky.
My husband and I play by a set of very firm rules, which keep us financially sound at all times:
1 – We pay cash for everything. I mean everything. If we want to go on vacation, we simply save up enough money to pay for it before hand.
2 – We don’t eat out as a rule. In the last year, I can think of 3 occasions on which we dined out. This rule includes stopping off at a Starbucks for coffee, we can make coffee at home.
3 – We use utilities wisely. This is just common sense. Turn off lights when you leave the room. Same for the TV. Take short showers, etc.
4 – We make our own household cleaners. A bottle of ammonia, mixed with water, makes gallons and gallons of glass and surface cleaner. Bleach and water make a great mildew cleaner, better, faster and cheaper than anything you can buy.
5 – We do stock up on non-perishables, but not to the extent in the photo. I can easily make either a yeast or non-yeast bread. Rice is always at hand. Dried beans and peas are also in abundance for soups.
Like I said, just common sense stuff. No debt, money in the bank and in stocks, no debt, and a stockpile of food.
Onwisconsn, if i get you right, you’re saying that legalizing weapons is a way of controlling their selling? But, unfortunately, illegal weapons have been sold everywhere, whatever the time. We have bank- robberies wiyh men carrying guns in france all right, but still, far less people being killed by their use. i still believe that this is not the right solution. As for the american psychee, i am well aware of that (i graduated in american history, amongst other, so i know your history rather well), but that is not reason for it to keep going on. Not much more than a century ago, samurai were still carrying their katana in the street. As for who carry a weapon, be it an american, a kiwi, an aussie, etc… the result is the same everywhere, i think.
And hunting is all very well, but what about reintroducing natural predators?