Moving Toward More Self Sufficiency

          

Modern cars often have plastic bumpers which not only damage easily, but take some skill to repair. (Image: http://www.123rf.com/photo_19237889_red-crossover-car-with-blank-number-plate.html )

  As we head toward the Holiday Season, Christmas and then New Year's Day, there is a lot of uncertainty in our country and in the world.  The way in which the United States is spending and borrowing money is not sustainable, and sooner or later, our nation will reach a point where it can no longer pay its bills or service its debts.  A collapse is coming and possibly soon.  Many expert economists believe that a collapse is coming, but they don't agree on what a financial collapse might look like in the United States. Many talk about an inflationary spiral where people may spent a hundred dollars for a loaf of bread, a la the Weimar Republic, but others who are equally as gifted and as credible foresee a time where houses that were worth $600,000 US dollars, are now worth $30,000.  Some economists feel that if no one has any money, and food must sell rather than spoil, then prices must also collapse to keep commerce going. (As it did in much of Russia in the early 1990s following the Soviet collapse. )    I have no idea what the future holds economically.  I know only that too much debt and too much spending plays out as negatively with governments as it does for a family.  Eventually there is a rock bottom moment and this can be devastating.
     
    My one objective now, in terms of family preparation is to become more generally self sufficient in the new year.  We have gathered parts for oil changes, timing belts, air filters, oil, and items which are replaced as normal maintenance for our vehicles. A couple of our family members gathered skills in car repair and maintenance, particularly for diesel cars and trucks, for our "own fleet".  We set up one garage bay as a place to repair our cars and had it properly electrified this year for the equipment that would most often be used there.  We have planted more fruit and food this year, despite the fact that it was too wet a season to be terribly successful.  We donated and cleaned out a percentage of our storage to make room for items which have a longer shelf life and better long term storage potential.   I gathered a second set of emergency medical supplies should we need to leave one kit one place and have another elsewhere.  Of course, there is still much to do.  Preparedness is a very active sport. Unfortunately, you can't gather and forget.   We need to gather, and then check through, stay familiar and then use from the kit and replace stock regularly.
        
   Some time ago, my eldest son, before the lightning strike injury which has limited him, and caused him to lose about fifty pounds,  made a video at the request of a friend whose bumper he repaired.  Again, my son is a degreed professional sculptor and not a car body man or a mechanic.  Still, my son has repaired a number of  car bumpers using this technique and so it may help to move some of the families here, toward more automotive self sufficiency.   In rural America, you not only need to avoid running into deer, but you need to avoid their running directly into your car and doing great damage.  Minor damage and some, not so minor damage has been repaired using this method saving families a lot of money at the body shop.


Veraseri Designs                                                     Welding Plastic on Your Car Bumper