Prepare: Quick note on silver prices

See the Junk Silver Blog Here.

Silver prices are way down today. Don't ask me why.

Now is a good time to stop off at the coin or gold/silver store and pick up a roll of pre-1965 dimes or quarters.

Dealers sell junk silver at "spot prices" plus a premium. So when the price is down, you pay less for junk silver than when it was higher. No brainer.

I would get either two rolls of pre-1965 silver dimes or one roll of quarters if you can swing it. It should not set you back very much and might come in handy in a few weeks or whenever.

Remember, I am not an investment expert and this blog is not either. Unless you consider junk silver, stored foods, or emergency supplies a good investment. I do!

See the Junk Silver Blog Here.

SHTF: Emergency Supply List

Financial markets are heating up and there is no end in site. Couple that with gasoline shortages in the Southeast, tensions in the MidEast, crazy dictators on every corner and a nuclear weapon in every home and you got trouble.

Here is your Emergency Supply List for Now

Food -
Go get lots of staples like sugar, flour, powdered milk, corn meal, crisco, cooking oil, baby formula, canned meat, vegetables, fruit, oatmeal, peanut butter, and honey.

Water -
Buy some water storage containers, the bigger the better and fill at home. Get a good water filter system and replacement filters. Plan a water catchment system for rain water. Get a water well if possible.

Garden -
Go get a variety of seeds for this winter and next spring. Get hand tools and fertilizer. Start a compost heap. Lay out garden space wherever possible on your property. Get large containers for the patio.

Security -
Secure your home with good locks on doors and windows. Measure and purchase wood to board up windows and vulnerable exterior areas. Decide what type of defensive weapon you would be willing to use and obtain what is necessary. Park your cars in the garage or make sure they are secure and out of sight at all times.

Communication -
Get a good AM/FM/shortwave battery powered radio. Get simple walky talkies for each member of the family. Create a communications system for family members with code words for emergency situations.

Medical -
Get a list of prescriptions (including eyeglasses) and get extras. Stock up on aspirin, cold formulas, pain relief, baby medicines, feminine products, soap, alcohol, razors, antibacterial hand gel and bandages of all sizes.

Finances -
Make sure bills are paid and money is available in the bank and in cash at home. Have a credit card available for last minute purchases. Invest in junk silver coins for a post-dollar world.

Work -
Brush up on any skills someone would want and pay for. Like automotive, handyman, electrical, nursing or plumbing work. Be ready to grow food, sew clothes, protect property and lives.

Stay focused, faithful and charitable. Consider the fall of the Roman Empire, the Dark Ages, the Great Depression, wars, famine and revolt. Man survived, adapted and thrived after every one of these events. You will too.

SHTF: "I am coming to your house!"

You cut back on expenses, clip coupons, make lists, budget, plan and carefully put aside emergency supplies for your family (and maybe a few others) to last a year or so if and when things get bad.

While at work one day, you find yourself in a discussion with a co-worker about the economy or maybe recent world problems. Your friend remarks that preparing for an end of the world scenario is hopeless to which you counter, "Oh no. I have been putting aside food and water for my family for some time. It is not that hard to do..".

Before you know it, you hear those horrible words from the grinning co-worker, "Well, if things get bad, I am coming to your house!".

Great. Expect locusts for house guests the day after.

Where do these people come from? Why do they think they will be welcome, empty handed and wanting anywhere? Why did you open your big fat mouth?

Forget about the arguments about entitlement mentality or the laziness of the herd, if you don't want visitors, bring in the welcome mat.

First, shut up. Being blunt here, but nobody is going to show up with hand out (or gun drawn) if they don't know what preparedness supplies you have. Quit advertising what a great "prepper" you are and how many cases of beef stew you have put back in the basement, etc.

The problem with many preppers is they crave the attention and the approval of the crowd and can't wait to open their yaps and pontificate about their water well, dried food supply, canners, wood stove, grain mills and solar panels. In doing so, they essentially advertise the End of the World Holiday Inn is accepting reservations when the balloon goes up, come one and all.

So keep your mouth shut about what your plans are and the specifics therein.

Keep the emergency food and supplies hidden and out of sight. Nothing says "Come on over!" like a stack of Mountain House foods in plain view for all to see or a pantry floor covered in white buckets marked "Beans", "Rice" and "Wheat".

If someone questions the wheat grinder or dehydrator on the kitchen counter, just shrug and say "Why? Don't you have one?" and make the questioner feel stupid for asking.

Stop coming up with the elaborate stories and tales preppers come up with like "Oh, that stack of number 10 cans of textured vegetable protein? Oh, um, um, we are going on a church mission to open a vegetarian cafeteria in another country. Yeah that's it!" or
"All those bags of flour and sugar? We make cookies and cakes for the holidays. Would you like to order something?" (what do you do when they then ask for a dozen pies, Einstein?).

Ridiculous. Keep your stuff hidden. And if someone comes across a case of MRE's in the house or back of your car, just say. "Man, I gotta clean this place up. I don't know why I still have this junk..". and leave it at that.

Finally, practice saying the magic word - "No".

"No, I have no food or gasoline or a gun to spare for you. Run along and don't come back".

That's it, end of discussion. Otherwise, start working harder and buying more stuff for the deadbeats you will be directly supporting the day after.

SHTF: End of the world and prepare

That should get your Friday attention.

Friday shorties..

Work -
Be sure to fill up today and keep your tank above three quarters full. There are gasoline shortages all over the Southeast U.S. That means they will start diverting gasoline from other places to avoid further unrest in SC, NC, and GA.

Be sure to pick up extra groceries this weekend. My suggestion is to take a look at my Survival Foods on a Budget post this week for some cheap suggestions.

Fill up water containers too.

Defense -
There have been reports of "runs on guns" at several locations around the U.S. Make your own call here. But projectiles are as necessary as launchers. Shop wisely. Bricks make fine gifts.

Fiction -
Jerry D has a couple of new stories this week on TPASS. Both are fine page turners.

Fun -
Can you spot the survivalist? Look for the guy wearing a photographers vest with bulging pockets and a fanny pack pontificating about "fiat currency" and bragging about how much stored gas he has.

Clue - preparedness is about being prepared for your immediate loved ones and KEEPING A LOW PROFILE. Ditch the photog vest and fanny pack - nothing screams "Mug me when the poop hits the fan!" (or dork) more than accessories like these. Further, shut your yap.

Enjoy the weekend!

SHTF: Survival Foods on a budget

Remember the TV show "Jericho"? If you recall, the story centered around a sudden nuclear attack on the United States which left the country fractured and disorganized. Food shipments stop and within a few months the town is existing on rice rations and trying to grow turnips and carrots in their backyards.

I don't ever want to be in that sort of jam and for several years have been into preparedness. Most of my preparedness plans however, have centered around food - where to get it, how much on hand, etc.

With those two things in mind, there are several types of "preppers". Most can be broken down into one of two groups: Those who have been doing it for years and those who are new. The newcomer camp is getting stronger because of the recent financial news, gasoline shortages and hurricanes.

If you are a new prepper and found this site while searching the internet and just received your golden parachute payment from AIG, Lehman Brothers or Bear Stearns, please go to either the Ultimate Family Preparedness Pak link above or the Mountain House link on the right and get a year or more supply of food.

If you are a new prepper and recently watched your net worth drop to pocket change but still want to build a supply of survival foods for the coming months and years, I can help you there.

When building your survival pantry, you must remember the goal; do not starve. Often, newcomers get caught up in the "eat what you normally do" philosophy and quickly realize they don't have the money or space for several cases of Slimfast, Stouffers frozen dinners or McDonald's (or 365 lattes from Starbucks) nor to mention the means of keeping such fare fresh and edible.

Rather, plan on building a "just in case, budget survival food system for the end of the world".

Welcome to the Frugal End of the World Restaurant. Here are the specials...


Oatmeal -




Healthy and filling, oatmeal is cheap and easy to make. Go to the grocery store or better yet, warehouse club and purchase 10 or more big containers of instant oats. No, not the little packets, but the big 3 Minute Oat canisters.

You will be eating a cup of this a day. It is easy to make and can make itself by adding boiling water and leaving in a thermos or closed pot for 15 minutes. You will need one cup of water for each bowl of oatmeal, so store an equivalent amount of water now. Water comes from the tap in your home or apartment and is less expensive than the bottled stuff. Put water in large sealed container and it will last a long time.

Price: Large containers with multiple servings = less than $5.00

Ramen Noodles -



Ramen Noodles are the cheapest food known to man. Exaggeration, but nearly true. They sell Ramen by the case, but individual packets are usually .10 or .15 each. My warehouse store sells a case of 40 or 50 packets for less than 7 bucks each. Buy as many cases as possible and stick them under the bed.

Another cup of water should be stored for each packet purchased.

Price: Case of 24 to 72 from different retailers = less than $5.00

Vitamins -
A good multi vitamin to replace nutrients missed due to lack of variety and fresh foods. Buy a generic rather than a One-A-Day type product. Get at least 500 tablets, more if you can afford them.

Price: Large bottle of generic vitamins = $10.00 or less

Tea -
Coffee is too expensive and sodas won't keep long. Your body will want caffeine once you drop the daily Starbucks habit post-TEOTWAWKI. Tea bags are cheap, cheap, cheap, especially the store brands. Get a few hundred and add to your stores.

Water again, one cup per tea bag.

Price: 100 count box of generic tea bags at my local market = $2.99

Bisquick -



You may prefer another type of product, but I like Bisquick for preparing easy pancakes and biscuits. Bread is a comfort food and people like it.

Many Bisquick recipes call for milk or eggs. Let me tell you from my poor lifestyle past experience, you can get by with water in many cases and it works.

Bisquick comes in really big boxes at warehouse stores they sell to organizations which host pancake breakfasts and what not. You can generally get a big box for less that $5.00.

Price - Big box with multiple servings = $5.00

Rice -
Rice has gone up in price, but has stabilized lately and is readily available again. Start with a 25 or 50 lb bag and build a supply from there. Put it in a bucket with lid to keep the bugs and water out.

Again, cup water for each cup (actually two, but you get my drift).

50 lb bag at warehouse store - $20.00

Extras -
Buy some large bags of generic sugar, flour, and salt. Garlic powder and pepper are nice to have as well.

Extras - $2.99 - 11.99 per bag.

That's it.

What about protein? Guess what? In a survival situation, you can survive without it. For the big meat eaters out there, it will take some getting used to, but if you are man enough for the new world, you will deal with it.

(If you really are a baby, buy a case of Vienna sausages or Spam. Treat yourself to a can once a week for Sunday dinner. Odds are you will gobble the whole case down the first week so this is a moot point).

What about variety? There won't be much, but for a couple of hundred dollars, you can easily put together a 1-3 month food supply. And with the food suggestions above, you can estimate how much water will be needed and start storing that as well (it is found in the tap in the kitchen, again).

Budget a hundred dollars this month and next (that's 22 Starbucks visits) and you can build a fast supply of foods which incidentally, will last for several months if not longer.

Repackage most of the above products in water proof buckets and store under the bed or back of closet.

When the poop hits the fan and your cupboards are running bare, you have a supply of food that most of your neighbors will be envious of. (Might want to take some of those food savings and make a tangible investment with Remington, Winchester or Ruger).

Junk silver quarters on Ebay

Read the Junk Silver Blog here.

Ebay is like having a permanent garage sale extraordinare going on next door. You can literally find anything there including some things you would rather not know about.

I check Ebay regularly for junk silver (pre 1965 U.S. silver quarters, dimes and halves which are 90% silver). Sometimes you can find a coin dealer selling a good lot and other times the sellers have product descriptions that sound like something from a comic book. Remember those stamp ads in the back of comic books?

"Over 300 stamps. Some triangles! All from exotic countries! Some could be very valuable and all 300 for only .25 + shipping and handling!".



When I am looking for junk silver quarters on Ebay , I am more likely to bid on a small lot, say one roll then a large batch of 200, or 300 quarters. Why?

First is cost. I can afford a roll of dimes or quarters from my budgeted spending money. A $500.00 or higher investment is more than I can part with on a whim these days.

Also, I feel safer buying a small amount from a seller until I have a level of trust with them.

One more thing. Despite the contractions of the U.S. economy, don't feel compelled to liquidate your savings and pour it into junk silver coins or gold buillion (unless you really want to). Buy cautiously and remember, "buyer beware".

I would hate to receive a roll of slugs from an Ebay deal gone bad.

Read the Junk Silver Blog here.

SHTF: Banking meltdown - What to do?

So many of the investment banks and financial companies are melting down. Many of us saw it coming years ago and stopped putting money into overpriced, venture capitalist run, non-producing companies years ago.

So what does a pre-apocalypse investor do with their savings, investments and carefully hoarded pennies do?

Disclaimer: I am not an investment adviser or professional. If you routinely take financial found on a blog, you should really turn over control of the purse to someone else.

What do I do with my money?

I like cash.
I pay for almost all of my every day expenses, (groceries, gas, etc) with cash.

I like precious metals. Nope, I am not an obsessed gold bug or silver bug, rather, I like having a cash equivalent denomination I can spend literally anywhere in the world. Drop a hat and I can cash in a roll of pre-1965 silver U.S. quarters at a jewelry or coin store and instantly have cash to pay bills with.

I like tangibles. I like having my house paid for. I like having a full pantry, a full gas tank and a working garden out the back door. I would rather have something real I can eat or consume right now then a something I hope will be around in the next 20 years.

It works for me. You do what works for you and yours. But let me say this. Having worked in business my entire adult life, there is a glut of dishonest people who have wormed thier way into the business world whose only skill is the ability to appraise and gut a perfectly good company in an astonishing amount of time.

Consider working for yourself if possible. At least you will like your boss.

SHTF: My end of the world grocery list - Pt. 2

I posted my end of the world, pre-TEOTWAWKI grocery list the other day and left off some key products. Read the original here...

I went grocery shopping over the weekend and saw all the things I left off the list that should be included. Yes, having a UHaul in the parking lot to load everything for an emergency would be helpful.

"Do you really have enough food stocked when the SHTF?"

So, part two of the "End of the World Grocery List for Emergency Supplies and Survival Food Storage".

- Oatmeal
- Peanut butter
- Dried fruit.
- Granola and other long lasting cereal (forget the Cap'n Crunch).
- Nuts, canned are best.
- Feminine products (for you, for the females in the household or for trade).
- Chocolate and honey.
- Laundry detergent
- Rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide.
- Trash bags.

Also, why get canned soups rather than canned meat or vegetables first? Because canned soups can be served over rice and makes a filling complete meal. Canned meat by itself is.. well a can of meat.

Good luck,

Junk silver alert! Silver prices are up, up up!!

Spot silver is up $1.51 today (Wednesday). Good news for the silver bugs out there. Better if you have already made your junk silver (pre-1965 U.S. minted quarters, dimes and halves) purchases in the past two weeks while prices were down.

Cause? Market is down due to investment/banking company problems. I venture to guess that most of those jumping in the silver market are a) doing so temporarily because of the market and b) are buying paper silver (certificates) rather than actual metal.

Get some pre-1964 dimes or quarters today and enjoy a solid tangible investment. I have a feeling silver will continue to go up this week.

Hey, disclaimer - I am not an investment adviser nor do I market or trade in precious metals. PSA Off.

72 hour emergency kits

You often hear about having a 72 hour kit, three day kit, bug out bag, get out of dodge bag, etc.

Basically, the idea is to have a three day supply of stuff packed and ready to go should need to move quick.

First, I think a 72 hour emergency kits for the home are nice, but really a waste of time. Unless you are expecting an alien invasion a la "War of the Worlds" or a "Red Dawn" scenario, grabbing a bag and running out the door is a "most likely not going to happen scenario" in my survival book.

Too many writers and experts make a big deal about having the right bag and correct contents to survive for 72 hours.

However, for the car, office, school and other off site locations, a 72 hour emergency kit is mandatory. You never know where you will be when the SHTF and when it does happen, you can bet you will not have everything you need. But try anyway.

First, you need a bag. Some experts describe the contents of their 72 hour bag and when combined, lead me to believe that they will be carrying a sack like Santa Clause as they claw their way away from Armageddon.

Consider instead a bag you have already and are familiar with. Be it a backpack, duffel or suitcase. I would recommend that you have one which can go over one shoulder, on back is better, which allows hand free access when moving.

Make sure the bag is water proof and can close completely.

Outside pockets are nice for objects needed quickly.

Contents of the 72 hour emergency kit should include the following:

Water - a quart a day is minimum so plan on 3 quarts basic and extra. Use a Camelback hydration system, carry an extra water bladder type container in the bag and have at least two belt type canteens as well.

I keep water (12 pack .5 liter) in my office desk and another 12 pack in my car. If there is time and I am at the office, I will fill up with cold water from the break room at work.

Water purification tablets. A small bottle of bleach is helpful too, but make sure it is in a tightly close container!




When your water supply runs low, have your purification tablets and a high quality water filter system.




Food - Sure, you can go for days without food, but I would rather have it than not. If you are not a hiker or camper, than you really have no idea how much food your body will need. Believe me, you will need more than less, especially if you are on foot.

(Which brings up another thing to consider for your 72 hour kit, will you be on foot or driving (or boat, plane, etc)? I pack for foot travel which means I have to plan accordingly weight wise. Do the same and you will not find yourself standing next to a dead vehicle trying to tote out 200 lbs. of stuff).

The gurus tell you to pack three days worth of Meals Ready to Eat (MRE), military grade food packages. If you have never humped and dumped this type of grub, I suggest you try some before you put them in your 72 hour bag.

In the meantime, pack some foods you may have eaten already but which are low in weight:
- Ramen Noodles - Calories, fat and lots of sodium. Weigh nothing and cost even less which means you won't mind throwing them away or eating them once every six months when cleaning out your 72 hour bag).
- Tuna and Spam in a packet. Both of these products come in heavy cans, but also come in single serving, long lasting foil packets.
- Protein bars.
- Instant oatmeal, grits and soup in packets.
- Instant coffee, tea, coco packets.
- Hormel single serve non-refrigerated meals.

Each of these items weighs very little and takes up small amounts of space. I would repackage all of them in one or two gallon ziplock bags to keep things dry.

For a back up you can consider MRE as mentioned above or other similar food products like these.




Plan on bringing along some plastic wear (fork, spoons, etc) in a small ziplock bag as well as some sort of metal cup to heat water inside of.

Shelter - It would be great to bring along a travel trailer, but reality dictates if traveling on foot, you only have what is in your 72 hour bag. Get the lightest tent possible which will fit in your bag.




Two things to remember: Any shelter is better than none and weight counts for everything.

I would also bring along a light weight tarp available from most big box retailers. It can be used as a temporary shelter, ground cloth or for water collection.

Lighting - Have multiple options. LED flashlight in pocket or on key chain. Head lamp in bag. Flashlight in outside pocket of bag. Lightweight lantern for camp. I prefer battery power for all lighting and avoid camp fuels when possible.







Heating, warmth - for warmth, pack an extra pair of clothes, a lightweight jacket, gloves, knit cap, long underwear and something to cover your face from the wind. You can build a fire so bring matches or better, a number of butane lighters (at least three). As I mentioned, I am not a proponent of hauling camp stoves. Bring along on can or two of Sterno (sealed) instead.

Pack an extra pair of shoes and socks in your 72 hour emergency bag. I stick an older pair of sneakers in my car bag, but also have a pair of good quality walking shoes in my main bag. If I am at work, I am going to want to take off loafers or other dress shoe and replace immediately.

First aid - I cannot stress enough how important it is to have first aid supplies in your bag. The most common ailments are going to be internal (headache, diarrhea, upset stomach, etc) so pack accordingly. External problems will be cuts, bites (bugs) and bruises. Bring along band aids, but also a topical antiseptic as well for disinfecting wounds.

Head covering - winter or summer, keep you head covering. Also bring along sunglasses.

Protection - let's start with the easy and work our way up.
- N95 masks - as many as you can comfortably carry.
- Goggles of some sort.
- Nitrile gloves.
- Hand sanitizer.
- Knife, folding.
- Firearm/ammo - optional if you are afraid of them or local laws prohibit their ownership, carry or operation in nearly every situation. If you do wish to have a firearm, * go light *. Get a .22 pistol or collapsible AR-7 type rifle and 50 rounds of ammunition. The shotgun and 50 shells weighs 10-15 lbs. than the former.

Where are you going? Maps, local and topical. Compass.

Communications - Cell phone no doubt. Shortwave portable radio. FRS radio. CB radio is useful too.






Remember, the purpose of the 72 hour kit is not to replicate your home and survival retreat in a single bag. That is impossible and the downfall of many a survivalist.

Rather, pack enough for a three day walking trip out of a bad location.

One more note, have an idea where you might be heading.

SHTF: My end of the world grocery list

Uh-oh. The teevee says the poop has hit the oscillator! You have one chance to hit the Sooper Saver before the starving, rioting hoards clean it out. What to do?

My SHTF Shopping List gets you started.

Here we go!

Take the largest vehicle you own, bring all the cash you have on hand. Don't forget, if the banks are still running and the ATM machines are up, bring a credit card and debit card and use both first!

Once in the store, grab a cart (that's buggy for your foreigners and northerners).

Hit the baking aisle first. Grab flour, salt, sugar, cooking oil, yeast, corn meal, powdered milk and Crisco.

Head for the diet or health section. Grab the biggest containers of protein powder (you know for weight lifters) they have.

"Do you really have enough food stocked when the SHTF?"

Head for the pharmacy. Get aspirin, cold/flu remedies, children's medicines and vitamins, stomach remedies (especially diarrhea) and all the first aid supplies you see.

Head for hardware. Take all of the following: kitchen matches, cooking fuel, batteries.

Your cart should be full. Pay, load car, come back.

Go to paper products. Toilet paper - full cart. Get another cart and fill with bottled water. Every load after this get one case or two of water and put on bottom of cart.

Pay, come back.

Paper products again. Paper towels. Cleaning products - bleach, lysol, any other disinfectant products. Water filters if they have them.

Go to canned food aisle. Regular size cans of soups first. Cases of them if available. Get coffee, coco and tea.

Pay and come back.

Go to dry food aisle. Rice, beans, instant potatoes, pasta. The biggest bags.

Go to canned goods again. Now you can grab those cans of meat you wanted when you first came in.

Pay and load. Come back.

More canned food if time. Go to baby section if applicable or not. Get powdered formula. Get diapers. Great trade good.

Pay, load and drive away if the mobs are on top of you.

Avoid - booze, tobacco, produce, ice, DVD's, books, sodas.

Your list may vary, but start with the basics and make your way up to treats.

See End of the World Grocery List Part 2 here.

Junk Silver Best Prices

See the Junk Silver Blog Here.

Gasoline prices are dropping. Which defies logic because of the hurricanes, increased driving with school starting, international problems and the host of other factors which cause gasoline prices to go UP rather than DOWN.

Same thing is happening with silver prices and namely what is happening in the junk silver aka pre-1964 U.S. silver coin market. (These coins have 90% silver content and thus are "real money". What's more, they are often found floating in the current money supply if you keep your eyes open).

Silver has been dropping the past month or so. My theory as to why? The economy, like it or not is staring to rebound. GDP was up and the economy is growing. When that happens, conservative investment demand, such as for precious metals, starts to drop. Investors may be putting their money into the stock and bond market hoping it will grow faster.

This means silver is down. Depressed? Hardly. This is one of those times you may want to consider taking advantage while the market is down. Most investors buy while a market is hot, pay too much and lose more later.

Not with silver and especially, junk silver. Find a good coin shop or precious metals dealer and purchase a few rolls of Mercury dimes and some Franklin quarters.

Click Here for the Junk Silver Blog.