For many of the middle class today, life consists of getting by with less than was once considered a necessity. Sometimes far less. Like it or not, this may well be practice for life in 2013.
While the movie 2012 show one of the worst examples of what the age may bring, it’s certainly not the only possibility. As we see the stock market bouncing up and down, giving less hope of a strong recovery than we felt even a few months ago, it’s time to realize that what we may face is a long-term lifestyle that may be similar to the Great Depression in many ways.
While that prospect may seem boring or anticlimactic compared with the romance of “survival,” in many ways, it’s far better for all involved. No, you may not get to use the automatic weapons you’ve managed to cache away, but frankly, there’s a much better chance you — and your famialy — will survive another depression than a great catastrophy.
And, it’s something you can practice for, gaining the skills you’ll need to make it through.
First, you need to define the terms “necessities” and “luxuries.” What can you really do without on a sustained basis? What would you choose not to do without over the long term?
This line of thought came to mind when I was commenting on a friend’s blog about what government should and should not do in times of reduced revenues. Being somewhat of a libertarian, my mind immediately began to think about what individuals should and should not be doing rather than government.
If there is a belief that health care should be maintained “at all costs,” then shouldn’t individual move in that direction in their own lives. In other words, maybe you should be doing without the foods that are making your sick. (And that’s another entire line of study.) Certainly, however, if you give up the obvious problems — tobacco, alcohol, other drugs — then no only will your health be better, now and in the future, but you’ll have more money to sock away and less health problems in 2013.
Better health, saving money
Similarly, is there any reason to be making sure that “food stamps” are available to buy soda, snacks, sweets and other empty (and expensive) calories? If government could give this up, thus improving the health of welfare recipients and saving tax dollars, then we can, too, improving our health and bank accounts.
But as individuals, we can take it a step further. We can give up on eating out, on using prepared foods (TV dinners and their more modern equivalent), on expensive alternatives to the basics. There was once a time when the welfare class received “commodities” — flour, corn meal, peanut butter, butter, “scratch” stuff. Shouldn’t be be thinking along those lines ourselves as we prepare our budgets and waist lines and mindsets for hard times?
Do you need that gym membership, or would time working in the garden be all the exercise needed? And provide quality food and skills?
Do you really need cable TV (or satellite) with all the extras, when practical hobbies, reading and more family time together is better for you and your family? Admit it — you have as much tendency toward being a couch potato as I do. Watching football or baseball is a great way to spend a weekend, but how much better would it be to grab the kids and the neighbors and play it instead?
We all tend to flow toward the path of least resistance. Despite the fact that it’s usually not the best path. You know it as well as I do.
I’ll be practicing; will you?
Maybe it’s time for some practice at going against the flow. This week I’m going to get back to the basics in food. I’m going to spend that time getting as close to the basics as practical. I like enchiladas, for example, so instead of eating out, or buying them pre-made, I’m going to make them from scratch. Totally from scratch would entail growing the corn, taking wood ash to make lye to eat away the shell to leave nixmatal to grind into masa, and thus provide the feedstock for me to make my own tortillas.
While I can assure you I’m not going to do that this week, I will be researching and thinking about what’s needed to do that and then trying to find someone who can teach me how. The same with cheese. (I hate the smell of goats!) Maybe in a few weeks I’ll buy masa and make the tortillas, too.
But for now, just taking a few steps in the right direction will be valuable in many ways. Because there’s still a little time, we can afford to wade in rather than jumping into the deep end.
That’s not likely to be the case much longer.