Worldwide Banking Woes and Setting Ourselves Up Get Through the Hard Times

 

   I am sure that everyone, no matter what country they live in, is be affected by the worldwide banking crisis that is going on, as well as inflation, and corruption in governments and in the banking world itself.  I have been very uneasy about all of this for awhile now and to see it playing out is really scary.  The debt that our government here is taking on and laying on the backs of our grandchildren and great grandchildren to pay off, while bailing out the "rich" and politically connected, is just criminal in my mind's eye.  Banks are collapsing and if we are seeing runs on them and I fear that will only get worse.  Now it seems the international banking community, along with our Federal government is doing everything that can think of to try and stop the bleeding, but I think it is just a "bandaid" and that the "blood" will soak right through.

    Jeff and I had a long talk about all of this and are trying hard to prepare for the continuing downturn in our economy and the really tough times ahead.  In some ways, I do think we are better prepared mentally to get through things because we have lived in poverty (yes, poverty) before and developed skills that helped us cope with it and thrive during those times.  Here are a few of the things that we have done in the past and/or are doing now to set ourselves to get through what we know are going to be rough waters ahead. Grab yourself a snack first though. 😊

~We are not keeping extra funds in the credit union.  Yes, it is FDIC insured, but there is not enough in that fund to pay for all the banks that are going under as it is.  The odds of us getting our money are very slim as more banks go under and deplete the FDIC funds.  We only keep enough in there to pay our bills.

~We have been buying "tools" needed to work on our cars, expand our gardens, help with processing, preserving and storing food to keep it fresh and not waste, along with needed clothing items.  Some of these are bought new, and others, thankfully, we have found at the thrift stores.

~We stocked up on garden seeds for both growing fresh veggies and also flowers as pollinators.  I have enough seeds here to last us a few years at least and to share with our family and friends.

~ Jeff modified our greenhouse that he built to make it possible to both start seeds earlier in the Spring and to protect plants longer in the Fall.  We also bought a tarp to lay over half of the greenhouse roof (or more if needed) to help shade the plants when it gets really hot in the Summer since I try to use the greenhouse then too for the heat loving plants.

~We are making appointments to get our eyes checked and get new glasses while we still can.  At this point, most of my costs are covered under my health insurance plan and Jeff's covers a good portion of his.

~In the past, we ate out of our garden and had lots of big green salads, green and yellow wax beans, tomatoes, spinach, kale, herbs, onions and fresh fruit from our fruit trees and bushes.  We will put even more focus on doing this and preserving even more this year.  All the while, we will continue to share with our friends and neighbors.  We all need to be looking out for one another.

~I continue to stock my pantry with long term food supplies and canned goods.  Pasta is also stocked up along with flour, sugar, salt, yeast and spices.  

~While there are some of my favorite foods that I would love to be able to buy and have on hand, some of them are too expensive and/or that money is needed somewhere else.  I am tweaking recipes and substituting some ingredients for others.  I have done this for all of my teen and adult life, so this is not something new.

~I honestly believe that attitude is everything in helping get through tough times.  You can wallow in self pity, or you can look at all that you are blessed with.  You can be creative and still have wonderful celebrations with very little cost involved.  Potlucks, picnics, camping, going swimming, a walk to the park to play ball, taking a trip to the beach, river, or mountains are all fun for us to do.  

~Make your home a haven and a comfortable place to be for yourself and for friends and family.  I am adding a hummingbird feeder to my front porch area this year.  I love watching them come to feed on my hanging basket flowers and want to attract even more.  This is something that I have wanted to do for years and just never did.  This year I made it a priority and found a nice feeder for just $3.99 at Goodwill.  Those hanging baskets full of flowers, they are either recycled ones that I plant flower starts in or ones that I buy when they are marked down on clearance and Walmart.  They attract bees, hummingbirds and add beauty that is needed to keep me focused on how blessed I am.  I need flowering plants in my life!  My back porch is place to gather in the Spring, Summer and Fall until it gets too cold to be out there.  It is another room in our home and I have a nice table and chairs out there, a glider swing that I load cushions upon it to make it more comfy.  There is always a basket full of soft and comfy throws in the living room to cuddle up under.  I have lots of tea and coffee on hand to drink hot or cold.  Use those beautiful china plates, cups and bowls.  Use you pretty glassware and fancy silverware.  What good is it if you just have it stored away in a drawer, cabinet or box?  Use it!  If it has been passed down through your family, all the better.  Your grandparents, great grandparents and possibly even earlier generations would be so happy to see it being used and enjoyed!  

~As for entertainment at home, we have a roku and have some streaming services that our kids share with us.  Jeff and I also have a huge collection of movies, series and music on hand.  There are board games, card games, puzzle books and puzzles.  I also have lots and lots of books to read and share with our kids and grandkids.  There is a set of drawers full of crafting supplies and coloring books.  My grandson Steven gets into it often and I love that. That is what it is there for!  We also have a fire pit that we need to start using again, and hopefully can get the hot tub running once more. 

~Paying off debt is a priority!  We want to be in the best position NOT to owe anything to anyone.

~I am going to get back to sewing and crocheting again.  I have some fabric here at home that I have found at thrift stores and will be using some nice soft sheets to make things with.  I found some all cotton yarn that I will be using to crochet dish rags with.  Believe it or not, I found it at the Dollar Tree in the craft section!

   I'm sure I have missed a few things (if not more), but fibro fog and pain are all too real today and taking a toll on me.  I keep reminding myself that this too shall pass. 😉 I am hoping that by sharing what we are doing, it can help others and also keep a record of all that we are doing now for future reference.  Please add your comments and ideas of what you are doing.  I would love to read them and maybe this will help others in our little community here in blogging land too!  Be blessed, keep preparing and keep trying to see the positives in life!