- which picture is more terrifying to you?
So you have 12 months of food stored, an urban garden, 28 pistols and rifles and you take 5 tactical courses a year. If the SHTF you can ether grab your BOB and fight on the move or bunker in at home. Basically you are trained-up and stocked-up for just about any apocalyptic situation that could possibly happen.
But on the other hand…
Your credit record is shit, you have 9K in credit card debt, you have zero cash savings and your car has 130K miles on it. If you lost your job today in 3 months you would be homeless because you only have one marketable skill. You are also so wrapped up in political news you skip over the travel and food sections in the newspaper.
This is the problem with many people in the survival community; they are hot-shit squared away when it comes to being prepared for natural and man-made disasters. But when it comes to practical daily living they are a bigger train wreck than their neighbors who only have 4 days of food in their houses.
Below I have listed a few practical things that the Urban Survivalist should add to their “survival toolkit”.
- MONEY AND CREDIT
Grab a pen and a piece of paper.
Now take every bill you have that is financing something (credit cards, lines of credit, car payments, house payments, ect) and put them in one pile. Then take your car and house payment/rental bills and put them in another pile.
Add up the total amount you have to pay for your monthly credit debt and then your home and car. Write down the monthly total for each separately.
Then take all of your monthly bills (water, power, electric, cable, internet, ect) for the past 3 months and put them in another pile. Add them all together, then divide by 3, write that amount down.
So written down on a piece of paper you now have:
Monthly Credit bills: $$$
Monthly Home and car bill: $$$
Monthly utility bills: $$$
Next write down how much you make every month after taxes.
Deduct the monthly Credit bills, Home and car bill and utility bills.
Take the remaining amount and split it in 3.
Out of the 3; 1/3 is now your monthly food and grocery budget, 1/3 is now your monthly entertainment budget.
Take the remaining 1/3 and split it in half
Use ½ for paying down your credit card bills every month (split evenly between all)
The remaining ½ goes into a savings account that you never touch except in a financial emergency. When this amount reaches 6 months of your monthly expenses plus 1K you can use the extra for a splurge purchase or vacation every 6 months (but don’t touch the extra between the 6 month periods).
Also if you get a raise do not change your budget, continue to live exactly the same way wile putting the extra amount you make into your savings fund. Six months after your raise you can adjust your plan to your new monthly salary.
If you come into some cash (like you win 1K from a scratch and win you shouldn’t have bought anyway) blow half and put the other half into your savings.
In two years you will have taken out a good chunk out of your credit debt (if not all of it) and have a nice little nest egg in the bank. Additionally after paying your bills every month for 2 years your credit will be in pretty good shape so you can now refinance you large debts (house) with a lower APR.
This is a simple way to get your finances and debt under control wile putting some cash aside for emergencies in a relativity short amount of time just in case the bird flu doesn’t turn your neighbors into zombies.
Do not deviate from this plan – period, not even one month because your buddy was selling a brand new Glock for 300 bucks.
If you have any questions about this please ask in the comments.
- LEARN ANOTHER JOB SKILL
If you only have one job skill that means when/if you get laid-off, fired or whatever you only have one option. Just like in Urban Survivalism you learn how to shoot with a rifle and a pistol, you should learn how to work in a different job skill also.
The easiest way to gain a new job skill is to learn a skill in a semi-related job (to your current profession) that you can learn where you currently work. Like if you are a car mechanic, then learn how to paint cars – if you are in security then get your EMT cert. same goes for white collar jobs, if you are a database admin, learn IT security – if you are an accountant, learn forensic accounting.
Now if you get laid off or you take some time off to take care of your mom you can re-enter the job market from 2 sides.
- STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES
Stop getting you panties in a wad every time you read about Obama/Bush/Santa Claus, if you read the paper then read the food section along with the political section. If you watch political commentary news 2 hours a day then cut it down to 1 ½ hours and watch the food channel for 30 minutes.
The same goes for your tactical hobbies, for every 3 shooter courses or new pieces of 1000D gear you buy, buy something fun like a cookbook or take a cooking lesson. Don’t be one of those guys that knows all things tactical or survival related but its completely boring otherwise.
- In Conclusion…
So now when the Zombie Hoard comes down your street you will not only be able to blast them with your M-4 – you will be debt free, have a AAA credit rating, something to talk about with your buddies in the foxhole other than “how great the new M-427 pistol is” and have 2 job options after the Zombie threat has been eliminated
Read All URBAN SURVIVAL and all JAMES G. Articles
—————————————————————————————
~James G
Founder – Editor in Chief
James G is a Veteran Civilian Contractor who has worked in the Middle East and Southeast Asia for way too long. He spends his off time in Indonesia and Virginia getting drunk, shooting guns and writing poorly written articles.
Did you like this? If so, please bookmark it,
{ 2 trackbacks }
{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
Good advice, James. After the SHTF, though, will anything other than survival skills, stockpiles of weapons, munitions and anti-dotes matter? Other than, perhaps, a secret cache of alcohol and at least one fine looking woman?
Spot(Quote This Comment)
Yes, and here is why (based off of disaster history):
1. In every natural/man-made disaster, civil war or financial meltdown no matter how bad things got or get, eventually people have to get a job
2. The credit companies and IRS have records stored in nuclear war proof data storage centers along with post-disaster recovery plans. Do you think the credit companies, IRS and banks stopped sending bills to the people in New Orleans, do they stop sending bills to wives who’s husbands have been killed in Iraq?
No, the IRS and credit companies have no heart and they will get their money no matter haw bad thing get. And they will even in the post-SHTF world they will collect, people will need jobs (see above) so no matter how many guns you have they will have more.
3. Why bother even surviving after the SHTF if you never even bothered to enjoy the simple things in life before it all went to hell.
4. I cant argue with the Booze and Women part
~James G
James G(Quote This Comment)
“Stop getting you panties in a wad every time you read about Obama/Bush/Santa Claus, if you read the paper then read the food section along with the political section. If you watch political commentary news 2 hours a day then cut it down to 1 ½ hours and watch the food channel for 30 minutes.”
Man, I see friends all the time throw their life and social skills out the window and become “annoying person that reverts every conversation to politics and/or how the world is going to end in less than 6 months”
I’ve been there myself, and I found out that spending 5 hours a day on the internet bitching and moaning about it won’t make our world’s problems go away. And worse yet, I’ve yet to meet a date-worthy woman in real life that’s totally into hearing all about my new knife or some article I read on LewRockwell.
And since 9/11 I’ve been hearing people say that it’s all going to hit the fan in 6 months or less. So fuck that. I’ll prep but my life will not revolve around it.
Freedom Outlaw(Quote This Comment)
I used to be the same way, especially back in the 90s I was always bitching about gun rights (despite the fact I could legally buy an AK-47 any time I wanted), how Clinton was the Devil incarnate the would ruin the economy (despite the fact I had a 6-figure job related to the dot-com boom), ect., ect…
I would get so mad reading the newspaper I would actually be physically angry, that was just fucking stupid. I actually took the “stop and smell the roses” stuff from a conversation a State Defense Forces buddy of mine had with me when I went off on a rant at his dinner table back in 94.
So I was that annoying guy that could only talk about Guns, Conservative Politicks and well… that’s all. I have since reformed myself, in fact I despise even talking about Politicks these days.
Why would you spend hours ether arguing with someone that will never change their mind no matter what you say – or even worse only have conversations with people that constantly agree with everything you say?
Both = You are Boring
And yes, gals rarely are impressed with how long you can argue on the internet with people about Glen Beck
~James G
James G(Quote This Comment)
Fantastic article.
Also one point I’d like to add is if you get fucked up while dishing out unhealthy doses of lead and death blossom you will need this money.
So do this because of Murphy. If you don’t you will get fucked up and you do, you won’t.
Also you’ll feel real proud of yourself in a couple months when you see all that money in your bank account. Just make sure you get in a federally insured bank.
Juan(Quote This Comment)
Yep – cold hard cash should be right beside your M-4 in your Survival Toolkit
Glad you liked the article
~James G
James G(Quote This Comment)
Great article! I totally was “that guy” only a few months ago. I’m still working on it. My wife put it to me very bluntly, “Do you want to retire and live in a big house with a pool and a bunch of property, or do you want to retire in trailer with a bunch of guns that you don’t really need.”
One thing I did, when I was figuring out my monthly expenditures, I looked for ways to reduce them. For example, I was paying over 200 a month for internet service and cable TV with all the extra channels, etc. I reduced that bill to 50 month by getting rid of the cable TV bill and all the extra pay channels.
Instead, now I use Netflix, 18 bucks a month, and I can stream movies instantly to my TV, in addition to getting the DVDs in the mail. I get my news from the internet or news radio on the way to work.
Again, great article!
Jeff(Quote This Comment)
+1 on the savings account. I’ve known for years I ought to. Only finally started it about six months ago after I got into a bind. The results speak for themselves — wish I’d done it years ago, as life would be a lot less stressful now with some cushion. Indeed cash is the real survival stockpile for anything short of a Zombie Apocalypse.
Carlos(Quote This Comment)
Good points one the cable and other unnecessary expenditures Jeff, you don’t need 800 channels nor do you need to eat fast food 3 times a week.
Cooking for yourself is fun, relaxing, more healthy, gives you something to do with the whole family and saves money.
Having a 6 month nest egg will change your life – trust me, the day you know that you and your family will be ok even if you loose your job will be a gigantic weight off your back
Studies actually show that people with 6 months of living expenses in the bank have less heart attacks.
~James G
James G(Quote This Comment)
Good article. If you learn to cook for you and yours, three things will happen. One, you’ll know who made it and when it was made. Two, you’ll know what went into it. I’m not just talking about fresh meat, produce, and dairy items. Everybody’s heard all the horror stories about the cook spitting ( or worse ) in someone’s dinner. And, most importantly, you’ll save a buttload of money. Instead of going out three times a week, go out on Sunday morning. Take that money you would have spent and put that in your secret stash. After a month, you’d be surprised how much you have packed away.
Jeff(Quote This Comment)
I hear ya. I still get very mad at things however I limit my intake of political news to a quick overview of the world news and the blogs and forums where I hang out. No more of spending all day with Alex Jones in my ear. (who, by the way, I’ve been less and less impressed with as time goes on)
I do genuinely care about gun rights and personal freedom, yet I’m in a “less bitching, more action” mode, and being totally neurotic and a complete downer is certainly not action. I have found that I prefer spending most of my time being free and having a good time with a variation of hobbies and interests (only some of which directly relate to “survivalism”, all of which are incredibly helpful in that role however) rather than panic about the loss of freedom.
Freedom Outlaw(Quote This Comment)
Excellent article – right on target. I do wonder about one thing – I am NOT at all well-off, so maybe this is just an academic question, but what does this crew here think of buying gold? I don’t think I could buy any right now, but I sometimes wonder about both the speed with which our mint is churning out the paper, and also the fact that our ‘money’ – savings, checking, whatever – is really just a series of numbers which move between us, our bank, our creditors, etc., and those numbers could be altered or disappeared by anything from a malevolent government to a foreign hacker. So… anyone here buy any gold, or is that just a paranoid way to spend money?
Semper Fi – keep the great articles rolling.
Julian(Quote This Comment)
I dont think its paranoid to think about buying gold but its so freak’n expensive right now…Iam waiting for the bottom to fall out. Stocks are to much of a gamble. If I had the money and choice between stocks and gold Id get gold first and keep it close; some of the adds Ive seen say the company selling the gold will “safely store it for you”…no thanks.
See you on the side!
S/F
B
CharmedLife(Quote This Comment)
Good point about reducing the amount of time reading/watching about politics. This whole Healthcare scam, reconciliation and politicians have me fuming. I’ve got to chillax or I’m gonna go nuts. So I garden and keep an awesome yard.
Jason A(Quote This Comment)
I am the same way, my political action only goes as far as voting my conscience and watching the news for ½ hour a day.
Gold always comes up during hard economic times, it did in the 80 it did in the 90s and now again in the 2000s
I would pay off all of your debt before even thinking about investing in Gold
Having a nice relaxing hobby is essential to enjoying life
I cook (in case you didn’t relies from reading the article)
~James G
James G(Quote This Comment)
Same same, more or less. Have enough preps so I’m not terribly worried, never went totally gun nuts, just what I need, and DON’T WATCH TV. Pay very little attention to anyone or anything on TV.
I too was one of “Them” for a spell, but backed off it largely.
Went out, got myself into our local music scene, have a couple of nice mistresses stashed here and there and really just try to enjoy life (even while watching the dots connect). Got myself a nice little tribe of fun people to hang with.
Fuk it. If it goes to shit, it goes to shit. There’s not a great deal I can do about it.
Jim(Quote This Comment)
Roger that – having sex is way more interesting than watching FOX or CNN
~James G
James G(Quote This Comment)
Only one thing wrong with that advice – credit card debt should be taken care of as fast as possible, at the highest priority, because of the shocking interest rates they attract (ie 20%). An easy fix is to get a personal bank loan and pay off your card debt, and then either cut up your cards, or limit them to a small operational amount (eg $1000) so that you can buy stuff on the net, pay bills on the phone etc. Banks charge you 5-6% for a personal loan, but 20% on a credit card – a difference of 14-15%. So if you owe, say, 10 grand in card debt, simply changing the loan over will save you one and a half grand a year – not bad for a half hour trip to the bank
just george(Quote This Comment)
Sure in theory that works, but with the above plan if you lose your job or something at least you will have reduced your overall debt and have some bread in the bank
Good to see another DJ on the mag, I used to spin back in the day
~James G
James G(Quote This Comment)
You know what they say; buy low, sell high. Now, ask yourself if precious metals are low or high right now?
Precious metals don’t generate wealth, they only safeguard it from inflation. If your objective is safeguarding “wealth”, ask yourself how you can best protect the assets you have now: health, family, house, car.
Stop thinking about how much money you would be “making” if gold went to $2000. Any gains you would make in PM would be lost when you spent those devalued dollars.
Cut expenses: PAY OFF YOUR DEBTS.
(and get a good fire extinguisher for your house.)
Steve F.(Quote This Comment)
Very good advice!
curt(Quote This Comment)
Great advice. Years ago when I was first getting into survival/preparedness, a friend of my fathers saw a magazine I was reading (American Survival Guide,) and asked me, you want to survive as what? The end goal isn’t just to survive some coming apocalypse, but survive the day to day, year to year SHTF stuff too. And to enjoy life while I’m at it. So, I’ve never been “that guy.” I’ve a diverse set of employable skills, and useful hobbies.
One quibble, if you really want to get debt free, reduce your entertainment expenses (like internet, cable, eating out,) and fund a smaller emergency fund at first. A grand or two in the bank will make most “emergencies” like putting tires on the car, or replacing a water heater a non-issue.
Dave Ramsey has a great plan for doing this, and it’s very easy to follow. We’ve paid off all our credit card bills, and are now attacking our loans (cars, debt consolidation, and home equity,) with equal intensity. We’re about to close the last couple of credit cards we have (soon as I donate my “points” to a worthy cause.)
Some say pay off your biggest debt w/ highest interest, he says pay off your debts from smallest to largest, and to keep paying the same total amount on your debts. The psychological victory is as important as paying off the debt. You might pay a little more in interest, but you wont get disheartened because you’re seeing results quicker. It’s easier to maintain the discipline when you’ve got a couple of debts crossed off your list.
Keith_Indy(Quote This Comment)
Thanks for the advice, James. Stressed out from work I decided to pillage the grocery store and hit the kitchen (figureatively, not literally) Yup “smelling the roses” and have some fun is a good idea from time to time. I cook chinese, it’s quick and easy, basically an organized one-person food fight. Also it is good to create something, gives you a sense of accomplishment,
Mike(Quote This Comment)
I’ve been reading through the archives and while the articles are consistently high in quality and humor, this is among the best I’ve seen.
As best you can: eliminate debt, build a nest egg, be more interesting — this is not terrible advice.
L.W.S.(Quote This Comment)
Fantastic Article.
This reminds me so much of discussions that I have with a friend of mine. He is prepping for the end of days and is busy assembling a shotgun from hell. Right now, he has a Saiga with tactical rails, breaching muzzle break, 20rnd drum, bayonet, and he still needs the laser and flashlight, not to mention the 7.62 and 5.57 conversion kits. I asked him what the bayonet was for and he responded that if he ran out of ammo he would be able to charge and take down a threat. He didn’t appreciate my comment “oh, you mean when you run out of ammo at the range you visit once every three months?”. There really aren’t many rolling gun battles in our part of suburbia. Besides, the thing is so heavy now I don’t think there will be much charging before he’s out of breath.
Anyways, I’m a fan of guns and have lots myself. That being said, I also think it would be more important to pay off credit debt and save money for his kid’s college rather than pimping his shotgun. I told him if he really wants to survive doomsday he shouldn’t have three young children and a wife that he has to drag around. Liabilities in waiting.
I guess being financially responsible and working hard aren’t as appealing as imagining you taking on an invading army but probably a lot more likely.
Aaron(Quote This Comment)