Prepper's Financial Guide

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matter what others are doing. Get your advice from the Richest Man
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Prepper's Financial Guide
Get your financial house in order before the banks close

When banks close for good will you be ready?
Bullets, beans and banks ~ sooner or later a prepper thinks
about financial matters. Things you do today as a prepper
could drastically improve your chances for financial survival
tomorrow. No matter your income level, you can thrive
financially as a prepper!

Be ready for the day when the banks close forever or for the
day when your financial situation takes an unexpected turn for
the worse. Hakuna Matata! Have no financial worries with this
prepper's financial guide. Below are ideas to get you thinking
and prospering...

Prepper's Financial Guide
Personal economic hardship is one of the best reasons to get
your prepper finances in order. You could lose your job at a late
age when re-employment may seem dismal, or have a
disability that prevents you from working. Divorce or death of a
partner is another downward spiraling economic situation.
What survival financial advice is for you then?

Think of Colonel Sanders. That man had perseverance! Legend
has it that when the entrepreneur realized he didn't have
enough money for a comfortable retirement, he set out at age
66 to sell his chicken recipe. He took his skills of cooking and
of showmanship to work. His "secret blend of 11 herbs and
spices" was determination. He created the recipe, franchized it
and earned world wide fame as he fattened his bank account.
Let him be your inspiration to keep reading.

This prepper's financial guide is not so much a magic formula,
but a way of thinking. It aligns with Jim Cobb's version of
Prepper's Financial Guide, though the happy preppers are not in
total agreement. For example, we don't agree with investing in
foreign and alternate currencies. There's no need for that!
Paper currencies will someday be worthless. Use paper currency
as tool for today, but don't rely on paper money tomorrow.
Open your mind to thinking about money differently. Be ready
for tomorrow by reading our guide to financial preparedness...

Here's a prepper's financial guide:

#1: Become the richest man in Babylon.
The Richest Man In Babylon, is a book pictured right. This is a
fun read to discover the universal laws of prosperity. It's not
your ordinary financial guide. George S. Clason's classic book of
parables on money, written in the 1920s, imparts secrets of
the ages with regards to finances. In just 145 pages, you will
learn the process for how to "fatten thy purse, control thy
expenditures and make thy gold multiply."

The financial advice is invaluable and straightforward. "Don't
trust a bricklayer to buy jewels" is a good example. What
Clason is really saying is don't get caught up in other people's
excitement, instead seek advice from the real experts.

This financial guide is not like the guide you'd find from typical
gurus who'll tell you to budget, save, dump debt and invest.
Yawn. Instead, this guide reads like novel. If you can afford it,
buy the book for your prepper's library. If you're low on funds,
head to the library. This classic will be there! If you have a
Kindle, it's just .99-cents for the Richest Man in Babylon and
it's worth every penny. The book also makes an excellent
graduation gift, so get two. Think of it as a GPS for your
financial future! Yes, it's that good.

#2: Clear the clutter.
One of the most important things you can do to improve your
financial prowess is to clear the clutter. When you organize,
you strategize and you free your mind to work better. It may
seem like an odd piece of financial advice, but consider this...

Rich people don't have clutter. Have you ever seen a
celebrity home on television? Celebrities and other rich
people don't have clutter. Their homes are well appointed
with just the right proportion of things to available space.
Everything looks like it belongs. Why is this? For starters,
they don't attach themselves to "things," though they do
have very nice things. Without the attachment to junk,
they're free to add things they really value. Preppers value
survival items. When you free your closets of junk you
don't wear, rid the cupboards knick-knacks you don't use,
you will build space for new preps that you value.

Clutter affects your brain. If your home is cluttered, so is
your thinking and your mental state. If you're holding on
to clothes from high school or shoes with the soles worn
through, you're not allowing new things into your life. In a
sense, you're telling yourself that you're not good enough
for new things. Also, the more mess, the more stress!
Psychology today gives you 5 reasons to clear the clutter.
When you de-clutter the extra stuff laying around, you'll
free your mind and make room for more money and things
to come your way.

Hoarding is not the same thing as clutter. Preppers
hoard useful items and this is not the same thing as
clutter. Hoarding is preparedness. Happy Preppers part
with the unnecessary stuff and stock up on supplies.

#3: Bartering.
Bartering is a typical prepper's idea of financial planning. While
your financial future as a prepper includes setting aside some
items for bartering, in all probability it's not going to be how
you'll make money for more preps. Barerting won't help you
thrive as a prepper; however, the out-of-the box thinking is
something for your financial mind to ponder.

You see, bartering is the process of thinking ahead. That's the
takeaway! For example, in his book, Prepper's Financial Guide,
pictured at the top of the page, Jim Cobb suggests stockpiling
items to fill the void of bad habits, such as smoking and
drinking. These "vices" he discusses include alcohol and
cigarettes. Both have always been an excellent bartering
items. There's one person who planned ahead knowing the
value.

Case in point is the famous Kennedy family who gambled on
alcohol during prohibition and made a fortune. It's not a myth!
When prohibition ended, the first alcohol to hit New York was
Dewar's Scotch supplied by the Kennedy family. Time.com
reports the Kennedy secret strategy of landing British
importation rights. Foresight is everything. Alcohol is a
particularly good money maker in hard times and any wine,
beer or hard liquor you stockpile will serve you well in a
financial collapse. It's a good preparation for a problem with
the government, too.

#4: Bargain hunting.
Another ordinary idea in prepper financial planning is bargain
hunting. Honestly, you can't save your way to making money as
a prepper, though bargain hunting is a mainstay of the prepper
lifestyle. Even so, bargain hunting is a good financial strategy
and can help you as a prepper gain more for your larder.
Another factor to consider is that rich people love bargains!

Amazon. Whether you're shopping Amazon for prepping
gear or clothing, it's a big secret to know how to get stuff
on Amazon for a bargain. Here's the deal: vendors want a
review on their products and because of this they're often
eager to sell their wares quickly so they can get a great
review. All you need to do is to know this little trick: take
a look at Amazon's "sort by" feature in the upper right
hand of the search. Amazon uses the "featured" default
because they have deals with vendors. The work around to
looking for great deals is to search "Low to High" for any
particular category. Doing this will help you find great
deals! The listings begin with the lowest priced items. Get
am $89 sweater for $11.97 with free shipping on Prime.
The seller is obviously losing, but they are learning from
your purchase. It's a win-win!

Costco Executive Membership. Buying from Costco is the
ideal place to quickly stock up on food, but if you buy an
Executive Costco membership and regularly buy you will
get your money back. That means no membership fees
and better deals. It costs $110 for such a membershp, but
you'll get a 2% reward for all your purchases. Remember,
you can share the membership with a friend or family
member. They give you two membership cards for $100 so
you may as well use them ~ that means if you're the
primary shopper, don't share the card with a spouse.
Instead, share it with a friend.

Garage sales are a good place to find camping preps.
The problem with shopping garage sales is you may buy a
tent that has missing or broken tent poles or a tear and a
rip. It's not a great deal if you can't use it.

#5: Count the Currency!
If you read The Richest Man in Babylon, you'll know to "Fatten
thy purse" and make money. What if there is no purse to
fatten and you're a low income prepper who is not quite making
ends meet? How will you improve your financial future? For
starters, gain financial literacy about currency. Here are some
prepper tips about currencies:

Bitcoin. In a word: no! Stay away from Bitcoin as this
extremely volatile currency is unproven and will be useless
during a financial collapse. There's no evidence that
Bitcoin ever will be accepted next to cash or credit ~ and
even if it were accepted, it would have no value without
electricity. Preppers aren't looking for fast cash. A prepper
is a tortoise and not the hare, an ant and not the
grasshopper ~ in other words, preppers want something
more tangible.

Cash on hand. Preppers generally have an emergency
fund with cash on hand. The secret is in keeping the cashy
and not using it like a revolving account. Put the money in
a vault and leave it there for an emergency. Aim to have
at least $500 in cash, and always on hand in small bills in
your home. If you set aside $20 a paycheck, then you'll
have $520 at the end of the year (26 x $20 = $520).
That's pretty easy to do and here's another idea:

Collect coinage. Another way to save your money is
to put aside 50-cent pieces or dollar coins. Every
payday, head to the bank to withdraw $20 from the
ATM and get yourself a stack. Because of the sheer
weight, you won't be tempted to spend them and in a
year you'll have. It also feels good to have a heavy
stack of coinage! Seriously, think to when you were a
kid.

Foreign Currency. Jim Cobb, in his book, the Prepper's
Financial Guide, suggests that you stockpile foreign money
in case the dollar fails, but honestly this isn't cogent
advice. Currency is only worth the paper its printed on no
matter the country who prints it. Besides, if the dollar
fails, so will the other currencies. The only exception is
coinage with metal value: copper, silver and gold.

Copper coins. Copper pennies are something every
prepper should stockpile. It costs nothing. You'd probably
toss the extra coins.

Silver coins. Silver coins and bullion are well worth
investing in as a currency of a financial collapse.
Traditionally silver has always retained a value, whereas
paper currency may become eventually worthless. Hoard
coins for their melt value!

Gold coins. Considering gold coins? Gold is much more
expensive and you won't be able to get much value of gold
for bartering. If you can afford it, sure.

#6: Give credit where credit is due: credit cards!
Dave Ramsey may tell you that "Debt is not a tool," and he'd
be right, but credit cards aren't debt if you pay them off each
month. It may surprise you to know that credit cards actually
are useful in prepping for your financial future when used
responsibly. Don't shun them! Use credit cards wisely by taking
advantage of rewards, but pay as you go.

Here are some tips for using credit cards responsibly:

American Express: When you use your American card on
Amazon to purchase prepping supplies, you can earn free
gear. All you need to do connect the two. Set up
automatic American Express Membership Rewards points
today. Just link your American Express Card to your
Amazon.com account. Redeem your available Membership
Rewards Points every time you purchase at Amazon.com.
It's free money to buy prepping gear!

Bank of America Visa. Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus
after making at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90
days of your account opening — plus now choose how you
earn rewards. Bank of America offers gift cards, including
Amazon Gift cards. It's free money for more preps.

Dollar stores. One weird rule of using your credit card
responsibly is to NOT use a credit card at a dollar store.
Using a credit card at a dollar store will lower your credit
rating. Why? Because the bank knows you don't even have
a few bucks to spend!

#7: Food is insurance.
Food insurance doesn't really exist. It is a financial strategy
preppers have to store food. It may offer you peace to have a
large stockpile of food ~ this can sustain you for a personal
emergency, like a job loss or medical leave, or it can give you
an edge on a total financial meltdown. Food is currency! Food
is insurance.

Powdered milk: Some preppers plan on reconstituting
powdered milk and selling it for when there is no milk
available or in limited supply. That's an interesting idea.
Powdered milk doesn't take up much space.

Be sure to guard your food storage. Safeguarding your
food involves hiding it. You may be lucky enough to have
a safe-room hidden in your house, but not everyone is so
lucky. Perhaps you'll chose to bury your food in select
locations. Another option is to create hiding space in your
beds. A place that no one will look for food or valuables is
your kids rooms.

#8: Free stuff.
A discussion on prepper financial matters wouldn't be complete
without discussing the free stuff. People give away free stuff
all the time ~ you just have to know where to look. One place
is rich neighborhoods.

Rest assured that if you're a prepper with a truck you have free
stuff to pick up. People don't want to lug old pianos to their
new home. Likewise, furniture is often free. You might even
start to hold a garage sale with the furniture you pick up for
free. Offer to deliver furniture for another fee.

Here are some great places to find free stuff:

#9: Making money.
As a prepper you must look to multiple streams of income.
Prepping supplies add up and you can make extra money.
Below are some ideas to get you started.

eBay. eBay is an excellent place to make extra money for
prepping. Before turning to Web sites for profit, the
happypreppers.com were eBay Platinum Powersellers. How
did we do it? One book: "How to Buy, Sell & Profit on
Ebay" by Adam Ginsberg. This book only gets a 4 out 5
rating, but likely it's not from anyone who followed Adam's
cogent advice. This books is hands-down the best ebay
sales book money can buy! Buy it used for less than $1
and shipping. You'll need to source products, store them,
ship them and manage customer questions and handle
returns, but you'll learn a lot about eCommerce.

Garage Sales. Make room in your home for new prepping
gear. P repper s absolutely should hold a garage sale ~ do
it this weekend if the weather is good. Get rid of the
things you don't need and improve your prepping power
with food and supplies.

Instagram. Are you an influencer? Make money on
Instagram with a simple and actionable marketing plan.
Robb Taroni's Instagram Influencer Marketing Secrets
20 19, pcitured right. With Instagram you'll need a theme
and eventually businesses will pay you to promote their
products in that theme. It's constant work, but good extra
money.

#10: Passive income.
If you learn one thing about financial preparedness, let it be
this: you must look for passive income. What is passive
income? Passive income is something you set up once and
manage very minimally, but it continues to earn you income
month after month, year after year. Passive income is making
money in your sleep! How do you earn it? Below are some
examples:

Buy stocks for the dividends. Don't buy stocks low to
make money selling them high. Instead buy stocks for the
dividends they yield and then reinvest those dividends to
buy even more stock. This will grow your wealth. More
stocks will yield even more dividends. The tricky part is
finding the right stocks. Follow a leader, like Warren
Buffett.

Write a book. Writing a book may take you a year, or if
you're a prolific author just a month, but when you write a
book once you will yield a lifetime of benefits from every
sale. Self-publish with Amazon! With Amazon’s self
publishing services you can reach millions of readers
worldwide and keep control of your work. Selling ebooks is
a great way to test your idea before you spend money
printing a book. Incentivize others to review your book, so
you get traction for sales. Without a good review your
book is toast.

Rent your home. One of the most lucrative forms of
passive income is rental income. Buy property to rent, not
to flip it. If you own property and want a self-sufficient
lifestyle you may have your eyes set on owning a
homestead. Don't sell your current home: rent it! Renters
can pay the rest of your mortgage, your property taxes
and there might be enough leftover for passive income. As
your home increases in value, so does the rent. Not sure if
you want to give up your home for a year or more? Try
renting a room in your home. Rent your home as a
vacation home for a few days, a week or a month with
airbnb.com! Will the dishwasher fail or the toilets
overflow? Yes, but don't let this scare you. Rental income
is solid passive income. You can make money with airbnb
without owning property!

Become a Udemy instructor. If you can make a video,
you can earn passive income with Udemy.com. Right now
there are only 18 preparedness videos on Udemy.com, so
if you have some survival skills to share, then you can
make money on Udemy.com. They need your lectures!
Information products are good passive income sources.

Make YouTube videos. If you're handy with a camera and
have a personality you can make big bucks on YouTube!
Even a seven year old can e arn money opening up kids
toys on Youtube. Share your passion with others. Create a
channel and open up camping gear. The sky's the limit!
The biggest tip for making YouTube videos: get a clear
background

#11: Self sufficiency.
Invest in self sufficiency. You'll learn to be self sufficient
financially when you invest in gardening, from scratch cooking,
and do-it-yourself projects. Here are some other ideas.

Buy land. Buying land is a wise financial move and will
help bring self-sufficiency if you're a prepper. You may not
think you can afford to buy land. Here are five sources and
legitimate ways to get land for your homestead for next to
nothing: b uy land for very little money! Who thrived during
the Great Depression? The people who had their own land
to grow food and ranch meat and dairy.

Grow food. Even if you don't own land you can have a
garden and grow your own food. Community gardens are
your personal solution to grow food even if you have no
money. If you have children, you might volunteer in their
community gardens and sow the fruit of the land.

#12: Survival skills.
Skills are your survival currency in a financial collapse. Mind
you, these survival skills aren't necessarily what others would
pay for you to do, but ways to add to your bottom line so as
not to spare the money you have. Take an honest inventory of
the skills you have.

Candlemaking. Candlemaking his could earn you $1,000
at a few craft fairs if you lose your job.

Collecting firewood and tinder. Money you don't spend
for heat is money in your pocket. There are lots of ways to
get free firewood without stealing it. Pallets from grocery
stores are a great way to get firewood as long as you're
willing to dismantel it. Start a tree service!

Fishing. Your time and gear could reduce your grocery list
for dinner.

Hair cutting. In a world without rule of law, you don't
need a license to cut hair. Think of how you could barter
your hair styling skills with neighbors in exchange for
veggies in their garden.

Sewing. You don't need to be a fashion designer to sew.
Knowing how to sew can repair clothing and save you
money. It's easy enough to sew placemats and napkins, or
even reusable menstrual pads.

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