panic every day

PANIC EVERY DAY

Never panic about an emergency currently unfolding. But, do panic every day. Just make sure the panic is about a future emergency. Yes, I know this isn't really copacetic. You are supposed to always have plans, spreadsheets. Mathematically formulated probability charts and military staff levels of contingencies. No, I just panic. I just do it early enough it almost looks like a well thought out plan. For instance, a year or three ago when India suddenly forced everyone to turn in the large currency notes. That had already happened in the US, but it was never as rushed as in India.

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But I read that and I said, damn, I'm not getting stuck with any hundred dollar bills. So in the next week ( or whatever-I don't recall details ) I converted all my stashes of cash to twenties. Yes, I know it is advised to get plenty of fives and tens in case merchants of an illegal nature cannot make change. But, one emergency at a time. So, what do I hear today? China is burning cash ( “contagious! I'm from the government and I'm here to help” ). The “new” cash will have a mark on it after the Beer Virus is contained, to denote safe cash.

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It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out this is a control mechanism to either go cashless or to do a currency reset. And you would be forgiven for immediately worrying that the US might want to do the same. But I don't have to panic. I already did, when it was an issue in India. My cash is already in low denominations and buried. I don't worry if the US goes all digital, because I already am well stocked. I also know the Black Market will still take the old Greenbacks as it is limited and won't be subject to inflation ( if another set of bills is introduced, freezing the old supply ).

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I panicked six months prior to the Nevada Red Flag laws going into effect. The 80% Project didn't work out as I had envisioned, in a large part because I was rushed slightly. I understand I might have acted in haste, but in my defense I was going All In on ammunition for my old arsenal. I kept prioritizing that, because one in the hand is always better than two in the bush. All in all, I think I made it work okay, but that is just the exception to panicking years early proving the rule.

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I panicked in the last global weather food issue. It wasn't early in its quantity, but I did already have a good stockpile and was only panicking insofar as to get extra while I could. If I had been unsuccessful, I would have thrown the ( now ex ) wife and her family under the bus and been just fine myself. But my point is, now I don't have to panic over the current crop shortages. You are panicking about current problems, but it is more about panicking early when no one else is. Just as today, twelve years ago most folks thought, meh, 'Murica #1, we'll never run out of food. I think I'm about the only one who panicked.

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I started budget prioritizing over the counter meds years ago, just onsies and twosies each trip to the store. If Beer Virus had hit here before it did China, I'd have been okay on my supplies. That didn't stop me from buying more a few weeks ago, before anyone else panicked, but that was just topping off, not getting an initial supply. No, I don't have any masks. I never prioritized them. I'm being a good citizen and working from home. Supporting me is being patriotic LOL.

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I did slip on my disposable battery supply. I do have plenty of rechargeables, so I let my guard down on the disposables. I had always kept a metric butt ton at the B-POD, being off grid, but as it became harder to shop at the Dollar Store ( the closest one hundreds of miles away ) I let my supply dwindle without paying enough attention to it. That almost met disaster, as my last trip I bought the last non-alkaline batts from Family Dollar ( the cheaper ones ), the supply NOT replenished from the two day before truck arriving.

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I don't know if this was a one off for one store, or if batteries are already not coming from China. I suspect the supply is wiped out ( but please comment and tell me I'm full of it ), if only because batteries are probably one of the best early indicators of shortages brought on by panic. What is the first thing you think of as a hurricane is three states away? Gas tank? Or is it batteries? See what I mean? Our primal fear is darkness. And no, I'm not scared to buy the Chinese batteries at the dollar store. They work forever in low power devices ( total crap in high discharge ones ), like LED's.

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Plus, the batteries I had leaking were Rayovac brand ten year batts, at an outrageous price ( at Wal-Mart, even ). The dollar store batteries never did that. Anyway, I already wrote the article on my battery happenings. If you aren't too good to read an extra article by subscribing to my e-mail newsletter, you would already have known weeks ago. If I was a hater, I'd say it served you right if they were out now. But I'm not like that! I would NEVER do a “told you so” dance when you failed to heed my advice. That was sarcasm, by the way. Just saying.

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I panicked years before everyday grocery items started inching up in price. My freezer still has $1.75 hamburger in it, and good luck finding that price again. By the way, I came across three year old meat in the freezer ( I've since modified how we rotate, to avoid this issue. I am sacrificing one shelf, so that no packages ever get left behind accidentally again. I TRIED to rotate, but got greedy and kept trying to stuff more bargain meat in ). It is still edible ( with my plastic shopping bag storage method ), but you do have to trim a spot here and there that is freezer burned. Very little waste.

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As you can see, not all of my panic items were early enough, nor did I stock deep enough at times. But in general, I think I've done pretty good with my informal program of deciding which stockpile items to choose next. Read the news, panic early. Next week, repeat. ALWAYS be panic buying, but in a smart manner. Beat the crowds as early as possible. Buy those cold meds when there are two cases of Beer Virus in the US, NOT after they let two cruise ships unload with contaminated passengers. Buy those batteries at the end of hurricane season, for next year, not as one is arriving. Buy food when no one else wants it ( like you used to be able to do with turkey, but no longer as all the “healthy” fake meat is made with that bird now. They might say sale, but it is still overpriced at the end of the holiday now ). And etcetera.

( .Y. )

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