Surviving a Financial Crisis
A financial crisis could be personal, nation-wide, or global. Around the globe financial institutions are failing and some governments are in danger of defaulting on their debt.
The key to surviving any scenario is, of course, preparation and planning ahead.
What are the signs that we're in a financial crisis?
Let's look at some of the things that are affecting us financially at the present:
- Most governments are deeply in debt and do not have the money to continue their out-of-control spending.
- Gas prices continue to rise - fluctuating at higher and higher levels.
- Fear of rampant inflation. (Are food prices rising where you live?)
- Percentage of unemployed has not decreased in 3 years.
- Incomes have not risen along with inflation.
- Foreclosure rates have increased.
- Welfare roles have greatly increased.
These are just some of the indications that a financial crisis is here and more are coming. The piper must be paid (debt).
What's your situation? Feel free to share with us here.
Let's talk about some ways you can prepare and plan.
You can't save everyone but you can do much to prepare your family. So where do you start?
Let's see how much danger you're in personally:
DANGER ZONE* |
SAFE ZONE* |
| * Your job is in . . . construction, auto sales, retail, hospitality, airlines, or you are a low wage worker or new hire. (or government in the case of government collapse) | * Any other job. |
| * 0-5 months of living expenses in cash/investments. | * 6+ months of living expenses in cash/investments. |
| * Your monthly expenses are high and can’t be reduced (e.g., mortgage, car payment) | * Your monthly expenses are low and can be reduced (e.g., entertainment, dining out, shopping. |
| * You have a large amount of debt and/or your interest rates are variable. | * You have a small amount of debt and/or you interest rates are fixed. |
| * You have no family/friends nearby who can provide support. | * You have nearby family/friends who can provide support (e.g., childcare, housing). |
If you are mostly in the "danger zone", it doesn't mean that you will be out on the street. It just means you have some work to do. Don't panic. Let fear motivate you.
If you are mostly in the "safe zone", congratulations. Take care to stay there and add to your savings.
A Survival Plan
- If you have debts, don't pay them off — pay only the minimums. Now I know that contradicts probably everything you've ever been told. But here's a question for you:
Would you rather have no debt and no cash to pay rent and buy food, or would you rather have debt and some cash to survive? Cash, right? Me too. That’s why you should not get over zealous and try to pay down your debt right now. Under “normal” circumstances, paying down your debt is a great strategy. But we’re not in normal mode anymore.
- Do everything you can to keep your job. As long as you have income coming in, you'll be okay. In a growth economy, it's much easier to find a new job, but this isn't that kind of economy.
- If you have an interest-only loan but have also been making principal payments, stop. Just pay the interest for now. When things improve and there is more stability, you can start paying down the principal again.
- If you're paying a student loan, check the rules of your loan. Many government sponsored loans do not require you to pay on it if you are a student. Take a class (one that increases your skills or employability) for $50 and find out how to stop paying on the loan - for a while.
- Renegotiate your credit card payments or interest.
- Stop contributing to your children's college savings plans. (You can start this up again when the economy improves.)
- Set up a budget. Go through your expenses with a fine-tooth comb and postpone, eliminate or reduce any that you can.
The bottom line: hoard CASH by making minimum payments on all debts. CASH IS KING. You might also want to put a bunch of that cash in a safe in your home rather than a bank. You know — just in case there's no electricity and the ATMs don't work, or the bank fails, or the FDIC runs out of money to pay everyone should there be a run on the bank.
Do not expect help from the government. If you are a small business person and your business is in trouble, do you think for one minute that the government is going to bail YOU out? Can you raise your prices 100%, 500% so that you can make a profit and keep your business going in these tough economic conditions? Only if you want to kill it completely!
Self-reliant people do not need the government to provide all the services that it tries to give us. Governments that provide too much take away our power and, unfortunately, too many people are allowing it. They are willingly giving the government their power.
Yes, you can survive any financial crisis. All it takes is a bit of creativity, motivation, and determination to make it happen. For more ideas, check out Self Reliance Works. There are so many helpful ideas there that you might spend an entire day reading about ways to become more self reliant, and therefore, able to survive a financial crisis in your life.
*Information gleaned from Plan Z: How to survive a financial crisis by Robert Pagliarini
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