What do to do if you have no money and are dependent on week to week pays, own no property and none around in starting anything because thay believe you should be prepared spiritually intead? Can you build a refuge in the mountains without property taxes etc?

-- tk (emily@cyberbeach.net), July 31, 1998

Answers

No, but the annual taxes on a property near me was $29......1 acre and an old 1 BR house. I know because it was posted for back taxes.

-- Rocky Knolls (rknolls@hotmail.com), July 31, 1998.

Dear tk:

I don't know all of your circumstances but there are too many people without the funds to do all of the things that are recommended by folks on the web. If you are in a warmer part of the country, and you feel you must leave your home, you might think about camping in a tent. If it's bad enough to leave your home, I don't think you will have to pay any fees in a National or State park. Lots of stuff can be bought in second hand stores and garage sales. Bags of rice and beans are pretty cheap. Eaten together makes some kind of chemistry that supplies your body with protien almost the equivilant of meat. Take vitamin C. Water may become a real problem, especially if your are camping. I found a pocket water purifying system that is supposed to be excellent for $100.00. I don't like to spend a hundred bucks on anything, but this is one purcase I am definately going to make. The only way to solve big problems is to chop them up in smaller pieces and solve each piece at a time. You sound frightened and I don't blame you. Try not to go it alone. At the risk of sounding sexist, if you don't have a man, get one. Good luck

-- Bill Solorzano (notaclue@webtv.net), July 31, 1998.

Its amazing what one can find to sell when one gets desperate. I sold a pile of unused camera and video equipment, cleaned out the closets and had a big garage sale and earned enough to buy a wood burning stove, a dehydrator and some storage food. Sure I will miss some of my precious stuff. But you cant eat a Minolta.

Not telling you what to do here, but if youre like us, look to paring a lot of the consumer stuff out of your life and if you can sell it, you will have some preparation cash. And if Y2K turns out to be a wet firecracker....we can always head to Wal-Mart and get more stuff!

Timothy

-- Timothy Rebman (trebman@megavision.com), July 31, 1998.

Take a look around your dwelling and gather together everything you can live without. Take it to a flea market or have a garage sale, this is one way to get some fast cash. Your first basic need is water, food, then shelter. If you have a car you can always live in that. Take on a second or even a third job to get cash together. Pay only minimum amounts on your bills and use the extra cash to buy supplys. Do you own a truck? Do hauling to get extra money. There are hundreds of different ways to raise cash. Do you have a wife and children? You gave very little information on your circumstances. What state are you in? In California, you won't be living anywhere without paying taxes. You can become a squatter, and you may be able to stay on the property until you are thrown off. But, you don't want to add misery to your situation. Can you afford a small travel trailer? Sit down and assess your situation. And pray to God, he will answer your prayers. And above all, Jesus loves you and will take care of you, you need not be troubled about your situation, thousands of others are in the same boat, just prayer harder.

-- Bardou (bardou@baloney.com), July 31, 1998.

TK, My family and I also live from week to week. Although my husband and I are both in our early 30's we've only been married for 2 1/2 years; I have a daughter from a previous marriage. We haven't had the time to save up thousands of dollars, in which to spend on many of the suggestions we have read about. But here's what we are planning and what we've started doing. Every week, I buy a little extra rice, pasta, beans, canned goods, seasonins, etc, and store them away. These items are relatively inexpensive ( a 2 lbs bag of rice at my local store is about $1.25.) I've also bought a few extra items such as a collapsable water carrier and first aid kit, each week. My advice would be, don't try to go out and buy everything at once, I know I couldn't. But make a plan: take an inventory of what you have, what you think you will need and what you can reasonably afford to buy. Hit the flea markets and yard sales. You'd be suprised what you find.

I would also suggest having an alternate place to stay, in an emergency. We live in the mid-west, about 5 miles from what most would consider a small town (about 30k) and 100 miles from a major metropolitan area. Since we are unsure of what the spill over may be from that metropolitan area (looters, scavengers, etc), we've made arrangements with family who live about 180 miles away, to stay with them, if the situation becomes unbearable, or if there is major chaos for more than 2 months. They actually live about the same distance from a major metropolitan area, but they are more in the country and we figure there is safty in numbers.

I think the key is don't panic, and make plans. Good Luck.

-- Gina Decker (gngdecker@ckt.net), August 01, 1998.

Sell the computer. You won't be needing it. You can go to a library to check net info, occasionally. Get some buckets from local stores. Buy bulk foods from local sources. Find someone near you that needs a dependable hard worker post y2k and offer your services in exchange for shelter. ( You will have your food. ) Post inquiries on forums to find a prospect in your area. Visit them and see what you think.

R.A. Mann

-- R.A. Mann (ramann@hotmail.com), August 01, 1998.

Here's a site that will give you some pointers on how to prepare with very little money, and will give you a smile, too. Lots of us in the same boat. Just keep rowing.

http://www.prepare4y2k.com/cheap2.htm

-- Faith Weaver (faith-weaver@usa.net), August 02, 1998.

Where do you live, there are lots of us out there who do not have much , but everyday do something !!! i am putting up everything i can , i still live paycheck to paycheck, imagin not spenfding money on going out to burgerking for one night will buy you like 200 lbs of rice!!! get rid of the cable tv, thats a lot of corn!!! no more AC you will have enough beans to have a party!!!

-- ron (mongo@earthling.net), August 03, 1998.