Preparedness for when

thriftwizard

Perplexed_Pineapple wrote: »

I thought this was interesting:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/10932785/The-race-to-stop-Las-Vegas-from-running-dry.html
Quite possibly it's going to be the first example of human consumption outstripping natural resources with terminal effects in the western world.
I expect in a few years our grandchildren will study it at school as an example of environmental folly.

That's very scary. One of my best friends is a Special Ed. teacher in Las Vegas; they're mortgaged up to the hilt on a property that may soon be worth next-to-nothing. She did suggest to her husband that they move back to her home State of Oklahoma, some years back, but he lives & breathes The Strip (where, to be fair, he works) and couldn't bear to think of living somewhere less glitzy although her salary would be more than enough to support them in OK. I've never know how she could bear to live somewhere that only has a guaranteed water supply for 4 hours in case of trouble; it seems love is not only blind, it has its head firmly under the pillow!

Mind you, Oklahoma may not run out of water quite as quickly (though her father's yard caught fire when he had a bonfire a couple of years ago, the soil was so dry and has so much oil in it) but you can literally lose everything with just a few minutes warning, if a tornado comes your way! The last big twister completely demolished the house next to her father's, where we stayed when we went out 6 years ago, but took just two roof tiles and a young Pecan tree from his property.

There are pretty vast areas of that continent I really wouldn't want to find myself having to live in...

Frugalsod

Perplexed_Pineapple wrote: »

I thought this was interesting:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/10932785/The-race-to-stop-Las-Vegas-from-running-dry.html
Quite possibly it's going to be the first example of human consumption outstripping natural resources with terminal effects in the western world.
I expect in a few years our grandchildren will study it at school as an example of environmental folly.

Some of the problems are down to mismanagement by the water companies. The hotels might have fabulous fountains and canals with gondolas but they might be in closed loops and cleaned regularly so in twenty years time they might be the last sources of water in the city. It is mainly down to massive population increase and their use for toilets baths etc. Also concrete uses a lot of water so much of it is now tied up in the buildings. In fact the drought has been so bad recently I think that the Colorado River that fills the lake may not actually reach the sea this year. When you consider that this is the same river that excavated the Grand Canyon you can see how bad things are.

daz378

i stayed in a hotel by lake mead a few years ago... think it was the hacienda casino hotel..... i was struck then by how much the water level had dropped..... thoroughly enjoyed my weekend there though.....sister reluctantly took us for a meal in las vegas.... after a lot of badgering.... it was only 2 hours but can say ive been there.... will be interesting to see how long it survives

jk0

This was linked to on PP today:

http://www.kingworldnews.com/kingworldnews/Broadcast/Entries/2014/6/28_Dr._Paul_Craig_Roberts.html

Also today I watched a very interesting video on the history of war & oil in the middle east during the last hundred years:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP0evPEsc30

Oh, boy. Here's another piece on the subject of negative interest rates, and cashless society:

http://www.barnhardt.biz/2014/06/26/negative-nominal-interest-rates-highway-to-a-cashless-statist-hell/

nuatha

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

That's the crux of the matter isn't it? being content with what you DO have and making the best life you can with it makes for a much better life. That's not to say that aspirations to improve your lot aren't a good thing and the knowledge that as individuals we all have a different interpretation of the 'perfect' life for us. We are what we are, not much you can do to change that and contentment comes with acceptance of that and the determination to make the most of what you can do with what do you have brings fulfillment and satisfaction.

As always, beautifully put.
Aspirations can be good things, they can also become millstones around our necks, making sure they don't is part of the secret.

pineapple wrote: »

I've got a beautiful little cottage in a beautiful location but I can see upcoming costs - the communal septic tank, the lane, the wall in front of our houses... Plus a couple of the neighbours bug me. The farmer was driving a thing with great big prongs which he stuck in a hay bale to shift it and I found myself saying 'I know someone I would like to do that to' (he has steered clear of me ever since ). So I need a place where I can be as anti social as I want - the sort of place where you could dance naked in the garden and not upset anyone :rotfl:
Unfortunately my downsizing scope is limited to a canal boat (too cold) or a permanent 'mobile home site' (too restrictive, too risky and with nosy neighbours).
The preferred option is a property - be it ever so umble - with an acre or so for a small menagerie.
An extra £500,000 should cover it (don't all offer at once!)

If I had it, I'd happily help.
I've often considered that distance makes good neighbours, the bigger the distance the better the neighbour - I'd generally aim for a few miles.

Herself wants proximity to towns/city and a reasonable commuting distance (can't blame her for that) which would mean ex farmhouses in the commuter belt - insufficient land and overly inflated prices. Its going to be interesting house hunting for the next place.

Frugalsod

jk0 wrote: »

Oh, boy. Here's another piece on the subject of negative interest rates, and cashless society:

http://www.barnhardt.biz/2014/06/26/negative-nominal-interest-rates-highway-to-a-cashless-statist-hell/

Broadly agree but there are two big mistakes in there. Governments will not be incentivised to spend more rather than pay down debt. With ultra low levels of interest rates they are not doing already. They are currently cutting spending even in the US. It is the fact that they cannot actually get anything done politically that is actually keeping the economy going.

Secondly the negative interest rate will not act like a tax on consumers. Customers can already be hit with fees that replicate the negative interest rate, yet they still carry on. Look at all the bank accounts with monthly fees, these act in a broadly similar way to negative interest rates, and yet there has not been a collapse in bank account numbers. All the policy has been to recapitalise the banks at the expense of the tax payers/public/bank customers. So when the next banking crisis comes it will mean serious public disorder when the public get the bill for the next bail outs.

The Tories have been crowing about their economic competence yet if anyone cares to remember just before the crisis there was loads of comments about how identical the main parties were on economic policy, and Cameron had committed to maintaining the previous governments spending plans for 3 years after an election. So they are as economically illiterate as New Labour. It was only a matter who was tarnished as a result of the crash. The Tories bank regulation would have prevented nothing. The same applies in the US.

Only in the last few days the Bank of England admitted that interest rates might take a decade to get back to normal levels of 5%. How is that a strong recovery? I suspect that until debts are written off, they may never get back to those levels again.

[Deleted User]

I don't know if any of us read the FRUGAL QUEEN blog, I do every day as her philosophy on life runs very close to ours. Today she has an inspirational post with a phrase that sums up our aspirations in life and she says her life is 'PURPOSEFUL SIMPLICITY', that they are never bored with thier lives and enjoy all that they have and all that they do including the jobs that they do for thier employment. It takes a long time to come to that point for any of us and I take my hat off to anyone who has the maturity and insight to find thier way there. We are trying still, although I must say that the journey is interesting and we find out more about ourselves with every step, we are gradually finding simpler ways and simpler methods and finding satisfaction in simpler things. I don't think I could not interact with people and we do still go to our local for the quiz which we enjoy on a social level but Frugal Queen is really an inspiration and has the courage to put her convictions into practice and is reaping the rewards in her life, long may it continue, Lyn xxx.

daz378

what a lovely morning weatherwise......im going to have my bloods tested (sugar levels) to see if my recent dizzy spells are related....off till wednesday..... dad has started buying me quite regularly 1.5 llitre bottles of springwater and these last till feb 15... so no swapping out.....every 3 months swapping out water and charging powerbank... got dizzy yesterday cleaning front room...was quite warm though...take care

[Deleted User]

The polytunnel has exploded with produce this morning, we have climbing beans that are half triffid so I've just put 5 bags out for sale (they don't freeze very well) as I've an enormous bag in the fridge to use already and the red little gem lettuces have all decided to be ready at once so I've put a few of them out too. Any money goes towards next years seeds so it's a win, win situation.

Frugalsod

So much for the financial crisis being over.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-28085256