Going to the Extreme: Euro-Preppers Get Ready for the Worst

The smart money in America and Europe is betting on a total implosion of financial markets and the economy. Even those of us who don’t have the riches or know-how to make money in stocks, commodities or precious metals in the event of such a collapse are taking steps to protect our wealth and insulate our families against scenarios where the world as we know it is transformed into madness and chaos.

We may not be able to buy leveraged contracts or commodity Exchange Traded Funds, but we do know how to buy low and sell high. And for many who have taken to putting away larder for hard times, this is exactly the investment strategy we’re implementing. A ten pound bag of rice today may cost just $10, but if the US dollar and Euro continue to lose value that same rice may be $20 or $30 just a few years from now. That’s a 200% return on investment if you pack that rice (or wheat, or corn, or any number of foods that last a lifetime) properly for long-term storage. The benefit of such a direct investment strategy: You have no counter-party risk, as you are in possession of the hard commodity at all times, to be consumed or bartered as you see fit.

As we noted in Green Acres is the Place to Be the economic crisis has forced many people who were once office workers or service industry personnel into more productive roles working their own farms or ranches. Many of these people came to realize too late – once their assets were wiped out and they lost their jobs and homes – that becoming more self reliant was one of the few strategies that could help them survive this crisis. For others, like the anonymous Euro prepper featured in the report above and the 3 million Americans who have taken their well being into their hands, getting ready before tragedy strikes is an investment and continuity of life contingency plan that will certainly payoff when hard times befall us.