Practical Ways to Prepare for Hard Times, Without Panic

Addressing Transportation Issues

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The Title of this article series may be a bit misleading, but I promise that I am not going to sell you freeze dried meal or bug out kits from a prepper magazine also known as SHTF catalog. What I want to help you with is to learn how to prep for hard times in such a way that your pride and ease of life at its current stage, does not cause you lose the humility and awareness to do things you know you need to do, can do, but won’t do because maybe you feel you are somehow “beyond” that “stage”. The reality of life is, everyone has hard times, and these times squeeze us and press us to the point where you will find out what you are really made of.

Here are few tips focused on transportation that can help you learn, or re-learn how to thwart hard times and the depression spiral appears right happens before the situation becomes too dire and desperate to dig out of. With online fundraisers me and peer to per relief crowdfunding strategies, people seem more readily to blow off self-sustaining resources and tactics way too easily now waiting until the last minute to reach out for help with a sad sob story hoping for some free funds (that may never even come). Granted the need may be 100% legit, but it does not always have to come to this juncture. Without trying to sound too harsh, my point is, if you could prevent the worst from developing into a personal tragedy, would you do something about it? Try these few exercises once and a while (with discretion to locale and your own common sense) to perhaps save yourself and maybe even your family from future woes.

In this series, we will focus mostly on transportation. A sure way to begin a downward spiral is to be so dependent on your own vehicle that you cannot survive without one. Some of these tips may be more difficult in larger cities or for people with longer commutes, but for the sake of this article, we are going to assume, people with long commutes have assured themselves that the money is well worth the travel.

1. Saving 6 months’worth of rent is almost a fairy tale these days unless you use credit, but you can save change in old milk jugs and mason jars. Pretend like it does not exist! You will be surprised how much you can save in 6 months’ time. One caveat to that is when you cash it in try to avoid coin to cash machines unless you really have to or lose $10 bucks you might really need. The goal is to save at the very least two weeks work of gas money, cab or bus fare, so you can at least make it to your next payday.

2. Have an emergency ride share plan. Look in your local Facebook groups and or google what ride share programs might be offered in your area

3. Invest in a bicycle, in the fortunate case where you might live within a 5-10 mile radius to work and a bike friendly area, consider it. You might add some years onto your life in the process

4. Walk. When all else fails, use the legs that God gave you, if you don’t believe in God then use the legs your mom and dad gave you. Maybe before winter, your co-workers will feel sorry for you and all pitch in and buy you a car, or gift you with a popular people cab ride share gift certificate.

5. Learn your local transit system! I know it may be scary on the “other” side of town and things can happen. Well, these same types of “things” can happen in many other places.

6. Make friends or forge valuable relationships that can grow into friendships. Try not to isolate yourself to the point where the world begins to feel like a lonely place. A decent friend is good for a free ride every now and then, but do not wear out your welcome and roll up some quarters and offer them some type of reasonable compensation every time even if it’s a PB and J sandwich. Remember your manners! Valuable relationships, such as coworkers or associates, are not always a real friendship (but can grow into them over time) so you will need to learn to respect the differences, real friends know how to handle another friend in need, but they are so rare and hard to find.

The bottom line is, do not give up! You do need to get to and from your job daily, and if you stop being able to do that, or find a work from home job that pays enough to keep the lights on first, you will surely begin to have a bleak outlook on things to come. Do not let it get that way if possible, and never be afraid or ashamed to ask for help when necessary.