I hate relying on companies or people to supply me with what I can supply myself.

This is the reason why I invested $11,000 into a waste oil burner for my home. I was tired on relying on the natural gas company to provide me with what I needed to heat my home.

It would not be so bad if I felt that the people providing you with a certain good or service were reasonable but I get boiling hot when people or organizations you do business with can raise their rates without any negotiation and there is nothing you can do about it.

I eliminated my heating bill by purchasing my oil burner and I am currently trying to do that with other bills I have as well.

I will not stop until "I am totally off the grid."

I invested into some solar panels because next my step is to eliminate my electricity bill. I've come to find out that my electric needs are much larger than my heating needs and there will not be a one-step solution.

I have three huge solar panels at the top of my house and even on the sunniest days it produces only enough energy to heat my coffee machine. Hum?

I recently purchased a fifteen foot windmill that I put on top of my garage. Again, like the solar panels, this has not worked out like my previous investment has. Even when it is spinning, which isn't often, it doesn't produce even close to the amount of power I require to power my home.

The point is that I have made inroads. I would encourage you all to do the same!

Many people, as I have in the past, looked for quick fixes. You will be able to find those but not for everything. You are going to have to hammer away at certain things.

Have you thought about trying to grow your own food?

I have also invested in a greenhouse. I had to bulldoze down my old one to make room for the new garage I recently built back in 2007 but I replaced it with a new one several months ago. I am in the process of growing tomatoes, quash, and raspberries (Alaska is kind of limited).

Quite frankly I think everyone should start their own greenhouse.  If you live in a hotter place you may not need a greenhouse. Try it!  Do it even if you are not a gardener or even have a passion for it.

Why? Lets say inflation runs rampant due to all this money the government is currently printing. Have you looked at our national debt? The printing presses are probably smoking they are going so fast.

You cannot eat dollar bills can you? Do you have a plan for that? I am asking you these questions to make you think. This is the reason why you want to grow your own food to the extent possible.

People living on a farm would suffer a little but they would be able to at least eat! What would you do?

What are you going to do if your money is worthless someday?

If my money was worthless, as of today, I could still heat my house for a year and eat tomatoes for a month. I also have a two week supply of army provisions in my basement but that's a whole other topic.

This is what I am talking about when I say I want to be as self sufficient as humanly possible. Where will all these companies be if the money supply was one day worthless? What sort of position would I be in?

If you are planning on buying a new home I would recommend looking for a place that is close to or hooked up to well water.

I know it does not taste good at times but this supply would at least be still be available if the water company employees stopped doing their job. Seems far fetched, I know, but it could happen.

We are living in a world that is more unstable than people realize. This post is by no means meant to scare you. But I hope that last fall taught you all something. Our system looks more solid and stable than what it really was. The whole monetary system came to the brink of collapse. We are still not "out of the woods yet" though some people have been made to believe we are.

If a collapse did happen wouldn't it be better if you lived by or had a reliable source of water. We do not think about that because its always easily supplied to us, and most of us take that for granted, but if your facet ran dry someday you soon would be.

Start Making Plans Now

I still think that this is the best country to live in. There are no other country where citizens enjoy the standard of living that we have. Most of us live, in comparison to the rest of the world, a comfortable and sheltered lifestyle.

That doesn't mean it will always be like that.

Things can change quick. One minute you are on top and the next minute you are not.

The administration of the last two presidents, Bush and Obama, have increased government spending and the money supply exponentially. I do not care so much as why they did it, we all know the reasons, as I am purely looking at the effects and how it will affect the average American in the coming years.

Start becoming more self sufficient and self reliant. When the "crap hits the fan" you will be more prepared.  If the it doesn't you will still be better off and save a lot of money.