Topic: Commodity prices & self sufficient living (Read 1274 times)

Driving in a car enables me to waste less time on travel, this makes me more productive
Gym allows me to use machines that let me optimize training for a specific goal, this makes me more productive
Time saved from being more productive, allows me to spend time with my children more often

PS: I don't wait in long lines, only monkeys alike the apple fans do that
PS2: My wife and me have our ways to spice up the relationship yes : - )

Bear in mind also that despite all the general principles cited so far, we're living in a world where commodity prices are being heavily manipulated, in a multitude of ways. The Western governments stockpile huge amounts of all types of food (the EU is famous for "chocolate mountains" and "butter lakes"). Material commodities are also treated the same, but by large corporations, not governments.

Why? Well, their story is that it's economics ("protecting local markets"). But this is a blatant euphemism for "protecting profits", or worse, "controlling markets". Capitalism? No, it is not.

WTF

So you must be one of the guys driving to work in car (paying for gas), standing in queues; then work; then driving to gim (paying for gas & gim); then driving to shopping center, waiting in line, paying for garbage food....

Do you have any time, do you ever see the sun, do you ever look up and feel a snow flake droping on your face, do you know how nice strawberry smells?

I guess you have artifical vagina, your wife has vibrator and your parents made you with artificial insemination - because you have money.

People are jogging more because they can't afford gym
People are growing food themselves because they can't afford the supermarket
People's quality of life is going down, that is why you see what you mentioned, not because they want to be 'self-sufficient', whatever that means because working and buying food is just as 'self-sufficient' as spending time to grow your own food

By some reason I saw a nice way to do that the other day. Use a small bucket that have been fermented (don't know the english word for fermented liquid). Put a heating element(aquarium heater) tuned to around 45-50 degrees celsius  in the bucket, and place it inside a larger bucket with a lid on (but a small wenting hole, preferably with an active-coal filter to prevent smells.). The inner bucket should stand on a small platform. Then let it stand for a few days in the basement or other cold place and collect the dew that forms at the inside of the large bucket and runs to its bottom. This method is supposed to make high quality alcohol with little equipment, even though it's slower than the traditional methods, it's perfect for household use and then some(unless you should be a member of the AA ).

I already bought farming land. Playing with soil makes me more relaxed and we spend a LOT of money on bio food.

Maybe growing fruits and corn to produce alcohol? Entertainment for everyone!

A store of value in deflation would be fiat (but kept at home and not in bank)?
bitcoin?
gold & silver?
or will we have to trade them to get the best out of them and to not miss the transition to inflation where no fiat should be kept?

But wouldn't be the safest a can of food (we have to eat)?

Wanted speculations, but moved.

It all depends on how you think the future is most likely to be. If the dollar looses a lot of value, you might wanna get into another currency that you think will remain strong or stronger. If you think the economy is in recession, you should buy stocks in companies that do low-cost "entertainment" like movie studios, breweries, publishing companies etc. In a downturned economy, people might not go on holidays, but they still want some fun.

In crisis times I'd say energy prices go down(less production) and land prices goes down as there is less money around. Food can go all ways, depending on the reason and where the crisis originates. If the currency gets less valuable, imports will be more expensive, and so will food in general as it will be better for farmers to export. If the crisis is more widespread, and there is no large drop in the currency-exchange, food prices will be down as there is less money spent on food.

If you have a safe income, you should be safe either way.

Still - If you have the possibility to do some farming, you should do so for the sake of the joy of it. Also you get high quality food, collecting the vegs from the garden minutes before cooking, means that they are at their prime. Meat also have higher quality after the animal have lived a stress-free life and is slaughtered without any transport and other stresses just before it ends it's days. AFAIK this is very noticeable with free-range chicken vs store bought ones. Also pork that have been free-ranging gets a fuller taste, but beware of the males as the meat might turn foul-tasting in their pubery if they are not neutered.

If you wanna do alternative energy, wind is most likely most bang per buck, but YMMV. Methane might also be a good option for some.

bitcoin  we can hope

Good plan..... if you can manage to have liquid assets at the bottom.  Cash will be hard to come by since interest rates will spike and bankruptcies will erase uninsured savings.

So, deflation spiral and then hyperinflation? Any time frame? Speculation. So wait for deflation; buy land, solar cells, wood, food,.. and enjoy (and sell some when inflation comes).

Depends... in an inflationary crises, prices go up.  In a deflationary crises, prices go down.

Considering the levels of private and public debt prevalent in much of the world, my money would be on a deflationary crisis followed closely by an inflationary one.

I would appreciate if you know about that markets. What do you think where the price will go. I was wondering about the prices of food (corn, wheat, sugar) and energy. Also about solar & wind power products and farming land.

I see more people walking, bicycling; more balcony and roof gardens. My plan is to be more self sufficient. Be more self sufficient and that you don't depend so much on society is good, but does the prices of food, energy, land go up or down in crisis times?