Navigating Inflation, Lessons from the 70s
Season 4
Episode 556
Today is a complement to last Monday's episode on developing a deep pantry. We will discuss lessons learned from two folks who navigated the inflationary period of the 70s, when jobs became scarce, people saw the value of their retirements cut in half, and a savings account was the worst way to preserve wealth.
Announcements:
Tales from the Prepper Pantry
- Madly preparing workshop food
- Freeze Drying Left Overs for travel food
- Time to assess vinegar stores for the year
- Using up old seeds
Frugality Tip
- Reusing ziploc
- Reusable ziplock tip from a listener! https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Storage-Ziplock-Sandwich-Freezer/dp/B091CRGNMX/ref=sr_1_7?crid=TNH3SHOUUNGC&keywords=reusable+ziplock&qid=1649690426&sprefix=reusable+ziplock%2Caps%2C114&sr=8-7
Operation Independence
- All focus is on the Spring Workshop
Main topic of the Show: Navigating Inflationary Periods
Why we are talking about this
How I gleaned this information.
A tale of two families: Just Starting Out vs Time to Retire
Set the context: in 1969, gas was 19 cents a gallon … and rose to 29 cents (50% increase), then kept rising. Policy steps taken - price fixing and rationing.
Dad focused on big picture, Mom on the details
- Preserving wealth (Food and agriculture, government job | HAD to have a side hustle to get ahead. 2 jobs)
- Interest rates were much higher (Like 11% on a mortgage was a good rate)
- Unemployment high
- Realestate investment/rentals
- Buying low, selling high (trellising wire example, barrels 15-100 (Dowie joke)
- Kept household expenses down, squeezed pennies from stones (Buying $69/yard fabric for clothing, not $99/yard fabric. Multiple stores to get the cheapest thing because gas was cheaper than food.
- Always were "fully mortgaged" – robbing peter to pay paul some months on the bills
- Value From Home
- Garden
- Canned foods
- Buying wholesale eggs
- Learning to do things from scratch to save