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37 Comments

  1. The S&P is risky and always has been. It’s also rewarding. You have to decide how much of your money you want to spend gambling at the penny machine (DJI) or do you want to move on up.
    This is one of those investments you need to watch and work. It’s not something you drop the money in and just forget about it till your ready to retire. This one is work. Not many people want to work their retirement money.

    1. I doubled my 401k this year in a single month on coronavirus stocks. I found a list on Market Watch or Yahoo Investments of the 12 best Covid-1984 stocks to get into. I posted the link here. I’ve wondered all this time if anyone took a look at the list and made any buys? Almost everything on the list skyrocketed, many doing a 10x.

      I only played two of them CODX (testing kits) and VXRT (vaccine) and timed my buy based on when I expected the virus to be the lead story on Fox news. All of us here were way ahead of the curve on Covid-1984 of course. The story finally showed up on Fox news as the last story in February… kept moving up the list every couple of days, and I finally bought in on Feb 21, pretty sure the Covid-19 would be the lead story over the weekend or Monday at the latest. It was finally the lead on Monday the 24th, my CODX went from $3 on Friday to $4+ on Monday. On Monday afternoon, CODX did a crazy hockey stick around 2 PM, I was up 30% in a single day, so I took the money and ran. Arrgghhhh!! It hit an intra-day high of almost $30 a few days later, then closed at $16 that day. Had my timing been better by just a few days on that, VXRT, and others, I could have been up 10x for the year. 🙁 But I’m not complaining about doubling my money. I do best when markets are crashing and everybody is panicking, so I’m patiently awaiting the next big drop, probably sooner than later. I’ve been in cash most of the past 5 months.

      I also did well short-term trading on gold mining stocks, namely KGC which I had owned a few years back. But another sad story. My last buy of KGC was at $3.61, then they announced a Codid-1984 outbreak at their main mine later that same day so I sold at $3.64. They then skyrocketed a few days later and had nearly doubled within a few weeks. But I’m still pleased with my 401k’s overall performance this year. When it drops big again, gold miners are going to do well and for those of us who invest in very short-term paper silver, it’s going to be another big opportunity when it repeats what it did back in Feb/March.

      CODX: Check out the year-to-date if the link drops that part.
      https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/CODX?p=CODX&.tsrc=fin-srch

      VXRT: same thing, look at the year-to-date.
      https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/VXRT?p=VXRT&.tsrc=fin-srch

  2. I’ve noticed every single source for markets DJI, NASDQ and 500 are negative you post. Last year BC, Before Corona, it was a bumper year through the roof. Best there’s been in 15-20 years.
    We all know it’s gonna be shaky till elections but after that I expect it to rise.
    There I made a positive statement that will forever keep me from working for zero hedge.

    1. Let me add that my stocks during the pandemic have been doing amazingly well. I have been getting a return between 4 to 6% per MONTH for the last 6 months or more. Prior to that (in the “good” times ) it was a steady growth of about 1.5 to 2% a month. My disappointment is that I had to pull so much money out of the market to keep my business running, pay employees, and other business costs during the Obama years. Now it’s recovery mode. Just buy the stocks of companies that meet ordinary people’s everyday needs…I call them the “deplorable stocks” just to make my broker angry when he is trying to push me into some tech, automotive or energy company stock..

      1. I have been eating the dividends of my seed stock these last few months. Beans and kale. One seed gives me many meals and more, many more, seeds. I have bounty to share. Just gave away some of that bounty.

        My return on investment is over 1000%. Remember seeds when you look at investing in tangibles.

        Carry on in grace

  3. I stopped into Field & Stream (I don’t like giving them my money since they are so PC) and they had 9mm from a company called Surefire. Never heard of them. $34.99 for a box of 50 rounds. I guess if you didn’t have any that would be a good price? So glad I stock up and reload since that puts me in a position not to get fleeced.

    1. Mr Scout:

      I understand the not getting “fleeced” sentiment, but what is an individual to do at this point in time?

      Whatever stockpile that you and I have will not last forever. I’m assuming that we are both individuals that like to to shoot. We’re not the guy that bought Glock and then ran a box of ammo through it at the range (while we nervously looked on – muzzle control please!), showed to our friends and then put on the top shelf of his closet. Do we stop shooting/hunting/training to preserve what be have in anticipation of WTSHTF? To what uses do I allocate my finite supply of ammo or does it all just go into the deep sleep until . . . when? Although modern ammunition may have a very good shelf life, it is not infinite. Whatever you and I have will run out and your reloading supplies will run low. Even in The Walking Dead they finally ran out of ammo.

      Is ammunition expensive right now or is it cheap? Is ammunition a tool or is it a commodity? What happens after the election? 9mm is not going back to 20 cents per round on Nov 4 no matter who wins the election. 60 ents per round seems to be the current going rate in Houston. Is this just the stopping point on the way to $1?

      Real concerns. Hope to see some real thoughts.

      1. Fear not, SFW, your ammo will probably out-live you. In 1975, I shot up a whole case of .303 British manufactured in 1927. Every round fired, although the case necks cracked. I’ve got a tin of US Korean War .30-06 armor piercing that you probably wouldn’t want to stand in front of. I’ve shot WWII .30-06 in my M1 and it still runs the rifle just fine. Corrosive priming, though.
        If you are short it’s because you haven’t been stocking enough when it was cheap.
        Ammo seems to parallel plywood in Florida. People living there KNOW there IS GOING TO BE A HURRICANE, eventually. But they always wait until two days before to buy plywood.
        Some of my friends (not particularly close friends) ignore my prodding to buy lots of 5.56, 9mm, etc ammo while it is cheap and plentiful. Few do. They always wait until there is a major flare up…..Sandy Hook, Clinton AW ban, or the current insurrection to buy when the price is double or more, and availability is scarce.
        I pick up expended brass after classes, degrading as it may seem, and save it. I buy propellents when I see them at reasonable prices. Bulk primer purchases….50,000 or more, when the prices are decent. Same with bullets.
        I must say that Utah’s premier gun stores….the private shops that have been around for decades, have deep larders, for though all of the major ammo and component vendors on line are stone-cold out of inventory across the board, these tiny shops continue to amaze with plentiful amounts of ammunition, though their reloading supplies are showing some bare spots on shelves. We just picked up 5,000 62 grain 5.56 bullets for a dime a piece. There were many more left on the shelf. Federal 5.56 ammo, fresh pallets of 500 round bricks on display.
        Of course, much of the local population already has piles of it in their basements already. When the shelves go bare, I just laugh every time I pull the handle on my Dillon progressive press. Continuity of Fire. See Clint Smith’s Angry Wisdom video by that name. Continuity of Fire. But having supplies in hand BEFORE a problem arises is also a form of CoF.
        I’d imagine the Walking Dead folk moved around a lot. That’s why they ran out. You can’t take very much with you. And that’s why being a refugee sucks.
        Uh-oh, I’m hearing Tom Petty’s song.

          1. I’ve asked about shipping to on-line customers and they decline to do so. Might be one reason they still have inventory. 5.56 Federal flies off the pallet very quickly. I stopped building 5.56 inventory years ago when I hit 25,000, but maintain a beefy reserve of components to surge or resume production. 7.62 NATO, 35,000. Add handgun, total is around 100,000. It sounds excessive, but it’s scattered to various sites, and I have children to supply, too. Three of us will chew through 2,000 rounds in a weekend training course. Three or four courses a year, it adds up!
            Tunnel Rabbit is correct, cheaper to buy loaded .30 Soviet than load it. So buy 15,000. Per rifle.
            I love the .300,Blackout because I can buy it in bulk, or convert fired 5.56 brass to Blackout in the blink of an eye and load a wide spectrum of readily available. 30 caliber bullets in it. Better performance beyond 100m than .30 Soviet, girls like shooting it in AR carbines.
            As a boy, i read about great American heroes like Jim Bridger, Davy Crocket, John Paul Jones. Crocket and Bridger died young because they ran out of ammunition. Don’t be like them. You can be sure the Pope, Graham, and other VIPs have security details that won’t.

        1. More wisdom from Clint:

          Too Much Ammo?
          https://youtu.be/KKG1mq0bf-w

          (We got an early heads up on Covid, and now we got an early warning about the insurrection. Invest in lead even if you do not own the rifle that shoots it. There will be a black market for 5.56 as the Gov’t has unseen billions of rounds stockpiled, but there is no massive gov’t stock pile of 7.62×39. It is still cheaper to buy it than reload it, and there is very little re-loadable brass out there for this cartridge.)

      2. Holy cow!!!! I’m still only paying 50 cents/round for 9mm and that’s in Canadian dollars. 5.56/223 is still only 50 to 55 cents/round for bulk. (American Eagle, Remington UMC)

        Just picked up a little more a couple weeks ago at the LGS, because they still had stock, and the prices were good. Talking with the owner, and he tells me that because of the situation South of the border, that IF he gets his next ammo order, (and that may be a big if at this time) that we will be seeing a price increase of at least 15, if not 20%. I told him that I expect more than that, if demand continues to outstrip supply.

        1. I did stumble across some 9mm at Academy (local big box outdoor store) that was 25cpr. Limit three boxes per customer. +150 to the inventory. I probably shoot all up later this week.

      3. SFW,

        I was shooting ammo from the 1970’s in the army. Like anything it is how it is stored. I don’t think ammo has a short storage, back in the old days it might have but I am still shooting WW1 corrosive 8mm ammo without too many problem and the ones I’m having go back to storage and production from the early 1900’s. Having been a reloaded for most of my adult life and having been raised by a reloader I can say that even reloads can store for a long time. I think, just like the food industry has conditioned us to think food is inedible past a best by date so do I think the shooting industry (my as well throw pharmaceutical in there too) have us believe that only “fresh” ammo is viable.
        Is ammo a tool or a commodity- IMO- both. If you have ever read any of my survivalblog article I harp on logistics. Training is important BUT if the SHTF and you don’t have any ammo because you used it all for training what has that training done for you? I think each person needs a system that sets a minimum stockpile number per caliber (those can be different). Then establish a system as you buy/reload ammo you buy more than you are using. For some that will be a hefty bill. But perhaps it is a time to conserve the stockpile and to use on other training for awhile? Or use smaller, less expensive calibers to practice with. To me there is way too much emphasis on guns and ammo verses food production, medical, communications, and other training. Facts- in wars more people have died from starvation (civilian population) and diseases than GSW. But we focus on firearms training. Second wars and battles are won on logistics. Again history supports this. Rommel was winning (strategy/tactics) until he lost his lines of logistics. Again what is your training worth if you used all your ammo on training? What did we do as a nation during WWII when rubber was scarce? We rationed gasoline. It only seems logical (although against our nature as shooters) to not shoot when ammo is scarce. I think you are right ammo is going to return to normal before or immediately after Nov 4. I’m not suggesting not training but I’m suggesting doing training that doesn’t take ammo. Rough times are on the horizon, those who can rapidly adapt and overcome (OODA loop) will over come the adversity much better. One other suggestion based on history buy food- food, especially today when 1 person produces the food for thousands of people, will be the ultimate weapon

    1. Use discernment. There is an unprecedented, dubbed historical snowstorm going through the Rocky Mountains from Glacier south to almost Texas today and tomorrow….Way earlier than the norm. It kinda reminds me of Laura Ingall’s “Long Winter”.

      1. @Avalanche Lily yes, others calling for early, rough winter….thanks for the insight. New question….seeing in the news that Idaho house voted to ‘end the virus crisis’….has to go to Idaho Senate, right? Then what? Does the Governor get to veto or not??

      2. Lily,

        I was just thinking that! I’m also re-reading my Little House on the Prairie books right now.

        Forecast for that area is high nineties today and then HUGE dump of very early snow… this may be a clue to what this coming winter may bring for some of us.

        Pray and continue to get ready

        Have a Rockin great day

    2. Yep, Just be as prepared as you can be for cold,and power outages. Have food for a very extended time, warm clothes, and alternative way to heat, cook and get water. A lot of “Prophets” are getting this word. I just read a day or two ago, that the sun seems to be going further into the Solar Minimum. We have that incredibly early snow storm blanketing the high elevation Rockies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1KHIjGufsw

      There were early snows in China about two weeks ago. See Adapt 2030.

      The jet stream is going to be pulling very cold air and storms from out of Canada all winter so the Mid west and Northeast will have a harsh cold winter.

      I really like this young man. He is a amateur weather follower. He calls things a few days before you hear it on the regular media. I watch him very often to see the long term forecast for our area. He doesn’t speak much for us, but his graphics show me what I wish to see. He does have Tourettes syndrome and on occasion you hear a naughty word slip in. He hates it. 🙁

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfyfNERaUb0&t=918s

      1. We’re watching those weather reports, and pray everyone stays safe through the coming (and early) winter storm!

        In our area, we’re not sure if our serious winter will come this year or next, but we know we’re probably due. There is a feeling of the change of season in the air, and forecasts suggest we may have a warmer but wetter winter. This remains to be seen… Our thought is that gearing up for a harsh winter is always the best plan. It’s the “better safe” philosophy at work!

        There have been some interesting (and concerning) reports from Ben at Suspicious0bservers. He is looking at the question of acceleration of the loss of earth’s protective magnetic field — and whether that rate of acceleration might be increasing. These conditions, combined with the increase in solar activity related to the solar cycle, and interaction with the approaching plasma sheet, are likely to produce conditions for which many are not prepared. Ben also seems to be concerned that the time frame to interference with the systems of modern civilization could come more quickly than earlier anticipated.

        This next link is an 8 second video showing the history and rate of decline of the earth’s magnetic field:

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxo6L255Pp0&feature=youtu.be

        http://magneticreversal.org/

        https://suspicious0bservers.org/

        https://spaceweathernews.com/

        There are some truly significant challenges associated with assessing a hazard like this one, and preparing for the possibility of it. Given the potential magnitude of such an event (or series of events), and the all encompassing implications for life, we may be expanding our survival preparedness horizons greatly.

        1. You’re the first to state “warmer and wetter”. I saw two weeks ago the Farmers Almanac said “colder and more snow” and the Old Farmers Almanac said “warmer and wetter”. I’m just going to wait and see. Where I live they say “You don’t like the weather ? – wait 10 minutes.

          1. RG! Yes… This is true also for our area. If you don’t like the weather, give it a minute! We’ll see how it all unfolds, and preparing for a harsher winter while hoping we see warmer and wetter conditions. A mild winter would be welcome, even as we know we’re due (and probably close to) a much colder one.

            We may yet see La Nina conditions this year, and there could be significant winter weather variability across the country. Generally, my husband and I both believe that colder conditions are coming for all of us (related to all the developments described above), but we’re probably not yet at the stage where we’ll see broad and substantial uniform movement in that direction.

    3. Ammunition is certainly a commodity, it can be used as a medium of trade but in the end must be consumed to have true value, it is the same as oil or wheat. When we stockpile ammo I will purchase it for a designated purpose either defense, hunting, training or trading. I have 1000’s of rounds of 9mm that I have been trading at prices substantially higher than what I purchased it for, I don’t even own a 9mm. I have also invested in standard capacity magazines, lowers, LPKs, salt and various other items that I feel like will gain value at different points in the future.
      My defensive ammo we never touch, hunting ammo we consume and replace as we use it regardless of cost, even a busy year of hunting will use less than 100 rounds total.
      Training is a little trickier, during times like this we feel even more compelled to train than ever, and we do, however we tend to move more to tactics and mechanics and go lighter on live-fire. We feel like burning ammo punching holes in paper is not nearly as valuable as training to move and shoot together with a few well placed, well timed shots.

  4. 1) Inflation can’t be judged by a number. Dollar prices of wheat, corn, soybeans not much higher than they were 40 years ago even as dollar has lost much of its value relative to gold.

    House prices very high in some areas , down in others and flat in some depending upon local economy and local government’s restraints on development. San Francisco vs Pittsburgh vs Detroit. Overall, houses much larger and sq feet per person seems much higher in suburbs than what you saw 40 years ago — just look at older houses vs new.

    Medical services and education have risen greatly but that is due to government policies (heavy, expensive demands for doctor training and restrictions on licensing for medical, shoveling out huge amounts of student loans for worthless degrees while letting university endowment funds be untaxed.)

    Firearms seem to have boom and bust cycle. Cars seem more expensive than 40 years ago but arguably are more reliable, last longer and are safer.

    Electronics and computers much cheaper relative to performance.

    Clothing much cheaper.

    If your real wages are falling due to income concentration and rising inequality then everything looks more expensive to most people.

    “Inflation” was defined by Alan Greenspan as people having a decent living and not living in fear of losing their job.

    The problem with Greenspan’s income and wealth inequality is that the people who need to buy things don’t have the money to do so and the people who do have money have even their huge appetites already sated. So limited demand for producer’s products and services. Plus there is the massive corruption in politics.

  5. SB associate Palmetto State Armory’s ammunition shelves are bare. There are plenty of guns in the stores but no ammo in common defense calibers like 9mm, .38, .357, .45 ACP, 5.56/.223, or 7.62 NATO/.308 W. Even hunting ammo is hard to find, but a few boxes of obsolete rounds like .44-40. There is a 1 box/per person/per caliber limit. The local Walmart had a small stock of softnose rifle ammunition like.30-30 and .270, but that will soon be gone. Shotgun shells are still in reasonably good supply at both. One might do well to pick some up while they can be had.

  6. Hi everyone

    Question, now that my summer raised bed gardens are done, what could I plant in them that could tolerate cooler weather? I would love to get something going but not sure what I should plant.
    This will also keep me occupied as I recover from spinal surgery for my C-3 through C-6 vertebrae reconstruction ☹️. Having this done on September 21

    Thanks everyone and of course have a Rockin great day!

    1. Hello RKRGRL68!
      Are you thinking greens like lettuces? We have great success with these as the cooler temperatures come! …and if you have any indoor space for growing, you might have some fun experimenting with microgreens too!

      You might have fun reading through tips like these… Some move beyond the time frame you’re considering, but all include information and ideas for growing garden vegetables through seasonal transitions.

      From Country Living:
      https://www.countryliving.com/gardening/garden-ideas/a33754584/how-to-plant-fall-garden/

      From Gardening Know How:
      https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/vgen/spring-planting-crops.htm

      From MI Gardner:
      https://migardener.com/7-crops-you-can-grow-from-seed-with-snow-on-the-ground/

      From Johnny’s Seeds:
      https://www.johnnyseeds.com/growers-library/vegetables/heat-tolerant-cool-weather-crops.html

      From Burpee:
      https://www.burpee.com/gardenadvicecenter/vegetables/general-gardening/start-your-garden-with-cool-season-vegetables/article10826.html

      Many prayers said for successful surgery for you, and a speedy recovery on the other side… Take it slowly! The most important task before you is healing.

    2. Hey RKRGRL68, I’ve planted both beets and turnips late and gotten harvests through the winter. The turnips started getting a little pithy by February though. I let those go and collected the seed.

      Wishing the best for your surgery!

    3. Here in the Pacific Northwest we plant garlic and leeks to overwinter for a late spring harvest. Leafy greens with a little protection usually do pretty good too.

    4. RKRGRL68 here are some ideas for fall plantings: Many lettuce varieties will do well through the fall/early winter. Spinach can be grown in the fall, and through the winter if under cover. Kale will grow through the winter especially if covered. Mache/corn saled, and Claytonia/Miners lettuce both like cooler weather. I will be planting garllic bulbs in a few weeks to overwinter. Carrots can be planted in August for fall or winter harvest. I’m in zone 6b so you may need to adjust planting times depending on your growing zone. The key for many of these crops is to grow them under a plastic cover to keep the wind off. They can handle freezing temps, but not the wind drying out the plants. I have successfully grown all the above crops in winter. Keep in mind growth rates will be much slower due to less light. You will need to plant more, or succession plant to have regular harvests.

    5. Hey RKRGRL68, I had C2-C6 done a!most 7 years ago. Titanium rods and screws. I wouldn’t expect to do much for at least 2 weeks and very possibly longer. I was in the same boat, had to have it done to prevent devastating health issues. Praise the Lord I recovered fairly well in spite of having significant spinal cord damage. A little advice, if you feel the need to pray and praise God after your surgery, don’t get out of bed on your knees. I did and couldn’t get back up lol. Take it easy, pay attention to what your body is telling you and trust the Lord. Will be praying for you.

  7. Hey all,

    Thanks so much! I will try all of these suggestions. I appreciate the input and links provided

    Thank you also for the prayers for my upcoming surgery… I am not looking forward to it but I’m out of options so I have to have it done.

    Rock on

  8. in 2019, my non prepper investments increased 22%. i am young (<40), but invested very conservatively. the value of my ammo has at least doubled. i built an ar just to sell. and i more and doubled my money in a year. my home had nearly doubled in value in 5 years…. this is insane.

    i bought ammo for my cousin online per his request and added to to it out of my stock. wolf gold bought for $.60. i should have been an arms dealer!

  9. I appreciate the comments on potential weather and power supply issues. Avalanche Lily, I have had an almost overwhelming desire to buy a good quality wood stove, chimney pipe and mounting brackets for months now – even before we buy a house. I guess I can let go of some other stuff to afford this. Buying an extra might be a phenomenal barter setup as well.

    Still buying 9mm and .45 here when it comes into stock. A local store has not raised prices and we are paying $0.36 per .45 ACP round (50 round box, standard FMJ ball, brand is Aguila which shoota surpisingly well) and 9mm is $0.22 per round by the same manufactrer in 300 round boxes. I am on staycation this week and plan to visit the store every day at 10:30 am when it gets loaded to the shelves, and again at 1:00 pm.

    It appears that we have a couple of AR builders in the area who offer fresh builds for sale. This is a VERY dangerous game to play. I don’t buy anything from them.

    Pistols are plentiful but getting something concealable and shooting one of the top three calibers (.45 ACP, 9mm and .40) is challenging. It’s more a question of getting the ammo at this point.

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