A New Way of Living : Part 2 - America Runs On Money

To read Part 1, click here.

Money, just like clothes, or toaster ovens, or computers, is a valuable object in today’s society. America runs on money. Without it, most people can’t eat, can’t buy clothes, can’t rent or own any kind of shelter, and most importantly, cannot live. This is an unhealthy trait of our society. We are 100% dependent on these small slips of paper and coins that are not even valuable by themselves. Through an old-fashioned thought process, it represents gold that is hidden away in a federally protected building, untouchable and unreal for most people. We now have a digital version of our money, in credit cards, and banks. We almost never touch it, and it really doesn’t exist, but our entire lives are supported by this precariously large amount of binary numbers that only exist in a server farm owned by our banks. On top of this, we have the corrupt banking bureaucracy that has complete control over our money, our housing lends, car loans, budgets, salaries, and they own the trust of almost every citizen in America. Keeping in mind that all of this money is either hidden in digital binary code, a number on a sheet of paper, or is a representation of gold that’s hidden in a U.S. Vault, and really doesn’t exist, do you see the absurd ridiculousness in our monetary system?

Many have asked the questions. What if America’s economy completely collapses? What if the U.S. Dollar becomes insignificant? How will we buy the things we need? How will we live? What will the world be like when no one can buy anything? The answer can either be categorized as preparation, or changing. I don’t mean to say that the world is going to end soon, I’m just implying that America’s dependence on money is unhealthy, and not trustworthy. I would like to become less dependent on the monetary system, because of its instability now, and in the future.

Coupons & Stockpiling

I assume that saving money is something that a large percentage of low-to-middle class people are interested in. Buying things that I’ll always need at the cheapest price possible is a great way to save money. Coupons, coupled with store sales, and store coupons, will provide the basic commodities you need. If used correctly, you’ll only be paying 40-50% on things you would buy anyway. Items such as hygiene products, paper products, pet care products, books, beauty products, canned foods, clothes, and most other nonperishable items should never be paid for at full price, and should always be available.

By using coupons the right way, I’ll be able to stockpile nonperishable goods for use in a long-term situation. I do not trust the economy to remain anything close to stable for the entirety of my lifetime. I suspect that it will digress to a nasty point within the next twenty years. By buying goods at their cheapest point using coupons and sales, I can afford to buy multiple of the same items. I’ll be able to stockpile the goods I know I need to have a long-term supply of nonperishable goods. This is important because it will cut my normal grocery bill in half. Also, because I’m young and have much time left to live, I’ll be able to start off at a good, solid point in life with a full stock of common items.

The world is not going to end, but I would feel much safer in knowing that I will always be provided for. I will always be able to have canned soup for dinner if I don’t have a job, and I can’t afford anything else. I can even help out my friends and family, by supporting their needs. I’ll be spending pennies on the dollar for things that I will always need, and I won’t have to worry about where my next meal will come from. Coupons and stockpiling is one of my ways to prepare for the future, and I would like to continue it for as long as possible; until the world does end! Also, by keeping an inventory of the goods I buy and store, I’ll be able to keep track of many, many multiples of an item, and can go several weeks without needing to even go to the store. This is a significant way to stop my own dependence on money.

A New Philosophy

What do people really need to survive? The most basic things are food, water, clothing, a place to sleep, someone or something to love, something to do, and God. In the modern day, and for the past hundreds of centuries, money has been the primary method of getting what you need, but, there are several other methods. Food can be obtained by either growing it from the ground, or raising and killing animals. Water doesn’t have to be pumped in from a big city, it can be drawn from a well. Clothing can be made through raising sheep, or growing cotton, or even getting fabric, and sewing it together. A shelter can be any number of things, from your parents’ house, to an apartment, to a tent in the woods. Love can come from, or be for, our pets, family, friends, nature, success, anything that you care about can be considered love. An occupation doesn’t have to be a job, because it can be something you love, like art, or music. God, when sought, is everywhere.

When you take these bare-necessities down to their roots, you’ll find that there are ways to live that don’t include getting an office job, or graduating college with honors, or becoming a successful person. You learn to just be, and this is a hard idea for people who have been raised with the expectation that they will have to get a degree, have money, become successful, raise a family, and be everything to everyone. You can live without money, a job, or success, and although this sounds like a terrible way to live, it really can be so uplifting to know that you don’t need to worry so much!

By using coupons, gardening, keeping livestock, sewing, cooking, learning to use herbs, finding a small, lucrative hobby, and by planning intelligently, I’ll be able to save an incredible amount of money, and maybe avoid having a long-term, lifelong, normal old job. 

To read Part 3, click here.