It’s not just in the USA that a growing number of people are preparing for far-from-equilibrium scenarios resulting from economic or geo-political collapse.

Many Europeans have also taken note of the troubling signs all around them. In the following report, RT visits a man who wished to keep his name and location anonymous. Like many Americans, he is preparing for all hell to break loose and has spent the last few years gearing up his home and supplies for the worst.

Like most preppers and survivalist, he has modified his lifestyle to become more self reliant and less dependent on the grid and existing government infrastructure.

In addition to generating  two thirds of his current energy consumption with wind and solar power, he grows his own food and raises cattle to supplement his diet in the event grocery stores run out of food or prices get so expensive in Euros that no one can afford to buy it.

As is this case for many of his like-minded counterparts in the United States, for this Euro prepper it’s not a matter of “if” the collapse happens – it’s only a matter of when. And when “when” finally happens, he’ll be ready for it.

The worst case scenario that we’re preparing for is a total collapse of the economy. There will be problems with food, electricity, water supply… so, I want to make sure we can wait out this time when money will be worthless.

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There are no new steps, no new solutions on what to do about this whole situation. The rude awakening is coming. We all hope to postpone it, but eventually it’ll come.

The smart money in America and Europe is betting on a total implosion of financial markets and the economy. Even those of us who don’t have the riches or know-how to make money in stocks, commodities or precious metals in the event of such a collapse are taking steps to protect our wealth and insulate our families against scenarios where the world as we know it is transformed into madness and chaos.

We may not be able to buy leveraged contracts or commodity Exchange Traded Funds, but we do know how to buy low and sell high. And for many who have taken to putting away larder for hard times, this is exactly the investment strategy we’re implementing. A ten pound bag of rice today may cost just $10, but if the US dollar and Euro continue to lose value that same rice may be $20 or $30 just a few years from now. That’s a 200% return on investment if you pack that rice (or wheat, or corn, or any number of foods that last a lifetime) properly for long-term storage. The benefit of such a direct investment strategy: You have no counter-party risk, as you are in possession of the hard commodity at all times, to be consumed or bartered as you see fit.

As we noted in Green Acres is the Place to Be the economic crisis has forced many people who were once office workers or service industry personnel into more productive roles working their own farms or ranches. Many of these people came to realize too late – once their assets were wiped out and they lost their jobs and homes – that becoming more self reliant was one of the few strategies that could help them survive this crisis. For others, like the anonymous Euro prepper featured in the report above and the 3 million Americans who have taken their well being into their hands, getting ready before tragedy strikes is an investment and continuity of life contingency plan that will certainly payoff when hard times befall us.

Hat tip Pappy Slavo