What can you do now to survive a possible depression and grid blackout?

Most of us did not live during the Great Depression, but I bet at least one of us has or had a grandparent that survived. The one grandparent that always encouraged you to use what you had instead of buying new.

To turn the side of your yard into a garden, get a few chickens or learn how to build a fire farm. Anything that meant that you were not 100% dependent on the system as we all seem to be now.

My grandmother always had oil from bacon fat lying around and something growing all year round, if it was just herbs on the table. She grew up during the great depression and made her aprons and blankets. Luckily she taught me a little bit about surviving. Yet what about those who did not have a grandmother to teach them?

Here are some things you can do now to prepare for possible depression.

Start building skills, whether learning to cook from scratch, build a fire, sew clothes, plant a garden, or start a compost. If the skill is tradeable, even better, learn to see what other people might need a start developing that, such as making soap; especially if you have goats, learn how to make goat soap—a skill that has value to you, your family, and those around you.

Learn to be more frugal and use what you already have. Instead of wanting that new ¨thing, ¨ appreciate and use what you already have. Especially if the price of goods goes up, you may still earn enough money, but the cost of the ¨thing¨ you want may no longer be within your budget.

It may mean moving in with family or sharing your space with others. Back in the great depression, and even in poor countries, they all still lived together and contributed to the home. Running one household is more cost-effective than everyone living alone and doing it all.

Sometimes we in the Western world criticize when everyone lives together, but in the future, it will be necessary to save money and make it through the next few years.

Learn how to fix your equipment if it breaks. If you have to pay someone to do it, pay attention and have them show you what to do if it happens next time. Fix a leaking faucet, know how to turn off the water, or change a light bulb in your house. Basic things that you have never realized will come in handy. Become your own handyman.

Learn how to garden, raise chickens even start a small compost pile. If you can learn how to make your own fertilizer, you will become very popular with others who struggle, especially considering how expensive fertilizers have gotten. Start a simple outdoor compost, or even step it up and create a worm compost bin, and if you have kids, I bet they would love to ¨feed the worms¨.

If you have enough room, get chickens so you will always have fresh eggs and not have to pay $7 a dozen. If you have a room and a yard, use the space for food to provide for yourself and your family.

Put a fence in your front yard if you do not have one; it will work with self-defense. People who are desperate will do bad things, so try to make it harder for them to get into your house.

Stock up on books, whether to teach your children if they can't go to school, cookbooks, and books on gardening, canning, or basic survival skills. If the grid goes down, there will be no Google to look up everything.

Do what your grandmothers taught you, learn how to make a meal out of very little, and buy an extra one for later if something is on sale. Consider saving your bacon grease in a can as Grandma did. Food prices continue to rise; find ways to make your food go further.

Realistically no one knows what will happen, but learning basic skills and getting away from the screens will at least benefit your mental health. In addition, spending time outside and in nature will at least cheer you up and give you a healthy dose of vitamin D.