Member GuerrillaProvisions
MemberForum Replies Created
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We all need to reframe our minds during this transition. I run my business tangential to the current fiat financial system and really struggled with how to let everyone know that I do not accept payment directly through the banks. It put me in a frame of mind that encouraged me to define what wealth actually means in my life. This is how I ended up communicating this to customers:
Value -> Currency -> Money -> Wealth
Value
What holds importance in your life? What has efficacy for you? I value healthy interdependence or mutually beneficial exchanges.
Currency
The rate at which anything is generally valued. A convenient way to quantify value.
Money
A stable store of value.
Wealth
At its simplest, wealth is the value that you have stored less any bondages (or debt) in your life. It is defined as prosperity and external happiness. You must first discover what you value so that you can then quantify it and store it. Remove any bondages and replace them with healthy interdependence. That is when you will truly discover wealth.
Find a quiet space and meditate on that to find your answer.
On a side note: the penalties you incur now will pale in comparison to what you incur if you wait too long.
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We completely exited the banking system and barter has become the main way that we do business. With the few bills we have and the need for cash here and there accepting cash and gift cards as payment has kept the bridge open to the system.
I keep envisioning a barter structure something like this:
– Each member has skills or services that are available to trade
– Each member has surplus that they can list as available for trade, whether that be something they produce or something that they just have and don’t need.
– Each member has needs that they list
– Each member also has something that they are willing to fence to the fiat system. That way if a deal cannot be struck, you can look at what you have and see if any of it can be fenced in the system for cash.
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We have four boys (9, 7, 3 & 1). They are unschooling. We don’t use a curriculum at all just life. 🙂 Both my 9 & 7 year old boys are avid readers already. It really works so well to just facilitate their interests.
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Our Tree Nursery
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You would be amazed how well trees grow from seed. Everyone thinks that they get a big jump on things from cuttings, but seed grown trees tend to be more resilient and grow quite fast. Akiva Silver of twisted-tree.net is an amazing propagation resource. 🙂
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No worries 🙂 I’m happy to share.
There is a very real practical side to taking this step.
– Analyze your statements (cc & bank). What do you spend on every month? What revolving bills do you have?
– Can you pay for those bills in person and in cash?
– For every bill that you cannot….do you absolutely need that thing?
– Do you work for someone else? Are they willing to pay you creatively? I am an independent contractor and bill in gift cards. One of my clients pays my internet bill monthly.
– What do you order regularly from online retailers? Can you get those things locally? Do they offer gift cards that you can get paid in?
– What is another way for you to store excess cash flow? Think precious metals and fast moving barterables.
I am sure that there are more things that I am not thinking about, but this is a good start to get you thinking. Once you pull the trigger, you won’t have a choice but to figure it out. The beauty of a decision like this is that you will find that the climate of today makes for a large group of people that are willing to help you with this transition because they secretly wish they were doing it too.
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There is nothing like crossing the threshold and having your back to the wall to motivate you to figure things out. When we closed our bank account and our credit cards it was quite nerve wracking, but the community that has come out of the woodworks of that wall we put our backs to have been life changing. Exiting the banking system, might not be your call to action, but I would highly recommend you answer the call that is gnawing at you.
The hardest part of not having the ability to move digital dollars online any longer is not being able to easily support people that we resonate with that are far from us, but as a result, we have been pushed to find people locally that we can support. That has been much more rewarding. 🙂
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Voles were insane this year….They decimated our onions and potatoes. I’m pretty excited to try juicy fruit gum. We are staunchly against poison, but this sounds like a doable compromise.