Buying Gold

"Gold ownership is very much a double-edged sword. Personally, I think it far more important for those who have surplus resources to put those resources into obtaining as much control as possible over the essentials of their own existence. There are many hard assets one could buy now that may not be available later - assets that you could use to feed yourself, keep yourself warm or provide clean water. This is a much more important use for your wealth than owning something you intend to bury in a hole in the ground and sit on."

-- Stoneleigh

To this list I would also add:  land, a home, a garden, an orchard, an irrigation system.  On and on.  It's a long list, this business of "obtaining as much control as possible over the essentials of one's own existence."  We've gotten used to buying our way through life rather than earning our way through life.  Earning a livelihood from Nature can be done, but it's more work, and pays less, than people are used to.  In recent years it's been far easier to suck from the financial teat than to earn an honest livelihood.  But the easy times are drawing to a close, and before long a new set of constraints will be imposed upon us.  .