The Stormy Economic Trail – 7 Tips for Being Prepared & Riding It Out
Last updated May 21, 2008 at 11:11 am - Viewed 22,508 times. Related Keywords: backcountry, cowboy, gear, horse, horseback, montana, mule, outfitter, packer, packing, riding, saddle, saddlebag, supplies, trail ridingUnless you’ve been overwintering deep in the secluded wilderness, you’ve likely heard of the financial crisis looming on our nation’s horizon, and the possibility of a tough recession to come with it.
Exactly why, how, and when are subject to a number of different opinions, typically pointing to problems in the housing market and sub-prime mortgages. Exactly ‘what’ and ‘who,’ however, aren’t real difficult to nail down: With fewer jobs, less money, and everyday goods in shorter supply, a recession will put a lot of pressure & hurt on even the most successful working families & business owners of our nation.
Being avid horseback trail riders and backcountry wilderness packers, saddling up for a journey in spite of blowing wind, pouring rain, and fog thick as pea soup requires us to also be “professional optimists” at least part of the time, taking on the trail as if the warm sun will break through at any given moment.
Now to some, packing a train of horses/mules with every supply you could ever need (and then some) might seem very contrary to the concept of “optimism” - frankly, if you pack lightly and get caught up in a blinding Colorado Rockies snowstorm without proper gear and supplies… you’re not optimistic, you’re dead.
The truth is, we can afford to expect the best, even if the worst should come, because we follow a little time-honored motto of Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts everywhere known as “Be Prepared.”
While we’re not much for boasting, we do believe Outfitters Supply and the TrailMAX brand stand to prove that “people come first” can be a successful business philosophy - We strive to make horseback trail riding & backcountry horse/mule packing a recreation that’s available & affordable to just about anyone, and it’s because of our employees, customers, and vendors that we’ve been able to make our products tougher, stronger, and more spacious, practical, and damage/weather resistant over the years.
It’s these people we take our hats off to, and as such, we felt it important to put together some “gearing up” tips for riding out the economic trail through whatever storm may come.
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Get Outside & Relieve Stress
Perhaps the worst & most immediate effect of a recession is the undue mental/emotional stress it brings upon people and their families.Stress substantially decreases our ability to work logically & be productive, but also causes harm to our physical well beings, driving up blood pressure and lowering metabolism and immune system effectiveness.
Even in face of recession, we can fortunately keep the luxury of access to our public lands & forests, which are like a vacation that’s free of charge (with the exception of National Parks, which require a pass) and thus a great way to relax and relieve stress, whether you’re saddling up your horse to enjoy a sunny afternoon riding a mountain trail, fishing a lake or stream, or hiking/bicycling trails or pathways…Useful Resources:
Directory of Montana Public Land & Forests
Recreational Services at the U.S. Bureau of Land Management
National Public Lands Info Center
Horse/Mule Packer’s Check List at OutfittersSupply.com -
Take Care of Your Health
It’s by far our most important tip, saving you money immediately and in the long run as well, by vastly cutting your risk for diabetes, heart disease, and enormous health insurance premiums and/or hospital bills.Exercise costs nothing, and even offers potentially therapeutic results.
Few people drink enough water, which costs next-to-nothing, and the health benefits are too many to mention.
Balance your diet and also save money by growing your own veggies, raising & butchering your own livestock, going fishing, or buying any of the aforementioned at a farmer’s market, which often costs less than a grocery store.
Trim back on condiments, soft beverages, fast food, and alcohol - all cost extra money and are significant sources of bad sugars, fats, and unnecessary calories.
Useful Resources:
Article: Some Soft Drinks May Seriously Harm Your Health
16 Ways To Eat Healthy While Keeping It Cheap
‘Superfoods’ Everyone Needs: Ward Off Heart Disease, Cancer, Cholesterol, and More
10 Reasons to Drink More Water
The 20 Worst Foods in America
22 Ways to Never Feel Tired Again
9 Secrets Health Insurers Don’t Want You To Know -
Stick to Necessities
Cut back on premium-programming television; after all, the Internet has plenty of free, legitimate streaming video now.Switch to lower-grade gasoline if your manufacturer allows it. Cancel any infrequently-used memberships.Buy food items in bulk if you are getting lesser-perishable items or have a large family - otherwise, you may just find yourself tempted to spoon up larger helpings.And lastly, it’s never a bad time to quit smoking.Useful Resources:
Top 10 Money Drains
How To Teach Your Kids about Money
50 Smartest Things To Do With Your Money
Top 4 Ways You’re Wasting Gas (When You Think You’re Saving It!)
52 Weeks of Ways to Save Money
9 Steps to Budgeting for Beginners
102 Personal Finance Tips Your Professor Never Taught You
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Save, Check, and Borrow with a Credit Union
Who doesn’t enjoy more personalized service these days? Credit unions tend to have higher savings-interest rates, lower fees, keep money within a community, are typically FDIC insured & non-profit, and you get to be a part-owner/investor meaning the institution is working to make you money. What’s more, a credit union may be more apt to help you get out of debt (credit cards, loans, etc) while keeping more of your monthly income.
Useful Resources:
How to Find & Join a Credit Union
Comparison: Credit Union Rates vs Bank Rates
MSN Money: When Banks Turn Evil
Wikipedia: Credit Unions
Study: Online bill pay saves time & trees
Cheap or Free Coin Counting Services in the U.S.
The Dirty Dozen Credit Card Traps
Prosper.com - Social Lending & Borrowing -
Conserve Energy
If you hadn’t already guessed, we love the outdoors… a lot. Lakes, rivers, streams, and mountains are all important parts of what we like to think of as our “playground.”Turning off a few lights, turning down the water heater & house thermostats a bit, and air drying clothes (especially in summer) are all win-win compromises: Not only will each save you a couple of bucks each month, but using less energy helps keep that “playground” of ours in great condition.Useful Resources:
Consumer Reports: 20 Free Ways to Save Energy
U.S. Dept of Energy: Use 75% Less Energy with Compact Fluorescents Bulbs
Tricks for Cheaply Cooling Your Home in the Summer
How to Build A Wind Generator for Almost Nothing: The Chispito Wind Generator
EPA Report: Top 25 U.S. Companies Purchasing Green Energy
Nanosolar’s PowerSheet Cells: Solar Electricity for $0.30 per Watt
Google’s Cheaper Renewable Energy Initiative
The Craziest Green Technologies -
Print Less Stuff
Let’s face it, printer ink costs more per mL than coffee, crude oil, or even human blood.On top of that, there are plenty of times when a “virtual” electronic copy of news or an e-mail will suffice, also saving you the cost of paper for printing.
If you have a fax or copy machine, you’re well aware of the costs associated with both - without spending a dime, you can almost entirely cut out the costs of sending/printing faxes (long distance charges, fax ink/rollers, paper) or making paper copies (ink/toner/paper) by instead using a type of file called PDF (or “Portable Document Format”) which are like a virtual piece of paper. PDFcreator is free for personal & commercial use, contains no ads/viruses/spyware, and lets you easily create color or black-and-white PDF virtual print-outs from any program that would let you to print to a normal printer. Then you can attach the PDF to an e-mail or put it on a disc or portable USB drive to share with friends, student, relatives, or colleagues.
Useful Resources:
MailFreeOnline.com - Send faxes, e-mails, or text SMS for free (No sign-up required)
Google Book Search: Read books online for free
How to Stop Paper-Wasting Junk Faxes
Flickr: Freely-Available Library of Congress Photos
Google Office: Just like Microsoft Office® but for free, and usable from any Internet-connected computer -
Ride Your Horse to Work
At least in Montana, it’s legal to ride a horse wherever you might ride a bike or car, and you’ll save on gasoline, vehicle maintenance, and even provide free fertilizer for many of the areas you travel through… with the exception of city areas, where you’re usually obligated to clean it up. It’s also wise to avoid riding into banks.
Unfortunately, a supposed law obligating Montana business owners to provide a place to tie up, as well as feed and water your horse while you’re their patron, is nothing more than an urban (or at least rural) myth, so we suggest keeping a pair of hobbles in your saddle bag to ensure your horse won’t unpleasantly merge with automotive traffic.
We’re also not sure of the legality behind taking your horse in a car, even if it is just to get a cheeseburger.
Useful Resources:
WikiEthica: Recreational Horseback Riding in Montana
Montana Equine Laws
Outfitters Supply: Horse Saddle Bags || Horse Hobbles || High-Line & Picket Kits || Feed Bags & Water Buckets
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