Showing posts with label Daisy Luther. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Daisy Luther. Show all posts

Friday, June 7, 2013

Random Acts of Revolution -by Daisy Luther

[Onebornfree & Freedom Network commentary: another thought provoking article from Daisy Luther- which does not mean that I agree with everything she writes here. For example, I believe that it is very dangerous to believe that "You have a Constitutionally protected right to be free." I wish that were the case, but as a Personal Freedom Consultant I believe that it is delusional to believe it, the way things are { and the way they probably have always been}, and that believing it, then doing some of the things on Ms. Luthers list, could get you in a lot of trouble that might well further decrease your own freedom, rather than increase it. In this regard I would particularly advise against doing anything that draws obvious attention to yourself from "unwanted parties", if you catch my drift :-) . Anyhoo, at this point thats all I have to say here - if a reader wishes to briefly discuss the implications of this article, or of my  brief commentary, let me know and I will try to briefly talk with you if convenient to both parties. Regards, onebornfree.]


The 13th Amendment to the Constitution abolished slavery. This means that if you are a slave today, it’s either illegal, or you have voluntarily accepted your servitude.

Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

You have a Constitutionally protected right to be free. If you aren’t free, then revolution is your duty.

Many people believe that revolution requires that they lead a march, stand in front of a crowd with a bullhorn, or form a militia. They feel like it’s a job for the Alex Joneses, the Adam Kokeshes, the James Wesley Rawleses, and the Bradley Mannings of the world.

They’re wrong. You don’t have to be a person with thousands of followers on Twitter and Facebook . You don’t have to be a person with a military leadership position on your resume. You need not get yourself arrested on the steps of the White House, got to prison forever for telling the truth about your unit in the army, or stare down a bunch of scary-looking thugs in jack boots.

But you do have to do something.

You can’t just sit there and complain unless you are really just another armchair Rambo.
The way you lead your life every single day can be an act of revolution. By refusing to concede your natural rights, quietly and resolutely, you are performing an act of revolution. Walking the walk doesn’t always require civil disobedience or militia membership (although those actions definitely have their places). It requires your consistent determination not to be infringed upon.

It doesn’t matter if you are a soccer mom from the suburbs, a college student in a dormitory, a church-going dad and husband, or a person who has found themselves homeless through the ongoing economic crisis – by living resolutely, you are performing an act of revolution.

Don’t get me wrong – we need the Alexes, the Adams, the militias, the Bradleys, and the JWRs. We need the people who stand in protest. We need those who expose wrongdoing. We need the organizers, the shouters, the big personalities, the quiet strong types, and the leaders. But these are not the only ways to revolt. If every single person was off organizing their own rally, there’d be no one left to march in it.

What it is imperative upon us to do is to find our compass and follow it. We must make ourselves immune to control by not needing what “they” hand out. We have to be armored against the way everyone else lives and choose our own paths. We must stubbornly refuse to participate in the hoop-jumping that is everyday life in North America. 

By all of us who believe in liberty doing this, we form an army of stubborn non-participants in the status quo.

Here’s an example. It’s a small thing, a battle that today only affected my daughter and me. My daughter is not vaccinated. She attends a public school where the kids must be vaccinated, or hoops must be jumped through. I filled out the initial forms stating that I had an objection of conscience to vaccines. I was contacted by a representative of the school system who suggested that I sign instead the form that stated a religious objection, because that was “easier”. 

I refused, because my objection is NOT one of religion, and I felt like that was a cop-out. I knew that I was within my rights to have an objection of conscience, and I felt that it was important to make a point that might make it easier for the next parent. 

I was then told that I’d have to pay $25 and get a statement notarized to allow her exemption on my basis. I said I’d be happy to get a statement notarized, but not at my expense. I pointed out that nowhere does our local law state that I should have to pay any money for my child to NOT do something. Lo and behold, after 5 months of politely going back and forth, being escalated through numerous different superiors of superiors in the school board and public health system, my daughter is still unvaccinated, I have not spent $25, and she was not suspended from school. 

The point I’m making is not about vaccines, but about not stepping back from your rights, for your convenience or for the convenience of others. This requires that you read the relevant laws and understand them. It requires a certain degree of persistence and a willingness to be a pain in the butt.

There are valid reasons for revolution.

One of the benchmarks of tyranny is the dizzying arrays of laws on the books, with more and more added every single day. It is humanly impossible not to break multiple laws every single day. Regulations are revenue builders and/or control mechanisms. If the “authorities” can ALWAYS find a law that you’ve broken, then they can ALWAYS give a “reason” for punishing you. Punishment might include incarceration, hefty fines, or the removal of some privilege (like taking away your driver’s license or not allowing your child to go to school).

"If the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood; if they be repealed or revised before they are promulgated, or undergo such incessant changes that no man, who knows what the law is to-day, can guess what it will be to-morrow. Law is defined to be a rule of action; but how can that be a rule, which is little known, and less fixed?" ~ James Madison, Federalist Papers 62

The police state is growing at a dizzying rate, and often the news makes it look like we live in Nazi Germany. It is now or never. Like cockroaches, “they” – the thugs in jackboots and their masters – multiply in the dark, and will soon overtake us if we don’t put a stop to it right now. They want to take our guns because that would make our resistance more difficult. They keep buying up ammo and now have more than enough to kill every man, woman, and child in America multiple times. The NDAA means that any person can be indefinitely detained. There has been a sustained attack on the Bill of Rights and one by one our rights are being submerged beneath the desires of those who would demand our submission.

How can you be an everyday revolutionary?

The most revolutionary act is to be self-sufficient and in need of nothing that the government can provide for you in exchange for some small liberty. When there is nothing that you require enough to submit, then bullying you becomes much more difficult.


This list of suggestions is by no means comprehensive. Please, add your own random acts of resistance in the comments below.

Question absolutely everything you hear on the news. Always be a sceptic. All major media goes back to just a few conglomerates. The “news” is now all a propaganda ploy to help the rich get richer and the powerful remain in power. The media can make or break a candidate with unholy zeal in less than a week. These people and others like them are the ones that decide what “we the people” get to see. If they feel like a candidate or a news item might upset the status quo, they black it out by refusing to cover it.

Call out the media. Let everyone know that the mainstream media is the enemy of the people. When you see coverage that is clearly biased, take a moment to call out the media about it. Take the time to comment on mainstream media websites and point out the unbalanced coverage. If you use social media, share this information and post on the media outlet’s social media pages as well.

Get out of the banking system. By opting to “unbank” or “underbank” there is a limit to what can be easily stolen from you. When you have physical control of your financial assets, you are not at as high a risk of losing those assets, and therefore, less likely to be dependent on “the system.”

Turn your savings into precious metals or tangible assets. On the same note as unbanking, you definitely don’t want to rely on a 401K or savings account to provide for you in your old age. Ask the people of Cyprus how well that worked out for them. Diversify with assets you can touch. Purchase tangible goods like land, food, ammo, and seeds. Once you are well supplied, move on to precious metals to preserve your wealth.

Educate others. At the (very high) risk of people thinking you’re crazy, it’s important to let people know WHY you do what you do. If you are an anti-Monsanto activist, teach others about the dangers of GMOs. If you object to a municipal policy, speak at a town meeting or send a letter to the editor of your local paper. By ranting incoherently or by keeping your mouth shut, you influence no one. By providing provable facts, you can open minds and awaken others to tyranny.

Get others involved in the fight. For example, if you are fighting with the city council that wants to rip out the vegetables growing in your front yard, let your friends and neighbors know, post a notice at the grocery store, and write a letter to the editor. When injustice occurs, use the power of social media to spread awareness. Often a public outcry is what is necessary to get the “authorities” to back down. Look at the case of Brandon Raub, the veteran who was kidnapped and taken to a mental hospital for things he posted on Facebook. Raub was not charged, but he was detained in the psych ward involuntarily. His friends and family immediately mobilized and spread the videos of his arrest all over the internet. It snowballed and alternative media picked it up – soon Raub was released, and all because of a grass roots and social media campaign to bring the injustice to light.

Grow your own food. Every single seed that you plant is a revolutionary act. Every bit of food that you don’t have to purchase from the grocery store is a battle cry for your personal independence. When you educate yourself (and others) about Big Food, Big Agri, and the food safety sell-outs at the FDA, you will clearly see that we are alone in our fight for healthy, nutritious foods. Refuse to tolerate these attacks on our health and our lifestyles. Refuse to be held subject to Agenda 21?s version of “sustainability”.

Take control of your health. It is imperative that you not blindly trust in the medical establishment. Many members of this establishment are merely prostitutes for their pimp, Big Pharma. Millions of children are given powerful psychotropic drugs to help them fit into the neat little classroom boxes, and the numbers are growing every day. Americans spent 34.2 BILLION dollars on psychiatric drugs in 2010. (Source) Big Pharma is an enormously profitable industry that only pays off if they can convince you that you’re sick. Learn about the toxic injections and medications, weight the risks and benefits, and always look for second and third opinions before making a medical decision. Maintain your health by avoiding toxins, exercising, and ditching your bad habits to reduce the number of doctor’s visits that are necessary.

Refuse to comply. If you know your natural rights, which are guaranteed under the Constitution and its Amendments, then it makes it much harder for “authorities” to bully you. You don’t have to let them search your home without a warrant, you don’t have to answer questions, and you don’t have to comply with laws that are in conflict with the Constitution.

Learn. Every day, spend time learning. This shouldn’t stop once our formal education ends. Fill your mind with history, with current events, with constitutional law, and information about the natural world. Learn about health, study economics, research things that interest you, and unravel the complicated conspiracies that are afoot. To pursue unbiased knowledge is to free your mind from the prison of propaganda and indoctrination.

Don’t consume chemicals that cause you to be dumbed down. Avoid chemical-laden food with brain-killing neurotoxins like MSG and aspartame. Don’t drink fluoridated water.

Embrace your right to bear arms. Be responsible for your own safety and security.

Don’t be in debt. No one can be free if they are in debt. If you are in debt, you are forced to work in whatever conditions are present, for whatever amount is offered, complying with whatever criteria is necessary to keep your job. in order to either pay your debt or face penalties. As well, the high interest rates that you pay only serve to make the bankers more wealthy. Instead of borrowing, save until you can afford something or realize that if you could actually afford it, you wouldn’t need to borrow money to have it.
Be prepared for disaster. Have enough food, water, and supplies to take care of your family in the event of a natural disaster. Don’t expect FEMA to take care of you.

Be involved in your children’s education. For some, this means homeschooling or unschooling, and for others this means being on top of what they are learning in a formal school setting. Join the PTA and actively volunteer if your child goes to school. Be an advocate for your child and insist that the teachers teach. If your child goes to school, supplement this at home with discourse about current events and outings that help them learn about the world around them.

Be the squeaky wheel. If you see something wrong, don’t just ignore it. Say something about it, and keep saying something until it changes. Whether this is some process that infringes on your privacy, a job requirement that impedes your health, or another injustice, pursue it relentlessly. Ask questions publically, write letters, and use social media to bring pressure to encourage a change.

Reduce your consumer spending. Spending less helps to starve the beast by reducing the sales taxes you pay and withdrawing your financial support to big conglomerates. If we vote with our dollars, eventually there will, of a necessity, be a paradigm shift that returns us to simpler days, when families that were willing to work hard could make a living without selling their souls to the corporate monoliths. A low-consumption lifestyle reduces your financial dependency, which allows for more freedom.

Ditch popular culture. If reality TV isn’t a tool for dumbing people down, I don’t know what it is. My daughter recently begged to watch an episode of a popular reality TV show that “everyone” was watching. She managed about 15 minutes of it and then said, “This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen.” She decided to read a book instead. Popular entertainment is a media tool used to change our perspectives about our personal values, and to tell us how to think and feel about issues.

Buy locally. Support local small businesses to help others who are fighting for independence from the system. You might pay a little bit more than you would at your big box store, but the only people benefiting from your purchases made at the corporate stores are those with the 7 figure annual bonuses.

Develop multiple streams of income. Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket. Figure out several ways to bring in income. Not only does this free you from being a wage slave, but it allows you to hire friends or family members. You are less entangled in the system and not subject to corporate whims. If one business fails, or becomes subject to regulations that make it no longer worthwhile, you are not forced to comply just to keep a roof over your head.

Say thanks, but no thanks. There is no such thing as a benevolent hand out. Nearly anything offered for free (particularly by a government entity) has strings attached. Maybe there is a handy-dandy registration form that you need to fill out. You might be influenced to vote a certain way just to keep the freebies coming. You might have to pee in a cup every two weeks. Perhaps one day you’ll need to have a microchip embedded in your hand. Either way, by accepting handouts from those in “authority”, you become beholden to them or you need them, and someone who is free is neither beholden nor needy.


Don’t take the easy road. The PTB like to seduce people with simplicity. ”If you just sign this paper, it will be much easier,” they say. ”This chip is for your convenience,” they tell you. ”By giving up this, it lets us take care of you and you will be much safer.” The easy road only gets you to Slave Street a whole lot faster. Take the difficult road and be responsible for yourself. Don’t take shortcuts that compromise your beliefs. Go to court to fight a ticket, read the laws and defend yourself, and know that anything you give up, you will never get back.

According to the Declaration of Independence, ”Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
That means that you don’t have to accept the unjust laws. That means you don’t have to quietly take it, muttering under your breath that it isn’t right, but not daring to raise your voice. That means that “they” are only in control of you if you allow it.
There are nearly 316 million people in the United States.

Only 3% of the population fought in the Revolutionary War, and 10% actively supported them.

If 9,480,000 people quietly and peacefully revolted by withdrawing their consent to be governed by tyrants we could not be silenced.

If 31,600,000 people supported those revolting, we could not be stopped.

The government might be watching us, but we can watch them right back. Make the way you live your life a revolutionary act.

What random act of revolution did you commit today? Please share it in the comments section below.

Reprinted with permission from The Organic Prepper.
June 3, 2013

Copyright © 2013 The Organic Prepper

Monday, May 13, 2013

50 Ways To Starve the Beast

[ Direct Actions Will Make You Freer! : I started The Freedom Network mainly for 2 reasons [1]: to meet new people who believed in personal freedom, and [2] : to help people to gain control of their own lives by showing them how to  take direct actions which do not involve having to change even one other persons point of view about _anything_, and to try to show them the error of relying on indirect actions, such as "waking people up", "changing the world for the better" or similar. Both of those phrases represent a point of view and a reliance on changing others points of view[ a very risky proposition], and the proselytizer/changer cannot ever achieve happiness until he/she has achieved their objective of changing the world and the people in it and/or "waking them all up" to whatever it is he/she feels they all need to be be "woken up" to .   The reality is that we all have enormous control over our own lives and choices {via direct actions} - on the other hand we have virtually no control over the choices/ thought processes/ beliefs of others { and only via indirect action}.  In this article, Daisy Luther of "The Organic Prepper" lists more than 50 direct actions that you can take to help "starve the beast" .  Regards, oneborfree and  The Freedom Network  .]

A term coined in 1985 by an unnamed staffer of the Reagan administration was “Starve the Beast”. This referred to a fiscally conservative political strategy to cut government spending by paying less in taxes. So, in the original sense, “the Beast” was the government, and people were to starve the beast by spending less and using loopholes, therefore paying less in taxes.

These days the Beast has a lot more tentacles than just the government. The system now consists of the government and all aspects of Big Business. Big Agri, Big Pharma, Big Medicine, Big Food, Big Banking and Big Oil, to name a few. It seems that now it’s the Beast doing the starving, as small businesses close because they can’t compete with Wal-Mart, the family farm is on it’s way out because it can’t compete with the huge, subsidized Monsanto mega-farms, people are going bankrupt because they can’t pay the outrageous medical bills…

Perhaps it’s time for another financial revolution – one where people group together and use the power of the boycott to starve all the arms of this Beast that would swallow us whole. If we vote with our dollars, eventually there will, of a necessity, be a paradigm shift that returns us to simpler days, when families that were willing to work hard could make a living without selling their souls to the corporate monoliths.

Everything that you buy secondhand or barter for is an item on which you won’t pay sales tax. Disassociate yourself completely with “the system” that is making Western civilization broke, overweight and unhealthy. Starve the Beast by taking as many of these steps as possible…

1. Grow your own food (this starves Big Agri and Big Pharma both)

2. Shop at local businesses with no corporate ties

3. Use natural remedies instead of pharmaceuticals whenever possible

4. Homeschool your children

5. Walk or bike instead of driving when possible

6. Get care from naturopaths and healers instead of doctors

7. Make paper logs from scraps for free heat if you have a wood-burning fireplace or stove

8. Boycott all processed foods

9. Shop at local farmer’s markets

10. Cut up your credit cards, except one for emergencies only. Use cash

11. Give vouchers as gifts for an evening of babysitting, a homemade meal, walking the dog, doing a repair, or cleaning

12. Join a CSA or farm co-op

13. Ditch television (and all the propaganda and commercials)

14. Participate in the barter system – if no money changes hands, no tax can be added

15. Buy secondhand from yard sales, Craigslist and thrift stores

16. Sell your unwanted goods by having a yard sale or putting an ad on Craigslist

17. Repair things instead of replacing them

18. Avoid fast food restaurants and chain restaurants

19. Dine at locally owned establishments if you eat out

20. Brew your own beer and wine

21. Read a book, purchased second-hand or borrowed

22. Dine at locally owned establishments if you eat out

23. Brew your own beer and wine

24. Read a book, purchased second-hand or borrowed

25. Grow or gather medicinal herbs

26. Give homemade gifts

27. Attend free local activities: lectures, concerts, play days at the park, library events

28. Dumpster dive

29. Play outside: hike, bike, picnic

30. Mend clothing

31. Invite someone over for dinner instead of meeting at a 
       
restaurant


32. Throw creative birthday parties at home for your kids instead of renting a venue

33. Camp instead of staying at a hotel

34. Bring your coffee with you in a travel mug

35. Do all of your Christmas shopping with small local businesses and artisans

36. Reduce your electricity usage with candles, solar power and non-tech entertainment

37. Drop the thermostat and put on a sweater

38. Bring your snacks and drinks in a cooler when you go on a road trip

39. Stay home – it’s way easier to avoid temptation that way

40. Pack lunches for work and school

41. Use precious metals stored at home as your savings account

42. Close your bank account or at the very least, strictly limit your balance

43. Visit u-pick berry patches and orchards, then preserve your harvest for the winter

44. Use precious metals stored at home as your savings account

45. Raise backyard chickens for your own eggs

46. If you are a smoker, roll your own cigarettes – if possible go one step further and grow tobacco

47. Live in a smaller, more efficient home

48. Use solar power for lighting or cooking

49. Collect rainwater for use in the garden

50. Learn to forage

51. Buy heavy, solid, handmade furniture instead of the flimsy imported stuff

52. At the holidays, focus on activities and traditions instead of gifts. Go for a walk or drive through the neighborhood to look at lights, get into your PJs and watch a special movie together on Christmas Eve and make certain treats that can always be expected

53. Make your own bath and body products using pure ingredients like coconut oil, essential oils, and herbal extracts



How do you Starve the Beast? Please share your suggestions…

Original article source: The Organic Prepper.

Friday, March 29, 2013

Unbanking vs. Underbanking: How To Break Up With the Financial System

[Onebornfree and Freedom Network commentary: the recent events in Cyprus "should" remind us all of the inherent lack of safety in the idea of leaving all, or most of our money within the banking system. What happened in Cyprus is possible elsewhere despite politicians and bureaucrats "assurances" otherwise ; total confiscation of U.S. bank account assets, possibly under different economic circumstances from those applying in Cyprus, but regardless, don't kid yourself, account confiscation in the US is a distinct possibility given the realities of "the system" itself. 

And in any case, total confiscation of your U.S. bank account is already possible without any sort of financial or economic  crisis as the excuse, and has already happened to 100's of 1000s of individuals in the U.S. who have been accused of a crime by the U.S government, for example: accused of  tax evasion

 In these cases and others,  [typically involving those ever"charming" R.I.C.O. statutes],all bank accounts of the accused are "frozen"pre-trial , thereby preventing the supposedly "presumed innocent until proven guilty", accused person of having the financial resources  to properly defend themselves against the charges. Typically , the accused is magically found guilty as charged in the court system of "the land of the free", and all frozen assets become the property of the U.S government. 

Offshore Banking Anyone? 

Of course, the real solution to all this is for the concerned  US citizen to open an offshore bank account in a suitable jurisdiction where confiscation is extremely unlikely. It is still legal for U.S citizens  to have foreign bank accounts [but that might change!] . If you would like to discuss offshore banking with me, either by email or via Skype, let me know. Regards, onebornfree & Freedom Network   ]

Unbanking vs. Underbanking: How To Break Up With the Financial System

by Daisy Luther
 The Organic Prepper

"Breaking up is hard to do, especially when it is with a tracking service like a financial institution.

Sometimes you can make a clean break and other times you have to remain “just friends”.

The US government actually has a name for people who have no bank accounts – they call these folks “the unbanked”. The FDIC defines the unbanked as “those without an account at a bank or other financial institution and are considered to be outside the mainstream for one reason or another.” Another term is “the underbanked” – “people or businesses that have poor access to mainstream financial services normally offered by retail banks. The underbanked can be characterized by a strong reliance on non-traditional forms of finance and micro-finance often associated with disadvantaged and the poor, such as check cashers, loan sharks and pawnbrokers.”

According to the government, the above scenarios are crisis situations which must be rectified for “your own good”. There is legislation on the table in many states to set up banking facilities for the unbanked and underbanked. The assumption is that most folks who do not deal with a bank are too poor to do so. This could be true in many cases: high minimum balances, bad credit history, NSFs, and account fees can all preclude having a bank account for those in difficult financial straits.

However, the government has a couple more reasons to insist that everyone should have a bank account:

1.) Ease of confiscation

We need only to look at the horrible situation in Cyprus to see how bank accounts are like all-you-can-steal-buffets for the powers that be. A suggested theft TAX of up to 20% of the money in Cypriot bank accounts may be levied in order for the country to meet it’s staggering debts in the terms of the proposed EU bailout. The banks of Cyprus are loaded with the money of residents and businesses of other countries that have used them as a tax haven. The banks have been closed for several days and frantic customers are left to withdraw the maximum daily balances from ATM machines in an attempt to salvage what they can. Many people fear the banks will never reopen their doors.
Think it can’t happen here? I wonder if the people of Iceland, Greece, Ireland, Hungary, Argentina, Spain, and Portugal thought that too.

2.)  Privacy Information

The second reason that “everyone should have access to banking services” is the digital trail that it leaves. Every dime you receive and spend out of these accounts is part of an intricate system of surveillance. When your money goes into a bank – any bank – Big Brother knows about it. It’s a simple matter of compiling information via your social security number (or other federally- assigned number) to find out how much you make, how much you have, and where it comes from. This can be used to prosecute you for tax purposes, to locate you through where your pay comes from, and to follow your personal money trail for a variety of different reasons.

It can also be used to track your spending – Big Brother can find out that you spent $2000 at a gun store, that you purchased online from a prepper supply website or that you bought some books with “questionable” content in order to paint you as a threat.

Unbanking

So, in this day and age, is it possible to get by completely without a bank account?

It’s tough. Most work places prefer to pay through direct deposit. Many landlords, mortgage companies and finance companies do business through direct debit. You’re going to pay some steep fees if this is the route that you choose to go. For some, it might be worth it, particularly if you only have a few transactions in a month.

Here are some places you can cash checks for a fee:

Check cashing depots

  Some retailers like Walmart, 7-11, and some grocery stores (the number of these is dropping rapidly)


Pawn shops

The issuing bank will sometimes cash a check drawn from one of their accounts for a non-account holder

Some prepaid credit card accounts will accept a direct deposit (in my opinion, this is nearly as unsafe as having your money in a bank account)

Through a friend or family member’s account (also risky – for both you and the account holder)


Privacy Information

Here are some ways you can pay bills without a bank account:
In person, with cash, cashier’s checks, or money orders
Through the mail, with cashier’s checks or money orders
Online, with prepaid credit cards
Through a kiosk using a prepaid credit card
At a check-cashing depot or retailer

Underbanking

Your next option is underbanking. For some people this may be the most realistic way to break up with their bank – it’s the “just friends” version. If you have a lot of transactions that go through your account every month, it isn’t necessarily practical to get rid of your account. Keep in mind that all of the above methods of unbanking still have a component of financial tracking. The checks and bills still have your personal information tied to them in most cases.

When you underbank, you still have an account. Set this up with the lowest possible fee and the lowest possible required balance. Shop around to find the best deal. Consider a credit union or community bank instead of one of the big mega-banks. They are slightly safer, emphasis on slightly.

Your paychecks from work can be directly deposited, which will make your employer happy. Employers rarely want to do something outside the norm, and if everyone else gets their pay directly deposited, writing a check for you will make you stand out – the opposite of what you want to do. As well, any other checks you receive, like refunds, tax returns, etc., can be processed through this account.

The goal here is to keep as little money as possible in this account. Banks are no longer the safest place to keep your money, and the .00001% of interest you will accrue is just not worthwhile.

Immediately upon payday:

  Pay all your bills online or through a kiosk out of this account – rent, utilities, credit card payments (hopefully you don’t have those)



Buy necessities like groceries if you need to reduce the amount in the account for withdrawal purposes

Calculate the amount of payments that will be coming out of your account between now and your next pay (rent/mortgage, car payment, insurance)

Remove all money except that required for impending debits and your minimum balance. Get it in cash.

Avoid Financial Surveillance

The government wants everyone to have a bank account for another reason besides quick accessibility for the purpose of thievery. Big Brother wants to know what you earn, what you spend, and where you spend it. Every penny you spend could one day be used against you, as more and more things become illegal in the police state that is taking over the western world.
Use your bank account as little as possible if you’ve chosen to underbank:

Buy stuff with cash

Skip registering your belongings by serial number for warranty purposes

For heaven’s sakes, don’t get one of those “customer loyalty” cards that track every purchase you make and provide you with “rewards” or “points”

Buy from places that don’t track you, like yard sales, Craigslist, farmer’s markets, roadside stands, your brother’s friend’s sister’s boyfriend

Work for cash: this is another suggestion that won’t work for everybody, but if you can do some odd jobs for cash, even if you make slightly less money doing so, this is money that can’t be tracked.

Think about how your purchases tell a story about you that you might rather keep to yourself. Are you buying lots of farm equipment, soil amendments and seeds? Are you buying ammo every week? Are you stocking away large quantities of food or medical supplies? Have you recently purchased 2,347 books on different guerrilla warfare tactics? OPSEC is more than just keeping your mouth shut about your prepperly ways.

Ditch the Dollar

Although you require some fiat currency to function in today’s society, as well as some in an emergency fund, consider using other forms of currency whenever possible. The following suggestions won’t work for everyone, but some folks may be able to ditch the dollar in the following ways:

  Engage in the barter system: trade goods and services with like-minded people.


Keep precious metals like gold and silver in a fireproof safe for your “savings account”

Immediately convert fiat currency into tangible goods: food, ammo, home defense items, tools, etc.

Work towards self-sufficiency – if you buy less, you can earn less: grow your food, repair your own home or vehicle, do things manually instead of using expensive equipment, lessen your dependency on the grid

Simplify – this goes hand in hand with self sufficiency: find your entertainment from library books and online resources, skip eating out, take a walk instead of joining a gym – the less you feel you need, the less money you will have to earn.

The decision to unbank or underbank is unique to every individual. The further away you can get from “the system” the more privacy and security you will have. The suggestions above are not meant to be comprehensive – they’re meant to get you thinking about how you can disengage. As always, your suggestions in the comments can greatly benefit others!"

Reprinted with permission from The Organic Prepper.
March 25, 2013
Daisy Luther writes daily tips, strategies and prepping ideas at The Organic Prepper and Girls Gone North.
Copyright © 2013 The Organic Prepper