Like many of you, I’ve been watching the precious metals prices skyrocket. I’ve been waiting so long for hyperinflation to take off that I wonder if the powers that be will kick the can down the road again, all the while knowing that at some point the music really does stop and there will be more than one person left without a chair.
In my family, we’ve never acquired precious metals with the intent of bartering. We’ve always prepared so that we don’t have to barter for anything. We don’t want to be desperate for food, fuel, medicine, shelter, or anything else. Desperate people make poor, desperate choices. Precious metals, in this household, are only for rebuilding wealth after the crisis ends.
But if we’ve totally screwed up somewhere along the way, they’re also a safety net. For others, they’ve been Plan A all along. I know more than a few people who believe the shiny metals will be traded for food and precious antibiotics. Others think they’ll get to move to the front of the line when hoping to see a doctor. I don’t know how those scenarios will play out. I hope to never learn.
I strongly suspect that those hoping to convert their precious metals into better medical care will be disappointed in the end. I think the poor who never acquired precious metals will lament their lot in life initially, and then be grateful much later. Because most people won’t learn until much later that money doesn’t necessarily buy better care. In fact, it often translates into lesser care, while being relegated to “lesser” care often ironically yields better results. Funny how that works.
“Poor Man’s Medicine” which posted earlier this year noted that wounds in the poor healed faster and better than those in the rich precisely because they could not afford daily bandage changes.
Those who have prepared or are wealthy enough to acquire Cipro after the collapse may use it to treat pneumonia, cellulitis, or urinary tract infections, even though such usage would be ill-advised due to the potential for adverse side effects. Long-term use of Cipro to treat infections may contribute to an Achilles tendon rupture or other tendon issues. On the other hand, pomegranate peel powder or juniper tincture may have worked as well or better. Without the terrible side effects.
Those who prepared generous stores of Tylenol and Advil to relieve routine aches and pains may wish to acquire other pain relievers in light of recent studies that found these two medications contribute to antibiotic resistance. Especially where Cipro is involved. Nasturtium or elder leaf tinctures may be safer alternative methods for pain relief.
Long-term food storage staples of whole grains, beans, etc., are loaded with nutrients and fiber. They’re healthier than MREs and Mountain House, and satisfy the soul as well or better. Just consider anxiety and inflammation. Or diverticulitis. Or pancreatitis. Or liver disease. Or the myriad of other diseases whose risk is reduced with a healthier diet. And they are so much less expensive and take less space than the military rations and freeze-dried meals.
For most of history, people have considered wealth as a means to achieving better health care. And yet, more and more studies show this isn’t necessarily the case, as long as we make better choices throughout our lives. We can’t make cruddy decisions our first six decades of life and hope to turn things around during the last one or two.
Gosh, I hope this made sense. Forgive me if it didn’t.
Links to related posts:
Poor Man’s Medicine https://prepschooldaily.blogspot.com/2025/02/poor-mans-medicine.html
Antibiotic Chart to Guide Acquisition https://prepschooldaily.blogspot.com/2021/09/antibiotic-chart-to-guide-acquisition.html
Cipro’s Most Critical Uses https://prepschooldaily.blogspot.com/2023/02/ciprofloxacins-most-critical-uses-in.html
Elder Leaf Tincture https://prepschooldaily.blogspot.com/2024/10/good-meds-at-armageddon-pharmacyelder.html
The Medicinal Uses of Pomegranate https://prepschooldaily.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-medicinal-uses-of-pomegranate.html
The Medicinal Uses of Juniper https://prepschooldaily.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-medicinal-uses-of-juniper.html
The Medicinal Uses of Nasturtium https://prepschooldaily.blogspot.com/2021/12/the-medicinal-uses-of-nasturtium.html
Pain Relievers and Antibiotic Resistance https://prepschooldaily.blogspot.com/2025/09/pain-relievers-and-antibiotic-resistance.html
Anxiety and Inflammation
