My backup Plan: If we can get our house paid off, gather some vegetable seeds, and dig a water well, gather some wood for the fireplace, put up our outside charcoal grill, buy enough amunition, and buy enough toilet paper, we will be able to live off the squirrels in our back yard who keep robbing the seeds in our bird feeder.

Ha ha! For the past thirty years, in the U.S., the rich have gotten richer, the poor have gotten poorer and the middle class has been disappearing. The back up plan has been to borrow money from the Chinese. The future plan for those with the power, the bankers and some politicians is to continue with the same plan. There is no limit to their greed. If things were to get too difficult in my life, my back up plan is to simply move to another country where life seems easier..

Good question. We asked ourselves this in 2006. We came up with : 1. 4 acres of farmland and a farmhouse in a place near family. 2. Equipping ourselves with the ABILITY to live 'off the grid' 3. LEARNING to live off the land. (the internet has been a great asset) 4. TRYING to ensure our kids don't take 'modern education' too seriously 'coz that would cripple them. 5. Keeping in touch with like-minded people 'coz COMMUNITY is the next important thing after family. 6. LEARNING ways to deal with health problems on our own. Prevention is definitely better than cure. If anyone has any other ideas, feel free to add comments.

Australia's economy is in better shape than others. If our economy collapsed my priorities would be shelter, water, food, protection, sanitation and heat.

yup.and not only me but all people have this backup-plan(opetion) if they like to use, that start from "zero" again ( new bigning) :-)