Here are some guidelines by the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Relief (BBK).
Everyone should keep an emergency supply of food and water at home. It should be enough for at least 3 days.
You can use this calculator to determine how much food and water you need to store, based on the number of people and the number of days.
Here are some tips on storing food and water.
Water and juices: An average person can survive for only 4 days without fluids. Therefore, saving at least 1.5 liters of water per adult per day is essential. In addition to water, consider storing fruit juices and milk (regular, powdered, soy, oat, etc.).
Food: Canned foods such as fish, fruit, and vegetables are ideal for stockpiling. You don't need to cook ro refrigirate it. It's best in case of power outages and emergencies. Jarred foods, such as peanut butter, applesauce, puree, and red cabbage, also don't require refrigeration. Lastly, dry food, such as rice , muesli, flour, cereals, pasta, dried sausage, sugar, salt, cookies, lentils, beans, etc. are also good to store. In short, check your kitchen and identify food items you consume often. Check which of these items you can store for emergencies.
Light source: Often forgotten are the light sources that operate without electricity. You should have battery-powered lamps, candles, and matches in your emergency supplies.
Communication: To stay current during emergencies and power outages, you need a battery-powered or crank-powered radio. Sangean MMR-99 DAB* has been rated good by test.de. You can find more alternatives on Amazon* or online. Don't rely on your mobile phone as its battery won't last for more than 24 hours. If you can have access to landline phones, install them in your homes. This will ensure a telephone connection during power outages.
Power stations: You can find many battery-powered stations online today. Most of them can even be charged via a solar panel. They cost between 400€ and 700€. However, we find them essential in your emergency kit. All our daily items are powered by electricity. Hence, a reliable electricity source makes your life much easier during power outages and emergencies. The EcoFlow River 2 Max* power station has been rated the best by test.de.
Hygiene products: You should also store hygiene items such as soap, detergents, toothpaste, a manual toothbrush, toilet paper, garbage bags, etc.
Baby food and pet food: If you have babies or pets, store the appropriate food for them.
Cash is king in emergencies. You should keep between 500€ and 1000€ in cash at home. The more the better.
Medicine: Your emergency bag should include the medications you take regularly. Additionally, you should include a first-aid kit, painkillers, and bandages.
Documents: Keep digital copies of all your essential documents. If possible, print a hard copy and store it in a separate location. You could also give a copy to your parents or relatives. You should keep your passport and identity cards handy. It's best to store them in your emergency bag.
Fire protection: Regularly check that the fire detectors are working. You should also keep a fire extinguisher at home. Fire extinguishers have an expiry date, so you need to replace them in a timely manner.
You should regularly consume and replenish the emergency supplies.
Your landlord gets twelve months from the end of the billing period to send you the utility bill. This means the deadline for the 2024 utility bill is 31 Dec 2025, which has passed.
If your landlord misses this deadline, you are no longer liable for utility costs. In other words, you don't have to pay any extra utility costs if you recieve the bill in 2026.
But what about if you were expecting a refund?
In this case, contact your landlord and ask for the utility bill. The 12-month deadline doesn't apply if you are entitled to a refund.
You may pay 53% of your gross salary in social security contributions
We all know that the number of retirees in Germany is increasing every year. However, the problem will get worse if no structural reforms are implemented.
Current Social Security operates on a pay-as-you-go basis. This framework works as long as the ratio of working people to retirees is low.
As of today, there are 33 people aged 67 and over for every 100 people of working age. This ratio is already straining the German social system.
The bad news is that this ratio will worsen every year.
In 20 years: There will be 47 retirees for every 100 people of working age.
In 40 years (when the current generation - people in their 30s will retire): There will be 58 retirees for every 100 people of working age. This means there would be fewer than two contributors for every recipient.
If the system is struggling with today's 33-to-100 ratio, it'll collapse when this ratio rises to about 50.
Employers in Germany share the burden of social security contributions equally with the employees. This means that if social security contributions increase, the cost of hiring people in Germany will rise. It will lead to employers hiring outside Germany, which will further worsen the situation.
What can you do about it?
As we have mentioned several times in our past newsletters, you should build a cushion for your retirement. You can do this in the following ways:
Invest in diversified ETFs, such as the MSCI World ETF. You can open a free trading account and start an ETF savings plan to invest a fixed amount every month automatically. This is the best way to save for your retirement. Moreover, you don't pay tax on 30% of the capital gains from ETFs that are made up of mainly stocks.
Savings account. You can check savings accounts here*.
Buy gold. You can buy physical gold, ETFs, or ETCs. Your portfolio should consist of a mix of assets.
Private pension plans. We don't consider private pension plans the best option for saving for retirement. However, they work well for people who lack the discipline to invest a fixed amount each month.
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Protests in Iran have entered their 13th day, spreading to over 100 cities. [1, 2]
Venezuela’s interim government under Delcy Rodriguez has begun exploratory talks with the United States. Rodriguez publicly condemns US “aggression.” She framed diplomacy with President Donald Trump as the best way to secure Maduro’s return and defend Venezuela’s sovereignty. At the same time, Washington is pressing US oil companies to invest heavily in Venezuela’s vast oil reserves. [2]
Donald Trump has renewed threats to take control of Greenland. He said the US will act “whether they like it or not” to prevent Russia or China from gaining a foothold there. Greenland’s political leaders affirmed they “don't want to be Americans” and insisted that Greenlanders must decide their future. Denmark and key EU states warned that any US military move would gravely damage NATO and stressed that only Greenland and Denmark can determine the island’s status. [3]
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