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Saturday, July 30, 2011

Turn talent into cash, cheap factory tour vacations


Bruce’s Poor Man Survival Bulletin

A Digest of Urban Survival Resources


ISSN 2161-5543

In This Issue:

1.       Cheap factory tour vacations

2.       Inventor creates new water filtration system

3.       Coffee alternatives

4.       Turn your talents into cash

5.       Why it’s unlikely the economy will ever ‘recover’



Progress is not created by contented people…

--Frank Tyger

Coffee Substitutes and alternatives…

Although I grew up drinking only tea (I still consume a half-gallon a day of iced tea), over the past decade or so I have developed a morning coffee habit.  Our favorite coffee, Yuban, recently went up to $16 for a large can.  During the holidays it was on sale for $6.50 a can and I bought 15 cans of it and now that supply is gone so I winced when I saw how much it and other brands had shot up in price.


I always thought it odd someone would pay $4 or more for a cup of coffee at Starbucks, a brand I find too bitter.  A daily Starbucks habit can be rather costly.


Our emergency food stockpile includes a dozen jars of freeze-dried instant coffee making it ideal for consumption or barter.  Folgers makes a good freeze dried coffee even though their regular coffee is only mediocre.

Popular Substitutes


Ground roasted chicory root has been sold commercially on a large scale since around 1970, and it has become a mainstream product, both alone and mixed with real coffee. It was widely used during the American Civil War on both sides, and has long enjoyed popularity especially in New Orleans, where Luzianne has long been a popular brand in this respect.


Nestlé Caro is made of roasted barley, malted barley, chicory, and rye and enjoyed as a coffee substitute

In World War II, acorns were used to make coffee

Roasted grain beverages are common substitutes for coffee.


I’ve never tried any of these alternatives but they’ve been around for a long time and may be worth a taste test.


Teecchino is made from roasted carob, roasted barley, and roasted chicory. It also contains figs, almonds, and dates for sweetness and a nutty flavor. Different flavors, including vanilla nut, hazelnut, and java. Must be brewed in a coffee maker or expresso machine.



You can find coupons for some brands of coffee at these sites.








White Cloud toilet tissue will save your family roughly $130 per year versus Cottonelle - both are good brands, but the cost difference is large enough to make the switch.



PM’s ‘Betty Shocker’ Compendium of Useful Resources

Survey Shows Employees are Happier and Healthier Working from Home

The majority of telecommuters say they are more productive in
their home office, according to a new survey from Staples
Advantage.
http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y11/m07/i25/s04



Turn Your Talents Into Cash - PeopleStox
"Do you have a talent and want to make some money? PeopleStox allows you to connect with a huge network of fans and friends who are willing to buy fun Experiences.



It’s simple.

There are two types of EXperiences, face to face and remote. Face to Face Experiences are unique services delivered in person, from sailing classes to gourmet dinners prepared by a chef in the comfort of your own home. Remote Experiences don’t require an in person meeting, allowing dreamers and fans to connect from different corners of the world. Some examples are design services, web programming and custom songs amongst many others. It’s Free to join!






Get a peek behind the scenes for factory tours, usually a no-cost way to stretch a vacation dollar.  Visit:  FactoryToursUSA.com



Pat Farrelly is currently in the process of patenting a unique water filtration system that he believes will revolutionize water filtering for commercial and humanitarian purposes. His invention, Aqua-Nu, took five years to develop in his own kitchen.

Farrelly said that Aqua-Nu had multiple applications, from filtering water for individual houses and group schemes to rainwater harvesting and small-scale filtration.

‘‘We can turn any container into a water-filtering device,” he said.’ ‘We are interesting because we have microbiological capability. Our technology can prevent a microbe one-quarter the size of a red blood cell from getting through.”

The finished product is just six weeks old and, following the verification of independent tests, Farrelly embarked on the patenting process. Aqua-Nu have applied for patents in 67 different countries, 42 of which have already been granted.

He said that Aqua-Nu had fielded inquiries from companies in several sectors, including waste water management. It has received a number of letters of intent, and is engaged with production and licensing opportunities as far afield as Malaysia.

The humanitarian prospects for the system were also considerable, said Farrelly.’ ‘We can start saving lives tomorrow. Our filtering can be as easily used in an Irish kitchen as in a mud hut in Africa.”






Get cash for your old gadgets






A little unknown clause in Obamacare, beginning in 2012, the U.S. government will demand tracking of all precious metals transactions worth over $600. That clause effectively kills the saving of gold to offset a shaky economy for U.S. citizens because even a one-ounce transaction is worth $1612 as of today.

However, silver is another matter altogether. It remains reasonably enough priced that purchases of silver can still fly under the radar of the United States government and their abusive, confiscatory agencies. And at today's prices you could still buy a little less than 15 ounces of silver and remain unknown and unseen.



Era 2X Ultra with Oxi Booster cleaned clothes as well as Tide’s TotalCare but at only 10 cents per load versus Tide’s 30 cents a load.



Calculating the value of home gardens

Roger Doiron, decided to calculate the value of the produce he grew in his family food garden. His wife, who majored in economics in college, set up an accurate way to measure the value of the crops as they were harvested. Doiron invested roughly $240 in seeds, supplies, and compost. Growing an average assortment of vegetables and fruits on a relatively modest sized plot of land, his garden produced a whopping $2,400 worth of food in one season. What’s even more impressive? Doiron lives in Maine, which has a shorter growing season compared to much of the country, and he produced his bumper crop in a garden that was only 1/25th of an acre. If he planted a full acre, he calculated, he could grow roughly $60,000 worth of food a year.




The Nanny State Updates…



COMMERCE, n. A kind of transaction in which A plunders from B the goods of C, and for compensation B picks the pocket of D of money belonging to E.



A one-time limited GAO audit of the Federal Reserve that was mandated by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act has uncovered some eye-popping corruption at the Fed and the mainstream media is barely even covering it. It turns out that the Federal Reserve made $16.1 trillion in secret loans to their bankster friends during the financial crisis. You can read a copy of the GAO investigation for yourself right here. These loans only went to the "too big to fail" banks and to foreign financial institutions. Not a penny of these loans went to small banks or to ordinary Americans. Not only did the banksters get trillions in nearly interest-free loans, but the Fed actually paid them over 600 million dollars to help run the emergency lending program. The GAO investigation revealed some absolutely stunning conflicts of interest.


So precisely who got this money?

Well, a recent article on Raw Story named some of the big Wall Street banks that got some of this money....

Out of all borrowers, Citigroup received the most financial assistance from the Fed, at $2.5 trillion. Morgan Stanley came in second with $2.04 trillion, followed by Merill Lynch at $1.9 trillion and Bank of America at $1.3 trillion.


But it just wasn't U.S. banks that were showered with nearly interest-free loans. It turns out that approximately $3.08 trillion went to foreign financial institutions all over Europe and Asia.


So who in the world gave the Federal Reserve permission to bail out financial institutions all over the world?


Nobody did.

But under our current system the Federal Reserve doesn't have to get permission. They literally get to do whatever they want.

On his website, Senator Sanders expressed his outrage over these foreign loans....

"No agency of the United States government should be allowed to bailout a foreign bank or corporation without the direct approval of Congress and the president"



Increasing government regulation and stupidity cost America dearly…

Anyone who reads the poor man bulletins know few things stick in my craw more than government bullcrap…this new report verifies what I’ve been saying for years.

Regulatory nonsense cost Americans $1.7 Trillion annually - a virtual sinkhole!



In the just-released "Red Tape Rising: A 2011 Mid-Year Report," The Heritage Foundation's James Gattuso and Diane Katz explain the pervasiveness of government's intrusive regulatory hand (that oftentimes goes go well beyond ensuring product safety) and how it controls nearly every facet of your daily life.

Do you heat your home? Light your rooms? Buy and cook food? Watch TV? If the answer is "yes," then you've fallen under federal regulation. And you're paying for it, too. Gattuso and Katz
explain how every product imaginable costs more because of regulations



The Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA battery tested the best while its Energizer Max tested as the lowest rated battery.



Why the economy will never recover – the Parting Thought

 Our debt ceiling has been raised 78 times since 1917, the year the income tax started!

Since the 1950s our economy has been based on consumerism which was fostered by the growth of good jobs with benefits.  The population, as a whole, paid little in the way of taxes and had few expensive regulations to contend with.


We know that scenario is not returning.  Corporations today pay little to support ‘their’ country and have almost no regard for the American worker.  Most analysts say our glacial pace of job creation and lack of consumer confidence, will plunge us into another recession (did we ever leave the last one?).


The middle class is being shell shocked and the gap between the rich and poor continues to widen.  Although largely unreported by mainstream press, there is a growing crime wave in the country.  Other countries are beginning to experience the same problem of bankrupt governments and disenfranchised citizens.


For decades consumers (and government) relied on debt to finance the ‘American Dream.”  No one can afford to do this any longer.  Even the public sector has caught on to the fact they can longer spend money like ‘drunken politicians,’ and have shed a half-million jobs because of plunging tax receipts.


Aside from government mismanagement the world has been plagued with a seemingly non-stop spate of natural disasters which is taking a heavy financial toll.


As Congress continues the carnage is started 35 years ago, we’re all waiting for some real leadership to appear…perhaps Superman will come to life?  While waiting, I suggest the solution to our problems lies within each one of us.


It’s up to the American people to ignore Congress and to once again, become the self reliant nation we’ve been known for during the past two centuries.


That’s it from your wandering Poor Man!



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Thursday, July 28, 2011

Own Your Own Country for as Little as $14 Trillion


Own your own country for as little as $14 Trillion

Obama places country up for bid on eBay, citing government’s inability to manage money or to compromise on massive debt restructuring…easy credit terms arranged.  Must be approved by Federal Reserve and other current debt holders.


If a suitable buyer isn’t found by August 8th, the USA will go into bankruptcy receivership and its assets will be sold at auction by the US Marshals Service.

Leaders from both parties say they’re stumped, admitting for the first time they’ve been on a blinding spending binge for more than 35 years…


Meanwhile, special interest groups and corporate leaders, who’ve been suckling at the public teat for decades, have been rapidly moving their assets to offshore banks and converting their dollars to Swiss Franks.  Swiss officials admit they’re having a tough time keeping up with demand.


The Internal Revenue Service, collection agent for the Federal Reserve, announced they’ve already milked dry the middle class and have no backup plan in place for securing more money from an already overstretched taxpaying public.


Recipients of Social Security and other government handouts are worried as funding of their inflation laden checks will be cut off soon, reports the Treasury Department.


It’s rumored that public sector workers and other government employees are resigning en masse as paychecks are scheduled to be halted by the middle of August.  Vice President Joe Biden warned employees and law enforcement officials, “Stay the course, do not abandon ship, we’ll take care of you.”


Leaders from China are already lining up to see what government assets they might grab in order to satisfy the outstanding debt owed to their country.  They’ve promised the American people they will issue Chinese currency to Americans in need as a stop gap measure.  “Our stockholders at Wal Mart are very concerned but we’ll cover the losses,” promises the Chinese premier.
Source:  The Bitter End Syndicate

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

101 Weird Ways to Make $, Stop Impulse Buying


Bruce’s Poor Man Survival Bulletin

A Digest of Urban Survival Resources


ISSN 2161-5543



In This Issue:

1.       Stop impulse buying-save cash

2.      Homemade energy bars

3.      Inspiring your teen

4.      101 Weird Ways to Make Money

5.      Government folly hurts job growth

There seems to be some perverse human characteristic that likes to make easy things difficult.

--Warren Buffet


Inspiring your teen…and perhaps win some money

   Despite studies which indicate Americans spend the most of any country on public education, schools always seem broke and teachers often purchase items for students from their own pocket.  It’s reported that much of public monies are directed to administration staff, buildings, pensions and other costs as opposed to actual education.


Inner city youth attending Detroit public schools receive on average $4800 more per pupil than their urban counterparts.  They also received nearly one million free laptop computers, donated from Microsoft and other charities, yet it has the highest dropout rate in the state of Michigan.


The problem, as is so often the case throughout the nation, is the lack of support from parent’s…many of whom cannot read above the 8th grade level.  With so many single parent homes in the nation, the problem has only worsened over the years.


A parent needs to set an example through personal actions and routine.  This should extend to healthier eating habits as well.  Our nation now boasts the most overweight children in our history.  A lack of exercise and poor eating habits contribute greatly to a decline in academics…there is no reason on earth mothers should be filling an infant bottle with soda (as I’ve seen on more than one occasion).


Now through September 17th you can stop by any Staples store and donate school supplies.  Staples will donate them to local charities which in turn, will make sure they get to those students in need.


The 16th annual Do Something awards will be aired on VH1.  Five teens will get $10,000 each and the grand prize winner will get $100,000 for their organizations.  The program will feature community-minded celebrities and teens.


Do Something is a website devoted to teens making a difference and it helps encourage and foster them to achieve more in life. www.DoSomething.org



Running a baby wipe down your shower doors and tile after you shower helps remove soap scum and keeps it from coming back.  You can also use them to clean off crumbs hiding in between the keys of your computer keyboard.


PM’s ‘Betty Shocker’ Roundup of Useful Stuff

Great Job!? - New From long time subscriber, Steve

Apply today to work long hours at boring repetitive tasks for enough money to pay the bills today and start all over again tomorrow. Sound good? No?

If you don't like the idea of an ordinary job, get my book and learn about more than a hundred ways to make money with fun and interesting jobs and businesses.

101 Weird Ways to Make Money - Cricket Farming, Repossessing Cars, and Other Jobs with Big Upside and Not Much Competition - By Steve Gillman

Get the details or order online here...And I created a video explaining what the book is about, which is here:





NOTE:  Hundreds of job opening listings posted on Monster.com and other jobs sites explicitly state that people who are unemployed would be less attractive applicants, with some telling the long-term unemployed to not even bother with applying…might be useful to learn other ways to make money.



Breakfast bars are a fast and easy way to feed kids on busy mornings. However, some of the breakfast bars sold in stores are high in sugar as well as high in price. They may include ingredients the picky eaters in your family don't like, along with chemicals and preservatives you would rather avoid. Homemade breakfast bars are an easy and affordable alternative. The recipe is easily adjusted to suit the tastes of your family members, and the list of ingredients includes many things you probably already have on hand.…keep reading at  http://www.ehow.com/how_8412078_make-homemade-breakfast-bars-kids.html


 




The Best Free Antivirus Software

If your computer ever connects to the Internet, it's potentially exposed to viruses and other malicious software. As last year's Stuxnet worm demonstrated, even a computer that never connects can be compromised through an infected USB drive. Given the quality of free antivirus software available, there's no excuse for failing to install protection. The question is, which is the best free antivirus?


Free site helps with weight loss goals

This site estimates your caloric needs based on weight, age, and activity level; then sets weight loss goals.  Learn more at:


 The best gravy is made with a combination of leftover coffee and milk for liquid...

Save money by avoiding impulse buys - stick to a list

 Nearly 35% of those surveyed admit to overspending during visits to the supermarket.  Avoid such spending mishaps by creating a list and sticking to it…and bring your coupons.


+Carry only the cash you want to spend

+Carefully do the math on ‘buy one, get 50% off on the second’ promotions - compare the per-item/per-unit price.

+Buy in bulk and save - do the cost-per-unit calculation (divide the price of the item by the number of units in the package)

+Avoid impulse buying (a problem when you bring children with you).


Studies show folks using a credit card are willing to spend up to twice as much for an item as those who pay cash.

Keep a spending diary - you’ll be amazed at how much you spend on those little extras while running errands.

Another discount site which gathers 100s of daily deals into one site-Free


Bed slats won’t stay put?  Try securing them by wrapping rubber bands around the ends of the slats where they sit in the frame.

The Nanny State Updates…

Forget spending cuts and tax increases…I have a MUCH better way to pay down our trillion-dollar deficit…bring back public flogging.

That’s right…put politicians in a public stockade and sell the angry mob tomatoes to throw at them.

While cities are stepping up enforcement of petty fine-oriented “crimes” such as busting local marijuana clinics (despite being legalized by voters), traffic enforcement and busting kids lemonade stands; the driving force behind this are its outstanding pension obligations for gold-plated retirement plans given to former employees.


City governments can't easily opt to not pay for pensions, which means that the money they take in is going to pay for services already rendered, leaving not nearly enough left over to pay for current services needed. Here are a few statistics to give you an idea of why you need to step up and make your own security preparations:


>In an average year, the city of New Haven, Connecticut sees revenue growth of approximately $4 million. The demands of their pension programs add $12 million to the budget each year.


>Anaheim, California spends more than a fifth of its budget on pension costs, and those costs will climb by 50% over the next four years.


>In San Francisco, pension costs amounted to $63 million in 2000. By 2015, pension costs will have increased to $650 million.


>In New York, the state will need to increase property taxes by 3.5% a year for the next five years to manage school-related pension costs.


In Detroit, taxpayers employ 13,000 active public workers, but also must pay pension costs for 22,000 retired workers.

Eleven states earned more revenue from lotteries than from corporate income taxes in 2009 – gullible citizens spent $50 billion on lottery tickets that year – yet, your odds of winning are better at a casino than through a state lottery!

Central Falls, Rhode Island -Broke


Quoting The New York Times (July 11, 2011): "The impoverished city, operating under a receiver for a year, has promised $80 million worth of retirement benefits to 214 police officers and firefighters, far more than it can afford. Those workers' pension fund will probably run out of money in October..."

Global food prices have increased about 37% in the past year alone. They've almost tripled in the past six years.


"Federal regulations alone are estimated to cost Americans more than $600 billion yearly. We pay government in lives shortened or lost because of delays in new drug approvals. Because of a raft of restrictive barriers to enterprise, we pay for government in terms of businesses stymied or never started and jobs never created. A government education monopoly that often fails to educate exacts a terrible price by stunting careers and squandering immense human potential. One cost of government that can’t be reckoned in dollars and cents -- a diminution of the individual’s basic freedom to act and speak on his own -- has been deemed important enough to spark a revolution from time to time."
--
Dr. Lawrence W. Reed
 President of the Foundation for Economic Education, economist, author

Most contaminated (salmonella & bacteria) chicken brands included Perdue, Tyson and Foster Farms…Perdue was the ‘cleanest’ among brands tested by Consumer Reports.

The Parting Shot - Government folly hurts job creation


CORPORATION, n. An ingenious device for obtaining individual profit without individual responsibility.


Government follies were a big topic of discussion at last week's Freedom Fest, where Addison Wiggin's new documentary Risk! had a focus group screening. Risk! picks up where Addison's last film, the critically-acclaimed I.O.U.S.A left off – in the wake of the financial crisis. (You can find a link to this film at our PoorManSurvival.com site’s main page) The documentary features insights from some of the world's top economic minds, including Harvard professor and author of the Innovator's Dilemma, Clayton Christiensen, economic blogger and pundit, Alex Tabborok; and Gary Shapiro author of The Comeback: How Innovation Will Restore the American Dream.


The Poor Man often writes about how government actions hurt the business climate and job creation in this country - a clear and present danger to our economy and national security.


"The government does not create jobs," Shapiro tells us in Risk!. "They take money from one person to give it to another person. That's not creating a job. Government's role is to encourage people, and make sure we have the raw materials of innovation, which are bright people challenging the status quo."

Shapiro – and the entrepreneurs featured in the film – remind us that the role of government is to "get out of the way" and to provide these wealth creators with a level playing field--one that punishes theft and force, but otherwise allows competition--so that they, and the country as a whole, can reap the rewards of their innovations


How much longer will Americans put up with a dysfunctional government which harms our very existence and way of life?

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A Shallow Planet Production