Trends in the Great Recession-Unstuffing Your Life

“The great masses of the people will more easily
fall victim to a big lie than to a small one.”
--Adolph Hitler

Do you have a stash of cash waiting for you?

An average of 50% of Americans have money they’ve forgotten about. Try the following free sites to do a quick, free search. You never know.

· MissingMoney.com from the National Assn of Unclaimed Property Administrators – works directly with all 50 states. Check under your maiden name too and don’t forget to check for your family members.
· Did your company go out of business? Did you forget about any potential pension funds? Type in your name & company name at: Search.pbgc.gov/mp or call 800-400-7242
· Failed credit union owe you money? Call the NCUA Asset Management Center at 512-231-7900
· For failed banks, which owe you money, go to www.FDIC.gov/Funds/Index.asp or go to FDIC.gov and click on Bank Find to see if your bank merged or changed its name.
· Did you have an FHA insured mortgage? If you paid off your loan or refinanced, you might have some cash left over from the insurance they require upfront if your down payment is below 20% - go to: HUD.gov/offices/hsg/comp/refunds/index.cfm or call 800-333-4636

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Recessionomics 101: How to Make Extra Money
Fortunately, there also are many ways to earn extra cash even when full-time jobs and extra shifts aren't an option. They include taking in boarders, starting a small business and getting paid for your opinion. Some of this work provides only a free meal and $10 fee but others, such as tutoring or selling Grandma's diamond broach, could be quite lucrative.
The key, according to Gail Cunningham, a spokeswoman for the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, is to "find your skill or what you think would be fun to do." She says, for example, someone with computer skills may want to teach a class, install computers or create Web sites.

"Think about what are people willing to pay for," says Ms. Cunningham. "Who do you know and how can you leverage existing relationships." For example, does your dentist need someone to clean the office or does your accountant need someone to cater the Christmas party?
1 Sell It: One of the fastest and easiest ways to get extra cash is to sell unwanted and unused stuff. And it's never been easier to make hundreds or even thousands of dollars. You could post a few signs in the neighborhood and sell everything at a Saturday garage sale or you could try the online route with services such as eBay or Craigslist.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126428109487634281.html?mod=WSJ_PersonalFinance_PF4

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Cheap Hot Water!
Bill Banack doesn't fancy himself an environmental "fanatic," but his showers, dishwasher and washing machine all use renewable energy these days. The source: three slim solar panels perched atop his 2,200-square foot Hadley, Mass., home. They don't provide electricity—they send him heat for hot water. More at:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703906204575027012258855730.html?mod=WSJ_PersonalFinance_PF2

'Free' Credit Reports That'll Cost You
There's nothing free about forking over $179 a year for information at Freecreditreport.com.
Instead you can go to AnnualCreditReport.com, which is run by the Federal Trade Commission, and get a truly free report once a year from each of the credit agencies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion

Remember Earth Day? It started in 1970 (at the time we had 111 million vehicles on the road; now we’re up to 254 million). The Earth Day Network is a global group of organizations who still believe. They still encourage folks around the globe to go green and their big event is scheduled for April 22nd. You can download their new toolkit that offers simple tips. Visit:
www.createthegood.org/diy-toolkits
www.billionactsofgreen.net


“I hate people who are intolerant”--Laurence Peter

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Obama Cutting NASA Budget-Space Program

While the US never has a problem increasing our military budget, Obama has decided to cut our space exploration program – something, which does far more good than the evils of war. Without our space program, Americans wouldn’t have cell phone technology, GPS, and other advanced technology we enjoy! (even Tang).

I know many among us feel the space program is a waste of money, but it is not. How much do you want to bet that our military budget in terms of outer space technology, won’t be cut.
I grew up reading Popular Mechanics which predicted we’d have flying cars by now – what happened; where are they? Before I pass away, I want to know are we alone?

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Americans Coming of Age in the Great Recession

BALTIMORE, MD--(Marketwire - 01/27/10) - Context-Based Research Group, an ethnographic firm with a global network of consumer anthropologists, and Carton Donofrio Partners, an advertising agency in Baltimore, today unveiled key findings from their new research report, "Coming of Age in the Great Recession."

One of the most interesting findings is that 78 percent agreed the American Dream has died, however, based on responses, we see that a new dream -- focused on freedom and ideals rather than material possessions -- is being born," said Dr. Robbie Blinkoff, principal anthropologist and co-founder of Context-Based Research Group. "In our studies, we found people reaching this epiphany and then going through a 'coming of age' process that's leading to new attitudes and new ways of interacting with the world."

What will this mean for our culture and for consumerism? Read the rest of the story at:
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/New-Study-by-Consumer-iw-3736206499.html?x=0&.v=1

SIDEBAR
Profitable niches which will interest consumers include:
Cheap | ‘Cheap’ is king, both because of the recession (reduced spending power), and because of the shift away from ‘bling’ towards frugality and practicality as new status symbols.
· Smaller and/or limited number of features, to keep prices low.
· Simpler, or easier to use, for inexperienced consumers.
· Energy efficient (or not using any traditional energies at all) and/or easy to repair and/or waste-reducing.
· Robust, as some of them are used in rugged conditions.
· Well-designed (the democratization of design is a global phenomenon).
· Aimed at helping owners to generate income, or allow users to create self-sustaining systems
http://trendwatching.com/briefing/
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“I don’t care what your income bracket is. I don’t
think anybody is secure.” –Gail H. Las Vegas

Obama unveils $3.83T budget with massive deficits

Ominous Economic signs loom…potential fallout exists!
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama sent Congress a $3.83 trillion budget on Monday that would pour more money into the fight against high unemployment, boost taxes on the wealthy and freeze spending for a wide swath of government programs.
The deficit for this year would surge to a record-breaking $1.56 trillion, topping last year's then unprecedented $1.41 trillion gap. The deficit would remain above $1 trillion in 2011 although the president proposed to institute a three-year budget freeze on a variety of programs outside of the military and homeland security as well as increasing taxes on energy producers and families making more than $250,000.
But…
Respected economist and forecaster George Whitehurst-Berry has offered this astute explanation of the financial gyrations rocking U.S. markets, as quoted:

"We are in the terminal stages of the world's most gigantic pyramid scheme," he explained, referring to the ultimate collapse of the U.S.-led monetary order that will permanently impoverish millions.

This threat is so real that top Pentagon intelligence experts are running live "planning scenarios" in which resource-rich nations like Russia and China exploit U.S. indebtedness to wreak sudden havoc in our financial system and basic economy.

In the 2009 Unrestricted Warfare Symposium at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, intelligence analyst James Richards unveiled a blueprint detailing exactly how U.S. enemies could drop the value of the dollar by a shocking 75%, crippling our economy overnight.
President Obama's proposed initiatives aimed at bringing peace of mind back to middle- and low-income earners won't do much to stimulate the economy and in general don't help the unemployed but could represent a tiny beacon for many struggling Americans in this recessionary storm.

Here's just a glimpse of the likely fallout:
· A price explosion as Americans scramble over one another to buy tangible assets or simply hoard basic necessities, before the dollar's purchasing power evaporates fully.
· Widespread shortages, sparse grocery store shelves and the return of long gas lines.
· Failed businesses and economic dislocations far eclipsing anything we've seen to date.
· Rising crime and rampant unemployment.
· Government handouts drying up, with an angry dependent class taking to the streets.

Wall Street & Other Markets Are Down-

Greece & Portugal in Trouble Now

The U.S. government suffers from the same, or worse, underlying disease as Greece, Portugal, or any other victim of the contagion — massive, out-of-control federal deficits. America's burden was $1.4 trillion last year and ANOTHER $1.4 trillion this year.
The government cannot create jobs or real money…
I might just be a fool but the Poor Man feels the economic signs are not good. One cannot continue to spend on borrowed money. Most foreign governments are already extremely nervous about the US treasury and debt…what happens when the spigot runs dry?
Do you know that it is a crime to try to keep what you earn and save? Just try to hold onto what “Uncle Sam” claims you owe. The government plans on hiring over 1,000 new IRS agents to go after the American people for more money. Tax attorney Marshall Langer says Obama plans a value added tax (VAT) like Europe has. Once started it will get higher and higher.

Can we afford Obama? As a part of this tremendous budget, Obama has earmarked $100 billion for jobs (mostly in the form of tax cuts for small businesses which hire). Wouldn’t it be easier to send each adult a check for $500,000 with the provision the money be used to start a business?

For more on the budget, go to: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100201/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_budget

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Wet summer, more demand could create seed shortage
DES MOINES, Iowa – Dreaming of biting into a garden-fresh cucumber sandwich this summer? Better order your seeds now.
A poor growing season last year and increased orders from Europe could make it difficult for home gardeners to get seeds for the most popular cucumber variety and some vegetables this spring. Farmers, who usually grow different varieties than home gardeners, aren't likely to be affected.
Seeds for what's known as open-pollinated cucumbers seem to be most scarce, but carrots, snap peas and onions also could be in short supply.
"I suspect there will be some seeds you just won't be able to buy if you wait too long on it," said Bill Hart, the wholesale manager in charge of seed purchasing at Chas. C. Hart Seed Company in Wethersfield, Conn. "The sugar snap peas we're not able to get at all, and other companies that have it will sell out pretty quickly."

Personally, I just purchased a large quantity of seeds for 20 cents a pack!
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Jobless Rates Won’t Improve anytime soon says forecast…
WASHINGTON – The Obama administration is predicting little improvement in the nation's unemployment rate by the end of the year.
Although President Barack Obama says the multitrillion-dollar spending plan released Monday is designed to get Americans back to work, the administration forecasts 9.8 percent unemployment at the end of this year. That would be down only slightly from the current rate of 10 percent.
Those predictions are in line forecasts from independent economists. The administration is predicting 8.9 percent unemployment at the end of 2011, and 7.9 unemployment percent by the end of 2012.
Here’s an idea…why not send unemployed construction contractors to Haiti instead of the US Army and pay them to rebuild that country…perhaps another stateside job stimulus program would be to hire those folks to rebuild our own crumbling infrastructure!
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Tools for Self Protection & Self Reliance
http://www.tbotech.com/cmd.asp?af=1126539

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That’s it for this week’s Bulletin. Saw the movie Book of Eli this weekend – great flick…don’t forget about our upcoming Recession Survival Workshop slated for Thurs Feb 25th in Imlay City, MI…go to our website to register.

Yours for better living,
Bruce “The Poor Man”
http://www.poormansurvival.com