Sneaky Grocery Store Tips, 10 Great Products Still Made in USA

Bruce’s Poor Man Bulletin
Your choice for Usable Urban Survival Resources

In This Issue:

· How to take over a country without firing a shot
· New facebook service-create your own free storefront
· Deficit hysteria squeezes middle class
· Extra income resources-netting extra cash
· 12-acre buy or sell industrial site
· Free eBay video tutorials

At a sex education rally in a Chicago High School, an abstinence program advocate told the teens that if they felt a sexual urge coming on, ‘just eat a Snickers bar, you’ll be fine! The state of US Education…suggested perhaps by Mars Candy?


Instant Rip-Off(s)

During the past 20 years I’ve distributed thousands of scratch-off state lottery tickets to attendees of my seminars and college lectures (good tool for building & rewarding audience participation) and as ‘stocking stuffers’ and birthday gifts.

My standing joke to attendees was that if anyone won more than $100 we would split the winnings…guess what? In all those years, no one ever won more than $35; most often they turned out to be instant rip-off tickets.

State lotteries have a worse percentage of payouts than casinos so if you’re into gambling, a casino is your better bet!

The Poor Man started an ewaste recycling drop-off center program this week to help battered women. Folks who drop off old printer cartridges, cell phones, digital cameras and laptops will receive a variety of rewards and the items will be recycled through various charities that I contracted with. Obviously, this is available to MI residents…email me if interested in dropping something off at: poormansurvivor@yahoo.com

EBay will be making an announcement later today of even more changes affecting sellers beginning in September. Supposedly, these will be the last of the ‘never-ending-changes eBay will implement for the year…see the free eBay tutorial link below.

Finally, be sure to read the guest editorial from Kitty Werth Ann called After America-No Place to Go. You’ll find it on our Guest Column tab at the PoorManSurvival.Com site!




Resources we like

Get your free how-to video tutorial on using ebay
--I gave a set of these to my sister-in-law to use & she was ecstatic. I’ve taught courses at community colleges on how to make money from eBay and developed my own course, but as we all know…

eBay frequently changes its rules & fees…
That is why most eBay courses today are outdated.
24-part video allows you to watch over the shoulder of Francis Ochoco
on eBay in real time. Signup required. You will be given an opportunity to become a reseller to earn commissions as well…if you’re involved with eBay, this could be a profitable add-on product for you.
http://www.auctionvideotutorials.com/?vip=9908


American Preppers Network
Interesting clearinghouse of websites devoted to various how-to, self sufficiency resources and sites…of which the Poor Man is now a member.
http://www.AmericanPreppersNetwork.com


Free downloads…the Poor Man encourages entrepreneurs so get these freebies to help promote your business
No signup and no cost - Just 30 HOT
products to kickstart your business.
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=6IkYZ&m=JA1JpWz3UcZ7fn&b=ZIPEZRi0IqZ6I__w6J3MRA

>>>
Enjoy Your Oatmeal w/ This easy recipe…was a favorite over the 4th

PEANUTTY OATMEAL BARS

1 cup cooked oatmeal
1 cup crunch peanut butter
1 medium egg
½ cup sugar (try brown sugar as an alternative)
½ cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8x8 baking pan. Mix all ingredients together and spread into the pan. Bake 30 minutes, cool 15 minutes, then cut into squares.
>>>

Plain and simple, the news has abdicated its commitment to be the watchdog for society. Instead they advance their own agendas or those of their sponsors, pander to special interest groups, promote fear and editorialize with no basis in fact. This means you have to dig deeper and discern the truth for yourself — for if not you, who will get you the news?

HGR’s We Sell Everything - 12 acre site
A new subscriber suggested this place & it’s might interesting…you can buy or sell industrial related goods on their site or at their facility in the Cleveland, OH area. Mostly industrial BUT, for instance, you can pick up a 250-gal water tank for under $25 (they deliver too). Worth a peek.
http://www.hgrindustrialsurplus.com/

Spend $50 & download Quicken WillMaker Plus - Free!
Nice Deal for Poor Man subscribers…
This month, get Nolo's bestselling software, Quicken WillMaker Plus - free! That's right, when you spend $50 at Nolo's Online Store, you'll automatically receive a free download of the #1 bestselling estate planning software as a thank you for choosing Nolo from now until July 22nd, 2010. Use Quicken WillMaker Plus to prepare your will, power of attorney documents, and living will, as well as documents for executors, all in one easy-to-use software package. Plus, as a Nolobriefs subscriber, you can use coupon code T780 to get 10% off your order. But hurry! The coupon expires on August 1st, 2010.
Read on for more tips from Nolo's website:

Thanks…the following is a tip from a new subscriber!

50 Sneaky Grocery Store Tricks That Trim Your Wallet and Pad Your Waistline
http://www.onlineaccountingdegree.com/50-sneaky-grocery-store-tricks-that-trim-your-wallet-and-pad-your-waistline/


>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Want to Net Some Extra Cash?

Nicole Woolsey Biggart, PhD


Historically, a bad economy is good for direct-sales companies, such as Mary Kay, Avon, Fuller Brush, Tupperware, The Pampered Chef and others, that rely on independent, work-from-home salespeople to sell their products and services. In troubled times, more people work for these companies because of job layoffs or because they want to earn extra income.

Our recent economic downturn has been no exception, with many direct-sales companies reporting sharp increases in new recruits, people who are eager to become their own bosses and earn income from both commissions and/or bonuses based on recruiting others into their ranks.

However, although recruiting numbers may be up, the Direct Selling Association (DSA) reports a downturn in overall sales to consumers in recent years -- $29 billion in 2008 from a 2006 peak of $32 billion.

Result: A greater number of salespeople competing for a smaller chunk of business.
While making a go at direct selling could be harder than ever, it still is a good opportunity for certain people -- could it be for you?

REALITY CHECK

At any given time, some 15 million Americans work in direct sales.
Product sales commissions usually range between 25% and 50% of the retail price. In some companies, you can earn an additional 3% to 5% commission on sales made by others you recruit.
Yet most people who try direct sales soon give up. After expenses -- including the cost of buying inventory and transportation to make sales calls -- most people wind up earning $10 to $15 an hour, typically working fewer than 20 hours a week. These people earn a median wage of $2,400 annually, according to the DSA.
In rare cases, those who are very good at selling can make $30,000 annually by working a 40-hour week. Only about 10% manage to make direct sales a full-time job.
WHO CAN SUCCEED?

Ultimately, these jobs are all about selling -- and you will make real money only if you are an effective salesperson. Companies do not provide a list of potential sales contacts, so most people who succeed in direct sales already have a large social network.

Those who do well also tend to have the "right" personality. If they are not outgoing, they are at least comfortable knocking on doors or calling people they may not know... have a "thick skin" that can handle frequent rejection... and are self-motivated and disciplined.

MAKING IT WORK

Before you choose a direct-selling company to represent, consider the following...
Be product-practical. At the very least, you should choose a well-known, established company that sells products you know about, have a passion for or would personally use. Your passion for, or knowledge of, a specific product will make you a more effective salesperson. To find a potential fit, visit www.directselling411.com, where you can check off your interests and learn about appropriate companies. The best direct-sales products tend to be those that benefit from personal in-home demonstrations.

Examples: Knives (shoppers can’t experiment with them in retail stores)... cosmetics (it’s impractical and can be intimidating to try them out in public)... and water purifiers (in regions where water quality is an issue).

Talk to veterans. Research a company’s reputation with an online search. Look for Web communities of sellers.
Examples: www.mydswa.org... http://internetbasedmoms.com/direct-sales... or www.directsalesmoms.com.
You also can check the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org) to look for filed complaints.

If you are interested in working for a specific company, ask to be put in touch with several of its longtime direct sellers. New recruits tend to be enthusiastic but lack the experience to be realistic about their success. Speak to people who have had direct-selling experience with that company for years. Ask these veterans about the difficulty finding customers... their opinion of the products... and the company’s payment process. (Direct selling is a cash business, and money should flow back to sellers quickly -- or they should be able to keep their share of the receipts.)

Look for DSA membership. Companies that belong to the DSA (www.dsa.org) must subscribe to minimal industry standards. These include a "buyback" policy if you decide to quit the business, which allows you to return unopened and unsold products purchased within the prior 12 months for 90% of the price you paid for them (so you are not stuck paying for inventory you can’t sell). Another industry standard is having payment structures based chiefly on sales to consumers, not from recruiting other sellers (so your main job is not to recruit more members but to sell goods).

Most companies require new recruits to purchase an initial startup kit -- typically for $100 or less -- that includes a sample inventory of their most sellable products, "how-to" information, and brochures and materials for customers.

Avoid working for any company, including members of the DSA, that charge more than $150 for a startup kit. Good direct-selling companies make money by getting you into a position to sell, not by loading you down with products that sit in your garage.

Nicole Woolsey Biggart, PhD, former dean of the Graduate School of Management and professor of management and sociology at University of California, Davis. An expert in social network industries, she is author of Charismatic Capitalism: Direct Selling Organizations in America (University of Chicago).

RELATED STORY: Launch a free storefront on facebook complete with automated check out and more. Learn more by going to: http://payvment.com


^^^^SPONSORS^^^^
Resources for Stockpiling and Disaster Preparation http://www.tbotech.com/cmd.asp?af=1126539

Make Your Own Energy
Step-by-step guide reveals how to
make your own energy for $100 or less. http://tinyurl.com/PMEnergy

Terrific site for resources and green, eco-friendly goods http://www.growandmake.com?ref=71
http://www.GreenIrene.Com/PoorMan

Don’t Get Caught With Your Pantry Down – the all time best book on family preparedness has been updated & now includes an online video segment as well. Highly
recommended 11th Edition. http://tinyurl.com/PMBasics


Fedhealth's 282-page eBook helps families and businesses "be aware... be prepared... and have a plan" for most types of emergencies and disasters.
http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1215307

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
There are more Americans employed in government than there are manufacturing and construction. It's been that way since 2007 and it's getting worse. Our manufacturing base has been hollowed out and shipped overseas by the same Wall Street pirates who tell us Americans are too lazy to do these jobs..however, see the story below:

Made in USA: 10 Great Products Still Made Here
Conventional wisdom says U.S. companies have shuttered their factories and moved manufacturing abroad for cheap labor. During the recession, 2 million manufacturing jobs vanished. Here’s the story you don’t hear: The United States is still the world’s largest manufacturing economy, producing $1.6 trillion of goods each year, or 21 percent of global production. That’s nearly as much as Japan (13 percent) and China (12 percent) combined.
http://moneywatch.bnet.com/economic-news/article/made-in-usa-10-great-products-still-made-here-slide-1-of-10/441087/?tag=fd-bundle-0;main-promo
<<<>>>
Government Intervention Never Ends-Editorial by Adam Bitely
Every action a person takes in the United States is regulated by the government. Many of these regulations go unnoticed. But think about every action you take, and the bureaucratic agency that is regulating it. From brushing your teeth, to watering your lawn, the government has intruded into your life and regulated every action you take. But how did we end up in a society that has allowed itself to be regulated across the board?

We live in an age where the government fears the people. And rightfully so. They hustle our paychecks, bailout zombie corporations against the wishes of the public, and send our money overseas to pointless causes such as bailouts for Palestinian mortgages. Clearly, this government has taken many actions that are not supported by the people that pay for them
More at: http://blog.getliberty.org/default.asp?Display=2433

Deficit Hysteria Means The Middle Class Is About To Get Squeezed By New Taxes…the Poor Man has predicted this for nearly a year!

Higher Tax Rates for All
If you're in the camp that thinks the deficit is still a non-issue, and that the US can't possibly default on its debt, then this will be maddening to you.
You may have been led to believe that only individuals in the top two brackets will face higher federal income taxes when the Bush cuts go bye-bye. Not true! Unless Congress takes action and President Obama goes along, rates will go up for everyone -- not just a sliver of the wealthiest Americans.

The current six rate brackets of 10%, 15%, 25%, 28%, 33% and 35% will be replaced by five new brackets with the higher rates of 15%, 28%, 31%, 36% and 39.6%. Just a few months ago, it seemed like a safe bet that Congress would make a fix to keep the existing 10%, 15%, 25% and 28% rate brackets to help out lower and middle-income folks. That bet is now looking iffy.

http://finance.yahoo.com/taxes/article/110005/how-the-expiring-bush-tax-cuts-affect-you?mod=taxes-advice_strategy
http://finance.yahoo.com/tech-ticker/deficit-hysteria-means-the-middle-class-is-about-to-get-squeezed-by-new-taxes-517056.html?tickers=udn,gld,uup,tlt,tbt,^gspc,^dji

On related note about our deficit…

Washington hypocritters who bitch about the deficit conveniently ignore:
· We have spent more than $700 billion in Iraq alone since the war began; it will easily cost American taxpayers $1 trillion before we leave there.
· The Pentagon budget for 2010 is $693 billion — more than all other discretionary spending programs combined. America spends 44% of the entire world's military budget. Surely, some other countries can pick up the spending for their own defense.

In that regard, the Poor Man suggests…
Hope for the Best and Prepare for the Worst...

Until and unless the parasites — oh, did I say parasites? I meant politicians — in Washington actually remember who pays their salaries and start doing their best rather than their worst, you might want to prepare for the worst. Those preparations may include...

1. Own Gold & Silver. If our nation continues to spend more than it brings in, we will follow Greece and Europe down the road to a currency crisis.
2. Get Out of Debt. If this country is headed for a serious financial crunch, you don't want debt hanging over your head. You want cash in the bank along with precious metals in the vault and/or goods to barter with.
3. Start Prepping for the Worst. You can prepare for whatever emergencies life throws your way. And if we have a really big crash, the government might not be there to save your fat behind. Consider following the recommendations in my book, "The Poor Man’s Survival CD Packages" The advice covers everything from money to power supplies to guns to canned goods.

>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<< California requires a warning label on all packages containing lead. This holds true for bullets. Their label: “This product contains lead & may be hazardous to your health”

Poor Man’s Parting Shot!
How to take over a country without firing a shot

Few people expect silver prices to rise during summer months; normally a quiet time for precious metals…watch for a potential surprise in a rally for precious metals…that’s what my coin dealer friends are suggesting…perhaps because the US is in a bad economic state with paper money close to its final debasement?

Historically, when a currency becomes so diluted that its populace and creditors no longer have faith in its fiat money, a country begins to fail. Counterfeiting is one way to debase a currency and our treasury department is continually changing the look and security features of the dollar.

When our government backed the Shah of Iraq, we lovingly sold him a printing press – the kind we used to print our currency. When the Shah was toppled, the fundamentalists of that country began printing US $100 bills in earnest; hence the many changes in our money.

Nowadays, we don’t need to worry about foreigners debasing our currency. Why worry when our own government does it for us. Debased currency and inflation is good for the treasury as it repays the national debt from cheaper dollars and fiat money becomes a hidden tax on US citizens who are forced to pay higher prices for goods and services (though, in today’s climate, few get matching pay raises).

My other thought of course, is for me to take over the satellites and cable systems which control electronic funds transfers and GPS…once I have them under my control, I will call the shots! Did I hear microwave relay systems in my future?

That’s it for this week. As always, we appreciate the tips & resources that you share.

Yours for better living,
Bruce ‘The Poor Man’

http://www.PoorManSurvival.com
http://www.GreenIrene.Com/PoorMan


Please forward this to a friend!

A Shallow Planet Production