Poor Man Survival

Self Reliance tools for independent minded people…

ISSN 2161-5543

A Digest of Urban Survival Resources

"You can't separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace

unless he has his freedom."

-Malcolm X

Top 5 Grinches for 2014

Obamacare

We all know the “G in government stands for GOUGE the citizen and they keep proving it with underserved raises for Congress to Obamas’s bypassing Congress with Executive Orders of dubious legality [think illegal aliens and how much the taxpayer is getting screwed] but number one on the list is Obamacare premiums which have more than doubled for the majority of Americans.

No Tort Reform or the elimination of Workers Comp fees for businesses resulted and in MI, which has the highest auto insurance rates in the nation because of its unlimited medical liability law, they too did not reduce its premium [as the governor had promised].

Airlines

Despite record lows for fuel prices, no airline dropped their airfares or increased services or increased the number of routes to overcome crowding. Bah humbug!

National Thrift Stores

Even after 60 Minutes aired a story about six-figure salaries for Goodwill CEOS and 28 cent an hour pay for workers with diminished capacity, both Goodwill and Salvation Army continue to jack up prices in their ‘thrift’ stores. Goodwill should be renamed Second Hand Target because of crap they sell from retail giant Target, most of which doesn’t work and is overpriced.

Both now bypass the retail customer by putting their better items online via eBay and other outlets which increase the cost [shipping] to customers.

The Salvation Army used to get annual donations from my own foundation – NO MORE!

Food Corporations

Fuel prices account for much of the costs you pay at the grocer but despite very low prices at the pump, Americans are still paying high prices and getting less [downsized packaging] for their food dollar.

Consider this: $4.20 – The price of ground beef just hit a brand new record high of $4.20 a pound!

Local & State Governments

Giving proof to the adage that no good deed goes unpunished, many citizens face higher fuel taxes or other costs because: a) Citizens bought more fuel efficient vehicles which then cut off some of fuel tax take governments grab; b) Many governments mismanaged their pensions and other costs and now want to raise fuel taxes for road repairs.

Our combined governments consume the most fuel in the USA and our Department of Energy has long chastised state and local governments for wasted fuel due to poorly timed lights – yet, it is always the citizen who winds up paying for government incompetence and greed.

>>Also, I researched state lotteries and they are a suckers bet. Those instant ripoff tickets have poor payout ratios and do not live up to the fine print on the back about your odds of winning. In fact, most states that offer legalized gambling casinos mandate the casinos average a 10% payout while most state lotteries are less than 7%.

As we wrap up 2014, Consumer Reports says a whole bunch of companies have been naughty this year but an equal number have been nice. Here is the 2014 naughty and nice list.

Money Saving Tips

Recipes for
Christmas Leftovers
If you'll have Christmas dinner leftovers in your refrigerator, I'm going to give you some of my family's recipes to help use them up in the absolute most delicious ways. Now, my family generally starts requesting turkey dinner leftovers even before Thanksgiving and we love these meals so much that nobody is tired of eating them even when we make them all over again with Christmas leftovers a few weeks later! Read more.

12 Things That Will be Cheaper in 2015

Besides lower gas prices, in 2015 we can look forward to saving money on other things like international airfares, 4K-TVs, and more. Here's the full list.

Easy Window Insulation

It's that time of year again when we think about saving on heating costs. I cover my windows with small bubble wrap and it definitely makes the house a lot cozier. It cuts down on heat loss. If you have ever felt the window glass in your home on a cold day, the glass is very cold. Once you have bubble wrap on the windows and put your hand on it, it is not cold at all. The bubble wrap lets plenty of light in, adds some privacy, and resembles frosted glass.

This year, I found a 24" wide roll that was 175 feet long on Amazon for $19.31 and shipping was included in that price. I have enough left to do the windows in most of the town I live in and I will offer it to some of my friends. The 24" required very little trimming. I am thinking I may leave it up all year, as it may help with cooling cost as well. Installation is simple. I just cut it to size. I use a felt tip marker to mark the smooth side for cutting with a sharp scissors. Then I spray water on the glass and stick the smooth side to the glass.

When the store shelves are empty, how will you feed yourself and your family?

I'm always amazed at how many sheeple blindly believe food will magically appear on grocery store shelves day after day, from now to eternity. The magnificent retail presentation of food abundance at retail stores belies the fact that what you see on the shelf is nearly the entire inventory available at that store. Just-in-time delivery logistics means new trucks full of food and produce arrive mere hours before the shelves are restocked. There's no "depth" to the inventory -- a fact made abundantly obvious in the hours leading up to an approaching hurricane or natural disaster where store shelves are stripped bare.

When the grocery stores shelves are stripped bare, this amazing invention we're releasing in early 2015 can keep you well fed and nourished:
http://www.naturalnews.com/048071_Food_Rising_grow_systems_security.html

19.8 percent – This holiday season, nearly 20 percent of all American families are on food stamps. But since the stock market is soaring, most of the rest of the country doesn’t seem to care.