Why prices aren't coming down-Learn how to save anyway

 

 

Poor Man Survival

Self Reliance tools for independent minded people…

www.poormansurvivor.net

 

ISSN 2161-5543                                                                                        

A Digest of Urban Survival Resources

 

"We now live in a nation where doctors destroy health, lawyers destroy justice, universities destroy knowledge, governments destroy freedom, the press destroys information, religion destroys morals, and our banks destroy the economy."
-- Chris Hedges

 

Why Prices Aren’t Coming Down Anytime Soon…

 

  Drought and greed have a huge hand in why prices are falling for many consumer goods [despite drastic drops in fuel prices].

 

One would think we’d see falling prices at the supermarket now that oil is down, after all that was the excuse they gave us when prices began to spike.  The new demon is drought, political unrest and plain old greed.

 

Prices are expected to increase in 2015 for meat, chocolate, and coffee.  Blame this on lack of rainfall and disease.

 

Prices are expected to remain high or climb for SUVs and trucks.  Blame this on stupidity and greed.  Typically short-sighted Americans must think low fuel prices are here forever as they are now buying more and more gas guzzling SUVs and trucks to accommodate their not-so-skinny girth.

 

And, airlines are laughing all the way to the bank as they’re saving boatloads of cash on fuel but they ARE NOT passing those savings along to customers.  Why?  Because they can and EVEN more people in the US are flying.  If enough folks stopped flying, prices would drop but don’t expect that to happen.

 

Finally, as I warned several months ago…health care premiums for Obamacare plans are increasing, despite the promises our President made about the ‘Affordable’ Care Act.  In most cases that we’ve monitored, premiums have already doubled, even with subsidies, among the lower middle class subscribers.  He should have listened to my plan which would have simply expanded the Medicare system, something already in place, rather than create another bureaucracy.

 

US  consumer spending recorded its biggest decline since late 2009 in December, with households appearing to save the extra cash from cheaper gasoline, which could support future consumption.

 

Economics no longer works according to textbooks – it is too often based on greed or who sneezed in the Middle East or which politician got paid off…look for politicians to figure new ways to tax your wealth this year as a slew of proposals are on the table in many areas to help pay for road improvements and other projects where existing tax revenues have fallen short.

 

With each passing year, more people are falling out of the middle class, and most of the rest of us are scrambling really hard to keep our own places.  After adjusting for inflation, median household income has fallen by nearly $5,000 since 2007.

 

 8.69 million Americans are “officially unemployed” and that 92.90 million Americans are considered to be “not in the labor force”.  That means that more than 101 million U.S. adults do not have a job right now.

I am not the only one warning that a new Great Depression is coming.  For instance, just consider what British hedge fund manager Crispin Odey is saying…

British hedge fund manager Crispin Odey thinks we’ve entered an economic downturn that is “likely to be remembered in a hundred years,” and central banks won’t be able to stop it.

In his Odey Asset Management investor letter dated Dec. 31, Odey writes that the shorting opportunity “looks as great as it was in 07/09.”

“My point is that we used all our monetary firepower to avoid the first downturn in 2007-09,” he writes, “so we are really at a dangerous point to try to counter the effects of a slowing China, falling commodities and EM incomes, and the ultimate First World Effects. This is the heart of the message. If economic activity far from picks up, but falters, then there will be a painful round of debt default.”

Even though most average citizens are completely oblivious to what is happening, many among the elite are heeding the warning signs and are feverishly getting prepared.  As Robert Johnson told a stunned audience at the World Economic Forum the other day, they are “buying airstrips and farms in places like New Zealand“.  They can see the horrifying storm forming on the horizon and they are preparing to get out while the getting is good.

Sorry Obama, but Reality Bites for Most in the Middle Class

Unfortunately, more middle class jobs are still being off-shored, are being replaced by technology, or are being lost to a slowing economy every single day.  The competition for the jobs that remain is incredibly intense.  Just consider the following example…

In 2012, Eric Auld, an unemployed 26-year-old with a master’s degree in English, decided to find out what was on the other side of the black hole. He created a fake job ad as an experiment:

Administrative Assistant needed for busy Midtown office. Hours are Monday through Friday, nine to five. Job duties include: filing, copying, answering phones, sending e-mails, greeting clients, scheduling appointments. Previous experience in an office setting preferred, but will train the right candidate. This is a full-time position with health benefits. Please e-mail résumé if interested. Compensation: $12-$13 per hour.

If you have ever applied for a job like that, I offer my condolences. You have better odds at the casino. Auld received 653 responses in 24 hours. 10% of the applicants had more than 10 years of experience, and 3% of them had master’s degrees. Presumably, one of them would get the job. But what does that mean? It means that all the other experienced applicants and master’s degree holders would remain unemployed. That is about 64 experienced workers and about 19 workers with master’s degrees.

The rate of homeownership in the United States has fallen to a 20 year low and it has been falling consistently for an entire decade!

The Poor Man sees a drunken politician in your future.  Be careful!            

 

America is not a democracy, but an economic oligarchy »
There's a clear connection between concentration of political power in the hands of an economic oligarchy and the decline of our own liberties. It's a decline that's gone so far that many people have concluded that the time to abandon ship has arrived. More »

 

Practical Reycling
Many frugal folks have figured out how to creatively re-use free items. It's a "green" practice that uses trash to save cash. What do you have around your home or worksite that can be re-used in a novel but useful way?

 

Dry Beans to the Rescue
With the cost of groceries high and budgets stretched, everyone wants to reduce their grocery bill. Dry beans and peas can lower your food bills dramatically. They are simple to prepare, especially if you use a slow cooker. I suggest buying an assortment of beans and peas, storing them in glass jars, and using them often and in a variety of ways. As an added bonus, the jars of beans are an attractive display for your kitchen counter. Read more.

 

Planning your summer garden
read more here

 

                       

A few useful resources to help along your path to freedom and enlightenment:

 

3 Types Of Thieves Preppers Should Be Planning For


Make a Coffee Can Survival Kit for Your Car, Home or Office


Fighting Back Against the Surveillance State: Turn Off the NSA's Resources

 

 

 

More Ways to Save Some Green-Share Responsibly!

Clever $2 Trick To Cut Your Energy Bills This Winter

 

Homemade Strawberry Honey Jam - Just 4 Natural Ingredients With No Sugar Or Pectin!

 

How To Make Ollas - The Most Water Efficient Irrigation Method Available

 

How To Grow Buckets Full Of Blueberries At Home

 

8 Surprisingly Easy Ways To Detox Your Home

 

Improve Your Vision With This "Vision Saver Juice"

 

 

Bruce ‘the Poor Man’

Help support our vices … Valentine’s Day Fast Approaches!

The odd, the risqué and retro

http://RetroGuy.net