Keep Our Service Free-Donate

Monday, April 29, 2019

Dark clouds loom for the world’s dominant currency


Poor Man Survival

Self Reliance tools for independent minded people…


ISSN 2161-5543

A Digest of Urban Survival Resources

 


The U.S. dollar: The world’s worst reserve currency, except for all the others—for now.


Dark clouds loom for the world’s dominant currency. Despite some positive financial news in the United States, nations are reducing their reliance on the U.S. dollar. In its stead, they are filling their vaults with gold, euros, yuan and other currencies.

The Central Bank of Russia accelerated its dedollarization efforts last year and dumped 98 percent of its dollar reserves. It then moved $44 billion into euros, $44 billion into yuan, and almost $13 billion into 274 tons of gold bullion.

And Russia is far from the only nation turning away from the greenback. Kazakhstan and Turkey cut their dollar reserves in half last year and loaded up on 51 tons of gold bullion apiece. China sold 5 percent of its dollar reserves, and bought 10 tons of gold. Ireland dumped 14 percent of its dollar reserves, Switzerland dumped 6 percent of its dollar reserves, and Japan dumped 2 percent of its dollar reserves. Altogether, around 60 nations reduced their central bank’s dollar holdings last year, while over two dozen nations boosted their gold reserves.

Demand for gold has soared to its highest level since U.S. President Richard Nixon killed what was left of the gold standard in 1971. This is a sign that nations are losing faith in the American currency.

The world economy is propped up by the U.S. economy, but the U.S. economy is a house built on a bad foundation. The U.S. government collected $3.3 trillion in taxes last year, but spent $4.1 trillion. It had to borrow $779 billion just to meet expenses. The national debt rose more than $1.2 trillion to an unbelievable $21.5 trillion. And net interest on this debt rose to $371 billion. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that America will be spending more on interest than national defense within a decade.

These statistics are hard to fathom. For perspective, compare the government to a household. Slash seven zeros from the official figures, and it is like a well-to-do family that earns $330,000 a year—yet spends $410,000 a year. This family put a staggering $78,000 on its credit card last year, even though it already had $2,150,000 in credit card debt. It pays $37,000 a year in interest, and it no longer pretends to have a plan to pay off its debts. No well-managed bank would lend this family more money.

The U.S. government has spent like this for decades, and nations keep lending it all the money it wants at historically low interest rates. Why?

Banks keep lending America money because the dollar is the world’s dominant reserve currency. Nearly 45 percent of the world’s debt is denominated in dollars, and about 52 percent of international trade is conducted in dollars. Since banks around the world need a lot of dollars to conduct business, almost 62 percent of foreign exchange reserves are held in dollars.

The high demand for dollars keeps the interest rate on America’s debt low. Because many people want to own dollars, they want to buy dollars. Purchasing U.S. debt in the form of U.S. Treasury bonds is an easy way to do that. And since so many people want to buy these bonds, America’s government can sell them at incredibly low interest rates.

But as nations lose faith in the U.S. financial system and sell off their dollar reserves, the situation is changing. The dollar is losing its reserve currency status. Its value is decreasing, and the interest rate that banks charge America for loans is rising. The only reason the dollar has not collapsed is that the world’s other major currencies are in even worse shape than the dollar. Since there is currently no viable alternative reserve currency, banks grudgingly continue to use the dollar—despite its flaws.

Almighty Dollar


The U.S. dollar was not always a reserve currency. Before World War i, the British pound sterling was the dominant currency, and the dollar was barely used outside the borders of America. But the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 centralized the U.S. banking system as nations around the world began abandoning the gold standard so they could pay for their military expenses with borrowed paper currency. America then became a lender of choice as nations bought U.S. bonds denominated in Federal Reserve Notes.

When Britain finally abandoned the gold standard in 1919, banks started reducing their dependency on the British pound and turned to the U.S. dollar.

The dollar’s position as the world’s dominant reserve currency grew stronger during World War ii. America sold weapons, supplies and other goods to the Allied powers in return for gold. By the war’s end, the U.S. owned the majority of the world’s gold reserves. Since no other nation could establish a gold-backed currency, the world’s biggest economies fixed the exchange rate of their currencies to the dollar. In 1944, at a conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, America promised that any dollar could be redeemed for its value in gold. So the dollar became the new gold standard.

During the 1950s, over 90 percent of the world’s debt was denominated in dollars. An economic downturn in the early 1970s, however, caused nations to lose faith in the dollar’s stability. So they started demanding gold for the dollars they held in reserve. Rather than watch American gold reserves deplete, President Richard Nixon abandoned what was left of the gold standard. To ensure that the dollar remained the world’s dominant reserve currency, he negotiated a deal with the Saudis. He promised to arm and protect Saudi Arabia if the Saudi royals would denominate all future oil sales in dollars. The Saudis agreed, and the dollar became an oil-backed currency.

The fact that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries uses dollars in all its oil transactions creates a massive demand for U.S. currency. It is partially due to this demand that the average interest rate on a 10-year loan to the U.S. government fell from 7.56 percent in 1974 to 2.69 percent today.

Since nations need dollars to buy oil and other goods, they buy dollars in the form of U.S. Treasury Bonds (which are like an iou from the U.S. government). Since demand for Treasury Bonds is high, interest rates are low. This means the U.S. can continue racking up debt by selling ious around the world without having to worry too much about the costs of servicing its expanding debt.

Former French Finance Minister Valéry Giscard d’Estaing called America’s ability to borrow at low interest because of the dollar’s reserve currency status an “exorbitant privilege.” This privilege is based on a high demand for U.S. Treasury Bonds. When the dollar is no longer in international demand, the U.S. will lose its ability to borrow cheap money, and interest payments on the national debt will consume a burgeoning portion of America’s gross domestic product.

Today, America has a far worse debt, and it continues to borrow. Nations are losing faith in the dollar’s stability; they just have no other option—yet.

Many European leaders want the euro to replace the dollar as the world’s dominant reserve currency, but worries that the EU may fall apart have prevented central banks from wholeheartedly embracing the euro. Likewise, many Chinese government officials want the yuan to replace the dollar as the world’s reserve currency, but China’s lack of currency transparency has been a stumbling block.

“There is no alternative to the dollar,” British political economist Mark Blyth told the New York Times. “We’re stuck with the dollar, which gives the United States astonishing structural power” (February 22).

Until a good alternative emerges, nations worried about America’s debt must move slowly: They can only gradually decrease their dollar holdings as they reluctantly buy euros and yuan.

But the status quo is ripe for change if the eurozone truly unites into a German-run superstate, or if China relaxes the yuan’s peg to the dollar. Many nations and individuals desperately want these changes. But if history is any guide, it will take a shock to overturn the world’s financial system.

The shock that catapulted the dollar to dominant reserve currency status between 1913 and 1919 was a banking crisis in Europe that prompted central banks to load up on American currency. Ironically, it may be a banking crisis in America that prompts central banks to load up on European currency.

When investors start dumping dollars and rushing to other currencies, demand for U.S. Treasury Bonds will plummet and interest rates will spike. The U.S. is already spending 11 percent of its total tax revenue just to pay the interest on its debt. But if interest rates returned to the level they were at just four decades ago, during the 1981–82 recession, America would have to spend 44 percent of its tax revenue on interest.

It would struggle to finance both an army and a massive welfare state.

Under such conditions, it would be almost impossible for the government to borrow money. The nation would be forced to either slash spending or start printing money instead of borrowing. That would mean printing over $2 trillion every year just to pay interest on the debt and keep the government running. Money printing on such a scale cannot go on indefinitely without causing hyperinflation. The value of each individual dollar would decline as the nation pumped out more and more dollars.

Once the dollar loses its reserve currency status, economic collapse will follow hard!

For insight into what happens when a financially isolated nation has to print massive amounts of money to remain financially solvent, look at Venezuela. When this nation entered an economic crisis in 2013, its government responded by printing 500 million bolívars. This expanded the nation’s broad money supply by 70 percent—and caused the bolívar’s value to plummet 44 percent. In the five years since, the nation has printed another 80 trillion bolívars, and their value has dropped to the point where you literally have to be a millionaire to buy a cup of coffee.

Similar conditions are coming to America after the dollar is dethroned and the nation is economically besieged.

America’s gold reserves are draining away: the euro has 10,778 metric tons of gold while the USA now owns only 8,134

Yours for better living,

Bruce, the “Poor Man”

Additional News You Should Note…

The Results of Your Genetic Testing could affect your ability to get insurancewhile federal law prohibits health insurers from denying coverage based on genetic test results, the law DOES NOT apply to life, disability, and long-term care insurance.  In most states, an insurance company can legally ask for the results of your DNA test!

If you are planning to get long-term care or life insurance, buy it before you get tested and dont forget as I have warned previously, law enforcement are increasingly using family DNA databases to solve crimes so beware-there is NO PRIVACY regardless of what they may tell you!

STOP BUYING LEVI PRODUCTS 

Levi’s is now paying employees to fight against gun rights!  CEO Chip Bergh has sounded off frequently about his hatred for the right to bear arms and apparently for American workers as he’s shifted most of his manufacturing to Mexico but recently he’s bolstered his anti-gun furor by creating his Safer Tomorrow Fund, a group which grants cash to activists that work with anti-gun groups and has partnered with Michael Bloomberg’s ‘Everytown for Gun Safety’ group…he’ll also double match its employees donating to anti-gun organizations, and to actually pay workers for up to five hours a month of volunteer work for such groups in their support to stomp out Second Amendment rights.

 

Don’t Leave a Mess-Literally

Parents who insist on living in a home they can’t maintain or clean provoke resentment in children who can’t get them to move or clean up.  Children often need to hire a firm to come and clean out a home that a parent has neglected for 20-30 years after they’ve passed on.

Low-Bill Wills

Free Will- This no-cost service shows you to how to draw a new will gratis if your wishes or circumstances change.  [Freewill.com]

 

A Final Note…

Contributors and subscribers enable the Poor Man Survivor to post 150+ free essays annually. It is for this reason they are Heroes and Heroines of New Media. Without your financial support, the free content would disappear for the simple reason that I cannot keep body and soul together on my meager book sales & ecommerce alone.

This Simple "Hack" Can Resurrect Dead Batteries Save You Thousands of $$'s


Ultra Safe Heater


A Safe Space Heater for Your Home!


What is the main concern about space heaters today? Safety. The Envi is not like any other heater you will find on the market. It is safe for the entire family. With the Envi, you can rest assured that your children and pets are safe and warm.

·         The envi is cool to the touch. It reaches only 90 degrees F on the front surface.

·         The envi has WallSens Technology. It will not heat without being mounted to the wall.

·         The envi has a built in Automatic Thermal cutoff. If air from the envi exceeds a safe temperature, the envi heater will power off.

·         The envi is wall-mounted. It cannot be knocked over, tipped over, or tripped over.

·         The envi can be left on 24/7 unattended.

·         The envi is fanless. It won't catch little fingers or hair.

With thought and foresight, the envi was born. We have created a safe space heater that will last for many years and keep you and your family safe.

The Envi is also a healthy space heater that is great for those with asthma or respiratory problems.

Save 20% by using this link!


You Can’t Buy Life Insurance After You’re Dead-Prepare NOW for Emergencies. Resources-Solar Chargers back in stock-Grab one now as they go fast.  Our supply on eBay sold out in ten minutes!

*Available at our storefront – PLUS grab one of our popular emergency solar/wind-up/battery back-up power plants…

 

 


Find self reliance goods at:

 

Support our efforts by shopping my storefront…


 

 

 

A Smoking Frog Feature, Shallow Planet Production

 

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Politically Incorrect & Proud of It!


Poor Man Survival

Self Reliance tools for independent minded people…


ISSN 2161-5543

A Digest of Urban Survival Resources

 


The PC” movement is just “one more termite eating away at the foundations of Western civilization itself.”

   Fox TV offers two programs:  “God Friended Me” and  “Proven Innocent.”  Each has a fine cast and both run at 9pm when most families still allow children to view television…both include lesbian characters and alternative lifestyle characters.  Proven Innocent is a ‘in-your-face’ start the show with a steamy naked lesbian pair kissing inside a prison scene…not exactly written for families in my opinion.

“God Friended Me” offers a diverse cast of racial/gender characters with a good hearted but non-believing son of Black widowed minister all of who seem to be seeking a higher purpose in life.  The minister is further challenged in the fact that he has a daughter who is a lesbian but the show doesn’t highlight it very often.  The program is a delight in that it encompasses eastern, Judaic and western religious and philosophic doctrines together so its characters come together to help strangers usually in a somewhat odd manner.

Regardless, there has been a significant push by the Gay community in Hollywood to normalize their agenda via TV commercials [even drug companies now make use of gay couples on prime time commercials], magazine ads, prime time shows, etc. in order to make their behavior mainstream.  At any given time throughout history [according to The History of Sex Through the Ages] an average of six percent or the population has been gay at any given time but if TV is any indication, one would think that percentage is much higher.

Biology and reproduction aside I believe most scientists agree this is something an individual is born with, it is not a choice.

In many respects, because of the way I was brought up [my mother instilled the idea in us that our goal in life was to see how we might help someone each day] I find the show a breath of fresh air in light of our state of political rancor.

This is why I am running the following piece on the folly of Political Correctness…

I believe I first heard the term “political correctness” used on a Saturday Night Live show back in about 1980. And I thought it was just a joke – like most of the things on SNL. But it turned out to be a real thing, and it’s been building momentum, for at least the last two generations. Where is it going to end? I’m not sure, but it’s just one more termite eating away at the foundations of Western civilization itself. People that go along with this stuff aren’t just crazy. They’re actually evil. They’re the same types who rallied around Robespierre during the French Revolution, Lenin during the Russian Revolution, Hitler in ’30s Germany, and Mao in China. It’s a certain personality type.

The fact that the average American still puts up with this kind of nonsense and treats it with respect is a bad sign. PC values are continually inculcated into kids that go off to college – which, incidentally, is another idiotic mistake that most people make for both economic and philosophical reasons. It’s a real cause for pessimism.

Justin: I agree 100%, Doug. But here’s something our average reader might not realize.

The PC “movement” is actually happening across the world.

For example, Cardiff Metropolitan University in the U.K. banned words like “mankind,” “homosexual,” “housewife,” “manmade,” and “sportsmanship” in an effort to “promote fairness and equality through raising awareness about the effects of potentially discriminatory vocabulary.”

Here are some of the university’s approved alternatives…

Instead of “manpower,” students and faculty should say “human resources.”

Instead of “mankind,” “humanity.”

Instead of “sportsmanship,” “fairness.”

Instead of “polio victim,” “polio survivor.”

So here we have another university trying to legislate what people can and cannot say in the name of fairness and equality.

But I really don’t see how this accomplishes anything. Would you agree?

Doug: Completely. The words you use control the way you think. These people don’t have good intentions, they have bad intentions. Destructive intentions. They’re opposed to all the things that, starting with Ancient Greece, made Western civilization unique, and better than any other on Earth. They’re opposed to the concepts of individualism, personal freedom, capitalism, economic liberty, free thought, and the like. And it starts with controlling the words you use. George Orwell pointed that out in 1984 where he created “Newspeak,” which was a new version of the English language that used all kinds of different new words in order to change the way people think. And to make it impossible for them to think clearly, because the words were purposely misdefined, often to the opposite of the meanings that they actually have. So, sure, this is part of the continuing corruption of Western civilization itself.

And you’re right, it’s not just in American universities. It’s in universities everywhere, because the culture of universities everywhere has been controlled by this whole class of progressives, social justice warriors, cultural Marxists, socialists – they go under a number of names. I don’t know what’s going to be done about it, quite frankly, because the average person doesn’t have A) the backbone and B) the philosophical knowledge to counter these people. So there’s great cause for pessimism, watching this happen and accelerate. It’s not slowing down, it’s accelerating everywhere.

For instance, some years ago I sat on the Board of Trustees of two different universities. The other trustees weren’t academics, but normal, successful middle-class people. And they were completely snowed by these crazy trends. They were of good will, but they’d been brainwashed by their own educations, and the culture around them, into thinking that although perhaps the SJWs and such were going “too far,” they didn’t actively oppose them. I’m afraid the intellectual and psychological battle has been lost.

Justin: Exactly, it seems people across the world are waging a war on their own freedom of speech. Meanwhile, you have the government waging a war on people’s privacy…

Facebook and internet service providers are hawking private browsing data, Google is listening in on our conversations, the CIA is hacking people’s smartphones…

As disturbing as this all is, I can’t say I’m surprised. Are you?

Doug: No, I wasn’t at all surprised by it. But people’s reaction to these horrible things is that, “Well, the CIA should be reined in a bit, they should be brought under control.” But this is the wrong reaction. The CIA – along with the NSA, the DEA, and a bunch of others – should be abolished, because the CIA has become an actual Praetorian guard. It’s become a government within a government. They have their own armed forces, they have their own sources of income. You can go rogue within the CIA, and if you’re powerful enough or clever enough you can basically do what you want because you’re an armed government agent that’s a member of a very powerful group.

These people are completely out of control. And they have a powerful propaganda machine that works around the clock to convince ignorant and paranoid Boobus americanus that they’re actually good guys, working for his interests against the rest of the world.

The CIA should be abolished because it’s dysfunctional, but also because it serves no useful purpose. It’s never ever predicted, through its so-called “intelligence gathering,” anything of value – ever. The Korean War, the rise of Castro, the fall of the Shah, the rise of Islam, the fact that the Soviet Union was just an empty shell – you know, they thought the Soviet Union was actually competing with the U.S. from an economic point of view. They’re always absolutely wrong on everything. It defies the odds of pure chance. They’re not just useless, but extremely dangerous. All the coups and revolutions they’ve plotted were disasters.

Can you abolish them? Can you get rid of them at this point? No, they’re far too powerful. And anybody that tries is either going to be killed and/or discredited by their black propaganda. At this point the situation’s completely out of control, and we just have to see where it ends. As an individual American, you should try to insulate yourself from these people. Because they’re not going away; they’re going to become even more powerful.

Justin: How can the average American do that? Should they flee to another country? Delete their Facebook? Is this something people can even escape?

Doug: It’s now a very small world, so it’s very hard to escape. But you just mentioned something to consider. I spend two-thirds of the year in South America, and travel a lot. Believe it or not, I don’t personally have a cell phone, because I don’t like to feel tethered to an electronic device. Societies down here aren’t nearly as electronically oriented as they are in the U.S. Though my internet connection in Cafayate, Argentina is much better than the one I have in Aspen. So, yes, that’s one thing. It’s easier to be out of sight and out of mind of the bad guys if you’re out of the U.S., which is the epicenter of all of this. I think that’s important. And being physically absent and trying to limit your use of electronic devices and be careful when you do use them. That’s about all you can do at this point.

Or you can be a good little lamb, and never think out of the box. To mix metaphors, you can act like an ostrich and stick your head in the sand, believing you have nothing to hide, because you’re one of the herd who never does anything wrong. Too few people have read Harvey Silverglate’s book where he points out how the average American often commits about three felonies a day.

But that book is surely inaccurate. It’s 10 years old. Now it’s probably like five felonies a day.

Parting Shots:

49.6% of Millennials & Generation Z who prefer living in a socialist nation-how about if we offer a contest where they could win a one-way ticket to the socialist country of their choice – the main caveat is the could never return to the United States.  I’ll pay for the damned ticket if others help me devise and promote the contest…let me hear from you if you’re interested at bedavid@yahoo.com



The Carolina Slingshot Man


This old fella was the real deal.



Play the Prepper Priorities Game


This prepper team training exercise can sharpen decision-making skills.



 

A Final Note…

Contributors and subscribers enable the Poor Man Survivor to post 150+ free essays annually. It is for this reason they are Heroes and Heroines of New Media. Without your financial support, the free content would disappear for the simple reason that I cannot keep body and soul together on my meager book sales & ecommerce alone.

 


Ultra Safe Heater


A Safe Space Heater for Your Home!


What is the main concern about space heaters today? Safety. The Envi is not like any other heater you will find on the market. It is safe for the entire family. With the Envi, you can rest assured that your children and pets are safe and warm.

·         The envi is cool to the touch. It reaches only 90 degrees F on the front surface.

·         The envi has WallSens Technology. It will not heat without being mounted to the wall.

·         The envi has a built in Automatic Thermal cutoff. If air from the envi exceeds a safe temperature, the envi heater will power off.

·         The envi is wall-mounted. It cannot be knocked over, tipped over, or tripped over.

·         The envi can be left on 24/7 unattended.

·         The envi is fanless. It won't catch little fingers or hair.

With thought and foresight, the envi was born. We have created a safe space heater that will last for many years and keep you and your family safe.

The Envi is also a healthy space heater that is great for those with asthma or respiratory problems.

Save 20% by using this link!


You Can’t Buy Life Insurance After You’re Dead-Prepare NOW for Emergencies. Resources-Solar Chargers back in stock-Grab one now as they go fast.  Our supply on eBay sold out in ten minutes!

*Available at our storefront – PLUS grab one of our popular emergency solar/wind-up/battery back-up power plants…

 

 

Find self reliance goods at:

 

Support our efforts by shopping my storefront…


 

 

 

A Smoking Frog Feature, Shallow Planet Production

 

Monday, April 22, 2019

Wilderness Survival: MEDICAL SOLO Disaster + Wilderness Medical School


Poor Man Survival

Self Reliance tools for independent minded people…


ISSN 2161-5543

A Digest of Urban Survival Resources

 


Interesting course on wilderness survival called MEDIC SOLO Disaster + Wilderness Medical School.

The class was taught by a former engineer-turned-EMT who turned complex procedures into easy to follow algorithms. (Amazingly simple, in fact.)

And he’s working on an app that could help anyone become, if needed, an on-the-spot disaster responder.

A highly simplified version of the primary algorithm:

1] Scene safety
2] Life-threatening injury checklist
3] Secondary assessment
4] Clear spine
5] Rescue plan

The course information is here. (Highly recommended)

The course takes you through scenarios where you’re either a patient or a caregiver…

The rub? The first 15 minutes after a traumatic injury is crucial.

The national average response time for EMTs is 17 minutes.

While impressive, many people die in the first 15 minutes because A] they lose too much blood or B] they suffocate.

What do YOU do while help is on the way?

Rely on cell service? Panic? Or jump into action?

23% of trauma victims die within 5 mins., by suffocating or bleeding to death.

And many more die well before EMTs arrive.

Furthermore, in a disaster scenario, EMTs can only treat so many patients.

Those in need of help are dependent on the people immediately in their vicinity.

In the Vegas shooting, as another example, 55 people died from bleeding to death.

Many more could have…

Those who were shot and lived only survived because someone helped to stop the bleeding while help was on the way.



One of my primary reasons for taking the course…

When I read the course description, it gave me a flashback of Guatemala… almost exactly two years ago, when I was almost killed by a massive boulder.

Indiana Jones saw the boulder coming. “Mine” landed in my bed.

By pure luck, or divine intervention...

Despite falling about 20 ft. out of the house (through the wall), I “came to” outside without any major injuries.

But had I been crushed or suffered heavy bleeding… I would’ve died.

No question about it.

Though a gracious neighbor helped clean the gash on my leg… nobody had any skills that went beyond getting dirt out of blood.

The closest formal hospital was a two-hour helicopter ride away.

There were no roads, only footpaths, and the boat taxis had all closed down for the night.

With this training, however, provided I kept consciousness, I could’ve (likely) treated any major wounds myself.

Albeit, that was an extreme and rare occurrence.

But people getting hurt isn’t.

And widespread disasters aren’t that rare, either.

But there’s more…

Getting the skills necessary with proper training helps your “disaster psychology” too.

When disaster strikes, the reptile brain kicks in.

Many people go into denial…

Or they freeze.

But denial and freezing cause hesitation, and hesitation can kill.

Daisy Luther, the “Organic Prepper” has laid it out:

“These are the phases of psychological reactions in a crisis:

1.      Denial – People do not want to believe the event occurred or is occurring. They simply cannot accept, for example, that a plane just deliberately crashed into the building where they are working.

2.      Delay – People often opt to do something to delay the acceptance of what is going on. They might tidy up, put away food in the refrigerator, or methodically gather belongings to give themselves another few moments of perceived normalcy.

3.      Diagnosis – People then begin to assess the situation. They begin to consider the input from their senses: the smell of something burning, the sound of something crashing down or people screaming, the sight of the devastation.

4.      Acceptance – People then accept that this crisis is indeed occurring.

5.      Consideration– At this point, most people begin to consider their best course of action. Others are so overwhelmed by the situation that they shut down and have to be aided by first responders or other victims of the crisis in order to survive.

6.      Action – Finally, a course of action is chosen and implemented. Some examples of this could be escape, evacuation, fighting back, performing first aid on injured people, or fortifying their position

Proper training gives you the tools to skip the denial phase and jump into action if and when necessary.

Look for a Meetup (I found SOLO on Meetup.org), or training in your area.

What To Do in an Emergency


 

Yours in Self Reliance,

Bruce ‘the Poor Man’

USEFUL RESOURCES

How to Make a DIY Outdoor Toilet


When nature calls, a DIY outdoor toilet can really save your tush. Check out our tutorial on how to make your own DIY outdoor toilet and be sure to check out the full video at the end. This portable outdoor toilet is great for a weekend camping trip. It can also be kept with your emergency preparedness supplies to use in a SHTF survival situation.


 


Out of food? Go to Trader Joe’s! But what if there is not a Trader Joe’s? 7-11 will do, right? Who doesn’t like a Slurpee and beef jerky? No 7-11 you say? Yes, when disaster strikes, there might be a possibility that stores will not be of service and you will have to rely on Mother Nature to supply your food. After all, 7-11 or no, you still have to eat. It’s crucial that you avoid vitamin and nutrient deficiencies if you want to stay alive!

If you want to stay nourished, you know you should keep a nice survival food stash. It’s only one of the most discussed survival topics! Dried or canned meats, dried fruits, nuts, peanut butter, and canned vegetables are good examples of highly nutritious foods to keep around. In order to survive, keeping yourself nourished is absolutely essential, especially if you want to avoid deficiencies.

Depending on the vitamin or mineral, deficiencies can affect the body in many different ways. Everything from major illnesses or depression can be attributed to deficiencies, and can affect all parts of the body, so deficiencies are not something you can take lightly.

  • Vitamin A deficiencies may include slow bone formation, night blindness, dry eyes which can lead to blindness, increased susceptibility to cold and virus infections, and frequent infections of the bladder or urinary tract.
  • There are six different types of vitamin B: B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, and B12. Deficiency of any of these B vitamins can range from mild to severe symptoms like chronic fatigue, muscular weakness, or dry cracked skin to dementia and depression.
  • Vitamin C deficiency symptoms include dry hair and skin, weakness, nosebleeds. Severe deficiency of vitamin C can lead to scurvy which rare but not impossible.
  • A deficiency of Vitamin D can lead to irritability and depression, as well as bone and muscle problems including, but not limited to, rickets, osteoporosis, and skeletal deformities and retardation in young children. Vitamin D deficiencies can also increase your risk of Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. Vitamin D is a critical vitamin found in many foods ranging from egg yolks, salmon and sweet potatoes, and has many healthy attributes ranging from mental clarity and focus to maintaining the proper amount of calcium in your blood.

Given that other vitamins and minerals perform essential functions in our bodies, deficiencies can cause major problems for our bodies if we don’t properly keep up with healthy food intake. Deficiencies can lower our chances of survival during a chaotic situation such as a major disaster. While the effects of vitamin deficiencies may take a while to appear, the effects tend to linger once they do.

Many crucial nutrients can be found in nature. The most essential nutrients are (in order of importance) protein, carbohydrates, fat, salt and potassium. Protein is most commonly found in meat and fish, but protein is also found in dairy and nuts. Carbohydrates are found in grains, fruits, and a lot of dairy products: dairy products actually contain more carbohydrates than protein. Fat, which is critical for energy and protecting the body from extreme temperatures, is found in many foods, but the most preferred portable sources of fat are peanut butter, canned fish (sardines in particular), nuts, and dried coconut, as well as many food bars. Salt and potassium, which regulate heart and muscle functions, are also found in many natural foods. Potassium is commonly found in fruits and vegetables, such as bananas, cantaloupe and broccoli, but is also found in yogurt and white beans. Salt is found naturally in meats and nuts, and most vegetables have at least some natural salts.

Disaster can strike when you least expect it, so it’s good to be prepared! Proper nourishment is very important in everyday life, but imagine if you had no other option butto stay properly nourished to stay alive. To survive in the wild with limited resources, keep the following in mind:

  • Fish has a ton of survival nutrients, including many necessary vitamins and minerals (something many people aren’t aware of);
  • Some sort of edible wild berries grow in most US states and are rich in vitamins, C, E and K;
  • Meat is rich in protein fat, iron and minerals;
  • Mushrooms are a great source of vitamin D;
  • Many US states have watercress and asparagus, which are rich in vitamin C, B, Folate and a lot more;
  • Dandelions make a good salad.

Get ready now by studying local edible plant live, make sure you have plenty of seeds to plant a garden and continue to grow your food stash. A fun fact before you go: most basic essential vitamins can be found in broccoli and Brussels sprouts!

 


Growing your own groceries in five-gallon buckets allows you to raise enough food to feed a family of four in a tiny space. When growing food in buckets, you don't need a 1/4 acre backyard to raise a bountiful garden as some people claim.

It is always best to use a brand new bucket when growing crops. Buckets get filled with all kinds of junk, fluids, and garden scraps that could kill your plants or make them harmful to consume.

A bucket that has previously housed swimming pool chemicals, asphalt, or chemical pesticides should be avoided entirely. Plant diseases are often spread by the use of contaminated tools and containers...




Rosefield is a classic traditional cabin, which can be built for less than $6,000. The cabin is open plan, which has the advantage of making it far easier, cheaper and quicker to build than more intricate cabins with separate rooms. This particular plan also includes a detailed cabin assembly diagram and step-by-step instructions which includes a foundation guide.  [282sf’]

 

The NRA has partnered with one of the world's most respected personal safety and defensive tactics instructors to bring you personalized hands-on training close to home.

Steve Tarani is an internationally respected personal protection expert and former Central Intelligence Agency employee. Together, he and the NRA are offering five unique small-group opportunities to learn life-saving skills for you and your family.

This two-day training course gives you the tactical skills and personal confidence needed for a defensive solution where firearms are not an option. Employing non-ballistic weapons from three separate categories -- edged weapons, impact weapons, and flexible weapons -- you will be trained in the very same life-saving skills used by protection professionals.

Small class sizes. First come, first served. ALL 2018 classes sold out.


 
 
Feed Hungry Troops

If you can spare packs of trail mix, tuna packs or ramen noodles, consider sending them to Forgotten Soldiers [ForgottenSoldiers.og] – the nonprofit will include the items in care packages it sends to deployed soldiers.  Send to:  3550 23rd Ave S., Ste. #7, Lake Worth, FL 33461

 

A Final Note…

Contributors and subscribers enable the Poor Man Survivor to post 150+ free essays annually. It is for this reason they are Heroes and Heroines of New Media. Without your financial support, the free content would disappear for the simple reason that I cannot keep body and soul together on my meager book sales & ecommerce alone.

Useful Resources

 


You Can’t Buy Life Insurance After You’re Dead-Prepare NOW for Emergencies…

Finally, grab an emergency power cell or solar/battery radio weather radio!

Having the Patriot Power Cell on-hand for emergencies keeps your essential electronics up and running in case you need to call for help. 

“The Cell is a workhorse of power — it’ll charge your phone soup to nuts 3 to 8 times… I think of the Patriot Power Cell as “everyday prepared.” Awesome for travel or avoiding inconveniences while saving your bacon in an outage. It’s a MUST HAVE for your survival lineup."

10,000 mAh Battery/Water Resistant/2 LED Flashlight/1.5 Watt Solar Panel/6-Hour Charge Time

In stock again!

Support our efforts by shopping my storefront…