Poor Man Survival
Self Reliance tools
for independent minded people…
ISSN 2161-5543
A Digest of Urban Survival Resources
Moonlighting for More Money Online
We have already been through the worst economic times in modern history. It’s still debatable as to whether the current economic strife--kicked off in 2007--is worse than the 1970s, although it can’t be many more months of recession until that era is certainly surpassed.
Does
anyone see the light at the end of this tunnel?
The
simple answer is no. As I
have suggested in previous issues…the economic outlook [starting as soon as
this fall] does not appear to be very good given the damage former President
Obama did and the current obstructionists in Congress are preventing the
current President from proceeding from pursuing much of an economic policy such
as his domestic reconstruction policy [which America desperately needs – both
roads & electrical infrastructure].
With
the euro crisis dragging everyone down and with the BRICs countries crashing,
the bottom of this slump still seems well into the future. If this is the case,
the agenda for many of us is survival. Another four years of this economic
environment will be a harsh road
Economic survival doesn’t sound as “sexy” as the aforementioned, but by ignoring it we set ourselves up for a world of pain.
So,
how to we prepare for a Depression?
First
things first, find more income. Develop circles of income for every member of
your family – from babysitting to raising chickens to sell eggs!
As
most of us live up to our incomes, money from occasional work and opportunities
act as ‘windfall money’. In the end, most peoples’ discretionary income is a
very small fraction of total income, so a few hundred dollars out of the blue
from other activities does amount to a big win.
Whether
it’s selling stuff on eBay, or offering B and B, you can’t have too many
strings to your financial bow, especially when dark economic clouds are looming.
Also,
keep your job. In the ‘good old days,’ many people could walk out of a job and
straight into another. Long gone are the days you could get a job simply by
driving into a different corporate car park and go knocking.
Of
course, most sensible people know that staying employed is now more important
than ever
Got a Passion for Design? Cash in!
Even if you
can’t sew, you can break into the fashion business. Thanks to sites such as Spreadshirt, Zazzle
and CafePress which let you upload your own designs for tees and tanks,
hoodies, pajamas and more, then sell them online. Use the following resources to get started:
·
Start-up
is simple AND FREE! Simply visit
Spreadshirt.com and click on “Open Your Own Online Shop,” click “Create Your
Own” on Zazzle.com, or “Design Your Own” on CafePress.com. The sites take care of manufacturing and
shipping goods to customers and you get a cut of the profits every time someone
buys an item you designed. Whichever
platform you choose, you’ll be
guided through the steps to creating
your designs. It’s as simple as
uploading a digital image and choosing the items – tees, leggings, pajamas,
etc. on which you’d like your design to appear.
Hit a snag? The sites offer tech
assistance to walk you through the process in many cases, you can even email
you file and they’ll convert it into a printable template for you.
·
Price it
Right. The sites set a base price
for each product, which is the amount they’ll earn for each sale. The RETAIL price is what you set and that
difference is what you keep [your profit]!
Determine prices by seeing what your competition is charging for
comparable styles keeping in mind the more intricate or clever your design, the
more you can charge.
·
Rev up
Profits. Tapping into trends will
help you to score more sales [I often include a related bonus which doesn’t
cost me much in order to boost sales but enhances perceived value] and if you
can develop a strong niche that corners a specific market that will help you
set apart from your competition such as a geographical focus, local sports team
focus, featuring your community, etc. all will pump up sales and don’t forget
to make use of your social media pages or create a dedicated social media page
such as a Facebook or Pinterest area with photos to display your wares.
6
Tips to Get a WAH Job Without Experience
Getting a job is hard.
Getting a work-at-home job when you have little to know experience can seem
impossible. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to increase your
chances of getting a home-based job, even if you don’t have experience.
Here are six tips to help. Don’t miss tip 6, which includes resources to
work-at-home jobs that don’t require experience.
Leslie Truax has been helping folks with work-at-home
resources for 20 years…she’s probably the best resource online. Sign up for her free newsletter and make use
of many resources…
Need help getting started? Here are the steps to finding and getting your home-based career
started.
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Ever wonder where your quarter winds up after you’ve
impulsively bought a gumball before leaving a store or restaurant? No… you’re
probably just enjoying a gumball.
If you ever thought about it, you might learn the money often
goes to some genius who’s cashing in on passive income.
We talked to passive income expert Brad Hines, who had a sweet
side gig with gumball machines for a while. He got to keep 80% of the
profits. Aside from occasional refills and maintenance, he didn’t have to
work for the extra income.
Plus, “I own a gumball machine,” is about the coolest brag
ever.
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Additional
Resources
What Are You Willing to "Give
Up" to Win Financially?
Sacrifice is the act of giving up something you value for the sake of something that's more important to you. What are you willing to sacrifice to improve your financial situation?
Sacrifice is the act of giving up something you value for the sake of something that's more important to you. What are you willing to sacrifice to improve your financial situation?
Flexible spending
account
(n)
A special savings account you use for certain out-of-pocket
health care costs like doctor’s office co-pays or prescriptions. You contribute
pretax money. Similar
to a health savings account, except FSAs can only
be set up by employers.
Even though you’re contributing
the money, FSAs help you save money on medical expenses, because you don’t pay
taxes on those dollars. You might not realize you can use your FSA
for a host of things not often covered by traditional insurance — like
sunscreen, lead-paint removal in your home, service animals, abortions,
condoms, sunglasses and more. Here are 26
surprising things you can buy with your FSA.
Find resources for making money and more here:
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