Bruce’s Poor Man Survival Bulletin
A Digest of Urban Survival Resources
For Independent Minded People!
ISSN 2161-5543
In This Issue:
1.
Inflation hits pets owners
2.
Rebuilding your credit
3.
Learn the ID of someone by their car plate
& Google
4.
How much longer will the middle class endure –
the Parting Thought
5.
Grab a free copy of my cookbook-Shortcuts
& Secrets of a Country Inn Chef
I think it might be important to point out
that this country is a one-party
country. Half of that party is called Republican and half is called Democrat.
It doesn’t make any difference. All the really good ideas belong to the
Libertarians."
-- Hugh Downs
country. Half of that party is called Republican and half is called Democrat.
It doesn’t make any difference. All the really good ideas belong to the
Libertarians."
-- Hugh Downs
Inflation is
hitting pets, and their owners
A recent vet bill and hospital stay for one of our cats recently cost
us over $700. That’s tough if you’re on
a fixed budget. Statistics bear out how
costly medical treatment for small pets have gotten (believe me, it’s even
higher for horses).
"Prices have
gone up much quicker in the last 10 years than in the past 30 years, and it's
hitting consumers in the face," says René Carlson, president of the
American Veterinary Medical Association
Routine doctor and
surgical visits for dogs jumped 47%, cats 74% from a decade ago, according to
the American Pet Products Association
Shop around and find a
good vet at a reasonable cost. Comparison shop among reliable pet pharmacies on
the Internet. Be certain to look through any company's website carefully before
you order. Your neighborhood pharmacy may have what you're looking for, but
make sure to double check with your vet first. Also, check retailers such as
Tractor Supply, which often carry medications.
Another good source for animal supplies is the Jeffers Vet Supply
catalog at JeffersPet.com
For very expensive
procedures such as surgeries, get a second opinion. The second visit will cost
extra, but it may be worth the investment.
Consumer Reports
suggests checking prices for shots and spay/neuter services at a humane society
or SPCA. Sometimes they even offer free or low-cost services to low-income and
senior-citizen pet owners. For minor problems, or when problems first appear, searching
for answers on pet websites like AskMyVet.net or TerrificPets.com could prove useful. You could
also try calling your vet and speak to a vet technician to get a clearer
indication if an emergency trip is necessary or not.
Is Pet Insurance Worth Getting?
A recent Consumer
Reports compared nine different pet insurance policies on the lifetime vet
bills for a 10-year-old beagle. It found that insurance coverage would not work
out financially for routine visits over the time frame used.
However, if you factored
in severe or costly services such as chronic arthritis or the removal of a
benign tumor, a few of the policies had a positive payout.
For basic pet
supplies, food, and even grooming, you can look for pet-related coupons online.
Start by searching
"pet coupons." To get more specific add the name brand (i.e. Purina)
or the name of the store (i.e. Petco) to your search and the latest deals
should pop up.
Grow your own celery from your celery remains. Just
chop off the base and plant.
PM’s
Compendium of Useful Resources
We’ve had a subscriber
ask how they can get a credit card to rebuild their credit after experiencing a
bankruptcy. Limited lines of credit are
available at some card issuers or get a secured (these require a savings
account to be opened) credit card to begin rebuilding your credit history. Check with your own bank first to see if they
offer such cards or review Capital One’s Secured Mastercard at:
CapitalOne.com or…
Orchard Bank at: OrchardBank.com
Get the newest
addition in the Poor Man
Survival CD ROM series…
Ready for
Anything: The Ultimate No BS Survival
Manual for Ordinary People.
Learn more
here:
Coming soon to a PBS
(public) television station near you: FRONTLINE: "Money, Power
and Wall Street", inside the global financial meltdown. Airing from
April 24 and May 1. Two parts, 2 hours each(?). Check your local listings for
broadcast times. Don't miss it.
The 2008
meltdown was the earthquake. We have yet to see the tsunami!
Grab your free
copy of Secrets & Shortcuts of a Country Inn Chef
I recently
revised this 40-page collection of my favorite recipes and thought I’d share it
with all of you. Go here to download it.
Multiple Income Streams
Many people are realizing they aren't guaranteed the luxury of a lifetime job anymore so it makes sense not to rely on one stream of income. Now is the time to consider the possibilities of creating multiple income streams. More… http://www.stretcher.com/stories/12/12apr09f.cfm?STT
Learn the Identity of a Car Owner with Their License Plate Number and a
Simple Google Search
Whether you're trying
to track down a bad driver or someone who keeps leaving their car outside your
house, you can often find out who they are and how to contact them from their
license plate number and a simple Google search. Security expert Brandon
Gregg explains:
Some of our subscribers already have this…21 Cutting Edge Strategies for
Reclaiming Your Privacy, if you don’t have one, send an email to bedavid@yahoo.com with ‘Privacy’ in the subject line and we’ll send a
PDF attachment to you…your donations are appreciated for this.
Welcome to the
National Institute of Health’s site for Senior Health information.
This site was designed with seniors in mind;
the font is easily changed between three sizes and you can even change the
contrast colors of the site so it is easier to read.
This site is a great
place to look into health topics that affect seniors.
Some basic cooking information regarding baking soda
1/4 tsp soda = 238 mg sodium
1/4 tsp soda + 1/2 c soured milk/buttermilk = 1 tsp baking powder + 1/2 c sweet milk
1/4 tsp soda + 1/8 tsp cream of tartar = 1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp soda = 238 mg sodium
1/4 tsp soda + 1/2 c soured milk/buttermilk = 1 tsp baking powder + 1/2 c sweet milk
1/4 tsp soda + 1/8 tsp cream of tartar = 1 tsp baking powder
A pinch of baking soda
will: fluff up mashed potatoes, prevent boiled syrup from crystallizing, keep
boiled milk from curdling, emulsify gravy, de-gas and speed cooking time of
boiled beans, tenderize boiled cabbage, reduce acidity in tomatoes or coffee,
and remove cloudiness from iced tea. 1/2 tsp added to a fruit dessert (pie
filling for example) will cut acidity so you can reduce the sugar needed (an
old wartime trick).
An online community of farmers, food producers, and farmers
markets. Find local food near you through our searchable up-to-date directory
of vendors and markets
The Nanny
State Updates…
At an elementary
school in Baltimore recently, three nine-year-old girls and an eight-year-old
boy were arrested for fighting and marched out of their elementary school in
handcuffs. The police department is defending handcuffing these kids....
“It’s our policy, regardless of the age, when a
suspect is arrested by police, they’re handcuffed. And the reason is just not
for the suspect’s safety but also for officers’ safety,” Det. Jeremy Silbert of
the Baltimore City Police Department said.
>>In New Haven, Connecticut a 10-year-old boy was
actually arrested by police for giving another student "a wedgie" on a school bus
>> A 13-year-old boy at a public school in Albuquerque,
New Mexico was recently arrested by police for burping in class. The police marched him out of school and hauled him
over to a juvenile detention center.
Why do you
think our country dying?
The "free
trade" agenda is great for the largest corporations, but it is horrible
for the average American worker.
According to the
Economic Policy Institute, the U.S. economy loses approximately 9,000 jobs for every $1 billion of goods that are imported from
overseas.
Turn an old tackle box into an herb
planter!
The Parting Thought –
There are three key
factors that are constantly chipping away at the middle class....
-Globalization
-Inflation
-Taxes
Our politicians are
stealing 150 million dollars an hour from future generations so that we can live more
comfortably right now. The American people participate in this theft by voting
these politicians back into office over and over again.
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