Poor Man
Survival
Self
Reliance tools for independent minded people…
ISSN
2161-5543
A Digest of Urban Survival Resources
"Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad
memory."
-- Franklin P. Adams
-- Franklin P. Adams
Seems each time I begin to bake or
cook, that is when the phone rings. As I
was pouring the batter from a Pumpkin-chocolate chip cake into the pan a good
friend called to wish me a successful hospital stay [I’m going in Friday and
hope to be home Sunday]…my buddy knows I like to cook and have been featured on
PBS for the country inn I used to own…find the recipe below and grab a free
copy of our little country inn cookbook too!
Times are Booming in the United States but…
Are You Still a Member of the Middle Class?
Recently,
the Federal Reserve released the 2013 Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF). This
tri-annual survey is a treasure trove of information that provides a snapshot
into the financial life of the median American in inflation-adjusted 2013 dollars.
The
changes over the last six years are consistently horrible, particularly for
those in the middle income brackets.
The
SCF provides information on things like income and net worth for people based
on several factors…
- Age of Head of Household
- Percentile of Income
- Family Structure
- Education of Head of Household
- Race of Head of Household
- Current Work Status of Respondent
- Region
- Urbanicity
- Housing Status
- Percentile of Net Worth
Since 2007, median net worth has tanked, almost any
way you cut it. The one group that escaped a decline was the Current Work
Status of “other,” whose median net worth in 2007 was $6,000, and in 2013 was
$9,000.
While
the median at the bottom and the top of the food chain experienced little
change in inflation-adjusted earnings over the past six years, those in the
middle income and just below were hit hard.
Now, think of these two statistics together. For those who earn between the 40th and 59.9th percentile of earnings, meaning those smack in the middle of wages in the U.S., income has fallen by 12% while their net worth has plummeted by 38%… and that’s over SIX YEARS!
Now, think of these two statistics together. For those who earn between the 40th and 59.9th percentile of earnings, meaning those smack in the middle of wages in the U.S., income has fallen by 12% while their net worth has plummeted by 38%… and that’s over SIX YEARS!
The
line between the “haves” and the “have-nots” is being drawn more boldly with
each passing year. At some point, the angry “have-nots” might choose to stand
up and start saving themselves.
Ironically, everywhere I go here in MI no one seems to be experiencing adverse financial problems…malls are crowded, special events are packed, restaurants are booming. The same boom times seems to be working for those who live in our nation’s capital and several other select areas such as Wyoming and North Dakota where a gas and oil boom is taking place.
The upcoming Self Reliance Summit begins in just one week and features a remarkable collection of
interviews on DIY food production, food wildcrafting, how to make your own
medicine and much more. This is a HUGE amount of wisdom that can literally help
save your life.
Register now to hear all the interviews for free:
http://www.naturalnews.com/The-Self-Reliance-Summit.html
http://www.naturalnews.com/The-Self-Reliance-Summit.html
Pandemic Preparedness course continues to expand and now
has eight episodes of preparedness wisdom for surviving any pandemic. All the
episodes are free and instantly downloadable as MP3 files, with no registration
required. More episodes are coming every few days.
Start listening now at:
Extreme
weather events leave populations with not enough food both in the short- and
the long-term. A new report has looked at which sections of the population are
left most exposed to food shortages after extreme weather events, and concluded
that better governance could have lessened the impact on the poorest and most
vulnerable, and that affected populations have been let down by the authorities
in the past.
How you can save even more cash…
Many of you know I enjoy cooking…
I
learned early on helping my mother aka: Grandma Clause who baked more than 100
dozen holiday cookies starting the day after Thanksgiving. These were used as stocking stuffers for our
large extended family.
At
age 12 my winter job [during the summer I worked at an exclusive country club
as a jack of all trades on their golf range] was bussing tables at IHOP. Soon they had me waiting tables at times and
helping the cooks turn out dozens of pancakes on busy Sunday mornings. That all kind of ended when the manager ran
off with the head waitress, taking the weekend receipts with them!
At
one time I owned a country inn and our food was the subject of Inn Keeper
Magazine and a PBS special. I should
have continued but the 100-year old mansion was like something out of the movie
The
Money Pit.
Folks
would drive more than a 100 miles on nights we served to reserve a spot…they
didn’t want to miss one of our signature dishes like Cheshire Pork Pie or our
home made twice baked potatoes or one of our featured desserts such as this
Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Cake.
Makes
about 9 squares…Ingredients:
8
tbsp [one stick of butter, melted and cooled]
1-1/4
cup of sugar
3
large eggs 1 cup canned pumpkin 1tsp vanilla
1 tsp vanilla extract
1
tsp baking soda and one of baking powder and ½ tsp of salt 1/3 cup of milk
1
cup of chocolate chips 1 cup of chopped
pecans or walnuts
Pre-Heat
the oven 350 Lightly spray an 8-inch
square pan [optional-line with parchment paper].
Whisk
the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and pumpkin a large bowl. Stir in the baking powder and soda, pumpkin
spice and salt. Stir in ½ of the flour,
then milk, then remaining flour until combined.
Fold in the nuts and chocolate chips and spread the batter into a pan
[8x8] and bake about 55 minutes. Cool in
the pan for 5 minutes, then turn cake out on a rack or bread board to cool
completely.
Nice
and festive for autumn!
Secrets & Shortcuts of a Country Inn Chef – Yours
free for the asking. I wrote this a few
years ago (my wife and I once owned a popular country inn which had been
featured on PBS).
If you’d like a condensed version, download it at: http://sdrv.ms/150KRSz
Veggie Stock
With the rising prices of food, I found a great, easy way
to make my own vegetable stock. I quarter a couple of onions, split several
carrots and ribs of celery, crush several garlic cloves, and toss all of it
into my slow cooker. I then cover the veggies with water and let the slow cooker
do its thing overnight. In the morning, I have stock that took very little
effort to make, and it's much cheaper than $3 a quart.
10 Ways to Keep Your Food Fresher for Longer
[Submit a suggestion and win a prize]
Bruce ‘the Poor Man’
Got a News Tip or Resource to Share With the Poor Man?
Send it to: PoorManSurvivor@Gmail.com
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