PM's Self Reliance Tools

Saturday, September 10, 2011

$1000 Micro Grants, Best PrePaid Cards, Alternatives to PayPal

Bruce’s Poor Man Survival Bulletin

A Digest of Urban Survival Resources

http://www.PoorManSurvival.com

ISSN 2161-5543

In This Issue:

1. Creative solutions for better living

2. $1000 micro-grants can change lives

3. Backyard chickens in urban settings

4. Alternatives to PayPal, Best Pre-paid debit cards

A politician is a man who will double-cross that bridge when he comes to it.

--Oscar Levant

Finding Creative Solutions to live a better life…

A number of years I ago I purchased and flipped a couple of homes at a nice profit. One of my earlier part time jobs had been a construction inspector, working for a county housing rehab authority which made grants to construction firms. The goal was to restore housing in certain neighborhoods and to move in low-income families with realistic mortgage payments.

I enjoy a doing a certain amount of cosmetic work on properties and of course, the profits were nice. It was mighty easy for me to obtain a mortgage in those days. Believe it or not, a drive-by appraisal, a handshake and my signature on the dotted line was all that it required. No extensive credit checks or other nonsense.

One of the reasons why the real estate market is going nowhere today is because of the stringent mortgage requirements which are a backlash to crazy ’give anyone a mortgage’ days…and fewer people have decent incomes now so qualifying is more difficult.

The area in which I had purchased these homes was considered low income and creative financing was the rule of the day for unloading these properties. Most often I offered the home on a lease-option whereby 100% of the rent paid would apply to the down payment for my potential buyer. Within a year these folks could accumulate a reasonable down payment and qualify for a mortgage.

In one case, I bought a very nice home on an acre of land in an upscale area. Interest rates at the time were sky high. I wound up substituting my VA Certificate of Eligibility for that of the existing owner and gave him a cash payment on top of that. The home ultimately sold for more than double what I paid for it.

I share this with you because much of our economy is based on the real estate industry and its related consumption of household items such as carpet, appliances and so on. Although interest rates and home prices are low right now, too many people do not have an income sufficient to meet loan criteria.

I always had to chuckle at my Dad’s first home buying experience. He paid $10,000 at less than 2% interest rate with 30 years to pay for it (My Dad was a Korean War vet and used his VA certificate as well). It was the first home that I remember growing up in after being an Army brat, then corporate brat.

Secondly, creative solutions, barter and alternative financing have always been a useful means of keeping the economy going and such tools should be explored.

When splitting wood by hand, use a ratchet strap to save time. On flat ground, place upright 5 or 6 blocks of wood close together. Place the strap around the wood about ¾ of the way up and tighten. Then split the blocks.

PM’s Compendium of Useful Resources

$1,000 grants have proven they can change the lives of low-income individuals of potential.

Giving back to the community is an important part of Live Green, Live Smart. We work with individuals and organizations interested in creating a green community through research, information sharing about sustainable and energy saving ideas or lifestyle changes for eco-friendly citizenship.

One way we foster these goals is through our Micro Grant Program, grant awards of $50 to $500 for individuals and organizations working toward greener practices close to home.

Connecting People
Joe’s mission with the MicroGrants organization is to connect the affluent with the low-income by offering a service to those who want to give and connecting them to a recipient who can utilize a mini-grant efficiently and productively. Here are links to these resources.

http://microgrants.net/

http://livegreenlivesmart.org/microgrants.aspx

http://www.roicommunity.org/micro_grants

Note: You’ll find additional grant opportunities plus a mini-how to guide at our PoorManSurvival.com site - click on the Free Money tab.

Backyard Chickens

Raising food at home is almost always cheaper than buying it from the supermarket and it’s personally gratifying. There has been a growth of families raising chickens in urban settings, despite an aversion to this practice by some local officials.

Here are some tips:

>>Get six to eight hens. At their peak, each chicken will produce an egg a day. After a few years, production will decrease but those hens are still good for keeping insects such as fleas and ticks at bay.

>>Have a good coop. Designs vary but a good roof is necessary along with a ’run’ where the birds have space to roam.

>>Get advice from local extension offices or poultry clubs and/or magazines.

>> Beware the bureaucrats. In some localities, hens are fine but not roosters. In some areas, chickens are not allowed so check first.

Source: Patricia Foreman, author of City Chicks and host of the Chicken Whisperer talk show on blogtalkradio.com

Alternatives to PayPal, best pre-paid debit cards…

What irritates most Americans is the lack of privacy, lack of say-so, lack of customer support, high fees, etc. when it comes to big corporations nowadays…here are some viable alternatives to explore.

Walmart’s efforts to enter the retail banking market have been met with significant resistance. So Walmart partnered with Green Dot to issue the Walmart MoneyCard Visa® Prepaid Card. While the MoneyCard is not a free prepaid credit card, it does offer very low costs.

But the big feature is that through 12/31/2011, you can earn 1% cash back on all gas purchases nationwide. While you can earn more rewards with a credit card, the WalmartMoneyCard Visa® Prepaid Card is the only prepaid card I’ve found that offers any cash back on gas purchases. Learn more about the best choices at:

http://www.doughroller.net/credit-cards/free-prepaid-credit-cards/

Google Checkout is rapidly becoming the choice of payment programs as an alternative to PayPal…however, it’s not used by eBay and it requires a lengthier signup process but worth investigating. There is a class-action lawsuit pending against eBay and PayPal to ensure more payment options are available to consumers. EBay derives roughly 25% of its income from PayPal and since it is not a bank, PayPal isn’t subject to the same set of rules and can screw up your account (freeze) without warning or explanation. Learn more about Google at:

https://checkout.google.com/support/sell/bin/answer.py?answer=42864&hl=en_US

Additional resources:

Moneybookers is changing to Skrill.com as they were recently acquired There are some negative comments about them but overall, they seem reliable.

http://www.moneybookers.com/app/

http://www.screw-paypal.com/alternatives/top_pick.html

http://alternativetopaypal.org/

Use an old ice cube tray inside your desk drawer to corral odds and ends such as stamps, paperclips, rubber bands, etc.

ING Direct is well known for providing customers with excellent savings, checking, CD and mortgage accounts. Now ING has opened its doors to teenagers. A new feature called MONEY will be available soon so that teens and parents can begin working together to manage a savings account. This new feature will be in addition to the Kids Savings Account ING already offers.

http://home.ingdirect.com/products/products.asp?s=KidsSavingsAccount

Rid your clothes of moths by boiling them for an hour in 118-degree water; freezing them for 12-hours also works.

The Nanny State Updates…

Photography a suspicious activity?

Long Beach, CA police arrested a man or taking photos of “no aesthetic value.” The man, who takes photos for a local newspaper, was detained after snapping shots of an oil refinery. Police say photography is considered a ‘suspicious activity if officers deem that it isn’t regular tourist behavior.”

The government now harassing Gibson Guitars. The Department of Justice and agents from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently raided the Nashville factory of the iconic Gibson Guitar Company. Federal agents stole (or confiscated according to federal euphemism) half a million dollars of supplies. This has essentially stopped operations at the company. Gibson gets its guitar fingerboards partially finished from a manufacturer in India. The boards are then finished by Gibson's workers in the U.S. They've done it this way practically forever, but apparently some section of Indian law makes this practice possibly slightly illegal.

Apparently some section of Indian law makes this practice possibly slightly illegal. The raid was preemptive punishment for this, even though there have been no complaints from the Indian government and the illegality has yet to be fully determined.

Wired for Overregulation: Washington's latest regulatory power grab
Outside the Washington headquarters of the Federal Trade Commission is a sculpture of a powerfully built, shirtless man forcibly restraining an unruly horse. It's called "Man Controlling Trade," and it captures a common attitude in government: Oftentimes, capitalist firms need to be saddled and broken. As Steve Chapman explains, that assumption underlies an antitrust suit filed Wednesday by the Justice Department to block a merger between AT&T and T-Mobile.

To save your back during garden cleanup, rake debris onto an old blanket or tarp. Then simply gather the corners and drag it away.

How Politicians Are Wrecking the World Economy – the Parting Thought

For the last several years, the big problem has been the economy. Not anymore. Politicians are now the problem.

The headline drama masks the damage that elected officials are doing. The American job market is terrible, with most companies reluctant to hire. After a huge, two year run-up, the stock market, composed of publicly traded companies, is in the midst of a dizzying correction. Weak consumer spending is a big drag on the economy. A persistent housing bust, now in its fifth year, has drained Americans of nearly $7 trillion worth of home equity. Those mostly seem like private-sector problems, not public-sector ones. More at:

http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/rick-newman/2011/08/05/how-politicians-are-wrecking-the-world-economy

Yours for the good stuff, the Poor Man

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A Shallow Planet Production

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

What to do with leftover produce, Growth of Homeshoring, more

Bruce’s Poor Man Survival Bulletin

A Digest of Urban Survival Resources

http://www.PoorManSurvival.com

ISSN 2161-5543

In This Issue:

1. What to do with leftover produce

2. Lessons from 9/11

3. The growth of HomeShoring in the US

4. Turning your ideas into cash

5. Americans fed up with government waste

"All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure." - Mark Twain

Lessons from 9/11

Long time consumer advocate Ralph Nader had a guest editorial in USA Today last week regarding the lessons we should be learning from the tragedy of 9/11. Most of them focused on the need for our leaders to stop violating the rights of American citizens.

Number four on his list of ten suggested we not tolerate presidents who violate our Constitution (a direct jab at former Pres. Bush). Number six asked that we not let the executive branch engage in unconstitutional and illegal recurrent practices such as wiretapping.

The other points were in regard to how Congress has abdicated its role and responsibilities and given carte blanche to the President in regard to war power authority and how the news media has become the mouthpiece of the President.

There’s little doubt since the passage of the so-called Patriot Act, much of our Constitution has become meaningless and the rights of Americans are violated every day.

Leaders, far wiser than our current crop of legislators, warned repeatedly against the folly of sacrificing freedom for security. In many respects, terrorists have already won due to the undermining of our freedoms at home and the incredible (and often wasted) costs taxpayers have incurred in the name of security.

The land of the free isn’t quite so free anymore and we all pay the price.

Grill juicier skinless chicken breasts by placing a banana peel on top of each breast while cooking…it creates a barrier that acts like skin, helping the meat to retain juices.

PM’s Compendium of Useful Resources

What to do with your left over produce

We had a bumper crop of cucumbers this season and diligently gave them to family and friends. During our family reunion one of the pass-around dishes I made featured a large cucumber salad.

If you have an abundance of extra garden goodies here are a few ways to use them up.

1. Donate them to a food pantry - many local food banks will even make pickups if you have a sufficient quantity to donate.

2. Cook up batches of excess and freeze or can them. Preserving includes pickling, drying, canning and freezing. Prior to freezing, most vegetables need to be blanched to preserve their taste. You can lightly steam them or dip them briefly into boiling water. Let them cool and dry before freezing. Onions, peppers and herbs can be frozen raw.

3. Sell them at your local flea market.

4. Barter or swap them with others for items you want.

5. Juice them. Here is one resource I found offering healthy juicing recipes.

http://vegetablejuicingrecipes.com/

Fix the nicks on your sunglasses by moistening the lenses with water, then add a pea-sized glob of white (non-gel) toothpaste onto a cloth and rub gently all over. Rinse the lenses, then dry with a lint-free cloth.

New-Experts Industry Association Launched

If you've ever wanted to write a
book, get paid to speak, become a
life coach, or share you knowledge
and expertise online, then you
should take a serious look into
being part of this.

You can get training on how to
become an expert in your field
-- for no cost -- from me and
other high-level founders --
just for getting involved.
(You should check out the new
Code of Ethics we've defined for
our industry!)

Watch Brendon Burchard, one of
the founders of the association,
explain it all here:

http://expertsindustryassociation.com/go/allen

Turn Your Ideas into Cash

For assistance in getting started with inventions, such as finding legitimate product agents and useful information, go to:

www.AsktheInventors.com

Get a second opinion through the forums (see if your idea has merit) and mentoring along with evaluations of product at:

www.MomInventors.com

HOMESHORING GROWS AS COMPANIES ANNOUNCE RECRUITING DRIVES

The trend of home-based customer service agents, aka “homeshoring,” continues to grow, even as the economy stagnates and unemployment overall remains high.

Just in the past few weeks, we’ve seen major recruiting announcements from Arise, Convergys and Alpine Access, involving thousands of openings.

We expect homeshoring to continue to expand as Fortune 500s increasingly see the advantages of having home-based US agents take care of US customers.

Run out of a dry mop cloth? Use dryer sheets attached to a sponge mop.

The Nanny State Updates…

Few governments violently assault a majority of its citizens simultaneously; instead, high-profile ‘examples’ are made of selected citizens or groups. After watching a neighbor be destroyed, few are willing to stand up to government authority.

Damn This Recession! The rise of the unemployees
When she was laid off from her position as a financial analyst in July 2008, Westminster, Colorado's Kelly Wiedemer expected the path back to her well-worn career track would be quick and easy. Now she's emerged as something of a full-time champion of the long-termed unemployed. This work includes reporting on unemployed issues and organizing a petition against the job site Monster.com that has more than 88,000 signatures. As Senior Editor Tim Cavanaugh observes, only in a leisure-hating country like this one could unemployment become as stressful and exhausting as a full-time job.

http://reason.com/archives/2011/08/29/damn-this-recession

A new Gallup Poll says only 25% of Americans DO NOT favor sacrificing their civil rights and privacy for security – down from 47% two years ago.

Why Americans are fed up with government waste…the Parting thought

Most know our government wastes a lot of money. There is way too much overlap and duplication. For example, there are almost 350 economic development programs within the government and many of them essentially do the same things for the same groups of people.

Other examples... The U.S. government has 15 different agencies overseeing food-safety laws, more than 20 separate programs to help the homeless, and we could go on and on if we included all of the state programs involved.

Department of Transportation employees take a 17-day global junket to study billboards in other countries. A ski museum receives a federal grant to create an exhibit telling the story of skiing from the Stone Age!

Medicare wastes MORE money than any other federal program... Paying as much as EIGHT times more money for drugs and medical supplies than other government agencies pay for the same items. It's reported that Medicare paid $8.26 for a liter of saline solution, the same solution that the VA paid just $1.02 for!

All of this reminds me of the $400 toilet seats and hammers the Pentagon paid for with your money or how government employees splurge on pizza, gambling and hookers using government issued Visa cards and virtually no one had to repay them!

Do you still wonder why so many are fed up with our incompetent and corrupt government?

Three Reasons the Next Recession will be different…

Skyrocketing oil prices from instability in the Middle East cut into consumer spending, the prolonged debt ceiling debate chipped away at business confidence and the European debt crisis continues to enrage the stock market.

There are many obvious moves Washington could take to foster job creation including working on our aging infrastructure and by cutting the maddening slow and expensive spate of red tape businesses face.

That said, another recession wouldn't be a walk in the park for U.S. businesses or consumers since the country would experience a worsening of an economy that is still trying to recover from the first downturn. Any new job cuts, mortgage delinquencies and revenue loss — however mild — would effectively be piled on top of previous losses, making it feel that much more severe…obviously, economists seem to feel the odds of another recession are high. Read more at:

http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/113379/next-recession-will-be-different-mainst

It’s always amazed me the federal and state legislators cannot see the obvious in the barriers they’ve created to job creation, our idiotic tax system and massive bureaucracy would top my list for reform.

That’s it for this issue from your solution-oriented Poor Man!