Interested in learning about Gold? 
Tom Barrett is an EXPERT! 
FREE SEMINAR! 

First, the correction. In the email below we inadvertently left off the date. The Seminars will be a week from Saturday, June 8th. Also, because of the larger-than-expected number attending, we will me moving the location of the 2:00 PM Seminar to the Grand Ballroom. The 10:00 AM meeting (at which I will be a guest speaker) will still be in the Dogwood Room.

The original email is reproduced below...

Tom has some exciting information to share with you at the Morningstar Conference Center in Fort Mill, SC (close to Charlotte). If you don't live in SC or NC - tell your friends and family there about this great new seminar.

IN THIS EMAIL:

1)    An indicator that has accurately predicted the stock market since 1896.
2)    How to tell when precious metals will rise or drop.
3)    The TRUE state of the US economy.

The stock market is up and Gold is down. But the government is still printing money compulsively, and the National Debt is still threatening to crush our national and personal economies. Who can make sense of this? Tom can and will in his new Seminars in Texas.

Tom Barrett has straight answers to these questions in his new Seminar. As you probably know, he has 35 years of financial experience. Tom has been a keynote speaker at the Kingdom Economic Summits; he has been a featured teacher at the International Money Shows; he has been interviewed on radio and TV; and he has authored articles published in national newspapers and on hundreds of websites.

Most important, Tom is very good at sensing changes in the economic "seasons," and has been successful at shifting his assets to the right places in a timely way. With many expecting the stock market to correct without warning, today we see them moving assets to cash, bonds, gold and silver. But are these really safe places?

We hear people who are in stocks questioning, "Should I get out while I still can?" At the same time, many people who felt led to get out of the stock market are second-guessing themselves. "Did I get out too soon? Have I been left behind?"

The psychology of the stock market has changed very little in the last 100 years. People ask, "Is history repeating itself? Have we seen these cycles before?" Prior to every major correction in the market we have seen these cycles. But many something has changed. They don't trust the stock market, so they get out - and then it seems to accelerate upward. They regret getting out, so they jump back in and then it goes down. Panic sets in and they sell again - at a loss.

And if you bought gold or silver bullion in the last year, you are probably not a happy camper. You have watched precious metals drop, and are scratching your head wondering how it is possible for this to happen, given the state of our economy. Tom will explain why precious metals move up and down. And he will show you a way to protect you assets with Gold that did not go down when bullion gold dropped.

Finally, Tom will show you how to look through all the media hype and the falsehoods from government agencies, so that you can determine what is REALLY happening in our economy. This could save you from making terrible mistakes.

So how can you know the times and the seasons? Tom was the Vice-President of a national brokerage firm on Black Monday - October 19, 1987 - when the Dow Jones crashed 22.61% in ONE DAY! He helped clients prepare for the "Dot Com" crash that started March 10 of 2000, and saw a decline of 34.22%. And he got his friends out of the market before the Panic of 2008 which resulted in losses of 40% to 50% in retirement accounts. Tom will show you one indicator that has called every major stock market boom and bust for 117 years, as well as every major change in the Precious Metals markets.

We are stewards of whatever God has blessed us with. It is our responsibility to both protect and grow those assets. As a recent attendee of Tom's seminar said, "I learned ways to keep my assets safe and at the same time increase their value in spite of inflation. I am so glad I attended."

Tom will be teaching in Fort Mill two times on Saturday, June 8th (details below). Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity! Find out why previous attendees at Tom's seminars attend again whenever he is in town.

Important: PLEASE RSVP to Webinars@Bellsouth.net or call 561-753-5998.

DATE & LOCATION:

Tom will be speaking at two meetings in at Morningstar/Heritage. Both meetings will be held in the Dogwood Room. The address of the Conference Center is:
375 Starlight Drive
Fort Mill, SC 29715

You are invited to attend either of the following meetings - or both...

In the first session Tom will be the guest of Ken Storey at his Investor Club meeting in the Dogwood Room at 10:00 AM. He will be speaking on "The Cancer of Inflation." Since 1933 the US dollar has lost 96% of its value. Learn how the mismanagement of the Federal Reserve System and the massive National Debt  impact both the national economy and your personal economy - and what to do about it.

In the second session Tom will be speaking in the Grand Ballroom from 2:00 to 3:30 PM. At this Seminar Tom will be teaching about how to protect your family and ministry financially amid turbulent markets. Both the stock markets and the Gold and SIlver markets have been volatile, particularly in the last year. Tom will show you how to position yourself to be a winner regardless of what happens. (This meeting was originally announced for the Dogwood Room, but has been moved to the Grand Ballroom.)

Be blessed with success in all that you do.

PS - Tom and other great instructors teach every Monday evening on the Financial Education Webinars. Attendance is free. To receive an invitation, write to Webinars@Bellsouth.net.

7 mistakes Suburban Preppers make

CLICK

The 10-10-10 Financial Survival Plan

By Tom Barrett 



Following is some very wise counsel from my friend Tom Barrett, a man I met through our friend, Financial Advisor, Fulton Sheen. Tom has been in the rare coin business for nearly 40 years and can surely assist you just as he's been such a great help to us. This 10-10-10 message REALLY got my attnetion when I first heard it. He can be reached at 561.753.5998 or emailed at RareCoins@att.net. Enjoy the read!

Most of my career has been in investments, and most of my investments have been of the traditional, Wall Street type. But since our government has embarked on its suicidal mission to massively increase the amount of worthless dollars it prints, I have embarked on a mission to protect my family from the government’s recklessness. That plan involves positioning one tenth of my assets in a way that they could one day replace the value of all my assets in the event that our nation experiences hyper-inflation.

I want to concentrate on how we can protect our families from inflation by using the 10-10-10 plan, so I won’t spend much time here discussing the probability of hyper-inflation in the United States. There are many great articles that cover that very well, two of which are listed at the end of this article: “In Debt We Trust” and “The History of Money.”

For our purposes, consider just two things. First, from 1776 to 1933, when the US was taken off the Gold Standard by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, most Americans had never heard the word “inflation.” For 157 years the cost of labor, goods, and (most important) gold was relatively level. Over the last 76 years the dollar has lost 96% of its purchasing power, according to Bloomberg.com and many other unimpeachable sources. Gold has gone from $20 per ounce to over $1,000. Every American, including kids, expects that everything will cost more next year than it does now. Inflation has been accelerating over those 76 years, and it will only get worse as the effects of the trillions of dollars in bailouts and massive spending on the healthcare and energy bills work their way through the system.

Second, it is arrogant of America to think that we are immune to hyper-inflation. Fully 10% of modern economies have experienced hyper-inflation. We’re not talking about post-WWI Germany, which saw the Mark go from an exchange rate of four Marks to the US Dollar to 1.2 Trillion Marks to the Dollar in just four years. Nor are we talking about third-world nations like Zimbabwe, whose dollar was almost equal to ours only four years ago, where a One Trillion Dollar note today is worth 3 US pennies. We’re talking about modern economies like Argentina, which experienced inflation so horrendous just 20 years ago that the US had to bail them out. By the way, we forced Argentina to comply with severe austerity measures, including issuing no money unless it was backed by gold. Today our nation is doing exactly the opposite of the measures that fixed Argentina’s problems. (Who will bail the United States out?)

If you were deeply in debt, what would you think of a financial counselor who told you to borrow more money and “spend your way out of debt.” You would think he was crazy, and would look for a sane counselor. Yet this is the course Washington, DC, has chosen. The Chairman of the Federal Reserve System, Ben Bernanke, has stated that, “The United Stated has a technology called the printing press that allows it to produce as many US dollars as it wishes at essentially no cost.” If you believe this will lead to hyper-inflation, read on. If you believe it MIGHT lead to hyper-inflation, you should still consider the 10-10-10 plan. Why? Because even if we only continue to experience the same level of inflation we have had for the last twenty years, the plan will help to protect your and increase your assets.

Let me first outline the plan, then give you the details. The first 10 refers to shifting 10% of your assets to precious metals, primarily gold. This is not a new idea. Since I first enrolled in the College of Financial planning almost 30 years ago, many conservative financial counselors have recommended putting 10% of all non-residence assets in gold. This means calculating your net worth exclusive of your primary residence and using 10% of that number as your percentage for gold investment. Today, because the dangers from inflation have increased greatly, most of those same counselors suggest putting 10% of all assets in gold.

The second 10 refers to the percentage of the precious metals you should allocate to bullion. Bullion is gold in a form that has very little value above the price of the gold itself. For instance, if the “spot” price of gold is $1,000 and you were to buy a “bullion” coin (such as a Canadian Maple Leaf, a Chinese Panda or a South African Krugerrand, all of which weigh about one ounce), you would pay $1,000 plus a premium for minting and profit percentage for the dealer. The other 90% of the money you allocate to precious metals should be put into investment grade gold. More on this later.

The third 10 refers to the percentage of your bullion assets you should allocate to “junk silver.” 90% of your bullion allocation should be in gold coins or ingots of various sizes. But allocating 10% to silver will prove to be a smart move if there is a serious decline in the dollar. For instance, a silver dollar that is currently worth less than $20 could have much more buying power than that hundred dollar bill you have in your wallet today, if we experience hyper-inflation.

Let’s talk about that first 10% - the percentage of your total assets that you should consider investing in precious metals. Before we do, let’s get the disclaimers out of the way. I am retired from the financial services business. I am no longer a broker or financial planner. I let all my many licenses expire when I retired. I am not giving investment, accounting or legal advice. These are general suggestions only. If you need specific investment advice, consult your investment advisor, accountant or attorney.

With that said, in general, I believe most people should seriously consider “tithing” their assets into future protection of their families wealth in the form of precious metals, primarily investment grade gold that will increase in value. If your circumstances allow putting more than 10% into precious metals, give serious consideration to doing so. I am personally targeting 20%. I have a friend who is a world-renowned expert on this subject who has 50% of his family’s assets in gold.

The chart below illustrates very graphically why gold will almost certainly rise as the dollar falls. The US Dollar index is shown in Green, while the World Gold Index is shown in Gold. You will notice that for the last 17 years the two have had an inverse relationship. That is to say, when the Dollar goes down, Gold goes up, and vice versa.

Since there is very little likelihood that the dollar will strengthen over the next few years, this means that there is a strong likelihood that gold will continue to climb.

Some people say that now that gold is over $1,000, it is too high to buy. They have been saying that for the last nine years, during which time it has risen over 300%. And they will probably still be saying that when gold tops $3,000.

Why do I mention $3,000? Because many people much smarter than I are predicting that gold could hit $2,000 in as little as six months to a year, and $3,000 in the next two to three years. If we have hyper-inflation, many experts say that gold could go as high as $5,000 to $8,000.

Before we go on, we need to understand a very important concept. While the PRICE of gold may fluctuate, the VALUE of gold does not. This is because gold has been recognized as the only true money in hundreds of civilizations over thousands of years. There has never been a paper currency that has stood the test of time, because eventually every nation starts to counterfeit its own money.

The Romans invented the concept of government counterfeiting when they needed more money to pay for public works projects to make the senators popular. (Sound familiar?) Unlike our Fed Chairman, they didn’t have a printing press, so they started melting down their silver coins as they came through the government mint, and mixing in base metals. This is called debasement of the money. In 54 A.D. Rome’s primary silver coin, the denarius, was 94% silver. By 218 A.D. it was down to 43%, and just 50 years later it contained only 1% silver. The citizens’ loss of confidence in their money was one of the primary factors in the fall of the Roman Empire.

Over the years other nations followed Rome’s example. The invention of the printing press made it much easier for governments to steal from their citizens through counterfeiting. Our own government sanctioned wholesale counterfeiting with the advent of the Federal Reserve System. (See LINK below to the article, “The Non-Federal Fed.”) No longer was our money backed by gold. Instead, a collection of private banks was given the franchise to issue paper money backed by – nothing.

On the US Treasury website I found the following in a Question and Answer section. I have known this to be true for many years, but was surprised to see the government admit it publicly. (See the Resources area below for the LINK.):

QUESTION- What are Federal Reserve notes and how are they different from United States notes?

ANSWER- Federal Reserve notes are not redeemable in gold, silver or any other commodity, and receive no backing by anything. This has been the case since 1933. The notes have no value for themselves, but for what they will buy. In another sense, because they are legal tender, Federal Reserve notes are "backed" by all the goods and services in the economy.

What does this have to do with the value of gold? Gold’s value remains constant. But as the currency in which gold is denominated fluctuates, the price of gold changes. So what appears to be fluctuation in the value of gold is really nothing more than fluctuation in the currency. Since the paper currency is backed by nothing, it is not real money like gold is. It is basically a promissory note – an I.O.U.

To demonstrate the fact that gold’s value doesn’t change, consider this: The price of a new three bedroom home in the United States today is about $200,000, or 200 ounces of gold. 100 years ago a similar new home would have cost $5,000 – about 200 ounces of gold at that time. A skilled stonemason makes about $1,000 per week today – the cost of an ounce of gold. In 1776 he made about $20 per week – the cost of an ounce of gold at that time. And in Jesus’ time the same skilled laborer made the equivalent in silver of one ounce of gold for one week’s labor.

What this means is that, while gold bullion is a good hedge against inflation, it is not necessarily a good investment. This is best illustrated by an example. Let’s say you have $10,000 in cash, and you believe that gold is going to go to $2,000 in a certain period of time. If that happens, considering the inverse relationship of gold and the US Dollar, we can expect that the dollar will lose 50% of its value. You can do one of three things with the $10,000:

1) Hide the cash under your mattress or put it in the bank. You’ll make about 1% at the bank ($100), so the results will be pretty much the same.

2) Buy bullion gold with the money.

3) Buy investment grade gold.

The probable results of these three courses of action are:

1) Your $10,000 will still be $10,000, but due to inflation the loss of purchasing power of the dollar will mean that you will only be able to buy $5,000 worth of today’s goods or services.

2) Your bullion will be worth $20,000, but due to inflation the loss of purchasing power of the dollar will mean that you will only be able to buy $10,000 worth of today’s goods or services. You broke even. Buying the bullion was a good idea – it was a good hedge (insurance) against inflation – but it was not a good investment, because it did not increase in value.

3) If you put the $10,000 in investment grade gold, it could be worth anywhere from $30,000 to $50,000 or higher, depending on how long it took for gold to hit $2,000.

“All right,” you’re asking, “what is ‘investment grade gold’?” This is gold that has more than the intrinsic value of its gold content. It is gold that has the extrinsic value of rarity. We are talking about rare gold coins. For many centuries, in turbulent economic times, investors have turned to rare gold coins as a way to both preserve and grow wealth in a small, portable manner that is simply not possible with gold bullion.

So here are two new principles. Gold bullion preserves wealth. Rare gold coins create wealth. Gold bullion will always track inflation, so you won’t lose purchasing power. But you won’t make real profits, either. On the other hand, rare gold coins go up when spot gold is up; they just go up more. And when spot gold is down, they still go up; just not as much.

Now let’s look at why you want to own bullion at all, since investment grade gold coins are a far better place to put your money. The reason for holding 10% of your precious metals allocation in bullion is that it is more liquid in case of an economic collapse. I am not convinced that there will be such a collapse. If I were, I would keep a larger share of my money in bullion. But there is a high enough likelihood of a serious crash of the dollar that I want to have some readily negotiable coins to deal with day-to-day needs. There has always been a market for rare coins in the most severe economic conditions. But since each rare coin represents more wealth by weight than bullion coins, it will take longer to liquidate them. The 90% of precious metals allocated to rarities should be saved for larger purchases, or used as a savings account to be traded for smaller bullion coins as needed.

Your bullion gold should not be all in large (one ounce) coins. If gold goes to $5,000 or higher in a severe collapse, you don’t want be carrying a $5,000 coin with you to buy groceries. Diversify your gold so that you have some half ounce, some quarter ounce and some tenth ounce coins. But keep in mind that the minting and seller’s premiums are almost as high for a tenth ounce coin as they are for a one ounce coin, so you should have mostly one ounce coins. When currency becomes worthless, entrepreneurs appear to handle things like exchanging larger coins for smaller ones (for a small fee, of course).

Finally, let’s discuss the last 10, which refers to “junk silver.” This term refers to non-rare silver coins (dimes, quarters, halves and silver dollars) minted prior to 1965. Yes, our government followed the lead of Rome and started counterfeiting our coins as well as our paper money; it just waited a few decades to do so. In 1964 a fifty-cent piece contained 90% silver. Five years later it was down to 40%. Today it contains none.

Junk silver can be used for smaller purchases. A handful of silver coins that today might be relegated to a jar on your chest of drawers might someday buy food and fuel for your family for a week to a month. While I don’t believe silver will rise nearly as much as gold percentagewise in a normal market, in a hyperinflationary market you could see silver make dramatic moves.

Junk silver can be bought fairly cheaply in mixed bags at many coin stores. Because of the low price of silver, and its weight, it is probably best to buy it locally. If you are looking for rare gold coins or gold bullion, send me an email. I have done lots of research on this, and I will be glad to share the best ways to buy gold so that you can be sure of the value of your purchase, and so that you can buy at discounted prices. Because gold is hot today, 90% of the people who are selling gold today weren’t even around a few years ago. They have jumped on the bandwagon to make a quick buck, and in many cases their prices are ridiculous. I only buy from reputable people I have known for 15 to 20 years.

So there you have it. 10-10-10. Having at least 10% of your assets in precious metals could make all the difference in the world in an economic crisis. 10% of that in bullion will keep you liquid. 10% of your bullion in silver will let you carry real money without carrying too much.

The 90% of your precious metals allocation in rare coins can mean one of three things. If the dollar completely collapses, it can make the difference in whether or not your family survives. If we just have severe inflation, you could be the wealthiest person in your neighborhood, because you will have real money. And if we just continue to have the same levels of inflation we have had for the last few decades, you will have made a better investment than anything else I know of after over 30 years in investments.

9 Good Reasons to invest in archery equipment

Here are nine excellent reasons why you may want to look into purchasing archery equipment:

1. Added bonuses of investing in archery equipment:Every member of the family can shoot a bow. Archery equipment comes in all sizes, even women and youth sizes.
2. There are fewer government regulations for archery equipment when compared to firearms.
3. You do not need a background check to purchase archery equipment.
4. Unlike ammunition, you can fire an arrow countless times before you need to replace it.
5. Archery has very little noise associated with the shot making it ideal for hunting.
6. The cost of a bow and arrow can vary from relatively inexpensive to ridiculous depending upon your taste, but once you make the initial investment you will have minimal expenses down the road.
7. Safety is a major plus. Without an arrow loaded on the string and the string pulled back there is much less chance for injury. Most injuries are to your fingers from sharp broadheads. However, as with any sport, serious accidents can happen and you still need to respect this equipment.
8. Using archery equipment often extends your hunting season, which translates into more hunting opportunities.
9. Do you have concern over future supplies of ammunition? The government is not yet regulating the sale or manufacturing of arrows as strictly as it is ammo.

1. Easy maintenance—keeping your string waxed and in good shape plus making sure your arrows and tips are sharp is the bulk of the maintenance.
2. Easy to store—fewer things can rust on a bow and arrow compared to a firearm, so they can be stored in a variety of places.

Learning a few of the skills shown on Hunger Games such as how to use a bow and arrow can help you become more self-reliant and may even help you survive a few days in the wilderness. Give it a try, I bet you will like it.

Communication – What are we going to do without it?

Greg Carithers

This is a tough question but one that needs to be addressed. All you have to do is search this topic and just read the one liner’s that pop up. Things like “the world is doomed” and “total chaos” will come up almost immediately. The sad thing is that for most citizens this is very true. Everyone is so ingrained with reaching in their pockets, pulling out a phone or device of some kind and instantly connecting with another person or group across town, state, country and even the world. Imagine if you were walking along in NYC and all of a sudden communications stopped. You couldn’t call home to make sure the wife and kids were OK. No calling mom or dad down in Delaware to make sure they are fine. The cousins in the south are missing because they can’t be reached and your 20 year old son or daughter that is going to school on the west coast is no ware to be found. One of two things will happen at that point.

One – You will fall in line with the majority of the people in the city and PANIC. We know this to be true because of 9-11. During this attack, communications were interrupted to the point of almost non-existence. The country went into lock down and the people went into panic mode. I was working in Pennsylvania that morning. I was unable to call home to the south. The people that live in the PA were unable to call home a few blocks away. Everyone jumped in their cars and left the work site crying and screaming. I jumped in the rental car and drove south to make sure my family was OK. At that instant nothing mattered in the world except me and mine. The reaction is natural and nothing less could have been expected at the time. After all we were under attack and being killed on our own soil. Americans had never experienced this since the revolution. On my way home communications started again in North Carolina. I was able to reach my family and then turn around to offer engineering work at ground zero. I was denied but offered none the less.

Two – The only other response you could possibly have without falling in line with the majority of people who are going out of control very fast is to have a PLAN. Those of you that have read my articles in the past know that I always say “stick to the plan”. From time to time, step back and take a breath. Adapt and overcome but then stick to the plan. Your plan has to include one of the first things that are about to go wrong. NO COMMUNICATIONS. The government and military will be going for communications first. This is one of the best ways to induce Panic. I have also said the Panic is the mind killer. It makes us hesitate, stop in our tracks, think too much or not enough, run the wrong way and on and on. When I served in the military one of the first tactics we learned with Guerilla warfare was to induce Panic. It makes things a lot easier when you have the enemy so confused that they basically run into your bayonet. What I’m saying is not new and most older Vet’s will attest. In this battery age even our electricity going out would not be as horrifying as finding yourself all alone with no communications. It would be instantaneous and extended.

Now for the plan – This is where the plan should start or be included in your Bug Out point. Write it down in a 1, 2, 3 format and No Communications should be up the list along with no electricity and Marshall Law. If you find yourself with no communications you do the actions listed on your Bug out Plan and make your way to an alternate meeting area. It may be that your meeting point is home. If so, list it. This is what I mean by adapt and overcome. It always depends on your situation at the time. If you work a block away from home and it’s safer to get to your home before going to section B in your plan, then stick to the plan. If within 2 hours of communications going down and you haven’t made it home, your family should maybe have an alternate route to take so they and you can meet in a safe zone. Just think 9-11 only took out a few blocks when you really think about it. However, almost the entire city was blocked off and shut down. If you were in an apartment, you couldn’t leave. If you were on the street you were rounded out in a direction of safety but in a state of Panic. When people made to the area of safety they realized that home was on the other side of the city and they were stuck until released. I realize that 9-11 is an extreme example. But it’s a true example of how communications can be manipulated by the government and the military. At that time it was necessary as we were under attack by a terrorist faction. But for people who paid attention there was a lot to be learned. Just think that at a period of time the only planes in the sky were Air Force One and Fighters from the military. Within minutes every public jet was on the ground and the military had control of the nation’s skies. One word from the president – Public transportation stopped, communications interrupted and the government had total control.

Alternatives -

Two Way Radio’s – If you live close to home there is nothing wrong with two ways radio’s you can buy at most stores. Keep in mind; they will say they can reach up to 30 miles. The fact is they can reach up to 30 miles on two hills that are close together and the distance is measured in up’s and down’s. They do work pretty well within a mile or two and radios are a necessity that is measured by how much money you can afford. The more money you can spend, the better radio there is to have. Radio waves can be jammed but fairly close contact is possible in a bad situation. A suburb or city area should be OK for a 2 way radio. An issue may be traffic but if your plan has a secondary meeting place, radios may not be necessary until later on in the Bug Out process.

Citizens Band Radio’s – These radios work on the lower band scale and are monitored. Plus, they are very popular. They may work OK up close but can be and are fitted with amplifiers and jammers. The common truck driver on the road usually has an amplifier that will knock out most other traffic along with a couple of channels up and down the scale. My point is that CB radios are easy to jam. They may be able to make a certain amount of contact but I’m not sure that I would trust a Bug Out plan to a CB radio. If that’s all I had of course I would give it a try and they are manufactured in hand held models.

HAM Radio’s – This is the best choice for radio contact. The range can go for miles and even span the distance of states depending on the type of radio you have. They are available in hand held models along with large stationary models. To give you an idea of this technology, my father use to listen to the war during WW2 on their large HAM radio. Back then you could purchase a HAM radio without a microphone connection. (So you couldn’t interfere with the war taking place) He told me stories of sometimes tuning in to what was happening in Europe and Asia. HAM radios have a lot of channels, long ranges and are relatively inexpensive.

*Always Remember – Every time you key a radio button, someone is listening and you can be tracked. With practice you can learn how to properly use radio’s with minimal keying and short messaging.*

Batteries and Charging – Don’t forget extra batteries. A lot of batteries! Also, don’t forget to keep them warm. Batteries will go dead faster in cold weather. If you have rechargeable batteries you will need a way to perform simple recharging on the fly. Small solar panels are available on line. They can be purchased from 20 dollars for a unit that will charge one radio at a time for an hour of use, to a unit that may cost just over 100 dollars but will charge two radios for several hours of use. Just something to think about. If you are going to use radio’s you will need batteries and I would suggest at least a lot of changeable batteries but if possible some of everything is always the best.

Despite these ideas, nothing is going to beat a good Plan. So what if you call home one night and find that communications are down? You know that your family has the Plan and if they do not hear from you by a certain time they are going to make their way to point B. If they are not at Point B at a certain time they will go to Point C and so forth. If you’re in a city you can setup check points that circle until you meet. But you all must know the plan, practice the plan and stick to the plan if and when the time comes. And if you have really thought this through, you have arranged travel, meeting places and Bug Out plans with others that you trust and have the same beliefs as you. If there is one thing that will compound the anxiety of being without communications it is being alone.

I will close by quoting one of the brothers in my plan. “Stay vigilant and stay frosty”.

ATTENTION PAYCHECK-TO-PAYCHECK PEOPLE!

Though I am NOT a 'rich guy,' over the past several years, taking my cue from those who DO have lots of money, including banking institutions, I have been an investing in foreign currencies. 

If you are a paycheck-to-paycheck person this message is for YOU!

As a Workplace Chaplain, it grieves my heart to see so many good people working so hard and yet struggling financially. They're getting an insultingly low rate of interest on bank accounts and, because of inflation, the money they DO manage to save is virtually worthless (Example: Since 1913, the buying power of a $100 bill is about $2.00). Those who DO manage to open a retirement account rarely save anything they can plan on retiring with.

How's that workin' for ya, folks? It's NOT for ANYBODY!

Here's what a growing number of average people are doing right now. You can do it, too: 

Simply exchange as much of that increasingly decreasing paycheck of yours for something of value. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is about to push the re-set button on all the world's currency. That's not good for the USDollar, but it's GREAT for some so-called "Emerging Market" currencies including the Iraqi Dinar and Vietnam Dong. 

The solution to this current financial problem is obvious: Get some currency from other countries! You can exchange your dollars for those of Canada or Australia, the Norwegian Krone and increase what you have, or you can exchange your dollars for some really inexpensive currencies that are about to revalue (RV) very soon and, quite frankly, put a great deal of money back in your pocket, potentially overnight, once they re-value. Experts agree, when the bottom false out of the U.S. economy - and that could happen VERY soon - you don't want to be left holding a fist full of dollars when you can have these other currencies as well as silver and gold.

Yes, there are things even the poorest among us can be doing RIGHT NOW. For example, when we were kids, a roll of 50 dimes was worth $5.00. Today, a roll of dimes minted before 1965 are worth about $20.00, all because of their 90% silver content. So, exchange your worthless paper money for Pre-65 dimes. 

One other thing: Getting out of debt is as easy as using the ENVELOPE SYSTEM. This is taught by people like Dave Ramsey and it works for us! Among those envelopes, include things such as "Gold" and "Silver" and "Foreign currency."

Care to talk about this some more? Just write miketummillo@me.com. I am NOT a Financial Advisor or expert. I'm just an average American but I DO want to see people succeed, especially in light of what's coming our way.

Talk soon!

Blessings,

Michael Tummillo

15 Documents you could use! FREE!

Hey, you guys! Here are 15 documents I think are well worth downloading, some you may want to print sections of to have a hard copy.  Oh yeah, and they’re all free! Though it's fine to save any or all as "favorites," bear in mind that if we ever experience a collapse of the grid, an EMP or a manmade disaster wipes out all-things-electric, it could come in handy to have a paper copy in a zip-lock bag in your Bug-out bag. Here they are...  

FM 3-05.70 Army Survival Manual

This manual explains how to provide the five basic needs for survival, food, water, shelter, energy and security in multiple climates. 

SH 21-76 Army Ranger Handbook

This manual has a lot of information relating to battle drills, building clearing techniques.  I added it because if things really get bad, this information can be useful to share with our neighbors to protect the neighborhood.

FM4-25.11 Army First Aid Manual

I believe everyone should have basic first aid training, but this is a good book to use as a reference.

Where there is no Doctor And Where there is no Dentist

Both of these books are worth downloading, lots of great medical and dental information, would be great to have if 911 isn’t coming.  Hesperian the company that gives away free PDF copies has asked no one post the books on their own site.  You can still get these two plus many more free ebooks be clicking one of the links above.  I actually like these books so much I bought hard copies of several.

Survival and Austere Medicine

This is another good resource for medical information.

1881 Household Cyclopedia

This book list a huge amount of information that has been lost in current society.  This would be great info if the grid did fail, so printing off sections might be a good idea.

Introduction to Permaculture

This is a great resource that can help you begin to create your own food forest.

Vegetable Gardening in Containers

I picked this book because not everyone has land available to plant a garden, but even if you live in an apartment you should be able to grow something in a container.  If you do have land to plant a garden, much of the information will still apply.

Everything you always wanted to know about composting

Learn how to create your own compost, one of the best things for a garden.

USDA Principles of Home Canning

Knowing how to preserve food is a must, this pdf is full of practical information.

Home Canning Meat Poultry, Red Meats, Game and Seafood

Knowing how to preserve meats is also great info to have, that not many of us know.

Preserving Food: Drying Fruits and Vegetables

There are other ways to preserve fruits and vegetables besides canning.

Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness

FEMA document that is comprehensive, covering multiple types of disasters that will help the individual, family and community prepare.

Abundaculture; Pathways to God’s Abundance

Christian Homesteader that created a document on living off grid. He covers solar, composting, composting toilet among other things 170+ pages.

HOW MUCH SALT IS NEEDED 

FOR SURVIVAL AND WHY?

For most of us, the amount of salt needed to stay healthy can be found in processed, packaged or canned foods.  Let us hope that we have stored enough of these foods – especially the canned items – that we will never need to worry about adding more.

Which leads me to the next point:  what are the uses of salt in an emergency situation?

Here are a few off the top of my head:

1.  Preserving meat, fish and game that is caught in the wild
2.  Providing the nominal amount of dietary sodium once the canned and processed foods are gone
3.  Taste enhancement (perhaps this should be number one!)
4.  As a natural cleaner
5.  First aid & personal care (i.e bee stings,mosquito bites, gargle for sore throats, teeth cleaning)

Having gone most of my adult life avoiding salt, coming to terms with adding salt to my survival pantry was true mind-shift.  Not only is there a physiological need for our bodies to ingest salt in one form or another, but there are a multitude of other uses aside from food enhancement and food preservation.

What are some of those uses?  This week I am sharing some non-conventional uses of salt compiled by my colleague ‘Above Average’ Joe at SurvivalLife.com.

27 ADDITIONAL REASONS TO USE AND STORE SALT

Salt has been an integral part of civilization dating back as far as 6050 B.C.  It has been such an important element of life that it has been the subject of many stories, fables and folktales and is frequently referenced in fairy tales.
It served as currency at various times and places, and it has even been the cause of bitter warfare.  Offering bread and salt to visitors, in many cultures, is traditional etiquette.
Aside from all of the uses that salt performs in terms of baking, food flavor and food preservation, salt has a number of other uses that you may never have thought of.
Remove Rust
Make a paste using 6 tablespoons of salt and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Apply paste to rusted area with a dry cloth and rub. Rinse thoroughly and dry.
Perk Up Coffee Flavor
Add a pinch of Salt to the coffee in the basket of your coffeemaker. This will improve the coffee’s flavor by helping to remove some of the acid taste.
Dispose of Disposal Odor
To help remove odors from garbage disposals, pour 1/2 cup of Salt directly into the garbage disposal. By running the disposal following manufacturer’s directions, you’ll send those odors down the drain.
Eliminate Fish Odors
Removing fish odor from your hands is simple with Salt. Just rub your hands with a lemon wedge dipped in salt, then rinse with water.
Cut Cutting Board Odors
To help cut odors off of your wooden cutting board, simply pour a generous amount of Salt directly on the board. Rub lightly with a damp cloth. Wash in warm, sudsy water.
Soothe Sore Throats
To alleviate the discomfort of a mild sore throat, gargle several times daily with a mixture of 1/4 teaspoon Salt and 1/2 cup warm water*. It’s like taking a liquid lozenge.
Treat your Tootsie’s
To prepare a salt water bath, pour 6 quarts (1-1/2 gallons) warm water in a large basin. Mix in 1/4 cup Salt and 1/4 cup baking soda. Soak feet for up to 15 minutes.
Boiling Water
Salt added to water makes the water boil at a higher temperature, thus reducing cooking time (it does not make the water boil faster).
Testing egg freshness
Place the egg in a cup of water to which two teaspoonful’s of salt has been added. A fresh egg sinks; if it floats, toss it.
Cleaning greasy pans
The greasiest iron pan will wash easily if you use a little salt in it and wipe with paper towels.
Cleaning stained cups
Rubbing with salt will remove stubborn tea or coffee stains from cups.
Save the bottom of your oven
If a pie or casserole bubbles over in the oven, put a handful of salt on top of the spill. It won’t smoke and smell, and it will bake into a crust that makes the baked-on mess much easier to clean when it has cooled.
Fend Off Fire From A Rogue BBQ
Toss a bit of salt on flames from food dripping in barbecue grills to reduce the flames and calm the smoke without cooling the coals (like water does).
Removing pinfeathers
To remove pinfeathers easily from a chicken, rub the chicken skin with salt first.
Preventing mold
To prevent mold on cheese, wrap it in a cloth dampened with saltwater before refrigerating.
Keeping milk fresh
Adding a pinch of salt to milk will keep it fresh longer.
Scaling fish
Soak fish in salt water before descaling; the scales will come off easier.
Non-stick pancakes
Rub salt on your pancake griddle and your flapjacks won’t stick.
Keeping cut flowers fresh
A dash of salt added to the water in a flower vase will keep cut flowers fresh longer.
Keeping patios weed-free
If weeds or unwanted grass come up between patio bricks or blocks, carefully spread salt between the bricks and blocks, then sprinkle with water or wait for rain to wet it down.
Killing poison ivy
Mix three pounds of salt with a gallon of soapy water and apply to leaves and stems with a sprayer.
Deodorizing shoes
Sprinkling a little salt in canvas shoes occasionally will take up the moisture and help remove odors.
Relieving bee stings
If stung, immediately wet the spot and cover with salt to relieve the pain.
Deter ants
Sprinkle salt at doorways, window sills and anywhere else ants sneak into your house. Ants don’t like to walk on salt.
Clean teeth
Use one part fine salt to two parts baking soda–dip your toothbrush in the mix and brush as usual.
Melt snow and ice
Sprinkle salt on snow or ice to melt away.
Removing soot
Occasionally throw a handful of salt on the flames in your fireplace; it will help loosen soot from the chimney and salt makes a bright yellow flame.
The term “worth one’s weight in salt” means that a person is effective and efficient or deserving of one’s pay.
About Joe
A little about me (‘Above Average’ Joe): I am just an average guy with a passion for learning. .I am excited to share the things I learn with you but I am most interested in learning from you. Survival Life is more than just one man. It is a growing and living community of individuals; all with the desire to be prepared to survive and thrive no matter what this world throws at us. I want to welcome you to the Survival Lifecommunity and look forward to growing with you! Thank you, Gaye, for inviting me to share the Survival Life with your readers!

Now granted, some of these uses are handy dandy but not applicable to survival.  Still, as Joe has demonstrated, there are a ton of day to day uses for salt that will make our lives easier if not more pleasant.

THE FINAL WORD

I checked a number of sources and the consensus is that you should store 5 to 10 pounds of salt per person as a one year supply.  This seems like a lot to me but, given that salt is so cheap, there is no harm in stocking some for emergency purposes.  And now that I think about it, with so many uses, I would recommend storing a bit more for use as barter currency.

The other thing worth mentioning is that salt is easy to store.  You can use Mylar bags, buckets or even re-processed jars or soda bottles.  Just remember that you should not use an oxygen absorber because if you do, the salt will turn in to a solid brick!

5 MINUTE PREPPING PROJECTS FOR 

PEOPLE WITH NO TIME

1. Purchase a prepping notebook or binder where you can accumulate information you need in the event of an emergency.

2. Wash out empty juice jugs, swish with a bit of bleach and fill them with water for an emergency. Be sure to date them so that you that you can rotate them on an annual basis.

3. Place a pair of shoes, socks, work gloves, a whistle, and a light stick or flashlight with batteries under your bed for use during or after an emergency.

4. Talk to family members about how you will re-unite with each other following a disaster.

5. Choose an out-of-state contact person that is willing to be a relay point for information after-the-fact to your other family members and loved ones. (Following a disaster, telephone lines to an out-of-state location may work when local calls do not.)

6.  Introduce yourself to a neighbor you have not met.  Exchange emergency telephone numbers.

7. Purchase a manual can opener on your next visit to the store.

8. Fill empty milk jugs or other plastic containers with water and store them in your freezer.  The frozen jugs will keep your food colder for longer in the event of a power outage.  The water can also serve as a backup source for cleaning or sanitation purposes.

9. Read Food Safety When the Grid Goes Down and print out the food safety charts at the at the FoodSafety.gov website. Attach them to the inside of a cupboard door so you have them handy after a power outage or disaster.

10. Mark your calendar with a date one year from now so that you remember to rotate your canned goods out of storage.

11. Purchase extra canned goods each time you visit the grocery store.

12. Locate your utility shutoff valves and review the instructions for turning them off. Place a shut-off tool by the door nearest to them

13. Test your smoke alarms.

14. Make a list of all of your prescription drugs along with dosages and keep the list in your emergency kit.

15. Take digital photos of each room in your house.  Take five minutes for each room and do you best to capture as much as you can.  This will facilitate any after the fact insurance claims.

16. Write down your insurance policy numbers and your agent’s phone number, and put them in your wallet and in your emergency kit.

17. Add $1 a week to your emergency cash fund.  If you can afford it, add $5 per week (or more) to the fund.

18. Make digital copies of your important documents and store them on a flash drive.

19. Make a backup copy of the data on your computer hard drive and give it to a friend or relative to store for you.  In computer terms, this is called “off site backup”.

20. Locate a source of water outside of your home such as a lake, pond or stream.

21. Learn to cook a pot of rice.

22. Download free prepping, survival and homesteading for e-books from Amazon as they become available.  Check the Backdoor Survival Facebook page for almost daily announcements of books that are currently available – often for just a day or two.

23. Call (800-480-2520) or email FEMA (fema-publications-warehouse@fema.gov) to order a free copy of their excellent print book “Are You Ready Guide to Preparedness”.  For more information about this publication, see Free for You: The “Are You Ready Guide to Preparedness”.

24. Practice starting a fire using a bit of dryer lint, a cotton ball soaked in petroleum jelly or a flint and steel.

25. Sow some seeds, fruits and veggies that is.

26. Visit one of the websites in the article Special Report: The Best Prepper Websites.

So there you go, 26 prepping projects that will take only five minutes each.  Have some ideas of your own?  I would love to have you share them in the comments below.

THE FINAL WORD

Preparing for a disaster or crisis or even an economic collapse does not have to be an insurmountable task.  Breaking tasks down in to manageable chunks will make the job less chore-like and less of a burden.  As a bonus, when you are done, you will feel the sense of satisfaction that comes from knowing that you have done something to secure your safety and well-being if it all goes to heck.

21 Blogs with Advice on How to Create an Emergency Plan for Your Family

CLICK HERE

My advice? Print these things and keep in a binder. If you ever found yourself without power or computer access, you could still access the information.