Urban Survival Secrets

$700 Billion in the hole

Now that our illustrious congress has passed a $700 Billion dollar bailout, what does this do for us lowly folks?

Well. lets start with the credit market.  The treasury has been pumping money in to the banks for loans for a while now and it still hasn’t helped.  While listening to the radio early this summer, I heard that money was being pumped in to assist with liquidity and the central banks in Europe was doing the same.  Nice, lets do more of the same, just on a larger scale. Do you really think this will help?  I personally do not as the banks are still reluctant to loan money at reasonable rates – they get it a 1% and loan it at 7+%

Jobs: All I can say that if a company is using loans to cover payroll – they are in a world of hurt.  Hate to say it, but maybe they should shut down!  I see some help with the pork in the bill (wooden arrows, wool research, money for the south pacific…) – which just sickens me.  Let take the bill from 3 pages to 421 pages – what a bunch of jerks.  At least my congressional delegate (Jeff Flake) was man enough to say NO! I really have a bad feeling when anyone political says this will create jobs.  Most of them cannot remember what a real daily job is!

Lets face it folks, this is a band aide approach.  Real economic reform is needed.  Better oversite on the market and accountability – yes, if you are a CEO of a company and it tanks, you should not collect your parachute.  Maybe a golden pile of Dung.

What does this men for you the Urban Survivalist?? Lets get into practical mode amd use a list

1. Live within your means.  Yup, give yourself a budget and stick with it.  I have a friend who was house poor several years ago.  The used the envelope method and literally used cash.  No borrowing forward unless it was an emergency.  Left over cash went into a savings account.  Smart thinking!
2. Kill your Debt.  Use Dave Ramsey’s snow ball effect to wipe out your debt.  Dave says to save $1000 for emergencies, then double your lowest credit card payment until it is payed off, then take that money and apply it to the next card…  You should be able to get totally out of debt in a few years.
3. Stock up- If you see a sale, stock up on food storage.  Take advantage of your freezer.
4. If you have kids, buy ahead thinking about shoe sizes, etc.  Listen to rebroadcasts of the Glen Beck show from Saturday (10/4 – you get the picture.)
5. Think – use your brain and watch out what is happening within your company.  Lord knows I do and a few others do.  Do you have an employment contingency plan?
6. Be sure to pay your tithing or donate to the charity of choice.  They could use it too – and no, this is not socialism in action!
7. Vote for who you believe will do the best for the people in our capital.

Take care