Tag Archives: retirement

Episode-751- Common Sense vs. Consumerism

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Modern Survival| 23 Comments
Episode-751- Common Sense vs. Consumerism [ 58:45 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Today I wanted to take a moment to take a look at the concept of consumerism and how it directly conflicts with the preparedness lifestyle.  Now don’t get me wrong I am a capitalist libertarian, I believe in the free market but I also believe in making informed consumer decisions.

Consumerism is the opposite of that, consumerism is a heard mentality where providers and producers spend time competing for existing market share and replacing products that are still functional.  An informed consumer market requires producers and providers to innovate and create better longer lasting products and services.

Join me today as I discuss…

  • Early Retirement Extreme – a book that got me thinking this way
    • Are we in a “climax stage” as in Permaculture
    • Are companies innovating or competing in existing markets
    • Working Man v. Salary Man v. Business Man v. Renaissance Man
  • How our grandparents evaluated a purchase of a product
    • Do I need it
    • Does anything I have fill the role now
    • How long will it last
    • What will it do for me and my family
    • How long must I work to pay for it
    • If I don’t buy it what difference will it really make
  • How companies market products today
    • Can we create a fad/cult following around it
    • What existing market share can we capture with it
    • Can we build a market to sell subsequent products to
    • Is it a consumable or designed to fail
    • How cheaply can we manufacture it
    • Can we outsource most of the work
    • Will it last long enough to avoid returns
    • Can we sell it for less than the competition
    • Or can we justify a premium at little to no internal cost
  • How do we avoid the consumerist trap and still have fun and cool stuff
    • Avoiding debt solves most of the problems
    • Have a 48 hour waiting period on major purchases
    • Ask the questions our grandparents did

Additional Resources for Today’s Show

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK and you might hear yourself on the air.

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Episode-643- Modern Financial Survival

Posted on April 14, 2011 by Modern Survival| 23 Comments
Episode-643- Modern Financial Survival [ 1:13:52 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Financial survival is something that we often hear main stream pay lip service to.   There are countless main stream experts with the formula for a happy retirement and profitable investing on the news and on day time talk shows all the time.  Each claims to have the code cracked yet they all pretty much say the same things.

  1. Save money in the stock market
  2. Put money in tax differed accounts
  3. Debt is okay
  4. Stay away from risky investments like gold
  5. Don’t time markets, invest for the long haul

The problem with such advice is it isn’t actually financial advice, it is well formed marketing to sell a system designed to serve an apathetic society.  A system of passive investing that may or may not pay off and is subject to extensive risk due to its very nature.

Join me today as we discuss…

  • The origin of our current “smart way” to invest
  • Why the autopilot system is dangerous
  • Proof that well know gurus are idiots
  • Why gold or silver are financial insurance
  • Why 100% of long term investing in tax deferred is stupid
  • The current risk for 401K, IRA, etc monies from the greedy hand
  • What is an investment really supposed to do for you

Additional Resources for Today’s Show

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK and you might hear yourself on the air.

 

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Episode-635- Creating Your Vision of Liberty

Posted on March 30, 2011 by Modern Survival| 23 Comments
Episode-635- Creating Your Vision of Liberty [ 1:10:35 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Today we hear from two listeners who have found their own path to individual liberty.  Not in some Utopian sense of some mythical new nation that recognizes the liberty we claim to recognize in America today, rather they have claimed their own personal liberty their own way.

Both of these couples said, screw it and JUST DID IT, and not in the cliche way of the Nike catch phrase.  They took decisive action, they stated their intent, they designed a road map and they acted.  Today my hope is many of our listeners will do the same in their own lives.  Freedom is something no man or woman can define for another, by its very nature it is individualized.

Join me today as we discuss…

  • How a simple post in the forum changed many lives
  • How one listener spent two years and gained back 15
  • How a couple in NJ, changed with out moving far, for now
  • How you begin your path to finding your own vision of liberty
  • You don’t have to be rich to live like a broke ass redneck
  • That broke ass redneck is probably happier then you are
  • Why you must define what you don’t like to find what you do like
  • Why what you think you hate may not actually be what you hate
  • How figuring out what you love can lead you to more of it
  • The moments etched into your soul are your key to personal freedom
  • Why 99.9% of ships reach their ports on time and what it teaches us
  • The difference between simple and easy and why it matters

Additional Resources for Today’s Show

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK and you might hear yourself on the air.

Photo Credit Above to Just Us 3 Via Flickr

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Episode-506- Why We Prep – The Real Reasons

Posted on September 8, 2010 by Modern Survival| 11 Comments
Episode-506- Why We Prep - The Real Reasons [ 57:31 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I am always asked why we bother prepping or why should people become “survivalists” or some other variation of this question when I am interviewed by the press.  In most instances I give what I consider a “soft answer” the answer is factual and helps people understand, more importantly it fits in the brief segment allocated by the interviewer for that question.  The real answers though are much deeper than,

“We prepare because sometimes things go wrong, sometimes bad things happen to good people and they are forced to fend for themselves.  It isn’t that the government or our neighbors don’t want to help, sometimes they can’t, the situation is overwhelming  or simply getting to us is impossible.  We have to realize that people are killed, injured and have lives disrupted in the millions every year around the world and that no person is immune to these events.  If you have not been effected yet you are fortunate, you may live your entire life and never be touched, many do but many do not.  If the day ever comes that you are caught up in such an event regret will leave a bitter taste in your mouth.    We prepare because not all disasters are earth shaking or life threatening, in fact loosing a loved one or a job is a disaster and that happens to millions of people every year in the United States alone.  Prepping is about being ready to deal with disasters from those that are global in nature to those that are personal in nature.”

See I told you it was a factual answer, hell it is a damn good answer but in reality it goes far deeper.

Tune in today to hear the real reasons we prep….

  • The desire to live as free people and be no man’s slave
  • An understanding that debt has ravaged the nation but we are not required to play along
  • How “super disasters” have made people complacent with “average disasters”
  • How deeply we depend on the “systems” for
    • Food
    • Energy
    • Protection
    • Water
    • Waste Disposal
    • Medical Care
    • Income and Economics
    • Credit
    • Shelter
  • The fact is there is no down side to being a prepper
  • How prepping leads to freedom

Resources from Today’s Show

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK and you might hear yourself on the air.

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Episode-440- Expanding Your Financial IQ – Part 2

Posted on May 21, 2010 by Modern Survival| 6 Comments
Episode-440- Expanding Your Financial IQ - Part 2 [ 0:01 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I decided we should extend from yesterday’s show about investing.  The harsh reality is we are bombarded by financial terms in news and media every day.  Often this is done as a type of class warfare that is totally lost on most of the population.  Such as blaming the woes of the stock market on “naked short selling”.  At times such statements are at least partially true at others they are totally false.  Yet one thing is clear, 90% of the sheep that are all pissed off at the “naked short sellers” have no idea what short selling is, how it works, what it does, the risks involved, etc.  They also have zero idea what it means to be “naked” on a short sale, the reason shot selling exists or how they can go short sell if they want to as well.

This is just one more component of the dumbing down of America.  The media uses terms in a positive or a negative light but makes no attempt to explain them to a population they know very well doesn’t understand them.  Hence people take a positive view of terms like “reform” and negative views of terms like “shorting” but they don’t really know what the terms mean at all.  My view is form your own opinion, control your own money, etc. but don’t form opinions based on another person’s view of a word you don’t even truly understand.

Join me today as we discuss…

  • What is a put (aka a short)
  • What is a call
  • What does it mean when you are “naked” in an option
  • What is a derivative
  • What is a P/E Ratio
  • What is a dividend
  • What is a DRIP
  • What are Class A, B and C shares in your mutual funds
  • What is an annuity

My goal in today’s show is simply to improve your financial understanding and vocabulary.  I know some may not see this as a true “survival topic”.  Yet given the current state of the U.S. and Global economies and the risk posed by any level of economic collapse understanding money may be one of the most important components of your future survival.

Additional Resources for Today’s Show

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK and you might hear yourself on the air.

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Episode-439- Conventional and Unconventional Investing

Posted on May 20, 2010 by Modern Survival| 14 Comments
Episode-439- Conventional and Unconventional Investing [ 1:14:04 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I get a lot of questions about investing both conventional and unconventional so today I am going to try to address both.  Yet unlike the typical supposed financial guru I will discuss this from a prepper/modern survivalist view point.

In today’s show I will go over a variety of investing options, I will discuss some of the positives and negatives of each, I will explain how many of them work, the hidden problems in the most common ones and more.  I WILL NOT be telling you what to invest in or how you should personally invest.  I do not give financial advice on TSP I simply explain what I see in trends, how things work and the risks and rewards in different investments.

America has developed a new dependency in the last 50 years.  No it isn’t enough to be dependent on systems for energy, food, medicine and a million more things, no now we are dependent on people to tell us how to hold and invest our own money.  Enough is enough, time to raise your financial IQ and begin understanding things deeply enough to make your own decisions.

Join me today as we discuss…

  • Why investing always means risking
  • What is the only reason we invest in the first place
  • Why most financial advisers simply SUCK
  • Mutual funds, the good, the bad, the ugly
  • Individual stocks
  • Dividends – something but not everything
  • Why you must “time the market” but that doesn’t make you a “trader”
  • Gold and Silver don’t always glitter but they usually do
  • Metal stocks vs. actual metal
  • Metal stocks vs. metal ETFs
  • Real estate – not low risk but it can be
  • Cash – yes it looses value but at a “fixed rate” in normal times
  • Foreign currencies – not really all that great, not all that bad either
  • Food the one that never fails

Additional Resources for Today’s Show

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK and you might hear yourself on the air.

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Episode-414- Jack on the Baldy and the Blonde Show

Posted on April 6, 2010 by Modern Survival| 3 Comments
Episode-414- Jack on the Baldy and the Blonde Show [ 44:32 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Well even though I am on the road today I do have a show for you today.  Today I am playing a rebroadcast of the Baldy and the Blonde Show from WGSO 990AM in New Orleans, LA.

They gave me a great interview discussing the first five tenents of the Modern Survival Philosophy and Modern Survivalism as a method of early retirement.

Please Note – There may not be a show every day this week because I will be traveling working on the next edition of the martial arts DVD series of Ballistic Striking – With Val Riazanov

I really recommend checking out Baldy and the Blonde’s website and you may even want to listen to the entire show from the date of my interview.  They covered a new Senate bill

Additional Resources for Today’s Show

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK and you might hear yourself on the air.

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Episode-391- Individual Revolution and Freedom

Posted on March 4, 2010 by Modern Survival| 7 Comments
Episode-391- Individual Revolution and Freedom [ 0:01 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

So you want to be a revolutionary?  You want to be a patriot?  You want to be like the great men and women that helped create our nation.  Today I have a different way to look at that concept.  To be a real radical perhaps set your sites a bit further back into history.  Tune in today to see what I mean. Revolution is in the air.

Join me today as we discuss…

  • The difference between what you care about and what you can influence
  • Why you have to fight a “guerrilla war” at this point in the game
  • Why radical, rebel and revolutionary are positive things
  • Why growing food is the ultimate act of rebellion
  • Why building things is an act of rebellion
  • How we now plan out deaths instead of retirement
  • Why you don’t have to do many of the things you think you do
  • The motivation that makes you do things you don’t want to do
  • Changing that motivation into a positive force
  • The sliding scale, your on it what does it mean and what direction are you going
  • What would you do if you could do anything you wanted

Additional Resources for Today’s Show

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK and you might hear yourself on the air.

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Episode-363- Listener Feedback 1-25-10

Posted on January 25, 2010 by Modern Survival| 12 Comments
Episode-363- Listener Feedback 1-25-10 [ 1:15:03 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

We have another round of your comments and questions today on subjects such as permaculture, a government grab of 401K money, sharing the prepper mindset with friends and more.

Tune in today as we discuss…

  • Prepping a garden with out digging and not using Round Up
  • Prepping for truckers and others who travel with work
  • Ideas for Zone One planting for a permacultured yard
  • How to share prepping with out the typecast hurting you
  • Truck or car if you can only have one vehicle?
  • The legalities and mechanics of squirrel trapping
  • Spreading prepping by gardening
  • A Texas mom plans all family meals for 1 full year (stealth prepping)
  • A report from a listener who ordered from a few sponsors of TSP
  • A trick from Korea with gas cans and water (you got to hear this one)
  • Is the government coming after our 401ks, it sure looks like they plan to

Resources for today’s show…

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK and you might hear yourself on the air.

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Episode-278- Preparedness As A Retirement Plan

Posted on September 16, 2009 by Modern Survival| 13 Comments
Episode-278- Preparedness As A Retirement Plan [ 48:43 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Notice that I did not say “preparing for retirement”, what I am talking about was brought up in a great post by CdnGuy on our forum about how using the preparedness lifestyle with intent can lead to a much more rewarding and much earlier retirement then most Americans can ever hope for.

Tune in today to hear…

  • A retirement plan regardless of age starts with needs/wants assessment
  • To get motivated the first step is to understand “systemic dependence” and become disgusted with it
  • You must ask this question, what is retirement to YOU, my answer doesn’t matter only yours does
  • If you had no debt how much would you really need
  • There is currently a war against retirement to win you must first understand the war
  • How Madison Avenue lies about retirement destroy the best years of our lives
  • Retirement is for soul building and soul mate building
  • What is your motivation
  • Why you can sacrifice for 10 years but can’t and won’t for 50 and the trap that creates
  • Redefining what investing means and why your “adviser” is your retirements worst enemy

Resources for today’s show…

Region Six Sponsors

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show.

You also now can call in questions or comments for the host at 866-65-THINK, (866-658-4465) please read the suggestions for calling in before you do for the best chance of getting your comments on the air.

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