Many people are trying to decide how to protect their assets and save money in a safe, yet profitable way. This is more difficult than it sounds in a country whose currency is fiat, that is, made up out of thin air by a central bank. You see, our money, the money in your wallet, isn't based on anything real like it used to be. It's not based on gold, nor on silver, not even on corn or coconut leaves. The Federal Reserve (which is as "federal" as Federal Express) just decides how much money to create and then injects it into to economy through various channels. Like any other comodity, the more of it that exists, the less valuable it becomes. Over the past six months the Federal reserve has injected billions of dollars into the economy to prop up the falling stock market. They have their own reasons for propping up the market at the expense of the dollar's value. It buys them time. After all, if we are in the grips of a depression, no one will want to antagonize Iran and Syria anymore. People have to be fat and sassy to be angry. So what do we do to protect ourselves? The answer is "We practice common sense." First, pay off or pay down your debt, and then don't adquire any more. Pay off those stupid credit cards and put them away. Using them isn't completely stupid IF you pay them off monthly, or at least pay them way, way down. The dark side is that your transactions are easily trackable if you use a card. It's preferable to use cash. Cash is freedom. Get some, use it, keep it. Buy some of the things you would buy with gold during hard times if you had any gold, and buy it now. Buy some extra canned goods, some flour and put it in the freezer, and some extra clothing. Stop buying so much stupid stuff. Shop less, drive prices down and you cash supply up. This is how you get rich. Learn do do with what you need and a little of what you want. Plan. Seek self-discipline. This is a large part of being a man or a woman. Find something that you know about and like and invest in it. For example, if you know and love silver dollars, reserve a certain amount of your income to collect them. Familiarize yourself with the community in which they are bought and sold. If you love canoes, learn to build them and sell them. People will always need to get from one lakeshore to another, and to fish. If you like tools, collect them, especially hand tools. These are extremely valuable investments that every day people can profit from. The same is true for almost anything you may really enjoy, provided it's practical in some way. Stop using credit. Trade with your friends when possible. It's time to cut your way out of the usurers' net and to be free. But remember, freedom is also a state of mind. You're lured into the net in the first place by want of luxurious things. Do without those things and be free. Google search Most Holy Family Monastary on the web and go to their "Watch Our Videos" page. Scroll down and watch the video called "The Money Masters". These guys have sat around their monastary for years figuring things out. It's very imformative and will really open your eyes to what you're up against. It will make you want to build a statue to honor Andrew Jackson. Anyway, remember to use common sense an to say no to most expenditures. Oh yes, mute the commericals on your teevee. | 
