BUT FIRST . . . TWO ITEMS that may also GREATLY improve YOUR life:

1 . Can you profit from some very low-cost INTERNET advertising? Of course, you can! Special limited pricing right now at: http://dax-power-blast.com/advertise/

2. Nothing to SELL you here - but happy to TELL you here  -  (that) if you or anybody you care about suffers from any of the 100 different types of arthritis, there is virtual INSTANT RELIEF  available from a product SuEllen stumbled upon at the world-famous Shipshewana (Indiana) weekly Amish sales event recently.

She got me a little sample, I tried it and then ordered a big batch. You can put just a tiny amount of the stuff on your most painful neck, elbow, hip, knee, back or whatever and KNOW that within 10 minutes or so 100% of the pain WILL be gone! And the total pain relief may last upwards of 6 - 8 hours. It is incredible! 

I should sell the stuff, but I do NOT! So . . . just GOOGLE ‘’Pain Wizard'’ and check out various sites to get the best pricing. If you end up paying twenty bux for a large tube of the stuff (as I did) - consider yourself lucky - that’s VERY CHEAP TOTAL PAIN RELIEF! ‘’DAX is in his heaven - all’s right with the world'’ - YEY!

If you are in pain - from most any source - not just from arthritis - you will be thanking me profusely for this vital info . . .  guaranteed!  For a quick ‘’thank you, DAX'’ email, try: DeanFVD@DAXRICH.com 

 $    $    $    $    $

It would have been darn near impossible for you to have missed a couple major political gaffs recently involving the two major Presidential candidates.

The first and in many ways, the most glaring, was a statement made by one of John McCain’s stooges, Senator Phil Gramm. In essence, he said that there’s really nothing inherently wrong with the U.S. economy . . . that those who are complaining about it are simply ‘’whiners'’. . . and in general, that Americans are suffering from a ‘’mental recession.'’ Apparently, we were all supposed to have a big laugh over his cleverness, i.e., ‘’mental recession'’ -v- ‘’mental depression.'’

Yeah . . . big hairy joke . . . but . . .

THERE ARE GENUINELY SERIOUS CHALLENGES FACING OUR ECONOMY!

Hey, Senator Gramm-cracker - you are a friggin’, selfish, uncaring idiot - and I don’t give a whit about your Ph.D. in economics. I suggest that you get your stupid fat-cat ass out of the D.C. Belt-Line and into the REAL America - the source of ALL of the money YOU and your dilettante cohorts fritter away daily - comes from!

Visit a few states, cities, towns and villages where millions of people are HURTING! Start with Michigan, where we have the highest unemployment of all 50 states. But the Mitten State is merely a microcosm of the whole, as people everywhere have been losing their jobs, homes and cars in droves.

‘’Brand name'’ companies have either gone out of business entirely - or have moved their operations to Mexico - thanks to NAFTA and the Billary Clitons of yesteryear (and let’s HOPE they remain in ‘’yesteryear'’ - forever - they are both truly worthless hasbeens!)

The ever-escalating price of all fuels - gasoline, disel, propane and natural gas - is forcing many people to choose between getting to their job (if they have one) . . . to medical appointments, necessary shopping and so forth OR in some cases . . . eating properly . . . or paying their mortgage (if they still have a house on which to pay a mortgage!)

It is reported that some 48 million Americans have no health insurance and people are surely suffering - and dying - as a result.

Hoards of people who worked hard, saved their money over the years and invested in retirement plans - or simply socked their $$$ away in an FDIC insured bank are now discovering that their retirement funds have disappeared or have been reduced so drastically as to be of little value.

The last bastion of SAFETY AND SECURITY - those FDIC protected savings institutions - no longer pay enough interest to make leaving one’s money IN the damn banks! I alone have lost over $200,000 in annual income just because of that salient fact!

So, Senator - you stupid asshole - don’t be telling us Americans that we are whiners or suffer from ‘’mental recession'’ - because what we DO suffer from are a whole bunch of inept politicians, congressman and women, Senators, Presidents and others who delight in spending TRILLIONS of dollars on unnecessary wars and ALLOW - perhaps, even ENCOURAGE speculation in oil commodities which is the REAL underlying reason we all have apoplexy at the pump during each fill-up!

Further, it is ONLY because of worthless politicos that we have a totally screwed up medical crisis here . . . that banks are failing right and left . . . untold numbers of people have lost their homes . . . and in general, that our economy has long ago started going to hell in the proverbial handbasket.

WHY ALL THIS MISERY?

Lots of reasons - too many to list here - and no real point in doing so - HOWEVER, there are some glaring causes that cannot be overlooked - and again, most can be quickly traced back to a lack of leadership at the highest levels of government, to wit:

• We all hate government regulation or intervention into or lives but without it we would suffer chaos - and that will be our fate shortly, if ‘’they'’ continue to be derelict in the performance of their duty. For instance, commodity markets need tougher regulation - without ANY doubt.

The principal reason that you and I are paying so much to run our vehicles is because the SEC has allowed totally uncontrolled and wild speculation in the oil markets. There IS plenty of supply - and everybody knows it - but the per-barrel price of oil is being jacked up minute by minute by those self-same speculators.

Do I blame THEM? Hell no! They are operating within the legal parameters of the ‘’system'’ - are breaking no (CURRENT) laws - and are getting rich in the process: More power to them!

But the Congress needs to rein in those speculators - and save the treasure of the other 300 million Americans who are suffering from their destructive, self-interest actions.

• Congress also is at fault for the on-going sub-prime mortgage debacle, as well as the real estate CRISIS which we are starting to see unfold. Before long, your $500,000 abode - if you don’t lose it due to foreclosure - will be worth about half that sum - if you’re lucky. Prices may just crash through the floor before the real estate market recovers fully.
• There’s some talk of late that Congress MAY impose a Federally-mandated speed limit - nationwide - of 55 mph. If they do, and if said mandate were to be vigorously enforced, we would almost immediately obviate the need for ANY of the controversial extraneous oil-drilling in Alaska, the Gulf area, offshore on the west coast and other areas ‘’sensitive'’ to tree-huggers. It will probably NOT help lower the price - but it WILL go a very long way toward our becoming self-sufficient vis-B-vis imported oil.

That one action alone - asking that Americans sacrifice a bit to alleviate the problem of excessive consumption - rather than (their) continuing to insist that ‘’Big Brother'’ cure all our ills - when by now, we know for sure and for certain he neither can nor has the will or wherewithal to execute the task - would unite our fellow citizens in a common POSITIVE cause rather than cause us all to gripe so much.

So, regulation sometimes CAN be a ‘’Martha Stewart'’ (as in, ‘’that’s a GOOD thing!'’)

BUT, ‘’THAT’S NOT WHY YOU CALLED . . . ‘’

. . . as Letterman would say!

In the headline I promised to show you how to SurTHRIVE™ your own financial crisis. For starters, let me make clear that for the past 46 1/2 years - starting on Valentines Day in 1962 (which was my 22nd birthday) - we have striven to do three things better than anybody else - which is to show you and other deserving, hard-working people:

1. How to create a good income from a privately owned business of your own - whether it is the proverbial ‘’home-based'’ variety or, one that you operate from a nicely appointed, big fancy office somewhere.

2. Where to invest extra funds to ensure on-going growth of your earnings.

3. Common as well as unique ways to SAVE money in all areas of your personal and business affairs. (Which reminds me: Just yesterday, SuEllen and I were driving to Wally-Mart and there was a big roadside sign that said, ‘’Let us cater your next affair!'’ I turned to S.E. and said that if I were ever to have an affair, I don’t think I would want it to be so widely known that I would need to CATER it!) She didn’t think that was funny . . .

CUT TO THE CHASE!

For now, let’s ignore the first two criteria on which we usually concentrate: You either HAVE a bunch of money or not. You are either in great financial shape or just so-so. Regardless, we have often provided you and other DAX-DOERS with a plethora of exciting methods to MAKE money and also have offered many suggestions on where to invest it, so . . .

. . . let’s just talk about SURVIVAL right now.

As I’ve always said, if you don’t love yourself - how could you have the capacity to love anyone else? And if you have lost the wherewithal - or are about to lose it - to support you and yours - there’s little chance that you can go on to prosper - no matter how smart the money-making opportunities you learn from DAX or from anyone else.

Thus, let’s get to the nitty-gritty of financial survival which encompasses these basic areas:

FOOD, SHELTER, MEDICAL & MENTAL HEALTH, INCOME, TRANSPORTATION, Plus: KEEP WHAT YOU’VE GOT!

We can argue the order in which I’ve listed these primary needs, but you will agree that all are pretty basic necessities, right? Okay . . .

FOOD

I would suggest that at one time or another a large percentage of people have had to literally tighten their belts and consume less food - not because they wanted to lose weight, but because the cost of food was just too much. And of course, due to many factors, we are all now seeing the cost of food escalate at a rather fast clip - although not quite as drastically as fuel costs.

In my youth, I ‘’went hungry'’ on many occasions - out of ignorance. As I look back I realize that although there was little extra cash (and in MY youth it WAS actual cash - we had no such thing as VISA and MasterCard!) - knowing what I know now, I could have had more sustenance than I believed I could afford at the time.

For instance: Delicious, nutritious meals can be quickly concocted using very low-cost ingredients such as pasta, onions, potatoes, beans, zucchini, tomatoes, various home-made sauces, different spices and so on. You’ll find over in the left column under CATEGORIES, ‘’Tasty Repasts.'’ Check it out for a whole bunch of easy and cheap recipes.

Above all, educate yourself on the joy of cooking at home. Quit totally the purchase of expensive, prepared foods - either at the stores or certainly, at restaurants. You can save a TON of money by not eating out - at least during whatever financial crisis you may be enduring.

Quit ALL unnecessary food and extraneous expenses such as Star Bucks coffee . . . colas and other such beverages and for gosh sakes, if you like a nip now and then - buy a cheap bottle of hooch - otherwise, you’ll pay as much at a restaurant or bar for one or two drinks as you will for an entire bottle.

I’m widely known for my famous ‘’DAX Perfect Martinis,'’ right? For years, I’ve made ALL of ‘em using ‘Heaven Hill’ vodka that costs about eleven bux for a half gallon. Many times, I’ve substituted one of the higher-priced vodkas, such as Gray Goose or Stoli - costing $40.00 - $50.00 a bottle and NO ONE has ever noticed the difference either way!

Once you’ve taught yourself the art of cooking on the cheap, you will gain a sense of pride and accomplishment and I guaran-damn-tee you that in the main, YOUR home-made food products will be of superior taste and quality to most anything you’d pay several times more for in a local eatery!

And best of all, you’ll know exactly WHAT ingredients you and yours are consuming. Less sodium perhaps, NO MSG - if you’re smart - I once saw a woman drop dead in a Chinese restaurant from an overdose of MSG!

Learn (and teach others) the value of drinking plain water - or make some iced tea (green is healthiest!) Add some lemon, perhaps.

Use your imagination - and check out the many recipe sites on the Internet for ideas.

Shop intelligently - buy in quantity to save money ONLY when the item(s) will truly be used near term - and are such that you would be able to actually us them. No sense in buying ten cans of Okra on sale- if you know darn well you and yours will never eat the stuff!

Go to local Dollar stores - amazing, the foodstuffs you can pick up there - but especially, low-cost spices that will, in time, become your best cooking buddies!

Wal-Mart and similar stores generally offer lower pricing that is much less than more traditional outlets such as KROGERS. Incidentally, if you live in the Elkhart area, steer clear of KROGERS! S.E.’s mother recently tripped on an uneven parking lot there and had to be taken to the hospital. And the bastards at KROGERS wouldn’t even replace the shoes she ruined - let alone pay her medical bills. Yes . . . a lawsuit is in progress - what else you gonna do?!

Regardless, you’ll need to do a whole lot of price comparison. I recently picked up a ton of Kraft Mac ‘n’ Cheese at three boxes for a dollar! I add a caramelized onion and some soy milk to the admixture and it’s truly a delicious lunch for two - for about 25 CENTS each! (In a pinch, you can actually substitute plain old water for moo-cow or soy milk and there’s not much difference in taste!)

You may also become one of those zealous coupon-clippers - one woman just yesterday was on the teevee showing how she spends a mere $10.00 a week to feed her family of four due to her judicious (and I would say, tenacious) use of free or discount coupons. You probably know that you can get a ton of manufacturer coupons on line. Just GOOGLE ‘’free coupons.'’

Just know this (again): You must keep yourself and your family ‘’fed'’ above and beyond almost everything else. Thus, perhaps more than anything else, it will pay you to learn all you can about ‘’home economics'’ - especially, as regards the (literal) ‘’sustenance of life.'’

SHELTER

We all gotta live somewhere. Like many others, I’ve always striven to provide the best, largest, most luxurious home possible. In the past, I admittedly took that notion to extremes:

I’ve told you about my million-dollar abode in East Lansing, Michigan - called MOTH (Mansion On The Hill) Manor. Three levels, 11,000 square feet, 5-car garage, pool room, wine cellar, gymnasium with sauna and whirlpool, EIGHT bathrooms, and on and on. It had all the accouterments possible and not only was the finest and most outstanding structure in the most expensive neighborhood in the city - it also had an annual tax tab of $25,000.00 . . . the highest for a private residence in Ingham county . . . ouch!

Incidentally, I paid 100% cash to have that house built from my own design - just from mailing list rentals. Took 255 guys and gals 2 years to ‘’git ‘er done!'’

For a quick glance at MOTH MANOR (and bee-oo-ti-ful ME!) go to www.DAXFAX.com 

But not too many years before that, I was dead-busted broke - living in an actual ‘’cold-water'’ flat above a decrepit old drug store next to very active railroad tracks in the worst part of Lansing. Fifty bux a month - no heat, no hot water, no a/c - but lots of rats and other unpleasantries.

So. I know whereof I speaketh when the subject of ‘’shelter'’ comes up!

However, there’s no real reason to live as badly as I did in my earlier years, nor is there probably any good reason to maintain a million-dollar property - even if, as ’twas in my case - the place is fully paid for. There are all sorts of attendant problems - especially, when divorce time rolls around again (and again and again!)

BEST SHELTER IDEA - RIGHT NOW!

A mentioned earlier, far too many folks have lost their homes in recent months: Perhaps, you are one of them. As a result of the mortgage debacle, there is a very heavy inventory of properties ‘’on the market'’ - most just sitting idle.

You can EASILY pick up a decent house for you and yours by contacting whomever is still holding ‘’paper'’ on the place. For starters, banks will be extremely co-operative if approached before the property gets to actual foreclosure. Even better in many situations, you may well be able to make a skinnier deal with the homeowner, whereby you agree to take over the payments or buy directly from the him/her on a land contract basis - in ALL cases with ‘’zero'’ down.

You pay no money up front of any kind. Frankly, even in ‘’good economic times'’ this method is bonafide and serves as the basis for many a huge real estate fortune. But again, that IS another story, as I eluded to early on in this piece . . .

Another, lesser approach would be to actively seek out a homeowner who wants to hang onto a property but live elsewhere. You may be able to offer to ‘’house-sit'’ the property for a few weeks or months - again, at no cost to you - not even for any of the utilities, insurance or other costs.

Look, there is truly no excuse for living on the streets, or in a homeless shelter or having to move back with relatives, inlaws or outlaws! NOT in ‘’THESE DAYS!'’ Decades ago, there were not so many options and some of our own relatives LITERALLY ‘’lived under a bridge'’ for awhile and no, they were NOT trolls - HA!

So . . . be resourceful! You are (or were) a hard-working, law-abiding, tax-paying American who has been dealt a lousy hand OR perhaps, you’ve simply screwed up along the way and caused your own misery! ‘’Erase Your Financial Burdens!'’ - a popular report we first published years ago (and is currently part of a larger report, ‘’DAX Money Machine!'’) was ballyhooed thusly, ‘’You managed to get yourself into financial trouble - now learn how to get yourself OUT!'’

The same holds true now: You can seek a bail-out from others, but you’ll be far better off - and have a greater sense of accomplishment (and self-respect) if you take steps to get your own sorry butt out of whatever mess you got yourself into . . .

MEDICAL & MENTAL HEALTH

This is a tough one - even in a stable economy, because those damnable politicians (again!) have allowed our national health industry to soar way out of control to the point where we constantly hear ludicrous tales of hospitals charging 50 dollars for a single aspirin or a bandaid.

That kind of crap simply should be CRIMINAL - and again, our paid civil servants are just not doing their job! Or how about when a surgeon charges many thousand of dollars for a 45-minute procedure - and then, schedules 8 or ten of ‘em for a single day?! There is in law a known axiom of ‘’unjust enrichment.'’ Yet, NO ONE enforces it! I would submit that some of those high-flyin’ medicos ought to be knocked down a notch, eh wot?!

Regardless, we all need medical care and with so many of our fellow citizens suffering from the economic woes of our nation, many also are or soon will be in need to address some mental health issues, I fear.

For starters, there are several programs that provide for free or nearly free prescription drugs. A number of pharmacies - including the aforementioned Wal-Mart - offer a long list of Rx drugs for just $4.00 per month. I was JUST informed that Costco offers an even lower-cost program - details of which I do not have at this time.

A number of doctors who are not all that hell-bent on ONLY getting rich rather than serving the needs of their patients - will provide medical care for a reduced sum - or may be willing to defer payment until you and yours are on a more solid footing. But, you’ll need to ask!

Community Mental Health centers across the land provide all sorts of services which need cost you zilch. Again, do some research: It may be as simple as opening up the yellow pages and dialing a number.

In our impoverished county here, just last week the area CMH announced it will be building a new $3.5 million center PLUS a separate, equally costly facility for recreational purposes! Taxpayers be damned! Somehow, ‘’Big Brother'’ has seen fit to shell out all sorts of big bux for those purposes so . . . take advantage of ‘em, if need be!

If you are a senior, there are many perks available to you, including numerous 100% free services by way of your local Commission On Aging. COA’s (in some places called Council On Aging) provide recreational, nutritional, transportation and other vital needs to older folks in the community. Yet many people are totally unaware they are qualified to receive such benefits - whether they are ‘’needy'’ or the richest person in the state!

INCOME

If you are still gainfully employed, but need more money to offset rising fuel, food and other costs, there are several things you can do:

• Make yourself more valuable to your employer. Rather than just going through the motions of whatever your daily tasks are, study your job and how it fits in the overall plan of the company. Ingratiate yourself to your employer - and voice your findings and constructive suggestions.

By doing so, you may ensure that you will still HAVE a job when others are let go. Better still, a raise in pay may soon come your way when your boss realizes how valuable you are to the concern.

• Start a moonlighting business of some sort. We have specialized in showing millions on how to do that for nearly fifty years so, there’s no shortage of ideas in that regard. Simply go to the left column there and click on MONEY-MAKING. There are about 80 or so ‘DAX Money-Makers™’
• If you need some ‘’crisis money'’ - cash you MUST have in a real big rush, try these:

Call all your utility companies - gas, electric, water/sewer, telephone, cable, etc., and see if they are holding in reserve any cash deposits you may have been required to make at the time service was started. Often, people will have a great deal of money like that accruing (by law) to said deposits so, you’ll get back more than you expected!

Go out and pick up discarded pop and beer bottles and cash ‘em in. I know one local fellow who does that regularly and makes an extra $200 a week for himself! He rides a bicycle and says he gets all his exercise that way. I know that he does not need the $$$, so I suspect the occupation of his time and the physical exercise are his primary motivation.

Offer your services as a baby sitter, to mow lawns or shovel snow - or whatever. Hey! Don’t feel bad - or think that such activities are beneath you! Most thinking people would applaud your efforts to support yourself far more than if you just go down to the unemployment or welfare office to suck off the public teat!

SELL some stuff! We all have things - many things probably, that we no longer need. Each time S.E. takes a load of goodies to the Goodwill I cannot help but think . . .

‘’Hmmmm . . . there’s about three hundred bux of stuff that we paid good money for - and now, she’s giving it all away!’‘ ’tis true - we all have things we no longer want, need or use and instead of donating them, perhaps, you should consider a garage or yard sale.

One of our all-time popular reports showed how to make $1,000.00 each and every week by gathering free and low-cost merchandise from various community sources and reselling in a yard or garage sale. I once tested the theory myself and in six hours on a Saturday dragged in $1,700.00!

Of course, you can always go the eBay route, if you prefer - I hate those people and have had nothing but horrible experiences with them and besides, a quickly-staged garage or yard sale later this week will get you a bunch of cash - FAST - whereas, eBay may come through for you (if, at all!) a couple weeks or more from now.

TRANSPORTATION

If you’re really strapped for money, even if you have a car or truck at your disposal, I would strongly suggest that you consider public transportation - at least until you’re back on track financially. Last year, there were over 10 BILLION rides on U.S. public transportation. I know this - and a lot more - because until recently, when she resigned, SuEllen was the Executive Director of Transportation for a Michigan county transit authority.

By the way, she recently resigned after devoting a year and seven months to rebuilding a horribly-managed transportation system, securing a much-needed millage to fund it, and obtaining various major grants, several entirely free $65,000 buses and such. Her exploits garnered an extraordinary amount of favorable publicity and accolades, both in the area print media, as well as on various TV stations.

But thankfully, after her working 7 days and nights for that year and a half-plus, I have her back home at BLUE HERON POINTE - at least for now! THAT, thanks to the slackards who staffed the Board of Directors which oversaw her authority: They were required to review her contract at the end of her first year but failed to do so, and after an additional eight monthly meetings couldn’t manage to even gather a quorum so, at my urging, she finally quit in disgust.

In almost all jurisdictions across the land, where public transportation is offered - whether buses, subways or trains, it is generally cost-effective to avail yourself of those services - at least part of the time - and to give your vehicle(s) and your pocketbook a rest! Indeed, I helped with some surveys S.E. conducted and discovered that many people - especially, older (and wiser?!) folks had actually sold their cars, SUVs or trucks - cancelled their costly insurance coverage and started using the local bus system exclusively.

NEVERTHELESS . . .

. . . it may well be that YOU either must continue using your own vehicle to get you around or, maybe, you just darn well PREFER to keep, maintain and utilize your own car or truck. In either case, here is some data that we compiled for SuEllen’s transit operation which we also posted on her monthly website that was devoted to informing the community of ‘’all things bus-ee!'’

I’ll replay it here precisely as it appeared on that website (www.SJCTA.info). Indeed, it may still appear there, as I do not believe the new Director has had a chance to update the site as we - (actually yours truly!) faithfully did, each and every month for a year and a half+ - HA!)

IN TRANSIT: Major Gas Pain Relief!

It’s no news that all of us are having to pay more - MUCH MORE - to fill up our gas and diesel-powered vehicles these days - whether we’re driving cars, trucks, SUVs, motorcycles, boats, lawn mowers or in the case of the SJCTA, vans and buses.

Recently, we compiled a list of some important fuel-saving tips - gathered from the experts - and we have discussed these with all SJCTA personnel with the goal of conserving as much fuel - and money - as possible.

Perhaps, you could benefit from this information as well, although in YOUR case, I guess the number one money-saving ‘’tip'’ would be . . .

. . . to schedule your trips on an SJCTA bus as often as possible and ‘’Leave the expensive fuel fill-ups to . . . US!'’

Here though, are some very real things to consider if you would like to save some money when it comes to keeping your vehicle ‘’on the road:'’

• We all know that one of the very first things we’re always told to do is NOT make any of those ‘’jack rabbit starts.'’ A slow and steady acceleration from a dead stop saves a great deal of fuel.
• Modern day engines do not require a prolonged warm-up period as did older ones. In general, one can get into a vehicle, start it up and begin the trip without waiting for the engine to warm up, and in so doing, waste a lot of fuel.

One trick that we thought was good: BEFORE starting the engine, put on your seat belts, adjust your mirrors, put on your sun glasses and do all the other things that you must or want to do before putting the vehicle in gear and only THEN, turn on on the ignition!

• Remove any extraneous ‘’stuff'’ from your vehicle as that will reduce weight - and the more weight, the more it costs to move it around.
• Train yourself to slow down BEFORE your actual need to stop. Most people have a bad habit of coming up to a stop sign, stop light or any other reason to slow or stop and then hit the brakes. This is very costly! It consumes fuel unnecessarily.

Instead, anticipate upcoming slow-downs or actual stops and allow the back pressure of your vehicle’s engine to slow you down rather than depending solely on the brakes. Doing so, also saves on wear and tear of your braking system - which can become very costly.

• When ‘’on the road'’ make every effort to maintain a constant speed, rather than speed-up/slow-down. Consistent speed is the key word. Also, did you know that for every ten miles per hour above 55 MPH it is the literal equivalent of your paying 50 cents a gallon MORE per gallon of fuel?! WOW! That alone sort of makes you want to slow down!
• It is very important to make sure that you regularly replace your vehicle’s air filters. We all know to replace oil filters - that’s almost automatic - but many do not realize that air filters really affect fuel consumption. A dirty blocked filter can reduce your MPG by as much as 25%!
• Speaking of oil: Nowadays, most modern-day engines do not really require an oil change every 3,000 miles as they once did. Experts tell us that you can get up to 5,000 miles between oil changes with regular petroleum products or as much as 7,000 miles between changes if you are using the more expensive synthetic oil products.
• This seems a bit ‘’far out'’ but a few experts swear that you can save on your fuel costs if you keep your vehicle clean! Something about increased, smooth air flow. Well, we’re not certain of that - BUT you will notice that ‘’almost always'’ when you see one of your SJCTA buses or vans travelling down the road it WILL be super clean, as that is our policy - ‘’just because!'’
• THIS ONE IS SUPER IMPORTANT! Whenever you find yourself at a stop light, at a drive-in bank or a fast food drive-in - or actually, ANY place where you sense you will need to wait for service . . . immediately turn off your ignition! This alone can save you a tremendous amount of fuel. In fact, those hybrid vehicles base a significant part of their efficiency on automatically shutting down the engine in such circumstances.
• When it comes to actually buying fuel, you may save a great deal of money if you do the obvious: Shop around! Ask your friends, relatives, neighbors, co-workers and others where their best deals are. In our immediate area of St. Joseph county, we often see prices for basic regular gasoline varying as much as 25 cents per gallon! That is really significant! On a twenty gallon purchase, that’s a $5.00 savings!
• Some people go on-line and check out websites that show local prices, such as www.gasbuddy.com
• Oh, and this: Those experts (again!) tell us that we should regularly check the tire pressure on our vehicles to make certain they are inflated to the prescribed PSI. Doing so can result in an on-going fuel savings, which, when combined with the others which we’ve listed here could save you a whole bunch of money.

But again . . . whenever you can . . . rather than fire up the ol’ flivver -just call your reliable and low-cost SJCTA service and say, ‘’That’s My Ride!'’

+ + + + +

A PERSONAL OBSERVATION: I got curious about the so-called ‘’hypermiling'’ that’s been featured on the teevee of late, so, I took one of our cars, a convertible that is rated at 29 MPG by the government, and experimented over a 500 mile period.

I did NOT engage in any ‘’drafting'’ of semi trucks, as that seemed too dangerous, BUT I did all the rest of the things - turned off the engine when waiting for service at a bank, drive-in or even at long red lights and train passings, etc. I drove at 50 MPH as much as possible, and never did any of those ‘’jack-rabbit'’ starts that we all like to do (especially, when we’re pissed off about something, eh wot?!) I also incrementally down-shifted to slow the vehicle rather than jam on the brakes.

Guess what? I easily boosted the actual MPG from 29 to 51 MPG - just by those few extra steps! Great fun and . . . SAVINGS!

KEEP WHAT YOU’VE GOT!

Finally, whatever you’ve been able to accumulate over the years - hang onto it! I’m not talking about extraneous ‘’stuff'’ that you may be able to convert into cash, as we talked about earlier, but rather, other, more substantial assets. Perhaps, you have a 401k or an IRA or other valuable resource that you may be tempted to relinquish in an emergency.

And maybe, that will be your only choice, but I would strongly urge you to FIRST explore every other avenue before letting go of such a hard-earned (over a long period, no doubt) asset. There will come a time when things WILL look better - you WILL be on the other side of your financial dilemma and will be SO happy that you somehow managed to hold onto your IRA, kid’s college fund or other vital capital asset.

To accomplish that, you may need to make some OTHER tough decisions in an effort to save money - cut down on expenses, and so forth. If so, realize that ‘’it only hurts for a little while!'’ Here are some cost-cutting measures to consider:

You’re gonna hate it BUT, do consider:

• Discontinuing your landline telephone service. This can save you a hundred bux or more monthly. Instead, get yourself a Tracfone - it costs about $20.00 - sometimes, on special promotions you can get ‘em for FREE - and then load it up with some minutes for about $19.95.

Re-load only as needed to keep the phone active - usually, every 60 days although, for a mere $5.00 you can ‘’buy'’ an extra 30 to 60 days. Offers vary - I recently bought 400 minutes for each of our cell phones and for some odd reason, they gave us 600 extra minutes at no cost!

You can go online at www.tracfone.com for info or WalMart and other outlets sell both the phones, as well as the time cards.

• Kill off that costly teevee cable service! Many spend a hundred bux or more monthly on what . . . ? A couple hundred channels which truly give you nothing but mindless pap - ridiculous so-called reality shows - the same news over and over - news you can get free elsewhere.

You may consider cancelling your ISP - depends on how much you rely on the Internet. There are several ISP that offer full service for about ten bux a month - check ‘em out. But be sure to AVOID PeoplePC - they are crooks and recently were the subject of a nationwide class action suit which we helped institute.

Unfortunately, AARP was responsible for causing many members to join PeoplePC but later refused to admit their gross error - depsite many of us urging them to do so! By the way, if you have AOL and are a ‘’senior,'’ they will give you a 10% cash discount.

You’ll find a whole bunch of other good ideas for ‘’keeping what you’ve already got'’ in (again) that left column over there - under the category MONEY-SAVING.

This may seem odd, but I know of many people who have an expensive yard service, or even a weekly maid service who simply cannot afford such luxury: Hey! Just bite the bullet, pull a Moses and ‘’let those people go!'’

LAST BUT FAR FROM LEAST . . .

If you’re still in need of more - much more - help in not merely surviving your particular case of monetary miseries, and would also like to learn how to actually PROSPER as a result, I would strongly urge you to get your very own ‘’DAX SurTHRIVal® System.'’

This is a 4-hour cassette tape program that also includes supplemental printed materials which together, guide you through ANY financial crisis and take you to the other side, debt-free, and in many cases PROSPEROUS! That’s why the thing is called the ‘’DAX SurTHRIVal® System'’ and not merely ‘’Survival!'’

It is well-known, that during ALL past economic crises a few people - in the know - have managed to circumvent their trials and tribulations, PLUS emerge WEALTHY, as well! You may well be one of those fortunate few.

The ‘’DAX SurTHRIVal™ System'’ normally sells for $99.50 plus $7.00 s/h but right now, during this nationwide financial crisis in which we all find ourselves, if you need the system, you can have it for just $29.95 and that will INCLUDE the shipping and handling - my personal gift to you!

Just send your remittance of $29.95 to: DAX-Thrive, Box 447, Centreville, MI 49032-0447 (or) you can email to: NetOrders@DAXRICH.com (or) DAX-FAX to: 1-269-467-4497.

-OR-

I will actually see to it that you receive the ‘’DAX SurTHRIVal™ System'’ 100% FREE if you do what I’d really like to see you do (and believe me - NOT for MY sake - but for YOURS - I will actually lose a few bux on THIS deal!):

Order the ‘’DAX Ultimate Millionaire Wealth-Builders!'’ at the regular pricing of $99.00 plus $7.00 s/h), and you will also receive the ‘’DAX SurTHRIVal™ System'’ at absolutely NO EXTRA COST. Plus, you’re going to get several other premium items that are NORMALLY part and parcel of this extraordinary wallet-fattening, home-based business opportunity, including:

• ‘’That Old DAX Magic!'’ (Reg. $46.50
• ‘’Be Your Own Boss!'’ (Reg. $25.00)
• ‘’How To Earn One Million Dollars Per Year Satisfying The Needs & Desires of Others!'’ ($36.95).

The above constitiutes your very best (ever!) ‘’DAX-DEAL'’ and if you can cough up the $106.00 you will never regret it - believe me. Just send the $$ and your order to DAX-Ultimate, Box 447, Centreville, MI 49032-0447 OR again, you can either email it or DAX-FAX it to 1.269.467.4497.

By the way, our carrier for the DAX-FAX system is Verizon - which is about the same as having two tin cans and a string so, if you have trouble sending a DAX-FAX order - just postal mail or better still (and much faster), email to: NetOrders@DAXRICH.com

As always - a 46 1/2 year tradition now, we process ALL orders under our exclusive no return, refund or exchange policy - the same day received!

In closing: Listen, if you are ‘’hurtin’ for certain'’ right now - just remember that a whole lot of us before you suffered the same plight! WE got through it - and emerged far better for the experience. So will YOU - but you MUST become self-reliant, study and act smartly! Do NOT rely on government, relatives, friends or anyone else to help you out of the fix in which you find yourself.

DO IT YOURSELF and you will forever be grateful to the one person who means the very most to you . . . YOU!

-Dean

P.S. There is a HUGE BONUS that comes with the ‘’DAX Ultimate Millionaires Wealth-Builders'’ system - and that is a genuine, bonafide, I-Swear-To-God method for you to totally eliminate - legally and forever - any and all STUDENT LOAN DEBT that you may be angsting over!

I’m serious: We alone have discovered how you may quickly ditch any and all student loans you may be carrying - and I don’t care if we’re talking $50,000.00, $100,000.00 or more!

This intel comes to you at no extra cost and in fact, it is so important to so many of our new DAX-DOERS that it is the very first thing you’ll discover to your ever-lasting delight when you crack open your very own ‘’DAX Ultimate Millionaires Wealth-Builders!'’ system - I promise! (And 99.9 out of a hundred attorneys have NEVER learned this vital data!)

ALWAYS LEAVE ‘EM LAUGHING:

Did you think that I was being lopsided and would ignore Barak Obama’s own recent sticky wicket? Hardly! I have no confidence in EITHER of the two principal Presidential candidates and really fear for our nation’s financial health and welfare in the upcoming years - regardless of who next occupies the White House.

But, about Obama: It seems this man cannot catch a break from his own supporters - especially, those who CLAIM to be God-fearing christians and in particular . . . his cotton-pickin’ spiritual advisors - wow!

The latest, I’m sure you know - was a rude ‘n’ crude remark - totally uncalled for - yet wholly representative of the Reverend Jessie Jackass who uttered the vulgar declaration (which we will NOT repeat here!) - whilst THINKING his microphone was turned off.

Anyway, here’s the ‘’Leave ‘em Laughing'’ bit I have for you:

One day recently, (and this is true) Obama’s plane had to be diverted from a flight across the country, because the pilot could not properly control navigation.

After the FAA had started an investigation, they decided to turn their attention to the aforementioned Reverend Jackass. Why? Well, it seems that whilst all the rivets, welds and bolts were found to be okay - someone had cut off the nuts . . .

$ $ $ $ $

IF YOU ARE VISITING HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME . . .

. . . know this:

Use the link below ‘’PREVIOUS ENTRIES'’ to instantly access some eighty (or more) complete and detailed weekly posts crammed with all sorts of money-saving as well as money-making ideas for you - all 100% FREE! Just hit the link after you finish reading each post - to access the post that came before it.

-30-

Bookmark to: