BS: Economic help you could use

Subject: BS: Economic help you could use
From: Donuel
Date: 05 Mar 09 - 10:06 AM

With so much heard about the dark side of the economy lets not forget the bright side of this coin. I will research and list the help that is out there locally and nationally. I understand people prefer links, but this is only off the top of my head to start with...


Student loans are available starting at 5% for the disadvantaged and as high as 11%. See the schools finance director.


Loans are available by by the America Greening bank which is a micro loan provider for small entrepreneurs.

Car loans are available by a select few dealerships who still have a good relationship with a local bank.

Citibank has put a 90 day moratorium on late mortgages so people maight find alternative employment.


The Obama plans for mortgage relief are in a pipeline that could take the better part of a year to use, but they are coming.
It will help 3 different situations for mortgage relief starting with allowing judges to change the terms of the loan, assisting those who are currently 3 months behind with money and giving more time.

Victory gardens and seed swaps are seeing their biggest surge ever.

Food stamps are no longer embarrassing, you swipe a magnetic card just like a debit card.

Making alcohol (alcoholcanbeagas.com) is a cheap alternative to gasoline and natural gas for some.

While their are pockets of 45% unemployment in America it is projected that unemployment will peak in the high teens and not the high 20s as in 1930.

The ultra wealthy private sector and religious right have yet to come to the aid of their neighbours in a big way but if we keep the teaching of being our brothers keeper alive, the selfish greedy wall street Rick Santelli's of this world will get drowned out.

Subject: RE: BS: Economic help you could use
From: Donuel
Date: 05 Mar 09 - 10:12 AM

Bargains is also part of the bargain. Some IP providers begin at 10 a month.

Craigs List.

(f-ebay) CEO Whitman skimmed $1,000,000,000 off the top for herself and thier fees remain obscene)

Locally the Unique shops offer top notch close outs on new and used clothing items at a 80%+ savings. Better than the Salvation Army which is going downhill here.

Food in bulk that could last a year is very affordable now.

Subject: RE: BS: Economic help you could use
From: katlaughing
Date: 05 Mar 09 - 11:19 AM

What an excellent idea for a thread! Thanks, Donuel!

One thing I have been resisting is switching our prescription meds to a large supplier, such as City Market where we buy groceries. They advertise $4 for most generic drugs, while I pay $20, at least, for co-pay at our only locally owned and operated pharmacy which also delivers! I am going to wait a bit to see how the healthcare reform goes, but it is still a consideration.

Subject: RE: BS: Economic help you could use
From: Donuel
Date: 05 Mar 09 - 11:27 AM

http://www.local.com/results.aspx?keyword=financial+help&cid=906&gid=Finance&gclid=CKiSk-KZjJkCFQEoGgodFUYJng
link for local help


There are now hundreds of scams for economic help or jobs,
The way to identify them is if they ask for ANY money up front before you get any aid.

Subject: RE: BS: Economic help you could use
From: Donuel
Date: 05 Mar 09 - 02:26 PM

Instead of asking for a spare dime, ask for a spare 5.

negotiate new price structures whether it is your dentist or your yacht captain.

I need to get my county to allow clothes to be dried outside. It is currently illegal.

Gorwing crops in the front yard is also in violation of city ordinace that no grasses may grow over 18 inches high.,

Subject: RE: BS: Economic help you could use
From: katlaughing
Date: 05 Mar 09 - 02:50 PM

I'd be go to hell if they told me I couldn't do either of those on my own land!

Subject: RE: BS: Economic help you could use
From: GUEST,Peace
Date: 05 Mar 09 - 06:46 PM

"Gorwing crops in the front yard is also in violation of city ordinace that no grasses may grow over 18 inches high., "

Tell 'em it isn't a grass you're growing.

Subject: RE: BS: Economic help you could use
From: GUEST,Sorch
Date: 05 Mar 09 - 07:47 PM

Yea...tell em if you were growing 'grass' it would be in the basement under grow lights......on second thought, maybe not......

However, sweet corn is a 'grass'....so NO corn in the front yard. What about carrots, potaotes, tomatoes, etc....those are NOT 'grasses'

Subject: RE: BS: Economic help you could use
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 02:30 AM

Food stamps are no longer embarrassing, you swipe a magnetic card just like a debit card.

In the spirit of "helping the needy" it has been reported that some banks are charging the same "service charge" as for "foreign ATM withdrawals" on all purchases using the Food Stamp Card. (The store is "outside their system.") That could run to $5 or $10 for each use. The report I saw didn't really say how prevalent this is, but it's happening enough for there to be noticeable complaints. The specific slime-ball banks were not identified, but one might look for followup reports.

no grasses may grow over 18 inches high

Is there a "grass" variety adaptable to bonsai methods? If you can grow a 60 foot tree 2 feet tall, you oughta be able to keep an 8 foot grass under 18" and still get leafs at least (but maybe not seeds).

John

Subject: RE: BS: Economic help you could use
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 02:38 AM

The Obama plans for mortgage relief are in a pipeline ...

But many of the most frequently cited "reliefs" are applicable only to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans. The majority of mortgages - especially troubled ones - don't qualify for that reason. It appears that the planners expect other lenders to "follow the example" but without some forceful persuasion it's unlikely that they will come in line quietly or promptly.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Economic help you could use
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 02:50 AM

There are now hundreds of scams for economic help or jobs,

One of the most popular scams now is an email that mimics the actual web page of an employment recruiter/agency or employer, with messages:

1. Click here to update your resume.

2. We need additional information to complete the submittal of your resume to an interested employer. Click here.

3. Your application with (insert a well-known employer) has been rejected. Click here to see our analysis.

"Work at home" (and get rich) scams are also flooding the inboxes.

A very popular one now offers to "assist you in getting your share of the bailout money." (For a fee they'll send you to a web news report on the bailout, but if they're lucky they'll get your credit card number and/or bank account info first.)

And I've noted that "paid commercial programming" has approximately doubled on my local TV channels, with the percentage of "get rich" ads slightly more than double. (Probably only because the stations are trying to recoup costs of the DTV conversion, of course.)

John

Subject: RE: BS: Economic help you could use
From: Neil D
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 04:26 AM

Great idea for a useful thread Donuel. I wish I could offer some more specific advice but I will say that going back to school right now is a good idea. For many it will be easier to get grants and loans than a decent job. In some cases you can get money to live on as well as for tuition and books and then fill in the gaps with a part time lower paying job, which might be all that's available anyway. Take advantage of the downtime to pick up a marketable skill and then hit the ground running when the economy starts to recover in a couple years.

Subject: RE: BS: Economic help you could use
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 03:32 PM

Agreeing with Neil D, this is a good idea for a thread.

A quick look for the "homeowners help" bill passed yesterday by the US House finds only the original bill "as introduced" but I haven't yet found the version that was passed. The "introduced" form is very difficult reading since it's in the form of "in paragraph 9324 of Section 922.a.i.(b) of FR392 delete "as" and replace with "for" and delete ";" at the end of the line."

In order to know exactly what it does, it would be necessary to get the origina/current versions of some dozen separate regulations and "mark up" the changes. In order to tell whether each individual change applies to a particular kind of mortgage, one would have to know what kind of mortgage is regulated by each of the existing "parent laws" whre the changes are made.

Apparent applicability is limited to only loans originated under a previously existing Federal program such as FHA. The bill does give the VA permission to publish regulations to make the provisions of the bill applicable to VA loans, but does not require that such regulations be published. I suspect other "enablements without mandates" for other kinds of mortgages.

For some kinds of mortgages (and I can't tell at this point for which kinds) the bill allows/requires a mortgage servicer to modify the mortgage, with protection from claims by the actual "owner/holder" of the mortgage. This could be a very important aid, since the bundling of individual mortgages into trade packages has made it almost impossible for some to even find out who the "owner" is, and the actual owner may have waived the right to make changes when that mortgage joined a "package."

It seems to be clear that before being eligible for any of the "reliefs" in the bill, a homeowner must be able to prove that the servicer has been asked to provide relief prior to any request under the bill. It also seems to be clear that in order to receive any help, one must file bankruptcy, so the bill (apparently?) does nothing for anyone who wants to try to work out a better plan to avoid bankruptcy.

The bill allows a bankruptcy court to order a change in the "face value" of the mortgage, and to order a "refinancing" of the changed amount for up to 40 years; but the press has ignored that the 40 years is from the original date of the original mortgage, so someone with a 30 year mortgage, 20 years old, could - at best - refinance to a new 20 year mortgage.

And if the house is sold within any time up to three years, a percentage of the amount by which the mortgage face value was reduced becomes due to the Fed. (80% after one year, 60% after two, etc.) This may have the effect of locking anyone using the provisions of the act into remaining in the home. (This may preclude any relief for persons wanting to get out of an untenable mortgage and into an "honest" one in order to sell so that they can "downsize" to something more affordable.)

A prelimminary look only, and it's unlikely to pass in the Senate without substantial changes.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Economic help you could use
From: Donuel
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 08:14 PM

Good to see you John.

Many of the ideas for survival can be retrieved from the ideas people had in how to get by if the collapse becomes dire.

There are and will be shortages on basic drugs.

Get a doctor that will enable you to stockpile these.

Subject: RE: BS: Economic help you could use
From: mg
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 09:49 PM

I think we all have to be prepared to either take in relatives or pay rent to someone and bunch together more. I am putting my house on the market because I can't get renters...I had thought of taking in foster kids, which I have wanted to do for a while...it is still a possibility but my main job is insecure and I would have to move...but count on having brothers, nephews, cousins in the basement, attic, woodshed. Now, if they are clean, sober and drug-free, that is not a problem. As someone said long ago, a large part of the homeless problem is drugs and fear of taking some people in. And if you have to move in with someone, be as quiet, inobtrusive as possible. Meet your friends outside the house. Do the yardwork and windows and dishwashing. Let the nuclear family have its space. Plant a garden. Do some painting or home repairs for them if you don't have cash. Babysit. Take care of the elderly. We should be able to survive a 50% unemployment rate, God forbid..if everybody took in a person or family. That is one reason I bought my house..thinking more of terrorism though. mg

Subject: RE: BS: Economic help you could use
From: Donuel
Date: 11 Mar 09 - 09:41 AM

Speaking of renters...

40% if akk people being forced out their homes are renters due to a landlord being foreclosed.

If the landlord had a mortgage with Fannie Mae or Freddie the renter can apply to stay. HUD has been helping thousands of other renters to stay on.


mg.
Your thinking is valient.

Subject: RE: BS: Economic help you could use
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 11 Mar 09 - 11:37 AM

The economic help I could use is for Uncle Ed McMahon to come through with the $11,000,000 he promised us a while back. Other than that, I can't think of any help we need.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: Economic help you could use
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 11 Mar 09 - 02:14 PM

There are and will be shortages on basic drugs.
Get a doctor that will enable you to stockpile these.

My doctor likely would cooperate, but in the US nearly all "dispensers" are linked into nation-wide databases, and are barred (legally and/or by "policies") from dispensing more than, typically, a 90 day supply of most meds. Also, many of our most critical pharm products (e.g. insulin) have very short shelf-life.

This one may take a little work to find methods that are usable, although it's worth looking.

40% (of all?) people being forced out their homes are renters due to a landlord being foreclosed.

Although it's not often one sees anything good about Illinois politicians, I sort of like This guy's attitude

"Vigilante or Hero?

"Why one Chicago sheriff is defying the courts and refusing to perform evictions.
"Nick Summers Newsweek Web Exclusive, Mar 10, 2009"

John

Subject: RE: BS: Economic help you could use
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 11 Mar 09 - 03:31 PM

If you take insulin, first of all see if you can't reduce the amount by cutting out all starches, decreasing gradually and checking blood sugars of course. Don't be scared. Google it and understand why you are on it on the first place..because your body does not handle carbohydrates in the load you have been giving it. This is not medical advice. Figure it out for yourself. Also, read up on green beans and insulin..cat owners make up a broth out of green beans for diabetic cats. Also read up on Cinnamon. We will revolutionize health in this country when the medical people realize what is causing diabetes, which in turns causes heart problems, probably some cancers, etc. We eat too much white starch and "whole" stuff may or may not be that much better glycemic wise.

Anyway, if you have to have "guests" in your house..figure out the ground rules right now. Figure out the space right now. Single men or women, young and healthy..personally, I would give them a cot in the garage. Families..a rec room and bath in the basement. Set up as much separate cooking as you can. Get out the barbecue and tell them they can use it. Don't try to totally integrate families..keep them as separate via space, time of using certain rooms, etc. Get the kids outdoors. Have the "guests" go camping as much as possible. Don't allow them to have other guests over..they can meet at Mcd or the library or at church. No drugs, no smoking, set limits on alcohol consumption..when people are unemployed and frantic they often up their alcohol. No smelly foods you don't like. Get an old refer and put it in the basement to keep food separate. Limit time on computer. Have it understood the able-bodies will be up and out of the house by say 10 a.m. and if they are not working or actively seeking work or caring for others they will be doing some volunteer work. You are obliged to offer decent-living family members shelter, but not coddling, not too high a share in your own space etc. Not full participation in your nuclear family's life. Keep things as separated as possible unless you really enjoy living out of each other's pockets. Have a list of expected chores for them. They should be as low-impact as possible, and so should any of us if we have to move in with people. mg

Subject: RE: BS: Economic help you could use
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 12 Mar 09 - 01:07 PM

My latest passion is dumpster diving. I used to work on a college campus. Every day, on my way home, walking from my office to my car, I passed by a dumpster, and I made a habit of peeking in it. You wouldn't believe the things college students throw out! Here are some of the things I have got out of a dumpster:

* two rugs,
* a winter coat (that fits and is in perfect condition),
* a "designer" sweatshirt (ditto),
* a sleeping bag,
* a couple of wicker baskets, sturdy and in perfect condition (the kind that expensive gift fruit assortments come in)
* several clean sturdy corrugated boxes (the kind that computers come in, with a plastic handle—I use them for storage),
* a matched set of kitchen knives complete with wooden block holder,
* several textbooks, novels, etc.
* several reference books discarded by the library because they were superseded by a newer edition,
* numerous unused stationery items,
* several nice pieces of pottery (I'm guessing they were left over from a pottery class, unclaimed at the end of the semester by the students who made them, or perhaps made by the teacher as a demonstration, and finally thrown out),
* a half-box of unused CD-Rs,
* several clean or cleanable plastic buckets,
* lots of scraps of lumber and other construction materials (if you do a lot of home repairs and minor upgrades, it pays to keep a stash of miscellaneous stuff on hand; you never know when you might need something)
* various nuts, screws, washers, and bolts (hey, that sounds like a joke!),
* two cases for returnable beer bottles. They each had only a few bottles inside them, so I recycled the bottles and kept the boxes. They make fine storage boxes. They're sturdy and stackable, and the lids open easily.
* some fireworks (they worked!)
* and I'm sure there are more things I can't remember right now.

Food: Now, I understand how one can be squeamish about eating food from a dumpster. I was too, at first, but I have overcome most of my squeamishness. The first few times I looked into a grocery-store dumpster, I did it only out of curiosity. Later, I took some fruit for my bird feeder. (I wanted to attract orioles, but I don't think any ever actually came around.) Later I became bolder about taking some stuff to eat myself. First, I found a bag of onions where only a few onions in the bag were rotten; the rest were perfect. Later, I found baskets of strawberries thrown out because a few strawberries on the top were rotten, probably because they were crushed somehow, but the ones below were perfect. I found bunches of radishes, tied together with a rubber band around the green tops, thrown out because the green tops were wilted, but the radishes were perfect. (No one eats the green tops anyway, do they?)

You know, when you buy some fresh vegetables, and some of them stay in your refrigerator too long, and they start to go bad, what do you do? Throw out the whole thing? No, if you're like me, you usually cut away the bad part and eat the good part, right? Well, if the same vegetable stays in the store until it starts to go bad, they can't sell it, so they throw it out. But it's no worse than the stuff you're already eating.

My son, who is also into dumpster diving, once brought home 2 full unopened bottles of wine, which he got out of the dumpster behind a liquor store. We drank them. They were fine. We don't have a clue why they were thrown out.

I predict dumpster diving will become better accepted as normal behavior, but at the same time harder to do, because you will be competing with other people doing the same thing.

Subject: RE: BS: Economic help you could use
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 12 Mar 09 - 01:44 PM

Another thought about dumpsters: Every kind of business has its dumpster. For instance, if you're into gardening, you might try the dumpster behind a garden-supply store or nursery. There is a lot of waste in the gardening business.

For instance, flowering perennials can usually be sold (that is, there is a demand for them) only while they are flowering or about to bloom. Once they're past blooming, if they're unsold, the store can't afford to keep them till next year, so they're thrown out. If you have the patience to wait till next year for them to bloom, you can pick up some nice stuff for free.

Another thought: When I first bought my house, we had put so much money into the house and into the furniture and appliances that we had to buy, that there wasn't any money left over for gardening. The house didn't come with any flowers to speak of, and we were eager to start a garden. So we went into the woods and scrounged some wild things.

Also, there was a freeway under construction a few miles from here. A lot of houses in its path had been bought and torn down, but construction hadn't reached that point yet, and the vacant lots were still accessible. We explored these areas and found lots of garden plants that had been left behind by the former owners. Since the whole area was destined to be bulldozed, excavated, and so on, we didn't feel at all inhibited about taking whatever we could use. A lot of the time, we didn't even know for certain what we were getting. That was 40 years ago, and I believe I still have descendants of some plants I dug up back then.