M.D. CREEKMORE

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M.D. Creekmore

Hello, I’m M.D. Creekmore. I’ve been interested in self-reliance topics for over 25 years. I’m the author of four books that you can find at Amazon.com as well as Barnes and Noble. Over the years, I’ve learned a lot about prepping, homesteading, and self-reliance topics through first-hand experience and now I want to share what I’ve learned with you.

Sea Salt – An Indispensable Commodity for Uncertain Times

Guest Post by Roxanne L. Griswold

When we think about setting aside emergency supplies, most of us would agree that preserved food and purified water are the essentials and everything else is secondary to these. Some might even choose to incorporate things like a manual grain mill, a water purifier, a food dehydrator, a solar cookstove and so on.

But who would ever consider something as simple and humble as sea salt as an indispensable necessity and commodity in the tumultuous days ahead? I would even go so far as to say if sea salt is not a part of your survival provisions, it’s time to tuck away this invaluable, hidden treasure.

In fact, salt was once valued as a form of currency – it was that scarce, and considered a luxury of few. The ancient Greeks used salt to trade for slaves and Roman soldiers were paid in “salt money” or “salarium argentum” where we derive the English word, “salary”. Homer called it “Divine”. Jesus calls His followers (which I’m honored to say I am) the “salt of the earth”.

Wars have been fought and whole settlements turned into cities and nations over the pursuit of salt. Just as gold and silver have once again gained ground in this present economic meltdown, so also will sea salt be a valuable and tradable commodity, literally “worth its weight in gold.” It will be a supreme bartering tool.

Sea salt has a unique ability to draw out the flavor in food like no other seasoning, but this is secondary to yet another one of its amazing values. Salt has long been known for its ability to preserve foods. If in the event of societal and economic collapse, refrigeration may be a thing of the past. Unless you plan to consume what you pick immediately, depend on your air dehydrator or live off your food storage, you will need salt for preserving food.

During harvest time, there should be plenty of fresh food (assuming you thought ahead to plant a garden), but the long harsh winters will inevitably come and preserving food will be a crucial issue. Even hunting for game, chances are you will not be able to consume it all in one sitting – salt preservation will be key. And without power, your pressure canner or electric dehydrator will not get you very far, so salt can be the perfect alternate route.

With salt’s same ability to retard spoilage, “mineral-dense sea salt” will also aid in the disinfecting and healing of wounds. A simple salt paste or soaking a wound in a salt/water solution several times a day should achieve positive results.

Sea salt also rejuvenates the skin keeping a more youthful appearance while aiding in the healing of acne, psoriasis, eczema and other skin related problems. Ever wonder why your skin felt so tight, free and clear of irritation or blemishes after spending a day at the beach?

Sea salt has miracle healing properties that are often overlooked. In fact, the Blue Lagoon in Iceland is world renown for its hot salt springs that people flock to with skin conditions. Dead Sea salts are another sought after skin commodity.

But might I be quick to add that not just any salt will suffice when it comes to you and your precious loved ones, especially typical table salt (sodium chloride) and in some cases, certain brands of sea salt. Salt that is processed for vast human consumption while meeting the public’s demand for a product that is cheap and convenient, much is also sacrificed.

Table salt has been stripped of all but two of its 84 trace minerals through a chemical process, dried at extreme temperatures, and oftentimes – for the sake of appearance – anti-caking, free-flowing, or conditioning agents are added along with iodine.

But buyer beware of even some brands of so-called sea salt: It may be mechanically harvested from dirt or concrete basins and piped through metal conduits; artificially processed; heated to extreme temperatures to break the molecular structure; stripped of its essential minerals and further adulterated by chemical additives.1 In essence, many highly acclaimed “sea salts” are no different than plain old table salt.

So where do you find pure, unadulterated salt – as God intended in nature? The best sea salt we have discovered on the market is Celtic Sea Salt®. Dense with vital trace minerals along with its light grey hue from the pure clay sole it’s harvested from, this sea salt is unmistakable in old-world flavor and nutritious. (And taste may mean everything with a bland diet of survival foods!)

Extracted from the natural evaporation of the sea and wind alone, the ocean brine is channeled from the sea to the pristine shallow clay ponds, surrounded by vegetation. It provides a natural habitat for the salt while the salt farmer gathers the dazzling white crystals with a long, shovel-like tool then collects it daily by hand.2

Celtic Sea Salt® can be a simple addition to any food storage plan that just makes sense. It not only stores indefinitely, it provides so many hidden health benefits to mention in this article, but here are just a few: Supplying well over 80 (24 of which are essential to life) minerals needed for proper metabolic functions and the assimilation of necessary nutrients in the body, natural sea salt is also an excellent immune booster and helps keep the body alkaline.

It works synergistically with vitamins and other minerals for their bioavailability to the body. For instance, we know that calcium needs both magnesium and Vitamin D3 to be absorbed; Sodium and potassium need each other in the proper proportions to help maintain normal blood pressure and water distribution.

Since natural sea salt contains a balance of minerals including sodium and potassium, the body is able to safely eliminate any excess sodium without the complications of typical table salt. This is a huge benefit for those who have to monitor their salt intake.

In an age of degenerative diseases and in the difficult times that may lie ahead, no doubt sea salt is and will be worth its weight in gold – in more ways than one. It’s not only essential for health and vitality but clearly carries a vast array of benefits. Discover for yourself why sea salt should be an important part of not only your emergency storage plan but to a healthier “you”.

“Seawater contains minerals such as ionized sodium, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and selenium, plus many trace elements such as copper, iron, zinc, manganese, and chromium. The human body uses the minerals & trace elements in sea salt to create electrolytes, maintaining the “internal ocean” which is vital to the proper functioning of every system in the body.”

Copyright Roxanne L. Griswold – Readymade Resources

Survival Through A Home Business

We survivalists AKA preppers spend a lot of time worrying about a national or worldwide collapse scenario, giving little thought to collapse on an individual level. The fact is many things can happen to send your life into turmoil creating a personal collapse.

You can be laid off from your job or fired. Your employer could move or company close. You could become sick or injured, no longer able to work at your present capacity or industry.

You should consider starting a home business. With a home business, you have a hedge against unemployment and become an asset to your neighbors.

No doubt many of you have thought of starting your own business but lack the willpower to actually get it going.

Every home business started with an idea followed by action. You have to put your ideas to work, if not you’re guaranteed to fail.

Starting a home business need not be expensive or time-consuming. Many can be started part-time with little resources or cash outlay. A good book that has been a great resource for me is Small Time Operator by Bernard B. Kamoroff. 

Ideas to consider:

I’m sure you have many other home business ideas and I can’t wait to read about them in the comments below. Just remember ideas should have low start-up costs that the operator can run from home. I have a full-length article covering 31 home business ideas that you can read by clicking on this link. 

Now the bad news. Even a home business can falter. According to statistics on average 50% of home, businesses fail within the first year. This may sound discouraging but one thing is guaranteed –  if you never start you will never be included in the 50% that make it.

Steps To Success

  • Consider your Skills
  • Make a plan
  • Avoid entering a saturated market
  • Don’t go into debt
  • Set a work schedule and stick to it
  • Consider customer needs
  • Look for a “recession-proof” business
  • Prepare to work long hours for little pay
  • Don’t quit your current job (if you have one) until you’re established

Having a home business is just another step toward survival and self-reliance. Think about it; how can you be self-sufficient if you depend on others for your livelihood?

Do you run a home business? What is it? What advice would you give others starting out?

Where I Live as A Survival Retreat Location

Yesterday, a reader dropped an email asking specifics about my retreat location. I’ll admit being caught off guard by such a sensitive question. However; I don’t think the sender has evil intentions only curiosity. Maybe he was looking for an example to compare his situation – I don’t know.

To be honest, I didn’t know what to think at first, but after some thought, I decided it probably wouldn’t hurt to elaborate on my general area (Southern Appalachian Mountain Range) without divulging details that could present a security risk.

No doubt some of you have considered this area yourself.

The Good

The area has a long growing season with plentiful rainfall, sunlight and fertile soil. Raising a garden here is not a problem.

Many areas are covered by thousands of acres of forest, with most of the population being concentrated in a few areas.

Wild game is abundant, with black bear, white-tail deer, wild turkey, rabbit, and squirrel. And the rivers, creeks and other bodies of water are loaded with aquatic life.

During spring and summer, the forests and fields are teeming with eatable plants such as blackberry, cattail, wild rice, butternut, stinging nettle, sheep sorrel and lamb’s quarters.

The Bad

But the area isn’t perfect with a number of negative factors to consider.

It’s nearly impossible to find any type of work. Currently, the county where I live has an official unemployment rate of 5.2%. But it’s really MUCH higher than that because a large part of the population is on the “draw” AKA the disability/welfare check from the federal government. Jobs are few – if you’re an outsider forget about getting a good-paying job.

The decent employment opportunities that do exist are quickly filled by friends and relatives of established workers, management and officials.

Reported unemployment numbers, only include those looking for work.

The real unemployment rate here is much higher. I would estimate the number at 60% to 70% since those living from social security, disability benefits and welfare aren’t included in the official number.

The area has a large welfare-dependent underclass. Nearly everyone is on “the draw” and living from government handouts at the first of the month. They’ve learned to work the system, many being second or third generation, welfare addicts.

I know several dozen “disabled” residents, all in their thirties who’ve been receiving social security disability payments most of their lives, (they claim to have a bad back) yet riding horses, dirt bikes and ATV’s is a common activity and doesn’t seem to bother their condition in the least, while work is another story often leading to severe pain.

How is that possible? Could it be they’re faking so they can stay on the draw?

The Ugly

And let’s not forget the drugs. Both illegal and prescribed. When I was growing up here, all you heard about was marijuana. Now the drugs of choice seemed to be methamphetamine and Oxycontin.

With the amount of drug use in the area, I’m surprised there isn’t more crime. But then for a population of just over 20,000 countywide we do have our share of property crime and the occasional homicide.

Conclusion

I don’t look for much rioting or looting, however, I do expect a huge increase of home invasions and property theft, especially if the government checks stop.

If you’re known to have supplies you could become a target. I expect to spend many sleepless nights guarding what I have.

You’re probably asking yourself why I continue to live here? To answer in one word – family.

How about you

Would you recommend your current location as a retreat area? Why? Why not? Looking forward to your recommendations. Also, if you don’t already own a copy then I suggest that you get a copy of Strategic Relocation: North American Guide to Safe Places then I suggest you get a copy if you’re looking for a safer area to call home.

What Are The Benefits of Doing 50 Squats a Day?

It is no more a secret, that to stay healthy and fit there is no better option than exercising well and daily. A fifteen-minute to half an hour session of exercise can do wonders for your health and overall wellness. Well, to begin with, you must know that about 90 percent of health disorders are caused due to our lazy and sedentary lifestyles and as a result of obesity and weight.

And what is more shocking to know that only about 3 percent of the people in the United States live a healthy and active lifestyle while a whopping 97 percent are living dangerously with loads of health conditions arising due to increasingly laidback lifestyle that involves little to almost no exercise.

But the good news is, that no matter how badly you are gripped into the clamps of this unhealthy way of life, it is never too late to embark on a journey of wellness and good health. You can, in fact, do some of the best exercises without even stepping out of the house. Experts from the fitness world have devised many helpful exercises that can be done at home and that can provide you with an all-round body exercise.

One such super exercise that you can include in your daily life is Squats. This is, in fact, a traditional exercise that needs no equipment. In this exercise, your body is, in fact, the equipment that you work with. Though in modern times, fitness regimes and methodologies have evolved and you may also see people in the gym adding weights to the squats. But, the basics of this exercise and how it is done remains the same. Let’s look at how Squats are done and then we will decode the benefits along the way.

Squats – The Origin

Squats are in fact one of the most fundamental positions of our lives. Our bodies are naturally made to squat but as we grow older our squat positions and forms go from bad to worse.  Forget squatting, at times we find it difficult to even bend and pick up something from the ground. We are sitting in unnatural postures and positions throughout the day, that is impacting our spine and overall health bigtime.

The evolution of mankind and the patterns suggest that we as human beings are genetically designed to squat too often and almost all our activities. However, the amenities of the contemporary world has made our lives more seamless and to such an extent that we no longer need to squat for any of our activities. And, the irony is that the same modern world looks at a natural ability of the human body as a very helpful exercise. Though, most of us would know how to squat let us tell you how a basic bodyweight squat is done.

Doing Squats the Right Away

Before we go any forward knowing how to do a squat in the right away is absolutely important to get all the benefits it claims. That’s because often doing an exercise the wrong way can lead to injuries and many other health issues. Let’s have a closer look at the Steps to do this exercise:

Step 1:

Stand Upright and Tall in a proper and firm posture. Put your hands by your sides and your feet at shoulder-width apart. Your toes should be pointing forward for a proper form.

Step 2:

Maintain a straight back and keeping your core tight you can push your hips really back. Bend your knees and lower your body down until your thighs are at a position parallel to the ground. It’s like coming to a position to sit on a bench minus the bench.

If you need to you can extend your arms forward for better balance…

While doing this step remember not to bend too far forward from the waist area. If you do that you put too much stress to your spinal area.

Step 3:

Take a short pause at Step 2 and then slowly raise your body up to the original position. This completes you one Squat purely on your Body Weight.

Do 50 reps of this exercise every time you do it and you will be amazed at the way it helps to improve your health and overall well-being. You can also combine weights along with the squats as well for the best results. Now that you know the process of doing your squats the right way, let us look at the glaring benefits of squats.

To increase the intensity of the squats you can add free-weights.

To begin with, we will start with the Physical Benefits of Squatting every day.

Squats – The Physical Benefits

Doing squats obviously, have far more benefits than just burning some calories. Squats are the main exercise in almost every men’s fitness program of athletes and trainers. These squats help you in achieving and making the most out of your workout routines. Here we have listed the physical benefits as under:

1. Doing squats regularly helps you in developing those rock-solid glutes that you always dreamt of. Since squats focus on almost all muscle groups, glutes are one of the main target areas of squats.

2. With regular and consistent reps of squats, you can enhance your thigh muscles including the area of your front things known as quads. As such squats can help improve your quad strength.

3. With squats focussing on your thigh muscles your hamstrings are also targeted. Which implies stronger hamstrings and better thigh muscles.

4. Along with the thighs doing squats regularly helps you in building your calf muscles as well. So your entire lower body is covered just by doing these 50 reps of squats.

5. Doing squats regularly helps you in increasing your leaps in a jump. That helps you stay prepared and ready for workouts that you need to do for weight loss and workout.

6. With squats, you can enhance and build your core strength as well. When included with all your other workouts it works wonder in establishing your core strength.

7. Squats will obviously be burning some calories with every rep. However, the calories burnt may be few if you rely on squats alone but when coupled with all other workouts it works just fine.

8. Doing squats regularly drastically improves the overall blood circulation of the body. The logic is simple, this exercise conditions the heart and thus pumps more blood thereby improving the overall blood circulation.

9. Doing Squats regularly disposes of the cellulite in our body. Squats target your major muscle groups of your entire body thereby helping in toning and getting rid of the saggy cellulite all over your body.

10. Involving squats in your daily routine improves the overall flexibility. That’s because squats help you get to positions and body postures that you rarely attain in your daily lives.

11. Doing squats regularly helps in improving the overall elasticity of the body and you will see a substantial improvement in your reflexes, thereby preventing some of the injuries that arise when your bodies are stiff due to no workout.

12. With proper squats regime and when done regularly, you can achieve a better posture of the spine. That’s simply because squats improve your spine by stretching it well.

13. Squats as you observed in the process and the way it is done is a low impact exercise, so you get the most out of this exercise without getting too spent and exhausted.

14. With improved blood circulation and a combination of all the effects, squats can act in the overall removal of waste and toxins from the body.

15. Since squats focus on almost all lower body and core muscle groups, the overall strength of your bones and joints improve. The more squats you do the better your bone strength becomes.

16. With improved and stronger lower body your mobility and overall balance increase manifold. A stronger lower body simply means better movements.

17. And if that was not all to expect from one exercise, doing squats regularly also triggers and increases the levels of testosterone in your body which implies increased libido.

18. Squats also help in increasing your resistance and endurance, and hence you will see your speeds are increasing while you are running.

19. Doing regular squats means you are triggering the processes of your body to produce optimum levels of hormones in your body.

20. When you are doing squats regularly, your motor patterns improve while you are exercising implies efficient workouts overall.

21. Squats undoubtedly help you in achieving the best leg shapes. Especially because they target almost all your leg muscles providing perfectly toned legs.

22. The activities involving your legs become seamless and easy because of the fact that your lower body gets wonderfully toned and slim.

23. When you are doing squats regularly your body aches and backaches diminish and are reduces completely in the long run.

24. With all the above benefits you can expect a boost in the overall performance of the body.

25. Last but not the least with improved performance, condition and strength you gradually transform yourself into a beast full of power.

Now that we have covered the physical benefits, let’s look at some of the psychological benefits as well.

Psychological Benefits of doing Squats

Apart from all the benefits that we listed there are some amazing psychological benefits of doing 50 squats a day. Let’s try and list some for you:

1. Conditions your mind for Mental Strength:

Squats are a hard exercise to do and not only do they increase your physical endurance of the body but they also help you in increasing the overall mental endurance. Squats help you push your limits to the highest degree thereby increasing your tolerance limits. That trains your mind to push a little harder every time wither while exercising or in real life.

2. Relieves Stress, Anxiety, and Signs of Depression:

Including squats regularly in your workout regime improves the levels of happy hormones in your body which helps you in getting rid of stress, anxiety or any signs of depression. Apart from that doing Squats regularly helps you to get rid of your sleep issues by helping you to relax better when you sleep and better sleep leads to a better day and elevated moods.

3. Builds Self Confidence, Boosts your Self-esteem:

Doing squats regularly means you are full of confidence due to that fit and fulfilling feeling and that in turn boosts your self-esteem. Not only that it helps you live with that pride of physical accomplishments that is greatly uplifting for your mood.

4. Helps in enhancing the Central Nervous System:

Including squats in your daily regime helps increase the overall capacity of your Central Nervous System. That’s because almost all the muscle groups get activated with this amazing exercise that trains the whole body to control the muscles centrally. Improved CNS means stronger brains and better control of the body.

5. Increase in concentration levels:

With all the benefits that this exercise does to your mind and body, it improves your overall focus and concentration levels as well. That means you can focus well on whatever you do in a better and more effective way.

That covers more or less all the benefits of Squats in a rather comprehensive manner.

Final Takeaway

Now that we have covered almost all the aspects of this wonderful exercise, it is fair to say that this is one of the best exercises that you can opt for. Whether you are a gym rat trying to build your core and lower body strength or a mere mortal trying to embark on a journey of wellness from all the obesity and illness, this exercise is the right one for you.

But, of course, hard work has no replacements but if you can take this little pain of doing this low-intensity exercise, you will reap those sweetest rewards for a lifetime.

So, without wasting any further time, do those 50 reps right away and watch yourself transform into a man of amazing prowess, truly, in mind, body, and spirit.

How To Not Outlive Your Retirement [Saving For Retirement Beyond Your 401K]

by Brett Kittredge

Do you have enough money saved for your retirement? Do you even know how much you will need to retire comfortably?

If you are unsure, you are not alone. A recent study found that only 10% of Americans feel confident that they have enough saved for retirement and 45% are afraid they may run out of money in retirement. I don’t know about you, but I certainly don’t want to be a part of that statistic.

Being broke in normal. Being unsure about the future is normal. You don’t want to be normal. And you don’t want to rely on social security to pay your bills. Start your retirement plans by not relying on social security. Instead, treat it like a bonus in your retirement years – if it is still around.

If you want to live the retirement you have in your dreams, take control and don’t rely on the government to get by. Because that is all you do if social security is your only income – just get by.

While too few people are not saving enough for retirement, or maybe aren’t even thinking about retirement, it does not have to be like that for you. Regardless of how old you are, what you already have saved, and what you annual income is, you can, and must, save for retirement. It is only difficult in the sense that it takes commitment and a willingness to sacrifice today.

The best day to start saving was yesterday. The second best day is today. Don’t let another day go by. But at the same time, make sure you have a plan in place. Whether you are doing this on your own or with a financial advisor, make sure you don’t miss any steps.

Here are 7 tips to help you get started.

Know your why

The idea of saving and putting money aside – rather than spending it today to buy the newest product on the market – can be difficult for some. We really want that newer, bigger television, or maybe it’s something flashier like a new truck.

And it is easier when you don’t have a real understanding or purpose for saving. That is where your “why” comes in. Why are you doing this? What do you want your retirement to look like? Is it traveling around the world, spending time with your grandchildren, or just pointing your rocking chair toward the west? We all have individual goals in life. What it is doesn’t matter as much as understanding your why.

Saving will take sacrifice. There are things you’re not going to be able to do today or tomorrow. Are you going to be able to temporarily pass on something today because you have plans for your future? If you don’t know why you are doing something, it is much harder to make sense of sacrifice. This is a fun exercise to get you going. Do this first so you will know your why and start dreaming about retirement today.

Begin putting money aside as early as possible

Because of the beauty of compound interest, you are rewarded for putting money aside as early as possible. That is why you need to begin saving today.

Consider this, if you put $400 a month away each month from the time you are 22 until your retirement at 67, your retirement savings will be nearly $3.8 million (assuming a 10% return). Now, what if you wait just 10 years? Keep in mind, you will still be saving for 35 years. Your retirement account will be just $1.4 million, a full $2.4 million less. To reach that same $3.8 million by starting at 32, you will have to put aside more than $1,000 a month. At the same time, this requires you to double your contribution toward retirement.

Regardless of where you are in life, you need to begin saving today to get the most growth in your retirement over time. And as the numbers show, the earlier the better.

Put 15% into your retirement account

How much do you need to save each month? Your why can give you a good general idea for what you want to do, but a good general rule, if you are looking for a flat number, is 15% of your income. Here is why Fidelity recommends that amount.

That may seem like a difficult hill to climb, especially if you are not contributing anything today or if you have a low income without much wiggle room. But it’s possible. It just may require you to adjust your budget. Put retirement near the top, along with housing, transportation, food, and other key expenses.

And, it could vary based on where you are and your age. Certainly, the younger you are, the less you have to put away. And the reverse is true if you are older. Also, consider your retirement and what it looks like. Some people can live comfortably with half the retirement account of others. So while these principles are general, each retirement should be individualized.

Also, the government encourages you to save through the tax code. Your contributions, whether they are through work or a private account, can be made pre-tax, lowering your taxable income. And by extension, saving you money with every dollar you invest.

You may also choose to contribute to your retirement with post-tax contributions. You don’t receive the deduction up front in this case but can withdraw your funds tax-free in the future.

How do you know which is the best option? If your goal is to lower your taxable income today, and potentially help you qualify for additional tax breaks, or if you believe your tax rate will be lower when you are drawing retirement, which it will almost assuredly be, the pre-tax option is likely the way to go.

And the great part about saving for retirement is anyone can do it, and receive the same tax benefits. You don’t need a company-sponsored 401(k). You can open an individual retirement account, or an IRA, today, and begin saving immediately.

Take advantage of the company match

Most of us who don’t work for the government, don’t have the defined pension plans that were commonplace a few decades ago. But many companies do offer matches. What does that mean? Your employer will match what you put in your company-sponsored retirement account.

These may vary, whether it is dollar-for-dollar or 50 cents for every dollar you contribute. Most will also have caps at a certain percentage. But just imagine if you had an extra $100 or $200 every month in your retirement account. It all adds up and will help you reach your goal.

If your company offers anything, take advantage of it and make sure you are maximizing your contribution so you can maximize your match. The phrase free money gets thrown around too often, but for you, this is free money. So if you don’t take advantage of it, you are essentially throwing money down the drain. Everyone should be investing regardless of their income, so there is no reason to miss this opportunity.

Set a budget

A monthly household budget is one of the most valuable financial planning tools. But too many people ignore this crucial step. Everyone should have a budget, and it is should be regularly reviewed. And if you are married, make sure you are going over these numbers with your spouse, even if one partner generally handles bills or other financial matters. You’re a family, do this as a family.

With your budget, you tell your money where it should go each month. Start with your income, and then calculate your expenses. Your most important expenses – housing, food, transportation – will be at the top.

And if you aren’t saving for retirement yet, or you aren’t saving enough, this is where retirement fits in.

Are you saving 15% of your income? Plug it into your budget before you begin adding other items. You don’t need to sacrifice to the point that you can never eat out a restaurant for 40 years, but a budget is about prioritizing.

If you have a variable income, you can still budget. Just look at your monthly income over the past year, and assess what you brought home each month. You’re probably better to err on the side of caution so look at the lower months to give you a baseline. Meaning, what you know you will make each month even if sales are down or a bonus doesn’t come in. Use the baseline to set your priority items, and then pay for everything else after that.

But by putting it on paper (or a spreadsheet or in an app), you now have greater accountability with your money.

The trick is following your budget. One easy feature available with most online bill pay and retirement accounts is the automatic deposit. This makes these responsibilities easier and limits your ability to decide to do something else with that money.

When the money goes directly from your bank account to your retirement account, you will be less likely to notice the money leaving your account. If you aren’t disciplined enough right now, it makes sense to take advantage of this option.

Invest aggressively

Your age will dictate how aggressive you can be with your investments. But as long as you are 10 or so years from drawing on your retirement, take advantage of the interest you will earn in the market.

A conservative plan makes sense in the later stages, and there are some who are just uncomfortable with those years when your retirement goes down 20% or so, but the numbers don’t lie. Because if you are not in the market, you will never do much more than keeping up with inflation and will certainly not have enough for retirement.

But over time, the market will average 8-10% a year if your money is in high-growth, long-term funds. As long as you stick with it and don’t decide to sell the moment it looks like the market is heading south. In fact, that is the time you should be buying more.

Look at it as if stocks are on sale. So if there is a dip, know it will come back and you will be better off because you took advantage of it rather than backing out.

Just remember to start aggressive and remain aggressive. And don’t bother checking your account every day, every week, or even every month. You will likely get some type of quarterly report that you can review. But don’t stress when you lose 3% in one day. Better yet, don’t even look. After all, you’re not spending it tomorrow. It’s about the future.

Don’t go into debt

The best way to build wealth is to not be paying interest to the bank, especially on items that depreciate. Translation: avoid debt, except for your mortgage.

If you are in debt today, work tirelessly to pay it off as quickly as possible. Whether it’s student loan, credit card debt, a car, or something else, the money you are spending on that is money you can’t be sent to your retirement.

Car payments may seem like the norm, but they don’t have to be. Here is a number that will hopefully help you see what you are giving up by making a car payment every month. If you had a car payment of $400 per month for 40 years, you could have invested that money and would have upwards of $2 million in a retirement account.

Also, make it your goal to have your house paid off by the day you retire. It will just make retirement that much easier to not have that hanging over your head at that stage in your life.

Retirement should be an enjoyable time, not a time that is full of worry because of money. So begin today to make sure you have the retirement you always dreamed of.

Disclaimer: We are not financial advisers and this article should not be taken as financial advice. This is what has worked for us and might or might not work for you.

Ten Ways To Keep Warmer This Winter

by The Frugal Fraulein, you can visit her blog at Frugal Canning…
 
Since I opted to turn off the electric heat this winter and use wood I have learned so much! First, it can be done. I not only have lowered my electric bill but I am getting exercise collecting, cutting, splitting and hauling in wood.
 
It is true that there are other things that can be done to keep warm besides changing the source of your heat.
 
1. Wear layers of clothing. Your body creates heat and wearing layers contains this free source of heat. Did you know polyester underwear and long underwear is considered by survivalists to be the superior fabric of choice for undies? The reason is it wicks away moisture.
 
Both cotton and wool hold moisture which can lead to hypothermia. I choose to have many polar fleece articles of clothing. I have hats, gloves, mittens, scarves, vests, jackets, pants, pullovers, socks and a bathrobe all made from polar fleece.
 
My mother (who is 80 years young) now loves her polar fleece pants and loved the fact that she could hem them by simply cutting them off at the bottom. Polar fleece does not unravel or fray! If you are really cold, wear a warm hat as most heat escapes from your head and the brain gets the cold message immediately.
 
2. Throws and lap blankets. I have one on each of my easy chairs. If I feel chilled I pull one on and snuggle with Mister T. I have wool, down, cotton and polar fleece throws and again polar fleece wins the contest for being the warmest. Last Christmas I received a Snuggle which was one of the most popular gifts of the season. It is a great idea and design but the quality of fleece used is not warm enough for my taste so I use it in the warmer months.
 
3. Cover furniture with polar fleece. (Sounds like I am doing a commercial for polar fleece but I am not. If there is a polar fleece company that would like to hire me to do endorsements, of course, I am available.) I covered my sofa with polar fleece at first to keep it clean when I had two dachshunds.
 
What I discovered was it very warm to sit on the couch and I have noticed that the company seems to head straight for the couch and always comments on how comfy it is. I highly recommend a large piece of a good quality polar fleece for your favorite perch to keep you warm.
 
4. Socks and Slippers. I am not a fan of socks and would prefer to be barefoot. There is a huge difference in the warmth of my body when I wear socks so I have come to accept their importance to my well being in the winter months. Coupled with a great pair of warm slippers you will not feel drafts that creep around the floor. Since hot air rises, feet are subject to this cold air.
 
5. Down Comforters. For years I would not even consider a down comforter for my bed. Since most birds fly south for the winter why would down be warm? Silly me. Years ago when I still lived in New England I had the opportunity to go to a sleeping bag factory. At their outlet store I purchased a down sleeping bag before the zipper had been installed. This “blanket” was very toasty and held in my own body heat.
 
It was simple army green and I made a duvet cover for it. I had that blanket for many years and it finally met its demise to mold while being stored. Two summers ago I chanced upon a very good quality down comforter that was being sold by a woman who thought it was too warm.
 
Since I absolutely love a cold bedroom and have my window open at night 365 nights of the year, I was thrilled to steal it for $10. Again I have a duvet cover to keep it clean and I love the warmth I feel when I cuddle with Mister T (for those of you that don’t know, Mister T is my best buddy my mini black and tan dachshund).
 
6. Use Door Draft Stoppers. Door draft stopper or guards are filled tubes that keep cold air from creeping under doors. They can be purchased new or made easily by filling a tube sock or tube of fabric with rice, beans, sand or stuffing. They look a bit like a snake and really do the trick. If you have a dog like mine that likes to pull the innards out of stuffed animals don’t make yours with stuffing!
 
7. Close Doors. Keep the doors closed to rooms that do not need to be heated. Just heat the areas that you sit in during the day.
 
8. Do leave the Bathroom Door Open. Showers and baths create lots of heat but more importantly humidity. In the winter the house dries out and the moisture from the bathroom can help tremendously. Now I understand in some family’s privacy is important. Just leave the door open after showering and don’t use the fan.
 
9. Do Leave the Oven Door Open. Leave the oven door open after cooking and turning off the oven. Let that heat escape to warm the kitchen.
 
10. Do Open the Dishwasher When Washing Cycle is Finished. Once the dishes are washed open the door and let the dishes air dry. This will let the heat escape, allow the moisture to escape to humidify the house and save a bundle on electricity over a period of time.
 
Hopefully one or more of these suggestions will help you stay snuggie warm in the cold months. If all else fails go to the animal shelter and get a Dachshund. Dachshunds love to snuggle under the blankets and curl up and sit in your lap. They are loving, loyal, small and great substitutes for hot water bottles. Your other alternative is to go to bed early with a good book.