Economy, Culture and Solutions

Our Economy is based on something called linear production/consumption.
The basis of this model is to convert natural resources into products to sell then to consume and then to throw away to further produce, consume, and trash more continuously. It was invented 100 years ago by the owners of industry (such as JP Morgan, JD Rockefeller, and Henry Ford) to maximize their profits. They pushed to create a very handy propaganda tool, what today we call the media, to influence the public to buy their stuff. It was a major challenge for them being that during this time the average person was happy to just grow their own food and spend most of their personal time among loved ones and nature.

But they eventually succeeded in shifting the culture towards desiring to acquire material things as a way to feel better about themselves. To just be oneself become an awful thing requiring a fix that can only be purchased perpetually. The naive public bought it and ever since then every new generation has been exposed to this as the "normal life". The commercialization of our minds starts from an early age when we watch children programs with colorful TV ads that stimulate us to crave certain toys and junk foods. It then proceeds through school when popularity is based on the name brand of the clothes or electronic gadgets. Eventually through adulthood where owning a certain car and a certain home gives you a sense of social achievement.

This model worked pretty well initially but it definitely doesn't now.
The population size then was much smaller, there were abundant resources, lots of clean air, plenty of open land to build on and for dumping trash. Today we are over crowded, over polluted, and low on land/resources. Plus, after decades of doing it this way, it has not only failed to satisfy us deeply, but also it's left us in major debt (while making the rich richer), and we have grown increasingly sicker both mentally and physically.

Our struggling economic state is an inevitable consequence of what is a very unnatural practice developed a long time ago by greedy men. The solution is to create one that is not based on buying stuff but on creating quality experiences. One that is community focused and not the benefit of some distant corporate headquarters.

It is about time for a new model.
One that is not handed down to us by politicians nor the extremely wealthy bankers and owners of industry. One that is intelligent, in harmony with our true nature, and created for the health of all individuals.


Here are 10 thoughtful tips on how to improve your life to protect your money,  your health, your relationships and helping your local economy:

1) Stop spending on things that make you look better to others and on those things that make you feel healthier. Forget the fashion labels and love your natural look as God made you (and not the magazines). Many people believe that the things they like have nothing to do with what others think when it is the complete opposite.
2) Save and pay off your debt. Would you be happier with 1/4th the stuff you have now with $20,000 - $60,000 saved in the bank or put into investments?

3) Grow your own organic food. No brainier here.

4) Start your own small business (locally or online). Find out how you can market something that you are passionate about to others who have the same interest.

5) Avoid getting into a mortgage. If you are in one then find a way out or increase your monthly payment to minimize your interest hits. Did you know that for a $300,000 home with 5.5% interest on a 30 yr loan you will end up paying $613,000 if you just pay the minimum monthly. Imagine putting that additional $316,000 in your bank account!!!

6) Avoid financing a new car for the same reasons above. Its value drops immediately after you drive it off the lot (25%-40% in the first 2 years). You also take a big hit with the interest. For a $20,000 car loan with 7% interest on a 60 month payment plan you will end up paying around $4,000-$5,000 extra if you only pay the minimum monthly amount. This doesn't include the dealer fees, taxes, and subsequent insurance you are dealt with. Buy a used model that is fuel efficient and mechanically sound, save your well earned cash.

7) Before you trash it, sell it, barter it or share it... with not just family and friends but with your community. Sell/trade it on ebay.com, craigslist.org and freecycle.org. You can also go to these to get bargains on the things you want.

8) Don't buy bottled water, purchase a distiller. Saves you lots of money over the year and you save the environment from throwing away tons of plastic bottles.

9) Do-it-yourself (DIY). Instead of buying products filled with lots of poisonous chemicals. Make your own salad dressing, detergents, air fresheners, shampoos and lotions.

10)  Buy locally for many many reasons. For example, if you love meat then invest in a local animal butcher to get it fresh and keep your money in the community. The flesh you get from restaurants and most supermarkets comes from far away therefore burning lots of fuel in transporting it to your area. It is usually weeks old by the time you buy it so it is pumped with harmful preservatives. And of course the poor animals, when they were alive, were fed hormones, GMO crops, and antibiotics to keep them from dying too soon.