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Operation Thrift
freeper threads | 11/09/08 | nomad

Posted on 11/09/2008 12:32:02 PM PST by nomad

As the implications of this election have sunk in and the future has, in so many ways, become so uncertain,many have suggested ways to fight back. One, an initial reaction to the confiscatory tax policies of the new regime, was to scale back where possible.Rush Limbaugh even mentioned that he was selling a long held and cherished condo in New York in response to their impending tax hikes. But there has been no organized approach to this "tightening of our conservative belts". I propose a new freep, call it "Operation Thrift".

Operation Thrift will have several goals, first and foremost is to promote frugality were ever possible so as to allow us to save money for better purposes. Second is to legaly protest the coming socialistic and eco-radical confiscatory tax policies and thereby deny them their lifes blood, our money. And third is to provide an avenue for consumer angst and protest against high taxes, and prices. As an important offshoot, it will also help to keep the economy down, denying the socialists the funds to implement their agenda, and allowing for a growing disillusionment by the moocher base that supported this regime. Minie the moocher won`t get her "free gas and rent".

The first goal of frugality is a reasonable, and many would say, extremely prudent move in any time of economic pressure.It will allow us to concentrate on getting our personal economic houses in order. To pay down debt, squirrel away funds for emegencies, maybe purchase some precious metals with it, or use these funds to purchase and stock pile essentiales such as food, fuel and other desirables, you choose the uses. I know there are other things other freepers can add to this and the other lists, but one place to start cutting back is with Christmas shopping, try buying used or off the internet.Look for sales and haggle where possible. Also, think hard about whether you REALLY need this thing or can you make do without? Cut back on cable or cell phones, do you really need IM or on the go internet? Can you do without a second phone line at home, or voicemail? Answering machines still work well enough and can be bought cheaply at yard sales, thats where mine came from. Do you really have to go out for a meal or can you cook at home more cheaply? And what about preprepared foods, can you save money by cooking it yourself? Don`t buy carry out either, try buying a lunch box, my coleman is from a yard sale, and save on the burger. Boycott hollywood as much as possible, to hell with those leftists. The catch phrase we need to use is, "Whats the minimum I need,and how do I get it cheaply".

The second goal of protesting taxes is a bit more complicated and a more tax astute freeper`s input is needed, but I`ve heard a few good ones already, changing one`s number of allowances on tax withholdings so as to owe at the end of the year will allow us to keep our funds in our hands longer and deny the socialists its use for the maximum amount of time. We can look into buying things that will allow use to avoid the coming eco-taxes, catalytic wood/coal stoves are a good source of winter heat thats difficult to detect by smell or smoke, some cities in Cali ban stove use at times. The fuel can come from any source of untreated wood, including pallets or even peat bales, just know that the catalytic converter burns out faster with lower grade fuel. In many areas of the country a well can still be drilled using a gasoline power head and drill pipe, power heads can be rented in most areas and with a few friends to help and split the expenses, you can all have wells to water your grass, victory gardens(to grow your own fresh veggies), wash the car, or what ever. Not only will the local water company not be able to charge for the water, but the sewage costs as well. BTW, I`ve heard water is next eco-whipping post, so beware. Some of the small business owners have said that they intend to cut back to stay under the, for now at least, magic $250,000 number at which you become, "The evil rich", maybe we can make up lists of Conservative owned businesses in our local area and shop as much as possible there to show our support and help keep them afloat. If I`ve over looked anything please feel free to add to the list.

Third on the list is keeping up th pressure on the leftists and holding them accountable for their actions. I read a suggestion that we need a grassroots action center that will act like a conservative version of the socialist`s moveon. Well when this site went down yesterday, I went surfing and on http://dogpile.com using the key words, conservative blogs, I was able to find the following site still under construction http://modernconservative.com/metablog_single.php?p=2206 and they are currently recruiting for conservative activists in a host of fields from web site design to legal. Maybe we can look into them, they`re stated goal is get a network going in all 50 states. We need to look into the ramifications of any "Fairness Doctrine" http://radioequalizer.blogspot.com/2008/11/obama_appoints_radical_media_activist.html and its impact on sites like Freerepublic, question:If they do try to shut us up,can we go private to stop them,or would that be a deadend? Reason I ask is there are a few groups out there that limit posting privileges to paying members, would that help? Communication will be the key to keeping the heat on the rats in power now and maybe a moderator can ask Mr. Robinson to consider a loose alliance of sites and blogs. I know many say the current economic mess will only be blamed on Bush, I disagree, we`ve seen the attention span that seems to be the norm in the popculture obsessed, "I want it now" sheeple that tended to vote this socialist in, it won`t be long before they tire of the economy and turn on "the one", the recent stock drops http://cnbcdoom.blogspot.com/2008/11/obama_market_collapse_day_two.html are simply to coincidental for even the sheeple or the Laim Stream Media who drive them ignore for long. If we agitate enough while rebuilding our conservative base, while at the same time helping to starve the socialists of funds to implement their agenda we may be able to rescue the crisis before they can gain a permanantly fatal foothold in our economy, at least the continued economic crisis will buy us time to rebuild for a counter attack in 2010 with a slate of new and hopefully truly conservative faces. As this is just a rough draft I`m sure I`ve overlooked things, so once again please feel free to add.


TOPICS: Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: atlasshrugs; bho2008; operationthrift; resistance; savings; starvethebeast; thrift
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To: Mad Dawg

Some ideas. You will need to research for the specifics.

Take advantage of existing tax credits. Still in place is the solar tax credit. $3000 max I think. Forget generating electricity for now and concentrate on heating your home with hot air panels and heating water for your home. You can also cool your home (to some extent) with solar towers. Well,you can move air using the sun.

Cutting your tax bite.
Last I had heard you can still produce up to 200 gallons of alcohol per year. Plenty of taxes on alcohol you can avoid. Good item for barter.

Quit smoking, roll your own, grow your own tobacco. Any of these will reduce your tax bite.

Buy online to avoid taxes when there is no local conservative family owned business to support. Do support your local family owned conservative businesses and pay the taxes. It’s worth it.

Barter, classifieds, craigslist, fix it instead of throwing it out.

Purchases should be geared toward items that will increase the likelihood of your surviving a disruption. Think dual purpose. Consider items that meet more than one need. An item that will cut your tax bite and could be useful in a survival situation.

Learn new skills that will be useful in barter or survival.


81 posted on 11/10/2008 5:27:16 AM PST by listenhillary (That giant sucking sound? It's only the government consuming the fruits of our labor.)
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To: listenhillary

Some more ideas.

Please educate yourself on the differences between tax avoidance and tax evasion. The first one is legal the second not. This can mean the difference between starving the beast and going to jail!

Another one, get a skill set that you can use to avoid paying others to do your routine maintenance on your house, car etc. This reduces your need to earn taxable income to pay for the work being done.
Remember, there is no lifeboat to hop into, you are the lifeboat.


82 posted on 11/10/2008 7:21:51 AM PST by whodathunkit
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To: Elvina

Thanks so much for the link!


83 posted on 11/10/2008 8:32:25 AM PST by TenthAmendmentChampion (Don't blame me, I voted for John McCain and Sarah Palin. Well, for Sarah Palin, anyway.)
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To: listenhillary

Get out of debt as fast as possible. Dave Ramsey has an excellent plan to do that.

Pay cash for everything you buy so you know what you are spending.

Get rid of credit cards.

Tithe.


84 posted on 11/10/2008 8:38:50 AM PST by TenthAmendmentChampion (Don't blame me, I voted for John McCain and Sarah Palin. Well, for Sarah Palin, anyway.)
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To: chimera
Another thread had a FReeper financial planner/adviser mentioning starting some kind of a "Galt Fund", where they would invest in tax-free bonds of red states, and other tax-sheltered kinds of things.

Another thread had a FReeper financial planner/adviser mentioning starting some kind of a "Galt Fund", where they would invest in tax-free bonds of red states, and other tax-sheltered kinds of things.

That was me. I'm gathering names with "jellybean" on an Atlas Shrugged ping list, or I should really say he is gathering the list, and I am getting updates.

Where we stand right now on the "Galt Funds" is that I am checking to see what additional licenses I might need to start such a venture, and approximately how much capital it would require to get it off the ground.

The biggest hurdle will not be identifying and picking companies, but will be launching and competing with the other 26,000 mutual funds that are out there.

This may need to start off as an "Investment Club". See here for a definition:

http://www.investopedia.com/articles/pf/08/investment-club.asp

These are usually formed to educate investors about trading, but I don't think there is a limit to their size.

Again, this may take some time to sortv out, but I am going to see if it is do-able.

85 posted on 11/10/2008 11:37:15 AM PST by Republican Extremist
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To: jellybean
We left a big American city 3 years ago. We have firewood, wood burning stoves, a well , fruit trees, etc. We have game and guns if it comes to that. More importantly, we have begun to network with the locals. I even have beef to trade if necessary. People in big cities, I don't know what you will do, but you need to start planning something.

One thing you all need to research is the food supply. More and more of it is coming in from China and unknown places, and it's poison. Eat whole foods and get away from the packaged, canned and manufactured garbage. They want us all sick and on drugs, and if you won't take them, then they'll give them to you another way. Start cooking at home, you'll save a ton of money, and drive to the store once a week.

86 posted on 11/10/2008 11:38:28 AM PST by 1000 silverlings (Everything that deceives also enchants: Plato)
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To: Windcatcher
I’m avoiding brick-and-mortar shops like the plague.

Careful there. Some brick and mortar shops are owned by us Conservative Ma and Pop people.

87 posted on 11/10/2008 11:58:29 AM PST by fanfan (www.Digg.com)
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To: fanfan
I only shop mom and pop now and it's still hard to avoid Chinese goods. Is there anything you guys can do about that?

Even more worrisome, all our medicine is going to be made there, and vaccines.

88 posted on 11/10/2008 12:06:32 PM PST by 1000 silverlings (Everything that deceives also enchants: Plato)
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To: 1000 silverlings; FRiends
Is there anything you guys can do about that?

Not much, unfortunately. Almost all the manufacturers have moved to China, and they are making the products that sell. I found one supplier that manufactures in Brazil, but they have started manufacturing in China too, and the new product is 1/2 the cost.

Still, as a small business we serve our customers with honesty, and integrity.

We do well because we operate with conservative values.

And we vote conservative.

Please keep supporting the good businesses.

89 posted on 11/10/2008 12:28:08 PM PST by fanfan
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To: fanfan

The new product that is half the cost, sometimes doesn’t work right out of the box, or has a short life. I have thrown away 3 vacuum cleaners in one year, and a new power tool that I bought never recharged, and on and on it goes. People losing your jobs: start businesses


90 posted on 11/10/2008 12:31:45 PM PST by 1000 silverlings (Everything that deceives also enchants: Plato)
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To: nomad

Some FReepers are mentioning paying off all debt expeditiously. I think this applies to all credit card and perhaps auto debt, but I am not so certain on home loan debt.

1. This debt is tax-deductable. Pay it off, lose the deduction.

2. Why are we so quick to give banks more of our money even quicker? Horde the cash for yourself.

3. It’s a huge investment for most. Probably a struggle to make a big dent in it very quickly.


91 posted on 11/10/2008 12:43:45 PM PST by agooga (Struggling every day to be worthy of their sacrifice.)
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To: TenthAmendmentChampion

Well thats thinking out of the box,turning the enemies propaganda against itself.Good thinking,I honestly would have never thought about that rag,but I still won`t subscribe to anything liberal.


92 posted on 11/10/2008 12:59:57 PM PST by nomad
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To: TenthAmendmentChampion

Good one,got to check this out given the impending energy induced food price increases.


93 posted on 11/10/2008 1:05:05 PM PST by nomad
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To: 1000 silverlings
The new product that is half the cost, sometimes doesn’t work right out of the box, or has a short life.

They have come a long way from the early 90's.

The Chinese have learned to produce some good quality products, but like any product, you pay more for the better one.

The mistake people make, is assuming that more cost = better quality.

Sometimes it is just a rip-off. That's where Ma and Pop stores come in. They own the store, and want their customers to keep coming back, so they try to help their customers, not just sell them something.

94 posted on 11/10/2008 1:08:03 PM PST by fanfan
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To: nomad
Live on Less and Love It
95 posted on 11/10/2008 10:36:03 PM PST by TenthAmendmentChampion (Don't blame me, I voted for John McCain and Sarah Palin. Well, for Sarah Palin, anyway.)
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To: nomad

No need to... they are internet savvy and post everything online... free!


96 posted on 11/10/2008 10:37:07 PM PST by TenthAmendmentChampion (Don't blame me, I voted for John McCain and Sarah Palin. Well, for Sarah Palin, anyway.)
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To: nomad

BFL


97 posted on 11/11/2008 6:55:45 AM PST by blam
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To: nw_arizona_granny

Ping


98 posted on 11/16/2008 5:30:50 PM PST by TenthAmendmentChampion (Don't blame me, I voted for John McCain and Sarah Palin. Well, for Sarah Palin, anyway.)
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To: nomad

Gosh I thought this was about a thrift store;)


99 posted on 11/16/2008 5:33:12 PM PST by fatima
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To: DAVEY CROCKETT; Calpernia; LibertyRocks

Ping.


100 posted on 11/17/2008 4:02:40 AM PST by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1990507/posts?page=451 SURVIVAL, RECIPES, GARDENS, & INFO)
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