Letter Re: Survival Dollars, by Wolverine

Jim, I would like you to consider adding additional ways to earn extra “Survival Income” to Wolverine post on Survival Dollars. One, is an addition to his collecting and selling scrap metal. I take a five gallon bucket with me to the outdoor range in the Sumter National Forest and collect all the brass I can between shooting sessions. The best time is Sunday afternoon, to get all the weekend shooters left. In 4-5 weekends I filled a five gallon bucket and maybe 1/3 of another and made $87. The other weekend income job I have is putting out and …




Survival Dollars, by Wolverine

Over the years I have spent a fair amount of time trying to figure out various ways to earn extra money to purchase the needed survival items I wanted without causing a fight with my spouse. I feel fortunate to have found several that work well for me, and may work for you as well. Ground rules for myself were that working a part time job was out. I hated working my normal 40 hour week and being committed to having to be at a certain spot at a certain time five or six days a week. Over the years …




Poll Results: The Best Jobs for a Deep Recession or Economic Depression?

Here the reader responses that we have received thusfar on our poll: “The Best Jobs for a Deep Recession or Economic Depression”: “Tenured college or university professor.” “Locksmith. When the economy is good people need to protect their new ‘stuff’ and when the economy is bad people need to protect their old ‘stuff’. Crime does pay if you ar a locksmith. For twenty three years through good economic times and bad I always had work.” “I suggest public accounting. Why? The flurry of bankruptcies that will ensue. Bankruptcy work is very profitable for accountants. Also, if the last depression was …







Letter from “RBS” Re: Supporting SurvivalBlog and Developing a Second Stream of Income

For those of you that have come to find SurvivalBlog.Com a daily read and would also find the Internet just not as fun a place without it, might I suggest an easy way to generate the requested donation of $36 per year (or just 10 cents a day) to keep it going strong. Sell something on eBay or other commerce site (there are plenty!) [and take $36.50 of the proceeds] and send it to JWR. It’s an easy and effective way of killing several “birds” with one stone. First, you will be supporting your favorite web site. Second, the money …




Letter Re: Making a Living in The Country

James, Going back to the subject of, “Well now I live in the middle of nowhere, how do I make a living?” The middle of nowhere is surrounded by farms, small towns and older townsfolk. What does this mean? Antiques! Old store signs, auto parts signs, gas pumps, oil can racks and tools will bring in a nice price from eBay or other auction houses. Just think of the estate sales or farm sales! Generations of old furniture and other household goods! Yes it’s sad to watch our farms and farmers die off (I’ve read that the average age of …




Letter From Matt Bracken Re: A Home-Based Business–Your Ticket to The Boonies

Jim, Here is another terrific home business idea which “sells itself,” requires only a minimal investment, has a high profit margin, and can be done in one’s spare time. Install front door peep-holes. A number of years back I was visiting in a large townhouse complex where my wife used to live, and a gentleman rang the doorbell. Upon opening the door, I met the man holding a peephole in his hand. He almost didn’t need to say a word. It literally needed no sales pitch, it “sold itself.” He had the tools etc to do it on the spot. …




Three Letters Re: A Home-Based Business–Your Ticket to The Boonies

Jim: I thought the point was to have a home-based business that could survive in the boonies…?   I don’t see much need for a locksmith, gunsmith, or alarm installer in the boonies where most structures are on huge acres of land with fences and who knows how many dogs on the property, let alone a cantankerous old coot with a heavily worn double-barrel shotgun… <grin>   Even repairs are pushing it when neighbors may be a mile or more away… that is a SMALL customer base.   How many guns near you in the boonies that need custom gunsmithing? …




A Home-Based Business–Your Ticket to The Boonies

The majority of SurvivalBlog readers that I talk with tell me that they live in cities or suburbs, but they would like to live full time at a retreat in a rural area. Their complaint is almost always the same: “…but I’m not self-employed. I can’t afford to live in the country because I can’t find work there, and the nature of my work doesn’t allow telecommuting.” They feel stuck. Over the years I’ve seen lots of people “pull the plug” and move to the boonies with the hope that they’ll find local work once they get there. That usually …




Letter Re: On Brass Recycling

Hello James, I thought this information might be useful for the blog readers: Metal Recyclers (in the Pacific Northwest) are paying $0.97 per pound for “yellow brass” (used cartridge brass with or without a fired primer). I reload some of my own ammunition, but I had been saving non-reloadable cartridge cases, .22 brass etc. for recycle, and I took in over 100 pounds and I was able to get nearly a dollar per pound. Handy extra cash for those who have extra un-needed brass. The cash from the sale can go towards other preparedness items. Note: To give the readers …