How to keep your cash safe when traveling

Most people just use ATM cards and credit cards when traveling, mostly because of convience. 

The problem with ATM cards and credit cards is they can be cloned and then used for fraud and it can take days to weeks to get it all worked out. So cash can come in handy.

You can carry your cash safely in a money pouch like the one in the photo above. 

I have been carrying my money and valuebles like that in a money pouch with the loop hooked through my belt for years and having it under my pants.

I have never lost anything or been robbed and lost anything carrying my cash ATM cards and credit cards tucked away like this.

You can buy these types of pouches like this in your travel in Mexico or wherever you buy your favorite leather goods from like Amazon.

Markets crash again 09/23/2022

 Markets crash again 09/23/2022

Today id Friday the 23 of September, and the month of September is living up to its name of the time of year when markets crash. Today oil shares like CNQ (Canadian Natural Resources ) and SU (Suncor) were down 7 to 8%. 

Gold shares down 4 to 5% for example NEW (Newmont) and GOLD (Barrick Gold). BTI (British American Tabaco) was down 4% I could go on but income share to the natural resources were down a lot today as well as all week. 

The only saving grace was TLT and the ten year governments bonds finally are up at least so far as I write this, the markets haven't closed yet. It may be that long Government bonds are finally set to rally only time will tell. If they don't long bonds for the year are down 25% or so and the S/P 500 are both down about the same amount and there has been nowhere to hide without some losses, even gold is down about 6% for the year not to bad.

The place to be has been either shorting stock frauds or the indices in general or long the dollar against the Euro, Yen or GBP, Sterling has been hit hard despite the Government lowering tax and offering more subsidies to consumers. 

What am I doing?

I am adding to my oil share positions but expecting more drawdowns, same with Copper and Nichol plays. I keep adding to TLT despite getting crushed 12% so far and same with 10 Year treasuries.

I am adding more Gold royalties plays like Sand, WPM, and some large cap gold miners, NEW, GOLD, and PAAS.

I like BTI, and EPD, and a few other income shares. 

I think I am still early and have more cash to deploy is shares go down more which I would guess they will. I also will add a few shorts if the markets rally.

Good Luck

 

How bad will the bear market get in the stock market.

Today 09/16/2022 it looks lime the bear market in stocks is on in earnest but todays fall in share prices hasn't really gotten as bad as I suspect it will get. So far with all the events in Europe, war, inflation, supply disruption hasn't gotten as bad as I would have guessed.

In the United States inflation is running less hot as it is in emerging markets and Europe. I expect inflation in some prices will remain elevated for more time to come and many commodities will continue to fall possibly even oil. My expectation is oil will continue to fall as well as copper and other base metals but a lot will depend on how Europe develops over the next few months.

Already aluminum factors and other end producers of commodities have shut down in Europe because of high natural gas prices, many factories in Germany continue to slow down or shut production down which could cause more shortages and elevated costs for products.

So even id commodity prices come down I don't think the Fed will stop raising interest rates especially if housing rentals and apartment rentals remain high and food prices remain high.

So I continue to believe share prices around the world will fall. So far hiding out in bond ETFs or bonds in general has resulted in 20 to 25% declines, and that has been different this time around. I think this bear market in stock and bond prices maybe like the seventies or even the forties where share prices and bond prices remain low and go lower. Even buying gold hasn't protected you much as you would have thought with inflation at 8 to 9%. 

How to protect your wealth in these uncertain times.

I think this time around buying the dip like many investors have done the last forty years will not be as effective as before, even buying the dip on bond prices has really worked as well as it has in the past and now we may expect bond yields to go to 4 to 5% on government bonds.

We may have a decade where share prices go down or nowhere. 

What I will do is go back to a value strategy that hasn't worked as well as a growth strategy has worked these last few decades. What that means generally is I will buy stocks or shares that pay a dividend and have a low P.E. ratio. In other words what people think of as income shares or value shares. Companies that have dependable income stream with a little growth and not very volatile.

I plan to be in Gold shares and oil shares for the next decade, most of these oil shares I believe will go down in the next year or so will wait to buy them. Same with gold shares, I will buy the large cap ones and the royalty gold shares and not the junior shares.

I will be involved in the uranium markets as of now with the idea as they rally I will sell some and transition into the oil and gold shares again the large caps to small cap's especially the ones with assets IN Canada and North America and some exposure to Africa.

I will also buy what some people consider income stocks, like BTI or British American Tobacco. Or some large cap shares in Brazil like Vale or the oil company their, I maybe a little early to will have small position sizes. Same with shares in South Africa, like the platinum shares all with high yields. 

With the economy slowing down I expect the shares could go down but with a war in Russia they may stay higher priced than I expect. 

I will also dollar cost average in EM shares as the dollar rallies and and those markets get cheaper. I will also have a small position in Utility shares and bond ETFs just for diversification in case inflation really comes down. If that's the case I will sell the bonds for EM shares and some Copper plays and Nichol shares, but again I expect some commodities to continue going down so will accumulate slowly.

The main thing is I will buy conservative income stocks and continue working and dollar cost averaging into these things intel all these things get worked out in the market place and of course the same with a small gold bullion position.

I still believe the government will continue with bad economic policy's so will also live overseas for awhile and start more online business to just in case the E.U. and USA continue running the economy into the ground which is what I expect over the next few years to decade.

Good Luck.

 Cool things you can buy in the Mennonites bakery in Xela, Guatemala

I just came back from the Mennonites bakery in Xela, Guatemala, and picked up some kombucha and my other favorite products like cookies and other breads.

They generally speaking have fresh eggs and vegetable's like broccoli, kale and a few other ones. I really like the kale and broccoli, and usually get it when I can. 

They also have cheese when its being made and fresh homemade yogurt and all the berry yogurt's too. If you like Mennonite yogurt and the homemade kind Id check it out when your in Xela, Guatemala. They have homemade granola which I get too. Most of the things there are fairly affordable like all the doughnuts ect and homemade breads, donut holes, cinnamon roles and all the comfort foods of the United States you may miss.

The kombucha was only 12Qs which is about 1.6 for the big bottles, and so I will try it out latter tonight.

The Mennonites I think have been in Xela, Guatemala for 12 years or so. They have farms outside of town and two bakeries in Xela, the one is in zone 3 close to the new mall. Its open Tuesday and Friday, the other location is 5 days a week I think, I have never been their so am not sure its location.

As far as I understand the Mennonites are from the States and have been flooding in from the States for the last few years buying up land and starting new business in Xela, Guatemala. They seem to be escaping from to much regulation and tax and seem to enjoy the freedom and liberties of doing business down here in Guatemala which attracts more Mennonite immigrants.

I really like how they have come down here and filled the market demand for their products and services which are many. If you stop in town talk to them they can point you in the right direction as far as where to get the best agricultural land and things like that. They speam Spanish, English and that Germanic language too.

Why I like Paraguay when SHTF.

One of the biggest reasons I like Paraguay as a bugout location is its an agricultural country or at least some of it is. Of course there are big cities and bright lights, bars and night clubs ect but you can still live a quiet life out in the country and land is still cheap although with all the foreigners flooding into the country that's changing. 

Another thing its the fourth safest country in South America according to the crime statistics. Although I wouldn't put a lot of stock in crime statistics it does seem safer than Colombia right now with all their sopamine deaths of foreigners and shootings and assaults of foreigners but that could be because foreigner's behavior and other things seem to set them out to be targeted. 

You can still buy small farms in Paraguay for under 20K USD not including any built structures or anything like that just raw land and its pretty good agricultural if you want to have a garden. In the Chaco of course its not good for growing only cattle.

Its easy to get residency if you have no criminal record, you only need the fees a lawyer will charge or fixer, or do it yourself and 5K usd bank deposit you get back after a month or two and you are welcome to spend the money or take it out of the bank.

It goes without saying in Paraguay the cost of living is low compared to the United States and Europe and the first world in general.

Its not as cheap as Guatemala where I live now but not bad for what you get, and now with a strong dollar things are cheap. The Paraguay Gurani is at 7K to one USD and in the past it was 4200 or so. So things are affordable now. 

With a local ID you can travel to the surrounding countries without a passport. A few countries in that agreement would include, Brazil, Uruguay ect and more.

The other thing I like is banking their. You can bank in total privacy if you so desire, if its a S.A account much like Guatemala. USD dollar accounts are easy to set up in your name as are local currency accounts with much higher interest rates. Also tax is very low.

Because there isn't much of a welfare state their, taxes are low. Taxes on foreign based income is 0% on local income it starts at 5%or 8% up to 12% I think. Because most expats get their income offshore or outside the country its 0% for us.

One of the benefits of living in Paraguay is the highest rates of immigrants here. It has more foreign immigrants in the country than locals, or so I read. Because of that there are many Germans Mennonites Asians and Europeans in general. North Americans are in smaller numbers but they are catching on to the place and setting up residencies their and business. 

There is still corruption and crime here but it seems lower than Guatemala. It feels more like "Europe" than Central America, although there are quite a few Germans here and other immigrants in Guatemala.

I like Paraguay and Guatemala because of its German cultural history it might turn others off but both are nice places to live work and play and have all the modern connivences and both are pretty agricultural depending on your needs.

All in all I believe more Europeans will bug out here as the SHTF and things become more ugly in Europe and as things become more unpleasant in North America.

 I keep banging the table on how to stay sane and happy during these unprecedented times.

I keep writing how you can survive and prosper during these unprecedented times and want to keep suggesting if you want to prosper and not lose all your money you will need to take some of your cash offline and convert it to gold coins.

I still think readers need to know how Bitcoin works and how to buy it without using and online exchange or at least to buy some on an exchange and then send it to your hard wallet.

There may come a time when you will not be allowed to wire money offshore to and account and or buy gold coins much less take them out of the country.

If you can and are able form a corporate account offshore and fund it for your new life abroad. If you can do that at least fund an offshore account in your own name although most offshore banks don't welcome North Americans to bank with them anymore.

One way around that is to get a foreign residency and then open a regular deposit account and then open a separate USD account with it. At least you will have funds to start a new life in a new place with more liberty.

Another thing you can do is start a small online business consulting on your favorite hobby or online skill and teach it to someone else and starting building up an income like that, and save it and then use it if you ever have to bug out of North America. I have already left for reasons like loss of liberty and more business opportunities and better dating opportunities. So far I enjoy it out here.

The feeling of independence from the State is exhilarating. When you can carve out your own life on your own terms its very gratifying and makes for a more sane life. Not to mention a tax free life and more income and higher standard of living.

Moy own favorite place to live work and play are Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and the Philippines.

All low cost places to live and start a online business and have an interesting dating life and breath free and not worry about the country going insane like many countries in the West.

Leave a comment if you feel the same.

Some crazy things MAY be happening in Europe.

 I read a post on Facebook that a few countries can technically foreclose on your house if you cant pay your utility bill.  Of course this is all gossip so many people are asking around and asking various law firms if you CAN really do it and what are the odds companies really will do this.

The reason for all this speculation is because of the recent talk of YOU WILL OWN NOTHING AND BE HAPPY, is this how it will unfold? 

Is this the start of the GREAT RESET, that people are talking about?

I dont know and its hard to believe this will happen but we seem to be in unprecedented times.

I hope these crazy times in Europe will come to an end peacefully and quietly and with much lower prices for energy fo our friends in Euope.

 Can you really live on 350.00 to 500.00 USD a month in the Philippines, Mexico or Guatemala in 2022? And why would you want too?

I still get this question a lot and so want to write on if this is possible and why you may want to live on a small budget like that if you are from the western world.

Usually if you search online for information like this and you find a forum to ask a question on this you will be met with derision scorned laughed at and made fun of, so most people don't really talk about it much.

With the rise in inflation in 2022 I would say the days of living on 300 to 350 USD a month are over in the developing world but if you are creative you can find a way. One way that's easy is to just do house sitting gigs and go house to house. Another is to volunteer and get room and board included in exchange for 4 to 6 hours work a day. In this article I wont be explaining those opportunities. 

Why would you want to live that frugally?

Well maybe that's all you have to live on although now days most pensions are above that. Another reason is you are in the process of building up a business and you enjoy living in Mexico or the Philippine's or even Guatemala.

If you have an online business but no saving for emergencies or doing fun stuff you may want to live your first few years on a tight budget of 400 to 500 USD a month and save your earnings to fund a retirement account and or an emergency budget and prefer not to do that in a western country and want out now.

Ideally before you leave the Untied States you should have more than 5k to 10k saving just to have a longer burn rate or if you don't have that already have an income of 300 to 500 USD a month from your online work.

If you choose to live in Mexico and wish to live on 300 to 500 USD then you will have to go local and live like a local. To do that you will need the help of a local to help you find cheap rent in a safe place. To do that you will need to live in a small community and not a big city. One example of that is Calderitas beach, which is by Chetumal, Mexico.

Their you will be near the beach and there are many cheap houses to rent for 50 USD and up. Of course these wont be luxury houses or even super middle class, but you will have a few rooms and a kitchen and internet connections and everything else you will need to work online and function. Its such a small community where everyone knows everyone that crime is little unless you piss someone off.

In communities like this it will be best to be introduced into the community by someone who lives their and has a good reputation, it is why you will need help from a local to introduce you around and help you find a place to rent. Your biggest expense will be rent and food and wifi but I have come across gringos who are doing it for under 400 USD a month but of course they are young and building up a business and aren't really to old to enjoy a lifestyle like that.

Another gringo does essentially the same thing in Puebla, Mexico and his rent is something like 600 USD a month, hes on a pension and am not sure why its that low but does just fine on that budget. Of course youll not be living high off the hog but will have high speed internet and sometimes a pretty big house compared to the studio I have in Guatemala. 

I live in Guatemala in the second biggest city in Guatemala and have a studio for 250USD and with my food and booze budget never spend more than 600 USD a month but have other income sources from online business and dividend shares that help build up my savings.

When I lived in the Philippines my rent was 80 USD a month and at that time I had a partner so spent more than the 300 to 500 USD per month budget but even then I didn't spend more than 600 a month. Food and beer their is cheap eating out in local places wasn't much either and its cheaper than Mexico or Guatemala as far as eating out.

The hardest part of finding cheap places to rent?

The hardest part to getting cheap rents is not speaking the language and getting gringo prices. That is why you will need someone trust worthy to help you find cheap places and normally that will be your girlfriend or partner who lives in that area and understands cultural norms their and can help you negotiate a cheap rent. 

If you cant do that it will take time building up trust with locals who will then help you find a place and it all takes time and is or can be frustrating when you as a gringo are in a hurry to find a place.

Right now in 2022 there are foreigners in the Philippines rent houses or small apartments for under a 100 bucks a month and if you watch them you can see how tough it is to live on 350 USD a month and will really have to love being their to enjoy it but it can be done and more money is better and as things wind down in the western world you better leave now and find yourself a cheap place to hunker down in.

So if you want to have a lower cost of living and a second chance of finding romance head out as soon as you can.

Good Luck!

How to survive and prosper during the Great Reset.

 How to survive and prosper during the Great Reset.

If you want to survive and prosper during the Great Reset and live in North America then I would say you need to move to a small city or small rural town in Texas or Florida or at least somewhere without a State income tax, Alaska might be best for that but its to cold for me and Texas is right next to Mexico and easy to bug out too.

Buying a house in rural America can be much cheaper than on the cities on the east coast or west coast. If we go into a recession they may get cheaper.

The benefits of living in rural America in a State without income tax is of course lower tax, being left alone, being with like minded people ect.

If you want to live off grid and be less dependent on the State I would start learning to garden and or raise animals for food and in general stock up on foodstuffs before they become unaffordable or just unavailable do to supply chain issues.

I would want to live one or two hours from a big city in case I need to fly somewhere to do business or need to be close to medical facilities.

Its the perfect solution if you want to stay in North America and avoid big city problems like crime, homelessness and rising taxes or the loss of freedom in bigger cities.

I would probably own some gold and silver coins and all the tools I would think I would need if infrastructure ever breaks down. 

For me I would keep some wealth offshore even if I was not planning on leaving just incase of asset forfeiture or I had to leave quickly and quietly for some legal reason and my assets were frozen or just gone. It can be a pain in the neck to travel with silver and gold coins and tough to sell them for their value in a foreign country and that's what I will do or do now, I don't care much to live in the United States and watch things go into the toilet.

If I was fed up and could not take the loss of liberty I would plan now on getting a second residency in Latin America and already have my passport and bank accounts like Charles Schwab already set up, Charles Schwab has ATM fees refunded to you every month.

I like Latin America because of the ease it takes to get a residency almost anywhere, the low cost of living and privacy when banking if you set up an S.A. company properly.

I also like it because in the Americas you are in the land of the immigrants so its easy to fit in if you are single and want to marry and have kids.

If you can work online and get a legal residency in Paraguay, its one of the easiest but by no means necessarily the best but for people with German heritage its nice but hot. You will need 5k for the lawyer to set up and a 5k deposit which you get back after the process is over which can take 3 to 6 months. Its also nice because you only need to spend one day every three years to keep it up and legal.

Its agricultural and fairly traditional and very low taxed, if your incomes from overseas you don't need to pay tax their, but may have a tax obligation in your home country. 

In the cities its fairly safe quiet and boring so it may not be for everyone. Its a major tax haven in the area so a good base for business and has great food to eat great for people who are health contentious.

Its location in South America means its in the middle of nowhere and not easy to get to and may be a deterrent for criminal delinquent's if SHTF.

Their are many places to live in Latin America if Paraguay isn't your cup of tea. My favorites are Mexico, Guatemala, and in Asia Philippines.

In many places its not really hard to get a retiree visa or student visa and business visa so many options or just be a P.T. and live in three or four countries on tourist visas.

My choice for surviving and prospering during the Great Reset is to live and work and play and bank overseas. The regulatory hassle and tax hassle and cost of living is now unbearable for many now in North America so I choose to leave for the time being.

How much does it cost to live in (Xela) Quetzaltenango Guatemala 06/09/22 (cost of living 2022)

 How much does it cost to live in (Xela) Quetzaltenango Guatemala 06/09/22 (cost of living 2022)

In the United States and Europe right now the cost of living is through the roof and rising. I think in most of the developed world inflation is running 9 to 12% right now. I an writting this in September 6, 2022. 

I think the average rent in the United States is something like 1200 USD or more. I can say in Phoenix Arizona rents are going up 20% last year and 10% this year with low end rents at 1200 to 1500 USD a month. 

The cost of groceries are very expensive now days, and going out to eat unaffordable. I would like to say the average cheap place to eat in the States is 15 bucks and up and tips are at 20% or more.

Its not surprising people are homeless and or living in cars and vans with the cost of living so high and now we are seeing an exodus of North American's leaving for Latin America. 

I live in Guatemala Xela to be exact and even here you see North Americans flooding in including Mennonites. 

This is my attempt to give the reader an idea what the cost of living is for a single person who want to live on a budget.

The cost of living in Guatemala has been going up just like everywhere else in the world. Just yesterday I bought a canister of cooking gas (propane) for 16 bucks, it used to be 14 bucks but I am not complaining, it will last me 2 to 3 months before I need to refill it.

My rent for a studio all utilities included is more or less 250 USD a month. You can rent a room cheaper if you want or get something for 200 USD but the utilities may not be included. The water lights and wifi are included in those costs, if separate wifi can be up to 50 bucks for really fast wifi 25 or less for a little slower.

I have seen electric bills at 10 to 15 at other places I rented but I am single so for more people it would be more.

I don't really eat out a lot but a low end place can be 3 to 5 bucks and the nicer places for steak ect will be 15 to 20 bucks a plate including beer.

Just some random food prices.

Eggs 30 for 4.60 to 5.80 Brown eggs or the white one.

Beef 4.20 a # again all prices USD

Veggies you can get bags of veggies in a bag in the market .70 cents a bag. 

Sausage (Chorizo, Longaniza ect) 5.80 a # That's in stores cheaper in the market.

  A liter of wine from Spain 2.70

Rice dried beans .60 cents a #

Oatmeal 1 dollar a #

Local beer .60 cents and up for a pint, 2.70 a pint for artesian beer.

As you can see I don't spend much here. I budget 800 USD a month and spend about 500 to 600 USD if I don't travel on the weekends.

If you want to rent a house in the nice part of town plan on spending 450 USD and up, it will be 5 bedrooms and a few bathrooms.

I don't have a car but they are at about USD prices or less but be careful driving here and get insurance you will need it.

There you have it, it can still be cheaper living here and a slower lifestyle here.

With all the foreigners moving here and Mexico the cost of living in Guatemala is going up but still affordable for foreigners compared to North America or Europe.

If you can work online you can live here and save money for your retirement and have a great life.