Why is it that the older and richer people become, the more conservative they are with their money? Have you ever done or know someone who has made an investment that promised a 10% interest or profit per month? Everyone wants to make above average profits. It is amazing how many people will send their very hard earned money across the world to Nigeria or to Boca Rattan, Florida on the promise of a telephone acquaintance to make them much richer. People give their money to complete strangers in hopes of making more money.

All good investment advisers will tell their clients "If a deal is too good to be true, it probably is." Professionals only make very high returns in areas they personally know very well. This, for them, is a business investment, not a passive investment like stocks, bonds or mutual funds. Real estate and business investments are considered active investments. People who are employed by others do not usually make active investments, because they just do not have the time to watch a business investment, where big profits are always possible (as well as big losses.)

People with small amounts of money come to me all the time and ask: "What can I do with $1,000 that will give me a big return?" Here is the answer. When I was a 21-year-old lad working for my father, I had money in the bank, I owed securities (stocks) and my income was a fixed salary. I saw many opportunities to make money all around me, in the business. My father, like so many employers, wasn't interested. Besides I was trying to figure out how I could make money for me.

At the time, 1971, we had high inflation and prices were going up on many things. My father used metal rings to seal containers, nuts and bolts, paint, and other industrial supplies. I watched prices starting to go up and it appeared that they might even double on finished products that were made from steel. Since the company used these products all the time, buying bigger orders meant buying much more then you needed and having to store it so it didn't get stolen. I used to buy 2 years supply of bolts at a time. Knowing the price was going up, I bought a 4-year supply. Rings took a lot of space so we would buy 3 months at a time. The problem with new rings, being bought and laying around, in storage, was that the workers, taking the easy way out, would take new rings out of the warehouse, instead of cleaning the old rings, which saved the company a lot of money.

My father didn't want to have a years worth of rings around, even though we both knew the price was going to continue going up. We came up with an idea. I would buy, with my own money, the extra inventory, the amount above the companies normal order size. My investment inventory would be stored in a separate locked area in the warehouse. When the company needed more rings or bolts, it would buy them from me at the then current market price. I made $1,500 on my $5,000 investment in just six months. That was a 30%, no risk profit in just half a year. Now I was hot.

When I got married, and I used more toilet paper and toothpaste than I did before, I decided that I should repeat the process that I learned as a boy. When I was a boy toilet paper was 10 cents a role. If you do not know what it is now, take a look. I bought 5 cases of toilet paper and put it in the garage. I knew that paper prices were going up. I not only got the increase in price, I got close out quantity discounts by the case. Do you know that dog and cat food by the case is 10% off? Then if you wait for when Friskies has a sale or close out, then buy large cases; you cannot believe what you will save. If you can get a distributor or wholesaler to sell direct to you, another 20-33% is possible. You might check the price at Costco. It may be cheaper than what the wholesaler will sell it to you for.

You only buy items that you know you will use yourself, personally. You are not buying for resale. You are buying a two-year supply of things you know you will use, for sure. Toilet paper is one of them. (Make sure you try the brand out, to see that you will like it.) Smart and Final has many things in bulk. Compare prices at Costco, Smart and Final, the 99-cent store, and if you can find the distributor that the 99-cent store buys from in Downtown LA, you will really be buying cheap.

First step. Make a list of everything you buy on a regular bases. List non-food items, bathroom items and dry or canned food items. Do not buy food the rats can get into. Grains must be in steel drum with bags. You will be shocked at how much 20 lbs of rice will cost you compared to a one pound bag, about a quarter of the cost or less. Do not buy clothing, because of change of styles and weight. You can buy men's socks and underclothing when you see a real close out at 80% off. Men wear the same style all their lives and their weight tends to be constant. Do not do this for children or woman. Things change too fast.

Second step. Price shop so you will know what are the good prices and bad prices. Do not buy yet, just price shop.

Third Step. Decide how much inventory you want to have, how much money do you have to spend and how long it will take you to use it all up. Where are you going to put it so that it will be safe and dry? Not a public storage place, please. The rent will eat up your volume buying profits, real fast.

Fourth Step. Look for close outs so you can buy cheaper than the best price you planned on and then have fun buying.

Hidden Bonus: There are also non-profit advantages to this program that you should be aware of. In case of an economic depression you have food. That means if you loose your job, you still eat. Your unemployment check can then go towards the rent, gas in the car, car payments, and fresh food. You will already have most of the toilet items and other things you will need, until you get a job.

In case of a natural disaster or a teamster strike you will have your well-stocked private supermarket with those needed items. The IRS closed down Howard Ruff, a newsletter writer in the 1970's. They attached all of his bank accounts, and locked the front door of his store. Howard had 12 children, no income and no money in his pocket. He did have big food storage, which fed his family while he took a month to decide what his next move was going to be. He was able to think his problem out without panicking because his family was fed, and he could postpone his mortgage, utilities and other bills for a few months, before he had big troubles.

So be smart. Invest in a food storage program. Only buy what you will use, and do use. Buy in quantities that you will use up in 2 years. Do not buy a 5-year supply of anything. Shop for the best price, and then wait for a better deal than that. Then you have made a safe and profitable investment, while at the same protecting your family from emergencies.

About The Author

Willard Michlin is a real estate and financial distress consultant. He can be contacted at his Ventura, California office by calling 805-529-9854 or by e-mail at kismetrei@earthlink.net. See other article by Willard at http://www.kismetgroup.com

kismetrei@earthlink.net

RELATED ARTICLES Cost Averaging - It Makes Sense (Dollars & Cents) It's no secret that the market goes UP.. Who Will Become Wealthy in the Information Age? As you know, we're now well and truly in theInformation Age. It began about 10 years ago. What it Means to be Rich Many people have a false understanding of what it actually means to be rich. If you were to ask a stranger what makes a person rich, he or she would say "A person is rich if they have a lot of money and can buy whatever they want!". Budget Tips To budget, to have a budget and to be on a budget is not a bad thing; in fact, it's just about the best financial situation you can find yourself in. A budget is a valuable financial management tool which will enable you to pay your monthly expenses, save a certain percentage of your income and control your expenditures. How Should I Create Passive Income? If you're wondering where to create passive income, then you are likely not alone. There are hundreds of different ways, however, so you're sure to find something that will work for you. Is Your Money Keeping Up With Inflation? In today's unpredictable global economy, you obviously never know what is going to happen next. Uncertainties and concerns regarding the Iraqi threat, North Korean crisis, and hidden terrorist cells and networks continue to loom in the back of the minds of consumers. Online Retirement Opportunity: Freelance Copywriting For most of us, the idea of retiring simply on our pension is not a happy prospect.While we may have always had dreams of a retirement that is worry-free and with a few luxuries thrown in, the stark reality is that our pensions will likely give us only the most basic living conditions, with none of the luxuries we had hoped for. Investment Techniques For Creating Passive Income There are many wealth creation strategies and investment techniques available to those who are looking to create a passive income. These fall into three main categories. Generate Savings with Smart Use of Electricity! No matter what income level you are currently at, generating savings is always a smart move to make. So what is one area you can generate a satisfying level of savings? Change your habits and how you use electricity. Do You want to Live on Macaroni and Cheese when You Retire or Filet Mignon? How Much Money Will I Need to Earn to Retire?This is the most common concern of people who are contemplating retirement. While most financial planners would tell you that you need to earn as much in retirement as you did while you were working, this isn't always the case. My Entrepreneurial Fire-I Grabbed My First Million Before I Got Too Old My First Million took me exactly 27 months to achieve. I remember the day I made the resolution with self respect. I Dont Need A Financial Coach To Help Me! You've been thinking that your financial life could probably be better, right? Maybe you think, "If I could just stick to a budget everything will be fine?", or how about "When I get that next raise or promotion, I'll have enough money to pay off my debts and save some money?" You may even be thinking,"I can do this on my own!"I hear these comments and more on a regular basis. I usually say, "Great! Can you think of any reasons your financial life isn't perfect right now?"It's really your "little voice" which is prompting you to say all these things! Your little voice has a job to do and that is to protect you from any change because it "knows" that change will be hard or scary or cause more work and it's just easier to keep things the way they've always been. You're Eating Your Retirement Money Ever think about how eating all those fast food meals for lunch are effecting your pocketbook. Let's do the math. The Wealthy Mindset What is the difference between wealthy people and poor (even average) people? It is not all the money that wealthy people have and the average don't, nor the luxury, nor the lifestyle. It is their mindset. Can You Be Rich? Part 1 What does becoming rich mean to you? Is it early retirement? Perhaps it is the big house and the fancy car. Do you want the personal freedom that comes with being wealthy? Knowing you could go anywhere in the world you wish at anytime. The Hawk and the Mouse - Saving for Retirement There once was a hawk, ferocious and swift. He was young and agile with many years of life to hunt the open ranch lands. The PDQ? Factor It's the beginning of a brand new year: a time to set goals, make plans, and start afresh; a time to dream of making more money, having a more beautiful body, and experiencing more love. I can't help you with your body or your love life but I can show you some tools for making more money this year. The 11 Best Money Saving Ideas of All Time - Part 2 At any time in history, no matter what the current state of the economy, no matter what the current trends, no matter what the unemployment rate is or where interest rates lurk, some money-saving ideas stay true.Some of you may have heard of these ideas before, others may be entirely new to you. Real Estate Stories that Show You How! Let's begin easing you out of the pits. I mean, comfort zone! I'm going to slowly and methodically give you as many little sparks and insights to the relatively simple ways that ordinary people use real estate to achieve extraordinary results. Financial Intelligence - Compounding (The Ninth Wonder of the World) Compounding:� The Ninth Wonder of the WorldBy Nicola Cairncross Compounding is often described as the ninth wonder of the world. It is a concept that initially sounds quite dull, but when you understand how compounding just quietly works its magic - or conversely its naughtiness - it's a very exciting concept to grasp indeed!� Compounding is the difference between linear and exponential growth, or put more simply, about earning (or incurring) interest on the interest on the interest, generated by your savings (or your debt).