As long as the Federal Reserve is in control of our currency, as long as we pay interest through our illegal income taxes to the Federal Reserve on counterfeit money created out of thin air, as long as banks are allowed to create money out of thin air through the fractional banking system (i.e. derivatives), as long as speculators are allowed to determine the prices of our food and energy supplies, and as long as government agencies such as the SEC and DOJ fail to enforce securities laws, the economy will never be safe and your dollar will continue to fall in value. The US economy has been at the mercy of bankers and Corporations for over a century now and it is painfully obvious that they care nothing about the average person; only profit and power.

Yes, I will acknowledge that Westerners, and Americans in particular, have grown extremely irresponsible with their financial habits and need to follow many of the guidelines and recommendations listed above. But unless the core problems of the economic/financial system are fixed, you money will never be safe, your retirements will dwindle in value, and everything will continue to grow in cost. Contact your Congressmen and Senators and demand that the control of the US currency be returned to the US Treasury, that the illegal 16th Amendment and Income Tax be eliminated, that a flat-rate national sales tax be implemented, and stricter banking laws implemented to protect consumers.

Turn off the TV and radio. Put down the newspapers and magazines. Avoid all forms of mass, mainstream propoganda meant to turn you into a consumer. Stay away from malls and stores as much as possible. Get active in your community and support local initiatives. Get outdoors and enjoy the environment. Find a healthy, physical activity you enjoy doing regularly. And eat healthy, locally-grown organic produce. Do ANYTHING that prevents you from spending money or being bored (which usually leads to spending money, especially watching TV).

Thankyou Dr. M for such a wealth of info.  May I add a book or two to your list?  Catherine Ponder has written some great books on abundance:  "Open Your Mind to Receive" and "The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity".  

My mother and father came from very little. In fact my mother had to leave home at the age of 13 because of an alcoholic father. They were blue collar workers that  put 3 of us through college. My brother went on to medical school. They paid cash for their newly built home ( a 3 bedroom ranch) in 1967. They taught me valuable lessons for living within your financial means. Sometimes they overdid it, but as a result I grew up by example.