Be Commandready: The Ultimate Life Survival Handbook c5f63

BE COMMANDREADYTM

BILL AND DEBRA ROMANO

Copyright © 2014 Bill and Debra Romano.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock. Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

ISBN: 978-1-4808-1225-3 (sc) ISBN: 978-1-4808-1226-0 (hc) ISBN: 978-1-4808-1271-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014919434

Archway Publishing rev. date: 11/6/2014

Contents

Chapter 1 When You’re Prepared, You’re Not Scared

Chapter 2 Always Check The Back Door

Chapter 3 If The Fish “Stinks”

Chapter 4 Don’t Lower Your Standards; Raise Your Expectations

Chapter 5 You Want My Money, You’ll Get My Advice Along With It

Chapter 6 Don’t Work For Money, Let Your Money Work For You!!!

Chapter 7 Appear To Be Busy & You Are

Chapter 8 Coupons, Barter And Rebates, Time-Shares And “The Skycap”

Chapter 9 Buy When No Else Is Buying

Chapter 10 Start At The Beginning, Or Not At All

Chapter 11 Surround Yourself With People Smarter Than You

Chapter 12 Leverage Yourself, Create Your Own Buzz, And Avoid Toxic People

Chapter 13 Control The Pennies, Nickels And Dimes; Not Just Dollars

Chapter 14 Love Your Family, Enjoy Your Career, But Vacation As Much As Possible

Chapter 15 Do Academics Or The “Trades” Matter?

Chapter 16 It Is Not The Time You Put In, It Is What You Get Done!

Chapter 17 Shoot For The Stars, Sometimes Settle For The Sky

Chapter 18 Somebody Else Must Pay; Free Is My Favorite Word

Chapter 19 Take Chances On Uncertainty; Rome Was Not Built In A Day;

Your Career Won’t Be Either!

Chapter 20 Don’t Always Listen To The “So-Called” Experts

Chapter 21 No Decision Can Be The Worst Decision Made

Chapter 22. “When You Have Assets You Have Responsibilities”

Chapter 23 Phase 3; Exiting The Rat-Race And Being Commandready For It!!

Chapter 24 Appendix And Handy Survival Guide

About The Authors

CHAPTER 1

WHEN YOU’RE PREPARED, YOU’RE NOT SCARED

D id you ever watch the news after a natural disaster and think; what were those people thinking? When people are given ample notice and still ignore the warnings-you have to think; Why? You should not only be prepared for when disasters strike, but in everyday situations. Are you the type to let the gas tank hit empty? Do you wait until the last minute to get things done? This may seem insignificant in your every day; however, you never know when you will be in a bad situation. For example, while my wife and I were taking a spring hike near Hunter Mountain, New York we were diligent, making noise in case we happened to encounter a bear or other dangerous wildlife. We spent the day hiking a vertical trail and were exhausted when we finally reached the top. My wife insisted we go a different way down the mountain. After some discussion we decided to go down through the ski slope which was closed, but still had snow on it. As we gingerly descended down the mountain, our legs were becoming weary as we were hiking for many hours. My wife thought we were in the clear. I suddenly told her to keep walking as fast as possible but not to look back. I had spotted a fivehundred pound black bear sitting on the ski slope. Who would have thought we would see a bear on the ski slope—me! Needless to say, I never stop making sure of my safety and of the safety of my family. My bear gas was at my side, but I am happy to say that I didn’t need it. The bear just took a look at us and sat there. When my son was a baby, my wife and I continued to be active and travel a lot. We never wanted to become stagnant. We would travel in the car for hours and to make sure that we had an enjoyable trip, we carried a 12- volt bottle warmer. This insured us that we could go anywhere with a cooler and not have to find a place to stop and feed him. Again, this may seem insignificant, however, do you know what is like to have a screaming child in the car and have no relief?

The point is to always be prepared for whatever possibilities may arise. Does this mean you will never be caught unprepared? No, but if you take the time to think about where you’re going, what you’re doing and what you’ll need, you will be far ahead of someone who doesn’t. This is a story that no one will believe (not even the auto insurance company!) I left my house one day to go hunting at 4am. It was still dark but I was excited about seeing friends I hadn’t seen in a long time. I was driving up route 17 in New York State and out of nowhere a deer ran out and my car was hit pretty hard. The damage was minimal so I continued on my way to meet the boys because I still had three out of four headlights left. I got off route 17 to travel on route 209 north, and within 20 minutes, unbelievably, I hit another deer! This deer did tremendous damage to my car, three out of four headlights were out, the hood was crunched and the radiator showed signs of potential leakage. The seatbelt air bags had gone off and to say the car was heavily damaged is an understatement. I wasn’t hurt, but unfortunately the deer was a goner. It just so happens I was driving my company car because I had just ordered a new fourwheel-drive truck and it wasn’t in yet. Now as you can imagine, my truck has every conceivable first aid, safety and emergency equipment possible. That morning, I had thrown a few extras in my car, just in case. One of the items was climbing rope. This saved my weekend because I was able to tie the bumper to the car, latch the hood down and continue on my way. A few more miles down the road, I was pulled over by a New York State Trooper. He asked me if I thought the car was road worthy. This brought back the shades of the movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles. If you in the movie, the radio was the only thing that was working; this typified my car at this point. Being Commandready got me to hunting camp, otherwise these two incidents would have “fully” ruined my weekend.

WRECKED CAR, DRIVABLE?

It doesn’t hurt that I became an Eagle Scout when I was thirteen. The Boy Scouts was a stabilizing force in my life. The Boy Scout motto is “Be Prepared.tm” The Scouts teach you about all being prepared; making a fire, knowing what plants you can eat, what water is good to drink, how to make a shelter, first aid, etc. In my travels all these skills came into play. In my younger, single years, my friends and I traveled out West. Every year was an adventure from the Grand Canyon to Yosemite National Park. One year on our way to Jenny Lake in the Grand Tetons; we asked for a camping permit. The ranger warned us of an impending storm. “In your 20’s you think, you can do anything and you do” (Billy Crystal, City Slickers). We were at 9,000 feet and the weather starting getting rough, (Gilligan’s Island) so much so, that one of my buddies was almost hit with a tree branch that had been struck by lightning. After the near lighting strike, we knew that we needed to take shelter at a lower elevation immediately. We grabbed our gear and headed down the mountain. The moral of the story is first, listen to a ranger; he knows of what he speaks and when he says a storm is coming, it is and second; know how to survive when you need to. We made it out alive and learned a valuable lesson. Another year, we went to the Grand Canyon. We hiked the famous “Bright Angel” trail to the bottom of the canyon. In August there are only two types of people taking this trail; crazy people and the rangers saving these crazy people. We got down to the bottom of the canyon and we were hot and exhausted. My friend was getting out of the creek when he was bitten by a rattlesnake. Thank God, I had purchased a $12 snake bite kit before we left, just in case. I can tell you that the kit did its job and although my friend was not feeling 100%; we probably saved his life. As you can see, with my friends and our craziness, we really did need to be prepared. These are only a few different instances where being prepared made the difference between failure and coming out alive.

2011/2012 “Storms”

In October 2011 the Northeast part of the country was treated to a “rare nor’easter” some called “Snowmageddon.” The forecast was calling for heavy snows, falling trees, down power lines and all the good stuff that goes with it. An unprepared person (about 90% of people) might have ignored all the warnings, but a “Commandready” person would have seen all the leaves on the trees and taken heed. I prepared by prepping food, getting chain saws ready, procuring extra gas, and of course; warning others. It’s sad to say the storm hit with full force, cutting many power lines and catching most “unprepared.” My power went out but my generator was ready. My chainsaw cleared downed trees, I helped others pick up the pieces of their lives and I continued to “Be Commandready” for the next event. This definitely this triggered future warning signs. Now fast-forward to 2012, again in October. A rare category one hurricane, aka Super Storm Sandy, was predicted to hit everywhere from Delaware to Connecticut. High winds, high tide and some rain. As the storm drew closer and closer the perfect storm seemed to be forming. Some people ed 2011; more people were prepared, but again most waited. I knew a storm of this magnitude could have the potential to re-arrange lives and it did. I double checked my preparedness situation, warned others, and readied my house bunker. This storm had the potential to knock out power for a great while so I doubled up on my fuel supplies (no power meant no gas stations pumping gas). The storm hit New Jersey with a 32ft (8.75 ft. was the old “all time” record) wave surge! 32.5 ft. is almost Biblical in proportion. This storm easily flooded most of lower New York, knocked out all transportation hubs, plunged lower New York into darkness for days all while salty sea water corroded all electrical circuits hindering the electric company from making any real progress. Parts of Queens (Breezy Point) burned to the ground. Fuel was rationed for weeks in both New York and New Jersey, lines were long and tempers were short. Guns were pulled for gas. Local police had to guard gas stations and local rescuers had to pull double duty. Power line companies sent workers all the way from Georgia. Just getting around town required an ATV or Motorcycle; most streets were closed or blocked. Since my power utilities were underground I never lost power, I was part of

maybe 15% of all the towns that did not lose power, while a block away my neighbors sat in cold homes (I offered anyone help). Even the very wealthy in my town, sat in the dark, ate cold foods and basically went back to the turn of the century utilizing candles for light, with very little heat. I leant out my second generator and heaters. A week later 2.5 million people were without power and chaos still abounded. Since I built a house on high ground I was not flooded, since I had gasoline I could travel without waiting in lines and since my truck utilized diesel fuel, I could go the truck stops that almost never had lines. Rail lines and the NY/NJ path trains were out for three months. The tropical depression with high winds of 50-80MPH and only two inches (with surge) of rain did all of this. Next time when we have a real hurricane with ten inches of rain, high tide and high winds it will be worse, much worse. Two years, two nearly unheard of storms. Sandy caused billions in dollars of damage and the “federal government” has yet to come up with “anticipated aid” (vs. Katrina years ago) because it is nearly broke. The storm proved where you live, how you live, and how you prepare makes all the difference. I pray and I advise all to prepare, I hope people will, but as usual they go about their everyday lives hoping someone else will help them. Be advised, the GOVERNMENT WILL NOT BE THERE TO HELP YOU. As I write this, people are still cleaning up from Sandy. My saying stands now more than ever. “When you’re truly prepared you’re not scared.” Why not “BE COMMANDREADY?”

SANDY’S WRATH

CHAPTER 2

ALWAYS CHECK THE BACK DOOR

A lways check the back door after you check the front door. This can literally save your life. I a story about a bar that caught on fire from a stage malfunction involving pyrotechnics. At first no one knew what was happening and then they all ran to the front door. The door was blocked and many people were trampled by others trying to get out during the ensuing panic. The back door however, was open and only a handful of people got out with no problem. Everyone thought they had to go where everyone else was going, the way they came in. My mother in law is Irish and in her Irish tradition, you must go out the same way you came in. This could be your undoing. The first thing I do when I go to a movie theatre or a place with large crowds is to look for an exit. This may sound a bit paranoid but, it can ultimately save your life. This is also true on a much lighter note. Have you ever sat in traffic and become frustrated that you were not moving? I always look for a different way. It may be a longer way, but you get where you want to go and you’re not festering in a fit of road rage. I, my wife, and my son were on our way to a great weekend in the Poconos. Now, driving on Route 80 in North New Jersey is never a great pleasure and this weekend was no different. Right in front of a rest area, there was an accident. The State Troopers were just about to stop us and bring all lanes to a halt, when my wife suggested pulling off into the rest area and sneaking back on the highway past the carnage. When we looked back, it was eerie that there wasn’t a car in sight. The funny thing is, no one followed us. We arrived at a destination by checking the back door after the front door was jammed.

WOULD THIS BE A BACK DOOR SOLUTION?

Ever visit the Grand Canyon and think, why is everyone in the world here right now? Well, we had a great experience and practically had the canyon to ourselves by looking at the back door. Most tourists, about 90%, visit the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. It is more accessible by car and billed as the “big view”. The problem is, during the height of tourist season, the lines are abysmal and the traffic is horrific. Back door solution? We went to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and there was a minimal amount of tourists and relatively no traffic. If you truly want to experience the Grand Canyon, I highly recommend this 200 mile detour. As fate had it, we arrived at the North Rim of the Canyon, with no reservations in hand. We were next in line when we overheard some sort of commotion which presented an opportunity for us. The coveted Cabin 309 had just become available. This cabin was the only cabin with an unobstructed view of the canyon. People wait up to two years to get this great cabin. The view was so great, that a misstep off the front porch could prove to be fatal. This cabin was so coveted that when we left to take hikes, people would sit in our rocking chairs on the front porch of our cabin saying, “We wish we were staying here,” and would take pictures of themselves. Usually on these out west adventures, we rent a SUV type vehicle and it always comes in handy. This trip was no exception as the Ranger regaled us with a possible route to the wilderness of the West Rim that few ever see. We took a seventeen mile kidney smashing, backbreaking ride that one could vaguely call a able road. At the end of this trip was the most astonishing views one could only hope to see in one’s lifetime. The only other people we saw were students during research (I think they were researching a higher state of mind). Again, no crowd, no traffic, no hassles and the best view of the canyon was forever etched in our minds. This also reminds me of 9/11. In the past, most people would follow the instructions of “officials,” but after 9/11, people learned that they must be responsible for themselves. I am not advocating that you should never listen to authority, but rather listen to your gut and your instincts. I also do not suggest hurting others in the process but rather assist others who may not know better. Many people in the second tower were told to return to their offices after the first tower was hit. Obviously, hindsight is 20/20, but after the both bombings (1993

and 2001) of the World Trade Center, people need to be responsible for themselves, not always do what they are told. In an emergency, if a clean path is presented, take advantage; this could literally save your life.

CHAPTER 3

IF THE FISH “STINKS”

I n the beginning of my sales career, I had many mentors who have influenced my life in many positive ways. It has been a long road, but one of the most prophetic statements I ever heard is; “If the fish stinks, don’t eat it.” I know it may sound funny, but I have used it many times in my life. The 1980s and 1990s were a good time for sales in general. I had the privilege of working for Minolta Camera Company and directly for a Mr. Sam Anzalone. Sam was a Director and Vice President when titles truly meant something. Sam hired me and tutored me in the art of salesmanship. He said if you follow my teachings you will be a professional sales person. Coming from a Bachelor of Science Degree in ing and Marketing, this higher-flying, flashy life style appealed to me more than the stable yet uninspiring ing career my father so hoped I would follow. Under Sam’s guidance, I soon achieved status of making the “Top Ten Club” in sales many years in a row and in 1992, I achieved Salesman of the Year and was awarded a Lincoln Town Car. To state that Sam was an important person in my career and ultimately in my life was an understatement. He taught me in life that if something seems too good to be true, it usually is. He would say to me, “Kid, if the fish stinks don’t eat it.” I should have heeded this warning literally, from my wife when we were camping and I wanted to purchase clams. My wife said to me, “The clams don’t look so good.” I didn’t heed her warning and despite the supermarket looking a little dirty and not so fresh, I purchased the clams and enjoyed them. Then about half an hour later, I was starting to turn green, I started to get that funny feeling of trying to hold something down that you shouldn’t. Well, I finally had to give in and proceeded to vomit for about two hours. This was a literal translation of if the fish stinks, don’t eat it. But I have used this factually in other aspects of my life as well. When my wife wanted to purchase a car we looked at a beautiful Audi A6. We

were excited to purchase this used, but barely used, car. Or so we thought. My wife noticed something was wrong with the tire and when I went to investigate, I determined the car was in an accident; which the sales person neglected to tell us. We ended up buying a used Lexus and we love it. Which brings me to another point, buying used is the way to go with these purchases because the value decreases so much right after you drive off the lot. Gut feelings can save you time and money. Another example of something not ing the smell test was when we were approached by a large hotel chain to purchase time-sharing. It just didn’t sound right for us. The idea that someone could control when we could go on vacation and where didn’t appeal to us. They wanted us make a $32,000 decision on the spot without any additional information. We have come to realize that only a small percentage of people really like their time-shares. Most want to just get rid of them. Instincts and gut feelings sometimes work for you. Don’t fall for the, “I guess you really couldn’t afford us” comment. By now you know that looks can be deceiving. Even when buying a small purchase, look at what you’re really getting. Is it really a good deal?? How about a great job? Make sure that you research the company the way they will research you. Is the company viable? Does the company have the same morals and values as you? Make sure that you get a contract for employment if you feel that it is necessary. Money should not be your only motivating factor. Money does not equal happiness. If possible, talk to others that work there and associates of the company. If you do your due diligence, there should be no surprises and if you still think something is off, it probably is.

CHAPTER 4

DON’T LOWER YOUR STANDARDS; RAISE YOUR EXPECTATIONS

T oo many people in life “settle.” They accept their “situations” and never try to raise the bar higher. These same people always say “When will it be my turn,” or “When will it my day?” Yet they never take steps to improve themselves or their situation. One of the best ways I have found to help me “raise my expectations” is to know where I have been, analyze it, and plan where I am going. The best “simple” tool for this has been a little present my wife gave me over fifteen years ago; a journal. This simple yet meaningful gift has been one of my best tools to raise my bar and standards. Most people think of a journal as a compilation of thoughts and feelings, but in fact a journal can be much more. My journal starts every year with a section called goals and aspirations. It may start with my wife, son, and family but it indeed morphs itself into about every aspect of my life. The completion of each year ends with a critique of the year and it formulates the path of improvement leading to the next year. Subjects include; family, family ties, my marriage, my son, in-laws, parents, personal goals, business goals, and “world situations and events.” The categories are endless and all are important to raising my expectations in my life, and the lives of others. Before my son was born, when my marriage was fairly new and my business career not fully established, my financial situation was “ok” and my future planning for a secure third career or what I call “Phase 3” of my life was just a pipedream. I started writing a journal and reading a few great books which influenced and inspired my life. One of my favorite books was called Beating the System. It was inspiring that an average man could “plan” his life in such a fashion as to nearly retire at forty-six young years of age. I’m fifty-three now, and this book that inspired me is so many ways was written in the “Roaring 90’s,” as I call it. Gas was cheap, investments flourished, and you could make money on the money you saved. Housing pricing had just begun to skyrocket

and the stock market was on a Y2K tear toward record highs. As of the writing of this book many things have changed which require thought, direction, reflection and analysis. Most importantly looking back on mistakes you have made or “mishaps” can make you more self-aware on what eventual direction to take in the future. As of 2014, gas is not cheap, investments and the stock market (although lucrative investment opportunities always exist) are in a state of “flux” and money, (interest rates and the true value of a dollar) well, it’s almost nearly “worthless.” An investment, even in a savings , let’s say a few years ago of $100,000 could make you $5,000 in safe interest. The stock market seemingly always (well, not every year) could be counted upon for a double digit returns. Pivotal points I in my financial and personal life were the gas crisis in the 70’s (energy, oil), the “Black Friday” of 1987 (the crash), the Roaring 90’s, Y2K, 9/11, and the economic crisis that ensued around the year 2006-2007. While my journals did not go back to the 1970’s, ing the energy crisis always helped me to manage energy in a more efficient manner. I learned because my father was always was asking me; “Who is paying for the lights to stay on, Edison?” In reality this caused me to raise my personal bar, not waste energy, and to learn about solar power, which turned out to be a future interesting hobby. Today my present house is monitored for energy consumption. I know how to lower my electricity and gas bills to obtain one of the lowest utility bills in my neighborhood. The “crash” of 1987 played out on my car radio and I some of the monies I had saved up vanished, to some degree, in hours. I had little money to “waste” at this point in my life. This moment always stood as a reminder of how to raise my expectations by learning about the marketplace and trends that all could add up to “trouble” or “opportunity.” The roaring 90’s taught me to save the max on my 401k, to pretend I had more debt than I did and to have firms like Fidelity Investments regularly debit my checking s to take advantage of “dollar-cost averaging investing;” again raising my investment and savings bar. Around this same time I met my wife, we were married in 1993 while she was in the process of completing her Bachelor’s Degree. We both took a sales class at our local community college, Ramapo College. Since the class was about the art of selling, it intrigued me and the teacher was always inspiring. The teacher at the time posed the question; “Let’s say you want a Jaguar, but of course you can’t afford it.” She continued;

“Why not sit down in the car four times a year and make a plan to actually own the car? Plan over years to sock a little away and if you don’t settle (lower your standards), but raise your expectations (plan and save) you will one day own the car or asset you so desire.”

I never wanted a Jaguar but I did want to own a Lexus LS460. After making a plan (and buying the car slightly used) I was able to buy this car for my wife while placing over 60% down as a deposit, with a plan to pay the car’s balance off in record time. It all came down to this teacher who inspired me to “raise my personal bar and not settle.” Y2K was another learning time in my life. Computers and the “world” literally were supposed to come to a halt overnight. Computer operators were making obscene monies and tech stocks were on a tear all leading up to an unknown post 2000 crash date. There were days when my investments were far outpacing my daily and monthly salary. My 401k nearly tripled for a while. My wife insisted I sell and instead I “let her ride.” Interestingly, my wife likes a bit of gambling and I don’t even know how to gamble, but I chanced it on the stock market. If I had the common sense to “pull out” earlier I would have reaped a handsome gain, not a near total loss. But, I was influenced by greed and not common sense. It took years to bring my 401k back to a decent profit.

THE FREEDOM TOWER YEARS LATER, ALMOST DONE

On to 9/11, an event that changed America forever. Not only did this act of terror take down the two World Trade towers, part of the Pentagon, and kill almost 3,000 innocent people, it also changed the way Americans live. Two wars were started, and the death toll I believe, for both wars in Iraq and Afghanistan now stands at over 4,000 American’s GI’s killed and thousands injured and dying. These events placed emphasis on America’s “war machine” and it no doubt has killed countless of enemy combatants overseas, not at all good. Even though Osama Bin Laden was killed in May 2011, he did succeed in accomplishing another goal; lowering the bar and expectations of every American either directly or indirectly. With billions spent on security and big brother intervention, the wars have directly, in my opinion, brought America down to where Osama intended. Even goodwill and no major terrorist acts for over ten years’ still have not repaired America. We’re almost out of two wars but we’re facing the “war on terror” every day. America’s resources are stretched to the limit and even one of my favorite programs; The Space Program has nearly been eliminated. I hope the day comes soon where America can once again not be in two wars and be plagued with this “situation.” This “war on terror” has affected my personal attitude on being “Commandready.” I’m probably one of the few sales reps that carry a Geiger counter, a gas mask, flashlight and some basic survival items with me every day. My standard has now been upgraded to “survival” in many aspects from food, water, extra shelter and precious metals; and the list goes on and on. These events have forced me to raise my every day survival bar and raise my personal expectations. I’ll have a few more words to say about “must have” survival items in this chapter. Flash forward to around 2006. Around this time everything in the economy was gelling but some things were too good to be true. I knew by raising my personal bar and my expectations that the standard was being set way too high. The stock market was again performing “beyond belief” and the housing market was so high, shacks were now selling for outrageous monies. The house I grew up in was sold by my dad for over twenty-times what he paid for it in 1961. The house was nice but it was old, the furnace was forty years old, the foundation was cracked, now and then I would say termites or fire ants were around the foundation. My dad sold at the height of the housing market and the standards I

set “told me” to take my stock market winnings (unlike the post year 2000) and get into cash positions quickly. A banking and auto crisis soon ensued and a stock market at nearly 14000 soon came crashing down to 6500. Banks, financial institutions, and auto companies went bankrupt. Financial panic took a deep hold unless again you were in a position to raise your personal bar by educating yourself to “BE COMMANDREADY.” Since my personal standard was raised I was able, with my wife’s advice, to have the monies to invest low and still profit from this financial debacle. Solid companies not in bankruptcy, like Ford (and so many others) could be had for a little over a dollar. But, they could only be purchased IF you had cash and equity left in your house, if you were financially smart and raised your “personal bar.” Moving to 2014, the economy is still at best “stuck” for the vast percentage, but not all, of Americans and around the world. The housing markets still have never fully recovered, and the banking industry, well it’s never been exactly the same. In 2014, however I have now celebrated over twenty-eight years within my electronics industry. Overall I have somehow managed to stay employed, without a single bout of UN-employment for this period. I have strived to meet my sales goals almost every year, max out my 401k, and “raise my expectations.” I have utilized my “journal” to see the past and learn from my mistakes both in the business and my personal world, to seek higher goals and plan the next phase of my life, “Phase 3” (which is the final chapter of my book). Without raising your expectations and planning your life, you will always be settling or lowering you expectations. “Must have survival items;” insurance for the tough times. We all carry some type of insurance. Examples include auto, life, health, eye, dental, fire, and theft. But do we prepare for the “what-if scenario?” Are we “Commandready?” Most of us either have an apartment, a home, some kind of dwelling and perhaps a car. We take certain items for granted, like an easy supply of food, water, power and light. The same is true for easy access to medical care and our everyday needs. I live in the Northeast and we tend to get either very rainy periods or we from time to time, get a “wallop” of a snowstorm. Whenever a 10+ inch snow storm is “predicted’ to hit you would think: “Armageddon is around the corner.” Every loaf of bread, gallon of milk, battery and flashlight is scraped up like a give-away in a game show. I usually ask people, “How much water do you have at home, how much food?” “Is your gas tank full?” “Do you have some ready cash or precious metals around?”

Sometimes people look at my planning like I’m sort of kook or ‘survival nut,” but when the SHIT hits the fan, I’m “Commandready.” The following is a must have list for homes and cars and includes survival items to get you through the first seventy-two hours of a disaster (natural or otherwise) since the government (local and federal) can’t be counted on (and should not be).

Home: * 30 gallons fresh water * 30 day supply of food, canned or MRE’s or de-hydrated * 30 gallons of fuel, IF you can safely store it and rotate it * One month’s supply of cash, in at least two hidden places * Key medical items or prescriptions, redundant first aid kits * A generator or some type of backup power (an inverter with many batteries will do) * Emergency shelter, clothing, a camp stove, lantern or many led flashlights * Communications, a shortwave radio or a “SAME” weather radio (extra batteries), a charged cell phone * Personal protection: From legally obtained items like a shotgun or pepper spray; something for the unexpected and extra ammo of course

Automobile: * Extra clothing * Jumper Cables * A first aid kit * Tow straps * Rope * Water (2+ gallons at least) * A 3-day supply of MRE’s or canned food * Critical medications * A jack, spare tire, a basic tool kit, duct tape, a charged cell phone

I feel these items could have gone under the chapter “Be Prepared…” but, I firmly believe these items are all part of raising your personal expectations of “yourself.” If YOU can’t do it, will someone always be there to help? Be prepared, not scared, “BE COMMANDREADY”.

CHAPTER 5

YOU WANT MY MONEY, YOU’LL GET MY ADVICE ALONG WITH IT

I n my life I have either borrowed money or in my later life been asked to “lend out” money. Quoting my father, “If you want my money, you will get my advice along with it.” It’s a great phrase and mantra for approaching a subject that tends to make people “squeamish.” I grew up in a conservative home where money (at least principal) was a near sacred item and subject to approach. Those in my family did not just spend money will-nilly and thus my family, for the most part, was in good financial shape and could ride out most financial storms and “situations.” As a young boy, to ask for money I had to have a “more than reasonable” “why” in order to receive it. If its purpose was deemed “sound” then the money was lent or granted. Monetary spending was always critiqued and its value or “return on investment” was always analyzed. Never was it just given. Perhaps it was even too tightly controlled, however it did set me up with a set of values for my life and point me “correctly” towards my future endeavors and purchases. The spending of money can be divided into two sections; essential and needed or discretionary and frivolous. The saving of money was always encouraged or nearly even forced. To spend money obviously you have to earn it, save it, and have a plan for it to really benefit you. Earning money was always somewhat easy for me as I was a motivated individual. My early days started out with a paper route, recycling paper at a price per ton, doing chores, growing a garden, and rebuilding lawn mower engines for profit. People usually, back in the day, threw out their newspapers and magazines. This paper was picked up by myself and taken for a “price for ton” at a local recycling center. It added up to more than you think. I had a garden which I was able to sell crops for a nice profit while pulling a wagon around the neighborhood. The flavor of homegrown crops was far superior to some supermarket produce. As I grew older I started

canvassing the neighborhood during “junk week” for old lawn mowers, lightly rebuilding them, (most had only grass in the carburetor or other minor fix it up needed) and reselling them for $50-$150 per unit depending on if it was a push or self-propelled lawn mower. This got me into car engines and drag-racing later in life. What it also did was teach me the value of money and I did not always have to “ask” my parents to lend or give me money. Since I did not have to ask, I did not have to hear what their advice was on giving it to me. My dad always told me as early as eighteen to “sock away savings” for those rainy days and “retirement.” Well at eighteen I was only interested in my “social activities” and the monetary needs that came along with them. I really wanted to ignore my dad’s monetary advice BUT I heeded it. During college and after graduation I had a job and it usually had a saving plan. The savings initially came from bonds, then retirement pension, then finally on to a 401k savings plan. Starting from day one I saved the near max on my 401k, contributed to a future pension plan and teamed up with Fidelity Investments to take regular sums of monies from my paycheck to “save.” I have been gainfully and thankfully employed through mainly three companies and I have saved nearly all I could. I did not always make risky investments and as a side hobby I collected silver, coins, and gold. I have always utilized certain financial plans and computer programs like Quicken tm and I have nearly always had a monthly budget. I’ve read a few inspiring books like The Penny Pinchers Guide; Your Money or Your Life; Debt is Slavery; Beating the System; and Work Less and Live More. All of these books were inspiring me to get to a near end-game, which is complete control of your finances, your financial destiny, and finally, a more fulfilling career choice (aka: Phase 3). What’s interesting in getting to this point is “discipline.” Without “discipline” you’ll never get to a goal you desire. We all have goals and without a plan in action, one’s chance of financial success and freedom is vastly constrained to failure. I have many friends that have always wondered; “To afford the lifestyle you have you must make XYZ income,” which is usually some income higher than I really make. The truth is, although I have made decent monies, I never ever have made the monies of certain professionals I have met over the years. I’ve dealt with lawyers and patent attorneys which have “asked” for $250-500 an hour!! What do I think they truly delivered; we’ll certainly the fees they tried to command. The excellence they could have delivered was NOT commensurate to what their performance truly was. What I have been able to make was more than

a fair wage and I was able to live below my means and “sock away savings.” I believe I have delivered on my modest salary requirements and requests and I have given most of my employers a good “bang for their buck,” aka: a decent “return on their investment.” Since I have had this “discipline” I have followed a path not many individuals have taken. I have followed a path few are willing to follow, that is giving up some items in my life I truly did not need for the sake of savings. I have not listened to some so-called “experts” who say, “Always keep a mortgage, and always keep some debt.” These experts also said; “A home’s value will always go up (not necessarily from 2006-2013), so why pay a mortgage off early?” These same experts say you should invest in the stock market and risky funds as the “average” return on investment is higher than one would have by paying off their debts early. The economy today certainly has dumbfounded some of these expert’s “common sense” which leads me to my point in this chapter. I have monies to follow a course of investment, and by investment I mean everything from seeking new opportunities through investing in someone or something who truly deserves it. One of my investments that gives me genuine satisfaction is a college scholarship fund in my mom’s name. (my wife gave to me as a father’s day gift, we have been doing It for over ten years) She was a ed nurse and the scholarship fund helps truly committed individuals who attain a 3.2 GPA, need some financial assistance, and who are investing in themselves or re-inventing themselves for a sounder more secure future. By ing this scholarship, I am in turn investing in individuals who require food as an investment in their health and the families they . I am investing in some sports, and my son’s scout troop by donating time and materials that empower a young boy to create a future for himself. If I am asked to donate, my recipient will ALWAYS get my opinion that goes along with it. When you have achieved this point in your life you will always be asked by friends and family to “help out” or loan monies. When loaning money to family or true friends, one should consider that loan almost as a “gift.” Some of these individuals have never been self-aware of the concept of saving so they never had monies when they need it. You really have to determine if this person deserves a gift or break. When put in this situation, you must ask questions of this person such as; why they need these monies and how much they have saved for their “needs.” Clearly, if someone wants $10,000 and they have saved practically nothing, this should make one’s hair stand on end. This type of person may only deserve your advice on how to save and budget, to use as an educational tool. Maybe this person could be “challenged” to earn your help; if you come up with $5,000 I’ll invest in your

future by loaning you $5,000, “with conditions.” Usually very few people will “agree to your ” and the request for funding disappears. Another bit of advice I learned is by having too much access and requests for credit can actually lower your credit score or rating. I had personally opened up too many charge card s (no balance or yearly fees, just points, free hotel stays or discounts for myself). I almost agreed to lend monies (which leads to credit inquiries and lowers your FICO score) and therefore I was seen as having too much credit activity or easy access to credit. After this small incident I clipped every credit card I had except for two then reviewed any negative content I had on credit reports and rectified it. Guard your credit, your credit access, and your credit score like a small child in a crib. There are thieves in the night lurking everywhere and they don’t always come with masks with guns they come with a smile, a hard luck story and many promises. It’s a tough decision to say “no” and once in a while you have to make a tough choice to say “yes.” Yet, you should always make the choice with conditions. If someone does not want your advice, they usually don’t garnish what they are seeking after either. Be “COMMANDREADY.”

CHAPTER 6

DON’T WORK FOR MONEY, LET YOUR MONEY WORK FOR YOU!!!

H ere is an interesting area in regard to money that has changed a great deal in the last few years. It used to be that once you obtained and saved money it just kept on piling up into interest payments and the stock market was usually climbing. From 2006-2011 it seemed like money “working for you” had become much harder to attain. There are a few ways in this economy to still let money work for you. One way is to obtain stocks with dividends and to hold certain key stocks long term and keep buying them every time you might have extra monies to invest. Certain stocks pay dividends which can usually range from 2% to around 6%. In the year 2011 anything above 2% was large money. Stocks like oil companies; Chevron and Exxon, utilities; public service and electric, drug companies; Johnson and Johnson and Merck have all provided dividends in recent years that are taxed “currently” at 20%. Keep these stocks for the long term and expect a regular dividend check to come in quarterly. I personally own all of these stocks and they are helping me “construct” my income “pyramid.” This physical pyramid has a strong base or foundation and, for now, my base is my current employer, which of course is considered “earned income” (taxed higher). Secondly, my income pyramid has a dividend base placed upon the earned income base. These two add up to the bulk of my current income sources. Interest used to be the next component (3 rd ) of this pyramid, but in 2014 it adds “little” to the income pyramid. Fourth would

THE PRE 55 YEAR OLD INCOME PYRAMID

be “income from outside jobs, rental income or other sources.” Additional income to add to this base could include weekend jobs, refurbishing housing, providing rental units, or just concentrating on expanding connections to your full time job. Consulting in areas of one’s expertise has always added to my income pyramid, never underestimate what income this could produce. Later in life one could add a pension or 401k payout to become the 5th and 6th component to your income pyramid.

THE BECOMMANDREADY POST 55 YEAR OLD INCOME PYRAMID

Let’s talk pensions. If you have one, GREAT! And for now, these can be relied upon for providing a near-retirement source of income. In 2014 very few jobs outside civil service, teaching, or police work provide any type of pensions. The first major company I worked at for thirteen and one-half years is providing me a small pension starting at age fifty-seven. Keep that age as a future goal in mind. My 401k is in place to provide “money to work for me” as early as age fifty-nine and a half. If one follows the 3-4% rule, which is never taking out more than 3% of one’s savings a year, one can make money work for you for years to come. For example, let’s say you have saved $300,000 in a 401k and you take out 3.33% per year, (almost 10k a year) you would have this money working for you for about thirty years. IF you wanted to retire between the ages of fifty-five and sixty, one could be eighty to ninety years old before this money ran out. So now one has $10,000 per year, now let’s say you over a lifetime could add $30,000 in interest or dividend payments per year. Well, now you have $40,000 to spend (pretax) a year. Now, let’s say you could consult for $40,000 or more per year, one would now have $80,000 to spend as income in one year. All of that could almost make up for years of “earned income.” Next, to make money work for you, you also have to cut down the outflow of income. Outflow of income could be mortgage payments, car payments, health-care payments, county, state, and federal taxes plus many others. These are all your major outflows and in later life they can and must me “lowered.” First and foremost, pay your debts off early, save; give up the total urge to “play in the great marketing machine.” Take monies for luxuries and pay off your mortgage. Paying this off is a huge step in having monies to work for you later in life. Secondly, reduce your taxes, first federal and then town taxes. Deductions, deductions, deductions! We can all legally reduce our tax liability if we lower our adjusted gross income as much as possible. This applies for both federal and state tax tables. The Obama presidency seems to define anyone making over $250,000 as a rich person. In reality you start to look “rich” to the federal and state governments when you are making as little as $150,000. Why? Well because you start losing your deductions IF you appear to be making “too much money.” The state and federal government is slowing phasing out some deductions, yet the most lucrative ones remain somewhat intact. Interest

deductions for you mortgage are nice, but if one spends $100 and your tax rate is 28% you reduce your taxes by only $28. Anytime someone gives me only $28 back on $100 I would say it’s time to try to phase out your mortgage. Not having a mortgage will free one’s self up to make money work for you. TRY to make retiring your mortgage a goal by your 50th birthday. Next, if possible try to have a job that allows you to deduct certain “expenses.” If you commute to work as an inside employee, the commute to work and other expenses are not deductible. If you go to visit s or clients as let’s say, an outside sales rep, you can deduct certain commuting expenses and add a home office deduction. So, in my case my home office is 12.21% of my home’s square footage, therefore all aspects in maintaining this 12.21% of my house for exclusive job related expenses is deductible. You would be surprised how quickly this adds up to real money over the years. Additionally, items related to your trade may be deductible as well such as office equipment, office furniture, etc. A copier, computer, iPad (as an example) may be depreciable over five years, thus further reducing your income for tax purposes. Another idea is to incorporate. This is usually a great idea to bring certain business or consulting income into an environment in which expenses go against income to reduce your effective tax rates. I don’t care whether you sell candles or solar s or are preparing to open a future business; a corporation like a “Subchapter S” is a great tool. One has to keep outstanding records and one has to put into the corporation at least what one is deducting. Meaning you can’t deduct 25k if you have only placed 15k into the business. Once you get a corporation up and running (filing fees $500+, maintenance and ing fees $500-$1,000), you’re all set. Keep every receipt you encounter along this business model, every legitimate expense reduces your income and allows “money work for you.” As you pay less (in taxes), your earned money goes farther. Even hobbies or interests can be legitimately turned into a business and again the supplies needed to keep this “business” running are deductible. Charity and many things donated to the church, food pantries, school scholarships, and the Boy Scouts are deductible. For example if you’re donating time and materials to a certified nonprofit entity, it is permissible to have charitable deductions. If you don’t get reimbursed for driving scouts to camp, you can deduct the cents per mile for a gas allowance. If you camp with the scouts and donate or provide the supplies they need, you are contributing to a “charity.” Again just make sure your “receipts are there.” Once again, these are many ways your money is working for you as opposed to being a non-donor or not being able to write off any expenses.

Everyone always complains about how the “rich” seem to pay lower taxes that the “working class.” In my life’s experiences it is because the “working class” spends no time looking for the legal loopholes and the tools to effectively reduce their tax rate. One’s overall taxes could start at 28% and be reduced to something like a 10, 12, or 14% “effective tax rate.” Town taxes: another interesting situation. Some states like Florida seem to tax individuals with a similar homes like mine at $2,500. New Jersey with its schools and “payment and entitlement structures” wants $13,000. This in my “Phase 3” life is a no-no. While Florida is not my ideal climate, states like Colorado have lower taxes and they fit in with my “Phase 3 plans” (lower taxes, space, beauty, healthy lifestyles, and other opportunities). I plan on paying only about $2,500 to $4,000 in my later life for property taxes. IF you fortunate enough to life off acreage (5, 10, 20 acres) you can usually apply for an agricultural tax situation. This “farm” type of existence could be anything from a tree farm, produce, to chickens. “Combining” this farm type existence added to a “Subchapter S” corporation, gives you the best of both worlds. First is lower initial tax, and second, a write-off for legitimate business operations tied to this type of farm. Yet again money is working for YOU. Now on to an inverted income pyramid. Earlier, I outlined an income pyramid we all up to a certain point, rely on. A goal in near retirement is NOT to work as you once did and flip our income model. One could start with consulting first, pension and 401k income second, dividend and interest income third, and finally, if solvent, social security at sixty-two, sixty-five, etc. My thoughts on Social Security are to “take it while you can.” Why? Too many older adults I know are so happy to get to a retirement age, they get a check or two from Uncle Sam and “wham,” some illness or God-forbid, cancer hits them to a terminal state. Sad but true. At sixty-two or even sixty-five some individuals are in shape enough to enjoy sort of a great life. By that I mean they are physically active, they could ski, swim, surf, scuba dive, race a car, etc. By seventy, seventy-five, eighty, what percentage of older adults are really “capable” of enjoying a full lifestyle? The percentage is small and the government counts on it. So if you put into the system, (Social Security) by all means get it while you can! Have money work for YOU!. Now, with the income pyramid flipped let’s talk some numbers. Consulting $40k a year, pension income, $6,600 per year, dividends, $30k per year, Social Security at sixty-two, $14,400 per year, spousal income from consulting 30k per year. Total at age sixty-two could be $121k. With lower taxes, lower outflows, and paid off debts, you’re sitting pretty. Be sure to include the

ever increasing “health coverage” (around $16-24k now per year). If you let money work for you, YOU will be sitting on your porch waving goodbye to your harder working neighbors while you enjoy your “lighter,” “easier” state of healthy existence.

CHAPTER 7

APPEAR TO BE BUSY & YOU ARE

I n life you’re either busy or you’re not. If you’re busy I hope you’re productive. Being busy can be real or manufactured. You, and “others” can see your “busyness” and this can work to your advantage. A few stories come to mind about busyness. In one of my jobs I as an outside sales-person I witnessed the busyness of two individuals, one was an international staff member and another person was the Head of Marketing. The international staff member had a clean office. In fact he never had more than one piece of paper on his desk, ever. He had bare walls, no pictures of his family, nothing. It did not appear he ever worked and in meetings I sat in on, he fell asleep many times. To the casual observer, this individual was not productive. This individual did run many meetings and he led the company with force. He was demanding and thought it was one’s ‘duty” to produce or perish for the company. One day, this individual was told he was going to be transferred overseas. All the non-international staff thought this individual was gone for good, employees even scripted a “going away” party and this individual was apparently the brunt of ill will. Because he barely understood the language this caused a lost-in-translation situation. While this employee seemed to not understand this “party” I knew something was wrong with this behavior and I was glad I was not part of it. It turns out this individual was a Senior International Executive whose purpose was to “reorganize the company” and drastically cut costs. He was literally a member of the company’s highest senior management. His sleeping was not a sign of laziness, but a factor, as he worked from 7AM to 11PM every day. In the end, this individual was really running the show and he was a powerful and a productive person to my company. The fact that he “came back” gave the people who threw this party an uneasy feeling. It was clearly not a good career move for those involved with this non-humorous party.

THE OVERWHELMED WORKER

The second individual I came to know was a “manager” who also had a nearly empty desk with little paperwork on it. This person “seemed” important, he attended many meetings, he never looked you in the eye and he seemed really transparent. In the end the HR department came to fire this individual and it was determined he really never accomplished much of anything. He appeared to be busy and that’s part of another “mantra” I follow. “Appear to be busy and you are.” This can, if scripted correctly, work to your advantage. The corporate world really embraces busywork, if you are always overwhelmed with work, your desk is a mess, and you always seem “available” you will in most instances be valued by your employer. If you accomplish too much work your corporate reward will most likely be more “work.” It’s important to not be too productive or at least to productive in relation to your co-worker’s efforts (unless you are being rewarded for it). Here is a story my wife has contributed to this section:

Appearing to be busy and actually being busy is a long way away from one another. I had an employee that had a lot of paperwork to do and in this position; the paperwork took a long time to resolve. With this being said, a person who was not productive could get away with doing nothing for a long time. Well, this person did look busy and by all s seemed as though he was doing his job, when in fact, he was doing nothing. After two months, which was a reasonable time to resolve things, I noticed nothing was being accomplished. Only then I did realize that he was putting all the paperwork in a pile and playing on the internet during work hours. What a nightmare to get rid of him! The point is, just because someone’s desk is full of paper and they look productive doesn’t mean they are.

Then you have the over conscious worker that works extra hours when there is no reason. These are people who think they need to be seen rather than get the work done that is assigned. If you could get your work done in eight hours, why

be in the office for ten? I never understood this and even expressed my concern to an employee that would arrive before and leave after me. Why can’t you get the work done in 8 hours, do you want to be here or is it that you can’t get your work accomplished? At that point, we needed to examine what was going on. To me, go home to be with your family and you’ll be a better, more productive worker in the long run.

Now let’s discuss the benefits of being on the “outside.” In the workplace it is always best to be a near or a complete “outside salesperson.” My reasoning for this is, if you’re working in a corporate building nearly all your efforts will be monitored and controlled to some point. In today’s world an inside employee will be monitored from the point of entering a parking garage to the minute they leave the building. Usually in the big-brother-world your ID card serves as a fob that submits information to your employer. The fob serves to tell your employer when you came to work, when you took breaks and when you left the building. The days of the old fashioned “time clock” are over and this device only is one of the tools employer utilize to “track” employees. Once you turn on your company computer you again are tracked, s are all logged and monitored. Today, most every computer activity is tracked for “appropriate” company utilization. Surf the web and shop while on company time and you will most likely be in hot water, surf the wrong web site and you’ll mostly be fired. Security cameras are everywhere and in the post 9/11 world they are even in places one would never even think of. Working in a “fully controlled” environment is never an optimum situation, unless you really have no choice or other options. Let’s look at a “Commandready” ideal situation. One should always try to work on the outside and have two or more computers. One will be the company’s property, treat it as such. Treat it the same as if this computer was in a controlled office building, because in some ways it is. You and you leave traces of all your activities. Keep the activities “fully appropriate” and stick to company business ONLY. I have met many a discharged employee and talked with them; the first thing a company does after deciding to discharge an employee is seize their computer. The computer reveals all the employee’s activities online and anything deemed non-appropriate can lead to your dismissal. Now if you have two computers and a private e-mail address that’s another story. Always keep

key strategic files backed up; it could be your “ammunition,” if anything in your career takes a turn for the worse like a forced downsizing. To summarize, work smart. Working smart and working hard is NOT the same thing. Most of us grew up with our parents telling us “Work hard and you will be rewarded.” This couldn’t be further from today’s truth (with certain exceptions). Have you ever watched a gerbil on a treill? No one would say that the gerbil was a slacker, but he never got anywhere. Working smart will definitely get you ahead faster than working hard.

CHAPTER 8

COUPONS, BARTER AND REBATES, TIME-SHARES AND “THE SKYCAP”

C oupons, well in today’s age coupons come in many forms however, the ultimate goal is to decrease the monies you owe for any transaction. What you truly owe is taxed and consumed. As you consume less through coupons you pay a lower effective “tax.” We all think of the coupons as the things you take to the supermarket, but in today’s world even your opinion or email address could garnish you some type of coupon. If you trade a little privacy you’ll get something in return for access to your “spending information.” Paying full price these days if you’re “Commandready” is just a thing of the past. Preparation is the key to negotiating a “better deal.” Combining the internet and direct- is still the best way to secure a deal. If you’re buying anything, comb the internet, check the blogs, and see how others are couponing. Penny savers are another way to get merchant coupons as well as through the old Sunday paper. If you’re not looking for a better deal you’re not couponing effectively. It seems almost any proactive vendor or service will give you a lost leader coupon for just trying their product or service. Auto repair, car cleaning, household chores, outside work, general contracting, automobiles; the lists are endless, if you just look. I guess the latest trend is hyper-couponing which works in theory by allowing you get something nearly for free through the combination of multiple coupons. The real question is do you really need sixteen months’ worth of diapers, or can you barter it back into cash if you don’t utilize the excess? Hypothetically you could keep a log of most purchases, determine what deals applied to each transaction then reveal what the monthly to yearly “net saving” was relative to your spending outlays. I bet it’s substantial and when multiplied by twelve (for each month) and then by ten years I’ll gamble it amounts to a free (my favorite word) vacation. Vacation time is the key to your mental health and if it’s free it’s even better.

Barter, well barter can be a rather “non-transparent transaction” in which the less seen the better. Barter when cultivated could lead you into a situation in which you can live more comfortably, appear to live a larger lifestyle and yet, unofficially consume less. As you consume, the more you’ll pay in “consumption taxes.” Let’s say one trades your general contractor’s work for a portion of another person’s assets who happens to own a gasoline and repair station. The general contractor services could be traded for gas and repairs. Since you may not pay for the gas, you get the gas for free and you don’t pay for all the road, state, federal, and local taxes associated with normally buying gas. Barter can also come in the form of “hooking someone up” or let’s say, a finder’s fee. This finder’s fee when multiplied over an array of bartered transactions can be substantial. In my electronics career I have always offered connections made in my daily life to “enhance my lifestyle.” As an example let’s say I help one of my business partners obtain advertising. We’ll assume this partner s with the Yankees and has connections with the Yankees, and let’s say I’m a sport fan. Well you get the point. It all flows in a small stream upward to “obtaining,” things you want without going through the normal cycle of “purchasing.” In times long ago barter seemed to be a greater form of power and it seemed more individuals did it. Today, some would say barter is a dying art; however it is the smart “Commandready” play to cultivate the fine art of barter. Little House on the Prairie? The doctor never received money as payment, rather a chicken, a cow, or some other commodity that he needed to survive. In addition, some would plant crops, while others would raise cattle, so they could barter for the things they needed. I wish bartering was still an active way to receive what one needed. Right now I’m actually heading to the consumer electronics show in Las Vegas. I have the opportunity to meet people from around the world. Face-to-face conversations which I hope will lead me to many new “business opportunities” for bartering. Everyone has needs and their needs have to be satisfied. How these needs get satisfied is truly a case for the barter system. If one obtains a good or service for free and then trades that good or service, one is also effectively “gaining material good” for little or no cost. Bartering can also be considered a favor; a favor can be turned into concrete goodwill and material goods or services. Look at the principal of being comped let’s say in Las Vegas. You did gamble and win or lose, but you can almost get an endless array of comped items from shows to accommodations, to dinner, to even a car just by providing the casino or hotel with your “business.” Many casinos have rewards programs which give away everyday items like TVs, house wares, even another free

vacation. Again, endless bartering for “free.” I enhance my bartering skills by always having a business card. In fact I have many business cards all representing certain aspects of my daily business life. Business cards can open the door to everyone in life who has a “specialty.” Each person’s specialty or connection can be scanned into most computers to the point to where you can do a simple search to find, who you know, who is a painter, an electronics salesman, a doctor, etc. You can make this all into a fine art and at least if not directly, barter for free or you can at least get trade “accommodations.” An accommodation trade can be obtained through one conversation and then that accommodation becomes a discount to free, depending on the traded “accommodation.” I have always liked higher-end stereo and internet equipment and survival items. I don’t think I really ever paid full price for 85% of all items I own. I went to a trade show and someone liked photographic equipment, and they sold outdoor and survival items. I got that person cost or below, I then purchased outdoors equipment at a heavily discounted “accommodation” price. As your life evolves always keep your “s” updated and always stay in touch with those people. Once a year reach out to keep the connection current, send out a holiday card and in return your virtual and actual rolodex will multiply to afford for the luxury of never paying full price for most items. I have made and maintained truly great friends by exchanging information and bartering. Rebates: A rebate can range from a $1.00 for buying office supplies to $2,000 for buying a car or more expensive items in a house. Rebates are another way of first paying full price and then getting an effective discount. Most people never look into and redeem small rebates, smart people always do. Why? Because if you’re spending already, you should get every dime offered back to you. Always look to products that are on possible rebate status, but make sure the product is not a lemon or not really a quality product or service in nature. Look for rebates on major appliances or on even “energy star” products for your home. I even got a rebate on my home furnace because I upgraded the efficiency of my home and the Government mostly paid for me to do it. My break-even point was rapidly enhanced, and since energy always seems to go up, my savings dividend was further enhance throughout the lifespan of said furnace. My New Jersey home could have had solar s courtesy of the state of New Jersey with a 70% rebate. 70% means something cost you only 30% and on top of this, Government rebates added to this 70%. The net effect for a small window of time would be having a $60,000 solar system for $12,000 and this in turn added $25,000 in

minimum equity to my home. A side benefit is also to be energy “self-sufficient” which is a trait of being “Commandready.” Business credits can also include small business incentives from the government, green business incentives, particular industry credits, farm subsidies and gender based business credits. These all effect how much you either pay for something or effectively get to keep. Tax credits mean you pay less and the less tax you pay equates to what you effectively get to keep. Additional rebates I have seen over the years included a first time homeowner’s credit, a new vehicle credit, and credits for energy efficient devices or even air conditioners for windows. Rebates can even come to reliable credit card customers that continuously pay off their monthly balances. Some credit cards actually give you 1-2% “back”; however the vast majority of Americans carry an interest bearing portion on their credit card so the 2% they know they’re getting back is offset by 18-22% interest rates. Pay off your credit cards early and these rebates can be sizable. Perhaps you charge a lot of business expenses on your credit cards. These expenses produce a figure in which you can get monies back even if others are also reimbursing you for the expenses you put on your card. So, if you had a business or profession that had you spent $100,000 and you got 2% back, you would have literally $2,000 come out of thin air. This $2,000 could be a vacation or a net credit on purchases you would normally make. This $2,000 is more than most banks are paying in interest in the year 2014. Points: Well, points are similar to rebates but again, they give you seemingly something for as simple as “business patronage.” I place a great deal of my expenses on a particular hotel credit card. This chain of hotels has many subsidies and when I go on my personal trips I practically pay nothing to stay in great hotels. I have stayed in five-star hotels in Vail, Colorado, Beaver Creek, Hawaii and outside the USA for nothing. Sometimes you have to play a few games to get what you want and where, but it’s always better to stay for free than pay. These days, hotel points seem to be more valuable than airline points. It seems you have to utilize so many points to fly; usually you’re better off paying a discounted airfare rate and getting the hotel stay for free. Why does this happen? Airlines are pretty booked up these days and major carriers have either gone out of business or consolidated. The total number of airline seats and route cities has shrunk and it seems you pay for everything but the “air” on these airlines. Hotels were built up and then overbuilt in major cities, and short of “key” conventions there is always an excess of hotel rooms in America. Once on points, some hotels will even give you room upgrades for free, and that’s on top of the already basically “free” room. The hotels want you back and I have seen

times where a $500 per night room went for $129 or even free a night. This trend is common, even in high-end hotels like the Wynn or Bellagio in Las Vegas. Be careful about losing your points, sometime they expire or become less lucrative, i.e. you need 50,000 points for a basic room when you used to need 25,000. Don’t get trapped into paying a fee for these credit cards, unless you accumulate a great deal of points the fees may offset the freebees. Skycap’s in 2014. Generally these are the professional attendants you see at every airport. They charge a small fee (a tip) and they give you time and relief from hassle. I just went through a skycap at Newark airport in New Jersey. The check-in lines at Newark airport were horrific, but the skycap was ready, able, and willing to speed me to my gate with no lines, a smile, and a boarding . I went straight to the gate versus waiting on a senseless long and unproductive line. Time is money and many times you can pay a small fee to “expedite” your trip, please do so. It’s also part of my “always check the back door after checking the front door policy.” Employ the “skycap mentality” and this will always make you “Be Commandready.” Opportunities: We sometimes utilize the great marketing machine, which is stacked against us, to turn hard sells into an “opportunity” such as timesharing vacations. Corporate America wants you to buy into this product of what I would say is of an interesting nature. Once you pay the taxes and yearly fees how far ahead have you usually come out? How much can you sell a purchased timeshare for in today’s market, 10%, 20%? Very low I would guess. However, let’s say you go to a timeshare presentation just to “see if it fits your lifestyle.” It’s all legal to just say no and accept what could be a great perk for practically nothing. In 2007 a major hotel offered me a week in Hawaii at a four-star hotel, a rental car, 30,000 points and a free stay in New York City, all legit. They wanted $910 for a $4,000 value equivalent. Did I go, yes, did I say NO to the “pitch,” yes. The problem is the pressure mounts and some cannot say “no” or get hooked into the cut rate (15 %?) finance deal. Say yes to discounts and freebees, say no to paying. The salesperson even tried to pull the “I guess you’re not our class of customer type.” That’s right; I am not willing to pay $4k for a vacation that has so many restrictions. Some people would like to show others that they are the right kind of people. We don’t care what others think. Use the corporation for any and all freebies they are willing to give you. For a ninety minute presentation, you may see places you never were able to see before.

CHAPTER 9

BUY WHEN NO ELSE IS BUYING

A lways keep yourself in somewhat of a “cash position” so you can buy when no one else is buying. For example in 2009 two out of three major automobile manufacturers went bankrupt. Ford, I thought would not. It came pretty close, but its stock went from $1.01 per share to $18 plus per share in a year in a half. If you were one of the ones who let it all ride and didn’t have the extra cash for the opportunity, you missed out. If you had the balls to go down and dirty on Ford you would have made a “handsome profit” as well as eventually having a company which finally declared a dividend as a bonus. Merck Co. was another example; a steady company with a rock solid base. A little while back they got in a bit of trouble with their drug Vioxx. There were some lawsuits and the stock took a dive. If you took a chance in the midst of the lawsuits you came out more than “ok.” I have learned that large companies that get in trouble USUALLY bounce back, if you do your homework, you can take advantage of their bumps in the road. BP was another company which had a major oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It seemed the company would be overwhelmed, it dropped its dividend, but it was cash rich and it is making its way back to profitability. BP is almost back and has also re-instated their dividend payments. The housing market was another example of bargains to be found in both purchasing a home and financing it. After the housing bubble collapse in 2006 both houses, and their financing got a great deal more affordable. The value of some houses in some markets dropped more than 50% and interest rates in 2014 are as low as they have been since World War II or earlier. A fifteen-year mortgage is less than 4% to those who still have good credit. Many car loans can be had for 0% to 2% financing. Car loans like these are not only for the clunker cars and models but even for some luxury vehicles. The end of a product model year or cycle is another time to make money. For example, the best time to buy a

car is usually at the end of September, because manufacturers are waiting to sell off their remaining inventory in order to bring in the new models for the coming year and start a new more profitable selling cycle. Clothing is another item as the seasons so come the discounts. I always buy my sons ski-ware in April for the following year. Usually the stores want you to buy shorts and bathing suits in May, but the smart way to buy is to focus on last season’s clothing. This is especially true in the luxury clothing market. Clothing that is typically not discounted in season, like Burton snow gear, is almost given away by April or May. The end of August is the best time to buy shorts and bathing suits. I once bought an outside full redwood gazebo for my whirlpool in the middle of January. I knew the vendor was selling them all year round but he was busy finishing up selling his Christmas season. I went to him on December 31st and asked him if he still had many gazebos in stock and he said yes. I flashed some good old cash and saved $3,250 on a $6,500 gazebo. The workers starting putting it up in my yard on the very day a snowstorm was predicted. By the time they finished I had 8 inches of snow on top of my new gazebo (It was a snow rated structure). The owner thought I was nuts, but I was just opportunistic and I knew he would need the cash-flow for the long Northeastern winter ahead. He was happy and I was thrilled. Estate sales, garage sales, and flea markets are another way to buy items when maybe no one else is buying. At most garage sales majority of the items are well finished and ripe for the garbage, but some items are ripe for opportunity. I’ve even sold $600 dollar three-year-old skis for $40. The buyer saw they were in good condition, but aged and I just wanted a few bucks. I got my few bucks and the buyer got great skies for an unheard of price, everyone happy. From these garage sales I even encountered people who wanted to buy everything from electronics to “gold and silver.” I always want to buy gold and silver, not of the jewelry type, but coins of a precious metal and possibly “rare coins.” Just before the pre 2009 boom of gold and silver, gold was selling for sub $800 and silver could be had for as little as $12.50 an ounce. Garage sale traders came to my house and offered me rare Carson City Pre 1900 silver dollars. What’s more, these dollars were “found” by the Nixon istration and were encapsulated as uncirculated coins, they even were serial numbered. These coins after the run up of gold and silver did pay a handsome return and they added to my recommendation to always have 1-2% of your net worth in pure precious metals. The 2007-2009 housing and economic collapse also had the U.S. mint trying to sell silver, gold and platinum. Platinum, which was around $1,800, was a hard sell and coins that had a mintage of only 15,000 units we sold to individuals who had money. No one was really buying

(as people lost a great deal of net worth), but if you had the resources to buy you could have snapped up coins which will undoubtedly be very rare as time goes on. 2012, as I suspected would be a year of much change. Besides the 12/21/2012 scenario (planets aligned to crash and the near end of the world) it seems the Middle East from Egypt to Iran as in the midst of a change that has not been seen for forty years. Radical dictators and rulers are out and there is much unrest in the Middle East. Unless I guess my cards wrong, one day will see a “red line” which Iran cross and cause either the country to back-pedal from its nuclear threats and desires for a bomb, or the Middle East will reign on fire from another confrontation between “the west” (mainly the USA) and Iran. (As 2014 ed on none of this doomsday situation played out). Iran’s government has been a “thorn in the side of the international community since 1979”. In 1979, we said goodbye to a relatively “weak” (but peaceful and wellmeaning) President Jimmy Carter and saw President Ronald Regan come to power. The literal day President Regan came to power Iran released hostages it had held for four-hundred forty-four days. Ronald Regan meant business and eventually even the former Soviet Union backed down from his Cold War stance and fell apart. Today’s current president Barrack Obama, had been trying to engage with Iran unsuccessfully while the U.S. was been wrapped up in two wars. America is tired of war. Iran has utilized this time to make the USA look like “chumps” while it creates a nuclear bomb to change the balance of power in the Middle East and position itself to dominate major oil routes in the Persian Gulf. Iran is the sworn enemy of Israel and the USA knows that if Israel pulls the trigger on Iran all Hell will break loose in the Middle East. My guess is that oil prices will skyrocket, stock markets and European economies will suffer along with the USA. Terror will once again reign and the USA will be on high alert like after the attacks of 9/11. I have already “re-positioned” my portfolio to reflect rising oil prices and I may sell certain stocks as economies around the world will suffer. Iran’s government has always acted recklessly, but since they supply the world with about 5-10% of oil they still hold some playing cards. This time, I think they will play the wrong card and utter destruction may rain down upon them. On the other hand, unlike Iraq, Iran possesses some advanced weaponry, a huge standing army and many Soviet Cold War “weapons” which could inflict severe damage on the USA fleet and our allies. Again I suspect this will all start to play out sometime after I finish this book and I have already positioned myself to “BE COMMANDRREADY” by buying certain items while seemingly

no one else is buying. I have firmed up my long term food storage, increased my actual reserves of diesel fuel and gasoline and bought up more silver, readying myself for the Spector of War or at least distressed times. No one wants to say it, but the world can be a dangerous place. While most Americans are fixated on watching reality TV, I am watching world events unfold I do not like. Again if worldwide and U.S. stock markets take a “war dive” I am cash positioned to buy just when everyone else is running scared. I am also following my philosophy of being “prepared and not scared.” Many Americans are oblivious to all of this until the 6:30 news finally floods the airwaves with the broadcast of an impending war. Most people think the government will protect us in every way, but it cannot always be there. 9/11 is one really BIG example of the seeming impervious USA being struck in the heart from nowhere. Most Americans think that if we go to war with Iran or maybe North Korea, we’ll just pay higher gas prices and nothing else will happen. I believe we are placing Iran in the same position Japan was in prior to its going to war with the USA at Pearl Harbor. We are potentially squeezing Iran to the point of no return. Like Japan (circa 1941) we are cutting off raw materials to Iran, embargoing goods and services and placing them in a capitulate (which is not likely) or in a do-or-die situation. Iran can for a short while close the Straits of Hormuz (where 25+% of all raw oil flows to parts all around the world) and eventually they will be stopped but not before the missiles and bullets start flying. Economies from Europe (now on modest hard times) to the USA (just recovering now) would all be set back a great deal. Unemployment will increase, consumer worry and spending will slow down and we might be in a worse “position” than they we were from 2006 on. Most individuals I know might call me an “alarmist,” but I think I’ll come out somewhat correct on this Middle East scenario. Let’s say if Iran is successful in sinking one of the USA first line aircraft carriers, or a few terror bombers actually make it to some major cities and commit “random terrorism” acts. Well, we could go from a peaceful society to one again of many changes. We WILL all be affected. How affected depends if you are “COMMANDREADY” and are again able to take advantage of even the worst of impending circumstances. If I could safely store fuel in the one-thousandgallon capacity (a farmer with on site fuel could) I would do so. Today gas is around $3.15 per gallon in New Jersey and diesel fuel is around $3.59. I suspect “buying this now would save me from buying fuel at way over $4.00, or possibly $5.00 or $6.00 per gallon, and seeing diesel at $6.50. This would wreck most individual’s budgets as 46% of Americans if asked to come up with $5,000, could not do so unless they were able to sell off “material possessions.” We

forget all too easily and I intend to cushion myself with as much fuel as I can safely store. World governments in 2014 now have a new terror threat “ISIS.” ISIS possesses cash, weapons, nuclear materials, and they be-head captives for the world to see on television. New York and Washington and other world cities are in this group’s crosshairs. The threat is growing and it is a scary reality, unless you are planning to “BE COMMANDREADY.”

CHAPTER 10

START AT THE BEGINNING, OR NOT AT ALL

R emember that saying from your childhood, “The early bird gets the worm?” This so true. Well, we all want to get in on the next Apple, Microsoft, Google, or “the rebirth of Ford,” enough said! I guess it’s really a matter of timing. It’s not necessarily a matter of getting into the “absolute beginning,” but a point in time that affords opportunity. Obviously anyone who started out as venture opportunists in the computer industry probably did well up to the end of 1999. Many people were of the complete opinion that Y2K would finish off their computers and experts had a slim chance to maybe save the computer world. Before and after the greatly-anticipated possible meltdown, computer experts were commanding salaries of fivetimes their prior earnings. Wow. Accomplished people in their trade made obscene monies and IN RECORD TIME. It was a fascinating countdown to the year 2000, I even had a nice party and a hat that counted down to the “exact” time of the year 2000. Experts were all anticipating picking up the pieces from the computer-downed economy and its troubles. In all actuality nearly nothing happened. We all went on “living our lives,” as near normal. It seemed, minor tweaks in the computer restored everything to computer health. People’s income in the field who were making $250-$1,000 per hour prior to 2000, fell off like a cliff, into near unemployment. The conclusion, again know when to get in as each new beginning arises in life. You never know! So many people tell me stories about how they will never be out of debt or things will never be better for them. I also recommend making your new beginning, start today. Set your goals every year to give you that new beginning, make reasonable and appropriate goals for yourself, believe in yourself, make records of every bit of progress you make, move forward, don’t stop, reposition if necessary, you will DO IT!. An example of repositioning is when I bought an energy index fund on

greed. A few years back, maybe in 2006, we had what I call “oil scares” in which a barrel of crude went for $147 for a brief period, and the fund I purchased was very high priced. I bought a $10,000 position and so far the closest I have come to a profit or breaking even is a negative $900 balance. I invested years ago and for the most part, energy prices do go up; when is the last time you gas selling for $1.50 a gallon? Again sometimes changes in world events can help you get into the beginning. In the last few years an Arab spring took place in the Middle East. Literally governments changed overnight and the people, spurred on by social media and worldwide internet press coverage, created and changed the Middle East world. Today Iran as it stands and other Middle East countries could change the world and inject terror and instability into energy markets. Instability equals higher prices. The “war dividend” did pay off for many companies and individuals, it’s somewhat sad, profitability coming off of death and killing. I hope and pray every day for everyone, a better me and a better world, let’s see how 2014 turns out. Investment in financial chaos as outlined prior in another chapter also afforded a “new beginning.” During the banking, investment, and auto industry meltdown of post 2006 many opportunities could be had at great risk. Companies from Ford and Caterpillar, to Harley Davidson could have been had for 50-80% off normal stock pricing. Things were bad unless you were “Command-ready” for your new beginning. Purchasing Ford starting at $1.29 a share was risky but this risk was my son’s college fund versus the Chevron/Texaco legacy of my uncles past (my uncle bought Chevron at great prices in the 1970’s). In the end, Ford at $1.29 was its new beginning.

CHAPTER 11

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE SMARTER THAN YOU

O ne clearly learns from a good teacher and teachers in theory, are smarter than you or in knowing about specific subjects. Teachers teach you to be smarter, faster, stronger, better connected, etc. From the beginnings of our life we are always taught, but as life progresses we become content with not being educated as much. When we stop learning we cease to surround ourselves with people smarter than ourselves. In childhood everyone always had favorite teachers, these teachers taught me with ion and I listened intently. I was born in 1961, JFK was president and it was a time of great national pride as the space race to the moon had started at the beginning of the decade. NASA and those involved were great teachers in helping our country literally reach for the stars. We started with the quest for the moon, a task that seemed unachievable at the time. New technologies were created, one technical hurdle after another was surmounted and in less than ten years we were on the moon. We had some setbacks, we lost lives in the quest for greatness and our goals, but we persevered on. All involved with the process surrounded themselves with people smarter than themselves and the result of this combination of great talents was even smarter people. Processes and products resulted in success and these formidable years had a profound effect on myself from 1961-1973. As a child all I learned all I could about space. I went to the NASA campus many times and I was part of a “rocket club.” This club was taught by teachers in my school and I always surrounded myself with teachers who could enhance my knowledge. I saw all the space program gave us; more advanced computers, space suits, new insulation materials, new compounds, and even a type of space juice Tangtm. Food was even improved for use in space with freeze dried meals and MRE’s. With the inclusion of the space program we went faster, withstood

higher shock forces and even went past the moon. The national rocket program translated to a school rocket program and a test launch. Those in my class all broke up into groups and tried to build the best rocket that could “fly” the highest. My team made our rocket out of empty cardboard tubes, fins were made of balsa wood and the legs were made from taped on paper clips. My propellant was from model rocket engines and the fuse was from a large firework at the time. Fellow students went one by one and all the launches were predictable based on the designs I witnessed. I combined ideas from many teachers and I kind of knew my team’s rocket would be something to see when launched. How high and how explosive would the charge be was the million dollar question. My childhood friend wanted to light the short fuse, and seconds after he lit it a large explosion ensued. The rocket launched up but only after it took a large chunk of the street with it. We all looked up to the sky with shock and awe and we waited what seemed like an eternity to see the rocket’s return to earth. We had no formal devices to measure the rocket height, but by all eyewitness s our rocket blew everyone else’s rocket away. The keen teaching by people smarter than ourselves had its intended results. From this experience I grew fond of rocketry, electronics, gadgets, high tech toys, and science. This is what I learned for the first ten to twelve years of my life. I then started to work on rebuilding old lawnmower engines discarded during “junk week.” I learned from books and people how to rebuild, push and selfpropelled lawn mowers. I sold these refurbished lawn mowers like hotcakes on a griddle and this became my first experience with real hard-earned cash. Back then I knew people and friends that were auto mechanics, and I started watching them build and repair larger engines. They were happy to some of their trade on to me and I was very interested in this type of work. I started rebuilding a Chevy 6-cylinder engine and before you knew it I was attempting to rebuild and create my first Chevy race engine. In Scouts I had leaders who also taught me survival skills, friends who taught me electronics, photographers who taught me photography and all the processes involved with it at the time. I loved to develop film which inspired me to become a member of my high school and college newspaper and photography staff. My skill set even garnished press es to get me into Rock concerts and VIP events. About the same time in my life, my grandmother accidentally got me into coin collecting and precious metals. After my grandfather died, my grandmother found a huge hoard of mainly silver, but also some gold coins my grandfather kept in a large three-by-six trunk. Loose change up to 1964 was

minted with 90% silver. So dimes, quarters, half dollars, and dollars were all really worth something. Pounds of coins were sorted and cataloged and the best of the best was kept. Silver was a few dollars an ounce at the time and gold was around $40 per ounce. I went to coin shows and learned about “grading” coins, BINGO, another skill was created and taught. This skill has made me a precious metal collector to this day and every year I buy more rare coins. A modest collection is now the insurance plan I have invested in precious metals. Silver in 2014 is about $20 per ounce and gold off its highs is about $1,300. What might have been a $10,000 collection at the time is now somewhat priceless. In college I started out with one “base of knowledge” transferring to another “base of knowledge.” I started out with the thought of an engineering degree, which morphed into an ing and marketing degree, which later this moved on to a career in sales. If this all seems confusing, it was. It became what I was taught, what I could comprehend, and finally what I could make a living at. I loved electronics and high tech from my space-race days, but I could not comprehend level three trigonometry. I could not comprehend multidimensional thinking associated with this math. My grades were poor (for a variety of reasons); I left this college with a fair amount of an understanding of electronics, but obviously not even enough for a two year degree. So, from zero to twenty years of age, I learned a bit of high tech, science, engines, electronic circuits, photography, and I even was a college Dj and a partial radio station engineer. I still had to have a four-year degree to succeed. I was then convinced by my dad to peruse a degree in ing and marketing. The knowledge gained about radios, stereos, and electronics turned into a part-time job of selling electronics. I sold electronics equipment in stores like A&S, Sam Goody, and Crazy Eddie’s. I learned more about high-end audio from sales professionals and sales reps of the industry. I learned this skill so well it turned into a 30k per year part time job, before and during college. I almost felt I could make more selling electronics than by completing my college degree in ing. Luckily I kept up with my studies and finished my “four year degree” in six years. Although this seems like a scene from the movie Animal House, I actually added finance to my list of acquired skills. Even though I thought about becoming a A and I did sit for the test, this career did not excite me. After floating around in a dead-end position for about a year and a half, I and my manager came to the conclusion I was not “cut out” to be an ant. It was not the real me. After some soulsearching, I felt sales was my true taught talent. Determining what type of sales was another story.

After a fateful interview I entered the sales of photographic imaging on May 19th, 1986. I was twenty-five, I needed to start working hard and I needed to really learn my new trade from the experts at hand. Luckily at the time, Minolta Corp, believed in high achieving standards through teaching and extensive training. I learned more and more and was promoted from “Tech Rep” to a full salesperson after a few years. My enthusiasm, increased day-by-day as did my performance. Within a year or two I was awarded my first of many sales awards, within a few years of that I was awarded “Salesman of the Year,” and in 1993 I won a Lincoln Town Car. By this time I was about thirty and I indeed amassed a great deal of knowledge taught to me by people smarter than myself. I had a mentor, a Mr. Sam Anzalone, who pronounced me on the day of my award a “professional salesperson.” A role model of par excellence he was, I thank him for the skills he taught me. Here is my wife’s take:

Mentors are so important to someone just starting out. I was lucky enough to have a couple of mentors. One was an established, independent, intelligent woman who at the time was probably in her fifties or sixties. She taught me that perseverance paid off for her; she never finished college but she ended up becoming the first “Director of Credit” in a Japanese company. I believe she was the highest ranking woman in the company at the time. She promoted me through the stages and I eventually became a “Regional Credit Manager” at a young age and was responsible for three to four people and about $25 million. The funny thing was I always thought I could do anything; she made me feel competent, smart, and compatible. Maybe it was my nativity, but she was truly someone I looked up to.

The other mentor, he knows who he is, would say, “It is what it is.” I used to be so frustrated by this take on situations, but he was right and I learned how to cope with change and different situations. He was quiet so I made him talk to me, which I think he hated. He also taught me to think before you speak. This was not easy for me; I very clearly being in a meeting with many different departments, traffic, warehouse order department, and sales. All of the other department heads were speaking and my mentor said nothing. My impulse

was to add my two-cents and complain that the other departments were not doing their job; but he waited patiently (another attribute I do not possess) and proceeded to rectify the situation that was before us. He spoke softly and deliberately and everyone listened. Yelling and complaining did not work; this was a valuable lesson for me. He probably never knew the impact he had on me, but I hope he reads this and realizes what a great person he is.

When the time came, I tried to be a mentor and someone that people could learn from. When it came to physical sports, I participated a little, but I never dedicated myself to any position of proficiency in any sport. I wrestled, ran some track, played a little baseball but never took to really any “team sports.” My parents were not really into anything but skiing. I started to ski at eight years old and I took many lessons on the way to being what I would call, a “semi-expert.” To this very day I keep up with skiing as it’s very exciting for me. It gets me outdoors in the coldest part of the year and it’s an adrenaline rush. Skiing is a way to get away from it all, whether it’s a day trip or a week long adventure. I’ll never give it up despite having three leg operations, as I always relish the time to go skiing. Another skill I acquired from high school to college was powerlifting. Once again I reached out to the local masters of the sport, aka; people smarter and stronger then myself. My goal was to one day compete and at least do “well.” I worked-out with professional football players and power-lifters. Not only were these individuals “built” but they had mastered the technique necessary for the perfect lift. I learned about lifting regimen and proper equipment utilization. I even had a lifting belt, shoes, and a lifting suit. I trained my body to squat, bench press, and dead-lift. I ed a power-lifting team at a competition weight of 181 pounds, then on to 198 and 220 pounds. I went from lifting 225 pounds. in the squat, bench pressing 185, and deadlifting 325; to squatting 605, bench pressing 440 and deadlifting 555 pounds. I took 3rd place in the state of New Jersey competition and at one point in time I was one of the top drug free bench pressers for my age in the country. Something like being 47th on the list, but still a great accomplishment. Today at fifty-three years young I can still bench press 330, squat 400+ and deadlift 405 pounds. I love ing on my power-lifting skills to younger adults in the gym. Moving from a good element to a bad element it is also possible to pick up “bad learning skills” or associate with the “wrong people.” It starts out when we are young, we either learn to hang out with the right people (good) or the people that

always seem to find trouble. Most of my life I hung out with the “right people” however, I did hang out with some mischievous boys. I got in little bits of trouble now and then but I never found myself on the “wrong side of the law” or in a police station. My few encounters with the authorities were uneventful and brief. The “authorities” back then were more lenient and more forgiving. Big Brother did not really show up ‘til my later years and especially after 9/11. Today in all major cities cameras are everywhere and no one is immune from capture. Why just recently, Boston was bombed and the perpetrators were found shot or captured within a week. Facial recognition can literally find anyone “of interest.” Associate with these types of people and you have effectively associated with people dumber than yourself. You have literally compromised your principals; again the margin of error or forgiveness was much larger years ago. Today with the modern cell-phone, actions of anyone are up on the web within seconds. Positive role models can turn bad after one internet, web, or Facebook incident. Some professional athletes have gone from the front of the Wheaties box to being caught doing bong hits in private moments. Some recover, while some never seem to have troubles. Examples include Michael Jordan, Shack, Derek Jeter and George Forman. They always seemed to keep clean and have gone on to make millions after their professional careers were over. My personal role models may be a little different than most. They would be George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, JFK, and Ronald Regan. Inventors would be Edison, Telsa, Einstein, Oppenheimer, John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Warren Buffet. Visionaries might be certain Popes, Mother Theresa, the Dali Lama, and people utilizing their talents to better the planet. Other people thinking outside-of-the-box and seeking high adventure would be Sir Richard Branson, Steve Fossett, and “X Game” performers like Shawn White. My personal Religion had many teachers from grade school to the present day. My grandparents and my mother were deeply religious rooted individuals. These individuals were the “best of the best” with my grandmother taking the top spot. She embodied the words Holy, generous, and forgiving in every respect. She started most of her adult life, up at 6AM, off to daily church and working her chores late into the day until each one was done. She never tired, she never faltered, and she showed me proper work ethic. My grandmother was always by my side until I was thirty-one years old. She was a positive, stabilizing force for good, always encouraging me to do my best. As I grew up I always returned the

favors she did on my behalf by doing random acts of kindness for her and people around me. As I went into my difficult teens I learned from her, my grandfather (a master woodworker),

HAVE FAITH PICTURE

and my godparents the concept of hard work “rewarded.” My grandfather took ill at about my age of sixteen, and he worked until Parkinson’s took his life’s hobbies away from him and eventually, his life. My grandmother helped him right through his very last day. Shortly after this, in my later teens, my grandmother sold her house and moved in with us in northern New Jersey. The times from my late teens to my thirty-first birthday were simply the best. As my grandmother grew old I helped her at every turn to repay her for the lifetime of joy, knowledge, and kindness she gave me. She made it past my college graduation and she even, met my wife to be. Although she had little formal education, she was one I considered to be “much smarter than myself.” She lived to be eighty-nine and she was the “top” guiding force in my life. After my grandmother’s death my mom searched for a purpose in life, her career in nursing had ended at age sixty-eight. My mom was a generous person, but her opinions were well known and elaborated upon, unlike my grandmother. You knew what side you were on with my mother at all times. My mom was a RN and sadly she did not recognize some medical signs she had, which finally proved to be her health undoing. My mom enjoyed three and one half years with my newborn son. It gave her great joy until she became sick with cancer, ing away within ten years of my grandmother and only lasting nine months after she was given a fatal health determination. The charitable values she instilled upon me have remained to this day. I am always willing to help anyone out I deem to have a “need.” My mom’s quick ing did alter my attitude forever in life. It taught me to make each day count. It taught me that today, once turning into tomorrow can never be recaptured. I’ll never put off something tomorrow, what I can do today. Her ing made me more Commandready in the long run; she was almost seventy-five. Since I am an only child this leaves me with my only surviving family member, my father. My dad is eighty-nine and he is very smart in regards to education and finances. My dad was born in the mid 20’s (1925) and he was a child of the depression era. Dad grew up in Brooklyn and in his late teens ed the Air Force and he took advantage of all government resources made available to him. He stayed in the Air Force reserve until I was a small child. Dad’s stint in the Air Force was non-eventful and he never saw combat, though he did advance through the ranks to become a navigator (Major rank) in

the Air Force. The time dad put in helped with his health-care and retirement benefits; it also provided an additional pension. Dad also went to Business College and got his A. Dad’s financial skills enabled him to turn a decent income and to amass a very tidy sum right up to his present age. Dad “worked’ until he was about eighty-five and taught me to invest and to save money since I was eighteen. He taught me the value of being debt free (a “Be Commandready” value). I have saved for now what appears to be thirty-four years, always “socking away” the maximum amount in bonds, company pensions and 401k’s, and stocks that pay dividends. By about forty-eight I was able to become completely “debt free.” All my assets I own free and clear, I sleep well at night. I would never even consider being in debt again; it would not “Be Commandready.” My son is almost sixteen now and he has three savings s. He will be working soon and he has learned computer skills well enough to already earn him monies to pay for some of his hobbies like drag racing. He is an Eagle Scout and has ed the Civil Air Patrol along with myself and is learning to fly with an instructor’s expertise. While money does make the world go around and it “provides,” it’s not everything. It’s certainly not my God. It certainly has its own costs, as being obsessed with the attainment of money can possess you and be a downfall. Keeping a keen eye on your money is the key to the accumulation of wealth and security; but spending too much time on it is borderline obsession. My dad’s desire for material security had its cost in of time allocation and interaction with his family. He studied stocks in real-time and had all kinds of graphs and pie charts depicting everything the stock and bond market did. Dad tracks his net worth to the dime I think almost every day of his life. What I took from all of this is; spend too much time on any one aspect of your life and you’ll have little time left for other things. Do whatever it takes to provide for your family, but if you are fortunate enough to get past “providing” for the basics and some luxuries, you should get out and enjoy all what life has to offer. My mantra when it comes to making money is a balanced approach. I have worked tirelessly since about 1985 and although I work hard, I play hard. I enjoy some luxuries my dad frankly believes are excess, a waste, or just plain showing off. My dad’s only real luxury was a 1999 Cadillac he bestowed upon himself, he never really enjoyed the car when he was younger and he has had the unfortunate experience of getting into a few accidents with this car due to its small mirrors and rear visibility. Perhaps as we all age our driving skills come into question. My wife’s two cents:

Don’t stop learning. I went back to school to get my Paralegal Certificate. It was great; I meet great people and learned a lot about the law; some even helped me personally. If you stop learning your brain remains the same, if you continue to learn, you will look at everything differently. I am now taking a sewing class-I thought it might be a good skill to acquire. You don’t have to go to college to learn-learn from classes or from others. Don’t forget to surround yourself with people who are smarter than you and you will be smarter.

In 2014, my learning continues with my decision to the Civil Air Patrol, (earning my Second Lieutenant Grade with a specialty tract of General Emergence Services) and save up the money for my next Phase 3 accomplishment; earning private pilot’s license certificate.

CHAPTER 12

LEVERAGE YOURSELF, CREATE YOUR OWN BUZZ, AND AVOID TOXIC PEOPLE

G od has given us all talents and skills. However, how many times do you hear about someone that does not live up or perform to their true abilities. For some people, the most difficult part is finding out what they do best. Certain rare individuals seem to have an idea what they want by their early teens, for others it’s college, some post college and for some, never going to school. Some people are drifting around in their forties and fifties without a true direction. Until you know where your abilities lie, you will never be able to leverage yourself. Even knowing where your abilities lie, might not enable you to have a “productive career.” It’s important to hone in on your abilities since society tends to reject people who don’t seem to have a purpose. Most people early on take tests to determine abilities or excellence. My son, while in 8th grade took some co-op exams; later on he will take ASAT and SAT to determine his ability. For his first job he may have to take qualifications tests and that may even lead to continuing education from a job, trade school, or employer. I can say I found myself at twenty-five years of age. In my early years I loved the outdoors, but even being a scout I could not see myself being a forest ranger or a national park ranger because; 1) I did not live next to any national parks and 2) growing up in Bergen county New Jersey I could not “afford” to make $25k and survive when an average house costs $500,000 in 2014. Being a park ranger was a great dream at fifteen, but not practical to leverage myself, so it was on to my first college to try my hand at engineering. I did like electronics, but as stated previously, I could not grasp high level math, so next I sought out a financial career in ing and I really did poorly in what I believed was a stagnant environment. I had little chance of leveraging myself at all. It was only when I realized that my gift was one of “persuasion” through salesmanship did I find my true self. I started out slowly and modestly and then my sales successes grew more refined. My s and

connections grew and after ten years I knew enough about the electronics trade and its people to “leverage myself.” The two major companies I worked for (Minolta Corp and Fujifilm Corp) gave me numerous opportunities to leverage both my skills and my position within these companies. I was, and am an outside Sales Director and although I mainly sold imaging or photographic equipment, my skills branched out to a greater sum than these companies have taught me. I now have a broad scope of electronics, photographic, optical, outdoor, survival and renewable energy knowledge. I dealt mainly with what was a photographic business until around 2001; my then clients had to expand their services and product lines to “leverage themselves.” My s now sell everything from digital cameras to canoes. I can now say I have a business connection from everything you can place a battery in, to anything you can plug in or drop in a lake. As your circle of knowledge and connections expand so will your leverage. Despite obvious knowledge gained today on the internet, face-to-face dialog is imperative; when is the last time you bargained with a “machine?” Eye is also a must in establishing your relationships and keeping them and making them flourish. My current surviving s have mostly branched out to GPS, car stereos, car accessories, computers, Ipads and Ipods, appliances, drones, health-care, or virtually any product that has a potential profitable niche. The key word again is profitable. Today I enjoy every trade show as an opportunity to learn, to be trained, or to enhance my knowledge base. When you enhance your knowledge base you meet new people, you learn what they do and know, you learn to communicate with them, you find out what makes them “tick.” You find out their goals and aspirations, which in turn helps you leverage yourself. About two years ago, I did a trade summit at one of my master distributors. I said to myself; “What will I do or learn at this for two and a half days?” It turns out I learned a great deal. The seemingly pointless opening cocktail party turned out to be a great time to meet and network with many other sales reps outside my industry in a relaxed social situation. The next day the owner’s speeches on their firm made me realize I had no idea on how large the scope of their firms operation was and the mission statement (vision) they had for it and their business’ continued growth. All of us sitting in the audience were all part of my distributors’ growth plans. This started out starting selling Kodak film and then digital cameras as almost their sole product over twenty years ago. Today this ’s most profitable business relates to outdoor products and the fulfillment of them. I endeavored to meet many of the outdoor sales reps and

leveraging my imaging skills and connections against their wants, desires, product needs, and hobbies. One simple item I have never been without is a “business card.” I have four different business cards; one from my employer, one for my semi-dormant S Corporation, one for my hobby racing team and one for another stand-by business and hobby, relating to this book “Be Commandready.” All four combined can bring up some “interesting” conversations. Usually active people will engage you with a story about their job or their particular industry and how it may relate or not relate to your industry. Having a multi-purpose existence or experience gives you a greater “range” of leverage, aka; a greater chance of making a profitable or new business connection. Perhaps even a new career or job opportunity. If you keep track of all your new connections, maybe engage in trade reciprocation, you gain new connections or an enhanced scope of leverage. I personally strive to seek out a few new business connections each and every year. This year I started to better manage my “trust and financial portfolio” with professional financial help in addition to knowledge I have already gained through life. I met professionals at Fidelity Investment who are always happy to enhance my knowledge about stocks, bonds, index funds, and other investment tools. I learned more about financial analysis and I was able to make healthy returns in my portfolio in 2013-2014. An upwardly bounding stock market also made that goal easier. If you get help and knowledge and can hopefully help someone else out, in effect you “leveraged yourself” twice. You keep replicating this chain of events and it keeps cascading into positive events, theoretically many more times. This leverage creates a buzz, and success breeds success. To create “buzz” these days you utilize all the assets of today’s technology and networking. My thoughts on marketing this book have ventured into, how I will create enough “buzz” and interest to sell people the lifestyle of “BE COMMANDREADY.” I’m sure my wife will help and my sixteen year old internet-savvy son will help me on social networks and the “Twitter.” Maybe I can get on a TV show?! A buzz will also involve my thoughts or the mission statement of “BE COMMANDREADYtm.” This book in itself will project a powerful enough buzz to awaken the general public into taking notice to follow a different lifestyle, to take a different path. This book will hopefully help people create goals for themselves and to be more prepared. In regard to my current and past employers. I have always managed to keep my

company’s interests at heart, but I have also managed to keep my positions in life balanced and to be known for almost always having positive answers. These answers will help me in “Phase 3” of my life. I will have many different connections and skills to help me integrate into a new potential lifestyle. The prior career (Phase 2) electronics/solar/BE Commandready person will be ready, I hope, to be able to pick my future path in life. I’ll be free from the bondage of debt, end the sub severance of a time clock boss, (thankfully I have a nice boss who also is a lifelong friend) and I will enjoy the luxury of free time like that I had in my childhood. As you grow older, time becomes scarce and making time will provide me with the greatest satisfaction. I have made time to ski ten days this past year, at fifty-five I would like to ski twenty-five times in one season. I would like to travel four weeks at a clip, not one week to ten days. I would really like to see more of this beautiful country before gas is $6.00 per gallon. I would like to enjoy every activity I can while I can still walk and run and bench press 335lbs. I watched The Bucket List movie the other day, it had great adventures taking place while people were dying, but the real lesson was to execute your goals and you bucket list while you can. What I want now is vastly different than what I wanted ten or twenty years ago. I’d have to say I have achieved 97% of my bucket list goals, the remaining 3% I’m still looking for and will hopefully attain. It will be hard to come by but I will make it my business to achieve it. “Phase 3” is the key to this 3% attainment. Keep searching for that 3% and hopefully its attainment will help make you “BE COMMANDREADY.” Creating a buzz is not being obnoxious about your knowledge; it is helping others so they value what it is you’re saying and be able to back it up with facts. Toxic People: I think my wife will have some input on this subject as when you’re married you can find toxic people not just from sources outside your marriage and family, but from within your own family or extended family. We have all learned (or not learned) about the negative effects of toxic people within our lives. It’s interesting how just a few toxic people will create such havoc within your life. It’s amazing how from an early age I was able to identify individuals detrimental to my overall mental and physical health. From my childhood I was bullied because I was at heart a “momma’s boy” and my personal self-esteem and self-confidence was not all there. High school introduced me to my first encounters with “predators.” I would say I witnessed youth sexual harassment and to say this made a lasting lifetime mark on me is an understatement. I met some creepy toxic people, I was scared, and thankfully the situations ended when I left high school. My college experience was one of fun, education,

enrichment, achieving excellent self-esteem, and outstanding situations. Most individuals I met were positive and I thrived on the attention of being on the newspaper staff and Dj for the college radio station. My college experience was so good I never wanted to leave Rutgers. My formal education ended and I went on to my first real job. My first real job in ing was not fulfilling and my boss and I clashed frequently. Simply put, my ing background and sales personality clashed. My ing job (while financially useful in later life) was toxic to my sales direction, and I thank God my sales career was my calling and won out. It was a positive direction and moving on to a sales career was full of opportunities for personal advancement and achievement. Over my sales career I had a few toxic bosses, luckily they were fired, dismissed, or just went berserk which lead to their removal. My physical living location started out in a nice well rounded neighborhood. The neighborhood consisted of people all with different backgrounds and nationalities, everyone watched each other’s back in a good way, and some of these old neighborhood friends are still around in my present-day life. Perhaps some of the most toxic individuals I have encountered were my neighbors of my later twenties and thirties. I lived in a condo complex and while most neighbors were ok, I had a few whose goal was to make life harder for me. One couple and their kids moved into my condo complex while they were waiting on their “mansion” to be built across town. These people were very noisy, inconsiderate, and they even had a dog which seemed to always “relieve” itself in the grass in front of my condo. I clashed with these toxic people many times and they also clashed with many others in my neighborhood. These people were so bad that at one point the mother in this family accused me of stealing her son’s bike. War broke out between us and this became for a while my “toxic dream.” The nightmare ended when they moved out into a neighborhood of the want-to-be rich, thinking they were “better” than all of us. My current neighborhood consists of very quiet people intent on going about their every-day lives which includes not having much time to engage with others. Another neighbor I never see and another still, was nearly forced to “leave the neighborhood.” This really negative, toxic person was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. This leaves us relatives; in laws and family alike. These are all people who mean something in your life and can influence it greatly to the negative or positive. Most encounters are positive but relatives and in laws can make your life a living Hell if you let certain situations arise. Money can definitely make a

toxic situation arise. If people “sense” you are in a position to help them, most will ask. Some of my encounters even have led to expecting financial commitments no sane person would entertain. I have been asked to loan money and grant money; sadly I went for a “yes” a few times, a BIG mistake. As for direct family , they can provide the greatest amount of toxicity or joy within your life. Your parents can be a great source of guidance and inspiration or other. Parents can also try to “inject” their thoughts into your life or try to completely control it. Some can try to make decisions for you, try to influence your marriage or even split it apart. When parents get older some can get more set in their ways and some can even resist rational thought until their dying day. When you get old, very old, pray for a “fast goodbye” from Mother Earth. One of the worst things that can happen to a younger daughter or son is to see their parent slowly either mentally or physically decline or both. Make your life’s end choices with your children early and try to keep rational thinking while you can. We all have our pride but “dealing” with a parent with total fixed opinions or thoughts at his or her end is very toxic. It can wreak havoc in your life. My best advice is to “engage, but don’t engage too closely.” Perhaps in extreme cases employ the concept of “no .” No will free your mind, your soul, and it will grant you peace. It will let you finally become the person God meant you to be, and all the mental ambushes will cease. Perhaps seek professional advice on how best to handle a situation and cope with unethical behavior. Perhaps keep records of this behavior so that you know you’re not the one guilty of employing this toxic behavior. Keeping clear of toxic behavior will make you a happier person and that happiness will make you “Be Commandready!!” My wife’s take:

I have a lot to say about Toxic people, first, I have no patience for them. I believe people who are toxic are unhappy in their own lives and want you to in their misery. Don’t do it. the old saying, “Misery loves company?” I no longer play with or deal with these toxic people. I used to have several people call me just to discuss other people. I no longer associate with these people and have effectively eased them out of my life. There is one person that was in my life that was totally toxic; always telling me that I was not good enough and not to be trusted. This is also a person I used to get along great with and had a pretty good relationship with. It turned bad and I no longer in his toxicity. We haven’t spoken in a year and although sometimes I do feel bad, I feel better not

having to do with him any longer. Ultimately, you have to decide what kind of people you want to be around; someone who sees the good in you or someone who is so unhappy they must bring you down with them?

I used to work in a corporate setting, which I think I already mentioned, here there were many toxic people. In this case, you must learn how to keep your distance and know how to manage them. No one says you have to be friends with everyone you work with. This particular person that comes to mind was so miserable that no one wanted to be around him. His attitude was terrible and he felt it was okay to put down everyone else to make himself feel better. This is a person with low self-esteem and probably a miserable home life. I have always had a pretty good self-esteem; I am not saying I was a beauty queen or the smartest person in the room. I just knew what I knew; if I didn’t know something, I would find out about it. Toxic people do not like people like this. Toxic people hone in on someone’s weaknesses and exploit them to their advantage.

Then there are the people that are “downers.” These people are never happy; well actually, they are only happy when someone else’s life is falling apart. They become toxic because honestly, who wants to be around someone that only talks about someone else’s shortcomings or tragic situations? I think that you should be happy for people and for their achievements and celebrate them; you should not rejoice in one’s failures. Listening to someone only talk about negative things, can make you feel negative.

If the person who is toxic is important to you, you can try to work on the relationship, however, don’t expect many changes. You can only control your actions and how you treat people, you can’t control others, as much as you want to!!!

Know who you are, what kind of person you are and what you want in others around you. You will find that the toxic people will be eliminated out of your life and be replaced with smart, happy people that are willing to teach you and help

you succeed. You will attract the same kind of people that you are yourself.

I have a great group of friends that get together; we don’t talk about others, we discuss all different topics, including kids, careers, marriage, etc. We help each other by listening and when needed, give our advice or opinion. There are always going to be people that are there for you in a loving and caring way, this is what you want. Surround yourself with stable happy people, this will make you happier.

CHAPTER 13

CONTROL THE PENNIES, NICKELS AND DIMES; NOT JUST DOLLARS

W hen you aspire to make a big purchase (and afford it), you have to look literally at the small snapshots (of spending) that got you to this new situation in life. If you truly want to buy and own a large asset you have to control the “small spending” we all do in our life. I have known too many individuals that made a hard-earned modest income who never knew where their money went because they spent most of it like it never existed. If a given purchase was not a high ticket item most people never considered it part of their overall spending. People in general go out every day buy their coffee, smokes, breakfast sandwich, lunch, train ticket; tolls etc., and never really consider the small change part of their overall spending and budget items. Did these individuals ever think of the pennies, nickels and dimes they spent before the big “dollar” purchases they tried to earn? How many of us these days would file for a dollar rebate or pick a nickel off the ground, I would. How many of us would drive one extra mile to save five cents on a gallon fill up of gas, I would. If you save $2.00 a week that equates to over $100 per year, on one item of spending! How many of us review every phone bill, internet plan, or review our insurance policies when they come up for renewal? I DO! Why; because there always seems to be the “additional little charges” or free items that are not free or maybe you’re paying for coverage you really don’t need. Some extra spending is prudent. Recently I had the misfortune to have rocks damage two of my windshields. $1,200.00 later I realized for $53 more I could have added auto glass coverage to two of my vehicles with a $0 deductible. Since I’m an avid outdoorsman and travel frequently, that minuscule amount would be money well spent that will actually save me more mean green in the long run. How many times do we see a price somewhere and never question it or look to find it cheaper? Internet pricing changes in real time now, not just in days

or weeks. Even in places/merchants that seem to have prices controlled I at least ask for a small discount. Usually someone offers you at least 10%, just for asking. Most people will think a $10 discount on $100 is small; however an even smaller discount of 5% on a $300,000 house is $15,000 or enough to buy a small car. How many of us recycle our pocket change for free? How many go to a vendor which might charge a fee to turn change into cash? I recycle ALL my change and it becomes my son’s spending money or allowance. TD Bank is a great place for holders to redeem all their loose change for free. All of this can be tracked by a budget tool like Quickentm. Quicken is an excellent way to categorize ALL your expense categories, budget revenue against expenses every month, for un-expected charges, and determine an estimate of potential savings. Quicken has been part of my financial lifestyle since about 1986. Quicken has helped me go from becoming a debtor to a person who is debt free. Quicken has helped me track all my assets and decrease debts and it has helped me “BE COMMANDREADY.” While this chapter may seem small in length its impact to your overall financial health cannot be underestimated. Think of this entire chapter like the impulse items in any grocery store aisle. These items are usually predominately displayed and enticing, but they are usually some of the most profitable items in any grocery store. Stay away from them! Resist temptation to have all the small items in your life add to a figure so large you cannot afford the large items (or in order to obtain them you must finance them more heavily). The comfortable impulse items seem to satisfy a craving for now, but soon they will be gone or break and you will wonder why you spent your hard-earned monies on them. If you successfully move away from these items you can increase your savings for something you really want. Like perhaps, a vacation to rejuvenate the soul or an investment in training for a new career, all which in itself can be more fulfilling or income producing. These small amounts saved up over the years will add up to thousands, making you closer to Phase 3 when you take full control of your life and “BE COMMANDREADY!!! My wife’s take:

I will add my two cents, (two cents, get it?!) to this chapter. I have a perfect example about watching your pennies. My husband and son went to the gym the other night and my son wanted to buy a Gatorade at the gym for $2.00. My

husband can buy a case of Gatorade with each bottle costing only $.50. My son didn’t understand at first what the big deal was by spending $2.00. The point that my husband explained was that if you went to the gym three times a week and purchased a Gatorade at the gym rather than bringing it from home you would be spending over $200 more on Gatorade in one year. That amount would pay for almost a whole year hip of the gym.

It’s funny as a child; I can clearly rolling change. For those of you my age, you will this. Coming from a home where there is not a lot of money, finding and rolling change gave me pocket money. The same should be used today. Many people use their loose change to save for vacation, a big purchase or other luxury items.

Here is another great example using change wisely. My husband and my son went to TD Bank to redeem their change. They had about $50. During the process of redeeming the change the machine got stuck and after the bank manager fixed the machine, the balance read $264!! Both my husband and son knew there was no way they had that much. They explained this to the manager and he said there was no way to know whose money it was. He told them to keep it. My husband and son both knew how fortunate they were. My son decided to donate $100 to the Center for Food Action in our town. Why did I tell this story? The loose change and the act of redeeming inadvertently helped a family in need and I wanted to show what great people I have in my life.

CHAPTER 14

LOVE YOUR FAMILY, ENJOY YOUR CAREER, BUT VACATION AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE

T oday’s modern family can take on many forms. The international form of the word family now reads like the movie Mrs. Doubtfire but family if seen in a positive way, can be most ive. This year I will be married twenty-one years, I have known my wife and family for about twenty-three years. All of those years it has been mostly a ive, positive experience. I was an only child, so my family was a small three person family. I guess being an only child afforded my mother and grandmother a great deal of time to help me get a proper upbringing. My grandmother helped my mom and between the two of them I grew up in a balanced Catholic family. I went to a Catholic grade school and I was instilled with Catholic beliefs. I even served as an altar boy assisting the priests in my school. My grandmother and I had the greatest relationship, when I look back there was rarely an event in my life she was not involved in, in a positive way! As discussed earlier, my grandmother always helped me when I was young and I returned the favor to her as she grew old and needed my help. My grandmother had a small property in south New Jersey and when I stayed at her house I always cut the lawn, trimmed her hedges, and got somewhat involved in fixing her 1962 Comet Futura. Compared to today’s cars it had a small engine, a two speed transmission, a vacuum tube radio ( tubes, AM only) and non-electric windshield wipers. This car was about as simple as it got and it started me on my journey of being able to “fix most things,” and understand the workings of cars and engines. My grandmother led a simple life, she got up at the crack of dawn and her motto was “she went to bed when all her daily chores were done and 100% complete.” Most people I meet today are nowhere near as motivated to her standards. My grandmother’s life was a little but more simple by today’s standards. Every

day would start as she made my grandfather’s lunch and filled his thermos with “Postum,” a grain based non-coffee like drink. I don’t know if today there is such drink. After that, my grandmother went to church. My grandmother had a church near her home almost as grand and ornate as St. Patrick’s Cathedral in NYC. I grew up learning about Catholic holidays, the saints, and she taught me the importance of prayers and the Rosary. As the years of my life went on, it was these prayers and beliefs that got me through many tough patches and life decisions. The religion she personified taught me important one rule; lead a clean life and do on to others as you wish to be done on to you. My grandmother taught my mother these beliefs and I think I learned a thing or two about miracles in my life. My grandmother always had a positive smile and she brought great joy to my life. She was at my grade school, high school, and even my college graduation from Rutgers. She was always happy to embrace my accomplishments and she was always there to pick me up when I was down. In a word, she was my idol and the backbone of building my moral fiber. My grandfather, a master carpenter, loved me loved me like no other. The toys of his days were adapted from wood. In my early teens he even made me a ramp to do bike jumps on during the Evil Knievel jumping days. After my early teens, my grandfather took ill because he had worked on some hazardous jobs. Safety standards during the 1960’s & 1970’s were nowhere near as strict as they are today. He was exposed to lead and copper fumes which lead to Parkinson’s disease which took over his body. By the time I was seventeen, it took his life. My grandmother carried on and eventually moved in with my family. She was always interested in my life and any talents I seemed to have, she embraced. She helped me fix up my first real car 1969 Chevy Camaro RS. If I had this car today, it would be worth a small fortune. I learned to further work on cars and she helped me buy my first high performance engine. My grandmother lived long enough to see me get my first real job, but more importantly helped guide me to my life-long career selling optical cameras for Minolta Corp. I cherished her final years and she even got to meet my future wife. She liked her but sadly soon after meeting my wife, she suffered a stroke and died. To say, at thirty one it was a pivotal moment in my life is an understatement. I collected and preserve some of her memories right down to certain religious icons. They have all been placed in an antique cabinet of my life’s true treasures. On my dad’s side of the family, I also loved my grandparents. My grandmother

lived far away and was blessed with many children and grandchildren. She too was a hard worker and was an investing pioneer; buying some original shares of IBM to secure her future. Her husband also died young and she lived on many years. In her final years, she lived in a nursing home and I was always able to visit her as she was on my sales route and I always took advantage of this opportunity. She always instilled in me high moral standards and life achievements. We weren’t as close, but she was ive and typified loving your family. My mom and I were close and she reinforced what my grandparents taught me with a twist, my grandmother was always neutral with her opinions, my mom not so much. My grandmother loved most everyone, but my mom had strong opinions, usually in one strong direction. Examples were how I was to act, who I played with, who seemed to be bad, and who she determined to be bad. Of course I had to hang out with good people and when I grew up my mom liked to think she could pick the “right girls” for me to date. My mom was a nurse by trade and she was always caring for someone. If she was not caring for someone, she was teaching students to be RNs. If she was not acting like a doctor she was always diagnosing “conditions” people had. Sometimes she thought people or family had a condition, or something worse; she tended to over diagnose. My mom lived until I was forty-one and my son was three and a half. At about seventy-four years of age she was exhibiting symptoms of something internally wrong. She knew this and tended to ignore these symptoms until she was diagnosed with near terminal cancer. My dad at this time was working and he was consumed with his ing career. So much so, he tended to disbelieve my mom’s condition. Medical tests on my mom had revealed she had a stage-four cancer which was almost incurable. My dad and I quarreled about how bad my mom’s condition was until she had only been given a few months to live. My dad thought my mom could live on for months and even maybe be saved. He felt he would be able to help her better after the tax season was over, I knew the realities of the situation. She lived only to March 10th, 2002. Ironically, only ten years after her mother ed on. My dad took the time to grieve and he was somewhat of a mentor to my young child as he was in good shape at seventy-six years young. Dad continued to work as an active tax ant for H&R Block until he was eighty-five. Dad even did my taxes until he was seventy-nine and at this point in time I thought it was better to keep my family’s finances private. Dad was conservative and when he did my taxes I always seemed to have to “pay” (my curse-word). When I

switched ants I seemed to always get a refund or at least break even. Additionally, since my dad always kept his finances and last wishes secret (nearly to the grave) I thought it better to not divulge my family’s financial position. Dad kept up with all his professional and private associations until he became involved with a younger woman who initially convinced my dad to think the “Florida lifestyle” was better and if they somewhat combined resources of sorts a wonderful life could be had. Dad “only” had to buy a house that was thirty seven-years old, right next to this new “friend’s” building lot of her late husband. This new/old house was not up to any of Florida’s new hurricane codes. Dad seemingly wanted three things, to move to a warmer sunnier state, to live in a state with lower taxes (both regular and estate), and to “make a large agreement with this friend” for his future guaranteed “health-care”(and no doubt her own future at her urging). Dad did shell out 240k for this old house, he possibly built half a sea wall (for this coincidently empty building lot perched on a steep cliff), and he might have potentially paid for other things as well. To date this friend and my dad have spent six to ten years together, more than half of this with my dad “living alone”(maybe my dad wanted it that way). As of the writing of this book my dad’s health is as best as it could be expected at eighty-nine years of age, he lives 1,000 feet from my house in a New Jersey condo. Without going into further details the situation is a bit bizarre if not concerning to say the least! I guess my dad just got lonely or other and he still seems to be seeking friendship, companionship, possibly marriage or at least health care. The moral of old age is that it that it slowly comes for sure. Prepare for it, try to pick your resting place in advance, and by all means keep your options open, lucid, and well thought out. Don’t be held hostage for what you believe may be your only best option, trust your family. Until this time comes (usually in your post 70’s) live your life to the fullest, which leads me to my next bit of advice “vacation, relax, and take as much time off as you can afford.” My wife’s take:

As for my family, I will be brief as there is little to write about. My maternal grandparents were a great influence on my life. I thought and still think my grandfather was one of the smartest people I ever knew. I clearly watching the Republican National Convention with him in 1980, the year Ronald Reagan ran. He is the person that got me into politics, made me to vote

and realize what was going on around me. He was indeed my hero too. My grandfather had diabetes and unfortunately lost both legs to this disease. However, this did not stop him from doing almost everything he wanted to do. He had the car equipped so he could drive with only his hands; he cooked, washed dishes, and visited with friends daily. He never let his situation define who he was; he was still grandpa to me. He never saw me graduate college, but I knew he would have been extremely proud of me. He was my cheerleader without telling me what to do. I miss him still to this day and I only wish he could have met my son, I know he would have loved him.

My maternal grandmother was a riot. She was not my “blood” but she may have well been. First and foremost she loved my mother unconditionally, something her own mother didn’t do. She loved the grandchildren to death and we never did anything wrong in her eyes. She treated us like her own and I never introduced her as my step-grandmother. One of my fondest memories was of her stroking my hair as I lay on her lap, I fell asleep right there. She was kind, funny and bit of a cheater at Telefongi (this was a card game I still play). When they retired to Florida, I would fly there every year for vacation starting at about age sixteen. At three o’ clock, she would open her first “Old Milwaukee” to start happy hour. When I was older I would her.

My mother is another story. My mother raised me, my sisters and brother basically by herself. She loves us all unconditionally and taught me the value of family and spending quality time together. I having dinner and then watching Jeopardy together. Neither one of us did exceptionally well, but it was fun to try. We also used to watch football with my sister Susan on Sunday after shopping at Cost Cutters. We never really needed anything but it was a fun thing to do together. My family didn’t have much but we had each other. One great story was when we had our first Thanksgiving alone. My mother always went all out, everything was handmade and her stuffing was the best. While taking out the turkey, she dropped it on the floor; we looked at each other “kissed it up to God” and put it on the table for dinner. Her logic behind this was she had just mopped the floors so we were good. It is a classic story that we laughed about often. Every Christmas, there seemed to be a ton of presents under the tree, we never knew how she did it; like I said she basically did it on her own. She would

work extra hours and I think she had little elves help out. Some of the best times we had together were just sitting around talking, telling stories, laughing and “carrying on.”

My siblings are very important to me. We always have fun together and loved to reminisce about old times. Although we don’t all live close to each other, I speak to my siblings often. I learned from my sister Sue to relax and be fun, from my sister Tricia to be ready and organized and my brother Teddy to take it easy. This doesn’t mean I always follow all of this advice, but I do try. It is funny how we were all raised in the same home; we can be similar and very different at the same time. It also mattered when you were born.

Are you the oldest, middle, or youngest? I think it does have an effect on who you are. My sister Tricia is the oldest, she still tries to mother me even at this age; but this is her place in the family. She usually has good advice and life experience to share. My sister Sue, the middle child is different and out of the ordinary. She always wants everyone to have fun and be happy. Teddy, poor Teddy, had four mothers growing up, one biological mother and three older sisters. He turned out to be a great man and wonderful father. We call him “steady Teddy,” he is hard to rattle and seems to take everything in stride.

Vacations, long weekends, day trips, holidays, and down time is as good as “gold.” If you consider yourself successful by the time you are in your fifties, the biggest luxury you will have will be “time.” Make time and try not to work a job or career in which you never have time to relax for yourself and family. Vacation should be a spiritual rebirth of sorts, and a refreshment of your soul. Without a break, you will break down. You need a pause once in a while to push your physical and mental “reset button.” If possible and you can afford, it try to visit one of our fine fifty states or even travel the world. In my life I have visited about thirty-one states and a few countries.

PINEY LAKE, PARADISE IN COLORADO

Every year of life I have traveled, first as a child then, with my parents, with friends, and now with my own family. On any given year I try to at least take one “good vacation.” In any year if I missed a good vacation I mentally suffer, not being able to push the reset button is hard on me. Vacations may or may not include seeing family. In this case some of my wife’s remaining family lives in southern Florida. Sadly visits to see them have sometimes involved anything from car damage to mysterious illnesses (bug, spider bites). The climate in Florida is just too hot and humid for me, especially from June through September. Without elaborating, I limit my trips to Florida to friendly visits. Nice visits, but no-where the type of endorphin relief visits I call vacation. Always take a vacation. Even if you can’t afford a long vacation, take a short one, or a weekend. If you can’t fly, drive. If you can’t afford a hotel, camp. Most importantly, make it a “vacation.” When I met my wife in 1992 we went to Colorado together and felt reborn. The state has dozens of 14,000 thousand foot mountains that look like they were inspired by God. The state has three-hundred and ten days of sunshine (as opposed to one-hundred eighty-five days in New Jersey). Colorado can be cold, but its lower basin area has a climate of low humidity and excellent weather. Short of Hawaii, I call it my “Phase 3” domicile and my family agrees with me. I’ve lived fifty-three years in New Jersey, they have been very productive, but it’s nearly time for a change. As of this writing we are once again vacationing in Colorado and doing a little future house hunting. We have learned much about the people, their lifestyles, and quality of life in Colorado. We learned Colorado, is the nation’s “fittest, thinnest, and healthiest” state. I can buy a house in Colorado, for 60% of what I would pay in New Jersey, property taxes will be 6080% less, and the space I will live on will be four to ten times larger in of property size. In Colorado, I can be more aligned with my family’s future goals and peace of mind. We as a family love the outdoors, wide open spaces (not too much left in New Jersey), skiing, motorcycling, boating, white-water rafting, fishing, and biking. I have also surmised that my current existence is becoming more toxic and stressful for a long life. What once was a more rewarding job with very little stress has become more complicated. Even the “population density” in New Jersey has grown so much that traffic is present at nearly every

time of the day. While I’m not sure if “Phase 3” is six months or three years away, it is surly coming soon and I intend to be ready for it. My son might even go for the Air Force Academy in Colorado, further making this place a more desirable location to live and flourish.

THE GRAND CANYON OF YELLOWSTONE

So literally a vacation could and has led to, a new way of life. I’m not too sure of all the future details but the pieces are all beginning to fall into place. Preparing slowly, thinking deliberately, pushing the reset button (vacation) has all helped me get closer to “Phase 3” of my life, closer to a point where I will “Be Comandready” to enjoy!! The moral of this chapter is to enjoy your life when you can. Don’t one day say; “Where did the last twenty years go?” Don’t be so “smart” in your thinking and wait until the day you realize: “I used to be able to do this five or ten years ago.” How I allocate my free time with my family was and is different than my dad’s allocation of time. I work to live; I think my dad lived to work. Dad prepared himself financially to someday be able to take care of himself, but somewhere along the way I think he perhaps forgot to enjoy the journey and precious moments of life. The time dedicated to financial preparation has definitely cost him many of life’s once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. I work to live and a job is a conduit to live the life I want now. Days off, holidays, weekends, and vacation time will never be given up to “work more” at the expense of really living. Time off is “Visa Priceless” and the memories made with it last a lifetime. Take the good qualities from smart people but at the same time eliminate the bad or toxic qualities out of your life. Be smart; always take positive advice and knowledge of the right people, if you do you will “Be Commandready.”

CHAPTER 15

DO ACADEMICS OR THE “TRADES” MATTER?

D oes an education, internship, trade, or special skill matter? Yes 100%. Without at least one of these skills in our modern, skill-oriented society your chances of making a decent living are extremely poor. A four year college education used to be the key to a successful career but times have changed and so has the world. In 2014 a college education may or may not be the best choice (depending on the individual) to succeed in society. College costs and their eventual debt, has skyrocketed along with unemployment making a four-year degree is not as “golden” as it once was. Debt which used to be easier to eliminate, has exploded and paying back this educational debt could hamper you for years after college, well into your middle-age years. Clearly a college degree must be well thought out in of its specificity. A college education must give you an edge in the field you are seeking. Certain college majors may only place you in overcrowded, oversaturated markets and among the ranks of the unemployed. Furthermore, certain career paths may require a Master’s Degree at an additional expense. All of this may upset the cost-to-benefit ratio of the field you are seeking. An education that costs you 300k and gives you a job that pays 75k will take you how long to pay back when interest and life’s time is taken into consideration? College loans cannot ever be forgiven, so they effectively can be a small mortgage for ten to twenty years after college graduation. For myself I started out in engineering (one college), went into ing and marketing (another college), but wound up finding my first ion in sales. For a while I wondered if my time spent in ing was a waste and my degree from Rutgers University a mistake. My first job in ing was a complete mismatch to my personality; however my brief firsttime job in selling electronics was a better “fit” to my skill set. After one and a half years in ing I quit the trade and got a lucky break in my first real sales job.

Now even after twenty-eight years I am still in sales, but at about the thirty year mark, I believe I will have done well enough to be on the cusp of attaining Phase 3 of my life. Looking back, all of my experiences taught me something valuable. My ing background taught me to be good at finances, investing, budgeting, and tax liability management. The psychology I learned helped sharpen my sales skills. ing also further enhanced my understanding of debt. Debt has many negative aspects and the elimination of it has been pivotal to my Be Commandready lifestyle. Debt is the great enslaver. Money in 2014 barely earns interest so paying off debt was my top priority in my forties. In the final analysis of my life, was a college education essential to me; yes absolutely. Rutgers, one of the state schools of New Jersey, was a less expensive education then many others including those out of state. Sending your children to out of state schools may cost you 35-50% more money than in state schools, so unless this out of state school has a clear advantage (i.e. very special ranking, Ivy League), it might not be worth mounting two times the debt; Don’t forget that’s also that’s two times the payback period. Time is money, it’s compounded interest, and it’s your life’s energy. Trades: A trade may be the fastest way to earn a decent living. A trade could educate you to be a computer programmer, a computer repairman, a plumber, an electrician, an auto repairman, a professional chef, or even a heavy-crane operator. The list is endless and if you rise to the top of your trade, the pay scale can be quite high. A crane operator like those that work on the new Freedom Tower in New York can earn hundreds of dollars per hour. There are schools for these trades and the skills they teach can be more valuable than college. I’ve even met elevator repairmen that make small yearly fortunes. It becomes a very specific, niche skill. Life is full of opportunities to be skilled or schooled. Any person can make the decision to be unskilled or unschooled. It’s a decision that relegates you to society’s unskilled and lower paying service-sector jobs. These jobs usually don’t pay you too high, they require odd or long hours, and you face the possibility of being replaced at any time. Some people say that they don’t have or can’t get the money for college or trade school. To this I say “nonsense,” to some degree. My niece went to a four year college, for a total cost of only $1,500. How did she pull this feat off? She was creative and she pulled off a “coo” of sorts by being one of the few freshman room advisors and taking side jobs at the same time. Was this tough, yes, can it be done, of course. It was an honor to be at her graduation. Her internships and experiences gained during her time on campus also helped her land a job in teaching. My niece

got one of the first jobs of the tough 2012 economy, a job few obtained right out of college. Truly, my niece was one of the 1-5% per centers, not that of financial wealth, but a wealth of true determination and success. The lessons of creativity, sacrifice, and savviness will no doubt propel her to a fruitful career.(she now has added a Master’s degree to her qualifications, her name is Khrystin, she even kindly edited this entire book) My niece’s “coo” was made even more special because she had to make it happen for herself. I myself also went to a less expensive community college, got my grades up, honed my skills, thus leading me to my final college and sales career. All the skills I learned helped me achieve my goals; goals of being “Commandready.” My wife’s take:

I went a different way through College. I was awarded a free ride from the government because my family income was not very high. I was going to school, working full-time and decided that I didn’t need college. I was working at a supermarket and making pretty good money, but became discouraged with my opportunities and the lack of professionalism that my associates displayed. Even at a young age, I understood the importance of professionalism and doing your best. I left that job and took a lower paying job at a major corporation. One of the perks of this corporation was that they paid for your education. I took full advantage of this and graduated with zero debt. I am very thankful for this corporation’s dedication to education. I that my boss’ superior was at my graduation because he was on the board of trustees; I must say, this didn’t hurt my career.

No one can ever take away your education; if you have direction that requires an education, just do it and be done with it. You will always have it to fall back on.

On the other hand, I have another niece that finished her two year degree, but decided college wasn’t for her. She always wanted to take care of children and does that along with a health and fitness business that she runs. Both of my nieces are successful but took different paths; one size does not fit all.

CHAPTER 16

IT IS NOT THE TIME YOU PUT IN, IT IS WHAT YOU GET DONE!

A re you time efficient? Do you ever seem to be caught up, or are you always behind the 8-ball in of time? Can you get done what you want to within an eight to ten hour workday (financial remuneration and workflow), or do you feel overwhelmed or under compensated? It all comes down to time efficiency, aka; time and motion studies. Do you always want to punch a clock for organizations that just seem to just want a “warm body?” The concept of time and motion analysis was championed by one of my manufacturing heroes, Mr. Henry Ford of the Ford Motor Company. Mr. Ford was widely credited with the invention of the assembly line. Prior to this time, automobiles were produced slowly by hand in different parts of the factory. Mr. Ford created a system in which a whole car was produced in hours, not days. Better time management led to more cars being made of course, better profitability. This process initially gave the Ford Motor Company a competitive edge and it continues to be utilized by many companies today. The most efficient companies today have utilized time and motion studies to make “process” improvements resulting in accelerated sales and profitability. Companies that don’t quickly analyze workflow efficiencies and improve them are falling behind in many ways. These companies are not getting things done in an efficient manner. I’ve worked for a few companies and I have seen many customers. The difference is what gets done within a workday and what lingers on to possible overtime and inefficiencies. Some of the companies I have worked for in the 1980’s seemed more efficient than one I have worked for in 2014. Years ago I had a boss who seemed to work 7am to 7pm every day. He always sent out countless e-mails (with one point per email) and hounded his staff endlessly by having them on beepers like they were surgeons in a hospital. Colleagues saw him arrive early and leave late; attending what seemed to be

endless meetings. In the end his superiors saw a man that did not accomplish too much in this time-frame. This manager was more concerned with other’s whereabouts, what they got done, and over managing them. It seemed comanagers always won more sales awards for enabling and trusting their employees and they were far more time efficient. Despite increasing his hours and keeping better track of his employees, he always seemed to take second place in managerial contests, always the bridesmaid, never the bride. The more structure and efficiency you have, the better your results will be. My journal strategy, as described in prior chapters, can make you be more efficient in the short, mid, and long term. For daily efficiency you must plan your day out. If there is one time waster these days its e-mails and texts. In the 80’s and 90’s email popularity started out slow, and around the year 2000 text messaging became the norm. Today, these forms of communication in my humble opinion, have become extreme and counterproductive. With the advent of the smart phone are we all “smarter.” Everyone is “on” 100% of the time if they want to be. Does being connected all the time make you more productive? The debate could be endless. Being connected all the time can be addictive. If you own your own business it might be an unfortunate necessity. If you don’t have your own business it might mean time wasted or at the very least it could lead you to a more stressful life. A more stressed out person gets less done. I was probably one of the last adults to own a smartphone and when I got my Casio G-1 Commando, it was probably one of the only water-resistant, shockproof, drop-proof and hot spot Wi-Fi enabled phone in the 2012 marketplace. In a word, this phone helped me “Be-Commandready.” But as I finish this book I’m on my family vacation and for sanity’s sake it’s been off for nearly ten days!! In my opinion my Casio phone fits me to a tee. Drop almost any other phone on the ground or in water and you have a very expensive paperweight! This phone does everything from apps to having a built-in thermometer. Although I value my smartphone, I have struck a sensible balance between it and myself. My vacations, days off, holidays, Sundays, and special time off require that the phone to be turned off. Have I suffered because of this accommodation; NO! On these special days I usually get any needed through my son’s or wife’s phone. Keeping your smartphone on during vacation is like giving up your vacation. Like most, I work at least five days of the week and forty-nine of the fifty-two weeks of the year. Working all the time will cut your body’s ability to recharge. If you really don’t or can’t take days off, take a day, a morning or a special weekend off. Use this special time off to recharge, it will make you Be Commandready.

MAIL?

You must determine what aspects in your life are non-productive time-wasters. Aside from e-mail, I have little time to ‘text’. To me, a modern day typewriter is better served by an old fashioned phone conversation. I guess to me, texting would be useful if I needed to send messages to be discreet or quiet. Web surfing, while sometimes useful and educational can be another time waster. Again, excess anything can be an addiction. Television for example; out of hundreds of channels and endless programming, I watch very little. I find most television unproductive and the programs I want to watch can be “Ti-Vo’ed.” Thus, I am in control of the television not vice-versa. I personally like to enjoy the real world more than the TV world. Most, not all, of the things aired on TV personify the worst in the world, or the disaster or murder of the day. Daytime “talk” shows or soaps are like endless and useless chatter to me. I have better things to do with my life’s time. Points-of-view are really just points-of-view, and “experts” sometimes, are not really experts. Unless a broadcast is about a 9/11 type of situation, how important is it? How much TV is “ok” and where do we cross the line leading to “excessive.” Watching three hours of television a day, seven days a week, amounts to 1,092 hours or forty-five and a half days. Now this really puts TV “time” in a new perspective. Today, once ing into tomorrow can never be recovered. Do you want more of your life back? Switch off the TV and TiVo the shows you really want to watch after the “day” is over or the weather is bad. Once more of your life’s time is “found,” you can concentrate on more of your goals, ions, or beliefs. In the 1990’s I was convinced the Gulf War would become a world war. I wondered when the war would start, the launch of the war, the war itself, its after-math, and possible terrorism. All of this made me feel apathetic and depressed. Video games also have the same effect on me, by the definition, a game is not life. As part of moving slowly into “Phase 3” of my life I have resided myself to more leisure time, more “me time.” When you have more of “your time” you will have more time to get more done. If you remove more and more “time clutter” from your life you will accomplish more and you will have more time to “Be Commandready!” My Wife’s Take:

I believe that something that takes 5 minutes should take 5 minutes. My husband & I disagree on how long an answer should be, for examples if I could answer a question in two sentences, why go on for 4. My husband would write a paragraph where I could write a few words. As long as you put into the right information, why waste time when you could go on to another task? Think about what needs to be said & say it efficiently, saving time & energy.

CHAPTER 17

SHOOT FOR THE STARS, SOMETIMES SETTLE FOR THE SKY

H igh goals are a near norm for high achievers, but are they always attainable? As my dad always said, “Let’s be realistic.” Every person lives a different lifestyle and usually has a maximum potential in any given space of time. If you make $50,000 it may not be realistic to save 50% or $25,000. However, if you’re careful and frugal 20% or $10,000 may be realistic. I have always tried to save 20%. Goals should be measurable and attainable to be considered valid goals. In my sales career I always had a numerical quota. Attaining my quota meant I achieved 100% of my “company” goals. For the vast majority of my sales career I achieved my sales goals, providing they were realistically outlined by upper management and that they and I had a lucid plan to execute it. These quota plans would consist of many “sub-goals” with interim steps to achieve the master goal. Whenever my employer’s goals were set too high or unrealistic (in my opinion, or by market data) it was like shooting for the stars when the sky was just barely possible. During one particular fiscal year my quota was set at $17 million, many interim steps and a bit of “product luck” helped me achieve $22 million. My bonus was terrific, but the next year management either had too lofty goals, they felt I could bear a greater share of the company’s goals, or thought I was just compensated too highly. That year management set my quota 51% higher in a product category that was declining 25% per year due to the product’s lifespan waning. No-matter how hard I tried, my goals were unattainable. In fact it demotivated me, but since I motivate myself in many other ways (besides being completely immersed in the “workplace”) I found new personal goals to work toward. If your work goals are unrealistic perhaps outside goals can be “better enhanced.” I guess you could call this plan “B” or plan “C.” When 2012 ed into 2013 my “yearly recap” of 2012 showed me I achieved many other goals, besides my work goals.

Hopefully in 2014 my outlined work goals will reflect accurate market conditions. 2013 started out with the stock market on fire, only to pull back by summertime and move a little ahead in the fall, gaining into 2014. Money was ready to be made and investing in the stock market so far, was a winning choice. In 20132014 I am slowly finishing this book and working on developing and marketing the trademark “Be Commandready.” All of this is a realistic goal. For 2014 I have other realistic goals in play such as savings, retirement goals, vacation goals, relationship goals, even health and body weight goals. The vast majority of my 2014 goals are on track as they were attainable and realistic; hence they are actually being achieved. Seemingly silly goals like skiing ten days during ski-season, show that I took time to keep myself healthy and take time out for myself. The satisfaction associated with achieving a realistic goal is eminently more fulfilling than narrowly missing a too lofty goal. To Be Commandready you must prepare yourself with a Plan “A” and follow up with plan “B” and plan “C” as backups. Being Commandready helps you shoot for the skies, but it also helps you plan for life’s contingencies, emergencies, or situations. The more you prepare the better your thought process will be in achieving the sky, possibly even leapfrogging up to the stars. Psychologically trying to achieve the stars could have a negative impact on one’s esteem, as repeat failure can be demotivating. Perhaps the best solution is to “aspire” to the stars, but settle for the sky as a decent goal; in that way your journey will make you Be Commandready.. My Wife’s take:

Settling is not a word I generally like. Striving & achieving are the words I like best. Although everyone is not able to be a “Brain surgeon”, everyone should try to achieve their highest possible goal they can attain; I don’t like excuses or explanations, only action. People who cop out are not the people I try to emulate. Try not to settle for something you know is not your best

CHAPTER 18

SOMEBODY ELSE MUST PAY; FREE IS MY FAVORITE WORD

S ome say there is no such thing as a free lunch, but, just maybe there is. “Perks” are another way of getting someone else to pay. Perks could be health insurance, a commuting allowance, an expense , a company car, paid time-off, sick time or for that matter “flex time.” Working for a large company you might be able to obtain concert tickets, sports tickets, interesting trade show opportunities, sponsorship tie-in’s etc. When someone else pays it’s literally “free.” A company expense might include reimbursement for legitimate company expenses such as an office phone, office supplies, samples, some office equipment, internet access, trade newspapers, company parking, and the list could be endless. Other paid expenses could be entertaining, business lunches, even goodwill perks. A company expense range from $1,000, $5,000, even $10,000 or more. A decent company car is worth $7,500 per year when you figure in all the extras associated with car ownership. A matching 401k is also a perk. In 2014, my “fixed and guaranteed” company core fund provides 3.25% interest, 3.15% higher than most banks are now paying on regular bank s. If your company matches 3-6% more than your contribution it’s like getting a “free raise.” The three company plans and bond funds I have participated in have helped me save a substantial amount over my twenty-eight year career. When you plan to take this sum and divide it over let’s say thirty years, it helps you achieve your “Phase 3” goals. Having a company car for example has saved me $187,500 in twentyfive years (at an estimated $7,500 per year). This s for over twelve cars I have not had to buy (pay for). I drove, enjoyed, and depreciated these new or nearly new cars and literally someone else paid (besides the legal tax assessment of course). Health benefits have ranged from about $6,000 per year in the 1980’s to now over $23,000. WOW! Using my example estimate

this expense s to over $250,000, with again the legal taxes and deductions paid. These two “perks” combined amount to over $437k. These add up to more than most of Americans save in their lifetimes. If you include dental and vision coverage and you’re looking at least another $50k. Time in certain jobs is another issue. If you have a job in which you can eliminate a half-hour commute, that’s one hour a day, five hours a week or twohundred fifty hours per year. Look at this as over 10 “free” days you have earned back. Time is money and by being smart is having “someone else pay.” A bonafied home office as discussed earlier is another way to reduce your expenses. If you legitimately reduce your expenses you have found a way to increase your net income. The office taxes, mortgage, insurance, utilities, furniture, computer, copier, scanner, sample products, and upkeep all raise your deductions against income. You have now found more take home pay; or at least money available you never had. Business “connections” and day-to-day relations are another way (if allowed) of having someone else pay. If you give good service or patronage in your everyday life, you might be able to trade some of this goodwill for other types of goods or services. Take my son’s junior dragster (he ran and competed in a junior drag racing team from eleven to fifteen years old). Over our lives we have interacted with everyone from automotive groups to the police D.A.R.E. association and because of these connections we were able to acquire a sponsor from a local pizza restaurant, taken specialty race car classes, and have built many profitable personal and business relationships. When my son and I budgeted about $15k for a used race car, parts, and pieces to a race car trailer, he made up PowerPoint presentations asking for small sponsorship donations. Local businesses, trade and other associations paid for about 75% of my son’s complete race car operation. Literally 75% of this project was free, someone else paid.

FAMILY FUN JR DRAG RACING

If not free, “discount” is my next favorite word. If someone gives you a 30% discount, literally 30% is free. Therefore a hobby which might prove to be unaffordable now becomes affordable. If you perform well for some of your sponsors, a relationship could grow and further offset your costs even more. Again someone else may pay, but not you. There is money out there, you just have to look for it. Perhaps writing an old fashioned letter or meeting up for a face to face talk could procure some of this free money; forget the endless emails which are almost meaningless. Resourceful people will always try to make others pay or defray their costs. In 2014 I saw my son sell his entire racecar operation for more than a fair price. Additionally, bartered his race skills for construction help with his Eagle Scout project. As mentioned in prior chapters time shares, freebies, credit card points, airline travel, barter, coupons, and exchanges, are all excellent ways of reducing costs. Other ways of reducing cost would be to a buying group or club, or lead a group trip in which you negotiate to have your trip covered in exchange for planning the travel arrangements and activities. As an example, let’s say I like skiing (which I do) and I was able to charter a bus load of skiers to go to a particular resort. This would bring valuable revenue to the resort and they would exchange my cleverness for a “comped” day for me. This same idea can be applied to resorts, cruises, gym hips, TV service, and even automotive work. The list could be endless if you get creative. By combining all the tactics and ideas in this chapter, over my life span, I have either saved, reduced, or had others pay/gift about $750k all tallied up. This $750k, net would be over $1 million in taxable income I would have to earn. Aside from enhancing my lifestyle (spending some to enjoy all these activities, goods, or services) I have saved a great deal of this money as investments/savings to get me closer to “Phase 3” of my life. The quality of my life to date, has been greatly enhanced. In a word, defraying or reducing costs while deriving benefit makes you Be Commandready. You will be more prepared, more relaxed, travel better, and enjoy more the “perks” of life. This leads to a later life filled with more contentment, more financial security, and brings you closer to achieving your dreams and breaking free from the chains of life called debt. The freedom you will now have will make you Be Commandready!!!

CHAPTER 19

TAKE CHANCES ON UNCERTAINTY; ROME WAS NOT BUILT IN A DAY; YOUR CAREER WON’T BE EITHER!

C hance and uncertainty. What are they? The definition of uncertainty is; the inability to predict the future, based on the lack of certainty. How much chance we take in our life determines where we will go, what we will be, and better yet, what we might become or be fully capable of. One might call it risk management. Are you the type that is risk adverse or a risk taker? How would you rate yourself from one to ten in of being risk averse to maybe being wild or on the reckless side? There is no correct answer here but a slightly riskier lifestyle can bring more rewards or at least certain “endorphin rushes.” I have always been comfortable with rating myself an average seven out of ten. The road I have sought is the less traveled or I have paved myself. The sports I chose as a child were sort of non-sports as my parents and I were not that much into sports. I spent a great deal of time travelling and experienced a great deal of outdoor adventures. I raced cars, took up competitive power-lifting, been scuba diving, rode ATVs, and did a lot of wilderness travel. I lifted 605 pounds on my back, it was a rush! I traveled to thirty-one states and a handful of countries. I hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, scaled the Tetons, taken a career in sales and made some excellent salaries in some years. I have flown a blimp, been in a hot air balloon, kayaked the Colorado River, taken and ed a competitive drag racing school, skied black diamond trails with ease, and I am embarking on the road for a pilot’s license by mid-year 2015. I try to live in the real world and watching “reality TV” or seeing someone else “do something” does not interest me as much as doing it myself. Television games, game shows, or computer games are just cyber-reality. I tell my son; “Do you want to “pretend” or really do it yourself?” Life is real, so really live it. I’m

a Leo (August birthday) and I have a small circle of core friends. When we have extra time we all engage in the real world. I love the outdoors and the uncertainty of what each day’s new adventure will bring. I’ve recently taken up motorcycle riding (in addition to ATV riding), and although two wheels have an inherent danger, I love the excitement it brings to my life’s aura. My mantra will always lead me out of my comfort zone. I won’t know what my true achievement level is unless I “push the envelope.” The next time someone asks you to do something out of your comfort zone, at least “consider” it. I won’t bungee jump off a bridge or sit in a coffin of snakes and spiders, but I would consider most everything else. I just recently rappelled ninety feet in the air off a steep cliff. Once I did it my fears ed, it was an endorphin rush! Taming uncertainty and taking risk could also extend to profits on investments. In 2009, Ford stock was down to $1.29. It certainly was taking a risk to invest in Ford and assume that the company would not declare bankruptcy like GM and Chrysler. The chance to buy stock at such great deal and potentially incur a great profit was exhilarating. I wound up buying a great deal of stock and the payoff was a massive return, enough to buy me a ford F350 for free and then some. My wife’s take:

When taking chances, you sometimes need to take one step backwards to move ten steps forward. Let me explain, I used to work at a supermarket as I stated earlier. My friend worked at Minolta Corporation; I told her to keep her eyes out for a job for me. She let me know of a position; I interviewed, and got the job. I was actually making more money at the supermarket but it is not always about the money. This corporation promoted me quickly and paid for my schooling. So taking a calculated risk can benefit you ten-fold. Not to mention that I met my husband there too!! If you are genuine, you will be rewarded and on your way to “Be Commandready.”

CHAPTER 20

DON’T ALWAYS LISTEN TO THE “SO-CALLED” EXPERTS

W hat makes a so called “expert” an expert? One would hope years of experience within their respective fields. How many years defines “adequate experience;” five, ten, twenty years? What success rate or qualifications make someone a bonafied expert? Is there a degree for everything, an accreditation, certificate, or just on-the-job or career experience? A MD, RN, A, and the Bar Exam, all seem like highs level measures of expertise by most standards but, some seemingly “secondary qualifications” have some merit also. Qualifications like Paralegal, RN, LPN or a certified financial planner have merit also. When it comes to investing your money, is hiring a certified financial planner enough of a qualification for you to “trust” this person with your life’s savings? Let’s delve into this most curious title. One would think that this certification justifies one’s ability to analyze markets, stocks, equities, financial trends and most financial transactions. What information are these individuals utilizing and interpreting to make prudent financial decisions? Are these individuals utilizing historical trends, graphs, moving averages, earnings reports, certified financial statements, audits, and field work or just a portion of the above? After correctly analyzing this information for years is this person now an expert? What defines an expert’s success 50%, 60%, 80% accuracy; or something other? Does a good track record justify experience and qualification? Who employs certified financial planners and who’s ultimate end interest do they serve? All good questions one would have to answer before investing a dime! Have I ever utilized a certified financial planner or investment advisor, I have. In most cases (but not all ) the results were not worthy of the word “expert.” Here is another example, after the stock market blow off in the year 2000 (Y2K, computer crash day) I invested about $40,000 with a large investment firm claiming that their “experts”

saw no further-down turn in the marketplace than the massive amount already seen. The NASDAQ blew off at least 35% and I asked as I was about to invest if the correction was complete? I was given so-called expert assurances it was. Before I pulled the investment plug, my $40k investment dwindled to $27k! The money I needed for a real estate transaction was partially gone and my final lesson was to always relay on my self-taught “gut” instincts, not always the advice of the so-called “experts.” From this incident on I never fully relied on anyone to invest my money. Besides, I could always justify blaming myself. Since that time, I have really adjusted my investment strategy to a bit more of a conservative, balanced approach. I won’t follow what the so-called experts dictate. For a person of my age it’s suggested that my financial portfolio be broken into 60% stocks and index funds, 30% bonds (if applicable) and only 10% cash. I did not take this approach in 2005-2007 during the housing crisis, and in 2009 when the financial and automotive sector almost collapsed. I felt things were too good to be true when $300k houses were selling for $500k. If the stock market went up 20% in one year, indeed something was amiss. If you can make some of these kinds of returns, it may be time to at least bail out some positions and take your winnings off the table. It’s all sort of similar to Chapter 3: If the fish stinks, don’t eat it. Meaning if something is too far out of the norm, it usually is. There are other times when you should listen to the experts, perhaps for example, when needing a second opinion. God forbid one doctor says you have signs of cancer, immediately get another opinion. I once was diagnosed with an entire rotator cuff tear. The doctor said the surgery would be painful, take a year to recover from, and my powerlifting career was in peril or over! I did not believe my injury was so severe, so I sought another specialist and he suspected the same thing I did, is was a smaller injury. The doctor injected my shoulder with a cortisone shot and a pain killer and he said “Raise your arm now.” I did, and my arm went fully up, confirming his diagnosis of ONLY a bone spur. He recommended microsurgery and a grinding of my spur and assured me that I would be myself in only three months. The doctor did this procedure and I was cured, bench pressing 300+ pounds after the three month recovery time. His expert opinion was the correct “call.” The government is an expert, no? Do you personally believe that the government is an expert on all affairs pertaining to yourself? Do you believe your elected officials have 100% of “your interests” at heart? Do you believe the government

would really protect the population from impending doom or tragic circumstances if they could not adequately accomplish this huge task? Did U.S. soldiers believe they would be safe in the 1950’s and 1960’s from atomic testing? Did soldiers in the Vietnam War, believe that agent-orange was a harmless defoliant? Did soldiers in the Gulf War believe the government when they gave them inoculations and exposed them to depleted uranium round gunfire? More recently did the first responders from 9/11 believe the air and ground was safe near and at the former site of the World Trade Towers? The EPA chairwoman at the time told them it was seemingly, ok. I personally went to the 9/11 site ten days after the attacks. Fires were still smoldering, ash was still falling from the sky and the air was still hindered with black smoke. I knew the air and soil was severely contaminated, I had a gas mask and believe me when I saw the National Guard and army with gas masks I knew then that unprotected responders and people in the area were given a death sentence, if not in days, in the years. I did NOT listen to the so called experts; I got out of NYC very quickly only to return about a month later. The “experts” seemed to say things were better than some feared, but the truly informed, knew better. In reality the government only itted years later (if not a decade) that working at or near the 9/11 site was almost fatal if the exposure was long enough. Why only now is “cancer” even being considered as a health aftermath of 9/11. On March 11th, 2011 Japan witnessed a tsunami, an earthquake, and a massive nuclear meltdown. Except for a small exclusion zone, the people of Japan were told to go about their daily lives and not to worry. “Pretend if you were not near Fukashima that all was well and that your lives would not be impacted in any meaningful way.” The TRUTH is in stark opposition to government and Power Company statements. Today, the nuclear power plant is leaking as much if not more radiation than when the disaster started. Nuclear contaminated fuel rods have never been fully removed, the power plants have never been stabilized, and the Pacific Ocean from Japan to Alaska, and as far south as Seattle have all been contaminated in some way. If contamination continues, the truth is, it could make ocean life in the entire Pacific Ocean fully contaminated, or unfit as a food source for decades. One more solid earthquake could set off a chain of events which will make the Chernobyl disaster look like a small oil spill. A nuclear fire of sorts could start and make Japan as a country, evacuate. The media has been nearly silent on this issue, as if “all was well.”(A press gag order was instituted in Japan, by its government literally making it a crime to report, truthfully what is happening without government censorship) Informed individuals know differently and are prepared.

The bottom line is to be educated, know the real facts, don’t go through life pretending things don’t affect you. Make informed decisions, and by all means prepare, at least somewhat, for the unexpected. When you’re informed and prepared you’re not scared, in that manner will you “Be Commandready.”

CHAPTER 21

NO DECISION CAN BE THE WORST DECISION MADE

A re you a “fence sitter?” Are you indecisive, or do you leave decisions until they are “forced” upon you? You could be making a serious mistake. In life we are all faced with many decisions and I believe it’s in your best interest to make them sooner rather than later. It’s not prudent to be impulsive or rash just to justify a decision either. Perhaps a middle ground with a “gut feeling” is best. It’s my belief that today ing into tomorrow can never be “recovered.” It’s a fact that I make each day count, I won’t put off tomorrow what can be done today. One perfect example of a person like this was my mom. In the last year or so of her life, her body “changed;” she first saw subtle signs of illness and then more definite signs. These were clear signs that something was amiss in her body and that she needed urgent medical care and evaluation. These small signs lead to internal bleeding; she attributed this red “discharge” to a red dye-laced candy she consumed a great deal of. Maybe she was lazy; maybe she was trying to protect her family from needless worry. My mom pandered in more valuable time away with family before she sought medical biopsies, and she made no firm decisions for months. My dad was busy working and my mom probably told him it was “no big deal.” My mom made the worst decision by waiting, as when properly examined she was diagnosed with stage-four cancer. It was a non-decision that ultimately cost her life, killed her at a relatively young age of seventy-four, and it affected mine and my dad’s future forever. It certainly was a lesson learned the hard way. Her outcome changed forever my outlook on life. It was a true “game changer” for me and it taught me to make decisions in a non-rushed, but in a timely, informed manner. Never again will I stray from at least “making a decision.” If you “know” a Category Two hurricane is headed directly for you, do you “ride

it out” or make a decision to save your life? You don’t need an expert to tell you that a hurricane is a potentially deadly event, to take cover and clear out to safer ground. You should make the “right decision,” but how many out there place themselves needlessly in harm’s way? These same people then expect the government to bail them out (i.e., Katrina). The residents were told to evacuate and deciding not to, put others in harm’s way. If the stock market is down 5, 10, or 15% and you have made a profit, do you pull your money out to a cash position “only to strike hard on another day,” or do you “ let her ride” risking all the gains you have accumulated up to that point in time? Today’s hectic lifestyle can grind on us so bad that we say “I’m tired, let it wait till tomorrow.” When apathy sets in, you have in effect, let your guard down. When you let your guard down, that’s when you make mistakes and those mistakes can be very costly. This applies to everything in life, not just financial decisions but to all life’s decisions. When you make no decision your life is in limbo; a state of in-decision. I think people who make “decisive decisions” are the most prepared. They are most likely to prosper, overcome, and succeed. When it comes to being Commandready it’s the prepared, who took proper preparations that will come out ahead. Recently in the fall of 2012 we had a weather forecast, which had the potential to be a “perfect storm.” A perfect storm in the worst way. This near hurricane with a giant storm surge was not headed for the Gulf States or Florida, but instead was aimed directly at New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut. This storm was predicted to be just under hurricane strength and it even had a seemingly nice name; “Sandy.” The storm was supposed to only have a modest rain potential, but again high winds, high tide, and a potential strong water surge. The warnings came with plenty of advance notice and I told everyone who would listen to “Be Commmandready.” Food was plentiful and the stores had everything from generators, to sump pumps and chainsaws at the ready. I told everyone to gas up and get extra gas. I reasoned that if the power went out, the gas station’s ability to pump gas would be limited at best. The storm hit the NY/NJ shore, Staten Island and low lying communities were nearly totally wiped out. Fires raged, gas lines leaked and ruptured, whole houses were washed out to sea. The unthinkable happened and power went out in about 80% of all areas near “Sandy’s strike path.” Gas was rationed for the first time I can since 1975. Odd and even days were back as near panic ensued as tempers flared and the patience of most wore thin. Power was

out in some of the region not for hours, but days to weeks and in some cases a month. The East River flooded lower New York and the path and lower subway lines were out of service, for up, to ninety days!! Food spoiled as most had no way to keep it cold, resources became scarce; my police scanner had calls of people near rioting for five dollars of gas. Trees were down everywhere, local governments were overwhelmed, the National Guard was called out and recommended curfews (one step from martial law) were enforced. Gas stations that had gas had many hour long lines until they ran out of fuel. People hoarded everything until it was gone. The night of the storm was outrageous; I watched fires (mostly line transformers) burn through the night sky. It was an unreal experience. As these transformers burned, one neighborhood after another plunged into darkness. People went back to candles, lanterns and most houses cooled off to about 40oF. Thank God it was not winter yet. Now every generator, propane tank, gas can, sump pump, chain saw and cooler was GONE. Families stayed in any warm place that had power (I did and I offered help) and hotels that had power were booked all the way to Albany, New York; 125 miles away. Power line companies came into the metro area from all parts of the country, many slept in their trucks. Misery was everywhere and the damage was in the billions. Thousands of families were homeless and without “options.” Simply put, they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. If you lived anywhere near sea level you were definitely in the wrong place. If you were able to be above sea level and you had a limited amount of old growth trees you probably faired “better.” If you read this book and truly understood the concept of “Be Commandready” you stood a better chance of riding out this storm with “minimal discomfort and damage.” Before this storm, your lifestyle depended on what decisions in your life you did or did not make. A great deal depended on what resources you stocked and what you were prepared for. How did I prepare? Here’s what decisions I made a long time ago for my family: 1) I have a basement shelter stocked with nearly all essentials that could last for months 2) I have two generators and a properly installed transfer switch 3) I have a 60 gallon gas “reserve” and an extra 30 gallons of diesel fuel, along

with backup solar. 4) The generators have extra parts and oil 5) I have a backup battery sump pump 6) I have at least 200 extra gallons of water on hand and a reverse/reserve water feed system in my house (filtered of course) 7) I have chainsaws, extra chains, winches, and a four-wheel-drive truck at the ready 8) I lent my extra generator out, and helped my church and others in need. 9) I had extra cash (ATMs went out) and other means of “barter” 10) I have reserve housing 88 miles inland if need be, in a “secret undisclosed location”. 11) I have all the legal means to protect myself, if necessary, included are perimeter alarms, and non-lethal means to ward off people “desperate and up to no good.” 12) I had God on my side this time. I believe God helps those who help themselves and lend a helping hand to others in need. 13) I had some luck also (good luck never hurts) 14) I was and I am schooled in being Commandready. Finally, long ago back to my days as an Eagle Scout, I made the decision to slowly but surely “Be Commandready.” It’s taken years of slow commitment and devoting a small portion of my net pay to “prepare.” I have reduced my risk to every possible type of peril or danger, and you can too. Do something every day, week, month, and year, for the rest of your life. This all won’t happen overnight, but slowly but surely you will “Be Commandready.” God bless!! My Wife’s Take:

I think that no decision is sometimes a good decision. If you really don’t know which way to go (an uninformed decision) research more, think about the consequences of what your actions will result in. I guess in the end you will have to make a decision, but research, research, ponder, and then decide.

CHAPTER 22.

“WHEN YOU HAVE ASSETS YOU HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES”

H ere we come to my favorite part of the book. This is one of my dad’s favorite sayings and boy is it ever true. The more you own the more responsibilities you have. When you start out in life you have no responsibilities, everyone does everything for you. Mom and dad fed you, took care of you, and tended to your every need. Soon you became a toddler and then a little boy or girl, perhaps you put your toys away and are assigned a few simple chores. As you grew older maybe you got a DVD player, an Ipod, and then your first computer. Perhaps you got your first bike and had to learn to do some simple repairs. To some degree these are your first assets, and hopefully you found a way to take care of them and perhaps make sure they were not stolen; you had that responsibility. As you pressed on into your teenage years your chores, schoolwork, and perhaps financial assets increased (birthday money, holidays, religious events, small jobs, recycling). Maybe next was a moped and you really began to gather some assets to take care of and maintain and possibly have your parents insure. Perhaps you learned about some simple tools and engine repair. If you did not maintain everything from your computer to you moped and things were broken, was the “replacement money” always available to buy new assets? Based on my “ripe old age,” I believe I got my first drivers permit in 1977 and my license in 1978. My first car was a hand-me-down Chevy Biscayne from 1965. It had a basic six cylinder engine and I was able to maintain it by reading a book. My dad knew something about cars so when the engine needed repair we tore down my first engine. Although the car was my first set of wheels, it was not overly exciting. I had my eyes on a 1969 Camaro today, a prized muscle car. I found a nice Camaro with a good body but it needed a new engine and transmission work. My prior experience rebuilding lawn mowers and a six

cylinder engine had me ready to rebuild a 327 V8 engine (with a little help from a speed shop). This was a major responsibility to build a reliable car to get me to school and to work. Through books I learned to take out an engine, rebuild it, and reinstall it. I also “hung around” at a local auto shop to learn more about automotive repair. The car got the new engine, a transmission, a paint job, and new wheels. The engine had about three-hundred horse power and I was ready to take off. I really enjoyed the freedom this car gave me, along the responsibility to fix it and keep my driving record safe. Onward to college; classes, testing, achievement, and managing a small bank and a few part time jobs. Through savings I bought audio equipment, hunting equipment, hiking, and ski gear. Again, a few more responsibilities and assets. I learned at a young age that if you take care of your assets they will reward you with a long useful life. If you save a bit you can afford some of the better things in life. Post-college saw a decent job offer and the possibility of a condo purchase near the town I grew up. By then I had saved up $40k and I bought a two bedroom condo with a basement for only $5k extra. The purchase was seemingly a large amount of money as in Bergen county New Jersey housing was expensive. This condo cost me $143k and interest rates at the time were about 7%. My deposit went down and contracts (firm responsibilities and commitments) ensured that the condo was built within a year. I partially owned my first major asset. I then had to insure it, furnish it, get some rugs, furniture, curtains, buy some major appliances (washer, dryer, refrigerator, microwave, etc.). The condo resided within a new development (always a good idea to get in on the ground floor). Moving in responsibilities also included some painting, electrical set ups, installing phone and internet lines, and setting up all the utilities for monthly payment (more responsibilities). Paying bills and taxes and utilities and associations fees were all responsibilities. Prompt payment ensured a good credit score for future purchases. A local bank was selected; a checking , a line of credit and a new credit card were also obtained. A plan of 180 payments was selected initially to pay the debt off and own the asset 100% in fifteen years. Over the years I got a higher paying job, a new company car (byebye Camaro) and more perks as well as responsibilities. As my base pay and commissions went up I was able to plan to pay off my debt 50% faster than my mortgage required. From 1986 to 1997 I lived in this condo and enjoyed the “free lifestyle” that did not come with full home ownership. Towards the end of my condo days I met my wife at work and we were married within about two years. Since the $143k asset was paid off and I had saved even more, my wife and I contemplated buying a new home. I placed a deposit on a home right

before the housing price boom hit in the late 1990’s. Again it was in a new community (forty-one similar homes built by the same corporation) with a nice layout of homes. Near uniform construction, close to shopping and train service, good curb appeal all ensured a potential excellent resale someday. This next asset was larger, more complicated. It had a lawn and required all the items needed for “responsibility and maintenance.” Higher bills, taxes, and a larger mortgage were all part of the next phase in my life. Luckily, I was earning even more money, being a top salesperson for one of the best companies I had ever worked for. After 9/11 hit, safety was in my mind as I always wanted a place a bit further from the New York/New Jersey area. First I had to further pay down my mortgage, but around this point in time my mother died. She left me some money and I considered buying a small second home in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania. The price was right and soon I built this small secondarily home in a quiet community in rural Pennsylvania. In addition, I always had other assets and my survival supply stocks were always growing. My responsibilities as well as my assets were constantly growing and I was always careful to think before I bought, and never got into debt I could not pay off. My next major responsibility, what I and jokingly call an asset, was my son who was born in 1998. Children are major responsibilities and they are your main concern for at least eighteen years. Some days I look back and see how simple my condo days were, with low payments, adequate income, low property taxes and no child rearing. My responsibilities and assets today are much larger, but sometimes when I camp with my scouts (and son) in the woods I how carefree my earlier days were at scout camp in 1973. My son is now sixteen and it seems the years have gone so fast from him being a baby, a toddler, a young boy, to a new teenager, to almost driving a car. I wish him the best as I am now preparing him for his soon-to-be adulthood responsibilities with college and beyond. Your finances and bank s are assets and some people have multiples of each. I spread my monies over a few banks, stock purchases, bonds, and three investment firms. I also manage a brokerage . These are also not the type of responsibilities you leave on cruise control. Actively manage your financial assets and eventually let money work for you. Always check your credit cards for fraud and pay them off promptly to fend off excessive interest changes. Try to always get the free credit cards that give you points (free is my favorite word!). Even having a weapon is a major responsibility. Never buy a gun for anyone and never lend your firearm to anyone (unless it’s life or death). Always

keep, it locked-up and well maintained. Having a gun (and the legal permits to own one) is a great privilege, a great responsibility, and it can save your life or assets from peril. Owning a gun is also in my opinion a great legal and moral responsibility, don’t take it lightly. In the end the more assets you have the more responsibility you assume. If you don’t take care, your assets will lapse into disrepair, their value will diminish, and all your hard work will go to a premature waste. On the other hand, if you keep your assets in good condition and get the maximum life out of them, your net worth will definitely go up. As your net worth increases so will your standard of living (assuming that you are NOT spending more than you take in). If you have kept up with your responsibilities you will flourish. Anyone I have known who has truly taken care of their assets has been successful; anyone who can successfully manage their assets has truly been able to Be Commandready. My Wife’s take:

As we write this book, I have been “purging” & cleaning out closets, getting rid of clutter, etc. I just got rid of 4 bags of clothing I never wear. I need to get rid of “things” I find at my age, I want less & I really relish “time” doing what I like to do. Motorcycle riding is a real hobby that I enjoy with my husband. I feel that when we eventually downsize there will be more time for things we love to do: not taking care of so many assets.

CHAPTER 23

PHASE 3; EXITING THE RAT-RACE AND BEING COMMANDREADY FOR IT!!

Y our journey to “Be Commandready” in theory is almost complete. The process it took to Be Commandready required years of hard work, sacrifice, planning and most importantly “delayed gratification.” You have been changed and you are different than most, it was very hard task and that’s why being “Commandready” is a truly a well-deserved accomplishment. Hopefully this process has not “dragged you over the finish line,” you wanted to do this for yourself and your family. To get to this point was and is an extraordinary feat, some people are up to the task; many are not and will fall short well before their goals are met. You could have an easier life and not get to Phase 3 or you can take a ion to a road less traveled and more difficult, and aspire to accomplish Phase 3. The goal to get to Phase 3 is like climbing Mount Everest, it’s an easy analogy. This all has been a steep uphill trek to the summit, it resembles your focused efforts to achieve something meaningful and reaching the summit (Phase 3) has represented the culmination of all your hard work, and one day you will sit down and finally take this all in. To get to this point let’s recap all the steps you have taken to arrive at this destination. 1) You have prepared yourself for any eventuality; you’re not scared or hesitant in taking the steps necessary to achieve this goal. Your preparation has been to assemble all the resources you “need” for Phase 3. From an early age you saved money, slowly you eliminated all debts and procured the resources you needed to “Be Commandready.” 2) You have always checked the back door. You have always gone down a road less traveled. You have checked every entrance in life and you have scoped out each and every escape exit. You don’t sit in any line unless you’re relatively sure it’s the shortest one. You don’t accept the status quo, you make your own plan

and you have a backup plan for almost every situation in life. 3) If the “fish stinks” don’t eat it. If the situation or deal is too good to be true it usually is. By the time you get to Phase 3 you have the experience to make sound judgments, you are more self-aware. Along the way you have made some mistakes, you have learned from them and you will most likely make fewer future mistakes. Your knowledge base has increased, you know the “cons” in life, you won’t fall for society’s “switch and bait tactics” and the great marketing machine’s determination to rob you of future goals. 4) You have raised your standards and you have upped your expectations. Each year of your life you have had a plan. You have utilized your “life’s journal” to outline every year of your modest goals. During the year you have made steps toward these goals, you have recapped each year and set higher realistic goals for the next year. 5) Your net worth (personal and financial) has gone up, your debts have slowly shrank or even vanished, your needs have become less because the great enslaver “debt” has been tamed. If you have lent anything out (money) you have given your advice along with it and possibly attained a fair rate of return. You have had a meaningful input on any “venture” along the way. You have not left your life and assets on cruise control; you have a firm hand on the wheel all time. You have utilized simple financial tools like a budget, and company or self-savings plans. You utilize programs like “Quicken” to help you track and achieve your goals as I have with this great simple program since 1986. 6) You have worked hard for your assets and wealth and once you get to a point these assets will begin to work for you. When you finally eliminate debt you can save more, making your assets begin to work for you. You have acquired dividend stocks or funds that pay out quarterly. You may have rental income or real estate investments, you might even have recurring income from service work or service plans. As an example, two of my friends owned an alarm and fire extinguisher company. In both instances one required a monthly service contract and one offered a yearly contract (required) to meet city, state, and government safety requirements. These businesses grew and grew and the amount of monthly income they produced for their owners, only increased. It was not free money but it worked for them and it was recurring income. In effect you work less for money and instead let it work for you.

7) You have always been busy, you’re not a couch potato, and to others around you, your life is full of motion. Your work-load is in control but to others it may appear to be hectic or in disarray. Give the impression of not being busy and your reward will be more work. This additional work will actually “lower” your earned daily wage. Realistically, if you’re not being compensated for increased work, try not to undertake it. So appear to be busy, always answer your e-mails, appear to produce output and you will. Be as valuable to your firm or career as possible, you will become “almost indispensable” and you will “Be Commandready.” 8) Always ask for a discount. Procure items carefully with thought given to achieve the highest value. Utilize coupons, barter methods, rebates and exchanges as tools to lower your “cost” on items. Employ internet price searches to become educated on your asset purchases. File for every rebate if you can, even if it’s $2.00. Take a creative look at timeshare presentations (but really don’t buy into them), usually they will offer you a “deep discount” to see properties or resorts that are exceptional. I have stayed at four five-star resorts for a pittance compared to “rack rates” that are usually charged. Utilize auction sites like Groupon to gain a purchasing advantage. Use business and personal connections to try to buy cars and other large assets at or near cost. Finally tip the skycap $5 or $10; you will save time and hassles at the airport. 9) Buy when no one else is buying. Perhaps during stock market and financial crashes, lawsuits, etc. It’s a calculated risk. Examples of this would be Ford at $1.29 per share or when BP spilled oil, or when Merck had its Vioxx troubles. These companies were almost too large to fail (perhaps) and their stocks could have been scooped up at bargain prices. Just don’t bet the entire farm on a “high risk” only spend what you can afford to lose. 10) Start at the beginning, take it while you can. Buying other items out of season also qualify. My son is growing and we buy all his ski equipment and clothing in April each year. In the Northeast, expensive ski apparel is heavily discounted in spring, even big brand names. We buy summer clothing in September (when summer is over) and we even travel and book accommodations, off peak. We take advantage of every possible discount. Was Facebook a good buy (during the IPO at $38 a share) initially? Maybe on the surface yes, but after drilling down, was it worth $28, maybe. What did Facebook offer in my opinion? Not enough for myself to consider (it has finally turned positive). Real estate offerings may be a good buy in their inception and

that’s how I bought my two houses. I bought when incentives were high and I made the purchase contract “work for me” when deadlines were missed. If it seems like an opportunity, it may well be. Taking things while you can as opposed to thinking that they always will be around is another tactic. Sometimes “perks and opportunities” seem standard. Companies I have worked for have offered sporting game tickets, ski resort tickets, concerts, dinners, shows, etc. For a great while in the good old days I went to Yankee games, Mets games, football games and rock concerts for free. When offered I always said “yes” AND “thank you.” When times got tougher (basically post 2000) 99% of these opportunities disappeared. I never regretted the loss of them, as I took them while they were offered. It was called an “opportunity” for a reason. 11) Surround yourself with good people, perhaps smarter than yourself. Never be afraid to mingle with knowledgeable people. Knowledge is power and it is the key to making good decisions. From my days as an Eagle Scout, I was taught and mentored by people smarter than myself. College gave me knowledge and more advanced information on ing, engineering, psychology, photography, journalism, marketing and even power-lifting. When I trained competitively I lifted with people stronger, faster and somewhat smarter than myself. I enjoyed the challenge of competition and bettering myself. In the field of finance I credit my dad initially, and then the thirst for knowledge led me to let money work for me. I sought out good investment firms to enrich my knowledge to make informed decisions on my own. Don’t forget to listen; God gave you two ears and only one mouth for a reason. If you learn from smart people you will “Be Commandready.” 12) After many years of “seasoning yourself” you gain the knowledge to leverage your skills in many ways and you make strategic connections that will enhance your life in many ways. Your circle of trust should be small and 100% reliable. Trust is earned and it can help you to be profitable. Once you acquire many lifelong s you branch out, you can create your own “buzz.” I personally don’t have too much time for social media, but I know many people will want to read my book and they know people. I am sure some social media marketing will be a must. With any luck the buzz I create will help people Be Commandready. It is my sincerest desire for this book to help people become better, happier, and enjoy life more while possibly retiring earlier. If you are dedicated to your cause you will Be Commandready. Being Commandready will also help you identify toxic people; people by nature that are “counterproductive.” Examples of people that are toxic are those people that find

problems with everything in life or create them themselves or people that always seem to complain, yet they never offer actions leading to solutions. Toxic people seem to always be against “life’s grain.” Sometimes people in your family or extended family seem to cause the most harm. In a marriage it sometimes can be a difficult dance to tiptoe through their interpretations of what should be, or understand why the things are the “way they are.” In my life I have run into toxic family , bosses, volunteer leaders, neighbors and associations. Sometimes you must interact with toxic people, take my advice and try to interact with them as little as possible. Try to “desensitize” yourself to them, and in extreme cases seek professional counseling. In rare cases toxic people can and will drive you to self-destructive behavior. 13) Controlling the pennies can sometimes lead to finding real dollars. How many people do you know file for a $2.00 rebate ($2.00 less stamp and envelope = $1.50)? I always do. These seemingly pennies lead to nickels, dimes, quarters and dollars, and free up dollars to be saved or invested elsewhere. How many people do you know turn all their change into dollars; I do. Our family always redeems our change at TD bank; it’s free if you’re an holder. Lately I pay even more attention to cell phone, internet, and TV bills. They used to be small and uncomplicated, and now with all the hidden fees they approach what used to be a small town tax bill. I decided in 2014 most should be cut by 50% if possible. I have been somewhat successful by bundling most of these and eliminating others. Today the standard coffee, snack, or sandwich has become the “latte,” organic muffin, and Panini; all of which are higher priced, higher margin products. For the average working man, basics have turned into paycheck robbing luxuries. Indulge if you must for a few days a month, but every day these luxuries short change your work, pay, and savings efforts. In life if you get a bonus or an extra windfall of cash, save it. I look at every month of my life and attaining “Phase 3” as totally dependent on eliminating debt and saving for a “freer, happier, less stressed lifestyle.” Waste and indulgence is sometimes necessary (live a bit) but minimizing it is the key to your financial journey. Many societies pride themselves on thrift, some do not. Be sure to keep away from the giant marketing machine, and if you do you will arrive at Phase 3 much sooner. Diversify, aka; don’t place all your eggs in one basket. My basket always has 401k’s (which are matched), dividend paying stocks, bonds, index funds, cash, and some precious metals. Keep your life’s basket full of paid-off assets and keep them in good condition. Diversification, planning, and good budgets are your way of staying afloat if one of your income sources dries up,

devalues, or fails. Diversification will make you Be Commandready!!! 14) Your family, its structure, and your “word” are your number one priorities. As you grow older, if you have children treat them as your most precious joy, legacy, asset, and investment. The positive inputs you give to your family control a great deal of outcome. Your career should be a priority, but not your top priority unless it’s an extreme case. That’s how I have placed my family as a priority, as I sit down for dinner with them at 6:30pm almost every night. When seeking a job, try to find one that mimics a fond hobby like sports, travel, journalism, computers, photography, auto racing, and coins. I knew I was always a decent sales person and combining this with imaging (photography and sales of) as a career produced a lifelong income stream. I have always dreamed of being a forest ranger, a white water rafting guide, or doing something outdoors, maybe a preparedness director. I’m sure Phase 3 will enable this next career phase of my life. Finally, vacation as much as possible. See the world or your country as time allows. Think outside the box for vacations. Some of the best moments in time were made on my family vacations, when I was little and in my adult life. My best vacations were all endorphin releases. Family vacation time is literally “holy time” to me and I won’t answer company emails while away on any of them. Unless you’re indispensable (and very highly compensated), a VP or owner of a company, or a doctor on call, toss away the smartphone while on vacation, you will be glad you did. Relaxation gives you the mental pause to think and unwind, to be more productive. When you have sound thinking you’re in a better position to make correct and meaningful decisions. When your mind is more prepared, you are not scared, you will Be Commandready. 15) An education or trade: essential to your personal growth in many ways. Whether it’s college, a MBA, a A, or a trade you must have something that gives you an edge or skill. Simply put, not having this edge will ensure you are flipping burgers somewhere or working in a meaningless, time enslaving, timeclock world for a pay range that looks a lot like minimum wage. Even if you’re forty, fifty, or even sixty years old and are considering reattempting a trade, education, or special skill is always sound undertaking. This undertaking is the best investment you can make in yourself. ittedly, not everyone is college material, so that’s where a trade or a special skill comes in and there are plenty of these “career paths” out there. Additionally a college education may be cost prohibitive, as these days the ROI (return on investment) on a college education

must be factored in, aka; debt vs. education. A college education is not always the guaranteed job it once was. Additionally some basic skills like my salesmanship career can be enhanced through networking, and creating a buzz. In this ever increasingly challenging world we live in “just being a sales manager” (myself) may not provide all of the necessary survival skills needed to succeed. That’s why over the years I have broadened my skill set. Either way, by way of a higher education, trade or skill set, you must be prepared to enter the workforce with at least one of these “tools.” When you do, you will Be Commandready. 16) What’s the point of working long hours if you seem (by your standards) to accomplish very little? What’s the point of working a low paying job if it barely pays for your basic needs? Ultimately time is money and to Be Commandready you must accomplish the most in the least amount of time and thus have extra time to hone your Commandready skill set. Working six days a week with little time to relax is a sure fire way to burn out. Once you’re tired your productivity goes down and future work endeavors are even less productive. Try to get a job that has flexible job hours and decent wages, that will allow you to have more time to devote to other pursuits. Additionally, be mindful of lengthy costly commutes. In today’s smart phone, high-speed modem world, is a five-day inoffice job necessary? Watch out for time wasters, like endless TV time, mindless internet browsing or video games. Certain types of “relaxation” may not leave you much free time to think outside the box and prepare. “When you’re prepared you’re not scared,” you will Be Commandready. The lesson: make time work for you. 17) Maintain high goals, utilize a journal, but by all means be realistic. A goal that’s unattainable in a set period of time is worthless. In my sales career I have been given my fair share of unattainable goals as well as highly attainable ones. I first evaluate if a particular goal profits or enriches me in some way, and then determine that it’s definitely attainable, and finally, I give it my all to accomplish it. If a goal is truly unattainable, I simply reject it as not being worth all my valuable time. Being realistic with one’s self is the true Litmus test of a goal. Perhaps a goal is not attainable in a given period of time, then you must adjust it in order to complete it a new period of time. If your goal is reset and accomplished it will give you much more satisfaction and a bit of an endorphin release. Being realistic will help you be more focused and this will lead you to Be Commandready.

18) Someone else must pay; FREE is my favorite word. In life there are few true freebies however you can always scope out the best value for your money. Compare, shop, “ask for the discount,” and be informed of key asset and financial decisions. Other great words are wholesale, cost, trade accommodation, and professional discount. Try to figure out ways to have others absorb costs on your behalf. Examples of this are a subsidized commute, a company car, a medical plan, a company expense , vendor discounts, etc. Don’t ever assume these freebies don’t add up. My one prior example is having a company car for over twenty-seven years, based on an average yearly cost this perk has saved me six figures; enough to buy myself a home in multiple parts of this country. Additionally, if you do not get 100% value in any service, product, or commitment, ask for a discount or accommodation. Therefore my Pocono Pennsylvania home was almost “free” by my standards. Just saying “free” brings a smile to my face. Free is my favorite word and getting things for free will make you Be Commandready. 19) Taking calculated well thought out chances on uncertainties can be profitable. Who would have thought a company named “Apple” or “Berkshire Hathaway” could be so lucrative. Stock BRKA started out in late 2011 at $90k, now it’s at $204k!!! Who would have thought twelve years ago when oil was $28 a barrel and gas was $1.39 per gallon in New Jersey; it would now be $3.15 per gallon in 2014. One thing to consider is; as the world’s population grows, so does need, and resources become more scarce and expensive. As technology progresses so will the need for those to manage it. Some of my sound personal picks include; energy, health-care, and certain technology stocks. Make sure they pay dividends to you. In life, live outside the box and don’t be a couch potato, make each day count, enrich yourself every day. Go out and “do it!” Never be content with the status quo. Don’t stay with a dead-end job forever; get a job with potential. Give life and your career 100% of all your efforts. Be valuable to yourself and your firm. Shy away from office politics and the water cooler gossip. Think before you send that office-wide email. Evaluate all consequences and try to have a positive mentor or managerial sponsor at work. Work for someone who surrounds themselves with good people this will help you become better yourself. With hard work and a positive, achievement based ethic, you will become Commandready. 20) Experts are great references but if you’re in the “hot seat” make the final decision yourself. By all means take all the advice in, evaluate it, but live with your final informed decision. If you become even somewhat successful never

trust all your decisions to others. Don’t let everything go on cruise control and “just let her ride.” You may want to grant others some decision making responsibility but never fly so far above the clouds that you can’t see down from 40,000 feet. If in your life you find yourself making a crucial medical decision, always seek a second opinion and only then make a final decision. No one but God himself is infallible; we all make mistakes, so be careful in listening to only one expert. The TV and internet personalities are full of advice, and positions to take, but in reality what they want personally, have done, or what they “might do” could be very different from the advice they are offering. I offer real life advice on what I have done and positions and have personally taken, not hypotheticals. I’m comfortable with the life decisions I have made so far and feel they have been about 95% correct. So far, the overall decisions I have made me Be Commandready. 21) Indecision is no decision and it is also the worst decision made. Life is full of decisions don’t be a fence sitter but don’t make rash uninformed decisions either. Do utilize some expert help to help you make some decisions. Deciding to stay at a dead-end job every day is not a decision, it’ laziness, it apathy, it’s the embodiment of no decision made. Don’t be the one who lets decisions wane for days, months, or years. One day you will find yourself ten years older and grayer. You will say; “Where did my thirties go, my forties, my fifties; wait, how will I save or retire, and when?” that today when ing into tomorrow, can never be recovered. Why, just the other day we had a large snowstorm, I saw it as a ski opportunity while others slept in and said; “Next week, maybe.” Unfortunately, the next week’s forecast was for above normal temperatures and rain, not a good mix for skiing. When I was told to lose twenty pounds for my health, I at least attained fifteen (I’m working on the other five). I started the concept of this book about three years ago, the idea for a trademark and domain name came about March 8th, 2012. I received my trademark name “Be Commandready” on December 11th, 2012. The book will be finished by late 2014, I procrastinated a bit but my goal was always in sight. 22) Assets and responsibilities, my second favorite words next to “free.” As life moves on your assets hopefully will grow and so will your responsibilities. Utilize your assets properly, make sure you spend the time to upkeep them, and your journey in life will be more enjoyable. Abuse your assets, don’t take care of them, and they will not return their “expected lifespan” for you. Most assets I have I take great pride in; my house, cars, toys of sorts, and my properties. I keep them in tip-top shape so when they are handed down, sold, or traded-in

they bring me the maximum return on my initial investment. One asset I owned previously was a thirty foot travel trailer and I left it to the “elements.” A mouse took up a residence in it and nearly wrecked my travel trailer. The camper was a mess and unsellable. To restore this camper to a “sellable condition” took countless hours of work. Its eventual transformation from near wreck to a pristine sellable asset was nothing short of a great chore. I got lucky and sold it for my near asking price. The lesson I learned (at nearly a $12,000.00 expense) was to keep every asset you value “fully managed” and in excellent condition. When you no longer value it, sell it and walk away proudly. The next person who owns this asset (or inheritance) will be grateful for your proper caring of the asset. Assets accumulate and at a certain age you might reach the “top of your fulfillment curve.” You will recognize this because you free space will be filled with “clutter.” Once a year reduce the clutter, have a garage sale, give some things to charity and friends. Have and make the conscious decision to downsize. Finally, make a conscious decision to “start” your savings at an early age, perhaps as young as eighteen. Pretend you make $20 less per week, and take that money and save it. After a career of thirty years or so your asset tree will be full of fruit. The “fruit money,” will enable you to be debt free and then some. These paid off assets and financial positions you have accumulated through the years will enable you to enter “Phase 3” of your life, when you see fit. You won’t be scared of the future, you will be prepared. You will and are ready to “Be Commandready.” A job well done, congratulations!!! Final thoughts: I would like to personally thank all those who have influenced the content of and contributed to this book. While I won’t name names, I suspect many of my family, friends, and business associates will suspect a portion of their great ideas and catchy slogans have been incorporated into this book (with permission). Some of the ideas in this book are decades old and some are only months old. All of the above people and sources have been my inspiration; they have all contributed in some way to help me achieve “Phase 3” of my life. Today I am freed of my debt “chains” and I am able to pursue meaningful activities as I see fit. This process started for me in late childhood, but the process of being Commandready can begin on any day you make a decision just commit to the process. Being Commandready can be accomplished by anyone, at any time, in any place because again “when you’re prepared you’re not scared.” Why not start your journey to “Phase 3” today?

Do it!

BE COMMANDREADY™

CHAPTER 24

APPENDIX AND HANDY SURVIVAL GUIDE

Appendix: This is handy survival guide, broken into four income levels of funding to help you jumpstart your life and financial decisions to Be Commandready.

1) $500. “Common Sense” What can $500 dollars do to help you Be Commandready; more than you’ve prepared as of right now and much more than most will do, let’s see: A) Water, 50 gallons B) Shelter of any type C) A place to flee D) A system of family or friends E) Basic survival skills F) Some medications or first aid equipment G) Living in a climate/area that’s not hostile, unforgiving, or dangerous H) Canned food high in calories, a month’s supply I) Protective clothing and good footwear J) A calm level headed attitude

K) A sense to run away from danger L) Living in a place higher than sea level, if possible, away from raging rivers and dense forests M) Not living where a tornado could hit. N) A “bug out plan” O) Flashlights and batteries

2) $5,000; Step 2 A) All of the above B) 100 gallons of water and filtration for over 100 gallons C) A sturdier shelter, and even more remote place to go D) Firearms protection, one small caliber rifle, one large caliber rifle F) Extra ammunition for all firearms G) $1,000 in small bills H) A small generator or solar s I) 25 extra gallons of gas in UL listed cans J) A used four-wheel-drive truck L) Three months supply of food M) Proper medical items N) A backup stove, lantern, and heater O) A chain saw and extra chains.

P) A “SAME” weather radio

3) $20,000; Step 3 A) All of the above from steps 1 and 2 B) 6 months of stable freeze dried or MRE type food C) Multiple firearms, add a shotgun or handgun, and training on how to use them D) A survival camp and security confidants F) More survival training G) $5,000 in small bills, $1,000 in silver or gold H) A whole-house generator, fuel for two weeks. I) A newer four-wheel-drive diesel truck, fully stocked with rescue and survival gear J) A back-up water system, and a nearly unlimited water source. K) A short wave radio, backup communication, a survival beacon

4) $50,000+ (assumes a net worth over 1 million); Step 4 A) All of the above from steps 1-3 B) A fully stocked underground shelter, with all backup items, even air filtration, in a remote place (Deep earth bunker, Radius systems engineering, Vivos “Quantum shelters”) C) A four-wheel-drive ATV or an Enduro motorcycle D) A satellite phone, or a HAM radio (with license)

E) A radiation detector, full NBC gas masks, protective clothing F) $10,000 in cash, silver and gold, or other tradable items!!

“When you’re prepared you’re not scared”

You will “BE COMMANDREADYtm”

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Bill Romano has worked as a sales and marketing professional for more than twenty-eight years. He is assisting the US Air Force Auxiliary with emergency service preparation and is also studying to be a pilot.

Debra Romano has a financial credit background, is an active event planner, and is a certified paralegal.