Wal-Mart CEO Bill Simon expects inflation

In an interview with USA Today, Wal-Mart CEO Bill Simon talks about the coming inflation. 

"U.S. consumers face "serious" inflation in the months ahead for clothing, food and other products, the head of Wal-Mart's U.S. operations warned Wednesday. The world's largest retailer is working with suppliers to minimize the effect of cost increases and believes its low-cost business model will position it better than its competitors.  Still, inflation is "going to be serious," Wal-Mart U.S. CEO Bill Simon said during a meeting with USA TODAY's editorial board. "We're seeing cost increases starting to come through at a pretty rapid rate."

"Along with steep increases in raw material costs, John Long, a retail strategist at Kurt Salmon, says labor costs in China and fuel costs for transportation are weighing heavily on retailers. He predicts prices will start increasing at all retailers in June.

"Every single retailer has and is paying more for the items they sell, and retailers will be passing some of these costs along," Long says. "Except for fuel costs, U.S. consumers haven't seen much in the way of inflation for almost a decade, so a broad-based increase in prices will be unprecedented in recent memory."

"Consumer prices — or the consumer price index — rose 0.5% in February, the most since mid-2009, largely because of surging food and gasoline prices. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy costs, rose a more modest 0.2%, though that still exceeded estimates."

Many economic forecasters are predicting hyperinflation.  What is hyperinflation?  Wikipedia says, "In economics, hyperinflation is inflation that is very high or "out of control"".

So, what can you, the customer do to stop it?  Nothing really.  What you do have control over is how it affects you and your bank account.  You need to stock up on items that you use everyday NOW!  The sites that I follow say that hyperinflation could start as soon as May!  Do you use coupons?  Well you need to start now!  Capitalize on store sales and match them with coupons to get the lowest price possible and stock up!!  Now going out and filling your pantry can be expensive so let me be clear that I am not recommending that you go into debt to do this.  Don't use your credit card!  That totally defeats the purpose!  The interest will negate any savings!

At Shelf Reliance we have an innovative program called The Q.  It allows you to create a "home store" that is stocked with nutritious everyday foods!  How many times a week do you run to the store for "a few things" and spend $100 dollars?  2 to 3?  Most people will say at least that.  Just by reallocating, or investing $100 a month to build your own "home store" you can save up to $2500 a year!  You are going to save time and money in addition to eating healthier and having more time for the things that are important to you.

Take a look at the blog posts.
"Why Build A Home Store" and "Using The Q To Build Your Home Store." 

If you can afford to invest it, Shelf Reliance has some great packages to get your home store started!  Visit my site at www.thrivingtexasmama.com and click on the buy tab to see our great packages!

 If these economic forecasts are wrong, what are you left with?  FOOD that will still feed your family and still save you money!  IT A WIN, WIN SITUATION



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50% OFF for Mineral Wells Friends

Ok guys!  This is for my local friends only!  You must live in Mineral Wells or be willing to come pick up your order!  Shelf Reliance is totally new to this area so to get the word out I am having the following promotion. The first 3 people to comment to this post, email me, or leave a message on my Facebook page will get $100 worth of product at 1/2 off the retail price! ($50 for $100 worth of product) This is my way of letting you try our products and help spread the word about Shelf Reliance. This is for previous customers and new customers alike, but cannot be applied to a current order.  BUT I am going to randomly pick a 4th person to receive this deal also.  So if you aren't sure what number you are, post or contact me anyway!  You might still win!

Orders must be placed and paid for by March 31st.

Introducing Shelf Reliance

 

We are in business

for 1 reason..

That's YOU!

Let us simplify your life, save you money, organize your pantry and give you a sense of peace!

Welcome to Shelf Reliance. Shelf Reliance is the industry leader in providing nutritious, delicious, shelf stable food that saves you time and money! By utilizing all primary food groups, THRIVE provides a solid foundation for proper eating to help maintain family health and happiness. THRIVE's freeze dried fruits and vegetables offer optimum nutrition without any additives or perservatives. And our line of shelf stable Basics save you time and money!

WHAT IF...

What if there was an easy way to create your own "home store", so that you didn't have to run to town just because you ran out of milk or eggs. What if your store carried fruits and vegetables that were already wash and chopped? What if great tasting fruit like peaches and blackberries were always in season at your store? What if you didn't have to worry about salmonella making the price of eggs and spinach sky rocket? What if I told you that this is all possible and much easier than you think and you that you can start stocking your "home store" without increasing your monthly food budget?

Want to know more? Read "How to use the Q to build your own home store" on my blog.

Want to earn free food and products?

Contact me about hosting a show.

or visit my website to see all the great products that we offer!

THRIVING TEXAS MAMA

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Women's Day Magazine Promotes Direct Sales

I sat down last night to thumb through my new April issue of Woman's Day and was very happy at what I saw!  In it Mary Hunt's article "Have a Party, Make Money", promotes supplementing your income with a direct-selling business.  She discusses the low start up, the income possibility and the flexible scheduling.  Here is a link to the online version of the article.  She then listed some companies and told where so see more online.  I quickly logged on of course, to see if Shelf Reliance was on the list, and it wasn't.  Listed were several companies that I have heard of, but they all consisted of purses, jewelry, bras, candles and Pampered Chef.  All great companies!  But they all have one thing in common...they are selling discretionary items.  Don't get me wrong, I love bling bling and purses.  But in today's economy when money gets tight, those will be the first items to be cut from the budget!  Another drawback that I see is that they are often a one time purchase.  For example, I have about 4 baking stones that I bought about 7 years ago from Pampered Chef that I love and use every week.  However, they were very expensive and although I use them regularly I have not purchased from them in a long time.  They do not sell a consumable item so your chances of repeat customers goes down drastically.  Mary Kay and other makeup companies do have a much better percentage of repeat customers.  However, when things get tight most mom's have a hard time spending $20 or so on a bottle of makeup.  Don't get me wrong, I love their products and my sister used to sell it and was very successful at it about 10 yrs ago.  But times have changes and things are only going to get harder. The US is borrowing 4 million dollars a day from OTHER countries!  The dollar is only going to get weaker and food prices are going to continue to rise!

If you are looking to supplement your income with a home based direct selling business why not sell what people NEED?  Real Food!  By purchasing THRIVE Foods customers are INVESTING in their families security!  We are not selling gourmet mixes, although I love them!  We are selling, promoting and educating people on "food insurance".  Teaching them of the importance of being self reliant and prepared for emergencies, not to mention that they will save time and money with our products.

I feel that as a Shelf Reliance consultant I have a powerful tool to help families weather this economic storm.  Having "food insurance" can literally feed your family if you are without an income for a couple of months.  No embarrassing food stamps or waiting in line to get your rations as they did in war times.  (I pray that America never has to go back to that!)  And with the quality of THRIVE Foods you do not feel like you are having to sacrifice!  I use them nearly everyday because of their quality and convenience!  I have my kiddos eating fruits they never liked before because they "taste like candy" when they are freeze dried!  It is good for them!  Take a look at this post from a couple of weeks ago that documented my first weeks in this business.  I have only had 1 actual party and my 1st commission check was $147.00.  The remainder of my sales were from web promotions, friends and family!  My check for March is already going to be over $250 and I have half the month left!  I don't have to convince people that the economy stinks, that is obvious!  I just have to get them to try the products...and then once they do, there are hooked!  Their kids are snacking on blueberries and raspberries!  Mothers are fixing a nutritious dinner in minutes with our freeze dried meats and veggies!  Parents are feeling more secure because the question of "What will we eat?" is no longer!  Fathers are feeling more at ease because they have a 72hr Kit to take care of their family if an emergency arises.  Life is full of "ifs", most of which you cannot prepare for.  But preparing for the ones that you can sure helps you sleep a little better at night, at least it does me!

If you have even entertained the thought of starting a direct selling business, this is the one to do!  A fellow consultant, Heather, from Cooking With My Food Storage, comprised this top 10 list. (I have added a few things to it.)

Top 10 reasons being a Shelf Reliance Consultant is Great 

1)  Commission:  Shelf Reliance Consultants Make money.
You get paid commission on everything you buy (except your Q), everything sold at parties, everything sold on your consultant website, everything a customer buys from shelfreliance.com, all your Q customers. You even get commission when you buy catalogs and supplies. Commission is 10% of orders, and up to 30% on new Q's! Which means we get everything at a really great price!

2) Consultants get the host benefits for any orders they take that is not made at a party. Which is amazing!!! Host Benefits are 10% of the party order in Free product and there are 2 ways to get product for 50% off.  This is my most favorite benefit.  I originally signed up as a consultant in order to get my food storage at a discount.  I had no idea how much food I would be able to get for free or half off.  If you are serious about food storage this is a great benefit.  Consultants also get supplies for your party (or your home) at a supper discounted rate through the Party Supply Benefit! And you get even more free food because of their generous Double Dip rule!

3) You receive a $50.00 bonus for every consultant you sign up. 

4) Consultants don't need to keep an inventory.  Shelf Reliance ships directly to the customer via FED EX.  We even ship to APOs Alaska and Hawaii.

5) Consultants never get dumped out of the system no matter how low your sales as long as your Q is active.  You also never loose your status, i.e. mentor or director, etc.  Once you achieve a level it is not taken away!

6) Consultants get paid residual commission every single month for every customer you have on the Q. This is magic!!! It’s commission without doing any parties. After a while you can make money without giving any parties or with just a few.

7) Consultants can print price lists and order forms online for free! You don’t have to buy party supplies from Shelf Reliance, you can do what you like.

8) I am your trainer! I will get you set up and off to a great start.

9) This is an established company that has just entered the home party market.  There is tons of potential for growth.  It is not very often that you have the opportunity to get in at the ground floor of such a great company.  I have been with several companies and this company is BY FAR the most generous to their consultants!

10) You get to work with great people.  Shelf Reliance consultants are very warm and welcoming.  I have been really happy with how helpful everyone is!


If you have any questions please feel free to contact me and I would love to talk with you!  Visit my site at www.thrivingtexasmama.com and click on the Join tab to read more!

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How To Use The Q

To Build Your Home Store

Considering using the Q to build your "home store"?

The Q is an invaluable tool when planning and setting up your "home store".  Shelf Reliance knows that you are busy!  You have more pressing things that need your attention than wondering if you have enough eggs to bake the cupcakes for your child's school party tomorrow.  A "home store" means conviencence for you!  Onions and celery are already chopped, hamburger meat is already browned and the brocolli is washed and fresh!
Setting up your Q is so easy!  Its just 3 simple steps!

#1.  Use the Q Planner!  Based on the information you provide, the Q Planner will automatically create a plan designed specifically for your family. You can determine the THRIVE foods your Q sends to replace your monthly groceries. You can also decide the amount of each food you want to have in your "store".  Edit your shipments to include an item that you are running low on at any time.

When you are thinking about what foods to add to your Q, keep in mind your families favorite meals. Do you use a lot of onions?  Having them in your store will save you prep time.  Do you like mushrooms but they always seem to go bad in the crisper?  Just one can in your "store" would save money and be convenient!  Keep a couple of cans of Freeze Dried Bananas for after school snacks!
 

#2.  Set a monthly budget amount.  Most of us don't have the extra money sitting around to invest in an instant "store".   The Q makes stocking your "store" easy and affordable.  You simply reallocate a portion of your current food budget to apply toward THRIVE foods.  That way you are investing in your own "home store" without increasing your monthly expenses!  The amount can be as little as $30 or as high as you wish.  You even choose the day of the month that you want it to process.  Remember, you are building your own "home store" that will save you time and money!  No more last minute trips to the store!  Who actually only gets the 1 or 2 items they went for?  Nope, we always come out with a couple of bags that includes impulse buys.  Not to mention the money you will save on gas!

#3.  Sit back and relax!  The Q can now manage all your shipments for you.  Of course, you can always edit the shipments if you wish.  After the first three months you can increase, decrease and even pause your shipments and budget amount!  It is completely up to you!

So go ahead and try it!  We are sure that you will be pleased with how easy THRIVE is to cook with, and that you will enjoy the convenience of having so many healthy choices right at your fingertips.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me!

You can also visit me on Facebook!

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Dehydrated or Freeze Dried...Whats best for you? Home Store 101 #3

Dehydration and Freeze Drying - Two Preservation Methods, Compared and Defined

by Guest May 05 2010

submitted by Denis Korn

DEHYDRATED (aka AIR DRIED)

"Dehydrated" is a general designation for all foods that have had water removed. It includes a number of different products and dehydrating techniques. Methods of drying include:
          o Air drying
          o Spray drying
          o Drum drying
          o Belt drying
    * Most commonly, “dehydrated” is a term applied to vegetables, fruits, spices, and beans.
    * Spray dried items include milk powder, dairy and cheese powders, fruit powders, vegetable powders, egg powders, and oil powders.
    * Most dehydrated vegetables and fruits are dried at high temperatures for short periods of time.
    * Advantages of dehydration:
          o Reduced weight
          o Longer shelf life
          o Lower cost
          o No waste and compact
          o A large, easy-to-use variety of foods
    * Disadvantages of dehydration:
          o Many products - such as corn, peas, and green beans - have to be cooked to reconstitute, resulting in increased time and loss of nutritional value.
          o High temperature drying of some items reduces nutritional value and taste.
          o Texture of some products is altered from original.
FREEZE DRIED
Freeze drying is a specific technology that refers to foods which have been frozen and then dried at low temperatures in a vacuum chamber.  The moisture is drawn from the chamber, leaving foods with a very low moisture content.  This process is known as sublimation.
  
    * Advantages of freeze drying:
          o Foods retain the highest nutritional value, taste, texture and appearance.
          o Foods do not “shrivel up,” therefore retaining their original shape.
          o Foods reconstitute easily in hot or cold water and can be eaten dry if necessary; no cooking is required in preparation.
          o The only method used to dry meat products for long term shelf life.
          o The chosen method of drying by the military, pharmaceutical companies, supplement manufacturers, and those concerned with nutrition and flavor.
          o The lowest moisture content obtainable, resulting in long shelf stability.
          o Excellent for fruits, vegetables, and meats.
          o Very lightweight.
    * Disadvantages:
          o Energy intensive- requires special equipment.
          o Higher cost.
          o Limited number of processors.


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Helpful Home Store Tips - Home Store 101 #2

 

Helpful Home Store Tips

by Shelf Reliance Staff  11/13/09

www.thrivingtexasmama.com

•Be Practical. Store the food you eat and eat the food you store. It doesn’t make sense to buy food storage that your family isn’t accustomed to eating. Many items, such as wheat, flour, oats, and dried milk are needed to sustain life and are already included in many of the foods that we enjoy each day. Become familiar with recipes that include ingredients contained within your food storage. This will not only enable you to become familiar with the preparation of foods within your food storage, it will also allow you to rotate your food in a timely manner.

• Store Foods Properly. Quality is best maintained by minimum exposure to light, heat, moisture, and air. Items stored in a basement will last much longer than in a pantry or garage. Store food on shelves or on a raised platform rather than directly in contact with concrete floors or walls. Avoid storing items next to certain products such as soaps or fuels; this will prevent the spread of odor and other possible contaminants.

• Temperature. Where possible, always store your food indoors. Temperature has the largest affect on food storage. Canned goods will store 2 to 3 times longer at 70°F than they will at 90°F. Most dry goods store indefinitely below 70°F. Temperature affects nutrition, texture, and taste.

• Moisture. Dry goods should contain less than 10% moisture. The more a container is opened, the more moisture is introduced. The humidity in the air the day food is dry packed or home canned can also affect storage life. Weevil cannot grow in grain with less than 10% moisture. For a maximum shelf life, non-fat dry milk should have no more than 2.8% moisture.

• Light. Store foods in opaque containers or dark cupboards. Light fades colors, destroys vitamins, and speeds the rancidity of fats.

• Air. Containers should have airtight seams and lids. If in doubt, use duct tape as an additional seal. Plastic buckets with rubber gaskets are airtight if the gasket has not been damaged.

• Use Variety. Use a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein sources, and dairy products to obtain balanced nutrition. This will provide greater flexibility in cooking.

• Use Labels. Label your containers with the date of purchase.

• Rotate Your Storage. Rotate as many items as you can by using food storage at least twice a week. This will allow for a complete rotation of a year’s food supply every three years. It will also help your family become accustomed to the items you have stored.

• Store Water. Be sure to store a large amount of water (at least 14 gallons per person for a two week supply). Soda and juice bottles will work for water storage as will larger food-grade plastic containers. For larger quantities, 5, 15, 30, and 55 gallon storage drums can be used. Water will need to be treated before storage. FEMA recommends treatment with 4 drops of bleach per quart of water. Water supplies should be replenished yearly.

• Store Non-Food Items. Food storage is only part of emergency preparedness. Don’t forget to store non-food items such as medicines, toiletries, soap, cleaning supplies, paper products, laundry detergent, and clothing.

• Grow a Garden. For easy access to fresh produce, grow a garden. Also, store and rotate seeds. If you don’t have garden space, try using pots to grow vegetables.

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Why Build A Home Store?

I am starting a new series of posts called Home Store 101.  If you know someone that would benefit from reading this, please forward it to them!  I believe my Home Store could be a saving factor someday!

Why Build A Home Store?*
by Shelfreliance Staff Sep 18 2009

Does it seem like everyone is making a big deal about storing food? For many, the issue may seem hardly worth addressing. After all, we live in a country known for being the “land of plenty.” It is sometimes hard to imagine that one day we could find ourselves in a situation that would require us to rely upon the food we have stored in order to provide for our families.

Determining every possible reason to have food storage is an impossible task; however, one need only take a look around our volatile planet to sample some of the many disasters of our time. In the spirit of optimism, more likely reasons to store food may be the least obvious. We never know when unplanned interruptions of life may befall us such as the unexpected loss of income due to a layoff or injury.


Reasons to Rely Upon Food Storage:
• Natural Disaster
• Terrorism
• Labor Strike
• Economic Depression
• Drought
• Crop Failure
• Personal Tragedy
• Civil Unrest
• Unemployment

Harvest Food Rotation System

What do I Need for Food Storage?


Water. Although a person can survive as long as two weeks without food, the human body wasn't designed to go long without water. Depending on the conditions and surrounding environment, this could be as little one day. Use any of our water storage containers to hold your water supply.

Food. When it comes to food storage, the first rule to remember is to store the food you eat and eat the food you store. This concept helped us develop what we call our Food Storage Rotation Systems™. Because all food has a shelf life, these systems will help you effectively rotate your food and protect your investment. We also offer the basic foods needed to sustain life. The food you eat during an emergency has a dramatic impact upon the psychological well being of those affected. Use our Food Storage Calculator to determine how much to store for you and your family.

Freeze Dried Fruits

Emergency Preparedness. We offer a range of emergency supplies and 72-hour kits that can be customized to match the needs of your family. Use our Emergency Planner to determine the items you will need for a specified amount of time.

Emergency Kits

Decide Today to Start Preparing


How do you start? The thought of preparing your family for an emergency may appear somewhat daunting at first. Our line of products is designed to help your family start with the most essential items needed during an emergency. Have you used any of the following excuses for not having food storage?


• I don’t know where or how to start my food storage.
• I don’t know what foods to store.
• I’m not sure what to do with 100 lbs. of wheat, rice, and beans.
• I can’t afford to pay thousands of dollars for boxes of food storage.
• I have no means of rotating my food storage.
• I simply don’t have time.
• I don't know how to cook with food storage.


We Make Food Storage Easy!


By becoming a member of Shelf Reliance, we provide you with tips that make food storage easy. Here are some examples of tips that can help you get started:


• Store the foods you like to eat! After all, if all you had to eat was whole wheat and lima beans, would you want to survive anyway? Our THRIVE Kitchen provides simple and easy solutions to cooking with Food Storage.

• Build your storage at your own pace. Buy a few extra of something you find on sale at the store. Spending a few dollars a week at the store is more manageable than buying all of your storage at once. Shelf Reliance has a program called the THRIVE Q, where you can receive monthly shipments of the foods you want, at a price you determine. There is no commitment and you can adjust your monthly budget if your circumstances change.


• Let Shelf Reliance FRS systems rotate your food for you.

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*Article name was changed to match current promotions.

Why I Am Making A "Home Store"

Why do I believe in using coupons to stock up and investing in "food insurance" for my family? 

WATCH THIS!  The numbers don't lie!

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