The economy is improving every day:  just watch the nightly news and a plethora of politicos will feed you this fact.  They'll fastidiously tell you this, never waivering from the message and always avoiding the “d” word. After all, “it's only a recession and a minor one at that.” The media, in it's very next report will say that this recession is the worst since the Great Depression, as an expression of Orwellian double-speak.

The reality of the markets is, that everyone needs to stop listening to politicians and start looking out for themselves and their own homes. Charity begins at home, so stop volunteering your pocket-book to local, state and federal agencies who squander taxes left and right. Do not buy into the argument that taxes must be raised when people are out of jobs, businesses are closing and homes are being foreclosed upon in record numbers.

People seem overly-willing to allow government to take more of their hard-earned dollars, instead of less, during these harsh times.

The smart family needs to hunker down and reign in spending.

Here are a dozen suggestions for surviving the roller coaster ride of pseudo-recovery that the masses are buying into:

1. Learn to use coupons. Get on online coupon sites that allow you to preload your store membership cards (like your Safeway card) with coupons that are automatically applied to your purchases. Get a subscription to the Sunday paper that has all the coupons in it, as this is cheaper than buying it weekly off the rack. Clip coupons and arrange them in a small folder or tin. This will save you hundreds if not thousands annually. AND DO REMEMBER TO USE THEM!

2. Cut your ties with the phone and cable companies. You have a cell phone that you'll clearly not get rid of, so use it. Get your family on the same plan for greater savings. Otherwise, keep an Internet connection at home which will allow you to access email, use instant messaging, use Skype for free or cheaper Internet phone calls (yes, you'll need to spring for a microphone headset), and otherwise download your favorite shows from the web. This does not mean that you pirate shows, but rather get legitimate downloads from the network websites and free licensed sites like Hulu and such. Most shows post to the web the next day or two after they air. You'll be a bit behind at the water cooler, but saving $25 monthly in phone and $50 monthly in cable equals an annual savings of just under a thousand dollars.

3. Start a small, home-based business. You have an Internet connection, so getting a free email address through any number of providers is easy, not to mention an easy-to-post websites that are also FREE! Find something that you enjoy doing: wood work, book writing, artistic painting, house painting, candle making, genealogy, creating resumes, walking dogs, making and selling chocolates. Most people's imaginations are their only limiting factor, so free your mind and find a side-job to bring in some extra income.

4. Cut you energy bill by replacing light bulbs throughout the house with energy saver bulbs. The upfront cost is worth the long-term savings. Since your I-Pod, cell phone and other portable devices need to charge, consider grabbing a solar power charger, or plugging them in while at work instead of home? Have you replaced your one-use batteries with rechargeable batteries? How about grabbing some of those overly popular, cult-looking “Snuggies” and lowering your thermostat by a few degrees? Incremental savings adds up fast.

5. Consider transportation alternatives. How much gas do you spend weekly and monthly to get to work and run errands? Are you in a position to commute in a car pool? Is public transportation an option? Is a one-car family feasible? Could you plan shopping trips along your daily routes instead of making special trips? Is walking to work an option? Why not bike to work during the warmer seasons?

6. You do not need that magazine subscription. Really. Whether you are a hunter with Big Game magazine, a gamer with ProGamer magazine, a knitter with Crafts and Hobbies magazine, or a boob-tube watcher with TV Guide magazine, you simply DO NOT NEED to subscribe. Log on to the Internet and learn quickly that free means FREE! Magazines and their contents are available all over the Internet. There is no reason to pay $25 annually for dozens of magazine subscriptions. The only exception to subscriptions the savings offered by the Sunday paper thanks to the coupons. This will pay for itself. The rest is a waste of money.

7. Shop around for better insurance rates. Do not be afraid to shop around for better insurance rates for renters/homeowners insurance, auto insurance and more. This is anotherplace where that that Internet connectivity is advantageous. Use it; email for quote from not less than 10 insurance providers in your area. You might be surprised about how much money you could be saving.

8. Invest your money. Instead of holding money in zero-interest savings accounts, or handing it to the government in the form of higher taxes, invest in a diverse portfolio. The common sense of all markets is “buy low, sell high”, so why are you not doing this? The stock market is low and struggling to recover. Get stocks now, not 15 years from now when they'll be back up and strong, once again. The alternative is to invest in gold while it's at an all-time high. When it's way down in value in ten years, you can sell it at tremendous loss. The latter is not my recommendation, but it seems to be the “sheeple” effect where people tend to trail markets instead of lead them.

9. Keep your resume up to date. If you are working, you can keep your blinders on and convince yourself that you are irreplaceable at work with a destiny to never be fired. Otherwise, you can wake up, smell the coffee and realize that you need to be ready to move if your job situation changes. If you're sitting on a couch at Noon on Wednesday while reading this blog, then you probably are already on the dols and in need of a swift kick in the rear to get you out the door and looking for work, or better yet, setting up your own business, so these words target you as well.

10. Brew your own tea and coffee at home. In a Starbucks culture, we tend to “drink out” a whole lot, but this adds up to big spending. Get a drip coffee maker that you can set up the night before. Find one with a timer that will auto-active before you're up in the morning. This will allow you to get dressed and wander into the kitchen for a cup o' Joe, that you can take with you in a thermos or insulated mug. Saving $5 per day grows to over a thousand dollars annually when based just on working days alone.

Land ownership, established by the title records at public offices which our industry searches, is the essential basis for all wealth within a free society. Ultimately, our industry benefits from a healthy, free market economy, not one in which ownership of land becomes a burden to the people and held by corporations.

If this article helps even one family remain in their home and out of foreclosure, then my job is done.

Please, take these ideas to heart. It's all of our flag-waving, Patriotic duties to support our system of economic capitalism and politically democratic ideals (ideals, not system which is a federal republic, mind you). Become an entrepreneur, cut your expenses, invest wisely, and educate yourself at all times. This is the nature of the modern Rugged Individualist. This is today's DIY (do-it-yourself) Renaissance Man. Both of these ideals are what each American must become. A duality of historical opposites, made possible by modern technology, and necessitated by the current markets.