Five Secrets Hidden In Plain View

Many of life's secrets are hidden in plain view. No conspiracy is involved, except perhaps a "conspiracy of interests." These secrets are just bits of useful knowledge that most people don't have, but can make your life richer. Here are five examples.

Rich People Buy Used Cars

While researching The Millionaire Next Door, Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko found that 40% of millionaires buy used cars. What is it they know that many don't know? They understand that when a car is three or four years old, it still has most of it's useful life ahead, but it cost only half as much as when it is new. They may be buying used Mercedes, not Ford Escorts, but the principle is the same.

Dirty Secret Of 'Free Trade' Agreements

Ever wondered why so many people protest "free trade" agreements? Are they all socialistic in their beliefs? Not at all. In the U.S., Canada and Europe many are against free markets, but what isn't commonly reported here is that the protesters in many other countries are just as often protesting for free trade.

These "free trade" agreements are about regulated trade, and every country involved is seeking advantages that have nothing to do with fair or free trade. For example, many protesters understand that when the U.S. subsidizes the agricultural industry (certainly not a capitalistic idea), their products can be sold so cheap that they'll destroy those farmers in other countries who don't have a government backing them. The U.S. and western powers often want to avoid truly free trade, while many small countries want it (or at least something closer to fair). The title "Free Trade Agreement" is just an expression used for political purposes.

Secret Of Draft Beer

In blind taste tests, draft beer consistently tastes better to people than the bottled version of the same beers. People like the bottle in front of them as a matter of identity ("I'm a Bud man"), or so they don't appear cheap. If you don't feel that your brand of beer is important to who you are, and you don't measure your worth by others opinions, why not drink the better beer for less?

New Job Salary Negotiation Secret

After you're actually offered a job, you're in a much stronger position to negotiate salary, so don't discuss it during the first interview. You don't want them to think you are more interested in the money than the job. After an employer has decided on you, they don't want to start the whole interviewing and hiring process over, and they generally won't if there is any way they can justify paying what you are asking. Of course, be ready to help them out. Have an answer to the question, "Why are you worth it?"

Save On Oil Changes

Here's a secret that definitely is hidden in plain view. It's right there in your car owners manual. Most auto makers recommend an oil change every 5,000 or 6,000 miles, and some are now suggesting 10,000 miles. Would they recommend such an interval if they thought it wasn't often enough, considering that most cars are under warranty through many oil changes now?

What about the "3 months or 3,000 miles" wisdom? It's a marketing idea from the oil change industry. Wouldn't it reduce wear on the engine even more if you changed the oil every 100 miles? Of course, but the small extra savings on wear couldn't compare to the cost of the changes. For cheapest overall maintenance follow the manufacturer's recommendation.

Look around and you may find there are a lot of secrets that are hidden in plain view.

Why here? Why is this article on a website about brainpower? Two reasons. First, as a reminder that being smart isn't just about IQ. The other reason is to remind you about my Secrets Package, which these secrets are excerpted from. For more on the other hundreds of secrets, visit The Secret Information Site (you can use the banner below for the best offer):