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The Budget Stretcher
"Saving you money...One Dime at a Time!"
Week Of: February 11, 2008
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Grandpa Terry's Free & Paid Ebooks
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***What's Inside***
Grandpa Terry's Free & Paid Ebooks
Subscriber's Tip of the Week 1
Coupon Savings
Grandpa Terry's Update
Credit Card Information
Grandpa Terry's Tip of the Week
Site of the Week
Grandpa Terry's Email
Subscriber's Tip of the Week 2
Subscriber's Tip of the Week 3
This Week's Articles
Special Recipe - Bean Goulash
Watch for next week's newsletter featuring:
15 money moves for tough times
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Subscriber Tip #1
Dump Soup/Casserole
I keep a dish with a lid in the freezer. In it I put canned
vegetable juice, leftovers, or small amounts too small for
another meal or might otherwise end up in the trash.
When I'm ready, I use this to complete a soup or casserole. I
don't feel anything is wasted.
Jeannine/021108
Subscriber Tip Of The Week
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Use the form at the link below to vote for this tip:
All you have to do is submit a "Subscriber Tip" and if it
appears in The Budget Stretcher you will get your choice of
either The Complete Budget and Bill Organizer Download, 10 of
my Budget and Credit Card Calculating Forms or my Bill Pay
Management System to keep track of your bills and checking
account.
Please use the form available at to submit your tips:
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Coupon Savings
by Michelle Jones
A lot of people think grocery coupons can only be redeemed at
grocery stores, but in fact many discount stores such as
Wal-Mart, Target and K-Mart also accept coupons. And although
Dollar stores generally do not accept manufacturers' coupons,
drug stores such as CVS, Eckerd, and Walgreens do as well!
If you're not sure if your local stores accept coupons or not,
just give them a quick call to find out, or ask a sales
associate the next time you're in the store. Of course Wal-Mart
generally has the lowest prices but ALL of these stores offer
great sales each week and should certainly not be overlooked
when cashing in coupons!
If you would like to learn how to save more money with coupons,
including how to use them WISELY, how NOT to use them, and how
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Grandpa Terry's Update
Welcome to The Budget Stretcher!
I've decided to get a little sneaky with the free gifts for
voting for your favorite tips. At random, I'm going to select
a better ebook (Value $10 to $30) to use as a gift. That way
you will hopefully vote each week just to see if this is the
week for the Bonus Gift! (It could even be this week...)
We have a lot of new subscribers and I am getting the emails
again that ask me to "direct their email to the appropriate
department" or "have your staff get back to me"! I'm also
getting those emails that refer to me as "Mr. Rigg".
I would like to put a picture in your mind about what Budget
Stretcher offices look like. There is 1 bald headed guy sitting
at a computer with papers and files (neatly) placed around that
computer. This computer is located in a room in my house.
I start my workday at about 4:30 in the morning by checking and
answering my email. I do this several times a day. Then it's
time to update my web sites with stuff I've accumulated the
previous day.
On Saturday morning I start putting together our newsletter. I
use web sites I visited the previous week, tips submitted by you
folks and other email that I've received with articles and other
info that I think you will be interested in.
Basically what I'm saying is that there are no departments or
staff to run them. Budget Stretcher is a one man operation where
there is no doubt who to blame if something is wrong!
I don't mind being called Mr. Rigg by someone that is trying to
sell me something, but for you folks I prefer either Terry or
Grandpa Terry (your choice).
It may also be important for you to know that I'm not some
financial guru with a bunch of letters after my name. Any
insight I have into solving financial problems either comes from
my personal experiences (I've been where most of you are, or
worse) or what I've learned since starting Budget Stretcher
over 8 years ago.
If you want to know a little more about me and Budget Stretcher
you can visit my About page at:
That's all for now. Remember, I really enjoy hearing from you
folks. If you have any comments, complaints, suggestions or just
want to say Hi, please send me an email to
If you know someone that may be interested in subscribing to our
newsletter have them visit:
Have a great week,
Grandpa Terry
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Credit Card Information
Think twice before killing credit cards
By Steve Bucci • Bankrate.com
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Grandpa Terry's Tip of the Week
Ok folks, just one more week on the Fair Tax and I will move on
to something else...
Top 10 Reasons I like the Fair Tax!
#1 It will relieve taxpayers of the annual burden of keeping
records and filing tax returns saving billions of dollars and
free up our time for more important things.
#2 It will eliminate the IRS. No more April 15 deadlines, no
more tax audits, no more tax liens. This alone will save an
estimated $250 to $300 billion dollars a year.
#3 Each taxpayer will receive a check each month to cover the
following month's sales taxes on necessary items. Depending on
the size of your family this could be several hundreds of dollars
each month.
#4 Each working taxpayer will receive their entire paycheck with
no federal deductions.
#5 The Retail Sales Tax will only apply to new items making
buying used very attractive and recycling a way of life.
#6 Illegal income will be taxed when the money is spent.
#7 Hundreds of businesses that have moved out of the country
have shown a desire to return if the Fair Tax is enacted
because it will make them more competitive in the world market.
It will bring our jobs home.
#8 The price of goods and services will not increase or decrease
substantially because the current hidden taxes will be removed
and replaced by the Fair Tax.
#9 Congress will no longer be able to manipulate tax laws to
further their agenda.
#10 By putting more money in the hands of taxpayers the Fair Tax
will boost the economy like nothing we've seen before.
-------
I received a couple of emails about the Fair Tax this week. Make
sure to read the one from Australia!
I am all in favor of the Fair Tax idea but I have a question
for you. What will happen to people who are solely supported by
the government (i.e. Social Security, Department of Veteran's
Affairs) and who do not technically earn an income? This fair
tax is suppose to get rid of the income tax but how will these
people be able to afford 23% on certain items when they aren't
getting an income from working? Will these people receive a
raise through the government on their Social Security/VA
Benefits/etc. or have to rely on rebate checks if they
qualify... or are they simply up a creek if this Fair Tax does
get passed?
Thanks,
Joanna
My response:
Hi Joanna,
Thanks for the question.
Under our current system fixed income individuals are already
paying these taxes in the form of imbedded taxes. These are
federal income taxes that every business pays at each stage of
the development of goods and services that must be passed along
to the consumer. The Fair Tax proposal will eliminate these
taxes for businesses which means the price of goods and services
will go down about 20-23%. When you add the recommended 23%
Federal Sales Tax at the retail level the prices will be about
the same as they are now. In fact, you probably won't notice
much difference at all because the Sales Tax will be imbedded in
the price of the item and not added at checkout.
In addition, only items at the retail level (new) will be
taxed. Anything that is not new will not be taxed. Many fixed
income individuals rely on used items now. This will eliminate
their tax on these items.
Basically, the rebate check will be in addition to their
regular income with prices remaining about the same.
I hope this answers your question,
Grandpa Terry
-------
Hello Grandpa Terry,
I am in Australia, and from what I can work out, Fair Tax is a
little similar to our GST (Goods and Services Tax). Presently,
this tax is at 10% on all services, and foods apart from
staples. All the amounts here are in Australian Dollars.
The again, the fair Tax you are hoping for is an overall type
of tax, where as ours have catches. For example. .
Before you get too excited, we also have income tax which
starts at 15 cents on every dollar earned over $6000 until you
reach $30, 000, then $3, 600 plus 30 cents for each dollar over
$30, 000, then $17, 100 plus 40 cent for every dollar over $75,
000 and so on - link attached. The rates changed recently. The
ones quoted are for the year 2007-2008. Our Tax year is from 1
July to 30 June the next year.
This may seem really high, but we do have a government paid
medical system where you get free care in a public hospital, and
subsidized medications for all. For drugs covered by the PBS,
the most anyone pays for a prescription is $31.30, and if you
are on a low income, or on a pension, or Social Security, the
maximum is $5.00.
We also have quite a generous Social Security System. The
amounts paid to the unemployed are WAY below the poverty line,
but if you are lucky, it is possible to live.
I understand our system is very different to the one in the
USA. Often, I am very grateful for that fact. I read so many
articles in your newsletters about checking hospital costs etc,
the problems of HMO's, where you can't even get the tests or
treatment if the company feels it is too expensive etc, not to
mention people being turned away from hospitals because they
have no insurance and no money.
Sorry if I have rambled on and wasted your time.
If you have any specific questions about the Australian system,
please do not hesitate to contact me. I have had lots of
experience with our Social Security and health systems.
Keep up the most excellent work. I love your e- letter
Anne
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Site of the Week
MommySavers.com
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Grandpa Terry's Email
Can you help this subscriber?
Dear Grandpa Terry,
I own a condo and have a high maintenance fee which includes
all utilities, parking, and building services. I also have a 30
year fixed mortgage. The problem is that I should never have
purchased this place because the total of my maintenance and
mortgage is over half of my take home pay. I've had it on the
market for over two years. The financial burden of carrying this
place is really back breaking. There's no way out. I already am
working three jobs. I need to concentrate on preparing for
retirement, as I will be 60 this year, but I have to pour all my
finances into this place. If I stop paying my maintenance and
pay the mortgage, the building will eventually place a lien and
I'll lose it anyway. Auctions are out of the question because I
won't get enough to even pay the mortgage and I'll still owe the
bank. I thought of renting it and moving into an apartment, but
I've had no one interested in that either. Basically, I'm being
held hostage by my situation. It's just hopeless I know, but I
thought you or your readers might have an idea about what I can
do.
Thanks,
Jan in Ohio
My Response:
Hi Jan,
I'm sorry to hear about your situation. I'm not too familiar
with condos and maintenance fees, etc, but in your situation you
need to do something. I'm really not sure of what you can do
short of letting the condo go back and filing bankruptcy which
seems to be an extreme measure. I'm sure some of my subscribers
know more about this and I will include it in next week's issue
of the newsletter.
I would, however, contact the mortgage company and the company
that manages the condo and explain your situation. There may be
something they could recommend.
Sorry I couldn't help more,
Grandpa Terry
----------
Dear Grandpa Terry,
This is in response to the person with the aging cat who would
not stop going in the same place. Although they have cleaned
the area and removed the urine odor, they probably have not
removed the cat pheromone odor, which only the cat can smell.
The writer needs to go to the store and get a product that will
remove this. Is relatively cheap and effective. Any pet store
and maybe even Walmart should have it.
Catherine
----------
Hi Terry, regarding wordyblue's problem with her cat peeing on
the carpet. We have the same problem with our cat. Our vet
recommend a product called "anti icky poo". You can google it or
find it on ebay. She swears by it. The problem with just
shampooing or using baking soda is it still doesn't get rid of
all the urine. You can test the theory when it's dark by using a
black light. Depending on where the area is, she may also want
to consider placing a cat box there. The other thing our vet
recommended was more cat boxes around the house so she doesn't
have to go far. It may seem silly in a small place, but even in
our little 900 sq foot condo, we found having boxes in addition
to the usual place close to where they hang out during the day
alleviated messes.
Leslie
----------
I read in this weeks letter about the ill cat that urinates on
the carpet, Try white undiluted vinegar on the spot it should
deter the cat but can discolor the carpet, test in a unseen spot
first. It worked for out puppy when we were house training him
Tracy
----------
Hi Grandpa Terry,
As a subscriber to your weekly newsletter, I was saddened to
hear of this poor cat. I actually do have some advice for her
that may be a different course of action than what she is used
to dealing with.
The first question is your cat overweight? Adult cats really
should not weigh any more than 8 or 9 lbs. The second question
is are you feeding your kitty commercial food? If so, get him
off of it immediately and switch to real food. Yes, you heard
right. Commercial cat and dog food has so much junk in there you
would be appalled. I've had my dog on real food for over a year
and it's made a tremendous difference in his health. Believe it
or not, some of his favorite foods are bananas and broccoli! To
give you an idea, we generally feed him brown rice, boiled
turkey or chicken and vegetables. We also give him Safflower
oil, fish oil, and Vitamin E as supplements. He also gets the
occasional splurge such as a piece of pizza or a hamburger for
dinner. Feeding real food can go a long way to improving the
cats overall health. For guidelines, I often refer to the book
The Nature of Animal Healing by Dr. Martin Goldstein. It is a
wonderful reference and will give you a very good idea of all
the garbage we subject our animals to. And no, I'm not a member
of PETA or anything like that! Finally, I would highly recommend
taking the cat to a holistic vet. They have a much different
approach to health than a traditional vet does and may have some
ideas that can help you.
Best of luck,
Chris
----------
Whenever I get an e-mail from a friend regarding one of those
While I don't use the dryer sheets I still checked out the
"tip" on the snopes site to check it's reliability. I thought
your readers might want to know about this, here's the link
regarding the dryer sheets:
Tammy W.
----------
Is there a discussion about washing your lint filter? If so,
I found this at snopes:
Iva
----------
Hi G. Terry,
I tried to send a tip via the BS, but it would not "fly" so I
will enclose it here.
I have a pretty little bottle, about pint size with a top that
makes foam, I hope you know what I mean...usually hand soaps and
pet shampoo comes in these. I filled mine about an inch with my
Suave Clarifying Shampoo, then the rest of the way with water
and shook it up. (these bottles become clogged if the contents
are too thick) Anyway, it foams out the nicest shampoo, I know I
will get a years worth of shampooing and save several $$$. I read
once that some cheaper shampoos work as well as the expensive
ones so I hope to save even more with my bottle. One could even
use these bottles for their liquid soap if they do not mind it
being a little thinner.
Hope someone uses this idea, it works very well!
Eileen
----------
Hello Grandpa Terry
Here is my tip every six to eight weeks don't go grocery
shopping. Just buy milk and bread and perishables and eat what
is in the cupboards. You will be surprised at the amount of food
you are stashing away.
With the money you save either buy something you need, have a
treat or put it towards savings.
Cheers
Maree
----------
I use a good spam filter, and you probably do the same. I have
white listed you and that means that I will receive all the
emails you send to me. I would appreciate it if you would
white list my email address: hbaker@rochester.rr.com in your spam
filter.
If you don't have a spam filter, I can recommend SPAMfighter.
It is a highly effective free spam filter for Outlook and
Outlook Express.
You can get the free SPAMfighter here:
I hope that you will white list me, so we can continue to
communicate safely via email in the future.
Best regards
Henry
----------
Hi Grandpa Terry,
This is Tammy formerly of Bolivar… I have accepted a job in
Overland Park, Kansas.. and I have a couple of questions about
tax deductions…
My family is still living in the house in Bolivar and I am
renting a small apartment in KS. We plan to put the house on the
market this spring…
Is any part of the apartment tax deductible? Until I sell the
house I am sticking with the Bolivar address as my permanent
address.
Since I haven't technically moved my household, I don't think I
can deduct moving expenses…. However, I drive home every weekend
where I continue to work at the hospital where I was employed…
any chance the mileage could somehow be deducted?
Also, I do transcription in the evenings (via the internet) for
my former employer… so I could probably deduct the cost of my
internet, right?
I cashed in part of my 403b and it is going to kill me on
taxes…
Thanks,
Tammy
My Response:
Hi Tammy,
I am really sorry it took so long to answer your email. It's
been hectic around here.
The only part of your house payment that would be tax
deductible is your mortgage interest and then only if you
itemize your deductions. However, if you operate a business from
your home you can deduct a portion of your housing expenses
depending on the amount of square feet you use for the business.
Not knowing your income or tax situation I would recommend
either completing your taxes using a tax preparer or, if you
feel you can do it, tax preparation software like TaxAct (
your taxes and giving a set answer is almost impossible.
I wish I could be of more help.
Have a great weekend,
Grandpa Terry
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Subscriber Tip #2
I keep my kitchen sponges fresh and clean by standing them up
in the dishwasher in the utensil bins. They stay sweet-smelling
and fresh and I never have to throw them out until they wear
out.
Susan/021108
Subscriber Tip Of The Week
Vote For Susan's Tip and Get A Free Gift!
Brand New: Use the form at the link below to vote for this tip:
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Subscriber Tip #3
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This Week's Article Links
Just click the links to view the article
Mortgage rates rise a bunch
By Holden Lewis • Bankrate.com
Biweekly mortgage may be a rip-off
by Scott Bilker
Celebrating Valentine’s Day on a Shoestring
Deborah Taylor-Hough
To read more articles visit:
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Special Recipe
Bean Goulash
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. bacon
1 stalk celery
1 small onion
1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans or 2 cups cooked beans
1 (15 oz.) can butter beans
1 (15 oz.) can pork and beans
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 cup barbecue sauce or catsup
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
Brown ground beef, bacon, celery and onion. Mix the rest
of the ingredients together with ground beef mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or put in the crockpot
on low for 1-2 hours.
This recipe compliments of Living On A Dime. Get more of the
recipes you can actually use:
***********************************************************
Everyday Savings
These Tips provided by The Frugal Shopper
Please show your appreciation for these great tips by visiting
this site.
SHOPPING TIPS
WHILE SHOPPING
~~Most bargains are found on the higher and lower shelves. Most
expensive brands are at eye level (to get your attention).
~~Watch for unadvertised specials.
~~Shop for items that you use regularly at all times. If you
run out, you will have to pay whatever the supermarket may be
charging when you need it.
~~Stockpile, Stockpile, Stockpile! If a product you use is on
sale, buy as much as you can afford and store to last you until
the next sale. This is a BIG money saver!
~~Wait if you can until the item is on sale. If you know your
products and stores, you can have enough to last until the item
is discounted again.
~~Use your freezer to stock up when there is a sale on frozen
or dairy items, such as cheese, butter and milk.
***********************************************************
Contact Information:
Budget Stretcher
1203 Madison 228
Fredericktown, MO 63645
FAX: 573-783-5982
***********************************************************
Disclaimer: This newsletter is only intended to provide
information on proper money management. Budget Stretcher or
Terry Rigg can not accept responsibility for any injury or
damage that may be caused to yourself, others, or property when
following any advice given.
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