The FREE Budget Stretcher Newsletter
March 26, 2007



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    To: tre2000@midwest.net
    Subject: [PHISH] The Budget Stretcher - No-Cost Downloads In This Issue

    This is an OPT-IN list ONLY! If you feel that you have received
    this message in error, please follow the directions at the
    bottom of this email to unsubscribe. Thank you. This email
    contains advertisements to help support Budget Stretcher.
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    The Budget Stretcher
    "Saving you money...One Dime at a Time!"
    Week Of: April 2, 2007
    AOL Users Please Visit Online

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    Grandpa Terry's Quips

    Tip #39 - You really should know your credit score. Just
    think of it as your financial batting average.

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    ***What's Inside***

    Grandpa Terry's Quips
    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 - Bread Pudding
    Everyday Savings from http://www.thefrugalshopper.com

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    Subscriber Tip

    Salt Uses

    1.  Soak stained hankies in salt water before washing.
    2.  Sprinkle salt on your shelves to keep ants away.
    3.  Soak fish in salt water before descaling; the scales
    will come off easier.
    4.  Put a few grains of rice in your salt shaker for
    easier pouring.
    5.  Add salt to green salads to prevent wilting.

    Compliments of: MommieCare

    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 or 10 of
    my Budget and Credit Card Calculating Forms.

    Please use the form available at:


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    Coupon Savings
    by Michelle Jones

    We all go through things in life from time to time and need a
    fresh start.  If you've got a file of grocery coupons that hasn't
    been used in months, or years, rest assured that most of the
    coupons have expired.  Don't just pass hem by week after
    week thinking "I haven't used those things in months what's
    the point now?"  The point is it's never too late to grab a
    handful of coupons and save some money on your next trip to
    the grocery store.  If you don't have time to sort through them
    and toss out the ones that are expired, just toss them all out
    and start over!  More about this next week... right now you can
    just start preparing yourself mentally for the task. ;o)

    Save hundreds of dollars on your groceries each month, with or
    without using coupons! Read more of Michelle's FREE grocery

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    Grandpa Terry's Update

    Welcome to The Budget Stretcher!

    The computer problem is fixed and I'm up and running again.
    Believe it or not I had to buy another computer. The Mother
    Board was shot. The guy that tried to fix my computer was able
    to save most of my files. It will probably only take two weeks
    to catch up on the week it was down. Oh well, nothing else to
    do!

    Here are a few quick tips I received from Tina that you may
    find useful:

    Terry, I found a really cool site that gives away a different
    software program everyday. The only catch is that you only have
    24 hours to download and install it. I don't really consider
    that a catch though.


    Make sure you bookmark it.

    Have a great day! Garrie

    I received the below email from a subscriber that offers a free
    software download everyday. Here is her email:

    Quick tips

    Instant Bed Tray

    If you have a sick family member and need more space to hold
    medicines and tissues, etc., place an adjustable ironing board
    next to the bed. Cover with a plastic sheet and put everything
    the patient needs on it.

    Tasty Toast Topping

    Liven up that breakfast toast with this delicious spread. Mix
    1/2 pound margarine, 3 tablespoons cinnamon and 1/2 pound
    confectioner's sugar in an electric mixer. Store in the
    refrigerator in a container with a tight-fitting lid.

    Too Much Fat In Cooked Soup?

    Put several ice cubes into the soup and the fat will stick to
    them. Then take cubes out and your soup will be healthier and
    have fewer calories.

    Have Leftover Hot Dog Buns?

    After a barbecue, you may discover that you have extra hot dog
    buns; don't throw them out. Instead use them for garlic bread.
    Just pull the buns apart, toast and then spread with a
    garlic-butter mixture

    When You Are Staying In a Motel or Hotel

    If there are small bars of soap made available, take several
    and keep them in the glove compartment of your car or in your
    purse. They'll come in handy when you are using a gas station
    restroom or other facility where there may not be soap when you
    need it!

    Have Extra Eyeglass Cases?

    If you've accumulated a number of eyeglass cases that close and
    they are cluttering up a drawer, you can use them in your purse
    to hold any loose items - pens, combs, nail files or paper
    clips.

    Melt Chocolate Without A Mess

    To avoid cleaning up that gooey mess, place chocolate pieces
    into a sturdy plastic food bag. Immerse it in a pot of heated
    water. When melted, cut off a corner of the bag and squeeze the
    chocolate out. Toss the bag.

    Need More Storage Space in the Garage?

    Utilize the air space. Hang a hammock up there to store light
    items, such as holiday decorations or seasonal items. This will
    work in your children's rooms, too, for teddy bears or other
    items.

    Gift Wrap Bows Crinkled?

    If your beautiful bows have gotten scrunched up and look bad,
    don't throw them out. Use a curling iron to straighten them out.
    They will look new and pretty again.

    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 just have them visit:


    All the best,
    Grandpa Terry

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    Credit Card Information

    Ask for a Lower Credit Card Interest Rate
    By BSC Alliance.com

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    Grandpa Terry's Tip of the Week

    Protect Yourself When Shopping Online
    By Terry Rigg

    There is only one person that is ultimately responsible for
    your protection from fraud when shopping online.  That person
    is YOU!

    When I decided to write this article I was prepared to give
    you a few tips that I found in my research that would help
    you when you decided to buy something online.  That research
    produced some amazing results.

    Only about 2% or 3% of online orders result in fraud, however,
    almost all of these could have been prevented by knowing and
    understanding how to safely shop online.  This information is
    readily available.

    As an example, I have a credit card issued by Chase Bank.  I went
    to their web site and typed "Consumer Protection" in their
    search box.  It came back with 14 results on every aspect of
    protecting their customers from credit card fraud.  Most major
    credit card banks offer similar advice to their customers.  It
    would be a good idea to check your credit card company's web
    site.

    With 71 million members worldwide, PayPal, an Ebay Company,
    is probably the largest company to offer online payments.  They
    also offer one of the best tools for protecting yourself while
    shopping online.  I would recommend that anyone that shops
    online, whether using PayPal or not, download their "E-commerce
    Safety Guide" by visiting the below link:


    You can learn even more by visiting their "Security Center" at
    the below link:


    We don't want to forget the Federal Trade Commission that is charged with
    protecting consumers from a variety of consumer problems.  I've put together
    a few links from their website that I believe will help you to be a better informed
    online consumer:


    There are a couple of common tips that will make shopping online a lot safer
    that I would like to list:

    ~~Never provide your credit card or checking account information
    when making a purchase online unless the address to that site
    starts with "https".  This shows that the site is on a secure
    server and provides much better protection of your private
    information.

    ~~Take every precaution to verify that the web site offering the
    product is legitimate.  This may be as simple as using their
    contact information to send them an email and asking questions
    about the product.  If they don't have contact information
    at their site don't buy from them.


    "When you receive unsolicited email advertisements, never use
    the special link they provide in the email. Email links are not
    always safe and these days there's no way for you to know for
    sure if you are at the retailers site or one that was spoofed in
    order to get your credit card information. Instead, type in the
    url address of the site you want, look for the https, and shop
    online from there."

    Buying products has changed dramatically in the last few years.
    If you buy online you don't have the luxury of looking a
    salesman in the eye when making your purchase.  It is to your
    benefit to become as informed as possible to protect yourself
    from fraud.

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    Site of the Week

    Frugal Village

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    Grandpa Terry's Email

    Hey Terry...

    You're the best source for asking about credit report problems,
    so, here I go again...with not one, but two questions! Years
    ago, I went to a doctor's office, and then a subsequent
    overnight stay in the hospital. There was a problem with the
    overnight test, and it had to be done again. I was told the
    first one would be removed from my bill. It wasn't. So, I have
    two identical charges for every thing concerning that episode.
    Two office visits, two hospital nights, etc etc. I have been
    going round and round with these people for at least five years.
    I've been in their office to talk to their billing dept. I've
    replied to collection notices with "this bill is in dispute"
    letters. The office claims to have made no mistake, and it stays
    currently WAY past due on my credit report. I've talked til I'm
    blue in the face, and frankly, I'm tired of dealing with it. Any
    ideas?

    The second one...I went to another doctor's office, and saw a
    male Physician's Assistant. This was the only time I ever went
    to this office, and this was the only person I ever saw, yet, on
    the bill, it has charges for seeing a female doctor that I have
    never met in my life. Letters written concerning this, have gone
    unacknowledged, and now it's a bad mark on my credit report. Any
    ideas on this one?

    Thanks for your help...I appreciate ya!
    Suzy

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    Subscriber Tip

    Most everyone knows about keeping your car tires inflated
    properly to maintain proper wear and tear...longer life
    in other words. Often times though, people, (women
    especially) don't like to put air in their tires as
    subsconscientiously they're afraid of putting too much in
    and the tire exploding. The trick here is to first know
    how many pounds of air pressure your tire takes. (This
    will show on your tires). Then go to a service station
    that has an air hose with a tire gage on it. Be sure to
    hold the gage handle down when filling tires. It will give
    you an exact reading so you will know exactly how many
    pounds of air you have in your tires. Cool...huh?

    Also, don't forget to fill your tank early in the morning,
    (especially in the summer months) as gas expands. You
    will get more gas in your tank this way.

    Mary

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    Subscriber Tip

    I am a person of many allergies and one of my cat's
    is too and can't use those brand name treatments.
    What I do is I put 1/2 cup of vinegar into a bucket
    of hot water and I damp mop the floor once a day. The
    vinegar is what kills the fleas, your animal lays
    and sits on the floor and the fleas proverbially fall
    dead off of your animal. I damp mop everyday for one
    week straight and then once a week, once every two
    weeks and then just once a month, every month and
    fleas be gone forever.

    As Always,
    Jeanne S.

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    This Week's Article Links

    Just click the links to view the article

    Don't wipe out savings to wipe out debt
    The Debt Adviser by Steve Bucci  Bankrate.com

    Sound Advice For First Time Credit Card Users
    By Credit Web

    Ebay vs Garage Sales
    By Joyce Moseley Pierce

    To read more articles visit:

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    Debt Consolidation can:

    H - Help avoid filing bankruptcy
    E - Eliminate creditor harassment
    L - Lower debt payments up to 50%
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    Special Recipe

    Bread Pudding

    6 cups bread (about 8 slices, cubed)
    2/3 cup sugar
    2 eggs
    2 cups milk
    1 tsp. vanilla
    1 tsp. nutmeg
    2 Tbsp. lemon juice
    1/2 tsp. salt
    1 cup raisins (optional)

    Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and pour into a greased 8X8
    inch pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes and top with
    lemon glaze (see below).

    Lemon Glaze

    1/3 cup margarine or butter add 1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel
       to the margarine
    2 cups powdered sugar
    1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
    2 to 4 Tbsp. hot water

    Heat margarine in a saucepan until melted.  Stir in powdered
    sugar, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon water.  Mix well.  Add
    the rest of the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the
    frosting is smooth.  Glazes one bundt cake or one 10-inch
    angel food cake.

    This recipe compliments of The Best Cookbook Anywhere
    Not Just Beans.com http://www.Livingonadime.com

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    Everyday Savings

    These Tips provided by The Frugal Shopper

    Please show your appreciation for these great tips by visiting
    this site.

    Visit The Frugal Shopper's "Do It Yourself/Make Your Own"
    page at:


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    Contact Information:
    Budget Stretcher
    1203 Madison 228
    Fredericktown, MO  63645
    FAX:  573-783-5982

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    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.