Powered by YourMailinglistProvider.com
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.
***********************************************************
The Budget Stretcher
"Saving you money...One Dime at a Time!"
Week Of: April 16, 2007
AOL Users Please Visit Online
***********************************************************
Free Ebook Download
For the next few weeks I'm going to give away an ebook each
week. All you have to do is click on the below link and the
download will start. The Adobe Acrobat Reader is required
to open the ebook and is on most computers.
Mouth-Watering Apple Recipes (671kb)
***********************************************************
Support Our Sponsor
Over 10, 000 Frugal Tips and Articles
Are you looking for ways to economize? ThriftyFun.com publishes
tips in a variety of categories, from food to home improvement.
We encourage reader's requests and participation. Come join the
discussion at ThriftyFun.com and view over 10, 000 tips and
articles to save you money and time!
***********************************************************
***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 - Mexican Chicken
Watch for next week's newsletter featuring:
10 quick ways to upgrade your home
***********************************************************
Subscriber Tip
Do you like to camp? Is starting a fire troublesome? Not
anymore! Pack dryer lint inside empty toilet paper and paper
towel tubes. These make great fire starters....best of all, they
are FREE!
Stacie
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:
***********************************************************
Coupon Savings
by Michelle Jones
If your coupon clipping time is limited don't get overwhelmed
and quit using them all together, just use the ones you need!
It doesn't really matter how you organize your grocery coupons;
whether you keep them filed away in a homemade or store-bought
organizer, or toss them in a stack on the kitchen counter.
What matters the most is that you take a few moments to look
through the coupons in your Sunday paper each week... so you
CAN use them!
Save hundreds of dollars on your groceries each month, with or
without using coupons! Read more of Michelle's FREE grocery
***********************************************************
Grandpa Terry's Update
Welcome to The Budget Stretcher!
Don't forget Tuesday, April 17, 2007 your US federal taxes are
due. I just made my contribution along with all the other
payments I've made all year. I just hope your tax bill wasn't as
large or as complicated as mine!! I'm ready for the Fair Tax.
Be sure to read my "Tip of the Week" below. I think you will
find that it can save you a lot of time and help organize your
finances.
I still need Subscriber Tips. I received some last week but I
need more. Please visit your Subscriber Benefits Page and
submit your tip. Here is the link:
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
***********************************************************
Support Our Sponsor
Finally Organized, Finally Free
An amazing collection of 1,300 organizing tips, ideas and
techniques to help you organize your home, your office and your
life!
Clutter-control tips for every room in the house. Time
management systems to help you gain extra hours in your day.
Super ways to organize the paper monsters in your life. Ideas
and systems to keep you motivated, and so much more!
***********************************************************
Credit Card Information
Debt Problems: State Laws on Debt Collection
By BSC Alliance.com
***********************************************************
Grandpa Terry's Tip of the Week
Check Register & Budget Ledger
A couple of months ago I decided to try something using a
couple of my calculating forms to keep track of my checking
account and paying my bills.
I loaded the Check Register and Budget Ledger on a separate
Excel file. This was just an experiment to see if it was easier
to keep track instead of using the paper register.
For those of you that might not know what the Budget Ledger is
let me explain. It's a calculating form where you setup your
bills in order of the date they are to be paid. Then as the
bills come in or on payday you simply make an entry for the date
and amount paid. This gives you a quick picture of what has been
paid and what is left to be paid for that month.
Check Register
Since I now use online banking this is really simple. As I
write checks or have a deposit I simply add them to the
register. Then when they appear on my online banking statement I
put an X in the appropriate box and I'm done. The form
automatically deducts or adds the transaction from my balance.
I started in February and make a new register each month
carrying over the balance to the new register. It's setup just
like a paper register so there isn't much explanation needed.
Budget Ledger
This calculating form can be a life saver and is so simple to
use. It may take an hour or so to setup because you will have to
find out all of the due dates for your bills and put them in
order.
I decided to customize the form so that I would know at a
glance if the bills were to be paid by Automatic Withdrawal,
check, Bill Pay or by phone. For my own purposes I included
which paycheck the bill was to be paid from. It also includes
the date due and amount budgeted. It's set up so that you can
run 3 months on a single form.
I've been wondering if this is something you may be interested
in. If it is I would have to put it together and write the
instructions to make it as easy to use as possible. I would
probably sell this for $3 or $4 to make sure everyone could
afford it.
There is a lot of work involved to get this ready so I want to
make sure there is some interest. If you would be interested
in the Subject line.
By the way, if you don't have Excel I will be including a link
to a free spreadsheet program so you can download and use these
forms.
If you already have the calculating forms and know a little
about how to work with Excel you can do this yourself.
***********************************************************
Site of the Week
The Garden Glove
***********************************************************
Grandpa Terry's Email
This site may be helpful to some who are on fixed incomes or
otherwise struggling to get back on their feet. A person may
purchase between $50 and $75 worth of food for $25 they mention
on the site this will feed a family of 4 for a week or Single
person for a month. Of course that would vary but it is helpful
and they have a new menu regularly. So with some creativity and
planning with other staples in the house who knows how this
could stretch a families budget.
Regular Reader
Peggy
--------
How is your planner different from the one at bankrate.com
(which is free)?
Bill
My Response:
Hi Bill,
Thanks for the question. Bankrate has an excellent debt
elimination calculator. So does MSN Money.
The primary difference between my program and bankrate's is
human intervention. Each summary that I complete is analyzed
before the info ever goes into my software. In many cases I
either need additional information or there is an obvious error
in what I receive. I contact the customer and clear up any
problems.
In addition, I sometimes email the customer and make
recommendations based on the debts submitted to optimize their
payment plan.
While bankrate allows only 9 debts to be submitted, my program
allows an unlimited number. Also their payment schedule is much
more difficult to work into your budget being separated by debt
instead of by month. (i.e., my program shows a list of what you
have to pay on each debt each month) You can see an example by
downloading the pdf file below:
I hope this answers your question.
All the best,
Terry
***********************************************************
Subscriber Tip
Having a menu planned out and a shopping list with you when you
go to the grocery store can save hundreds a month. We have 6 in
our family and I find that if I don't have list then I end up
spending up to $1200; when I have a list I spend $600. Those are
hard numbers and boy, are they a wake up call!
Angela
(Editor's Note: Angela please contact me at tre2000@midwest.net.
Your email address didn't come through to receive your free gift.
***********************************************************
Support Our Sponsor
Mvelopes Personal Free Online Budgeting
Mvelopes Personal is an online budgeting system that makes it
easy to create an effective personal budget and track every
aspect of your spending as it happens. It will help you to
always know exactly how much you have left to spend, instantly
know the impact of every spending decision, effectively manage
credit card spending, and quickly create an easy to use
household budgeting plan.
***********************************************************
Budget Stretcher Partners
SavingAdvice.com
Thrifty Fun
Smart Money Tips
TheFrugalShopper.com
4 Moms at Home.com
Debt Smart
Maxxsave.co.uk
***********************************************************
Subscriber Tip
I was sent this website from one of my cousins that could
purchase food for $25. My mom has been doing this program for
about a couple of months now and she loves it. She is on a fixed
income and takes care of my mentally handicapped aunt.
Tina
**********************************************************
Support Our Sponsors
Debt Consolidation can:
H - Help avoid filing bankruptcy
E - Eliminate creditor harassment
L - Lower debt payments up to 50%
P - Provide one monthly payment
***********************************************************
This Week's Article Links
Just click the links to view the article
The growing problem of merchant database theft
By Steve Bucci and Sheyna Steiner " Bankrate.com
Tackle The Chore Of Spring Cleaning
By Gregory Thomas
Home Cooking -- Mmmm Good!
by Jill Cooper
To read more articles visit:
***********************************************************
Take Advantage of your Budget Stretcher Subscriber
Benefits Visit:
Visit Our Forum
Join These Groups
A_Simple_Life
Frugal-Folks
FrugalMomsNews
FunOnABudget
***********************************************************
Support Our Sponsors
Debt Consolidation can Instantly Reduce Your Debt up to 60%!
Discover why our debt consolidation service is the most effective
solution for getting Americans out of debt. Let our debt
specialists review your finances and help you:
Save thousands in interest charges.
Reduce your credit card debt by up to 60%.
Help you regardless of your past credit history.
No credit check required.
No home ownership required.
***********************************************************
Special Recipe
Mexican Chicken
4-6 pieces chicken (remove skin)
1 cup salsa
Place chicken in a baking dish and top with salsa.
Cover. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or
until done. Sprinkle grated cheddar cheese on top
and serve. Great over rice.
This recipe compliments of The Best Cookbook Anywhere
***********************************************************
Everyday Savings
These Tips provided by The Frugal Shopper
Please show your appreciation for these great tips by visiting
this site.
After Shopping
~~Always return a product that is spoiled.
~~Send off for rebates to get items free, or nearly free!
~~Learn the sales cycles of your favorite stores, and know when
to expect certain items to go on sale.
~~Shop at bakery outlets. Breads and rolls freeze very well.
~~Remember that no particular store has the lowest price on all
items.
~~Create a "shopping pool". Agree with family and friends to
shop sales for each other.
***********************************************************
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.
|