The FREE Budget Stretcher Newsletter
June 20, 2005



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    This is an OPT-IN list ONLY!  If you feel that you
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    advertisements to help support Budget Stretcher.

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    The Budget Stretcher
    Week Of: June 20, 2005
    AOL Users Please Visit Online

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    Grandpa Terry's Quips

    Tip #20 - I've heard Mom's say they just don't have
    the discipline to manage their money.  I don't get it.
    Around most homes discipline is spelled M O M!

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    ***What's Inside***

    Money Saving Tip
    Subscriber's Tip of the Week
    Grandpa Terry's Update
    Credit Card Information
    Grandpa Terry's Tip of the Week
    Site of the Week
    Grandpa Terry's Email
    This Week's Articles
    Special Recipe - Just Cooking Tips
    Everyday Savings from http://www.thefrugalshopper.com

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    Money Saving Tip

    What to do When You Need Help (USA)
    Private and government programs to help you when times
    are tough

    Compliments of:  Frugal Living.About.com

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    Subscribers Tip of the Week

    Hi, we have two bathrooms in our house, and two teenage
    boys.  Both toilets are white porcelain, and get stained
    very easily.  I bought some of the powdered chlorine that
    is used for pools, and put about 1/4 cup of it in the
    toilet tanks, about every other week.  With each flush,
    the water bleaches the toilet, and they look great.  I
    also had a large stain in the bottom of one of the
    toilets; I dropped about 1/4 cup of the powder on the
    stain, and after about 30 minutes I flushed, and the
    stain was gone.  I checked with a plumber, who said that
    he could not think of any reason why this would be a
    problem.

    Beck

    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 my ebook "Living Within Your Means -
    The Easy Way", 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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    Grandpa Terry's Update

    Welcome everyone to this week's issue of our newsletter.
    A special welcome to all of you new subscribers.

    I'm going to be away from my computer for 3 days over the
    fourth of July weekend.  This will be the first time I've
    been away for more than a few hours since I started Budget
    Stretcher 5 1/2 years ago.

    My wife and I are going to Branson, MO to catch a few
    shows and just relax for a couple of days.  I had to
    promise her I wouldn't take a computer with me!

    I'm still going to publish the newsletter.  I will just
    get it together before I leave and set it up to go out
    early Sunday morning as usual.  I will answer any email
    when I return Monday, July 4th.

    Each week I publish 3 or 4 new articles in our newsletter.
    I just added a service that will list 20 more article links
    relating to Family Concerns on a Budget Stretcher web page.
    There are new articles listed almost everyday.  This may
    be a good page to bookmark.  I will be showing this link
    in the articles section of the newsletter each week.

    Here is the link:


    Sometimes it hard to determine whether a second income
    is really worth the effort.  Bankrate.com has a calculator
    that will help you determine just how much that second
    income is bringing in.  Click the below link to check
    it out:


    That's all I have for this week.  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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    *************************************************

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    Grandpa Terry's Tip of the Week

    I'm posting one of my most popular articles again as the tip
    for this week.  It seems that too many people have
    problems knowing exactly what their financial priorities
    should be.

    What To Pay When You Can't Pay Everything

    With ever increasing consumer debt more of us are finding
    ourselves robbing Peter to pay Paul each month.

    We go through our bills and find that the money just won't
    stretch far enough to cover all of the bills and expenses.
    It's hard to decide who you should pay when you have one
    bill that is stamped with "Final Notice" and you are behind
    on several of your other bills.

    If you don't pay the credit cards you know that you are
    going to start getting those harassing phone calls. If you
    don't pay the house payment you are looking at foreclosure.
    If you don't pay the utilities they will shut them off. How
    do you decide?

    When you get to this point it's time to get down to basic
    survival and work from there.

    I have actually talked to people that stated their credit
    cards were up to date but their mortgage was two months
    behind. This is one of the biggest mistakes we can make
    when we don't have the money to pay everything.

    Another mistake I see on a regular basis is that some
    people pay their bills at the expense of their food budget.

    If you have the money to pay some of your bills, you have
    to start with groceries first and necessary health items.
    You can try to save as much as possible on your food but
    that money has to be set aside before anything else.

    The next bill you must pay is your mortgage or rent. While
    credit cards companies will drag out their collection
    process, mortgage companies and landlords will start the
    process of foreclosure or eviction within just a couple of
    months.

    Your next priority is your utilities. In many cases utility
    companies will turn off your utilities if the bill isn't
    paid within a few days of receiving the bill.

    Once you are sure you have enough to eat and a roof over
    your head you can start thinking about your other bills.
    The secured loans, like your car payment, should come
    before your unsecured loans, like your credit cards.

    The reason for this is simple. Creditors that have secured
    property will sue or repossess much quicker than the credit
    card companies.

    If you find yourself in this situation it is a sign that
    you need to do something drastic and fast. By not paying
    all of your bills each month they are going to add up
    quickly and you are going to accumulate a lot of late fees.

    The best place to start is to find out exactly where you
    stand and what is causing the problem. This is as simple as
    listing your income on one side of a piece of paper and your
    bills on the other. Total each and subtract your bills from
    your income.

    Your next step is to develop a budget. You can find a free
    and simple budget by visiting The Complete Budget and Bill

    Whether you use my budget system or another it is very
    important that you start one as soon as possible. For those
    of you that believe a budget is to restrictive, just the
    opposite is true. The only way you can get what you want and
    know you can afford it is to have a budget in place.

    It is important that you pay all of your bills on time each
    month. When you don't have the money to pay everything it is
    vital to your survival that you pay the most important bills
    first.

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    Site of the Week

    4 Moms at Home.com

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    Grandpa Terry's Email

    The following 3 emails are in response to a question
    a subscriber had about removing yellow underarm stains
    from shirts:

    Hi,
      If you use dishwasher detergent on those stains it
    should remove them.   If the shirts are a synthetic
    material they will yellow from deodorant.

    Good luck,
    Patti

    --------------------------------------

    Most are caused by either smoking (toxins in the body)
    or the type of deodorant used.  I suggest soaking them
    in white vinegar for an hour before washing.

    Diane D
    Texas

    --------------------------------------

    Go to any Dollar Tree store, and pay one dollar for
    a bottle of yellow liquid in a spray bottle called
    "Awesome". I haven't found ANYTHING that this product
    does not clean. I use it on my carpet, on my laundry
    as a pre-stain, in my shower, on white wall tires,
    and on the white siding of my house.

    ~ Suzy ~

    --------------------------------------

    I look forward to your emails.  I thought I'd email to
    see if you or your readers have any suggestions to the
    following question:

    When black clothing fades, is there a way to restore
    the black color.  Seems like I have to replace a lot of
    black clothing because of the fading.  I read somewhere
    once to wash with tea, but I would think the next load
    of wash it would be washed out and get on everything
    else in the meantime, so I haven't tried it.  Anyone
    that has?  Thanks.

    --------------------------------------

    About the printer refills being more expensive that
    the printer.  Most refills will be double or triple
    the size of the ink that comes in the printer when
    you buy it.  What a waste of resources to keep buying
    a new printer.  Check the ink sizes, if it is the hp
    she is talking about at walmart, you can buy
    replacements at Sam's club for a good price, and the
    refills will last a long time.  I'm sure even the
    refills at Walmart are going to last a long time.

    *************************************************

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    Subscriber Tip

    Use Freecycle.  See the brief description below.  Find
    out more at freecycle.org

    When you want to find a new home for something -- whether
    it's a chair, a fax machine, piano, or an old door -- you
    simply send an e-mail offering it to members of your
    Freecycle group.

    Or, maybe you're looking to acquire something yourself.
    Simply respond to a member's offer, and you just might
    get it. After that, it's up to the giver to decide who
    receives the gift and to set up a pickup time for
    passing on the treasure.

    One main rule: Everything posted must be free, legal,
    and appropriate for all ages.

    Non-profit organizations also benefit from The Freecycle
    Network. Post the item or items you want to give away
    and a local organization can help you get it to someone
    in need.

    Melissa

    ************************************************

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    *************************************************

    This Week's Article Links

    Just click the links to view the articles

    How Much Do You Spend?
    By Terry Rigg

    Consumers, Beware the New "Wave" of Credit Cards
    By James H. Dimmitt

    Bounced-check protection' rules draw critics
    By Laura Bruce • Bankrate.com

    To read more articles visit:

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    Subscriber Tip

    I tried your tip about cleaning my drier filter. My filter
    was clean, but I noticed that there was a lot of built up
    lint that had gotten past the filter into the space inside
    that drier. I stuck my hand as far into that space as I
    could & removed all of the "gunk". It seems to
    have helped get the clothes dry a little faster.

    Kim

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    ************************************************

    Special Recipe

    Just Cooking Tips

    Instead of a recipe I'm going to list a few of the
    great tips you will find in the cookbook "Not Just
    Beans".

    ~~Reuse squeezable mustard bottles by washing and
    filling with icing for cakes.

    ~~When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking
    pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead.  No
    white mess on the outside of the cake.

    ~~Make heart-shaped cupcakes by placing a marble
    in between the muffin tin and muffin liner.  Fill
    half full and bake as usual.

    ~~Brush beaten egg white over pie crust before
    baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.

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

    ~~Cleaning behind your refrigerator will keep it
    running longer and more efficiently. Another fridge
    cleaning tip: Make sure the unit is level. An unleveled
    refrigerator works harder than it needs to and wastes
    energy.

    ~~Store plastic wrap in refrigerator - it will prevent
    it from sticking.

    ~~A good trick when you go away on vacation is to place
    a baggie with a few ice cubes in the freezer. If a power
    failure occurs while you are gone and the food thaws and
    then refreezes you will know about it when you get home.

    ~~Use a powder puff to dust flour on rolling pins, pastry
    boards and cookie sheets. Store puff in a margarine tub
    with a small amount of flour for quick dusting jobs.

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

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