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The Budget Stretcher
"Saving you money...One Dime at a Time!"
Week Of: September 3, 2007
AOL Users Please Visit Online
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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.
98 Popcorn Recipes
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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.
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***What's Inside***
Free Ebook Download
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 - Hamburger Casserole
Watch for next week's newsletter featuring:
Slash your insurance costs
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Subscriber Tip
I recently needed new walking shoes. Last year I bought them
locally for $130. This particular brand fit my foot perfectly so
I wanted the exact same shoes.
Thinking I may be able to get them cheaper online, I did a web
search and checked the prices. They were about $30 cheaper
online. When I went to the check out, there was a spot for a
coupon code. I opened another browser and searched for the
stores name and typed "coupon code". I found one for 15% off!
I never shopped this site before and they gave me the option of
signing up with them or continue without opening an account. I
chose to open an account and they gave me a member discount of
$8.75!
My total price (this site gives free shipping and no tax) is
$78.76!
I saved $51.24 off of the local price.
So look for those coupon codes!
Cheryl
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
Once you know what day your favorite grocery store begins their
new sales each week (either Sundays or Wednesdays) try to plan
your schedule so you can make your weekly trip to the store
shortly after the sale begins--like the very next day. This will
not only help you to get the best bargains (because they won't
be all sold out and require a rain check, which you may or may
not redeem at some point in the future) but it will also ensure
you do not miss the best sales completely!
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!
I would like to thank all of the subscribers that sent emails
about my nephew Mark. Your concern is very much appreciated.
Now It's Your Turn, and It's Free for 7 Days!!
For one whole week you are going to have limited access to my
New Budget Stretcher Premium web site. I will even be sending
you the Premium newsletter next week (No Advertising).
On September 7th I will be sending out a Special Email giving
you a username and password to access the site. Some of the
enormous amount of resources will be deactivated during this
period because they are worth hundreds of dollars, but you will
still access to a lot of information and money help.
Even the regular BSP members will have their access restricted
during this 7 day period just before launching their new site.
After you have reviewed the site you will be able to subscribe
using a link on the BSP home page, but only after you've
determined that it's worth the money. As with all offers by
Budget Stretcher, you are never under any obligation to buy.
At midnight, September 14th the username and password you
received will be removed and you will no longer be able to
access the site. All restrictions will be removed and the
current members and new members will have access to everything.
There's only 113 shopping days until Christmas! It may be a
good idea to get your shopping started now.
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:
Have a great week,
Grandpa Terry
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Support Our Sponsor
Free Grocery Secrets
Discover how my simple manual can quickly and easily save your
family thousands of dollars per year in mouth watering free
groceries, beginning in as little as 24 hours!
Get two Special Bonuses:
~~Free Copy Of "Recipe Box" Software
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50% Off for a Limited Time!
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Credit Card Information
The Proper Use Of Credit Cards
by David Berky
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Grandpa Terry's Tip of the Week
Why Budgets Don't Work and How To Fix It!
This article is for those families that have sat down at a desk
or the kitchen table time after time trying to develop a family
budget that they can live with.
Why don't they work?
There are several answers to that question. Most budgets are
doomed from day one because they are too complicated, don't have
the commitment of all involved or the numbers simply don't add
up. The biggest culprit is that most people don't allow for
unexpected expenses.
Let's tackle these one at a time:
Too Complicated:
When you list every expense you have on your budget you set
yourself up for defeat. Some budgets include such things as
cleaning supplies, dog food, haircuts and car gas. In order to
keep track of all of these you would need a new box of envelopes
every month.
Answer: Streamline your budget. By simply including a topic on
your budget entitled "Household" where you can include
everything you spend money on each month, excluding bills.
Groceries will undoubtedly be the largest expense in this
category. By taking the extra time to figure what needs to go
into your household budget when you set it up, you can save a
lot of time each payday.
Commitment:
1. Many times the commitment to live by a budget is lacking.
2. People get into spending habits that are hard to break.
3. There is constant friction in the family over money.
4. It is more comfortable to live beyond your means.
Answer: You have to consider all of the above problems when
setting up your budget. The Family Budget is just that, the
FAMILY BUDGET. Everyone in the family that is old enough to
count should be included. I don't mean to say that children
should have a say in where the money goes, but they should be
aware of what the spending limits of the family are. If you work
closely with your spouse in developing a family budget you both
are more likely to stick to it. There is one other detail that
will help. By setting aside money for yourself and your spouse,
that you don't have to account to the other for, your budget is
more likely to succeed.
The Numbers Don't Add Up:
You have more budget than you have paycheck. Generally, this is
caused by not being realistic in your budget. You try to make
your paycheck fit your budget.
Answer: Start by listing your household expenses and bills.
Then include 10% of your income for long and short term savings.
If this total is more than your paycheck, you have to cut back.
Start by looking at your household budget. Are there items that
you can do without? If you have money left over after
considering all of the above, then increase your savings.
Unexpected Expenses:
This can be from your car breaking down, need a new washer or
any number of other expenses that you can't predict.
Answer: While long term savings is for things such as a home or
car purchase or college for the kids, short term savings is just
as vital to your financial security. A short term savings will
accomplish two things. It will provide you with the money you
need to pay those unexpected expenses and it will cut down on
the use of credit cards. The short term savings could save you
hundreds of dollars a year.
When you develop your budget, keep the following things in
mind:
1. Make your budget as simple as possible
2. Get the family involved.
3. Make your budget fit your paycheck, not the other way around.
4. Plan for the unexpected.
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Site of the Week
Creative Homemaking.com
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Grandpa Terry's Email
G'pa Terry,
My husbands company is relocating us from NC to TX. My daughter
& I have moved down early (due to school schedule). We are doing
a lot around our current home to get it ready to go on the
market Tuesday. We had let a lot of things go for several years
so we are looking at some major expense.
We have good credit. This has taken a lot of work over the last
8 years, but it is worth it. My question is the following: We
have spent $8, 000-10, 000 on painting inside & out, along with
many other upgrades.
We have 2 cards with a balance. The first is 7% APR, has a $5,
500 limit & we owe $2700. I pay $500 each month to get it paid
off. The other card has a $27, 000 limit. We use this card
strictly to build credit & pay it off each month (until now). A
few days ago they lowered the APR to 15% when I took out an $8,
000 cash advance (at 5.99% APR). Including the balance transfer
we now owe $15, 000 on this card. Almost the entire balance is
home improvement or relocation expenses. We are reimbursed the
relocation expenses every couple of weeks. We will pay off the
balance as soon as our house sells.
We were preapproved for our mortgage before we started the
major home improvements. My concern is we hope close on a house
in TX within the next month. Our house should sell by then given
our market, or we will use the relocation buy out option.
How will this higher balance on our credit card for about 1-1
1/2 months effect our credit? We have locked in our mortgage
rate at 6.125%. Do we have to worry about the rate changing if
our credit score changes?
Thanks for your newsletter! Kim
My Response:
Hi Kim,
Given your circumstances I don't think you will see much of a
change in your credit score although there may be a few point
drop for a short time. This will primarily be from your
available credit going from $27, 000 to about $12, 000. After
you have paid it off it should return to where it is now or
better.
If you haven't already received paperwork that shows your
6.125% interest rate locked in on your mortgage I would contact
the lender to send you something binding them to that agreement.
Like we said in the military, if it's not in writing it doesn't
exist.
It's always nice to see someone that's on top of their
finances. You and your husband obviously are. Congratulations
and good luck in your new home.
All the best,
Grandpa Terry
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Subscriber Tip
We just bought a new house and the toilets had been taped up
for the winter (2 or 3 years ago) and the previous owners had
not taken it off - But WD40 melted the black sticky stuff and a
little scraping got the bits of tape all off in seconds. It also
works great on crayon on the tile floor (sigh...) although I had
to use a little baking soda and a scrub brush for the grout...
Stephanie
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is full of answers and advice about activities, techniques and
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Budget Stretcher Partners
SavingAdvice.com
Thrifty Fun
Smart Money Tips
TheFrugalShopper.com
4 Moms at Home.com
Debt Smart
Maxxsave.co.uk
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Subscriber Tip
Every payday (weekly) I put away 1/52 of my annual bills into a
separate account, adding 10% to it just in case of price
increases. When the bill comes due, I get to pay less for it
overall by paying just once a year - no monthly service charges
for carrying a balance, less transactions to hassle with, etc.
Doing it this way has saved me a small fortune over the years,
especially on insurance!
Tracy in Watauga, TX
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Debt Consolidation can:
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This Week's Article Links
Just click the links to view the article
Dealing with an overaggressive collector
By Steve Bucci • Bankrate.com
Teaching Kids about Money
by Jill Cooper
The 7 Secrets to Getting—and Staying—Out of Debt
By Rob Sallay
To read more articles visit:
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Benefits Visit:
Visit Our Forum
Budget Stretcher Subscriber Benefits Page
Join This Groups
A_Simple_Life
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Support Our Sponsors
Samples for free - over 1500 to choose from
Free 1500 samples
Samples of candy, food and other items
Free candy samples, pet samples, + others
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Special Recipe
Hamburger Casserole
1/2 lb. ground beef, browned
6 cups macaroni, cooked
2 cups American cheese
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
salt (to taste)
In a casserole mix warm browned ground beef with warm noodles
and add cheese; stir until melted. Add tomato sauce, garlic
powder, onion powder, and salt. Heat in oven at 350 degrees for
20 minutes. Serves 4.
This recipe compliments of The Best Cookbook Anywhere
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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.
~~Old pillow cases - Use for laundry bag.
~~Empty paper-towel roll - Store extension cords inside.
~~Frisbees - Use as paper plate holders at a picnic.
~~Mouse Pads - Use as a paint pallet. Use acrylic, oils,
or most any paints. Wash when done, and reuse!
~~Newspaper - Use to clean windows, line trash cans, wrap
presents. Use in place of peanuts when mailing packages,
as fire starter, or as garden mulch.
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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.
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