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The Budget Stretcher
Week Of: October 23, 2006
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Grandpa Terry's Budget Tip
Take The Financial Fitness Quiz
It's hard to know how well you are actually doing with your
money especially if you are having problems.
When you take this quiz you will have a much better idea.
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***What's Inside***
Money Saving Tip
Subscriber's Tip of the Week
Coupon Savings
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 - Ham and Beans
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Subscriber Tip
Before I take a short day trip anywhere that I know that I will
be eating out, I always check restaurant.com to see if they have
any coupons available for that area. They frequently run 50%-60%
off emails to their subscribers too. I paid $1.20 for a coupon
good for $10 off of a $15 order! My friend and I had a GREAT
lunch at a restaurant that we were not familiar with, but will
definitely return to in the future. With Coupons in hand, of
course!
Lisa
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've picked out the grocery coupons you would like to
use for your weekly shopping trip put them in a designated place
or an envelope marked "Coupons to Use THIS WEEK!" When you get
home from the store any unused coupons can either be saved for
the following week or put back into your coupon file. And, if
you end up making a trip to the store earlier than expected, be
sure to grab your THIS WEEK coupons before you go!
Save hundreds of dollars on your groceries each month, with
or without using coupons! Read more of Michelle's FREE
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Grandpa Terry's Update
(Quote - "Do It Now Before Your Future Becomes Your Past")
I want to personally welcome you to this week's newsletter. If
you are a new subscriber all you have to do is just sit back,
read and enjoy.
I know that many of you pay a good price for your anti-virus
protection. I have a free download for one of the top
anti-virus programs available. Here is the link:
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 7.5.4
I would like to welcome another sponsor of Budget Stretcher.
Mr Rebates.com's web site offers Cash Back on all your online
purchases at over 800 stores. This would be a great place to
start your Christmas shopping!
With winter coming on it's time to start thinking about how
to save on those heating bills. Here is a web site that gives
some ideas on how you can save:
Tammy, a subscriber sent me an email asking me to give some tips
on learning self-discipline or motivating others to exercise
self-control when it comes to credit. I'm going to do this in
the coming weeks but I want to give you a good rule of thumb
first.
The only thing you have to learn is how to apply the same
self-discipline you use in your everyday routine to your money
and your credit.
I like to use Mom as an example. Think about what would happen
to most families if Mom wasn't in complete control of absolutely
everything. That takes discipline that any drill sergeant would
be proud of.
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
Credit Card Basics
Bankrate.com
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Grandpa Terry's Tip of the Week
I'm turning this week's tip over to a good friend of mine,
Joyce Pierce. She has some excellent advice on how to be
prepared for disaster.
Prepare & Preserve
It's hurricane season and this week in Houston we've had
thunderstorms and flooding. I am reminded of last year's
hurricanes along the Gulf Coast that left thousands of people
homeless. Many of them have relocated permanently. Others
returned to face rebuilding. Still others are displaced and
unsure of what the future holds.
You don't have to have hurricanes in your area to be forced to
evacuate. Chemical spills, tornadoes, earthquakes, fires, and
floods can cause us to have to leave our homes and face the
possibility of losing everything.
Would you be prepared to evacuate at a moment's notice? Would
you be able to gather your precious photographs, birth
certificates, marriage licenses, and other documentation to
prove who you are and what you own? Is it manageable enough that
you could simply walk out the door with it? Would it fill up the
back of an SUV, or could you easily carry it in a backpack? Is
your paperwork protected against water or fire damage?
I have taken my own evacuation experiences and created a new
book, Prepare & Preserve, which will guide you through the steps
you should take now so that you will be ready for any emergency.
You'll learn how to use your digital camera, fax machine,
scanner, and the internet to preserve your photos and documents
in the event of ANY emergency. Not only will this eliminate
having to carry the weight, but will allow you to access the
information from any computer.
Prepare & Preserve is available as a MS Word download so that
you can type the required information right into the document.
Take a look at this page and learn how to put your important
documents and photos in a more manageable format.
Don't sit back and think, "This will never happen to me." I
hope more than anything that you're right, but what if you're
not? At least go through the exercise of preparing for the worst
and have the peace of mind in knowing that if it happens, you're
ready. Think of it as your emergency insurance policy!
Joyce Moseley Pierce
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Site of the Week
Kidzango.com
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Grandpa Terry's Email
Topic of Discussion
This subscriber needs your help!
Hey Terry...
I have a situation I thought you might be able to help me with.
I had been working as a salaried member of management, at a job
for five months when I fell off a ladder and hurt my back. I
collected Workman's Comp for four months, while going to
Physical Therapy and having assorted tests. On the day, I was
released from the doctor, my employer told me that my position
had been filled, and they would contact me about a comp able
position. Several days later, I was offered a Sales Associate
position working on straight commission. I told them I needed to
make the amount of money I was offered when hired, and was told
they could not pay me that, so I turned that position down, and
suggested I work in the office or warehouse. A few days later, I
was told that due to slow business, they had no position for me
at all. They wished me luck and offered me a good reference. I
take this to mean that I am laid off. I have called, sent
emails, and a certified letter asking for the reference and a
letter stating the circumstances of my dismissal, but have not
heard back from them. I was not a bad employee...had never been
written up or anything.
Now...I am unemployed, and need to get unemployment. I don't
know if being on Workman's Comp will affect my eligibility for
unemployment pay. I have talked to the unemployment office, but
have not told them of the Workman's Comp, and they have not
asked. They did ask if I was on Workman's Comp now. It's my
understanding that you have to work two quarters of the last
Five, in order to receive unemployment, and I really don't know
if being out on WC counts as yes or no. Frankly, I'm scared to
ask anybody.
This whole situation has caught me off guard. I was given no
indication whatsoever that my job would be filled, or anything
of the sort. When I went to the Doctor for my final exam, he
suggested I call a lawyer, and even recommended one.
I have a $600 house payment due in two weeks, and a $300
utility bill that includes a loan payment for a heat pump on it,
due in a few days.
Can you offer any advise on this? I am in North Carolina.
-------
Grandpa Terry,
On the olive oil tip...I keep my olive oil in one of those blue
plastic drink bottles with the drinking tip. I think the drink
mine came from was Propel. Anyway, the blue color protects the
oil and still looks nice on my counter. Whenever I need a shot
or two of olive oil for cooking, it is a simple matter of
grabbing the bottle, giving a twist to the top, and giving a
good squeeze. I have been using this method for about three
years with great success. I wore one bottle completely out and
had to buy another though.
Janet
-------
Ok, after reading the great idea of buying and selling on ebay
I have to share this with you. I had a long conversation with my
oldest brother the other day. He is a minister/substitute
teacher and does cartooning as a hobby. He has his own strip
that although has not made him famous, is still rather good. He
never realized just how good until a friend called to tell him
that he was being sold on Ebay! One original drawing, actually a
copy of a limited edition Christmas card was sold on EBAY for
over $500!!!! I have several of these and although I would never
part with them, $500 is ALOT of money!!! He got a real kick out
of this! There is a market for everything if you can find it!
Thanks so much for the great info that you provide week after
week!
Lisa
-------
Hi Grandpa Terry. I get your newsletter every week and apply
what I can. I just moved back home ( to my parents ) after
college. I am 22. My boyfriend and I just found out we are
pregnant and are now stressing out about all the financial
changes we will have to make now. I have credit card debt from
college, but have kept it for the most on zero interest cards (
although I kept adding to it ). Now we have agreed to stop using
both our credit cards. We combined our credit card debt onto one
for 0% until September of next year. I would like to have it all
paid by April since that is when the Baby is due so I am paying
$400 - $500 a month ( we have about $5, 500 total). My question
is He has a 2000 Ford Expedition that is broke down. We are
sharing my car for now. He is upside down in his payments and
twice has been threatened with repossession. We want to get rid
of it, but with it not working on top of owing more than it is
worth I don't see how we can come out on top of this. If we allow
it to be repossessed (knowingly screwing up his credit), since
we are not married yet we could use mine to get him into a more
affordable car or save and buy something for a couple thousand
that runs, would that be an acceptable way out, or should be
refinance for what he owes, turn in his car and get what we can
out of it, and try to pay off the loan with only sharing my car?
Feel free to use this, but please leave my name out. Thank you.
My Response:
Hi ,
An upside down car loan is a hard problem to deal with
especially in your circumstances.
The best way to handle this naturally is to pay the loan on the
car in regular installments per the contract.
Now, let's talk reality. If you are in fact getting married my
suggestion would be to take some of the extra money you are
paying on your credit cards and help him with his payments. Here
is what's going to happen if you allow the car to be
repossessed:
The loan company will come get the Expedition and tow it to
their lot and normally make it ready for auction to the highest
bidder. If for example you owe $5000 on it and they can only get
$2500 you will be responsible for the remaining $2500 plus the
expenses incurred to pickup and sell it. This is not part of
your loan and the full amount is due immediately upon the loan
company notifying you.
An acquaintance of mine just recently went through this and was
socked with a $4100+ bill that was due immediately. Since there
was no way for him to pay the full amount he did ultimately get
the loan company to accept payments, but was informed that if
one payment was one day late they were going to turn it over to
collections. This may be something your boyfriend could
consider.
If you do decide to keep the car you may consider seeing if the
Auto Repair class at your local trade school would be willing to
fix it. Normally, you are only charged for parts.
With the responsibilities you and your boyfriend are about to
tackle you are going to need a detailed plan. There are so many
expenses involved in getting married and having a baby. Sit down
right away and discuss what you are going to do and how you plan
to get it done. You both need to be on the same page.
I will use your email within the next couple of weeks and I
will withhold your name.
I hope this helps, Grandpa Terry
-------
Hey Grandpa Terry,
Just wanted to say thanks for the great newsletters. It got me
thinking, what if I could find a home based business that would
help people get out of debt and earn money at the same time? I
found it! In fact they have helped me to get my credit score
raised 100 points and showed me how to get out of debt in 5
years instead of 10 ( 1 house and two cars). I have been using
your free forms with folks I have gone in business with and they
are loving the simplified way of doing a budget and paying their
bills. Now here's the kicker, the combination of your program
and Financial Destination, Inc. has been a win situation for
everyone. My business has exploded. Thanks for all of your help
Sincerely,
Chris Phillips
Helping stamp out financial illiteracy,
while helping people to Save Money,
Make Money, and Create Wealth.
-------
For Nancy that was looking for a free copy of your medical
records a subscriber suggested the below:
This person can check with the State medical Board in their state.
There should be a website too.
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Good Morning!
I usually put my purse in the trunk of the car before I leave
for work at night and take it out in the morning when I get
home. Yesterday it was raining so I decided to leave it in the
trunk until I got up to go to work again. Well, someone has
apparently been watching my routine and broke into the trunk,
taking my purse with all my credit cards and license, check book
and cell phone! Tip!!!!!!! The trunk is not a safe place for
valuables and keeping the same routine is dangerous as well!
Also, as I sit here with no cash and no way to get any, I will
now keep a few bux well hidden in my home for just such an
emergency. Thanks for a great ezine!
Mara in Texas
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Subscriber Tip
Hello!
I was playing around on the internet with some numbers and
entered them into LowerMyBills.com. The next thing I
knew, several representatives from mortgage companies were
calling me. It was interesting really, to explore the rates and
packages offered, though I made no commitments, and they DO high
pressure you to decide now.
Soon thereafter, I received a letter in my mail with both of
our credit scores, my husband s and mine, from all 3 credit
reporting agencies on it. On mine, it stated serious
delinquency from Equifax. I was upset, as I know better
than this and went to AnnualCreditReport.com. You can print your
credit report once a year...free. I was advised not to go to
FreeCreditReport.com...as they do charge for some service in
order to give you your report for free.
My Equifax report stated that all of my accounts are fine, no
late fees or payments, no delinquencies...I was totally
confused. I suspected identity theft or something, and it was a
relief to know everything was just fine. It was a mystery...
The next day a representative from the very company that had
stated serious delinquency on the letter called me!
Now I had concrete information, and asked him several times why
the letter stated that. He had no answer, only told me to
disregard it.
I told him we were not interested in doing any refinancing for
a few months, and let him know I did not appreciate that
misprint (or whatever it was) on the letter.
I highly recommend keeping an eye on your credit report. In
this instance it was very helpful to have complete knowledge of
my accounts.
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, right?
Roseanne
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This Week's Article Links
Just click the links to view the articles
Money Saving Shopping Ideas
by W. Lomano
Quick and Easy Halloween Decorations
By Kathy Wilson
Home equity loan vs. line of credit
By Bankrate.com
To read more articles visit:
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Recipe Secrets
Discover the Secrets to America's Most Wanted Recipes.
Learn the jealously guarded secrets behind actual dishes from
The Cheesecake Factory, KFC, The Olive Garden, McDonalds,
Red Lobster, Hard Rock Cafe...(far too many to list here)
and learn how to easily cook them yourself!
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Special Recipe
Ham and Beans
2 cups dried lima or great northern beans, washed well
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp, pepper
2 cups ham, cubed in pieces
Soak beans overnight in 6 cups of water. Drain and put
in pot with 6 cups fresh water. Season with salt and
pepper. Add ham and simmer over low heat for 2-3 hours
or until beans are tender. Great with corn bread.
This recipe compliments of The Best Cookbook Anywhere Not Just
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Everyday Savings
These Tips provided by The Frugal Shopper
~~Shop for items BEFORE you run out of them. If you run out of
an item you'll have to pay whatever the store is charging that
week.
~~Due to volume discounts, larger stores are generally cheaper
than smaller ones.
~~Avoid trips to the "corner store".
~~Make a grocery list during the week. Take it with you when
you shop. Stick to it.
~~If you go to the supermarket early in the morning (before
9am) you have a better chance of getting mark down items. Local
stores in my area mark down fresh veggies and fruits, frozen
items, milks, and meats.
~~Shop alone - this will save lots of money and frustration.
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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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