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The Budget Stretcher
"Saving you money...One Dime at a Time!"
Week Of: November 26, 2007
AOL Users Please Visit Online
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Grandpa Terry's Ebooks
I've received 10 requests to run my special for "Mining Gold
From Ebay" again. With this offer you receive 27 ebooks all
relating to selling anything you have on Ebay. Don't miss this
offer because it's worth hundreds of dollars!
Here is the link (Note: I'm only running this for this week):
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According to Forbes Magazine, but did you know that the heirs to
the Wal-Mart fortune are worth even more than Bill? Instead of
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***What's Inside***
Grandpa Terry's Ebooks
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 - Coconut Pie
Watch for next week's newsletter featuring:
7 common holiday budget busters
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Subscriber Tip #1
Editor's note: This has been in a couple of previous newsletters
but I think it's worth repeating.
We all carry our mobile phones with names & numbers stored in
its memory but nobody, other than ourselves, knows which of
these numbers belong to our closest family or friends.
If we were to be involved in an accident or were taken ill, the
people attending us would have our mobile phone but wouldn't
know who to call. Yes, there are hundreds of numbers stored but
which one is the contact person in case of an emergency? Hence
this "ICE" (In Case of Emergency) Campaign
The concept of "ICE" is catching on quickly. It is a method of
contact during emergency situations. As cell phones are carried
by the majority of the population, all you need to do is store
the number of a contact person or persons who should be
contacted during emergency under the name "ICE" ( In Case Of
Emergency).
The idea was thought up by a paramedic who found that when he
went to the scenes of accidents, there were always mobile phones
with patients, but they didn't know which number to call. He
therefore thought that it would be a good idea if there was a
nationally recognized name for this purpose. In an emergency
situation, Emergency Service personnel and hospital Staff would
be able to quickly contact the right person by simply dialing
the number you have stored as "ICE."
For more than one contact name simply enter ICE1, ICE2 and ICE3
etc. A great idea that will make a difference!
Let's spread the concept of ICE by storing an ICE number in our
Mobile phones today!
Please forward this. It won't take too many "forwards" before
everybody will know about this It really could save your life,
or put a loved one's mind at rest . ICE will speak for you when
you are not able to.
Matt
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
Women's magazines are becoming more and more a great resource
for grocery coupons, the problem is you don't know they are
there until you just happen to find them. (If you're like me,
you barely have time to read magazines but you continue to buy
and subscribe anyways! ; o) So, the thing to do is quickly flip
through your magazines as you receive them to see if they
contain any coupons. Then, if you find any coupons that you can
use, go ahead and tear them out from the magazine and put them
in your wallet or coupon file so you can use them before they
expire.
Save hundreds of dollars on your groceries each month, by
learning how to properly use coupons. Get your copy of "101
Coupon Tips... To Save You More At The Store" now by clicking on
the below link:
121905
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Grandpa Terry's Update
Welcome to The Budget Stretcher!
I hope everyone survived Thanksgiving and Black Friday!
Effective immediately I am offering an unrestricted 7 Day Free
Trial of Budget Stretcher Premium to allow my subscribers to
see exactly what's available and have total access to everything.
I believe that the restricted trial I was offering left too many
unanswered questions and didn't give you a good picture of all
of the benefits. This time you will be able to download anything
you want or use any of the hundreds of services available.
Please go to the below page and sign up. You will be required
to enter your credit card info, however, if you cancel within
the 7 days it will not be charged for the first year's
subscription.
Here are 4 articles that I ran in last year's newsletters to
help you get ready for winter.
Winterize Your House
by Janet Wickell
Getting the House Ready for Winter
10 ways to winterize your home -- now
By Christopher Solomon
Caulking and Weatherstripping
How To Winterize Your Car
The holidays are here and now is a good time to decide exactly
how much you can spend on your Christmas shopping. It is much
easier to holiday shop if you have a set spending limit and are
determined not to exceed it.
In January let's look back at Christmas with fond memories and
not the dread of paying for it.
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 have them visit:
Have a great week,
Grandpa Terry
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Credit Card Information
8 ways to compare credit cards
By Emily Starbuck Gerson and Ben Woolsey
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Grandpa Terry's Tip of the Week
Is Your Computer Stuff Backed Up?
This past weekend I was working on a web page for Budget
Stretcher. I spent about 16 hours over two days getting
everything just right. When I opened the file on Monday I found
that somehow I had saved a different file over the one I had
been working on. It was gone.
I know that's not very interesting to you but I believe the
solution I found might be.
You may remember that last April my computer crashed and I
almost lost everything. It took several weeks to get things back
up and running with the help of a very expensive computer
expert.
In May, my son-in-law told me about a program that backs up
your computer automatically everyday and if your computer goes
kaput you have all of your files, photos, emails, etc that can
be reloaded to that computer or another one. This sounded good
so I downloaded the program for a free trial. It worked great.
The program I'm referring to is called Carbonite. I went into
their file on my computer and found the page I was looking for
almost instantly saving me countless hours and a lot of money.
Just a note. You don't have to wait for a computer crash to use
Carbonite. If you happen to hit the delete button on your
favorite photo you can recover just that file.
Now, I hear from so many that want me to send a link or some
other info because their computer had crashed or they deleted it
by mistake. It happens to all of us.
What I really like about it is that once you download it you
can forget it. It does everything in the background. In fact, it
only updates your files when your computer is online and idle so
that it won't slow you down when you are using your computer.
Why not consider a free trial by clicking on the below link:
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Site of the Week
Claus.com
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Grandpa Terry's Email
Hi Mr Terry!
In case someone else hasn't mentioned already,
missing, which sends you to one of those take-advantage-of-typos
sites.
Sunday, November 18, 2007, 5:23:41 AM, you wrote:
I
-- Scott
----------
Hi Grandpa Terry - Happy Thanksgiving Week to you and your
family!
I wanted to send a response to reader Catherine who was asking
about paid focus groups and surveys. I don't know a lot about
surveys for pay - most of what I see on the Internet looks to be
either scams or like .0001 cent per click (ha!).
But I used to work in a field where I needed market research
and can say that focus groups absolutely do exist and pay cash
for participation. This is not something one could do and make a
living at it, but it's nice to pick up one now and again for
some "mad money".
I myself worked in trial consulting, so I arranged mock juries
and legal case focus groups. But many companies and industries
use market research - especially consumer products like food,
clothing, personal electronics, etc. The entertainment industry
uses focus groups quite a bit also - to "pre-listen" to music,
watch tv show pilots, screen movies, etc.
To get involved with these projects, the best thing to do is
use Google or the local phone book and search under "Market
Research". There are large national companies and small
locally-owned companies that do this kind of work almost
everywhere. Obviously, there will be more closer to major metro
areas and far fewer in remote/rural locations.
Most now have websites, and interested participants can often
register with the companies via a form on the website now.
Essentially, you want to register yourself into their database
of willing participants. Beyond that, you cannot "sign up" or
select which industries or projects you would want. The reason
for this is each market research study is carefully designed to
test a particular demographic of people. For instance, when I
was putting together a mock jury, I would review census data
from the county where the trial would be held. I would then
determine the numbers of men v. women I needed, along with
specific ranges of age groups, races, etc. This was how I
maintained the integrity of my research. Consumer product
companies will have a whole different set of criteria.
What happens after you register in their databases depends on
the company and how many projects they have and how stringent
their guidelines for participants are. But essentially, you
wait. The company will generally call you if any of your
personal details match the demographics they're trying to fill.
It may be gender, age, race, or any number of other pieces of
data they will ask you for. You can of course, limit the things
you provide to them if you are concerned about privacy, but if
you want to be "eligible" for the largest number of groups, give
them everything they're looking for. Any reputable market
research company will not sell, rent, or otherwise give out the
personal information of participants in their databases. Their
reputations depend on being able to get good people in for their
paying clients, and if people refuse because of a breach of
confidentiality, the company would be out of business. To be
safe, review any privacy policies and confidentiality agreements
companies offer - every one is different.
Other tips:
group opportunities, depending on location. Here in the Chicago
area, there are always tons of ads posted looking for
participants for various groups. I would suggest checking that
out too if appropriate geographically.
If your name does end up on their list of eligible
participants, the first call you get may involve a "phone
interview". This is called a screener. These questions are
usually set by the market research experts or the client to
further determine your suitability for the project. If you don't
wish to answer the questions, that's your right, but you will
likely be bounced from the list, and the company may not call
again. Keep track of where you register, so that you recognize
the name if they call you!
Be selective even if you do get offers. The reason for this is
the client/company doing the research will often stipulate that
participants in their groups NOT have sat on a focus group or
trial within a certain timeframe. This is to weed out "career
focus groupers" who may not really offer genuine opinions and
thoughts. Remember market research is expensive for the company
conducting it so they want good, reliable results. From my
experience, I can tell you legal research can run into the six
figures depending on the case and level of research. But a mock
jury can often be the most exciting, interesting, and lucrative
type of focus group. The catch is you usually need to be
available for a full day during the week. Payment is generally
anywhere from $100-$600 depending on the scope of the project
and the location (cities pay higher than small towns/rural
areas). The amount of payment is set by the client, usually. The
market research company may offer suggestions, but usually that
is out of their control (the client company generally has a
budget to follow).
Smaller consumer-based groups are usually held in the evenings,
and often have food/refreshments available too. These pay
anywhere from $75-several hundred. Again, groups vary so much
there is no standard. And it's easy money, so it doesn't hurt to
register with a couple of companies. If you have very specific
interests, you can either poke around the market research
company website to see if they specialize in a certain area of
research and decide from there, or else you may be able to
indicate on their registration form what sorts of things you'd
be open to.
It is a lot of fun to do and like I said, is nice for picking
up some quick cash. I've done groups for personal electronics, a
tv show, candy ("test drove" dark chocolate Reese's Peanut
Butter Cups!), and a few restaurants (I go for the food-related
ones!)
Hope this helps - have fun!
Emilie
----------
Hi Terry!
was able to purchase several items at less than half price, just
by knowing what was going to go on sale. Now I won't have to get
up at 4am just to try and get a few bargains-I already got them!
The store also has a 30 day guarantee if the price goes lower, I
can get a price adjustment.
Plus, I used my store credit card to save an extra 10% - 20%,
then asked if I could pay the balance. The clerk was surprised,
but was able to do the transaction. Now I will not receive a
bill, plus I saved the extra money!!! [Just make sure you keep
the receipt as proof of payment]
Thanks a *million*!!!
Shaunna P.
Fargo, ND
----------
G'Pa Terry,
I enjoy your Premium Newsletter each week. I get another
newsletter that has some great earth friendly tips . Here are a
few from todays newsletter. Maybe you could contact the editor
of this newsletter & compile these tips. They are great, but I
won't ever remember them all. It would be great to have them all
together in one place! Living Green editor
I thought that I would share these as a read tip for the
newsletter.
The majority of air fresheners you buy in the supermarket do
not destroy odors, but simply mask them. Many commercially air
fresheners contain a cocktail of toxic chemicals that aren't
healthy for us or the environment.
One of the other problems of these air fresheners is that these
toxic chemicals accumulate in carpet over time. Added to all
that, there's the non-recyclable or reusable packaging of these
products - millions of spray cans and plastic bottles hitting
our landfills each year.
* Improving air circulation outside to inside will do wonders.
Open windows when you can.
* 1 to 2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract placed in small
containers around your home
* Use Baking soda to soak up acidic odors; also great for ash
trays.
* Use Vinegar to neutralize alkalinic odors.
* A couple of drops of essential oil in an atomizer/mister full
of water sprayed around (bear in mind this only masks the smell
rather than neutralizing it).
* Placing citrus fruit or cinnamon in a pot with water and
simmer gently.
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Subscriber Tip #2
Since my husband and I run our own business, I am often too
tired to cook the way I used to when my children were younger.
(Hey, I was younger then too!) I used to buy jumbo packs of
hamburger and repackage it in smaller units, but I recently
realized that the packs of hamburger patties are already in
smaller units, and since fewer family members eat supper at
home, the quarter pound patties are perfect for spaghetti and
tacos, and if some of the grown children stop by, I just add
another frozen patty and crumble it after it cooks. I also use
the jumbo packs of frozen boneless skinless chicken thighs. I
can cook a few pieces from frozen without all the salt and
additives in prepared meals, and without the waste of spoiled
meat if I had thawed too much or left it too long. Many times I
come home, put rice and vegetables in the rice steamer and
frozen hamburger or chicken in a covered skillet on high with a
little water, set the timer for 15 or 20 minutes, pull my shoes
off, and collapse until dinner is ready. Watch the meat until
you get used to how long it takes to cook, turn as needed, and
it's as easy as a frozen dinner.
Sandi
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Subscriber Tip #3
The crust ends of bread can be cut with a large glass to make
hamburger buns for the little ones. They like the idea of having
a bun like the "Big people, " without being overwhelmed with too
much bread. They can be easily frozen for later use.
Sheila - MI
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This Week's Article Links
Just click the links to view the article
$100 fill-up coming to pump near you
By Terry Jackson " Bankrate.com
Thrifty gifting
By Bankrate.com
Budget Christmas Ornaments Step by Step
By Kathy Wilson
To read more articles visit:
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Samples for free - over 1500 to choose from
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Special Recipe
HOLIDAY COOKING
Coconut Pie
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. flour
1 egg yoke
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups coconut
1 baked pie shell
whipped cream
Scald 1 cup milk in a double boiler. Mix sugar, salt flour, and
remaining milk together. Stir into hot milk and cook slowly
until thickened, stirring constantly. Cover and cook over
boiling water for 5 minutes. Add mixture slowly to egg yokes and
cook 1 minute longer. Add butter and vanilla. Stir in coconut.
Cool. Pour into baked pie shell and top with shipped cream if
desired. Makes one 9-inch pie.
This recipe compliments of The Best Cookbook Anywhere "Not Just
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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 Inexpensive Gift Ideas and Tips
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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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