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In This Week's Issue:

Microeconomic Explosion
Are your finances about to explode?

Retiring on Social Security
Is it possible to live well on SSI alone?

Single Parent Survival Guide
Making it as a single parent

Office Potlucks
When you can't bring your special diet food to the potluck

Substitute This!
What you need might just be sitting in your pantry

Cheaper Summer Cooling
Cooling options for apartment dwellers and others who don't want to spend a lot

The Pork BBQ Secret
What restaurants don't want you to know

Natural Insect Repellents
Using essential oils to ward off insects

I'm a Makeup Snob
Lower the cost without reducing the quality

Furniture Shopping
Make shopping for furniture a fun, budget-friendly experience

Travel for Less
Want to travel, but think you can't afford it?

Air Drying Clothes Without a Clothesline
Save electricity and lengthen the life of your clothes


Visit the Dollar Stretcher
Family Section!

Dollar Stretcher
Need money-saving ideas and tips for your family? Each week you'll find dozens of articles on a wide range of family-related topics in the Dollar Stretcher Family Section.

Remodeling for Cheap
Fulfilling big plans on a small budget

My Story
An economical way to eat out with kids

Natural Spider Control
Keep daddy long legs outside!

The Benefits of Slow-Cookers
Prepare delicious meals efficiently

Natural Health Remedies
Check the cupboard first

Meals on the Run
No time for a leisurely meal? There's another choice besides fast food!

Are We Snacking Our Way Into Debt?
You can learn a lot from a person's snacking habits

Natural Foods for Lawns
No need for nasty chemicals

Behind In Credit Card Bills
What do you do when you can't keep up with the bills?

Contentment Robbers
Taking something even more valuable than money

Entertain Chic, on the Cheap!
Cheap and easy ways to entertain indoors or out

The Power of Compound Interest
What could training shoes teach him about money?

5 Tips for Post-Collegiate Financial Sanity
Surviving the lean years that often follow a college education

Space for Crafts
When there's little room to do what you love

Can you help this reader?
Readers want your help!
Storing Food and Expiration Dates
Please take a look and tell us what you recommend

Reader's Tips
The smartest readers on the web share their frugal living ideas!

The Guide to Understanding and Protecting Credit
a 14 lesson guide to your managing your credit

This week's lesson: Credit Keys - Establishing and maintaining good credit

Last week's lesson: ID Theft Victims - Immediate steps to take

Your Story
Do you know a way to save time and money? Then please take a moment to "Tell Us Your Story"

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    Inflation Fighters The Dollar Stretcher

    Why Shop Online
    Money-saving truths about online shopping

    Dollar Stretcher Poll
    Do you shop online? And, will saving gas cause you to do more online shopping?

    The Day Trip Vacation
    Kid friendly vacations on a tank of gas

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    Poll: Will retirement be relaxing, distressing?
    Whether you are well-prepared or in denial, see how your retirement hopes and fears compare with those of others

    5 ways to improve your credit
    A step-by-step guide for boosting your credit rating

    A 7-step plan for fixing your credit report
    Here's how to identify the mistakes and clear them up before they cause you problems

    Keeping credit score high takes effort
    You can bring your credit score down in many ways. Here are tips to avoid the pitfalls

    A dozen ways to get a down payment
    Remember down payments? They're back in vogue with home lenders. Here's what you can do to come up with the cash

    Try these transportation options to save gas
    Finnding alternate transportation options to reduce their need for gas

    With old debt, know your limits
    A look at the statutes of limitation on collecting debts in all 50 states

    Don't use debit card for car rental
    Using a debit card for a car rental can be a costly way to go

    Secured credit cards: 10 questions to ask
    People with little credit or bad credit can join the world of the carded -- for a price

    Credit card currency conversion costs
    A chart shows what large issuers and banks charge for foreign charges on credit cards, debit cards and ATMs

    Lawsuit yields free credit monitoring
    The settlement of a class-action lawsuit against TransUnion allows consumers to get free credit monitoring, and millions are eligible

    Car guzzling gas? Try a different vehicle
    Readers address the gas-price hikes by swapping vehicles

    Settle your debts yourself
    You can pay someone to negotiate debt settlements for you, but you can do it yourself for nothing

    Retirement planning for the surviving spouse
    No one wants to think about death, but the alternative is to leave your loved one in a lurch

    Drive smarter to save gas
    Reduce your need for gas by driving in the most efficient manner

    Dirty dozen: bankruptcy myths debunked
    You might think you have all the information on how bankruptcy works, but you probably don't

    Finding a place that fits your lifestyle
    100 places where retirees might wish to settle

    4 housing upgrades that don't pay
    Thinking of renovating? Here are four things to avoid if you may want to sell down the road

    Risks of a short sale
    If the lender doesn't agree to a short sale, you could be in for a hassle

    Bad credit can cost you big bucks
    Beyond mortgage and credit card interest rates, there are many other insidious ways low scores can zap you

    7 gas-sipping tips for trips
    Readers show how they plan their errands and daily routines to reduce their need for gas

    Ignored debt damages many parts of life
    Debts and fish have something in common -- ignore them, and they begin to stink

    Is retiring early unpatriotic?
    A pundit says retiring at 65 is selfish and unpatriotic. However, seniors who want to work face myriad challenges

    Some hybrids qualify for tax breaks
    Nissan and Mazda have finally joined Honda on the hybrid tax credit track

    10 ways to avoid moving scams
    Everyone has tales of moving scams. Here are 10 ways to avoid being taken for a ride

    8 ways to ruin your chances to retire
    Retiring is not mandatory. You can stay shackled to a job until your last gasp if you follow these steps

    Fame & Fortune: Al Roker
    Jovial "Today" weatherman shows a serious business side with his production company

    Hang on to SUV if you're 'upside down'
    Ditching an SUV when you're upside down on the loan may be unwise

    Auto gap insurance often prudent
    Gap insurance can be prudent whether you own your car or lease it

    Credit determines fate of car refinance
    A driver with good credit should be able to refinance a car loan

    Ask Dr. Don
  • Upside down on home? Take a deep breath - Don't let the fear of being upside down on a loan force you into foolish decisions
  • Don't bother improving great credit - There's no need to improve a credit score that hovers around 800
  • Should man prepay mortgage, or car loan? - Deciding which of two loans to pay down first is tricky business
  • Don't raid 401(k) to pay plastic debt - You could regret this decision for many years
  • Canceling credit card won't help score - A consumer who regrets opening a credit card account will not benefit from closing it
  • Penalty fee makes bad investment worse - A 9 percent surrender charge makes fleeing a bad investment tough
  • No villains in home equity freeze - Borrowers may lament a HELOC freeze, but lenders are just protecting themselves
    • Frugal Living at The Dollar Stretcher
    Saving you time and money each week since 1996
    last update: July 3, 2008

    The Dollar Stretcher Community
    Share what you know with your frugal friends!

    How does a child set a reverse example? - When a child is more frugal than her parents

    Feeding our group - A weekly get together poses a question: how do you frugally feed several people?

    What can I make with corn tortillas? - She has an abundance of corn tortillas!

    Folk medicine - Upset stomach? Headache? Can't sleep? Need to lose weight? The old folks had some remedies. (This is NOT medical advice; it's only a discussion.)

    Never visited The Community? We'll make it easy for you to make new frugal friends in the About These Forums section

    Dollar Stretcher Blogs

    Become a Dollar Stretcher blogger. Send us an email with your idea for a blog. We're always looking for more great ideas to share with visitors!


    Current Rates

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  • Short-sale mortgage forgiveness - When homeowners are forced into a short sale, they won't owe tax on the forgiven debt
  • Taxes on cash settlements - Cash settlement from a broken 99-year lease can offset the cost of a vacation home
  • Is disability income taxable? - If your employer pays the premiums, your short-term disability is taxable income
  • Mortgage relief and taxes - The IRS gives a break to homeowners who owe more than their home is worth
  • When a job relocation forces a home sale - You might be able to exclude capital gains on the sale of a home if you move for a job


    • Financial Calculators
    courtesy of BankRate.com


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    Credit checks for job applicants become more common
    Increasingly, job hunters are required to allow credit checks during the application process. It's legal, but the applicant has rights, too

    What VantageScores are, how they work
    The VantageScore, introduced in 2006, credit scoring product combines Equifax, Experian and TransUnion credit scores into one score

    Improve your credit score by keeping card balances low
    Experts now say you should be using no more about 50 percent of your available credit -- not the 67 percent you are using now

    The good guys of credit repair
    Credit repair firms say they can boost your credit score, but it's credit resellers who do the job for less hype, less money and less mystery

    What's your VantageScore?
    The new VantageScore credit scoring product combines Equifax, Experian and TransUnion credit scores into one score

    How to finance an engagement ring
    If you want her to marry you for richer and not poorer, study the fine print to make sure the bauble on her finger doesn't turn into a ball and chain on your newlywed finances

    Dave Ramsey on The Dollar Stretcher

  • My Good Intentions Backfired
    I wanted to help but had no savings to give, so I looked for a loan to help them out
  • Two-Year Turnaround
    When Scott graduated from grad school in 2006, he had a big pile of student loan debt. Now, 2 years later, he recently celebrated becoming debt free!
  • Investing from the beginning
    You won't believe how much money Laura will have if she starts investing at her age
  • Payments Teach Responsibility? NOT!
    Her dad wants to teach her responsibility so he is taking away her paid-for car and forcing her to buy a brand-new car
  • Getting Out of the Timeshare Trap
    We may have lost $5,000, but at least we aren't paying $700 this summer on an unwanted vacation
  • We Paid Off $650,000!
    Mitch was $650,000 in debt, working 3 jobs, and scared to death. Now he's experiencing life from the other side of the fence!
  • Finding my dream career
    Lindsay doesn't know how to market herself for the job she wants.
    • For more Dave Ramsey Click Here
    For Our Canadian Friends
  • Who's up for a prenup? - Love is blind, but you don't have to be
  • How much does it cost to lose 30 pounds? - The skinny on weight-loss programs
  • Real estate hit by rising fuel costs
    Housing demand has long been driven by interest rates and the job market. Now, fuel prices are starting to have an effect, too
  • Preplanning a funeral
    Talking about death is hard, but planning ahead can relieve your family of financial and emotional burdens
  • The cost of carbon
    With the recent launch of the Montreal Climate Exchange, we look at the world of carbon trading and how it aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions
  • All about contests
    Everything you ever wanted to know about contests, from whether your winnings are taxed to why you have to answer a skill-testing question to claim your prize
    		• Unclaimed Property
    Are you owed money?
    "My husband and I checked for unclaimed funds. We were stunned to find out that we had $450 coming to us. You never know until you check."
    Bev

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