Money -- now there's a subject to pique anyone's interest. Most
of us are concerned about (1) earning money, (2) saving money,
(3) ensuring ROI (Return on Investment) of our money, and/or (4)
simply getting out of debt. With more Americans filing for
bankruptcy than ever before, there's room for improvement in how
we amass, spend, and save our precious, hard-earned dollars. And
this becomes even more crucial as we grow older, and see our
productive earning years in the workplace winding down to few.
Those with Internet access can tap a wealth of helpful
information. There are websites galore about all sorts of topics
related to money. The one problem Gram has found is that, often,
you have to be a financial wizard to figure it all out. But Gram
recently partnered with Terry Rigg, Sr., of Budget Stretcher at
http://www.homemoneyhelp.com In my view, Grandpa Terry IS a
financial wizard. He publishes a monthly ezine, and offers a
dandy ebook chockful of helpful ideas and advice about most
every area of typical spending and saving -- "Living Within Your
Means - The Easy Way" for $10., plus several helpful free
downloads. Also, he offers free assistance for a budget question
on request, and his excellent budget analysis for $9.95 can put
you on the right track where your finances are concerned.
As a real-life example, Grandpa Terry pointed out to Gram that
what she owes on credit cards eclipses interest earned on her
paltry 401K investment (and how! what with the craziness of the
stock market these days). So why not pay off those credit cards
pronto? This may well be one of those "can't see the forest for
the trees" situations -- because Gram really hadn't thought of
that, a small thing that can add up to additional savings.
Again, visit Budget Stretcher at http://www.homemoneyhelp.com
And while you're there, please note the other "partners" near
the bottom of the Budget Stretcher Home Page. You can spend a
weekend of informal study at these helpful websites, and come
away from your research with many new tools for controlling what
happens to your money.
Other ezines Gram subscribes to that deal with the topic of
saving money: -- The Dollar Stretcher, by Gary Foreman, archived
articles at http://www.stretcher.com -- to subscribe to the
weekly ezine, mailto:subscribe@stretcher.com -- The Pennypincher
Ezine -- send blank email to
mailto:ThePennypincher-subscribe@topica.com -- Thrifty Tips, a
daily Monday-Friday -- to subscribe, go to:
http://www.shagmail.com/sub/thrifttips.html The motto of this
ezine is "Pinch your pennies until Lincoln squeals."
The SHARE Food Program, and the SHARE Pharmacy, are just two
ways to stretch your money to the 'savings' point. Imagine this:
3 different SHARE packages offered in one month. (1) chicken
breasts, 1 lb. deli roast beef, chicken thighs, meatballs,
bar-b-que sauce, toaster bagels, potatoes, onions, and
additional fruits and vegetables. (2) turkey breast, boneless,
ready to cook, 4 lb.; plus one 3-lb. boneless ham. (3) Eight
6-oz. ribeye steaks. Each package: $15. plus 2 hours community
service.
At last count, there were 5,000 community organizations known as
SHARE host sites in the U.S. alone, serving more than 175,000
each month. SHARE is an acronym for Self Help and Resource
Exchange. You're guaranteed at least $30 worth of food in each
SHARE box. There are no income requirements to participate. You
can even log your two hours of community service in the SHARE
warehouse in your neighborhood, bagging oranges or onions or
carrying a food box to an elderly person's car. Not only that,
but you'll meet friendly, happy people who are all in the same
frame of mind -- saving money.
Call 1-619-544-2980 for a SHARE sponsor near you. Or go to:
http://www.worldshare.org/site/index.asp?coach_id=5390
SHARE Pharmacy was formed in December '98, to offer low-cost
prescription services. This is from the World SHARE website:
"Prescriptions are delivered by mail within 10-15 days to the
patient's door, a real bonus for those who have trouble getting
out. For patients needing to transfer prescriptions, our
friendly staff is here to help. If you know of anyone who is
struggling to pay for their prescriptions medicines, please let
them know of this fantastic program."
Gram emailed for some prices on common medications: Accupril
(for high blood pressure), 40 mg., 30 tablets - $33.; Lipitor
(for cholesterol), 20 mg., 30 tablets - $85.99; Atenolol (a
heart medicine), 50 mg., 60 tablets - $10.49 generic. These
prices are for someone without insurance or Medicare. Call
1-800-542-1110. Or email for fastest service:
mailto:Pharmacy@WorldSHARE.org
These are both wonderful, non-profit programs that could grow
even better if more people would take advantage of them.
About the author:
Stephania is a human services professional who published
"Tidbits from the Pantry," a monthly ezine to over 10,000
subscribers. Visit her site at http://www.humansrv.net
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