What is in it for you?
Just about everything. A carpenter would never start work on a new house without a blueprint. An aerospace firm would never begin construction on a new rocket booster without a detailed set of design specifications. Yet many of us find ourselves in the circumstance of getting out on our own and making, spending, and investing money without a plan to guide us. Budgeting is about planning. And planning is crucial to produce a desired result.

What is a budget?
A budget is a money plan. With it, you can organize and control your financial resources, set and realize goals, and decide in advance how your money will work for you. A budget can be as simple as it is powerful. The basic idea behind budgeting is to save money up front for both known and unknown expenses.

Seven Benefits of Budgeting
Know what is going on. Personal budgeting allows you to know exactly how much money you have-even down to the penny, if you so desire. Furthermore, a budget is a self-education tool that shows you how your funds are allocated, how they are working for you, what your plans are for them, and how far along you are toward reaching your goals.
"Knowledge is power," as the oft-quoted saying of George Eliot goes, and knowing about your money is the first step toward controlling it. That leads us to our next benefit: control. A budget is the key to enabling you to take charge of your finances. With a budget, you have the tools to decide what is going to happen to your hard-earned money, and when. You can control your money, instead of having your money limit what you do. This bears repeating: you can be in control of your money, instead of letting it control you!
The third benefit is organization. Even in its simplest form, a budget divides funds into categories of expenditures and savings. Beyond that, however, budgets can provide further organization by automatically providing records of all your monetary transactions. They can also provide the foundation for a simple filing system to organize bills, receipts, and financial statements.
The fourth benefit is communication. If you are married, have a family, or share money with anyone, having a budget that you create together is a key to resolving personal differences about money handling. The budget is a communication tool to discuss the priorities for where your money should be spent, as well as enabling all involved parties to "run" the system.
The fifth benefit: a budget allows you to take advantage of opportunities. Knowing the exact state of your personal monetary affairs, and being in control, allows you to take advantage of opportunities that you might otherwise miss. Have you ever wondered if you could afford something? With a budget, you will never have to wonder again--you will know.
The sixth benefit is extra time. All your financial transactions are automatically organized for tax time, for creditor questions, in fact, for any query that may come up about how and when you spent money. Being armed with such information saves time digging through old records.
The seventh benefit is extra money. This might well be everyone's favorite. A budget will almost certainly produce extra money for you to do with as you wish. Hidden fees and lost interest paid to outsiders can be eliminated. Unnecessary expenditures, once identified, can be stripped out. Savings, no matter how small, can be accumulated and made to work for you.

Jane Chidester Jane@TulipTreePress.com is the author of BudgetYes! 21st Century Solutions for Taking Control of Your Money Now! http://TulipTreePress.com To order the book call (614) 766-2050)

Grocery shopping: one of those many errands that needs to be done for which we never have enough time. Actually, people spend more time at the grocery store than they need to on each shopping trip. With some advance planning and easy shopping techniques you can be in and out in no time at all!

First of all, the key to successful and organized grocery shopping is menu planning. Menu planning also ensures that you won't need to stop at the store (and spend time you don't have!) every night to pick up something you forgot for dinner. By taking a little time in advance to sit down with your local supermarket circular you can create a quick menu for the week. When planning your menu, take into consideration in-season food and sale items. It's a good idea to write down your 10 best, never-miss dinners including side dishes, condiments, beverages and a dessert on a large index or recipe card. You can use these meals to help plan your menus on weeks where you are too busy to spend any time. On the back of each card write a complete grocery list for each meal.

What follows are some quick tips for handling your shopping list and coupons and your actual supermarket trip to waste the least amount of time.

Organizing Your List
There's several ways you can handle preparation of your shopping list. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Pick up an in-store aisle guide and use it to organize your shopping list.
2. Consider preparing a permanent shopping list including food, dry goods, cleaning supplies, toiletries, paper products and make photocopies of it. Fill in and/or circle what you need each week and add a list of fresh items to the bottom.
3. Keep a running shopping list on your refrigerator. As you use an item out of your pantry, mark it on your list and you'll never be without your favorite product.
4. Mark your list with a (c) next to items that you have coupons for so you know when to check for sizes and brands. (If you have room, include size and brand right on your list).
5. Study the store's sale advertisements prior to shopping and making your list so you can utilize in-season, and sale items in your meals for the week. That way you won't need to spend time looking at in-store sale signs.
6. Paper clip any coupons to your list in order--that way you won't have to do a lot of searching to compare prices, or, write your shopping list on the outside of an envelope (this is a good use for the envelopes you receive in promotional mail that you'd otherwise throw out) and put the coupons you plan to use inside the envelope in order.
7. When you've picked up an item that you have a coupon for, move the coupon to the back of the pile and turn it over so you know to hand it in at the cash register.
8. If you use the idea above of putting your 10 favorite meals on individual cards, you can simply carry those cards to the store to pick up what you need rather than writing a list.

The Shopping Excursion
When possible, shop as a team with your spouse or older teenager. One person should shop the perimeter of the store with the cart while the other collects items from the aisles and delivers them to the cart in batches. You'll be amazed at how quickly you'll be finished.
Avoid crowds by shopping late at night or early in the morning just after the store opens. Early Sunday morning is a particularly good time.
Don't (if you can possibly avoid it!) shop with small children.
Stick to your list and you'll spend less time and money!
Bag your own groceries so you can pack things together in the way they are stored in your kitchen and house. This will save you time unpacking.

Other Grocery Tips

If you have enough storage at home, consider shopping at a bulk discount store. Plan to shop once a month for bulk items and then your trip to the grocery store for fresh items and perishables will be very quick!
If you really don't have time to shop, consider having your food delivered. Most grocery stores offer a shop & deliver service for a small fee. You can also do most of your grocery shopping on the World Wide Web and have it delivered in one to two days for a small delivery charge.

Christine Stoner is the auther of TimeTipz a monthly publication providing timesaving tips in the areas of cooking, cleaning, projects and organizing. For more information visit her website at http://cstoner.hypermart.net.

Kelly,
A leak in the radiator... you could try a stop leak. I like the one that is dry aluminum flakes better that the liquid. Now, don't use more that one application. Actually, you should NOT use it at all. It could clog up the heater core and other coolant passageways in the motor. The best way to fix it is to take it to a radiator shop. They will determine if it is repairable. The first way is the least expensive of all today, but may cause you troubles later. Taking it to a radiator shop will run a few bucks, but will be less that buying a new radiator!

Good Luck!
Drive Safely!

Bob
The Auto Answer Man

Bob answers your auto questions. If you have a question for Bob just sent it to him at: AskBob@stretcher.com.

A couple years ago, my family (mom, dad, sisters) started buying each other garage/tag/estate sale gifts for Christmas. The only rule is, that you have to share with the other person (if they ask) how much you paid for it, as part of the fun. We have really had fun with this, and the gifts we give are creative, useful, and very frugal. Last year, I got some mercury glass coasters, and a cooler from the fifties (orange and black, wow!) This year, my gift to my mom is a beautiful sweater (hardly worn) that I got at a garage sale for $1!

We enjoy this method of gift giving, because it allows us to spread our shopping throughout the year, and because the emphasis is on the thought that went into the gift, not on the money spent. We have fun vying for the honor of having given the neatest gift with the least amount of money!

(editor's note: Please send your 'Best Inexpensive Gift Received' to Gary@Stretcher.com.)

As a recent widower with grade school daughter, I am very worried about the loss of of our family's second income...which was also the larger of the two. I am working less productively because child-rearing takes a LOT of time, and the income is barely enough to make ends meet. A smaller home, taking in a boarder...are these things realistic considerations?? Also, am I not entitled, like so many many working moms, to request fewer hours at the old 9-to-five, so that meals and preparation for school can be accomplished? What's a poor daddy to do?
Thanks for any insight,
TR

Does anybody have any recipes for the dry soup mixes you see sometimes in fancy gourmet stores? You know, the type with the bag of pretty beans, the spice packet, and instructions? I'd love to make some for Christmas presents.
Thank you.
-- Jan T

I need some help. I have a 2 year old that likes to help me when I am doing crafts such as sewing. Does anybody have any suggestions for crafts that a child this age can do without my having to spend a fortune?
-- Malissa

Please send your answers to: gary@stretcher.com. We'll include the best solutions in future issues.

In Quebec (Canada), the rules for the different types of ground beef are as such
Up to 30% of fat -----> regular
Up to 23% of fat ------> semi-lean
Up to 17 % of fat ------> lean
There must be similar regulations in other countries, you'd just have to inform yourself about this.
To check what's the best deal, you just have to make this calculation:
Price per pound *
100 Divide this by the lean percent for your type of meat
And here you have the price for the "lean" part of the beef
That way, you can tell exactly how much you're paying for what you are eating. Because sometimes, fatter ground beef can seem to be cheaper, but once it is drained you get less for your money...
-- Catherine P.
Quebec (Canada)

When I was in college I majored in Hotel and Restaurant Management. For a paper I decided to write on the pros and cons of using Lean Ground Beef vs. regular ground beef. I took equal amounts and cooked the them in frypans at the same temperature. Once I drained the grease I weighed the meats. I do not recall the exact amounts of each, but I do know that when I calculated weight vs. cost, regular ground beef was the better buy. If you have dietary restrictions Lean Ground is your best bet - otherwise regular is the best buy.
-- Melissa

editor's note: you'll find more comments and some substitutes at http://www.stretcher.com/stories/981116a.htm

Go to the bulk barn and get black pepper (still in tact, not ground up already) and an assortment of chili peppers, cayenne peppers, and anything else that makes your eyes water when you open the big bulk lids! When you get home, grind up the black peppers as you use them (they will be fresher and more effective). Mix the black and various other peppers together in a sandwich bag, and then spread it in your garden wherever the dogs/cat go. They always sniff first, and they will get a nose full of pepper and go away unhappy. You will have to repeat every few days for about two weeks. The dogs remember not to go to your lawn because of the peppers after a few times. You will end up spending as little as $5.00 or less. A little goes a long way.
-- Mika

One of the best ways to keep dogs out of anywhere is to put a small piece of their poop in the spot that you want to protect. A dog will naturally avoid digging, etc in its own poop. Your problem is that you have several dogs visiting you and you don't have access to their individual deposits. You might try neutralizing all of their odors by spraying the entire area with a mixture of 1/3 dish washing detergent with 2/3 water. This is good for your plants and is used routinely by organic gardeners.
-- Pamela

Here in Australia it's common to see water-filled soft-drink bottles on lawns and gardens. People swear that this keeps dogs away. (don't ask how, but I've seen it work). You just take an empty 1 1/2 litre or 2 litre soft drink bottle (clear plastic) take off any wrappers and fill it with water. Put it out on the flower bed (just lay on side) and see if it works on US dogs!
-- Hanne

editor's note: more comments and suggestions at http://www.stretcher.com/stories/981116b.htm.

A really easy and economical way of cleaning one's oven without the problems of the canned stuff is to simply make a paste out of equal amounts of baking soda and salt and then adding enough water to make a paste out of it. I usually will use about 1 cup of each and then just gradually add the water until it becomes pasty. Then you close the oven door and bake as you would with the canned stuff. When it cools down, you simply use a damp sponge or cloth and wipe everything down. It really does work...we use it here.
-- Joyce K.

Pour approximately a cup of ammonia into a plastic bowl (I recycle Cool Whip containers for this purpose). Let sit overnight in the oven. Remove the container the next morning and you will find that most spills are easily removed with a paper towel. You may save the ammonia for future use.
-- Slyvia S.

editor's note: more suggestions on oven cleaning at http://www.stretcher.com/stories/981116c.htm

About getting stains out of carpet. We own a floor covering store, my husband also installs flooring. He always carries shaving cream - foam, not gel with him for those times when he might accidentally track in some grease off the driveway. He says it works great for removing the dirt.
-- Renee

Here is a way to make Fabric Softener liquids last and last. (I've been doing this for several years now and it always works! It doesn't leave a residue on your dryer or on your clothes but does leave them soft and static free.)
In a one quart spray bottle put 3 Cups of water and 1 Cup of your favorite concentrated liquid fabric softener. Shake well. When you're ready to dry your clothes just spray the mixture 3 or more mist sprays on the inside of the dryer and toss in the clothes. Works as well or better than fabric sheets, is environmentally sound and can make a single bottle of fabric softener last as long as a year, depending on how many loads you do in a month and how concentrated the softener is.
-- Elizabeth B.
West Valley City, Ut

I read with interest your comments about the different types of insulation. We recently added several inches of insulation to the attic of our 40 year old home. We bought 20 bags of loose fill insulation material at out local Lowe's and they LOANED us the blower to blow the insulation into the attic. It took us three hours to do the entire job and it wasn't difficult at all.
-- Tena F.
Staunton, VA

I just wanted to take a minute to respond to the person who gave their recipe for home-made carpet cleaner which included dishwasher detergent, water, and ammonia. I would advice strongly that readers carefully read the ingredients of their dishwashing detergent before going ahead with the recipe. If the detergent has bleach or any sort in it (sodium hypochlorite, sodium chloride, NaCl, or any similar combination of sodium and chlorine), the combination of that with Ammonia could produce fatal doses of Chlorine gas.
--DMS

editor's note: you'll find more readers' tips at http://www.stretcher.com/stories/981116t.htm.

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