THE DOLLAR STRETCHER

"Living Better...For Less"

December 27, 1999
Volume 4, Number 52

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In this issue:

Introduction

Making and Breaking Those New Year's Resolutions
by Dr. Kevin Polk

How To Protect Your Family In The Event Of A Disaster
by Doug King

Y2K Computer Tips
by Rachel Paxton

Tips, Quips, Quotes & Questions

Hello to all my Frugal Friends!

In this last issue of our fourth year, we want to take a moment to thank everyone who makes The Dollar Stretcher possible. Nancy, Larry, Bob, Terry, David and all of the writers who have contributed during the year. Our readers who are willing to share their challenges and the solutions they've found to those challenges. Those who have emailed to say that they didn't think some advice was particularly wise. And all of you who have told others about the newsletters and website to help make them popular.

Here's to a prosperous New Year for all of us. Let's hope that Y2K is just a blip and we're all back together again next week. Oh, and one last thing. If you're going to party, please use a designated driver or take a cab. We'd hate to lose any readers to something as preventable as drunk driving.

All the Best!
Gary

Our Sponsor

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Copyright 1999. All Rights Reserved

Have you set your resolutions for the new year? Going to stop smoking? Going to lose weight? Maybe get in shape? No matter what your resolution is, how you achieve it will depend on how determined you are to reach the goal.

So how determined are you? Well, you are determined enough to make the resolution. At least you know you need to change something. Lots of people don't.

The fact that you set a resolution means that you are at least contemplating reaching a goal. Contemplating is good.

You have to do that before you get anything done. Of course just thinking and thinking does not get much done. You need to go past thinking and into planning. If you don't, chances are you will break your resolution. It will probably slip out of your thoughts completely. At least until next December rolls around.

So how does one go about planning to accomplish a resolution? The simplest answer is to think about the first step you will need to take. If you're going to lose weight, maybe you need to see your doctor. If you are going to write that novel, maybe you need to set aside time to write.

You really need to decide what that first step toward your resolution will be. Then plan how you are going to accomplish that first step. You might even be able to plan steps two, three and four.

Come January you will need to transform your plan into action. This can be a lot trickier than you realize because step one in your plan will require that you spend time. Sounds simple, but it isn't. You need to face the fact that you made the resolution because you have not had enough motivation to spend time on it so far. That motivation is not going to come out of thin air; it has to come from within you. So what is it about this resolution that is going to motivate you to do it? The bottom line is that it needs to make you feel good. So imagine how good you will feel when you accomplish the resolution. Then take that good feeling and firmly attach it to step one. Don't let that good feeling go. It's the basis of your motivation to accomplish each step to your resolution.

Great! You did all the steps and accomplished your resolution. Have you ever reached a goal and then lost ground? Lots of people do this with losing weight. They just can't seem to keep the weight off. One reason for this is that once you achieve a goal it's easy to lose your motivation. You don't have that goal in front of you anymore. What you need is a maintenance plan. Just like your action plan to get to the goal, you have to stay motivated. So spend some time imagining how good it will feel to maintain your goal. Think of your improved self-esteem. Think of the fact that next December you can say that you kept and maintained your resolution!

As you can see, there can be quite a bit of mental work that goes into keeping a New Year's resolution. A lot less work goes into breaking one. You already knew that. The difference is that now you will know exactly what mental work you are avoiding when you break the resolution.

There is one resolution that millions of people have managed to keep with relatively little effort, however. They have resolved not to make any more New Year's resolutions. That resolution only requires a minimum of contemplating, planning, acting and maintaining. It may be just the resolution you were looking for!

Dr. Polk helps people deal with life. Get his free course in Creative Problem Solving. Sign up at http://timedoctor.com/lifeskills or send any email message to timedoctor@GetResponse.com.

What kind of insurance do we all need and yet only 1%-2% of Americans have? Give up? ...It's emergency preparedness supplies.

Do you have enough mobile life-sustaining supplies to carry you three to five days when a disaster occurs? Can you tell me when the next flood, winter storm, earthquake, tornado or other disaster will happen? We don't really know, do we.

Here is a basic list of supplies:
[   ] Emergency Disaster Guidebook
[   ] Knapsack, Waterproof
[   ] Knife Pocket-Tool
[   ] First Aid Book
[   ] Cash
[   ] Shelter - Scout Tent
[   ] Sanitation
[   ] Water Purification Pills
[   ] Mylar Rescue Blanket
[   ] Fire Starter
[   ] Papers, license, insurance
[   ] Food - lightweight
[   ] First Aid Kit
[   ] Heat
[   ] Gloves
[   ] Light
[   ] Prescriptions, eyeglasses, etc.
[   ] Communications: Solar - hand crank radio
[   ] Water placed next to your kit

Doug King calldoug@networld.com is an emergency preparedness writer/consultant and the author of The Emergency-Disaster Survival Guidebook. http://members.networld.com/abcprep
Visit his website for free emergency preparedness tips. http://members.networld.com/abcprep/links.htm

Y2K the enigma that most have cautiously awaited is now here. Now what? Many will promise to lose weight, save money, give to charity, go to college, travel, buy a house, a fancy sports car and a host of other well felt desires. Six weeks later most of us are saying ' What was I thinking?' Then we continue our lives, maybe a few dollars poorer and a little wiser.

Businesses know that you are frail during this period. With the holiday season just passing, you might have over-spent, over-ate, over-worked, over-stressed, you might have received some money as a gift, or you might not have received what you wanted. Whatever the case might be, you are at your peak to make hasty choices. Therefore, businesses count on your bad judgement during this emotional time of the year.

The gym is a great example of this. In mid -January, all the machines are full with new customers with the new workout shoes, outfits and sports drink. Some buy lifetime memberships, so that they can come daily to fulfill their resolutions to lose weight and become fit. By March the gym is empty and the outfit and shoes are in the bottom of a closet in a gym bag with a moldy towel.

We have been programmed to change ourselves with the coming of the New Year. Nothing is more romantic then making a resolution as the champagne is popping in the background. Now we are faced with the Y2K. We should plan to do something, right? This is the big one, if we don't plan to do something now, we might miss out. Maybe not-- at least just not yet.

If you want to change something around this time of year, start a goal road map. Most of us wouldn't think about driving across a new country without a map, yet we dive into new territories of our lives without a clue where we are going, The first thing you need to do is find where you are in your journey. Once you find where you are, list where you would like to go. Then make your plan.

Take it easy on yourself this New Year and you might just save a few bucks. Who knows? Maybe in a few months you can buy that Exercise King 2001 you saw on TV (for 12 easy payments of $79.99) at a yard sale for a couple of twenties. Now that is a New Year's resolution we all can live with.

Y2K Computer Tips
by Rachel Paxton
drpaxton@bentonrea.com

Is your computer ready for Y2K? I'm sure that checking to see if all your computer software is up to date isn't very high on your list of priorities this holiday season. I know it isn't very high on mine.

The fact is, if you've purchased your computer and computer software in the past couple of years you probably won't have any major computer problems when Y2K rolls around. There is an easy way to find out if you'll have any difficulties, however, and a couple of hours spent testing out your computer will probably save you some time and money later on down the road.

The easiest way to find out if your computer is ready for Y2K is to just change the date to 1/1/2000 and see what happens! After you change your computer's date, just re-boot your computer and trying running all your software. It's that easy. Make a note of any problems you encounter. When you're done, just change the date back to today's date and re-boot the computer again. That's it.

If you're running Microsoft Windows, you probably won't experience any problems with your operating system. One thing you might want to look at, however, is if your computer displays the current date as a four-digit year (12/31/1999) or a two-digit year (12/31/99). Apparently the Windows default is to display the two-digit year, but you will need to display the four-digit year in order to be Y2K compliant. It's easy to change the date settings in your Control Panel window.

Not many people take the time to keep their operating systems and computer software up to date. Most people don't even know that it's possible or that it might be necessary to ensure maximum computer performance.

Oftentimes, software you install right out of the box contains bugs or glitches that the manufacturer goes in and fixes after the software has already been shipped. Often you can download these updates, or patches, from the manufacturer's web site without having to pay to upgrade your software. Many companies have included their Y2K compliance in their most recent software updates, so you should find out if you need to update your version of the software. Just visit the manufacturer's web site and look for a page called "updates," "downloads," or "Y2K." That should steer you in the right direction. If you don't know where to locate the web site, search for the company name in one of the major search engines. You shouldn't have any problem finding them.

Also make sure that you have installed the latest service pack for your operating system. I know it sounds complicated, but it's really as easy as visiting Microsoft's web site and downloading the latest update for your operating system (i.e., Windows 95, 98, or NT). Complete installation instructions are included with the update (it's really easy!).

Y2K is a great motivator for making sure your software is up-to-date, but there are other benefits in visiting software manufacturer's web sites for the latest updates. For instance, when I was visiting Microsoft's web site (http://www.microsoft.com) to update my ancient version of Microsoft Works, not only did I find out that the program was already Y2K compliant, I also downloaded an update that will allow me to view Word 97 documents in Microsoft Works! I couldn't believe it. Enhancements such as these are often included in a software's latest update.

So are you convinced to at least give this a try? It's a good idea to make sure your computer software is up to date at least twice a year. You may find that you can extend the useful life of your software this way without having to purchase the latest and greatest major upgrades. I have been using the same versions of my favorite software for years and don't plan to purchase any more software in the near future. Also don't forget to keep your Internet browsers up to date! If you don't upgrade these once in awhile you'll be missing out on the newest and neatest technologies the Internet has to offer. Happy Holidays!

Rachel Paxton is the Editor and Publisher of Creative Homemaking www.creativehomemaking.com. You'll find information dedicated to meeting all of your homemaking needs.

Particle board shelving units are easily "fixed up." Before doing anything else to them, wash them down and dry them well. Then consider the following suggestions:

1. One of the telltale signs of cheap shelving units is the inset area (usually about 4" high) at the bottom front of the unit. Get a piece of lumber that fits into this area; glue and nail or screw it to bring the base even with the rest of the unit. Fill spaces with wood putty. Then apply some baseboard molding, mitered at the corners, to the bottom of the front and both sides of the unit.

2. If you really want to dress it up, and feel like spending a little extra, add some decorative molding to the front surface of the sides and top of the unit. Get something wider than the front surface, and mount it so the extra width extends over the inside of the shelves and the molding is flush with the outside. Again, fill in any spaces.

3. Depending on what's exposed to the rest of the room, you can dress up the side surfaces by adding molding that simulates the panels on a door; four pieces mitered at the corners, to form a "picture frame" effect.

4. Paint the entire unit, inside and out, with BIN or some other primer made to help additional coats of paint adhere to the surface. To make it easier to paint, first take out any removable shelves.

5. Paint the unit. It can be very attractive to paint the interior a contrasting color or different shade of the same color. Several thin coats are always better than one thick one. Seal with a few coats of an appropriate sealer.

6. If you have several short units that are the same width, consider stacking them. They must be well secured to each other and the spaces between the two units filled in. Then treat as one unit. From a decorating standpoint, a tall piece looks more like "real" furniture.
Linda in NYC

Editor's note: more suggestions at www.stretcher.com/stories/99/991227a.cfm

A lot of shopping websites offer substantial discounts or free credit for first-time users. For someone willing to shop a new site every time, the savings van add up. For example, vitamins.com offered $25 off your first purchase, and shipping is free. I added up products totaling $25.62 and got them all delivered to me a few days later for 62 cents. For someone like me who only takes one simple multi-vitamin, that's about a year's supply practically free! Healthquick.com has a similar offer -- $15 off for first-timers, but you have to pay for shipping.
Sara D.
New York City (a hard place in which to live frugally!)

My three-year-old daughter likes to play out in the snow, but I hate to see her mittens come up and the snow and wind get to her wrists. So today I cut the ribbed cuffs off an old pair of my socks and pulled them on over her mittens and up over the cuff of her snowsuit. It gave her a chance to play without getting cold! Another thought would be to just cut a hole in the heel of the sock (for the thumb part to slip through) and slip it on over the mitten, kind of extra protection for not-so-warm mittens! I would do the same for the boots and pant legs too . It's like making your own leg warmers!
MM

Editor's note: Please send your tips to gary@stretcher.com with "Tips" as the subject. If we use your tip or reply to 'Can You Help' in any of our publications we'll send you the next three issues of our print newsletter as a 'thank you'. The monthly print edition contains articles that do not appear in our online editions. For a sample copy, send your name and address, along with $2 to: The Dollar Stretcher, Dept OL, PO Box 23785, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33307.

Every financial guru will tell you that financial success starts with setting up a budget. Somehow it never seems as simple as they say. The Budget Book Company produces a book designed to simplify the critical steps in managing your income and expenses. The book is not just a set of instructions but a kit that provides everything you need (even a calculator!) to create an initial budget and begin tracking expenses. Don't wait another millennium to obtain the peace of mind that comes with being in control of your finances. Order your Budget Book today!

Making Cheap Shelving More Attractive
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/99/991227a.cfm

Snow Bird Scams
by Bob Osgoodby
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/99/991227b.cfm

Replacing a Shower Stall
The Natural Handyman
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/99/991227c.cfm

Using Your 401k to Pay Off Debts
by Gary Foreman
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/99/991227d.cfm

The Impatient Telecommuter
by Rosalind Mays
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/99/991227e.cfm

Save That Scrap Paper
by Marybeth Henry
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/99/991227f.cfm

Choices
by Doris Dobkins
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/99/991227g.cfm

Steers Hard in Cold Weather
Ask Bob: The Auto Answer Man
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/99/991227h.cfm

Warm and Fuzzy Debt Collectors Still Want Their Money
http://www.stretcher.com/brm/991217a.htm

The Trail of ATM Surcharges
http://www.stretcher.com/brm/991221.htm

Coupons and ATM Surcharges: A New Way to Take Your Money
http://www.stretcher.com/brm/991221a.htm

A Great Time for Finding an Auto Deal
http://www.stretcher.com/brm/991222.htm

Watching the Fed and Interest Rates
http://www.stretcher.com/brm/991217.htm

Act Now for Housing and Mortgage Deals
http://www.stretcher.com/brm/991223a.htm

The Business of Christmas Trees
http://www.stretcher.com/brm/991221b.htm

Advisors for Your Business
http://www.stretcher.com/brm/991217b.htm

A Logo for Your Company
http://www.stretcher.com/brm/991220.htm

Financing Plant Improvements
http://www.stretcher.com/brm/991222a.htm

Surveying Your Customer Satisfaction
http://www.stretcher.com/brm/991223b.htm

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