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The Frugal Life – Living Well With What You Have

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THE FRUGAL LIFE NEWS
Published Weekly by Randal Watkins
https://www.thefrugallife.com
The Frugal Life
March 10, 2003

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A NOTE FROM RANDAL

Hello Everyone,

We have had some nice days here in Virginia. We are so glad to not have the
snow and sleet we were having. The house is coming along and hopefully in a
week or so it will be under roof.

Next step, is to drill the water well and the geo thermal wells. Seems like
building a house is like having a big puzzle but you don’t have all the
pieces. You have to phone for them to show up at certain times. Just like
we have to do with the individual sub contractors. :-)

The forum looks to be working well and its made it much easier for us to
create The Frugal Life News. If you can think of any suggestions to make it
better please let us know. We want your experience to be easy in posting to
the forum.

Thanks for your readership!

Please pass The Frugal Life News on to your friends! It’s how we grow!

Until next time,
Randal


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FRUGAL FINANCES


HALF-PRICED CARS

Nothing down plus no payments plus no interest and rebates add up to…
Opportunity!

If ol’ Bessy is on her last cylinders and it’s time to put her out to
pasture, now is a fine time to get a great deal on a used car. All of those
great new-car financing incentives are doing a marvelous job of creating a
used-car glut. And where there’s glut, there’s room to negotiate.

Not only are prices dropping because of millions of Americans taking the
financing bait and trading in their 2-year old or younger cars, but rebates
also cause used car prices to decline.

How much is a brand new 2003, $20,000 Ford Taurus worth BEFORE it’s driven
off the lot? Well, if it came with a $2000 rebate, it’s worth $18,000! It’s
already lost value in the market place because of the rebate. AFTER it’s
driven off the lot, it starts depreciating from $18,000.

What happens to the value of a 2002 Ford Taurus – a car that is 1 year older
— because of this $2000 rebate?

According to Bob Kurilko, vice president of Edmunds ..com, an auto
information company, about 85% of the value of all new-car incentives is
automatically reflected in the used-car prices of the same vehicle.

In this example, the 1-year-old Taurus automatically depreciates by $1700 –
on top of any mileage/usage depreciation.

Bottom line…

Heavy incentive new cars don’t hold their value. If you finance one of these
cars, in 2 years you can find yourself owing more than the car is worth.
Creating the so-called, “upside down”, relationship.

Want to take advantage of this opportunity? Buy used.

What kind of values can you find? Here are some examples of trade-in values
for year 2000 vehicles from Edmunds.com:

NEW Oldsmobile Silhouette GL — $25,800. 2000 model — $10,462.
NEW Ford Taurus — $19,440. 2000 model — $8,302.
NEW Dodge Grand Caravan — $27,950. 2000 model — $12,094.

OK. So some of these cars are LESS than half price. And for this you get a
car still under warranty, with all of the new-car bugs worked out.

And, it’s a lot less likely that you will end up “upside down!”

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Stop Worrying… You CAN Retire!

Financial “Experts” are now suggesting that you’ll need 120% of your income
in retirement. If you make $50,000/yr you would need $60,000 from
retirement funds. This translates into a $1,000,000 retirement fund! For
most people, this means investing $1,598.00/month each and every month for
the next 25 years… or more likely, working until they drop dead.

THERE IS A MUCH BETTER AND SIMPLER WAY. http://www.debtintowealth.com/frugal.html ” target=”_blank”>Get Lesson 1 FREE now.

“DebtIntoWealth — Lessons from My Journey to Debt Freedom”


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FRUGAL HOME / GARDENING

RAIN GARDENS

Most places rely on rainfall to replenish the local water supply.
Unfortunately, due to air pollution and urban sprawl, a large portion of the
rain that reaches our waterways and wildlife habitats is polluted. It is all
too common to see water running down rooftops, into driveways, down streets
and into storm drains rather than soaking into the ground. Along the way,
this water picks up motor oil, fertilizers, pesticides and other harmful
chemicals. However, there are things you can do to improve the water quality
in your backyard and community. One easy and effective project is to create
a “rain garden” so rainfall can be routed to an area where it will be
naturally filtered. In addition to filtering the water, rain gardens also
control the volume of water flowing into our waterways and recharge ground
waters.
More Information:

GOT PETS?

Visit Healthy Pet Corner for lots of information, products,
and links for birds, cats, dogs, horses, rabbits, and reptiles.
http://www.healthypetcorner.com
All for Pets


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FRUGAL SIMPLICITY

HOW CLUTTER AFFECTS YOU

Most people have no idea how much their clutter affects them. You may
actually fondly believe yours to be an asset, or at least a potential asset,
after it has been sorted through and organized. It is only when you start
clearing it out that you will realize how much better you feel without it..
Here are some effects to watch for:

Having Clutter Can Make You Feel Tired and Lethargic
Most people who have clutter say they can’t find the energy to begin to clear it. They constantly feel tired. But the stagnant energy that stacks up around clutter actually
causes tiredness and lethargy. Clearing it frees up the energy in your home
and releases new vitality in your body.

Having Clutter can Keep You in the Past
When all your available space is filled with clutter, there is no room for anything new to come into your life. Your thoughts tend to dwell in the past, and you feel bogged down with problems that have dogged you for some time. Clearing your clutter allows
you to begin to deal with your problems and move forward. You have to release the past to create a better tomorrow.

Having Clutter Can Affect Your Body Weight
A curious fact I have noticed over the years is that people who have lots of clutter in their homes are often overweight. I believe this is because both body fat and clutter are forms of self-protection. By building layers of fat or clutter around yourself, you hope to cushion yourself against the shocks of life, and particularly against emotions you have difficulty handling. It gives you the illusion of being able to control things and prevent them from affecting you too deeply. But this is an illusion.

Having Clutter Can Confuse You
When you live surrounded by clutter, it is impossible to have clarity about what you are doing in your life. When you clear it, you get fewer colds, you can think more clearly, and life decisions become easier. Being clear of clutter is one of the greatest aids I know to discovering and manifesting the life you want.

Having Clutter Can Affect the Way People Treat You
People treat you the way you treat yourself. So if you value yourself and look after yourself, people will treat you well. If you allow the junk to mount up around you, you may attract people who mistreat you in some way because subconsciously you will
feel that it is what you deserve.

Having Clutter Can Make You Feel Ashamed
Perhaps you have reached the stage where your home is so cluttered and such a mess that you are ashamed to invite people over and positively panic if anyone turns up unannounced. You can live in lonely isolation with your junk, but wouldn’t you prefer to have a good clear-out, repair your self-esteem, and regenerate your social life with confidence?

From Care2.com

MAKE YOUR OWN CLEANING, BATH, and BEAUTY PRODUCTS

Here’s a kit with everything you will need to start making your
own pampering and cleaning products for pennies with the
easy-to-follow recipe guide.
http://www.theherbsplace.com/essentialstarter.html
Make Your Own


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FRUGAL TIPS FROM OUR SUBSCRIBERS

PACKING PRESENTS FOR SHIPPING
I used up plastic bags for packing in Xmas presents that I shipped.  I
filled them about 1/2 full of styrofoam peanuts. amd tied them loosely.
Since the bag isn’t full, it molds nicely around the various odd shapes in
the box, and the styrofoam stays corraled instead of sticking to everything.
Better than BUYING bags of air! – laretta

CD’S INTHE MAIL!
Don’t know if this has been mentioned before in this forum because I’m new,
but I’ve found a useful way to use those cd’s & cd cases that you receive in
the mail, soliciting your business as an internet service provider.  I’ve
seen the cd’s used as coasters to hold drinks & as Christmas tree ornaments.

Save them for any creative craft project that you or your children could use
later on when a genius idea strikes! As for those black plastic holders that
the cd’s come in–I keep a few on hand to use as “rental” dvd jackets when
my neighbors or friends want to borrow one of my movie dvd’s to watch.
Instead of giving them the original movie sleeve, I take out the dvd itself
and put it in one of those generic plastic cases. That way my original
sleeve stays nice & clean at home! – monimoo

You can also hang the CD’s on fruit-bearing trees to scare away the birds.. I
know someone that does this and he says it works well. – Shelly


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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FORUM?

Maybe you can help these folks out with a few suggestions? Or post some of
your own questions. LOG-IN TO POST Here’s the link:
https://www.thefrugallife.com/bulletinboard.html href=” https://www.thefrugallife.com/bulletinboard.html “> Forum

Questions Needing Answers at The Forum:

1. I have a white vinyl top on my convertible that is very dirty, any good
cleaning solutions? – Thanks

2. I want to know how successful I might be at painting a refrigerator that
has some rust spots on the sides.  Do I need to sand it first?  How long do
you think it might last. Thanks. – R.

3. My two dogs have fleas. I recently moved to OR from AZ and so have no
expereince with this. Any non toxic ideas to help me relieve their problem
and cleanse my environment? I’d love to sprinkle the apartment ankle deep in
lavendar or something…

4. Does anyone have a recipe for Texas Tuna?  Back in Central Pennsyvania.
I shopped at Giant grocery stores.  They made a version of that Tuna.  If
anyone goes in there could you please write down the ingredients off of a
package and post it here.  It would be in a plastic container in the fresh
food section.  Ask a manager to show you some if you can’t find it.  Thanks.


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HOME-BASED BUSINESS IDEAS

HOME SPA PARTY PLAN – MAKE BATH & BODY PRODUCTS

Have you noticed how popular bath and pampering products have become? The
HomeSpa Party Plan taps into that craze. Guests at HomeSpa parties will
learn how to make bath salts, personalized perfumes, body spritzers and more
using essential oils, while you make a nice income from Nature’s Sunshine.
http://www.theherbsplace.com/essentialspa.html href=” http://www.theherbsplace.com/essentialspa.html “> Home Spa Party

ARE YOU A NATURAL HEALTH NUT?

If you’ve been a natural health nut, you have a lot of information others
need to have. Earn an income selling over 600 natural health products, skin
care, water filters, beverages, essential oils, and more. Earn trips and
car allowance. Websites are also available for $15.95/month.
http://www.theherbsplace.com/busop.html href=” http://www.theherbsplace.com/busop.html “> Nature’s Sunshine

FLINT RIVER RANCH OVEN-BAKED PET FOODS

If you have pets, they’ll love Flint River and you can make an income
providing good pet foods and other pet products to friends, neighbors and
your family. Pets keep eating, so customers keep buying. If you love
animals, this is a very rewarding home-based business. With only 100 volume
a month you can earn 19% on all sales.
http://www.healthypetcorner.com/FRR/busop.html href=” http://www.healthypetcorner.com/FRR/busop.html “> Flint River Ranch

NATURAL PET FOODS AND SUPPLEMENTS

Life’s Abundance has great products by Dr. Jane Bicks and Dr. Barry Sears who
developed the Zone Diet for Overweight Dogs. Besides dog, cat and horse
products, you will have a non-toxic line of cleaning products – safe for
pets and children. Visit this website for more information. This type of
site is also available for $10.95/month (plus an initial $20 set-up fee).
https://www.lifesabundance.com/Pets/PetsHome.aspx?realname=10037649

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LEGAL DISCLAIMER

Information in The Frugal Life News (TFL) has been derived from sources
believed accurate and reliable. In no event shall *The Frugal Life,* Randal
Watkins, or the TFL staff be liable for any damages whatsoever resulting
from any action arising in connection with the use of information herein.

TFL does not knowingly accept ads from advertisers deemed detrimental to
TFL’s readers, however, publication of an ad in TFL does not constitute an
endorsement for such product or service.

There is no remuneration for suggestions, tips, or ideas submitted by
readers. All suggestions, tips, and ideas, submitted for publication in The
Frugal Life, become the property of The Frugal Life, notwithstanding similar
rights of the reader submitting such suggestions, tips, or ideas. TFL
publishes readers’ names with their suggestions, tips, and ideas unless a
reader requests otherwise at the time of the submission.

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