TABLE OF CONTENTS
Consumer Humor i Introduction ii How to Get the Most from This Book iv
Chapter One - 75 Secrets to Eating Better For Less Money 1
Chapter Two - 44 Secrets to Being a Street-Smart Consumer 14
Chapter Three - 63 Secrets to Saving Money On Clothes 25
Chapter Four - 40 Mechanics Secrets to Make Your Car Last Longer 36
Chapter Five - 51 Secrets for Buying a House for 20%-50% Off Retail 46
Chapter Six - 57 Car Dealers Secrets for Choosing a Dependable Used Car 59
Chapter Seven - 43 Secrets to Negotiate Confidently and Get More Bargains 70
Chapter Eight - 48 Secrets to Buying Bargains at Government Auctions 80
Chapter Nine - 51 Vital Secrets to Saving Money On Insurance 91
Chapter Ten - 59 Secrets to Saving Money Everyday 102
Conclusion 113 Test Question Answers 117 Bonus Section: Success Through Self-Motivation 120
Consumer Humor
? If doing it won't save you dollars, it don't make $ense.
? You never know what you can do- without, until you try.
? Wise people deserve credit - for not overusing it.
? If I had a dollar for every time I overspent, I'd be rich-temporarily.
? What did the dollar say to the penny? "You don't make any $ense."
? Credit cards, how do I love thee? Let me count the monthly pays!
? What do a shovel and a credit card have in common? They both can get you in a hole.
? What's the difference between a credit card and a rope? One can get you in a hole and the other can get you out of one.
? The best way to stretch a dollar is to tighten your spending habits.
? The secret to keeping your head above water-is to live below your means.
? The best way to stop wasting money is to save your "commonsense".
? What do a credit card and a lake have in common? They both allow you to easily get in over your head.
? Secret to success: To make your money work harder for you than you do for it.
? The money you spend now for a better financial tomorrow is called an investment. The money you spend now for pleasure at the expense of tomorrow is called debt.
? Beware: A credit card can give you the illusion of having more money than you do. But can make you feel poorer when the bill comes due.
? If you can't afford it don't buy it, Don't pick it up or even try it. If you overspend your cash It will disappear in a flash And your savings will go down a dark pit.
Introduction
Every one of us is constantly being bombarded each day by advertising messages (100 to 500 a day). Advertising that tells us we won't be truly happy in life unless our car is shinier, our television screen is larger, or our dishes sparkle more. Most advertising messages tell us we can win more lasting friends, our children will be more obedient and we'll even be more sexually appealing, if only we buy their watch, cheeseburger, or dishwashing liquid.
Attention all shoppers! Remembering the following sentence will instantly save you the cost of this book: Every dollar you intelligently spend or save will increase your future purchasing power. On the other hand, every dollar you waste on merchandise or services you don't need or spend on shoddy products that wear out quickly will decrease your future purchasing power.
Money-Stretching Secrets will gently encourage, prod and motivate you to be a wiser consumer. You'll learn over 500 ways to literally increase your salary without getting another job, working more hours, or asking your stingy boss for a raise. By simply following the suggestions in this book, you will suddenly find extra money you never thought you had within your present income. Sound good so far? You will discover sales tactics used to drain your wallet and learn how to spot them a mile away. You will also learn how to judge quality with an eagle's eye and get the best value for every dollar you spend.
By reading and practicing the techniques and suggestions in this book you will quickly begin to increase the amount of extra money in your pocket (or pocketbook). And you will be able to do this without turning into a penny-pinching tightwad, making radical changes in your lifestyle, or eating baloney and beans for the next year (unless you want to).
Saving money is better than making more money, it's better because it's not taxed. I'll say it again, "the money you save on your purchases is like getting a tax-free raise." This book gives you over 500 ways to get a tax-free raise, by cutting your cost instead of just trying to earn more and more money. Earning more means being taxed more, honestly aren't you paying enough taxes already? After all if making more money was the answer you wouldn't see so many millionaire athletes, movie stars and business people from all walks of life filing for chapter 7 bankruptcy on a daily basis would you? Think about it.
After reading and applying the simple but effective ideas in this book, you will be amazed at how much money you have been wasting without realizing it. The information in this book will help to plug up the tiny holes in your financial pockets. Through these holes you are wasting, squandering and quietly allowing others to legally steal your money. This book will be your financial "stop-leak" solution to this problem.
To encourage you to confidently act on this book's information, a self-test, a glossary and a list of Internet sources to contact have been included at the end of each chapter. The glossary at the end of each chapter includes words you are most likely to encounter according to that specific chapter's subject. I strongly urge you to take advantage of these money-saving tools.
Whether you're a beginner or an experienced dollar stretcher, you will discover more dollar-stretching secrets to add to your arsenal. Whether you are a multimillionaire or unemployed, you will discover you don't always need lots of money to get the best bargains. All you need are a few facts, a few sources and of course, the right attitude. By taking the time to read the words in this book and follow the suggestions it contains, you are already making a wise investment. And unlike other things you may receive in life, once you have this knowledge, no one can take it away from you, not even the I.R.S.
If you have children or grandchildren, one of the most valuable things you can do for them is help them learn the money-stretching secrets in this book. Not knowing them can be hazardous to their future financial health. As important as that new pair of jeans, latest video game, or even new pair of shoes appears to be to your child or grandchild now, the benefits on the following pages will still be with them long after the memory of the jeans, video game and new shoes has faded away.
Yes, whether you're a millionaire or homeless, educated or uneducated, young or a "seasoned citizen", there is something in this book especially for you. It could be on any number of the following pages; as you read, it will gently jump out at you, so be prepared. The valuable knowledge in this book will have an additional benefit of helping you to discover and develop your own unique money-stretching ideas. It will be like a hot spark that will light your own money-stretching skills and talents. So have fun with it as it develops in you. It is my hope that you will be one of the many people who look back and see that purchasing and reading this book was the single best investment of time and money you made this year, so take it seriously.
I encourage you to read this book with an open mind. It will help you side- step many financial pitfalls, and put you in a position to take advantage of the many hidden opportunities to live better on less money. As time goes by you will find yourself returning again and again to these pages for instruction, direction and inspiration. And I invite you to. You will find this book a very patient teacher; always willing to happily repeat what you may have forgotten, overlooked, or ignored previously.
Congratulations! Reading this book will be like participating in your own personal treasure hunt. Where the treasure chest will be the knowledge you will have after reading this book. Your newfound savings start on the next page. Enjoy the journey.
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