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Introducing "Financial Independence"

Hello to all my Frugal Friends!

For awhile I've been hinting that we were working on something new. Now it's time to open the curtains and let everyone get a good look.

Let me begin with the background. From the start I felt that The Dollar Stretcher didn't need to remind people to be responsible with their money. That they already knew that and didn't need us to bug them. Our job was to give them the info/tools to go do that job.

But over the years (we're in our 14th year now) I've seen that model doesn't work for everyone. Guess that's no surprise. We're not all alike. Some people know what they should do and just can't seem to do it. At least not consistently. Something disconnects along the way.

What I've come to believe is that money is often a symptom or a substitute. It's more than just a way to buy things. Intellectually we know that we should plan our grocery shopping and only buy what's on the list (i.e. nutrition for our family). But, when we get to the store our emotions kick in telling us that we deserve that expensie premium ice cream as a special treat. Many of us succumb to that emotional pressure.

If you're just buying premium ice cream it's not so bad. But if you're cruising the malls/eBay/QVC regularly, or find yourself buying expensive toys (wide screen tv anyone?), that's something different. And, in either case you are NOT in control of your finances.

So we're introducing a new short daily email called "Financial Independence" that's designed to help people take control of their money. Nothing too fancy or complicated. We'll try to help you accomplish a number of things:

Build money good habits
Understand how you relate to money and how that affects your money management style
Provide reminders to eliminate the 'I forgots'
Share success stories and quotes that will encourage you to success in your financial journey
Look for ways to build up your financial perception AND capabilities

I'm convinced that there are a lot of people who would like to take control of their finances, but just can't seem to get there by themselves. Our goal is to provide them with a short daily email that can give them the tools to take charge of their money.

Best of all for you, it's free. And, private. All we'll ask is your email address so we can deliver it. No personal information.

Some of you will ask how we'll profit with "Financial Indpendence". Good question. We need to stay in business, too! Occasionally we'll include some resources that could help you on this journey. For instance, we have an affiliate arrangement with SmartSource and Coupons.com. If you're going to use grocery coupons we hope that you'll get them from our site. Other times we'll suggest a book that could help. Check the library first, but if you need/want to buy it we'd like to help connect you to Amazon or the publisher.

So why not join the growing ranks of those who choose not to be under someone's financial thumb. Today is a great day to declare your financial independence! You can sign up by sending an email to or visit here. Watch for the 'confirming message'. You'll need to respond to it to activate your subscription.

Oh, and one last thought. Don't worry if you've failed before. This time you will succeed!

Keep on Stretching those dollars!
Gary