Stretching Your Dollars and Staying Away From Scams

If your budget is tight, you don't want to spend more than you should, get scammed or waste cash on a badly planned move. Three new books provide a lift for those who are trying to do more with their money and provide much-needed advice for avoiding common traps.

· "How to Survive (and Perhaps Thrive) on a Teacher's Salary," by Danny Kofke (Tate Publishing and Enterprises, $9.99).

Half of teachers leave the profession within five years because of poor working conditions and low salaries, according to a 2006 study by the National Education Association. And yet 69 percent of teachers report that they're very satisfied with their jobs.

Teacher or not, with the cost of food and fuel skyrocketing, it isn't easy to make ends meet each month. It's one thing to ask someone to spend less than he or she earns. But what I like about Kofke's book is that he shares exactly how he made his numbers work.

He writes about how he examines every household expense regularly, looking for ways to cut back. One summer, he discovered that he was paying too much for his telephone service. "We had a premium package for our home phone service and were paying $52 each month for this plan. We were also paying $50 a month for our cellphone. Now, I may not be like some of you, but I hate the telephone," he writes, adding that he changed around his plans to save $63 per month, or $756 per year.

It's financial specifics like that, and the engaging way Kofke walks you through the choices and mistakes he's made, that will help you rethink the way you spend your money.

· "The Truth About Avoiding Scams," by Steve Weisman (FT Press, $18.99)

Every day, consumers get scammed. Someone knocks at the door and offers to fix your roof. Or your medical records get stripped for your Social Security number. Or you get hooked by a tax or work-from-home scam.

Steve Weisman, a syndicated radio talk show host and journalist, offers more than 200 pages of tips, divided by category, including home-based scams, credit scams, identity theft, classic scams and Social Security scams.

· "Managing Your Move: The Complete Relocation Guide," by Cathryn Duffy (Tate Publishing and Enterprises, $12.99).

If you're moving a lot of stuff, chances are you're going to hire a professional moving company. But if you're not careful, you could easily wind up overpaying for the job or getting sucked into a scam.

Duffy has moved 12 times in 24 years and lived in 11 states. Her claim: You can't pack that many boxes without learning how to do it right.