I also don't think that there is a better way to do it.

How about just:

echo 'stuff' >> file.txt
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This will be much faster and use buckets less memory than firing up a full blown perl interpretter. Works on Win32 or *nix. It's shorter. Better? Depends what you need.... As always YMMV.

C:\>echo Hello World! > better

C:\>date /T >> better

C:\>type better
Hello World!
Tue 17/02/2004

C:\>
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