How i will rule Panera Bread with $1.40

Anyone who knows me will tell you that i'm a HUGE fan of Panera Bread. Their plethora of breakfast goodies are extremely tasty, and prices for the most part decent. There is one bone, however, i need to pick with them, and that's the price of their cream cheese. It is sinfully price gouging, and plain and simply - a rip off.

Although i've known for a while that it was a bit more to order a bagel w/ cream cheese, than w/out, i had no idea HOW MUCH of a difference it was. Next time you roll into one, check out their prices for bagels. You will notice the price of one w/out any spread (cream cheese, butter, etc) costs $0.79. not bad. Now, look for the price with the spread: $2.19!!!!

You're telling me that a teaspoon of cream cheese costs $1.40? No siree bob, that's crazy talk. There's no way in hell this white goodness is worth almost DOUBLE the price of the plump and beautiful bagel.

This is where my genius idea comes in, and i change the world. Since complaining won't change anything (although it does feel good) i have decided to put my money where my mouth is. This morning I paid my 79 cents (83¢ w/ tax), brought my toasted blueberry bagel home, and lathered it up w/ my own cream cheese. BAM, take that!

THEN, and this is a very important "then", I walked down the street and used this $1 from the savings to purchase a mega-millions lottery ticket. I will then do the following:

- Win the $135 million tomorrow
- Take the lump sum of $80 cash
- Call up my brokerage firm
- And spend every last penny on PNRA (Panera stock).

This will give me controlling interest in the company, allowing me to dutifully change the price of their cream cheese to $0.25. This simple action will make all that is wrong in this world right, and giving me the "smartest person alive" award :)

I told you it was genius.

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It's Monday, and i'm off to VEGAS!!!

That's right kiddies, the work is sending me to the City of Spending ;) And not only that, but word on the street is that we'll be treated like rock stars when we're there! it's along story, but basically my boss got mistaken for a big roller a cple years back, and has since proved it to be true. haha... works for me!

But while i'm as excited as a little boy on Christmas, i'm also nervous as hell! There's a number of reasons for this, but the budgety ones are topping the list for sure. Here's a list of things for me NOT to do while gone. Since i can't write them on my hand like i'd normally do, you better believe i'm printing this out and keeping it on me 24/7:

1) Not to forget how sexy budgets are!
2) Not to forget to pack Mr. Frugal in my suitcase.
3) Not to spend over $200.*
4) Not to forget i'm actually NOT a rock star ;) ....sadly.
5) And most importantly, not to get wasted and make a fool of myself w/ colleagues!

I'm sure there are a billion other items not to forget, but as long as i follow the above i should make it out w/ my money (and my job) still in tact. And to be even MORE on top of the game, i'm gonna bring my own book/magazines from home as to not waste so much on airport prices. I just picked up a copy of "The Automatic Millionaire" after hearing so much about it, so that should keep me in the frugal spirit!

All i know is, i gotta get my game face on and do my best to fit in as a Frugal'er in a high roller's suit. It's sure gonna be hard, but you know what? I can do this. As long as i don't get dropped off at a Texas Hold'em table all night, i'll be fine. (poker's my one weak spot, i can't help it!!!)

As you can imagine, i won't be able to spend a huge amount of time posting and reading all my fav. pf blogs, BUT you know i'll do my best to post at least once a day :) I can't leave everyone hanging, right? I'm thinking I'll write a little this afternoon, and then post them over the next cple days. Of course, if i have my own internet access in the hotel, i might even be able to share a little directly from Vegas! Perhaps some pictures and stories meant to "stay in Vegas"? haha...we shall see.

Before i go now, i want to give some last shout outs to those i will be sure to miss this week. The first, of course, is Mrs Budgetsaresexy! She's my partner in crime, and i will miss her dearly. The rest is my online family! Without all you personal finance bloggers and readers, i might just find myself crying and broke on the plane ride home :)

So with that, i bid you all adieu. May your net worth increase, and your hearts be happy!

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*This is my max amount i'm allowing myself to blow from gambling, souvenirs, etc. LUCKILY all housing/food expenditures will be taken care of by work.

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I found treasure in my safe!

How cool is it that i even HAVE a safe?! ha ha...i bought one a cple years back when i was in splurge-mode after hearing horror stories of important documents going up in flames. I also always thought it was "cool" using them at hotel stays, and seeing rich people use them on T.V. The most awesomest being Scrooge McDuck's of course, from Duck Tales.

At any rate, i was digging through it a few weeks back and came across an envelope full of old Savings Bonds I got when i was a wee one. My Grandparents were HUGE fans of these things, so I'm dedicating this post to them. Thank you much G-ma & G-pa!

The most awesome thing about 'em is that they just LOOK so old! i don't know what they look like now, but seeing the typed out text makes me laugh a little...i can see a banker putting one through a typewriter or something.

Here's what i found:
A $50 bond - dated FEB, 1980 - Series EE
A $50 bond - dated MAR, 1980 - Series EE
A $50 bond - dated DEC, 1984 - Series EE
A $50 bond - dated DEC, 1994 - Series EE
A $50 bond - dated DEC, 1996 - Series EE

I vaguely remember my mom telling me how important it was to hold on to them until the maturity date, so i'd imagine they have to be good by now. I'm just glad i still have them after all these years! To be honest though, i'm not sure if i really even want to cash them in. My mind is currently full of questions:


1) Are they still Valid??? i mean some are from 1980!! hahaa...
2) How much are they worth now?
3) What do the "EE"'s stand for?
4) Can i just roll up to a bank and turn them in willy nilly? And if so, what if I have an online back (I use USAA), would i get charged some crazy fee if i tried giving them up to a different bank?
5) Do i need to prove who i am? I'd imagine i'd have to show proper I.D. to prove my name, but i'm hoping not for the address that's listed on the bond...i've moved 20+ times in my life and can't imagine showing this proof.
6) What are the tax implications? Maybe there's some sort of tax-free status, considering i've been waiting over 20 years on some! i highly doubt it though.

As you can see, i'm just starting to dive into this crazy arena. If any of you know what's up, feel free to help me out. I'll probably just google it when i get some free time (or when i'm bored) but i'm way too lazy right now. Plus the "what if" excitement is fun for the time being ;)

Have a most joyous weekend everybody, and HAPPY BLOGGING!!!

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Today is decicively a Spend Day :)

Although yesterday's "Zero Spend Day" was a success, i have to admit it took wayyyy too much brain power :) But, mission accomplished and joy to all! i'd be lying if i said it wasn't tough though. not that i expected it to be super easy, but even w/ it scribbled on my hand i still forgot.

Almost-slip-up #1: A co-worker was running out to grab some lunch, and asked around if we wanted anything. Naturally, i would have handed him a 10'er and given my order BUT it just so happened i was called into a impromptu meeting right before and never heard him! Whew. it would have been all over by noon.

Almost-slip-up #2: Our visit to Kohls after work. Mrs. Budgetsaresexy was feeling pretty down after hearing some shoddy news from 2 of her grad schools she applied to (thankgoodness for the great grad school news a while back!), and needed a quick shopping pick-me-up. As she was searching for some goodies, i perused the store and happened across this framed art that i've wanted for MONTHS. not only was it on sale, but it was 90% off!!!! out of all the day for me to walk in there. BUT because of this blog, and ONLY because of this blog, i walked away w/ more money in my pocket ... i may walk back in this weekend though ;)

So, mission accomplished indeed. And to reward myself, I will allow myself to do as i please on this beautiful day. I'm already keeping my eyes on Woot.com today (it's a woot off!!!!), and I just sent in a payment to renew our Pest Control warranty.

Speaking of which, do any of you have one? It mainly covers termites, and as long as they come out once a year to inspect it, they'll cover costs associated w/ getting rid of those little boogers. It's only $88.00 a year, so figured it's worth it. We had them come out prior to closing last year, and they found some! it's since been cleared up, but i'd like for them to be gone forever....well, as much as we can. $88 has to be worth that, right?

Alrighty fellow bloggers and blogees, I'm off to do "work" work now. May all your money dreams come true today, and stay away from those wooden nickels! (whatever that means)

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Can today be a "Zero spend day" ?

I've flirted with the idea a couple times in the past, but i've never actually declared one myself. And i'm quite sure i've accomplished many of them in past w/out knowing it, but today I make it official. So Mrs. Chicky, i accept your mini-challenge and declare today my first "Zero Spend Day".

Do you hear that Mr. Frugal? Are you back in action? I sure hope so, cuz it's time to wake up and pay attention...we've got a long day ahead of us! To make this complete, here is a list of things i will NOT spend $ on today:

• Coffee
• Bananas
• Lunch (thank goodness for PB&J)
• iTunes
• Woot.com
• Safeway
• Beers & Cheers
• wedding items
• bills
• lottery tickets
  

There is only 1 thing i may do, and that is put a $1 bill in my cup for the "dollar a day" challenge that's still going on. Not that i'm actually spending it on anything, as it's just being placed somewhere else, but i needed to clarify in case i get audited by the PFG (personal finance group). haha...

Okay, I think that pretty much covers it. The only thing i can see going wrong here is if i get caught off guard from some amazing offer, and just totally forget the operation at hand. Oooohhh, speaking of which, i can fix that too. Give me one sec....

okay back! I JUST wrote "No Spend Day" on my hand in permanent marker ;) this way, if that hand makes it's way down into my pocket to get my c/c, or cash, i'll see those words from the get go. Me so smart.

Alrighty, off we go to hopefully conquer another money challenge! I'll be sure to post my results tomorrow, or throughout the day if something terribly exciting happens (don't hold your breath).

Thanks again Chicky for your prompting :), and see you all on the blog-side.

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Where, oh where, is Mr. Frugal?

Every now and then Mr. Sexy (my alter-ego) comes out and forgets to bring along Mr. Frugal. Either that, or Mr. Frugal enjoys taking a day off...which is more likely the case here.

I know this because all budgeting ideals flew out the window yesterday. It started out first thing in the morning on my routine walk to Starbucks. Before you say that's mistake number 1, I have to divulge a little secret - we get unlimited free starbucks @ work! Spoiled, i may be, but when i had forgotten our company card and had to pay for this addiction myself, i was rudely awakened.

My crisp $5 bill quickly turned into chump change. How could my Hazelnutt Latte cost over $4? I could have sworn that it was $2.70 the last time i checked... It was at that point that i realized Mr. Frugal was not along with me, because any other day i woulda been like "Oh hell no" and just skipped the day's crack.

So before i even got to work, i already blew $4.08! The morning goes by fine, until my stomach reminds me to put something else into it. The craving for buffalo styled chicken tenders kicked in, so i made my way over to Fuddruckers. I placed the order, and was then asked to pay $8.79 for it!!! Again, Mr. Sexy urged me to pay it and to, "just forget about it". So for 9 bucks i got 4 tenders and a few fries... not even a drink, what the hell?

I start eating at my desk, and I'm reminded that I need to order a gift for someone. I find the site, go through the online checkout, and am about to hit the "order now" button where i see the insane shipping cost of $8.75! I was expecting at the MOST to spend $4.00 on it. F'ers. I know for a fact i could easily search around and get it cheaper w/out the high shipping costs, but i give in and order it.

Pushing these events to the back of my mind for a 3rd time, I carried on. The day ended, and i made my way to the train station, where i came across the food court and locked eyes w/ a basket of bananas. Remembering that Mrs. Budgetsaresexy likes them as well, and i was about to meet her, i picked up two. Can you believe those little bastards were 85¢ a piece!!!! The nerve! haha... Again, i could have easily walked away but what the heck, the day was already doomed.

So, for a day that i halfway considered making a "no spend day" when i woke up, I ended up throwing away $20 without a thought. I know this is not a huge amount by any means, but it's scary to think that I could easily blow this every day if Mr. Frugal doesn't come back :( that would be over $500 a month! *shiver*

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This guys rocks. And saves!

I came across the Change Race the other night and i just HAD to give it due credit. Although the word "Entertaining" defines it entirely, let me tell you a bit more about the genius behind it....or perhaps what the site's about since i don' t actually know the person behind it :)

The concept is simple:

We will being collecting any money that we find on the ground. It must be found, and must be change. First one to $100 wins. The trophy you ask? It is a parmesan cheese shaker that we stole from the pizza place where we hatched the idea. It will be filled with 100 pennies and will be a symbol of our victory.

The blogger, Baily, sends in a post every time he finds change, and talks about exactly what he's come across (quarters, nickels, etc), along with an interesting story or two behind it. They've since made it past their $100 mark, but are still going at it! and why not? it's a helluva unique blog idea, as well as a great way to get you to think twice about pickin' them up next time. on top of it all, it's freeeeeee money.

It's now been 3+ years, and although he doesn't post daily, it's still updated every now and then & continuously cracks people up....well, at least me! I think the random pix he throws in from traveling and such (see Grover in Paris), is what seals the deal. GENIUS! I might have to put up a "change counter" myself one day...hum...

One thing's for sure, that classic saying definitely holds true: Change Adds up!
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For similar reading, check out their inspiration: Change Quest .This guy's a little more hardcore, posting every day. awesome.

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Sometimes you just have to get started...

Short and to the point: Just start. Whatever it is....a project, a goal, a book, whatever. I find that i psych my self out of things before i even start. IF i even start. there's some background into why i'm posting this so quickly, but for now i'll spare you the boredom ;)

The point is, whatever it is you'd like to do right now, i say just start. Especially if it has to do money matter like saving, or investing. Sometimes you just gotta jump right in and feel alive!

ps: check out my blog's anthem song on the left - money, money, MONEYYYY! do you like it? is it tacky? man i'm feeling hyper right now. (took the song down. loved it but took too long to load)

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Let's dig around in our past.

My new obsession these days is Money Magazine, and the only thing holding me back from reading it every day is the fact that it only comes out once a month. Unlike some other $ mags out there, Money conjures up some fascinating (and pretty easy to read) articles that even us newbies can quickly pick up. I'm not saying i'm slow or suck at reading, but i'll be the first to admit those financial terms lose me every now and then.

One of my favorite articles this month (April, pg 79) goes into some psychology and "life" questions that poke around a bit, and get you to figure out exactly what you want out of your money. It's titled, "What do you really want from your money?" :)

Although there are a few familiar questions like "if you were to die tomorrow, would you feel like you missed anything? would you do anything different?", they had a pretty cool side box that helps you to dive into your past and figure out your money habits. It's titled "Digging In" (pg 82), and it pulls excerpts from a questionnaire used by Barbara Kirby, a Minn. financial adviser.

Since one of my fav. things is to answer those random lists of questions people forward around, i figured i'd post and answer a handful of them myself. Here's what we got (questions quoted from Money):

1. When you were a kid, did your family use money mainly to reward, punish, survive, impress, control, help others, have fun, buy love, reach goals, or ____? oh man, i hardly understood money back then...but i'd probably go with "paying the bills" and "making sure we didn't have to worry about money".
2. When you were young, did you consider your family to be rich, poor or ___? I'd say smack down in the middle. i never thought we were rich, but i did wonder why we couldn't get Nike's every year like all the cool kids ;)
3. As an adult, what has been the most important lesson you have learned about money? To save it! not that i always followed it, but that was the 1 and only thing ever mentioned about $ in our household.
4. In your current financial life, are you more of an avoider or a worrier? Prob. a healthy mix of both. I usually try to avoid worrying!
5. Has money been an "issue" or source of conflict in your important relationships? Never.
6. What money habits have been obstacles to your reaching your life goals? probably just spending more as i brought in more. since i'm still in my 20's (barely.....tear) it's not like i've had any major goals to strive for, but now that i'm putting them in place i'll def. need to keep my eyes on the money flowing out of my pockets.
7. What experience do you feel has most directly shaped your current level of financial satisfaction? Buying our house last year. That's really the turning point of my budgeting and financial planning. Although i am extremely more knowledgeable now than when we bought sadly, it's def. opened my eyes and forced me to wake up and smell the greenbacks.

That is all my friends. If you're interested, or just plain bored, i challenge you to give it a shot yourself! I've asked myself many a questions before, but none like these. Maybe you'll have one of those "Ohhh, so THAT's why i ____"?

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I Pronounce Today "Random Day"

1) I saved $8.50 yesterday at California Tortilla! you know those stamps you always get at fast food places like subway and all? well, i rounded up all mine from the past year and a half from eating at C.T. and it turns out i had just enough for a scrumptious FREE chicken quesadilla. i guess it DOES indeed pay to collect those little guys.

2) F! I just realized i spent .99¢ on an itunes song this weekend :( although it WAS related to this blog (it was "For The Love of Money from The O'Jays, & The Apprentice.), i still broke my Lent Challenge. F. F. F. i was on a crazy roll...oh well, at least i didn't do it intentionally.

3) I re-posted 4 jackets on Craigslist again, since they failed to find a new home a few months back. I'm pretty sure i have a track-jacket addiction, and i've been trying to unload the ones i never wear anymore. This includes these 4 out of the 15+ I have. I'd give eBay a shot, but i find i lose way more there when it comes to clothes. plus one of my jackets is pretty puffy and would require some interesting fenagling to mail it. Either way, the more i sell, the more my Fun Fund pumps up (evil laughs).

4) My credit card bill came in, and for the 2nd time in a row i've gone under my $800 budget! Last month i was around $130 under, and this time i'm under $250. i believe it's the inertia that's moving me along now. i might have to drop my budget down to $700 if i can keep this up to better acount for everything. if only the wedding wasn't coming up... (re: money that is. i do want to marry ;) )

5) Check it: www.trueofficeconfessions.com. Hilaaaaarious! Maybe you could even waste some time on it when you're bored? Thanks Give Me Back My Five Bucks for posting about it, it has made my last 24 hours very pleasant :)

6) It's taken me a good 3 hours to post this. it just so "happens" that i'm at work, and every freakin' time i log in to write, something work related comes up and distracts me. This is actually the fourth time i've tried to push this bad boy out. i mean, what do they expect....for me to work? pshhh.

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My very own sexy budget.

I've been using a budget for a little over 5 months now, and i gotta say i am feeling pretty damn good about it! And although it doesn't look as good as it should - I have a plan, i'm stickin' to it, and i'm saving money.

The calculations don't lie: Budgets = Confidence = Sexy.

Here's exactly what i have to play with every month after taxes, ss, medicare, and 401k at 19% (holler!):
- Paycheck #1: $1807.86
- Paycheck #2: $1807.86
- Quarterly bonus': $2k-ish

My budget, however, only factors in the bi-weekly paychecks I get. The bonus' are GREAT, but it's not something i can definitely count on 100%. So, when/if these come in every 3 months, i either apply it to our open credit cards, the Emergency Fund, or to cushion my checking acct. a bit.

Here's my bi-weekly budget:
(Some of this may look familiar/redundant from my recent "Where does my money go" post, as I budget using "clumps" of money)

- Mortgage $$: 1/2 of my share of the mortgages
- House $$: 1/2 my share of the monies for "house stuff". this includes all utilities & all groceries eaten @ home. i use a separate house budget to track this which i'll post soon.
- Wedding Fund: for our wedding!
- My Credit Card: the amount i alot myself each month. Gets paid off on time and no interest accumulated. i also use a credit card budget to keep track of this separately.
- Cash Withdrawal: always gotta have cash on you.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- Mortgage $$: the other half of my share.
- House $$: the other half of my share.
- Condo Investment: the amount to my brother for help.
- Insurance: auto: actually covers my car, our 2 laptops, and the engagement ring. billed together.
- Insurance: life: gotta have that life insurance!
- Auto loan: the biggest non-necessity (price-wise that is).
- Emergency Fund: the least amt. i put in...if i save in other areas, i drop that into here as well.
- Cash Withdrawal: trying not to take out more. it's hard :(
- Roth IRA: i used to put in at leat $100/mo until i realized i don't have the money to be doing that! i'd like to re-contribute on an automated schedule once i get this budget in check.

As you'll notice, my lifestyle costs me around $3,900/month on average, and i only bring in $3,600/month. Soooo, according to my budget i'm down around $300 from the get go :( On the plus side, however, i stick to this budget pretty hardcore and haven't gone over since starting. The last 2 months i've actually shaved off a good $200 or so each time (thanks to all my challenges!) so i'm really losing around $100 per month.

None the less, I need to get my average spending down so that i'm at least breaking even each time. This is why i will more than likely sell my car, and pick up a way cheaper one.

It's good to remember though that budgeting is a continual process. So as long as we're all indeed working on it, we're already better off!

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PS: I keep track of all my budgets using a simple excel spreadsheet i've been polishing up. Feel free to use it! Click here for the actual file, or here for the google-ized one.

More budgety posts:
- My "Credit Card" budget
- My "House" budget
- Budgets are a man's best friend.
- Where does my money go?

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Fed move + the Dow= ON FIRE!

What a day for the consumer: The Fed cut rates by 3/4 a point, AND the Dow is up 400 pts!

(FOUR HUNDRED)

That's what i'm talking about :) This is huge for us as it'll drop our variable HELOC rate by .75%! Of course, this news isn't the best for those high-yield saving accts, but currently that doesn't apply to us.

A good 8 months ago we were paying 9% on our home equity line (our 2nd mortgage). But after all the fed cuts and refinancin' we did, it'll now be at an astonishing. 4.8%! Freakin' unbelievable. Of course, most of this is purely luck and timing, but hey i'll take that.

For those of you checking around for a decent loan or mortgage out there, i'd say it's not a bad time to pick one up these days ... And for all you investors out there. HOLLER!

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Uncle Sam suuuure likes my money.

As i'm sure i've mentioned before, i have a pretty unique workplace. Not only is the work itself freakin' awesome, but our benefits are simply incredible. One of the *best* ones are what i like to call the "good mood bonus!"

Good Mood Bonus: (n.) A sizable chunk of money your boss hands out to each and everyone at the company when he's in a helluva good mood! Bonus not to reflect profits, project completion, nor work performance... simply random.

How BAD A$$ is that? I was given a cool $1k for just "being" :) This isn't the first time my widened eyes have seen this, but it IS the first time i've sensed the evil lurking of Uncle Sam around so quickly. It's funny how every time i get my hands on some dollah dollah bills, that good for nothing beast snatches a handful of it before my very own eyes. I honestly believe the gov't enjoys being Debbie Downer. He's like our money shadow...wherever your money goes, he goes!

Although i'm not exactly sure how our accounting handles these extra "lump sums" of money, i am fairly certain they treat them as simply that. Extra "lump sums" on top of our regularly salary. Instead of the $3125 (gross) bi-weekly check i'd normally get, it magically turns into $4125 (gross) for that paycheck only; the next check turns back to $3125. So although this extra $ is still taxed, i'm thinking it's taxed as "salary money" instead of "bonus money"? At least that's how it was sorta-kinda explained to me by a senior here.

At any rate, that evil uncle took out a chunk of my $1k, and spit the rest back at me. I'm not totally complaining here, don't get me wrong. FREE money is FREE money, no matter how you slice it up. I just find the whole experience a bit interesting when it comes to the tax side of things ;)

So, out of the original $1k, how much do you think i got back from it after all taxes, ss, 401k withdrawals, etc? A chunkity chunk of $467.47! haha...all i have to say is, MAN that guy is good.

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i forgot to mention what i'll be doing w/ this extra money: straiiiiiiiiiiight into my Emergency Fund!

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Referral Lovin' and Updates

Hot Dogs, this site's been up and running for over 1 month now! And so far i'm lovin' it :) Not only is it fun unloading all this info onto the finance world, but you guys are helping me learn a lot at the same time. I think that's the best part....that, and i can actually talk turkey w/ people who WANT to listen ;)

So, THANK YOU all commenters & fellow pf bloggers, it feels great to be alive and bloggin'! Here's my shout out to a few of you below. I've seen this around on a few blogs, and thought it was a pretty cool way to acknowledge people.

The top 5 referrals to this site (in order):
1) Krystal at Work
2) Chicky Finance
3) A Dollar a Day
4) The Simple Dollar
5) No Spend Zone

And, just cuz i'm feeling extra spicy today, here's a quick update on all the challenges i'm up to:

- No buying random crap (for Lent): not a thing since my initial mess up! i gotta say, it's been a lot easier lately as i'm now used to it. although, i won't complain once Easter has passed ;) This time next week i'm allowed to buy anything i damn well please! not that i will. i am getting frugal'er as the days pass. haha...

- A Dollar a Day: the George Washington's are still piling up in there! i have now amassed...drum roll please... $21.00! that sounds about right. i'm too lazy today to verify the total ratio of days worked vs. non-workdays this time around. but since i am still going strong here, i say we're doing alright.

- No spending $ on work days: a. big. fat. failure. i lost on day one as i happily conceded in a past post. turns out this isn't my forte. BUT, i've only eaten out 2 times in the past 6 work days....so that should count for something.

- *Days in a row NOT eating McDonalds: 1225 That's like what, over 3 years! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT??? not that there's any real point to this to be honest, but it's still an unbelievable feat for me. keep in mind this was my favorite place in the world, and has since been replaced w/ Wendy's. But even these days i've been skimping on the fast food. to this my body adds, "THANK YOU"... i think it's pretty happy on that one.

See you happy campers tomorrow!

*random.

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The secret is out! How much i earn.

I was checking out Cal Girl Finance yesterday and really enjoyed it. She brings up an awesome topic on salary and the taboo on sharing it with others. I commented that i'm pretty much okay w/ talking about it w/ family, and even a best friend or so, but that's about it. Then the more i thought about it, the more i wanted to say!

First off, there's absolutely no way i'm sharing it w/ co-workers, nor do i even WANT to know theirs. The last thing i need is to get a little jealous, over-confident, or just straight up confused :) There's a reason it's kept super duty quiet i the work place.

The same thing goes w/ friends in my book (although not for BEST friends). I don't believe someone should be looked up or down upon based on their salary alone. I've made the mistake of sharing this twice.

Once when i was bringing in pennies and literally got laughed at, not to mention sarcastically asked how i survive. And the second when i brought in more than a friend, and was openly talking about salaries in the DC area w/ him. It wasn't bad at first, but after a few weeks, and even to this day, i get ridiculed whenever i don't wanna go out partying or to a sports event so i can save money. According to him, "i make plenty enough and shouldnt' even think about it". That was the last time i decided to share...

Until today :) Since this IS a personal finance blog and we're all pretty much anonymous here, i say it's time to unload and set ourselves free! So, without further adieu, here are my juicy details:
I have a base salary of $75k + quarterly bonus' of about 2k a piece, bringing the current total to roughly $83k.

Get this though, i am nowhere CLOSE to being the only one jumping on this openness train! Cal Girl linked to a post where over 240 commenters have givin' up theirs as well!!! Seriously, you HAVE to check it out. An absolutely great post from My Open Wallet.

It's just so crazy! You get this crazy mixture of intimacy, gossip, and taboo-ness (is that a word?) all mixed in one. I mean, we are in the personal finance genre here, but still ... it's all just so oddly alluring.

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How I fund my "fun fund".

Well that's a mouth full, eh? Fun Fund in itself is a hard one, but funding my fun fund, well that's just crazy talk! but i digress...

My "Fun Fund" - An allocated place to hold all side monies earned; to be spent on anything my heart desires, no questions asked.

Mine officially started a good 4-5 months ago, even though i've always bought myself a thing or two a month as I see them. Nothing huge like over $50, but things here and there for like $20 or $35, etc. It feels good knowing you can buy yourself nice things w/out putting much thought into it.

I think it's important for everyone to have a certain amount set aside for anything he/she wants, with no worries or psychological strings attached. Sorta like that "pay yourself first" mentality. Some people add $20 per paycheck to it, or $50 a month, or simply fund it w/ outside money brought in like myself.

Currently I have exactly $265 in it. I know this cuz it's a huge wad of cash in a cool pirates-chest-looking thing on my night stand at home. Although hardcore pf'ers might think it's better to invest it somewhere, and then take it as you need it, it just wouldn't work for me....i'll never want to spend it! This way, i take the cash w/ me when i go out shopping and use it when i find something. And if i forget to bring, i just re-imburse myself from it so all is even.

This is how i got the $265, or rather the $350+ (when i first started): I SELL THINGS! haha...here's how:

1) I walk around the house looking for things i don't need and/or want. Seriously! i think it drives Mrs. Budgetsaresexy crazy sometimes :) Be sure to peruse your OWN stuff though, not those of others. Drawers are also a great place. If you're like me and randomly throw stuff in them, only to forget years later what's actually in them. If you're not sure about parting w/ an item, just ask yourself this: "Would i rather have $XX in cash for it?"

2) Clean/brush off said items, and snap 3-4 pictures of them. This is important, as a pretty picture definitely helps sell the item...even if said item is ugly or super-old. Someone will usually want it!

3) Sell them! I prefer to use Craigslist first, and then eBay if i don't get any hits. Although there are more flakers on CL, i find the face-t0-face action much more pleasant, and i usually dispose of the item quicker as well. Plus, it doesn't cost you anything and you don't have to worry about mailing issues. If i don't sell it on CL after two weeks (includes 1 re-post), then i'll give eBay a shot. I tend to list a "buy it now" price and to also upload all the pics i have of the item in order to get rid of it quicker. There are tons of other options out there too like yard sales, estate sales, and more if you do some quick research.

The $ you get in return is not only nice, but makes you feel like you really EARNED it! I think there's a great deal of pride in that, even if it's silly :) Out of the 4-5 months doing this, i've now sold 5 track jackets, 2 winter coats, a baseball jersey, pair of pants, picture frame, super old stove, printer/fax machine, and a sword! hahah....i'm telling you, there are people out there that want your stuff. and Stuff = money, money, moneyyyyyy!

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Where does my money go?

That's where it all goes! To be honest, this is the first time i've actually sat down and calculated this, and i'm not liking it :( Especially that 43% and 11% up there...i'm gonna have to work on that. These #'s are based on the following categories, and the amounts spent on them each month. Here's a breakdown of everything, from high to low:

Mortgage $$ ($1676.48): My portion of our monthly mortgages. It comes out to about 2/3 of the total mortgage payments we have each month (naturally the rest comes from my fiancée), and it covers our 1st mortgage & our 2nd mortgage (our HELOC). Had i ran these #'s BEFORE purchasing our townhouse, i would have probably gone a different route, aka purchase a cheaper place, BUT what's done is done, and it's all a learning experience. Plus, the lake in our backyard doesn't hurt the eyes ;)

My Credit Card ($800.00): This is the amount budgeted for each month. It covers all my personal spending, eating out, shopping, etc, and is paid in full each month. Lately it's only been around $650, but considering how i am a good $270 OVER what i bring in each month, this only helps me to work on breaking even.

House $$ ($500.00): This covers 1/2 of all our food, utilities, house credit card, and home owner fees each month.

Auto Loan ($443.49): Covers my SUV payments each month. I DEFINITELY need to work this out in the near future, as this is a ridiculous amount. I'm still considering selling it and then picking up an older car and having no more payments (i'd just pay it off in full). Either that or at LEAST halving the amount each month. This should be easier to do now that winter is coming up so i won't *need* the suv... although she's a beauty!

Condo Investment ($120.00): The amount i pay my brother each month to help him pay his mortgage. It's a loan at 5% and should end over the next few months. He's now comfortable w/ his payments and $ situation, so he doesn't really *need* it anymore. Good job buddy!

Wedding Fund ($100): We both put in $100 a month, plus any extra savings we make from going under our "house budget" (soon to be posted). We'll turn this into a "vacation fund" or something of that sort once we're married. 3 more months to go, and then it's marriage time!

Cash Withdrawal ($100): This is an average amount, as sometimes i end up taking out around $80 or $120 depending on how much i eat out and splurge :) That, and I am adamant of carrying around at LEAST $5-$10 on me at all times.

Insurance ($119.26): This covers all of my auto, life, and some personal property insurance. not bad, right?

Emergency Fund ($20.00): It's not exactly 0% as depicted in the graph, but pretty close! I just started this last month when i opened up a money market account. Although $20 is def. added each month, i also tend to put in any extra savings, bonus', etc that may flow down the pipeline.

That's the whole kitten caboodle! I *SHOULD* allocate my 401k deductions in here, but since it's pre-tax and not factored in to my spending budgets, it didn't feel right adding it. BUT, just so i get it out there, I put in a whopping 18% each paycheck!!! Thumbs UP & thumbs DOWN.

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The Dow is a P.I.M.P. today

The Dow skyrocketed up 416 pts today - The highest since July 24, 2002!

".. the Federal Reserve said it plans to pump $200 billion into the financial markets ... The Fed — acting in concert with the European Central Bank, the Bank of Canada and the Swiss National Bank — agreed to loan investment banks money in exchange for debt, including slumping mortgage-backed securities." - msnbc.com

This is insane!!!
Insanely AWESOME :)

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What's in your wallet?

Or in my case, my money clip! I always enjoy these super personal questions. The idea of peering into someone else's life is just so incredibly interesting. It's not like i wanna find out some dirty little secrets or anything, although that would make for a juicy post! haha...but it's more for the feeling that we're all alike on some level. We all carry wallets, purses, money clips, etc, and we all have our own methods and reasoning for doing so.

I was reminded of this curiosity when i came across a post by Canadian Saver covering the simple question: what's in your wallet?

Here's what i pimp:
1) USAA Rewards MasterCard.....for personal spending
2) USAA Platinum Rewards MasterCard.....for all house related items
3) USAA Debit MasterCard.....only used to take out $ from atms (FREE by the way through USAA! any one, anywhere.)
4) Work swipe card thingie.....allows me to get into work...unfortunately.
5) Driver's License.....ALWAYS on me 100% of time cuz ya never know.
6) $28 buckaroos.....oh crap, make that $25! i've been forgetting to put my daily dollars into my cup. Cash is the one thing i continuously get on my friends for. I don't mind lending it, or buying a friend lunch every now and then, but it's really really important for safety reasons! I believe you should always have at LEAST $5-$10 on you at all times...you can't use a credit card for everything.

That's it! i know it's not as exciting as one would hope, but i'm a simple man :) I used to use a wallet but it would collect soooooo much junk. And these days w/ the whole "phone # as your rewards card" at grocery stores, i don't need to hang on to those crazy giant/safeway cards anymore. The only thing i miss having is a picture or two, but these days i can just log onto mySpace and see my crazy friends.

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WOOT! there it is.

Have you ever checked out woot.com? It's seriously one of my favorite bargain sites E-V-E-R (and i'm not getting paid to say that, it's for real a HOT site). They have listed everything from digital cameras, to Dyson vacuums, and all at crazy low prices. PLUS, and a big plus, the writers are freakin' hilarious! Their descriptions will force a smile on your face no matter what the product, and are well worth the free entertainme