I cannot freakin' believe it. It seems like just the other day I was buggin' Clever Dude & Mapgirl for some blogging tips at over drinks ;) I even remember my very first commenter - Chicky from Chicky Finance! (remember her?). Two years of writing almost every single day, crazy man.

And I'm still just as excited today as I was 2 years ago. A bit more busier (like, 10x more!), but it's been completely worth it. Every single day. All your comments, tweets, emails, guest posts - everything continues to inspire me and keep me on track, esp. financially. You think twice about spending crazily when you know you'll be blogging about it later!

So this achievement is more about you guys than me, because without you I'd have been long gone by now ;) No one likes talking to the wall! haha...and while I may or may not blog full-time down the road, I can honestly say I'm 100% happy with what we've accomplished up to this point. Everything forward is just gravy. Here are some interesting stats over the years:

• Budgets Are Sexy has over 765 posts.
• Gathering over 5,000 comments!
• We've had one site redesign.
• And recently hit 1/2 Million page views! (Damn)
• Been featured on the front page of MSN, on Consumerist, LA Times & even a magazine!
• Even better, our net worth has more than doubled from $58,000 to $138,000.
• Courtesy of wiping out all debt (except mortgages), and maxing out 401(k).
  
• And I've somehow kept my anonymity?!
• And more importantly, my job ;)

Who knows what will happen over the next 2 years, but from our very first post to today's, it's been an incredible journey and I can't wait to keep on going! You all are brilliant and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. THANK YOU thank you THANK YOU!

God Bless,

Labels: about j., blogging, thank you

Let's get to know each other some more :) I filled out this questionnaire for a series Automatic Finances put together recently (he interviewed a few of us bloggers), but I thought it would be a great discussion tool for us too. After all, we see each other almost every day, yes?

If you'd like to participate (and I hope you do), list your answers in the comments below. You can be as short, and anonymous, as you'd like. And if you'd rather not, no worries either - you can always stalk us from behind that computer of yours ;) Let the getting to know each other commence!

1) How do you spend: cash, debit or credit?
As much as I can on credit card baby! I find credit cards to be an excellent budgeting tool as long as you stay on top of it, and pay 'em off in full every month (which I do). If you're spending roughly the same every month, why not pay with plastic and milk 'em for all those extra rewards?

2) Do you bank online? How about use a financial aggregator (Mint, Wesabe, Yodlee, etc.)?
I bank online at USAA.com aka the best bank e-v-e-r. Since most of my 10+ accounts are there, I find a trusty excel spreadsheet & google doc is the only other thing I need to manage it all and stay on budget. Although I could certainly see the value in personal finance software like Mint & the rest. If I didn't like manually updating my budget so much I would have switched out long ago ;)

3) What recurring bills do you have set on autopay?
Oddly enough, only a few things: Comcast, condo fee, and insurance. My income gets staggered so I like to manually pay the rest to make sure all is on point.

4) How are your finances automated?
Currently, they're not as automated as I'd like. I deposit my paychecks, xfer out the money to the right accounts, and then manually pay a chunk of the bills asap to make sure I don't forget. I'd like to have *all my finances automated* but it's gonna have to wait until things are more concrete.

5) Do you write checks? If so, how often?
Checks? What are those? :) They only get the pleasure of my bad handwriting when it's time to pay a stray bill or give a wedding present to somebody. All other times they stay in my drawer sobbing, knowing the end is near.

6) Where do you stash your short-term savings?
In a regular ol' savings account. I like the freedom to xfer out at a moment's notice, and having your accounts in one spot makes it even easier to manage it all.

Your turn! How do you manage your finances?

Labels: about j., banking, bills, interview, money management

I wrote a check for the first time in 6 months and realized we're no longer as close as we used to be. "What happened to us?!" I asked myself. "Remember the days of filling up gas for Ma and having the honor to use a blank check?" It feels strange never officially breaking up.

These days, we're more like distant friends than lovers. We see each other every now and then - exchange some niceties - and then scurry away in this fast paced world of ours. Who has time to write out checks these days? Or to keep track of them so quaintly as we used to? The digital age sure has changed our behavior.

Back then, we used checks for everything - rent, groceries, clothes, utilities - I even remember using one for a couple of chocolate bars ;) Credit cards were around, but from what I recall were very hush hush. The only people using plastic were the scoundrels racking up debt and living the high life (literally and figuratively!). Of course, I was a mere child in those days so my memories are a little skewed, but the point is that plastic is the new check. Both debit and credit.

And you know what? I'm totally happy with! It's faster, easier, and fits in my pocket much much smoother. It's true there are still some old school'ers holding up the register lines at times, but at least I can now appreciate the nostalgia of it. They continue writing checks because it works for them. More power to ya Grandma! I just wish more places accepted PayPal. I'm starting to forget how to properly fill these things out...

Labels: about j., bills, checks

Just when you thought finance couldn't get any more exciting - the guys over at Credit Card Finder come up with a whole new PF Comic series! And lucky ol' me gets picked as one of the featured bloggers ;) I can now retire! haha...although I must admit I'm much uglier in real life....so uhh....yeah. Click the image to start the adventure! (and keep your eyes open for the 3 easter eggs)

Labels: about j., awesomely awesome, blogging, lottery

Welcome to this weekend's $100 Lottery Project! I'm feeling feisty as ever right now, and thought I'd spice things up a bit by doing something ridiculously stupid. But also fun, exciting, silly, and rewarding all mixed into one.

As many of you know, I am a hardcore fan of scratch off lottery tickets. Not only do they pump me full of endorphins, but those lovely pieces of metallic paper allow me to escape into a dream-like world full of happiness & unicorns! Okay maybe not unicorns, but definitely ligors. For me, lotteries really are the best bang for a buck. (so long as you don't get addicted)

I've wanted to do this for years now, but having a captive audience was all I needed ;) And I'll have you know there were many behind the scenes here egging me on too (probably because it's not their money we're using! haha...). I shot out a feeler on Twitter and Facebook to gauge interest, and 25+ of you said to go for it! My favorite response: "You have the insanity of a manatee!" Yes. Yes I do.

The $100 Scratch Off Lottery Project:

1. I march my crazy a$$ down to the local liquor store.
2. I pick up 100 assorted $1 scratch-off lottery tickets. All random and spread out, No fun in hitting up the same kind 100 times over.
3. I scratch each and every one of them off this weekend. (Amounting to orgasmic euphoria)
4. I post up the results on Monday! The good, the bad, and the finger-hurtin' ugly.
5. I hand over all the winnings to charity :) In particularly, Project Hopeful - A charity that encourages, educates, and enables families to adopt children with HIV/Aids (and a charity that is near & dear to my friend Jessica, who I admire very much).

I've also started collecting guesses as to what people think we'll be winning. So far we have $76 and $87, and my guess is somewhere around $125 - but I'm hoping for $2.00. Care to add your own?

So Stay tuned for Monday's results! And wish me luck too. You kinda sorta have to since it's all going to charity ;) The more we win, the better we/I/everyone feels! Oh, and I almost forgot - this $100 is coming straight out of my "entertainment budget." I can't be too irresponsible now can I?
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UPDATE: I couldn't help but to chime in and say THANK YOU to all who have decided to match our winnings! I am blown away by your generosity, and I'm sure Project Hopeful will be just as please to hear the good news :) A shout out to the matchers: JerryB, Sid, Forest, Michele, RainyDaySaver, and Brad.
UPDATE: The results are in!!! Check it out.

Labels: about j., charity, lottery, randomness 3000

Are you my friend? Family? Are we helping each other out with our finances? If not, you're probably pissing me off :) Unfortunately I can't even say that with a straight face because I'm naturally happy! Haha...

Seriously though, I'm all for open discussions on money, but you can't be a d-head and ask someone how much they make just because you feel like it.

That may sound weird coming from someone who posts up all their financial details for all to see, but I really feel there's a time and a place for stuff like this. The same goes for passwords & sex lives. Can you imagine if I just straight up ask you how many partners you've had? I'd be a total ass. You know what, that's how I should respond the next time someone butts in and asks me how much I make - "You wanna know my salary? Okay sure - but first tell me how many sluts you've slept with!" That would probably shut 'em up for a bit ;)

As far as I'm concerned, both parties have to trust each other before dishing out the goods. Just like with sex, there are appropriate and inappropriate times to talk turkey. (On a side note, you're always more than welcome to ask me anything! The beauty of being anonymous is that I can give you my opinion 100% without worrying about who's reading. I might not know the answer, but I'll always do my best to point you in the right direction either way.) So what are these "appropriate" and "inappropriate" times to ask about salaries? Well, keep on reading my friends...and keep in mind that these are MY own preferences, they may differ depending on who you ask:

Appropriate times to ask about my salary:

• We're in Human Resources. If you're my boss, VP, CEO, or any member of Human Resources, I'll gladly provide my salary to you (although you probably already know it, eh?)
• We're in a job interview. Ask away! You have the right to know so you can pay me more ;)
• You're my financial adviser/accountant. Obviously this is okay. If not, you'd probably be hiding something! haha...
  
• We've been talking about finances & helping each other out. And we're friends! That second part is key. I have nooooo problems at all talking openly with friends & family about salaries. Every now and then people ask for my opinion or what I wold do in a certain situation, so in this case sharing my financial background or salary may be important keys to the conversation. In this case, I'd happily give out the details.
• We're on this blog. Again, it's always cool here. It may not be on others' blogs - especially those who aren't as anonymous, but here it's a wide open door baby!
• I asked for yours first ;) This rarely happens outside of the above situation, but when it does I fully expect to be asked the same or to just give it out first to make both parties comfortable. The only time I can remember really doing this was when I was looking to join a friend's company and needed to know what I was dealing with before heading into an interview. There may be other times too when I was more naive, but regardless if I'm not willing to share my own salary with you, I'll never ask for yours in return.

I think that covers most of the times I'm cool with it. I'm sure others don't mind at all sharing a bit more freely, but again these are just my own opinions. If you're cool with dishing it out, more power to ya! Just keep in mind that not all of us are so you don't step on many of our toes.

Inappropriate times to ask about my salary:

• When we're not even talking about finances. Why would I tell you how much I make when we were talking about The Redskins killing me? What does it possibly have to do with them?
• When I don't now you. The worst is when someone gets all up in your face with 101 questions about what you make when you wouldn't even tell them your apartment number. People are crazy sometimes. I was once asked how much my paycheck came out to THREE whole minutes after meeting them! WTF? Come on now, that's just crazy.
  
• When we work together. Bosses/HR aside, I know what happens when the guy sitting next to you knows you make more than them (or less for that matter). Everything gets weird and emotions start piling up when the only thing that's changes was a number you told them. No sirree, been there done that. Try out GlassDoor.com if you have to, maybe you'll get lucky?
• When we're on the metro/train/plane/anywhere else with hundreds of people around. I might be cool with telling you, but not with all those eyeballs staring at us. I'm pretty shy about that, so please don't force it.

These blunt & direct people actually remind me of those telemarketers who try to get receptionists to xfer them directly over to the CEO. They get so over the top that it stuns you and you give in before you even realize what's hit ya! haha....I was pummeled with these last week when I was answering the phones for a bit ;) Sneaky sneaky!

When all is said and done, I feel there's a right and a wrong way to ask about how much someone makes. Sometimes they'll give it to you, and others they won't. Just please, whatever you do, respect their decision either way. There's no praise in bullying someone out of their lunch money.

Labels: about j., career, paychecks

Shaking The Money Tree had a post on the cost of being a girl, so I thought I'd rebuttal with the cost of being a guy ;) It was a bit tricky to calculate since I share a lot of this stuff with the Mrs., but I tried to be as accurate as possible.

Instead of splitting my costs in half, I calculated what it would cost me if I were out on my own but with the same products (which jacks up the price, mind you, but now I'm addicted to the "better stuff" anyways). I'm sure I'll come across as super metro here, but it's all good I'm not ashamed. I use body wash & hairspray, so what. A guy's gotta look & feel good right? (don't answer that)

The numbers on the left represent Jolie's figures from 2008 - which I chose over '09 since it's juicier & I'd guess closer to the average anyways - and then mine are to the right. They're also pro-rated to show monthly averages, and we're really only talking about bathroom stuff here.

JOLIE: Bodywash - $2.46 Shampoo - $4.40 Conditioner - $4.40 Blush - $2.41 Eye Shadow - $2.98 Lipstick - $4.23 Toothpaste - $2.08 Fem. Products - $8.96 Deodorant - $5.94 Contact Solution - $8.88 Gel - $9.92 Razors - $5.99 Facewash - $7.11 Foundation - $11.47 Moisturizer - $19.97 Mascara - $7.47 MONTH TOTAL - $98.59

J. MONEY: Bodywash - $3.00 (Caress) Shampoo - $3.00 (Garnier) Puff - $.50 (See, I'm addicted!) Toothpaste - $2.50 (Crest) Flossers - $5.50 (Reach) Deodorant - $2.00 (Degree) Hairspray - $3.50 (Salon Grafix) Shaving Gel - $1.00 (Gillette) Razors - $1.80 (Gillette Excel @ $18 10-pack) Mouthwash - $4.00 (Act Anticavity) MONTH TOTAL - $26.80

Would ya look at that! We men sure have it good. This is the first time I've ever seen it broken down before, and it's pretty cool to check out. I know the numbers will fluctuate depending on your own situation (esp for those more rugged men), but it still gives us a good overall picture. It would be cool to see how it compares throughout the rest of our lifestyles too! Like with clothes, food, shopping, etc. I don't know how much more you could break it down, but if anyone did the legwork I'd happily provide my numbers to you.

So there you have it: Beauty vs. The Beast! This doesn't prove anything we didn't already know, but hopefully you enjoyed it as much as I did. And to be fair, Jolie DID actually knock her monthly expenses down this year to $85.95, so we gotta give her mad props for that.

Labels: about j., men vs women, where our money goes

Or my second title for this post: You love your pet HOW MUCH? haha...I found this pet cost breakdown via Kiplinger the other day, so I thought I'd share and see what you all thought about it.

I've never drilled down and detailed out exactly how much our own pets have cost us, but from the looks of it these numbers below seem pretty accurate.

Here's what Kiplinger & The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals lists as what pets cost on average (you can see the much cooler & fancier graph here):

Pet	First Year Cost*	Annual Cost
Small Dog	$1,050	$580
Medium Dog	$1,260	$695
Large Dog	$1,435	$875
Cat	$1,035	$670
Rabbit	$1,055	$730
Guinea Pig	$705	$635
Small Mammal (ferrit,etc)	$340	$300
Small Bird	$270	$200
Fish	$235	$35
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Does not include adoption or purchase cost

We own 2 cats (one speedy little booger, and one fatty hungry boy) and I'd say $670/year sounds about right for each. They both go to the vet at least once a year to get checkups and all - and usually more for our older one - and we go through cat litter & food like none other. In fact as I type this the little one just jumped up next to me to eat his dinner :) We have to put it on our breakfast nook/table so that fatty Bob won't eat it from her! It's a good thing they're cute.

I also have a handful of fish, and I know for sure I spend way more than $35 a year on them (I also specifically say "I" instead of "we" as the Mrs. could do w/out them. She gets very sad when they randomly die). If I had to take a guess, I'd say I go through at least $200/year with all the live plants and food, and filters, and fish replacements, etc etc. And if I had a saltwater tank? Hah! That would be at least $50/mo easily. Actually, if you ever want to blow through hundreds of dollars super fast, get a salt water aquarium. They're beautiful as hell, but man do they run up your tab!

Overall, these numbers above are meant to be averages though. Good starting points if you're considering a larger family. They don't include adoption fees (and I doubt pet insurance?) but they seem to be pretty on track from my experience. What do you all think? Do they align up okay? Or do you have zero pets, and thus much richer than us? ;)

Labels: about j., pets

Why not, right? We've already got a double life on Facebook and twitter, may as well add in LinkedIn, Delicious, and who knows what else to come ;) So click on my links and friend me all over! (that sounded sexual, didn't it?)

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/budgetsaresexy
Delicious: http://delicious.com/budgetsaresexy

Labels: about j.

Every now and then someone asks me if I ever mess up and waste money. And my answer to that is always the same - Yep, mess up all the time. Just because I blog about personal finance, doesn't mean I'm mr. perfect ;) I'm a lot smarter than I was 4-5 years ago when it comes to money, but I still mess up. And a lot more than you'd actually think.

It doesn't matter if I track my expenses every day or every week, the real world is no match for a human. The only way you could win 100% of the time is if you were locked up somewhere or if you were, in fact, a computer. And seeing how you're reading this right now, I take it that you're neither of the two.

The trick is really just about messing up on the smaller things rather than the BIGGER things. If you can rock out your spend-less-than-I-make-lifestyle & stay away from huge mortgages & car payments, I find no problem with slipping up every now and then. It's not optimal, and you never PLAN to do it, but it happens. It's all a part of life, you know?

In fact, just last Friday I blew $5.00 on these damn cinnamon sticks from Pizza Hut because I wasn't paying good enough attention. Then I spent $3.50 for chap stick 15 minutes later because I didn't take the time to look for my normal .99 kind. Every week I do stupid stuff like this, but I try and not let it get to me. I know I'm handling our finances pretty well 90% of the time, and as long as we hit our major goals every year we're on track.

So do I, J. Money, ever mess up? I sure do. And I'm willing to bet every other person reading and blogging about personal finance does too. You can't make the right call 100% of the time, it's just not possible. It's more about being comfortable in your own financial skin and allowing yourself some breathing room. If you can master that, you'll live a much healthier (and happier) life. And one without going insane, as well.

Labels: about j., blown money, life, personal finance

In particular, a Personal Finance Blogger? I recently came across an interesting headline: "Asher Roth went to rap because of what he listened to, not what he lived. Does it matter if he's good? Can he be good? Does he have flow?" That really got me thinking...

For anyone not familiar with Asher, he's the star behind the hit song I Love College. He's white and he raps, kind of like Eminem. The difference being, Em & others grew up on the streets and Ash takes notes from those who grew up on the streets.

What occurred to me though, was that I just may be the Asher of pf blogging ;) Not in that I've made it big or anything, or because I wish I could rap (which I do), but more in that I don't have a main story to back me up. I haven't worked my way out of $XXXXXX.XX debt, nor have I filed for bankruptcy or struck it rich being a .com mogul. In other words, I don't rap (write) from my experiences on the street (in debt).

I do, however, have plenty of experience in saving money and budgeting as you can see from any of my net worth updates. That doesn't mean I'm a pro or a financial guru, but I feel like it should give me some street cred out there. At the very least it helps me to convey my messages with a little more conviction.

Would I be a better blogger, though, if I DID come from a financially crazier background? Yeah, probably - as long as I've overcome it all. I'd certainly have more interesting stories to share :) I'd like to think that it doesn't hinder me any more than it does Asher, though. He raps about what he's passionate about (women and beer apparently), and I do the same. Only difference being that one's a little more exciting than the other, and brings in a few more Benjamins.

So I say no - you don't need a story to be respected as a pf blogger. You could use it to your advantage if you did, like Dawn @ fighting foreclosure, but it shouldn't drag you down any. If you love what you do, it'll definitely shine through.

Labels: about j., blogging, life

Yup, your boy J. Money (or Jay Monee in this case) is on Facebook. Just signed up this week so I'm pretty excited.

Kinda weird starting out from scratch since it's not linked to my personal account, but at least I can interact and get to know all you better :) It's also cool seeing a whole mess of other bloggers on there too, so you might come across some of your fav's.

Here are my new Facebook pages. Be my friend?

• Facebook: Jay Monee - my "under cover" personal page.
• Facebook: Budgets are Sexy - via Networked Blogs app.

I also have some sort of "business page" up too, but not sure how popular those pages are...The first 2 links up there are the good ones, at least to me ;) So there you have it - yet another way to connect w/ the Budgets Are Sexy team! (aka me) Check us out on Twitter too if you haven't already. Sometimes I talk about finance stuff, but usually I find myself spitting out random nonsense.

Okay, i'm done whoring myself out now. Have a most wonderful Easter Weekend out there folks, and don't do anything I wouldn't do! Or at least don't get caught doing it ;)

Labels: about j., blogging

You may not know this, but one of my all-time wishes is to be a Rapper. The only problem being, I can't rap. So instead I just do finance stuff & twitter randomly about my favorite rhymes already spoken by the likes of Wyclef Jean and Lupe Fiasco. This week, however, I got surprised not once but TWICE on the rapping front!

Yup, apparently we've got some other lyrical gangsters up in the personal finance arena. And not only that, but they recently spit out some beats for yours truly here at Budgets are Sexy! So I thought it would be fun to have our own little "Rap off" to give our PF Rhymers some street cred ;) So drop a comment like & and tell us which ya like just a little more than the other. Who knows, it may just become our official "song" here!

Contender #1, served to you by K.S. Katz aka CreditGoddess:

One, two, three, take it down!
Budgets are sexy, just take it from me
When I be saving money, it's like sex baby!
Don't hate me, don't dish me for nixing credit cards cause...

Budgets are Sexy
Yes you know
Budgets are Sexy
Man I'm on a roll

I started my budget in three simple steps
Mapping out my income, my expenses and debts
Then I made a plan, a budget for future
Freedom from debt! That's me, I'm not a loser

Budgets are Sexy
Yes you know
Budgets are Sexy
Don't be a Spender!

Whew! Whatcha know about that? CreditGoddess rollin' deep up in hurr, yessir...Let's bring out the next contender now. Reigning from One Chance to Live, give it up for my boy BJP:

Take a minute ya'll, just sit right there and listen
To the finance blog rap that you don't want to be missin'

It's a fun little description about my favorite peeps
and the stories they write about how to live super cheap

I'll start with my boy some know him as J. Money
He is really well known for making personal finance funny
Budgets are sexy is the fruition of his work
where he writes about getting screwed by a wedding photographer jerk
take a minute or two and sift through his blog
if you don't enjoy it then you really...SUCK.

Now its only appropriate to give a shout out and a hollar
to my man Trent over at The Simple Dollar
It's a little more academic, but no worries you need not be a scholar
follow Trent's advise and you're sure to end up a finance baller

The third blog I read is called All Financial Matters
where JLP serves up financial genius on a platter
He is especially fond of using charts and graphs
to demonstrate the way your 401k has been cut in half

It was to these three blogs my finance cherry had been popped
put them all together and you surely can't be stopped
My websites one chance to live and one day I hope to aspire
to the ranks of these bloggers money management empire.

Dannng son! I'm not gonna lie, this is a wild match-up. Both came out strong droppin' the financial facts and bringing in the mad style points! And even cooler is that they come from opposite sexes! aww yeahhhh, gotta love that. So whatcha think? Who brings home the bacon? Think you could do BETTER? Then drop me a line here and show us whatcha made of!

(A HUGE thanks goes out to both contenders for dropping by and leaving us with such greatness! You've both got mad rhyming skillz indeed, and Budgets are Sexy is always honored to have you here.)

Labels: about j., awesomely awesome, randomness 3000

Yup, my girl Revanche picks my brain on a whole bunch of stuff - motivation, frugalness, night habits, my relationship w/ the Mrs., celebrity stardom (hah!), being anonymous, and a bunch of other random goodness! If you're interested, you can check it out over at A Gai Shan Life.

Thanks Revanche! One of my favorite interviews ever ;) You're a creative booger over there...

Labels: about j., interview, life

Yep, I have succumbed to social media and agreed to do a meme today. At first I wasn't too keen on the idea, but after getting tagged in Facebook, Myspace, and then (to my surprise) the PF world here, I figured why not?

Sure this is a finance blog, but it's also a "personal" finance one too - so I suppose dishing the dirt on myself kinda sorta fits in here ;) So this one's for you Kristy @ Master Your Card!

But rather than doing a kosher "here's 25 things about me", I figured you'd rather hear 25 "random & odd" things about me. Makes it more interesting, right? And if you could care less (I wouldn't blame ya) check out my interview over at Studenomics today! My man did a great job - thanks bro :)

Alrighty - Buckle up your seatbelts kids, here we go:

1. I eat macaroni & cheese with mustard.
2. I've moved over 30+ times in my life. (military kid + ants in my pants)
3. I often feel the need to give everyone High Fives when i'm drinking.
4. I'm addicted to reality tv shows.
5. Sometimes I say I like all music except country, but deep down i really DO like country ;)
6. I get asked at LEAST once a week if I'm in a band....and everytime i consider lying and saying I am. Actually, once I got mistaken for some lead singer I've never heard of, and when asked for my autograph I gave it. no harm in that right?
7. Sometimes I think it would be cool to try every single drug out there just once so I know what it's about...and then other times I wanna punch myself in the face for thinking that.
8. My favorite alcoholic drink are Long Island Iced Teas, followed by Bailys on ice.
9. I once flew to The Mall of America for the day, and then flew back hours later. Much easier to do when you work for the airlines ;)
10. I get really competitive when playing Kickball.
11. I have the memory of a goldfish.
12. I really hate it when people are mean for the sake of being mean.
13. I've had my hair dyed blue, green, purple, red, orange, and platinum. And once I even tried growing dreads, which really turned out to look like little worms hanging around.
14. i often write like a little kid just to see if it matters.
15. I thought doing this list would be quick and easy. It's not so easy, and I've spent 30 mins so far.
16. Mrs. Budgetsaresexy and i met at a bar. She asked me where the bathroom was, and I told her. I then asked her to dance and she said no....but my dance moves must have been pretty sweet as she was lured back in ;)
17. We have a cat who likes to dig through my spare change jar, and then throw the coins all over our bedroom floor.
18. I almost got arrested once while hosting a "hugs and thugs" party in college...turns out answering the door for the police while brandishing a fake gun and a beer in your hand doesn't go over too well. (the ladies of the house were able to woo over the officer)
19. I once went to an audition for American Idol. You know that rocker guy who got through last night? that wasn't me....
20. Sometimes I wonder how i've kept this blog going for so long since I usually hate writing.
21. I would spend $5.00 for a banana if I had to.
22. I can't stand the word "gnarly" - esp. when used to describe something positive.
23. I don't understand why guys get tongue rings?
24. I have the most loving and understanding family in the whole world, which can be somewhat strange considering my father is an ex-Marine.
25. If i were ever to win the lottery, I'd randomly mail out crisp $100 bills around town.

And I'm spent....that was alot harder than i thought! I know I'm supposed to forward this along to some other bloggers out there, but instead I urge you just to do it if the mood strikes you :) But be sure to let link back so we can stalk you check it out! Till next time brothers & sisters...Moneyyyyyy OUT.

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- 7 other things about me.
- 5 more random things about me (in pictures)

Labels: about j., life

Does that even make sense? Let me explain. I'm not addicted like i need all that i can get or i'll go insanely wAcKo addicted, but the kind where i get extremely giddy for different types of currency and feel the need to hoard them!

Maybe that's not called addiction, but whatever it is - that's what i have, and i welcome it with open arms.

It also explains a lot! Like my recent adventures with painting money and my fascination of finding that $1 silver certificate the other month! Or even that dollar i found w/ "wheresgeorge.com" stamped on it, remember that? Hell, it also explains this blog a bit more :)

While this has been a fascination of mine dating back to my early childhood, it wasn't until this weekend that the lightbulb finally went off. Check it. The other day @ the hospital i put a five'er into the vending machine for a $1.25 pizza pocket (which was all KINDS of good btw!) and guess what happend to pop out as change? Shiny golden nuggets of joy!!! Nuggets = $1 coins of course, and my face lit up! If you saw me you'd probably have thought i had just won the lottery.

So then back @ home i separated them out - cuz they can't be mingling w/ the lower class coins - and dropped them into this mini chest-like thing i have on to top of my dresser. And as i placed them there, i noticed the other "cool" currency i had collected over time:

• I saw bills from the Caribbean
• $1 bills signed by semi-celebs over time
• $5 bill signed by Ben Stiller
• $2 bills
• That $1 "silver certificate" bill.
• And these silver colored 1943 wheat pennies! (my personal fav.)
• Updated: Forgot about my old school bonds in my safe! so sexy.

I really should find a way to showcase these a bit better than hidden away in my bedroom. Maybe i can open up a REAL "Bank of J" someday? Or perhaps a shrine of some sort in our spare guest room? haha....i'm sure the Mrs. would love that. So yeah, there you have it. My name is J. Money, and i'm addicted dependent fascinated by all types of cool money.

Labels: about j., awesomely awesome, currency

Wanna know more about yours truly? Well you're in luck! I spill all the sexy beans on my first "real" interview over at Holly is Stopping Shopping :) I say "real" because it's a bit different from the fake time where i interviewed myself! haha...

Thanks Holly & FruGal!

Labels: about j., awesomely awesome, blogging

Are you ready for more things about me? No? well fine then! you can find me crying in the corner. What's that, you changed your mind? awesome, please continue :) I was tagged by Always the Planner on "7 Random Things About Me" last week (i'm a little late), so here we go:

1) I have a healthy obsession with Saucony running shoes. I say obsession because I am currently wearing my 12th pair (green w/ black border). I say healthy because i only buy them when they're on sale ($19.99 -->$29.99) and they are good for my feet!

2) I went to 3 different high schools. While it was awesome and sucky at the same time, i interestingly enough attended the SAME school my freshmen year, as well as my senior year! The funniest part were those old "friends" who didn't recognize me when i came back! haha... i guess i was a growing boy.

3) I have A.D.H.D. (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), and i like it. while it can be annoying at times, i've learned to channel it over the years to increase my creativity! you drop a little caffeine on top of that, and OPAH! you have a party :)

4) My brother and i would have been the 4th generation of military pilots...except that my brother became a journalist, and i became a graphic designer/jack of all trades. Streaks gotta end somewhere, right?

5) I prefer sparkling water over regular water. the bubbles feel great going own my throat, and i always feel so elegant when i'm drinking it....i don' t know why.

6) I have an addictive personality, like a LOT. This is why i have never smoked a cigarrette - i'm too afraid of getting hooked! I've been okay with alcohol (thank the Lord!), and cigars, so those will remain my only vices. It also helps with things like this blog too, as i can get super consumed and focus my efforts on it.

7) ...i wanted a good one for this last number, and couldn't decide if i should leak my tattoo or hair cut....but since i just said i had a tattoo, that wins! I have a star on my chest :) it really doesn't mean anything in particular except that i just really like 'em a lot. i also used to aspire to be a rock star, but since i can't sing, nor play an instrument, i'm okay with being a blog-star. that's a new word i just now made up. isn't it fetch?!

There you have it - 7 random things that have nothing to do with personal finance, and that you probably didn't need to know about me! haha... But it was fun sharing :) we'll be back to money matters later today, or tomorrow. Thx for tagging me ATP!

Labels: about j., meme, randomness 3000

Why hello, and welcome to my blog! (Talk Soup anyone?) I was on Chicky Finance's blog the other day....well every day :), and i loved her "do you want to know me better?" post. I love how we're all anonymous and therefore pretty open and honest, but there's something even more seductive about peering into other's lives!

Kinda like those blogger's who have a picture of themselves, but their faces or other parts are covered JUST ENOUGH so you can't make them out. Krystal..cough cough....stacking pennies cough cough. haha... it's like ahhhhh, i want to see! now! Ah well, i guess that keeps things exciting. I mean, it's not like i'm posting my face all over here ;)

Anyways, this leads me to today's fun little ditty of "5 things about me". Here are 5 items around my house (i was gonna do work, but there's people surrounding me) that say a little somethin' somethin' of myself:






















1) Records! i heart them like woah. everything from James Taylor (my all time fav.) to CCR, The Beatles, and the classic crooners. There's nothing more romantic, and pimp-ish, as playing some Sinatra while eating a nice Italian dinner. mmm mmm....

2) Traveling. one of my all time things to do! anywhere from road trips, to international doings, i'm loving it. just can't shake that military life outta me. St. Lucia and Ireland are on my next list!

3) Fishy fish :) there's something about those little guys that add joy to my life. it's especially awesome that they've been reproducing and populating my tank w/out me doing anything but feeding them! it's sorta like that show Paradise Hotel, haha.

4) Kayaking on our lake. one of the things that sold us on our townhouse was the fact that we're literally 100 ft from a huuuuuuge lake. this makes it SUPER easy for city-folk like myself to enjoy kayaking, canoeing, and even fishing! i'm thinking i should combine #3 and #4 here by kayaking onto the lake, catching a fish, and then plopping her right into a large fish tank :) unfort. i don't think she'd last.

5) Lastly, playing and watching football! Mrs. Budgetsaresexy got me playing again a cple years ago (we play in a co-ed league around town) and i absolutely love it. and in the fall, what's better than winning a game, grabbing a beer, and then throwing on your fav. team's jersey and watching THEM win?! that is, of course, if you're rooting for the Redskins!

Alrighty, that's the whole kitten caboodle. Your turn!

Labels: about j., meme

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 ____"?

Labels: about j., education, life

Let's see here, what can I tell you about myself. Well, I'm 6'1, hyperactive, and I constantly have a devilish grin on my face (which usually tends to get me in trouble).

I'm recently married, in my late 20's, and I work over in DC for a start up managing customer service. I love hip-hop music and traveling, and you can find me on Twitter rambling about. While I *thought* I was The Man when it came to money, it really wasn't until we purchased our first home that I realized I needed to get my finances in order. It was time to pay attention!

Soooooooo, I tracked my expenses for 3 months, made a budget, read some books (The Millionaire Next Door, & I Will Teach You To Be Rich being my favs), and it's been smooth sailing ever since! Throughout the whole process I accidentally came across the PF blogosphere and have been hooked from day one ;) What's not to like about getting your finances in order? I can tell you for a fact that i sure as H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks don't know everything out there, but i sure continue to learn. I'd say I've been on the right path since Jan of '08, and now ready to work towards my goal of becoming a millionaire! (I even have a to-do list!).

Will this blog sound kooky at times? Sure thing. Will you wonder why I use the words "Super" and "Sexy" a lot? You bet. Ultimately though, my goal is to spread some good ideas around town and spark some motivation. I don't know about you, but I get CRAZY bored reading about finances by old white men in blah styles, so I do my best to spice things up and keep things entertaining around here. We all have A.D.D., so it's important you're having fun on the site!

You can find my Top 10 favorite posts up there in the right hand column, along w/ a mess of other topics I tend to write about (emergency funds, credit cards, 401k, budgets) and more is added each day, M-F. When you're passionate about it, it keeps ya going! If you like what you see (or don't) feel free to holler anytime, I love getting comments :) You can email me over at: j (at) budgetsaresexy (dot) com, or fill out my nifty contact form. Either way i'll hit ya back as soon as I can.

Thanks for stopping by everyone, long live the greenbacks!
God Bless,

ps: You can find the usual disclosure policy here, as well as my promise to not spell everything correctly, or use proper grammar. After all, I'm a blogger not a journalist ;)


[click to see media mentions]

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Here are some more links about yours truly:
- 25 Random things about J. Money
- Interview: Me on Me
- Interview: Studenomics on J. Money

Labels: about j., blogging, life

I sat down with Mr. J. Money, and he was kind enough to share a few words with us this morning. This is what he had to say:

Me: Are budgets actually sexy?
Me: But of course! Not only are they the foundation of wealth management, but they make you feel incredibly confident. And every knows that confidence = sexy!

Me: Who is J. Money?
Me: That is I. You can guess what the J. stands for, but I usually answer to all of them; Jay, James, Jack, Jemima ... everything except Joe Mama. Actually, I take that back. I probably would answer to that.

Me: Okaaaay... And why start now?
Me: I believe now is as good a time as any. "Starting" is def. the hardest part of any endeavor, and I always try to start today. This is especially important as I have A.D.H.D. (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), and I will be sure to forget if i don't ever start.

Me: Are you saying you're new at this stuff?
Me: Touche good sir! Yes, I suppose I am in the general scheme of things. While I've always been keen on the idea of savings and money themselves, only recently have I started owning up and putting my goals into place. Think of me as a "born-again saver" circa August '07.

Me: Do you look up to any Personal Finance'ers out there?
Me: Oh hell yeah. I'd have to first give a shout out to Jonathan over at MyMoneyBlog.com. That guy is totally impressive, not to mention crazy open and honest. Secondly, I'd have to say Mr. Trent Ham over at TheSimpleDollar.com. It was because of his money merge account posting that got me into the whole PF thing to begin with. (That post has over 1,000 comments already! Keep doing your thing Trent)

Me: Lastly, what do you hope to bring to this arena?
Me: While I bring a handful of positive nouns to the table, the 3 that stick in my mind are: Creativity, Entertainment, and an all together Fresh Insight.

Thanks J., we're looking forward to the adventure!

Labels: about j., blogging