People who like to "split the tab" are no longer my friends.

This whole splitting the bill business is really starting to get to me. It seems to be happening all the freakin' time!

I know it's easier and quicker to pay this way, but in most cases it's never fair for all parties involved. And do you ever notice that the person who brings it up, is usually the one who ordered more than everyon else?! HAH. In case you aren't in the mood to read about last night's adventure, and i wouldn't blame you, I'll start by blabbing the moral of the story:

Always ask for separate checks. That's it.

Many of the frugal-minded may already know this, and i *thought* i did too, but it turns out my actions don't always correlate w/ my brain. Here's a breakdown of how the events played out last night:

Pre-Dinner Planning
Mrs Budgetsaresexy gets an email from Doris (made-up name) asking us to meet up for dinner w/ her husband (Bob) and another couple. We say it sounds fun, and will stop by for drinks only, as we're trying to save money w/ Grad school coming up. According to Doris, though, this is "silly" and we shoud "just eat w/ everyone" as it's not that expensive.

Well true, but only depending on your definition of expensive. If you're comparing a home-made meal at $7 total vs. $15 plates, without drinks, tips, and taxes - it's expensive. To avoid the argument though, we brush it off and say we'll play it by ear.

On the Way to Dinner
Turns out we were STARVING by the time we left work, and we realized that even if we DID hold in our hunger and go for the 2-drink idea, we'd still blow through $20 between the two of us ($5/drink x 4). So we agreed to find the cheapest, but still enjoyable, meals as well as a side of free water ;)

The Dinner
The meals were lovely, the water quenching, and we had a nice evening out for what we thought was $21 plus a little tax and tip. We were wrong.

The Check
The check comes and Bob (Doris' spouse), who had a beer AND a $15 plate brings up the famous "let's split it evenly" deal. All i could think was "$hit! We forgot to get the separate check". I know he didn't any harm by it, the guy's pretty cool, but it's like COME ON!

1. We consumed 2 meals for the price of yours alone.
2. We told you we were trying to save money!
3. And....I dunno... but it's really not nice.

I stood my ground, at first, and said nah I think we'll just pay for our portion. Only problem was i had two $20, and wanted to only lay down $27 thinking i could just get change or something. Again, that didn't fly - at least from the look on Bob's face. The other couple didn't seem to care one way or the other, so it was 4 faces towards me waiting for an answer.

I lost the battle.
F it. I'm not gonna cause a scene over a few bucks, ya know? I wasn't in the mood for any more awkward moments, and i certainly didn't want to explain WHY exactly i didn't think it was fair to split it "evenly". So we paid our $31.00, which was $4 more than we had signed up for, and said our goodbyes. Then, once in the car and far away from anyone, we relieved ourselves of our bitter thoughts and got it out in the air to each other ;) You gotta cope somehow!

The moral here? Again, ask for separate checks when you first arrive. It might be hard to remember at first, but I think if we can start getting used to it we'll be happy in the long run. I'm tired of letting these lazy, not-frugal, people get away with my George Washingtons. Those guys belong in one spot, and one spot only - My pockets ;)

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Even if i were loaded, i still wouldn't blow my money.

Chairs "on sale" for $479? Each? I love my posterior, but not THAT much! haha... that's seriously a lot of dough. I'd ask if anyone disagrees with me, but it's probably pointless on a blog dedicated to personal finance. It really does amaze me, though, that there's a market for this stuff. And even worse, this is probably on the lower side of high-end furniture. Can you imagine dishing out a couple thousand for a single chair? *shiver*

It reminds me of those loonies who pay $10,000 for a balled up piece of gum once chewed by Britney Spears. Well okay, maybe not, that's kinda cool depending on how you look at it ;) But do you think they actually believe it'll make them happier, or are they just feeding another vice like the rest of us?

Either way, I'll just pretend they spend their waking hours promoting peace, and saving future generations from starvation and disease. And in that case, by all means spend away!

(but seriously, if you ever catch me buying this stuff go ahead and punch me in the face.)

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Dear psycho stock "investors"...

Please refrain from selling off your investments every time a dirty piece of bad news hits the stands. You are causing a lot of pain and torture to us patient ones. Unless you are elderly and/or about to retire, i do not like you.

Thank you kindly,
J. "My 401K keeps going down the tubes" Savings.

ps: i'm not bitter ;)

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Check this - a Funeral Home is now serving Coffee!

OMG, can you imagine?! According to the last page in June's SmartMoney mag., even funeral homes are now dishing out coffee! And you wanna know the sad part? I can't even tell if that's a good thing or a bad thing. haha...and that's coming from ME - the kind of caffeine hemself!

It surely can't beat out a Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts, but boy does that sound convenient. And even if it IS a bit freaky, you know it'll make the place smell better! (sorry, i couldn't resist). I dunno, it really doesn't surprise me when i stop to think about it.

It goes on to say:

"It doesn't take an anthropogist to explain what's up: Americans are busy and would eat breakfast at the DMV if it were convenient"

OH MY GOSHHH - now that's funny! And SO true. You know I'd be the first in line. I mean, you have to get there like at 6am to freakin' stand in line and wait for it to open anyways, so why not down a hearty breakfast while you wait? $hit, my body would actually applaud me for it - beats out my usual yogurt anytime ;)

It actually reminds me of an old college idea i had: An "all you can eat" cereal bar! It's basically just this place where you'd pay a general membership (sorta like a gym), and you can eat and go as you please.

Want a quick snack on our way to work? Bingo! Feeling lazy and don't want to cook dinner? Stop on by! It would be open 24x7 and fully stocked with every kind of cereal and milk you can find. That's all it would serve. Well, that and coffee of course.

Okay, so i'm way off topic now. But the point is, if you know of a person who'd pick up a coffee at some weirdo spot, you can bet there's 1,000 others out there ready to do the same. I say bring it on! Isn't that why we love America anyways?

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Wesley Snipes gets 3 year jail sentence

This has been all over the news lately, but it wasn't until i saw DINK's post that i put two and two together, and realized how this fits in to personal finance (yes, i'm a little slow). You can check out his post for the gritty details - i just wanted to offer one piece of advice:

Mr. Snipes - Please do not forget to pay your taxes next year. Thanks, U.S. Gov't.

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Eye wrinkle cream for $45.00???

You heard that right ladies and gents, my boy just bought some EYE CREAM for $45 greenbacks! And NO this is not some sort of sponsor post in any way. haha....I just find it really silly for a number of reasons :)

I won't go off on him for a) being a DUDE, and b) spending that much money, but instead throw out the facts and let you decide for yourself if this stuff is worth it. I applaud him for telling me, though, that takes some huge cajones!

The cream is called Teamine Eye Complex, and according to their website, it's the "ONLY ingredient proven to reduce dark circles!". It then goes on to say:

"Years of research have indicated that using Teamine Eye Complex will result in
four major benefits, correcting and generating younger-looking, healthier skin.
Most patients will see and feel immediate improvement in their skin's
smoothness, with noticeable reduction in dark circles..."

Now, according to my friend, it DOES work...and fast! I wanna say he's been using it for a good 3-4 weeks so far (i can't remember), but if that's true then I guess the price is worth it eh? I guess it would be good to know how long it would actually last though. I mean, if you have to apply it constantly to keep it working, then it'll drain your pockets fast. If, on the other hand, it's lasts for months or even years, holy moly!

I'm not sure if you can only buy it online or not, but i SWEAR i'm seeing "eye wrinkle" cream everywhere now! You know when you have something on your mind, and then you start seeing it everywhere? it's like that. except, i wish it wasn't.

Why couldn't he have told me about some sexy $45 bra he bought for his gf? Now THAT is totally worth it. No matter what it looks like ;)

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Gas at 33 cents - Can your conscience handle it?

This happened a few months ago, but it popped in my head this morning and I thought you might find it pretty interesting. With gas prices these days, it's no wonder people go rabid with this stuff!

From "Error sparks mad dash over 33-cent gas" on MSNBC.com:

"Dozens of drivers made a mad rush for cheap gas after a station employee accidentally changed the price to 33 cents a gallon. An employee closing Trig's Minocqua Shell for the night meant to drop the price of gas by 1 cent."

Forty-two people bought 586 gallons of gas in an hour and 45 minutes. Talk about some good news traveling fast! As sexy as it sounds, however, would you consider it dishonest? I could see how the first person could have filled up w/out much attention, but when your tank tops out at $5 bucks, you HAVE to know something's up. But do you say something?

The article goes on and talks about how the station owner was pretty upset (rightfully so), and that the customers were dishonest. "They knew there was a problem, and they took advantage of an employee's mistake and I think that's terrible."

I'm no goody-goody, but i have to side w/ him. It's an obvious mistake that not only hurts the station, but could possibly have the employee fired. Some might even consider it a form of theft. In all honesty, I'd tell the station manager. That's not to say that i wouldn't fill up FIRST and THEN tell him, cuz i probably would, but without a doubt i'd bring it up.

I know this because that's exactly what i did a few months ago while down in Richmond. The gas was SUPPOSED to be $2.96, but as i was filling up i noticed that it was actually set at only $2.69! Not as extreme as 33 cents/gallon, but that's still a good $6 saved in the end.

So I filled up the rest of my tank (i knew i would!), and then i walked over and alerted the station manager. Who knows how long it was going on before i got there, but i can tell you one thing - that guy was THANKFUL!

$hit, even the look on his face was worth the honesty :) And you know what? It felt great afterwards. Sure i didn't tell him before i filled up, not that i had known yet, but that's one good deed that prevented a lot of heart ache in the end.

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Talk about niche marketing.

OMG this is hilarious!!! I've seen pics like this around, but NEVER in a million years did i expect to find it in any form of marketing, especially promoting LIFE INSURANCE?!

W-O-W. Seriously, they are insane.

On the flip side, at least i found it on Readexpress.com (a mini-paper from The Washington Post crew for a quick read). It's pretty obvious they're aiming for the younger generation, and i bet they'll even catch a few of those older ones trying to be "hip".

I mean, i don't blame them for trying. Anything "ninja" is super trendy, and these days even extremely viral. $hit, i'm talking about it right now and spreading it even further!

I guess i just can't take the ad seriously. Or should i say the actual company being promoted by it...i know NOTHING at all about the company itself, it can very well be legit, but it just reeks of a fly-by-night organization to me. Oh well, it sure did make for a good laugh :)

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Filing taxes TODAY??? Who are you, Superman?

I just talked w/ two friends that are sending out their taxes TODAY! aka April the 14th, aka the DAY BEFORE THEY'RE DUE.

What is going on with everyone? Are people not as afraid of the Gov't as I am? Man, seriously you all have balls. Big Huge ones. Either that or you're super cool and don't take crap from anyone. (in which case, how can i be like you?)

Maybe i never really paid attention, or cared even, but this really surprises me. Does laziness play a part in this? I always have to get it done early (like in Feb), esp if i'm getting money back. Even a fellow PF blogger, Mapgirl, just recently sent hers in - but at least she knows what she's doing.

Anyways, just thought i'd share...maybe next year i'll wait to the last minute so i can be a member of the Cool Club.

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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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Is the IRS serious?

The IRS is spending $42 MILLION to inform us that the rebate checks will soon arrive!

Direct quote from MSNBC.com:

"The notices are going out this month to an estimated 130 million households who filed returns for the 2006 tax year, at a cost $41.8 million..."

I'm not the smartest man around, but there has gotta be a cheaper way to alert everyone right? I'm racking my brain to come up w/ an idea myself, but crazily enough i can't! haha..... i know posting it online, such as the MSNBC site, as well as in newspapers is a start, but not everyone reads the news. Next i thought about emails, but how would they have ours? They COULD get it off of our tax returns, but not everyone posts it. Plus, not everyone uses email, particularly the elderly. What about calling around using one of those automated messages like those annoying car warranty people? Nevermind, that's stupid cuz we'd hang up anyways even if they DID have our #.

So perhaps sending out a letter IS the most effective way, and i'm just a sucker for statistical headlines? All i know is that it just sounds really freakin' C-R-A-Z-Y!

*more info the the rebates here.

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