I don't know if McDonald's does this anymore, but they used to have these signs on their drive-thrus that said "Smiles Are Free." I always liked that. Especially as a troublemaker trying to force the employees to give them to us ;)

I was reminded of this because my sister just sent our family one of the sweetest, and most wonderful, emails I've ever seen! She wants all of us to mail her pictures of us smiling, and then she'll be converting them into mini-paintings to give to our dear grandmother :) She hasn't been doing so hot in her hospital/living quarters recently, and the idea is to mail her one smile a day until she's recouped! Doesn't that just want to make you cry?

As sappy as it sounds, it reminds me of just how little money can affect happiness at times. Having a lot gives us options, of course, and I'll continue pimping it out forever, but when you're 80 and alone and not feeling that well, all the benjamins in the world aren't gonna do it for ya. You can't buy friends or family members! (at least not the good kind ;)) And this is something I personally need to remember more. I get so caught up in my own stuff that I tend to forget about what's truly important in life - you human beings!

So today, I leave you with one big *smile*, right from the heart. It goes out to each and every one of you, and it's priceless. You can't buy THESE off the internet, baby!

// end sappiness

Labels: life, love, randomness 3000

Happy Valentines Day! This is my present to you - the free LOVEveryday eBook :) But only read if you're in an awesomely loving mood! haha...that's your warning V-Day haters.

But seriously, 25+ of us bloggers joined together to create it and I really think it came out well. It hits up all facets of "the relationship" (caring for each other, time management, finances, living together, etc etc) and you can't help but feel GREAT afterward! Major congrats to all participants:

The Generous Husband, 48 Days, Make Mine Happen, The Simple Marriage, My Super-Charged Life, Marriage Prep 101, Love Talk, Project Happily Ever After, DamienRiley.com, Smart Passive Income Blog, The Generous Wife, Mama Notes, Organizing Your Way, Enemy of Debt, Life Gems, It Might Be Love, Project M, Feeling Flirty, Practical Manliness, Budgets Are Sexy (me - woohoo!), The Marry Blogger, Change Therapy, Zen Family Habits, Serene Journey, Affair Care, Engaged Marriage, One Extraordinary Marriage, She Just Got Married

Enjoy! Download (PDF): LOVEveryday: Thoughts On Loving Amidst The Chaos Of Life

Labels: holidays, life, love

This is a guest post from Michael @ the Dough Roller

When most people think of investing, they think of stocks, bonds and mutual funds. However some everyday expenditures are actually investments in your future. The car you drive, house you buy and even clothes you wear are all calculated decisions made to further increase your wealth and overall happiness in life.

If you're single, dating can fall right into the investment category. Now of course, true love can happen at anytime, anyplace between anybody. Truth be told, you have a better chance of finding true love if you are well dressed and out and about, rather than wearing your 1996 sweatpants watching the Fresh Prince marathon on Nick at Nite. For the purposes of this article, I'm speaking specifically on behalf of the men out there, and I'm assuming you're suave enough to find a girl that enjoys your company. The question is, how much are you willing to invest over the course of one year to keep her?

First, let's discuss the necessities. In one year, there's probably 5 dates that every man needs to keep on his calendar if in a relationship. Those dates are:

• Her Birthday
• Valentines Day
• Christmas (Or you're religions' relatable gift giving holiday)
• 6 Month Anniversary from your first date (Probably)
• 1 Year Anniversary from your first date

At the bare minimum, these days require cards, meals and gifts. Being an average spender, you would probably spend around $150.00 per occasion (some cheaper than others), which brings the yearly total to $750.00.

Next, lets talk about regular dates. For most relationships, weekends are reserved as "us" time which entails less fancy dinners, movies, shows ... and other entertainment. Assuming that you have 20 full dates a year (dinner and entertainment / $60 average) and 20 half dates a year (one or the other / $30 average) you're in for another $1,800.00.

Any woman will tell you that spontaneity is crucial in progressing a relationship, so special gifts like flowers and chocolates every once in a while would be a good idea. If you're a big spender, then you might be inclined to purchase more high-ticket items but sticking to the basics and going old school will probably run you $250.00.

Enough about her, what about you! In order to feel your best, you have to look your best, so you better be ready to go shopping. She won't want to be seen with some schlub, so you're wardrobe comes into question. New shirts, pants and even underwear can get expensive if you go designer but staying with the American Eagle and Wrangler, expect to pay another $500.00 so you're not sticking out like a sore thumb.

Finally, you better believe that she'll want to travel with you on some weekend adventures. Maybe it's camping, a trip to the big city or a Vegas getaway. Either way, once or twice a year, it's nice to get away from the standard dating scene and plan a vacation with your special someone. Sticking to your plan would probably cost an average of $500 a trip (Vegas high / Camping low), which would set you back a $1,000.00.

So, if you're old fashioned like me, and feel that paying for dates is the gentleman's responsibility, one year of dating could cost you a total of $4,300.00. That's a pretty penny to spend on pretty Penny and if you're not careful, you might have to repeat the cycle a couple of times before you get it right. The good news is that the longer you spend with someone, the cheaper it should become over time, until of course the day you go broke and buy the engagement ring!

----------
This guest post comes from Michael, a contributing editor of the Dough Roller, a personal finance and investing blog, and Credit Card Offers IQ, a credit card review site.

Labels: guest post, in the real world, love

There comes a time in all boy's lives when we have to own up and get an Engagement Ring. The time when love populates the air and all in the world is right. It's been some time since i made this adventurous trek myself (2+ years), but the memories are still vivid as the day I lost my power ;)

You see, up to the point where the "exchanging of the ring" occurs us men have all the power. As soon as that bling is snug on that finger though, the woman sucks it all up and we convert into cute little puppy dogs! haha....i dont' really know what that means actually. I guess what i'm trying to say is it feels good going out there and being a man by putting that ring on your other half. (much better stated)

But if you've ever gone down this road before, you know of the crazy obstacles that lay in your way of the "perfect" ring. In fact, my man Doctor S over at Finance Your Life is about to go down it himself! So in honor of this beautiful time in his life, I shall unleash my 3 main tips that I can only hope will help him & all others down the line:

1. The Type of The Ring
Diamond cuts, princess cuts, colors, clarities, certifications, the variables go on and on. If you're able to do so without spoiling the surprise, I'd highly recommend going ring browsing w/ the lady so you can get an idea of what she likes. As long as you get the big ones down, like the cut and if she's a "silver/platinum" girl over "yellow gold", it would be pretty hard to go wrong. And she may not even know what she likes all the way - it's not like she's been shopping for them all her life! Well okay, a few probably have, but you get the point ;) Or you can actually pick it out and buy it together if your one of those types. Either way, just be sure you have a decent idea.

2. The Cost of The Ring
Some say it should be 6 paychecks worth (3 months), while others say it should be 6 months worth. Wanna know what I think? MALARKEY. I don't care what anybody says, you go out there and get a ring that you can afford without killing yourself. If the girl really truly loves you, she'll admire and cherish it for the rest of your lives together. And if you can only afford a little compared to what you WISH you could give her? Then save up and get her another on your 5-year anniversary. I know someone that's waiting to save up thousands and thousands of dollars because his girl won't accept anything less. WTF? Seriously, something's wrong with that picture.

You don't wanna go in crazy amounts of debt when you're about to start a whole new life together. Cuz you have to remember, the ring is just the BEGINNING! What comes next is a whole bunch of wedding planning, gift giving, honeymoon picking, etc etc...If you can barely afford a shiny new ring, you're gonna have a lot more trouble when the wedding comes around Do everyone a favor and be smart about it :)

3. Financing The Ring
Cash is definitely king here, but I don't know many that have this sorta cash just laying around. If you're one of these people, ask about financing it @ the store/site you'll be buying it from! There are some maaaaad deals out there, esp. during times like these. I was able to secure an interest-free loan for an entire year which saved me a LOT of heartache. I just divided up my payments by 12 so that by the end of the year the balance would be down to zero. It was basically like a credit card line of credit where the interest would jack up to 20%+ after the period ended - so be VERY sure it's paid off by then ;)

Okay, that's all i got for ya this round. I could seriously go on and on here as there's just SOOOOO much you can get into, but ima stop before this gets any longer. I can totally feel word vomit coming on here ;) You can find other wedding goodness I've previously posted about here too if it helps. And if you have anything to add, please do so! Us boys can certainly learn a lot more...

Labels: advice, girl stuff, love, wedding

One day until you know what! You all prepared & ready to go? Yes? No? Maybe? Like questions? Think I can stop asking them now? ha ha...okay, i'll stop. (Boy this coffee is hitting me in all the right places)

Getting back to the task at hand, your boy J. Money's got a few last-minute tricks up his sleeves. I posted 10 cheap ways to woo a few month back, but w/ Valentine's day coming up and all, thought it was worth expanding a bit - esp. since i *know* we've got a bunch of slackers out there. Myself included ;)

Luckily, the Mrs. and I decided to forego the presents this year, and instead we'll be cooking a nice dinner together. And I'm hopin' a little dessert too if ya know what i'm sayin'! Aww yeahhh....perhaps a "10 cheap tricks in the bedroom" should follow? Oooh, I may be on to something here! Crap, off track yet again...STAY. FOCUSED. (oye)

Okay, 10 More Ways to Woo on Budget:

1. Set up camp in your living room! This is one of my favorite ideas cuz you get the best of both worlds :) Pop up a tent, gather a few sleeping bags and blankets, and enjoy some peace and quiet in the comfort of your own home. Could probably even do s'mores depending on your stove.
2. Make her/him a mixed CD! Man, this just brought back crazy memories from high school! haha...but seriously, who DOESN'T like music? And you don't necessarily have to go w/ only romantic songs or anything either - you could hook it up with those that remind you of each other, or simply just your favorites.
3. Pick up a bag of hershey kisses & get creative. Replace the white taggy looking things w/ your own words! It might take a bit of time, but it only costs about $6 and you'll score mad points.
4. Place Post-It notes all over the place! Write some lovely memos, and plop them bad boys throughout your home - on doors, closets, mirrors, cabits, tv's, you name it. I did this randomly once for Mrs. Budgetsaresexy and she loved it :) Of course, it may have been the beer i bought her too...
5. Create a scavenger hunt! Yup, draw up a map and have your man/woman searching around the house for hidden goodies. And make them worthwhile too ;)
6. Cook dinner WITH each other. Find a good recipe, go shopping together, and spend some good quality time together. Shoot, even whip out the fancy silverware and never-opened candles! Anyone can pay for a fancy dinner, but hookin' it up yourselves makes it much more special.
7. Bring her/him a Vase with a single Tuplip in it. Attach a card that says something like, "I've got two lips to share with ya!". haha...only worth a shot if your relationship flourishes on the cheezy factor.
8. Hook it up with a cheap chocolate fondu set. They sell them pretty cheap at Target or Wallmart (like around $10), and you it's super easy to use. Melt some chocolate and share some nice strawberries & other nice treats together :)
9. Get some pix together and create a simple calendar. Kinko's is crazy fast at this, and all it takes is finding pictures of your "favorite moments" together. It'll probably remind you of when you used to do this for your mom, but it's still works like a charm :)
10. Check out a drive-through theater! I know they're slowly fading, but I highly recommend seeing if there's one in your area cuz they're romantic as hell. And I bet they have some pretty cool specials on V-Day too while playing the best of the lover movies.

That's all i've got for now - I hope it helps! Remember to check out last year's if you're still stuck. And you won't be alone - I'm pretty sure I'll have to do some of these now since the Mrs. will be reading this ;) But whatever, it's all good...as long as i get that dessert at the end!

Labels: love, one of my lists, saving

I know it's October 14th, and not Feb 14th, but can't you feel the love in the air?!

Maybe it's because of the market surge yesterday, or the fact that i'm tired of being pissed off at our wedding photographer, but today's a new day, and it's time to celebrate!

And while Valentine's day is still a good 4 months away, I figured it can't really hurt to list a few ways to impress your other half. Us guys need all the help we can get anyways ;) And $hit, you can even try some of these out on any old day if you're a Valentines hater - it can only help your chances of being a p.i.m.p/princess!

I'd like to warn you, however, that if you're not in a lovey/gooey mood at the moment, you might want to avert your eyes as it may make you barf ;) in which case, check out who PT Money's voting for in November. (you'll enjoy it)

10 Cheap Ways to Woo Your Other Half:

1. Spend the day at a mall, and take some silly Photo Booth pics together! You win with this every time :) Especially when you look back at it down the road.
2. Pick up two matching goldfish, and name them after yourselves. Cutest/cheeziest thing i've ever written. (but damn if it's not sexy!)
3. Lightly spray some of your sweetheart's favorite perfume/cologne in the bed. Key word being "lightly" here. If done right, however, it does wonders for the sensory glands!
4. Guys: Write a love note on the back of your business card and slip it in your girl's purse. Just make sure to make it out to HER name, and not another...you slimy ba$tard.
5. Sprinkle some rose petals from your door to your dining room. Then enjoy a super romantic dinner together...or dessert! hahaa....ahh, i crack myself up.
6. Ladies: Slip a dirty note in your man's wallet when he isn't looking! This one seriously rocks! I have yet to experience it (hint, hint), but it would be a totally great surprise.
7. Always look your sweetheart in the eye when you tell them you love them. It seems simple, and i have no idea if i do this at all, but ima start doing it and see where it leads me :)
8. Celebrate your anniversary by putting a "Just Married" poster on your car. Pretty cool, eh? Dorky, but cool.
9. Write a poem to your sweetheart and have it framed. Then give it to your other half on an ordinary day! Or on Christmas eve like i did...when i proposed to Mrs. Budgetsaresexy (it works!).
10. Pretend to pick up your girl/man at a bar! This is one of my all time favorites :) I like to use pretty lame one-liners and see if i can get the Mrs. to crack. And it's not like it really matters, i mean she's gonna go home w/ you anyways!

And there you have it - 10 ways i woo'd Mrs. Budgetsaresexy! haha....she wishes ;) I actually have tried out a few of these w/ great sucess, but something tells me i'll be doin' the rest in the very near future! As for you all, complete them as necessary my friends (in the voice of John McCain), but either way - have a splended rest of your day out there!

Labels: girl stuff, love, one of my lists, randomness 3000, saving

That's right - as of this sec. we are officially married ;)

And it feels awesome! Well ... i'm pretty sure it feels awesome, i'm probably more nervous than anything right now with all those faces staring up at me! That's right, I am still up there on the alter as you're reading this- how cool is that? i SO heart blogger ... and Mrs. Budgetsaresexy!

(it's party time!)

Labels: life, love, wedding

That's right my dear friends, tomorrow I go from "singlehood" to "chained", i mean "married" ;) It was a fun 27 years going it alone, and now i shall be blessed with a family. Oooooh, i could have little J's running around now too - woohoo!

And if you're wondering how you'll keep entertained while we're away, worry no more. I have a few nuggets lined up, and they'll be sure to do the trick:

• Guest posts from awesome bloggers & readers such as yourself.
• Random posts that i have future dated (savvy, huh?)
• And semi-tipsy updates if i can sneak online ;)
  

And if you go through all that, and you STILL need something juicy, then check out (and bookmark) one of the best sites e-v-e-r: The Chuck Norris Random Fact Generator!

You're in good hands my loved ones. I'm off to get hitched now and get to honeymooning, but while i'm gone next week you just remember one thing - don't do anything i wouldn't do!

Labels: life, love, wedding

Okay, so we *thought* we were budgeting $10k for our wedding! haha....since i started writing this i realized our total costs are actually gonna be around $16k! i guess it's good some of you prompted me to post about it :) Still though, our new budget is about half the national average for weddings.

According to Costofwedding.com:

"U.S. couples spend (on average) $28,800 for their wedding. This does not include cost for a honeymoon, engagement ring, bridal consultant or wedding planner."

AND, it's even higher in the county i live in, coming in @ $39,000!!! How INSANE is that? While our $16k will be pretty tight, we have to at least shoot for it (esp. now that it's 6k higher than the initially planned $10k!). There's no way in hell we're blowing $30k for one night. And to be honest, i don't see that big of a difference of those i attended where even $45k & $60k were spent. Sure the flowers and locations may be a bit fancier, but the food and drinks were plentiful at both, and everyone had a fabulous time!

In any case, you're probably wondering where on earth this money goes to. So, in an attempt to keep things clear and concise (there are entire websites pages dedicated to this stuff, w/ pages and pages of info.) here is a breakdown of the "average" American wedding costs, side by side w/ the money we've spent, or are about to spend, on each category:

* According to Bridal Association of America
I'll post more later on HOW exactly we went around a lot of these costs, but as you can see it CAN be done for lower.

So far we (aka Mrs Budgetsaresexy's mom and us) have spent a total of $4,963.77, with the MAJOR category still left - the reception.

We booked it at a restaurant, and at the end of the night we get a bill totaling up the number of plates served, and alcohol drank. BUT, at least we don't have to worry about any cleaning up afterwards :) Not to mention the set up, caterers, staff, etc, it's all included since it's a restaurant! woohoo.

That pretty much covers it, in a nutshell. There are a slew of potential things to think about, but Mrs. Budgetsaresexy and I are not one to complicate things. I mean, you could spend HOURS on just picking invitations, or merely choosing flower arrangements. The possibilities are endless. Unless you've been planning your wedding since you were a little girl, be prepared to spend some hefty prep time :)

Before i go, let me just recommend the following three things if you're starting the process yourself. I promise you they will help:

1) Book the location of the ceremony (for us, it's a church), AND the reception ASAP. These dates fill up faster than Warren Bufffet on a hot business venture! wow, okay so that was the dorkiest coment i've ever made...but you get the point. Some places book 1-2 years in advance.
2) Do one thing a month! If you get in the habit of doing this, esp. if your engagement period is 10+ months long, you will find yourself very productive. Not to mention as stress-free as possible.
3) Be patient and work as a team....even if you don't want to :)

The first, and second one, are super easy to follow. It's the third that gets tougher as the time goes on! You leave one person alone to do it, and you can kiss that honeymoon goodbye :( But if you're truly getting married for the right reasons, it should be all good :) Plus, things like picking the music to play at the reception, or choosing the food is pretty easy and fun!

I think that covers most of the stuff we've been getting into. I'll be posting more updates as we get closer to the big day as well. For those of you starting out, I hope this stuff helps! (and Congratulations!)

Labels: love, wedding