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

I've been getting jack for sleep this week, and I'm starting to realize how valuable it is. I can't think straight and all my days are mushing together like some sort of cracked-out dream (and not in a good way). Coffee doesn't even work on me any more :)

The one and only thing I need right now is SLEEP. It's just not for sale, and that makes me sad. Sure I could manage my time better and stop doing the things that are sucking away my attention, but sometimes it just doesn't work. At least not for me - I enjoy life! I'd stay up all night if I could.

Unfortunately our bodies need rest though, and we need to give it to them. But what if we could BUY sleep? Like, at some hourly rate? (There's an App for that!) Would you grab some? I would. Not a lot - say, 2 or 3 hours? - but it would be nice to have as an option. Of course, that would also depends on how MUCH these hours would go for.

I think I'd pay $20 or $30 for an extra hour, how about you? Maybe even $50 for 100% PURE REM-type sleep ;) The varieties could be endless in this Dream World. In fact, I bet the higher the amount, the more likely I'd be forced to get my act together! Haha... Dropping $50 every now and then is one thing, but every other day? Shoooooot....no way mang. I'd just have to buck up.

Labels: life, randomness 3000

I feel trashy even mentioning Tiger Woods right now, but I honestly can't help it.

This question popped out to me over on WSJ's FiLife.com, and I'm mesmerized by the possibility of answers!

Think about it for a few... What would YOU do (financially) if you were Tiger Woods? Would you be working your ass off to fortify every last possible cent? Or would money be the farthest thing on your mind? One of the commenters (a guy named Kees) stated it quite simply:

He does not need financial advice from us. With a 1B net worth, he will be OK.

Hah! Indeed there is some truth to that ;) Or maybe it's completely true, I don' t know. In fact, I don't know a single thing about Tiger other than he's a bad ass on the green. But even so I'm fascinated by the fact someone can be worth such a huge chunk of money! And even more so that a few dick moves could taketh away said billions or millions of dollars - just like that. He may be worth a lot now, but after all this $hit who knows what he'll be left with.

Personally, I'd start hoarding as much of the money away as possible and paying off alllllll the houses, cars, big screens, whatever that pimp daddy still has debt on. I'm certainly no legal professional here (or financial one for that matter) but it only seems smart to make sure you're clean full of any and all liabilities at this point. It's not like he'll ever lose all his sponsors and/or the capability to make more in the future or anything - I mean, he's TIGER WOODS! - but wiping away as much debt as you can never hurt.

Who knows, perhaps Mr. Woods is a financial genius who scoffs at superstars who blow through $100 mil, or who "can't feed their family" on $62 million. We hear about these numb nuts all the time, but do we ever get schooled by the fiscally smart athletes in the media? Not that I can recall, and it's really unfortunate if you ask me. If you happen to be both a millionaire AND a professional athlete (who holds onto their money) be sure to let me know. I'll see what I can do about lining up MC Hammer or Mike Tyson for the biggest Blogger Showdown ever! ;)

In all seriousness though, I do sincerely hope Tiger and his family comes out of this stronger and smarter than before. Regardless of fault it can't be easy seeing it splattered across the entire world (says the guy talking about it on his blog). But unfortunately that's a part of being a celebrity, eh? So while we could care less about his social life, let's hear more about the financial side of it. If YOU were Tiger Woods, what sort of financial advice would you give him?

Labels: celebrity finance, randomness 3000

That you'd lose all your money? That your credit cards get illegally maxed? Single Guy Money recently asked this very same question and I gotta tell you, it took me a while to come up with an answer. I mean yeah, all that stuff above would really suck and piss me off, but I can't say I'd be afraid of it.

The great thing about personal finance is that you only have to learn how to rock it once! You'd have to work your way back up to the top money-wise, but you'd get there a lot faster than the first time around. Imagine if you had to re-make all your mistakes again? Now THAT would be scary. As lame as it sounds, knowledge really is power here.

That being said, I did come up with something I'm financially afraid of. It took me a good 5-10 minutes but I came up with one. Actually, I came up with 3:

1. Getting held up by gunpoint. Take my money gangstas, just let me live!
2. A flood breaking out into our house. Nothing scares me more about home ownership than water problems. Things that look small cost a LOT, and things that look like a lot cost even MORE! I swear, we've already gone through 3 water issues in the last 2 years and it scares the bejesus out of me - reason #386 that I miss renting ;)
3. Being unable to work. I'm not sure how that would come to be, but if I was physically unable to work - including blogging - I'd be devastated. Earning money for the extras in life is nice, but not being able to put food on the table or provide shelter for my family would kill me. In fact, I'm going to take a second and say a prayer real quick as soon as I finish this sentence. (done!)

There are probably a hundred other things I can come up with if I REALLY wanted to, but it's probably best to stay positive and keep my head up. Life is already crazy enough, right? Right. But before I go I'd like to hear from you ;) What are YOU financially afraid of? Get it all out now so it never happens!

Labels: life, randomness 3000

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

Rubber band balls and savings have a lot in common. For one, the more you add to them the bigger they get! Savings, retirement, emergency funds, you name it. The life of a rubber band ball is awesome - as long as you never take from it ;)

That picture you see there on the left is the ball I've been working on for 2 years now. What started as a wee little pile of bands have blossomed into a hefty young man - all due to a little TLC. It's a little small here on the screen, but I assure you it's quite the sight.

While I've taken on more adventures since starting it (like this blog for example), my ball continues to grow. And little did I know I had a great metaphor sitting right in front of me the whole time! Yup, when you think about it, rubber band balls & saving goes hand in hand. Here's what I mean:

1. It's exciting to watch it get bigger and bigger - Dirty thoughts aside, momentum is a BEAST - especially first starting out. You go from absolutely nothing to something tangible within days. Same thing goes with putting away savings - everyone starts at zero and builds from there. The trick is to keep motivated as time goes on.
2. It's crazy easy to add to it! Anytime you have extras laying around, apply it to the fund/ball! With savings, you could even automate it so it pulls from your paychecks automagically. You can't be as lazy with the rubber ball, but luckily it doesn't require much energy. In both cases, the more you pile on the happier & more confident you feel.
3. It's best NOT to pull from it. This is very important. If you keep taking out and putting back in, you're not gonna do anything but drive yourself crazy. If it's just not working, try lowering your expectations a bit so you can stay in the game. Take the small set back now to reap bigger rewards later! It's a little less emotional for rubber band balls, but the theory still applies ;) One might even ague it's *harder* to keep adding to it with thieves around the office! I swear someone's pulling from mine when I'm not looking...

Yup, that's pretty much it. You can't get too philosophical when talking about rubber band balls, you know? I really just wanted another way to stress the true awesomeness of compound savings without digging into too much math here (you're welcome).

The truth of the matter is, the more you continue to save and put aside, the happier & more secure you feel. And the easiest way to make sure this happens is to never touch it! If it goes in, it stays there - that's it. You'll have plenty of time to meet with your beloved money later when the time's right. For now, keep on adding to your financial rubber band ball.

Labels: randomness 3000, saving

That was a line straight out of our pastor's mouth last month. I can't remember much of the sermon right now (or the reason why it's just decided to pop back into the mind all of a sudden), but I'm pretty sure the moral was to NOT obsess about sex, money, and cars :)

Catholicism aside, I'll have to agree. Not getting caught up is great for both the mind and the wallet, it's just hard to do sometimes. The media wants us all decked out in the latest fashion, sportin' that bling and glamourizing us up all so they can make an extra buck or two. And for the most part we fall for it! Well, "we" as your average American consumer, not you and I because we know better. Or at least we're trying.

The one line I do recall from the sermon, however, was his point that all these new obsessions are a luxury of ours. Not the items or acts themselves, but just the way in which we THINK and fawn over them. Hundreds of years ago people weren't lusting over diamond earrings or the latest model corvette, but rather food. Plain ol' rice and beans and whatever else people ate back then :) Sure there were richies who could still buy their way to exorbitance - extra mules, furs, buffets of fruit - but for the most part people yearned for a week worth's of food or clean water to drink. Those were the real necessities back in the day, and people craved them.

Times have surely changed since then, and I'm incredibly grateful they have!, but it's something to keep in mind the next time your wants start overcrowding your needs. It's quite alright to dream about winning the lottery or scoring with the Girls Next Door every now and then (Lord knows we all do it), but just make sure you snap back to reality and be happy with what you've got. You've worked hard to get where you are, so be proud and rejoice! You can have all the sex and the money and the cars when you fall asleep tonight.

Labels: get your brain right, life, morality, randomness 3000

Every now and then I like to see what people are typing into Google to get to my site. Mainly for some good laughs (you'd be amazed at the different variations of sex terms hitting this site), but also to see if I'm answering any of the questions being entered.

Overall I think I do a good job, but most of the time someone is asking for specifics and facts over general personal finance. Unfortunately I'm no expert so I can never say Absolutely - do this! or No way, you'll go to jail! But I can give you my two cents on just about anything, and it's always free of charge :) So today, I copy and paste some of these terms searched in the ol' Google machine and give you my complete and honest opinions as always:

How much is a leased car worth in your net worth?
$0.00. Same with renting an apartment. You're paying for a service and you don't own anything (unless, of course, you end up buying it out at the end), so at this point it's just another bill you have to pay. I wouldn't put it in your net worth.

Would it be crazy to quit my job
Yes! Unless you already have another lined up. Or you're just plain miserable and would be happier working at McDonalds just to get away from your boss. Not that there's anything wrong with that :) Better yet, hit up Starbucks like I would in that case.

What kind of dress to be worn to attend a wedding
Hah! Contrary to popular belief, I'm actually a guy. I know I use a lot of :)'s and !!!!'s, but I have no idea what kind of dress to wear. Actually, I take that back - wear a freakin' HOT one.

Average net worth in the u.s.
Love these questions! I took a snapshot of the average net worth in the US last year which I liked, or you could check out CNN Money's net worth tool that determines the average worth around YOUR age & yearly income.

Best online budgeting sites
You've come to the right place ;) Here's a great list of free budget templates I've collected over time. OR, if you're truly going for an online budgeting site over spreadsheets or google docs, check out Mint.com. An excellent & free resource for budgeting, learning about mutual funds (bet you didn't know that?), and are now sporting an investment guide.

Should i quit my job my hubby makes alot
Lucky you! Perhaps you can help that person above and start your own side business: How to marry a rich man ;) But in all honesty, you should only quit if you're not enjoying yourself or you'd rather be spending your time doing something else. You're fortunate enough to not have to work for money, so if I were you I'd totally do what makes you happy and use that passion to do something good in the world. At the very least, being out there mingling and networking with people is usually better than being at home doing nothing.

Best pickup line millionaire
Coming right up! How's this: "Call me your mutual fund, honey...'cause with you, I'm showing interest." No? Try these other sexy pickup lines.

Things you do to save money while broke
Walk to places more, read the books you already have, use all the food in your house that you already have - like those boxes of muffins 2 years old or that big sack of flour taking up all that room ;) You could also try picking up hobbies that are not only cheap, but that save you from spending money down the road! Planting vegetables and eating them, drinking tap water over buying bottles, or my favorite - taking things off your walls or from your drawers you don't like and selling them on Craigslist/eBay!

Personal finance is not that hard
I agree! Have you been reading my posts on this? ;)

Why do good poker players lose money at online poker
Because they're too emotional. You can be great at anything in the world, but as soon as you start listening to your feelings and emotions (good & bad) you change your game. This is why I myself suck at poker 90% of the time. I get too excited and/or bored and start playing differently just to entertain myself. Unfortunately you are who you are and you can't really change this much, but maybe if you pay closer attention you'll catch yourself and tweak your game plan before going All In w/ a 7, 2 off suit.

Seth Green worth
A few laughs? I really don't know. This search comes up every few days, very strange.

Max out 401k?
Yes - great idea! You get free money from your company (hopefully), and you reduce the amount of taxes getting taken out of your paycheck every 2 weeks.

High interest savings account do we combine our money or get two separate accounts
I'm thinking you accidentally added the "do we combine our money or get two separate accounts" to your first search of "high interest savings account" here, but regardless I have a post on how we manage our marriage financials.

What to do if you they want you to take a pay cut
Accept it so you don't get fired, and then start looking for what else is out there! Unless you really REALLY love your job or you believe them when they say it's only temporary, it may be a sign of worse things to come. And believe me, I know about this. Spend 20 mins a day poking around Craigslist or emailing friends to see what kind of opportunities are around town. Just don't do it at work ;)

Minimalist living
Something I'm slowly working on! Check out my latest post on the minimalist lifestyle - there's even a fancy doodle.

Would you rather have a well-paid job or that which make you happy?
Usually, I choose the well-paid job. Lately, I've been gearing towards the one that makes me happier though. Right now I'm blessed to have a job that I'm both happy at AND paid well, but in this economy it could change at any time. Check out this very would you rather question I posted back in July to see what others thought.

Gym women free sex
Woahhhh there partner! If you're going to the gym to look for free sex, you better be ripped. And also be a lot smoother than the ones using those sexy pick up lines we already mentioned - they won't work.

That's it for this round - hope you learned something today! If you liked this let me know and I'll start doing it more often. It's kinda fun answering a whole bunch of different questions than just focusing in on one specific theme. Happy Hump Day!

Labels: advice, in the real world, personal finance, randomness 3000

Then swagger on over to Wellheeled and spit it out! Your PF Blog Crush can be any personal finance blog written by a member of the opposite sex (or the same sex) and it doesn't matter if they are attached or not - it's just for fun ;) I've already left mine, so get on over there and check it out...who knows, maybe she'll feature a "Win a date with ____" next?

Labels: awesomely awesome, blogging, randomness 3000

Ever wonder how your boy J. sees fashion? Click on over to my first review of celeb chicks in celeb clothing. It's not finance related, but it's still good entertainment. You girls might appreciate it ;) Hell, even you guys - there's great scenery! Thx for the opp. Unfunded - diggin' your site.

Labels: randomness 3000, reviews

Why hello there, and welcome to my blog. Today I offer you the chance to travel back circa 6th grade and divulge the secrets of being YOU. In other words, it's time for a rousing game of Financial Mad Libs! (crowd goes wild) If you haven't seen the start of it over at Punch Debt In The Face, I highly recommend checking it out - everyone's doing it.

So sit back, relax, and get ready for some crazy awesome mad-libbing! It may sound a little silly at first (because it is), but you just might learn something today. At the very least, you figured out a way to waste even more time @ work ;)

Financial Mad Lib: J. Money

Hi my name is J. Money. I currently have 17 dollars in my wallet. When I started managing my finances I was worth $58,769.65, and now have a net worth of $95,149.11. I currently work for a start-up and have been doing it for 6 years. I make roughly $80,000 per year. I want to have $1 Million waiting for me when it comes time to retire. Aside from learning about finances, I really enjoy flying to new places. I think the world would be a better place if idiots didn't exist. I had a chicken quesadilla for dinner last night and it was bar food. I have had 10 significant others over the course of my lifetime (counting awkward middle school relationships). One thing that makes me different is that I smell my food & drinks before I consume them. Now that I'm done with this mad lib, I think I'm going to get back to work before I get caught.

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So what do you say there, up for the challenge? You don't have to fill out all the blanks if you don't want to, but the more you do the more refreshing it feels (& you can always go anonymous!). Just be sure to drop it in the comments or link back when you're finished so we can check it out :) Thx again debt ninja!
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Financial Mad Lib: You

Hi my name is (blank) . I currently have (blank) dollars in my wallet. When I started managing my finances I was worth (blank), and now have a net worth of (blank). I currently work (blank) and have been doing it for (blank) years. I make roughly (blank) per year. I want to have (blank) waiting for me when it comes time to retire. Aside from learning about finances, I really enjoy (blank). I think the world would be a better place if (blank) didn't exist. I had (blank) for dinner last night and it was (blank). I have had (blank) significant others over the course of my lifetime (counting awkward middle school relationships). One thing that makes me different is (blank). Now that I'm done with this mad lib, I think I'm going to (blank).

Labels: awesomely awesome, life, randomness 3000

You will forever be a brilliant, brilliant artist, and millions of us will miss you. I will never forget blasting Dangerous on rotation 24/7 the first week I had that album - my 2nd ever! I pray the drama is shred, and you're finally at peace...and happy.

(my first non-financial post, sorry - just felt like saying something....)

Labels: life, randomness 3000

OMG I haven't read anything this funny on Craigslist since I last tried to sell my Humpty Dumpty plate for a $1! A Lil Wayne Impersonator? Hah! It just goes to show what money can buy you...or in this case, all the doors it can open. A+ for effort dad, we hope you find your lil rapper for your party.


(Whaaaaaaaat? Okaaaaeeeeeyyyyyyy!)

Labels: awesomely awesome, blown money, craigslist, in the real world, randomness 3000

Don't ask me how I came across some of these, but I did. And lucky for you I will now share them ;) I'm sure you have better stuff to do w/ your time right now, but seriously - can you really help yourself? It's Friday! So sit back, grab some coffee, and enjoy a little off-colored financial humor.

5 Pick Up Lines Associated With Money:

1. "Can I buy you a drink or do you just want the money?" Classic, and to the point. I'm not sure how well this actually goes over in real life, but I'd be interested in finding out.
2. "I hope I haven't given you the wrong impression. I'm actually taller and richer than I look." Now this one I can see garnering a few laughs :) Not at the beginning of chatting up a girl or anything, but like slipped in there casually. At the very least you wouldn't get the *eye-roll*!
3. "I have a small penis, but a big bank account." I've never heard of this one before, and I kinda wish I never did to be honest...whenever a guy mentions anything to do with a penis in order to win a girl over has already crashed & burned.
4. "Did I tell you I'm filthy rich and my mother's dead?" Horrible! (and skeevy).
5. Now, I actually couldn't find a good #5, but when I googled (not binged!) I found some awesome ones by Dave Ramsey. So instead you shall get a few zingers that I find pretty clever:
   "You're so hot you could melt my debt snowball."
   "Call me your mutual fund, honey...'cause with you, I'm showing interest."
   "When I saw you, my jaw dropped like the value of a new car."

Hah! It's hard not to laugh at these no matter how lame they are, but it sure proves money & pick up lines mix well together! Although I'd be more impressed if anyone actually pulled any of these off ;)

Labels: money quotes, randomness 3000

I had this dream last night that I had my own personal chauffeur! And for the 3 days it lasted (in dream-world of course), I was pimping that thing all over town. Wendy's, work, our kickball game, I was getting the hook up everywhere we went.

And to be honest, I awoke 1/2 way convinced that I would seriously put up the cash to have it in real life. Of course, then I took a shower and realized how stupid that would financially be and that was the end of my 9 hour dream - literally! (and yes, I think about numbers and blogging while showering cuz i'm a big dork like that.) But, it got this ol' brain of mine thinking. If we were granted a free "luxury" for every day life, is there something you'd nab in a heart beat? And why *that* one over all others?

To help you with today's question, I've decided to waste 20 mins off my life conjuring up a whole suite of possible perks to choose from. But feel free to come up w/ your own as well! I know we've got some creative bastards reading this so I won't even try to stand in your way ;)

• 24/7 Personal Chauffeur - Your own driver (and car) to take you anywhere, anytime, no questions asked. Great for: bar hopping, airport pick ups/drop offs, driving you on weekend getaways.
• 24/7 Personal Chef - Ooooooh this one has HOT written all over it! Covers your breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, you name it. And, since it's YOUR perk here, you could even have him/her teach you how to cook so you don't have to necessarily give it up if you enjoy it ;)
• Personal Assistant - Your own go-to person to cover any needs whatsoever. Dry cleaning, errands, packing your lunch, etc. They don't pay for any of these items requested, BUT their services are on the house. And we'll assume all these choices going forward are 24/7.
  
• Personal Masseuse - I know some of you ladies will choose this one. Might I recommend Money Mate Kate? I heard she's the best around.
• Free Food for Life - Never have to worry about paying for it again! Covers all groceries, dinners @ restaurants, snacks, you name it. (doesn't cover drinks of any sort)
• Free Drinks & Alcohol for Life - Same as food except this makes you feel a bit funnier ;) Never have to pay for another long island ice tea again! Or milk for that matter...
• Free Hotel Room/Nap Area - The freedom to sleep wherever and whenever your heart desires! At work and need a 20 min power nap? You got it! Out at the bars and too drunk to make it home? No problem! Get your friend who picked the 24/7 Chauffeur to take you there ;)
• Free Clothes! - Everything from Wal-Mart to Fendi, it's all you baby. Covers everything but shoes (this is a perk, not a fantasy! haha...)

Okay, I'll stop there. I've actually wasted 30 minutes of my company's time now and it's probably a good idea to get going. Plus, I gotta find a way to turn these wishes into realities somehow...I'm thinking silent velcro or some other random invention. Either that, or hard work ;)

Labels: free money, randomness 3000

I flipped through an Inc. Magazine from Feb, 2007 the other day and BOY were things different! The cover headline read "How Philip Rosedale Created Second Life. The Coolest New Marketplace in the World" Second what? Are they still around anymore?

Oh man, this thing was filled w/ memories of the past. There was even talk about how awesome it would be to grow as popular as MySpace ;) Hah! That was nice, but now we've got Facebook and Twitter ruling the social media landscape. And don'f forget about the iPhone - it hadn't even hit stores yet (how did we ever manage?).

Then, of course, we've got the Economy. You don't have to be reminded that the money was flowing all over the place and deals were happening left and right. In fact, I specifically recall thinking that I have to hurry up and buy a place so I can get in on it before it was too late! Well, I def. got that last part correct.

That brings us to our finances. 2 years ago I was bopping around in la-la land w/out a care in the world! Great for the mindset, but not so great for the wallet. I wasn't getting into any debt or anything, but I surely wasn't saving all that much either. Needless to say, I'm glad I've wised up and started tracking where it all goes now ;) This way, when we look back 2 years from now again, I'll be bloogeeing* & skonjering** while my money is working FOR me instead of against me. Here's to a happy 2011!

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*Bloogeeing; verb: To blog via thinking. Brain waves alone activate keystrokes on the computer.
**Skonjering; verb: To Tweet/IM/Text/Blog and pen old school letters at the exact same time.

Labels: life, money management, randomness 3000, twitter

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

Too much? Sorry, feeling a bit feisty today ;) You know how us guys are. Seriously though, Wal-Mart is HUGE!!!! I just got this email forwarded over to me by my father who LOVES sending over this sorta stuff (do you find that yours does the same?) and I thought it was pretty interesting if it's indeed true. It not be *accurate* but it's still awesome.

Regardless, companies like Wal-Mart and the like interest me like crazy. The logistics to run such a place is insane! I can barely run myself, and that's on a good day ;) And to bring in SO MUCH freakin' money every single day? Whew - that's one helluva juggernaut. Business-wise I think they're pretty incredible.

But I'll still continue to do my shopping at Target (or Tarjay as we like to call it). I think Wal-Mart has some incredible offers & sales going on, but I always prefer to shop in cleanliness & at a place where everyone smiles and actually seems like they WANT to help you. I'd happily pay a few extra dollars to shop in a visually appealing, stress-free, atmosphere any day. $hit, sometimes I run into Target for something simple & end up enjoying myself for an extra 30-40 minutes! But I digress...

Labels: cockamamy indeed, financial forwards, randomness 3000

Last night I had my last screen-printing class and I'm afraid I'm really gonna miss it. When you're surrounded by creative people like that, you REALLY get into it! Esp. if you're not a perfectionist ;)

There's a process you have to follow in order to get your images to come out exactly the way it's shown, but if you don't mind "creative mistakes" like our shoddy little gang then it's totally awesome (and easier to mass produce).

But as I waited my 17 minutes at the end of the night for the metro to come take me home, I remembered why I signed up for the class to begin with - I wanted to start my own clothing line! Or at least my own graphic tee store like the Busted & Snorgs out there. How fun would that be? Designing and printing out shirts for all those sexy tween out there? haha...I seriously think i could do that for a living and be really happy. The problem, of course, is that it takes a LOT more work than you normally would think, along w/ some splashes of luck and a pocket full of start up cash. So while it would be hotter than Britney Spears circa 2005, I'm not delirious enough (yet) to think I could make it 1-2-3. What if I started slowly through cafepress or zazzle though? With something so automated like that I'm thinking it might be a nice little testing ground.

ORRRRRR, better yet, perhaps I sell a few Budgets Are Sexy shirts?! huh? whatcha know about that? humm.....would any of you buy them? Say, if i sell 'em for like $10 a pop? Might be something to expand on methinks.

Even if I don't end up setting up shop, it's pretty cool wearing around the shirts i've created with my bare hands :) in fact, i'm @ work right now wearing one of them! Yup, I created a simple one last night where it's just black text spread across a white shirt saying, "Fashions fade, style is eternal" a quote by Yves Saint Laurent. And with some of those creative mistakes I mentioned before, it has a little spraypainted affect to it. $hit, at the very least I have a good 15 or 16 new shirts to wear! haha...

Who knows what'll come out of it all, but I'm happy to report that i'm a bit more happier after jumping back into art classes. That's a department where your money is wisely spent! And my family will be glad that I finally used up some of that bday money too. Now, who want's a Budgets are Sexy shirt?!

Labels: art, randomness 3000

Haha, whatcha know about that? I don't agree all the way, but it's a helluva good quote :) Also found a few more around the web that I enjoyed:

"Money shortages will only get worse if you spend to feel better." - Hmmm...again, don't agree all the way (i'm a huge fan of blowing a little here and there & treating yourself), but overall I dig it. Esp. if you're one to splurge all day and all night.

"Time is more valuable than money. You can get more money, but you cannot get more time." - I'm a sucker for the whole word switcharoo here, but it's def. true! Guess it's all a matter of appreciating your health and family over killing yourself to bring in more & more money all the time.

Labels: money quotes, randomness 3000

Well we're about to find out!!! That's right, it's time to get excited my frugal kings and queens ;)

According to many a websites out there, including this interesting one, Ridley Scott (of "Gladiator" fame) will be producing it, and it'll be all 3-D like...there's been a lot of haters talking about it lately, but it's at least worth a consideration.

Here's a funny/hater clip from Cinematical over a year ago when the news first hit:

"I don't doubt that Monopoly could be a movie, but I do wonder if it could be an entertaining one. Despite the fact that the game is the most popular board game in the world, it is also one of the most time-consuming, most unfinished (I'm guessing) and most boring (I'd much rather play Trivial Pursuit or Candy Land)"

Most boring? Surely you gest! I'll give it to you that it's 100% the most unfished, yes, but com on - BEST GAME EVER! Man, just the mere thought of playing again gets my juices flowing. haha...yup, i used to be one of "those" kids who spent all hours of the night trying to beat my fellow competitors timer after time. You can learn a lot from that game!

The WORST, though, was when you'd play for like 3 hours and then your friend (prob the guy who wrote that article above) would just give up and end the game. it's like, hellooo!!! you can't stop in the middle of the game! You just landed on my Park Place B*tch - pay up ;)

So yeah, in case you can't tell i also get pretty competitive. I really can't help it though, it's in my nature. And ESP. if it has to do w/ money and/or getting more of it - that's like mixing all sorts of pleasures together. The only thing i can think that's better than that is being w/ a woman (the Mrs, that is - love you dear!) or possibly a Spring Break here and there. Man i miss playing that game....and spring breaks now that i brought that up ;) it's been years since i've don both!

All that being said, i really don't know if i'll actually PAY to go watch it. Playing it is one thing (the BEST thing), but watching it could be pretty harsh. Now, throw in some allstars like Sasha Baron Cohen & Elisha Cuthbert, and i'll line up to watch it ASAP.

But i swear, if Keanu Reeves is anywhere near it at all then you can forget it...i'll wait for it to come out on Comcast On Demand ;) Shooooooooot.

Labels: awesomely awesome, randomness 3000

Yeah, I love you. I think. But could you perhaps pause and wait for me to find large piles of money as to pick up your stocks SUPER CHEAP? ...No? Okay then...i think i've just made up my mind: I Hate you.

Labels: randomness 3000, stock market

And boy can you learn a lot from it! I've only been a twitterer (tweeter?) for a few months now, but i gotta say that i sometimes learn more in those quick little words than i do reading an entire blog post!

I think it has something to do w/ the conciseness of it all, and the fact you can read/skim them much faster, thus allowing more information into my little brain factory :)

And the best part is that once you get excited about a certain topic or headline there, you can usually click on the tinyurl provided for a more in-depth look! Of course, some say this all just perpetuates laziness and evil vocabulary (think lol, omg, lmfao), but i prefer to think of it as pretty tech savvy and another way of injecting some "cool" in ya. Those who don't adapt, fail right?

So yeah, twitter can be pretty helpful in finding some great personal finance advice and/or current news going on in our economy these days. Or even getting to know your favorite bloggers better! There's a billion other things happening over there too, but i tend to only stick w/ the pf gang...you know, to "fit in" and all ;) Check out some of the stuff going on there just in the past 24 hour or so:

• sincitysavings Does anyone know someone selling a soul?
• FrugalDad Frugal Dad Giveaway! Win a $100 Home Depot Gift Card http://tinyurl.com/5t8rgm
• thatonegirl Will just said, "Judging from the smell in the bathroom - there are some very unhealthy people in the building..."... It wasn't me.
• doctor_s I wish I was a teacher, so much more of a real impact than working in the business world.
• ThatFilipinoGuy My kids just saw Budgetsaresexy.com logo and said that's gross. Now they're covering their eyes. Grossed out by the word sexy. (me: wait, what?! haha...)

Okay, so maybe there's a bit more going on than just LEARNING all the time, but i promise you that does happen on there :) In fact, some people like to post a preview to every post they're about to have, or even coupons they just found out about. Def. not my style (i like to tweet about random nonsense), but it sure can be helpful. Here's a few examples of the more "helpful" ones so you'll believe me:

• BrunetteOnABudg Excess is *so* three seasons ago. Don't believe me? Just ask these rich people who want to fit in by acting broke http://tinyurl.com/66hcnb
• MoneySavingGuid Legitimate ways to make money working from home -- from MarketWatch. http://is.gd/7Row
• bargainbriana Cheap Batteries this week at CVS! Stock up for the holidays! http://tinyurl.com/43k8cq

So as you can see, there's a whole mess of finance activity going on up in thurrr. I won't tell you it's the greatest thing on earth or anything, but it's def. worth a peek if you haven't ventured out there already. And if you do, be sure to holler and "follow me" so you can stalk my every move and see what i'm up to...or not, that sounds kinda creepy ;)

Labels: blogging, link lovin, randomness 3000, twitter

What a gem i found this morning!!! 'Budgets' AND 'sexy' in the same headline? Hell yeah! It reminds me of that famous collaboration between Justin Timberlake & I called - "I'm bringing budgets back!" haha...Oh man, today's gonna be AWESOME, I can feel it already! The actual article from The Express was pretty interesting too, but sadly i couldn't find it online. I did, however, find one that referenced the time when the Mayor of Berlin (Klaus Wowereit) was quoted as saying his city was "poor, but sexy"! It doesn't get better than that my friends.

Labels: budgets, randomness 3000

I am a sucker for quizzes & polls, and even more so Financial related ones! It's fun to compete and see if i'm as smart as i think i am ;) Of course, i never come out 100% and then wonder where i got "tricked", but it's all fun and games. So if you're in the mood yourself (or just wanna avoid doing work today), give them both a shot and let me know if you beat me!

• Quiz #1: Financial Truth or Bunk? I scored an 8 out of 12 :( some are freakin' tricky!
• Quiz #2: Financial Truth or Bunk? Got 11 out of 12 right - woohoo! Much better ;)

Happy Monday!

Labels: education, randomness 3000

Anyone come across some fun & cheap costume ideas? (and yeah, hooker is my new favorite word to call people....except those who actually ARE hookers. not sure what i call them.)

And don't say you're going as Sarah Palin or Obama as we all know there will be 1,000,00,00,000 + of those around this season. Unless you really LOOK like them - that would be just plain awesome!


If you need some fresh ideas, check out Broke Grad Student's costumes for college students - lotsa great ones there. You can also find awesome ones by googling hilarious halloween costumes....it really amazes me the things people come up with! Some of them have to be literally insane.

As for myself, i think i may have to be lame yet again and go w/ my "Rock Star" fall back outfit. This comprises of a cool tee, ripped jeans, diamond bling, mascara eyeliner (i always forget which is which), black nail polish, and a mohawk. Luckily, i already wear all but 2 of these on a daily basis (i'll let ya guess which), so it'll be hella cheap! I have to save all those dollars for the drinks ;)

On a side note, does anyone know where, exactly, to find black nail polish? i found some! i'm fresh out, and i CVS doesn't cover it...which surprised me at first, but then i realized that not many people actually wear black all that much...and all my Goth friends are not longer Goth anymore, so i'm outta ideas.

At any rate, holler back w/ the costume you'll be rockin'! Or even those you WISH you were brave enough to where ;) I could use a good laugh before going out tonight... I might even award a prize. A cool, flashy, invisible thing-a-ma-bob! haha...Behave yourselves homies hookers.

Labels: holidays, randomness 3000

Painting Supplies: $50.00
Number of $1 bills: 48
Effort put in: 6 months (on and off)

Finishing your 1st painting since 2nd grade? PRICELESS.

There are some things money can't buy.
For everything else, there's Budgets are Sexy.
<--click to enlarge


Update: Wanna know HOW i created this? Check out the steps here :)

Labels: art, awesomely awesome, currency, randomness 3000, updates

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

I happen to be a huge Hip-Hop fan, but you'll enjoy this even if you're not! It's Weird Al, who i usually don't like, but it's Weird Al on the economy!!! haha...And after the 600+ drop we just went through again today, this will surely put a smile on your face :)

Please to Enjoy: Weird Al Yankovic remix - "Whatever You Like"

Labels: awesomely awesome, crazy economy, randomness 3000

It's one of "those" days around here.

I'm groggy as hell, hyped up on Bux coffee, eating a banana (of course), and just all kinds of disheveled.

So, figured it would be best to just spew out my thoughts instead of formulating a coherent message today. Plus, as you will soon see, none of these deserve their own post anyway. I start with the most interesting ones first...

Topic #1. Auctioning off your Virginity
That's right, there's a young lady out there reportedly putting her virginity up for sale! And I already checked eBay and it's not on there ;) Apparantly they turned her down and the auction will be held at some brothel. There's been plenty of press about it lately, but since i'm a bit slow it's just now coming around to me. There's plenty of posts if you want more info or if you want to bid (hah!), all you have to do is google the following quote from her,

"I don't think auctioning my virginity will solve all my problems, but it will create some financial stability...We live in a capitalist society. Why shouldn't I be allowed to capitalize on my virginity?"

Topic #2. I was asked to buy doughnuts for $6 on my way to work.
They were a 6-pack of krispy kremes trying to be unloaded for some fund raiser or charity. Probably for a local college's sports team as the group was decked out in the usual freshmen gear - running shorts, hoodie, flip-flops, and lanyards. I came close to giving in, but in the end i threw out a "not today, thank you" just like my man PT mentioned on my earlier post about getting asked for money. Go me!

Topic #3. I'm flying American Airlines tomorrow, and wonder if i'll be forced to pay for having bags, eating, drinking, sleeping, and breathing.
If i have to, i have to. At least i got hooked up pretty cheaply through expedia! I'm gonna forecast an extra $25 somewhere in the mix just in case. It just sux that you get hit up for fees no matter where you go these days.

Topic #4. Bananas are selling for 90¢ at Starbucks.
That is all. I just found it interesting.

And there you have it - 4 random bits of goodness for you. I'm off to do some actual work now, and then St. Louis here i come! I won't have much access to email, so don't fret if you don't hear from me for a few days. OOH, but i DO have an update on our wedding pic situation!!! Get ready :)

I wonder if i'll come across Baily picking up pennies @ the airport? i'm gonna scatter some around for him! haha.... (OOOh, or better yet - hide some and then make him find 'em like a scavenger hunt!)

Labels: charity, cockamamy indeed, randomness 3000

That's right, instead of getting my usual dime and nickel back from the cashier (they never bothered breaking down the 14 cents), i was handed over 3 measly pennies yesterday :(

What a shame too. I was already sucking it up by blowing 86 cents every day, but 97 cents is pushing it. $hit, i spent like $1.47 on a whole bushel of them the other day at Safeway!

I know it's all in the name of convenience, but my goodness that's quite a jump. $1.00 for 1 banana? What's next, $4.00 for a cup of joe? haha...actually, i forgot that's another addiction of mine, but not one i have to pay for so it doesn't count (work covers it. even the Bux!)

I'm sure our groceries have gone in up in price as well, but i never notice that. In fact, i really never notice any adjusted prices that aren't slapping me in the face. Gas i notice. My all-time favorite hairspray in the world - Aqua Net, i notice...actually, that one i REALLY notice!

Not sure how many of you use that crap (i'm sure it's super bad for your hair), but it used to be the cheapest stuff out there! You coud get a whole 14oz bottle for 99 cents, or even 87 cents on sale! That was the best bang for your buck, not to mention the most hardening stuff out there. I pick it up for about $2.50 nowadays, but it can cost you up to $4 at other places.

And that can't be good for business. They're gonnna make all our rocker-type hair styles go out of fashion! oh wait....

Come to think of it, there was this other type out there that ran $28+ over at CVS! Can't remember the name of it, but i wonder how much that boy is running now...probably $35! But that's enough about hair spray, you're probably getting the impression that i'm a girl. which i'm not. come to think of it, i am REALLY glad this blog is anonymous now ;) I've just spent way too much of everyone's time on hair products. I sincerely apologize for that.

The point of it all is (there's gotta be a point, right?), is that inflation has has finally crept in and got me to realize that it does, in fact, affect everyone. Some may realize the costs in different areas than others, but it doesn't discriminate - it takes all of our money. And that, my good friends, just sucks.

But we can't do anything about it, except budget accordingly. So will i still eat my $1 bananas and spray myself with $3 product? I sure will. After all, that's what American dreams are made of!

Labels: inflation, randomness 3000

HOT DOGS! Just scooped this up from Consumerist:

"Verizon has announced that they will begin offering monthly cellphone plans with no early termination fees. Consumers wishing to take advantage of the plans will be required to pay full price for a phone, or provide their own phone, as Verizon will not be subsidizing the cost of handsets."

If you already have a plan, like i do, you'll have to wait until your current contract expires, but then it's home saling we come! The fact that the plan rates are the same is even better. On the other hand, if you don't feel comfortable picking up a phone from Ebay/Craigslist/or some other place, you might be just have to stick with the normal way of getting a phone. But at least we now have options!

Labels: phone service, randomness 3000

If texting were a girl, i'd be in deep trouble ;) There's no way i'd remain faithful! haha...Seriously, if you ever find yourself bored and/or looking for a CHEAP way to entertain yourself, whip out that cell phone of yours and start texting!

Text old friends, new friends, lost friends, ex's, co-workers, you name it. If they know you, they'd *hopefully* be glad to hear from you!

That is exactly what i did on the train ride home last night. I felt sick, didn't have any good reading material, and was outright plain bored. So, as i've done many a times in the past, I composed a sexy text message (as shown above) that was sure to get some responses (as shown below), and i sent that bad boy all over the country. It felt great just knowing i pro-actively touched base with them all!

Texting is where it's at, i'm telling you. The most efficient use of your time!

I sent out a total of 19 initial messages (10 at a time by adding them to the contact list), and probably a good 50 in total! And within minutes i got at least 15 or so back :) Plus, it didn't cost me a dime as i have a text plan w/ Verizon Wireless that never gets filled anyways. And even if i i didn't, it would have only cost a few bucks anyways - much cheaper than postage, or my precious time in front of a computer....okay, well that was lie, but you get the point.

And the funniest part? I haven't talked to some of these fools in 3-4 years! haha...oh man, check out some of these responses i got back:

• "still on my journey" (what journey?)
• "Hi Friend! Right now I'm totally lost and annoyed hahah"
• "J??????????" (i swapped out my real name..almost slipped!)
• "Just started nursing school. Baby just turned 2! Congrats on the wedding!!! Hope all is well!" (wow, didn't see that coming!)
• "Love ur random texts. Nothing much. Stay at home mommy and watching a lot of silly spongebob! She is almost 2! Wat new with u?" (def. saw that one coming ;) )
• "Obx vacay sat to sat! Come down!"
• "Got a tatoo last week...! How have u been?" (would have NEVER guessed)
• and, my favorite response so far: "Well, i got engaged, moved to houston, found out he was very unfaithful, moved back, did a cross country road rally, started my new career. :) lots! haha" (sad, yes, but what a story! i love it)

It was probably the best 30 minutes i ever spent keeping in touch with old friends. And, it helped pass the time SUPER fast! In fact, i typed so much that my phone literally shut down mid-text ;) Not that i didn't see it coming, i mean i was sending and receiving so many messages that i swear my fingers were getting hot.

So do with this what you will, but promise me one thing: IF you give this a shot sometime soon, promise to post the hilarious/interesting responses you get back :) I can use all the free entertainment i can.

Labels: randomness 3000

And i'll take that any day. I believe this marks the very first time i've ever won a non-scratch ticket before (i'm a sucker for those shiny things), and to think i got close to winning the Mega Millions!

Like many lottery players out there, i let the computer do the guessing for me. I figure if it's meant to be, it will compute the perfect concoction of figures. It didn't totally work this round, but it got pretty damn close! I *knew* the other day was gonna be different ;)

As you can see frome the picture (that's my actual scanned ticket), i got 2 of the 5 regular numbers correct, AS WELL AS that magical "mega ball" number, thus tripling the amount i won! Niiiiece. And to think that i almost forgot to grab one...i had already changed into my sweats and t-shirt @ home, and it was nearing bed time when i remembered about my glorious plan. Something told me to just suck it up and drive the .8 miles to the beer store - aptly named "Beers and Cheers", and the rest is history!

So now what? Well, in an effort to extend my joy i will be doing two things:

1. As promised to AlwaysInStyle, i will be sharing half with her :) I told her in a comment the other day that i'd split my winnings with her just like in that "It Can Happen to You" movie. Sure i didn't hit the big times (yet) but what's fair is far - So congrats girl! And holler so i can paypal it over.
2. And with the other $5, i bought 5 MORE tickets! haha...yeah i know it breaks the cardinal rule of stopping when you're ahead, but my damn it's just SO FUN! I mean, big rewards require big risks, right? I'm on a roll here and i'll keep on going until i lose it all ;) It'll be the best $1 i ever spent.

So that's all i have for ya today. If you need me, i'll be the one basking in all my glory here in DC. And don't be surprised when you see my anonymous face holding that big a$$ check on tv! i do it all for you baby.

Labels: awesomely awesome, free money, lottery, randomness 3000

Every now and then i wake up and i say to myself, "today is going to be different". i never know what gets me to think that, or how long the feeling will last, but it feels good knowing that you have the power to make things happen if you want them to.

well, today is one of those days. i'd like to say that i have a plan for it too, but the reality is i'll probably slip back into normalcy in about 3 hours...so while i head dance to the beats of m.i.a.'s paper planes set on rotation, wearing my favorite jeans and my Sean Jean hat perfectly askewed backward, i'm consciously trying to live "in the moment".

It's definitely a hard thing to accomplish though; a problem i've had since the day i broke free from the college bubble. back in the day i'd make a pact to meet someone new, or even crash a party out of my element and pretending to belong while dancing solo. Unfortunately, it's not a plausible feat here in the real world. And, ofcourse, it has nothing to do with personal finance - thus looking out of place even more so than this post already does ;)

what i CAN do though, and what i believe this post is turning into (i often times just start writing to see where my brain goes...and i usuallly find i write more truthfully and free), is to take a step back and remember what we DO have going for ourselves at this given moment in time. And i'll get back on track by focusing on more financial-based things, with the only exception of listing the true priority first - and it's not money.

Here are the things i am truly thankful for:

• A family and a gaggle of friends. I have a woderfully supporting and loving wife, a fat cat, a troublemaking kitty, a good group of college friends, and you suckers ;) And God willing, a few little miniature humans in the near future.
• A house. Sure 99.9% of it is owned by the bank, and i'd rather live closer to my friends, but the fact of the matter is that i do in fact "own" a house, and we're not in the subprime mess which is looking good in this economy.
• A good paying job with plenty (maybe too many) benefits that would surely shock a few people. If they weren't soo specific i'd list them all out, but my fear of getting caught typing away at work is currently holding me back...although i have a feeling it will all spew out here in the very near future ;)
• Having my financial wits about me. And the idea of being a millionaire by the ripe age of 43. I'm not totally budget conscious yet, but i'm working on it.

So that felt good! now what? Well, i say we just try and live for today. Not what we have going on tonight, or tomorrow, or the next week, or month, or year, but today. We're a live RIGHT NOW, and that's really all we have to go on (as emotional/morbid as it sounds....which is a lot i'd imagine).

In fact, i think i'll play the lottery. Maybe that's the reason this influx of emotions is hitting me so hard this morning? It's telling me to get out there and throw a dollar into the pool with millions, for a chance to WIN millions! Then i can own my very own Panera Bread as planned, go on whatever adventures i need to change my life up a bit, and then blog away into retirement. Yeah, i'm gonna go play the lottery :)

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UPDATE: I won!!! Well, part of the lottery anyways...

Labels: life, randomness 3000

That's right buster, what do ya think will happen if you tip FIRST? My man Baily over at the Change Race is trying to re-write the rules, and I think he's got it right!

"...But one of my things in life, is I think we should tip BEFORE we get the service. After the service is done, it isn't going to get any better. Why not tip BEFORE dinner, the thinking being you are probably going to get a bit better service. Make your tip worthwhile."

Interesting concept! I really think he's on to something here. At first i was like, "Oh $hit, that would totally work!" but the more i thought about it, and the more Mrs. Budgetsaresexy started playing devil's advocate, the more diluted our suggested outcomes became. I mean, there are a TON of variables here. I decided to list a handful of them just for fun :)

The "Servicer's" mood.
For example, what if the "servicer" is in a fantastic mood already when you tipped first? Wouldn't that person had served you well no matter when you gave him/her the money, and no matter the size? I suppose giving a more substantial amount might alter it a bit, but that's not really the point here. We're talking about the simple fact of tipping up front rather than later.

Their general work ethic, and overall nice-ness.
This could greatly affect a person's service to you regardless of tipping up front (and sometimes even afterward). Say the servicer is an overall good, and honest, person. In this case, wouldn't the personal already have carried out an excellent service because it's already in their nature? I mean, maybe they'd now feel a little less stressed about how much they'd be getting, but i feel like unless you're dropping incredibly low or high amounts for them, you wouldn't really see a difference.

Now let's say the servicer sucks at his job, and doesn't really give a crap. More often than not he'll serve you the same way every time because his overall mood is horrible. While he'd enjoy getting larger tips, he'd never alter his service...but maybe tipping him first would shock him into reality and subconsciously do the trick? Would be interesting to try, that's for sure.

Using the same servicers.
It would also be irrelevant if you routinely used the same servicers, as they would already understand your tipping habits. If you use the same guy to park your car every day at work, for example, they'll already expect a certain size tip based on all previous encounters with him. So unless you're gonna start paying BIGGER tips up front, i doubt you'd notice any change.

The actual service being requested.
It also depends on WHAT the service actually is. If it's a mere taxi/bus ride, like in Baily's example, the service is pretty clean cut- You drive me from point A to B. Now let's say you're ordering a meal. This changes everything, as you wouldn't even know how much to tip because you haven't ordered your meal & drinks yet. (i guess you could always drop it right after you ordered...that would at least cut the extra variable)

But there's another more obvious downfall that could occur here - you could very well eliminate the servicers motivation!

Think about it. If you've already paid for the "service" you haven't even got yet, why should they go out of their way to help you? They've already gotten what they wanted - a decent tip. Unless you're ballsy enough to ask for part of the tip back (making the experiment even more interesting), you could have very well paid to receive crappy service. Of course, this goes back to the original variables of the person's work ethic & morality.

On the other hand, your initial tip may also suggest that more tips are on their way! I doubt anyone will think to themselves, "Hey, this guy is tipping me BEFORE the service". Thus, increasing the level of service assuming they will get even more tips to come ;) In this case, however, you may come out as a potential a-hole.

As you can see, there are a plethora of different responses you might get by doing this, and i've certainly wasted some time trying to come up with them all! haha...But after all is said and done, I'm willing to bet that you WOULD, in fact, get treated better by tipping first. Perhaps i'm a bit naive, but I'd like to think that the world is a little more "good" than bad when it comes down to it.

I'd like to say i had more factual-based evidence here, but unfortunately Baily's been a bit slacking on showing his results ;) Ya hear that buster? We all wanna know! Shoot us a comment when you get a chance. And in the meantime, I encourage you to give it a shot too. If my goldfish-brain allows me to remember it, I sure as hell am gonna try it!

Update: Baily posted his findings! Check it out...

Labels: randomness 3000, tipping