Yes, but I'm starting to question myself. I wake up - think about blogging. During work - I think about blogging I blog. When I get home, I tweet/email/do blog stuff. For someone who naturally doesn't like to write, it's all very strange to me. (although my wife would say this is more like "talking" and networking than "writing," and I think it's true.)

I liken it to my early years when all I thought about was women ;) But now that I'm married, it's more like having a mistress instead - a mistress that goes by the name of Budgets Are Sexy! Ow ow! At first I thought it was just a phase, but here we are 2 years later and my passion is only growing for her. It's just so damn exciting! The question though, is whether I'm addicted. And I just may be.

Which brings me to my point today - I think I need a vacation. More specifically, I think I need to join all our friends on a 10-day Eurotrip this Spring! (didn't see that one coming, huh?). The more I learn about money, the more I realize the importance of spending it on things you truly value - and not to hoard it. I always TRY to keep this in mind, but the reality is I don't. I save and save and save, and then I get addicted and never want to spend any of it! Haha...I'm not saying it's totally bad, but it's def. not the most healthy.

If there's one thing I have never regretted in life it's traveling. And even more so with my crazy friends and all their crazy significant others. It may slow down my millionaire plan for a bit, but traveling always repays you back in "life experiences." And in all honesty that's a lot more important to me than more money in the bank.

So instead of making up excuses and worrying about missing all my money AND my blog stuff, I'm gonna say F it and just do it! Yes, I WILL go on that trip with all you, friends :) This blog will be fine without me for a little while, right? And doesn't the iPhone work in Europe anyways? haha... it will surely be expensive, and you know I'll blog about it later, but I think it would be stupid of me to pass on such a once-in-a-lifetime adventure like this. As the saying goes, you can always find ways to get more money, but you can never get your youth back!

Labels: blogging, life, travel

Gooooood morning my fine blog readers & twitterati! Did you get into anything fun over the weekend? We ended up hitting the beach for a mini-family reunion and we just couldn't bring ourselves to return home to reality yet ;) That's what vacation days are for, right?

While I sit here soaking up the sun and pegging my nephews with footballs (my favorite part), I thought it would be prudent to share a few saving ideas I came across while packing up...

On your next trip this Summer:

1. Drive the car w/ better gas mileage. As much as I wanted to pimp out my caddy for all my wife's family to see, we couldn't justify the 13.8 mpgs it brings to the table. Instead, we opted for the smarter choice: her Toyota Corolla (which gets 30+)
2. Stay with family or friends. This is my favorite option, and it usually works well when you miraculously plan your trip the exact same time they are ;) If that doesn't work, call Uncle Ned or your long lost sister to see if you can crash for a night or two. Promise them breakfast or something.
3. Take advantage of your surroundings. Chilling at the beach, hiking up and down the mountains, or just plain walking around and soaking in life is free. You've got a lot more time to just "be" when you're away, so relax and enjoy what's around you for a change.
4. Read. Not a lot of people like this option (I was once one of them) but I'll admit it feels great without the everyday noise around you. It's like 100% YOU time. And you don't have to feel bad for not reading finance books or magazines if you don't want ;) Unless you're me, cuz I like!
5. Do whatever you want. Eat your junk food, stay up late, be a sloth, whatever you want. I'm not sure if this really falls into a savings tip right here, but F it, you're on vacation.

So there are your 5 Free tips for the day. They might not be the most exciting, but they save you money. Plus, it's really the best I can do with all this sand blowing around my laptop right now ;) Yeah yeah, I suck. If you ever figure out a way to blog full-time though, please let me know. I'm afraid I won't go back to work tomorrow...

Labels: money hacks, saving, travel

Well, I survived New Orleans! And I must say, Las Vegas has nothing on them. Never have I seen so much beauty and filth all packed into the same town, it was awesome. And now, 48 hours after all that beer and sight seeing and music and voodoo and bonding, it's back to good ol' reality. And it's a good thing too cuz my body can't take it any more ;)

But before we close out this chapter, allow me to share an interesting concept with you all. We were divvying up our dinner bill Saturday night when a friend said something about playing "Credit Card Roulette". Come again? Were my boys about to talk finance for once? Well, not exactly, but it was still pretty exciting to learn about. Urban Dictionary has it a bit differently, but according to my friends it goes a little something like this:

Credit Card Roulette: A game to see who's going to pay the bill. You take everyone's credit cards, put 'em under a napkin, and then mix them all up so you can't tell whose is whose. Then, someone (usually the waiter) randomly selects one of them and pulls it out to declare the "winner". Except in this case, you do NOT want to win, because the "winner" is the chosen one to pay the entire bill!

So why on earth would you participate in such a thing? Well, for one the odds of getting a free meal are totally in your favor. If there's a total of 6 of you playing (as we did), you only have a 17% chance of taking the fall and paying up! Not too shabby odds if you ask me. Of course, the more people you have playing the bigger the bill ;) And in our case Saturday night, it was a hefty $240 ticket without even taking on the tip yet. It's definitely not for the faint of heart...nor apparently us since we all politely declined.

I must admit, though, I was pretty tempted. I wonder what would happen if I bring this up at our next PF Happy Hour? Haha...so what about you all? Am I the only one who's never heard of this before? Drop me a line and let me know. In the meantime, I have to get back to replenishing my body with massive amounts of water & vegetables before I keel over...this body ain't the same as it used to be.

Labels: cockamamy indeed, credit cards, travel

Hello my Budgety friends! Today is the start of boy's weekend in New Orleans and I can already feel the dollars burning a whole in my pockets ;) I'd like to tell you I'll be saving them all and keeping a frugally low profile this weekend, but I already know it's just not happening.

You see, some days I just let myself go and do whatever I wish w/out worrying about money for the time being. Kinda like that whole "convenience tax" idea where you pay a little extra for something cuz it's quick and *there*, but you just let it slide and go about your way enjoying life as normal. And for some reason, it makes me feel all VIP like too! I'd never go crazy and pickup $200 jeans or $500 bottles of rum or anything like that, but I do let myself spend more freely during these weekends.

Here are 5 things I'll be blowing money on:

1. Checking in baggage - I know I'm a guy and should therefore be able to just throw things into a backpack or something, but I'm too "Metro" for that. I like to take way more than necessary so I have options. Plus, I hate lugging bags all around so I'll happily pay that $15/each way.
2. Airport food & coffee - My favorite part of traveling! Starbucks, donuts, pizza, all while waiting for our flight? Freakin' love it. Don't love the $50 price tag of course, but what happens on vacations stay on vacations ;)
3. Taxis - If there's one thing i hate dropping money on, it's taxis. I will walk miles to get somewhere if it saves me a buck or two (and the weather is nice), but when you're on vacay you have a limited amount of time. So if $12 means an extra hour of extended debauchery - I'm on it.
4. Group Dinners - The key here being, "wherever the group wants to go". When I plan them we go somewhere on the cheaper side, but we def. have some refined gentlemen amongst us at times. So if they want to chow down on $40 plates, then I shall follow suite and not say a peep.
5. Souvenirs - I'm such a hag when it comes to magnets or even maps! I dream about having a room wallpapered in maps of all the places i've visited over the years. Love it.
   

And because there are things I WILL be saving on, I should probably list out those here as well. After all, this is a frugalicious blog :) Here are 3 quickies we will save money on:

1. Alcohol - Probably the one consistent thing we all like to save money on! Pounding Miller Lights before we hit the bar scene. Not only does this sharpen our card playing skills, but it also allows for proper "bonding" and saves us a butt load by the time we hit the bars!
   
2. Hotel Room - We would cram 10 guys into a room if we could get away with it. Enough said.
3. Daytime Adventures - This usually consists of exploring around town and chatting about the good ol' college days. We rarely go see something specific like a play or an exhibit of some sort, so we save a lot of money by just walking around and goofing off.

Needless to say, we're gonna have a helluva good time :) And hopefully we'll have some juicy stories to come back with too! I heard something about giving away bead necklaces? Wonder what that's about... (Don't worry Mrs. Budgetsaresexy, I shall keep my promise on that non-nudity clause I signed.) Look for me on TwitPic!

Labels: blown money, life, splurging, travel

I was reminded of this when it came time to drop $300 on plane tickets to New Orleans.

As you all know, I'm a pretty frugal guy when it comes down to it, so for me to spend that kind of money w/out much thought says something. And what it was saying this week was IT'S BOYS WEEKEND, baby - time for a little fun!

That means plenty of laughs, plenty of bevies, and plenty of good old fashion fun to be had. Yup, when it comes to traveling and spending time with your closest friends - what I deem "Life Experiences" - you take every opportunity you can, even if you have to scrounge around a bit. (or maybe not if you have that Fun Fund built up!)

It may cost a nice chunk of change sometimes, but that'll be the last thing on your mind when you're old and gray telling stories of the "good ol' days" ;) That $300 would have been long gone anyways, but those stories of catching Uncle Charlie passed out on stranger's lawns wearing nothing but a sombrero will be instant classics! And hopefully passed down through generation after generation too! haha....

You still have to be smart about it and do your research to find the best deals out there, but the point is you can't buy adventures like that (or even time for that matter). What we hold onto in life are all the wonderful memories and friendships we experienced, not the money. Having bushels of it is nice, but at some point it's gotta be spent. And if not on a trip w/ all your closest friends, then when?

Labels: advice, life, travel

It'll be our first destination wedding we attend :) And if you recall, we said hell to the no on picking up the travel insurance as it just didn't make sense this trip.

I really hope i'm not jinxing our selves here, but by the time you read this i *should* be on that plane and going on my merry way. And please, pray we don't land in the water like yesterday's mess :( Although what a happy ending, my gosh!

Here's what the "Cancel For Any Reason Travel Protection Plan" covered, had we listened to our travel agent plead and PLEAD that we get it (seriously, i really hope all goes well....whey am i post this now BEFORE we get back? oh well...i've already started):

• It cannot be used for another travel date and it cannot be transferred to another person
• Trip interruption should clients need to return home early for a covered reason.
• Protection against additional expenses in the event a covered weather delay.
• Reimbursement for lost or stolen baggage.- Reimbursement for medical expenses incurred overseas. Many group health or primary medical insurance plans do not cover medical expenses incurred outside of the United States or the plan's covered territories.

Well yes, any of those things would be horrible shall they happen. But since it's a) too late to get now, and b) probably wouldn't be convinced anyways since it didn't work last time, I think we're good to go. Here are my thoughts on it:

• Date is now here and 100% settled! woohoo :) And the Mrs. changed her last name months ago on her passport, so this is now all good.
• We're leaving today and coming back in 2 days. Even if we *had* to come back early, could we even get a flight out before our scheduled one anyways? And will it be "covered"?
• We're only checking in 1 bag each, and if they get lost don't the airlines cover this anyways? just in case i won't bring my finest duds ;) flipflops and a Hawaiian shirt baby!
• Now THIS is scary, i won't lie...I seriously don't know what i'd do in this situation. But i'm hoping that out of the 60+ people attending the wedding, ONE of them would be a doctor ;) And if not? well sucks to be me!

I'll let you know if anything crazy happens, but for now i'm just worried about those baggage fees! Is that stuff still going on? Does it count going overseas? Is the Bahamas considered "overseas"? Can I ASK any more questions? Happy weekend hookers, don't miss me too much.

Labels: insurance, travel

The summer is winding down, but we sure as hell aren't finished with Wedding Season.

You'd think the one we just had on Labor Day woulda been the end to it, but crazily enough we're only half way there! We have THREE (3) more this month (in a row, mind you) and then the last grand finale mid-January in the Bahamas - which i'm not complaining about at all.

But while i have enough ammo to turn this post into a wedding rant, i shall not. Considering the Mrs. and I wed back in May, we really dont' have any room to talk. haha...plus, 4 out of the 7 other weddings are for super close friends and we're delighted we get to spend $700 in presents share in their love and joy together :)

(we've decided to give $100 as wedding presents from here on out since we know how much we appreciated $ over gifts ourselves! So 7 weddings = $700...ouch)

I'd actually like to explore "Travel Insurance" a bit and see if it's worth it or not. And apparantly to us, it isn't because we turned it down! haha...but neither of us have ever used it, nor had any crazy issues that would have ever stopped us from going. (HUGE knock on wood here please, my goodness!) So we're naturally pessimistic about spending another $200 for the chance of something getting in our way.

Here's what this "Cancel For Any Reason Travel Protection Plan" covers:

- Trip interruption should clients need to return home early for a covered reason.
- Protection against addional expenses in the event a covered weather delay.
- Reimbursement for lost or stolen baggage.
- Reimbursement for medical expenses incurred overseas. Many group health or primary medical insurance plans do not cover medical expenses incurred outside of the United States or the plan's covered territories.

Maybe we've never heard of, or used it, before though because this is the first time we went through a travel agent? We're pros at using Expedia.com and the internet to get flights and hotels and such, and rarely do we get a pop up or extra check box to pay for insurance of any type.

The whole trip cost us $1313.20 for all airfare, hotel & tax costs, airport xfers, etc. Everything except for food basically, which lucky enough will be covered by the wedding events :) And we're only going for the weekend (crazy, i know!), so spending an extra $89 a peice is really the last thing we wanna do.

Of course, our realtor travel agent (i always get those 2 mixed up) was blown away that we'd turn down such a thing. In fact, not only did she mention 98% of her clients take it every single time, but she made me email her back explicitly stating that we do not want it so that she can have it in writing "just in case". And this is after the 3 emails spelling out exactly what the policy covers.

I know she means well and all, but seriously - she has got me all 2nd guessing myself now! I mean, look at this last attempt to sway us:

"If you choose NOT to purchase the protection I need to advise you that the airfare is FULLY NONREFUNDABLE once ticketed, it cannot be used for another travel date and it cannot be transferred to another person... "

Have strong feelings, much?! After all was said and done, we kept firm and declined the $200 addition. It was our initial gut response, and we feel good about it. We also don't do well with "scare tactics", so the more they came, the more we were fighting back.

But are we idiots? You can tell me the truth, we need some un-biased opinions. You could even be anonymous if you're afraid i'll come over there and find you ;) I'm pretty sure it comes down to personal opinion and experience anyways, but that little F'er has really got me thinking now...

Labels: insurance, travel, wedding

UPDATE: just uploaded some pics!

Whew, i'm back in action and now ready to dish the dirt :) Would you like to know a few secrets from the Vegas adventure? (If not, click here for a not-so-randomly generated older post to keep you busy instead)

I thought about just giving you a rough idea of the trip, but since Vegas is all about money, as well as this blog, I decided to share it all. While I have my reservations, like someone at work finding out, or coming across as a bragger :(, i also want to remain 100% honest w/ my postings and financials. Not only that, but it also opened up my eyes t0 a high-end lifestyle that DOES exist out there. So, although i personally wouldn't consider/promote it, it def. makes for good discussion.

With that said, here are the events posted line by line (as to not ramble). Keep in mind most of this was comped by our hotel, and then the rest by our company. (I love you boss-man! not that he knows this is my site, and who "my" refers too, but still, credit is due). Also, I left out all the work-stuff...no one wants to hear about that.

So here we go, in order of events:
- FIRST CLASS flight roundtrip! lots of legroom and feel-goodness. (est. cost = $1,700)
- Picked up by limo @ airport :) the BEST part was the guy holding a sign w/ my name on it when i arrived! haha... so bad a$$ (est. cost = $100)
- Handed a packet of money. this was to cover all food, transportation, drinks, and more importantly....gambling! haha...i sure didn't see THAT one coming. ($600)
- Hotel for 2 nights - very sexy & comfy. i'd guestimate it at around $300/night
- Concierge breakfast(s) - eggs, bacon, the works! $35 a piece
- Partied at Rain Nightclub - couple hours here, so-so.
- Partied at the Kingpin Suite at the Palms - awesomest part of the trip - personal bowling lanes, a bar, AND a pool table all in your very own suite! how sick is that?
- VIP table @ the Playboy Club! Crystal champagne, music, and overall great vibe. est. cost =$6,000
- Cabana by the pool! was perfect for what we needed (NEEDED? i was already getting sucked in!), our own section to sweat off the alcohol and get some sun. tack on another $600.
- Fancy pants dinner - 1st time trying Kobe beef. crazy diff. than normal steak as it literally melts in your mouth! weird, but cool to try out for a 1 time thing :) that ran $400 a plate.

I think that's pretty much it. What a trip, right? I'm not one to splurge (at all) on this sort of thing, so i must admit it was very VERY strange keeping this up for the few days while there.

It was actually pretty crazy... at the end i caught myself using my money extremely loose! i bought a few souvenirs for $70 w/out even THINKING of it, and then was tipping people like mad. no wonder Vegas leaves many a men crying when they go home....all the lights, drinks, clubs, they're all set up to squeeze the money out of you.

Oops, almost forgot about the gambling. Here's how that played out:
- Blackjack: Down $20 at the end.
- Texas Hold 'em: Walked away up $5
- Pai Gow Poker: Down $75.
- Texas Hold 'em casino table: Up $60!
- Slot machines: Down $14.50
- Total damage: - $44.50ish

So there you have it kiddies, my Vegas trip all wrapped up in a nice post. This will be good for me to remember later, as my gold fish mind tends to forget the details. All in all, the trip cost about $10,000 for ME alone!!! Some of the things included others like the VIP table and the Cabana, but you get the idea. 100% C-R-A-Z-I-N-E-S-S, and surely not expected.

Now, interestingly enough, i'm off to Atlantic City for a night out with the boys! (we had planned this weeks before my knowledge of the work trip) I can guarantee that the only thing that will be on par with the above is the "down $44.50" part. haha...

Labels: career, travel

Vegas = 1, J. Money =0

I tip my hat to you, Senor Vegas. While the 8 1/2 hours of sleep kept me "alive" through all 3 days, your bright lights and fancy lifestyle have now knocked me to the ground. You have put my wallet on an emotional roller coaster, and i can no longer think clearly. To be honest, i'm not even sure i'm making any sense right now? (don't answer that).

So with that, i wish to proudly withdraw, and retreat back to our nation's capital to regenerate my brain cells. You are a most honorable host, good sir, and i look forward to future meetings.

Your friend,
J. "don't wake me for 24 hours" Money.

Labels: life, travel

after only 2 hours of sleep, i am still alive and kicking :) tomorrow, however, may be a different story. we have 3 after-parties to attend this evening, and since everything is comped (all drinks, food, etc) it may just cause a ruckus!

other than that, i don't have much to report. i was a good little boy last night and didn't do anything terribly interesting. aka i checked email, this blog, and then *tried* to sleep.. i will say, though, that i picked up a banana for $1.19! i have no luck w/ those things lately...

OH! and i almost forgot. I played one hand of blackjack for $25, and won! i stayed on 15 (the dealer was showing a 6), and she barely went over 21. so i'm now 1 for 1, and up $25 for the week so far :)

...now let's just see if can maintain this little lead! i'm off the poker tables. Woohoo!!!

Labels: life, travel

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Labels: career, travel