Sometimes you have to just grow a pair, and ask.

Seriously, sometimes you have to just step up to the plate and ask for what you want. It might not be easy, but the only person looking out for #1, is you.

Want that raise you've been working hard for? Want that date with the chick you've been stalking eyeing lately? Ask for it! No one else will for you.

Personally, i had been waiting for some missing 401k deposits to hit my account. My patience was growing ten-fold, but my sanity wasn't going to last any longer. It really isn't easy for me to have money floating out there in "la la land", and i wanted it to finally come home where it belongs.

I wish i could explain all the twists and turns over the past year regarding it, but it's way too complicated this early in the morning. Plus, i really don't want to bore you to death ;) Let's just say it had been going on for way too long, and something needed to finally be done about it.

That's what today's post is about - asking your way to the solution.

When things go wrong, it's easy to point fingers. But flashing them everywhere seldom gets you answers, so let the other's flash! If the issue affects you, then what you need to do is find a way to get what you want. This usually takes a lot of questioning.

So, when i first realized these 401k deposits went missing, I started throwing questions (not fingers). I talked with a few co-workers first, then the 401k firm, and then HR. All of whom answered my questions, but didn't resolve the issue at hand - plopping my money into my account.

A few months went by (i just thought they'd "magically" appear after a while), but still nothing. At this point i realized that either:

a) I'm out my money, or
b) I have to bring it to the master of the domain - my CEO.

I ran with b), which isn't an easy thing mind you. We get handsomely rewarded here, like WAYYY more than others in our industry, and i'd continue to work here regardless of getting that money back (aka I love it here). So when you're basically telling the head honcho that he "owes you money", you gotta be careful, especially if you're lower management. But i HAD to ask - we're talking about $4,000 here.

And asked I did. I set up a quick meeting, explained the situaton in detail, and showed him the respective statements. And can you guess what happened? He gave me the money!!!

Well, not yet actually, but very very soon. The point is, i got what i asked for cuz i ASKED for it. Sure it was already owed to me, and was legally enforcable anyways, but had i not asked I'd still be stewing here in my seat wondering where the hell it's been all my life. and that's no fun for anyone.

Truth be told, my CEO hadn't even realized they were missing, so it was a problem that could have been resolved months ago! Lesson learned. I'll throw that little nugget in my pocket for later ;)

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Drawing the Line Between "Work" and "Personal" Time

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Guest Post: M from My Money Adventure. M has been a frequent commenter here at Budgets are Sexy, and is still going strong after launching his blog only a couple months ago (congrats!). Here is part 2 of his original "My Side Income Story". Enjoy!
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As I mentioned earlier, I've been reaching out to my readers for tips on how to generate side income, as my current employer does not allow me to work on patents that aren't part of the firm. This got me thinking, but let me lay out some background information:

1. I have to meet a yearly quota of money billed, i.e. x amount of dollars per year billed to the client.
2. How I meet that quota is up to me, as in how efficient I work, i.e. if I work more efficient, the less time I have to actually work.
3. Any money billed past the quota starts generating bonuses for myself.

So that brings me to the question: Where should I draw the line between work and personal time?

Sure I could keep working longer hours to get past my quota to get into the "bonus territory", but how do I figure out when too much time spent on work starts effecting my personal life? It seems that the amount of bonuses I can earn is infinite, as I can always keep working and getting extra money, but where do I stop at?

This question can apply to any person as any person can always pick up a second job to make more money. But how do they determine when they have crossed that line? When there debt is paid off? When they save x amount of dollars per month? x amount of dollars saved overall? A certain net worth is obtained?

Readers, how do you determine that "line"?

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Yours truly is honeymooning in the Caribbean and wishes you a very sexy day.

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Vegas + Work = Sweet Love?

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...

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It's Monday, and i'm off to VEGAS!!!

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.

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Uncle Sam suuuure likes my money.

As i'm sure i've mentioned before, i have a pretty unique workplace. Not only is the work itself freakin' awesome, but our benefits are simply incredible. One of the *best* ones are what i like to call the "good mood bonus!"

Good Mood Bonus: (n.) A sizable chunk of money your boss hands out to each and everyone at the company when he's in a helluva good mood! Bonus not to reflect profits, project completion, nor work performance... simply random.

How BAD A$$ is that? I was given a cool $1k for just "being" :) This isn't the first time my widened eyes have seen this, but it IS the first time i've sensed the evil lurking of Uncle Sam around so quickly. It's funny how every time i get my hands on some dollah dollah bills, that good for nothing beast snatches a handful of it before my very own eyes. I honestly believe the gov't enjoys being Debbie Downer. He's like our money shadow...wherever your money goes, he goes!

Although i'm not exactly sure how our accounting handles these extra "lump sums" of money, i am fairly certain they treat them as simply that. Extra "lump sums" on top of our regularly salary. Instead of the $3125 (gross) bi-weekly check i'd normally get, it magically turns into $4125 (gross) for that paycheck only; the next check turns back to $3125. So although this extra $ is still taxed, i'm thinking it's taxed as "salary money" instead of "bonus money"? At least that's how it was sorta-kinda explained to me by a senior here.

At any rate, that evil uncle took out a chunk of my $1k, and spit the rest back at me. I'm not totally complaining here, don't get me wrong. FREE money is FREE money, no matter how you slice it up. I just find the whole experience a bit interesting when it comes to the tax side of things ;)

So, out of the original $1k, how much do you think i got back from it after all taxes, ss, 401k withdrawals, etc? A chunkity chunk of $467.47! haha...all i have to say is, MAN that guy is good.

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i forgot to mention what i'll be doing w/ this extra money: straiiiiiiiiiiight into my Emergency Fund!

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The secret is out! How much i earn.

I was checking out Cal Girl Finance yesterday and really enjoyed it. She brings up an awesome topic on salary and the taboo on sharing it with others. I commented that i'm pretty much okay w/ talking about it w/ family, and even a best friend or so, but that's about it. Then the more i thought about it, the more i wanted to say!

First off, there's absolutely no way i'm sharing it w/ co-workers, nor do i even WANT to know theirs. The last thing i need is to get a little jealous, over-confident, or just straight up confused :) There's a reason it's kept super duty quiet i the work place.

The same thing goes w/ friends in my book (although not for BEST friends). I don't believe someone should be looked up or down upon based on their salary alone. I've made the mistake of sharing this twice.

Once when i was bringing in pennies and literally got laughed at, not to mention sarcastically asked how i survive. And the second when i brought in more than a friend, and was openly talking about salaries in the DC area w/ him. It wasn't bad at first, but after a few weeks, and even to this day, i get ridiculed whenever i don't wanna go out partying or to a sports event so i can save money. According to him, "i make plenty enough and shouldnt' even think about it". That was the last time i decided to share...

Until today :) Since this IS a personal finance blog and we're all pretty much anonymous here, i say it's time to unload and set ourselves free! So, without further adieu, here are my juicy details:
I have a base salary of $75k + quarterly bonus' of about 2k a piece, bringing the current total to roughly $83k.

Get this though, i am nowhere CLOSE to being the only one jumping on this openness train! Cal Girl linked to a post where over 240 commenters have givin' up theirs as well!!! Seriously, you HAVE to check it out. An absolutely great post from My Open Wallet.

It's just so crazy! You get this crazy mixture of intimacy, gossip, and taboo-ness (is that a word?) all mixed in one. I mean, we are in the personal finance genre here, but still ... it's all just so oddly alluring.

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