Budgets are Sexy

Would You Rather... Sex vs. Money edition.

j@budgetsaresexy.com (J. Money) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:18:00 +0000

It's Friday, and I think we could all use a Would You Rather! It's getting harder to pick out some goods that we haven't done already, but I think today's is juicy enough to stir up some action ;)

Although technically, it's more of a "Would you give up ___ for ___" kinda deal, but the concept is pretty much the same - you have to pick one over the other. And let me just start by saying that this one is TOUGH! Okay, here's today's question:

Would you...for $15,000 in cash, give up sex for a whole entire year?!

That's over $1,000 a MONTH in cold hard cash! Or a brand spankin' new car. A down payment on a small house or plane. 15 plasma tvs. Around the world plane tickets (I think?). Potentially NO credit card debts! A generous charity donation. Or 15,000 double cheeseburgers from McDonald's! Haha...

So yeah, it's a lot of money. I just don't know who could give up such greatness :) And to be fair, let's make it TWO YEARS if you aren't regularly getting any to begin with - or else it's a super easy call. Although in that case, maybe you deserve to be rewarded with the $15Gs anyway? Also, let's clarify that "sex" is *any* form of it whatsoever before you try getting around it. Hugging and kissing on the lips only, okay? You don't want the Would You Rather monster coming to get you!

Personally, I don't think I could do it. I cherish my intimacy wayyy too much. It would be easier if I were saving up for a super spectacular goal where I could see the direct impact $15ks would have, but since I'm not I can't say it would be worth it. And plus, how would we be able to make little J's this year?! Hah! Better keep that in mind before making your decision ;)

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Check out the list of previous Would You Rathers.

Weekly Roundup: Credit Cards, Looking Fat, & NANOWRIMO

j@budgetsaresexy.com (J. Money) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:44:00 +0000

Favorite articles this week:

Does this recession make me look fat? @ Time - One of the best headlines I've read in a long time :) You'll have to read to see what it's about, I'm not even gonna try to be clever here.
24 Ways to save money @ The Simple Dollar - You find the usuals here (like bring your lunch to work and what not) but there's some gems as well. My favorite, "brush your teeth!" Haha...you don't hear that one every day.
What is the average household credit card debt? @ Bargaineering - Cool breakdowns of what the averages are out there. Do you fit in or beat 'em out?
It's Amazing! (how much stuff we don't buy anymore) @ Debt Dad of 6 - Wanna know what helps? Cutting out all the ads you see on a daily basis :) Wanna know how to do that? Read the post! (although easier said than done)
The truth about credit card rewards programs @ Good Morning America - Companies may be cutting them, but I'll still be rockin' mine out until they go 100% bye-bye. That's FREE money we're talking about! (as long as you pay off in full every month)
$1,000 Giveaway and your chance to make millions over your career @ Financial Samurai - Are you currently applying/going-to-be applying to college or grad school? If so, enter this contest by Saturday for a chance to get some great help!
My National Novel Writing Month Alternative: HANOWRIMO @ Jessica Knows - I KNOW some of you are participating in this year's novel writing dillyo, but for those who aren't hand-writing a letter a day is a nice compromise. When was the last time you got an actual letter in the mail? (btw, I'll be waiting for mine Jessica!)

Carnivals I participated in:

Carnival of Personal Finance #229 - "Candy" ed. hosted by The Centsible Life
Money Hacks Carnival #89 - "My Favourite Coffee" ed. hosted by The Financial Blogger
Carnival of Money Stories - hosted by Christian PF

Try working on finances when you're in the mood :)

j@budgetsaresexy.com (J. Money) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:17:00 +0000

While I find finances and spreadsheets REALLY freakin' interesting, there are definitely times when I could care less. It doesn't mean I get myself into trouble or anything, but just that I work best while going with the flow.

I think that's the key to financial management sometimes - you gotta do things when you're in the mood. If you know you work better with numbers early in the morning, maybe it's best to start on it first thing? Or say you have to battle it out with a service rep to get a $35 late fee off your credit card bill - why not schedule it for a time when you can really put your heart into it? Or perhaps a time when you're incredibly pissed off and won't take no for an answer! haha..If you go this route, mind you, just be sure to stay cool and professional. As a manager of a customer service department, I can tell you that you'll get much farther on the call being nice than you would by cursing me out ;)

The downside to this "in the mood" theory, of course, is if you never get to that point. I highly doubt you'd even be reading this if that were the case, but it certainly happens to the best of us. When this happens, try bribing yourself with a dessert or a beer or something. Or maybe get all hocked up on caffeine or energy drinks - that's been known to do the trick as well.

Regardless, I urge you to give it a try. You could even start with other aspects of your life too! Say, with checking email or facebook? I know for me I interact and respond much more quickly and smartier (word?) if I check them before noon. It seems like I gain an ounce of laziness every hour after that until it's time to go to bed ;) So give it a shot. Start paying attention to what your body's telling you and strike when the mood is hot!

Why are you asking about my salary again?

j@budgetsaresexy.com (J. Money) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:02:00 +0000

Are you my friend? Family? Are we helping each other out with our finances? If not, you're probably pissing me off :) Unfortunately I can't even say that with a straight face because I'm naturally happy! Haha...

Seriously though, I'm all for open discussions on money, but you can't be a d-head and ask someone how much they make just because you feel like it.

That may sound weird coming from someone who posts up all their financial details for all to see, but I really feel there's a time and a place for stuff like this. The same goes for passwords & sex lives. Can you imagine if I just straight up ask you how many partners you've had? I'd be a total ass. You know what, that's how I should respond the next time someone butts in and asks me how much I make - "You wanna know my salary? Okay sure - but first tell me how many sluts you've slept with!" That would probably shut 'em up for a bit ;)

As far as I'm concerned, both parties have to trust each other before dishing out the goods. Just like with sex, there are appropriate and inappropriate times to talk turkey. (On a side note, you're always more than welcome to ask me anything! The beauty of being anonymous is that I can give you my opinion 100% without worrying about who's reading. I might not know the answer, but I'll always do my best to point you in the right direction either way.) So what are these "appropriate" and "inappropriate" times to ask about salaries? Well, keep on reading my friends...and keep in mind that these are MY own preferences, they may differ depending on who you ask:

Appropriate times to ask about my salary:

We're in Human Resources. If you're my boss, VP, CEO, or any member of Human Resources, I'll gladly provide my salary to you (although you probably already know it, eh?)
We're in a job interview. Ask away! You have the right to know so you can pay me more ;)
You're my financial adviser/accountant. Obviously this is okay. If not, you'd probably be hiding something! haha...
We've been talking about finances & helping each other out. And we're friends! That second part is key. I have nooooo problems at all talking openly with friends & family about salaries. Every now and then people ask for my opinion or what I wold do in a certain situation, so in this case sharing my financial background or salary may be important keys to the conversation. In this case, I'd happily give out the details.
We're on this blog. Again, it's always cool here. It may not be on others' blogs - especially those who aren't as anonymous, but here it's a wide open door baby!
I asked for yours first ;) This rarely happens outside of the above situation, but when it does I fully expect to be asked the same or to just give it out first to make both parties comfortable. The only time I can remember really doing this was when I was looking to join a friend's company and needed to know what I was dealing with before heading into an interview. There may be other times too when I was more naive, but regardless if I'm not willing to share my own salary with you, I'll never ask for yours in return.

I think that covers most of the times I'm cool with it. I'm sure others don't mind at all sharing a bit more freely, but again these are just my own opinions. If you're cool with dishing it out, more power to ya! Just keep in mind that not all of us are so you don't step on many of our toes.

Inappropriate times to ask about my salary:

When we're not even talking about finances. Why would I tell you how much I make when we were talking about The Redskins killing me? What does it possibly have to do with them?
When I don't now you. The worst is when someone gets all up in your face with 101 questions about what you make when you wouldn't even tell them your apartment number. People are crazy sometimes. I was once asked how much my paycheck came out to THREE whole minutes after meeting them! WTF? Come on now, that's just crazy.
When we work together. Bosses/HR aside, I know what happens when the guy sitting next to you knows you make more than them (or less for that matter). Everything gets weird and emotions start piling up when the only thing that's changes was a number you told them. No sirree, been there done that. Try out GlassDoor.com if you have to, maybe you'll get lucky?
When we're on the metro/train/plane/anywhere else with hundreds of people around. I might be cool with telling you, but not with all those eyeballs staring at us. I'm pretty shy about that, so please don't force it.

These blunt & direct people actually remind me of those telemarketers who try to get receptionists to xfer them directly over to the CEO. They get so over the top that it stuns you and you give in before you even realize what's hit ya! haha....I was pummeled with these last week when I was answering the phones for a bit ;) Sneaky sneaky!

When all is said and done, I feel there's a right and a wrong way to ask about how much someone makes. Sometimes they'll give it to you, and others they won't. Just please, whatever you do, respect their decision either way. There's no praise in bullying someone out of their lunch money.

Net Worth: October - Up $4k and Hanging in There.

j@budgetsaresexy.com (J. Money) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:27:00 +0000

Nothing crazy exciting to report, but we're moving along nicely.

October's net worth grew an extra $4.5k and I'm happy as a clam :) We had a few change ups this month (which I'll get into during the breakdowns) but we're pretty much on auto pilot.

2+ years ago this graph would be all over the place, so it's nice to be financially settled these days. In fact, this is probably the most secure I've ever felt. I'd be even more so without the house, but we always need something to work on, right?

It's just nice to know that game plans DO work out if you stick with it. Some months are easier than others, and some just sucks balls, but if you play to win it's just a matter of time until you get there :)

Here's how October's net worth breaks down:

CASH SAVINGS (+$3,183.60): Always a fan of more cash! The bump this month was due to the Mrs. getting paid for her TA gig. She gets it in chunks every 4-6 months I want to say, and then nothing in between. So I'm sure she's squirreling it away for this financial (and literal) winter ;) I don't foresee another spike like this anytime soon.

EMERGENCY FUND ($0.00): Our money market is still holding onto this $10k as normal. I'm pretty sure there's a better place to put it with the lack of high yield interest going on, but then again we prefer to keep it pretty liquid "just in case." Emergency Funds are boring, but they sure are good for the mind!

ROTH IRAs (+$2,540.44): While I did max out my Roth & 401(k) last month, most of this comes from a not-as-sexy reason ;) The Mrs. was forced to convert over her old 401(k) from her previous employer into a Traditional IRA - so we now have a surge here, and a decrease in the 401(k) dept. And I should probably clarify "forced to convert" too. There were a few diff. options for her to take, but we slacked a bit (*gasp!*) and we went with the Traditional until we formulate a better game plan. Eventually, we'll probably throw all her accounts into one main retirement fund for her so it's easier to track, but we'd like to check in with a financial planner first.

401(k)s (-$1,265.71): The last 401(k) deposit of $4,970 ($2,485 contribution, $2,485 match) hit in October and we're nice & 100% maxed out now! It doesn't look all that fun since $2k of the Mrs. was converted into the IRA as already mentioned, AND the stock market bit off $4,400 in the last trading days, but J's a happy man. Pumping this fund really is one of the best things you can do, so if possible go for it! And if you can't, try poking around an IRA instead.

AUTOS WORTH (kbb) (+$50.00): Last month we were "up" $275, and now $50? I don't buy it, but if I were to sell any of these cars today you better believe I'd list it at the KBB price :) They're both in pretty decent shape, esp the Caddy for its age, but for now we're holding onto them since they're running great (even if I DO get tempted by that damn Benz dealership down the street!). Here's their breakdown:

Pimp Daddy Caddy: $3,045.00
Gas Ticklin' Toyota: $10,485.00

HOME VALUE (Realtor) ($0.00): This will remain @ $300k (the price our realtor set it at) until I hit him up later for another review. He's the master in our particular neighborhood, and has been selling (and living) in this area for 20+ years. I keep an eye on Zillow & Redfin.com as well, but they fluctuate so much that I never can tell what's real and what's hype.

CREDIT CARD (car loans) ($0.00): Still at Zero! The previous debt here was an "auto loan" that I charged on my credit card - effectively setting my interest @ 3%. I don't recommend this for everyone, but the method works well if you know what you're doing and don't have outstanding debt.

MORTGAGES (-$9.61): We're still interested in refinancing our first mortgage, but unfortunately we're still too under water to do anything right now. And sadly enough we're still slacking on the extra payments every month to knock it down even more. We were going strong for a good 4-5 months there, but our "house budget" keeps going over so I have to tighten up the ship again and see where our problems lie ;) Once we get that back on track, we'll start throwing an extra $100-$200 against it again. For now, here's how our mortgages are lining up:

Mortgage #1: $287,150.36 - 30 year fixed, interest-only @ 6.875%.
Mortgage #2: $62,818.34 - Maxed out HELOC w/ 2.8% interest.

Another month, another happy report! You all do good as well? I hope so. Tracking your money and watching it grow (or decline) really keeps you on top of things. It's awesome when you can look back and compare it to where you were a year ago :) If you haven't been tracking it yet, find a free spreadsheet or site & start! You're the only one watching over your money.

God Bless,

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*My budget has now been updated.
**And so have my sidebars.

My Wallet Gets Beer Goggles Too.

j@budgetsaresexy.com (J. Money) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:37:00 +0000

Fresh out of college I used to blow through $300/mo. on alcohol easily. Living in NYC and going out at least 3 nights a week killed me - and that was WITH all my frugal tricks! I never reached the spending capacity of my friends (who could drop $200 *a night*), but it's safe to say my wallet's in much better shape now.

These days my drinking costs me about $50-$100 a month, and even less if you take out the Mrs. from the equation. We both drink a beer or two a night to relax, sometimes a little wine, but nothing a couple of cases & bottles can't solve every month. It was really the cutting back of the nightlife that curbed our spending. Not that I'm encouraging it or anything (I definitely miss all the adventures!), but just that it was the main factor in our change here.

And I tell you what, people were spending a crap load on Halloween night! My goodness. Either I'm getting old or inflation is really creeping in here. Regardless, there are still a few tricks we can do to cut costs a bit. Here are some that cross the mind:

Drink cheap beer/wine. Beast, Natty Light (if you really don't care about taste), 3 buck chuck.
Stock up in bulk. Your favorite beverage 20%? Buy a few cases now and store it away.
Hit up more happy hours - 1/2 off drinks and appetizers beats full price anytime.
Pre-party at a friend's place before going out! Why spend $10 on a drink when you can get 6 for the same price? Bars and restaurants jack up the prices way too much, might as well enjoy a little before letting them rob you.
Bring a flask with you. I don't know if this is illegal or not (or even all that smart), but it IS cost effective :) Especially if you're a fan of the mixed drinks. $1 Cokes is much cheaper than Jack & Cokes, and it only takes 10 seconds to pour a little in whenever needed.
Drink Coffee/Energy drinks instead. It all depends on the effect you're going for, but coffee and energy drinks get you pretty hyped up at a 3rd of the price. You might look weird drinking it while dancing to the Thong Song, but I swear it works!

I'm sure I'm missing a lot here, but you get my point. No matter how much you're spending on something there's usually a way to cut down. And when your friends are in on it, it's even easier! Not the Joneses, of course, but the ones who actually care about saving their money ;)

So how about you all? Anyone still spending $300+ a month? How about $15 like Well-Heeled?

40 Cheap & Last Minute Halloween Costumes.

j@budgetsaresexy.com (J. Money) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:50:00 +0000

For all you slackers out there (myself included). Last year I went as a rockstar, but I'm thinking of going as a Blogger this time around. According to a friend though, that means I have to put on a pair of nerd glasses and hike up my pants like Urkel?! I think my friend is confused. We're more like this guy, I mean come on ;)

Actually, I have no idea how to dress as a blogger - I'm just being lazy. More than likely I'll paint the black nail polish back on and sharpen me up some rocker tattoos again. I already wear ripped jeans and t-shirts anyways so it'll cost me a big fat $0.00. And I don't have to worry about any props getting stolen by drunkards! Haven't picked a costume yourself? Check out some of these clever ideas from friends around the net (thx everyone!):

Cheap & Last Minute Halloween Ideas:

Christmas Tree: I once saw this guy dressed in all green with nothing else but Christmas lights wrapped around him. It looked kinda stupid at first, but when he plugged himself into the wall he had the whole party's attention! (and he got a lot of chicks that night)
Random Hook-up: My brother won a contest with this: Just drape a lot of colored extension cords around you. You're a "Random Hook-up" - @MoneyMateKate
Tanning Bed: Tape glowsticks up and down your arms and then trap people in them as a tanning bed. - @hollyjunesmith
Wolverine/Freddy Krueger: Just put silverware on your fingers! - The Digerati Life (pics!)
Kissing Booth: I took a picture of this dude a few years back and it still cracks me up to this day :) All he did was put some cardboard together with some red velvety stuff, and labeled it "Kissing Booth". From what I remember, it really worked.
Smarty Pants: Tape smarties candies to your pants - SMARTY PANTS! (I did this last year.) - Jennifer Bruyette
Gold Digger: Gold colored dress + shovel. - @beskeie
Martini Glass: Saran wrap around me as the stem, and a big dog medical collar as the glass, my head in green tights for the olive!
Road/Highway: Black t-shirt yellow tape down the middle, then glue/tape dollar store toy car/trucks to the shirt - super easy and inexpensive - Kim
Drunken College Students: Just wear a college shirt (w/ buffalo wing stains) & drink lots of Natty light! Cheap, easy & fun! - @Matt_SF
A "Cool" Guy: You know, trucker hat, popped collar, fancy facial hair, and boxers hanging out. Like this - Nicole @ Breaking Even Inc.
Sasha Fierce: A leotard will run you about $15. Throw on some heels, fake eye lashes and put on a fake bling ring. You can get the fake bling rings for about $2.99 in the wedding section of costume/party shops. - The Frugalista
DC Tourist: You know the kind: fanny pack, I heart DC tshirt, metro maps, high-waisted long shorts, camera :) - @myprettypennies
A nudist: Price free, or adam and eve for couples :) - @pffirewall
Skunk: Black tights with a while stripe down the back - @pffirewall
Bunch Of Grapes: Purple tights with purple balloons glued on - @pffirewall
Cheap zombie costume: Just need tissue paper, glue, makeup & some old clothes. (click here for some help) - @creditgoddess
Job Seeker: Wear an old suit from your closet. Tape a pink slip of paper to a "Hello, My Name Is" sticker that you can buy from an office warehouse store for about $4.97. -The Frugalista
70s disco queen: You can either buy a ready-made outfit from a place like Party City or you can hit up thrift or vintage stores for discount bell bottoms. Wear your hair in a flip or buy and afro from a beauty supply store for about $25. -The Frugalista
A Domino: I used black clothing & white paper circles to make myself a domino. Kinda lame, but I was in Japan & had 10 mins' notice. - @MoneyMateKate
Penguin: I am going to be a penguin! Black hoodie with orange felt beak with giant styrofoam ball eyes! Adorable, yet frugal! - calquist
Spider: Hefty bags stuffed with newspaper, legs made of foam pipe insulation, and a vintage black pillbox hat with veil. - Money Mate Kate
Charlie Brown: Got a t-shirt off some website and bought a pair of long(ish) black shorts.
Ghost: (sheet) - @centsiblelife
Baby: (pajamas) - @centsiblelife
Spy: (walkie talkie, dark glasses, sly glances) - @centsiblelife
Cat: (all black, paint on whiskers). - @centsiblelife
Waiter: White shirt and black pants. Add an apron and a note pad for ''taking orders'. To really jazz this one up print a menu up of the night's special for them to carry around. To take it to the next level, make a waiters tray glue a couple of drinking glass on to the tray. Fill the glasses with Jello to give the illusion that drinks are being served. - Converting A Spendthrift
Special Agent/FBI/Secret Service: Build on the waiter costume by adding a black jacket, black leather-like wallet for the badge, and a pair of super cool shades. Jazzing this one up is easy as well by adding the 'ear piece' and a wrist communicator. - Converting A Spendthrift
Old School Wrestler: Colored pantyhose or tights, briefs and bare chest. A Cape, mask or prop personalizes this costume. - Converting A Spendthrift

Cheap Halloween Costumes for Couples:

Jim & Pam from The Office: You couldn't ask for an easier and cheaper costume... - My Life ROI (click for more info and a picture)
Bonny & Clyde: You should both dress nice in an early 20th century way, carry fake guns, and get a cloth sack with a dollar sign on it to represent the money you just stole... - My Life ROI (click for more info and a picture )
Clark Kent & Lois Lane: The costume is much like Jim and Pam's - except with more professional clothes & a superman t-shirt underneath.... - My Life ROI (pictures & info)
Cleopatra & Marc Antony: To dress as Mark Antony, try and dress as a Roman would. For Cleopatra, you can wear a white dress with gold embroidery. Get some fake gold jewelry to make yourself flashy... - My Life ROI (pictures & info)
Tarzan & Jane: Just go to any store that sells fabric and you can make a skirt and shoulder strap for Tarzan. For Jane, you can go in two different directions: 1) You can dress as an English person who is on a safari in the jungle, or 2) You can dress like Tarzan in a skirt and bra...- My Life ROI (pictures & info)

Cheap Halloween Costumes for Kids:

Kid Robots: All you need is boxes & sharpies :) - The Digerati Life (click for pics!)
Mario Brothers: Getting some caps and pasting on some letters on them (which you can have your children do themselves), painting the moustaches on your kids, picking up oversized gloves, having your kids wear overalls. - The Digerati Life (click for pics!)
Stuffed Animal: You know those huge stuffed animals you win at a carnival or fair. Tired of them laying around the house? Cannibalize it. Take out the stuffing, poke holes and let them wear the outer shell. - Converting A Spendthrift
Lilo from "Lilo & Stitch": My daughter was Lilo from Lilo and Stitch, one of her favorite movies, TV shows, etc. - Hit up "Converting A Spendthrift" for details & directions!
Athlete: Have a kid who plays a sport? Football, basketball, soccer, cheer leading, tae kwon do, and on and on. Let them wear that uniform that you paid a lot of money to own or rent/lease for the season. - Converting A Spendthrift

Happy Halloween all!!! May your weekend be full of beverages and candy.

Weekly Roundup: 401(k) Haters, Civility, & Bad Math.

j@budgetsaresexy.com (J. Money) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:02:00 +0000

If you're interested in a quick 6 question interview I did about how I manage my finances, click on over to Automatic Finances and check it out :) Most of you already know my style, but it's a good summary for any new readers to the site. Happy Friday!!!

Favorite articles of the week:

Being good with money when you're bad with math @ Fiscal Fizzle - "I'm bad with math is not a good enough excuse for financial failure. Either come up with something better or accept the fact that you can be bad at math and still do well with your money."
Should we get rid of 401(k) plans? @ Five Cent Nickel - Blasphemy! Of course, I'm biased with my 100% matching, but I still think they're a great tool for those who ACTIVELY use them. Nickel does a good job of summarizing some pros and cons here.
The whole armor of personal finance @ Debt Free Adventure - If you don't have time to read it thoroughly, at least take a peek at the picture @ the top. Clever!
Want to become a millionaire? Don't be like this guy @ Generation X Finance - Haven't seen Who Wants to be a Millionaire in a while, but this clip makes me want to watch again :)
Something is better than nothing @ Life After College - Yes! This applies to all aspects of life, especially finances. The only way you can get to XXX amount of savings is to start with X! If you can't make your goal of $100 this month, put in whatever you can, even just $5.
Civility doesn't cost a thing @ Well-Heeled - A nice reminder to all commenters that leaving f'd up comments isn't cool. Criticism - yes. Outright bashing - no.
The Clingstone House - An Island Home @ Donkee House - If someone buys this for me, I will give you my blog! And maybe an extra $100.

Carnivals I Participated In:

Carnival of Money Stories - "Halloween Candy" ed. hosted by PT Money
Carnival of Personal Finance #228 - "Halloween" ed. hosted by Money Crashers

52 Ways to Make Extra Money! (but only 1 of them here).

j@budgetsaresexy.com (J. Money) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:47:00 +0000

I got included in my first e-book! It's a sweet one too >> "52 Ways to Make Extra Money" by Phil over at PT Money. If you click over by Friday you can download it free of charge (there's a download link at the bottom) with no strings attached :) After that you have to sign up to his newsletter to get it. Which is still cool, he's a great blogger, but might as well get it while it's hot. I'd tell you to at least check out my contribution in it, but I'm about to copy & paste it below!

So how and why did I get to participate? Well, he asked, and I accepted - along with some others :) I wasn't sure how I could contribute at first, but then the glorious Craigslist name popped up and I was like, Aha! I can pimp that. My Sell-O-Meter hasn't been updated in a while, but CL is still one of my favorite avenues to make some extra cash. In fact, besides this blog it's really the only one. That and freelance design, but I just haven't had much time for it.

Okay, so wanna see what I wrote? Here we go........
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Selling things on Craigslist is like crack (not that I'd know what that's like). You unload a whole bunch of stuff you could care less about, and in return get cold hard cash! And if you're real good, usually within 24 hours. I've sold cars, beds, jackets, and even random art I've found on the street. The trick is spending a few minutes and getting a formula down. In fact, it's a lot like blogging:

You have to come up with a killer headline! One that's packed with both umph! and a lot of searchable keywords. If you're selling a bike, for example, don't just put up, "Bike for sale". Try: "Mongoose Maxim 24" Mens' Bike for Sale! Green, Awesome, and Barely Used." Just enough details to get someone excited, but also friendly to the searches.

And, naturally, killer content. Put all the biggies in the first couple of sentences, and then add another paragraph or two to show WHY it's such a great bike, and why you're getting rid of it. Is it because you're moving? Won it as a prize? Let people know you're human and you can be trusted. Throw up as many details as you can - even if it makes it look long. By adding in measurements and characteristics (which you can often find on google) you've now opened it up to those who might not have originally wanted it. And if the item is broken/scratched/worn out? That's fine too - just be 100% upfront and honest. You'll be amazed at the things people will buy off you.

Add in pictures (max out the #)! People want to see pictures!!! We want to see what it looks like at all angles, good & bad. We want to get a feel for what shape it's in and how pretty it is or isn't. Even if it's all dingy and dirty - highlight it! Humor and honesty can go a long way here ("The dirtiest bike you've ever seen! It could be all yours for just $___!". It may sound counterproductive, but again it's all about honesty and not wasting anyone's time. If it's jacked up, they'll find out sooner or later believe me.

Price, Price Price - The same as location, location, location - it matters. List how much you paid for it, but DON'T try and sell it for that! You're not tricking anyone, price it for what you think is fair and they will come. Search around for similar listings and then go off those.

You're bound to sell stuff 10x faster by following these rules. And if you REALLY want to impress your buyers, copy & paste the questions you're asked right back into the post! It may take a few more minutes, but it only helps your cause that much more. And by "cause", I mean "more money in your pocket!"

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There you have it - I'm no longer an e-book virgin! Or at least un-kissed. I know it wasn't MY book per se, but I at least got to 2nd base right? As soon as I find a topic that won't bore you to death I'll even come out with one of my own. Perhaps with some e-condoms thrown in ;)

To download the other 51 ways, click here (and look for the link at the bottom).

The Cost of Being a Dude.

j@budgetsaresexy.com (J. Money) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:26:00 +0000

Shaking The Money Tree had a post on the cost of being a girl, so I thought I'd rebuttal with the cost of being a guy ;) It was a bit tricky to calculate since I share a lot of this stuff with the Mrs., but I tried to be as accurate as possible.

Instead of splitting my costs in half, I calculated what it would cost me if I were out on my own but with the same products (which jacks up the price, mind you, but now I'm addicted to the "better stuff" anyways). I'm sure I'll come across as super metro here, but it's all good I'm not ashamed. I use body wash & hairspray, so what. A guy's gotta look & feel good right? (don't answer that)

The numbers on the left represent Jolie's figures from 2008 - which I chose over '09 since it's juicier & I'd guess closer to the average anyways - and then mine are to the right. They're also pro-rated to show monthly averages, and we're really only talking about bathroom stuff here.

JOLIE:

Bodywash - $2.46
Shampoo - $4.40
Conditioner - $4.40
Blush - $2.41
Eye Shadow - $2.98
Lipstick - $4.23
Toothpaste - $2.08
Fem. Products - $8.96
Deodorant - $5.94
Contact Solution - $8.88
Gel - $9.92
Razors - $5.99
Facewash - $7.11
Foundation - $11.47
Moisturizer - $19.97
Mascara - $7.47

MONTH TOTAL - $98.59

J. MONEY:

Bodywash - $3.00 (Caress)
Shampoo - $3.00 (Garnier)
Puff - $.50 (See, I'm addicted!)
Toothpaste - $2.50 (Crest)
Flossers - $5.50 (Reach)
Deodorant - $2.00 (Degree)
Hairspray - $3.50 (Salon Grafix)
Shaving Gel - $1.00 (Gillette)
Razors - $1.80 (Gillette Excel @ $18 10-pack)
Mouthwash - $4.00 (Act Anticavity)

MONTH TOTAL - $26.80

Would ya look at that! We men sure have it good. This is the first time I've ever seen it broken down before, and it's pretty cool to check out. I know the numbers will fluctuate depending on your own situation (esp for those more rugged men), but it still gives us a good overall picture. It would be cool to see how it compares throughout the rest of our lifestyles too! Like with clothes, food, shopping, etc. I don't know how much more you could break it down, but if anyone did the legwork I'd happily provide my numbers to you.

So there you have it: Beauty vs. The Beast! This doesn't prove anything we didn't already know, but hopefully you enjoyed it as much as I did. And to be fair, Jolie DID actually knock her monthly expenses down this year to $85.95, so we gotta give her mad props for that.

Splitting The Check Evenly = Tipping Evenly?

j@budgetsaresexy.com (J. Money) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:18:00 +0000

You and a friend are splitting the check right down the middle, and it's time for you to tip. Do you a) Discuss the amount to leave with your friend? Or b) Tip whatever you normally would and leave it be? Well, if you're Larry David from Curb Your Enthusiasm, you try and force your lunch date to tip exactly the same as you are :)

A recent episode had him and Jason Alexander (aka George Costanza) fighting over the amount to tip on a meal they agreed to split down the middle. Larry suggests they tip the same amount so that one doesn't leave a lesser tip than the other (making that person look bad), but Jason wasn't having it. He felt tipping was personal and wanted to leave whatever he deemed appropriate - which, of course, drove Larry all kinds of crazy. You can see a clip of it here on youtube (start at 2:02).

It's a rather interesting predicament though, and oddly enough I was put in this EXACT same scenario 2 days after watching it! I couldn't believe it. After a friend and I had lunch, we decided to split the bill right down the middle and she looks up and goes, "Do you think we should leave the same tip? It would look pretty weird if we didn't, right?" Haha...I was dying, and of course told her about the show. I don't think she found it as exciting as I did (we're not all PF addicts), but we did agree to leave similar amounts...or at least we said we would ;)

Is there a right or wrong answer here though? Nope. Just like with everything in finance it all comes down to your own comfort level. I personally enjoy talking openly about money & tipping as I find it kills the awkwardness and allows people to share their own view points (like my 20% tipping rule), but not everyone does. When that's the case, it's usually best to leave things alone and do your own thing.

But what do you guys think about it? Are you cool with splitting the tip evenly if you've already done so with the bill? Or do you prefer to do your own thing and not discuss it? In any case, PLEASE don't be like Larry David ;) He's a funny man to watch on screen, but my damn he's annoying sometimes.

Maxing out your 401(k) and IRA really is possible!

j@budgetsaresexy.com (J. Money) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:49:00 +0000

Maxing out your 401(k) or IRA is just plain awesome. And even more so, maxing out BOTH in the same year! For the first time in my life, I have done just that, and I can't tell you how excited I am (even though I sorta kinda already did in my last net worth update).

I was leery to blog about this in case it came off as too "look at me! look at me!", but a recent comment from Miel at Dinks Finance coaxed me to say a few more words on it - mainly to show that it is, indeed, possible to max out not only your 401(k) for the year, but also your Roth. And the "how" part of it all? Pretty much exactly what Miel left on the previous post of mine:

"...keep stretching yourself and adding on a bit at a time. Back when I first started contributing I thought it was virtually impossible to max out. After we got married I upped my contribution by quite a bit, and then realized I could still get by, so I upped it again. I kept doing this until I maxed out. I was surprised how quickly this happened. It was a great strategy for me and now I max out on auto pilot."

SO. TRUE. Once you get in the mindset and declare to yourself that YES, I WILL MAX OUT it's just a matter of time as to when you do. You start upping it a little here and a little there, and before you know it you're close to maxing-out-land! Now, obviously it requires some hard work and a pretty clean slate to get on this, so if you're not in the right mindset as yet you may want to backtrack a bit.

Some of you have bad health issues, or you're in $50k of debt, or you're spending more than you're bringing in. If this sounds like you, then scratch away the millionaire to-do list and start focusing in on the very basics. Go through all of your expenditures (or hopefully budget!) and pinpoint the areas of weakness. You may have 1 or you may have 5, but either way it's important that you find them so you can work on fixing them. Create a "life plan" and actively work on it! It's only when you clear up a lot of the bad stuff that you can concentrate on upping the good stuff - like your 401(k) and IRAs.

With everything, it all comes down to time and dedication. 3 years ago I couldn't care less about my retirement funds - I liked seeing my paycheck as full as possible, and I didn't have any plans on where it went at all. I had no budget, no real savings, and no ultimate desire to pimp my finances. I was just living and coasting along w/out a care in the world ;) It was fun and it worked for a while (26 years, actually) but sooner or later you have to man up and set things in motion. It's only then that you can really start concentrating on that financial game plan and increase your retirement accounts.

I'm not sure if I totally went off track here, but what I'm trying to say is that you CAN, indeed, max out both your 401(k) and IRA. I did it for the first time this very year, and I can only hope I'll stick with it and report with the same next year. So, if you really REALLY want to save more and work towards that golden retirement, start today! Up that % another point or two, and continue moving it up every few months. With a little time and patience, you'll get closer and closer to your goals :)

Apparently we're in a Donkey Market :)

j@budgetsaresexy.com (J. Money) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:02:00 +0000

If you haven't seen this Jay Leno clip yet, you've gotta check it out (but only if you like to laugh!). It's one of his "Jaywalking" bits and it centers around money matters - Enjoy! And thanks to Fabulously Broke for finding it:

Winners of the giftcards & piggies & poster!

j@budgetsaresexy.com (J. Money) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 22:27:00 +0000

Well this took a little longer to put together than I originally thought :) So many of you wanting so many different things. You can check out the time stamps here (pretty big image), but congrats to all the winners! Hope you enjoy your giftcards & piggies & poster. Thanks for playing everyone!

$25 Threadless gift card #1: Mapgirl
$25 Threadless gift card #2: TexNYQueen
$25 NorthWest Airlines cert: Kyle
Box full of piggies: Vielka
"18x24" Poster: Bex Mex

Does it matter who the "breadwinner" is anymore?

j@budgetsaresexy.com (J. Money) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:57:00 +0000

Because I have to be honest, I'd totally be cool if the Mrs. made more than me. In fact, I might even prefer it! That would mean a lot more money coming in (esp since she's a grad student right now, haha...) but even more so it would mean her career would be movin' and shakin'. And if we had two people bringing $75k+? I couldn't even imagine what that would do to our finances.

I'll even take it one step further, cuz I'm crazy like that - When it's time to have those babies, I'd even stay at home if she wanted me to! I know it's a lot more work than I could ever imagine, but the idea of blogging full-time and working on all my side projects would be killer. As long as I had the freedom to get outside and mingle with other humans and all I think I could manage it. Plus, don't stay-at-home moms take their kids out to parks and shopping malls and stuff like that anyways? Maybe I could form some "Daddy Daycare" where we take turns watching the brood while playing poker or something ;)

But dream life aside, I really don't see the problem here. Would we suck as men if we can't bring more home than the woman? Does it mean we're not worthy of a happy life? I know it's in our genes to be super competitive and all (as with a lot of chicks I know), but if you're in a truly loving relationship I'd imagine you'd want what's best for the family regardless. Or at least I'd hope. I don't have any experience to back it up myself, but I'm fairly certain the future me would agree.

All in all, I think it's awesome that women are earning more these days. It might hurt a few frail egos at first, but people will learn to get over it. It's when your household is bringing in substantially LESS when you have to worry! So congratulate your girl if she's rockin' it out - she's making your family that much stronger.

Weekly Roundup: Millionaires, High School, & Debt Free Days

j@budgetsaresexy.com (J. Money) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:01:00 +0000

Before we get started, please check out my first post over at WiseBread! It's called "3 Ways paying off credit cards is like playing beer pong" and I think you'll like it ;) Thanks guys! Don't forget to pick up some pumpkins and/or costumes - only one more week to go until Halloween!

Fave articles of the week:

Learning from a millionaire @ Money Seeker 3000 - If you ever come across any millionaires, learn from them! Pick their brain and take notes - Just like you were writing The Millionaire Next Door (or the new book coming out: "Stop Acting Rich", woohoo!)
Education is not the solution to all personal-finance problems @ I Will Teach You To Be Rich - Some people love Ramit, and others can't stand him. If you want to know why, read this article :) I, personally, have a man crush on him - but I don't necessarily agree with all of his stuff. Nevertheless, it IS interesting.
The Rule of High School @ Seth Godin - My favorite quote (by Tom Hanks): "Hollywood is like high school, but with money." Hah!
The most common things people steal @ The Red Stapler Chronicles - Haha...I would venture to guess you guys have at least done half of these ;)
Debt Free Day @ Debt Free Hispanic - "...wouldn't it be cool if one day out of the year everyone would celebrate debt free day by paying cash for every purchase we make." Yes!
My Top 10 Worst money making ideas @ Quick Sprout- Number 1 & 9 makes me want to punch him in the face, but the rest are fairly creative. The reason I liked it though was the message behind it - sometimes you have to fail a lot in life to make it big!

Carnivals I participated in:

Carnival of Personal Finance #227 - hosted by Fabulously Broke In The City
Carnival of Money Stories - "Autumn" ed. hosted by Simply Forties
Carnival of Twenty-Something Finances - "Amazing Anime" ed. by The Amateur Financier

Unloading a whole bunch of gift certificates! Who wants 'em?

j@budgetsaresexy.com (J. Money) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:28:00 +0000

I've got a handful of extra goodies laying around & I'm going to bribe you with 'em.

Haha... actually they're just taking up space in my new minimalist household and/or I can't use them ;) So naturally I thought of you!

But PLEASE, for the love of J. Money, make sure to leave your contact info in case you win! Half of these are leftover prizes from previous giveaways that no one ever claimed (sorry old winners). Here's what we've got:

$25 Threadless.com gift certificate #1: If you win, just be sure to use them when Threadless has their $10 tee specials! If not, you'll waste it all on 1 shirt like I did ;)
$25 Threadless.com gift certificate #2: Same for you mr. winner.
$25 Certificate off Northwest Airlines: I got this "Discount Travel E-Cert" when they lost my bags the other month. I have no idea if or when I'll use them next (I'm not carrier loyal) but it's all yours if you think you can use it by March, 2010.
A handful of piggies! That includes 1 Piggy Bank, 1 piggy stress-ball, 1 piggy sticky thing (remember those?), and 1 piggy key chain! You can blow up the picture if you click on it. They came from a prize pack I considered giving away a while back but waited to long to do so :( That's why they're covered with "Feed The Pig" logos all over. If you ever wanna hear a pig talk (& perhaps freak you out) click over to their site and turn up the volume!
1 Free "18x24" rolled poster off a picture of yours. I won this gem over at The Practical Nerd but I know for damn sure I won't use it. Thought about printing a big ol' picture of my face and using it to scare the wife, but figured you probably have better uses for it ;) Expires on 10-31.

If you want any of these, all you have to do is:

Tell me what you're wearing for Halloween. (I'm totally out of ideas...)
Tell me which you want - only 1 per person.
LEAVE YOUR CONTACT INFO. Give me a blog, an email, a twitter, a secret password, just give me something - whatever you're comfortable with.

That's it! I'll randomly select 1 winner from each 5 categories so your odds of winning goes up :) And, I'll close this out tomorrow (Friday) at midnight too. So if you want something no one else does, it's all yours! Now hurry hurry hurry & take these off me me me.
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Giveaway ended: Check out the winners!

USAA Magazine looking for Members to share their story.

j@budgetsaresexy.com (J. Money) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:18:00 +0000

I got a tweet from a member of USAA's Social Media group, and she wanted to know if we could help her out with an upcoming magazine issue! I don't fit the bill here, but maybe one of you do? If so, holler over and I'll put you in touch with her. Then you can buy me a beer for making you famous :)

"My lovely colleague is looking for a USAA member who's willing to share his or her story about being forced to move for a job, marriage or other life change during one of the worst housing downturns of the past few decades. Or, vice versa, were forced to stay put when they wanted to move."

Saving Now Gives Us Mad Options Later.

j@budgetsaresexy.com (J. Money) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:48:00 +0000

Saving and managing our money now goes a long way later! This isn't the first time you've ever ever heard this, especially by me, but it's been rolling around my mind since seeing this quote by a fellow twitterer @JFuntanilla.

There's something about it that really strikes home:

"I live a few years of my life like most people won't, so I can spend the rest of my life like most people can't."

Yes! I know some prefer living like a king now since you never know what'll happen tomorrow (which I can totally understand), but obviously I'm more about preparing for the future ;) I'd love to get my hands on that Benz or splurge on some week long benders to Mexico, but it's just not worth the trade off at this point in my life.

There's something about saving and living a more simple life that comforts me. I like not having to stress over money or wonder what would happen if my paycheck came a few days late. I like knowing we can bring a baby into this world and not have to work 2 extra jobs to afford it. $hit, I like the fact of just being ABLE to afford half the stuff out there! It doesn't mean I'll actually go out and buy all of 'em, but it's a helluva treat knowing I *could* if I ever wanted to.

By saving and living more frugally now, we open up a sea of options for the rest of our lives. We're still free to do whatever we please, but by picking and choosing where our money goes now we gain stability and freedom to take advantage of life on better terms. It's similar to other aspects of our lives: career, education, you name it. Rarely do you hear advice telling you to screw college, or slack off at work and just worry about it all later. You might be able to fulfill yourself temporarily that route (which also implies you'd be smart enough to take advantage of this time created and actually DO the things that truly make you happy), but in the long run it's usually not best.

Think about what truly makes you happy now, and start on it. And if that means blowing through wads of cash like you're the next MC Hammer, so be it! Just be sure you know what you're doing - one day more people will count on you than yourself ;)

Blogger Showdown #5: Matt Jabs vs. Adam Baker

j@budgetsaresexy.com (J. Money) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:08:00 +0000

Get excited for PF Blogger Showdown #5: Matt Jabs vs. Adam Baker! What I love about these guys is that they're both so inspirational AND down to Earth. And if you haven't been following the PF circuit lately, they're everywhere! haha...You've got them messaging like crazy on Twitter, blogging out their hearts on Debt Free Adventure and Man vs. Debt respectively, and even moonlighting for heavy hitting blogs on top of it! (Five Cent Nickel or Get Rich Slowly ring any bells?) Needless to say, these guys are good. What's more, they're quick to help their friends out.

So sit back, grab your coffee, and watch 'em spill it all out on the table! (the honesty, not the coffee) It doesn't get more sincere than this, my friends.


Matt Jabs 725 Readers Debt Free Adventure @mattjabs	Adam Baker 2,457 Readers Man vs. Debt @manvsdebt
How long have you been blogging for?
I started a personal/tech blog in 2007 but did not step onto my personal finance soapbox until January 4th, 2009.	I started my blog in the last week of March of this year. I wish I had some cool story about how I've always wanted to do this from a young age, but it's not true. I've always hated writing in any shape or form, but somehow managed to find myself blogging. Who knew?
What's so great about personal finance?
I think gaining control over money is sexy. Also, because our culture has largely starved us of the knowledge to manage our personal finances properly, taking this issue on is beneficial to me and hopefully to those reading DFA. Oh yeah... and I'm a total math/money/numbers geek.	Personal Finance is one of a handful of topics that everyone has to deal with. There's a million different sub-topics and a million different opinions, haha. Keeps things fresh. Most importantly, though, getting a grip on your finances unleashes a ridiculous amount of potential for freedom.
What are the first 3 sites you check when you wake up?
Crap. I knew you were gonna ask this question. I am going to honest and say: Gmail, Adsense (there... I said it), and either Analytics or DFA.	1) Gmail 2) Man Vs. Debt (moderate comments, trackbacks, and check for major links/mentions) 3) TweetDeck (so effectively Twitter.com) Does it get any more boring than that? I don't think so ;-)
You two seem to be BFFs on twitter. Are you guys really pretty close?
To any who know him this will come as no surprise. Adam Baker is a winner. Period. And I love to surround myself with people are bound to succeed. Beyond that, I prefer friends who are brutally honest and who push me to succeed. I have definitely found that person in Adam. We chat nearly every day in an effort to motivate, encourage, and keep each other on track. I highly value his friendship and am a huge fan of what he is doing.	As far a e-friends go, I'd say we are fairly close. I'm a huge believer in what Matt is doing and have absolutely no doubt in his long-term success. His resolve towards his goals is very addictive to be around. Not only that, but he's been a huge supporter of me from very early on and is constantly pushing me towards bigger and better things.
What's your all-time favorite article you've written?
Ha! Nickel is gonna love this. Ironically enough... my all-time favorite post does not reside on DFA, but on FiveCentNickel.com. It is a post title, "Is Personal Responsibility Dead?" It is my favorite because it embodies so much of what I believe and stand for, and really gives readers a solid perspective of where I am coming from. If you haven't already read it... check it out.	That's really, really hard actually. I would have to say the Debt Tsunami post I wrote. When I read back through it, I see that I was just starting to find my 'voice' in the post. It's still my second highest traffic post ever, and was one of the first to be universally linked to by many other pf blogs. The success of the message/tone really fortified my resolve to put myself (and my passion) out there and people would connect with it. It changed the direction of MvD.
On a scale of 1-10, how big of a role does religion play in your writings?
Religion? 0. Bible? 10. I strive to filter everything through the judicious principles of the scriptures - and that definitely includes my writing. I fail miserably because I am human, but I try hard to judge myself, my views, and my advice against its matchless wisdom. Heck... I figure any book that has sold over 6 billion copies can't be all bad... right?	2. I would say 1, because I never ever think about it when writing, but I know that spirituality in general effects 'everything' we do. So, I'll go with 2 ;-). To be blunt, religion (or spirituality in some form) just isn't a priority in my life right now. Hopefully, that we change soon. :-)
You both have "debt" in your blog title - What's the damage at now?
Around $10,000 at Lending Club. Around $65,000 in student loans. Around $160,000 in mortgage debt. Despite these high numbers my wife and I have incredible peace in relation to our finances. Why? Because we have a plan. Having a plan to eliminate your debt and build wealth is almost as peaceful as having no debt at all. Now, the only thing standing between us and debt freedom is time and patience.	Approximately $52,000 in student loans left. We've destroyed all of our 'consumer' debt and live without credit cards. Right now we decided to spend a little time on long-term travel and income generation. I'm itching to turn back up the heat and kick out the rest of these loans in the coming year.
Do you use any form of budgeting?
Though I am a computer technician, my wife esteems computers about as highly as PF bloggers do credit card debt! So - because I need her on board - I accommodate by using the old school pen and paper method - which I know Adam and Courtney favor as well. I have tried many budgeting programs and while some are very cool, for us nothing beats the simplicity, thoroughness, and flexibility of individual spending journals and hand written budgets. Budgeting took about 8 months to really "take hold" in our lives, so those who are just starting out need to be patient and have fortitude.	Yep, we track every penny we spend (publicly actually on MvD) and normally do a simplified budget by hand every month. When budgeting by hand, we round to whole numbers, use very few categories, and shoot for zero-sum budgeting. We concentrate on 'discretionary' spending the most, but also regularly review our subscriptions and fixed monthly bills. Lately, we've began using PocketSmith (in order to share everything online) and I absolutely love forecasting my spending using their calender system.
What's the stupidest financial mistake you've ever made?
Buying our current home. We put zero down and are now upside down. The bright side? We do have a fixed 30 year rate and our payment is only 21% of our NET income - Phew! Would love to hear any solid advice from the commentators about ways to sell when you're upside-down.	Becoming addicted to gambling. I spent a couple years in the industry. I dealt poker, ran a local poker room, and even played professionally for awhile. Ultimately, though it's a losing game. Even though I was 'making' more money than I ever had, my spending was ridiculous. I gained 50 pounds, became depressed, and squandered any dollar I made (even though I didn't go into debt for it specifically).
Which is worse: Not blogging for a month, or losing $1,000 in cash?
Not blogging for a month would cost me more than $1,000 and then I would have all kinds of pent up financial geek speak that would fall on the ears of my beautiful wife. She wouldn't appreciate that - so I'll go with losing a $1,000.	While losing a $1000 dollars would have much more of an immediate impact on our finances, over the long haul not blogging for a month would probably end up costing me more. If I was given the choice today, I would lose the $1000 and keep pouring myself into the blog. That either makes me crazy or genius... I'm not sure which.
BONUS Who would save more money, Batman or Superman?
Oh this one's easy. Though it would appear Batman has much more... Superman has lived simply and below his means for many years. While Batman was busy buying every gadget that came through the bat-cave, Superman was keeping the peace with nothing more than a cape and a public phone booth - stashing money away in the safest place he could find... the Fortress of Solitude!	Are you joking? Wayne Enterprises could have Superman on the payroll and not even notice it. Bruce Wayne rulez, Clark Kent droolz.


So who are you voting for? I realize I may have given Baker a head start here w/ the duplicate insertions of his baby, but do your best to look at the content ;) Although there really aren't any scientific methods for voting here - just pick the one you like the most! They're both bad asses in my view, so I commend each of them for their continued support in spreading the good financial word. Keep on rockin' it out guys. ------------ Previous Showdowns: Showdown #1: J.D. Roth vs. Trent Hamm Showdown #2: Stephanie vs. Squawkfox Showdown #3: Lazy Man vs. Silicon Valley Blogger Showdown #4: Flexo vs. Jim Wang

Making babies is easy, but paying for them?

j@budgetsaresexy.com (J. Money) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:06:00 +0000

The talk of baby making has entered the BudgetsAreSexy household, and I'm starting to get a little nervous. Not so much about having one or making one (that's the fun part!), but about the costs they suck up (the not-so-fun part). How much do babies go for these days?

And that's not a rhetorical question either, sorry - I really haven't a clue :) If I had to guess, purely out of thin air, I'd say $10,000. And I'm not entirely sure if that means hospital bills, yearly costs, "per baby" or what. I'm as stupid as they comes to baby finances, so I'm hoping some of you will enlighten me. All I know is that they're expensive.

I plopped "how much do babies cost?" into the google, and the results were all over the place as you might expect. Some forums say they cost $800 a month once you get 'em going, and others say you're fine with $400 a month. There's probably too many variables to get an accurate figure for my exact personal situation (like daycare vs. home watched, insurance coverage vs. not covered, baby 1 vs. baby 2, etc, etc) but anything you can share would be very helpful.

I did try out a nifty Baby Cost Calculator though! You go down this huge list of selecting what you will and won't need, and at the end it pops out an average cost for you. According to OUR results, it says it'll cost us $4,119.00 the first year - or roughly $343.25/mo. It doesn't account for the hospital bills OR what you'd get for baby showers and presents and all that stuff, but it's a start.

Either way, I'm pretty excited to start a new adventure in our lives. We're not sure when this will all come about, but God willing we'll be able to produce healthy & happy little J. Juniors all over the place :) And you better believe I'll be blogging all about it.

Winner of the Tommy Bahama glasses!

j@budgetsaresexy.com (J. Money) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 03:39:00 +0000

The winner of the Tommy Bahama glasses is...drum roll please...Lucky commenter #6: ~~Vidya!~~ (winner never retrieved - gave away on Twitter)

Congrats my friend, you get your choice of whichever Tommy Bahama glasses you want. Pick out your favorite, and then shoot me an email (j at budgetsaresexy dot com) with your full name & address so I can get it over to ya! Thanks for participating everyone :) You might not have won this round, but we've got plenty more to give away soon! Have a great weekend.

My "Worst" Buyer's Remorse Story...

j@budgetsaresexy.com (J. Money) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:22:00 +0000

Fellow blogger Len Penzo asked some of us what our worst buyer's remorse experiences were, and it took me all but .3 seconds to recall mine.

It was a BIG one (the most expensive purchase of our lives) and it drives me crazy to think about. But regardless of all my huffing and puffing, I'd never take it back as it got me to where I am today - financially aware. Do you know what it is yet? I'll give you another clue: It rhymes with "mouse", and we live in it. Here's what I sent over to Len - in all it's honest glory (and before you say it, no, the market crash is not the reason for my remorse. It doesn't make me feel any better, but it's not the reason).

Whenever I hear "buyer's remorse," the first thing that comes to mind is my house. Not that it was the only thing I've ever questioned (I can't even count THOSE numbers of times), but just that it's the only product you can't return and get your money back when you need to ;)

We all know there are pros and cons to owning a home, but if I had known what I know today, I'd be still renting and enjoying a more stress-free life. Financially I won't ague that owning is better than renting, but people should realize that owning is NOT for everyone - especially if you get antsy and like to move every few years just for the adventure (like me). I love our 3-level lake view townhouse dearly, but what I wouldn't give to be back in the city rockin' out a cozy 1 bedroom condo!

Now is this anyone's fault other than my own? Nope. And have I learned a lot about getting my finances on track and being more responsible? Oh yeah. But If I could do things over (and keep the knowledge I have now), I would totally go back to renting and feeling "un-trapped". Whether my wife would be okay it or not, however, is a whole other story ;)

Ahhhhh, the joys of being a home owner. I'm pretty sure my military upbringing can account for 99% of my feelings here. The wifey says I should learn to get used to it and work on settling down in one place, but when you've moved around your whole life it gets pretty hard. And weird. I've lived in over 20 different houses, how the heck does a guy like that just stop and stay still?

Well, I'm sure I'll learn to at some point. But for now, I just make due with the situation and try my hardest to enjoy what we've been blessed with - a beautiful house we can afford and live comfortably in. It may not be a perfect lifestyle right now (and it sucks that it's under water), but at least I learned my lesson and got it out of the way. It feels good knowing I won't make the same mistake twice :)

Next time, we put in more research and take a good hard look at our options before just jumping in. Did I ever tell you we signed a contract within 48 hours of seeing this place? When we accidentally drove by it? Even though we were looking for an apartment to rent? Yeah, we sure did. And we were crazy....even if it was our "dream home." Now what you got?

Weekly Roundup: Experiments, Defaced Bills, and God.

j@budgetsaresexy.com (J. Money) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:02:00 +0000

Posts that excited me this week ;)

Abe, Nooo!: Gallery of Geek-ily Defaced Bills @ Geekologie - What I wouldn't do to own some of these dollars! I think I'll have to whip some out myself and see what I can conjure up.
How God worked in the life of one debt-free blogger: A testimonial @ Bible Money Matters - This is a guest post from my boy Brad at Enemy of Debt and how religion came back into his life. Very inspirational and just an overall cool story :)
Twenty Dollar Mentality @ Backing Up The Truck: Do YOU think $20 is "a lot of money"? AG's dad does, and I give him mad respect for it too....perhaps I'll tell my kids the same one day.
Savers vs. Spenders: Opposites Attract? @ Five Cent Nickel - While the Mrs. and I are on the same page with our spending habits (as in we don't like to spend much), only one of us like to talk about it 24/7 and mange it all. *ahem*
How a Silly Little Experiment Helped Me Get Out of Debt @ No Credit Needed - Experimenting with new ideas is crazy smart, especially when they work out well.
What Would You Tell Yourself 10 Years ago? @ Counting My Pennies - I don't think it mattered *what* I told myself then as I wouldn't have listened anyways! haha...but in the spirit of the idea, I'd have said to save 10% of my total income - as hard as it would have been.
Children And Money: Are you helping your children learn the basics? @ Enemy of Debt - Not yet, but as soon as we get some you better believe I'll be looking for the best ways :) Enjoyed it as an adult though. haha...
Have an iPhone? Nab the iGarageSale App! - 99 cents to connect w/ all the yard sales in your aread posted on Craigslist. Pretty cool stuff, just wish it was yard sale season still :(

Carnivals I enjoyed this week:

Best Of Money Carnival - hosted by Stretchy Dollar.
Carnival of Money Stories #23 - hosted by My Journey To Millions
Carnival of Personal Finance - "The AMF Turns 5" ed. hosted by All Financial Matters.

First Premier Bank: Shove your 79.9% APR Credit Card.

j@budgetsaresexy.com (J. Money) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:33:00 +0000

I know this economy ain't the greatest, but pushing 79.9% interest rates? Come on now, that's just f*cked up. Would YOU sign up to such an asinine credit card? Would you hand one out to your kids or own mother? I doubt it. Whether people are falling for it or not, you can't feel good taking advantage of people like that. I'll send some prayers your way, you're gonna need 'em...
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Thanks for the tip James....unbelievable indeed.