Fabulous Financials

Would ya lookie lookie.  I think this lunch bag is sooo cute.  But umm…why does this lil bitty thing cost $30.00???  I know it’s Dooney & Bourke, but it’s just a lunch bag.  And it’s plastic!  A plastic. lunch. bag. for. $30.

Think I’m kidding?  Look.

And you know what?  In less than 10 seconds, I convinced myself to buy it. LOL!  Here’s the conversation I had with myself . [y’all gone think I’m coo coo for cocoa puffs! LOL]

I said, “Self. That lunch bag sho iz cute.”

Mmm Hmm, we’ve determined that already.

Then I said, “Self.  If you had a cute lunch bag, maybe you’d pack your lunch more often.”

Ha! Believe that if you wanna.

Then I said, “Self.  D&B is a quality brand so it’ll last years - even if it is plastic.”

Hmm, ok. Got anything better?

Then I said, “Self.  How about this?  If you pack your lunch at least 3x per week, you’ll save $30 in about a month, which means the lunch bag would practically pay for itself.”

Ha! That’s a lie, but it’s a good one!

Then…I clicked ORDER. LOL!  I can’t wait to use my overpriced plastic bag!

Have you ever convinced yourself to buy something that you KNOW you shouldn’t have bought?  What was it?  And how much did it cost?

~*~*~*~*~*~
Work to achieve, not to acquire.
And as always, BE FABULOUS!

Houston, we have a problem! Ya see, today was payday and I’m looking at my electronic statement, but there are two things wrong:

1 - The amount is WRONG. Not just wrong, but in the neighborhood of $2,000 wrong! You might think having too much money is a good thing, but NO NO NO NO NO. There were no contributions to my 401k, Roth, or any other allotments. There were no withdrawals for my benefits. Do I have medical coverage? Life insurance? Flexible spending? To make matters worse, my state and federal exemptions are WRONG WRONG WRONG. Because of this, I’ve just paid a BUTT LOAD OF TAXES!! Lawd bejeebus!

2 - Last but not least, if not THE most important - I can see it in the payroll system, but I can’t touch it. Why? The deposit was NOT made into my checking account!! So I got paid today, but I didn’t really get paid today.

Call me Dolla Bill cuz I’m pissed. Somebody done fugged up the church’s money!

~*~*~*~*~*~
Work to achieve, not to acquire.
And as always, BE FABULOUS!

I thought I had overcome this bad habit, but I haven’t. The old behavior was simply lying dormant until a significant event triggered its onset. I won’t get into the details of my personal life, but I’ll say this much - whoever said “bad things happen in 3″ is a gotdayum lie! I’ve dealt with so many blows over the past week, I’ve lost count. And you all know I’m usually responsible, especially with my money, so reckless spending should be an indication of what I’m going through.

As of today, I’ve already exceeded the limit on every nonessential category in my monthly spend plan…and counting:

• Personal Pampering: $118 over
• Dining Out: $255 over
• Shopping: $280 over

On top of that - despite the cost of gas, $45-$50 to fill up, I can’t sit still. I’m either going someplace to keep my mind occupied or prancing around the house and trying to be all Martha Stewart-ish. My house is spotless, my closets are organized, my kitchen floor is sparkling, and every piece of laundry is clean, folded, and put in its rightful place. I even gave the dog a bath! Although I just spent $52 to have her groomed less than 2 weeks ago.

*sigh*

Needless to say, I’m dealing with multiple things from almost every angle. And unfortunately, things may get worse before they get better. I know this and I accept it as a way of life. But on the dimly lit bright side, my skin is thick, my faith is strong, and I’ve always been a fighter. So when the dust settles, I’ll be more fabulous than ever. Believe it!

Until then, spending money on my house and myself makes me feel better. Even if only temporary. I won’t attempt to justify my irresponsible behavior because I don’t want to insult your intelligence. However, I would like to use my personal hardships as an opportunity to demonstrate how being debt free and making responsible financial decisions (when times are good) can help you weather the storm (when times are bad).

Similar to my thoughts about unexpected expenses, I will also survive the effects of stress and emotional spending. Maybe not completely unscathed, but I’ll take minor scrapes and bruises over a financial disaster any day. So make sure YOU are prepared for life’s curve balls: get rid of your debt, avoid new debt, establish an emergency fund, live beneath your means, and make wise financial decisions TODAY. And trust me when I tell ya - bad things don’t stop at 3.

~*~*~*~*~*~
Work to achieve, not to acquire.
And as always, BE FABULOUS!

Is it possible for a person to become addicted to bargain hunting? After reading this MSN article, “When bargain hunting is an addiction,” I learned something new. People who buy things just because it’s on sale, whether they need it or not, are called bargain junkies. LOL! Six signs that you may be a bargain junkie are:

1. They hit sales and clearance racks when they feel angry or down.
2. They spend more than they can afford.
3. They see sales as opportunities they can’t pass up.
4. They feel guilty about their shopping and hide their purchases.
5. They spend so much time tracking down deals that their time with family and friends is compromised.
6. They routinely forget what they bought and find things in their closets unused.

Then it hit me. My mom is a bargain junkie! I can recall a few useless things she’s purchased over the past year. Umm, let’s see.

She sent BabyGirl a pair of bright red slacks and a blazer. *blink blink*
Her thoughts, “oh she can play dress up, they were only $5!”

Then there was the superman lunch box.
Her thoughts, “she can use it as a pencil holder or something, I found for 50 cents!” *blank stare*

Or how about the sweater that was 3 sizes too small.
Her thoughts, “girl if she can’t fit it, put it on the dog! It was only $2!” *dead*

Needless to say, BabyGirl receives a new package from my mother at least once per month. But she’s rarely excited about opening them. Can’t blame her. My mom is a bargain junkie!

Have you ever bought something silly just because it was on sale?

~*~*~*~*~*~
Work to achieve, not to acquire.
And as always, BE FABULOUS!

There’s a bank I hate. You know, the one I was with for many years but they didn’t think I was worth $4.00, so I closed multiple accounts all in one day? Then they reversed the $4.00 charge to persuade me to stay, but I told them to KMA in bank-anese? Yea, that one. Well they sent me a dumb azz email today with an “exclusive” offer for its “most valued customers” only.

From the email:

Extra Cash Online is supplemental income insurance that helps you cover your expenses if you can’t work. Get cash each month paid directly to you when you’re not receiving a regular paycheck due to a covered event.

First of all, this is clearly referred to as “supplemental income” insurance so let’s not confuse it with the useful benefit of “disability” insurance. In that case, WTF is a “covered event” and how do you determine “if you can’t work?”

Can I quit?

Can I get fired - on purpose?

Can my child be sick?

How about if my dog is sick?

What if I just feel like taking a month long hiatus for mental health purposes?

Oh, and it will only cost you $9.30/month if you want to receive a $500/month payout for 3 months. But remember, it’s only if “you can’t work” due to a “covered event.” Ambiguous much? And it gets better! That’s only the standard plan. You can pay from $10.65 to $20.75/month if you want to extend the $500 payout to 6 months or receive a $1,000 payout for 3 months.

The extra cash plan is flexible and affordable! Whichever option suits your needs and your budget! Sign up right away…it’s quick and easy!

[/sarcasm]

That’s a bunch of bullshyt. How about you keep your money, screw the bank’s profits, pay yourself FIRST, and create your own “extra cash” plan. Hmm…the setup is awfully familiar.  It reminds me of something.  $500-$1,000? 3-6 months of expenses? Use it only when you need it? By golly, that sounds a lot like an emergency fund to me. Wow, what a novel idea!

*blank stare*

This is simply bait for poor people who don’t know any better. And we wonder why the rich get richer while the poor get poorer.

*sigh* I hate that bank even more now.

[/rant]

~*~*~*~*~*~
Work to achieve, not to acquire.
And as always, BE FABULOUS!