Credit Card Brains

The Bills Keep Rollin’ In

kyle — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:13:00 +0000

Riding home from work on the train, simultaneously wolfing down a burrito fresco from Taco Bell, finishing up my work and blogging, and suddenly half the burrito is in my dry-clean-only, multitasking lap. Great. I am currently in the midst of a vacation hangover of the “Did I pay my credit card/student loan/phone bill?” variety. The bliss that results from a week outdoors is gone, the tan has faded and reality sets in. This is my life.

I’ve been ignoring my financial life for a full few weeks, freely spending on vacation-related purchases and generally trying to avoid my mailbox/inbox at all costs. But now that I’m back, I have no more excuses. I went through all my mail on Friday and realized that I was severely behind on a few doctor’s bills. Luckily, I set up all the rest of my bills to pay automatically when we were gone, but seeing the dent in my wallet from the trip as I was visiting all my cards’ Web sites was a wince-worthy experience. You know how when you were little, you watched scary movies with one eye shut and only focused on the bottom corner of the screen? (OK, I still do that.) Well, that was how I felt looking at my “current activity” statements!

I’ve been ignoring a host of other things too, my inbox isn’t the only one. I promised my mom I’d do some research on the benefits of an IRA vs. putting some more money into her 401K and I also need to research how to consolidate Sallie Mae loans for a cousin who got some bad information from her family’s banker. I’m hoping to be able to write about both of those.

Plus, I’m so far behind on the news! I haven’t posted good articles in forever, nor have I been following my beloved newsprint/newsmagazines/financial web sites. I can only imagine what’s taken place in the financial world in the last few weeks: the housing market, gas prices, financial scandals and important statistics about Americans and the economy, I’m sure!

So the point of today’s article is this: you can’t ignore personal finance for long without feeling totally behind. Nor should you try! It’s easy to get caught up in life’s bliss or the daily grind (pick your poision), but two reliable facts are that the bills keep coming in, and your financial life never stops.

On vacation

kyle — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 22:54:43 +0000

We’ve geared up at REI, booked budget b&b’s all on the pacific coast, arranged for a housesitter (B’s mom) and spent the last week working insane hours and making preparations at home, and right now we’re driving out of Seattle, rocking out to Pearl Jam, making our way to the San Juan islands for a week of rest, biking, kayaking and enjoying the great outdoors. “>This is why I work the way I do. This is living. Enjoy your week, and I’ll post when I’m back to the grind.

Can Applying for Loans Bring Down Your Credit Score?

kyle — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 07:54:20 +0000

A credit score has many components. Each component weighs differently on your credit score. For example, having a late payment recorded on your credit report will cause more damage to your credit score than will having too many inquiries on your credit report. However, it is important to know that regardless of what the negative information is, such information will stay on your credit report for many years. As such, you will want to weigh the consequences of the negative impact on your credit score against the advantage of applying for and obtaining a loan.

Applying for a loan can negatively impact your credit score in more than one way. First and foremost, whenever you apply for a loan (whether it is for a house, a car, a student loan, a personal loan, etc.) the bank or lending institution to which you applied is going to run a credit check on you to calculate the risk involved in lending you the money. The riskier you are, the higher your interest rates and/or fees will be. If you are too risky, you will be denied a loan.

When the bank or lending institution conducts a credit report check to calculate the risk level involved, each check is recorded as an “inquiry” on your credit report. Banks and lending institutions look to see how many inquires are on your credit report for a set period of time. If you have “too many” inquiries, this tells the bank or lending institution that you are trying to borrow money and thus, this means that you are acquiring or attempting to acquire a lot of debt. As such, you may not have the money to pay back a loan. Therefore, this makes you a risky loan and you will either have to pay more interest and fees or will be denied outright.

However, even though these inquiries are recorded on your credit report, this does not mean that every one of them negatively affects you credit score. The key is not to get “too many.” The exact number that crosses the “too many” threshold is not exact, but to be on the safe side, you should try to keep the inquiries to no more than 3 per year. Remember, every time that you apply for a credit card or any type of loan, an inquiry is recorded on your credit report.

The other way that applying for a loan can damage your credit score is if you are approved for the loan. If you are approved for a loan, it will affect your credit to debt ratio. If you get a loan, this will create more debt. The closer you are to “maxing out” your credit limits, the worse off your credit score will be. The reason for this is because if you have no available credit, banks and lending institutions will be concerned that you have reached your limits and will have trouble paying off your debt. As such, there is a higher chance that you will default and thus, a higher chance that the bank or lending institution will not get paid.

As stated above, because of these negatives, you have to weigh the cost of getting a loan against the benefits of obtaining the same. Make sure you are applying for and receiving a loan for a good purpose (buying a home that you can afford, getting a college education, making a good investment) and are not obtaining a loan for something you do not need.

Relationships and Finance - What a Hot Combo

kyle — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 16:52:02 +0000

During this hottest week of summer, an anonymous reader asks a steamy question about relationships:

“How do you and your boyfriend handle finances? I am in a relationship and I am pretty frugal and I enjoy working on finances. This can be pretty tricky in a relationship and I was interested to know how you balance that.”

OK, I lied. Her question was not steamy in the traditional risque sense … but have you ever gotten into a fight about finances? (Read that one, it’s worth it.) Finance fights are the hottest it will ever get in your relationship (outside of the bedroom). Tempers flare, spending habits collide and the strongest of couples can feel like they’re living life in a pressure cooker of expectations.
So while I usually try not to pull B too much into my writing at his request (hee-hee, at least I tell him that), I’m willing to take this question for the frugal Ms. Anon. You should know that what works for me most certainly won’t work for everyone else, but since a lot of us are living in the crazy co-habitating space and our parents didn’t, I suppose it’s important for me to share.

Before I get into the nitty gritty of our finances, I want to share my perspective on living together. I know too many people for whom it has not worked, and trust me, it’s messy when it doesn’t. Unless you are truly comfortable with yourself, and have shown that you can live on your own with and without roommates, you should probably think twice before moving in without a committment. If your relationship is new, think twice. If you’re moving in because you have no where else to live, or it’s more convenient or just because it’s cheaper, think twice. These might be signs that you’re not ready to move in together, or that you’re taking things too fast. And in your 20’s, who wants to go fast? Life right now should be about developing a mature, healthy and happy you. So enjoy it while you can be your most fab.

But for certain situations, living together might be right. And when you live together without being married, the question comes up, how do you manage your finances together, separately?

For us, we think of each other as two equal individuals. We pretty much split everything home-related 50-50, like roommates (think heating, electric, renter’s insurance, car insurance). There are a few big line items that we scaled based on income (rent). Since B pays for the car and gas, I cover the groceries (they are about equal). When it comes to miscellaneous trips to the store for random stuff, we take turns paying. The same goes for dining out (though I think B usually ends up paying more often when we eat out).

We do not have a joint checking account or a joint credit account. We do have a joint cell phone plan that we split, but we itemize the charges. We also have a joint gym membership, but that’s pretty easy to split charges, too.

We typically go about our business paying the bills we each “own” and then typically two or three times per year, we put everything on a spreadsheet and figure out who owes who money. We should probably do this once per month, but we get too busy and we’re usually close to even when we tally up the totals anyway.

Our arrangement works well for a few reasons. First, though we split living expenses, we in no way tie or disposable incomes or savings accounts together. Therefore, if I go off on a spending binge (like I did this weekend), I have no one to answer to but myself. I am responsible for reconciling my own actions for my financial health. It might sound cliche, but it’s very empowering to only have to depend on yourself for financial support.

Another benefit to keeping separate finances is that should this relationship not work, I have a solid understanding of where my money comes from and where it goes. There would be no learning curve, no mystery accounts, no questions and no financial mess should we break up. Without a legal commitment, I’m protected from a potentially damaging situation. And while some people might find this unromantic, it’s really just pragmatic. Our relationship is based on love, trust and understanding, rather than financial support. Should that change, we could easily consider other options. (Blech. I don’t even like writing that.)

Another reason why our arrangement works is because we ‘re working towards mutual financial goals. Though our current lives aren’t legally tied together, we believe at some point they will be. Therefore, we work individually for the best shared future. For instance, my savings are going to a downpayment on a house or condo. B’s savings are primarily being used for law school. Both the house and the legal degree will help our shared future. And neither of us feels like we’ve had to stifle our dreams to achieve the other’s.

Finally, B and I have similar backgrounds and similar attitudes about money. I’m not sure whether this makes a difference or not, but I’ve never felt that buying material stuff was detrimental to my happiness. While B probably is a little more sensitive to being able to provide a future family with a secure and happy life, he’s the least material person I know.

All that said … It just occurred to me that Anon never mentioned that she wanted to move in together. If you’re not planning to move in together, I wouldn’t recommend combining finances. I would keep all your finances separate, and come to agreements about what you want to spend when you’re hanging out together. For instance, if you prefer to be frugal and he’s very spendy, that’s OK - he’ll either have to be spendy without you, or to spend a little more on you. He can’t ask you to spend your hard-earned money if you don’t want to.

For instance, if he wanted to go to Lollapalooza this weekend but you thought the ticket price was outrageous, he has three options: go with his friends while you listen to CDs at home, pay for your ticket or stay home with you. If I were you, I’d tell him to go enjoy the show with his friends, and I’d plan a cheap-o girls night with friends. (Having separate lives is just as important as separate finances!) This way, if he wants to pick you up a ticket, he can. But you’re secure enough with your relationship either way.

You should know that this approach flies in the face of a lot of couples, I think. My friend from India always thought I was “very odd” for wanting to be so financially independent. And many of the American women I know would probably freak if their bf told them he was going to Lolla alone. But my feeling is, if you don’t care enough to buy the ticket, you don’t really want to go. Why get upset about it?

As long as you both set expectations in advance, communicate about your needs and understand that one of you is a cheap-o and the other is a spendaholic, you’ll be able to lay some ground rules in advance to prepare for every situation. I think you should talk about this stuff every step of the way. Who knows… maybe you’ll find a happy middle ground somewhere.

… There was another part to the question saying that it might be tricky because Anoyn likes to do finances. Why is that? You will have to explain. I think most guys I know would be happy to have a significant other to discuss finance with. I was at a party two weeks ago and talked at length with friends about stagflation, investing, my finance questions and brokerage accounts. A lively, engaging discussion was enjoyed by all. So stick with your interests! You may becomes the life of the party.

And there you have it. My finance and relationships mini-manifesto. Or, what my friends call “one of Mladic’s lectures again” (they secretly love them). I’d love to know your thoughts. All discussion is welcome here!

I promise I’m still alive!

kyle — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 07:49:21 +0000

I promise I’m still alive, just totally swamped with work and vacation planning. This isn’t permanent; I’m hoping to put up some new posts soon.

In the meantime, enjoy one of my favorite finance-related video clips ever.

Oh how I love both Kristin Wiig and Suze Orman. This makes me laugh so hard my sides hurt. I actually think I liked the one with Jonah Hill better, but I can’t find the video anywhere. Darn.

Best Budget Date Night?

kyle — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:40:56 +0000

Alpha Consumer’s asking you to share your best budget date night, and she’s giving the winner a free book. I know you guys have some great ones, so post them there and then post them back here! When I think of one, I’ll submit and share it with you. This could be fun.

Also, while you’re there be sure to read a few of the great ideas her readers are posting. Here’s a good one:

“Now that it’s summertime, the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy has started showing movies under the Brooklyn Bridge on Thursday nights. My boyfriend and I pack some snacks, order a pizza from Grimaldi’s for about 20 bucks, and watch a FREE movie outside. Last night we even got to watch some fireworks that were being fired from Governor’s Island before the feature, Invasion of the Body Snatchers.”

Fireworks, movies, pizza and the Brooklyn Bridge? Love it. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts.

Choose Your Own Adventure

kyle — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:40:09 +0000

So many things on my mind, so little time to write. Which is the topic you’d most like me to write about next?

1) The fact that I’m noticing more and more of my friends are out of work. Young, smart, talented and totally capable people are being laid off left and right. WTF?

2) How I don’t know my credit score and I’m afraid I somehow recently messed it up. Arg! Credit!

3) To brokerage account or not, that is the (potentially) million-dollar question.

Let me know and I’ll whip something up faster than you can microwave last night’s leftovers.

Quick Carnival Note

kyle — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:37:45 +0000

Hey guys, the Carnival is updated to include a few articles that were inadvertedly left out. Please go back and check out the Reviews and Retirement section and make sure to visit our friends!

My Bad Relationship with American

kyle — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:36:43 +0000

Lately, I’ve been feeling stuck in a bad relationship. You know the kind: the more effort you put in and the harder you try to make things work, the worse it gets. The kind where you get nothing in return for your loyalty and sacrafice. The kind where promises always disappoint, and joyfulness turns to bitterness.

That relationship describes the one I have right now with American Airlines (we’ll call it Amer). Despite how perfect we seem together — it’s for business travelers, it has great schedules, direct flights and courteous staff — I know that deep inside, Amer doesn’t really care about making this relationship work. He’s got too many other things going on to care about little ol’ me. He’s working late nights, trying to come up with efficiencies to balance the cost of fuel to keep his planes running. He’s lobbying congress for lower oil prices and higher subsidies. He’s focused on the bottom line. And our relationship is suffering.

In the beginning, Amer was the best. There was a certain glamour to flying together, a cache that came with the ticket. He offered gifts (sure, they were just peanuts, but they meant something) and we went to movies together. When I got cold, he offered me a blanket. When I got tired, he offered me a pillow. We stayed together long enough for me to earn Gold status, and I couldn’t have been happier. He even managed to take me on vacation once per year.

Our relationship wasn’t always perfect. I admit, I strayed a few times over the years. But those experiences only reinforced how strongly I felt for my superior partner.

But over the past two years, to be blunt, things have been strained. Amer first stopped doing the little things - pillows, blankets, food, movies. I could deal with that if he kept me on time and running efficiently, and especially if I managed to get a free ticket out of the deal, but for two years, due to CRAZY restrictions on travel and changes to the loyalty program, there’s been no vacation trip. (Really? Do you think I’m going to take a three-leg, 12 hour flight to San Jose??? Am I worth nothing to you?) Just a cold, online booking interface that frustrates me to no end. And a promise to sock my friends and family with extra baggage charges whenever they bring their trip supplies.

So last weekend, instead of waiting around for Amer to meet me halfway, and after waiting around for months Amer to come to its senses on price or rewards, I did the unthinkable: I applied for a loyalty program with Southwest Airlines, and then I booked two flights on it.

And now, I have a vacation scheduled. For $450 ($300 less than Amer), I’m flying to Seattle in August to enjoy a lovely coastal retreat (my favorite kind). And while I’m not terribly excited to be traveling with a bunch of families on summer vacation, (I’m a travel snob now, what can I say…it’s no fun to be around crying babes or rowdy teens when you’re on a plane and wound tight. It’s just not.), I think there’s a lot to like about Southwest.

So Amer, I know we’ll be seeing each other around, and probably will even be hanging out sometime soon. But know this: it’s not the same. I’m through being that naive girl who waits expectantly for your gifts, only to settle for broken promises. I’m moving on. Southwest may not have your glamour, but it certainly makes up for it in niceness (how’s that for a word?) and appeals to my sense of frugality.

Plus, he’s offering that vacation flight way easier than you are.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Moral of the story? I FINALLY booked our week-long vacation! More expensive than I wanted — I was hoping to cash in free miles to cut the flight cost in half — but less expensive than it’s been looking for the past few months. I’ll let you know how Southwest’s Rapid Rewards program goes. I think more and more of us are going to be flying it lately.)

Carnival of Personal Finance #161: The “Feeling Renewed” Edition

kyle — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:36:39 +0000

Happy Monday and welcome to the 161st Carnival of Personal Finance! This week’s theme is renewal, because I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately. It’s been a central focus of my site, “The Budgeting Babe” since I started blogging in 2004 with a little savings, a lot of debt and a weakness for power shopping.

When I developed The Budgeting Babe, I did it knowing that my 20’s were a time for reinvention, the decade when I would officially “grow up” and define who I would eventually become. Today, going on 29, I’m happy to be a financially independent, fiscally fit (most days), free-spirited, fun loving woman. But while I’ve spent all this time reinventing myself in hopes of growing into a mature, financially savvy adult, it never occurred to me this week that rebirth, reinvention and growth never stop.

All around me lately, I see friends and family in the midst of change and fresh starts, most incredibly positive (new jobs, new roles as a mother or farther), yet some negative (foreclosures, layoffs). And in the midst it all, it has occurred to me that life is all about growth and renewal. Just because you’re fiscally fit today can’t predict who or where you’ll be in five years. Picking yourself up after a long slump, or reevaluating yourself to manage life’s changes are key to your ability to succeed financially.

On that note, here are my editor’s picks for the week:

So Sick of Debt announces that she’s DEBT FREE! Kudos! If anyone doubts the power of transformation, read about it here and catch the feeling.

Kim at Alpha Consumer was reading my mind this week. She published a great letter from a reader who lost it all, along with some great advice for starting over.

Amanda at Value for Your Life is deciding whether to reimagine the shape of her dreams.

Twiggers at In Debt Because I Like Nice Things has started a three part series on selling your stuff. Those of you thinking about starting fresh must read her exhaustive and helpful tips for sorting through your past life.

Young Black and Prosperous has hit a new milestone: she’s engaged! And she has the best savings plan ever for affording a wedding. Who cares how long it takes? They’re smart, young and in love.

Benjamin at Trees Full of Money offers planning tips to those expecting a new baby. Sort of a “What to Expect” for the PF community.

Enjoy the editor’s picks this week, but don’t stop there! Each category listed below features wonderful writing, thought-provoking articles and fabulous financial tips. It’s been an absolute pleasure hosting this week and I hope you enjoy the rest of the articles. Read on for more of this week’s best of PF blogging.

BUDGETING
My two cents: It’s never too late, or too early, to start a budget. If you’ve been thinking about it, today’s the day to start! And here’s some inspiration.

The Happy Rock has a pretty good breakdown of his financial hole. It’s interesting to read and compare strategies. I personally was shocked at the cost of day care!

Christine at Blue Jeans Millionaire does a great job of explaining all the factors to consider when choosing a health care plan. Wow, she’s through. And smart.

Pasadena Financial Planner recommends a few budgeting systems for you.

Curt at PennyJobs.com gives us tips for creating a budget.

Bob at Platinum Years Network wonders why we’re so sensitive to some kinds of spending, and so careless about others?

Jason, the Healthcare Economist, reviews a new budget tool.

Brice at Save and Conquer shares some details about corporate budgeting.

CREDIT
Up to your eyeballs in credit card debt? Figure out a plan to pay it back and start living again. For those starting out on their repayment journeys, here are a few great resources.

My Credit Card Blog offers an overview of the best credit reward programs.

Money Blue Book offers an intriguing overview of how credit card numbers are created.

Dana at Not Made of Money breaks out of the credit card loop.

Ask Mr. Credit Card gives his take on why store credit can be a bad idea.

DEBT

Can I Get Rich on a Salary investigates a woman who won’t pay off her debts.

ECONOMY
The news has been bad lately, hasn’t it? Our economy is due for a renewal, I think…

Nina at Queercents posts a thought-provoking piece on life in the exurbs.

Tim at Canadian Dream asks: Will high priced oil change the way business works in the future?

Emily at Taking Charge is finding the real world a little scary right now, and notes that consumers are cutting back on spending.

FINANCE

Anthoney at Help My Cash Grow notes that personal finance is all about attitude.

J. Money’s biggest financial vice is…bananas?

JS at Smart Money Daily shares the stories of billionaires.

MoneyMonks asks: Which would you prefer?

FRUGALITY
Lookng to reinvent yourself? Read about those who have discovered the benefits of the frugal life.

Blunt Money wonders if people who say “I have everything I need” ever really mean it.

Funny About Money notes the perks to living a rural lifestyle.

Chief Family Officer writes about coupon problems. Oh how we love to clip and save!

Passive Family Income just got a cashback credit card for gasoline. Interesting concept.

Sallie’s Niece figures she spend $900 on Gyros, and she’s done with ‘em!

Brooke at Dollar Frugal is totally right about obsolescence.

GradGirl finds a good use, and a good cause, for old bridesmaid dresses. Awesome!

Ashley from Wide Open Wallet reviews the inspiring “Go Green, Live Rich.”

Jamie at Cheap Healthy Good gives us three frugal rules she breaks, and three she lives by.

Finance Gets Personal sells some books on Amazon.

Sean at Financial Ramblings gives us a great overview of auto insurance. (I’ll be using this next week, when I buy mine!)

INVESTING
This is where I’d like to grow my knowledge. Maybe the Budgeting Babe will someday become a Dividends Diva!

Kyle at Amateur Asset Allocator asks, “Do stocks get less risky with time?”

The Dividend Guy spends some time reflecting on the fundaments of investing.

BrianMounts.com announces his monthly stock and ETF selections.

Andy at Saving to Invest reminds us to teach kids about investing.

MoneyNing wants us to keep investing, despite the news.

Megan at Counting My Pennies tells why the ladies need to step up their investing game.

Dividend Growth Investor analyzes AT&T.

Dividends4Life analyzes Eli Lily.

David at Make Cash Online Today is talking about FOREX trading robots, whatever those are.

I’m Not Cheap, I’m Fiscally Concerned is never watching CNBC again. Ever.

MONEY MANAGEMENT
Great advice here for those in search of a renewal of balance.

Living Almost Large ponders living large.

Aaryn at Sound Money Matters reminds us why we need a will.

Shannon at Saving Advice reveals her secrets to success.

Broke Grad Student shares why he hates cash.

Free From Broke deals with financial problems with loved ones.

Ron at The Wisdom Journal gives us 10 Commitments You Should Make for Your Own Financial Success… how wise!

The Financial Blogger tells us how to find a good financial advisor.

DJ at the Family Wallet shares details about insurance needs when you have a new baby.

RC at Think Your Way to Wealth offers tips for moving to the next financial level.

Madison at My Dollar Plan shares advice for your mid-year money check-up.

REAL ESTATE
Buying property? Then you’re in the midst of a financial reinvention! Read on and support your new goals.

Cheap as Chips helps us avoid the rental crisis.

Journey2Retirement asks: Is now a good time to buy a house?

RETIREMENT
For the ultimate rebirth: The day when you leave work behind and do what you’ve always dreamed of with your free time.

Henry at InsureBlog has the true story of one woman’s retirement planning dilemna, and how difficult it is to “get it right.”

Clint at Accumululating Money tells us how to retire comfortably with a Roth IRA.

Jay at Personal Finance Hacks compares 401k plans.

Dan at Everyday Finance looks at 401 asset allocation and shows what you can do to protect your nest egg.

Daniel at A Financial Life asks: How much do you save for retirement?

SAVING
It might not be a big deal for anyone else, but the day I opened a savings account with direct deposit was the day my life changed.

Jim at Financial Blueprint opened an HSBC savings account.

Sun’s Financial Diary finds a savings account with 4.7% APY (!).

SPENDING
Renewal is about a commitment to a larger goal, and baby steps help you get there. Cutting back on spending is one of those baby steps.

Lisa at Greener Pastures writes, “How are you affected by the power of suggestion? The answer might surprise you.”

Bob at Christian Finances and Debt Help shares a cool tool to help spend safely.

Shana at Smart Easy Money is spending her stimulus check, and won’t miss it.

Preet at Where Does All My Money Go says smoking a pack a day costs you… millions.

Our Fourpence Worth resists the urge to splurge.

Dorian, The Personal Financier, shares why buying groceries online is the way to go.

One Frugal Girl avoids full retail prices for 30 days…can she do it?

Tanesha at Personal Financial Analyst shares her love of Netflix.

…while Money Smart Life analyzes Blockbuster’s Total Access Pass.

TAXES

BeThisWay wants to know where his sales tax holiday is this year. Sales tax holiday? Are you kidding? Where do I sign up?

Free Money Finance tells us how to hire a good tax professional.

TRAVEL
Because we’re all in need of a good summer vacation to feel refreshed and renewed, I opened up a new category. It’s a little self-serving for me, but I eat these articles up!

Mighty Bargain Hunter scouts out newer, sneakier ways airlines give you a walletectomy.

I really appreciated this article by Student Scrooge on airline miles. Given all my travel issues lately, I found it very informative.

And that rounds out this week’s edition! If you didn’t make it in this week’s edition, it’s likely due to the cut-off time I had to implement this evening in order for me to get some work in. Your submissions will be considered for next week’s Carnival.

I hope you all have a fabulous week, and if you’re new to The Budgeting Babe, be sure to check me out from time to time.

Thanks to Flexo for being such an amazing PF steward. You rock.