The Credit Monster

OMG, he did it. The Credit Monster (aka my husband) took my last credit card and made me cut it up. Yeah, I get it. I am supposed to be a cash budget. But, I really needed those shoes from Hautelook and the sweater from Ideeli. Oh, and the skirt. They were on SALE! I mean honestly, it’s more like I’m saving money, because I’m buying things on sale!

Alright, well I guess it didn’t help that the last few items I bought from these sites didn’t really fit that well. The oversized romper was way too long and made me look a bit like a clown, and the overstuffed taffeta skirt with black leggings did make me look a bit like a 5 year old ballerina.  So I GUESS I can understand why he doesn’t want me to online shop anymore, since I rip off all the tags and tear up the receipts, so no one can MAKE me return anything. What if I want to wear them at some point? Halloween? Christmas? The circus? You never know! The minute I return them, the minute the occasion for me to wear them will arise.

But this is all beside the point. The point is I NEED that credit card. It is like my baby blanket! If anyone ever tells you it will feel good to cut up your cards, they are WRONG. In fact, if this person is your friend, I suggest finding new friends. If this person happens to be your significant other, maybe try finding an alternative social security number, so you can open a new card without anyone knowing. That's what I'm going to try and do. Does anyone how to do this? Better yet, is anyone willing to barter for their social? I don't have any cash BUT I have some good clothes in exchange!!!

What is Mint?

The bane of my existence.

Mint the Monster

Friends, let me tell you. If anyone ever suggests that you should use Mint.com, I would suggest pouring a drink on their head. Mint.com has single handly ruined my life. Okay, that's a bit dramatic, but it has put a little rain cloud over my personal happiness.

How it works
Mint allows you to see all your balances and transactions together, on your computer or on your phone. How convenient! Mint also automatically pulls all your financial information into one place, so you can finally get the entire picture.

Alert! Your wife is spending!

Do you see why this is a problem? Mint allows my husband to see ALL of my purchases and transactions! Gone are the days of claiming a shirt was really on $20 or that I didn't have a hidden credit card. Gone are the days of pretending that I'm sticking to my cash budget, when I'm really purchasing things on the side. Gone are the days of sushi dinners and boutique shopping then smuggling in the clothes through the laundry basket. I'm not kidding folks. He sees EVERY transaction. Last Sunday, I didn't have enough left in my stupid cash budget to get my nails done, so I thought I could sneak it by on the credit card. Nope. By the time I got home he was already asking if I had, in fact, cut up all my credit cards. DAMN YOU MINT.

All I have to say is: Mint Mint go away don't come back another day.

Show me the Money

Today, on Good Morning America (a show that I will be on one day giving money advice- much like Becky did on "The Morning Coffee"), they did a whole series on recovering unclaimed funds.

MORE SHOPPING MONEY!!!!

So, when I got to work, I decided that I would claim all the money that was due to me. I thought there would at LEAST be a secret $500 waiting for me. I mean on GMA, they found unclaimed funds for 64% of the audience! Why not me?

Anyway, I went to the website to begin my search. NOTHING. Nothing came up for me. So then I had an even BETTER idea. I would search my husband! YES! I found that he had unclaimed funds! I figured I might not tell him that I found these funds, because, if you think about it he's too busy working to use them anyway. He'd probably put the funds into an investment account or something boring like that. Anyway, after all of that, he only had $34 of unclaimed funds. However, there is a very cute dress on ideeli right now that is only $39!

Down from $79! What a deal! Don't worry honey, I will make sure I buy you a gift too! With prices like this, how can I not?!

 

Lunch & Learn - Getting out of Debt

Today, we were invited to a lunch & learn at work, titled "Getting out of Debt". For normal people, this is a great topic and most likely very helpful. However, for people like me, I don't think it will ever sink in.

You see, I have already been to TWO seminars on how to live debt free and those didn't sink in very well because I am still in debt and STILL shopping. I can't stop myself!

Like yesterday, there was no need for me to buy a new skirt and sweater, but I did anyway. It made me feel better after that horrific interview. But there are days where I don't even need a reason. How come they never address the impulse side to getting out of debt? Sure, it's easy to see why getting back to black is good, but that motivation sucks. I'm sorry, it just doesn't work for me. How often does going cold turkey REALLY work?

So for now, I'm going to stay away from those seminars and figure out another way to break the additiction.

PS- I just Googled, "Young, Fabulous, & Broke" to put a picture on the blog of the book by Suze Orman, and the first FIVE sites that came up all related to shopping sites! Must be a sign :)

Shopaholic takes San Francisco

Hello! In an attempt to stop myself from buying that beautiful little pink dress that has been in Zappos cart for the past 3 hours, I decided I would start a blog! You see, I love to shop. I get such a rush from ordering new clothes or shoes and I really get a rush when I purchase something at the mall. It doesn't matter what it is, I just love buying. It could be something as simple as soap, but when I set my mind on that I have to have it, then I tend to go overboard. I don't just buy one type of soap. I have to buy 10. Then my mind wanders to body wash and shampoo, then to nailpolish, which leads to makeup, then to accessories, then to the mall to get a new pair of jeans that I HAVE TO HAVE RIGHT NOW! Next thing I know, my credit card has been charged $1,000 for a simple bar of soap.

So folks, that's why we are here now. Because I HAVE TO HAVE that pink dress but I can't. My husband will kill me. Before we were married, I could hide the shopping. I could pretend that I always had the dress or shoes or pants. Sure, he was a little suspicious and never really pushed the subject, but now he has VISBILITY into my bank accounts. Blasted joint accounts. One aspect of marriage I do not enjoy. However, my husband knows me well enough to know that we need joint accounts or we will soon end up on the street with nothing but fabulous clothes and shoes. Thus, I cannot buy the fabulous Betsy Johnson party dress. Even though I really need it. I have some type of party that I can wear it to, and as Rebecca Bloomwood (Shopaholic series by Shopie Kinsella) herself would say "then I will be the girl in the pink dress".

This is quite the conondrum.... This must be how addicts feel. My husband once told me that when I hear the word "mall" or "shopping" my pupils dialate and I get all excited and jittery. I can't help it! Who wouldn't get excited with the aspect of all those shops and clothes just waiting to be purchased by ME? I mean a new pair of crisp, dark, sparkle pocket 7's is my HEAVEN.

As I am writing this, I keep clicking back over to Zappos. I think I'm just going to go ahead and purchase that fabulous dress. It's calling my name! As the saying goes, "it's better to ask for forgiveness later".

Talk to you all soon!!!!!