Summer vacay on the cheap

Leonidas and I have been weighing our options regarding summer vacay. He's a notorious spender, while I'm a total cheapskate spendthrift. This would seem to be a good thing, as I would presumably put him on the "straight and narrow," and influence him positively to spend his money wisely. This isn't the case though, because Leonidas equates a deal to a cheap alternative to something better something too good to be true. At any rate, we've decided to go somewhere hot and fun and QUICKLY, because we only know his schedule a few days in advance. We've opted for Florida, and we're thinking Orlando. This means beach access, as well as some time at Disney and Universal Studios. It also means a few cocktails, some good food, and some cheesy souvenirs for Maxine, Danny, Cyd, and Calvin.

I'm envisioning our days starting something like this:

Followed by some of this:

And a lot of these:

And ending like this:

 

In short, I'm anticipating paradise. And between my parent's timeshare points, Allegient Airlines cheap fare, and the fantabulous company of the ever-entertaining Leonidas, it's sure to not disappoint!


Any suggestions from my fellow cheapskates spendthrifts on good deals down in Florida? (Too bad, Leonidas....my cheapness reigns supreme.)

Best Competition

Thanks to Patsy Collins again for posting a link to another fun competition. Here you can win a Best Western weekend break with just 300 words. If you go on their blog you can read some of the submissions including my own entitled 'Unwelcome Guest'. You only have until Monday but it's only a few words so - what are you waiting for?

"To SPEND or NOT to SPEND..." That is the question!!!

"Ms. Jackson, I work in sales and I just found out that I will be getting a $19,000 bonus for the last sales quarter!  I feel so blessed!  I don't really have that much debt to pay off BUT I have wanted to build a backyard deck.  About a year ago I got estimates for when I was ready and able to have it built.  The lowest bid was around $10,000.  I also wanted a surround sound system since I do a great deal of entertaining at my home.  I know during this economy I should save my money but I feel that I deserve to do something special for myself since I busted my butt last quarter.  What do you suggest?  Should I use my bonus to get what I want or should I bite the bullet and save it?  -  Ready to Spend, Union City, GA"

Dear "Ready to Spend,"

CONGRATULATIONS on your healthy bonus!  You are truly blessed and are obviously great at what you do.  It is also great that your debt is not so overwhelming that you have to use your bonus to pay it down or in full.

I will NOT tell you NOT to spend you money!  If  you are a spender and I tell you that you can't spend, you will feel deprived and may rebel and possibly spend more than you want or spend it all.  For example, I don't do Diets.  When I hear DIET, I hear DIE...deprivation.  When I feel deprived (and can't have a Big Mac), I rebel.  So instead of having a Big Mac once a month, I may have one once a week just so I won't feel deprived.  Same thing with money with Spenders!

I WILL tell you to apply your Spending Plan allocations to your bonus.  At the very least, take 5% of the bonus for your play money and get what you want and put the 95% of the bonus in a high yielding interest bearing savings or CD.

OR, if you are really inclined to build that desired backyard deck, put the bonus in a high yielding interest bearing account and use the money as collateral for a Secured Loan.  This will provide you the following benefits:

• No or Low Risk loan from a financial institution (easy or guaranteed approval & should you default on the loan, the financial institution can just take the money in the savings to pay it off ... you were going to pay cash anyway.  Just kidding.  DON'T DEFAULT!!!)
• You may get a below market interest rate (for example, 3.00% above the savings/cd rate ... 3.00% + 0.50% = 3.50% interest rate.  Shop around.  Credit Unions have competitive Share/Savings Secured Loan Rates)
• You'll have a positive trade reporting on your credit report to assist in improving your credit score
• When the loan is paid in full, you still have your money with interest

Although your funds may be held up during the duration of the loan, at the end of the day, you will still have YOUR MONEY!!!

Which ever option you choose, be wise about your decision and DO NOT spend all of your cash!  Cash is leverage, especially when your credit may be "colorful" and your "credit score" may not be as SEXY as you would like it to be.

My book, Financial Fornication, discusses "Spending Plan Allocation" to help ensure all areas of your expenses have the appropriate allocation of your net income.

Again, congratulations and enjoy your new deck or new sound system and growing savings account!!!

Get my book, Financial Fornication, for more helpful hints or contact me for further assistance at http://www.tarrajackson.com/.

Tarra Jackson
Financial Relationship Specialist
Author of Financial Fornication: Avoid Financial & Credit Dis-Ease
http://www.financialfornication.com/
Tarra@TarraJackson.com

* Do you have Financial Relationship questions? Submit your questions to Tarra Jackson for "Real Life Real Talk" answers to www.TarraJackson.com.

Haunted Chattanooga

I'm going to have to quit my day job soon or go crazy trying to juggle everything.  So here is the cover for my next book.  I had help with this one from Amy Petulla of Chattanooga Ghost tours.  She's absolutely brilliant and if you are ever in Chattanooga I would definitely take her tour.  Haunted Chattanooga will have some wonderful stories in it including:  the haunted Chattanooga Choo Choo, Old Green Eyes from Chickamagua,  A Quarry Ghost or Two, and the Ghosts of Lookout Mountain. 

Ridiculousness of the day

While perusing the news, I happened upon a few ridiculous headlines that I thought I would share with you:

Apparently, a fight brought out because of LINE CUTTERS at the Casey Anthony trial. Let me begin by saying how sick I think it is that people are treating a seat in the Casey Anthony trial as a fucking golden ticket you'd receive to Willy Wonka's mythical chocolate factory. As interested as I am in the trial, I don't treat a murder trial of a 2-year old as a circus sideshow. Perhaps that's just my own personal integrity and where my sense of morality has drawn a bright line in the sand, so to speak. No one was hurt, though. Too bad.

Anthony Weiner has received an offer from Larry Flynt of Hustler. I've not looked into the famous pictures that sparked Weinergate, and I'm pretty sure a full spread of Weiner's weiner would NOT sell. Especially considering THIS is what comes to mind when thinking of Mr. Weiner:

Apparently, Mr. Flynt has anticipated this, and wants to offer him some other kind of job. Flynt has reportedly written to Weiner, "I feel that your unfortunate resignation is a prime example of unfounded political pressure and the hypocrisy that has invaded democracy in Washington, D.C. I hope you will sincerely consider this offer, and I look forward to your response." While his resignation may have been because of political pressure, a lot of people are forgetting how Anthony Weiner smeared a blogger's reputation and accused him of hacking his twitter account (both serious allegations, especially coming from an elected official). He slandered someone. And for that, Mr. Weiner should pay. (That being said, I feel terrible for his pregnant wife. And his unborn child. Mostly for the scandal. Partly because of how unfortunate looking the unborn child will probably be.)

The Associated Press lists this as the leading line for a man recently convicted of murdering a 2 year old child: "An Oregon man has been sentenced to life in prison for killing his girlfriend's 2-year-old daughter in a brutal wrestling match."

LAST TIME I CHECKED, A TWO YEAR OLD V. A 230 POUND MAN WAS NOT A "MATCH." Also last time I checked, a 230 pound man who lacerated a child's liver, collapsed her lungs, and caused severe internal bleeding was not "wrestling" with the child. He was BEATING HER TO DEATH. Yes, he may have been using "ultimate wrestling moves," but he WAS.NOT.WRESTLING. He was beating her to death. May Kacy now have peace.

Thank God it's Friday.

Exam Time

Patsy Collins has posted a link for a competition asking for true stories about odd things happening in exams. As an exam invigilator this should be tailor made for me but I can't really recall anything that merits a 300 word story. I have a few observations about the experience but I don't think they fit the brief of the competition so I'll just share them with you here:

It never ceases to amaze me how many kids insist on bringing phones and iPods into the room (which they have to leave at the front) but don't think to bring pens or rulers etc.

I'm astounded that they are sitting A levels in stuff like physics and computing but if you ask them whether they are sitting in rows A to L or rows M to X they haven't a clue which side row F is in.

Geography students have trouble finding their way to their desks (or even getting to the correct room).

Maths students can't work out the finishing time for an exam which starts at one fifteen and lasts an hour and three quarters.

They have to bring a photo ID card and place in on their desk so that we can go round and inspect them after the exam has started. But since the photo was taken they've probably changed their hairstyle or hair colour, lost weight or had piercings so it's difficult to be one hundred percent sure. Even with the boys.

I wish young girls would stop asking me if I can lend them a rubber. I always make sure to call it an eraser when I ask for it back.

Are Snakes a Sign of a Haunting?

A reader sent me an interesting story a few days ago.  He is a writer and has been following the story of a house close to where he lives with great interest.  He wasn't entirely sure to make of events, but thought a haunting might be involved.  Apparently,  the house he has been following was the site of a double homicide a few years back.   A father shot his son and then himself.  Since that time the house has become infested with snakes.   New residents in the house have left the house, unable to live with the resident snakes.   The writer was wondering if I knew of any connection between ghosts, evil, and snakes.

Of course, Christianity has always linked snakes to evil and they are a sure sign Satan is near.  Ever since the serpent tempted Eve in the garden of Eden, snakes have been a symbol of evil in Christianity.  Infestations of many kinds are often indicative of supernatural activity and plagues of frogs and flies have been seen at haunted locations on prior occasions.  I am not entirely convinced snakes in and of themselves are a sign of the supernatural, however.

I found an interesting story in the newspaper this morning that was very similar to this writer's story.  A house was sold to a young family and they discovered it to be infested with garter snakes.  The family described the house as like "living in a horror movie" and like "Satan's lair."  They describe living in terror and having PTSD after living in the house.  They tried sueing the real estate agency that sold them the house since it was apparently well known that the house had a snake problem but it was not disclosed to them.  The prior owners didn't mind as much.  The law suit failed, but the cause of the snake infestation was well documtented by biologists.  Although the residents thought the house was evil, in truth it was built on the site of a hibernaculum.  This is a place where snakes gather in large numbers to hibernate during the winter.  In the spring and summer, the snakes travel and hunt, in the winter they gather in the same place for heat and spring breeding.  The house was built on a know hibernaculum and the snakes weren't going to change their lives for a few people.

So, could the snake infestation of the house with the double homicide be haunted?  I believe it is possible, but in the absence of other, more definitive evidence of a haunting,  it seems more probable that biology and not ghosts are haunting this house to me, although I love it when people disagree with me.