True Confessions: Spending

SaleStruck!

I have a love-hate relationship with the word S-A-L-E. It’s my favorite sign in the department stores, and I go running to the racks whenever it’s in sight. It makes me happy to know my investigation of best bargain prices has ultimate rewards and I never have to pay full price. But is this stuff on sale stuff I really need?

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Been There, Lost That

A pre-Madoff ponzi story

I don't think Bernie Madoff could have conned me. Why? Been there, lost that. “Have I got a deal for you! Give me $2000 and you can make $16,000 in a few days.” That was the too-good-to-be-true promise made in 1995 when “gifting clubs” or “money clubs” were all the rage in Los Angeles.

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Viva Las Vegas

Want to hear a fable for the digital world? It happened in South Korea. A man died because he was so obsessed with playing games online that he forgot to eat or sleep. His heart gave up out of exhaustion and dehydration after many weeks in front of his keyboard. The story seemed so bizarre and far away, and yet it reminded me of Vegas.

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Dog Star XM supernova

Did you ever get one of those trouble-making presents—the kind that tease you with something new, but leave you hungry for something you didn’t know you craved? In my case, the present was a portable satellite radio transmitter. For the sake of this story, let’s call it Dog Star …

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City of Blinding Lights

Searchlights scanned the night sky as we approached the brightly lit Staples Center in Los Angeles, aglow in purple neon. We joined the throng threading their way across the downtown streets towards the U2 concert.

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Bulls Eye!

Two weeks ago, Target sent me a new credit card in the mail. They had raised my limit from $500 to $1,100. Oh, how I love Target! I save a bundle on my kid’s clothes, and it's also the place where I often spend too much money on things I don’t need. I love the cool designers associated with Target and the dog with the red bulls-eye around its eye.

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Diary of a College Student

This story is the first in a new series by a MoneyPants member who is a college senior. "A few weeks back, after a long day on campus, I checked my email and hit up several of my favorite websites, one being GavinDegraw.com. It’s the official website of a talented singer and my new man obsession, Gavin Degraw."

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Baby Steps

I never really understood my relationship with money until my world was shattered a few years ago. My husband was at a friend’s house. I was at home with my 7-year old son. While picking up leaves in my backyard, I got a phone call from a crisis intervention specialist who told me to go the nearest relative and wait for the next phone call.

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My Grandmother's Envelopes

MoneyPants members are sharing their stories with us and we're passing them along to you. Here's a lovely tale of how one woman is trying to reclaim the simplicity of her grandmother's financial life: "Credit cards and all the financial complications they bring weren’t around in my grandmother’s day."

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It Suits Me

My dearest friend was nominated for an Emmy and invited me to the show. Great! Except that I needed an outfit that was beyond black tie, something that would make me stand out. It’s a lot of work to look fabulous in L.A, especially for somebody like me, who usually wears T-shirt and jeans.

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