Platinum!

As children we learn the colors. I don't know about other people, but as a child I was able to recall the name of every color the fine people of Crayola came up with. In a way, I guess you can say that as a kid my life was colored (mostly within the lines-sometimes outside of it) in shades of blue violet, bright red, burnt orange and the like.

Then, of course, I grew up.

My favorite color is still purple (or pink) but the outline of my life can no longer be filled by the pretty pastels. They are cute and all, but violet red and yellow green don't cut it anymore. Now I require colors that are not even that fun to look just because they are more practical.

My very first credit card was navy blue. I dont' rememeber who issued it or what the limit was, but I remember the card and it was navy blue and it was a problem solver of sorts. It solved problems in the following way: if I ABSOLUTELY HAD TO HAVE something, it helped me get it.

Fast forward about 13 years and the same remains true except that now the navy blue card is no longer blue. Now it's a funny shade of gray- manatee if you will. It helps me buy stuff but it pisses me off to owe money so I don't use it much. This card spends more time sitting in a drawer than it does in my wallet.

Oh but the others!
(and there are many others)

In an attempt to keep my expenses under control, the other day I had a talk with my financial advisor (my brother) about whether or not it was ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY to have a Platinum card. In my mind a card like that was an added expense. In his mind an investment. Knowing that I know very little about money, after listening to his dissertation on the economics of credit cards I relented.

All I have to say is THANK GOD! Even sitting in a drawer next to its lowly friend the blue card, that card works wonders!

The other day I had access to a bunch of AWESOME Madonna tickets just for having the card. The tickets came to me. No card physically required. Right now I could be sitting outside of an airport in 200 degree weather waiting for God knows how long until the fine people of American Airlines decide that it's time for our flight to leave. But I am not! I am sitting somewhere super awesome, with a glass of a yummy cabernet, free internet access, and have access to all kinds of goodies and fun stuff just for having the card.

I love the card.

But now I feel myself getting greedy...even if I don't ever use it or I get it as a fluke, now I want the Black card :)

Home Economics.

I may not be a stock broker or a super fancy Oppenheimer Wealth Manager. I am, however, the manager of my own personal wealth, the mistress of my checking account, the Buddha of my hard earned money.

When I was growing up, my parents were in the supermarket business. For a good ten years of our lives my brothers and I were stock boys, managers, cashiers, inventory clerks, accountants, etc because not only did we have to learn the value of the dollar by earning our allowance, but we had to learn our family's business because "you never know".

Lately, it seems like I've been spending a lot of time teaching people the importance of protecting their credit, paying their bills on time and when/where possible saving money. I am not a cheap person by any means but it bothers me to no end having to spend money unnecessarily. In supermarket speak this translates to: I buy my food with the credit card that gives me 5% cash back, I buy certain items generic (who needs to pay twice as much for Scotch Brite sponges?), I believe in sales items and I use manufacturer's coupons.

Say what you will but it's bad enough that I live in an area where the fine people of Publix feel the need to make everything twice as expensive just because they can. I find that unnecessary.

Yesterday I went grocery shopping with Vilma (the unofficial roommate). Before we left the house, I finished writing my list (because I ALWAYS make a list) and I grabbed all the coupons we needed for the items we were buying. Vilma laughs at me. She laughs at me a lot actually because she finds a lot of the things I do just a little weird.

"Ana, why do you iron your sheets?"
"Ana, why do you keep your cigarettes in the fridge?"
"Ana, why do you change your towels 3 times a week?"
"Ana, why don't you get all your cold cuts when you go food shopping instead of going to the supermarket every other day?"

The fact of the matter is that the whole way to the supermarket we had a deep discussion as to whether or not food coupons actually save you money or if that's just another tool supplied by society to make you look like an idiot in front of other people.

We did our shopping...caught a few items on sale...used our perfectly cut little coupons during check out...Manufacturer's Coupons: $18.50 Total: $152.86 You saved: $42.36

Not bad.

I didn't look like an idiot, I saved some good money and as if that weren't enough Vilma took me out to dinner because "I saved us 40 bucks".