Out with the old.... In with the new....

On the left, our Jeep "at home" in the NC mountains will now be at home in the Virginia mountains.  

On the right, our new Honda Accord (photo courtesy of the seller) is ready for road trips!!!!

A month and a half ago, when we finally 100% committed to the University of Florida for dental school, Matt & I sat down at dinner & made our "pre-move to-do" list. At the time it was daunting, overwhelming & exhausting to look at everything that we needed to accomplish in a few short months. Probably the most stressful item on our list (after figuring out my work situation) was car-related.

You may remember our Camry tragedy from the fall. If not - I'll catch you up to speed: Our car died 2 hours away from home & was too expensive to repair so we cut our losses & sold the non-working shell. The end. We dropped down to being a one car family again, which works really well for us, & quite frankly, is our plan for the indefinite future. We were fortunate enough to have inherited Matt's parents' Jeep (the Camry was inherited from my folks) so we had a good, solid set of wheels. Not to mention Matt's 2 wheels (his bike!), which he rides to work every day & plans to ride to dental school in the fall. We're a "green" family :)

We knew that we'd need to invest in another more family-friendly/fuel-efficient car down the road, but for the time being, the Jeep was perfect for our life situation. We don't go on many long road trips from NC (like we used to do in the Camry), & the Jeep is a great "around-town" kind of car, plus it's fun for a young couple like us! We can easily pop our bikes on the back & be at the trails in 10 minutes.  We loved (still love) our Jeep.

As gas prices rose & the reality of our move to Florida set in, however, we realized that the Jeep may not be the best car for us going forward. We'll be just a few short hours away from my folks & we'd like to be able to go back & forth to Vero more regularly than we do now. We forsee lots more road time in the Jeep & although it's fun - it doesn't get great gas mileage & isn't the safest car on the road. Plus, we realized that we'd eventually like to have a family (now don't get too excited - we have to get Matt at least part way through school before we start thinking seriously about that!!!), & throwing a car seat in the back of a soft-top Jeep just wouldn't cut it. Add to that some pricey, routine maintenance that was coming up (it is a 1998, after all) & we decided it was time to say goodbye. ***Cue tears***

We resolved that instead of waiting until our family grew to buy a more "practical" car, we would see if we could sell the Jeep in NC where it may go for a higher price than FL (four wheel drive is probably more useful here than in flat Florida!) & buy a (new-to-us) used car pre-move. This was also spurred on by the fact that it costs a small fortune to bring a car into the state of Florida, so we wanted to arrive with our 'long-term' car instead of paying to register the Jeep in Florida & then doing it all over again in a year or two with a different car.

Whew. I'm getting long winded. Long story shorter.... after a thorough search, we ended up finding the perfect car to suit our needs. A 2005 Honda Accord that had only one owner (a nice middle aged mom), relatively low miles (55k), & was in great condition. A week ago, after our fair share of negotiating plus an inspection & tune-up at a local shop, we forked over the cash for this beauty & drove her home. The seller snapped our photo before we left & emailed to me:

The same night we brought home the Honda, Matt listed the Jeep on Craigslist. He told me that night "no one is going to pay (our list price) for this car." I had suggested starting high (we had negotiated on our Honda & brought the price down $600), & we'd be more likely to get to our goal price by starting higher. 12 hours later we had about 10 emails in our inbox. Needless to say, Matt was surprised.  Selling a car through Craigslist is certainly not as easy as trading in at a dealer or selling to Carmax, but we knew the car was worth more than what a dealer would give us (we had quotes from a local dealer & Carmax before listing on Craigslist) & for us, it was worth the hassle of dealing with potential buyers ourselves. Plus, we'd done it once before with our Camry, so we knew the ropes, so to speak.

Today, one week after listing, the Jeep drove away to it's new home. An older man from Virginia ended up buying our beloved Jeep for just $100 under our list price (so much for Matt's worries). He wanted a car he could put his dogs in & drive to his mountain house off the Blue Ridge Parkway. He also mentioned that his wife had a convertible & he wanted a car he could take the top off, too! We were happy to see the Jeep heading to such a good home. As for the price, we were ecstatic. When we listed the car, we'd hoped that at the end of the day we could walk away with at least $1k less then our list price (after negotiations, etc), but given the high interest level, we soon discovered that we'd priced pretty appropriately.

We had done our homework. Here are a few things we found to be helpful when buying/selling as a private party ... or as Matt suggested I title this post "How to Sell a Car in  (less than) Ten Days":

• Get Edmunds & Kelly Blue Book values on your car & set your price realistically. Your buyers will be looking at the blue book value, so you want to make sure you're in the ball park (with some cushion for negotiations). Be realistic about your car's condition. Keep in mind that for a car to be considered "excellent condition" -- it's probably pretty darn new.
• Take your car to a dealer/Carmax to see what the trade-in value would be. This can help set your floor & help in setting a price. If selling your car as a private party doesn't work, at least you know your options!
• Look at your Carfax to anticipate what buyers will be looking at & be ready to explain any thing from the Carfax that may reflect poorly (e.g. accidents, liens on the car, etc). No need to create negotiating opportunities down the road. Disclose! Disclose! Disclose! It's good for not only the buyer, but an honest seller avoids surprises that may end a potential deal down the road.
• To further that point -- disclose everything you know to be wrong with the car upfront so as not to create a negotiating opportunity for buyers down the line. I know this sounds counter-intuitive, but that helped us bring down the price on the Honda. After having it checked out at a shop pre-purchase (for which we footed the bill), we were able to get the seller to bring down the price for some necessary repairs. Had she told us upfront (in her defense, some of the things she wouldn't have known), she may have avoided this discussion all together.
• Put a ton of photos online so as to weed out potential buyers who wouldn't be interested after seeing some of the car's less endearing qualities. For us - that meant advertising our Jeep's rust & wear & tear that is to be expected on a 13 year old car instead of having them show up to look at the car & then decide they weren't interested. In the end, you don't want to show your car to everyone & their mother, so it's best to only deal with serious buyers. Value your time.
• Have a bill of sale ready with appropriate clauses to protect both yourself and the buyer (very important - that you are selling the car in "as is" condition!). Keep a copy for yourself & give one to the buyer. It's not required, but it's a helpful document to have in your files. (You can download samples online; I relied on both my dad & Matt's dad to help draft one).
• Be clear on payment upfront. We were paid in cash for both the Camry & the Jeep, but we actually paid using a certified check for our Honda at our seller's request. It's also nice if you can deposit the cash at the same time you're signing over the title (to make sure your buyer's not into any funny business). Our bank doesn't charge to notarize for bank customers, so we could do both at the same time.
• Make sure to know the process with your insurance company / bank / DMV / etc. Each state is a little different, so have whatever paperwork they require ready to go! You never know when a buyer may give you a ring!!! Know the process before you list your car! No need to scramble at the last minute.
• If you are a buyer, know the registration/title fees, taxes, any changes to your insurance rates, etc. before you shop around. Your budget may be a lot smaller after accounting for all of those costs. If you're buying from a dealer -- the fees skyrocket even more. For example, one dealer wanted to charge us a $499 "dealer fee". Most dealers have these fees, but the amount can vary.
• Furthermore, if you plan on registering a car in another state in the near future, get to know that state's registration rules, taxes, etc. For our Honda, Florida's fees & taxes added over $1100 to our car budget on top of what we're paying in North Carolina! Ouch.

Although it all happened pretty fast (Matt got an email this a.m. & within 3 hours, the buyer was in our driveway), we were ready. It was a lucky coincidence that Matt had the day off work today, so all I had to do was drive with him to the bank to sign over the title & make a stop at the DMV on the way home to turn in our tags. He even did all the negotiating & stood his ground on our price! I'm so proud.

So there is the story of our cars. I doubted that anyone would be all that interested, but when we bought our Honda last week, I posted a photo on facebook & had 2 folks ask if I'd blog about it... so this is for you, Andrew & Emily!

Life for Less: Save Save Save

A friend of mine (we'll call her "J") sent me an email in mid-December asking for advice on how to "save save save" (her words... & I love 'em!) as she & her hubby are saving up for grad school, a home & trying to pay down student loans. They've started a little nest egg, but are looking for new (& maybe creative ways?) to stretch their savings.

At the time J emailed me, I was absolutely slammed both personally & professionally, but now that I have a few minutes, I figured it would be good to share with her & the rest of y'all, as well. Also, in keeping with my New Year's Resolutions, I am not going to apologize for my lack of Life for Less postings (remember, blog = hobby), but I do realize it's been awhile.

{Warning: This is way long....so if you don't have time to read it now, maybe scan now & bookmark for later!}

Let's start with some Dos & Don'ts. Some of this will sound elementary, but it's always good to return to the basics, especially when your primary goal is to increase your savings. In fact, it's really quite simple. It just takes some action.

1. Do take your time! (a.k.a. Don't rush into major purchases or life decisions, for that matter). No matter what you are saving for, make sure you give yourself some time to do adequate research, vet your options, & most importantly, pray about your decision. Matt knew when he graduated from U of I in 2007 that he didn't want to be an architect & he thought dentistry might be the right career fit, but before he jumped back in school he took an entire year to make sure he was serious, shadow dentists, pray about it with me, work, & save up. We try to take that approach to all decisions -- financial/school or otherwise. If you're rushing into to something, there is a chance that down the road you'll have "buyer's remorse." When it comes to major life and financial decisions (think house, car, babies, pets, etc....) take your time. Plus, you'll appreciate it more if you (a) are sure you're ready, (b) can afford it & (c) waited patiently for it! As my momma says, "Patience is a virtue, dear."
2. Don't be dishonest! Don't save by cheating elsewhere. Not a good habit to get into. Just sayin'. What do I mean by this? Welp, since we moved to North Carolina, Matt has done yard work, handy work, & various odd jobs in addition to his regular 9-5 & school gig. It would be easy for us to "forget" to claim this income on our tax return since he's paid in cash & there isn't a paper trail. In fact, I've heard some of my really bright friends tell me "I don't have to pay taxes because I'm paid in cash." Now, I don't believe my friends are inherently dishonest so I'll give 'em the benefit of the doubt. The truth of the matter is, just because you don't have an employer who withholds federal, state & payroll taxes on your behalf doesn't mean that you don't still owe them. Think about it - if you're claiming deductions from your income (e.g. itemized or standard deduction) or credits against your tax (e.g. first time homebuyer credit, education credits, etc.), is it really fair for you to electively omit your income? I don't think so. Nor does the IRS, so if you're employing this strategy, I'd recommend praying you don't get audited. All the law-abiding, tax-paying citizens will appreciate your honesty. Promise.
3. Do GIVE! I truly believe that your savings & giving habits start early. So for young couples, look for opportunities to be generous, because it'll be hard to redirect your giving tendencies down the road. It's easy to make excuses as to why you can't give ("We're paying off loans," "We're saving for school, a home, etc," or the classic "We don't make enough."), but I'd encourage you to take a look at your current situation & reevaluate whether your "excess" could bless someone in need. Most of us enjoy lots of little luxuries, and if we cut back a bit, we could find ways to give regularly to our churches, sponsor a child, & support any "cause" that you believe in! Matt & I have made a commitment that as long as we have an income, we will give. And we have been blessed one thousand times over & have never thought at the end of the month, "if we hadn't have written that check, we could have done X, Y, or Z." I don't tell you that to boast, but to encourage you & demonstrate that it is entirely possible to be generous no matter what your circumstances are! 
4. Don't neglect retirement savings! Yes, I know we're young & retirement seems ages away, but it is never too early to start. You are ultimately responsible for your retirement & an early start will help your retirement savings compound many times over. From a practical perspective, if your employer matches your contribution to your 401(k), at least put enough in to get the full match (for both of my former employer & current employer, I need to put in at least 6% to get the full match). I'd recommend putting at least 10% into a retirement account (401(k) or IRA). Further, I'd recommend that if you have the option, put it in a Roth IRA or 401(k). Why go Roth? You contribute to traditional 401(k)s and IRAs (that's "individual retirement accounts") on a pre-tax basis. That means what you put into the account is excluded from your income until you begin withdrawing (a.k.a. in retirement). At that point, you pay taxes. You contribute to Roth IRAs & 401(k)s, on the other hand, on a post-tax basis. So you'll have to include the income you contribute in your taxable income the year you contribute but the bonus is that your distributions are tax free. So if you anticipate being in a higher tax bracket in retirement (which is what I'm assuming for purposes of this recommendation), it's advisable to pay the taxes now (e.g. Roth) at your presumably lower rate. Don't have a Roth 401(k) option at work? Put in enough to get your employer match, and then put the balance of that 10% (or more!) in a Roth IRA.
5. Do consult your spouse! Self explanatory, right? If it was really that easy, then why do you think so many marriages end in divorce? In fact, a huge source of marital strife for most couples stem from finances! Be on the same page. For us, that means that we consult one another before any major purchase ($50+).  I'd venture to say that nailing down your financial philosophy before you tie the knot is a "must-do." Don't wait until you've said "I do" before deciding how you'll handle your money in marriage. We live by the philosophy that "what's yours is mine," & leave everything comingled (besides our separate retirement accounts at our respective employers). I have a hard enough time keeping track of our joint finances that separate would throw me for a loop, but if being accountable to your spouse for all of your spending eeks you out a bit & you want to maintain some level of financial autonomy, maybe set up individual bank accounts in addition to your joint account where you each get a little "fun money."
6. Don't forget to indulge in a few favorites! You are going to think we are the cheapest people on the planet after you read the rest of this post, & although we may be in the running, I can assure you, we do allow some wiggle room for things we enjoy. For us, that's travel, our camera (our biggest splurge to date), seeing family, our health, good running shoes, education, steak or fresh fish for dinner on occasion, Tide detergent (it's expensive, but I love it) & giving (in no particular order). Many 20somethings want the same standard of living as their parents, but they forget that it took their folks 20-30 years to save up & establish the lifestyle they currently enjoy. Take your time. I'd rather have a healthy retirement account, a modest home, the ability to pay for our kids college & little or no debt by the time I reach my parents age instead of having a big screen TV, fancy car, & clothes I'll wear only once now. Your sacrifices will be totally worth it & you won't even notice them once you make room in your budget for a few splurges (emphasis on "few") & stop comparing your situation to everyone else. Truth be told, your friends with all of the toys may be drowning in debt.

Okay. Now that we have some ground rules laid out, here are some really simple ways to trim your budget & boost your savings. We've implemented all of these at one point or another, & we really don't feel deprived at all! We've foregone some "extras" so that we can give generously, establish an emergency fund, save for retirement, dental school & a future home, & still enjoy a few little luxuries along the way.

• Cancel your premium cable. Drop down to basic or get a pair of rabbit ears! You'd be amazed by the savings! If you primarily watch the major networks, you probably won't even notice.
• Cancel your internet. I know this sounds extreme, but we did this for 2 years in Chicago & we spent so much more time together! Both of us had internet at work & if we needed to get online at home, we went to the library, and kept our internet sessions pretty brief.
• Drop down to a basic phone plan. Our total monthly Verizon phone bill (that's for 2 lines) runs about $70 a month. We don't have text or data on our plan, so when we want to chat with our friends or family, we pick up the phone. If you have a land line, consider ditching it & using just cell phones.
• Line dry your clothes. Almost all of our laundry is air dried (we make a few exceptions for towels & whites). Give it a try! Your clothes will last longer, your sheets will be crisper & your electric bill will be lower! If you're worried about wrinkles, just pop your clothes in the drier for a few minutes, pull them out when they are damp & warm & hang 'em up immediately.
• Change your air filter. It'll improve ventilation, trap some of those nasty allergens & improve your HVAC efficiency (a.k.a. save you $$$).
• Open the windows. We keep our energy bills in check by opening the windows & turning on our ceiling fans in mild weather. Resist the urge to turn the A/C on at the first sign of an uptick in temp. Nothing beats fresh air.
• Turn down the heat. The flip side to opening windows...in the winter, adjust the heat when you leave. We've also done this with our hot water heater when we leave for an extended vacation. We don't turn it off (don't want the pipes to freeze), but we'll dial it down a bit.
• Trim your entertainment budget. To give you an idea, we budget $40 a month for entertainment (that includes any meals eaten outside of our home, movies, ball games, etc). Most months, we spend a few bucks at Redbox. We have friends over for dinner, play games, go to cheap/free events at UNC, hike & bike on the weekends for fun. We have a great time!
• Bike or take public transportation to work. Matt rides his bike to work & will take the bus to school next year. (I work off a major highway, so unfortunately, biking is not in the cards for me). He gets his exercise, & we save more than just gas money. Plus, his bike ride allows us to.....
• Be a one car family. My in-laws did this for years & I know several people who have made it work. For 3 of the last 4 years, we've survived on one car without any major inconveniences. On the rare occasion you need two cars, you can borrow or rent!
• Brew your own coffee & pack a lunch. We've never paid for lunch (or coffee) since we started working & we've probably saved thousands over the past 3.5 years. I'm not exaggerating. I've done the math. It takes a little planning when you go to the grocery store, but it's easy peasy & probably way more nutritious than whatever fast food you pick up.
• Meal plan. I've blogged about this before, but it really & truly helps you keep down your grocery budget. You buy what you need, avoid impulsive stuff you wouldn't normally buy anyhow, & save a few pennies (especially when you plan your meals around sale items at the grocery store).
• Coupon. This post says it all.
• Go easy on the electronics. We're still rocking the same laptops & TVs that we had in college. We're due for an upgrade (our TV is getting to be a bit fuzzy & our 2003 Dells are about to kick it), but we made sure to get our monies worth out of these relatively major purchases. We get our basic phones for free every 2 years & our only "sophisticated" gadget is our camera.
• Put yourself on a shopping diet. As in, don't do it. For me, that means not putting myself in front of temptation (a.k.a. the mall). I have tons of clothes, & I pride myself in getting compliments for outfits from the archives! When I receive monetary gifts (thanks, Gram!), I'll treat myself to a little shopping trip, but I limit it to the amount of the gift. I find that I get a little shopping "high" when I buy something, but that it usually wears off after wearing my new outfit one time. 
• Cut down on primping. Cut your own hair (like Matt), or have your mom cut it (like me). Or check out a beauty school in town (Aveda has great schools) where you can get a cheap cut or color by a supervised student. I'm pretty simple when it comes to beauty - I've never dyed or permed hair (too annoying & expensive to keep up), I refuse to pay $40 for someone to cut my hair in straight line, & mani/pedis are definitely only for special occasions (as in, I've had 3 in my lifetime).
• Graciously accept hand-me-downs. A lot (as in most) of our furniture, as well as both of the cars we've owned, were handed-down by family & friends or purchased on Craigslist. Of course I drool when I flip through a Pottery Barn magazine, but I also adore our "well-loved" pieces. I'd rather save up for the "good stuff" down the road & enjoy our hand-me-downs (which also frequently get compliments!) for the time being!
• Consider "alternative" gifts to your special someone.  We don't exchange birthday, Christmas or Valentine's gifts. Gasp! It started after we got engaged & were saving for a honeymoon. We decided to forego Christmas gifts that year so that we could splurge on a few things on our honeymoon. We've kept the tradition going & I'll admit, I breathe a little easier when the holidays come around because I don't have to dream up a gift for Matt (he is impossible to shop for) & viceversa. We opt instead for "gifts" that we need or want. One year we "bought each other" some sweet North Face sleeping bags, last year we bought our camera, & this year we're planning on getting a new computer.
• Negotiate. My brother-in-law is the poster child for this (cars, jewelry, mattresses, appliances). He's not afraid to negotiate & we've learned from him & developed some confidence in this "art," as well. In fact, Matt talked down our landlady in our monthly rent without even breaking a sweat. When you're facing a major purchase, see if you can get the price lowered, more preferable terms, etc. If you are willing to walk away from a purchase & the seller sees that they might genuinely lose your sale, all of the sudden your price & terms become a whole lot more flexible. Give it a try.
• Pick up the phone. I am not afraid  to pick up the phone & call a manufacturer (or email or write them) if a product doesn't live up to my expectations. I've done it for everything from our car to some "natural" deoderant that gave both Matt & me a rash (got a $5 check in the mail after taking 2 minutes to fill out a complaint on the internet). I'm really polite about it & usually the company will reimburse me, send me a replacement, or at the very least give me a "good job" for trying.
• Roadrip & Camp. Want to travel? Need to do it on the cheap? Campsites usually run less than $20 a night & at typical hotel rates, you can sleep for a whole week for the price of one night in a hotel! and Visit amazing places! Breathe fresh air! Truly "disconnect from it all." Okay, maybe we're just crazy outdoor lovers, but seriously, it's awesome. and cheap. and opens up a whole new world of destinations that you couldn't or wouldn't afford as young, broke travelers.
• Get a library card. I could not have kept up my 2-4 books a month habit in Chicago without my library card. If you read the book, love it & truly think you'll read it again then buy it. Otherwise, don't feel guilt about returning to the library that book you just couldn't get into because you didn't pay a dime!
• DIY. From Christmas cards to home decor, I'm a DIY dabbler. You can create the look you're looking for on the cheap if you're up for the challenge. There are tons of DIY blogs out there, so I won't bore you with my DIY-tales.
• Rethink your gym membership. Although I'm ready to rejoin, our 2 year gym hiatus saved us somewhere between $1500 and $2000. If you live somewhere where you can exercise outside all year round, or if you have space in your home to workout there, or if you pay for a gym you never visit - maybe it's time to take a break from the gym (note: I did not say stop exercising! see the next bullet point).
• Take good care of yourself. Exercise, a healthy diet, and preventive health care are more than good for your body. They're good for your pocketbook. 
• Don't overinsure. If you are like us and have minimal health care costs right now, consider high deductible health insurance coupled with a health savings account. No need to pay for a cadillac health insurance plan when you only go to the dr. for routine physicals.  In fact, your high deductible plan may even cover routine preventive care 100% (ours does!). For other health care costs, although your deductible will be high (which means you are responsible for your health care costs up to your deductible instead of paying a small copay when you go to the doctor), you can sock your premium savings in a tax deductible health savings account! Your employer may even make a contribution to your HSA as a perk of selecting a HDP. Then when you do have a medical bill to pay, you've got the money set aside. As your family grows & your health care costs rise, consider making the switch out of the high deductible plan.
• Marry an accountant. That friendly tip was courtesy of the Mister. He's a pretty smart man.

If you read through this entire post, I commend you. It took me a whole lot more than the "few minutes" I had when I got started (in fact, this post was developed over the course about a week). If you want more personal finance resources, check out these great web sites:

• The AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants) has an excellent consumer education site called 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy. No matter what stage of life you're in, 360 will help you make sound financial decisions.
• FeedThePig.org is also the brainchild of the AICPA, which was created to help 20somethings "think about your spending and saving habits, identify ways you can start saving and commit to making changes that will reduce your debt and grow your savings." You'll find a lot of savings tips (probably some repeats of the ones above), & tools to help you get started.

Happy saving!

Sorry.... My anal retentive side is telling me this is necessary: Circular 230 Disclosure: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, I inform you that any U.S. federal tax advice contained in this blog is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code, or (ii) promoting, marketing, or recommending to another party any transaction or matter that is contained in this document.

Life for Less: Coupon Convert

Months ago, I blogged about how Matt & I save $$$ on our weekly grocery bill. In that post, I mentioned that I'm not much of a coupon-er. I had lots of excuses, but thankfully, my sister's dear friend, Amy, swooped in to set me straight. You see, Amy is extremely coupon-savvy, not to mention super smart (she just submitted her final dissertation for her PhD in chemical engineering! Congrats, Dr. Amy), so y'all should listen up!

Amy not only commented with some helpful tips (you can see her comments at the bottom of this post), she also challenged me to try out couponing to see if it worked for our family. a.k.a. She hooked me up with a ton of coupons (see visual above). Amy asked me to send her a list of 10-20 nonperishable items that we normally buy, & then she sent 100+ (already clipped) coupons so I could try it myself! I heeded her instructions, which she graciously sent via email, & I was ready to go!

The timing couldn't have been better -- the very week she sent me my coupon-care-package, Harris Teeter was having a doubles week. What does that mean? They were doubling any coupon $1.50 or less! Score! On our first trip, Matt & I walked away with a cartful of groceries & savings of nearly $50 ($19 of in store savings & $30 of coupon savings)! We were particularly proud that we brought home at least 4 free Vitamin Waters ($2 Vitamin Waters + $1 doubled coupon = free!) . Incidentally, Harris Teeter doubles any coupon $0.75 or less everyday. Talk about useful knowledge!

I'm still using some of the coupons that Amy sent (2 months later!), and I'm paying more attention & clipping more coupons of my own. It does take some time & a little extra work, but the savings can be substantial. To me, that makes it totally worth it.

How can you get in on this $$ saving action? I don't claim to be an expert just yet ;), but I recently stumbled across an article from Dave Ramsey about couponing & I think he covers the basics pretty well. One of the most valuable tips Amy gave me was to combine coupons with store sales. That means when Kashi is on sale at my grocery store, I should pull out my coupons (I have quite a few, courtesy of Amy) to combine with the in-store specials & stock up. Also, I do most of my shopping at Tar-jay, and Amy enlightened me that Target will allow you to combine manufacturer coupons with their store coupons (which you can print on Target's website). Now that's what I call a sweet deal!

In addition to Dave's article, these sites can be super helpful. Check 'em out:

• Southern Savers 
• Totally Target

Thank you, Amy!!!

Life for Less: Still Time to Buy!

Saw this in the IRS's news & thought of my house shopping friends out there...

Closing Deadline Extended to September 30th for Eligible Homebuyer Credit Purchases

Eligible taxpayers who contracted to buy a home, qualifying for the first-time homebuyer credit, before the end of April now have until Sept. 30, 2010 to close the deal; the Internal Revenue Service announced on Friday.

I'm planning on covering renting vs. buying in a future post (we're renters for the indefinite future)... but for those that are shopping, this is great news!

Life for Less: Where's your treasure?

{Where your treasure is...there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21}  

I read a lot personal finance press: one, because it's a job requirement & two, because I'm actually kind of into it. I found two articles this week that really resonated with our personal finance philosophy & got me thinking about how & if our values are reflected in our finances.

Does your checkbook reflect what is most important to you?
The inflation threat is real (this article is about lifestyle inflation)

I think it's a noble challenge to consider what your values are and then assess whether your personal financial situation reflects those values. What we say we value is validated by our actions. Here's some food for thought...

What is most important to you? 
It's not my job to pass judgment on your values or your spending (that's your business), but you need to be honest with yourself. Where do your dollars flow? Are you foregoing retirement savings so that you can have the latest & greatest iWhatever? Are you living off of credit cards, but spending like you have a load of cash in the bank? Do I think you're morally depraved just because you have cable or like to eat out? Not at all!! Nor am I suggesting that it's selfish to enjoy the fruits of your labor... I'm just challenging you to think about where there may be excesses, what you truly 'need,' & if you really spend according to your values.
Do you value truthfulness? 
I think we would all say "of course!" Really? Here's an example -- do you report & pay taxes on all of your income? Just because your employer doesn't withhold, doesn't mean you don't have a tax obligation (that means the cash from your nannying, yard work and tutoring jobs is taxable & you should be reporting it). If we're honest with ourselves, we may find that we are quick to excuse or ignore our own personal un-truths.
Do you value generosity?
This is an interesting question especially in the context of a Christian community, where we are called to give and care for the oppressed. Even if you don't make your personal finance decisions based on your faith, you may say you're charitable or philanthropic, but do you actually live like that? Do you cry out about the injustices of the world, but then fail to step up to the plate in order to do something about them? I've heard folks say, "we'll give when we start making more money." Really? If you aren't faithful when you have a little...will you be faithful when you have a lot?

Bringing it home...
Matt & I made the decision to live simply in order that we might live out our values financially. That means over the course of our marriage we've foregone frivolous spending and redefined 'necessities' so that we can meet our financial goals. Do we always do a perfect job? No. Do we expect everyone else to share our financial values? Certainly not. Is our life less fulfilling even though we rarely go shopping or eat out, line dry our clothes, have hand-me-down furniture & a TV that's not high-def, only pay for basic cable, drive used cars, read library books, eat leftovers, rent a modest (but cute) apartment, pack our lunches, don't belong to an expensive gym and have cell phone plans that don't include texting? Not at all! If anything, these 'sacrifices' have allowed us to do amazing things like pay for all of Matt's schooling over the past 2 years without dipping into our savings once, continue to give, save for retirement, travel to some beautiful places (often in our tent!), and splurge every once in awhile for something that's important to us (like our new camera). I know there will be a day when we buy ourselves a new couch, upgrade our  TV, and move into a home of our own, but until then, we are content living simply....

How about you? Are you satisfied that your finances align with your values? Or is it time for some self reflection?

Life for Less: How to feed 2 hungry adults on a meager budget

I know ... I know... It's been ages since I last blogged, but in my defense, life has been crazy. I've been a busy bee at work. Matt's been buried in the books, finishing the last of his pre-reqs for dental school (he took his last final today...yippee!!!). When he's not studying & I'm not working, we've been out & about trying to enjoy the beautiful Carolina spring. Lots of wonderful visitors, baseball games, bike rides, little photo trips, etc. I enjoy blogging, friends, but I will never blog in lieu of work / sleep / or most importantly ... play! I also realize I haven't posted any life for less tips since ... well tax time. Oops.

Now to the important stuff.... I want to introduce you to one of my favorite things. Well, actually 2 of my favorite things:  

Matt put the little red guy in my stocking our first Christmas. He found it at my favorite shop in Oak Park, Papersource. The man knows his wife. I loved being able to keep a checklist of all of our grocery items over the course of the week. Made our weekly trips to Tony's (our favorite grocery store of all time in N. Riverside) so much more....organized & efficient! We were nearing the end of our little All Out Of notepad here in N.C. when I found the yellow What to Eat Knock-Knock pad at Anthropologie! (Sidenote: Sadly, this is pretty much the only item I could afford at Anthropologie. I usually just window-shop). In college, my roommate Jenny had this little piece of planning heaven & I always envied her weekly menus. Imagine my happiness stumbling across one of my favorite things!  Okay, before you tune me out  as a planning weirdo, let me explain myself.

Probably our largest spending category after our monthly rent is our food budget. We live pretty active lifestyles, which lends to pretty healthy appetites. Translation: we eat a lot. If a recipe states meal for 4, I can usually plan on it feeding us for one night. We also like delicious, whole, fresh foods... & the produce & fresh meat/seafood aisles aren't the cheapest destinations in a grocery store (Tony's is the exception). We could easily spend a small fortune on our food budget, so we've had to learn how to reign it in.

Here's what we've learned. It's really just common sense, but when you live by these little spending/budgeting/planning guidelines, you can save big bucks:

1. Plan, plan, plan! When we moved to North Carolina we marveled at the novelty of having a grocery store across the street. We could do little trips throughout the week. That ended when I started evaluating our grocery bills. Wowza. We were buying things we didn't need & our more frequent trips translated to a poorer planning & bigger bills. Meal planning has probably been the most significant way we've taken control of our food spending.... I sit down once a week with our recipe box, laptop (the blog world provides an endless supply of dinner ideas), cookbooks & weekly grocery ads. With the help of my hubs, we plan out our dinner menu for the week, building in leftover nights & planned dinners out (which are few & far between). We've found that we eat better/more creative meals + we stretch our dollar when we put our knock-knock pads to work and plan it out. You won't often find us staring at the fridge/pantry wondering What the heck are we going to eat tonight? 
2. Shop the sales! Duh, right? This really should be a step ahead of #1. If salmon is on sale, you better believe that we're eating fish that week. Pork shoulder....yummy pulled bbq pork. When our favorite granola bars or cereal go on sale, I've been known to stock up. I've found Southern Savers to be a useful online quick check for our local grocery stores sales (if you don't have their weekly flyers or ads on hand). You can also go ca-razy & get into couponing, but I haven't really been able to take advantage of couponing on a consistent basis so I won't comment on that. We don't have a printer at home so I can't print all of the great online coupons, and we don't get the newspaper. When I do get flyers in the mail, I'll clip a few coupons, but I try to stay away from clipping things we'd never buy in the first place. I don't need to spend money on something we wouldn't normally eat or buy.
3. Eat through the pantry! Unless it's an every day kind of food item that you eat through pretty quickly (for us, that would be granola bars, cereal, frozen fruit, or chicken breasts), don't buy unnecessary or excessive quantities of any food item. (EVEN IF THEY'RE ON SALE). Our 'pantry' at our last apartment was one measly drawer and we managed just fine. In fact, we spent less b/c we didn't buy food we didn't plan on eating that week. 
4. Make it yourself! Pre-made anything tends to be a rip-off and it's usually not as good as the real deal. Skip the rotisserie chicken & buy a little fryer at 59c a pound ... Make your own pot pies instead of buying the frozen variety... Make your own mixes (brownies, biscuits)... Chop your vegetables ... The possibilities are endless. When you buy convenience food, you pay a premium. I'm not saying we always start from scratch (in fact tonight we ate one of my favorite recipes ... this fake it, don't make it key lime pie), but when we do, we rarely regret it.
5. Dinners out are for special occasions! We haven't had the luxury of eating out very often. We've made it a habit to reserve dinners out as splurges for special occasions. Why? Because when we've sat down & evaluated our priorities financially, Friday night dinners out didn't make it to the top of the list. We'd rather splurge on a vacation or put those pennies towards paying for school without going into debt (mission accomplished, so far). When we do go out, it's a treat.
6. Pack a lunch! I worked in the big city for two years without ever going out for lunch on my own dime. I probably ate better, more nutritious lunches than my coworkers, & I saved a bundle. Now, I'm not saying you have to be that crazy stringent, but limit yourself. Lunches out cost let's say an average of $6-8 a pop. For a couple, that translates to $80+ a week! That's more nearly 3/4 of our weekly food budget and we haven't even talked breakfast or dinner! My favorite part about #6 is that I'm not the lunch-maker in our household. Matt graciously & faithfully makes my lunches every morning. God bless him.
7. Kick your Starbucks habit! Buying & brewing your own beans saves you big bucks. Amen.

There you have it folks. The McA's recipe for How to feed two hungry adults on a meager budget. Bon appetit!

Life for Less: Love Chile. Love Haiti.

Quick update re: Charitable Contributions for Chilean Earthquake Relief (from The Hill 3/10/2010):

"The House approved legislation that allows individuals to claim donations for earthquake relief to Chile on their 2009 tax return. Normally, these contributions would be claimed on the 2010 return since they were paid this year.The measure also extends donations to victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Donations made prior to Apr. 15 for either cause can be deducted on 2009 tax returns."

{Show some love to our brothers & sisters in Chile/Haiti}

Life for Less: Suggestions?

I have lots of ideas for my life for less series, but since I'm writing this for my friends & I hope that my little bit of experience in this area can help a 20something handle their personal finances with confidence, I'd love to hear if any of y'all have any specific topics in mind. I can't promise that I'll get to it right away or that I'd have the requisite expertise to field your specific question, but I'll do my darndest (this blogging thing takes a lot of time!). If you have a suggestion at any time.... put it in the comments! And follow me if you'd to come along for the ride as this series evolves. I can't promise to be all business ... you'll still get a healthy dose of just plain life with Matt & Suz, too!

Life for Less: Taxes, Part Deux (In English, please?)

Matt gives me a hard time for speaking almost entirely in acronyms. It's true, I'm cursed. In fact, I'd say all CPAs (that's Certified Public Accountants, for those of you who've been looking at my profile & thinking to yourself, huh?!) have a tendency to abuse acronyms.

Can you blame me? After graduating from UofI with a BA in Accy and MST, I passed the CPA exam &  started my career at PwC, in the PCS group. I saved all of my work in DMS, complied with our QRM policies, squeezed in L&E & met my PC&D goals. Eventually I moved to the PFS group where I learned a whole new slew of acronyms..... and I've been consistently speaking in letters ever since.

When I start talking taxes, I effortlessly shift into accountant-speak and sometimes forget that not everyone is wired like me. In fact, most people aren't.

So I'm going to break down some basic terms (& acronyms!) you should be familiar with when filing your tax return. For those of you about to tune out since you pay someone to prepare your returns or use a software, I would urge you to read this quick overview since you dang well should understand what you're signing. Lastly, I want to assure you that it's okay to be a little clueless the first time you expose yourself to personal financial / tax matters. In all fairness, I frequently call my dad with questions about my own taxes / personal finances. He's a smart dude, loves me & is more than willing to help me make sense of the things I don't understand:

 Thanks, Dad!

Let's start at the top of a 1040 and work our way down with some key terms: 

Filing Status: Are you single? MFJ (married filing jointly)? MFS (married filing separately)? Head of household? Qualifying widow(er)? Quick tip: your filing status is determined by your status on the last day of the tax year. That means if you're a calendar year taxpayer and you got married in 2009, you would file either MFJ or MFS. See definitions of the different statuses in these instructions.

Exemptions:  Exemptions are reductions of your income for you & your dependents. For 2009, you may claim exemptions of $3,650 for yourself, your spouse (if you file a joint return) and any of your dependents. I get quite annoyed when I see babies with t-shirts like this. Children don't give you an extra deduction they generate a dependency exemption. Here's an example: Matt & I are married and file a joint return. We get 2 exemptions of $3,650 each for a total of $7,300. $7,300 of our income is exempt from tax. 

Gross Income: I hope this is pretty straightforward. Your gross income is the sum of any income you've earned that's subject to tax. Duh, right? I should note that some income isn't subject to federal income tax (like interest from municipal bonds) but those exceptions are few & far between. 

Above the Line Deductions: Deductions are typically expenses that you've incurred that the IRS allows you to deduct from your income. "Above the line" deductions can be taken regardless of whether you choose to itemize or take the standard deduction (more on that later). Examples include student loan interest, contributions to a health savings account or a traditional IRA, moving expenses, educator expenses, etc. 

Adjusted Gross Income (AGI): This is your gross income minus any above the line deductions. This is "the line" that the deductions are above. 

Below the Line Deductions: Here's where you have a decision to make as a taxpayer.... You may either take the standard deduction or itemize your deductions, whichever is bigger! 

Standard Deduction: This is where your filing status comes into play. Your standard deduction is determined by your filing status. For 2009, standard deductions are $5700 for single of MFS, $11,400 for MFJ. 

Itemized Deductions: You may choose to itemize your deductions instead of taking the standard deduction. You'd only want to itemize if the sum of your Schedule A deductions exceeds your standard deduction for your filing status. Generally speaking, itemized deductions include: medical and dental expenses in excess of 7.5% of your AGI, state & local income taxes, real estate taxes, home mortgage interest, investment interest, charitable contributions, certain job expenses & miscellaneous deductions in excess of 2% of your AGI, etc. Here's my rule of thumb, if you own a home, there's a good chance your itemized deductions will exceed your standard deduction, but for most 20somethings who are not homeowners, the standard deduction is typically the way to go. 

Taxable Income (TI): Adjusted gross income minus your exemptions and either your standard or itemized deduction. 

Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT): Just in case you haven't paid enough tax already, you may also be subject to the alternative minimum tax. This tax was intended to capture high-income taxpayers from benefiting from loopholes in the tax code and paying less tax than the government thought they should. Problem is, due to inflation, many middle income taxpayers are now subject to AMT. AMT has it's own set of rules and, quite frankly, is pretty darn confusing. For that reason, I'm not going to use this blog to try to explain it. Read this if your interest is piqued. You may be exempt from AMT all together. 

Credits:Whereas credits & exemptions reduce your INCOME, credits reduce your TAX dollar-for-dollar. Examples of some federal tax credits are the child tax credit, education credits, retirement savers credit, making work pay credit, etc...

Pop Quiz! If my taxable income is $100,000 (wishful thinking) and I'm taxed at a 10% rate (again, unrealistic), what is more valuable -- a credit or a deduction of $1,000?

• If I have a $1,000 deduction, my income would be reduced to $99,000. At a 10% rate, I'd pay $9,900 in taxes.
• If instead I have a $1,000 credit,  my income would remain $100,000. At a 10% rate, my tax would be $10,000. I could then take my $1,000 credit, reducing my tax liability to $9,000.
• Which would you rather have? A $1k deduction or credit? The credit, of course! In this scenario I'd pay $900 less in taxes!

Here's a recap of the simplified individual tax formula. Forget what something means? Refer to your handy-dandy definitions above:

Gross Income
Less     Above the Line Deductions
Equals Adjusted Gross Income
Less    Standard Deduction or Itemized Deduction
Less     Personal & Dependency Exemptions
Equals Taxable Income
Times   Tax Rate
Equals  Tax
Plus      Alternative Minimum Tax
Less     Credits
Equals Tax Payable or Refund

Clear as mud? Great.

Sorry.... My anal retentive side is telling me this is necessary: Circular 230 Disclosure: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, I inform you that any U.S. federal tax advice contained in this blog is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code, or (ii) promoting, marketing, or recommending to another party any transaction or matter that is contained in this document.

Life for Less: As promised...let's talk taxes!

Last week we finally finished & mailed out our state taxes. By "we" I mean I finished our taxes & Matt took them to the post office. Marriage, it's a team effort. 

I'm secretly enjoying tax season this year. My days of churning & burning through tax returns are over, and this year, I got to just focus on ours! Instead of waiting until the last minute to rush through our returns, I took my time, did them by hand (gotta keep that brain sharp!), and had everything in the mail before March 1st.

I've found some great links to excellent taxpayer information & have listed those at the bottom of the post, however, I'm going to try to briefly hit some highlights for the 20somethings in 2 sentences or less. Ready for rapid fire tax tidbits? Here we go:

Teacher Classroom Expense Deduction: For all of my teacher friends out there, don't forget to deduct up to $250 ($500 for you married teachers) of qualified education expenses. Read the fine print on page 30 of the IRS's Form 1040 Instructions.

Student Loan Interest Deduction: Paid interest on those student loans? Deduct your student loan interest on page one of your federal return. Refer to Publication 970, page 41, to calculate your deduction.

Moving Expense Deduction: Did you move over 50 miles for a new job? (We did!) You can deduct the reasonable expenses of moving your household goods & personal effects & of traveling from your old home to your new home. See Form 3903.

Haiti Charitable Contributions: If you itemize your deductions on Schedule A (instead of taking the standard deduction), you may deduct certain cash contributions for Haiti relief on your 2009 return. Instead of waiting to file your 2010 tax return to take these deductions (which must have been made between 1/11/2010 & 3/1/2010), you can take them in 2009. See page 1 of the1040 Instructions for more info.

Making Work Pay Credit: I like how the IRS puts it: "It pays to work. You may be able to take this credit if you have earned income from work." Pay attention, working friends! If you have earned income in 2009, you may be able to take a credit of up to $400 ($800 for married couples). Note that if you received this credit through a reduction in your federal withholding, you still must file Schedule M to benefit! Read the instructions for the how-to.

Education Credits: There have been some changes to education credits. The American Opportunity Tax Credit replaced the Hope Scholarship Credit. You can now take this credit (up to $2500/student) for the first 4 years of undergrad (instead only the first 2 years). For those of us still in school or still financing school for someone that falls out of that category, you can still claim the Lifetime Learning Credit (up to $2k). Pub 970 is your source for all things education. Note that you can also take a deduction, subject to limitations, for tuition & fees but in my experience this is rarely more tax advantageous than taking a credit. Read the instructions & run the numbers.

First Time Homebuyer Credit: If you bought a house, I hope you've heard of this credit by now. If not, brush up on the incredible tax incentive in store! Enough said.

NC Credit for Charitable Contributions: Thank you, State of North Carolina. Despite your ridiculously high state income taxes (I've somehow managed to move to progressively higher tax states. Florida 0%. Illinois 3%. NC 6-7%!), you throw a bone to those of us who don't itemize for federal purposes & thus don't get any federal benefit for charitable contributions. If you live in NC, you claimed the standard deduction on your fed return, & you've made cash charitable contributions in 2009, you may be able to claim a tax credit for charitable contributions on your NC return. I won't bore you with the calculation, but I did want to bring it to your attention. The NC Instructions (page 14) go into more detail. Also, see page 12 of the instructions if you claimed an education credit on your federal return. You may be able to deduct your tuition for NC purposes.

Helpful Links:

• IRS.gov Download forms, instructions, publications...Good stuff.
• The AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants) has an excellent consumer education site called 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy. No matter what stage of life you're in, 360 will help you make sound financial decisions. Speaking of sound planning....check out tax tips from the AICPA:
• (360 Degrees of Financial Literacy) Tax Planning for your 2009 Return ....much more comprehensive than my quick tips
• (360 Degrees of Financial Literacy) 360 Tax Tips on YouTube ... straight from the AICPA's top dogs.

Other Matters:

• Haven't tackled your return yet? Leave it up to a professional. Visit your local CPA!
• Sorry.... My anal retentive side is telling me this is necessary: Circular 230 Disclosure: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, I inform you that any U.S. federal tax advice contained in this blog is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code, or (ii) promoting, marketing, or recommending to another party any transaction or matter that is contained in this document.

Life for Less: Coming soon...April 15th!

I have been mulling over some tax tips to share with y'all for quite some time. A couple of nights ago, I started working on a life for less: tax tidbits post when I remembered a little goal I set to have our Federal, Illinois & North Carolina returns filed by the end of February. An unexpected delay in getting a W-2 from my former employer put a hiccup in that plan, and I haven't finished yet. When I do file our taxes (which will be very soon)...I promise you a good, newsy blog post about some tax tidbits I've learned along the way. Stay tuned!

(By the way, that's me...being a total nerd in front of the IRS in D.C.)

Life for Less: Free* Credit Report

(a.k.a. Will the *REAL free credit report please stand up?)

If you've turned on your TV anytime in the last 5 years, you've probably heard the freecreditreport.com jingle (note that I am not linking to their website -- hear me out on this one). And you probably took the ads at face value, assuming that if you were to go to freecreditreport.com you'd get, well, a free credit report. Not so fast.

If you ventured to the web site, you'd click on a big button that said "Click here to see your FREE credit report & score." This is where I stopped my little experiment, because I know the trick that they're about to pull. If you were to proceed at this point, you'd (unknowingly) sign yourself up for a credit monitoring service at $14.95/month. You wouldn't realize this until a month later when you saw a strange charge on your credit card bill. The web site prompts you to enter your credit card number as a requirement to redeem your "free" report and assures you that "credit card will not be charged during the free trial period." False.

So where do you go to get a free credit report? The ONLY place where you can get a free credit report is annualcreditreport.com. By law, everyone is entitled to a free report from each of the 3 credit reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax, & TransUnion) every 12 months. Now before you rush off to annualcreditreport.com to pull all three reports, consider spacing out your reports and check one every 4 months. That way if there is something unusual on your reports, you're more likely to catch it sooner rather than later. I've set up calendar reminders for us.

Lastly, here's a little Credit Reports 101, for those of you who've never reviewed your credit reports. It's not too late to start!

What's on your report: information about you compiled from data you provide to lenders & others, including

• Trade lines: past & present credit accounts (& information about if you make timely payments)
• Credit inquiries: requests for information about you made by potential lenders
• Public record & collection items: information gathered from government & collection agencies (e.g. purchase contracts, collection items, bankruptcy)

What you should look for:

• Do you recognize all of the accounts listed?
• Is your address history & other information accurate?

 If you find an error: 

• Report the error to the credit agency.
• The agency must investigate & respond to you within 30 days.
• If you are in the midst of a loan application, notify potential lender(s) of the incorrect information.
• Go check out your other 2 reports to make sure the other agencies don't have incorrect information.

Sidenote: I have today off (President's Day, yay!) so I'm sitting on our couch writing this post with the TV on in the background and I just saw an ad for freescore.com. Don't be fooled...also NOT free.

Life for Less: Intro

Like I mentioned in my welcome, I'm a bit obsessed with personal finance. I get really worked up about things like budgeting, emergency funds, health insurance, oh yeah... and taxes. On more than one occasion, I contemplated collecting my thoughts on paper and relieving my husband of being the only object of my rants. So if you're reading this, Matt thanks you. I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I have enough knowledge/experience/common sense and want to share what little I've learned with my friends.

Before I get started on a particular topic, I want to introduce one of my favorite things: 

One of the most powerful things you can do to take control of your personal finances is figuring out where you money goes. It's nearly impossible to meet your goals without being realistic about your spending.

Kudos to my good friend, Liz Fay, for introducing me to mint.com. A free, secure, online aggregator of your various accounts. Instead of visiting 4 or 5 different web sites to check your credit card(s), debit card(s) & investment balances, transactions, etc... just visit Mint.  "Mint downloads and categorizes your balances and transactions automatically every day— making it effortless to see graphs of your spending, income, balances, and net worth." 

Did I mention Mint is secure? & it makes simple graphs? & it remembers how you've categorized spending in the past? & it will create a budget for you based on your historical spending? & it alerts you when there are large or unusual transactions? & it's intuitive? I used Quicken for awhile, and I must admit that I don't miss it at all. I plan on spending an entire post gushing about Mint, but for now, do yourself a favor and check it out!