One thing I can't handle is overpaying for things. I was taught from a young age to be an educated consumer and to shop around. My dad uses 2 phrases the most: OPM: Other People's Money and Never Pay Full Price. I've really paid more attention to these lessons as I got older. In my early 20s when I didn't have much responsibility, it seemed like money flowed like water(or beer). But now, we have to be careful about what we spend. When we were first married, I found out that Billy was paying Bank of America for a checking account. That is a cardinal sin as far as I'm concerned. So many banks will give you free checking. He was also using a credit card with no rewards - and he may have been paying a fee for it too. On his behalf, he had never been taught these simple lessons. With my coaching, our credit cards is giving us back $300 this January. That's more like it!

So when he was doing some last minute Christmas shopping, my dad tagged along. And that goodness he did! Dad reported that B would have just handed over his wallet. I received a Citizen watch on Christmas morning and SJP Lovely perfume. After some internet research, he didn't get the best deal on the perfume, but he couldn't beat the price on the watch! Well done. Honestly, I was expecting and would have been fine with an Ann Klein/Fossil type watch, but am so happy to have a nice piece now! Hopefully I'll get this super awesome better job in January so it can match my more professional persona!

Speaking of deals...I was watching a show on TLC last night about people who use coupons on everything - and even collect coupons from neighbors miles away and dumpster dive for Sunday circulars. I thought they were crazy - until I saw their grocery bill go down from nearly a thousand dollars to around $20. Then they show you the inside of these people's homes and they have what is basically a bomb shelter filled with food and supplies that they have stocked up on. I wonder how they use everything before it's expiration date. I mean, one lady bought 40 cans of pasta sauce. I think she got them all for free. I'm all for a good bargain, but I think this is over the top and boderline obsessive. I would like to think that if I was well trained enough to shop like this, then I would donate a large portion to the soup kitchen. Better yet, why isn't someone at the soup kitchen paying this lady to stock their shelves?!?!