C-Nut's Axe

In the past 18 months, I lost a boatload (or two) of money shorting this insane stock market rally.

However, we moved in with my MIL last May and reduced our living expenses, PLUS my wife landed a raise in coming back to work out of NYC.

So we're doing alright financially for the moment.

But we are in New York now where everything is outrageously expensive - like $36 per hour pre-school drama classes!

Last month I was hit by a crazy $180 ticket for answering my cordless cell phone in my car, in front of an unmarked cruiser.

For a while I thought about fighting it with the goal of, perhaps, getting it halved. Ultimately, I determined that spending two hours(?) in court for a *chance* at saving $90 would never be worth it.

While technically *I* paid the ticket, more accurately it was paid by others.

There were two occasions recently in honor of which we would normally send gifts BUT I instructed my wife to pass this time on both of them.

And I just received the annual plea from my private high school asking for money. For years I've sent them $100 each fall....but, not this year. As I told my wife, "Someone has to pay for my ticket!"

Earning 70 basis points on my cash, $3 a gallon gasoline, 8.625% sales tax, subway and train fare hikes, higher taxes and fees, etc....these days I've got to find some budget cuts - we all do.

I thought, for a second, about using this picture....but my female readership is too high now.