Q & A

How much cash do you usually carry in your wallet?

I don't carry much cash on me at all, usually just enough to pay for lunch and dinner during the week. Besides, food, I don't really use cash on much else. For gas, groceries, and entertainment expenses, I generally use my credit card and just pay it all off at the end of the month. Otherwise, I'd just burn through cash like there was a hole in my wallet. Oh, and I hate all the loose change that ends up in every nook and cranny around the house. I need to accumulate all those loose change and convert it into bills. I bet it all adds up!

How much is in your wallet right now?
$14! Time to hit an ATM machine again.

What's your favorite bill/note ($1 or $2 or $5 or $10 or $20 or $50 or $100)?
I like $5 bills. Things get difficult when you need to pay people, split a bill, and when no one has change. Take a large gathering for a bday dinner for example. Everyone's scrambling to get change for a big bill. With a multiple $5 bills on hand, you have the flexibility to cover what you need w/o going overboard.


Are you a silver, or gold or platinum person?

I like Platinum due to the benefits it offers.


Do you "credit-union"? If not, why not?

Yes, I do due to the higher CD that it provides. Its a safe investment vehicle. I know that when I'm ready to trade in my car for another, the credit union will provide the best rates around and help me through the auto loan purchase process.

Have you ever found a penny and picked it up? Why?
Not all the times, but sometimes I have. Penny saved is a penny earned.


Are you an online banker?
Yes. Once you go online, there's no way I'd go back to traditional check writing/bill paying. The price of postage really adds up!

Have you ever wondered or read into what those crazy designs are on the dollar bill?
Don't really care, as long as it can help us spot the fakes. The last thing you want is to be stuck w/ a counterfeit bill that'll put you in a bind.

Why the heck is everything financial-related so boring and uninteresting? or is it?
People focus on the ends, not necessarily on the means. Financial related stuff, as a means, is a bit of a chore. Albeit an important one!

Die broke or pass it on?

Ideally, I'd pass it on. That means that I'd have accumulated enough to the point where the money will always be there if a need arises throughout my lifetime. There is a lot of power from having the money but consciously choosing not to spend it just because friends, family, media or young Hollywood promotes excess spending. To me, that is financial freedom in a nut shell and is definitely something to strive for.