Hot Off the Presses

Christian must be in the Dec/Jan 2009 issue of Cosmo Girl. You know how I know? He got a piece of hate mail complaining about a derogatory Jonas Brothers remark he made.

I regularly submit jokes from comedians to an editor at Reader's Digest. When a quote is used, the comedian gets paid $100. Not bad! In the December 2008 issue, they used a dating anecdote by Katina Corrao so they sent me a copy for her press kit. On the same page is a funny deaf joke I'd heard before but had forgotten about. It made me recall a few other deaf jokes that My Jailed Deaf Dad has told me over the years. I'm going to send some in on his behalf and hope they use them. How cool would that be to see his name in print? Plus, he could really use the money since I just sent him $60 and renewed his USA Today subscription for a year for $175. I told Dad that's the last I can spend on him this year until after we buy a place. Since winter is on its way and his Texas jail cell isn't heated, he needs new thermal underwear. He could stretch that $60 OR maybe he can earn some money off the stories he loves to tell and buy some longjohns with his very own cash.

--Kambri
I never even had an allowance growing up, and now I'm trying to teach my dad how to budget his.

A Question for the FAQ Page Perhaps

From a reader who also happens to be related to me, comes this question (edited for grammar and context):

I have been reading Love, Daddy and I understand some of the stories aren't true but to make it more interesting you have to add some ficition to attract people to read it. Right??

WRONG! 1,000% wrong. Have you heard of James Frey? I'm not a writer by trade like Mr. Frey. So while he is able to write about things that may or may not have ever happened, I do not possess the talent to do so. All the stories I recount here are true from my personal perspective and experience. Why would fiction need to be added anyway when the truth is so wonderfully rich?

A Little Off Topic

How do you handle finances? Separate but equal or pool them all together? That's the subject of this feature article in today's New York Post. Pick up a copy and turn to page 67 & 68 or check it out here. My quotes aren't long but they used my mugshot.

Which leads me to today's topic:

When you get married at 17, you're not really equipped with the tools needed to run a household or a marriage. As a result, I just followed the example set by my parents instead of doing what was right for me and my then husband. In the case of finances, that meant pooling our income. He was nearly six years older than me and in the Navy, so he was "in charge" by default. This did not bode well for our bottom line. We struggled financially for the entirety of our six year marriage despite the fact that we both made a decent income especially considering our inexperience and lack of higher education.

When we divorced, I made new vows; this time to myself:

-- I would never change my name again (Kambri Crews is who I am and I quite like the sound of it), and
-- I would do my darndest to not ever carry debt.

Of course, I wish I didn't have to learn the hard way, especially as a newly single, young woman, but learn I did. I scraped by for years paying off credit cards and rebuilding my horrifying credit score. I lived with friends or had roommates to save on rent and utilities, I paid extra toward principal on loans instead of going out, and I rolled loose change and deposited it into a savings account. Since 1998, when I finally paid off my student loans, I have not carried a balance on anything other than a car. And now I don't even own a car since I'm in NYC.

My current husband (heh, that sounds funny, like he's just the one I have for right now) and I are looking to buy a home. The idea of owing money, even if it is for a wise investment, terrifies me. Will my husband and I have money troubles when we are home owners? Maybe. But I am older and wiser now and maintain individual savings and credit accounts and all as Kambri Crews.

I Wonder

If you had to live in a car or on the street or a barn or a tent, does it matter for how many days? Or is the fact that you found yourself in that position in the first place bad enough?