There comes a time in every blogger’s life when she’s compelled to write about a topic that has nothing to do with her niche. For me, that time has come.

Have you ever crossed paths with a person who’s so inconsiderate you thank God you’re unarmed?

There are people who walk among us who laugh in the face of basic human decency. And for that, I hate them.

They’re not violent criminals, but they are awful none the less.

They worship at your church, workout at your gym, sit in the cubicle next to you. Maybe you had them over for a potluck dinner or bought Girl Scout cookies from their daughter. You have no clue what type of monsters these people are. They seem so . . . normal. Oh, but they’re not.

They’re jerks who deserve to be tarred, feathered, and burned in effigy.

Bring back the guillotine!

Let’s back up. I went too far.

As much as we’d like to see these guys pay for their crimes, we can’t. We don’t know who they are.

If not for murderers, rapists, and thieves, the seven people described below would top the unofficial list of The Worst People in the World.

Come to think of it, if you pull crap like this, in the words of the formerly great Trick Daddy, “Ain’t no tellin’ what you might do.”

1. Ms. Pees on the Toilet Seat

For the most part, we accept that men leave the toilet seat up.

You’re not the only woman who’s been violently awoken from a sleepy stupor after plummeting butt first into a toilet bowl. Once you regain composure, you curse the man responsible for the rude awakening, handle your business, and go back to bed.

By daybreak, the man is forgiven. At least you didn’t sit in pee.

What I don’t understand and can’t forgive is when a woman leaves pee on the toilet seat.

Fine. You don’t wanna contract another woman’s booty germs. I get it. You think sitting on a public toilet seat is disgusting.

But why, you nasty skank, do you think other women aren’t doubly disgusted by the idea of hovering over your piss?

You know your weak quads can’t hold a 20 second squat. If you refuse to clean up after yourself, then, please, sit down—you filthy, trifling piece o’ trash.

2. The Person Who Leaves Chewed Gum Under the Bar Counter

Photo Credit: FunGi_

After finishing grade school, you thought your days of touching someone else’s saliva ridden gum were over. We all did. And we were all wrong.

You desperately want to believe a six-year old is guilty of sticking the gelatinous horror under the bar counter. Then you remember, kids don’t sit at bars. So, you’re left asking one question: What adult thinks this behavior is okay?

It’s not okay!

If you’ve chewed all the minty sweetness out of your gum, spit it in a napkin and throw it in the trash. If a garbage can isn’t nearby, put the napkin in your pocket, purse, whatever. Dispose of it properly when you get a chance.

Or, you could take a big gulp of water and swallow it! You won’t choke.

3. The Moron Who Blocks the Intersection

Oh, you’re so fuckin’ special you can’t tolerate a 45 second add to your commute.

You can’t go nowhere.

Why would you pull out into the middle of the intersection and make the rest of us, who have the green light, wait?

The look on your idiotic face is what really burns me. You know you’re being a jackass.

Other drivers have little choice but to sit in their cars—utterly powerless—watching, honking, and yelling threatening obscenities.

You can’t drive through the cars that are causing you to block the intersection. We can’t drive through you. But boy, do I hope I’m driving a monster truck the next time I encounter you.

4. The Guy Who Walks His Pit Bull Without a Leash

Aw, precious. It's not your fault your owner is an idiot. Photo Credit: sally9258

Is it me or does the guy who walks his dog unleashed always own a pit bull? You know, the kind of dog who’s a shoo in for Most Likely to Maul Your Chihuahua Just for Hoohahs award.

To be clear, there are a lot of responsible pit bull owners. But doesn’t it seem like stupid people gravitate toward this particular dog breed?

I’m not saying all pit bull owners are stupid, but I am saying that all stupid dog owners own pit bulls.

This character has no control over his animal. The purpose of a leash is to protect your dog’s safety as well as the safety of other dogs.

When you see this bozo coming, for your own well being, get out of his way. Just have your knife ready in case you need to stab his dog.

5. The Guy Who Occupies Two Parking Spaces in a Crowded Lot

On Monday evening, like every gym goer in the nation, you’re hoping to reverse the negative effects of the bad food you ate over the weekend.

Your Zumba class starts in five minutes. And you want a spot that’s NOT directly behind that super uncoordinated chick. Her lack of rhythm is definitely contagious.

If only that dickhead hadn’t helped himself to two parking spaces, you’d have nothing to worry about.

Let’s be serious. Even if said dickhead used only one space, you wouldn’t get it. Someone luckier than you would’ve snagged it well before you showed up.

But that doesn’t stop you and ten other frustrated gym rats from driving pass that fucker’s C-Class Mercedes condemning the date of his conception.

6. Those Two Broads Who Smoke in the Parking Garage

Photo Credit: Sarah DuMay

Even if you hate cigarettes, you respect others’ choices to smoke them.

If they wanna kill themselves, they can go right ahead. It’s none of our business. You just don’t want their addiction to become your business when they force you to walk through plumes of carcinogen laced smoke because their lazy assess don’t want their boss to know the frequency of their breaks.

Smoke outside—a considerable distance from the building’s entrance.

7. To Me: The Bitch Who Waits Until the Last Second Before Merging Onto a Busy Highway

Occasionally, I am unfamiliar with a particular stretch of the interstate.

I don’t always know when my lane will end or when the exit ramp is coming up. But truthfully, most of the time, I’m fully aware of when I need to change lanes. I just don’t wanna wait.

There’s usually one person gracious enough to let me cut in front of him. If not, there’s bound to be someone who’s distracted long enough to create a sizable gap between his car and the car in front of him. In a pinch, I’ll whip in front of that guy.

I know my behavior is despicable, but for some reason, I can’t stop.

Who else would you add to The Worst People in the World list?

If you’re brave enough to admit it, what qualifies you to be on this list?

Although many personal finance experts say you can’t remove negative, accurate information from your credit report, there are a few tricks you can try. The procedure I refer to in the video is called “validation.” For more information on how the process works, read the Validation of Debts section in the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act.

Keep in mind that I’m not saying whether you should have true, negative info erased from your credit report. You have to follow your own moral compass to determine whether this is a technique you’re comfortable with. Personally, after being screwed by a collection agency years ago, I’d do it in a second.

If you’re looking for other ways to clean up your credit history, check out my article 5 Steps You Can Take This Weekend to Improve Your Credit Score.

The library isn’t a brick and mortar version of Amazon filled with out-of-print books.

And it doesn’t exist for the sole purpose of housing the complete series of Lost.

If you read any version of the countless, generic 99 Ways to Save articles, you’d think the library is some old throwaway. A place you borrow books and DVDs from after you’re knee deep in financial doo-doo.

Well, I’m standing up for the library. You people don’t give it enough credit. It is truly, frickin’ awesome.

Until recently, I also undervalued my local library.

After going there almost every day for the past six weeks, I finally noticed the variety of free offerings available. Actually, they’re not free, but, whether you like it or not, they are funded with your tax dollars.

Because libraries are locally run, the extent of products and services provided vary.

Audiobooks and eBooks: Even though my library has some pretty sweet books on CDs, I gotta be mobile. Which is why I appreciate its wide selection of iPod / iPad / Kindle compatible digital media. Similar to traditional books, a limited number of electronic copies are available for checkout at any one time. No biggie. Place the item on hold, and borrow it when it’s “returned.”

Free Books: Not to rent, but to own. A few years ago, I grabbed a copy of Your Money or Your Life from the rinkydink library around the corner from my place. I picked it up, walked out, ain’t say nothin’ to nobody. I didn’t need to. It was there for the taking. Ask your librarian where they’re hiding the free book stash if you have trouble finding it.

Wireless Internet: In the event this whole quit-my-job, become-a-superstar thing doesn’t pan out, I’m not going back to work. I’ll sell my wares and live in the library. It has clean drinking water, a community garden, and free internets. What more do you need? The only thing left to worry about is how to catch a nap without stoking the security guard’s ire. That guy derives way too much pleasure from startling college students and homeless people awake.

24/7 Access to Premium Subscriptions: There are so many amazing options. It breaks my heart that I can’t list them all without putting you to sleep. I’ll give you five, but see what else your library has by exploring its website.

• Consumer Reports
• Learning Express Library
• MorningStar Investment Research Center
• Mango Languages
• ProQuest

Meeting Rooms: Many libraries let you book study rooms for two or more individuals. If you need an area that seats considerably larger groups, you may be able to find one at a nearby branch. Your meetings have to be free and open to the public. That means you can’t use the library to hold your pricey Road to Real Estate Riches boot camp. But still, a no cost, high quality seminar could be a great way to get the word out about your services.

Educational Workshops: This is one of my favorites. Primarily because you can ask the presenter questions, exchange ideas with other attendees and network. Again, your library will probably have different options. So that you get the idea, here are a few examples of classes offered in my region.

• Starting a business
• Investing for retirement
• Using coupons to save money
• Creating a resume
• Growing your own herbs
• Crocheting for beginners
• Paying for college

Tech Training: While I’m waiting for a PowerPoint 2007 course to appear on my library’s calendar, these goobers are holding classes on how to use Facebook. You can even make a one-on-one appointment with someone who’ll show you how to set up AND download books onto your eReader. Unbelievable.

Even if your local library sucks, hope lives on.

Don’t limit yourself to the county you reside in. You’re probably eligible for library cards in surrounding areas. For instance, I can take advantage of libraries located in Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, and a decent chunk of Maryland.

All these years you were ignorant of the library’s awesomeness. It’s OK. You didn’t know. Now that you do, you can stop buying stuff you already paid for.

What other services does your library offer?

Building an excellent credit history could take years. Fortunately, there are moves you can make within the next 48 hours that will get your credit score going in the right direction – up.

Despite what you heard, you don’t need credit. Last time I checked, credit didn’t make the cut onto Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. That said, you probably can’t afford everything you want on your salary alone. For instance, many believe it’s unrealistic to save enough cash to buy a house without a mortgage. (It isn’t.)

When the time comes to borrow money to purchase a home, start or expand a business, 0r buy a car, you want to qualify for the best interest rates.

In addition to reviewing your assets, income, and other factors that signal your ability to repay, lenders want proof you have a habit of honoring your debts.

That’s where your credit score comes in. If you’ve made mistakes with your credit in the past, or your credit history is fairly new, in most cases, you won’t command the lowest interest rates.

Nevertheless, you can start a plan to improve your credit score right now.

Note: Although there are several scoring models that measure your credit risk, FICO is the most popular one among lenders. For that reason, the following tips are centered around increasing your FICO score.

Step #1: Recognize How Much Bad Credit Costs You

You know bad credit is costlier than great credit. But do you know how much?

For the answer, let’s go to the FICO Loan Savings Calculator.

With poor credit, your monthly payment is $186 more than if it were in excellent shape. Over 30 years, you’ll pay an extra $67,000 in interest.

But that’s not the worst of it.

What if you invested the “poor credit premium” of $186 over the life of the loan?

Using the Future Value Calculator at DinkyTown.net, let’s see what we come up with.

Wow! An extra $229,000 in your pocket ain’t bad – ain’t bad at all.

After eighteen years, the length of time you’re saving for your child’s college education, your monthly investments could grow to almost $81,000.

The bottom line: Your credit score is a big, frickin’ deal.

Step #2: Order a Free Copy of Your Credit Report

Go to AnnualCreditReport.com to get a free copy of your credit report. You can obtain a free credit report once every 12-month period from each f the three major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion).

Step #3: Dispute Errors on Your Credit Report

To understand what types of errors hurt your credit score, you should know how the FICO scoring model works.

It’s wise to follow up with all inaccuracies recorded on your credit report – particularly those that indicate you’re a victim of identity theft – but certain information is more likely to drag down FICO score.

• Negative information that should no longer appear on your credit report (late payments and collections more than seven years old, bankruptcies more than ten years old). Signs that you don’t pay your debts as agreed reflect negatively on your payment history.
• Limits on lines of credit that are lower than what you’re approved for. Lower credit limits result in a higher credit utilization ratio (discussed below).
• Unauthorized requests for credit. Not only can applications for new credit (hard inquiries), shave points off your FICO score, but new accounts shorten the length of your credit history.
• Accounts with the wrong dates. The longer your credit history, the higher your score. As a result, you want to ensure the time since the account was opened is properly reflected in your credit report.
• Accounts classified in the wrong category. FICO looks at how you manage different types of credit (credit cards, installment loans, mortgages, etc). So if your car loan is recorded as a line of credit, your score could be artificially low.

Don’t forget to check your credit report for missing, positive information as well.

Dispute errors with the credit bureau AND the company that’s misreporting the error.

Request another credit report to verify errors were corrected after the matter is resolved.

Step #4: Set Up Automatic Minimum Payments

Your payment history accounts for 35% of your FICO score. Therefore, it’s really important you pay bills on time. There isn’t much you can do if you don’t have the money. But if you do, it’d be a shame if your credit score took a hit because you forgot to pay a bill.

The solution to this issue is simple. Have your creditors deduct minimum payments from your checking account before the due date. You may not have this option with every creditor. In those cases, use your bank’s online bill pay function to send checks on a reoccurring basis.

Make sure the payment amount you select is large enough to cover minimums that increase as your credit balance increases.

Step #5: Pay Down Balances on Lines of Credit

Another huge factor affecting your credit score is the amount you owe. FICO looks at your credit utilization to determine whether you’re an increased credit risk. Simply put, credit utilization is the amount you owe on lines of credit compared to your total available credit.

According to Liz Pulliam Weston, MSN Money financial columnist, your credit utilization ratio shouldn’t exceed 30%. Ten percent or less is ideal. Try to use credit cards equally to spread out your credit utilization.

Your credit utilization is the exact reason you should NOT close credit card accounts. Contrary to popular belief, this move will harm your credit. Look at what happens when you cancel a credit card.

Lenders often report revolving account balances to the credit bureaus as of the statement date. That means, even if you pay your credit cards in full each month before the due date, your credit report still may not show a zero balance on these accounts.

If you’re in the market for a loan, you may want to consider paying your credit cards off completely. Wait until after you’ve secured the loan to start using them again. Another option is to submit a hefty payment a few days before your statement closing date to get the same results.

Have you ever used any of these methods to boost your credit score? What other tricks worked for you?

It’s Quick Tip Tuesday time! Although this tip addresses a super obvious way to save money, you’re problem not doing it. As a matter of fact, I noticed myself not following my own advice before I left home. *Sigh* I’ll figure it out…eventually.

Check out this short video to learn how you can reduce consumption and increase your savings.

From the "My Body is So Weary" Edition of Menu Plan Money

Normally, I’m not a big sandwich eater. But lately, I’ve been craving them.

Plus, I bought three packs of bacon last week, and I can’t wait to integrate it into my meals.

Carbs are the only thing that make me reluctant to center an entire week’s menu plan around sandwiches.

Oh, the carbs! Aaaaargh!

But I think I discovered a way to solve the problem.

Instead of using pre-sliced sandwich bread, I’ll pick up a fresh loaf from Harris Teeter. I double dog dare you to find a supermarket with better bread than Harris Teeter. No, seriously, let me know if more delicious bread exists.

Throughout the week, on an as needed basis, I’ll slice the bread into thin, thigh friendly sized pieces, then assemble my sammich.

Yep. That’s what I’m gonna do. You think it’ll work?

Monday: Egg Salad Sandwich and Fruit Salad

Tuesday: Grilled Cheese and Bacon Sandwich and French Fries

Wednesday: Bacon, Lettuce and Guacamole Burger and Fruit Salad

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Bangkok 54 or BusBoys and Poets

Saturday/Sunday: Layered Salad and Restaurant Fodder

For more menu ideas, check out Menu Plan Monday at I’m an Organizing Junkie.

It’s hard to watch fellow single women who are otherwise responsible with their money make stupid financial decisions as soon as a man enters the picture.

The same amount of effort that goes into earning money, should go in to keeping it and making it grow.

Unfortunately, people close to you can function as a never ending leak to your bank account.

Here are five financial faux pas I’ve seen single women make with men and their money.

You give your guy unlimited access to your money

You’d think we’d know better, but I’ve come across more than one woman who’s made this mistake.

You’ve probably heard a lot of ol’ school women say don’t even let a man know how much money you make. My mother cautions against telling your husband your income. I disagree with my mother on that one. (Sorry, mama.)

However, your man needs to earn his own money. If you’re in a non-marital relationship, and your man stumbles on hard times then, by all means, help him if you’re in a position to do so.

Your strength and ability is part of what makes you a good woman. But, he should not get free reign over your debit cards, credit cards and checking accounts. If he’s short on money, then that’s what checks, money orders, and cash are for.

Years ago, my cousin’s wife told me about something that happened in her relationship that has always stayed with me. She won a law suit. All of the money from the law suit was put in a safe deposit box. Don’t ask me why this money wasn’t in a bank.

My cousin’s wife went on to say that she noticed my cousin buying a lot of clothes, jewelry, and little things for around the house. She didn’t think too much about where he was getting the money until she went to her safe deposit box and found only a few dollars left. He’d spent practically all her money without her permission. Even though she told me this story years after it happened, I could still see the hurt in her eyes. Don’t do it.

You don’t know your partner’s financial situation

Before you marry someone, you need to know how he handles his money. Money fights and money problems are one of the leading causes of divorce in the United States. That means you should be extremely reluctant to wed someone who isn’t forthcoming with his financial information.

Once things start getting serious, it’s not unreasonable to have the money talk. I’ve cut a man loose for being too secretive with his finances. How could we move forward when he was so resistant to sharing such a large part of himself? We couldn’t. I’ll take my chances on a new man.

You depend on a man to take care of you

Sometimes I wonder whether I should dedicate more time to my physical appearance in hopes of catching a rich man. Seems like that’d be easier than working for myself and making my own millions. Then I realize, depending on a man is downright frightening. There’s no security in that.

Even if you end up with a man of substantial means, you can’t let your guard down. Never stop taking care of you. If you insist on relying on a man financially, verify that he has both life and disability insurance. You need to be the beneficiary on his life insurance policy. And make sure the premiums are paid.

What happens if he pushes you to the side when you’re a crotchety old woman for an upgrade. That sort of stuff happens all the time. If you’ve put your best asset – your ability to generate income – in early retirement for a man, then ensure you’ll get your money if he’s gone.

You ignore reality when managing your money

Make purchase decisions based on the life you have instead of the life you want.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t execute a financial plan that’ll allow you to accomplish your dreams. It simply means you shouldn’t make financial decisions based on events that haven’t happened.

For instance, don’t buy an over sized house in hopes of filling it with a man and children. Did you forget your empty house needs to be heated in the winter and cooled in the summer? There aren’t many guarantees in life, but taxes are certain. You’d better believe, all things being equal, property taxes on a 2,500 square foot house are more than those on a 1,500 square footer.

Likewise, if you’re single and you want to own a home, buy it when you’re able. Don’t wait on a phantom man to come along and make you his wife. It’s great to have faith, but until you know the answer from God is “yes,” it’s wise to use your money according to what He’s already given you.

You become desperate

Don’t subscribe to the notion that you’re incomplete without a man.

When you’re desperate, any man will do. There are women who all but pay their man to be with them. It’s fascinating how a guy can find a new woman while he’s in jail. If a man isn’t free, what can he do for you?

Obviously, I don’t have a husband. Some day…perhaps. Happily single is far better than miserably married. A while back, I heard a quote that set me free:

It is better to be alone, than in bad company. – George Washington

So true.

Did I overlook any mistakes single women make with men and their money? 

Shawanda blogs about personal finance and financial freedom at You Have More Than You Think.

The following is a guest post from a You Have More Than You Think partner.

As small businesses grow, the need to hire an accountant becomes inevitable but they really shouldn’t be seen as a costly necessity. If you ask the right questions and request the right services an accountant could, in fact should, make your business more profitable by saving you both time and money.

1. Online Accounting

The whole world is online but for some draconian reason a lot of people have been reluctant to move away from traditional ink’n’paper accounting. By keeping your records electronically, bearing in mind it always a good idea to have hard copies for yourself, you can transfer all the information your accountant needs at the click of a mouse. This saves money on stationary, paper, envelopes and stamps while at the same time being more efficient and environmentally friendly; so money, time and karma saved.

2. Share Information

You must share everything with your accountant to get the best service. Many small business owners are reluctant to share all their financial information for a number of reasons but usually it is because they are embarrassed if their figures don’t match up to their ambition. My advice: get over it. Your accountant needs the tools to work with; remember your business is their business.

3. Assess Your Needs

Your accountant will offer you a number of accounting services and not all of them may be necessary to your business requirements; so make sure you are not paying for services you do not need. Figure out what you, or any of your employees, can do with regards to accounting and weigh up the cost of spending your time doing them. If you can do these chores efficiently enough that you are spending fewer business hours in relation to what it would cost to hire an accountant then do them yourself. Many accountants charge per the hour or offer part-time assistance; so figure out exactly what you need and only pay for that.

4. Shop Around

Ask your firm for a projection of accountant services and charges for the following year, most should be able to provide this service. If you shop around and find a better deal then let your accountant know about it, they may throw in some extra help or a discount to sweeten the deal.

5. Maintain a Positive Working Relationship

Many people feel intimidated by their accountants and it shouldn’t be this way, the relationship between yourself and your accountant should be a positive one. If you are happy with them and vice versa you know the best job for both of you will be getting done.

Last Saturday, I attended The Day of Foster.ly - an all day expo designed for metro DC area entrepreneurs.

The organizers said the event was open to everyone, but most of the attendees were software developers, founders of tech start ups or aspiring founders of tech start ups.

Despite the fact that I was the only personal finance blogger present, I learned a lot, had a great time and met some pretty interesting people.

Since I wasn’t there to pitch any products or seduce an unsuspecting developer into cofounding the next Mint.com with me, my job was simple:

1. Look presentable. 

The night before, my tresses were washed, conditioned, and styled. (OMG. You should’ve seen my hair the day prior to the event. It was so nasty.)

2. Engage others.

For someone who doesn’t like people all that much, I’m quite personable. I don’t have a problem talking to strangers, so there was nothing for me to do here except show up.

3. Have my business cards ready in case anyone asked.

Now we’ve got problems.

Business cards? I had them. But I began to realize the Ziploc bag I used to store my business cards was a wholly unacceptable solution for a professional of my caliber.

On the morning of The Day of Foster.ly, I drove to Staples in search of a business card holder. For some reason, I envisioned a sexy, sleek, stainless steel case that I’d whip out whenever I heard the question, “Do you have a business card?”

Well, Staples didn’t have that. What they had was a black, faux leather contraption that resembled a man’s wallet. Uh, no thanksss.

So what was my solution?

I simply put my business cards in a pocket on the side of my bag. There, they were easily accessible and safe from the other crap jostling around in my purse. That’s it. I saved enough cash to buy two glasses of wine and leave the bartender a tip.

Why didn’t I think of this option before? It worked. And I’m pretty sure no one noticed which hat I pulled my business cards out of.

If I paid more attention to the non-monetary alternatives, I would’ve remembered I left TWO business card holders in an old purse.  Both are sitting in my closet as we speak. There’s also a pocket in my laptop case that I could’ve used.

This got me to thinking. What would you do to solve a problem if money couldn’t fix it?

I didn’t have the time or the desire to go hunting for a business card holder. My energy was better spent networking with like minded entrepreneurs. So I went for the free and quick fix.

How much money would you save if you simply asked yourself, “If I can’t purchase the item I want, what will I do next?”

Today marks the official start of Quick Tip Tuesday.

Every Tuesday (Wednesday if you’re an email subscriber), you’ll receive a tip, via video, on how to save more money, earn more money or grow the money you have already. The idea is to deliver this information quickly. I’ll do my best to keep the videos short.

I’m always looking for helpful content to share with my readers so if you have any fresh ideas that you think are worth sharing on Quick Tip Tuesday, please submit them using the form on the Contact Me page.

If you’re so inclined, maybe you’ll send me a video response on YouTube. No pressure, but it’d sure be nice.