Hello Sophisticated Spenders! I know this is going to sound crazy but…. I LOVE credit cards that have an annual fee. Here’s how a conversation with my friends went: Me: I’m writing a blog post about credit cards that have annual fees and I’m sharing how much I love credit […]
Hello Sophisticated Spenders! Your girl Sophisticated Spender is a hustler! Last week someone said, “I’m convinced Crystal doesn’t sleep at all!” Every day of my life is intense! Here’s my typical Monday: See if you can keep up! 5:00 am Wake up and sometimes meditate…oh and make the bed (yeah right)! […]
Hello Sophisticated Spenders! I am the proud owner of 2 empty lots on the south side of Chicago. This was NOT easy. The city of Chicago has a Large Lots Program. Here are the deets: “If you own land on the South or West sides of Chicago, you can buy […]
Hello Sophisticated Spenders! If you haven’t noticed by now, I LOVE to travel. But I’m not rich. Sometimes I’ve traveled using Groupons, Trip Advisor, AirBNB and *dare I say…. SPIRIT Airlines. You can’t frugally travel without Spirit Airlines yo! Let’s start with the good: Transparency: You know what you’re buying. […]
Hello Sophisticated Spenders! Ever get the feeling that something’s missing? Something’s not right? Something’s awry? Well I’ve had that feeling since June. Over the next 40 days, I will catch you up on everything that’s been bothering me going on. I know, you’re probably thinking…she hasn’t written a blog post […]
Hello Sophisticated Spenders! I have exciting news! I’m on a panel at my FAVORITE conference! What is FinCon? “FinCon – the world’s largest Financial Content Expo – helping hundreds reach millions with a positive money message.” #FINCON17 Who, What, Where, When and How!?!?! The Your Money […]
Hello Sophisticated Spenders! Is freezing your credit an extreme idea after the Equifax Data Breach? Here are a few things that happen when you freeze your credit: 1: You (or anyone else) will not be able to open ANY new lines of credit, mortgages, or loans of any kind. And […]
Hello Sophisticated Spenders! The American dream of owning a home with a white picket fence is slowly changing. Many people are realizing the benefits and advantages of renting a home rather than owning one. As a landlord, I happily rent out a duplex in Chicago and a townhouse in the […]
Hello Sophisticated Spenders! Time for my favorite part of the month, looking back and looking forward! May was an amazing month…so why didn’t I keep up the momentum for June??? I promised to not miss anymore posts but missed about a month of posts so far because..well, you’ll see below! Let’s […]
Hello Sophisticated Spenders! This post originally ran right after I downsized from a 1500 square foot condo to 500 square feet (in June of 24014). It’s a pretty broad look at where my money goes and I’ve kept it pretty much the same except for my new sewing business. Maybe […]