So, how do you (or will you) teach your kids to be responsible with money & finances? What age do you think a child should have their own bank account? Other than the ING Direct Money account (not an affiliate link) I mentioned in the video, have you found any other good financial products for kids/teens?

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The first job I was able to get after my corporate entertainment business failed & about a month after we were sucked into the Debt Black Hole (filing Chapter 13 Bankruptcy) was selling cars. I thought if I could still do anything at that low point in my life, I could totally sell cars. I fantasized about becoming the Grand Negus of the car business!

After all, my great-grandfather, Bill, was the owner of a dealership in the 50's, 60's & 70's, my dad worked as a car salesman in his 20's and several of my other family members worked in sales, too. Growing up I was taught it was important to know how to sell...whether you're selling a product, a service or yourself.

The dealership also put me through two full weeks of additional sales & negotiation training (I will admit many of the techniques were pretty manipulative & one-sided, but what do you expect?) before I was even allowed to talk to an "up" (the term used to describe someone who drives onto a car lot).

But I really sucked as a car salesman! I'm surprised my great-grandfather didn't find a way to join the ranks of the undead just to have the chance to claw his way out of his grave to smack the crap out of me for embarrassing the family name (& eat my brains afterward). Despite what I knew about sales, negotiating, marketing and having a natural gift to be able to talk to almost anyone, I just couldn't work a deal to delivery. It's only now that I can look back & see the problem was a deep-rooted financial bias.

What do I mean by "financial bias"? My personal financial situation during that time created an extremely powerful filter through which I viewed the world. So most of the time, I couldn't complete a car deal and, when I did, the sales price was so low I received a "mini" (the term used to describe the smallest commission you can earn on a deal- usually $100) for my efforts.

It wasn't that I failed to sell people on the values & benefits of the product or that I didn't have the skills to close the deal, I was simply having a difficult time allowing people to take one step closer to the position I was already in...financial disaster. That's right- I was the antithesis of the car business- a car salesman with a financial conscious!

The dealership where I worked sold a couple of luxury brands (Cadillac & Infiniti), a couple of mid-level brands (Oldsmobile & Isuzu) & pre-owned cars. The easiest deals I had were when people came in to buy a new car with cash (like the nice, retired couple who started looking at an Oldsmobile, but ended up buying a new $50k Cadillac instead) or the ones who had credit union or bank financing already approved (at that point it was a simple negotiation).

But most of the people I dealt with were either buying an Oldsmobile (that's the lot where I was assigned) or a pre-owned car. And most of them had bad or non-existent credit, no money to put down and low incomes. I saw the state of their financial health (not sure people realize how much information you give a dealership about your finances) & decided to act like some kind of "Financial Superhero" by saving them (even though they never asked for help) from another bad financial decision. My heart was in the right place, but I was wrong to arbitrarily make these decisions for them. Although, I'm pretty sure they probably just went to some other dealership and bought a car there anyway.

My manager at the dealership (I'll never forget Cal) yelled at me at least 10 times a day for failing to complete car deals. It was, simply put, the worst job I've ever had (I think the blame falls on me- not the dealership or even Cal)! I quit after four months (I should have quit earlier- but I really needed the money from my draw) and went to work as a Pizza delivery driver instead (making about the same money with much less stress).

Interestingly, I really enjoy the car buying experience now (most people I know absolutely hate it). That's why I often offer to go and help family & friends negotiate a good deal (I also encourage people to check out the Car Negotiation Coach blog- lots of great FREE information there). A few years ago I even worked a successful deal for a car from that same dealership. Only this time- I was on the other side of the table (had some fun when they came out with the 4-Square). I felt really sorry for that poor salesman. But this time it was their fault...they taught me the same techniques I used against them.

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Most Geeks know- attending CONS (for non-Geeks, that's what we call Conventions for Comic Books, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Anime or other genres) can be VERY expensive! Many people think attending CONS is a hobby & we're just wasting our money...but that's absurd! It's no different than attending CES, SXSW, a festival, business tradeshow or other industry conference. These are huge SOCIAL and CULTURAL events for Geeks & other fans!

I've attended several CONS over the last few years and quickly learned it's imperative that you create a solid financial plan well in advance. Otherwise, you risk running out of money before the event is over (I've seen far too many people surviving on crackers because they ran out of food money) or spending too much money (ATM's are everywhere, tempting you)!

There are hundreds of fantastic CONS all over the world, but I choose to save money (so I have more to spend at the events) by staying in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Although I do plan to attend Dragon*Con, the San Diego Comic Con & an Official Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas at some point, 2012 is NOT the year for me. Even in Texas & DFW there are more Conventions than I am possibly able to attend- North Texas Comic Book Shows (in January), A-Kon 23 (in June), FenCon IX (in September), ConDFW XI (in February), YuleCon (usually in November), AnimeFest (Labor Day Weekend), North Texas RPG Con (in June), JMV Comic Book Show (in March), and probably others I don't even know about.

So what are my plans for this year? I usually pick 4-5 Conventions to attend a year- but this year I have a total of 6 events (one is a professional conference for Financial Bloggers):

SCI-FI EXPO (in February)

All-Con Dallas (in March)

Texas Frightmare Weekend (in May)

Dallas Comic Con (in May)

FinCon 12 (in September)

Fan Days (in October)

I set aside money each month for these events and create a specific, yet simple, financial plan for each to keep my Geek spending in check. Here's how it breaks down for 2012:

SCI-FI EXPO- $685 Total

  $40 for General Admission tickets ($15 x 2 adults, $5 x 2 kids)
  $5 for parking
  $50 for food
  $50 Photo Op with Eliza Dushku (Buffy/Angel/Dollhouse)
  $40 Photo Op with Jewel Staite (Firefly/Serenity/Stargate Atlantis)
  $500 limit to buy Geek Stuff

This is a 2-day event, but we only go for one day. Since I'm not getting any autographs this time, there's no reason to spend extra money on VIP Tickets to get at the front of the line.

All-Con Dallas- $1198 Total

  $128 for tickets ($42 x 2 adults, $22 x 2 kids)
  $220 for hotel ($90 x 2 nights + taxes)
  $250 for food ($125 per day x 2 days)
  $600 limit to buy Geek Stuff
  FREE Parking

This is the only multi-day event my family usually attends...so it's also the most expensive one of the bunch.

Texas Frightmare Weekend- $400 Total

  $50 for tickets ($25 x 2 adults, kids get in FREE)
  $50 for food
  $300 for Autographs- Anthony Michael Hall (Weird Science/Dead Zone/The Breakfast Club), Sam Trammell (True Blood), Barry Corbin (WarGames/The Closer/Northern Exposure), Ernest Borgnine (Airwolf/The Black Hole), Nancy Allen (RoboCop), Michael Biehn (Terminator/Aliens), Tony Todd (Candyman/Star Trek: DS9 & TNG/24), Tom Savini (From Dusk Til Dawn/Creepshow) & other potential guests.
  FREE Parking

This is an event we attend to get more autographs for my collection. Always a great list of guests I don't see at the other CONS in my area.

Dallas Comic Con- $855 Total

  $50 for tickets ($20 x 2 adults, $5 x 2 kids)
  $5 for parking
  $50 for food
  $250 for Photo Ops- Sir Patrick Stewart (Star Trek: TNG/X-Men), Adam West (Batman/Family Guy), Burt Ward (Batman), Kevin Conroy (Batman Cartoon) & others to be added later.
  $500 limit to buy Geek Stuff

Since the prices of the Photo Ops haven't been posted yet, I'm basing the numbers on other conventions with the same guests. If the Photo Ops are more expensive than my estimate, then I'll just have to use some of the money from my Geek Stuff limit to offset the difference.

FinCon 2012- $2500 Estimate

All of the costs haven't been posted for this event yet and it's the first time I'm attending- so I've set a preliminary estimate of $2500. This estimate includes airfare, hotel, transportation, food, etc. Hopefully, the actual amount will be lower, but I'm saving with this number in mind for now.

Fan Days 2012- $500 Estimate

None of the costs or guests for this event have been posted yet either, so I'm basing my estimate on the amount of money I spent at the previous Fan Days event I attended (in 2010). As the event gets closer and more information is available, I will adjust my financial plan accordingly.

With these six events in 2012, I'm estimating that I need to save a Grand Total of $6138. For easy accounting, I'm rounding it up to $6500- which means I need to save about $550 a month (perhaps this can come from the money we're saving from trying not to eat out so much?) to hit my goal. I have a separate account where I put the money for these events, so I've adjusted my distributions accordingly. Since I have money in that account already from last year, coming up with the money for the events in February & March shouldn't be an issue. All the money I save now will be for later events.

Of course, if an emergency or something else comes up, I won't hesitate to use this money to take care of it. Sure, I'll be disappointed if I have to miss an event (like I did in 2011...I'll tell you about that later), but some things are more important...even more important than my Geek obsessions!

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A while back, I wrote about having to replace the battery in my Tahoe. It was during that unexpected adventure I learned about Wal-Mart/EverStart Battery's decision to phase out their prorated battery replacement. Totally uncool. I've used several of the EverStart Batteries in my Tahoe and they last around 3 1/2 years.

Shaun @ Smart Family Finance commented that he used, what he believed (or at least I assumed from his comment), was an Interstate Battery for his vehicle. Shaun was pretty sure his battery was more expensive...but that it was worth it because it lasted longer- about 5 years.

Well, as promised, I've decided to take a closer look to see which of these two batteries would be a better deal- based on price, durability (life) and warranty benefits of these two batteries. LET'S GET IT ON!

We'll start with the (my) current Champion- the EverStart Maxx 78s. At my local Wal-Mart, I can buy a new one for about $89 plus tax. The EverStart Maxx 78s offers a 3 Year (36 Month) FREE Replacement warranty. As I mentioned earlier, the prorated replacement warranty (for a battery that dies after the 3 year period, but still within the extended period) is going away. My experience with this battery tells me I'll get about 40 months use out of it before it dies.

Next, let's look at the Challenger- the Interstate Mega-Tron 78. At my local Interstate Battery Center it will cost me roughly $122 plus tax. This battery has a 2 Year (24 Month) FREE Replacement warranty. But, it also has a 75 Month Prorated Warranty. Again, Shaun believes he gets about 5 Years (60 Months) use out of his before it dies.

ROUND 1: The Name

Although it shouldn't matter (at least not in a financial sense), the name of the battery is important to me. EverStart Maxx 78s sounds kind of cool...but I know these batteries don't last forEVER & they don't alwaysStart! The word MAX is ok...but it's even better when you add the 2nd X! I'm glad they stopped there...3 X's could offend some of the more timid folks in this part of Texas. The name Interstate Mega-Tron 78, on the other hand, just sounds AWESOME! It screams of being rebellious & crossing state lines. Plus, it has MEGATRON in it's name! How is sharing the name of the leader of the Decepticons NOT cooler than Maxx? Seriously?!?!

*Round 1 Winner: Interstate Mega-Tron 78!*

Round 2:  Cost & Durability

The EverStart Maxx 78s costs about $33 less than the Interstate Mega-Tron 78. Just based on that fact alone, the winner of this round should be clear...but we have to look at how long these things last, too. The EverStart Maxx 78s lasts about 40 months and the Interstate Mega-Tron 78 lasts 60 months. So, if I could keep my truck running for another 10 years (unlikely, but just stay with me for now) for a total of 120 months- it would take at least THREE of the EverStart Maxx 78's but probably only TWO of the Interstate Mega-Tron 78's. Total cost for the EverStart Maxx 78's would be $267 plus taxes. Total cost for the Interstate Mega-Tron 78's would be $244 plus taxes. That means we would actually SAVE $23 over 10 years if we bought the more expensive battery now. Hmmm...

*Round 2 Winner: Interstate Mega-Tron 78!*

Round 3: Warranty

The FREE replacement warranty for the EverStart Maxx 78s is longer at 36 Months, but the prorated extended warranty is going away. The FREE replacement warranty for the Interstate Mega-Tron 78 is only 24 months, but the prorated extended warranty is a whopping 75 months! As long as the Interstate Mega-Tron 78 lasts close to the 40 months that the EverStart Maxx 78s lasts, it would be a wash...or only a few dollars one way or the other. This one's a bit tougher to call...

*Round 3 Winner: DRAW!*

JUDGES DECISION:

The Winner of the Truck Battery Price Wars: EverStart Maxx 78s vs Interstate Mega-Tron 78 is the...

INTERSTATE MEGA-TRON 78!

Looks like we have a NEW Champion (& I bought the WRONG battery). Oh well, I'll know what to buy next time.

Have thoughts, comments or questions about my comparison, unorthodox methods or decision? I'd love to hear them...

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