For every issue of Bad News, a copy of Good News can't be far behind, baby. Today, the stock market news is this: the Dow Jones was going down last week because of credit tightness, but is UP today after getting an influx of cash from the Federal Reserve. The boys on the trading floor have got to be grinning ear-to-ear and breathing easier now that the green is on the scene.

So ... people get in a bad mood (i.e. a Dow Jones drop) when credit is factored in, but feel a lot better when they see the dough. Sound familiar? It should, jack ... it's what Dave Ramsey and yours truly have been preaching all along. Using credit cards and debt leads to more spending at best and nasty collector calls at worst. You don't have to worry about being over your limit when you use cash ... because you can't spend what you don't have. Think about it.