ATTENTION! ATTENTION! YOUR PROBLEMS ARE SOLVED (well, not really). The stiffsuits in DC just pulled a federal minimum wage increase. At the new rate of $6.55, you'll be rolling in the moolah, won't you?

I know what you're thinking, jack. With gas and food costing what they do, a new minimum wage won't mean a hill of beans. Congratulations ... you figured out that Washington ain't gonna solve your money problems. That duty has your name stamped all over it.

Bottom line, baby ... you end up with more dough when you budget what you've got and save what comes in. Think of it like a bucket under a hose. The water is the cash and the bucket is the budget, bub. You ain't gonna have much water left over if there's a hole in the bucket, dear Liza. It'll just keep flowing out. But when you fix the bucket and stop the spending, pretty soon your bucket will overfloweth with dough-eth.

Making another 70 cents an hour doesn't mean squat if you go out and spend 85. Find your calling, work hard, mind the money, don't go into debt. Get promotion for working hard, earn more money and mind it. Lather, rinse, repeat.