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Alright folks, here it is, just in time to spice up your weekend: the sequel to the surprisingly popular (judging by the people who have actually come up to me and told me they liked it) Instant Cowboy: Just Add Water. Actually, this is a prequel, not a sequel, and tells the story of Fat Daisy, a comic book shop owner, and the two boys who find a powerful secret.

Did I do an OK sales job? If I didn’t — and I probably didn’t — forgive me: I’m new at that. For now, just enjoy the story. (By the way, this is a pretty long story — 8250 words! — so I’ve made it available on a PDF. You can choose to download it double spaced (33 pages), or single spaced (15 pages). And, of course, you can continue reading on the site to understand a bit of how this story came about, as well as to read it online.)

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Note: When I started writing this post I didn’t think it was going to get as in depth as it has. As such, I recommend you take a paper and a pencil and jot some notes on the issues I discuss here. The world of credit and credit cards can be a scary thing, but if you break it down, it’s actually not that complicated. Convoluted, yes, but not complicated. I’ve tried to make things as simple as possible, but I can only do so much: your brain has to do the rest. I trust you’re an intelligent individual, or else you wouldn’t be reading this, so put on your thinking caps and start reading!

A few days ago, someone over at 9Rules Notes asked about the best financial advice others could offer to someone coming out of college. Some of the answers were traditional, some where a bit “out there”, but the one that caught my eye was this one:

Get one credit card (one!) to build credit, but pay off every cent before you get charged a penny of interest.

She goes on to talk about a few items I not only totally agree with, but have started to live and swear by (treating savings and investments as fixed, monthly expenses; treating yourself once in a while). But it was the statement quoted above that really caught my eye, since it highlighted a misunderstanding of the purpose of credit and credit cards. (This is not to say that the author doesn’t understand these, but it does speak of a somewhat limited view of credit which tends to limit the available financial options at the disposal of most individuals.)

Most people think of credit cards as money they can borrow when their funds run low. They also think of credit as something that builds up over time if you take care of your bills on time. While both of these statements can be true (depending on your particular situation), they miss the point of the entire credit score and credit card system.

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One thing The Wife and I have realized that as much as we’ve focused on finances over the life of our marriage, neither of us had ever suggested actually making a step-by-step plan for financial freedom — until this past weekend.

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A thought occurred to me yesterday which I was rather surprised at having thought, since it came to me so seemingly randomly, having the qualities of the sudden recollection of a fleeting dream, coming with such force and clarity so as to make me question from whence it came.

The press — newspapers, reporters, investigators, and yes, even blogs (well, some of them) — is, collectively, like the “Maintenance Required” light on your car.

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You may be wondering why I haven’t been writing all that much recently, at least not the deep, well thought out works of non-fiction literature you come here to enjoy. (At least, in my imagination you’re wondering why I haven’t been writing.) I feel I owe an explanation of that, and finally I feel like I can actually talk about it.

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