Name: Tony Minnicks
Age: 21
Location: El Paso, Texas
Profession: Army intelligence analyst
Goal: Pay off new car, limit future splurges

Tony Minnicks found out the U.S. Army offered a perfect program for helping young soldiers save money: It was called boot camp.

Without permission to leave the barracks for months — or even access a computer (no Ebay!) — Tony saved hundreds of dollars. After boot camp, however, he made up for lost time, spending money on everything he'd missed. The list started with the small stuff, he says — "junk food, beer, video games, movies" — and then moved to big-ticket items: two video game systems, a flat-screen TV, $3,000 in World War II collectibles, a charcoal-grey 2009 Ford Mustang, and a tattoo across his chest that reads "Duty, Honor, Country, I'd give my life."

Now that the 21-year-old has checked nearly everything off his wish list, he wants to put more of his $1,300 monthly paycheck in the bank — minus fixed expenses that now include a $300 car payment, $170 a month in car insurance, $300-400 on food and incidentals, and a $70 monthly Internet bill.

That said, "I'm doing pretty well," says Tony, now stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. "Most guys will go out to the bars with their paychecks and just drop it all."

Because he's bought so many big ticket items, he says "I can't do that."

Do you have a money quandary? A success story? A cautionary tale? We'd love to hear from you. Send an email to editors@bundle.com and include a photo.


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