I was under the impression that to steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research.

My professor at Triton didn’t quite see it that way.  So I was going to flunk her course, but she gave me an option. Take it again.  Which might sound reasonable until you figure out you’re going to have to pay twice for honor of enduring the pain twice.

But that’s life. Lesson learned. The even bigger problem was this was an expense I didn’t anticipate. And it caught me short.

So I did more research, on the Internet, and found a way to get fast cash.  You can use your car title, if you own it outright, to get a car title loan. I went to Rolling Meadows Title Loans for mine.  It was easy and fast and I got my money in a day. Amazing.

Next semester, I should be this resourceful in my schoolwork.

By the way Rolling Meadows is near Arlington Heights, Mt Prospect, Wheeling, Elk Grove Village, and Schaumburg.

I’ve always been of the opinion that 99 percent of lawyers give the rest of them a bad name.

Which explains a situation I found myself in a last year. My car got banged up pretty badly by a pizza chain delivery truck that took a corner too tight at a corner where I was waiting for a red light. I was ok, but my dog was injured from the impact. My insurance covered everything but the $500 deductible, but the vet bills came to about $2200. Both my insurance company and the pizza company’s lawyers fought this one tooth and nail – supposedly I should have had her in a restraining seat belt device in the back seat??? – and I got stuck with the bill.

This did not come at a good time, financially speaking, but my beautiful dog needed follow-up surgery and I needed money to cover it and the deductible. I went on the internet and found Mount Prospect Title Loans, a car title loans company that loaned me the cash based on my car’s value. It was easier than going to a car title loan store like the kind you see on Higgins Road or in the city. It’s all online, and you get your cash in a day.

My car and dog are fixed, and next time I’m finding a better lawyer.

By the way Mount Prospect is also near Arlington Heights, Wheeling, Des Plaies, Rolling Meadows, and Palaine.

There are a lot of unanswerables in life. Why is “abbreviated” such a long word? Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and dishwashing liquid made with real lemons? Why is the third hand on the watch called a second hand?

My new question is why do the commercials make it look like credit cards are about creating a wonderful happy life for you and your family, but car title loans are looked down upon? Lemme tell you about my credit card story.

I was given three credit cards when I went to college, and here, four years after I graduated, I’ve only gotten more and more debt accumulated. I paid the minimum balances for the last three years, then lost my job at United in the fall (just as well, it didn’t make sense to commute into the city now that they moved there from here in Elk Grove Village). My unemployment checks didn’t come close to covering my expenses, so I had to figure out how to keep them working in case I had to buy something on emergency.

Fortunately, my car is paid for (thanks dad!). So I went to Elk Grove Village Title Loans to see what it was worth. I was able to get a car title loan in less than 24 hours, which helped me make rent and get some car repairs that I might need if I take a job in McHenry County (yeah, who knew?). Either way, it was at a rate that is less than my 29% credit card interest charges.

Which goes to show, it pays to question some things we take for granted in life.

By the way Elk Grove Village is near Wood Dale, Bensenville, Mt Prospect, Arlington Heights, and Wheeling.

I know I’m addicted to coffee. In the mornings, I truly am not able to wait to get to the Starbucks over in Schaumburg, where I work. I make the instant stuff at home. And sometimes I think that takes too long.

But this coffee habit gets the best of me sometimes. Like one day I was shopping at Woodfield Mall. I only had a half hour, and there were all these crazy recessionary economy sales going on. I shopped like a thoroughbred at Arlington Park. And Christmas was coming. So between bedding and linens, clothes for me, clothes for my husband, clothes for the kids and a crock pot I really didn’t need, I built up a sizable Visa bill that, unfortunately, I am not able to pay.

With my credit cards maxed and a house rule to no longer tap into the home equity, I wasn’t sure where I’d find the cash. Then I heard about Arlington Heights Title Loans, where I was able to get an advance from the value of my old Saturn. It was the perfect answer: I could apply online from my computer (coffee at my side), get the approval in an hour and money from my car title loan in 24 hours. I just joined a gym now, so that’s how I’m putting that caffeine to work instead.

By the way Arlington Heights is near Rolling Meadows, Mt Prospect, Buffalo Grove, Palatine, and Hoffman Estates.