Take for example that $4 latte. Five lattes a week at four bucks a pop is $80 in one month. Over the course of a year, that adds up to be $960. I didn't believe it at first. Almost one thousand dollars! All the possibilities $960 holds: a vacation, home improvement, or just boosting your emergency fund.

I know first hand how hard not spending money at the drop of a hat is. My vice is that latte - hot, caffeinated, frothy, freshly brewed safety net that kick starts me in the morning while kicking me in my pocketbook. Now, I haven't given up on the morning Joe completely. I've traded the trips to the coffee shop for coffee brewed at home. The saving is substantial. Instead of spending $80 a month on caffeine, I'm putting a little more than $70 into my SmartyPig account each month. With that money, I'm planning a great vacation at the end of the year. And since SmartyPig has partnered with top retailers like Apple Vacations, Pleasant Holidays, Royal Caribbean and Sandals, I'll get an additional boost on the cash I've already saved. Most importantly, I'll own the trip when I get back. No credit card bills, no hassles.

Are there charges in your financial life you don't give much thought to? Incremental dollars spent out with colleagues for lunch or an after-work cocktail that could satisfy you so much more down the road? Imagine if you eliminated that spending, or just cut back a little on certain things you don't necessarily need and socked that money away for a new computer or family trip or even an umbrella for those rainy days? The reward for more common sense would really pay.

And while some mornings I really wish I had a latte in my hand, I simply snap out of it and into the dream of white sandy beaches and bright blue water as far as the eye can see. I'll gladly trade that Joe for the promise of paradise any day.

But there is hope. If you are experiencing the pain of a horrible holiday hangover, SmartyPig can help. Start saving for the 2009 holidays now and prevent next year's debt from ever happening. In an article on MSNBC, it suggests the same plan of attack. "You probably did all of your holiday spending in the last six weeks - or less," writes Sharon Epperson. "Tally up your expenses for this holiday season, including gifts, travel, entertaining. Divide the total by 10 and contribute that amount to your savings each month from January to October. Next November you can start spending that amount, paying cash for your holiday purchases."

SmartyPig makes this process quite simple. Enter the total amount you want to save, when you want to save it by and SmartyPig will do the rest. Every month on the day of your choice, SmartyPig will pull those funds from your checking or savings account into your constantly growing SmartyPig account. You'll also be earning one of the highest annual percentage yields in the market; and SmartyPig has teamed up with some of the country's top retailers who will give you up to an additional 6% cash boost on top of what you've already saved. Most importantly, you'll be satisfied knowing that your spending cash for the holidays at the end of the year is being taken care of now.

Most people don't ever get to own the holidays. Using SmartyPig gives you the opportunity to do exactly that. No bills, no hassles, no worries - just an enjoyable holiday season.

1. New mobile application (we accepted iPhone app) and
2. integration with sites like Mint, Geezeo, Wesabe, Rudder, Yodlee and more.
   

We went back to our tried and true method of picking winners - here's the video:

Congratulations to chewbocka, pkimp and BrettTrout, you have all won a $100 SmartyPig Gift card! Make sure to DM us your mailing address, so we can get your $100 in the mail. BrettTrout is earning his second SmartyPig gift card, as he also won the contest in July - he's a lucky guy!

Better luck next time to those that made it to the top 20 (out of 145 responses): adangross, abbieshipton, meatflag, SandiHockeyMom, denafurst, parterburn, seanwaters, afalker, AdamTReineke, abkadefgee, arthur, chadgramling, nukirk, stephadamo, SMMbutterfly, jezebelcapture, bourg_hetto.

1. After 15 minutes, we will be picking 20 random people with a number generator from the pool of correct answers.
2. We'll be bringing back a trusted method in selecting three gift card winners.
3. We'll post the process here on our blog, so everyone can follow along!

Make sure:

1. You're following us on Twitter.
2. We'll ask the $100 question on Thursday, January 22nd at 11am CST.
3. Answer the question correctly for your chance to win!

Remember: if you don't already have a SmartyPig account, it's free to set one up! Winner must be in the US.

Good Luck!

With banks bracing for the next meltdown in the form of people not being able to pay their credit card debt, and Congress pushing hard for a Credit Card Bill of Rights, I thought it might be good time to touch on the topic of plastic. In a recent survey, 35 percent of Ladies Home Journal Readers indicated their top money worry was paying off credit card debt. For years, it seems, people have been living large, buying now and figuring out how to pay for things later. Later has finally arrived.

I read an article recently where the author suggests that consumers should use credit cards for big-ticket purchases such as a refrigerator or home repairs. And while this author does make great points about the benefits and responsible use of credit cards, author and smart-money guy Dave Ramsey says credit cards are never a good idea. Don't believe Dave? Ask Thomas Jefferson who said, "Never spend your money before you have it."

At SmartyPig, we take the words of both men seriously. If you don't have the money to spend on an item, the solution is simple: save up for it instead. We know that in these difficult economic times emergencies do happen. But if you want to charge a new plasma screen TV or a family trip, wait it out. Start a SmartyPig goal instead. Then, when you've met your goal, the TV or the trip is all yours without a single credit card bill. Simply put, using cards in this economy, is an accident waiting to happen. Too much can go wrong.

That's why we are working non-stop to make it easier for you to save money and stay away from your plastic. We've recently added new features to help the goal saving process, and we hope these improvements will further motivate you to keep saving and meet your goals. As Mr. Ramsey states, "There is NO positive side to credit card use." We could not agree more.

Happy Cog
Incredible talent brewing over there in Philly. Thanks to the cogs for their guidance, creativity and expertise. They are scary good.

Room 214
Social media and word of mouth agency execs James Clark, Ingrid Getzen and Stepan Mazurov. We love using their blogging tool and we've had a blast working with them on our social media outreach and Twitter contests. Ingrid is the bomb!

Red Dot
Creative designers and friends Phil Schriver and Jason Ploog. When it comes to killer design, these guys are amazing.

The Integer Group
Sure they're a big agency, but did you know they have some serious Web talent under that big roof? Ian Leckie and Dan Hellerich are two of the most talented Web designers around. Thanks guys. And if you get any job offers from this, I want 10%.

Lava Row
A big shout-out to social media consultants and friends Nathan Wright and Hillary Brown. Thanks so much for your guidance and expertise. Looking forward to what we can dream up in 2009.

Relief Writer
Good friend and relief writer Bill Zahren came up with a couple hundred ideas with regard to what we should call ourselves. When the dust settled, "SmartyPig" was on the top of everyone's list. To this day, Bill remains one of the most talented freelance copywriters we know.

Again, without the help of these ultra-creative individuals, we wouldn't be nearly as cool as we're given credit for. It is our primary resolution to keep on seeking out the best and the brightest, as we strive to be the standard in social-financial services.

Mike Ferrari, co-founder