What Happens to the Mean Green?

Since it's January, it's time to get out the ol' briefcase and see what stickers are missing. Last year the only sticker they bought was in Guatemala and that's not nearly enough.

But in order to travel somewhere, you have to pay for it. So, for the past two days The Great Plotnik has been totalling up his expenses for the entire year 2006. It is not a pretty picture.

Are you kidding? That much for food? That much for restaurants? That much for TRAVEL? Oh, and INSURANCE? How about gas and car repair?

In their own little minds, Plot and Duck think they live frugally -- they own one seven year old car, they do their own home repair, they eschew those expensive cash guzzlers everyone else seems to love, like cruises and going to movies, and their mortgage is no worse than other people's rent. So how in the world did Plotnik, once again, spend more than he made? How is this possible?


True, they and their friends eat well.


True, they have been known to have a glass of beer.


...and occasionally a sip of wine.


And, of course, there's Baby I.

To augment his income this year, The Great Plotnik figures lottery tickets and the World Poker Championships.