Let's face it. Being broke sucks. Banks and other institutions charge additional fees for those who don't have a certain balance in their accounts, for transactions. It's like they're punishing people for being poor. Where's the logic in that? Or is it strictly a heartless thing to do?

This past Saturday, I was supposed to help my friends Jon and Cassie shear some sheep. I never got a hold of them. So I ended up at Brother Bear's Coffee in Yellow Springs. I thought I had enough in my checking account to cover the $2 cost of a cup of coffee. The transaction went through. The next day, I checked my account. I was in the red, and I thought, "Oh, shit!" The next business day, I was charged a $37 NSF fee, just as I would be charged for an overdrafted check

So I just paid $40 for a cup of coffee.

Yes, I did opt in for overdraft protection. I can go in the red somewhat if I need to. But if I make a series of transactions, I get dinged for each of those transactions. Money-grubbing bastards.