02.14.25 Valentines Edition: Couples And Money / Wedding Costs

Summary

The Clark Howard Podcast: Valentine's Edition – Couples and Money & Wedding Costs
Release Date: February 14, 2025

In the Valentine's Day special of The Clark Howard Podcast, host Clark Howard delves into the intricate relationship between couples and money management, explores the rising costs of weddings, and addresses several listener questions ranging from financial struggles to travel plans. This episode, released on February 14, 2025, provides valuable insights for couples aiming to achieve financial harmony and individuals grappling with personal financial challenges.

---

1. Couples and Money: Building Trust and Financial Transparency

Clark Howard opens the episode by emphasizing the significance of open financial communication between partners. He highlights how financial infidelity—concealing expenses or hiding money—can severely damage trust within a relationship.

Key Points:

• Financial Transparency: Clark urges couples to avoid keeping financial secrets, as uncovering hidden expenses can "blow apart trust in a relationship" (01:15).
• Shared Financial Responsibilities: He advocates for a balanced approach where partners maintain individual accounts for personal savings and retirement while contributing to a joint account for common household expenses and emergency funds.
• Pre-Marital Conversations: Discussing financial goals, retirement plans, and living arrangements before marriage can prevent future conflicts and ensure both partners are aligned in their financial strategies.

Notable Quote:

"You don't want money to undermine the love that you have for each other, Period." – Clark Howard (04:30)

---

2. Listener Questions and Expert Advice

The episode features several listener questions, each addressed with Clark's expert advice.

a. Jim from Florida: Overcoming Financial Struggles as a Single Parent

Jim shares his challenges as a single parent facing financial hardships, despite securing a sales job with an initial salary of $75k and transitioning to a commission-based role aiming for a six-figure income.

Clark’s Advice:

• Seek Professional Help: Clark recommends consulting a reputable credit counselor through the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (05:57).
• Create a Budget: Assessing income and expenses meticulously to develop a manageable payment plan for debts.
• Set Clear Goals: Prioritizing homeownership and financial stability to motivate debt reduction efforts.
• Encouragement: Recognizes Jim’s dedication as a single parent and underscores the importance of his efforts for his daughters’ future.

Notable Quote:

"You're raising your two daughters by yourself… cut yourself some slack." – Clark Howard (06:18)

b. Fred from Minnesota: Handling Overcharged Sales Tax

Fred recounts being overcharged sales tax on purchases from national chains, including a cell phone and a pottery mug, and seeks guidance on recourse.

Clark’s Explanation:

• Sales Tax Regulations: In some states, sales tax on items like cell phones is based on the actual retail value, not the discounted purchase price.
• Consumer Actions: Advises disputing incorrect charges and reporting them to state tax fraud divisions.
• Retail vs. Manufacturer Liability: Suggests that issues should be addressed with the retailer rather than the manufacturer.

Notable Quote:

"They were just incompetent. But that's what's going on." – Clark Howard (28:36)

c. Concerns About Gift Card Security

A listener from Ohio raises concerns about Costco's E-gift cards being drained, fearing potential internal fraud or hacking by third-party vendors.

Clark’s Insights:

• E-Gift Card Safety: While E-gift cards are generally safer since they "don't actually exist till they're created," vulnerabilities still exist if systems are hacked.
• Physical Gift Card Risks: Physical cards are prone to theft and unauthorized use, making them riskier despite some being activated only at the register.
• Recommendation: Advises caution when purchasing gift cards and weighs the benefits of discounts against potential security risks.

Notable Quote:

"Gift cards by their very nature are of such risk." – Clark Howard (10:28)

d. Kevin from Georgia: Planning an Anniversary Trip to Oktoberfest

Kevin seeks advice on organizing a 20th-anniversary trip to Munich’s Oktoberfest, considering cost-effective travel options.

Clark’s Recommendations:

• Shoulder Season Travel: Traveling during shoulder seasons (April, May, September, October) can yield cheaper airfare.
• Alternative Airports: Suggests flying into less expensive hubs like New York and then traveling to Munich to save on costs.
• Hotel Booking: Advises booking refundable rooms due to high demand and fluctuating prices during Oktoberfest.

Notable Quote:

"You're so smart to do your anniversary trip in the fall." – Clark Howard (21:37)

e. Amy from Oregon: Organizing a Summer Trip for 18-Year-Old Sons

Amy queries the safety and feasibility of her 18-year-old sons planning a summer trip to Mexico with friends on a limited budget.

Clark’s Caution:

• Safety Concerns: Highlights Mexico’s safety issues, emphasizing the importance of staying within secure, sealed resorts with robust security measures.
• Parental Oversight: Recommends chaperoning the trip to ensure the boys' safety and responsible behavior.
• Alternatives: Suggests considering other destinations like the Dominican Republic or Jamaica, ensuring similar security standards.

Notable Quote:

"Mexico, safe, Not safe." – Clark Howard (26:23)

f. Joan from Illinois: Dealing with Leaking Bleach Bottles

Joan describes a scenario where purchasing Clorox bleach resulted in leaking bottles that damaged her clothing and seeks compensation.

Clark’s Solution:

• Retailer Responsibility: Advises contacting the retailer (e.g., Sam’s Club) rather than the manufacturer (Clorox) for compensation.
• Reasonable Requests: Suggests asking for a replacement product and partial reimbursement for damaged items.
• Experience Sharing: Shares his own experience with leaking liquid soap bottles and successful resolution through the retailer.

Notable Quote:

"Seek compensation from the retailer for the damage to your jeans." – Clark Howard (13:00)

---

3. The Rising Cost of Weddings: Value vs. Expense

Clark transitions to discussing the escalating average cost of weddings in the United States, which now stands at approximately $36,000, varying by region with the New York metro area being the most expensive.

Key Insights:

• Prioritizing Financial Health: Clark advocates for focusing wedding expenses on meaningful experiences rather than extravagant costs, suggesting that a costly wedding does not correlate with marital success.
• Personal Anecdote: Shares his approach with his daughter’s wedding, allocating remaining funds towards a down payment for a house instead of overspending on the event.
• Long-Term Financial Planning: Emphasizes entering marriage without significant debt, enhancing financial stability and future planning.

Notable Quote:

"The success of a marriage is inversely proportional to how much money you spend on the wedding." – Clark Howard (18:00)

---

4. Additional Listener Interactions and Final Thoughts

Throughout the episode, Clark and his co-host engage in light-hearted banter and share personal anecdotes, reinforcing the episode’s themes of financial prudence and responsible decision-making.

Closing Remarks: Clark wraps up the episode by reiterating the importance of empowering listeners to "save more, spend less, and avoid getting ripped off." He encourages continuous engagement through his platforms, including www.clark.com/askclark and ClarkDeals.com.

---

Conclusion

This Valentine's edition of The Clark Howard Podcast serves as a comprehensive guide for couples navigating financial challenges, planning significant life events like weddings, and addressing everyday financial dilemmas. Clark Howard’s practical advice and empathetic approach offer listeners actionable strategies to enhance their financial well-being and foster healthier, more transparent relationships.

Transcript

[Sponsor Announcer]

This episode is brought to you by Meundies Underwear Drawers are like the Wild West. You never know what you're gonna pull out or what shape it's in. So upgrade your collection with the buttery, soft comfort of Meundies. Meundies signature fabric is as soft as a warm hug from your favorite sweater. Plus, it's breathable and oh so comfy, making it ideal for all day wear. Get 20% off your first order, plus free shipping at MeUndies.com Spotify with code Spotify that's MeUndies.com Spotify code Spotify this episode is brought to you by Atlassian. Atlassian makes the team collaboration software that powers enterprise businesses around the world, including over 80% of the Fortune 500. With Atlassian's AI powered software like Jira, Confluence and Loom, you'll have more time to do the work that matters. In fact, Atlassian customers experience a 25% reduction in project duration per year. Unleash the potential of your [e-mail] Atlassian.

[Clark Howard]

It'S my pleasure to welcome you to the Valentine Day edition of the Clark Howard Show.

[Co-host]

I forgot my red shirt. I'm so bummed. But your red looks fantastic.

[Clark Howard]

Thank you. I never wear anything but our standard issue podcast shirt for our YouTube show. Those of you watch us on YouTube you see I'm in this bright red shirt. It was only $6 for this shirt at Walmart. Our mission is to empower you with advice and information that helps you make better financial decisions in your life on this Valentine's Day and in your love life. Yes. So we only do Clark stinks now every other week. So I don't get to do something I love today and hearing how I can improve myself. But it'll be back next Friday. But I do get to talk about things affecting us as couples. First talking to your partner about money and avoiding. Well, it's just the phrase now financial infidelity and later if you're going to tie the knot. Well, wow. The average cost of a wedding in 25 blows my mind. But anyway, we're going to first talk about people that are coupled up, whatever the arrangement is. And people keep a lot of financial secrets from the one they love. Every relationship has its own dynamics. But I will tell you, I know it's true from over the years on tv talking with couples that are having money trouble that that money trouble by itself may or may not heavily hurt the relationship. But when one of the people in a couple finds out that the other has been hiding expenses or Hiding money. You want to blow apart trust in a relationship. You, you will blow apart trust in the relationship. Please don't hide things from your partner or whatever your relationship is. If you're living as a couple now, there are couples that are married or living together, whatever, who have an understanding with the person they're married to and you. As long as everybody's on the same page about this, this is fine. And what would an understanding be? That you have your money, they've got their money. And then there's the house account, where there's a sharing of common expenses in the house. You do your own retirement account, they do their own retirement account. You do your own savings account, they do their own. But the house account should have a savings component built into it. It's all about being prepared for that rainy day. Because if each of you are responsible for your own savings and one of you is not as good as the other at it, and then a big expense comes and only one of you has the money for it, that's going to be a problem. If your arrangement is that you're sharing those common expenses, there should be an amount that's deposited into that joint account and then you got the rest of your money. You do what with. And part of what goes in every month in that joint account should be money for those oops that happen in life. But keeping it a secret about you did this, you did that, the secret purchases, the secret debt, whatever. Big mistake. Big mistake. I don't want you doing that. And a lot of couples don't like talking about money. I don't want you obsessed with money. So what I'm saying. But it's really good for a couple to have conversations. Even before you get married or might move in together or whatever. It's really important to have conversations. What are your goals? What do you hope to do someday? When do you want to retire? Where do you want to live? How are you going to pay for that? Having conversations about money when you're not sore at each other is really helpful for that relationship. You don't want money to undermine the love that you have for each other, Period. Happy Valentine's Day.

[Co-host]

All right, let's go to Jim in Florida. Well, Clark, I've gotten myself into a bit of a financial pickle. I will turn 50 on Valentine's Day. Happy birthday.

[Clark Howard]

Happy birthday today, Jim.

[Co-host]

And have been raising my two daughters by myself the last eight years. It has been an emotional and financial struggle, but rewarding. I have worked in the heavy equipment industry starting when I Took custody of my daughters and have worked my way up from the warehouse to a sales job with a guaranteed salary of 75k for the first year.

[Clark Howard]

Congratulations to you.

[Co-host]

Yep. Then I moved to commission, which should place me in six figures before this gig. I've made a handful of horrible financial decisions. I'm behind on everything except my rent and have quite a few things in collections. How do I clean these messes up? I don't want to live in an apartment for the rest of my life.

[Clark Howard]

So, Jim, you've got to sit down. First of all, you're already doing so much. You're a single parent raising two daughters. You're working your tail off and cut yourself some slack. But you have goals you want moving forward, and you're 50 and you're really assessing those goals and where you are with your life and all that. I want you to sit down with a credit counselor. It can be either virtually or in person, and go over your whole situation and get their advice. This costs little or nothing if you go to a legitimate credit counselor. And the way you find legitimate credit counselors, go to the website national foundation for Credit counseling, which is nfcc.org make that appointment and talk through your situation. They'll have you fill out a bunch of paperwork that you'll have right there staring in front of you. Yo, this yo this yo this yo this is what income you have, this is what monthly you've got, and it'll really help you with them talking it through with you. They maybe even be able to work out a payment plan for you with the people you owe money. That's something that you can handle in your budget. The goal is clear. You want to not be a nomad in your life. You want to provide more stability for your daughters. You want to own your own home so you have extra incentive to work on getting the debts settled, handled and moving forward. And I know you're going through a lot, but you're there for your daughters and let me tell you, you're making a big difference by doing that.

[Co-host]

Scott in Ohio says I know Clark hates physical gift cards and prefers, if one goes the gift card route, to do it electronically. But I haven't seen this issue with Costco mentioned previously. And there's a link to a Reddit thread about people going to use their Costco E gift cards for the first time, only to find out they're either mostly or completely drained. I saw this around Christmas when I was looking into possibly getting the Southwest gift card on sale down to $420. But reading this post as well as seeing dozens of people have this issue led me to hold off on the purchase as potentially losing over $400 isn't some chunk change. Of course, Southwest gift cards are no longer being offered at Costco for the time being. But what are Clark and team's thoughts on this? Could a third party vendor who issues these have a bad actor on the inside? Could crooks have hacked the system is is getting one from Costco at the store still the only exception of the in person gift cards rule and the only way one should get a gift card from them. Thanks for all you do.

[Clark Howard]

So you know, I've long worried about gift cards in every possible formation, but I felt much more comfortable about the E gift cards because they don't actually exist till they're created. It would require some form of hack, as you suppose inside a company or someone who is hacked into your computer to get to them. The physical gift cards have so many dangers to them. Now let's take one that you buy the Costco shop cards. The Costco individual is the shop cards are held at the register. They're not available like the ones that have been so vulnerable that are on unprotected gift card racks and those they don't come live until activated at the register. I can't tell from what what you're talking about on Reddit if it's the Southwest gift cards that are being compromised or the shop cards.

[Co-host]

Apparently those are just the online purchases. The E gift cards.

[Clark Howard]

The E gift cards. And so I would say that gift cards by their very nature are of such risk. I have held my breath. And when the Southwest gift card, since I fly Southwest every month since the Southwest gift cards when they've been sold by Sam's and Costco have such an enormous benefit, you know, paying basically 85 cents of each dollar of what a ticket would actually cost. I have held my breath, I bought them and I've been hoping against hope that nobody cracks the code and steals the money. So far over the last four years, I guess I've been buying them. I've not had a problem, but it could always happen and then I'm going to feel like an idiot. So the gift card process. Nobody has been able to make the gift card system completely secure, which is why I don't like gift cards. And the only time I say to buy them is if you value the discount you're getting that you know you're getting versus the risk you're having that the money may vanish for your eyes the time Never ever, not ever to buy a gift card is when you're taking real money and all you're getting is basically an IOU for the same value of money. You're taking good money and turning it into inferior money. And I'm going to do more reading here and see if there's something here that I need to put out a consumer alert about that makes my prior recommendation of E gift cards no longer a safe harbor.

[Co-host]

Fred in Minnesota says maybe this is the ultimate cheapskate type of question. I bought a two pack of Clorox toilet bowl cleaning bleach. The two bottles came bound together with shrink plastic wrap. When I removed the wrapper, I noticed there was a leak at the neck of one of the bottles and the removal of the wrap caused it to spew all over getting on my sweatshirt and my favorite jeans. When something like this happens, do I as a consumer have any recourse? Can I write the company and ask for them to buy me a new pair of jeans? Or is it all a part of the built in risk we take when buying things like bleach? Devoted listener who appreciates Wes but misses a daily dose of Clark Wes, for.

[Clark Howard]

Those of you who aren't familiar from our YouTube show and our podcast is our Ask Our Advisor that does one podcast a week that's available to you. The airs on Tuesdays. He's a fiduciary financial planner advisor and so there are so many extremely sophisticated investing questions we get that really should be answered by a fiduciary fee only advisor. And so that's why we do that podcast once a week. And I'm glad you're enjoying Wes. All right, so you may or may not have heard my story that I bought from Sam's club members Mark Liquid soap containers, the big bulk ones. They had a leak in the bottom of one of the bottles and made a mess. A mess. And Sam's replaced them. But I didn't even think to ask about the cleanup I had to do. And it cost me some money to clean up that mess because it had a a split in the seam on the bottom of one of the bottles. If I was going to ask for it, it wouldn't be from Clorox, it would be from the store. You bought the item. The retailers generally are more powerful than the manufacturers. At this point you were a customer of the retailer, not a customer of Clorox. And I think in a case like this, it seems like it would make sense. Something probably happened in handling may have fallen off forklift, who knows to seek compensation from the retailer for the damage to your jeans. I think that plus a replacement of the product is a reasonable request. They'll probably devalue what they'll pay you for the genes based on the age of them. But it's too bad it's not in right now to have completely discolored genes. Remember when that was in and you'd have all kinds of like white patches?

[Co-host]

Oh yes, bleach and ripped. I remember in the 80s my dad getting so angry with me because he bought me a new pair of jeans and I ripped them up and put, put puffy paint on them and bleached them. He was like, what earth are you doing?

[Clark Howard]

So that's the only thing you could do is you could wait till. Yeah, that became the vintage and thing to do again to have that whitened out bleach spot on your.

[Co-host]

Darn it. Yeah. Or dying black maybe.

[Clark Howard]

Yeah.

[Co-host]

But that's. That stinks your favorite jeans.

[Clark Howard]

It does. Coming up ahead, here's something that stinks. The average cost of a wedding has gone up, up and away. We're going to talk about that up ahead and my feelings about having a blowout wedding. At Schwab, how you invest is your choice, not theirs. That's why when it comes to managing your wealth, Schwab gives you more choices. You can invest and trade on your own. Plus get advice and more comprehensive wealth solutions to help meet your unique needs. With award winning service, low costs and transparent advice, you can manage your wealth your way at Schwab. Visit schwab.com to learn more. Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. I don't know if you knew this, but anyone can get the same Premium Wireless for $15 a month plan that I've been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities. So do like I did and have one of your assistant's assistants switch you to Mint Mobile today. I'm told it's super easy to do.

[Sponsor Announcer]

@Mintmobile.Com Switch upfront payment of $45 for three month plan equivalent to $15 per month required. First three months only. Then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra. See full [e-mail] this episode is brought to you by.

[Clark Howard]

Indeed, when your computer breaks, you don't wait for it to magically start working again. You fix the problem. So why wait to hire the people your company desperately needs? Use Indeed's sponsored jobs to hire top talent fast. And even better, you only pay for results. There's no need to wait. Speed up your hiring with a $75 sponsored job credit@ Indeed.com podcast terms and conditions apply.

[Sponsor Announcer]

This episode is brought to you by bank of America.

[Clark Howard]

What if your business could see beyond what is and into what can be? And what if you had a partner.

[Sponsor Announcer]

As visionary as you are?

[Clark Howard]

Bank of America gives customers access to trusted experts, real time insights and digital tools to make every move matter. What would you like the punch power to do? Visit bankofamerica.com banking for business bank of America is proud to be the official bank sponsor of FIFA World Cup 2026.

[Sponsor Announcer]

Build a routine with Ollie that supports your wellness needs like getting your daily vitamins and minerals with Ollie's multigummies or keeping your mood upbeat with all the vitamin D and hello happy. Give your gut health some support with probiotics and wake up feeling refreshed after taking Ollie sleep. Do wellness on your terms. Find Ollie at a Walmart or Target near you [e-mail] these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease so.

[Clark Howard]

Average cost of a wedding 36,000 and it varies by region of the country. I think the most expensive weddings in the country are in New York metro area, the Tri state area. But Zola, which is one of those wedding planning sites, their survey says rounded off expect 36 grand for the typical wedding around the country. And I'm going to repeat something for you from several years ago that I've alluded to a couple of times since when my daughter and her now husband were getting married, I sat down with them and said okay, I've, I've got this amount of money I was going to give you for your wedding instead of just paying for your wedding and then you're free to do with it whatever you want. You want to go to the justice of the peace and get married for $25 and have all the rest of the money for your new life together. Do that. You want to spend all the money plus more on your wedding up to this amount is yours beyond it. Well that's out of your pocket. I did this because if you're a parent paying for a kid's wedding, going into a wedding, it seems like the most important thing is the wedding. The wedding, the wedding, the wedding. And it's an old wives tale that I think is true that the success of a marriage is inversely proportional to how much money you spend on the wedding. And so remembering that is the commencement of what you hope is a long and happy union together it is not the end of things. It is the beginning of those great expectations. So spending tens of thousands of dollars on a wedding, what's the point? I mean, what you want is you want to have something where your family and friends are together if that's what you want to do. And it doesn't have to be really fancy. I've been to every kind of wedding there ever has been. I've been to weddings that they spent clearly hundreds of thousands of dollars. And I've been to weddings that cost like nothing in someone's backyard and everything in between. So think about it. What's the goal? Is it to have a down payment on a house? Is it, would it be better to go into a marriage without personal debts? And if you have a parent who gives you some of money, you do the wedding as cheap as you can and then you go into your marriage debt free or as close to it as you can. And my daughter and son in law's case, they did a wedding that was very nice but very modest in cost and they did take the difference and use it towards a down payment on a house. And you got to do what's right for you. If everything's about having this giant fancy wedding, fine, if you can afford it. But go into debt for that. No way, not any day.

[Co-host]

Christa, this first question's from Kevin in Georgia. Hi Clark, longtime listener, first time quote unquote caller. My wife and I are planning our 20 year anniversary trip. Congratulations. For the end of September, we were thinking of going to Oktoberfest in Munich. I was told to fly into Amsterdam, then train our way over. Any advice would be amazing. What's the best time to buy? Fly into and out of hotel in Munich. That would not cost as much as a car. Thank you so much. You're the best.

[Clark Howard]

Thank you very much. In 20 years. Congratulations. And you're so smart to do your anniversary trip in the fall. Don't know if you're married in September, but this is smart because you're moved past the peak season. You're in what's called shoulder. The airfares will be a whole lot cheaper. The shoulder fare sales aren't going to start popping up for about another month. And the shoulder fair seasons cover April, May, September, October most years. The fares in September, October to Europe. You're from Georgia. In the southeast US the fares should be somewhere around 550 round trip if Atlanta is your normal airport, though Atlanta is one of the most expensive cities in the United States to fly internationally because of Dominance by Delta Airlines. So the best deals are going to be actually flying up to New York, potentially spend a night there, do some sightseeing, make it part of your your 20th anniversary trip, and then fly from New York to Europe. It'll be less than the 550 likely in the shoulder season airfare sales and go into Europe. Wherever the great deal is, wherever you are in Europe is all going to be fun. And then work your way over to Munich by car, by train, even by discount flight. If you're way to the west in Europe and go over to Munich, no fooling. Hotel rates during Oktoberfest, they are very, very high. Book a refundable room for your hotel. Stay in Munich as you work out your itinerary. Because way ahead of time for Oktoberfest, the hotel rates tend to be marked as high as they think anybody will ever pay. And then this is why you book a refundable hotel room, because you reshop it repeatedly once a month leading up to your October fest day. And again, congratulations. Have an absolutely great time. You could do the Amsterdam thing, but no, it's wherever in Europe the best deal pops up for shoulder season fairs.

[Co-host]

Amy in Oregon says my 18 year old son would like to plan a trip with his friends this upcoming summer. And he is thinking about Mexico. There will be 10 to 15 boys traveling together. They would like to stay in a resort. They don't have much money. Is Mexico a safe option or any other ideas for a group of kids who are not yet 21? We're both laughing because we both have 19 year old sons.

[Clark Howard]

Oh my goodness. Okay, so gosh, statute of limitations has run out on this. My son was 18 his senior year in high school and they were having an unsanctioned unofficial trip that we had some parental units on as loose. What do you call that?

[Co-host]

Chaperone.

[Clark Howard]

And they can party, they can drink, they can be crazy. You really got to think about your son's maturity at 18 if you let them just all go together without any adults along at all.

[Co-host]

I too attended such a trip.

[Clark Howard]

Yeah. So we were at a resort south of Cancun. You were on one Jamaica. And where we were standing my son one night when he was throwing up after drinking. Yeah. So the kids can be as wild as they can be. And some of them will be somewhat responsible, some will not be. And Mexico, safe, Not safe. Mexico has a safety problem. I'm not telling you anything that's not been in the news. The boys will need to stay in a hermetically sealed Resort. We were in one of those. The security was crazy. First he went through a military checkpoint or they appeared to be. They were in military type uniforms, may have been some kind of police. Then at the resort there was what looked like a 15 foot high fence, like you were going to a rich people's prison. And then there was a double security gate into the resort. We were completely sealed in there.

[Co-host]

Boats going out on the, in the water where there's security.

[Clark Howard]

Boats. There were police boats or coast guard type boats going back and forth on the beach. There was never any danger. Any of the boys on that trip? There were boys and girls on that one. I just really want you to think through having 18 year olds on a completely unsupervised trip. I don't advise it, but if parents are there and they're paying attention, I think it's okay.

[Co-host]

And other options would be maybe the Dominican Republic or Jamaica. Same thing. Sealed resort. Although we're in a resort, a nice resort in Jamaica. And one of the girls was roofied by someone that came in, like a taxi driver that one of the inside employees knew and they caught it. Thank goodness nothing happened to her, but it was, you know, scary. Joan in Illinois, well, we're really selling it, aren't we? Joan in Illinois says, I have a question of being overcharged on sales tax, which happened to me twice recently. Once for a cell phone.

[Clark Howard]

Think about this. This is the second question we've had about it in six weeks.

[Co-host]

True. Once for a cell phone purchase from a cell phone service provider and once for a pottery mug, both from national chains. The amount of tax on the phone should have been $10.25 for a $99.99 phone. But I was charged $64.57, which the cell phone company claimed was based on the pre sale retail price of the phone. The overcharge for the mug is much smaller but still troubles me. My. My questions are as follows. Can a business charge you sales tax on an amount that is more than you're paying for the item itself? Tax on the pre sale price or add tax for shipping costs. And what agencies should a person complain to if you encounter something like this? After I successfully disputed the cell phone tax with American Express, the cell phone company cut off my cell phone service and I was only able to restore it by repaying them the excess tax. They contacted me out of the blue 17 days later and apologized on the overcharge and credited the amount to my cell phone bill. But this was after I had lodged a complaint with my state's tax fraud division. So I'm guessing the refund was likely connected to my complaint. Going forward, I will be scrutinizing bills to verify the sales tax is correct, but I'd like to know what government agencies should be alerted to this behavior.

[Clark Howard]

So I talked about the other side of this coin when this came up six weeks ago. There are state sales taxing authorities that hold that if, let's say with a cell phone, the cell phone carrier did not buy the cell phone from the manufacturer of that phone for $99, they paid a much higher wholesale price. The retail price is much higher regularly than what they did it to you for, $99. Those $99 deals are usually tied to you remaining with the carrier for some period of time. So in some states the sales tax authorities hold that the tax is supposed to be charged on the actual real value of that phone, not the fake price put on. We Learned about this 20 something years ago when there was a big thing in the country where you could get a desktop computer and monitor for free in return for signing up for a dial up Internet service provider. Which is something if you're too young to know what that is, thank goodness you don't know what that was. But anyway, we would get complaints that people were being charged sales tax on this crazy price on a computer they were getting for free and the number of states were calculating the sales tax based on the retail value in your state, Illinois, maybe they don't calculate that way and that's why the cell phone company later said, oops, here's your money back. You're right, we were wrong and it's hard for them to know what the sales tax procedure is in all 50 states. I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt. They were just incompetent. But that's what's going on. And you're so smart to stand up for yourself. But in a number of states you actually do have to pay the higher sales tax based on the real value of the phone or a similar item. I want to thank you so much for joining us. I hope that your Valentine's Day is wonderful and that your weekend is outstanding. I don't know what to do with myself on this first weekend with no football, but I will figure out how to survive that. Have a great one and know that we're here serving you all weekend [e-mail] and clarkdeals.com and know what we're all about today and every other day of the year empowering you so you save more, spend less and avoid getting ripped off.