I've been anonymous when I needed to... but (thread creep) the best advice my mom ever gave me was back in teenagerhood, when I asked for a raise in my allowance as I was starting to go out to clubs with friends, and wanted money for drinks. Mom said, and I've never forgotten it - that anyone who buys their own drinks in a club isn't doing whatever it was that they went there to do, well. In other words, no, you can't have a raise in your allowance. (Creep off)