We’re all for the occasional splurge — provided, of course, that you can still pay your bills at the end of the month. But there are a few indulgences that are completely not worth it. Are you guilty of any of these financial sins?

1. Paying ATM fees. Walking a few blocks out of your way to an in-network ATM will save you as much as $5 every time you need cash (between fees incurred from your own bank and the ATM transaction). If your bank doesn’t have any ATMs in your area, consider switching to a local bank that does.
2. Convenience fees for tickets. Ticketmaster and its clones get away with murder for charging you massive surcharges on your concert and sports tickets — even if you print them out off your own computer. You could save more than 20 percent in fees if you buy them directly from the venue box office.
3. Hunting down the cheapest gas. A rule of thumb: If you routinely drive more than 10 minutes out of your way to save 10 cents per gallon of gasoline, you need to revisit the concept of opportunity cost.
4. Buying bottled water. Speaking of gas, did you know that a gallon of bottled water costs more than a gallon of fuel? Only gas doesn’t run freely from the kitchen faucet.
5. “Free shipping” deals. Beware any site that offers free shipping with a minimum purchase: Such offers are designed to get you to spend more than you intended to and make you think you’ve saved money. And e-commerce sites like Zappos.com may offer free shipping on every order, but almost everything is a few dollars above MSRP when you compare the prices to other websites.

Prices for 3-D movie admission have gone up 8 percent so far this year, reaching nearly $20 per ticket in New York City. Regular movie prices have only gone up 4 percent, by comparison.

This ends up being an interesting lesson in economics. Since the technology is so expensive, many theaters equip only one screen with a 3-D projector. That means this summer’s 3-D blockbusters — Shrek Forever After, Toy Story 3, and The Last Airbender among them — will have to compete for the same screens, potentially bumping one hit off the box office charts before its time, just to make room for the next 3-D film.

The demand for 3-D screen time is high among movie promoters, but the question remains: Do movie watchers feel the same way? Would you pay $20 for a movie ticket?

In this economy, it’s easier to cut expenses than to increase your income. Need an instant budget makeover? These five tips will put money in your pocket nearly immediately. Check it out:

1. Look for little ways to save on discretionary purchases. It adds up over time, so stock snacks or soda in your desk rather than hitting up the vending machines.
2. Slash your monthly bills. Many service providers are willing to offer discounts to keep you as a customer. It never hurts to ask, so call your cable provider or gym membership administrator to see if you qualify for any deals. And while I’m sure you’ve heard it a thousand times from a certain animated gecko, 15 minutes could save you a lot of money on your insurance — car or otherwise.
3. Are you still buying books and paying to rent DVDs? Beyond hard covers and paperbacks, most libraries now have extensive DVD collections. Brush up on previous years’ Oscar winners for free so you can recognize the clips from those montages on Sunday night.
4. Know when price increases go into effect. For example, gas is typically more expensive on Saturdays — when everyone needs to fill up to run errands — than on Tuesdays. Save some of your money by knowing when to find the best deals. Gasbuddy.com can help you find the lowest price in your area, too.
5. Make your money work for you. Shop around for the best interest rates on savings and money-market accounts at Bankrate.com.

MasterCard and Visa each charge a 1 percent “processing fee” for international purchases, and American Express adds 2 percent. On top of that, the issuing bank is permitted to determine its own additional surcharge.

The sneaky fees have been going on for a few years now with most consumers unaware that they’re been gouged. In 2006, the New York Times first reported on the fees and experts advise consumers to know their credit cards’ policies on foreign purchases:

“Consumers will save a lot of money if they think about using the right card when traveling, and think about it in advance,” said Jennifer Openshaw, chief executive of Openshaw’s Family Financial Network and host of “Winning Advice with Jennifer Openshaw” on ABC Radio. “Using the wrong card can add close to 10 percent to the overall cost of a given purchase,” she said. “For example, your bank might charge you 3 percent for a purchase, and the merchant might charge 6 percent to convert the charge to dollars.”

ATMs are a handy way of getting cash out in the local currency (and saves you the hassle of travelers checks). While many banks will ding you there too with an “international cash withdrawal fee” averaging $5 per withdrawal, you’ll typically get the most favorable exchange rates.

Curious how your credit cards stack up? Bankrate.com compiled this chart that compares surcharge rates at 21 credit-card issuers.

The four biggest carriers levied a holiday air-travel surcharge  – labeled “miscellaneous surcharge” on your e-ticket receipt — of $10 each way on all domestic flights on December 19 and 26-27, and again on January 2-3, 1010. (Southwest is the only major airline that has elected not to impose the fee.)

It’s probably cold comfort that this practice has a lesson to teach in supply and demand. The Official Airline Guide estimates that available seats on domestic flights in November and December have dropped 3.3 percent this year, meaning competition for the seats that remain is stiffer over the heaviest travel months of the year.

As Newsweek reports, “A surcharge is a lazy way to make sure airlines rake in big bucks this year. It’s easier to slap a $10 surcharge onto every ticket than doing the complex calculations needed to raise prices by various amounts on thousands of routes ($8 more on one route, $18 on another, and so forth).” But flying surely beats driving if you live in Atlanta and your family’s in Boise.

If you’re up for a laugh, watch Louis C.K.’s comedy bit on how air travel is a miracle and yet nobody’s happy:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r1CZTLk-Gk[/youtube]

According to People magazine, Los Angeles County records show she owes more than $1.1 million to creditors:

According to the documents, five different construction companies have filed liens against her home, the largest being $674,043 for “labor and materials … to remodel main house, construct swimming pool, construct foundations for guest house.”

She also owes $252,360.39 in back state taxes and penalties for 2007.

With that, she joins the illustrious ranks of celebrities who have displayed disastrous financial-management skills. Just because you make a lot of it doesn’t mean you’re good with money.

Pam should remember the immortal words of the Notorious B.I.G.: “Mo’ money, mo’ problems.”

At the risk of sounding smug, sometimes I feel like I’ve mastered the credit card game.

I get 1 percent cash back on my rewards card. And because I pay it off in full every month and it has no annual fee, my credit card bank is essentially paying me a dividend on top of giving me an interest-free loan every month. I consider it a bonus for being responsible with credit.

However, Citigroup is changing the rules. AmericanBanker.com reports:

Citi has been informing some of its cardholders that they will be charged an annual fee of $30 to $90 unless they spend a certain amount per year, usually $2,400.

Annual fees, once common, largely disappeared in the 1990s, and last year accounted for only 4%, or $3 billion, of issuers’ total fee income, according to the card advisory firm R.K. Hammer.

But Robert Hammer, the Thousand Oaks, Calif., firm’s chief executive, said Thursday that he expects that number to “rise substantially” in the next six months, and predicted that by 2010 issuers will earn at least $9 billion from annual fees.

“It’s a necessary cost of doing business” in light of the law’s restrictions on interest rates and other pricing, he said. “The old business model’s been pretty much decimated.”

It’s a frustrating setback for consumers. Cards with annual fees typically offer much better rewards than my measly 1 percent cash back.

Take the American Express Centurion, a.k.a. the “Black Card.” It carries a whopping $2,500 annual fee in addition to a $5,000 initiation fee — but in return, customers receive free airline tickets for traveling companions, personal shoppers at stores like Gucci and Neiman Marcus, and 24/7 international concierge services.

At least for Black Card holders, they are choosing to pay that premium for executive-level perks. But I doubt Average Joe wants to swallow $90 a year for the privilege of using plastic.

Recognizing an opportunity, Austin-based Probity Financial Services is now offering a bank account with no overdraft fees (up to $500 in non-sufficient funds) and zero out-of-network ATM surcharges.

The bank — whose CEO calls it “kind of like Netflix for your checking account” — charges $19.95 per month for the convenience. But if you are hapless with balancing your checkbook, it might just be a bargain.

Probity is just one of several options for people living close to the edge. It’s no wonder that such transparency is becoming attractive to more people — even if those choices can cost a little more up front.

Bank of America just announced they’re raising their fees on most checking accounts in June, and as a customer I was surprised to discover that I could be charged $9.95 per month. According to their website, for “Standard Checking” accounts:

Starting June 5, 2009*, the Monthly Service Charge will be $9.95. This fee will no longer be discounted with direct deposit.
How to help prevent this charge:

• Maintain a minimum daily balance of $1,500.
• Maintain a combined balance of $5000 from linked savings or investment accounts.

I keep my money in a high-yield savings account to maximize my interest income, but to avoid this new fee I’d have to keep at least $1,500 in a checking account earning 0% APY. Not necessarily a huge problem, but definitely annoying.  And not everybody has the kind of savings I do.  For someone just getting out of school or making a big move, maintaining $1,500 is a tall order.

Even worse, in my opinion, is the fact that BofA is adding a new “extended overdraft fee” for overdrafts of more than 5 days.

As of June 5th, 2009, we will charge one $35 Extended Overdrawn Balance Charge for accounts overdrawn for 5 consecutive business days. This charge is in addition to applicable Overdraft Item Fees and NSF: Returned Item Fees.

So if someone spends $5 more than they have in their account, they are already charged a $35 fee. But now if they don’t repay the bank within 5 days, they’re charged another $35. So a $5 overdraft for 5 days would cost $70! I think that may actually be the worst deal I’ve ever seen, and I’ve shopped at Whole Foods.

That being said, I like the convenience of ubiquitous Bank of America ATMs, so for me, it may still be worth keeping my account (and maintaining a balance of $1,500 to avoid the monthly fee). But whatever bank you use, make sure to find out what fees they might charge you.

The Federal Reserve has proposed giving bank customers the right to choose whether to enroll in overdraft protection for ATM withdrawals or debit card purchases. Opting out of pricey overdraft protection would be a good move for anyone who’s ever been dinged by a $35 fee for erroneously believing an ATM or debit card wouldn’t let them spend money they didn’t have.

Most consumers believe debit cards are the same as cash — some even consider it the “good plastic.” Yet the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) conducted a study last year that found that 81 percent of banks allowed overdrafts on ATMs and debit transactions. And 92 percent of the banks in that survey did not have policies to inform customers that they lacked enough money in their accounts to cover their purchases before assessing fees averaging $27.

The Federal Reserve proposal would allow consumers to opt in or out of overdraft protection, but Ms. Singletary has a better idea:

The more consumer-friendly way to address this problem is to allow people to be informed that they are broke before a transaction is approved. At that point, they can decide whether they want to accept the overdraft protection and the fee. I doubt the banks will suffer a significant loss of income. There are plenty of people who will still choose to pay the price for this service.

Bank patrons have a responsibility to monitor their accounts diligently and make sure they aren’t overspending. But Ms. Singletary is right that informing consumers before they overdraw their accounts would save many people lots of hefty fees.