Real-life money mistakes you can't afford to make

We here at Walletpop recently told you about some of the worst things you could do with your money -- and what you might want to think about doing instead. Now we're back with some real stories from readers willing to share their biggest money blunders in the hopes that you won't follow in their footsteps.

Jacqui Brownstein of Lancaster, Pa., found herself struggling to pay bills last year when her freelance income dried up. She turned first to her credit cards, but she still couldn't catch up. Then she made a fateful decision, she tells WalletPop. "I took about $3,000 in cash advances [on my credit cards] to pay my taxes for 2009. I also took cash advances to pay my rent on too many occasions," she confesses. "I would go to an ATM and take a cash advance. Then I would deposit the cash in my checking account so I could write a check for my rent or taxes.