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Everyone has periods of change in his or her life.  These periods either run their course or escalate into disruptive changes. Having a baby usually seems to lead to a period of chaos that run its course and settles into a calmer routine after a while.  My daughter, Pumpkin, is three months old today and the family as a whole seems to be settling back into a more gentle and controlled routine.  I managed to get through my feed reader (as you can see below), start responding to comments and keeping up with my email again.  It didn’t hurt that after a few weeks without high-speed internet access our new service kicked in.

photo credit: José Encarnação

But I always have to ask myself whether the onset of routine is good or bad. Of course most people prefer routine.  I like sleeping in the same bed, eating my favorite foods, listening to my favorite music and so on.  When you step out of that routine you often feel unhappy or unsettled while you try to adjust.  At the same time, it’s when you step out of that routine you learn new ways to solve problems or new things about yourself.  My stint problogging was a break in the routine, and convinced me that at least for now I need to be a “chicken” part-time-problogger.  Having a second child broke the comfortable routine Bubelah and I had settled in with our son.  Having Little Buddy broke our married-with-no-kids routine.  Getting married and living together broke our dating routine; having a steady girlfriend broke my single life routine… and on and on back to the first time I decided to pee in the toilet instead of my diaper.  Each time the change has been disruptive but almost always they make you grow as a person, and with luck they make your life better.

On with some links, from The Money Writers and others:

I Quit!:  Another one of my Money Writer colleagues takes the plunge into problogging!  We’re going to have to rename the group The Professional Money Writers before long.

Did You Splurge? I have been worried about this recently - I feel that I don’t ever splurge and it makes me feel cheap.  Then again, I try to fight the feeling that somehow a gadget will make me feel better.  All I have to do is look at my cell phone that seemed so cool 4 years ago.

An Immigration Story:  I think this is a trend that will accelerate - Americans emigrating overseas for work, particularly in white-collar jobs.  I did it, temporarily, but many of my expatriate colleagues in Russia who planned to stay for a few years starting in 1996 are still over there, with no signs of leaving.

Why the Heck Does Gas Cost So Much - Commodities Investing Series:  I thought Barack Obama was the reason gas prices were so high?  At least that’s what John McCain said…

How Stock Margin Works - The Basics:  If you’re thinking about investing on margin you might want to check this out first.

How to Tell if You Have a Bad 401k Plan:  Because you have one?  Ah, cynicism.

Wesabe Review: Can Wesabe Save You Money?:  As I’ve noted before, I’ve got a big Wesabe ad up in the center column here.  If you’re wondering about the site or what it can do for you, this is a good run down.

The Anti-Debt Culture:  I’m a hardcore member of the anti-debt culture.  I have a mortgage…and that’s it.  I don’t owe a dime to a soul other than that.  Granted, that’s a lot in one lump sum, but after the mortgage is done I’m free and clear.  I was taught from an early age that debt is shameful.  I understand that leverage is useful in building wealth, but I think it’s better to err in instruction for young people in favor of being anti-debt.

FMF Reader Makes a TON of Money Using Blue Cash from American Express Card: I sure have.  I had the rewards card for years, and managed to pay for dozens of hotel stays, a few flights, a roundtrip business class trip for two to Europe, a flat screen TV and even a high-end baby stroller - all for free.  We switched to the cash card recently and I expect to clear $1500+ in cash from this card this year.

Over at Cash Money Life there’s a nice series on a subject we can all appreciate - how to become a millionaire.  I’m not sure that’s enough - I plan to be a bimillionaire at a minimum and plan to adjust my goals upward - but hey, they always say the first million is the hardest, right?  Check out the series:

• How to become a millionaire - earn money.
• How to become a millionaire - spend less than you earn.
• How to become a millionaire - save money.
• How to become a millionaire - invest money.
• How to become a millionaire -repeat.

What If My Husband Became a Stay at Home Parent?: I thought I would enjoy this, and still think I would - but you have to be careful about your assumptions about the life of the stay-at-home parent (I had a comment on this at the end of The Baglady’s post).

Yet Another Motivation For Keeping My Financial House In Order: One of the best - if not THE best - reasons for keeping your financial house in order is that when tough times come you won’t need to worry about your finances and can concentrate on what you need to concentrate on.

Build a One-Sheet, Dashboard-Style View of Your Finances: I have somewhat of a dashboard-style view of my finances. If you want a free spreadsheet download to get your dashboard started, try this one out.

Getting ready for a different rhythm to my life: “A wise friend told me a long time ago, that a salaried guy would have to be sacked before he can do something worthwhile on his own. Well, I am finally getting the chance now.” Nothing you’d like to have to do, but one would hope this is the beginning of a terrific success story.

Frugality In Practice: Only Buy What You Can Afford, Please: Ugh. Yes, please. If we wait for our government and half of the populace to start living by this clear statement I think we’ll be waiting a while, unfortunately.

What Could YOU Accomplish in 10 Years?: I try to take this perspective all the time. Think about what your actions today mean in 10 years. Will they make you richer? Poorer? Happier? Regretful? Trying to think past today is a key component of wealth-building.

Cars Are the New Smoking: I loved this analogy. Could cars be as socially unacceptable in 20 years as cigarettes are today?

Pareto’s Principle Revised …: As many times as I say it, or other people say it, it can’t be repeated too often: you can only save so much, you have to think about ways to increase your income!

Infidels: A new blog for me. The author shows some self-restraint in a situation where I would have flipped my lid. Unfortunately no pictures or updates on box’o - have to check another post for that!

Extra Income Guide: This page is going to be constantly updated, so it’s going to be worth bookmarking and coming back to as it grows and fills out.

Can You Be an Entrepreneur in Your Spare Time?: Yes. I am. Anybody can. Just do it, McFly!

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