linklings, gone couch gone edition

I didn’t get around posting on Friday due a massive and almost unbearable frustration bordering on fury. New furniture – finally purchased to replace our sagging, stained and old living room set – was promised for Thursday evening. In anticipation, we gave away and hauled to the dumpster our current set. Guess what happened – the wrong set showed up and we rejected it, and now we are sitting on pillows for the next week (at a minimum).

photo credit: SC Fiasco

I know in the grand scheme of things it’s a minor annoyance, but despite my best efforts I have never learned to control my rage, particularly in regards to problems with the buying and selling of things and services. To give this perspective, a friend of mine sent a detailed series of emails to a group of friends, including me, about sitting at his father’s bedside as he died from cancer. I understand that a lack of furniture is minor in comparison – yet I’ve always been fond of saying that “to everyone their own trouble are the worst in the world.” It’s hard – very hard – to remind yourself that your troubles are tomorrow’s forgotten memories.

On a side note, I am thrilled about our political process  – at least one idiotic historical barrier will now fall thanks to Senator McCain’s VP pick or Senator Obama’s nomination. Either a woman OR a black man will be in one of the two highest offices in America in January. I think that will be nice, regardless of ideology.

Link power – activate! Form of an ice slide!

My fellow Money Writer, Jeremy, has good news and bad news this week, all of which kept him from posting too much. Big congratulations on the good news, and good luck on the bad! (See what I’m talking about here.)

The Hidden Costs of Smoking: I’ve got one to add to the list: dying. That can cut years off your earning potential.

Will Honda Stand By the Quality of Their Cars? Everyone dreads car trouble, and here’s a good example of how your car company can make you a lifelong customer – or a never-again customer.

4 Reasons Why Index Investing May Not Be for You: I think reason #3 is key – index investing will never underperform the markets – but it will also never outperform. You are locking yourself into the average. If you have the temperament to research and invest in stocks, you’re better off doing that. I’m primarily an index investor, but if I had the time I’d go back into stocks a bit more.

Making Financial Preparations Ahead of Surgery: This is a grim post, but it’s worth considering. The small things loom large when surgery is on the horizon.

My Kids Tell Me Why We Pay Taxes: From the mouths of babes…

I Want To Work Smarter, Not Harder: The holy grail of most financially-savvy people is to work less, get paid more or less the same. We all recognize that if you can get paid $150,000 a year for an average 80-hour week you’re a lot better off getting $140,000 for 40. Even better is $100,000 for 4 hours per week. Even though your net’s gone down, you’re a lot better off.

My New Retirement Lifestlye Cash Flow: Retired at 29. No, really. The only negative about this article is that it absolutely kills me – KILLS ME – when I hear people talk about remaining employed just for the sake of health insurance. That’s half of the reason why I still contract through a company rather than being 100% independent – the company provides VERY good group health insurance. Without them I’d be paying $2000 per month in health care costs (assuming I wanted coverage as good as the coverage we currently have). When is this country going to get with the rest of the Western world and have single payer universal care? Socialism be damned, I want to be able to manage my career without health care being a factor.

Save Water At Home With A Few Drops Of Food Coloring.: I have to do this test. It’s so simple, it’s ridiculous I’ve never done it.

Keeping Up Motivation In The Good Times, Too: A good point – when you’re trying to achieve a goal, times when things are going great can be just as difficult as times when you struggle – keeping an even keel is what you want, but it’s hard sometimes.

Life is Infinitely Abundant: Day 14: This series is really inspiring. I’m struggling to achieve a similar mindset, but I think I will.

Don’t Go To A Private University: I’ve been making this point for a while, but it bears repeating: there is little a private school can offer that a public school can’t, other than higher tuition.

Broke Grad Student hosted the latest edition of the Carnival of Personal Finance, including an article from me.