linklings, the next house edition

Another week’s gone by, with big movements for the Blap family. We found a house we liked here in Florida, put in an offer and are sitting around (Saturday evening) wondering about whether it will be accepted or not. It’s an odd feeling – you’ve found a place you like and you want to know whether it’s going to be your home or not, based on your (to your perception) perfectly reasonable offer.  It’s odd to move to a new area, and suddenly find that jobs are easier to find, nice housing is easier to find, schools are better, stores are cleaner, public services are better, commutes are shorter, costs are lower – and it was always here, all the time you were struggling away in a place you didn’t like at a wage that didn’t work for a lifestyle you didn’t enjoy.

On to the links:

For a Good Time Call 1-800-829-1040:  Great resource on taxes, and the title just sucks you in.  Pardon the implication…

This article – Another Pet Reminder – and this one – Dog Day Care or Not Dog Day Care… – reminded me of one of the most important personal finance tips: don’t have pets. Period. It’s not in the cards for my family, ever. I love dogs, like cats, am fond of guinea pigs and fish and turtles, but you know what? I’ll play with the neighbor’s dog when I feel the need. Me as an owner? Not in this lifetime.

Are You Planning Your Life Around Money? and Asking Why: The Purpose Behind your Financial Goals:

House and Rent Update:  Having avoided this scenario ourselves recently, I wonder whether we could have rented out our Jersey place.  I am glad we never had to find out.

A Biodegradable Credit Card?:  True, my credit card will exist for thousands of years after my death.  Is this a “green” issue that keeps me up?  Honestly, no.  I am cool with a non-biodegradable card.  If it has great benefits AND it’s biodegradable, I’ll take it.

Time Is Money, So How Do You Spend Your Day?: I linked to this on my other blog (hunt through my blogroll, you’ll find it if you want to) and as I opined over there, it’s an amazing graph.

Top Ten Songs About Money – The Frugal Dad Soundtrack: He had me at #2. All time favorite band gets personal finance cred.

Library Fines Don’t Support Your Library:  I found this slightly disappointing.  I guess it doesn’t surprise me, but it saddens me – a little bit like the time I found out that John Carter never actually went to Mars.

How to Enjoy a Tax Free Vacation:  Great idea.  I don’t do nearly enough of this, and I should – I have an aversion to conferencing, and I shouldn’t.  Some great tips.

I really liked Syd’s posts here: Luxury Vacation Envy and Luxury Vacation Envy-Part II.  Great reads and I get her point:  would I have enjoyed Vladivostok (for example) more or less had I been in a nicer hotel?  I don’t know – I suspect the experience and my remembrance of it were more formed by the place than my hotel room, despite my thinking at the time.

The Power of Resourcefulness: A Guide to Peeing in the Shower: Good concept, good execution – and a hard sell. Great idea, though.