The temperature goes up 10 degrees and gametime is on! I was up at 6 am this Saturday bundling the sleepless Little Buddy into his outdoor gear and heading off to the local public transportation (a light rail system) to go to our favorite coffee shop for eggs, coffee and juice. Little Buddy loves the coffee shop because (a) we take the train to go there and (b) they have a ginormous stuffed leopard there that he spent an hour talking to. Not to mention he ate two eggs-and-cheese-on-a-roll while I drank my coffee. All I know is that any Northeastern establishment that proudly displays a gigantic poster of Elvis is alright in my book.
Here are the links for the week. Don’t forget my H&R Block Tax Cut software giveaway!
From the Money Writers:
Lazy Man answers the eternal question – are cruises a good deal? I don’t regret any money I’ve spent on the two I’ve been on, so you can probably guess my opinion…
The Best Cash Rewards Credit Cards
Madison at My Dollar Plan has the best cash reward cards. I don’t want to spoil the suspense (but I will) – the best one is the Amex Blue Cash card. No fees and 5% back on most of your purchases. Er, what’s not to love? Plus Amex has always been exceptionally helpful when I’ve needed to dispute a charge. Madison also has an announcement: She’s joined the staff at Mint! I have high hopes for Mint, since I think they are headed in the right direction (although they aren’t done yet) with their approach to directing savings and money management.
International Investing Teaches Us a Portfolio Diversification Lesson
If you have any doubts about the value of diversifying your investments, this article by Money Smart Life should straighten you out. Keep in mind that it’s not just diversification of widgets versus sprockets, but also domestic versus foreign – something people forget too often.
Book Review: Every Family’s Business
FT reviews a book on a subject I don’t think much about – how to protect family business wealth. Since I plan on building businesses, this is probably the type of book I should read now rather than later. If you’re interested in reading the book, FT has a giveaway, too.
Vanguard to Launch Global Stock Index Fund
Sun’s got the lowdown on an index fund I’ll be investing in – the Global Stock Index Fund. I’m a big fan of index fund investing for most of my portfolio, and this stock hits two of my big requirements: it’s broad and it’s not domestic (I am very, very bearish on the American market).
Managing All My Money Is Futile: Outsourcing My Finances
I’m not sure people say this often enough but eventually you can’t manage all of your finances. Chances are good that you already outsource some of your financial duties to your spouse/partner, your parents, your next-door-neighbor with the background in finance; admit sometimes that you just don’t know and somebody else with some training could do better. It doesn’t make you a bad person. SVB makes a good case for it.
Review of Rich by Thirty: A Young Adult’s Guide to Financial Success
If I was under 30, and I was…several many a few years ago… I wish I had read books like this. If you’re not age-challenged like I am, this sounds like a book you should check out. Jeremy’s got a review.
And elsewhere, across the web:
Financial Freedom is About Spending Less than You Earn
FMF says “spend less than you earn.” You know I have my opinion on that, but he’s got a good list of articles backing up his opinion.
Hunter and I were apparently having the same burst of inspiration since we came up with very similar ideas within hours of each other. I like his take – and he points out that we both draw inspiration from Steve Pavlina.
I like this article from Paula of Queercents; the way you approach a massive economic trend as an individual determines how you will weather it. Meet a recession on your knees or standing – it’s up to you.
Long Term Investments Are Not Risk Free: The Fallacy of Large Numbers and the Past Decade in Us Stock Markets
I always like it when someone points out something contrary to popular opinion. Long term investments are NOT risk free. You are NOT guaranteed a specific return just for being in the market. If people tell you “chances are good that the market will return 8%” take it with a grain of salt.
simple weight loss hacks: keeping it real
Deepali has some very easy, straightforward tips here. Although I’m more of a low-carber, these tips are all still applicable (except for the fruit). I always love the reminder to “be colorful” – your food should have all the colors of the rainbow!
New Baby and Newborn Hospital Costs
On a personal note, I’d like to congratulate Mike and his family: The Four Pillars family welcomes, well, the fourth pillar – a baby girl! Welcome aboard to another fellow North American!
(Fantastic photo(?) by odegaard)
Thanks BB – she’s been a lot of fun.
You’ve got some interesting articles listed here.
Mike
I just returned from a cruise. I tend to spend a lot in order to have a truly stress-free vacation (funny how much more relaxed you are when you get to unwind in top-end accommodations rather than the bottom of the boat), so I don’t look for frugal vacations. Think of a cruise as a hotel room that lets you wake up in a different location every day.
It’s true that you can run up quite a tab on a cruise ship, but only if you are after “stuff” (and of course if you drink a lot). I go with the attitude that I’m after the experience of places I’ve never been before, and usually come home with no additional stuff, and a light credit card bill.
Thanks for the link!
Ahhh, Cruises! Yes, I love them. They are worth it. I’ve been on 3 already. Totally agree with Curmudgeon about having an all-out vacation with top accomodations. My first cruise was with my 2 girlfriends and we had an inside cabin. Imagine 3 girls trying to get ready for the night-out. It was so cramped we had to move sideways to pass each other. But it was still fun. Later on, Steve and I went on a couple of cruises and we decided that we can afford to have cabin with a blacony, not just a window. Each balcony is equiped with a small table and 2 lounge chairs. It was great! Steve tends to wake up earlier than anybody and for him it was so relaxing to lounge on the balcony before the whole ship woke up and the music started to blare on the top deck. Having a balcony gave us opportunity to escape crowds when we needed a quiet time but not being confined in the room without windows, still enjoying the seabreeze.
So, HOORAY for Cruises!!!