Tag: linklings

the snowball, and links

snowballs

Not that kind of a snowball…. read on.

Why Young Entrepreneurs Should Hold Down a Job After College:  If you plan on being an entrepreneur I’d imagine a job would be a great way to learn about your industry before leaping out on your own. 

SodaStream: Product of the Year 2010: I love SodaStreamas well – having a home seltzer machine has been one of the best decisions I ever made (and it’s how I quit drinking soda).

Help with 2011 taxes

Habits and lifestyle

And more:

And I’m just starting to read this book:  The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder.   I realized after reading Andrew Carnegie’s autobiography (The Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie and The Gospel of Wealth) that I can get quite a bit out of a biography if it’s well-written and the subject is interesting*.  I’ve generally shied away from biographies in favor of histories, because I much prefer the ‘grand sweep’ view of a good historical book, but Carnegie was a good writer and had such an interesting life that I decided to take another plunge (not to mention it was reasonably priced on my KindleKindle.

Photo Some rights reserved by David Barrie

* I guess in all fairness that would be true for any work of literature or non-fiction, though…

Florida, the Hornet’s Nest, the Batman and links

This is the time of year I’m happy to be in Florida; I was able to walk around outside in flip flops and shorts all day without feeling cold. We had the windows open and the Alvin and the Chipmunks playing (can’t have everything you want – have to concede to the kiddies on the music). One of the posts below really got me thinking, though. I need a definitive goal in 2011: make a concerted effort to read more.

Don’t get me wrong – I read a lot, but it’s mostly online short-form stuff – articles, blogs and so on. Blogs are fine, but I realized that I really need to hammer my brain into shape on the anvil of long-form writing… books. I do read books, but it has been in bits and spurts recently; two books in five days then three weeks before I read the next. It’s a habit that’s easy to fall into (and out of) and now that my parents gave me a Kindle as a gift, I have no excuse not to be reading like a maniac. I just finished reading Andrew Carnegie’s autobiography, which was fascinating in parts and horrifically dull in others, but I think next I’ll tackle fiction – just because I’ve only read one fiction book in the last several months (The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, affiliate link). The Millennium trilogy made for a decent read, but I’m sure there are contemporary fiction novels out there that would appeal to me more than the sometimes-graphic Swedish thrillers.

Link it!

Drive Like They’re Crazy. Blog Like They’re Lazy: Don’t take Pat’s advice the wrong way, but he’s made a great point here. One of the best mentions I ever had was this one from Hunter, who wrote on “The 10 Most Readable Blogs (That I Like)“. I thought it was great that I wrote so simply, to be honest.

TIME GOES BY | REFLECTIONS: On Elitism: Any time a Pulitzer Prize-winning author mentions your blog, it’s a good thing; and it’s a good artist that reflects my feelings on elitism quite well.

Have You Forgotten That Stock Markets Go Up? : I’m not sure, myself - I still feel we may be facing an adjusted paradigm. But be that as it may, this is a compelling argument for investors who think the market will inevitably resume an upward overall trend.

What Are Your 2011 Goals?: Still working on mine. Time to lose weight again, develop my writing skills and start reading BOOKS - not the Internet, but books - more frequently.

The Federal Reserve Plunders America: Do yourself a favor - read the article and watch the video. The Fed’s a tricky beast.

Let’s do the curbside hustle: This one’s a few weeks old, but it’s an interesting thought. I doubt it’s as easy to do a side hustle as many might think; consulting business is slow for me right now and I’m not just jumping out there to rake leaves or anything. It’s a tough mental adjustment. But I suppose it’s one that more and more people are going to have to be willing to make.

And more:

And if you’re in the mood for Batman YouTube parodies, this one is great for the true fan (click through to the article if you’re reading via RSS or email):

linklings, auditors and stay-at-home parents edition

3564034311_87c514060a.jpg

Unless you’ve read brip blap almost from the very beginning, you probably missed some of my earlier posts in which I talked about the field I work in most of the time (audit). I wrote this about Dell:

… my profession of auditing does not seem to be well respected. We do, however, serve a purpose, as was made dazzingly clear Friday :

Dell Inc. will restate its earnings for fiscal years 2003 through 2006 and the first quarter of 2007 after an internal audit found that certain employees had changed corporate account balances in order to meet quarterly financial targets, the company said Thursday.

from “Dell auditors shake things up“

I was reminded of that article after reading this bit from Going Concern: Gun to Head, Dell Implements an ‘Accounting Code of Conduct’. Yep. Pigeons come home to roost. We call them accountants. I am Spartacus.

Daycare vs. Stay At Home: A Mom’s Perspective: A thoughtful response to Jim’s post on the costs and benefits of daycare (as opposed to having a stay-at-home parent). I have written on this subject (kids, stay-at-home parenting and work) quite a bit: I was actually surprised, flipping back through my archives. These are just the articles I had off the top of my head - I imagine I’ve written more…

  • Ho w to work from home with small kids: After Bubelah and I have tried to do this sporadically for a few years, I’d say that even if you can, it’s unpleasant. You can be substantially more productive hiring a babysitter and then going to a library or Starbucks to do your work.
  • rich mom, poor mom: I managed to annoy a lot of people with this article. You could misinterpret it slightly to think I was saying stay-at-home parents were inherently better, but as I re-read it I think I just meant that you’re better off being around your kids than you are working like crazy to give them things - hardly a controversial statement in the personal finance blog world.
  • the myth of the parent that NEEDS to work : Many couples claim to be “forced” to work two jobs to make ends meet, but is it really “making ends meet” when you don’t live a frugal lifestyle? I still think this is true. We’ve sacrificed over the years so that Bubelah can stay home, but when she goes back to work - probably in a year or so - it’s going to be because she wants to have the mental challenge, not because we need the money - our lifestyle has been configured for a single income (plus some wealthstreaming).

unrelated photo by omniNate, not Bubelah or Little Buddy - just though it was a nice photo on Flickr

Technorati : dell, linklings, stay at home parents

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.

linklings, our land edition

It’s July 4th, late. Fireworks are continuing late into the night here. We spent the afternoon at the beach, making sand castles and collecting shells. I didn’t read much on the internet - but here are few articles I scanned. One exception: The Great American Bubble Machine. Read it. I know that one glaring item is missing from this analysis, which is this: we elect our leaders and therefore WE are responsible for much of the crap going on - but still, if this article doesn’t leave you slightly ill, I don’t know what will.

Enjoy the holiday weekend!

Other good reading:

Bank of America $25 Bonus for Using Online Bill Pay
12 Tasks for Your Mid Year Financial Checkup
Save Your Money By Paying Yourself Last
The Price You Pay for Pride and Prejudice
Planning To Declare Financial Independence
Book Review and Giveaway: Happier
Happy Financial Independence Day
Wealth Creation: Is it a Myth?
The Pros and Cons of Joining a Local Food Co-op
Rule #3: Stop Wasting Time.
Detroit & the Recession: An Inside Look Part II

linklings, finally, again

I doubt they have been sorely missed, since link roundups are not always the most exciting parts of a blog’s weekly schedule, but I am finally back into the swing of roundups. Roundups are a little tougher than regular posts, simply because they do have to be created “real time” - you can’t create them weeks in advance. But I do appreciate being included in other blog’s roundups and I therefore feel I owe it to do the same.

I made a bad mistake in yesterday’s post -I should have thought that one out a bit more before posting it. That’s what you get for writing too quickly, before researching.

Our recent move has been a slight disappointment in one sense - I haven’t found that grocery store prices are much lower than they were in New Jersey. Prices are a little lower here and there, but not enough to reduce our bills any significant amount. I thought they might have been a bit lower. That’s really the only negative, so far. Otherwise, the change in our daily lifestyle - nice weather, pleasant surroundings, good public services (parks and libraries) couldn’t make for a more dramatic change.

Time sensitive contest: » Win a $100 Home Depot Gift Card for Father’s Day!

We’re Moving: Another one of The Money Writers gets ready to flee New Jersey…

How To Do a Mid-Year Financial Checkup - Things to Think About This Summer and Seven Ways to Save Money on Your Summer Family Trip: I don’t know about everyone else, but I can’t concentrate much on personal finance once summer comes. I am easily distracted by biking, wandering around outdoors and lazy evenings. I guess I’ll have to get over that now that I’m in Florida, won’t I?

Alternative Income Streams - June 2009: As always, interesting to take a peek at other people’s finances…

The Prepaid Funeral: Advantages & Disadvantages: And yikes, back down to earth. I have wondered about whether planning your own funeral is something we should do just as seriously as making a will or buying insurance.

Extreme Saving When You Are Young: How Much Is Too Much?: You have to live your life. Save 15%, 20% of your income but after that, please, spend. Just don’t spend it on “stuff” - spend it on a nice house, a life-altering trip overseas, your education, your kids. Don’t buy an iPhone or a Wii.

The One Thing that Makes a Winning Resume: I need to update mine. My resume is not nearly “punchy” enough. I have a lot of accomplishments in it that are weakly described as “led implementation of…” etc.

Can Stock Trading Software Make You Money? versus Stock Market Technical Analysis - Loads Of Bull Crap And Bear Crap. If you want to judge for yourself, try 4 FREE Videos for INO TV by clicking here. That’s an affiliate link, by the way. INO’s an interesting site, particularly if you’re a blogger or interested in stock trading.

Readers Share Lending Club Returns: I have been a proponent of P2P lending for a while and Prosper (where I was a writer for their blog) and Lending Club in particular. I’m not sure where P2P lending is going, but I think they are a definite investing niche for investors who want to diversify.

And finally, another great article from one of my favorite blogs: How to spend very little money. I can’t say I always think the same way - I do spend money on things. I bought a bike trailer for my kids, for example.

linklings, countdown now edition

This week Bubelah and I have been furiously packing. You never know how much stuff you have until you try to organize it and put it in boxes. Another challenge is trying to decide whether or not to - for example - throw out an old bathroom mat. You’ll need it, of course, but it’s just one more thing, and it’s old. At least for now we’ve decided to go with the take-everything-possible theory, in order to minimize the amount of new stuff we’ll need to buy immediately.

But since we’re moving this week, don’t expect roundups for a week or two. I’ll keep the posts coming, but the “real time” updates like these will have to wait. I was trying to decide whether moving or having a baby was more disruptive, and I think moving is!

On to the links:

Some dry reading, but worth checking out if you’re looking for a federal job: Government Careers - Applying for Federal and Security-Related Jobs.

Save Money by Turning Off Your Television?: We have canceled satellite altogether this week. We have digital TV (broadcast) and Netflix, and that’s it. I have to be honest - signal quality is fine, we were already down to basic satellite so we didn’t lose much (mainly Nickelodeon and the Food Network) and Netflix is the only TV I really care about watching, anyway. It’s not the point of this article - it’s more about how you will be more successful and wealthy without watching TV - but we’ll see how our experiment in satellite/cable-less life helps us.

How To Save Money - The 1,001 List Of Money Saving Tips And Ideas: A huge list of money-saving tips, and unlike Wisebread’s new book (which, don’t get me wrong, seems like a good idea although I haven’t read it), it’s free!

Credit Card Rewards Programs Illusion Myth: Mr. ToughMoneyLove, who had a few harsh words for me about my post on credit card rewards (see his comment here) has his own opinion. I disagree with it, but see what you think about his take on it.

You can have whatever you like…

And some other articles I enjoyed:

photo credit: roland

linklings, packin’ and movin’ edition

1/3 finished packing


We’re less than two weeks from our move now, so most of our days are filled with packing, throwing out and cataloging our stuff. It’s a weird experience. Removing yourself from a place in which you were so deeply entrenched is a jarring experience. I can’t say, even now, that I’m going to be sorry to leave, because I’m ready to go on many, many levels. Yet at the same time it is a little odd to start packing up the home in which two children were born, and the first home I ever bought. It was a new home, and Bubelah and I put a lot of sweat equity into painting every square inch of the place, hanging blinds and curtains and making a million small improvements. But we’re still more excited about new experiences than we are about hanging onto rooms we’ve painted.

A few links:

Alternative Income is a Form of Insurance: Patrick’s family (soon to grow a little larger) is going to be better off thanks to his alternative income - worth remembering.

The Miser’s Peril: Why You Should Save for Tomorrow AND Enjoy Today: We wrestle with this question quite often: as heavy, heavy savers, at what point do you cut loose and just spend?

Financial Freedom in Five Years (and the Difference Between Rich and Wealthy): Rich vs. wealthy - there is a difference.

Fleeting Wants vs Genuine Wants: I think a lot of people struggle with their wants, and learning to distinguish between a fleeting want and a genuine want is tough - but it’s critical in order to manage your money.

How Will You Spend the Money From Your Parents’ Estates When They’re Gone?: Nobody likes to think about this, and the simple fact is that for many of us we won’t have much to consider, health care costs being what they are. My grandparents on my mother’s side saved a huge amount and watched it all evaporate thanks to health care costs at the end of my grandfather’s life. It’s OK - it was their money to spend on themselves - but just because your parents have some money now doesn’t mean you can look forward to inheriting a dime, frankly.

Going Off The Grid Once A Week: This is a cool idea but I’m not there yet. I like the idea of backing off one day a week, but I like lights for reading and cooking in the kitchen, etc. Turning off the TV? OK. Turning off the lights in the bathroom? Not there yet.

Consider the Impact On Your Finances When Taking a Paid Leave of Absence, FMLA, or Disability From Work: Paid leaves of absence are a luxury. I didn’t get one. The state of New Jersey guaranteed me unpaid leave, but my company didn’t offer 1 day of paid leave when either of my children were born. And you know what? It’s fine. Staying home was worth the loss of income.

A few more links worth checking out:

photo credit: buniqa

linklings, international labor day edition

I’ve been on the road for the past few days on family business, so my link roundup for the weekend will be briefer than usual. It was interesting spending 5 hours solo driving with Little Buddy in the backseat, since we left Bubelah and Pumpkin at home. Kids seem to change personalities on long road trips - in his case, becoming quiet, contemplative and drowsy (as opposed to loud, attention-deprived and sleepless like his father).

A few good links for weekend reading follow. I’m afraid I’m just too worn out after getting home late Friday to add my usual commentary, but check them out:


linklings, three things for Friday edition

Bonsai Moon


I have had some real trouble staying organized lately. I’d attribute some of that to the move, but I’d also continue to attribute some of it to lacking structure to my days. When you don’t have a 9-to-5 schedule it’s easy to think that you’ll get around to something “a bit later” - when in fact the day becomes filled up with a million mundane 30-second tasks. Take out the garbage, for example.

I’m going to try a new “to-do” list methodology, based in part on Zen To Done‘s “Most Important Things” concept: I’m going to pick out 3 things from my “to do” list each evening. Two will be things I need to get done in the short term, and 1 will be something related to long term goals. So for Friday I have “order more boxes from uline.com; clear email inbox; and get information for a Florida teaching certificate.” I won’t even think about doing anything else on my to-do list unless all 3 of these are done. Wish me luck. If I get organized enough I’ll put this all into GTDAgenda, which is a cool service I need to write about at some point soon.

I had a conference call with ING and a few other bloggers yesterday, and hopefully I’ll have a bit more information about that in the near future, as well as an interesting book I read and some other products (like GTDAgenda and a few others).

Links from the Money Writers and others:

One of the best articles I’ve read in a while: Ramit Sethi (of iwillteachyoutoberich.com) has a guest post on Free Money Finance titled “Trying to Earn More Money? Stop Wasting Your Time“. I need to print this and nail it somewhere I’ll see it all the time - like on my PC monitor.

A Wall Street Journal Subscription is Cheaper Than You Think - Get a Discount on the WSJ: Me, personally, I don’t subscribe to anything that I have to pay for anymore. I like the WSJ’s business news, but I dislike their politics.

Index Mutual Funds Are Still Not Popular, But: I’m surprised at this stat, but I shouldn’t be, I guess.

My Million Dollar Journey - Some Lessons Learned: Good points; if you set an ambitious goal and don’t meet it (or think you will) it’s important to learn from that experience.

Save Money on Moving: A few good tips, and so far I can attest that hiring a mover is a difficult (and nerve-wracking) experience.

And a few more links:

And yikes on this article: I hate David Dellifield. The one from Ada, Ohio. But I do have to say I agree with a lot of what she’s saying, although not the tone she’s saying it in.

photo credit: h.koppdelaney

linklings, too old for the factory edition


Another week goes by and another spate of bad job news. I’m beginning to suspect that I may be in the “old enough to be difficult to hire” category - many of the manager positions I’ve looked at quickly turn me down. I doubt it can be my qualifications or me personally - since many of my applications don’t even make it to the phone interview stage - but perhaps they think “senior manager guy’s gonna want big money.” Or maybe my last five years consulting on Wall Street don’t look as nifty as they did a year ago - hah. I’m casting about for direction, and still hoping that one of the consulting contracts I’ve got very strong leads on will work out, so I can avoid reentering job world. I don’t feel that I want to do it, and of course that mindset doesn’t help, either.

When you are moving, life drifts into a bit of stasis. A lot of ideas about starting this or doing that get paused and filed away with “I’ll get that done after we move.” I’ve been meaning to start an LLC - but now I think I’ll wait until I’m closer to moving to Florida. I’m going to pursue some sort of certificate education (teaching? financial planning?) at one of the local colleges… down there. I’m going to start a small business, hopefully, doing some kid’s party entertainment - but now I’m just researching and won’t get started.

Of course this is just procrastination. I could start all of these things today if I felt pressure to do so. But with so many things to organize for the move these ideas seem destined for the shelf for the time being. I doubt it’s a characteristic of a successful person, but then again maybe I’m just being organized and prudent. Time will tell.

Some links for weekend reading:

My Tenant: “I’ve Lost My Job and I Can’t Pay You…”: Words that would give any landlord a sinking feeling.

Can One Choose Not To Participate In A Recession?: This is an interesting idea from the always-interesting (if not, in my opinion, always correct) Dave Ramsey.

Your Home Office: Ideas To Set Up Your Place of Work: Oh, to have a home office. I know, I am wishing for more space and a bigger home, and I know that’s verboten in the personal finance blogosphere. I sincerely hope that sometime in the future I’ll have a place with a room that can be devoted solely to work (and by work I mean blogging, writing and consulting). With a door. The door is key. Having a computer in a corner of the open-floor-plan living area is in no way conducive to getting work done during the day or putting yourself in a work mindset. My office, however, would not need to look like Gore’s. Yikes.

How Long Does It Take Your Broker to Answer Your Call?: I only have experience with three brokerage firms in the last 5-6 years. TD Ameritrade (where I keep my retirement and brokerage accounts) is terrific. They answer the phone almost immediately, and I have yet to have any trouble with my account (I say that while furiously knocking on wood).

Did You Miss the Stock Market Rally?: I don’t think March was a real rally, to be honest. I think we’ll see another dip, and I need to see one more strong runup before I’ll believe the market troubles are over. And I have to vent on a pet peeve: the market and the economy are NOT the same thing. The economy’s going to be in the dumper for a while. The market may come back long before the economy does - and by the economy I mean jobs, productivity, real estate and so on.

The 80/20 Rule and How it Applies to You: The Pareto Principle is a great way of looking at almost everything in life - if you don’t know what it is (but if you read this blog, I am sure you do), check it out.

Taking Control of Your Life By Finding Balance: I probably worry far more about balance than I should.

Poll: Generation X Feels Unprepared for Long-Term Care Costs. Are You Prepared?: I’m not. I’m one of those people who’s buried his head in the sand a bit on long-term care.

How to Save on Digital Services: We drop a LOT on digital services, although much less than we did. Probably the biggest waste? A landline, which we need because of (a) a security system and (b) we use DSL, so it’s cheaper when bundled. I’d love to have nothing but high speed internet and a Roku Digital Video Player.

How To Become An Expert: It’s true that 10,000 hours of practice will make you an expert, I suppose, although I’d argue that you may not need to be an expert to be successful - these are two different things. Practice does work, though. I’ve been learning to juggle and after spending one hour mastering the basics, I’ve been doing it every day when I have a few free minutes. 10,000 hours will be a long time in the future, but the 5-10 hours I’ve put into practice have already made me a decent three-ball juggler.

And so it begins …: Jacob is doing what a lot of us aspire to and “retiring” early. Extremely early, hence the name of his blog. Jacob’s blog is thoughtful and doesn’t focus solely on any one aspect of his life. Although he takes a different approach than I would in many areas, I’ve found his blog thought-provoking, which is the best reason to read any blog.

Why Achieving an MBA is No Longer My Goal: What? Don’t let too many people hear this - someone else decided that going into debt for a degree he didn’t really want or need wasn’t worth it because his real-life experience in building a company was - gasp - more interesting and more profitable. My master’s degree in accounting is nothing more than a resume padder at this point - think that corporate income tax course I took in 1994 is worth anything now? The code’s changed so many times since then it’s ridiculous. I didn’t mind getting my master’s since I got a free ride (graduate scholarship and a teaching assistant stipend), but would I go $40,000+ into debt to get one now? No way. MBA’s aren’t worth what they were 20 years ago.

I Am Just A Blogger, Damn It!: Amen.

4 FREE Videos for INO TV!: If you have any interest in trading actively - which I wouldn’t for retirement savings or the bulk of my investment accounts, but do engage in with smaller amounts - here are some free technical videos.

photo credit: TheeErin (great photo! — Steve)

linklings, south towards home edition

This was a big week in the Blap household. We received notification that the buyers of our house put down their (rather substantial) deposit on our house; we finalized a lease on our new rental for the next eight months (before we buy a new house); we locked in a mover and we started some packing in earnest. It looks like it will happen. It’s going to be an interesting experiment in remodeling our lives over the next year. I’m a little bit scared and excited at the same time. You can’t make a big move like this, so far away from most of what you and your spouse (and kids) know without wondering how it will work. I’m excited about the change in climate and hopeful about the change in lifestyle - but I’m nervous about finding new income (job or consulting or whatever) and being so far away from our families. It wasn’t a move I could have imagined a few years ago, but I approach it like I have most of the moves in my life - it is motion, is moving forward, not standing still… and therefore a good thing.

March 2009 Was a Perfect Example of Why You Shouldn’t Try to Time the Market: Indeed. But I did, a little, doubling up one of my loser financial industry positions once it hit rock bottom.

Save Money on a Diamond Ring: I can’t imagine going through this again - is it big enough, clear enough, pretty enough? I’m glad I got a good diamond.

Eight Ways to Beat Bad Customer Service: I dread my upcoming encounters with customer service - canceling dozens of services and restarting them in a new location will be a lovely experience, no doubt.

How to Hedge Against High Inflation: I think inflation will be under control by 2010, but if not…

Six Simple Ways To Simplify Your Life: I sympathized with this article a lot (let me emphasize, A LOT) because I have the same ridiculous fantasies about moving to the country and living off the land and eating cheese I curdled myself. Then I realize I don’t even know if cheese IS curdled or what curdling is and I barely keep houseplants alive, and I love my electronica. But it’s a fantasy, so I don’t blame myself. I figure I have time to grow into my inner Thoreau.

Frugal Entertainment Rule: You Must Try Redbox: I see these things everywhere, too, and I just can’t see any reason to ditch Netflix…yet. Then again, it does seem like a much faster and more convenient option, as long as you’re willing to get to the store on a frequent basis.

Credit Card Spending Down By 10%, Our Is Down By 50%: The most telling part of this article was that SVB’s spending is down because her stress-related medical spending dropped after she quit her job.

Last Minute Tax Deals: Mine are done, but I’ll wait - as I usually do - until April 14th or 15th to file. I owe a tiny amount - less than $300 - so I figure there’s no rush to file. I’ve finished everything, but I’ll wait to e-file until the last minute. If you haven’t started, though - get on it.

Hey Big 4! If I Were You, Here’s What I’d Do (Instead…): If you know anything about the Big 4, this is a grim, grim article. I’d be worried if I knew anyone associated with this industry - or if you are, say, a shareholder in a company audited by one of these four firms, which includes most of the Fortune 500.

Why I’m Glad I Didn’t Kill Myself: Pretty amazing post. I can’t imagine going through that thought process, and it’s a touching piece worth reading. My blog’s named brip blap because I’m a very up-and-down person, but honestly, I’ve never - even in my darkest moments of depression - considered killing myself. I’ve always been, if nothing else, very interested in seeing what the future holds. I also suspect I am a bit too much in love with myself to do that. But it’s a brave thing to discuss, and Mrs. Micah deserves some kudos for having the guts to write about it.

PS: I am referencing the excellent book North Toward Home in the title of this post. A lazy afternoon spent chatting with Mr. Morris on the front porch of a coffee house in a Mississippi summer haze is a fond memory of mine, and my best memory of talking with a writer.

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