Weekly Blog Roundup

This is a series where I link to my favorite blog posts from the financial blogs that I follow and read directly. These are the articles I found particularly useful or good in some way. I hope you enjoy my choices and learn something too!

Week of 10/25/2010:

• How Often Should I Rebalance My Investment Portfolio @ Bargaineering. Jim has a good post on when and why to rebalance. I always thought once a year was enough but this is making me reconsider.
• The Quest for the Best Budget @ Get Rich Slowly. Guest poster Robert Brokamp has an interesting approach to budgeting. To me it looks like a "reverse budget".
• My Ten Biggest Money Savers Since Starting The Simple Dollar @ The Simple Dollar. Trent wrote a great "top ten" post full of useful information and ideas. Check it out!

These are my favorites for the last week. Feel free to comment and share some others that I may have missed or not even know about. Have a great week!

Note: This will be the last weekly roundup until I return from Asia.

Weekly Blog Roundup

This is a series where I link to my favorite blog posts from the financial blogs that I follow and read directly. These are the articles I found particularly useful or good in some way. I hope you enjoy my choices and learn something too!

Week of 10/18/2010:

• Dave Ramsey Debt Snowball Payoff Strategy @ Bargaineering. Jim wrote up a good post on the debt snowball strategy, which I used myself, to pay off debts.
• Why NOW is the Time to Think Long Term @ Get Rich Slowly. This guest post encompasses exactly what I think all of the people who "live for today" with no forward looking goals should embrace.
• 20 Favorite Dirt Cheap Meals @ The Simple Dollar. This is a great quick list of cheap, easy, and delicious meals that can fit just about anyone's budget. I have done a few of these myself!

These are my favorites for the last week. Feel free to comment and share some others that I may have missed or not even know about. Have a great week! 

Weekly Blog Roundup

This is a series where I link to my favorite blog posts from the financial blogs that I follow and read directly. These are the articles I found particularly useful or good in some way. I hope you enjoy my choices and learn something too!

Week of 10/11/2010:

• 5 Smart Ways to Use Debt to Improve Your Life @ Bargaineering. This is a guest post about the good uses of debt. There are a lot of anti-debt folks out there but this shows how it can be a positive thing too. Has very good points worth noting.
• Where's the Money, Honey? Why You MUST Track Your Spending @ Get Rich Slowly. It has been said 1000 times and I will make this 1001. This is one of the cornerstones of getting ahead!
• Pay More for These Meaningless Words and Phrases! @ The Simple Dollar. It is no secret that I hate marketing. A LOT. This article nails it on to head as to why I hate it so much.

These are my favorites for the last week. Feel free to comment and share some others that I may have missed or not even know about. Have a great week! 

Weekly Blog Roundup

This is a series where I link to my favorite blog posts from the financial blogs that I follow and read directly. These are the articles I found particularly useful or good in some way. I hope you enjoy my choices and learn something too!

Week of 10/4/2010:

• Commission Denies Postage Rate Hike Request by Post Office @ Bargaineering. Jim shares a great story that the US Postal Service was denied a request to raise rates yet again. Now if we can just get someone in there to streamline that mess that they made...
• Bargain Shopping Gone Berserk! @ Get Rich Slowly. JD did a nice write up on when you can take bargain shopping too far. I have written about bargains I find but it is only a bargain if you need it and it is at a discount!
• What Does "Financial Independence" Really Mean? @ The Simple Dollar. Trent wrote an awesome definition of what financial independence is. I have touched on it here and this is a great big picture article on the subject.

These are my favorites for the last week. Feel free to comment and share some others that I may have missed or not even know about. Have a great week! 

Weekly Blog Roundup

This is a series where I link to my favorite blog posts from the financial blogs that I follow and read directly. These are the articles I found particularly useful or good in some way. I hope you enjoy my choices and learn something too!

Week of 9/27/2010:

• New 2011 From 1099-K @ Bargaineering. Sell stuff on eBay? This new form is how the government keeps track of what you sell. Good to know! See post link for details.
• Re-Thinking Retirement: Beyond Conventional Wisdom @ Get Rich Slowly. JD wrote a great post on what retirement really means and how to plan for it. Retirement is more than investments!
• Vocation, Career, and Job @ The Simple Dollar. Trent does a great job of explaining what each words means. Which one applies to your situation?

These are my favorites for the last week. Feel free to comment and share some others that I may have missed or not even know about. Have a great week! 

Weekly Blog Roundup

This is a series where I link to my favorite blog posts from the financial blogs that I follow and read directly. These are the articles I found particularly useful or good in some way. I hope you enjoy my choices and learn something too!

Week of 9/20/2010:

• Rule of Thumb on Insurances To Avoid @ Bargaineering. Jim shares a great rule on which types of insurance you should and should not purchase and why. Very good ideas!
• The War on Work @ Get Rich Slowly. JD wrote a great in depth article on Financial Independence and getting to the point in which you no longer have to work. Awesomely done.
• The Myth of the Exceptional Life @ The Simple Dollar. The term "exceptional life" is a marketing term. It does not exist. Trent explains this in detail and is a great post to help us all refocus.

These are my favorites for the last week. Feel free to comment and share some others that I may have missed or not even know about. Have a great week! 

Weekly Blog Roundup

This is a series where I link to my favorite blog posts from the financial blogs that I follow and read directly. These are the articles I found particularly useful or good in some way. I hope you enjoy my choices and learn something too!

Week of 9/13/2010:

• Are Solar Panels On Your House With It? @ Bargaineering. Jim wrotes a good financial analysis on solar panels and if they save you money. Good read for those thinking about it!
• Reader Story: Working for Uncle Same Overseas @ Get Rich Slowly. a GRS reader submitted a great story on working for the government overseas. This has really got me thinking about it!
• Why a 0% Loan Isn't Always the Best Choice @ The Simple Dollar. Trent writes about a good reason to not get loans if you have the cash to pay for it. A good cost/benefit analysis.

These are my favorites for the last week. Feel free to comment and share some others that I may have missed or not even know about. Have a great week! 

Weekly Blog Roundup

This is a series where I link to my favorite blog posts from the financial blogs that I follow and read directly. These are the articles I found particularly useful or good in some way. I hope you enjoy my choices and learn something too!

Week of 8/29/2010:

• How To Get Two Free Credit Reports per Year @ Bargaineering. Jim wrote a good quick guide on how to get free credit reports from the agencies. We should check at least yearly and it is free!
• Yes You WILL Get Social Security @ Get Rich Slowly. Guest poster from the Motley Fool wrote a great article in the possibilities of the future of Social Security. Very good read and info for retirement planning.
• Yard Sale Ethics: Is the Sticker Price the End of the Story? @ The Simple Dollar. Trent writes about grossly underpriced items at a yard sale and the ethics of buying and reselling for a profit. He makes some good points and I agree with his view on it.

These are my favorites for the last week. Feel free to comment and share some others that I may have missed or not even know about. Have a great week!

Weekly Blog Roundup

This is a series where I link to my favorite blog posts from the financial blogs that I follow and read directly. These are the articles I found particularly useful or good in some way. I hope you enjoy my choices and learn something too!

Week of 8/22/2010:

• How to Contest a Property Tax Assessment @ Bargaineering. Jim writes about the process of contesting your property tax assessment to lower your tax bill. I did this at well and it pays off big!
• How to Replace Six Vital Documents @ Get Rich Slowly. Staff writer April wrote up a nice guide to replacing your most important legal documents. Very well written and easy to follow.
• How Personal Finance Changes as You Begin to See Success @ The Simple Dollar. Trent writes about what I am beginning to experience. Light at the end of the tunnel. Very good insight!

These are my favorites for the last week. Feel free to comment and share some others that I may have missed or not even know about. Have a great week!

Weekly Blog Roundup

This is a series where I link to my favorite blog posts from the financial blogs that I follow and read directly. These are the articles I found particularly useful or good in some way. I hope you enjoy my choices and learn something too!

Week of 8/15/2010:

• Avoid These Financial Products @ Bargaineering. Jim lists products that a lot of us have but don't need. It is a good list of what to avoid in the future too.
  
• The Legal Nomad on Saving for Travel @ Get Rich Slowly. JD Writes about a legal worker who exercised stringent frugality and savings regiments to be able to travel the world. I just love these stories!
  
• When Keeping Your Head Above Water Takes All You've Got @ The Simple Dollar. Tren responds to a reader's story of financial and emotional struggle. Very good for those of us struggling too. He hits on some very good points!
  

These are my favorites for the last week. Feel free to comment and share some others that I may have missed or not even know about. Have a great week!

Weekly Blog Roundup

This is a series where I link to my favorite blog posts from the financial blogs that I follow and read directly. These are the articles I found particularly useful or good in some way. I hope you enjoy my choices and learn something too!

Week of 8/8/2010:

• Ten Ways to Greenify Your Home Right Now @ Bargaineering. Jim wrote a good post on steps to be more green and save money at the same time. I have done these myself already and can say it does work!
  
• Reader Story: I Quit My Job and Joined the Peace Corps @ Get Rich Slowly. This is a great reader's story of straying from the usual path and excelling afterward. For those considering a short stint off work to volunteer this is a great read!
  
• Minimalism, Frugality, and Confrontation @ The Simple Dollar. Trent writes on the social taboo that comes with being extra frugal. This is a tough issue in a hyper-consumer society and has good tips on how to deal with it.
  

These are my favorites for the last week. Feel free to comment and share some others that I may have missed or not even know about. Have a great week!

Weekly Blog Roundup

This is a series where I link to my favorite blog posts from the financial blogs that I follow and read directly. These are the articles I found particularly useful or good in some way. I hope you enjoy my choices and learn something too!

Week of 8/1/2010:

• Convert Purchases from Dollars into Time @ Bargaineering. Jim writes that we should look at how much time at work we spent to earn enough for that $5 latte or $20 toy. This is a great practice to learn and use to curb impulse spending and increase frugality.
  
• The High Cost of Modern Living @ Get Rich Slowly. JD Wrote an interesting post on how all the modern conveniences today really eat away at our bank accounts. This is why I cut cable.
  
• Building Skills for Free @ The Simple Dollar. Trent tells us that learning a new skill does not cost a fortune (or any money for that matter). Good tips in here!
  

These are my favorites for the last week. Feel free to comment and share some others that I may have missed or not even know about. Have a great week!

Weekly Blog Roundup

This is a series where I link to my favorite blog posts from the financial blogs that I follow and read directly. These are the articles I found particularly useful or good in some way. I hope you enjoy my choices and learn something too!

Week of 7/26/2010:

• Beware the Rules of Thumb @ Bargaineering. Jim warns us that rules of thumb can sometimes be too general and work against us. Good read for specific examples.
  
• Take Only Photographs: Frugal Souvenirs @ Get Rich Slowly. Staff writer Sierra Black writes about expensive clutter we buy on trips that we don't like. Good reasons not to buy that "cool thing" on your next trip.
  
• Ten Big Mistakes #10: Poor Goal Setting @ The Simple Dollar. Trent writes about the big mistakes he made in life, what he learned, and how he fixed them. This one is particularly good and informative to me.
  

These are my favorites for the last week. Feel free to comment and share some others that I may have missed or not even know about. Have a great week!

Weekly Blog Roundup

This is a series where I link to my favorite blog posts from the financial blogs that I follow and read directly. These are the articles I found particularly useful or good in some way. I hope you enjoy my choices and learn something too!

Week of 7/19/2010:

• How to Recover From a Lost Wallet @ Bargaineering. Jim writes about best practice steps we should take in order to minimize financial damage from a lost wallet or purse.
  
• Is It Time To Quit Your Day Job? @ Get Rich Slowly. Staff writer Sierra Black writes about quitting your job to pursue your own business and dreams. This is what I aspire to and has lots of good insight and ideas!
  
• Some Thoughts on Inexpensive Vacations @ The Simple Dollar. Trent writes about how to plan your vacations to be less expensive, more enjoyable, and more relaxing. I apply all these techniques myself. Cramming in everything is work not vacation!
  

These are my favorites for the last week. Feel free to comment and share some others that I may have missed or not even know about. Have a great week!

Weekly Blog Roundup

This is a series where I link to my favorite blog posts from the financial blogs that I follow and read directly. These are the articles I found particularly useful or good in some way. I hope you enjoy my choices and learn something too!

Week of 7/12/2010:

• New Lighting Facts Label @ Bargaineering. Jim writes about the new government mandated label that shows estimated yearly energy cost, lifespan, appearance, and energy used. This includes mercury warnings. Good stuff!
  
• How to Save Money While Traveling @ Get Rich Slowly. I am a huge traveler. I love it. I am always looking to save on the road. Staff writer Sierra Black writes about this exact subject! Very helpful.
  
• Eleven Effective Ways to Reduce Your Laundry Costs @ The Simple Dollar. Trent and I are big on expense cutting. This post has some great tips for saving while doing laundry. Some of this was even news to me!
  

These are my favorites for the last week. Feel free to comment and share some others that I may have missed or not even know about. Have a great week!

Weekly Blog Roundup

This is a series where I link to my favorite blog posts from the financial blogs that I follow and read directly. These are the articles I found particularly useful or good in some way. I hope you enjoy my choices and learn something too!

Week of 7/5/2010:

• USPS Considering Stamp Price Increase @ Bargaineering. Jim writes about how the USPS is looking to increase again. This really bothers me as it is very expensive to mail things these days. All the more reason to go digital!
  
• Pay Yourself First with a Coupon Booklet @ Get Rich Slowly. JD Shows a reader tip which is to essentially make payment coupons for various savings goals and treat it as a bill. A great idea for those who need a way to visualize our savings goals!
  
• Money and Basic Math: Some Thoughts and Six Quick Tips @ The Simple Dollar. Trent shows us how utilizing basic math helps immensely with finances and why it is such a widespread problem. Good read!
  

These are my favorites for the last week. Feel free to comment and share some others that I may have missed or not even know about. Have a great week!

Weekly Blog Roundup

This is a series where I link to my favorite blog posts from the financial blogs that I follow and read directly. These are the articles I found particularly useful or good in some way. I hope you enjoy my choices and learn something too!

Week of 6/28/2010:

• The Billionaire Secret: Avoid Ordinary Income, Acquire Capital Gains @ Bargaineering. Jim writes about how the billionaires invest in things that net capital gains which are taxed at a lower rate than ordinary income. Good info!
  
• Reader Story: Debt-Free by 30 -- Including the Mortgage! @ Get Rich Slowly. JD posted a reader's story of grad school, debt, and freeing themselves of it. I found it inspiring and is making me wonder: Is it worth the peace of mind (forgoing gains) to pay off my mortgage now?
  
• Nine Tactics That Work for Starting Food Preparation at Home @ The Simple Dollar. Trent did a great write up on how cooking at home is cheaper and how to get started on grocery shopping and cooking frugally. This is a great jump start for those interested in the grocery game.
  

These are my favorites for the last week. Feel free to comment and share some others that I may have missed or not even know about. Have a great week!

Weekly Blog Roundup

This is a series where I link to my favorite blog posts from the financial blogs that I follow and read directly. These are the articles I found particularly useful or good in some way. I hope you enjoy my choices and learn something too!

Week of 6/21/2010:

• Market Timing Works... Just Not For You @ Bargaineering. Jim writes about how it is possible to time the market but not likely. No one knows the future!
  
• Reader Story: The Other Side of Bankruptcy @ Get Rich Slowly. A reader story about how a landlord got scammed by an abuser of the bankruptcy system. A good read to see how it affects creditors (and not just big banks) in a real way.
  
• Professional Time, Leisure Time, and Wasted Time @ The Simple Dollar. Trent writes about how we can budget and more effectively use the time we have. We only live one life and need to live it to the fullest. Great read!
  

These are my favorites for the last week. Feel free to comment and share some others that I may have missed or not even know about. Have a great week!

Weekly Blog Roundup

This is a series where I link to my favorite blog posts from the financial blogs that I follow and read directly. These are the articles I found particularly useful or good in some way. I hope you enjoy my choices and learn something too!

Week of 6/14/2010:

• Seven Money Lies from Monopoly @ Bargaineering. Jim writes in depth about how monopoly tries to teach us bad money habits. Entertaining read.
  
• The Marginal Utility of Money @ Get Rich Slowly. Guest poster Mike Piper reminds us that money is important but it is not everything. Good for keeping in perspective!
  
• Buying Things You Wish You had Time For @ The Simple Dollar. Trent reminds us to be more conscious when buying things. Do you really have time to learn the piano? Should you still buy one?
  

These are my favorites for the last week. Feel free to comment and share some others that I may have missed or not even know about. Have a great week!

Weekly Blog Roundup

This is a series where I link to my favorite blog posts from the financial blogs that I follow and read directly. These are the articles I found particularly useful or good in some way. I hope you enjoy my choices and learn something too!

Week of 6/7/2010:

• Overdraft Fees at Online Banks @ Bargaineering. Jim does a great survey on what online banks charge for overdrafts. My bank, ING Direct, does not charge anything if you have their overdraft line of credit. Very informative!
  
• Finding Your Financial Blind Spots @ Get Rich Slowly. Staff writer Sierra Black wrote a great post on how to find holes in your budget. Good for those of us still trying to get a grip. Even I have trouble here sometimes!
  
• Reader Mailbag: Distractactions @ The Simple Dollar. Trents posts these often and it covers a variety of subjects. I picked this one because it touches on a very important part of finance for me: The emergency fund. He goes into some detail about how much you should have for emergencies. Very insightful and useful for me!
  

These are my favorites for the last week. Feel free to comment and share some others that I may have missed or not even know about. Have a great week!