May 2009

Moments of Fame

May 22, 2009

The week’s various carnivals are now online. Funny appeared in several: • The Carnival of Personal Finance, at Wisebread with Incorporating for Fun and Profit  • The Carnival of Debt Reduction at (where else?) the Carnival of Debt Reduction with Reno Loan Gone  • And (ta-DAAAAA!) Editor’s Pick in this week’s Festival of Frugality at Living Almost Large for Optional Frugality ♥ ♥ ♥ [...]

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A little frugality goes a long way

May 21, 2009

Well, I was about to say “I amaze me with my frugality,” but the truth is, I haven’t been pinching pennies any more rigorously than usual. That notwithstanding, despite almost $1,000 in “extraordinary” (read “not in the budget”) expenses, I’m only going to have to pull about $245 out of savings to cover this month’s [...]

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Two new blogs

May 20, 2009

These have little or nothing to do with personal finance, but… Here are two blogs you might enjoy. One is by my friend Judy Galbraith, who teaches journalism at Paradise Valley Community College and writes affectingly about subjects ranging from her obvious professional commitment to censorship, politics, and the good life.  And not to be [...]

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Credit card companies to penalize “freeloaders”: What’s your plan?

May 19, 2009

As we know, credit card companies call people who pay their bills on time and in full “freeloaders,” and management highly resents such deadbeats because they’re not cash cows like people who sink over their heads in usurious debt. Credit-card issuers make something on us bums, of course, because each charged transaction nicks the merchant a [...]

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109 in the shade!

May 18, 2009

M’hijito remarked that Bila the Painter will earn more in two days, painting the exterior woodwork on the downtown house, than either M’hijito or I bring home in a week. And one thing you have to say about painting: you can’t offshore it to India! On the other hand: what does it really mean to [...]

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w00t! Times has PF frenzy!

May 17, 2009

OMG. This morning’s New York Times, ever in touch with the whims of the moment, has gone overboard in its coverage of personal finance and frugality. And as usual, they’re a day late and a dollar short (sorry, Times editors: but what can you do when you have to steer a 1,500-ton flagship?).  To start [...]

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