The Amateur Financier

Today is an interesting day, to put it mildly.  To start with, today is the day when I think my first-date anniversary with Sondra occurs.  She is under the impression that our anniversary is on July 17.  Alas, neither of us have bothered to go back and look up when our first date really occurred, so we’re free to choose either date as the winds blow and our plans require.

Case in point: This year, the 17th fell on a Sunday, when Sondra both worked and wanted to have some friends over (the biggest problem with keeping up with old friends is how tricky it can be to align your schedules, especially when so many people in our generation aren’t working the traditional 9-to-5, Monday to Friday schedules).  That didn’t leave too much time for romantic dinners or other traditional anniversary celebrations.  (Although, we did have fun with our friends.)

The solution to that problem, though, isn’t much better; we’re celebrating our anniversary today, the 19th.  This wouldn’t be too much of a problem (it might even be cheaper to go out, as restaurants and other places tend to offer some nice discounts on weekdays), but Sondra is getting two of her wisdom teeth removed today, which means she is likely to be not very happy for the rest of the day.  [Since I'm putting the finishing touches on this article after the date you see up at the top there, I'll save you the suspense: she is not happy, and I have to take her in on Monday to have her remaining wisdom teeth removed.]

Still, that’s no reason to not take a look back at some of the good blog posts from this past week.  As always, there’s way too much goodness for me to be able to share it all, but let’s start with some good Yakezie posts:

 Good Yakezie Posts

Sustainability Tip #195: Save the Egg Cartons – I love the Sustainability Tip series on Sustainable Personal Finance, and this particular tip brings back plenty of memories of grade school projects involving egg cartons and other things many people would reject as ‘trash’.  It’s always good to look for alternative things to do with food and other containers.

U.S. Debt Ceiling – It’s all over the news, but do you know what the debt ceiling is?  If not, you can find out in this surprisingly balanced (considering the current political climate, at least) article from Tim of Faith and Finance.  Learn just what all the fuss is about.

Tips for Surviving Unemployment – Unemployment is definitely a tough gig, as I (or most anyone who has had to suffer through it) can tell you.  There are ways to get through it, though, as Miss T. notes on Prairie Eco Thrifter.  Just hang in there, as I’m sure things will get better if you keep at it.  (They did for me, after all.)

Why Buying a House Can Be Cheaper Than Renting – It’s practically a truism of money management that renting is cheaper than buying.  But, as Little House in the Valley notes, if you look at the big picture, it’s not so clear, and buying can actually prove to be the bigger money saver.

Savings = Freedom – If you have money, you have more options.  That’s the way of the world, and the point of Kevin’s post on Invest It Wisely.  If you keep your spending low, try to earn as much as you can, and invest to increase the money you have available, you’ll have more options in life.  That’s all there is to it.

15 Coolest Jobs on the Planet – If you ever dreamed of having a really cool job, one you couldn’t wait to get to each morning (and mention in every conservation you have), here are some possibilities to consider.  This post on Krant Cents covers the gamut, from Videogame Tester to Astronaut; if it’s cool and you can make a living doing it, it’ll be on this list.

If I Had a Million Dollars… – It’s always fun to think of what we would and could do with a pretty sizable windfall.  Kay Lynn, the Bucksome Boomer, shares some of her thoughts, from paying off debt (always a good first option) to buying a house to giving to charity.  It’s amazing how quickly one million dollars can disappear when you start to think about what you would really do with it.

10 Tips and Tweaks to Keep Your Blog Looking Professional – If you’re going to engage in trying to build a side income, like starting a blog, you should do your best at it, and make it look professional.  If you follow Money Cone’s advice in this Yakezie article, your blog will look like something run by a major corporation, not a lone guy or gal in a bedroom.  (Always a plus when the advertisers come calling.)

Other Good Posts

How to Earn More than $3 Million in 20 Years – Go to a good business school seems to be the secret, although it ended up leading to a discussion of whether it’s better to go to a great school and get average grades, or an average school and get great grades.  I believe the former is better, although Free Money Finance is arguing the superiority of the latter.  Interesting thoughts, either way.

Finding Your 5:00 – It’s an often overlooked fact, but we humans need rest.  The Weakonomist does a good job of reminding us that we all need to call it a day sometimes, and that it’s important to draw a line in the sand about what we will and won’t do for our employers.

Monavie: Multi-Level Marketing Gone Haywire – If you are a frequent (or even occasional) reader of Lazy Man and Money, you’ve probably heard of Monavie already, but if not, The Silicon Valley Blogger clues you in.  Short version: they’re pretty bad news.

The Next Step: Preparing for Change – J.D. Roth, creator of Get Rich Slowly, has decided to start traveling the world, after getting out of debt and building his blog into a powerhouse.  I’m impressed that he has managed to change his life so much in just seven years, and hope that, when The Amateur Financier celebrates its seven birthday in 2016, I will be half as accomplished.  Congratulations, J.D.!

That’s it for this Round-Up; join me again next week for more great posts from around the web!