{"id":5286,"date":"2013-06-29T12:00:51","date_gmt":"2013-06-29T16:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theamateurfinancier.com\/?p=5286"},"modified":"2014-01-08T11:30:45","modified_gmt":"2014-01-08T16:30:45","slug":"weekly-round-up-contest-and-google-reader-coming-to-an-end","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theamateurfinancier.com\/blog\/weekly-round-up-contest-and-google-reader-coming-to-an-end\/","title":{"rendered":"Weekly Round-Up: Contest (and Google Reader) Coming to an End…"},"content":{"rendered":"

You probably know by now, but\u00a0Google Reader is being axed<\/a><\/span>\u00a0as of Monday. \u00a0If you haven’t already, you’ll need to migrate your feeds (including\u00a0The Amateur Financier<\/a>) to another reader. \u00a0Personally, I recommend\u00a0Feedly<\/a><\/span>\u00a0(you can easily transfer the files from Reader if you log on before Monday), but there are more than a few readers out there, and\u00a0plenty of discussion<\/a>\u00a0on which is the best. \u00a0Just make sure to make your decision by Monday (the same day my contest ends, by pure co-inky-dink), and transfer all the feeds you want to keep following.<\/p>\n

Now, onto the more fun things ending Monday:\u00a0my contest to celebrate 1000 posts<\/a>. \u00a0Yes, the contest will be over in less than 36 hours from the time you read this article. \u00a0(Even for those super diligent readers out who wait with bated breath to read my posts the moment they go up.) \u00a0That doesn’t give you much time to make your last-minute entries.<\/p>\n

Alas, as much as I’d like to run the contest forever, it must come to an end; it’s a good thing too, I imagine many readers would say, as they’d like to\u00a0win<\/em> said contest and they can’t do that until it has ended. \u00a0You still have a bit more time to enter, in case you haven’t done so already, and then it’ll just be until Monday when the winners are drawn and contacted about their victory. \u00a0While you’re waiting, you can be sure to check some of these:
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Great Yakezie Posts<\/h2>\n

Bad at Math? You’re Screwed<\/span><\/a> – The title of this article from Money Mamba<\/span><\/a> is a bit of an oversimplification; you’re not completely screwed. \u00a0Still, as noted, you’re going to have a tougher time of it, given how much of life (particularly the money parts) revolve around math and using it right.<\/p>\n

The Hidden Cost of Living Away From Home For the First Time<\/span><\/a> – With lots high school grads enjoying their last summer pre-college, it’s worth reminding them that getting a place of their own isn’t cheap, as My University Money<\/span><\/a> does here (along with telling them plenty of other things<\/span><\/a> about the real world).<\/p>\n

How to Choose the Right Charity for You<\/span><\/a> – I definitely recommend charitable giving for, well, just about everyone. \u00a0If you need some help figuring out what charity to choose, Sustainable Personal Finance<\/span><\/a> can help point you in the right direction.<\/p>\n

Having an Only Child<\/a>\u00a0– With only one child (so far, at least), I’ve been wondering if having more would be best (for her, and us). \u00a0These thoughts from\u00a0WellHeeled<\/a>\u00a0(an only child herself) raise some interesting thoughts I’ll have to consider and raise with my wife as we debate.<\/p>\n

Why Changing Your Behavior Is More Important Than Having a Budget<\/a>\u00a0– Don’t misunderstand, budgeting is a very useful skill when it comes to keeping your money under control, but your behavior is even more more important, as noted by\u00a0Krantcents<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Should I Go Into Engineering?<\/span><\/a> – \u00a0As a general rule, I’d say it’s a pretty good idea (it’s a high paying field<\/span><\/a>, for sure). \u00a0But as noted on Retire By 40<\/span><\/a>, it’s not always that simple, and as with Joe, I’d be a little reluctant to give full on advice to anyone just starting college. \u00a0Do your own research and find something that works for you.<\/p>\n

Mandatory Savings vs. Mandatory Financial Education<\/span><\/a> – In many cases, mandatory saving programs are being used to ensure that people have money come retirement. \u00a0As Squirrelers<\/span><\/a> notes, it’d probably be a better idea for everyone involved to stress financial education instead, to encourage people to save (and make other smart financial decisions).<\/p>\n

Would Being a Member of a Bomb Squad Exclude You From Life Insurance?<\/a> – You’d certainly think so, wouldn’t you? \u00a0But apparently that’s not the case, as this post on Darwin’s Money<\/a> shows. \u00a0Not that I’d want to be on the bomb squad, but it’s nice to know I could still get life insurance…<\/p>\n

Other Great Blog Posts<\/h2>\n

How to Destroy Debt Like It’s Your Job<\/span><\/a> – Far too many people in this country have far too much debt (a group I’m a part of, sadly). \u00a0Lance of Money Life and More<\/span><\/a> shares some tips on how to eliminate that debt as fast as you are able (and maybe a little bit faster).<\/p>\n

Our Weekend of Unplanned Spending and Adjusting Our Budget<\/span><\/a> – Things happen that we don’t plan, and as much as we’d love to have all our spending planned ahead of time, sometimes we need to adjust. \u00a0Catherine of Plunged in Debt<\/span><\/a> shares a weekend of such unplanned spending, and how she adapted.<\/p>\n

4 Things I’d Be More Interested in if I was Wealthy<\/span><\/a> – There are more than a few pastimes out there that are easiest to take part in when you have money (if not ones that are only possible for the well off). \u00a0David on Young Adult Money<\/span><\/a> shares a few he will take up (or take up again) when he has more money to his name.<\/p>\n

Couchsurfing vs. Airbnb, Cheap and Free Holiday Accommodation<\/span><\/a> – If you’d like to travel without breaking the bank, there are increasingly ways to do so. \u00a0On Reach Financial Independence<\/span><\/a>, a few ways to stay in different places throughout the world without paying an arm and a leg are discussed.<\/p>\n

Cut The Crap<\/span><\/a> – It’s pretty blunt, but that’s what some people need to hear at times. \u00a0This article from iHeartBudgets<\/span><\/a> reminds people that they can spend a great deal of their money each month on ‘CRAP’, and cutting it can do an immense amount of good for their financial health.<\/p>\n

Contests and Giveaways<\/h2>\n