Weekly Roundup Returns: Catching Up Edition
Photo by Hamed Saber
Thanks again for all the thoughts, prayers and well-wishes you’ve shared over the last couple weeks. My mom will soon be having surgery in an effort to resolve a very serious condition, and all signs point to a successful outcome. I’ll be taking the weekend off from posting, but have a couple really good articles to share beginning Monday, along with a guest post or two.
I’m still not getting to all my favorites like I normally would, but I did manage to find a few gems from the past week, and I’ll share them with you now. Have a great weekend, and don’t miss next week’s articles–should be a lot of fun!
The Roundup
Teaching Tweens Simplicity. Leading off the roundup is the newest member of The Life Skills Network, Sara, from On Simplicity (one of my favorite sites on the subject). This article really hit home for me as we prepare to move into the “tween” years with our oldest, and she is already struggling with the choice of living frugal and living simple.
Make Money Blogging: Top Bloggers and How Much They Earn. This was probably the most fun post to read from the past week, and in some ways, the most demoralizing! My monetization efforts have fallen well short of these guys, but as they say, every little bit helps.
The Difference Between Good Debt and Bad Debt. I used to be of the opinion that all debt was bad debt. I now make a few exceptions, and they appear in this article under the good debt heading. I still wish everyone would avoid debt if they can help it, even if it forces you to wait a little longer on a deal, or save up to pay cash. The feeling that comes from debt freedom is invaluable.
30 Books Everyone Should Read Before Their 30th Birthday. What a great list of literary classics. From a financial perspective, I would add to that list Your Money or Your Life, which is one I wish I read before my 20th birthday!
How Your Education and Lifestyle Keep You From Changing. An interesting post with an equally interesting video clip from Joe Vitale. What “counter-beliefs” or “counter-intentions” are really holding you back from success?
Back to School - 17 Good Habits for a Successful Life. This is a powerful list, but I think #4 really says it all. How can we develop any other good habits, especially as it relates to money (contentment, philanthropy, etc.), without first being grateful for the things we have.
Reduce Your Holiday Stress by Saving and Planning Today. After the budget debacle that was last Christmas’ shopping season we immediately opened an online savings account and started funneling $25 a paycheck (every two weeks) into the fund for this year’s Christmas list. I’m proud to report that the fund has remained untouched and now has plenty of money for us to do a little stress-free early Christmas shopping.
How to be Disorganized and Unproductive, #1: Don’t Enjoy Your Job. How could I not like anything from Simple Mom, especially when she works in an Office Space reference! Seriously, this was the capstone to a fine series on how to have a disorganized and unproductive day at home.
Extra Money for College Students-31 Ways You Can Make Money in College. Some great money-making ideas here. And many are not just for college students, but anyone short on cash or looking for a “side hustle.”
Unconventional Roth IRA Strategy to Lower Your Tax Bill. An innovative three-step process to move tax free money to a tax deferred account, along with an illustrative example.
401(k) Debit Card is NOT a Good Idea. The title alone sounds scary enough–a 401(k) debit card?! Talk about an easy way to slow-drain your whole your retirement account.
Frugal But Regret It? Ron asks the question all frugalists struggle with at some point. After many months, or years, or frugal living sometimes we grow to resent that lifestyle. That’s why I think it is so important to occasionally stop and smell the roses.
How to Start Getting Wealthy Right Now. Of all the things I’ve put off over the years, this might just be the one thing that I most regret. If you are reading this and haven’t started implementing the wealth-building steps in this article, do not delay any longer!
Glad to hear that things are looking more hopeful for your mom. Hope the surgery goes well.
Thanks for mentioning our article on making money in college!
I’ll keep you guys and especially your mom in my thoughts and prayers.
~Connie
My mom is actually in Office Space. She’s one of the miscellaneous workers in the background. If you notice, most of the women in the office are red-headed and wear glasses. She’s one of them.
Glad the situation with your mom is looking up.
Thanks for leading me to the top money-making bloggers. If for nothing else, I discovered i can has cheezburger. What a totally hilarious site! Love it! I’m just amazed at how some simple, creative ideas lead to blogging wealth.
1. Best wishes for your family.
2. Thanks for the mention, and good luck with the soon-to-be tween!
3. Simple Mom is now officially the coolest ever.
FD,
I loved the 30 BOOKS article. I have quite a few under my belt but I think I am going to consider trying to read them all. I have a little over 4 years. War and Peace scares me…
Great Roundup - make more money, get out of debt, and get more organized. Now I’ve got some great weekend reading to do. Thanks.
Hey,
Nice summary of great links. How did you get the revenue of the top blogging sites? Is it published somewhere?
Thanks
Thanks for a great roundup. I loved the post on good debt/bad debt.
My husband and I just read an article in Smart Money about millionaires. And, in the statistics, it showed that many ( can’t remember if most ) always wanted to have a house mortgage. Even though they could afford to pay it off. Very interesting article, if you get a chance to pick it up.