It’s been a few weeks since I updated everyone on my mom’s medical condition.  She remains in neurological intensive care, and is beginning to show some signs of improvement.  About two weeks ago she suffered a stroke following surgery for a related neurological condition.  She has been in ICU for four weeks now, and has been in the hospital for 40 days out of the past two months for various tests, surgeries, and recovery.  It appears her recovery could take months, but we remain hopeful she can still make a full recovery.  Thank you for continuing to keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

Now, for the Roundup:

• Will Green Food Saver Bags Make Food Last Last Longer?  If I could find a way to freeze milk without the jug being distorted (or busting), and make perishables last longer, we could probably drop back to a once or a twice a month grocery trip.

• Back to Basics:  Debt-Free Is the Path To Success.  I agree with all of Jeff’s ideas, but particularly like the point that being debt free lowers stress.  Sure, you could point to a hundred reasons why leveraging your house or your credit history to make investments makes sense, but none of those reasons outweigh the feeling of laying your head on the pillow at night and knowing you don’t owe anyone a dime.

• A Do-It-Yourself Guide to a Romantic and Highly Frugal Date Night.  Some great ideas on how to put together a frugal date.  I particularly like the format of this post as it reminds me of a DIY meal-plan.  Only, instead of picking a protein, carb and vegetable you pick a meal, entertainment option and a follow-up item for your date.

• Children Are Becoming Prime Identity Theft Targets-How to Protect Your Child’s Credit History.  It is a sad note that children are now becoming victims of crimes previously committed almost exclusively against adults.  Not only do we have to worry about our kids’ physical safety; now we have to worry about their credit history as well.

• How Ignorance Can Lead to Success.  This reminds me of the idea that some people succeed despite great risks of failure simply because they didn’t know about the risks.  Sometimes you just have to go with your gut without gathering all the facts first.

• My 401(k) Is Losing Money and I Don’t Care.  My 401(k) has been obliterated, and I don’t care either.  The way I look at it, I just own more shares of a few great funds that will surely rebound (and then some) before I retire.  I do feel for those closer to retirement age, assuming they didn’t move to more conservative investments in time.

• Can You Plan for Unexpected Expenses?  It sounds like Lazy is thinking about an emergency fund for his emergency fund.  Probably not a bad idea in this economic environment.

• Keep Your Holiday Supplies Simple With An Inventory and a Plan.  The idea of keeping an inventory of holiday supplies is brilliant.  We spend a lot of time around the holidays trying to remember where we put that box of outdoor lights, and an even greater amount of time trying to decide if we even own a box of outdoor lights!

• Barack Obama vs John McCain-Who Cares?  I share Ben’s apathy towards this year’s election.  I think both political parties have done a particularly bad job of nominating candidates, and I wish the ballot had a “Do-Over” option.  I hope four years from now a true fiscal conservative emerges with a campaign based on actually upholding our Constitution–something most politicians have largely ignored.

• 17 Sneaky Savings Strategies.  I’ve never thought of several of these “sneaky” ideas, but I plan to implement them in the frugal household.  The “own your own laundry mat” is my personal favorite!

• 7 Mistakes Not to Make In a Crisis. Could not agree with these more.  A knee-jerk reaction now could have long-term effects on your bottom line for years to come.

• Divorce-A Wealth Killer.  Lots of reasons to avoid divorce if at all possible, and wealth-killing is near the top of the list.  Both sides of a divorce seem to be hit particularly hard, but it is often the children who are most affected.

• Improving Middle Class Finances Through Education.  Financial literacy is a big deal to me because I believe many of our society’s money problems could have been avoided if young people were properly trained to take on the world of personal finance.  If schools won’t do it then us parents will have to take up the slack.

• Fulfillment, Accomplishment, and  a Game of Risk.  This is a great reminder that sometimes there is nothing wrong with just “being.”  Put down your to-do list, your Blackberry, your laptop, your meal plan and your calendar and just “be.”  Enjoy the nature that surrounds us.   Enjoy some quality time with family.  I’m turning off this computer now and plan to spend the rest of my weekend taking this advice.  Hope you have a great weekend, too!