Weekly Roundup – Almost Frozen Tomatoes Edition

Something told me to hold off on potting our tomato plants.  Last year the square foot garden sprouts were nearly wiped out by a late-April freeze.  Since the tomatoes eventually grew to take over more than their allotted square we’ve decided to grow them separately this year in containers.

Good thing we held off.  Last night it got down to 30 degrees and there was a decent amount of frost covering the yard this morning.  I’m sure we could have covered the plants up with sheets or plastic and they would have survived, but it was nice to see my procrastination finally pay off!

With the cold weather behind us for good, I’ll be spending some of Easter weekend getting our tomato crop up and running.  Maybe this year I can grow enough to enjoy salads and a jar or two of homemade salsa!

Fab Five

Saving Strategy: Bank your Raises/Extra Income.  An excellent reminder with some people receiving mid-year raises soon.  Most of us suffer from what economists refer to as a marginal propensity to consume.  As our disposable income increases, so does our spending.  Don’t fall for the same trap. Hold you spending in place and bank than raise.  (@Million Dollar Journey)

Can You Pay Federal Taxes with Credit Cards?  The short answer is yes, but as Sun walks you through the various costs associated you begin to wonder who would want to!  I suppose if you were desperate it might offer some reprieve from owing the IRS, but there might be cheaper options.  (@The Sun’s Financial Diary)

Is Suze Right? Do Emergency Funds Now Trump Debt Repayment?  I rarely agree with Suze on anything related to credit management.  While I agree with the premise of her argument, people should be saving more instead of piling everything onto debt, I also agree with Trent that you can take this too far.  (@The Simple Dollar)

How to Beat Popular Carnival Games.  Ever unloaded $26 at a carnival game to win a $10 teddy bear?  Who hasn’t?  Read up on some tricks for winning at the most popular carnival games. You might even impress someone in the crowd, or make the carnival game worker angry – either way, you win!  (@Smart Spending)

The Art of Negotiating – A Crucial Skill For a Frugal Lifestyle.  I’ve never been good at haggling, but after reading these five negotiating rules I now have some ammunition for the next time I need to negotiate.  (@Simple Mom)

Best of the Rest

• The Final Decision on Downsizing
• What Makes a Good Stock Investor?
• March 2009 Was a Perfect Example of Why You Shouldn’t Try to Time the Market
• When Should You Do It Yourself?
• Save Money on a Diamond Ring
• Networking is Never About You

Site of the Week

“Go Frugal” at FreeShipping.org.  A little shameless self-promotion included in this week’s selection.  The site Freeshipping.org, home to tons of free shipping offers and coupons from major retailers, has started up a “Go Frugal” blog where a group of contributors from across the frugal landscape will share ways to save money. I’m honored to be one of those writers, and plan to post there on a weekly basis.  Hope you’ll follow!

Carnivals

Carnival of Pecuniary Delights. A new favorite in the blogging carnival world!

Spring Has Sprung – Carnival of Personal Finance #199 Bonus:  beautiful photography included!