photo by david55king

I would not believe it if I hadn’t been standing there next to the oven on Monday evening. My wife had just put in a new dish to bake and we were so looking forward to trying it.  Suddenly, we heard a horrible sound from the oven.  We spun around and were shocked to find the inside glass panel on our wall oven had shattered into a million pieces, spraying glass all over the inside of the oven.  I’ve since read that both glass panels can shatter, and we are lucky this didn’t happen because the flying glass at least would have caused a serious mess throughout the kitchen, and at worst could have hurt my wife or kids.  We cleaned up the mess and had to toss the chicken dish.  Another great reason for having a solid emergency fund!

The Roundup

101 Dirt Cheap Ways to Enjoy Yourself.  Proof that you don’t need a lot of money to have a good time!  @marc and angel

Undermining Your Frugality.  What good is being frugal for a long period of time if you only blow money on something frivolous later?  I’ve struggled with this myself at times.  I’ll scrimp and save five dollars here, ten dollars there, and then blow twenty dollars on a book I could have checked out at the library.  @the simple dollar

10 Reasons to Finish Your Degree Online.  I finished my degree online, and my only regret was that I didn’t start my degree online.  It makes for a much more flexible schedule, especially for us “non-traditional” students with full time jobs and a family.  Look for my own post on my online education experience next week.  @the wisdom journal

12 Tips to Prepare Your Finances for Vacation.  A great list of things to consider before hitting the road.  Often times we worry over our packing list, or our itinerary, and forget the financial responsibilities we’re leaving behind.  @my dollar plan

Save the Planet, Save Cash:  25 Best Ways to Green Your Green.  I really enjoyed this one as a “Frugal Dad” who also cares about the environment!  @ecosalon

7 Benefits of Imperfection.  Simple Mom was vacationing this week, but I caught this great post at her blog.  As the author states, being imperfect helps us show our children that they don’t have to be perfect either–a very powerful lesson.  @small notebook via simple mom

The Fine Art of Saying “No.”  It’s hard to say no.  It’s hard to tell yourself no, and it is hard to tell others no.  This post does a nice job of identifying why uttering those two little letters is so difficult, and provides some ideas on how to make it easier.  @my super-charged life

21 Ways to Make Your Blog or Website Sticky.  If you run your own blog, or are considering starting one up, this is a must-read.  I’ve implemented a few of these great ideas, but still have some work to do.  @problogger

The Dirty Secrets of Debt Reduction (and What to Do About Them).  Some of the best posts from personal finance bloggers are ones that tell the story of their triumph over debt.  This is a great post from J.D. sharing the story of how he beat debt.  @get rich slowly

Some lively discussions are happening over at Frugal Dad Forums.  Won’t you join us?

Beginning with today’s post I’m shifting my weekly roundups from Saturdays to Fridays.  My traffic is typically better on Fridays, and I’d like to draw some of that attention to the wonderful posts and bloggers I discover throughout the week.  Selfishly, I’d also like to take Friday nights off, and these roundup posts require a good bit of preparation. Don’t worry, I still plan on delivering a post on Saturday.  Be sure to check back tomorrow because I have a very special guest post.

It’s been a crazy week here at Frugal Dad!  Lots of exciting things to tell you about, and a few administrative items as well.

On Monday evening I launched a new forums feature here - Frugal Dad Forums.  So far, about 30 of you have signed up, which means a couple thousand of you are lurking around out there somewhere.  Registration is free and only takes a few seconds.  I’d love to see you over in the forums where we plan to have some lively discussions on everything from frugal living to blogging to movie reviews.

On Tuesday morning my article 75 Ways to Survive a Down Economy was mentioned by the Smart Spending blog at MSN Money.  The post was selected by MSN editors to appear on the MSN.com homepage mid-morning, and the traffic surge that ensued was enough to bring down Frugal Dad for a short while.  It’s a good problem to have, and one that has me considering future upgrades to the infrastructure running Frugal Dad.  Thanks to Karen Datko at the Smart Spending blog for getting it all started with her great writeup featuring my article.

Now writing for Mint.com!  I’ve accepted an invitation to write for Mint.com, an online money management service that offers the ability to organize activity from bank and credit card accounts into one, consolidated view.  From all appearances it is a great tool and I’m excited about the opportunity to contribute to their growing list of resources at their blog.

Enough about me, let’s get on with the roundup!

The First Steps Away from Living Paycheck to Paycheck.  Trent is right, paycheck to paycheck living is so dangerous.  It’s like living your life hanging over a financial cliff–it wouldn’t take much to send you over the edge.  @the simple dollar

25 Acts of Body Language to Avoid.  It’s true that the large majority of communication is non-verbal.  This is a great list of messages to avoid sending through your body language. @marc and angel

You Can Get One Thing.   We could all benefit from getting “whatever you want, but just one thing.” I take this same approach to monthly expenses. If I add a subscription I have to drop another one.  @blunt money

Indian Beggar Saves 200 Pounds of Coins, Opens Bank Account.  An inspiring, yet sad, story about a beggar (Das) living on the streets of Calcutta who was stricken with polio as a teenager and unable to work.  She managed to save roughly the equivalent of $692 dollars from begging, and recently deposited it in a bank account.   I was moved by her story.  @get rich slowly

How to Menu Plan:  A Guide.  A great system for planning meals, which helps budget associated food costs.  @simple mom

How to Avoid Buying Things Your Do Not Need.  This is something I struggle with, but I’ve found that it is acceptable to buy a few things that I want, but don’t necessarily need.  I just have to pay for them with cash, and save up for items I cannot comfortably cash flow out of my regular earnings. @my super-charged life

10 Important Tasks for Your Mid-Year Checkup.  It’s a great time to perform a mid-year checkup, and this is an excellent list of items to evaluate! @my dollar plan

Make it Do.  The WWII slogan quoted in the article sums it up quite well: “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.” @mrs micah

Commitments to Financial Success.  Powerful commitments that will make an impact in your financial life. @the wisdom journal

20 Simple Ways to Eat Healthy on a Budget.  It’s hard to eat healthy and not blow your food budget. These ideas will improve both your bottom line, and your waist line! @strong lifts

Carnival Participation:

• Festival of Frugality (Made Editor’s Pick)
• Carnival of Debt Reduction #147
• Money Hacks Carnival #14

Hard to believe half the year is already in the books.  Time flies when you are having fun!  Things have been fun around here for a while now.  Last month Frugal Dad added 342 new subscribers, a 34% increase from May.

In the month of June I received the second-highest monthly page view totals ever at 72,766.  I’d like to thank everyone who linked to an article here, added me to their blogroll, or told an offline friend. Thanks for helping spread the frugal message.

Top 11 Referrers - June 2008*

1. Smart Spending (MSN)
2. The Simple Dollar
3. Being Frugal
4. Get Rich Slowly
5. Simple Mom
6. Life Hacker
7. Mommy Snacks
8. My Two Dollars
   
9. My Super-Charged Life
10. Single Guy Money
11. Moolanomy

*I included 11 because only 2 hits separated numbers 10 and 11

Most Frequently Searched Terms to Find Frugal Dad

• Second Stimulus Check
• Frugal Dad
• Square Foot Gardening
• How to Get Out of Credit Card Debt
• Frugal

My Favorite Posts from June

How I Survived an F5 Tornado that Destroyed My Home.  This was a great read because I felt like I was actually right there next to Jeff as that twister passed over his home.  Thankfully, his family was unharmed - houses can be replaced, but lives cannot.

A Month of Menus.  This came in handy as I took over nearly all the cooking duties when my wife hurt her ankle.

50 Things Everyone Should Know How to Do.  I need to add air conditioner repair to this list.  Ours went out this morning and it is already 80 degrees inside our house!  Thank goodness for emergency funds!

Truth About Credit Scores.   Even after working in the financial industry for a number of years I learned a few new tips about FICO scores from this great interview with a myFICO.com representative.

My Book Writing Journey From a Dream to a Deal and a Finished Manuscript.  Looks like Trent has wrapped up the final manuscript for his book.  As a long-time Simple Dollar reader I’m looking forward to reading this one!

Personal Finance 101 - Live Like No One Else.   Debt freedom must be a wonderful place to be.  Just imagine the things you could do with no payments, tons of savings and a changed family tree.

50 Frugal Date Ideas.  Some fun, frugal date ideas sprinkled throughout this great list!  Some of the best dates my wife and I have been on have also been the cheapest–proof that you don’t have to spend a ton of money to have a good time.

Thoughts on Financial Independence and Early Retirement.  A great discussion on how to find your number, and claim financial independence. I have a number in mind myself, but a little debt and two college funds to save for keep getting in the way!

Creating My List of Financial Priorities.  Fresh off a Money Magazine mention, NCN shares his personal list of financial priorities including retirement investing, insurance, budgeting, college savings, etc.  I always enjoy reading what others are doing for various aspects of their financial plans.

11 Fun and Frugal Summertime Activities.  I plan to use several of these ideas to get the kids out of the house a bit over the next few weeks.  I especailly like the plant tour idea.  When I was a kid I toured a candy factory and an airplane jet engine manufacturer–I thought both were about the coolest places in the world!

Last week I mentioned my wife had severely sprained her ankle.  It’s been a tough week for her and she didn’t seem to be healing, so we decided to get a second opinion with an orthopaedic surgeon.  Turns out she actually tore ligaments in that fall, and is now in an AirCast boot for the next four weeks.  Talk about going from bad to worse!  Well, we are fortunate it was not broken, and the tears do not require surgery.  I’ll be keeping up with most household duties for the next month or so, and the roundups may be lighter than normal as I am not getting to the feed reader as often as I would like.

From The Life Skills Network

9 Black Belt Techniques for Fighting Laziness at Work.  Maybe it is the heat, or being “one down” at home, but I’m seriously lacking in motivation at work.  Next week, I plan to put a few of these ideas to use and hopefully pick up the pace a bit.

A Simple Life is a Good Life - I Believe Less is More.  I’m currently reading a great book on this subject (look for a review early next week).  I’ve recently tried to simplify several areas of my life from weeding out unnecessary junk in our garage and closets to consolidating bank accounts.  I have found that the less things I have to worry about the more peaceful life seems to be.

11 Fun and Frugal Summertime Activities.  I plan to use several of these ideas to get the kids out of the house a bit over the next few weeks.  I especailly like the plant tour idea.  When I was a kid I toured a candy factory and an airplane jet engine manufacturer–I thought both were about the coolest places in the world!

How I Teach My Kids About Money and Life by Using Bricks.  This one is a real gem!  Ron eloquently describes how lives are built just like a building, one brick at a time.  Good decisions lead to solid “bricks,” and a solid foundation.

How Do You Budget With an Irregular Income. I’m fortunate to have a steady income at the moment, but at some point I would like to work for myself.  Simple Mom provides some great thoughts on how to make a budget work when your income is unpredictable.

Other Great Reads Around the Web

My Book Writing Journey From a Dream to a Deal and a Finished Manuscript.  Looks like Trent has wrapped up the final manuscript for his book.  As a long-time Simple Dollar reader I’m looking forward to reading this one!

Are You Financially Healthy?  The Five Stages.  The debt spiral reminds me of a hamster wheel–the faster you run the faster the wheel turns, but you never gain any ground.  You have so much debt that your minimum payments drain your available cash, so you are forced to charge things the last week of every month.  It’s a vicious cycle!

Fifty Frugal Date Ideas.  I enjoyed this list because most of them required some type of fun activity (which you would expect from a Money and Fitness blog).  I remember when my wife and I were dating we played basketball at a local church and had a great time.  This list is a great reminder that it doesn’t take a lot of money to have fun.

Thoughts on Retirement and Financial Independence.  Some interesting thoughts here on how to find your “number.”  I have a number in mind, but it is a very general target and depends on other factors like whether or not I’m completely debt free (mortgage and everything), whether or not my kids are finished with college, etc.  $1.2 million sounds pretty close.

Rate Your Job, Company and Salary at GlassDoor.com.  The Digerati Life clues us in on an interesting new concept where site visitors may read reviews on a company, salary information for specific positions, etc.  I imagine this would be very helpful when looking for a new job, but I wonder about liability issues for disclosing salaries and negative information about your current employer.

Creating My List of Financial Priorities.  Fresh off a Money Magazine mention, NCN shares his personal list of financial priorities including retirement investing, insurance, budgeting, college savings, etc.  I always enjoy reading what others are doing for various aspects of their financial plans.

Are you receiving daily updates from Frugal Dad?  If not, you may sign up for free via RSS feed or email delivery. Subscribers also gain access to my free eBook, The 7-Day Turnaround!

My wife and I spent several hours in the emergency room Thursday morning after she took a spill and rolled her ankle. We were fairly certain it was broken, but thankfully the x-rays proved otherwise. She’s in a boot and on crutches, which has left most household duties to me. I’m behind on writing and reading from my feed reader, but I did find a few gems this week around the web.

Marc and Angel put together a great list of 30 Useful Tools Everyone Should Own. Would you believe the only thing I don’t own is a portable GPS? OK, you probably would guess that. With prices coming down on these gadgets I’ll probably pick one up some time this year, but I’ve managed pretty well with Google Maps and an atlas.

The Simple Dollar shared How to Write an Effective Thank You Note. In today’s world of instant, electronic communications, thank you notes are an antiquated way to express thanks. They are also the most effective

Moolanomy has jumped on board the 100 Pushup Challenge. I should probably do this myself as I continue to rehab my shoulder from last year’s rotator cuff repair surgery (what a nightmare that was!).

Simple Mom breaks down how to put together a Zero-Based Budgets for the Home: A Primer. I’m such a sucker for a great budgeting article, and this one doesn’t disappoint! We’ve been on a zero-based budget for well over a year now and for us, it is the best way to go.

My Dollar Plan gives us a rundown in What is Credit Card Arbitrage. I still don’t have the guts to try this, but doesn’t sound quite as scary after reading more.

My Super-Charged Life gives us 7 Ways to Take Personal Responsibility and Live a Better Life. I’m so weary of the lack of personal responsibility in our society.

PT Money shares All-Inclusive Resort: My Experience. I’ve got vacation on the brain, and this one didn’t help!

The Wisdom Journal reminds us that Creditors Have Better Memories than Debtors. I’ve been on both sides of the lending fence, and he’s right!

Cool Site of the Week
Pop Top Ranks - Track your favorite blogs from a number of categories. Here’s a look at Frugal Dad’s stats page.

If you haven’t already signed up for a free subscription to Frugal Dad, do so today! You may subscribe via RSS feed or email delivery. Subscribers also gain access to my free eBook, The 7-Day Turnaround!

photo by: bradleypjohnson

Some exciting news to share from The Life Skills Network. We’ve added two new members to the team! On behalf of the other members of the network, I’d like to extend a warm welcome to Marc and Angel Hack Life, and Simple Mom. Both are extremely popular sites in their respective niches, and we are honored to have them on our team. Check out both sites and get signed up to receive their content - you will not be disappointed! Here’s an updated roster of the Life Skills Network team:

• The Wisdom Journal
• My Super-Charged Life
• My Dollar Plan
• Marc and Angel Hack Life
• Simple Mom
• Frugal Dad

One other quick note for Frugal Dad readers. I’ve recently started writing over at TipDad.com, and I invite you to follow me there as well. Tip Dad will offer a more relaxed pace, and a lighter side of writing with stories about parenting, fatherhood, and general men’s issues. I hope you’ll join me.

The Roundup

Bible Money Matters shares some great tips for saving on the food budget as part of his summer savings series.

Simple Mom provided a list of simple gifts for an easy-to-please daddy. As an “easy-to-please” daddy I can tell you that some of the best gifts I’ve ever received were ones my kids made me. I think I’ll print this off some time today and conveniently leave it sitting around in a high-traffic area. Is that too subtle?

My Dollar Plan put together a helpful resource for those preparing to sell a car. The last time I sold a car I was lucky - it went in about two weeks, but times were different. It was a beautiful 2002 Chevy Silverado pickup truck, and was my pride and joy at the time. Unfortunately, it also had a big payment and added significantly to our car insurance. Watching it leave my driveway with a new owner forever cured me of car fever.

Marc and Angel shared a list of 50 things everyone should know how to do. I think I have about half the list covered, so I’ve got some work to do!

Get Rich Slowly reminds us of why it is important to ignore the daily financial news. With wild, 400-point swings in the market this is a very timely piece. Best way to “get rich slowly,” just keep your head down, tune out the “noise” and keep plowing money into solid investments.

The Wisdom Journal provided some great advice for avoiding gas thieves! I’ve always heard stories of people trying to siphon gas, and at $4.00 a gallon I guess the practice has become even more lucrative.

Moneying hosted the Festival of Frugality - always a great collection of frugal articles!

My Super-Charged Life offered up a wonderful list of 25 ways to enjoy an old-fashioned summer with the kids. Notice nearly ever item on the list is free, or very low cost. Who says you have to spend a ton of money to have fun!

*Don’t forget tomorrow’s Sunday Conversation. Get your questions in today!

If you liked this article, please consider subscribing to Frugal Dad for free via RSS feed or email delivery. Subscribers also receive my free eBook, The 7-Day Turnaround!

Still a few days away from the first day of summer, but here in the south summer has arrived!  Today the temperature is supposed to reach 100 degrees, and it feels much hotter with humidity.  I’m always amused when people say, “I can’t wait for summer!”  I usually say, “I can’t wait for summer to be over!”  I’m more of a fall/winter kind of guy.  I like cool weather, rainy days and the occasional snow.  I guess I should have been born in the Pacific northwest.  Well, enough griping about the heat…on with the roundup.

Weekly Roundup

Planning for the Long Haul.  I am always inspired by forward-thinking financial plans, especially ones like this one from the Simple Dollar.  It was a great reminder that my wife and I should sit down and update our own plans.

10 Financial Tips for New Grads.  Excellent tips, and very timely considering the number of new grads out there (@My Dollar Plan).

A Month of Menus.  I am always up for some good homemade recipes (even if I’m not a great cook). In fact, I plan on trying all of the ones listed.  (@Being Frugal)

Vacation Savings Account.  Nothing beats a debt-free vacation, and a great way to set that up is to start saving early.  We recently created a subaccount at ING for this very purpose.  (@Single Guy Money)

A few other favorites from the past week:

• 7 Common Interview Questions for the New Graduation (or Anyone Else)

• How I Survived an F5 Tornado that Destroyed My Home

• Deciding What to Do With Your 401(k) When You Change Jobs

• How to Take a Mini-Vacation:  Tips and Tricks from Timothy Ferriss

If you haven’t already signed up for a free subscription to Frugal Dad, do so today! You may subscribe via RSS feed or email delivery.  Subscribers also gain access to my free eBook, The 7-Day Turnaround!

photo by McGunn