The Simple Dollar Time Machine: July 24, 2010
Many newer readers of The Simple Dollar haven’t been exposed to the hundreds of great articles in the archives of the site, so this is a weekly series that highlights the five best posts from one year ago this week, two years ago this week, and three years ago this week. I call it … the Time Machine.
One Year Ago (July 18 – July 24, 2009)
Ten Unusual Ways to Improve Your Appearance of Confidence That Really Work I often use these tactics in social situations where I don’t really have my bearings. They really, really help me.
Over-Saving for Retirement? Yes, you can over-save for retirement. It’s an unusual situation, especially considering that many people under-save for retirement.
To Close or To Not Close a Paid-Off Credit Card? The answer isn’t as immediate and straightforward as you might think it is.
Resetting the Scale Lifestyle inflation can be an incredibly expensive problem if you let it get out of control. The best solution is simple: reset the scale.
The Cost of Free There is no such thing as a free lunch. Someone is paying for it somewhere. It might be you (in a way you don’t even see).
Two Years Ago (July 18 – July 24, 2008)
Nine Ways the Status Quo Bias Is Costing You Money – And How to Turn That Ship Around We have a strong human tendency to keep things the same. The problem is that tendency often costs us a ton of money.
Lifestyle Choices as a Hedge Against Inflation If you’re stressed out about inflation’s possibilities, the best thing you can do is become as self-sufficient as possible so that the rise of inflation doesn’t hurt as badly.
Why I’m Not Panicking – And You Shouldn’t, Either I wrote this early in the ‘08 financial meltdown and I still stick by it. Panic does nothing good.
Shared Dreams: How My Wife and I Got on the Same Financial Page The key? Constant conversation. Honesty. Not being afraid to criticize each other – and harshly, at times. Understanding that we’re both human.
Reflections on Abandoning the 9 to 5, Four Months In I really should update this post sometime in the near future. Some of this stuff holds, but two years in, my perspectives have changed.
Three Years Ago (July 18 – July 24, 2007)
Dealing With Those Piles Of Old Baseball Cards In Your Closet Unfortunately, there’s about a 90% chance of those cards not being worth the cardboard they’re printed on.
How To Set Up Multiple Savings Account Funds Within ING This is exactly how I save for different specific goals. I just set up a new account for each one.
Going Into Debt To Invest Money? This is almost always a terrible idea unless you’re getting debt at such a low interest rate that you can put it away risk free and make a profit.
Does Tiredness Make You More Susceptible To Unnecessary Spending? Yes. In other words, get a good night’s sleep before you make buying decisions.
Renting to Get Richer? It’s certainly possible. It depends heavily on the specifics of your local housing market.
If you’d like to browse through more of the archives, visit the chronology, where all posts are listed in chronological order.
Ten Ways to Get More out of The Simple DollarUpdated!
This is kind of a FAQ for new readers and is posted each week along with the Time Machine. Here are ten great ways for new readers to dig deeper into The Simple Dollar.
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5. Read my story of financial meltdown and recovery. The Simple Dollar isn’t based on what I’ve read in books or learned in school. I’ve made a lifetime of financial mistakes – The Simple Dollar is a record of what works for me during the process of getting my life on a better track.
6. Download my free 49 page e-book. Everything You Ever Really Needed to Know About Personal Finance On Just One Page is completely free. It summarizes all of the key lessons I’ve learned along the way about personal finance in one tidy package – in fact, all of the main principles can be found right on the cover.
7. Dig through “31 Days to Fix Your Finances.” 31 Days to Fix Your Finances is an article series that outlines how you can get a grip on your finances over the course of a month.
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Continue reading The Simple Dollar Time Machine: July 24, 2010 …
From The Simple Dollar.
Albertsons: Free Lunch Meat
I just read on My Dallas Mommy where Albertson’s has Land O’ Frost lunch meat on sale for $2.00. You can print two $2/1 (two dollars off one item) coupons HERE to get two packages for free!
You can find more of this week’s Albertsons deals HERE. Miracle Whip and Mayo are on sale for $1.99 so all you need is bread and you’ve got some cheap sandwich fixins!
Continue reading Albertsons: Free Lunch Meat …
From Econobusters.
Albertsons: Free Lunch Meat
I just read on My Dallas Mommy where Albertson’s has Land O’ Frost lunch meat on sale for $2.00. You can print two $2/1 (two dollars off one item) coupons HERE to get two packages for free!
You can find more of this week’s Albertsons deals HERE. Miracle Whip and Mayo are on sale for $1.99 so all you need is bread and you’ve got some cheap sandwich fixins!
Continue reading Albertsons: Free Lunch Meat …
From Econobusters.
Albertsons: Free Lunch Meat
I just read on My Dallas Mommy where Albertson’s has Land O’ Frost lunch meat on sale for $2.00. You can print two $2/1 (two dollars off one item) coupons HERE to get two packages for free!
You can find more of this week’s Albertsons deals HERE. Miracle Whip and Mayo are on sale for $1.99 so all you need is bread and you’ve got some cheap sandwich fixins!
Continue reading Albertsons: Free Lunch Meat …
From Econobusters.
More Veteran’s Day deals
I’ve been posting Veteran’s Day freebies and specials as I get the information, instead of trying to do one big roundup piece. You’ll find any announcements I have for military personnel, veterans and their family members in the Monroe on a Budget archives under “military family.”
Here are two more Veteran’s Day restaurant offers that the Detroit Free Press has posted about, and a local reader pointed out to me that there are locations nearby:
- Outback Steakhouse has a free blooming onion for all veterans and active duty military today. Locations includes Southgate, Toledo and Ann Arbor.
- Texas Roadhouse has free lunch or dinner for military personnel. Locations include Toledo and Taylor.
Do be sure to bring your military ID or other proof of service if you want to participate in Veteran’s Day offers.
Also read the fine print for each special because the details of who qualifies will vary based on the sponsor. Some are for veterans only, some will be for active duty, the Guard and Reserve members qualify for some offers but not others, some are including firefighters and law enforcement officers, etc.
Continue reading More Veteran’s Day deals …
From Monroe on a Budget.
The Simple Dollar Weekly Roundup: Freebies Edition
There is no such thing as a free lunch. From my experience, that’s completely true. Yet, I constantly advocate using free services all the time – the library, the parks, and so on.
Lately, a few readers have called me on this seeming contradiction, pointing out that, indeed, these things have costs. We pay those costs when we pay our taxes. And some people with a certain political perspective think it’s wholly unfair that we should pay for libraries and parks and the like.
Here’s the thing, though. It’s a sunk cost. We’ve already paid our taxes – and those taxes paid for those libraries. The money is already paid – so why not enjoy the fruits of those dollars? If you politically disagree with such services, act in a political fashion against them – but don’t eschew services. You’ve already paid for them. Use them.
Tyler Durden’s Guide To Personal Finance This is a humorous reworking of “Fight Club,” translating the themes of the movie into pretty sensible personal finance advice. I enjoyed reading it. (@ man vs. debt)
Thomas Carlyle’s Advice to Young Men This is brilliant advice for everyone today. Don’t follow advice to the letter – instead, explore and learn what works for you. A truly worthwhile person is able to find their own path and utilizes advice only in terms of trying to see things through another’s eyes. (@ art of manliness)
In Defense of Solitude (Part Two) I spend multiple workdays in solitude. For me, being alone is essential – a key part of being able to bear down and focus on tasks at hand. I find that interruptions make it much more challenging for me to complete anything well, so solitude is a key tool for my work. (@ soul shelter)
Banishing the No Momentum Monster Without some sort of crutch, I find it’s really hard to maintain the momentum of continuous work, like writing or exercising every day. For me, the “chain method” works well – I have a printed calendar on the wall in my office and each day I accomplish my specific goal, I put a big colored X on that date on the calendar. When I get a string of them going, I *really* don’t like breaking that chain, so it gives me motivation to do it. (@ unclutterer)
Off My Giving List I do the same thing – if a telemarketer from a charity interrupts me, I cease giving to them. I am a charitable person, but I value my family time and I don’t want it intruded on by some ham-fisted telemarketer. (@ free money finance)
Are Online Savings Accounts Worth It? We use an online savings account (ING) for most of our banking, but we also have a local bank for some specific teller services (cashing checks, mostly). We have the two accounts linked and everything just works like a charm. (@ bargaineering)
20 Cheap and Fun Date Ideas Most of these sound like a whole lot of fun to me! My wife and I already do several of these things, sometimes even with the kids in tow. (@ christian pf)
How to Destroy Your Investment Portfolio You can solve all five of these problems by simply buying a broadly based index fund and just sitting on it. Sure, you won’t hit a home run, but you will have consistently strong investment results over the long haul. (@ frugal dad)
Continue reading The Simple Dollar Weekly Roundup: Freebies Edition …
From The Simple Dollar.