Over the past few months, eleven supremely talented financial bloggers (plus yours truly ) contributed bits and pieces to collaborate on a very special writing project, The A-Z of Saving Money. I had a blast with creating my two chapters, and I feel so honored to participate in this extensive project and working closely with Glen and co. Each contributor really has provided a unique perspective on crucial money-saving tips, tricks and other sundry tidbits conducive to financial independence.

After months of effort the book is finally finished, and I figured I could SQUEE a little here. Ta-da, here it is!

(As an aside quickie: I would personally like to thank Glen for spearheading our project and being the mastermind behind this whole she-bang.)

I have to tell you guys, I was floored when I had a chance to read through all of the compilations, and I believe you guys really will enjoy this one, too.

Here is a list of an exceptional group of co-authors:

1. Glen @ Monster Piggy Bank, our courageous ‘big cheese in charge’
2. Andy @ Work Save Live
3. Mr. CBB @ Canadian Budget Binder
4. John @ Frugal Rules
5. Jake @ I Heart Budgets
6. Kim @ Eyes on the Dollar
7. The Savvy Scott
8. Budget and the Beach
9. Mrs. PoP @ Planting Our Pennies
10. Catherine @ Plunged in Debt
11. Jefferson @ See Debt Run
12. and last but not least, moi.

The book itself is priced at $14.99 and offers 26 chapters for each letter of the alphabet. As Glen offers in the introduction, “the goal of this book is to give you an idea of the various aspects of day to day life that you can adjust to allow you to take control of your finances. As we take you through each letter of the alphabet, I hope that every chapter helps to guide you on your way to a better financial future.”

Furthermore, to generate positive buzz in celebration of our fabulous book release, we are giving away a pretty rad prize package to one lucky reader.

The Giveaway Prize:

• $250 in cash, and thus a special incentive to start immediately saving.
• a free copy of our book!

Hurry and enter below for your chance to win all of that dough!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck to all broke-ass participants.

You can purchase the book for $14.99 by clicking here, and if you choose to purchase your own copy, we truly appreciate all of your support.

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Use a Debt Consolidation Calculator to Help You Find a Better Loan

Debt Consolidation Calculators are excellent tools for comparing and analyzing financial information.  All those people who struggle to understand complex financial data can now turn to these calculators. Debt consolidation companies are a great way to clear up the lingering financial issues that weigh heavy in so many minds.

ConsolidatedCredit.org is a website where those who are struggling can find the information they need about debt consolidation companies. A debt consolidation calculator clarifies financial information and gives you the vital information you need to make decisions. It basically analyzes your financial health and helps you manage costs effectively. Let’s look at some of the benefits of using these calculators.

Prepares You for What’s Ahead

The debt consolidation calculator helps you prepare ahead for the future. It will tell you the amount of money you can save by amalgamating loans with a personal or home equity cash advance. You can also find out how much you need to pay in order to erase debts and the money you can set aside in return. In today’s modern era it is imperative that you stay one step ahead. This way you will be better prepared and should be able to maintain financial security.

No Need to Outsource

In the olden days when we did not have debt consolidation calculators, people used to outsource this type of financial management work. Since only a few people have financial expertise, it is impossible for everyone to understand complex financial data. These financial experts charged money for their services which added to the costs. However, now you can use debt consolidation calculator for free at Consolidated Credit. You save money and time because these calculators can be used at any time for free.

Easy to Use and very Effective

A debt consolidation calculator is highly accurate and reliable. It can process financial information within a matter of seconds. All you have to do is enter the basic information and the calculator will do the rest. If you want to find better loans then you will have to enter your current balance, monthly payments, yearly fees, tax rates, etc. The calculator will help determine if a debt consolidation loan is for you. It also gives you an estimate of how much you are going to save and how much you are going to lose. The calculator is a comprehensive solution to all your financial problems.

Helps You Calculate Savings and Interest Rates

The calculator helps you get an in-depth look into all the financials. It covers even the minutest of details which would be missed otherwise. These calculators also show how the consolidation of the debt which is at higher rate of interest can be transformed into a loan. They also help you bring down the monthly payments to a bare minimum.

The debt consolidation calculator calculates the interest savings as well. It adds additional payment of principal to the next payment repeated on the listed payment on the given debt. The calculator tells you the total amount to be paid every month so that you can pay off the debt in the stipulated time period.

Helps You Reach Financial Stability

By helping you select the best loan. They enable you to settle on a plan that is very beneficial financially.  The debt consolidation calculator also precisely evaluates all the financial options. It gives you a fair picture of the debt status thus leading you to the path of financial stability.

Researched Benefits

These debt consolidation calculators are more than just play toys on a website. According to research they deliver real time results and can actually give your finances a huge boost. These calculators help you cut back on monthly payments by approximately 60%. It is estimated that by using these calculators you can get out of debt in a period of 4-8 years.  Creditors can also no longer harass you since you have all the financial knowledge and will be capable of talking sense rather than buckling under pressure.

Conclusion

You don’t need more reasons to choose a debt consolidation calculator. Not only is it the best tool to find a better loan, it is a complete financial information hub that simplifies your life.

Author’s Bio

This article is composed by Elaine McPartland who is associated with “Consolidated Credit” as their community writer. She has an expertise in writing articles related to debt consolidation and how to pay off debts easily and smoothly. You can add her at her google+ profile. 

M. and I both have separate checking accounts from before we met. But now that we have a family, our finances have evolved into more of a cohesive unit and last year we opened a joint savings account specifically for family expenses and emergencies.

However, since I pay all of the bills but stay at home right now while M. fetches the majority of our family bacon, we’ve decided to go ahead and open a joint checking account as one main account.

I see several advantages to this.

For one, it simplifies the household finances since we can funnel our combined income (M.’s paycheck and any side income I receive, plus any family windfalls) and expenses through that joint checking account. M. doesn’t constantly need to transfer money over to my individual account to pay my bills, and it helps us receive a clearer overall picture of where we stand with our finances.

Furthermore, we hold family meetings every week or so to discuss our investments and how to efficiently accomplish all of our objectives. Usually I take notes and we discuss baby steps and specific time frames, which helps us keep dibs on everything and boosts momentum toward all of our greater financial goals.

So we will have a combined ‘main’ checking account for all of our income, with a pre-determined percentage siphoned away to our joint savings account (long term investments) and to our savings envelope (for short term needs and wants).

We will continue to have individual credit cards and pay off all balances in full each month.

Thus the plan for the weekend is:

1) on our way to the farmer’s market in the morning, to stop by a local bank branch and open the joint checking account.

2) on Saturday evening, to celebrate my Grammy’s 82nd birthday (although she insists she is 82 going on 28!)

3) to catch up on some weekend reading: for example, I need to nip through our collaborative eBook before it hits the next progressive stage

What works for your family in handling money matters—do you and your significant other have joint or separate bank accounts? What have been the advantages and disadvantages? Any issues?

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1) smothering my face with a gooey raw honey mask

2) cracking open a novel

3) much writing in my journal

Additionally here were our weekend expenses:

Friday
-$46 on gas

Saturday
-$158.00 on groceries for a week and a half, with a few indulges peppered in (including a couple of freshly baked multi-grain sticky buns from the co-op that are fantastic. There’s a reason those sweet fluffy dough-balls are an oft used synonym for ambrosia around these parts.)

Sunday
-No spend day (woo-hoo!), spent the whole day at home

Total affliction: $204

Not great but not terrible, all things considered, although I will eyeball our grocery cost more closely next week. So that was my spending schtick.

How spendy was your weekend—did you manage to stay within budget?

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What happens when friends are less than supportive of your financial viewpoints and certain financial discrepancies cause tension in your relationships?

Vividly I recall that worst. feeling. ever: of being squashed beneath $15,000 worth of debt and all of those crippling feelings that encompass trying to conquer such a massive debt load. Unfortunately, a prerequisite of aggressively eliminating my debt meant cutting out all unnecessary expenses, which also meant that the bulk of my social spending was in jeopardy.

If I were to vanquish my debt burden as quickly as possible, then it was no longer reasonable to squander away money on going out multiple nights a week, to unwind with the girls over mimosas and martinis, especially if I were to reign in all of that dizzying and excessive spending.

Adios, you stinkin’ turd slop of debt.

Generally, however, this particular group of friends didn’t much care to recognize my blossoming endeavor toward financial responsibility. Cutting back on spending in order to pay down debt? Basically I received puzzled looks and glazed-over eyeballs.  Because, c’mon, old people worried about that type of stuff. We were young. My friends didn’t want to contemplate their finances: they wished to smear on glossy lipstick and slip into their kitten-heeled sandals to shimmy to the local saloon and mingle with other attractive singles.

The problem was that going out in the city is really expensive and there was a certain expectation to these types of rendezvous.  This mentality of arbitrary willy-nilly spending quickly was interfering in and becoming incompatible with my own financial objectives.

I worried, would my financial fortitude waiver while I attempted to maintain these friendships?

Eventually, regrettably, I had to cut some of these friends loose. And naturally our lives diverged for whatever reason and we all began to drift apart.

My friend Allyson recalls when a financial imbalance caused strain in a long-running friendship of her own. “Jess and I shared a similar, modest lifestyle. Together we were bargain hunters and nearly always broke students. Then we graduated and I received a promotion at work. My net wealth rapidly increased as a result and, suddenly, I couldn’t openly talk shop any more with Jess. I feared being perceived as flaunting my new wealth and it spurred tension. The situation made me feel guilty and really insecure!”

For me, the guilt manifested from saying “no” to certain friends, due to their lifestyle choices. It was straining and difficult when others didn’t share a similar enthusiasm for sacrificing the ‘now’ in order to prudently plant those seeds necessary for future financial prosperity—such as systematically paying down debt, or saving. The lack of support sometimes was frustrating and isolating.

Finances have such a huge emotional component tied in, and so this has caused me to wonder: have money issues ever interfered with or caused a friendship of yours to crumble?

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Hurrah!

I am still a stay-at-home mommy without a reliable income stream and it’s now been well over a full year since I’ve made the decision to walk away from my place of employment, which was not a decision taken lightly. I admit that sometimes the lack of a steady income is disconcerting and for now I’ve been squirreling away every penny imaginable. When I check the dismal balances on my accounts, I try not to break down into wee little sobs.

But in my secret heart I know I’ve made the right decision and, quite frankly, I couldn’t be happier. There simply are more important things to focus on than being a compulsive saver and having gobs of disposable cash. Financially, we are finding ways to make it work by surviving off of M.’s income, we aren’t doing terribly dreadful and thus the situation is tolerable.

So for now: them’s the breaks.

I cherish each day with my darling daughter in ways I cannot even begin to describe with words. Her tender presence really has taught me that there are far more important experiences than just accumulating a rapidly escalating net worth to fart around with on some balance sheet. That seems incredibly basic to write but this, for an anal and financially-enthusiastic oddball like myself, was an epiphany of sorts.

This last year spent with my daughter has been simply incredible; so bizarre and different and exhausting and so, so wonderful. And I don’t regret a moment of it.

But, back to my financial goals.

As a stay-at-home mommy without a reliable income stream, my financial goal is to raise $1,000, somehow.

This has worked out really well in the past so I will shoot for that same goal and will reset my sidebar status back to zero over the next few days to reflect my updated challenge. (For newer readers to Broke-Ass Mommy, here is where you may check the status of my previous financial challenge. I had a lot of fun doing it last time!)

And here is a list of other financial goals for M. and me to knuckle down on:

• Possibly to change our local bank to an interest-bearing checking account. (I do not, however, like dealing with paltry rates.)

• Continue to clear M.’s student loan debt.

• Save the bulk of M.’s recent raise at work. And if we are able to increase the savings in our family coffers by at least $6,000 this year, that would be brilliant.

• Use a teensy percentage of savings for memorable vacation moments.

• NOT TO USE CREDIT CARDS except when money is all ready parked in the bank, so that any balances swiftly will be paid in full at the end of each month. (Cha-ching. Reward points!)

• Continue to stave off impulsive shopping, unnecessary purchases and other financial boo-boo’s.

• Set aside a separate fund for car repairs and, eventually, use the fund for a ‘new’ (ie, gently used, most likely) vehicle.

• Continue to find creative ways to increase my side income as a stay-at-home mommy through various writing projects, participation in focus groups, etc. (A few months back I qualified for a focus group on lip balm and found the experience different but enjoyable, and it paid really well!)

• Accumulate more points on my American Express card, potentially to be used for mileage to visit family in Hawaii.

• Keep available credit across all of our credit cards below the 75% threshold.

• Carefully track all of our weekly spending.

So here goes the savings parade, folks, and hopefully it’s contagious. What are some of your upcoming financial or savings goals for the coming months?

In unrelated news, I am gleefully looking forward to some dessert brownies that M. brought home as a small but unexpected treat. Now excuse me while I chomp my way into a food coma.

=^..^=

Hello, what the hell is wrong with us?

And it is common to receive multiple tickets throughout the night, so between, say, 6 p.m. and 7 a.m., you can find two tickets smugly flapping on the windshield before you even have a chance to realize you forgot to do the proper alternate parking from the previous night.

Feh.

Generally I will pay all of my parking tickets immediately. M., on the other hand, will allow them all to pile up and fester in some obscure corner of our apartment. Here is how that conversation usually goes.

Me:     Did you pay that parking ticket?

M.:      I will. (Weeks go by.) Oops. I forgot to pay that damn ticket and the fine has now increased.

Me:     Are you crazy? They can issue a bench warrant for unpaid parking tickets, you know. And if you find yourself in that type of sticky wicket, I am not bailing you out of jail.

M:      (A few weeks later; M. opens his mail.) Shit, that parking ticket amount now has tripled.

(Fast forward another couple of weeks. M. comes home clutching yet another neon-orange parking ticket.)

Me:     Pay that. Now. Right now. Not after you do whatever. Right the hell now.

Ugh.

In an effort to track where our valuable dollars get siphoned off to, besides excessive parking ticket fines, that is, here is a quick spending recap for this week. Thank god it’s the weekend.

Monday
No spend day!

Tuesday
-$32.00 parking ticket Grumble.

Wednesday
No spend day!

Thursday
-$1.63 drive-thru medium coffee, with cream and sugar.

Friday
$120 groceries and weekend entertainment.

Total affliction: $153.63

Last year, I finished the year off not reading much due to time constraints, and I resolved to change that. Here is what I have in my stash for some relaxing weekend reading:

• Hot (broke) Messes: How to have your latte and drink it too by Nancy Trejos
• Pound Foolish: Exposing the dark side of the financial industry by Helaine Olen

TGIF, folks. What do you have planned for the weekend?

=^..^=

Domo: Stop spending…STOP SPENDING, I SAY.

When it comes to making purchases, I analyze everything to death before I buy. Here are some simple ways that help me to stay in that savings groove.

I envision how else I could be using that money. If there is any uncertainty surrounding a purchase, I also consider how else I could be utilizing that particular amount of cash. A couple hundred dollars spent on a purse, for example, might translate into an extra month of rent, or investing in a few quality shares of a company, or participating in a relaxing mini-vacation with the family. This is an extremely useful technique to discover what it is I truly value and where I wish to funnel my hard-earned cents.  

I try to purchase appreciating investments instead of useless ‘stuff’. Buying a shitload of depreciating ‘stuff’ will only result in making you poor while simultaneously building that product company’s own coffers and riches. I consider investment alternatives which are conducive to building my own wealth and try to be mindful of where my dollars are being sucked away to. Instead of continually purchasing certain products, why not consider buying shares in that particular company’s stock and owning an actual piece of the company?

Buyer’s remorse really blows. In order to avoid repentance and being stuck in a buying situation that I later regret, typically I will wait at least a week before making any large purchases. Believe it or not, more often than not that buying obsession fizzles away…with my savings account balance still in tact.

Pay with cash if necessary. Some of my friends use this method and it really is an excellent psychological boost to curb unnecessary spending, as it is much more painful to hand over a huge wad of cash than to simply swipe the plastic!

“You cannot afford to buy cheap.” If the purchase is useful and can be justified, I always try to invest in quality. One of my favorite sayings is, “You cannot afford to buy cheap.” Buying quality items that will endure helps to save over the long-term, by not needing to continuously replace the cheaper versions. I looove slipping on my ballet flats during the warmer seasons but the soles tend to wear out fairly quickly if I buy too cheap. I would much rather suck it up and invest in a sturdy, comfortable pair of shoes that will last through more than one season. Also I get incredibly attached to the few select pieces of clothing and I absolutely hate when they fall apart! Another great example of this is nutrition—investing in quality foods now will save enormously on medical expenses down the road.

I keep a log of big ticket purchases and make a note of how often it is being used, to determine the average cost per wear. The perfect tool to appeal to the OCD weirdo in me. I try to keep a spreadsheet of all of my purchases, to consciously make note of how often items are being put to use. This way I immediately can tell at a glance what has been worth investing in and what is worth simply foregoing.

Visual cues are extremely helpful as reminders. Photographs of certain goals may help dissuade that impulsive urge to shop. Yearning for that trip to Paris? Keep a picture of a cute cafe on the Champs-Élysées on your phone and then pull it out whenever you need to resist an urge to splurge on crap you don’t necessarily need.

I only buy what I truly love. This method has saved me gobs of dough over the years. Now whenever I evaluate a potential purchase, I only buy what I absolutely fall in love with and adore. If for what ever reason it only fits in the ‘like’ category, meh. I don’t need it.

So then I just walk away!

Also it always helps to try to get a grip on the emotional root of certain spending habits.  Ask yourself, what do I believe I will achieve by purchasing this item? What is it really satisfying within myself emotionally, and is there a more productive way to reach a similar outcome? You may believe that slipping into those new kitten-heeled shoes will instantly make you feel fabulous (and it may!) but is the product truly the cause? Envision yourself being fabulous even without that item!

Do you fall prey to emotional spending or impulsive buying? How do you handle potential purchases?

=^..^=

Some pirate booty for the family coffers. My lustrous itty-bitty 1/20 oz gold unicorn is killing it with her miniature awesome-ness.

Merry Christmas to meeeeeee!

So I’ve plumped up the family coffers with a new member to my coin collection. (Remember my recent purchase: an Isle of Man 1 oz gold Angel coin? Hey, that one was not my fault. Discover card practically twisted my arm with their cash back incentive, those cheeky muffs.)

This latest addition has been dubbed LuLu the Unicorn and she is sheer miniature awesome-ness.

My mystical unicorn coin is a teensy 1/20 ounce of gold, roughly the size of my pinky nail, and she arrived snugly sealed in the original packaging from the Mint, accompanied by a tiny scroll of authenticity scribed in Chinese. I can’t read it, of course, so maybe it’s really a treasure map to a hidden portal leading to a magical dimension, full of real dragons waiting to rend away our fleshy bits! And unicorns to slay the demons. Or maybe it’s really a tiny magic carpet for other miniature unicorns to frolic on and all cruise around racing each other. Because even though LuLu is only a bust portrait I am pretty sure she lacks wings.

Regardless.

The Chinese Mint released their mystical Unicorn coin series from 1994 until 1997, which features different depictions of Qi’lin (the Asian Unicorn) on the obverse and the Western Unicorn on the reverse. LuLu is from the 1996 breed and eventually I hope to collect more of these rare coins from this limited series. I do find the Chinese artwork and detail on these coins stunningly beautiful. Also it would be neat to gradually hoard accumulate a unicorn coin collection for Lexi. However, although LuLu herself is not a rarity, some of her more elusive coined cousins can cost upward of thousands of dollars.

So that is LuLu, the teensy gold Unicorn, and she’s now all mine. My preciousss.

Isn’t she swell?

=^..^=

We cracked open the budget last night to fiddle with the viability of working toward previous goals while simultaneously re-fluffing our emaciated emergency fund. Then a tense forty minutes was spent on relentlessly nudging, jabbing and cleaving at the numbers until we could reconcile a functional solution, which we managed to do, and which is genuinely excellent.

It was stressful calculating where nearly every penny had to go but we did chisel away a teensy percentage that was being frittered away on rubbish, like unnecessary entertainment costs, which instead would be veered into our specific savings goals (such as purchasing a king-size mattress, also gravely needed at this point), in addition to re-plumping our emergency fund. And instead of trying to scrunch all of our objectives together, we decided to intensely focus on a lone goal and scrape it from the agenda before continuing forward.

We even inaugurated our little savings envelope with a dab of cash: nearly $20 from a massive pile of bottle returns, hah!

Our savings envelope, back on track.

It feels lovely to be progressing forward.
Baby steps.

Fellow peoples: although I enthusiastically support giving hearty obscenities toward insatiable consumerism and other such blatant nonsense represented by Black Friday, I still would like to wish everyone a truly joyous holiday weekend.

Happy Thanksgiving, from Lexi and me!

=^..^=

Are you in danger of being wiped out?

… and quite honestly, it blows. M. took his car in for inspection and the word came back yesterday: we are facing close to $2,000 worth of car repairs.

However, I keep reminding myself that the entire purpose of an ‘emergency fund’ is to be used when needed, and not to feel discouraged. Frankly I hate spending money on anything that doesn’t appreciate in value so it is totally aggravating when a vehicle is chewing away at such a huge chunk of our family savings. Unfortunately, a car is a necessary evil for our current situation and there is just no way to maneuver around these expenses right now.

Thankfully we can pay this bill off immediately, and the plan is to plop these unexpected repairs onto my rewards credit card and pay the balance off in full, to maximize my rewards potential.

The cash is readily available—usually I will accrue a highly liquid stash in order to pounce on investment opportunities on items at local estate sales, and such.

The advantage of credit cards and being able to tap into a line of credit

Let’s say, however, I did not have access to immediate cash to pay for these car repairs, and the mechanic is demanding payment by tomorrow. Here is another huge benefit to a credit card—I could use my available line of credit through my card to float the cost of repairs until I was able to sell (liquidate) some of my investments, and then pay off the balance in full.

This is why a lot of folks eschew an ‘emergency’ savings account, as they would rather not tie up large balances in a conservative account with paltry interest rates. This type of strategy, however, requires excellent credit and discipline.

I can not reiterate enough the importance and good financial sense of accumulating savings. Little bits add up and really do matter. It can mean the difference between dodging scanty annoyances and experiencing complete financial wipe-out.

Our family savings cushioned us from what may otherwise have been a hefty and dire financial pounding; instead, this car situation is just a minor nuisance.

Time to bravely soldier on.

=^..^=

M.:    (pops open cellophane package of a tiny satchel of peanuts)

me:   (glancing at receipt, crumpled on car dash) Oh my jesus, did you just spend ten dollars on peanuts?

M.:    Huh?

me:   This receipt shows you just bought peanuts from that store.

M.:    Mmmhmm, was hungry, and shit, these are good.

me:   It says, ten dollars! On peanuts? That’s fucking ridiculous.

M.:    It’s not my fault you don’t appreciate my gourmet nuts.

me:   And this is why you are never allowed to go shopping alone again.

Is your significant other a spender or a saver?

I presume the majority of my readers are typically pretty money smart, but what about your significant others? How does your partner view consumerism, savings and finance, and how does it mesh with your values?

M. definitely likes to splurge and, although he will take care of all necessities first, he is more inclined to be a spender in our relationship. Not an over-spender, mind you; he doesn’t, for example, haphazardly rack up unnecessary debt. But if there are a few bucks in his pocket, chances are it will melt away quicker than ice cream squatting in hell. Alternatively I am a rabid saver that will only buy the bare minimum, and I experience frequent buyer’s remorse over everything.

Actually it’s quite nice sometimes because M. and I are very open about communicating our expectations and therefore tend to balance each other out, as opposed to clashing over these differing viewpoints. This is beneficial to putting our financial habits into perspective when we work as a team, instead of making our differences a frictional bone of contention: I tame his wanton spending tendencies, and, in return, he makes me less of a pinch-penny miser.

What about you—are you the spender or saver in your relationship and how do you and your partner manage financial discrepancies?

=^..^=

Related posts:

• Financial Lessons I’ve Learned from Scrooge McDuck
• How Much Cash Do You Carry?
• Discover Card Flogged Me With A Gold Angel
• Bitcoin, the ‘Comeback Kid’
• Financial Challenge Update and the Incoherency of Fatigue

Lexi is so, so proud to clumsily sprint ahead now, and my heart does these fancy little somersaults, all twisted-like, every time she turns to peek slightly over her shoulder. To check. To know that I am close, to grasp onto.

My days are now full of her laughter and her exquisite shenanigans, and it is such a cozy place to be.

On the financial front, M. and I are discussing various goals—a conversation which was ignited by our beloved, fatally-wounded MacBook yesterday, as it decided to shit the bed on us—and we have decided to implement some type of envelope system for our savings. Just, right now our wish list is so long and varied and somehow we must begin to organize our thoughts and prioritize all of these wants, in order to focus more and make a bit of progress toward each of them.

Last night we curled up with chilly fingers and hot tea to quietly murmur over these things: what percentage for long-term savings (with the principal never to be touched—we decided on 20%), and what percentage to stash into tiny vanilla envelopes, with each of our goals scrawled across in spotty ink. It is hard to believe that at some point in the future these envelopes will all brim with crumpled tens and twenties. There are excited whispers of introducing strict “no spending days” as we eagerly anticipate contributing to each of our financial goals.

Progress is exciting. Stagnation = boo!

More soon,

me.

It is Monday. (Again.)

Some PF link crushin’ to get you through the rubbish of Monday.

Here are some personal finance reads floating around the blogosphere, for your distinct perusing pleasure:

LBee and the Money Tree – Broken Heart, Broken Wallet-Part 1.

My Money Design – My Money Design For Achieving Financial Freedom

Modest Money – What Happens to Debt When You Die?

Canadian Budget Binder – How To Have The Wedding of Your Dreams and Still Be Frugal

So Over This – My Credit Cards Are Plotting Against Me

Money Life and More – How Much A Cheap Cruise Really Costs

Club Thrifty – Top 5 Finance Apps to Keep Your Finances in Check

Simple Debt Free Finance – The Worst Things For Your Credit Score

Frugal Rules – Are Rich People Really That Different From the Rest of Us?

Reach Financial Independence – Little House in Guatemala, Week 1 (with lots of pics!)

Monster Piggy Bank – 6 Simple Money Saving Tips

Pelican on Money – The Thank-You Letter That Landed A Job

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It is also time for another Broke-Ass Monday! Enjoy some of this fun free stuff circulating around the web.

…it’s another Broke-Ass Monday!

• Broke-Ass Mommy is helping to sponsor a $100 Cash Giveaway through Paypal or Amazon gift card (winner’s choice) in our ‘the importance of emergency fund’ giveaway. Don’t miss your chance to win, you cheeky muff.
• WorkSaveLive is celebrating their one-year blogoversary by giving away an iPad Mini, $100 Amazon Gift Card, and $50 Paypal Cash to three lucky winners! Hurry over to enter.

Good luck to all participants. See you folks for the next Broke-Ass Monday!

=^..^=

Here is an example, with scrambled duck eggs (for our eggs we enjoy alternating between chicken and duck), peach, veggies, tomato and a fresh-baked blueberry streusel muffin:

Mmmmm, a heavenly breakfast that is simply delish!

We always utilize cash whenever we attend the market and thus carry anywhere between $50 to $100, depending on what is in season and what our selection for that particular week is.

This weekend we were stuck in line behind a patron who was fumbling through his wallet to pay for a string of garlic bulbs, and I was a bit surprised when the gentleman had to eventually step away to track down an ATM because he had no cash on hand. This made me wonder how often people still carry cash, and how much.

Usually I make an effort to have around $40 tucked in my pocket at all times (with a nice selection of $5′s, $10′s and singles) and a cache of spare change somewhere in the vehicle, which is especially useful while living in the city if, for example, I want to run downtown for a cheap bite with friends, as parking in designated lots or ramps can cost upward of $5 or more.

A drawback with having access to immediate cash on hand: it can be much harder to keep track of since it is ridiculously easy to spend.

Admittedly there have been occasions where I’ve lost track and then scratched my head at the end of the day, wondering where the hell all my cash dwindled away to. Using vending machines during tediously long errands that tend to crop up (such as car oil changes) and the drive-thru for coffee are HUGE culprits here. Gulp.

Now I am a bit more mindful about guarding my cash and find it helpful to carry a bag, containing: my tablet, a notebook and pen, my current novel or magazine of choice, bottled water, a coffee mug, and some snacks to smother those dreaded munch-y pangs.

Is cash still king?

Do you find plastic more convenient and tend to swipe everything? Does cash vanish more easily because you feel a greater urge to spend down with it?

I am curious for a peek inside your wallet: how much cash do you regularly carry?

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Related posts:

• Financial Lessons I’ve Learned from Scrooge McDuck
• A Candid Look At My Finances
• Weathering Weekend Expenses – It’s Blustery!
• Financial Check-up: Our Vacation at Cape Ann

Okay. I totally get that I should not be this excited over bills—especially now that my finances are in flux—but to be honest, I was completely over the moon to pay my Discover Black card bill this month. Which is totally a refreshing change from the twisted funk that bill paying usually puts me in.

It all started a few weeks ago when a promotional offer from Discover card arrived in the mail and was stashed on the coffee table for future consideration/shredding. And then for days the offer sat, glaring menacingly at me.

How dare you neglect me, you troglodyte? it hissed. I am to be used and indulged in!

The offer from Discover was to spend $1,000 by October with my newly minted Black card and then receive $100 cash back from my purchase. So finally I spent the obligatory $1,000 $1,750 and immediately paid the bill off in full.

Today my checking account was credited $100. Oh, and THIS arrived in the mail from a private collector:

Isle of Man 1 oz. gold Angel coin. My preciousss.

• Essentially I just received $100.00 off the spot price of gold for this remarkable Isle of Man gold coin, with the total cost being $1,650.

• I am fairly confident my gold Angel will appreciate (or retain its value) over the next few years much better than having those funds sit in a savings account with paltry interest rates. Eventually this piece will be converted into more tangible financial assets (dividend-paying stocks, income property, capital toward my own business, etc.)

• And if gold plummets and the price shrivels for the next twenty years, Lexi just inherited a gorgeous gold piece to use at her discretion at some point in the future.

Well played, Discover. Well played.
(Stop sending me offers, now. Please.)

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Related posts:

• The Importance of Saving: Don’t Hack Down Your Money Tree
• The Saving Conundrum. Are Savers Financial Losers?
• Overspending Alert – I Totally Blame the Duck!
• Boo To Those Sneaky Bank Fees