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About Debtor’s Prisons

In the time of Charles Dickens, men were arrested for debt and imprisoned until they could repay what they owed. This was sometimes achieved by the help of family members, but as not everyone had that advantage, the system was somewhat nonsensical especially because living within the prisons required the spending of money with virtually no opportunity to earn it.

“Pray remember ye poor debtors.”

Editor’s Picks

I Pick Up Pennies presents Are we too optimistic?.

Passive Family Income presents Recession in America – Gardening.

Five Cent Nickel presents Debt Reduction vs. Retirement Savings.

Personal Stories

Debt Kid presents Going from Broke to Blessed.

Bible Money Matters presents Don’t Let Unexpected Stress Be An Excuse For Spending.

Man Vs. Debt presents My Debt-Recon And Current Battle Plans.

My Money Minute presents Don’t Laugh, It’s Paid For!.

Daily Saving & Budgeting

PF Credit Cards presents Lower Your Monthly Subscriptions Cost by Calling.

American Consumer News presents What a Difference Control Makes.

The Smarter Wallet presents Money Saving Ideas To Create A Frugal Household Budget.

Greener Pastures presents It’s EPA Fix a Leak Week.

Money Management

My Dollar Plan presents Would You Take a Loan Modification?.

Automatic Finances presents 3 Bank Fees You Should Never Have to Pay.

Free Money Finance presents Review Your Credit Card Bill.

No Credit Needed presents Beware The Dangers Of The Abuse Of Credit.

The Sun’s Financial Diary presents PIN vs. Signature Based Debit Transactions.

Investing

Investing School presents Realized and Unrealized Gains and Losses.

Prime Time Money presents 5 Reasons Not to Borrow from Your 401k.

My Retirement Blog presents Earning $20,000 Equals Half Million Dollar Nest Egg.

Gurus & Books

The Paycheck Chronicles presents A Dollar Saved is Two Dollars Earned.

The Digerati Life presents Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps To Financial Success.

The Dough Roller presents Debt Cures by Kevin Trudeau–Do his “secrets” really work?.

Making Money

Counting My Pennies presents Sell your gold and get rich!.

Destroy Debt presents The Part Time Job Method of Increasing Your Income.

Miss Thrifty presents Making Money From Your House in 2012.

Studenomics presents Successful Business Venture Checklist.

Miscellany

Clever Dude presents Is Hip-Hop Teaching Americans Money Lessons?.

J. Money presents Our church is $125k in debt…and guess what?.

Christian Debt Help presents Video of Peter Schiff predicting the crisis and getting mocked!.

* * *

This concludes the Charles Dickens Debtor’s Prison Edition of the Carnival of Debt Reduction. Remember, if you’d like to be included in my next carnival, the 1st Edition of the Carnival of Pecuniary Delights,  submit your best post by April 1st 6PM PST!

Related posts:

• Interesting Reads From Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #18
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• Giveaways Ending Soon! And Hosting 2 Blog Carnivals Next Week

Undoubtedly, the only thing worse than having a “cheap date” is being called one. But in the current economic atmosphere when one should be more concerned with prudence in spending habits, a frugal date, in my mind, is something to be lauded rather than repudiated.

After all, dating is all about finding the person you will share your life and finances with till something beginning with the letter “d” do you part. So this year, and perhaps for a few to come, remember this and cut yourself and/or your significant other a little slack and remember that there are more important things in life than extravagant dinners and presents.

Here we will offer some Valentine’s Day Gift and Date ideas that won’t cost a fortune and hopefully make this Valentine’s Day special and fun. I’ve divided this post into several sections with subsections such as “Gifts under $10,” etc. within each section.

Table of Contents

Click to go to each section, click your browser “back” button to return here.

• Valentine’s Day Budgeting Suggestions
• Gestures
• Date Ideas
• Romantic Foods and Treats
• Gift Ideas
• Gift + Date Ideas
• Valentine’s Date Movies

The artwork contained in this post is by Madoline and more can be seen and purchased on a variety of products from our CafePress store.

Valentine’s Day Budgeting Suggestions

Before we begin, a few suggestions on the finances of Valentine’s Day.

• Discuss a gift budget beforehand whether or not you are married or share finances.
• Set a spending range that is comfortable for both parties and stick to it. (If one person gives an expensive gift but the other a more economical one, awkwardness may ensue.)
• Consider combining your individual budgets if they are low. This way you might be able to afford something pricier that you can both enjoy.
• Consider a “useful” gift. Something more practical rather than romantic that can make your life together more pleasant (long term benefits vs. short term).
• Consider making both your gifts by hand and from scratch.
• Discuss your date budget and activities that you will both enjoy without spending too much.

It may seem unromantic to talk about the date or gift ahead of time, but lack of communication in financial matters (i.e. spending) is one of the main causes for marital strife, so it might be better for your relationship in the long run if you share in such decisions.

Gestures

for Her

• Let her sleep in. Make the kids breakfast and keep them occupied with cartoons or other activities.
• Breakfast in bed. As this year Valentine’s Day is on a Saturday.
• Help out around the house or yard. Is there something she’s been asking you to do for a while?
• Take the kids out for the morning or afternoon to give her some quiet time to relax and get ready for your date in the evening.

for Him

• Let him watch football (or whatever sport is on in February). Bring him popcorn, chips, beer or whatever he likes. If you need to speak to him (even about the game), wait until commercial break.
• Go with him to do his favorite sport or activity. Is there something he often asks you to do with him that you always say “no” to? Go with him, let him show off for you and compliment him on his prowess.

for Each Other

• Ask a friend or relative to take the kids for the day and just relax and enjoy each other’s company at home.
• A massage. Lower back for someone who does a lot of physical work (e.g. housework), neck and shoulders if he/she works at a desk or computer.

Date Ideas

• Tour of your romantic spots. Plan a route including some or all of the local places where significant points of your relationship took place. Pack a picnic to enjoy at one of your spots. Suggestions of places: where you met, where you  had your first date, where you first kissed, where you proposed/were proposed to, your first home together, etc.
• Assemble a scrap book of your relationship. This can be an annual activity done on each Valentine’s Day chronicling your life together in the past year. Save and assemble memorable items such as: pictures; notes you’ve written each other; ticket stubs from movies, shows and sporting events you attended together; receipts from romantic dates; and if married or planning marriage: engagement announcement, bridal shower invitation,  wedding invitation, baby showers, etc.
• Read a favorite childhood book together. Find a book that you both loved as kids, check it out from the library or buy it used and take turns reading it aloud.
• Plan your future. This might be a dreaded subject for the commitment-phobic, but if this is a serious and committed relationship, Valentine’s Day is a good time to plan your future life together. Take a scenic tour of neighborhoods and homes that you want to live in, think about the kind of home you want to own (if you don’t own one already) and start thinking about how you are gong to get there.
• Do anything together. Paint a room in the house, work in the garden, play games, watch a movie, or just anything you both enjoy.

Romantic Foods and Treats

• Pink and red food such as pink butter, cheese, milk, cereal, cake, salad dressing, pudding, rice, sauces. Naturally red and pink foods are beets, cranberry/mayo, frosting, jello, strawberries, jam, and various ice cream.
• Heart-shaped food and treats. With heart-shaped cookie cutters and bakeware, you can make heart-shaped cookies, brownies, cakes, sandwiches, fruit, eggs, toast, pasta (lasagne) or whatever your heart desires.To make heart shaped eggs or pancakes:
  1. Grease the inside of a metal cookie cutter
  2. place on oiled heated pan
  3. Firmly hold down while pouring a layer of egg or batter inside of cookie cutter (careful not to burn your hands)
  4. Lift cutter when shape is firm and flip pancake/eggs
• Give a heart shaped chocolate cake instead of a box of candies. Cake mix can be had for $1 or less on sale. Write your message in frosting on top and save the expense of a card.

Interesting  Fact: The Chinese customarily give gold jewelry as a sign of caring, because the recipient may sell it for money in times of need.

Gift Ideas

Some suggestions for frugal but nice gifts. If you are giving a small gift, check out Madoline’s Eggshell Gift Wrap post from December; this is a unique way to wrap a small gift (such as jewelry) in a way your recipient will never forget.

Price breakdown for specific product suggestions doesn’t include shipping as rates may vary and some items might be purchased locally.

Gifts Under $10

• The language of flowers. If you live in a area where wild flowers are available, pick your own bouquet of flowers for your date. Refer to the language of flowers for meanings for various kinds of flora, known as floriography.
• Plant a rosebush or her favorite flowers in the yard. Plant seeds or transplant a potted plant and mark the spot with a romantic sign.
• Hand-knitted or crocheted scarf, hat and/or mittens in his/her favorite color(s). Yarn in fairly inexpensive and the paper wrapped around the skeins often come with instructions for making something.
• A Digital Photo Keychain filled with pictures of the two of you that he/she can carry around and look at at any time.
• Print his/her favorite poem in the center of a sheet of paper. Frame and matting will make it an elegant art piece and a nice, thoughtful gesture.
• A paperback book with your greeting written inside the cover instead of spending money on greeting cards which might get thrown away.
• For a nature lover, assemble and paint a bird house in his/her favorite color(s)  – Bird House Kit.

Gifts Under $20

• A 365 page-a-day calendar and write in personal notes on the anniversaries of all your special dates – date you met, first date, first kiss, when you started “going steady,” when you first said the “L” word, birthday and other holiday wishes, etc. And if you’re really good at this, one note a day for every day of the year.
• A customized mug with your valentine message or a photo of the two of you printed on it (and date and year if desired).
• A personalized chair or piece of furniture. Go to thrift stores in your area and look for nice pieces of wood furniture. A good solid wooden chair or other small piece of furniture such as a small shelf can often be found for $5 or $10. Sand off the finish and paint it in your significant other’s favorite color. Don’t be afraid to be creative and use colors out of the norm. You will need: a pack of sandpaper, a paintbrush and some enamel paint, or a can of spray paint. All can be found for reasonable prices at Walmart and sand paper and brushes can be found at some dollar stores.

Gifts Under $30

• A nice set of feather pillows so he/she thinks of you before falling asleep each night.
• A set of fluffy new towels.
• For her: pastel colored hand weights to help her meet her fitness goals.

Gift + Date Ideas

As Valentine’s Day this year is on a Saturday, you might be able to spend the day together instead of just the evening. Here are some suggestions for activities for your Valentine’s date are also gifts.

• Make heart-shaped chocolate candy together – Chocolate Heart Making Kit.
• Make aromatic candles that can provide ambiance for a romantic dinner and evening in – Candle Making Kit.
• Personalize His & Hers chairs together. (Date version of the personalized chair idea above.)  Go to thrift stores together, pick out and paint chairs for each other.
• Make dinner together. Cook something neither of you have made before like an Indian curry or sushi – Sushi Kit with instructions.

Interesting  Fact: The word “Gift” in German, means “poison.”

Valentine’s Date Movies

A Valentine’s date doesn’t have to mean an expensive night out. In fact, a quiet night in watching movies together on the couch has more appeal to me. Here are a few suggestions and favorites of mine.

Under $10

• Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Audrey Hepburn)
• Notting Hill (Hugh Grant, Julia Roberts)
• You’ve Got Mail (Meg Ryan, Tom Hanks)
• Sleepless in Seattle (Meg Ryan, Tom Hanks)
• Sense & Sensibility (Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant)
• Pride & Prejudice (Keira Knightley, Matthew McFayden)
• Emma (Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeremy Northem)
• Bridget Jones’s Diary (Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant)

Under $20

• Lady and the Tramp (Disney)
• North & South (Richard Armitage, Daniela Denby-Ashe)
• Sabrina (Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart)
• My Fair Lady (Audrey Hepburn, Harry Stradling Sr.)

Well, this wraps up our Valentine’s Gift and Date Suggestions. I hope you found at least a few helpful ideas here that will save you money but not get you called a “cheap date.” Just remember the purpose of the holiday is to honor the one you love, not compete for who gives the priciest gift.

The best gift would be to be considerate of him/her, everyday and not just on Valentine’s Day. Be creative, and be yourself.

Also check out our Frugal but Thoughtful Mother’s Day Gift Suggestions for more gift ideas.

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• Pecuniarities (Our Fourpence Worth) 1 Year Anniversary

Please refer to the submission guidelines and submit your posts for consideration using this submission form.

Submission deadline is Wednesday September 17, 2008 5:00PM EST/EDT.

Blog readers, be sure to check back on Thursday for recommended finance related reading!

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f this is your first time here, please have a look around and consider subscribing to our RSS feed. Be sure to also check out

Madoline and I have a fondness for history and all things old, so the theme for today’s carnival is “Old Money.” While credit cards, online banking and checks are great modern commodities, they just don’t have the charm of good, old fashioned money – in other words, cash. We hope you enjoy this tour through United States Treasury history and the art to be found in currencies of the past.

1934 $100,000 USD Bill (Woodrow Wilson)

Editor’s Picks

• PT presents 9 Tips For Going To One Income.
• Twenties Money Magazine presents My College Sold Me Out.
• Toni presents Happy with What We Don’t Have.
• The Investor presents How a boring broker will make you richer.
• Karen presents Spending money can save your money.

1918 $10,000 USD Bill (Salmon P. Chase)

Frugality & Saving Money

• FIRE Getters presents Top 5 Freebie Websites!
• Amy Hobbs presents How to turn three slices of turkey into brunch.
• Ryan Suenaga presents Can a GPS Pay for Itself?
• Wilfrid presents Air Leak Detection – Leak Testing – Leak Stopping.
• Grey presents Making the CFL Switch.

1918 $5,000 USD Bill (James Madison)

Shopping

• Pamela Grundy presents Best Buy Coupons, Promotions and Savings.
• mbhunter presents If you love Amazon, you’ll really love Amazon Prime.
• Amy L. presents Getting a Good Deal on Your Car Insurance.
• Tom Tessin presents The Secrets to Cheap Airline Tickets.
• Aryn presents New Strategies for Using Double Coupons.
• APFB presents Four Items to Buy Used.
• Madison presents Free Money From the U.S. Mint.

1928 $1,000 USD Bill (Grover Cleveland)

Money Management

• Ariel Ozick presents 3 Dumb Ways to Waste Your Money.
• Todd presents Budgeting Games (Finance Games #6).
• Curt presents Avoiding the Most Common Financial Mistakes.
• GBlogger presents My Personal Finance One Step, Two Step.
• Nickel presents A Peek Inside Our FNBO Direct Online Savings Account.

1928 $500 USD Bill (William McKinley)

Debt & Credit

• Silicon Valley Blogger presents Best Cash Back Credit Cards: Your Rewards For Spending.
• Mr Credit Card presents What to Do When Your Credit Card Debt Has Been Charged Off?
• Andy presents Too expensive to file for bankruptcy.
• CreditAddict presents No Fee 0% Balance Transfer Credit Card Offers.
• DMH presents 0% Balance Transfer Credit Card Offers.

1880 $100 USD Bill (Abraham Lincoln)

Economy

• Tejvan presents Why Boom and Busts are common in Housing Markets.
• Livingalmostlarge presents Perfection Guaranteed.
• RC presents Do Government Bailouts and Payouts Mean Higher Taxes in the Future?

1891 $50 USD Bill (Edward Everett)

Career

• Heather Johnson presents Guest Post: When Should You Quit Your Job?
• VH presents A$king and re¢eiving.
• Dorian Wales presents No Salvation from Productivity Improvements: The Failed 35 Hour Work Week Experiment and Work-Life Balance Examined.
• Kevin Surbaugh presents Making 401(k)’s Part of Your Job Hunt.

1905 $20 USD Bill (George Washington)

Investing

• Dividends4Life presents The MMA Rate Mystery Solved.
• Writers Coin presents Adding to the Mock Portfolio.
• Kevin presents Rebalanced My Roth 401k.
• Dividend Growth Investor presents Year-to-Date changes in Dividend Aristocrats’ annual payments to shareholders.
• The Financial Blogger presents Shifting Your Investments According To Your Tax Rate.
• RothIRA presents Roth IRA for Teenagers.
• Sandy Naidu presents Behavioral Finance – Investor Psychology – Behavioral Finance Stock Market Investment.
• FMF presents Using Your Health Savings Account as a “Super Roth” Investment Vehicle.
• Zach Scheidt presents MasterCard Incorporated (MA) – Growth Slowing.

1901 $10 USD Bill (Meriwether Lewis & William Clark)

Book Reviews

• Clare Kierans presents Money is What You Trade Your Life Energy For.
• Jim presents 547 Ways to be Fuel Smart by Roger Albright.

1886 $5 USD Bill (Ulysses S. Grant)

Other

• Steward presents A Frugal Shopping Tip That Leaves Everyone Smiling.
• J. Money presents 3 Things you should always keep in your wallet/purse/clip.
• Raymond presents How To Generate Valid Credit Card Numbers.
• Jamie presents Custom Wallet Giveaway from TheTrendySpot.com.
• Mr. Banker presents ABA Routing Codes to Link Online Accounts Together.

1862 First official $1 Bill of the United States (Salmon P. Chase)

This concludes the 26th Edition of the Money Hacks Carnival. Submit your blog article to the next edition of Money Hacks Carnival using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags: money hacks carnival, blog carnival.

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I am also hosting the Money Hacks Carnival tomorrow, so be sure and check back for more great reads! If this is your first time here, please look around and consider subscribing to our RSS feed.

Now on with the carnival!

(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Editor’s Picks

• Silicon Valley Blogger presents Lost Money: How Money Drains Add Up To $175,000 In 10 Years.
• MoneyNing presents Frugally and Happily Back to School 9 Different Ways.
• Kevin Brink presents “Sale” Can Sometimes be Just Another Four Letter Word.
• ISPF presents 10 Tips to Get Anyone into the Habit of Cooking at Home (Even if You Have Never Stepped into the Kitchen Before).
• Savingadvice presents Reached Financial Independence. Now What?

The Frugal Lifestyle

• David presents 25 Frugal Ways To Reuse Everyday Household Items.
• Kate presents Time Well Spent.
• HowToMe presents How To Make a Washing Stick to Pamper Ones’ Hands.
• RC presents Making the Conscious Choice to Get By With Less.
• Anna presents Not by Bread Alone.
• Kacie presents Frivolous or frugal to outsource tasks?

(AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye)

Frugal Family Activities

• Joanne presents Make Stuff Your Kids Can Play With.
• K presents Five Frugal Toys Using Food.
• Aryn presents 10 Frugal Anniversary Ideas (That Are Also Romantic).
• Ryan Suenaga presents Frugal, Fun, and Healthy: Five Outdoor Activities.
• DJ presents Camping on a Dime.
• Faron Benoit presents 10 Cheap Date Night Ideas.

Saving on Food: Groceries, Cooking & Dining

• Tiffanie presents 13 tips on how to maximize grocery shopping.
• FIRE Getters presents Top 5 Ways To Trim Our Grocery Bills!
• Jamie McIntosh presents Save Money With Organic Produce.
• Grey presents 5 Breakfast Ideas for Brown Rice.
• Todd presents Save 20% On Restaurant Meals.
• Adam Berry presents The Frugal Approach to Cooking.
• Megan presents Saving the Economy by Dieting?

(AP Photo/Mark Baker)

Shopping Tips: Sales and Coupons

• Karen presents Does a tax holiday really equal savings?
• Erin Gifford presents 5 Ways to Save Money While Shopping Online.
• Briana presents Surviving the Checkout Lane with your coupons is a breeze if you arm yourself with knowledge.
• Amy Hobbs presents Coupon Myths Debunked.
• Lisa Spinelli presents Six Money Saving Websites With Ongoing Big Fat Deals.

Spending and Budgeting

• Emily Starbuck Gerson presents Young British couple has ‘credit crunch wedding.’
• Rich Leverage presents How to Avoid Nickel and Diming Your Way to the Poorhouse.
• KCLau presents How a medium family can retire comfortably (Real Life Case Study).

(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Back to School Saving Tips

• Kris presents If I Had Known Then: Food and Financial Advice for the College-Bound (Also, a Story).
• Tom Tessin presents Shopping Tips for College Students.
• Madison presents Back to School Savings Challenge.
• Ben presents College Dorm Room Decor Ideas – How to Decorate Your Dorm on a Budget.
• squawkfox presents Printable Dorm Room Essentials Checklist.

Saving on Transportation

• Jim presents 547 Ways to be Fuel Smart by Roger Albright.
• Steve Faber presents Top 12 Cars With the Best Gas Mileage That are Actually Fun to Drive.
• Steward presents Bike Commuting Is Tough on the Tush.
• Curt presents How to Minimize Your Automobile Total Cost of Ownership.
• Penny Nickel presents The true costs of driving– how much could you save on transportation?
• Pamela Grundy presents Unbelievable Car Rental Deal! Thanks Alamo!

(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Personal Financial Journeys (Stories)

• Amanda Milne presents You Can Have Frugality and Quality of Life.
• NtJS presents What Is: The Smartest Advice You Ever Got – Mrs. NtJS’s Turn.
• The Happy Rock presents The little things…starting to trim the budget.
• APFB presents A Lifelong Money Lesson.

Miscellaneous Savings Tips

• J. Savings presents Avoid Overdraft Fees by Tying your Checking to your C/C.
• Chief Family Officer presents Money Saving Tip: Check the address for recurrent online payments.
• Amy presents 13 Uses for Vinegar.
• Shaula presents Finding Free WiFi.
• Livingalmostlarge presents Frugal Tip – Use CC to buy Gas.
• Randy presents 12 Free and Fantastic Windows Applications.
• Abby Freedman presents How to get something for nothing.
• Joseph presents Saving Money At Garage And Yard Sales.

(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Other

• Michael Geoffrey presents What Do You Believe About Money?
• Dorian Wales presents How to Invest Wisely In a Bear Market?
• Sandy Naidu presents Emergency Fund Savings – Emergency Fund Tips.
• Nina Smith presents Five Things Not Worth Repairing.
• Kevin presents Should You Invest in Visa? A 5 Month Update.
• Michael Cintolo presents In sickness and health (insurance).
• VH presents Is the Layoff Boom about to Fall?

(AP Photo)

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of Festival of Frugality using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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PF Bloggers Network

• I really enjoyed Ashley’s Living Like Kings at Wide Open Wallet. Nothing like a little perspective to keep our attitudes in check.
• JB from Get Rich or Die Trying shares their child’s allowance system
• Kristy from Master Your Card warns that Card Issuers May Know You Better than You Think
• Living Almost Large gives us 7 Ways to Stay Poor
• Kevin at No Debt Plan shares a great guide on Protecting Yourself: 5 Easy Steps to a Complete Home Inventory

Elsewhere in the Personal Finance Blogosphere

• Trent at The Simple Dollar offers a great guide on Dollars and Sense When Life Hits You Hard
• Money Ning gives us 7 Reasons Why We Need to Start Budget Tracking Now
• The Digirati Life can help Reduce Your Grocery Bill With These Practical Tips
• Bruce at LR Tax Prep shares a nice story: 87 years old

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• Early to Bed and Early to Rise Makes a Man [or Woman] Healthy, Wealthy and Wise

Welcome to the 3rd edition of the Finance Fiesta. I’ve always enjoyed proverbs, and since Spanish is one of my favorite languages, our theme for this week’s fiesta is Spanish Money Proverbs. The following proverbs all come from A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs for anyone who wants to know. Hope you enjoy them.

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A few instances where I often choose not to buy in bulk are:

• Trying a new product
  I recently shopped for a multi-purpose household cleaner. (We try to use vinegar and baking soda when possible, but there are times that we feel we need a stronger cleaner.) Because we have pets, we try to be as cautious as possible when choosing cleaners, and I found one called Simple Green that I liked the looks of because it claims to be safe and biodegradable, and it comes concentrated and makes several times the amount of the bottle.

  Simple Green comes in 3 sizes at our local Ace Hardware: 22 oz. spray bottle ($5.99), 1/2 gallon jug $8.99), and 1 Gallon jug ($10.99). Needless to say, the larger the jug, the lower the cost of use. With the larger sizes significantly cheaper than the smaller sizes, I was tempted to purchase the gallon sized jug. However, having never used or heard of the brand, I was hesitant to purchase such a large quantity for fear that it would turn out to be unsatisfactory for various reasons. Our local Ace Hardware charges a 15% restocking fee for all returns, which I consider a waste of money, so I don’t like to think of that as an option.

  I ended up choosing the 1/2 gallon jug of Simple Green. It was a hard decision because for just $2.00 more, I could have had twice the amount of product, but I figured that if it turned out I hated the product, I would be $2.00 richer for having gone with the $8.99 instead of $10.99. Also, the 1/2 gallon was enough to mix so much cleaner that it would be a very long time before having to buy more. And that extra $2.00 sitting in the bank for another 6 months to a year (or maybe even longer) will earn me a little interest, so in the end it might not make that much difference.

• Imminent large expenditure
  We sometimes opt not to purchase some things in bulk when we are expecting a large expenditure in the near future – i.e. income taxes, property tax, home and auto insurance renewal, vehicle registration and smog check, etc. which for us always come together at the same time (April and November). So in the weeks ahead of these months, we sometimes buy things we use over a longer period of time in smaller quantities. Yes, it does cost more in the long run, but sometimes we feel it a worthwhile cost in exchange for the added security of a little extra money in the bank account when larger amounts of money are going out.
• Less frequently used products
  If you are purchasing something that is used very infrequently, maybe only a few times a year, you might waste your money by purchasing it in larger quantities if it expires and loses effectiveness over time. This also goes for –
• Products nearing their expiration date
  Stores often have sales when products are nearing their expiration dates because they cannot sell them once the date has passed. In many cases, the items on sale are the bulk quantities and the price is so low that it is tempting to purchase it. But as mentioned above, some products lose effectiveness when they age so you may end up wasting money on products that no longer work as they should.

Again, the decision to not buy in bulk are usually for things that are not used up quickly. For everyday things like food, shampoo, laundry detergent, toilet paper, etc. we always buy in as large quantities as possible, but with things that are used over the course of a few months to a year, it can sometimes be more beneficial in the short term to purchase in smaller quantities.

P.S. We have been using Simple Green for a few weeks now and I am happy to say that I do like it. It gets the job done and smells really nice – sort of minty. Should have gotten the gallon size for just $2.00 more… darn it!

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• Festival of Frugality #140: The Frugal Quotes Edition

Back in the day when Madoline and I were concerned (or maybe obsessed is a better word) with weight loss and weight control, we would set restrictions for ourselves – daily caloric limit, no fat, no sugar, no carbohydrates, no wheat, etc., depending on the type of diet we were on. We were never really that overweight to begin with but were obsessed with being thin. From the year after graduating from college up until around 3 years ago (about a 4-year period), we lived in a permanent state of deprivation and craving. And when we fell off the wagon, we really fell off. For example, we would buy a bag of chocolates and eat it all in 1 or 2 days. We’d bake a cake and eat half in one evening.

There was a period when we limited ourselves to 1,200 calories and ran 5 miles a day (after working 8-5), then sit around the rest of the evening looking for things to eat until we were up to our daily quota, and then sit around still hungry, wanting to eat more and planning what we were going to eat the next day when the calorie count started at 0 again. Sometimes we went over the 1,200 and had 1,300 instead and guilt-tripped about it all night. We did lose an impressive bit of weight during that time (which we gained back plus more as soon as we ended that diet), but we were also miserable, hungry and food-obsessed.

Then, a few years ago we decided that a life of deprivation and restriction was not how we wanted to live for the next 60 or so years, so we opted to try the “no-diet” system and eat what we wanted in moderation. And we have never looked back.

So the point of all this and how it has to do with finance? It works the same way. This may not be true or may not work for everyone, but I believe that it could for certain types of individuals. There is something about a restriction that creates a tendency in human nature to go right up to, and sometimes test, the boundaries. If one receives a budget or allowance for something, the natural tendency is to use it all up and then wait for and start planning the various ways in which one is going to spend the next month’s allowance. How often has the thought, “I have $___ left. What can I buy with it?” come into your head when given an allowance to spend on something?

Therefore, for individuals who have good self-control, perhaps a better system would be one without restriction. Or one could look at it as a budget of $0 and trying not to go over it too much. Instead of making it a system of restriction, look at it as a system of achievement, with the achievement lying in spending as little as possible. e.g. When we manage to spend only $250 on groceries one month instead of the $300 of the previous month, we look at it as an achievement.

Also, when we think of not buying something as “choosing not to” buy something instead of “not being allowed to” buy it, we often think twice about it and end up deciding we can wait or don’t really need it after all. And, instead of spending each month’s allowance on smaller items that will fit within the limits of a budget, you can save all that money for when there is something more costly that you really do want or need, at which time you will be able to buy it without remorse or breaking of the bank.

Again, this system may not work for everyone. If not having a set budget for all your expenditures will cause you to spend more each month, then the no-budget system might not work for you. But for those who can look at not buying things and saving money as an achievement, then the no-budget system could possibly help you to save even more.

In closing, we still try not to eat too much fats and sugars, but we no longer count every calorie or fat gram, and our average weight has stayed about the same as during the ups and downs in our years of dieting. We now buy a bag or 2 of chocolates that will sit in our kitchen drawer for a month or more. We can eat 1 or 2 and stop. Or we can eat more if we feel like it. But they last an entire month and we don’t sit around dreaming about chocolate anymore.

In fact, I just finished reading a mystery called The Chocolate Frog Frame-Up (Chocoholic Mysteries) by JoAnna Carl which was obviously written to drive chocoholics mad with envy and chocolate cravings, but I was able to meet all its obvious attempts with amusement and indifference. I didn’t even feel the need to reach for that bag of chocolates in the kitchen drawer while reading this book because knowing I could have a chocolate anytime I wanted one makes it somehow less of a big deal than it used to seem when I wasn’t allowed to have any.

Related posts:

• Finance Blog Carnivals of Late
• Interesting Reads from Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #6
• No Year’s Resolution
• Interesting Reads from Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #2
• March 2008 Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals

In every online discussion I have seen about credit cards, there are always at least a few contributors whose only comments are “Credit cards are evil” or “No credit card is best”, etc. This post is mostly for those people.

For several years, we also believed that credit cards were bad, having been thus informed by our stepfather, a compulsive spender who is constantly in debt. But over the past few years, we have learned that credit cards are actually a good thing and provide many benefits and advantages:

• Building Credit History
  If you plan on buying a car or house in future, chances are that you will need a loan, and if you have no credit history, it can be difficult to get a good interest rate on a loan. Interest rates make a huge difference in the amount you end up paying or saving. Credit cards, if used responsibly, are a good and easy way to build a good credit history, which can ultimately save you thousands of dollars.

• Tracking spending
  Credit card statements provide an good way to track and analyze your spending habits. By charging all your purchases, you will have a printed statement of where every dollar has gone, a useful too for budgeting.

• Safer than carrying cash
  If you carry a lot of cash and lose your wallet, you can usually assume that money gone forever. If you mostly use your credit card and carry very little cash though, all you have to do is call the credit card company as soon as you discover the loss and you won’t be liable for any unauthorized charges to the card.

• Backup for emergencies
  Credit cards can be a backup source of funds for emergencies when you don’t have cash on hand. Though these should be true emergencies and not things like “fashion emergencies”.

And best of all, the reason we use our credit cards whenever and wherever we can:

• Credit cards can earn you money
  Credit cards can “make” you money in 2 ways:
  • There are many cards out there that earn you cash back or rewards. Some earn you as much as 5% cash back on grocery, drugstore and gas purchases. If you get a card with no annual fee (there are many out there), use it responsibly for regular purchases (not cash advances), and pay your balance in full every month, you can earn money without paying a cent to the credit card company. We have an American Express Blue Cash Credit Card that earned us over $300 cash back last year.
  • In addition to the cash back, credit cards also earn you money by allowing you keep your money in the bank longer. Depending on your billing cycle, you can charge your purchases and bills to a credit card and your money can sit in the bank earning interest for up to 6 more weeks. For example, our propane bill was due on January 30, 2008. Our credit card billing cycle ends on the 28th of each month. If we charge our bill to our credit card on the Jan. 30, 2008, it goes on the new billing cycle which ends on February 28, 2008, and the due date for that billing cycle is in mid-March 2008. So the money for that propane bill that was due and paid on Jan. 30, 2008 won’t actually leave our bank account until 6 weeks later. That’s 6 extra weeks of interest on money that would have left your account immediately had you paid by cash or check.

These are just a few basic reasons we use and approve of credit cards. However, if you know that you won’t be able to control your spending, then perhaps it is better to not go this route. If you need advice on applying for credit cards, visit your bank or credit union and someone can usually recommend a good card for you and help you with the application.

Continue reading for tips on choosing the right card and a few tips for safe and responsible credit card use.

Choosing the right card for you

If you have no or very little credit history, a low income, or a blemish on your credit record, it is possible that you won’t be approved when applying for a credit card. If this is the case, don’t keep attempting to apply for different cards as each denied application will hurt your credit rating and lessen your chances of being approved. Instead, go to your bank or credit union where you have an account and ask to speak to someone who can help you with selecting and applying for a credit card.

You may have to start out with a secured account with a deposit held as collateral and a low credit limit. After a while, perhaps a year, if you have responsibly paid your balances on time each month, your bank will probably upgrade you to an unsecured card with higher credit limit. Make sure you read the terms and conditions of your new card when this happens and check for changes in rates and fees, including annual fees. When Bank of America offered my sister an unsecured card a year after she got her secured card, the card came with an annual fee. There are many cards out there that don’t have annual fees, so why settle for one with an annual fee if you can save that $30 or $100 a year?

Today, there are credit cards for all sorts of people with all sorts of interests and lifestyle. If you travel a lot, you’d be interested in cards that offer travel benefits and discounts and rewards for flights, hotel stays and car rentals. For families and households, cards that offer cash back for household purchases such as utilities, gas, grocery and drugstores can save you a lot of money.

Tips for safe and responsible credit card use

• Never spend money you don’t have. Just because you have a $5,000 credit limit doesn’t mean that you have to use it all. In fact, for best credit practices, try not go over 1/3 of your total credit. Therefore, if you have a $5,000 limit, you should try to keep the balance below $1,600.
• Always pay on time and in full, not just the minimum payment due. If your credit card company has automatic scheduled payments, it may be a good idea to use it. Just make sure your bank account has sufficient funds on the due date.
• If you’re concerned about security and unauthorized charges, sign up for online banking and check your online statement every so often for suspicious activity. (We’ve never had any problems. There was only one incident when someone made a suspicious charge on my card and my bank caught it and contacted me to check if I had authorized it, which I didn’t, so they immediately canceled my card and sent me a new one.)
• Don’t leave your wallet, cards or card information lying around.
• Never send credit card information over email, instant messengers, etc.
• When using a credit (or debit) card online, make sure the site is SSL protected. You can tell by the little lock icon in the browser window – usually around the bottom right-hand corner.

Related posts:

• Pay Bills Online and Save
• Credits Cards Really Aren’t So Bad (Re-Post)
• Closing Your Credit Cards Can Hurt Your FICO Score
• Why I Will Not Change My Mindset, Plus the Difference Between Justifying and Being Optimistic About Spending
• Pay Bills Online and Save (Re-Post)

A necessity is an item/service that you simply cannot do without in your everyday life and that is vital to your survival and situation.

A luxury is anything that is not a necessity.

A few examples of necessities (or necessary expenditures) would be:

• Food
• Rent/mortgage
• Auto insurance
• Home insurance
• Health insurance
• Gas
• Auto Maintenance
• Utilities: electricity, gas and phone

Of course these are not the only necessities in the world, and it’s different for everyone, but when you really think about it, true necessities are actually quite few in number, and many things that you think you need are in fact not that necessary.

A few common examples of luxuries would be:

• Entertainment – movies (at the theater, renting, or buying), music and/or books
• Cable or satellite
• Toys and games (video or non-video)
• More than one home phone line
• More than one computer (even one computer could be considered a luxury in dire circumstances)
• High speed internet service

Even in one of the main necessities, food, there are luxuries that aren’t necessary. Necessary foods are foods that are vital for your health and continued existence. These are usually basic foods and staples that fill out your food pyramid and keep you in good health. Any food that is not vital to your health and survival should be regarded as a luxury.

A few examples of luxury foods when grocery shopping would be:

• Chips and other junk food
• Cookies and other sweets
• Gourmet cheeses
• Alcoholic drinks
• Soda and other bottled beverages
• Bakery goods
• Specialty breads i.e. foccacia
• Seasonal and tropical fruits
• Fancy meats (i.e. steaks)
• Pre-prepared and packaged foods (sandwiches, salads, sushi, cut fruit, etc.)

I say “should be regarded as a luxury” because I think it is important to understand and appreciate the difference. I am not saying that your life should be completely stripped of all pleasures and comforts, but when you are purchasing a new DVD or CD, it is important to be aware that what you are purchasing is a luxury item.

So, the first step in trying to figure out how to cut your expenditures is to go through your regular purchases (including services) and distinguish all luxuries from necessities. Luxuries should not be regarded as “forbidden” because it could turn into an obsession (the desirability might be blown out of proportion), but be aware that by choosing not to purchase these items, you are gaining an advantage.

Related posts:

• Pecuniary Links & Pecuniarities Update ~ July 2009 #1
• Simple Solutions to Staying Out of Debt
• Frugal Christmas: Skipping the Tree and Presents This Year
• Financial Lent: A Frugal Fast to See What You Can Live Without
• Carnival of Pecuniary Delights No. 24: Friends Edition

Originally posted 2008-04-25 00:59:12.

I received the following comment today from a reader about my earlier post Simple Solutions to Staying Out of Debt:

“All good advice – sadly, it is harder than it sounds. But then again, the more you make the more you can spend, so figuring out how to live within your means is a lesson we should all learn at an early age!”

Yes, it is harder than it sounds; almost everything is. But what it all boils down to is common sense, self-discipline and keeping your priorities in mind. It is true that it would be ideal to learn such lessons at an early age, but there is no reason why an adult can’t learn to control his spending and live within his means if he truly wants to.

Don’t get me wrong. I am human and I know how hard it can be to resist spending on things you want. For example, here is just a snippet of some of the things I have been coveting for a long time – some for years.

• A laptop computer
• My favorite TV shows on DVD (Friends, X-Files and many more)
• Subscription to cable (which we haven’t had since 2001)
• A cushy armchair for reading in my bedroom
• The complete British and French editions of the Harry Potter books (I collect foreign editions of Harry Potter books)

These are just a few of the things that cross my mind at the moment, but I know there are more. Over the years, I have been tempted more than once to buy some or all of these things, but I know the danger of giving in to the urge to splurge, because spending or getting what you want is addictive. Oftentimes, when you get one thing, you want or need to get more things to go with it.

I know it’s annoying to hear these words because they’re so “self-help-ish” (I myself can’t stand self-helpers and trite inspirational “don’t underestimate the power of the mind” stuff), but -

The tools for fighting the urge to spend are:

• Recognizing your priorities
• Rational thinking (not rationalizing)
• Self-discipline/self-control
• Will power
• Rewarding yourself

Recognizing Your Priorities

For most of us, our main goal is simply to “save money” or “save as much money as possible,” and that works well enough. But maybe for some of us, that goal simply isn’t enough. If you have a strong penchant for spending, you may need more clearcut reasons than “to save money” in order to curb your spending. So you will need to contemplate the following question.

Why do you want or need to save money?

Is it …

• To save for a down payment on a house of your own?
• To save for a replacement car?
• To save for marriage and a family?
• To save for a personal or family emergency?
• To stay out of debt?
• To get out of debt?
• To achieve financial freedom?
• To make sure your loved ones are provided for?
• To make sure you have enough to live on should you lose your job?
• To be able to retire when you want or need to?
• To make sure you have enough to last through your retirement?

Knowing and reminding yourself of your priorities at all times will help make achieving your goals easier.

Rational Thinking

Rational thought is necessary in order to succeed at anything including spending and saving money. When tempted to spend on something you don’t need or can’t really afford -

Try to look at the item in question with objectivity (without emotion) and ask yourself the following questions (The “it” in the following questions can apply to any kind of expenditure. Buying a tangible item, a service, eating out, etc.):

• Do you really need it?
• If yes, why do you need it?
• Are your reasons for needing it valid?
• Can you really afford it?
• What do you already have that can be used instead?
• What will its value be 6 months down the road? 1 year? 5 years?
• If it is a tangible item will you still be using it?
• If it is an intangible or transient item, is it really worth spending money on it that you would otherwise never see again?

Also consider:

• The potential value of the money saved from not spending it and saving or investing it. Use the savings calculator on Prune Your Spending and Watch the Savings Grow to see how much a little money saved over time can become.
• If you really think you have enough money saved for your future or financial goals.

Self-Discipline/Self-Control

No one likes hearing about discipline. It implies strictness, lack of freedom, and unpleasant tasks. But without self-discipline, one can never achieve success or financial freedom. So when confronted with a tempting expenditure:

• Plan A: Walk Away
  The best way to exercise your self-discipline when confronted with temptation is to simply walk away – or close the browser window (and clear your browsing history and cache to make it harder to accidentally happen on it again.)
• Plan B: If you can’t walk away, then wait.
  If you have a hard time walking away from the temptation, then at least wait. Convince yourself that you are not flat-out denying yourself what you want, but rather waiting for a sale or a price reduction. You will often find that by the time the price has decreased, so has your desire for the item.

  If it turns out you do still want the item, at least you will be spending less on it. Also, by delaying your expenditure, you can earn a little more interest on the money to be spent.

Will Power

You will find that as you practice self-discipline, your will power will grow. There will come a time when you can see something you really like and simply be able to admire it and move on without a struggle.

Rewarding Yourself

Living a life devoid of treats and denying yourself everything you want is not living. So it is alright to reward yourself on occasion. Only you can decide how often and how much you should treat yourself to, but here are a few suggestions for how to figure out what works for you.

Start by setting a goal for yourself. It is important to make it a reasonable goal. Goals can be measured in time, amount of money, achievement or any other way that suits your lifestyle. When you achieve your goal, reward yourself with a little treat within reason.

Setting a goal

• Time
  Set a timeframe in which you decide you will not make unnecessary expenditures. If you have a regular habit of spending money everyday or every few days, you might want to start with a shorter goal and work your way up to the ideal timeframe.
• Amount of money saved
  Instead of putting all your money in your checking account, open a savings account (if you don’t already have one.) Put all your non-regular-expense money (anything not for necessities such as rent, bills, groceries, gas, etc.) into this savings account. When you have saved up to a certain pre-determined amount – $500, $1,000, etc. – then you can allow yourself a little treat.
• Achievement
  This could be for achievement in any area of your life – career, personal, weight-loss, etc.

As time passes and you achieve your goals you might find the success of achieving your goals to be more rewarding than spending money. In an ideal world, that would probably be enough. But for most of us human beings, it probably isn’t.

So remember, it is important to treat yourself once in a while. It doesn’t have to be a big treat. It could be as little as an ice cream cone, a reasonable item of clothing, a new CD, etc. But if you find yourself treating yourself every other day, something is wrong. I can’t tell you exactly how long and how much your goals should be. It is different for everyone and something you need to figure out for yourself. That’s why it’s called personal finance.

In closing, I will share

How I rational thought my way out of the items on my wish list (mentioned above)

• A laptop computer
  Reason I don’t need it: I already have a desktop computer.
• My favorite TV shows on DVD
  Reason I don’t need it: For now, I can watch what DVDs I have and TV shows online. I know I’ll eventually get them, but what’s the hurry?
• Subscription to cable
  Reason I don’t need it: An occasional DVD purchase is cheaper than subscribing to cable and I’ll end up with an asset instead of just putting money down the drain.
• A cushy armchair for reading in my room
  Reason I don’t need it: I can read on my bed. Someday I will get an armchair when the time is right and when I can afford a nice one.
• The complete British and French editions of the Harry Potter books
  Reason I don’t need it: The fun of book collecting is acquiring each edition book by book over time. If I got all the books at one time, I’d need to find a new hobby.

Treating Myself

On the other hand, I did treat myself to a rather expensive gift last fall. I have been a musician since I was 5 years old, and have wanted to learn to play the violin since I was a teenager. Last fall, I purchased myself a Suzuki Student Violin for $170. Being more expensive than most of our regular purchases, I considered it a late birthday/early Christmas/early next birthday present for myself. My violin is and will be one of my most favored possessions for a long time to come.

Related posts:

• Pecuniary Links ~ July 2009 #2
• July 2008 Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals
• Welcome MSN Money Central Smart Spending Readers!
• Pecuniarities (Our Fourpence Worth) 1 Year Anniversary
• Frugality to the Extreme: Would You Eat Out of the Dumpster?

Originally posted 2008-06-27 06:00:38.

Our family owned horses for several years in my late teens and early twenties, and friends of ours were always asking us to take them riding. Many amateur riders like to boast that they have never fallen off a horse, which must mean they’re good riders, right? Wrong.

Contrary to popular belief, the best riders are those who have fallen the most times. Seasoned horsemen always say that if you have never fallen off a horse, it just means you haven’t ridden enough.

In the years in which we had horses, I probably had at least one or two (if not more) falls a year. No one who spends a good part of their hours on horseback can be 100% alert and in control 100% of the time. Horses get startled, agitated, excited, run away, buck, etc., and riders sometimes just lose their balance and fall. It’s a natural part of the learning process.  No one becomes an advanced rider without ever falling off.

Some falls are inconsequential and you get up without a scratch. Others might leave you a little scratched, a little or seriously bruised, with a concussion, broken bones or unable to walk for several days. I’ve had most types, but, thank the stars, escaped the concussions and broken bones.

Circumstances differ, but one thing remains the same. The longer you wait to get back in the saddle, the harder it gets. The best cure for getting over the fear of falling is to brush yourself off and immediately get back in the saddle. If you don’t get right back on, but instead go straight home to dwell on your close call and bruises, the next time you get in the saddle, if you ever do, it becomes a lot scarier than it would’ve been.

I also believe that falls come when you need them. When you ride horses regularly, you forget about the many dangers of riding. If you haven’t fallen in a while, you tend to get overconfident, too comfortable and careless. Falls often come at this point. After a fall, you are once again acutely aware of the dangers and find yourself more alert and careful … until history repeats itself all over again.

So what does this have to do with personal finance?

Personal finance is not a high speed train on which you are just a passenger and which would disappear in a nanosecond if you slipped and fell off. Think of it as a horse that you are riding. (Assuming your horse is well trained and stops when you fall off, which most horses do.) If you slip and fall once in a while, you haven’t lost your chance at reaching your goal. Just get back on and try your best to stay on.

Everyone slips once in a while, and no doubt you do or will at some point. Mistakes are a natural part of the learning process from which we learn. If you fall off your saving wagon and commit a spending faux pas, don’t let it keep you down. Don’t think, “Well, I’ve blown it already. What’s the point in continuing to try?” and then proceed to spend more. Instead, analyze the situation which led to your fall, learn to recognize the factors that caused you to fall and watch out for them the next time they come around.

For example, you walk by a favorite shop window and see a large SALE sign. You can’t resist the call of the sale and therefore go in and spend unnecessarily. Afterwards, when you realize your mistake (and can’t return your purchases because you bought them on sale), instead of giving up your resolve to continue to save, think about the following:

• What caused you to slip? Seeing the SALE sign.
• How did you come to see the SALE sign that led you to your folly? Walking by the shop and looking in the window.
• Solution: Take a different route next time, or don’t look at the window if you must walk past it.

Next, don’t console yourself with an ice cream or a new pair of shoes. File this experience away as a lesson learned and get back on your saving wagon.

I once got bucked off a horse during a riding lesson. The instructor thought a rabbit had probably dashed out of some nearby bushes,  startling him and causing him to buck. You can be sure that if I’m ever again on horseback where there could be rabbits nearby, I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled and my heels down.

Related posts:

• Interesting Reads From Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #19
• How to De-worm a Difficult Horse
• Business Decision: Turning Away a Customer
• Lottery Tickets: Worthy Investment or Waste of Money?
• It Saves to Be Nice Part 1: It’s Business But It’s Also Personal

OK, I know the word “meme” is supposed to be a noun, but I couldn’t help myself. If you know my blog’s name, you know that I love to play with words. I coined – pun intended – the word “pecuniarities” one night and just had to change my blog’s name. Besides, if “friend” can be used as a verb these days (“friend me on facebook!”), then it can’t be too long before “meme” becomes a verb.

But anyways, my new blogging associate, Trevor the Financial Nut, has tagged me for “7 Things You Didn’t Know About Me” and I figure it can’t hurt for fellow bloggers and readers to know 7 more things about me that aren’t already on our About pages.

First here’s how it works:

“7 Things You Didn’t Know About Me” Meme Rules

1. Link to your original tagger(s) and list these rules in your post.
2. Share seven facts about yourself in the post.
3. Tag seven people at the end of your post by leaving their names and the links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they’ve been tagged.

7 Things You Didn’t Know About Penelope Pince

1) I once wanted to be a jockey.
When I was young, I was “horse crazy.” I read every horse book I could get my hands on, both fiction and non-fiction, and the Black Stallion series by Walter Farley was my favorite. When it became evident that I wouldn’t be suited for a career as a jockey (I’m big boned), I decided I’d be a racehorse trainer. Now I own a dog and horse costuming business.

2) I used to be a surfaholic.
Checking the surf report before bed, getting up at 4:00AM, donning bathing suit and surf shorts despite the cold, jumping into freezing water (OK, freezing by my definition is probably “temperate” to anyone who didn’t grow up in Hawaii) and catching waves at sunrise = Heaven on Earth.

3) I love Caesar salad.
Especially with lots of creamy garlicky dressing, crunchy croutons, grilled chicken, avocado, freshly grated parmesan and ground black pepper. Whenever we used to eat out, I always odered Caesar salad if it was on the menu, regardless of the restaurant’s specialty. My very favorite Caesar Salad was at a place called Pizza Bob’s in Haleiwa on the North Shore of Oahu.

4) I have perfect pitch.
This means that if you were to play a note on an [in-tune] instrument, I could tell you what note it was without looking at the instrument or having previously been given a point of reference. Some say this is a curse that ruins your ability to appreciate music, but I don’t know any other way of hearing or playing music and can’t imagine what it would be like without it.

5) I like to whistle.
I whistle along to movie soundtracks (sometimes while watching a movie), concertos,  sonatas, instrumental segments of songs and pretty much any music that I can’t sing to. This drives Madoline batty, becuase it also includes while she’s playing the piano or singing, but I often don’t know I’m doing it. And I don’t always whistle the main melody; being a mezzo-soprano (vocal), I sometimes whistle harmony.

6) I was named after a song.
Not Penelope Pince (pen name), but my real-world name. I’m not telling what song or what name, but I will tell you the song was by Bread. I must say my mother had pretty good taste – in music and in names. I didn’t like it when I was young because it used to be a boy’s name and people always got it wrong, but now I’ve learned that it’s not so bad to have a unique name.

7) I am an obsessive compulsive-Type A-perfectionist.
It takes me about 2-4 hours to write and polish up a blog post  (large posts like my Frugal Valentine’s Gifts/Dates, Free Online Video Websites and Consumer Safety posts took days). I can’t rest until I am sure that I haven’t left out anything relevant, that there are no typos, grammatical errors, extra spaces, etc., and I still always manage to find something to fix after the post is published. This is not a trait I would recommend to anyone who desires a carefree existence with lots of sleep.

My 7 Tags

If I’m tagging you, it’s because I’ve gotten to know you a little through blogging or social networking (i.e. we’ve commented on each other’s blogs a few times lately, we’ve emailed, chatted on forums or twitter, etc.) and I would like to get to know you a little better. If I didn’t tag you, please don’t be offended as the limit is 7, and I’ll catch you some other time around!

1. Mrs. Micah
2. Living Well On Less
3. The Paycheck Chronicles
4. Single Guy Money
5. Bible Money Matters
6. Free From Broke
7. Budgets Are Sexy

That’s it. This was the first meme I’ve done and it was quite fun. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Related posts:

• Friday Fun: Calvin and Hobbes Lemonade Stand Economics Lesson & WSJ Giveaway Reminder
• March 2008 Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals
• Carnival of Pecuniary Delights No. 12: Catch a Wave Edition
• Car Trouble: Watch Out for Those Pesky Wabbits
• Thank you!

I’ve been working away this past week at creating a new blog carnival for the personal finance and frugality blog community. It’s called the Carnival of Pecuniary Delights and its purpose is to showcase quality blog posts from around the personal finance blogosphere.

What the Carnival is For

For Readers

The Carnival of Pecuniary Delights is for anyone looking for a variety of quality blog articles on the subject of personal finance and frugal living. Because blog carnivals feature content from bloggers around the web, readers can quickly find information, viewpoints and tips from a varied pool of sources.

Carnival Topics

• Personal Finance (general)
• Money Management (tips on saving, spending, budgeting, etc.)
• Frugal Living (anything related to frugal living)
• Frugal Home (frugal home and garden)
• Frugal Kitchen (frugal dining, cooking, recipes)
• Frugal Family (frugal parenting, family activities, etc.)
• Green Living (tips that save money and the environment)
• Personal Financial Journey (anecdotes)
• Debt & Credit (advice and tips – not credit card reviews)
• Investing (strategies and advice but not “hot stock picks”)
• Economy (observations and commentary)
• Other (relevant topics)

For Bloggers

Unlike some of the blog carnivals out there, there is no post age restriction, and the focus is content of lasting value, so no credit card offers, deals, promotions and content that has an expiration date.

You can submit posts that you wrote 1 or 2 years ago that is still relevant to today. One of the reasons to do this is to help revive traffic and discussion to good posts that may have been buried among the hundreds of posts in your archives or those written in your early days when your blog had fewer readers so didn’t get the attention they deserved, because some of your best work might come from the early days when you were fresh with ideas.

However, because some of the submitted content may have been seen before, hosts are asked to be very selective in only including content they personally feel are of lasting value, rather than including everything that isn’t SPAM.

Please visit About the Carnival of Peucuniary Delights: For Bloggers for more information.

Hosting and Submissions

This carnival will occur every Thursday with the first edition on April 2, 2009 here at Pecuniarities, and we are open for submissions as well as looking for volunteers to host. Both participating in and hosting a carnival are great ways to increase traffic and exposure to your site.

Please visit the following pages for info on:

• Submissions (for submitting your posts)
  
• Hosting

And please help spread the word about this new carnival. We have created some Carnival Buttons and Banners that you can use on your site.

I look forward to your submissions!

Related posts:

• Pecuniarities is Hosting the Carnival of Pecuniary Delights This Week!
• Finance Blog Carnivals of Late
• Carnival of Pecuniary Delights Giveaways: Cute Piggy Bank Magnet Prizes for Hosting and Submissions
• Pecuniary Links ~ July 2009 #2
• Interesting Reads From Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #19

Thanks to these recent blog carnivals for including my post on Frugal and Meaningful Valentine’s Day Gift & Date Ideas:

• Carnival of Personal Finance 190: Buddy, Can You Spare a Dime?
• Festival of Frugality: Singles Awareness Edition

Related posts:

• Pecuniary Links ~ July 2009 #2
• Pecuniarities is Hosting the Carnival of Pecuniary Delights This Week!
• Interesting Reads From Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #20
• Finance Blog Carnivals of Late
• Wall Street Journal Giveaway Winner and Carnivals of the Week

Welcome to the 188th Carnival of Personal Finance! Our theme for this week’s edition is Jane Austen, as I am a admirer of both her novels and the films based on her novels, which are graced throughout with witty commentary on society — and in particular, money and marriage.

If this is your first time here, please take a look around and consider subscribing to our feed to have new money saving tips delivered to your feed reader of choice or your email inbox. We are also currently holding our first ever giveaway for a free 6-month print subscription to the Wall Street Journal. Please be sure to stop by the contest page and see how you can enter to win.

Single women have a dreadful propensity for being poor – which is one very strong argument in favour of matrimony.

Jane Austen, Letter to Fanny Knight, 13 March 1817 Photo: Anne Hathaway as Jane Austen, Becoming Jane (2007), Miramax

~ Editor’s Picks ~

• Coffee For One presents Paying the Bills
• FruGal presents Joining the gym? Read this first
• Sound Money Matters presents That Makes Me Stabby: Do We Have an Obligation to Spend?
• Beyond Paycheck to Paycheck presents Lessons from Flight 1549
• Free From Broke presents Just Enough Is Not Good Enough
• Pimp Your Finances presents 10 Financial Commandments for Your 20s
• Money Ning presents 50 Ways to Budget Travel and Save Money on Vacations

If the loss of what is most valued is so easily to be made up by something else, your resolution, your self-command, are, perhaps, a little less to be wondered at.

Marianne Dashwood, Sense and Sensibility Photo: Kate Winslet & Emma Thompson, Sense & Sensibility, Sony Pictures

~ New Year’s Resolutions ~

• The Passive Dad presents My Latte Factor In 2008. Automatic Millionaire Goals for 2009
• Destroy Debt presents Did You Give Up On Your New Year’s Resolution Already?
• My Money and My Life presents New year, new goals
• Think Your Way To Wealth presents Tips for Making Your Personal Finance Resolutions Stick- Turn Your Resolutions into Habits

Imprudence or thoughtlessness in money matters would be unpardonable in me.

Jane Bennet, Pride and Prejudice Photo: Rosamund Pike as Jane, Pride & Prejudice (2005), Working Title

~ Frugality ~

• Passive Family Income presents Live Frugal – But in moderation
• Living The Frugal Life presents What Would You Do If You Lost Your Job Today?
• The Paycheck Chronicles presents Space Heaters or Turn Up the Thermostat?
• Getting Rich in Grad School presents 5 reasons why the best financial advice is always free
• The Smarter Wallet presents Buying A Computer? Check Our Computer Shopping Tips First

People always live for ever when there is an annuity to be paid them…. An annuity is a very serious business; it comes over and over every year, and there is no getting rid of it.

Fanny Dashwood (in regards to Mrs Dashwood), Sense and Sensibility Photo: Janet McTeer as Mrs. Dashwood, Sense & Sensibility (2008), BBC Warner

~ Budgeting ~

• Monogamoney presents What’s in my pantry
• Yielding Wealth presents Do You Need a Gatekeeper for Your Personal Finances?
• InsureBlog presents Wallet Biopsy
• About Financial Software Blog presents 8 Tips for Choosing Budgeting Software

And we mean to treat you all, but you must lend us the money, for we have just spent ours at the shop out there.

Lydia Bennet, Pride and Prejudice Photo: Brenda Blethyn, Jena Malone & Carey Mulligan, Pride & Prejudice (2005), Working Title

~ Consumerism & Spending ~

• Not Made of Money presents How Has the Current Economy Changed Your Wants and Needs?
• Budgets are Sexy presents My tipping rule: Everyone gets 20%! Nice and easy…
• Second Child, Last Born presents What Type of Saver/Spender Am I?
• Making My Own Payday presents The Not So Perfect Gift (Card)

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.

Pride and Prejudice Photo: Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy, Pride and Prejudice (1996), BBC/A&E

~ Money Management ~

• FIRE Finance presents Advantages of Online Banking
• Dawn’s Evolution presents 6 lessons in personal finance from my mother
• Prime Time Money presents How to Care {Not Worry} About Your Finances
• The Strump – Financial Blog presents How Detailed Should Your Financial Plan Be
• The Sun’s Financial Diary presents Where Did Our Money Go?
• Your Money Relationship presents Do You Still Balance Your Checkbook? I Sure Don’t!

A single woman, with a very narrow income, must be a ridiculous, disagreeable, old maid! the proper sport of boys and girls; but a single woman, of good fortune, is always respectable, and may be as sensbile and pleasant as anybody else….for a very narrow income has a tendency to contract the mind, and sour the temper.

Emma, Emma Photo: Gwyneth Paltrow as Emma, Emma (1996), Miramax

~ Debt ~

• Managing Money God’s Way presents Debt? What debt?
• Shrinkage is Good presents 5 Steps to Combat Holiday Debts and Ward Off Future Relapses
• Personal Finance Ology presents Understanding Good Debt Vs. Bad Debt
• American Consumer News presents Playing the Credit Card Balance Transfer Game
• Done To Zen presents Credit Cards Suck
• Secrets For Money presents How To Shop For A Legitimate Non Profit Credit Counseling Service

A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of. It certainly may secure all the myrtle and turkey part of it.

Mary Crawford, Mansfield Park Photo: Alessandro Nivola & Embeth Davidtz, Mansfield Park (1999), Miramax

~ Career ~

• Blueprint for Financial Prosperity presents Success Finds Hard Work, Talent & Passion
• Greener Pastures presents The Power of Positive Psychology
• Happiness Is Better presents 6 Reasons Why I Joined Toastmasters
• PennyJobs.com presents 6 Options for Students To Consider with Respect to the Economy

Business, you know, may bring money, but friendship hardly ever does.

John Knightley, Emma Photo: Jeremy Northem as George Knightley, Emma (1996), Miramax

~ Saving & Investing ~

• My Wealth Builder presents Get Higher Interest for Saving – Up to 6%
• Generation X Finance presents How to Roll Over Your 401(k) When You Leave or Lose Your Job
• Four Pillars presents Can You Invest Your House Down Payment In The Stock Market?
• Lazy Man and Money presents Greed or No Greed
• Cash Money Life presents Increased 401k Contribution Limits in 2009
• Dividends4Life presents Dividend Stocks Role In The Future Recovery
• Military Finance Network presents 2009 Thrift Savings Plan Contribution Limits
• The Personal Financier presents Is the Stock Market a Big Ponzi (Madoff) Scheme?
• Stock Trading To Go presents Beginner’s Guide to Currency ETFs

But there are not so many men of large fortune in the world as there are pretty women to deserve them.

Mansfield Park Photo: Bennet family, Pride & Prejudice (2005), Working Title

~ Economy ~

• The Digerati Life presents Studying Business Cycles: Economic Graphs of The Current Economic Cycle
• Amateur Asset Allocator presents Unemployment At Highest Level In 15 years: Or Is It Even Worse?
• The Happy Rock presents [Video]The Government’s Money Hole – Recession, Taxes, and Bailout Commentary
• Personal Finance Analyst presents Can You Really Opt Out of a Recession?
• BankAround presents List of Banks that Took TARP Money

Pray, my dear aunt, what is the difference in matrimonial affairs, between the mercenary and the prudent motive? Where does discretion end, and avarice begin?

Eizabeth Bennet, Pride and Prejudice Photo: Jennifer Ehle as Lizzy, Pride and Prejudice (1996), BBC/A&E

~ Taxes ~

• The Financial Blogger presents How To Withdraw Money From Your Holding Without Paying Taxes – The Split Dollar Strategy
• Personal Finance Reviews presents 2009 Income Tax Brackets
• My Journey to Millions presents Did you Forget your RMD this Year? All may not be lost

After all that romancers may say, there is no doing without money.

Isabella Thorpe, Northanger Abbey Photo: Carey Mulligan as Isabella, Northanger Abbey (2007), WGBH Boston

~ Real Estate & Mortgages ~

• Mighty Bargain Hunter presents Running through payback time on a mortgage refinance
• Stumble Forward presents Mortgage Refinance Tips That Could Save You Thousands
• The Credit Toolbox presents Why Would You Choose A Variable Mortgage Rate?
• Funny About Money presents Can’t Sell the House? Try Swapping
• Debt Free Destiny presents How to Get Ready for Your First Home
• Growing Money presents Rental Property Update December 2008

Money can only give happiness where there is nothing else to give it.

Marianne Dashwood, Sense and Sensibility Photo: Kate Winslet as Marianne, Sense & Sensibility (1995), Sony Pictures

~ Reviews ~

• My Dollar Plan presents Have You Checked out Lending Club?
• The Dough Roller presents How to Buy and Sell Loans on Lending Club’s New Trading Platform
• Christian Debt Help presents Sharebuilder promotion and review

And to marry for money I think the wickedest thing in existence.

Catherine Morland, Northanger Abbey Photo: Felicty Jones as Catherine, Northanger Abbey (2007), WGBH Boston

~ Other ~

• Money Beagle presents Wasting Money on Poorly Timed Traffic Lights
• LivingAlmostLarge presents A difference between rich and poor
• Centsability to Wealth presents Insurance- The Fortress the Protects Your Financial Army
• Steadfast Finances presents When the Expense of Plastic Surgery is Justifiable
• Free Money Finance presents Four More Uses for Gold Dollar Coins

He is rich, to be sure, and you may have more fine clothes and fine carriages than Jane. But will they make you happy?

Mr. Bennet to Lizzy, Pride and Prejudice Photo: Keira Knightley as Lizzy, Pride & Prejudice (2005), Working Title

* * *

This wraps up the Jane Austen Edition of the Carnival of Personal Finance. I hope you enjoyed the pictures and quotes as much as I did putting them together. Again, be sure to enter our giveaway for a free 6-month print subscription to the Wall Street Journal which ends this Saturday, January 24, 2009 at 11:59PM EST! Thanks for stopping by!

A Parting Shot

Photo: Gwyneth Paltrow as Emma, Emma (1996), Miramax

Related posts:

• Friday Fun: Calvin and Hobbes Lemonade Stand Economics Lesson & WSJ Giveaway Reminder
• Interesting Reads From Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #15
• Hosting the 3rd Edition of the Finance Fiesta Blog Carnival
• Recent Blog Carnivals (February 2009)
• Finance Blog Carnivals of Late

I know we have been terribly remiss in posting lately; again, apologies. The Halloween rush is over and we can breathe again (until the Christmas rush starts). To be honest, we were more than a little surprised at the amount of business we received for Halloween considering the current state of the economy. Our sales are nothing compared to other bigger businesses, but still enough to keep the two of us jumping for a few weeks. So, we found it very interesting that there are still people out there who could afford to spend a bit on costumes for their dogs and horses. We’re certainily not complaining, though, and happy for the business.

Recommended Reading

• Almost Frugal has a great post on making your own gift bags which can save you a bundle this Holiday Season.
• The Simple Dollar gives a great guide to winterizing your house.
• Wide Open Wallet reminds us to get our Christmas budgets in place.
• Master Your Card debates the age-old question of Qality vs. Price and shares an example for when the savings definitely aren’t worth the aggravation.
• Girls Just Wanna Have Funds wonders if lower gas prices are somehow tied to the elections.
• Living Almost Large advises to tread carefully when investing in the current economy.
• No Debt Plan suggests patience in your Holiday shopping.

Blog Carnivals

We participated in 2 carnivals within the past week, or would it be more accurate to say we participated in the same carnival two weeks in a row? Either way, we’d like to thank the hosts for including our posts.

• Last week’s Carnival of Personal Finance – Financial Armageddon Edition! was hosted at Master Your Card and included our Tricky Treats for Trick-or-Treaters: Healthy and Useful Alternatives to Halloween Candy.
• This week’s Carnival of Personal Finance No. 177 was hosted by The Sun’s Financial Diary and included our post It Saves to Be Nice Part 1: It’s Business but it’s Also Personal.

That wraps up today’s roundup. Happy reading!

Related posts:

• Interesting Reads from Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers
• Interesting Reads From Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #12
• Interesting Reads from Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #2
• Interesting Reads from Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #3
• Early to Bed and Early to Rise Makes a Man [or Woman] Healthy, Wealthy and Wise

This week’s edition was particularly challenging for me to put together, because to tell the truth, of all the submissions received only 60% made the final cut. Decisions to include and exclude were based on many factors: readability, presentation, relevance, value of information and more. So, a job well done to those who made this week’s edition.

Today’s theme is the poem “Devote Your Life to Money!” by David Kessel. I hope you find it amusing as I did.

Devote Your Life to Money!

Editor’s Picks

• Blueprint for Financial Prosperity presents How To Include A Baby In Your Financial Plans.
• Brunette on a Budget presents Don’t fall for rebate bait.
• Broke Grad Student presents 10 Stupid Ways College Students Waste Money.
• Master Your Card presents Mega Guide: How to Get Out (and stay out) of Credit Card Debt

Oh, money, the life-giving juice of society!
It brings us its blessings of every variety,
It softens the blows that lifetime delivers,
It favors the brave and it crowns achievers.

Saving Methods

• No Debt Plan presents Sticking Our Toes into the CD Laddering Pool.
• The Smarter Wallet presents Ways To Save on Seasonal Purchases: Time To Shop For Halloween!
• Silicon Valley Blogger presents Upromise Survey: Saving For College, Getting Tougher?

It renders us free from oppression by jerks,
From mockings, and putdowns, and scoldings, and smirks.
It lets us buy tickets and travel away
From where we’re not welcome but are forced to just stay.

Debt and Credit

• Money Blue Book presents What Is My Credit Score and How Is My FICO Calculated?
• LAL presents After Debt?
• Ask Mr. Credit Card presents Will Creating A Repayment Plan With Your Credit Card Company Hurt Your Credit Score?

From creditors’ letters and big ugly urbs,
From all that don’t matter, from stuff that disturbs,
To wide sandy beaches and azure blue waters,
Away from the smoke of ten million motors.

Careers

• The Shark Investor presents The Alternatives Of 9 To 5.
• Your Finish Rich Plan presents What To Do If You Think You Can Lose Your Job.

With money it all starts to fall into place-
No longer respect is what you have to chase.
It follows you like an afternoon shadow
Thank money, it makes you a prince from a padow.

Consumerism

• Can I Get Rich on a Salary presents Man Bites Dog — Beats Airline in Dispute Over Canceled Flight!
• Personal Finance Analyst presents Expedia Coupons & Travel Deals.

With money, all people will treat you much better,
As you are no longer society’s debtor.
Sweet smiles on you they will now bestow,
Obsequious looks in their eyes then will glow.

Economics

• The Sun’s Financial Diary presents A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words.
• The Iconoclast Investor presents Fannie, Freddie and America’s Debt.
• Mr. Tough Money Love presents Spenders Get the Gold Mine, Savers Got the Shaft.

And women forgetting your age and your weight,
Your looks and your height and your bald, shining pate,
Will wink and remark how handsome you are
For, in their minds, you are now a star.

Investing

• Sam presents Choosing a Stockbroker.
• Small Business Blog presents Real Estate Investing Startpoints: Negotiation, Legality, and Referrals.
• Green Technology Investor presents Hot Rock – Steady Progress Towards a New Source of Renewable Energy.

Oh, how pathetic society is!
A “Miss” is now where there used to be “Ms.”
For quickly they learned that you’ve got all this dough,
And then they appear from above and below.

Other

• Budgets are Sexy presents Is it bad that i haven’t donated any money in like 5 months?
• The Part-Time Life presents Financial Fitness Group.
• Geezeo presents Money Matters Key to Wedded Bliss? 5 Tips for Happily Ever After.

As long as you’re here on our green Earth,
And want to be living in freedom and mirth,
Devote your existence to dollar and pound
For cash makes the world go smoothly around.

This concludes the 16th Edition of the Finance Fiesta. Next week’s edition will be hosted by Mighty Bargain Hunter. Visit the Finance Fiesta website for submission guidelines.

Technorati tags: finance fiesta, blog carnival

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• Hosting the 16th Finance Fiesta Blog Carnival
• Interesting Reads from Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #8
• August 2008 Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals
• June 2008 Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals

• Budgeting Techniques
• Career Development
• Responsible Use of Credit
• Economics
• Money Management
• Debt Repayment
• Saving Methods

If you are a frugal or personal finance blogger, be sure to submit your best article by Wednesday June 18th, 5:00PM EDT for consideration to be included in this week’s edition.

Please refer to the submission guidelines and submit your articles through this submission form.

Blog readers, be sure to check back this Thursday for recommended reading from the personal finance blogosphere!

Related posts:

• Hosting the 16th Finance Fiesta Blog Carnival
• Pecuniarities is Hosting the Carnival of Pecuniary Delights This Week!
• August 2008 Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals
• June 2008 Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals
• Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals: Week of Unexpected Delays