I had a great day grilling out and swimming in the pool yesterday. My goodness, though, the firecrackers were still going off at 3:30 in the morning, so it unfortunately interfered with my sleep a little more than I’d have liked. We’re spending the day relaxing to make up for it.

As long as I’m just hanging out, I figured I’d share some great posts from the week.

From the Pecuniary Associates:

Megan at Counting my Pennies wrote about how she deals with rude questions from unfrugal folks. I hate when people try to justify their poor spending habits by judging me for my smart ones.

Pecuniarities reminds us to focus on the reasons we choose to live frugally instead of obsessing about our methods.

Financial Nut is just returning from a posting hiatus, so I’m sharing something from his archives: how to prepare for job hunting right now.

And from around the blogosphere:

My Two Dollars shares some helpful information about how to fix a mistake on your credit report. You should be checking every year!

Almost Frugal offers a psychological analysis of why carrying big bills can make you spend less. This is absolutely the case for us as we’re experimenting with cash budgeting. I try to keep our money in the largest bills possible to avoid the “denomination effect.” Very interesting post.

I hope you’re all enjoying the end of your holiday weekend!

It’s been a really sad week for celebrities. My thoughts are with the families of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, and Michael Jackson. :(

But on a personal note, I do have some good news! After six months of dieting and exercising with no results, I’m finally losing weight! I’ve officially lost 6 of the 14 pounds I’m trying to lose. Woo hoo! I think the weight loss is due to a number of factors, including cutting bread, pasta, and potatoes out of my diet and increasing my activity levels. I hope I can keep it up and lose these last 8 pounds!

And now on to best posts from the blogosphere this week:

• Budgets are Sexy says you should live like you’re broke. Great advice!
• Get Rich Slowly offers the first three steps to financial freedom for people who are just getting started.
• Free from Broke shares some of the benefits of AAA. All of the discounts plus roadside assistance is more than worth what we pay for membership (only $25 a year!)
• Cash Money Life has some tips for what to do when leaving your job.
• Money Ning offers a comprehensive list of ways to save money every money.
• Sense to Save has noticed that frugality is trendy. I agree, and I love it!

That’s all from me for the week. Have a great weekend and a happy Friday!

Week one of our no spend summer is almost over, and it’s been a success! We’re ending the week with $18 left, and we haven’t used our debit cards once. The success of our first week is definitely motivating. Hopefully we’ll be able to keep this motivation going.

We’re planning on taking it easy this weekend. We haven’t decided what we’ll do for our Saturday date night, but we’re leaning toward another matinee. What are you doing this weekend? :)

There were a lot of great posts in the frugal blogosphere this week. Seems like everyone is extra motivated now that summer is here. Here are some of my favorites:

• Get Rich Slowly has a great post on getting started with frugality.
• Almost Frugal reminds us why it’s important to spend a little money on yourself — as long as it’s the exception, and not the rule.
• BeCentsAble shares some great tips for saving on pet food.
• Bargaineering shares the latest information on credit card foreign transaction fees. As much as I hate to say it, we’ll probably end up opening a Capital One card before our trip to Europe just to save on transaction fees!
• The Simple Dollar crunched some numbers to find out if renting a car is worth it for a long trip. This is a good reminder of the importance of factoring in all your expenses and doing the math before making a decision. Sometimes the most frugal way isn’t the most obvious.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Happy Friday!

Our no spend summer begins tomorrow, and I have to admit I’m a little nervous. Tomorrow we’ll withdraw $90 from our bank account for the first time, and that will be our only spending money for the entire week. It seems like a lot of money, and yet I already know exactly how it will be spent.

When I think about changing our lifestyle so drastically for a whole three months, I feel a little overwhelmed. But then I remind myself of the benefits, and I know it will be totally worth it. I’m excited about the challenge! I know that looking at our budget every month and knowing we’re not going over will be a huge encouragement.

And now for a round up:

• Small Notebook, whose “no spend month” inspired me to try a limited cash budget myself, answers some questions about how she manages to buy healthy foods without going over budget during her no spend challenge.
• Free From Broke writes about how your emergency fund can help you save on car insurance. If you “self insure” with a healthy savings account, you can afford higher deductibles in the event of an accident, which means lower premiums.
• At Wisebread, you can read about a restaurant/non-profit where people pay only what they can afford for meals (So All May Eat Café (SAME Café).
• Green Baby Guide offers some tips on saving money by not wasting food.
• Pecuniarities reminds us that sometimes getting out of late fees is as easy as asking. It never hurts to ask!

That’s all I’ve got for the week. Happy Friday and have a great weekend!

It’s finally Friday, and I’m looking forward to a long weekend!

This weekend we’re celebrating our 1st wedding anniversary in Charleston, South Carolina. It’s going to be a very frugal trip, and I’ll be sharing the details with you on the trip when we return. :)

But now a round up!

• The Simple Dollar shares the advantages of spending less. My favorite: saving money is tax free!
• Northern Cheapskate wrote a great series on budgeting basics. Whether you’re budgeting for the first time or just updating your system, Christina’s tips are a great place to start!
• At Sense to Save, Kacie recommends breaking your goals into chunks to make them less overwhelming.
• Megan at Counting my Pennies asks is it worth the time? Frugal people are often willing to go to great lengths to save just a little money. It’s helpful to put things into perspective sometimes! (I’d say most of the time, it’s worth it. Every little bit counts!)
• Pecuniarities explored the science behind saving money with a two-part series on using thermodynamics to keep your home cool by limiting heat sources and creating a simple frugal cooling system.

I’m heading out of town, but I’m working on scheduling posts for my brief absence. Happy Friday, and enjoy the long weekend!

This Sunday is Mothers Day, and I get to spend it with my mom for the first time in a long time. My parents are coming into town to visit us tomorrow! To celebrate, we’re cooking her lobster for dinner (as frugally as possible).

Because I’ll be spending some much needed quality time with my parents, it will probably be quiet here until at least Monday. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Tell your mom how much you love her, and if you are a mom, take it easy! Sunday is your day. :)

Here are some posts that caught my attention this week:

• Bargaineering offers 5 reasons to go paperless. It’s not just good for the planet, but also good for organization. Electronic files are easier to organize, and take up less space in your home!
• Free From Broke wants you to celebrate Mother’s Day frugally. You don’t have to spend a ton of money to show your mom what she means to you.
• The Beautiful Thrifty Life says cleaning your home is the easiest, least expensive way to give your space a lift.
• Mrs. Micah warns doing what you love won’t make you rich. I’d rather be happy than rich, though.
• Almost Frugal shares five life-changing benefits of frugal living. Frugality benefits so much more than your bottom line.

And from the Pecuniary Associates:

• Pecuniarities announced the launch of a new frugal cooking blog, Frugaltroph. The first recipe is homemade pasta. Yum!
• Counting My Pennies is checking out grocery delivery services. Delivery is pricey, but the website might help with menu planning!
• Financial Nut shares a breakdown of the self-employed pension IRA for small business owners who want to set up a retirement nest egg.
• Greener Pastures explains why alternative energy stocks are on the rise. It’s about time!

I’m off to finish preparing for my visitors this weekend. Hope you all have a wonderful, relaxing Mothers Day!

There really is nothing like spring in this part of the country. It’s been sunny and 75 degrees all week, and the weekend promises more sunshine and warm weather. I’m craving sunlight, so we’ll probably try to get out as much as we can this weekend.

One of my Earth Day resolutions was to buy more local produce from our farmer’s market, so my plan is to get up early Saturday morning and head downtown with a little cash so we can pick up some fresh fruit and vegetables from local growers.

Here are my favorite posts from the blogosphere:

• Sense to Save is crunching the numbers to see if she can afford to buy a house this year. How exciting!
• Simple Dollar offers 9 ways to save money right now without leaving your desk.
• Simple Mom shares 40 tips for going green besides recycling.
• Cash Money Life tells us how to do a financial check up.
• Small Notebook offers some tips for decluttering your home. I’ve been putting it off for too long, but now that it’s spring it’s time for me to do some serious decluttering.

And from the Pecuniary Associates:

• Pecuniarities made the decision to turn away a customer from her business. It may seem counterproductive, but sometimes refusing a customer is the best decision for a business.
• Financial Nut explains the pros and cons of a Roth IRA. Tony and I just started saving for retirement this year, and we made the decision to invest in a Roth IRA. It’s good to keep the cons in mind.
• Greener Pastures is investing in heirloom tomato plants so she can enjoy the taste of real tomatoes this summer.
• Counting My Pennies is fighting to avoid lifestyle inflation. My biggest fear is that our spending will grow with our income. The easiest way to fight it? Save extra income, don’t spend it. (Easier said than done.)

Happy Friday!

Welcome to the fourth edition of the Carnival of Pecuniary Delights! I’m excited to be hosting this week! Thank you to everyone for submitting such great posts.

Yesterday we celebrated all things Earth and green living, so I thought it would be appropriate to extend the celebration one more day by featuring some beautiful photos of the planet in this week’s Carnival. Here we go!

Editor’s Picks

Simplified Financial Lifestyle shares the basic list of financial habits you must break. If you’re just getting started in the frugal/personal finance world, these are some of the most common habits that you should work on tackling first.

Good Financial Cents shares some tips for managing money while deployed. Saving money during a deployment sounds like a fantastic way to make the most of a difficult situation.

Momma’s Blog offers some great ideas for work at home jobs. Whether you’re a stay at home mom or job hunting after a layoff, these are some good options for bringing in a little extra income.

M is for Money offers a simple guide for investing without a lot of money. You don’t need a lot of money to invest if you do it the right way.

Personal Finance

Budgets are Sexy gives his take on some of the top personal finance magazines.

Greener Pastures discusses money and kids from a lighter perspective with her humorous post on tooth fairy inflation. When I was a kid, teeth were worth a dollar. They’ve doubled in value since then!

Financial Highway offers a reminder of the importance of life insurance in financial planning even for the young and healthy, and a simple guide for getting the right coverage.

6Bubbles takes a look at the difference between strategy & tactics in personal finance. Coming up with a game plan is always the first step to saving money, getting out of debt, or planning your financial future.

Prime Time Money discusses the idea of “bad financial products.” Education is the best way to keep yourself out of a bad financial situation.

Tough Money Love weighs the options for how to respond if a family member asks for a loan.

Bible Money Matters reminds us of the importance of health insurance even if you’re healthy. We lived without health coverage for 8 months, and I shudder to think what could have happened. We’ll never go without it again!

Spiffy Links suggests a financial mission statement to help you get on track and plan your finances.

Kids & Money at About.com has some great ideas for summer jobs for kids. Now is the best time for your kids to start saving for college and beyond. I wish I had taken advantage of my rent-free summers to save more!

Money Young offers tips for buying your first car. It’s tempting to get something flashy, but keep in mind that 5 years is a long time when you’re making high loan payments.

Personal Finance Journey

Domestic Cents shares her financial story. She’s just beginning her personal finance journey, but the biggest steps are the first ones.

Taking Charge is celebrating her first year of living frugally. Congratulations to her!

Money Management

The Happy Rock asks: can you earn the right to stop budgeting? Should budgeting end when you’re out of debt, or is that a recipe for disaster?

Personal Finance Software Reviews offers a review of the BudgetMap software, new budgeting software that functions like a high-tech checkbook.

The Digerati Life compares the pros and cons of different banking options. Keeping your money safe and sound is more important than ever, and these are all practical, safe options. This thorough breakdown will help you determine the right option for you.

Fiscal Fizzle suggests a cash-only diet to plug the leaks in your spending.

Frugal Living

Check out my friends, Silk Plants Direct, for fake palm trees* to create a tropical ambiance in your home or office!

Pay Less for Food shares baby steps for reducing grocery costs.

Man vs. Debt suggests tapping your social networks to buy and sell used items. You never know what your neighbor may need (or what they don’t need that they might be willing to sell for cheap!)

Do You Dave Ramsey? discusses the ultimate get-out-of-debt car — an old beater with lots of personality and no payments.

Free Money Finance says you don’t have to save every penny.

Christian Personal Finance offers a guide to selling on eBay.

Blessings in Bargains shares her simple reasons why she doesn’t buy many toys for her kids. Kids learn high expectations for toys and gifts. If they’re never given the opportunity, they’ll always be happy with less.

Hundred Goals urges you to stop being a slave to spending and debt and break free.

Frugal Luxury deconstructs the contents of a frugal freezer.

Turbo Tax offers an educational learning community where you can get informed and share with tax experts, so when it’s time to file your tax return again, you will be savvy to numerous deductions and tips that can save you serious dollars throughout the year.

Debt & Credit

Passive Family Income warns of hidden fees on credit cards. He was paying every month for a service he didn’t need. Have you checked your statements for hidden charges?

Paycheck Chronicles makes the case for separate credits for spouses. I think it’s important for spouses to build separate credit histories to build on their credit history together.

Debt Free Adventure shares a formula for determining the real value cost of your debt by calculating interest payments.

Canadian Finance offers tips for building credit or restoring your credit history after mistakes. A good credit score is crucial in this economy.

Investing

FIRE Finance explains the Rule of 72 for investing. It’s a simple concept that can make smart investing a lot easier.

My Dollar Plan offers the 2009 Roth IRA and Roth 401k limits for those of you who want to get an early start on your retirement investing for the year.

The Smarter Wallet shares a handy tool for charting the stock market for smarter investing.

Go To Retirement explains how to use a health savings account for tax-free retirement investing.

Economy

Bargaineering offers a rundown of the Making Home Affordable Mortgage Refinance & Modification Program. A must read if you’re upside down in your mortgage and looking to refinance.

*This link is an advertisement.