Squirrelers

Since 2010, sharing my journey to help you squirrel away your money and build net worth!

Updates and Favorites: Job Hunters Edition

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Unemployed Need Not Apply?

I recently read an article on Yahoo! Finance which relayed a growing trend: if you don’t have a job, you may not be considered for an open job.

Basically, the logic is that those who are not employed, having been laid off – for example – they’re not “A” players. If people are unemployed, they’re seen as being expendable. After all, if they were so great, why were they let go before? Clearly, they were replaceable or not necessary, so why should we hire them?

Now, I can understand the logic of this way of thinking. However, I think it’s foolish. These days, people get laid off jobs for all kinds of reasons. There are plenty of very talented people out there that have really good skills and the ability to excel at what they do. Sometimes things are circumstantial for people, and they’re caught up in bigger-picture economic conditions.

If someone is out there looking for work – and I mean ACTIVELY looking for work – they just well might be highly motivated. With bills to pay, and a family to support, people can be driven to do really good things.

I hope this “unemployment discrimination”, so to speak, can eventually be seen as being foolish. Personally, I think it’s great to give people a chance when they’re hungry for the opportunity and need it. There’s good business sense there.

Giveaways

There are just a few days left for the giveaway contest here at Squirrelers. I’m giving away 6 copies of H&R Block’s Premium Edition (Online)!  Hurry, as the giveaway contest ends Monday, February 28.

Also, check out the fantastic giveaway at Budgeting in the Fun Stuff, as Crystal celebrates her blog’s 1 year anniversary.

Blog Carnivals

This week, Squirrelers was included in several carnivals:

  • Squirreling Gone Wild #22: Drive-Thru Discount was included in the Festival of Frugality at Money Crashers, and was bestowed the host’s honor of being the Festival’s Valedictorian (always nice to get such cool feedback!)
  • Time is Money: How Many Hours Did You Work to Buy That? was selected as an Editor’s Pick in the Carnival of Personal Finance, at MoneySmartLife
  • Squirreling Gone Wild #21: Caveat Emptor was included in the Carnival of Money Stories and at Invest It Wisely
  • Who Pays on the First Date: A Financial Lesson Learned was included in the Totally Money Blog Carnival, at Fat Guy Skinny Wallet
  • Snow Insurance? Be Sure to Manage Weather Risks was included in the Cavalcade of Risk at Free Money Finance

Recommended Reading

Here are some articles from the personal finance blogoshphere that caught my eye :

  • Did You Beat the Market, Mr. Market? at Money Cone
  • 9 Sectors, 9 Great Dividend Stock Picks for 2011, at The Dividend Guy
  • Why I’m Getting Out of Debt, at Deliver Away Debt
  • 10 Innovative Ways You Can Invest in Real Estate, at Invest It Wisely
  • 101 Tax Deductions for Bloggers and Freelancers, at Wisebread
  • The 5 Most Financially Dangerous Haters, at You Have More Than You Think
  • Why You Must Start Saving Now!, at Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance
  • Is Your Emergency Fund in Good Shape, at Not Made of Money
  • 10 Things I Want My Kids to Learn About Money Before They’re Adults, at Frugal Dad
  • I Grew Up Poor and Survived, at Yes I am Cheap

 

Updates and Favorites: January Edition

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Below is an update on recent activity related to Squirrelers:

Blog Carnivals

This week, Squirrelers was included in several carnivals:

  • Top 5 Job Search Strategies was included in the Carnival of Personal Finance, at My Personal Finance Journey.
  • Fun Times with Last-Minute FSA Spending was included in the Carnival of Money Stories, at Out of Debt Again
  • Andrew Luck Stays in School: What Would You Have Done? was included in the second edition of the Totally Money Blog Carnival, at Budgeting in the Fun Stuff

Recommended Reading from the Personal Finance Blogosphere

This is a mid-week update, but there has been some really good reading so far this week :

  • What’s the Best Hosting Provider for Bloggers, at Car Negotiation Coach
  • The Second Yakezie Scholarship is Now Live, at Yakezie
  • The Devil and the Simple Pleasures in Life, at Minting Nickels
  • Hoping for Something to Break in Order to Buy Something New, at Financial Samurai
  • Fiverr: Five Dollar Logos, at Buck Inspire
  • Investing vs Gambling: Are You An Investor, Trader or Gambler?, at The Digerati Life
  • The Social Part of Retirement Planning, at First Gen American
  • Why I Think Minimalism is a Good Idea, at PF Firewall
  • 10 Old Wives Tales Masqurading as Rules of Thumb at LenPenzo.com 
  • 5 Eco-Friendly Products for the Smart Saver, at Money Cone
  • Charitable Donations: 10 Ways to Stretch Your Dollar, at Wealth Informatics
  • 20 Financial Milestones for Your 20’s, at Budgeting in the Fun Stuff
  • Buying Dividend Stocks for Christmas Expenses, at Money Reasons
  • A Couple Quotes from Martin Luther King, Jr, at Everyday Tips and Thoughts
  • Swiss Bank Account Owners Handed Over to WikiLeaks, at Consumerism Commentary

 

Updates and Favorites: National Parks Edition

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20 Degrees never seemed better!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! Still cold here. Not much has changed in that regard.  It’s not getting out of the 20’s here in Chicago, and there’s a coating of an inch or so of snow on the ground that’s not leaving anytime soon.

Despite that, I feel great about the conditions here, after a phone call I had this week with a friend of mine from near South Bend, Indiana. That’s a city about 2 hours from the Chicago suburbs, and is best known for being the home of The University of Notre Dame. Well, despite being so close by, they have had drastically different weather conditions. From 1/8 to 1/9, South Bend recorded an offical 38.6 inches of snow.

Yep – just an inch or two here, but over 3 feet of snow just 2 hours away. With 20 degree weather and just a bit of snow instead, Chicago winter weather seems great by comparison!

Before talking to my friend, I had no idea that South Bend got hit so hard. It’s all about lake effect snow, where one side of the lake may get little snow, but the opposite side gets hammered. Such is the case with Lake Michigan in Winter. You can go from calm weather to a blizzard within a minute by driving into lake effect bands.

Taking this a different direction, it’s another example of how when things may seem gloomy for your own situation, be thankful that you’re not in the position of certain others. You may not realize it, but they may be dealing with an avalanche of problems that makes your life look like a picnic.  Just another way of getting at the concept of being thankful for what you have, even if it may not be ideal.

This can apply to personal finance too, where you might not ever know that your neighbor is eyeballs deep in debt while you’re worried about saving more. While you’re worried, the other person would trade place in a second and would be so thankful.

Yes, I must be thinking about personal finance a lot, if I’m finding ways to relate it to weather:)  But think about it…

Free National Park Visits

OK, now that I got done talking about cold, this might not be the time that seems the most interesting to visit many of the great national parks here in the U.S. However, in case you’re interested, they’re free this weekend!

The National Parks Service has announced their list of free admission days to the the parks:

  • January 15-17
  • April 16-24
  • June 21
  • September 24
  • November 11-13

While I won’t be exploring any of the parks nearby this weekend, the other dates provide a chance to go for free! What a nice opportunity to check out some amazing places.

Personally, I’ve been to a number of parks that were amazing. My favorites that I have visited:

  • Yosemite (CA)
  • Zion (UT)
  • Rocky Mountain (CO)
  • Grand Canyon (AZ)
  • Olympic (WA)

I’ve been to others, but these were my favorites. All were a great time, though many years ago. Would love to go back and show kids these wonders.

If I had to pick a new park that I would really like to visit, it would be a tie between Yellowstone and Acadia (Maine). Something about both of those places has always been enticing to me, ever since reading about them as a kid. With warmer weather, I’d love to check one of those two out sometime soon.

What’s been your favorite national park to visit? Which one would you most like to see for the first time?

Blog Carnivals

This week, Squirrelers was included in several carnivals:

Also, Squirrelers had the honor of having a post being named one the “Best Posts of 2010”, at Political Calculations: On the Moneyed Midways. There were 16 posts on this list, and Squirreling Gone Wild #16 – The Crafty Waitress made the cut.

This list closed out a great 5 year run for On the Moneyed Midways, and it was great to be a part of it. What a nice surprise – thank you.

Recommended Reading from the Personal Finance Blogosphere

Here are some articles that caught my eye this week, which I recommend:

  • The Snowball of Savings and Health Benefits From Eliminating Soda/Pop, at Everyday Tips and Thoughts. I can attest to how much better one can feel when going from regular consumption to minimal consumption – or zero, in my case of late.
  • Nature vs. Nurture: How Important are Parents to our Success, at Financial Samurai.  Engaging topic, one that resonates on some level with me as a parent.
  • Free Money Finance: Top 10 Excerpts of 2010., at Free Money Finance.  Solid list that was pulled from all book quotes published on the site from the past year
  • Don’t Get Rich any Slower than You Have To, at Get Rich Slowly.  It’s smart to analyze and evaluate what happened retrospectively, rather than just charging ahead; we can learn from our immediate past.
  • Centavos Portfolio Update and Allocation Strategy, at 101 Centavos. It’s often interesting to read other bloggers talk about their portfolios and financial activity. This one was particularly interesting to me in that it included quite a few penny mining stocks. Not an area I’m particularly experienced with, which is what got my attention here.
  • Waxing, Screaming, and The Bucket List, at Yes I am Cheap. Even though I’ll never really personally “get” the topic at hand (you can read for more details), it still made me laugh.
  • Going Carless: Does it Make Sense, at Invest it Wisely. I can totally see it making sense for some folks, and think it’s a good idea if you can do it. For me: not a chance. I need my car.
  • When Enough Really is Enough, at PF Firewall. Kudos to you, Jesse, for you handled that situation. You did the classy thing by not being an Extractor:)
  • 100 Words on: Why A Penny Saved is More than a Penny Earned, at LenPenzo.com. Who knew 100 words about a penny could be interesting? Ben Frankin might have been really proud of this, Len!
  • 10 Money Quotes Worth Remembering, at Free From Broke. Nice group of quotes, and good responses. Wisdom is a great thing.

Updates and Favorites – 1/8/2011

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What’s “Normal”

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! Here in the Midwest, we’re in the middle of the winter cold. Which I’m cool with, as it’s totally seasonal and not bitterly cold. This time of year, it can get below zero around here, so temps in the 30’s seem just fine for now. Those of you in warmer climates probably think that people in the Midwest, North, or East are all a bit nuts, which may be partially true. It’s just something you get used to.

We all get used to our situations, and it becomes our own version of  “normal”. 30 degrees in January is normal here in Chicago, but it’s crazy for someone in Los Angeles.  I have known some folks that have lived much of their lives in cold weather, then went to warm weather climates, and couldn’t imagine going back. Their version of normal had changed.

Well, even though I’m not moving, I can see the lesson here. With respect to personal finance, our version of normal is often based on what we know and have experienced.  If what you have done to date has not resulted in the kind of financial situation that you are wanting, then it’s time to rethink what “normal” should mean. For some, normal means living paycheck to paycheck and not prioritizing savings. For others, normal might mean saving 30% of income.

As the new year has started, I’m thinking about this topic a bit more.  Sometimes it takes doing things that might not seem normal (there’s that word again!), in order to accomplish things that you haven’t been able to do before.

  • Is normal working at a 9-5 job, saving 10% of income, and hoping for social security – or is it focusing on obtaining multiple streams of income and saving more?
  • Is normal taking out a 30-year mortgage for a home, as many people do, or is it minimizing the mortgage you take on, paying as much as you can in cash, and focusing on being debt-free and financially independent?

Things to ponder as we’re starting a new year…..

Thank You!

I would like to thank everyone for being a part of Squirrelers!  The blog started back in March 2010, but has grown quite a bit in the last 10 months. Hard to imagine that we haven’t even been around for a year yet! As I type this, this is the 141st post, and we’re almost at 1,800 comments.

Anyway, just wanted to say thank you to everyone – whether you’re a subscriber (if not, please do!), commenter, or lurker. We’re only beginning here, and I’m excited to continue discussions with you about personal finance topics in 2011, including some tips as well as good money-related stories which can inform, maybe entertain, and help you squirrel away your money to grow your wealth and live well!

Blog Carnivals

This week, the Squirrelers article 5 Ways to Save Money at Airports was included in the Festival of Frugality, at PTMoney.

Also, I want to pass on that there are two new carnivals that are being launched, both from the Yakezie Network of fantastic blogs:

  • Totally Money Blog Carnival – run by Crystal of Budgeting in The Fun Stuff .
  • Carnival of Seasonal Finance – run by Suba of Wealth Informatics.

Check out these two sites to learn more about the new carnivals that are about to launch. I’m looking forward to seeing them both!

Recommended Reading from the Personal Finance Blogosphere

This year has started out really strong, with a lot of really good articles. Here are 12 that I recommend reading:

  • Intimidated by the Mistakes of the Past, at The Simple Dollar. There is wisdom here that we should all pay attention to, about letting go of things from the past that may be holding us back today. The past is just that, past. We can learn from it, and make our present and future better.
  • A Weight Loss Tip to Die For, at Financial Samurai. Gets you thinking about the relative abundance most of us have compared to many in the world. Let’s be thankful, instead of overindulgent to the point of hurting ourselves!
  • SEP IRA: Have Side Income? Save for Retirement, at Well Heeled Blog. There are other ways to practice tax-deferred savings for retirement than a 401(k), and this option provides some real advantages that might be worth looking into for many.
  • Diagnose Your Financial Health – Do an Annual Wealth Checkup, at Wealth Informatics. This is a very comprehensive look at how one can take stock to determine personal financial fitness.
  • Why Should Successful Corporate Employees Not Start a Side Business?, at Easy Extra Money Online.  Thinking of things in terms of eliminating the middleman (you) and capturing some margin is interesting fodder for those looking for income streams.
  • Setting the Course for the Impossible, at Watson, Inc. Reflective yet inspirational, this is reading that will get you thinking about your goals. I really enjoyed this piece.
  • New Year’s Resolutions – The 5 S’s, at Everyday Tips and Thoughts. This reflects her personal resolutions that are very well stated and can be considered by all, written as part of the “Coffee Talk” blogger writing experiment conducted by First Gen American.
  • My Secrets to Successful New Year’s Resolutions, at Krantcents. Good tips on how to turn your resolutions into success.
  • Truly Inspirational – $600,000 Raised on a Street Corner, at Finance Fox. Touching story about how someone with his own serious disabilities is working hard to help the lives of others.
  • IRA Contribution Limits for Both Roth and Traditional, at KNS Financial. Simple yet timely recap of contribution limits for 2010 and 2011
  • MozRank: Drop that Zero and Get With the Hero, at Buck Inspire. Any post from a personal finance blog that quotes Vanilla Ice is going to get a second look. This one speaks to website ranking issues facing bloggers.
  • Auction Strategies, at 101 Centavos. Have you ever participated in an auction? I have not, which made this piece quite interesting to read.

Expecting the Unexpected, plus Favorites from the PF Blogosphere

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Expecting the Unexpected

Many of us, myself included in this group, tend to keep our eyes on the big picture. Which is good, because it’s in our best interest to have a sense of purpose, work toward goals, and be able to discern what’s truly important and what isn’t.

Sometimes, a part of this big picture is what like to think of as “Expecting the Unexpected”. Now, sometimes the unexpected can be great. For example: a promotion that comes out of nowhere, winning a contest, or even finding out that the great looking person in accounting is interested in you:) Other times, however, the unexpected can be not so great…and not necessarily fair either. But things happen.

A recent article in The Wall Street Journal described the story about how a woman was unable to refinance her home due to an erroneous medical bill being sent to collections. Basically, she had been mistakenly billed with two $11 charges by her doctor’s office. The bills went to collections, her credit score plummeted from 757 to 680, and she was told that she would have to pay sky high closing costs for the refinancing deal she hoped to complete.

According to the article, she has since disputed the charges, and they will be gone from her report in 30 days. However, if interest rates go up, she could have missed out on an opportunity.

Another situation, this one relayed to me by a friend, illustrates how unexpected situations can arise.  The friend and his colleague were on a business trip, and rented a car to get to their hotel late at night. They tried to get onto a toll road, and found that there were lanes for a) drivers with a toll road transponder, and b) drivers who had to pay cash.

They were from out of town, so naturally they didn’t have a transponder. So, they went to the lane for drivers with cash. The only problem was that there was nobody in the booth! So, not knowing what to do, and with no way to turn around, they drove past the booth. Just as they passed the booth, they were stopped by a cop. The way the story went, the guy pulled them over for not paying. Naturally, the driver pleaded his case, saying they were from out of town and were provided no options to pay.  Apparently, from what I was told, the guy let them off after they pleaded their case.

Still, the whole thing wasn’t fair, right? Who could expect to have something like that happen?

Well, things do happen.

Ultimately, this is an example of how things aren’t always fair, but we have to deal with them. Sure, we can try to rectify injustices, as how the lady in the aforementioned article did.  If we’re truly not at fault, we should get things corrected. Sure, not always without big hassles, but through perseverance and a clear mind and perspective, problems can be resolved and/or minimized.

An example of how somebody was not able to expect the unexpected is the Ryanair  passenger who lost out on a lottery winning of 10,000 euros. This story  from the Telegraph highlights how the passenger won a scratch-off card game, and expected that he would be able to collect his winnings on the spot. When told that he wouldn’t be paid immediately, and had to collect the money from the company running the competition, he lost it. Apparently, in anger, he ate the winning ticket!

He wasn’t able to handle the unexpected, and it cost him.

My takeaway from these stories: Expect the unexpected, and realize that things will happen to us that might be unfair. These events might require us to fight to get our money, and sometimes we might not succeed. If that happens, move on.  But if we aren’t able to deal with these realities….we have the Ryanair passenger to serve as an example of where that can lead us:)

Have you ever experienced any such situations? What was your approach to handling them?

Giveaways and Scholarships

  • Invest It Wisely is holding a “Skinny Christmas” giveaway. Numerous copies of books in the “Skinny on” series will be given away, covering credit cards, real estate, and creativity.
  • Happy Heart and Mind, a blog I recently discovered, is giving away a free copy of her E-Book: “Meaningful Celebration”.
  • Yakezie, as many of you might know,  is currently publishing essays from applicants for the first monthly scholarship. Check out the site to see program rules.

Recommended Reading from the Personal Finance Blogosphere

There were some really good articles this week around the personal finance blogosphere.  Here are 10 that particularly caught my eye:

  • Christmas Experiences During the Great Depression, at Money Reasons. This is a neat story about family and being thankful for what we have.
  • Beware the PayPal Email Scam, at Everyday Tips and Thoughts. Good reminder to be careful!
  • How I Make Money Blogging, at Budgeting in the Fun Stuff. It’s neat to see how a successful blog does it, and Crystal has impressed me with her accomplishments.
  • Restaurant Gift Cards – Holiday Promotions, a Comprehensive List, at Wealth Informatics. This is a really good list of opportunities to save, and I have to say that I’ve actually used her tactics as well.
  • 20 Ways You can Save Money on Gas, at My Personal Finance Journey.  Check it out, it’s a comprehensive list, and besides – who doesn’t want to save money on gas?
  • The Gap, at Free Money Finance. Simple, concise, and echoes what I advocate here.
  • The Characteristics of a Successful Entrepreneur, at Pop Economics. This piece highlights the commonalities that successful entrepreneurs have, some of which are counter to popular myths
  • Will Your Legacy Be More Than Money?, at Money Ning. One can leave money to future generations, but it’s important to focus on making sure memories and lessons get passed on as well.
  • Financial Areas of Improvement, at The Wealth Artisan. Good reminder to take stock and evaluate how you’re doing things, and I also like the line “your finances should overflow”!
  • My Life Without Christmas, at Aloysa’s Kitchen Sink. It’s interesting how Christmas can be approached very differently depending on where one lives, and this post brings that idea to life with a first hand account.

Giveaway Contest, Favorites, and Scholarship News

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In case you missed it, the Squirrelers Thanksgiving Giveway Contest was announced on Monday, 11/8.  Since it went live, it has grown to over $400 in total prizes!

To enter, go the announcement post here, review the contest rules, and fill out the entry form toward the bottom of the page. Please note you can receive additional entries by subscribing to Squirrelers via email, following Squirrelers on Twitter, or making comments on different posts in the blog.  See rules for details.

The top prize is a $100 gift card to Amazon.com. There are some other great prizes as well, ranging from gift cards to books. So, head on over to the announcement page, and join the fun!

Favorites from the Personal Finance Blogosphere

This week, I’d like to focus on the generous prize sponsors who helped contribute to the giveaway. Rather than go through articles as I usually do, and originally planned to do, I’ll instead provide links below to to these fantastic sponsors. Their sites are this week’s “Favorites” 🙂

Please check them out!

  • Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance
  • Budgeting In The Fun Stuff
  • Control Your Cash
  • Couple Money
  • Doug Warshauer
  • Everyday Tips and Thoughts
  • Invest It Wisely
  • KNS Financial
  • Maximizing Money
  • Money Crashers
  • Mr. Rebates
  • Out of Debt Again
  • PF Firewall
  • Wealth Informatics
  • Young and Thrifty

Yakezie Scholarship

As a proud member of the Yakezie network, I also encourage everyone to check out some of the great things happening there. Just this week, the Yakezie Scholarship officially launched – read about it here. It’s great to see this transpire, as it’s a really cool way to give back and help a lucky recipient achieve his or her dreams!

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

“What’s In a Name?”, plus Updates and Favorites

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As a blog owner, I have been called many names – by both my readers, as well as on other blogs, when making comments.  Don’t worry, none of them have been bad! What I mean is, I have been addressed by different variations on my blog’s name:

  • Squirrel
  • Squirreler
  • Squirreling
  • The Wise Squirrel
  • Mr Squirrel
  • Sir Squirrel

Personally, I got a kick out of Sir Squirrel 🙂

Anyway, it begs the question: How did I come up with the name “Squirrelers”?

The Answer: I got the name from the concept of “squirreling away” money.

It has always been a saying that amused me, for whatever reason. Even though I thought it was a funny term, it did represent a part of my belief system with personal finance: saving money. It just seemed like a good fit. The final decision for me came as I was set to launch a blog, and I happened to see a busy squirrel as I glanced out the window. I paused for a second, and thought that it’s meant to be….and Squirrelers it was!

And then, the blog was born.

My questions for you:

  1. If you’re a blog owner, how did you decide upon the name of your blog? Did the name just come to you one day? Or, did you spend time researching possibilities?
  2. For everyone – what blog or website carries a name that strikes you as being memorable? It could be because it’s cool, funny, or just flat out wacky.

As you ponder those questions, here are my updates and favorites for the week:

Upcoming Announcement

Stay tuned for an announcement about something new here at Squirrelers. It’s currently in the works….

Squirrelers in Blog Carnivals

This week, Squirrelers was included in the following carnivals:

New Website to Check Out

A new website called Pregnancy Pool has recently been launched. It’s from a fellow Yakezie network member who’s the same guy running My Journey to Millions. Very cool concept, in my opinion. I would have passed this on to family and friends with the birth of my kids, had this site been launched a few years back. Anyway, I think this is pretty cool, and suspect that it has a shot at succeeding. I’ll be following it, and will be passing it on to any fun people that are expecting.

Favorites from the Personal Finance Blogosphere

If you have time for some weekend reading, I suggest checking out these interesting articles:

  • Early Retirement Portfolios at Early Retirement Extreme
  • Tech to Keep Track of Your Kids at CNN Money
  • Financial Planning Days – My Experience and Observations at Wealth Informatics
  • How to Scout Real Estate in Space at Invest With Passion
  • Would You Pay for an Extravagant Wedding? at Everyday Tips and Thoughts
  • Why Gorillas Don’t Have 401(k) Plans at First Gen American
  • The Comfortable Lifestyle Business or The Big Payout? at Financial Samurai
  • His Wallet is Empty but What About His Head? at The Kitchen Sink
  • Eight Win-Win tips for Boomerang Kids and their Parents at Personal Finance By The Book
  • Improve Economics and Help Feed the Poor at the Same Time at Invest It Wisely
  • Long-Term Care Insurance: Are Seniors the Only Ones Who  Need It? at Christian PF
  • Take a Personal Day to Fix Your Finances at Smart on Money

Updates and Favorites – September 25, 2010

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Hello Everyone! Thank you very much for being a part of Squirrelers, and contributing to the growing readership. I appreciate your continued interest as we grow, whether you’re commenting, reading, lurking, or stopping by for the first time.

I often say this, but if you have any feedback or comments on things you particularly like, would like to see more of, or would like changed, please feel fee to reach out to me via the contact form. Also, I’m open to guest posts here, so please feel free to get in touch if you would like to contribute in that way.

So, with that opening, here are my updates and favorites:

Personal Finance Blog Giveaways

There are some nice giveaways being held at several really good personal finance blogs:

  • Couple Money is holding a 1st anniversary laptop giveway (it’s almost over – get there by September 26)
  • Out of Debt Again is holding a 3rd “Blogoversary” giveaway (better hurry, ends September 27)
  • Invest It Wisely is holding a 6 month giveaway contest (ends September 29)

Squirrelers in Blog Carnivals

This week, Squirrelers was included in the following carnival:

  • What Kind of Car Should a Teenager Be Driving? was included in the Festival of Frugality #248 at Watson Inc.

Favorites from the Personal Finance Blogosphere

Below are a variety of articles that caught my eye this week. If you have some time, give them a read!

  • In the Trenches – A Reader’s Story, at In the Trenches (Guest post by Practical Parsimony)
  • The Educated Indentured Servant, at Generation X Finance (Guest post by Roshawn Watson)
  • 10 Ways to Budget and Spend Less than you Earn, at Maximizing Money
  • Take this House and Shove It, at Wealth Informatics
  • Going Too Far to Save Money, at Budgeting in the Fun Stuff
  • 21 Reasons Why Corner Lots are for Suckers, at Len Penzo
  • What Will Happen When Kids Have to Live in the Real World, at Everyday Thoughts and Tips
  • How to Prepare for a Financial Hardship Before it Happens, at Redeeming Riches
  • Public Safety, or Public Revenue, at Invest it Wisely
  • Financial to a Fault, at Punch Debt in the Face
  • A Solid Retirement Planning Checklist for Your Mid 30’s to 40’s, at One Money Design
  • Sacrifices to Get Ahead, at First Gen American
  • Compare Traditional and Roth IRA, at Cash Money Life

Updates and Favorites – Sept 10, 2010

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Hello Everyone! Thank you very much for being a part of Squirrelers, and contributing to the growing readership. I appreciate your continued interest as we grow, whether you’re commenting, reading, lurking, or stopping by for the first time.

Along those lines, if you have any feedback or comments on things you particularly like, would like to see more of, or would like changed, please feel fee to reach out to me via the contact form. Also, I’m open to guest posts here, so please feel free to get in touch if you would like to contribute in that way.

With that said, I have some updates and favorites to share with you:

Yakezie Member Post

This week, I had the opportunity to have the Squirrelers “Yakezie Member Post” published at Yakezie.com. Check it out to learn a bit more about the guy who’s behind Squirrelers, and how the blog got started.

Poll Results

I recently ran a poll on Squirrelers where I asked the question “What Percentage of Your Total Income Do You Save?” A total of 41 people decided to answer the question, choosing one of five possible answers. Here are the results:

30% or more: 14

20% to 29%: 9

10% to 19%: 8

0% to 9%: 8

I spend more than I save:  2

Although the sample size is very low relative to the number of visitors to Squirrelers, it appears that many readers tend to be able to “squirrel away” their money. I’m glad to see that, and hope that everyone is doing the best they can with what they have!

Squirrelers in Carnivals and Roundups

This week, Squirrelers was included in the following carnivals and roundups:

Favorites from the Personal Finance Blogosphere

Below are a variety of articles that caught my eye this week. If you have some time, give them a read!

  • The Power of Asking, at Canadian Finance Blog
  • 10 Steps to Sell Your Car on Craigslist, at Budgeting in the Fun Stuff
  • Save Your Wallet with these Penny Hacks, at FIRE Finance
  • How to Pick a Mutual Fund -Type, part of a series at Hope to Prosper
  • 10 Tips for Buying a New Home, at Everyday Tips and Thoughts
  • Durable Things I Love, at First Gen American
  • Coupons for Lottery Tickets – Seriously? , at Provident Planning
  • Will the Fed Save the Day? , at Balance Junkie
  • 10 Signs You’re Not Prepared for Retirement, at Little House

Have a great weekend!