Squirrelers

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

Visiting National Parks For Free

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Over the years, I had the good fortune to visit some cool places.  I’ve talked before about my travels, but one aspect I haven’t gone into is the idea of visiting national parks.  Now is the time, since there are apparently opportunities to visit national parks for free!

Per the National Park Service site, there were a series of free entrance days scheduled at a large variety of parks throughout the country.  You may want to visit the site for specifics, but there are 3 time periods left in 2013 as of this writing:

  • August 25
  • September 28
  • November 9-11

Of course, I have to admit that the word “free” has a way of piquing the interest of people like me.  However, I think that’s really icing on the cake when it comes to many of these parks.  The majestic beauty and scenic wonders of some of these parks can be remarkable.  Equally remarkable is the value that comes from a visit to many of these.  For example, entrance to Yosemite is listed at $20 per car.  Not bad, even if free would naturally be better!

This gets me thinking about a few of the parks that I’ve visited in the past.  There has been 2 aspects of those visits that made them so worthwhile.  One is the amazing scenic outdoor experiences to which I alluded earlier, and the other is the memories that were made visiting with the people who accompanied me on these trips.  It’s most memorable with family.

The parks I especially enjoyed were:

  • Grand Canyon (Arizona)
  • Zion (Utah)
  • Olympic (Washington)
  • Yosemite (California)
  • Rocky Mountain (Colorado)

The Grand Canyon was amazing in terms of how expansive it was and how deep it was.  Zion is an underrated park just hours from Las Vegas, and a totally different world with mountains, canyons, and other wonders.  Olympic has a temperate rain forest that’s incredibly dense, and you can walk through it then all of a sudden find yourself seeing sunlight and the ocean shore in front of you.  Yosemite is famous for a variety of attractions, while Rocky Mountain has beautiful mountains, lakes, and wildlife.

Which parks would I like to see?  Here are a few that come to mind:

  • Yellowstone (Wyoming)
  • Glacier (Montana)
  • Carlsbad Caverns (New Mexico)
  • Redwood (California)
  • Acadia (Maine)

Of these, Yellowstone is probably the one that I’d most like to see. I recall being fascinated, as a kid, by reading about the park’s geysers, waterfalls, and other wonders.

To me, national parks evoke fun memories, especially of being a kid.  Getting older, having much more of an appreciation of nature, I think these make great vacation destinations, particularly for families or those who are inclined to the outdoors.  It’s even better when free!

My Questions for You

Have you visited any national parks?

If so, which ones did you like and why? Any specific recommendations?

Are there any parks that you would like to visit someday?

If You Enjoy Airline Fees, There is a New One For You!

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In recent days, it has been widely reported that Southwest has now added a new potential fee for customers.  Yes, we have another air_travelairline fee that jumps out as being kind of interesting!

From what has been reported on various other sites, the fee is regarding early boarding privileges.  A passenger can be assured to be one of the first 15 to board, an incredibly grand privilege indeed, for the “bargain” price of just $40.  I know, I know….you’re so excited that you simply can’t wait to book a flight and get to be one of the first 15 on board!  Just know that it’s reported to be only if space is available, and can be done up to 45 minutes before boarding.

It’s getting comical how these fees are being tacked on for air travelers.  Back in the day, it was just a matter of paying your airfare and being done with it, for the most part anyway.  Actually, the whole air travel experience was apparently a big deal at one point.  People made it a point to dress up a bit, and it was a real special occasion to fly.  Meals were served to everyone too!

Now, if you want a real meal, maybe think about flying first class.  Or, settle for that snack box for which you’ll be paying more than just a couple of dollars.  If you want to watch the in-flight movie or listen to music, you might have to pay up.  Actually, depending on the airline, you may have to for such things as bottled water, a blanket, a pillow, or the right to choose your seat.  It’s not unheard of to have to pay to be able to store a bag in the overhead compartment.

All of this doesn’t even include the hefty fees now in place for checking bags.  This certainly wasn’t that case not too many years ago!  I do have to say, I have inadvertently circumvented this once before, and managed to avoid airline baggage fees without even trying or intending to do so!

Anyway, at this point, airline travel is getting quite expensive.  I have really, really enjoyed traveling in the past – and flying has been a lot of fun.  I’ve traveled more than a bit, as mentioned here a few times.  47 states, plus internationally to Europe, Asia, Caribbean, etc.  But as fun as it is has been, all of these fees are adding up to make flying less of a bargain than it might have been in the past.  Not that I have time to do much traveling anymore, but even if I did, it’s getting pricey!

Might as well just not worry about it, and instead just get a good laugh at the newest attempts at revenue generation by the various airlines in business today.  After the aforementioned trips to Europe, and being faced with paying for water at restaurants and paying to use restrooms, I now keep an open mind to such revenue generation attempts by businesses.  At least air travel is optional in life, unlike the things I just mentioned having to pay for!

With all this said, I’m curious of your views on this.

Would you pay $40 in order to be one of the first to board the plane?

What do you think of all of these airline fees that have been added, and which ones are the silliest to you?

Have increased costs impacted the amount of air travel that you do? 

 

Reader Comments on The Value of Traveling

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A few days ago, I posted my thoughts on why traveling is overrated (as well as location independence), particularly from a financial point of view.  My premise is that what comes down to it, traveling is another form of entertainment. When people spend money they don’t have in order to travel, yet view it as some type of more “acceptable” big expense than other forms of entertainment, it’s a waste.  Additionally, people that spend large sums of money to travel to far flung places, and do so even partially in order to compete with others and have bragging rights, it’s downright silly.  I said this from the perspective of one who has traveled a decent amount.

Well, not long after posting that article, I got an email from a reader with his own persepctive. I was glad to get the email, and with his permission, I’m sharing it here:

Hello,

I usually (often) agree with you, but today, I believe you are way off the mark with travel.

If the context is showing off, keeping up with others, spending beyond one’s ability/budget, status, or so-called entertainment, I can accept your hypothesis,  but I strongly believe in travel for the following reasons (and many more): it is a potential source of personal growth & learning in history, art, culture,geography, personal independence, self awareness, adaptation, appreciation of others, intercultural relationships, getting out of one’s “comfort zone”, budgeting/financial management, challenging one’s perceptions of self,  home & the world, new areas of literature, new places to discover cuisines, etc. Of course, all the above do not apply if one goes on a “bubble vacation” with no interaction with people one visits.

Given the effort to travel today, and in spite of it, the rewards are potentially huge. An amazing return on investment!

This response got me thinking: even if one views travel as more than entertainment, and actually as a source of personal growth, is it worth potentially large expenses?  In other words, is traveling legitimate form of investment and/or education for some people?

What do you think of the reader’s comments?

What are your thoughts surrounding the idea of spending money on traveling for the purposes of personal growth?

Can you view travel as something that provides a return on investment, that might not be financially quantifiable but still well worth potentially large expense?

 

Traveling and Location Independence are Overrated

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Do you like to travel? Do you get enjoyment out of seeing different places, visiting different landmarks and cities, and simply exploring the world?

Join the club.

I’m one of those people. I’ve been to 47 of the 50 states (Alaska, Hawaii, Maine are the missing 3, in case you’re wondering), and have been to every major city in the U.S. Well, I don’t think I’ve visited Memphis, TN – but aside from that city by the Mississippi River, I’ve been to every other major one.

Canada? Been to 6 provinces.

Outside of North America? Been to Europe and Asia (including both China and India).

So, all told, I think I’m someone who has enough experience to have an informed opinion on the value of travel for the average person.  And what is that opinion?

Well, I think traveling is overrated by many.  As is being “location-independent” (I’ll get to that later).

Traveling is Overrated

So, if I obviously like to travel, why do I think it’s overrated by some? Why am I bringing it up here in a personal finance-oriented blog?

Well, I think traveling is overrated by certain people because its allure causes people to spend a lot of money they probably can’t afford to. Almost as if some folks think that they become much wiser, more worthy of status by virtue of having seen famous or even exotic locales in the world.  I bring this up because so many people either spend a lot of money on traveling, or aspire to live a life full of constant traveling.

Not that there is anything wrong with traveling a lot. Who am I to judge? Again, I like traveling (though I have little time for it now).  However, some people seem to view traveling as some kind of necessary expense. As if, everybody deserves a vacation annually where they fly somewhere. No, nobody deserves any such thing. It’s a want, not a need.

Also, traveling is seen by a few folks I’ve talked to as either A) an expense that is different than other forms of entertainment, and B) a status symbol they can brag about.  To me, traveling is something done for fun – meaning, it’s done for entertainment. Just like some folks might drop money on seeing movies, buying season tickets to their favorite sports team, or other similar forms of fun – traveling is no different. It isn’t more noble, it isn’t purely “educational”, etc – it’s entertainment.

In terms of the status symbol aspect to traveling, I’ve had a few folks brag to me over the years, with pride, about places that they visited.  Almost as if they are somehow more worldly or sophisticated for having gone somewhere. I suspect that there is an element of keeping up with the Joneses when it comes to traveling, where people are willing to spend money traveling in some part (whether they admit it to themselves or not) that they can brag about having been different places.

Bottom line: I certainly like traveling, have done a lot of it, and understand why it is fun to many. But let’s be realistic, it’s purely entertainment, is not truly necessary, doesn’t make us more sophisticated, and is not worth getting competitive over to impress others and say you’ve been places.

Location Independence

Much like with traveling, there seems to be an allure to being location independent. However, this is probably with a much smaller subset of the population.  The blogging community seems to have a disproportionate number of these folks.  There are many people who make a living online or with jobs that can be done at any location, at any time. Simply have Internet access and make some phone calls, and you’re good to go!

The thing is, when the dream of this type of lifestyle is “sold” or at least popularized, it might not be painting a complete picture. The thing is, if you want to be a parent and have a family, can you really be a location-independent nomad? Really?

No, not really. Kids go to school, have friends, and need to be well adjusted. Spouses get used to an area, make friends, and often work “traditional” jobs.  A home might even be purchased.  Or not, but is that a realistic long-term life? Having total mobility without any strings attached?

Maybe for some, it just might work. But for most people, I don’t think so.

Bottom Line: So when I read about location independence and the ability to work anywhere and travel anywhere, based on making an online living, I just smile. I hope people think twice about taking such actions. Personally, I would prioritize financial independence over location independence.

My Questions for You

Do you think that traveling is purely entertainment, or do you think that it’s different kind of expense?

Do you see many people trying “keep up with the Joneses” in terms of where they have traveled, getting competitive about it (even if not overtly)?

What do you think about the whole concept of “location independence”?

Getting the Best Deals When Visiting Theme Parks

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Visiting theme parks can be a lot of fun.  Personally, I had some fun memories as a kid and younger person visiting various parks, and even enjoyed a visit a few years ago with my own kid.  That being said, the cost of visiting amusement parks can be quite high, especially when paying full price.

Along those lines, I checked out a quick read in Smart Money on reducing theme park prices.  It shared tips on how to get an improved deal on a visit to a theme park.  Here they are (paraphrased), along with my comments:

  1. Buy online.  I think this is good advice, not just for visiting amusement parks but for other purchases as well.  For travel and entertainment, this can be a great way to save a significant percentage off the regular rates.
  2. Utilize social media.  Following on Twitter or liking on Facebook can sometimes provide access to deals. I don’t see how it could hurt to take such actions in advance of when you know that you’ll be visiting, just in case there are deals to be had.
  3. Look into season passes.  I have personally seen these offered at really low prices, all things considered.  As in, for barely more than the regular price of a one-day admission.  If one visits just 2 times during a season, the price could be made up.  Of course, if parking, concessions, and the rest are taken into account, the total percentage savings looks a bit different. That’s where it can get surprisingly expensive.
  4. Buy ahead of price increases. This makes sense, as one simply needs to find out when tickets tend to go up, and then buy at another time.
  5. Visit during off-peak times.  To me, the biggest benefit of this is the idea of less waiting.  If you can take more rides for the same cost, you’re getting more for your money! If you add price discounts on top of that, it makes it compelling to visit during off-peak times.
  6. Explore group discounts.  I can see how one could possibly score a nice deal this way, though this hasn’t been an approach I’ve personally utilized.

In addition to these approaches to saving money, I think that one other way to save money on a day at the theme park is to watch food costs.   It can be very expensive to eat at such places, and it’s almost worth taking the same approach one would when trying to save money at airports.  In other words, they have you there, and if you want to eat you have to pay inflated prices!

I would suggest eating a big breakfast before going, and taking a refillable water bottle. My last trip to a park was a few years ago, and I recall spending over $10 for a very basic sandwich, side, and drink.  Not to mention that bottled water was expensive through the day, and I bought it given the heat and humidity that day.

If you want a special money-saving approach, you can check out this super frugal amusement park savings tip. Though keep in mind I don’t recommend it 🙂

On a separate note, I think I’m going to go back to a theme park this year with my oldest kid.  The nearby Six Flags park is probably where we will head off to.  I’ve been to a few others through my life, including Disney, Kings Island, Busch Gardens, and Canada’s Wonderland.  Have to say that Disney might be a rite of passage, my most vivid memories were at that Six Flags I mentioned.

My Questions for You

  • Have you used any of these money-saving tips for visiting amusement parks?
  • Do you have any other tips to add in order to get the best overall deal?
  • What parks have you visited, and which one was your favorite?

Free Trips to Japan and $1.00 Houses: Too Good to be True?

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Free is good right? Or, getting something at a bargain price that’s almost free. Either way, getting something for minimal outlay can be enticing. How about a free trip to Japan, with roundtrip airfare paid. Good deal, right?

Well, maybe not.

At first, my eyes lit up when I saw news stories pop up that the Japan Tourism Agency might be offering 10,000 free roundtrips to Japan. Word was that if funding was approved, signups could begin as soon as Spring 2012. The idea appears to be to kickstart tourism there again, to get visitors coming again and spending money, following the fears after the nuclear disasters there. I had posted months ago about my concerns about being near the Japanese nuclear facilities. Seems like people like me would be candidates to have our minds changed, at least on the surface.

Here’s the part that really got me even more interested: they would want the recipients to be able to promote the trips on blogs or social media. So of course I thought “Hey wait a minute. I have a blog, I have a Twitter account…hey, why not me? I could see it now, The Wise Squirrel in Japan…”

There is No Such Thing As a Free Lunch

This is a saying that my father mentioned to me on more than one occasion when growing up. I had previously relayed a story on a free lunch that I had received which got me thinking how it wasn’t truly free. It was sponsored by a company promoting the upcoming launch of a new television show, and they also gave out some promotional material with the sandwich. Of course that got me to tell people about it, and search for it online.

Well, that concept of “there is no such thing as a free lunch” can apply to this trip to Japan too. Note that the terms of the free trip as mentioned in news reports indicate that round trip air fare would be provided under that potential program. Hotel accomodations, food, and other expenses were not mentioned.

That’s a big deal, actually. Tokyo is well known as being a very expensive city, with hotel rooms that cost an outrageous amount of money. Plus, food can be expensive there as well. Want to get around the city? Interested in venturing to other parts of the country? That will cost you money from your own pocket as well.  All of these costs are not insignificant.

If someone is on a strict budget, or is carrying debt, is a vacation that will ultimately cost thousands of dollars anyway really worth it?

$1 Houses

The trip to Japan is a compelling example as it’s based on more recent news. However, there is another example that comes to mind. I had written a post in 2010 about $1 houses in Detroit. In that post, I commented on how a house can be purchased for the price of a cup of coffee. After looking at this further, it’s clear that there’s more involved than just getting a cheap house. In reality, those houses might require some signficant work to become habitable. Additionally, there are taxes and other expenses that generally don’t go away. As I noted in another post, just by paying off your home and owning it outright, you never truly “own” your home free of major costs.

Back to the “Free” Japan Trip

Based on how this has been described, would I take this Japan opportunity if offered to me? No, probably not.

I would like to visit Japan someday. I’ve visited a other Asian countries (China, India) and would like to explore Japan.  Frankly, I’m not worried about the nuclear plant in terms of visiting other parts of the country – such as Tokyo, for example.

However, as I noted, those other costs would be too high. Sure, the overall trip costs would be a lot lower than if I would otherwise take the trip. However, just because something is on sale or at a discount, it doesn’t mean that it’s worth it.  We understand this concept with normal consumer purchases, so it applies here too.

Of course, if people could turn around and sell the free trip on some secondary market, that might be a win-win 🙂

My Questions for You

Based on the terms of trip as you know them to be (roundtrip air provided but nothing else), would you take them up on such an offer?

Do you see this way differently from how I do, or are you aligned with my position? Curious about why or why not?

Have you ever experienced situations where you had a chance to buy something for a big discount, but turned it down?

 

 

Enjoy Stress-Free Travel Around the World

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The following is a guest post

There’s nothing more liberating than seeing the world and exploring new and exciting countries and destinations. Simply pack some clothes and other accessories into a suitcase and then head off with family, friends and loved ones. Yet, for some people, travel is stressful, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Read on for advice on how to reduce the hassle and inconvenience of travel as well as get value for money on things like worldwide travel insurance.

Be Organized

Planning and booking in advance for accommodation and flights will mean there’s no last-minute mad rush and should also ensure you save quite a considerable amount as well, which is money you can use as spending money or just stash away in a savings account. When it comes to getting travel insurance compare as many quotes online as possible and never just accept the first quote as you could end up overpaying. Also book any excursions or tickets for tourists attractions in advance as there are often money-off incentives for being organized and on the ball.

Be Realistic

If you’re jetting off to a foreign country then arm yourself with as much research about the place you’re journeying to as you can to reduce the culture shock once you arrive. Learn a few basic phrases in the relevant language if possible because it’s not only polite to show willing, but could also be crucial in the event of a possible emergency arising. Familiarize yourself with your chosen destination and which areas to visit and which to avoid. Make sure you take appropriate clothing, leave valuables at home, get a good deal if exchanging currency, be mindful of passport and visa expiry dates and make replica copies of travel documents. Budget accordingly before and during your holiday to reduce the chances of going into debt or resorting to maxing out a credit card

Squirreling Gone Wild #21: Caveat Emptor

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Caveat Emptor, or Buyer Beware.

No matter how you say it, most of us realize that it’s up to us to be aware of what we buy, and to take responsibility for our own purchasing decisions. Thankfully, it’s also up to the other party to be fair, as there are often consequences in one form or another if they aren’t.

However, there are times when we deal with unscrupulous sellers who are out to rip us off.  It’s often evident when certain situations are shady. In those cases, we have to use our heads and know how to use our better judgment to avoid getting greedy and getting something for nothing. This 21st edition of Squirreling Gone Wild shares a story that illustrates how if something seems too good to be true and risky as well – it probably is

The Scene

Ironically, the story comes from the same trip to China that I had described in an article on the best customer service I ever had. In that piece, I recalled an example of amazing customer service near the Great Wall about 20 years ago.

In this case, the episode occurred on the end of the same trip, after we left China and exited through Hong Kong as our gateway back to the West.  After spending weeks in China, as American exchange students, we were ready for the craziness and freedoms of Hong Kong. You see, Hong Kong at the time was known to be a place where money talked.  If you were 17 and wanted to drink, did you have a problem? Nope. Just go to a local bar or even convenient store and buy whatever you want. I visited my first bar ever while there – an Australian pub.  Believe me, it was fun. A lot of fun. We had a little bit of money to spend, and that’s all anyone cared about. “Let’s make a deal” was the tone.

This deal-making attitude also took hold at many stores in Hong Kong.  We were told ahead of time that people can negotiate for electronics, clothes, and other goods – there were no “true” fixed prices at many places.  This was particularly true at smaller stores.

I had a few small deals, and that was it. I bought a jar of Tiger Balm (good stuff, by the way), bringing the guy down from $3 to $1. Small potatoes, really. Truth be told, I didn’t have much money and was lucky to be on the trip anyway.

Some of the people in our group were particularly excited about electronics stores. The notion was there that you could get electronics at much cheaper prices than back at home, if you smartly negotiated. Keep in mind this was 20 years ago and Hong Kong was a different place then.  Saying all this, we were warned that we should be careful.

Of course, being high school kids, not everyone was mature or street smart.  Some people on this exchange trip had never been out of the U.S, and had probably been sheltered. To some degree that included me.

The Deal

One guy in the group kept talking about how he wanted to buy a top of the line camera. The way the story went from those that were with him, they visited an area that had a large cluster of electronics stores, crowded next to each other with neon everywhere. So the kid walked in, found a camera he liked, and started to negotiate.

Apparently, he really aggressively tried to drive a hard bargain with the store owners. Eventually, the guy he talked to said he had to talk it over with this boss. Then, the salesman and his boss switched languages from English and went back and forth with each other in Chinese. Naturally, the American kid had no idea what they were saying.

Then, the boss turned to the kid and said “Yes” in English, indicating that they had a deal.  The guy then once again spoke in Chinese to his employee, sending him to the back room to get a camera. When the guy returned, he brought a camera box, and the boss told the American kid that it was in its original box so it can’t be returned – especially since such a great price was being given.

The kid thought he was buying a camera at half the price of what it would cost at home, so he didn’t care. He quickly purchased the camera and left.

The Outcome

Well, sure enough, the kid opened the camera box later in the evening back at the hotel. What did he find?

Rocks!

Yep, they sold him a box of rocks. What a deal.

Naturally, many of the other people in the group were getting great laughs at this kid’s expense. I remember feeling bad for him, but laughing about it with others when he wasn’t there. It’s still funny to me.

WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS HE THINKING?!

What was funny is that he tried to go back to the store the next day, and the people tried to act like they only spoke Chinese and didn’t understand English.  From what someone who was with him said, they were openly laughing at him and joking with each other in Chinese.

The American kid was ripped off and had no recourse. At all.

The Lessons

To me, this is another example of anti-Squirreling Gone Wild, actually – where the tables are turned and the business tries to save money on the customer, in a sneaky way.  As I recalled this story, it reminds me in a way of my own experiences with The Crafty Waitress, from Squirreling Gone Wild #16.

It’s not just consumers that are looking to pinch pennies, its some businesses too.  Yet they’re willing to pinch dollars out of you instead.

If it seems too good to be true, and appears to be overly risky, it probably is. Be sure to keep the something for nothing urges in perspective and under control, or someone somewhere will be there to exploit them.

How about you?

Have you ever been completely ripped off, or have you heard of anybody you know being totally scammed by a business?

Do you have any tips to avoid such situations?

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.