Already this week I've missed two posting deadlines. I hope my readers will forgive me for posting what was supposed to be Friday's Roundup and Link Love edition today instead. 
Today's edition is dedicated to The Daughter's visit to the ER last night and the bills we'll receive as a result.
I'm not sure if it was because I was so busy with the holidays or if I'm still smarting from my Carnival submission shutout but I didn't participate in any carnivals this past week. I do have one new submission in -- I'll report how that went next week.
Roundup -- I starred some interesting blog posts in my Google Reader this week:
glblguy featured a guest post -- 3 steps to a personalized income plan for your children -- that I could not have disagreed with more. All three steps illustrate attitudes and practices that are diametrically opposed to how I have chosen to handle allowance and earnings with my own children. It was an interesting piece though and I'm a firm believer in reading opposing opinions. I've learned a great deal from reading opinions that differ from my own. If you're interested, check out some of my thoughts on Kids & Money.
Mighty Bargain Hunter has resolved to Track Expenses Slowly. I think MBH has hit an important nail right on the head. It's imporant, especially at the beginning of the budgeting or financial revelation process, to track every single penny. And to do it as honestly as possible. That means no hiding of bad habits in catch-all categories. I know I sound like a broken record, but the You Need A Budget Pro* software has been nothing short of perfect and I highly recommend it to all levels of budgeters -- expert budgeters as well as beginners. YNAB* is a beautiful piece of programming. I'm the world's worst procrastinator and have a terrible memory. I've found that entering my expenditures every single night takes less than 5 minutes and is the surest method of catching all purchases.
Alison at This Wasn't In The Plan wrote about Debit Card Safety. I do carry a debit card but I rarely use it. The Daughter has a debit card on her checking account (on which I am a co-signer because she's underage). I wasn't aware of the "holds" that can be placed on a debit card. If you use a debit card, be sure to check out her post.
Paidtwice assures us that The Worst That Can Happen Is They Say No. The story was informative, inspiring, and empowering. Excellent! Thanks, paidtwice.
Steve (brip blap) really hit home (or hit a nerve) with his Learning How To Let Go. An excellent, insightful post!! I'm a terrible packrat -- not so much because I'm a collector for the purpose of collecting but because I have a terrible time letting go of things. Sometimes it's because it was a gift; more often it's because I paid good money for something that's still functional but no longer use. I've resolved to work on this character flaw of mine and decluttering my house will be the reward.
And The Baglady asks Is Ignorance a Factor in the Happiness of Americans? I think she has an interesting point. I know that I'm a mixture of being blissfully ignorant and smart enough to know that I'm blessed.
Link Love -- I added some great new blogs to my Google Reader recently:
June Cutoff Cash finished her year-long, self-imposed no-spend experiment (Bye, Bye, Buy) and started a new blog called Bye, Bye, Pie. She hilarious and bitingly witty and I look forward to each new post.
Single Ma's Fabulous Financials is a great read -- inspiring and thoughtful.
I love personal stories -- and one of my new favorites is MSMomsmoney. Check out her blog and her story.
I feel an interesting kinship with Madame X of My Open Wallet (one, no doubt, that she does not share 
She's a single New York professional living a life that couldn't be any more different that my suburban housewife existence. This is a blog I look forward to reading.
Millionaire Neumes is an interesting new entry into the world of Personal Finance blogs. I can't wait to read more.
Related posts:
6 Comments
Thanks very much for the link! It’s a little time-consuming to track things that closely but you’re right, it needs to be done.
I’ve added your blog to my reader.
Thanks for the mention! I imagine I’m in the same boat you are, and let me tell you, it’s tough. I can’t throw stuff out easily, although I can throw it out. Everyone has to reach a comfort level, and sometimes the comfort level is clutter. Generally I think most people are happier with less clutter, but it’s hard to to know what “less clutter” actually means. Good luck reaching your balance!
Unrelated to my article, but Paidtwice’s story is exactly what you said it is — informative, inspiring, and empowering. She’s one of my favorite writers on the web.
Hey, if we all agreed the world would be a boring place right? Thanks for the link!
@mbhunter — I’ve learned some very surprising things by tracking my “little” expenses and by looking at monthly totals. Stores like Kroger, Target, Costco — where I might buy clothes, food, books, household consumables, and HBA products all in the same place — are the most time consuming. Still, I think it’s worth the time and effort to break those receipts down into categories and not just lump them together.
@Brip Blap — I’ve resolved to cut down the clutter and also to not bring any new unnecessary stuff into the house. I’ve gotten to the point where the energy required to ignore my “stuff”, move it from place to place when I need to clear a room, and keep it dusted is more than I’m interested in expending. I want it gone. But getting rid of it is difficult.
@glblguy — If I only talked to people who think exactly the way I do and read only opinions that agree with mine — where’s the growth potential in that? I’m all about open and honest exchanges of ideas and I respect the way you communicate your opinions, glblguy. I have come across bloggers who’d rather dismiss me than discuss with me though.
I’m glad you found me and thanks for the mention. It can be very lonely starting a new blog.
I too wasn’t included in a carnival recently, so I emailed the host to ask if there was a reason. She emailed me right back. Turns out I was accidently overlooked, not purposely rejected. Within an hour I showed up on the carnival page.
Don’t give up on carnivals. They’ve given me much needed exposure.
Thanks for the mention!
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