Gather Little by Little

Photo by: Iain Cuthbertson

This has been a wonderful week for me. I’ve been off from work all week, spending spring break at home with my family. The weather has been absolutely wonderful here in the southeast. The temperatures tomorrow are supposed to be in the 80s!!

This week, we’ve worked on the house and the yard. We’ve repaired some rotten wood, planted grass seed, and planted lots of flowers and a few shrubs. My wife and I have spent some quality time together just relaxing on the front porch while watching our kids and many other neighborhood kids run around in our front yard playing tag. I’ve also been able to spend some quality time with my kids, playing on XBox 360, basketball, watching movies, and reading through Journey to the center of the earth (This link is to a free online version).

I can’t believe it’s Friday already though and I’ll have to return to work on Monday! Vacations just don’t seem to last long enough, you know?

I don’t really have any announcements this week, so I’ll just go straight into the gathering!

The Gathering

• My Husband Lost His Job – This is one of the top searches that leads people to Lynnae’s blog. Unfortunately, Lynnae and her husband went through this. Lynnae shares some great tips on what to do if this same situation happens to you.
• Preparing Your Finances for Vacation. – David’s on vacation this week and while he’s out, he shared some tips for preparing your finances while your gone.
• 3 Simple Questions That Can Change Your Life – DR asks 3 insightful questions that will really make you think about what’s important and will make you really think through a few things in your life. Excellent post that really had me thinking.
• Small Changes Make a World of Difference – I am a firm believer that small thinks definitely make a difference. Too often, people try to make big changes and end up taking on more than they can handle or do. Don’t forget, enough small changes add up to be big changes.
• How to Buy a Reliable Used Car Really good tips on how to buy a used car, something I am a huge fan of. One thing I always do is have it checked out by a mechanic you trust. If the seller won’t let you do this, they’re hiding something. Move along.
• I Saved $250 Just By Asking For It… – Always remember, when asking the worst possible thing that could happen is they say no and if they do, well you’re no worse off. Changes are though, they won’t!
• A Dollar Saved Is Better Than A Dollar Earned – Pinyo takes on Ben Franklin and honestly he makes a good case.
• What Currency Do You Use to Measure Your Life? – Mrs. Micah talks about how she measures her success, and to her credit, it’s not by how much money she makes or has. How do you measure your success? I measure mine through my wife and children, the quality of their lives and how happy they are.
• my top 5 excuses for paying too much for clothes – Plonkee talks about how she isn’t as frugal as she thinks she should be, especially when it comes to clothes. I’m good on clothes, but have a similar issues with saltwater aquarium stuff and gadgets. I guess we all have our vices huh?
• Why do Credit Cards Give Cash Back Rewards? – This is an excellent post that talks about the real reasons credit cards gives you cash back. Trust me, it isn’t because they’re just nice folks.
• The Difference in Being Frugal, and Being Cheap – I’ve read a number of articles on this topic, but always enjoy reading different takes on it. Frugal Dad offers his thoughts on the topic of cheap vs. frugal.
• Would You Pay $35 for a Movie Ticket? – No. ‘Nuff said.
• Christian Goal Setting – Bob asks if Christians should set goals? Tough question, but I believe we should, as long as they are goals that in line with God’s will for our lives.
• A bit of common sense – Rocket reminds us that things are never really as bad as they seem, especially when the media is involved. Ignorance is bliss.
• Survive A Recession, Think Long Term – Great reminder of how the current recessions (or pending recession whichever you believe) is only a short term event. We need to think longer term.
• A Letter From Abraham Lincoln to Mr. Johnston – This is an EXCELLENT read. I love reading President Lincoln’s writing and this letter is particularly wonderful as he really hits the nail on the head with Mr. Johnson’s REAL problem.

I hope you have a great weekend!