Photo by lancefisher

No, that’s not me in the picture.  But I did take the chainsaw out this week, and cleaned up the look of the website a bit.  I got rid of the big, ugly ad in the sidebar, and reduced the amount of categories.  Hopefully this will make navigating the site easier (let me know in the comments if it makes a difference).  I’ve also added a Tweetmeme button, so if you find a post that’s interesting, you can Tweet it by just clicking the button.  Here are some good posts for your reading pleasure:

Jim at Bargaineering wants to know how often you check on your finances.  For me, it’s a weekly endeavor, as I like to keep up on how my money’s doing.

Blunt Money celebrates the third anniversary of the blog.  Happy Birthday!

Steve at Brip Blap discusses the myth of stable employment.  I work in the defense industry, where layoffs are too common.

Flexo at Consumerism Commentary offers ways to save money at baseball games.  I like going to the local minor league stadium, where parking is free.

The Weakonomist at Weakonomics ask the question: What kind of saver are you? The post discusses the different kinds of savers.  I’m a sweeper.

Patrick at Cash Money Life argues that college students should get a credit card.  There was a lively discussion for both sides of the issue.

Scott H. Young talks about loneliness and the unconventional life.  He’s noticed that his deviation from the norm has made him feel like an outsider.

Matt at Debt Free Adventure is using what he calls the debt steamroller to reach his goals.  He’s made great progress so far.  Drop on over to cheer him on!

Craig at Bible Money Matters tells us to beware of the term”free”.  Someone ultimately has to pay the cost.

Beks at Blogging Away Debt has payed off her credit cards.  Nice going!

Mark at Productivity 501 lists the top 5 worst productivity ideas.  He says we should do things that are important before trying to optimize our work.

Clever Dude tried to cancel his gym membership.  The gym enticed him with an offer to stay.

Trent at The Simple Dollar talks about cultural divides, and how it affects his blog readership.  I’ve found lots of useful advice on his site, even though we’re in different parts of the country.

David at My Two Dollars recycled dryer lint to make frugal fire starters.  I prefer Vaseline-soaked cotton balls myself.

Captain eHow shows how to avoid having your article deleted from eHow.  He lists 4 common mistakes that writers make.

Have a great Labor Day weekend!

• Barbaric Links: Reseeding My Lawn Edition I spent a good part of Friday reseeding parts of my front lawn.  First, I had to dig out about a million roots from a nearby maple tree.  I'm putting my faith in Scotts EZ Seed, which is supposed to grow in any type of soil.  I'll let you know......
• Don't Go Through Life Seeking Forgiveness Photo by spud murphy We all run into the type of person who's always sorry for disappointing you.  They're late for a holiday dinner.  "I couldn't find my car keys." They forget to pick up milk on the way home.  "I was in a rush, and forgot to write......
• Pay Off Debt or Save Money? Photo by db*photography A recent Yahoo! Finance article weighed the benefits of paying off debt versus putting your money into savings.  You can read the original article by clicking on the following link: Should You Pay Debt Before Saving? Clearly, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question.  The......
• Corporate Barbarian: The Pool is Open Edition jurvetson We opened up the swimming pool this past weekend, so summer should be right around the corner.  All we need now is for the weather to cooperate.  It feels more like April than June.  I spent a couple days scrubbing the winter cover and water bags, and yesterday......
• The Broken Windows Theory Phot by Skelekitten I recently read an entry by Chris Guillebeau on the Art of Nonconformity blog entitled Business, Blogging, and Broken Windows.  I'm subscribed to Chris' blog, and I enjoy his views about unconventional living.  In the post, he talks about the potential "broken windows" for an online......

• Personal Finance Links (Dallas Advice, Anyone?) This week my wife and I are traveling to Dallas for a wedding. It's my first trip to Texas. We are planning to see the The Sixth Floor Museum as we've heard a lot of great things about it. However, we don't know a great place for good authentic Texan......
• Holiday Link-Up 12-27-09 I sincerely wish everyone an incredible holiday season and hope your new year is your best yet! So far for us it's been up and down.  Unfortunately we've had a ridiculous cold going around the family that insists on getting each of us.  It's never fun when the little ones......
• Three Easy Strategies to be Debt-Free Faster Many times all we need is a push in the right direction in order to start on a project and complete it.  That is what you should consider this advice.  This is a set of easy ways that will help gently nudge you towards a debt-free lifestyle.  Suffice it to......
• Credit Karma -- Free No Strings Credit Scoring Never before have Americans been so interested in their credit scores, and as such, numerous sites have cropped up offering to sell them. It can get pretty expensive if you want to keep checking your score with these sites and many people discover hidden monthly fees that rack up quickly.......
• How God Worked In The Life Of One Debt Free Blogger: A Testimonial This is a guest post from Brad over at EnemyOfDebt.com. Read some more of his great posts at his site, or subscribe to his RSS feed. It is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.-Philippians 2:13 I once was an......