Browsing tag: blogging

I learn a lot at pub quizzes. There’s nothing quite like it to expose your total and utter ignorance. I now know what condors and chrysanthemums look like. I’ve seen countless flags from obscure countries, and been introduced to titles and theme songs of TV shows like Falcon Crest, Men Behaving Badly, Wonder Years, and more. We’re a pretty successful team, aside from the sports round. All but one of the regular members are older than me and infinitely more knowledgeable. At first I felt ridiculously self conscious being able to contribute to little, but I’m finally learning to sit back and relax, and reassure myself that the pleasure of my company is enough (HA!)

Anyway, thanks to the holidays, we’re taking a break for a month. What probably won’t be taking a break are my link roundups, however.

LIFE

Kara asks: What do you do when someone unexpectedly gives you a Christmas present?

Amber of Girl with the Red Hair explains how she overcame a running injury.

Speaking of which, Stephany is wondering if she’s cut out for running, or whether to press on.

One more exercise post…Well Heeled wants to know if you ever actually come to enjoy working out.

Backpacking Journalist on the pros of using tour groups (if I was travelling alone, I would definitely sign up for one!)

Girl and City loves – and hates – Singapore. Here’s why.

Everytime I read a dating post, like Tall Brunette’s, I am so thankful to not be single. And props for getting back up every time.

A couple of days after I wrote this post on minimalism, Heather Rae also blogged about the same thing and struggling to find a balance.

There seems to be an emerging trend against having children, especially in the PF/minimalist area. But even if you think you and your partner are on the same page, things can change, as Shiftless and Lazy shows.

Following on from that, Geek in Heels posted some charts on happiness and how it changes over a lifetime (HUGE dip once you have young children!)

A hilarious guest blog on Punch Debt about Apple fankids (amen!)

Ginger recently hosted an alcoholic guest and wonders whether she dealt with it in the best manner.

I recently purged my book collection (all gifts and other freebies, so it didn’t really reflect my reading habits). I figure it must be much harder to do the same for a collection with real meaning to you, but Lesley explains how she did it and broke free of books.

A wicked mashup of 2010’s films, via Static Image.

WORK

J Money just got fired (incidentally I think that term is tossed around far too loosely…isn’t “fired” only when you’re terminated for performance issues? Isn’t this a layoff?) and explains the whole story, including how he may be going back as a freelancer.

Working Girl blogs about the pros and cons of offices vs telecommuting.

FruGal on how to use the party season to help your career.

Carlee Mallard comes to some conclusions about her job and what she wants from a career.

This post from Cordelia Calls It Quits says it all: The Way Things Are Isn’t The Way They Have To Be.

But as inspiring as posts about lifestyle design, location independence and making your own job are, Financial Samurai reminds us  it’s okay to just follow the traditional path too.

A guest post by Alexandra Franzen on Yes and Yes asks how you want your future resume to read.

FOOD

Farmers’ markets are about fresh local produce, right? Apparently not all of them are, as Emily found out.

Apparently festive fare is costing less this year. And for some reason, turkey is included in there. WTF? Who eats turkey at Christmas? (Americans excluded). Funny About Money shares her holiday feast (it’s easy, tasty, detailed and not turkey.)

I love mushrooms. Do you love mushrooms? And cheese? Then this recipe from Wandering Food Lover is for you, too.

I have 8 days off from the 26th (the longest break I’ve had in…years, it must be!). One of the first things I’ll be baking are these orange chocolate cookies.

Stef at A Touch of the Crazy had me drooling over this Boston Cream Pie.

And this is a gratuitous post with no real purpose, IMO, than to make you ravenously hungry. NOMMMMM.

MONEY

A fun quiz from First Gen American- how frugal are you?

Serendipity asks, what do you do when your partner racks up debt without you knowing? To his credit, he came clean not long after.

I’m quite partial to posts about living on one income, since I’ve done it for quite a while and imagine we’d do it again at some point when we start a family.

Blonde and Balanced admits she’s scared to combine finances.

Finally, to be honest, I’m quite over posts about Christmas presents. I’m over Christmas, full stop. Especially when BF asked what I wanted. I was all, I don’t want anything, aside from headphones and a trip overseas. (He was meant to get me headphones but he seems to like gift buying, so I’m buying them myself while he comes up with something else on his own.) Or a food processor, but we don’t have room for it. He on the other hand is always seeing stuff he wants. ANYWAY, I decided to pick out one, and that’s Bridget at Hithat’smybike’s post on how she set up a minimalist Christmas.

Dinner at their table would never look like this. Image by svacher via Flickr

I’m trying to be less judgemental. I honestly am. But as I watched Britain’s Biggest Brood, I couldn’t help thinking “this is one rather selfish woman”. She wanted kids because she had a terribly lonely childhood, with an alcoholic mother. And she didn’t want her kids to suffer the same fate.

Fair enough. But why not 3, 4 or 5 kids? Is 15 not going a bit far?

I think it’s safe to say they’ll never lack for company, but who’s to say they want to be one of 15? To be forced to sleep 5 to a room? Would you even have time to spend with each of your children and give them the attention they deserve, when all of your day is taken up with housework? Self sufficiency is a good thing, I agree…but not if you’re forced into it prematurely. She had no choice but to learn to amuse herself and care for herself, thanks to an absent parent. But I’d argue that her kids will fall into the same pattern, not due to her negligence, but because caring for the younger ones would take up most of her time and energy.

Interestingly, somehow they got by on $30k a year (although we noticed that 2L of milk was only 70c, as opposed to, uh, $3.53, when they went supermarket shopping, so maybe it’s not that surprising).

But you know what cemented my pity for her offspring? That they eat nuggets and chips (or similar variations) every night. I can understand why – it’s easy, conveyor belt style fare, but not only do kids need variety, they deserve variety. Just my humble opinion.

WORK / CAREER
I totally want a workplace spouse. But are Penelope Trunk’s tips the way to get one?

I couldn’t agree more. Kristen Lamb’s down-to-earth take on the glamorised profession of writing and what you should know before leaping in…

Eventual Millionaire explains how to increase your business confidence.

Ask A Manager on how to throw a good office Christmas party (we were given the choice between one at the office, or paying to have one off-site. We all thought that was tacky and so does she!)

Who has tips for setting up a home office? Working Girl needs expertise.

10 tips for avoiding office politics, via Ms Career Girl.

Dana at Pushing Thirtyy wonders why anyone would turn down work that’s part of their job.

What’s more important to you: morals or money? Gem refuses to compromise her ideals.

MONEY

Financial Samurai offers a guide to clubbing without blowing the budget, while Moneyapolis wonders how to deal with friends who don’t pay their way.

Cate at Liberal Simplicity reflects on days past of skint pockets and simple luxuries.

Is it bad of me to admit I feel a slight sense of glee when others realise how expensive it is to eat both healthy and yummy? Well, I do. I’M NOT THE ONLY ONE.

JD Roth asks: Is it cool to buy second-hand items for gifts? and explains why income is the most important part of the financial equation.

RainyDaySaver blogs about cars and America’s throwaway society.

Meg at World of Wealth is coming into a windfall and wants to know what you’d do in her case.

Jessie explains how to go about choosing your winter tyres.

Anyone who reads this blog regularly probably knows I have a bad case of real estate envy; I spend downtime browsing through listings of homes (not even dream homes, necessarily) and wondering when I’ll ever be able to afford to buy. Like me, Little House favours older architecture – there’s a certain charm about older houses, not to mention solid construction.

LIFE

I loved Amy’s #Reverb10 post on the best decision she made this year: STOP.

New year, new start. Caroline reflects beautifully on years gone by (I don’t really have anything to add, just read it.)

Not That Kind Of Girl pens a love letter to reading.

Is chasing birds innocent fun or animal cruelty? Sandy needs to know.

Teri at Your Life Sentence reviews the year in Facebook status updates.

Geek in Heels ponders the meaning of Christmas, and those billboards that atheists are pushing around this time of year.

FOOD

Guys, I’m dying here drooling over these cinnamon buns. Won’t anyone share a good recipe with me? Pioneer Woman’s is no use. 2 packages of Active Dry Yeast? I’m in NZ. Please just tell me how many tablespoons of the stuff I need.

While it’s hotting up here, the northern hemisphere is hunkering down for winter and whipping up all kinds of comfort food. Like Cathy’s tomato soup to write home about.

Or Jenny’s beef and beer stew.

I, on the other hand, will soon be making ice cream from scratch, thank you very much!

California (among many, many other states) dreaming. Image by the_tahoe_guy via Flickr

A decision has been made.

Fact: Whatever my next career move, it will almost certainly involve a pay cut. (My working hours may suck sometimes but I’m decently compensated, and my resume is the better for it).

So while I’m able to save at this rate, I want to focus not on a South Island road trip, although if that pans out great – but the big ticket. The major, expensive, eye-opening trip.

Which means one of two possibilities:

The US.

Europe.

Either of which will be extremely exciting, and which I want to undertake before the house and kids and all that jazz!

Which means… you can look forward to upcoming posts seeking advice!

In the meantime, feast on these:

MONEY

JD Roth has lost some weight through some effective diet tablets and is asking: How do you build a wardrobe on a budget? (Plenty of posts on that for women have been done, but I don’t know about a male perspective.)

Cate offers some suggestions for simple homemade Christmas gifts.

Jane on the price of pet love: brave girl admits that the threshold is different for each of her pooches.

Jacqueline, one in a long line of money hoarders, is trying to break the cycle with her son.

According to Punch Debt, he and I are peanut butter (yum!) Our better halves are jelly. But we make it work. Although, what you call jelly is actually jam. So he’s jam. Which, incidentally, he really likes.

Oh, and he asked how much you would put down on a house. Funny thing is, I was just discussing that with a friend (she literally had no idea, even though her family has investment property as well as their own home.) As much as I can, is what I say. Realistically, we’d need anywhere from $50-$100k.

Kevin at Thousandaire gets his outrage on after overhearing the reason a girl at the next table turned down a promotion. Eavesdropping never did anyone good! Not that that stops me, of course…

My Pretty Pennies has said yes to a wedding dress! Read all about it here.

Amber at Blonde and Balanced reflects on what she learned from being in debt.

WORK

Ahhh, content mills. How does a writer move up from them? Carol Tice offers seven detailed suggestions.

I’ve had a lot of jobs, but none of them were all that weird. Marian can’t say the same.

Ask a Manager explains what to do when you know your organisation is running out of money.

The Indie Travel Podcast offers advice on making money and achieving location independence. (Not something I’m aiming for, but a great read nonetheless)

Meanwhile, Financial Samurai blogs about how to finish the year strong, for those of us who work for Da Man.

FOOD

Dudes, I live in New Zealand. But thanks to blogging and social media, I’m hearing all about Jewish holidays and even better, Jewish food. And latkes sound fanfrigging amazing. Who wants to host me when T and I hit the States? Hmmmmm?

Also, NOM. The Joy of Caking is my new fave blog, and this amazing chocolate tart is next on my list to tackle when I have an afternoon off.

Something else that will take up an afternoon is this rich minestrone via DALS.

I’m always thrown by the mention of ‘zucchini’, but then I remember that they’re just a humble courgette. Pair em with mushrooms and you’ve got a healthy enchilada.

If like me bolognaise is a regular goto meal for you, try mixing it up with homemade meatballs.

Not a recipe, but…Stacface shares the details of her no-meat experiment.

LIFE

So I’ve only been inspired enough to participate in one of the #Reverb10 prompts so far (bring on tomorrow’s!) but I really enjoyed reading Hannah, Just Breathe’s account of a moment where she felt alive, and her birthday reflections on the things she has carried.

Wanna know how many chemicals you put on every day? Thankfully, I use less than half of those products.

Sarah at Yes and Yes shares some thoughts on beggars and making a difference in one person’s life.

Heather Rae admits to having regrets, and actually regretting them (something that goes against, you know, that whole no-regrets philosophy). I can think of one big thing I’d’ve done differently, and it’s to do with family…but to be honest, it doesn’t bother me very much; I’ve put it behind me.

Luckily, prices here prohibit me from joining the smartphone revolution. Here are the stages of smartphone withdrawal….

Cordelia may have failed NaNoWriMo but it doesn’t mean she didn’t learn anything from it.

Simple, but beautiful: Nicole and Maggie on cultural differences and household chores.

Like me, Dana is a control freak, and here she explains why it’s not all a bad thing.

Penelope Trunk argues you should stop trying to be happy. As someone who believes true balance is basically impossible…I can’t quite bring myself to agree. You can’t expect to be happy  ALL OF THE TIME, and if somewhere you were, you wouldn’t be able to appreciate it. I actively try to achieve a semblance of balance in life, and I am, generally, content.

Phew! Have a lovely, wondrous, fabulous weekend. I’ll be at work 🙂

PS – Last chance to enter my Christmas giveaway – $60 worth of gift codes to spend on yourself or someone else!

This post from Geek in Heels made me laugh. Hey, I’ll be the first one to agree that yes, Asians all look alike, and I’ll only be partially joking.

One of the reasons I dislike watching martial arts movies is when all the actors are Asian, I literally cannot tell them apart. (It might be easier at the cinema on a proper theatre sized-screen, but those aren’t the kinds of films I feel the need to pay $15 to see.)

I already have a terrible memory for faces. This has led to many an awkward moment in the past, let me tell you. This is only exaggerated when all those faces share the same eye colour, hair colour and, often, general bone structure. May I just say how unfair it is that Caucasians enjoy so much variety? Red, blonde, brown hair…blue, green, grey, hazel, brown eyes…But I digress

Straight up. I’m Asian and I am an embarrassment to my race. But in my defence, I can sometimes tell which country someone is from. I have nothing on the pros, though.

But there are plenty of other links that caught my eye this week…

WORK

We often assume working a 40-hour week is the only way. But is it? This post from Dinks Finance offers an insight into another way of living.

At Dollars and Deadlines, what freelances can learn from a side job at Trader Joe’s.

MONEY

Check out Aloysa’s post Stop Being Frugal and Get a Life for a laugh!

Jackie at Money Crush saved some serious coin by simply saying “no” (yet still, in the end, making a purchase).

Little House on the three kinds of savings accounts everyone should have.

LIFE

Parenting really IS fraught with minefields. What does one do when their child progresses faster or slower than his or her peers? Nicole and Maggie have come up with a diplomatic answer.

Stephany’s doing a Christmas card exchange! (I won’t burden her with international postage, but sign up here if you’re keen.)

How often do you actually put yourself first? DC Princess reminds why it’s important to be selfish from time to time.

?

It’s a scary thought: the possible dawn of social media castes. Where would you fall on the scale?

Small Budget Big Style lists her favourite books of 2010.

FOOD

Food blogs were all over Thanksgiving this week. But a) it’s over now and b) I don’t even really like pumpkin. So pickings were slim…

So last week I said no way was I going to attempt a baked cheesecake, but a four-ingredient one? Hells yeah! Minimalist cooking win.

Maybe your S.O. loves pork buns as much as I do. Why not try making them at home?

Cooking when you’re really broke sucks. Here are some tips to ease that pain and stretch the dollar.

Sunchokes. What? Nevermind, this German salad looks interesting and all the other ingredients are pretty basic.

I’m lucky to generally get away with 40 hour weeks. But every so often, all hell breaks loose. Like this week. I really have nothing more to say, except that salmon pizza is a bad idea. (Pizza – the go-to communal food when there’s a hungry office in need of feeding.) And that I’m not actually sure that overtime is going to be worth the money.

/endwhine

LIFE

Punch Debt calls for suggestions on what to do in San Fran while Amanda shares some highlights from her trip there.

Looks like the horrid Cooks Source saga continues. Being Ruth has the latest…

Remember all those horrible “forward this email to 100 people or you will be cursed and die” chains? Deb Ng reflects on how social media changed all that.

Do you read blogs in other languages? Everyday Minimalist explains how to translate them in Google Reader.

Small Steps for Big Change goes undercover to learn more about the essay-for-sale industry.

Ashley at Sound of Silent posted a video of her flute rendition of the Harry Potter theme song. Seriously rad.

From Yes and Yes, Sarah recounts some culturally awkward moments on the road.

And Backpacking Journalist has the headsup on eight travel scams you need to know.

FOOD

Jenny at Dinner: A Love Story shares a simple stuffing recipe for beginners.

Mushrooms, cheese and pie – some of my favourite things. Closet Cooking whips up a feta phyllo.

I’m going to stick to my no-bake cheesecake, but if you’re a more accomplished cook than me, then PLEASE make Rina’s cafe au lait cheesecake and tell me about it. (I might try out her tips for making a lattice crust, though)

MONEY

Do you think of saving as getting in the way of your spending, or vice versa? Hithat’smybike argues that wealth is something you buy on layaway.

Hannah Katy (who’s spending a year volunteering straight out of uni) falls victim to a pickpocket, and reflects on money as a dreamer in a capitalist world.

Meanwhile, Minting Nickels’ Lindy looks back on what she did with money in her 20s.

Leslie at 27 and Frugal on investing in yourself and why she chose to have a certain procedure done years ago (I guessed right!)

WORK/CAREER

Financial Samurai reflects on the early choices he made in his career and wonders what might have been.

From Social Diary, some hilarious anecdotes on how to lose a job in PR.

Anne Wayman answers some questions for Carol Tice on making a go of ghostwriting.

An inspiring interview with Colleen, who hit a bump early on in her career but made the most of the situation.

And finally from Get Rich Slowly: some tips on minimising online distractions.

I’m curious. Who has any of the below in their house?

– “Good silverware/china” – bonus points if it’s in a display cupboard
– Liquor cabinet
– Coat closet
– Actual dining room

Growing up, we had none of those. Imagine my surprise as I got older and saw how a lot of people lived.

Anyway!

MONEY

Young And Thrifty admits to her Groupon addiction and is putting herself on a withdrawal plan (and if you’re going to Hawaii, check out her post on the Go Oahu card).

Jackie at Moneycrush lists the 12 financial temptations.

Need some inspiration to boost that bottom line? Read Get Rich Slowly’s super-guide to supercharging your income.

Little House blogs about budgeting using dollars versus percentages.

So apparently Kim Kardashian has launched a credit card. WTF-ery aside for the moment, I think Kevin’s take sums it up.

WORK

A guest post on Penelope Trunk about when it’s right to choose a temp job over a permanent one.

Adam at Man vs Debt rethinks the messages he’s sending his daughter about “having” to work.

Dollars and Deadlines explains how to simultaneously write two articles on the same topic for different markets. She also talks opportunity cost; I’ve been on both sides of the fence – set rates and per-hour rates, and it’s certainly frustrating to find your time blowing out on stories for the former.

Ben at No Ordinary Rollercoaster interviews Rene Ross, a champion for the rights of sex workers in Halifax.

Which office stereotype are you? Lawyer Working Girl has the answers…

LIFE and everything else

Teri at Your Life Sentence offers her take on Gwyneth Paltrow’s new song, Country Strong.

So Caroline Says retells the shock of finding out that her dad proposed to her mother…without a ring!

Geek in Heels has a guest post on moving from the suburbs and adapting to city life.

Another awesome guest post…Not That Kind Of Girl vacates the stage temporarily to give us an insight into The Ex’s mind. AND THERE’S VIDEO!

Hannah Katy pens a love letter with a difference.

The Backpacking Journalist shares her experience of dining in the dark.

Amber answers some questions about the pesco-vegetarian diet.

Snapshots of the past two weeks:

Day trip up to Mangawhai beach...

Getting busy in the kitchen...Eggplant pizza with leftover roast stuffing, plus the usual toppings

Blueberry and cream cheese muffins

and to the links…

WORK

Carol Tice offers advice on how to snag lucrative writing clients.

Shopaholly blogs on dealing with rejection (the girl has only ever missed on two job interviews! Cripes).

Girl Normal offers a peek into her office’s take on workplace safety.

MONEY

Punch Debt eats some humble pie after getting a little perspective on how good he has it compared to others, something I definitely feel from time to time.

Well-Heeled asks how much you spend on dating. (The list is exhausting, but as many singles pointed out, a lot of those expenses, like clothes, are thing you’d buy nonetheless.)

Small Steps for Big Change learns some lessons from watching Say Yes to the Dress.

Ashley reminds us that no matter how you got into debt (she accumulated it through education), it doesn’t matter – the key is getting out and staying out.

Meg at World of Wealth muses on the amount of cash involved in the charity industry, and asks if your spending is in line with your values – since I’ve started earning a fulltime wage and tracking everything closely, I’m happy to say mine, more or less, reflects what’s important to me. Er, namely food. And concerts. And holidays/travel.

FOOD

I’ve never made doughnuts, but Rina’s recipe is now next on my list (which is growing faster than I can ever hope to cross things off.)

Followed by these buckeyes, via Smitten Kitchen.

Closet Cooking whips up a pepper, feta and quinoa salad just BURSTING with colour.

This Delish Living chicken almondine bake sounds suitably scrumptious.

Knife skills are pretty important basic skill to get right. I don’t think I can unlearn the bad habits I’ve made up, but this Stoneoup post and video helped…

LIFE

Kiwi transplants Franci and family, the Aliens in the Apple, reflect on the time they’ve spent in NYC so far and adjusting to their new life.

Random, but I just had to share: Little House on the Southern Prairie has super useful advice on using cloth nappies!

The maternal thread continues…Geek in Heels shares her thoughts on parenthood, now that she’s been a mother for just over a month.

Amanda asks if you tend to vote for a candidate or a party. Or do you not vote at all?

At Stratejoy, selfconfessed perfectionist Alisha explains how she combats her worst habit.

Carrie Actually explains how to get the most out of Goodreads. Which reminds me, I’ve been slack…

Oh GST, how I hate you so.

Since the increase (12.5 to 15 per cent) I have most definitely noticed prices creeping up. 1kg cheese – $11 on special (instead of $10). A can of tomatoes – $1.49 on special (instead of $1.29 or even 99c). Cornflakes are now $2.99 instead of $2.79. 2 litres of milk – $3.53 instead of $3.45.  They really are taking every opportunity to milk us, figuratively!

And even though it’s practically November and hence, officially summer, capsicums are still $2.50 EACH. Cucumbers $2.99 EACH. Tomatoes, $6.99/kg. Ridiculous; we really must buy a plant of our own asap.

So that’s my bitch and moan out of the way. If we have to increase our budget to maintain our eating decently, so be it.

WORK/CAREER

Here’s a survival guide for freelance journos. A realistic take – I love that it’s not all sunshine and roses about crazy earning potential and no more working for the man. Really, whether you work for a media corp or yourself, you won’t get rich either way.

Do librarians have a future, and what will it look like? Thoughts from an insider.

A great guest post at Design Sponge on how to brand your business on a budget.

J Money interviews Clare of Never Niche on her side hustle, waitressing.

Red writes about the perks of her job (many and varied) and her reluctance to give it up.

Is your weight affecting how much you make? Fabulously Broke looks at the research and shares a rundown of businesses she’s run in the past.

Paying Myself blogs about the fallacy that all lawyers are loaded.

Neurotic Workaholic offers some advice on surviving grad school (lord knows I wouldn’t; I was itching to finish my three-year degree like you wouldn’t believe).

MONEY
At You Have More Than You Think, a discussion on whether poor people should have emergency funds.

Small Steps for Big Change is in a new relationship, but can’t help thinking she wants him for his paycheck (not as gold-digging as that might sound, promise).

First Gen American explains why gorillas don’t have retirement funds.

At Bundle, Kate Ashford asks if you can afford a second child – and whether it actually matters.

Stacking Pennies on carelessness, procrastination and how it can cost you.

FOOD

I made my first carrot cake not too long ago, and while it was awesome it was also a tad wet. I might try Jules’ recipe next.

At Dinner, A Love Story, a simple baked sausage recipe for those days you want to keep the stovetop clean.

Being Ruth shares her Indian chicken and potato recipe.

Poor Girl makes a quinoa, apple and cranberry cake. Maybe I’ll hunt down quinoa at a bulk foods store, or try adapting it to a wholly flour version. (Don’t suppose couscous is an acceptable substitute?)

Kevin of Closet Cooking whips up a luxurious grilled mushroom in porcini sauce.

I was also intrigued by this salmon and cauliflower casserole, via Not Eating Out in NY.

And Asian Pear pens a lament on foods she craves that ain’t no good for her.

Finally, Iowa Girl Eats shares the kitchen tools she can’t live without

LIFE

Geek in Heels has a guest blog on TV boyfriends. Gotta say Booth is my number one, no contest!

Suburban Sweetheart on hilarious misheard song lyrics.

StacFace blogs about marriage, respect and boundaries.

The Backpacking Journalist on the five unusual essential items for travellers.

At Yes and Yes, Sarah writes about the mundane and miserable side of travel.

Karen of Living Well on Less on the things you should never say to pregnant women.

Ashley at Writing to Reach You ponders why and how her blog has changed over the years.

Revanche wonders what kind of policy to adopt on drop-in visitors – who don’t always arrive at convenient times.

Today, I’m over it.

Stop writing posts about:

• How to save money at the grocery store
• Why buying a new car is a waste of money
• Why renting beats buying

Basically, any topic that has already been done to death a thousand times.

And write more interesting posts. Awesome reads, like the ones below:

WORK/CAREER

One journalist offers an insight into working life behind a paywall.

The female half of Newlyweds on a Budget explains why she’s like a “professional job-getter”.

Some insights on how to promote books via blogs, thanks to Alexis Grant.

Small Steps for Big Change, a professor no less, writes about ability vs desire in the success equation.

Do you need a bookkeeper? What do they do anyway? Find out at Jargon Writer.

MONEY

Leslie at 27 And Frugal struggles with money issues and family guilt.

Thousandaire Kevin tells us why you should never get in a fight over a dollar.

PR Firewall blogs about why he went to college but you shouldn’t.

LIFE

I had just been pondering the difference between goat and feta cheese, so this was timely:

Aloysa at The Kitchen Sink shares her experience of mixing relationships and the workplace.

Dana at Pushing Thirtyy on dating a man raised by women. It’s not as bad as you might think.

At Minting Nickels, Lindy cuts back on drycleaning and learns to iron.

Molly at These Little Moments reflects on her journey of motherhood.

LL at Shiftless and Lazy has scored a book deal. Living the dream!

Not That Kind of Girl shares a pictorial rendition of the night she hung out with her middle-school crush.

Diary of Why blogs about why she was never homecoming queen.

Distractible Jane wonders whether having expectations spells certain disappointment.

And at Stratejoy, Lindsey crafts the “about me” statement she wants to write in five years’ time. I’d love to do the same, if I had any idea how I wanted it to read.

eemusings on the web

Thanks to Dough Roller for including me in this week’s Carnival of Personal Finance roundup!