Sunday Link Roundup - Counting My Pennies

Just a few posts from around the blogosphere that caught my eye over the past few days.

Networth and Sidebar Updates – I really like that asgreen has put together a number of different funds with goal amounts for each. I’m considering doing the same. I like the idea of a travel fund!
Time to stock up on those Forever Stamps – As J. Savings points out, stamp prices are going up again, so if you’re looking to buy stamps, it makes sense to get the Forever Stamps before May 12. Personally, I use so few stamps that I’m not going to bother. I mail birthday cards and the occasional letter. Were I making a trip to the post office or even walking near one, I’d probably pop in and grab a booklet of 20, but I’m not sure it’s worth it to me to go significantly out of my way for a savings of 20 cents at this point. I still don’t get why people are stocking up SO much. I suppose if you use a lot of stamps, but really? Is it worth it?
Cheap, Green, and Clean Tips – Great ways to clean with just vinegar, baking soda, and water. I’m always looking for healthier ways to clean my home, and I already use vinegar in a lot of ways, but I think that once I use up some of the supplies I have, I might see if I can switch over to vinegar, baking soda, and water.
Making and Maintaining a Master Information Document – This is really something that I need to do. I hate to think about the “just in case” possibilities, but the reality is, it’s best to be prepared.

Megan is a 40-something government employee in the Washington, DC area. She got interested in Personal Finance when she got out of college and realized that her paycheck wasn’t going to go as far as she had hoped. Since starting this blog, she has managed to buy a house and make a solid start on her retirement goals, and hopes to help others do the same. Here is her story:

In 2007, I was a gainfully employed 20-something with no debt but not a lot of knowledge about personal finance. It was a co-worker’s comment about Roth IRAs that sent me to the internet, searching for information. It was then that I realized that I really didn’t know a whole lot about personal finance and that my current financial situation was due a lot to inherent frugal tendencies, generous family members, a fear of debt, and good luck. While that was working for me, clearly I needed a better plan.

While I had no debt, I was also pretty much living paycheck to paycheck and not worrying about going over budget (I say this as if I had a real budget) because I had an emergency fund set aside to cover any overages.

Except that’s not what an emergency fund is for.

So I did a lot of research, read a lot of blogs, and decided that I needed a plan. I needed to budget. I needed to know what I was spending my money on. I needed to prepare for the future.

I decided to create a blog not only to make myself accountable to others but also to share the knowledge that I gained along the way. I’ve learned so much from my fellow bloggers, and I hope that my readers can find something useful in what I have to share as well.

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