Weekly Roundup – Catching Up Edition

This week has been a rough one. A couple times a month I get slammed at work, and this week was one of them. Between work and everything else going on, I barely had time to keep up with my blog and associated duties. (There were roughly 400 unread articles in my feedreader at the end of the week!). I took yesterday off and relaxed with my wife. Unfortunately, I don’t get Monday as a holiday, so it will be right back into the swing of things. Hopefully, things will slow down somewhat.

Here are my favorite articles this week from the M-Network and around the personal finance blogosphere:

• Being Frugal – Uncle Sam is Going to Suck Me Dry. Lynnae has a complicated tax situation this year, and it looks like she is going to owe taxes this year. It also appears like she got some bad info from an accountant that contributed to the situation. She also has some great tips on how to prepare for unusual tax situations such as those she experienced this year.
  
• Gather Little by Little - How to get a great deal on a new car – Part II. This is the second installment of a great series on car buying.
• I’ve Paid For This Twice Already… When the Left Hand and the Right Hand Can’t Even Find Each Other. paidtwice dealt with some miscommunication between her auto repair shop and the bank – they both thought her bill was paid and he knew it wasn’t. She probably could have gotten away without spending the $800 she owed, but she and her husband had the integrity to pay the money anyway. Good deal!
• Moolanomy - Is Peer to-Peer Lending Ready for Prime Time? I think P2P lending can be a good way to diversify your income streams and the process holds a lot of promise. But, I don’t think it is quite ready to be something everyone should participate in (unless you can get a better rate as a borrower… then go for it!)
• My Two Dollars - You Are Not Your Stuff, Your Stuff Is Not You. I couldn’t have said it better!
• Plonkee Money - financial concepts: yank speak to the queen’s english. Here is a list of interesting differences in money terminology between the US and the UK.
• Single Guy Money - Modern Day Bartering to Save Money. Bartering can save you money… Just don’t forget that it counts as taxable income!
• The Dough Roller – Are you Saving Enough for Retirement? Check Out This Rule of Thumb. I still have over 30 years before I will reach “traditional retirement age of ~60, so I think it is a little difficult for me to make a good estimate of how much I will need. For now, I plan on shoveling in as much as I can! For those closer to retirement, this article should be helpful.
• Advance Personal Finance – Awesome Military Savings Program Guarantees 10%. I loved taking advantage of this program while I was in the military!
• Blueprint for Financial Prosperity – How To Become A Millionaire (In 6 Easy Steps!). This is just one of my many goals.
• Chance Favors the Prepared Mind – So You Want To Become A Financial Advisor?. I thought about this for awhile, but eventually decided this was not the direction I want to go for my profession. Still, I think it is an interesting profession and process.
• Gen X Finance – TurboTax 2007 Premier Contest – 7 Ways to Enter. Jeremy is giving away a copy of TurboTax. Good luck to everyone who enters!
• Get Rich Slowly – How to Prepare for a Baby (Without Going Broke). This was a guest pos, by Lynnae from Being Frugal. My wife and I are considering having children, so this was very topical for me.
• MoneyNing is Getting Married and Giving Away $1,500. Congratulations! And good luck to everyone who enters!
• The Wisdom Journal – 10 Reasons I Won’t Accept a Job Counter Offer.

This week’s Carnivals and Festivals:

• The Carnival of Personal Finance #139: Valentine Edition – was hosted at My Dollar Plan. My article, Roth IRA Versus Traditional – Which is Better?, was included.

Thanks, everyone!