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Before we get into the Ramblings for the week, I want to take the opportunity to point out some cool happenings with our self-published work More Money for Beer and Textbooks.  Kyle was interviewed this week on Preet Banerjee’s “Mostly Money, Mostly Canadian Podcast” which you can check out here.  If you don’t know who Preet is, Google him, the guy is one of Canada’s pre-eminent personal finance and investing authors.  The podcast itself is routinely ranked amongst the highest on iTunes in the category of finance and investing in Canada.  Oh ya, and Preet’s CV includes a degree neuroscience as well as time spent as a race car driver.  No, that last sentence does not include any typos or exaggerations.  Anyway check it out and let us now what you think as well as how to improve our on-air skills.

In addition to that great piece of publicity, we got the great news that Chapter/Indigo/Coles – the dominant force in the Canadian book market is willing to take on a pair of literary rookies and basically doubled our sales orders overnight as they approved the book for sale across Canada.  Make sure and check us out and tell the cashier how excited you are to get you hands on the hottest grad gift on the market

Finally, we are set to be featured in upcoming columns in the Brandon Sun and National Post this week, so good things abound!  Keep your eyes open for More Money for Beer and Textbooks coming to a bookstore near you (I always wanted to say my book was coming to a bookstore near you – yes I am that vain).

Mr.CBB @ Canadian Budget Binder writes How We Saved $146.90 By Reading The Paper – It’s not everyday reading the paper can score you some money back in your pocket. Being aware of store policies and understanding them as a consumer may work to your advantage like it did for us.

John S @ Frugal Rules writes One of the Worst Feelings in the World – Being in debt is no fun at all, yet so many have debt. In order to overcome debt and become a saver a paradigm shift is needed in combination with keeping the vision of your future debt free life in front of you.

KK @ Student Debt Survivor writes Financial Lessons Learned From My 80-Year-Old Grandfather – There’s so much to be learned from older generations about saving and wealth building. My grandfather is truly the, “grandfather” of frugal.

Jason Hull @ Hull Financial Planning writes Are Your Parents Losing the Ability to Deal With Money? – From age 60 on, adults suffer cognitive declines. The ability to deal with finances is one of the first cognitive capabilities which we lose. Here’s how to identify if your parents are losing that ability and what to talk to them about.

Philip @ PT Money writes Kiva and the New Kiva Zip Helping Entrepreneurs from Little Rock to Kenya – Kiva has been giving anyone the opportunity to invest in entrepreneurial endeavors taking place around the world. Now it can be done here in the U.S. Find out all about this easy way to invest.

Steve @ Grocery Alerts writes 38 Grocery Hacks to save time and money – Here is a list of 38 grocery and food hacks to save you time and money. Continue Reading →

Greg @ Club Thrifty writes Planning Ahead: The Advantages of Life Planning – OK, so we may take planning ahead to a whole new section of Crazy Town. Still, planning ahead can benefit your life in many ways. Find out how inside!

Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes 30 Day Challenge. . .Saving Big with Little Things – This month I challenge you to record your spending for the entire month. At the end of the month you should then take your recordings and group them into similar categories, ie. groceries, gas, eating out, clothing, personal items, snacks etc. and add each of them up. I guarantee you will be shocked at what the itty-bitty expenses add up to on a monthly basis.

Steve @ Grocery Alerts writes Guide to Cross Border Shopping for Canadians – Many Canadians cross border shop in the United States. This guide shares tips on how much you can bring back, what you can bring and useful websites.

Jacob @ Cash Cow Couple writes Why You Probably Can’t Afford a Dog – Unless you’ve stashed a mound of cash in the doggy fund, you should probably take a good hard look at the total cost of owning a new dog.

Mr.CBB @ Canadian Budget Binder writes Life, Money and Retirement-Skype Doesn’t Reach Heaven – Sometimes we need to ask ourselves why we work so hard for all the money we make and whether we are spending our time wisely. Pouring your life into one basket risks leaving behind potential memories that you might not be able to go back and get. Take time to evaluate your life, your priorities and your future

Philip @ PT Money writes The True Impact of 529 Plans on Attendance, Affordability, and Financial Aid – The potential benefits of a 529 plan and ways to maximize those benefits are outlined in this article.

Michelle @ The Shop My Closet Project writes Getting paid to lose weight, finally something to motivate me – My job has just launched a health and wellness program. Employees who log in an activity at least 12 times a month for the next year will be paid $300. We will be paid quarterly and I am really excited about this program. This came at the right time for me because I have finally, finally gotten serious about working through the process of getting fit.

Jessica Moorhouse @ Mo’ Money Mo’ Houses writes Money Lessons I Learned from Drinking & Tweeting – It may not be a great novel, but Brandi Glanville’s book is a fun read with a ton of “what not to do” personal finance lessons. Continue Reading →

As you can probably see my weekend ramblings follow the mind of an individual with seasonal affective disorder tendencies, most likely!  The weather has been great for spring so far and it has helped remind me how beautiful Vancouver really is.  Yes, I’m clearly drinking the Vancouver kool-aid.

I’m excited for my getaway as I’ll be heading off to Spain for almost two weeks.  I’m going to be meeting a friend of mine who moved to Spain for school but will also be traveling by myself throughout Spain.  I was debating between booking with Air BNB or going hostel style, and I ended up choosing the hostel.  It would be nice to meet fellow travelers (solo travelers I suppose).  I’m heading to Grenada, Sevilla, Madrid, and Barcelona.  The last time I did a trip by myself was over five years ago when I went to Peru.  I’m looking forward to the self-reflective contemplation time on this trip.  Also looking forward to power-reading through the books that I wanted to get through.

Maybe if I get a chance, I’ll do a trip summary for the cost of the trip so far.

Readers, have you been to Spain before?  Do you have any must-sees in the cities that I mentioned?

PF Blog Love

Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes My Coffee Pot Ate My Money – A Tale of Product Failure and Liability – When you spend your hard earned money on something, you expect it to work as advertised when used as instructed by the manufacturer. Here are a few examples of when failing products can cost you money.

Sean @ One Smart Dollar writes Money Advice for Soon-To-Be College Grads – Most financial problems start right after you graduate from college. You get your first big paycheck and don;t know what to do with it. My advice, don’t spend it all in one place.

KK @ Student Debt Survivor writes Pre-owned Engagement Rings-Frugal or Tacky? – Ever thought about purchasing your significant other a pre-owned ring? Considered selling your engagement right? Weigh-in, are secondhand rings frugal or tacky? Continue Reading →