I’ve made an adjustment to my work schedule that will allow me to have one afternoon a week to focus exclusively on my writing. I discussed the matter with my boss, who was quite happy to work this out with me. I think the consensus was that I was going to ask for a raise, which would have been difficult to give given the tight budget. Anyway, I now have some extra time to spend focusing on both writing and speaking skills each week, as I may in fact have an opportunity to give a seminar soon. Yes, a Simple Dollar seminar. More to come on that in the future, but for now, let’s look at some personal finance posts.

Teens Are Materialistic? What News Is That? I’m already thinking about ways to lay the groundwork for ignoring the “keeping up with the Joneses” mentality with my one year old. My approach is to focus on other values with him and not buy much frivolous stuff at all, not just because it’s financially sound, but because it sets a good example for him. (@ mapgirl’s fiscal challenge)

Getting Rid Of My Car Would Save Us About $700 Per Month Most people would never even consider such a move, but it makes a lot of sense here. (@ my two dollars)

Investing: Real Estate Vs. Stock Market The moral of the story here is that Ben Stein is a very intelligent human being and well worth reading. (@ consumerism commentary)

Frugal Hair Care This is a pretty good discussion of how to save money by carefully planning your hair care purchases. (@ english major’s money)