The Simple Dollar » The Simple Dollar Morning Roundup: Exhaustion Edition

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The Simple Dollar Morning Roundup: Exhaustion Edition 3comments

May 7, 2007 @ 7:30 am - Written by Trent
Categories: Morning Roundup
Bookmarks: del.icio.us, reddit

I may have overdone it. I wrote a few enormously complicated pieces over the weekend and came close to burning myself out on writing. I just let myself get completely carried away with a couple of good ideas. You’ll see one of them later today, though. Anyway, here are a few personal finance posts to tide you over.

Trying To Avoid Lifestyle Inflation This is something we’re battling right now. We know we simply can’t afford a particular house we have our eye on, but we just can’t seem to fully slam the door shut on the idea. (@ my money blog)

No Longer Paying For Bottled Water Bottled water is a tremendous waste of money. Kudos to this person for finally getting off the train. (@ kiss of debt)

Are You Patient Enough To Become Wealthy? I’d like to think so, and I strongly agree that patience is the biggest virtue for most people to become wealthy. (@ personal finance advice)

The Simple Dollar Retro: Is Living Cheap Really Worth It? I thought this was a spectacular illustration of why it pays off in the long run to live frugally - if you spend less now, you’ll be able to spend substantially more later.

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Comments

I just recently (this past week) put an end to buying bottled water. We usually get the gallon jugs at the grocery store - for about $.59/gallon, but I still hated doing it. Our tap water is fairly gross, but having it ice cold helps and we’re adjusting. Throwing a small slice of lemon in it works wonders, as does making herbal iced-tea (throw a few bags of your favorite tea in the cold water and let it sit overnight in the fridge).

RG @ 9:53 am May 7th, 2007 (comment #1)

Coming from Prince Edward Island in Canada, I don’t think the bottled water issue is as big a problem as in cities where the drinking water is heavily tainted with chlorine (I assume that is the big issue that people are complaining about). Here the tap water is only mildly chlorinated, but we use one of the bigger Brita containers to get rid of that. As well, if you read the comments in the link, the distiller is likely not the best idea unless the source is heavily contaminated. Regular drinking water is a good source for some minerals that our bodies need. By distilling the water you are robbing yourself of these needed items. Plus if you get enough, you can save money from buying supplements!

Cheeseburger @ 11:18 am May 7th, 2007 (comment #2)

I worked for a major grocery chain that had several brand names that were produced in their own manufacturing facilities. One of these products was drinking water. I toured the manufacturing facility and saw first had that all they were doing was bottling city water.

I remember in the late ’80s when everyone was buying Evian water. My dad got a kick out of learning that Evian is naive spelled backwards! Don’t kid yourself about bottled water. Chances are you are paying for tap water! My grandparents are healthy 83 year olds, and they have drunk tap water their entire lives!

lori @ 7:21 am May 8th, 2007 (comment #3)

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Each week, I review a personal finance book on The Simple Dollar. Here are the ten best of all that I've reviewed. Each of these are well worth reading, so check them out (links go to my detailed review of the book).
Your Money or Your Life (living)
What Color Is Your Parachute? (careers)
The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing (investments)
The Complete Tightwad Gazette (frugality)
The Total Money Makeover (debt management)
Born to Buy (parenting)
It Pays To Talk (communication)
Smart and Simple Financial Strategies for Busy People (efficiency)
The Money Trap (mental blocks)
The Millionaire Next Door (lifestyles)

Don't know what book to start with? Check out my buyer's guide for personal finance books.

In addition, I also do a weekly review of a personal development or personal productivity book, looking for ways to manage my time and my behaviors as effectively as I manage my money. Here are the ten best of those (links go straight to the detailed review).
Never Eat Alone (interpersonal skills)
How to Win Friends and Influence People (speaking)
Made to Stick (expressing ideas)
Getting Things Done (time/idea management)
The Read-Aloud Handbook (parenting)
The Now Habit (procrastination)
Organizing from the Inside Out (organization)
First Things First (time management)
What Got You Here Won't Get You There (careers)
The Paradox of Choice (life choices)