This weekend contained a four and a half hour car trip immediately followed by a five hour car trip. Both involved a toddler and a newborn in the car. We stopped about every thirty to forty-five minutes. At one particularly memorable stop (near Mount Pleasant, Iowa), both my wife and I were simultaneously changing rancid diapers on the front seat of the car at about nine in the evening under the bright lights of a grocery store. Here’s a hot tip: don’t try to pack a lot of travel in if you have very young children. Either make the schedule very loose or you’ll be frustrated.

Wow A while back, several readers scoffed at the need for FDIC insurance on their bank accounts. I wonder if they’re scoffing now after a bank with several hundred thousand accounts went belly-up. (@ birds and bills)

Huge Tax-Free Investment Returns Don’t you know that buying in bulk and other frugal tactics are a waste of time? I mean, why would you ever want a 33% return on bulk buying when you could chase 15% on the stock market? (@ wise bread)

Getting Defensive About Spending Habits I agree wholeheartedly - most people, including myself, get defensive about their spending habits. I think making an effort to knock down that wall will do nothing but help you save money. (@ my money blog)

The Simple Dollar Retro: Magazine Subscriptions: Are They Worth It? I find my “$1 rule” when it comes to magazines to be a very good indicator.