Here’s a quick rundown of posts that caught my eye over the past week…

MightyBargainHunter has a list of ten unconventional uses for the penny. To be perfectly honest, I have to take exception with #3, though… I’ve always thought that .22 cartridges make better fuse replacements than pennies do.

In case you haven’t been paying attention, FMF thinks that Sears customer service sucks (his words, not mine). It looks like he’s still having trouble getting service for his Sears elliptical trainer, and he’s sworn never to make another major purchase from Sears. You know, it’s funny… Awhile back a commenter questioned our intention to buy our new refrigerator from Home Depot, instead of opting for the service of a ‘real appliance store’ like Sears. Yeah, right…

Jim has a list of seven strategies for sticking to your budget. Personally, I think that strategy #1 (Making it a Game) works the best… After all, there’s nothing like keeping yourself motivated by trying to stick it to the man.

Flexo decided that it’s probably not worth it to sell his books on eBay.

JLP likes the tax advantages of index funds. And so do I — it’s tough to beat an index fund if you’re looking for simple, efficient investment options.

Hazzard points out an interesting story about a woman that stole $2.3 million dollars from her employer to play the lottery. If only she had realized that she could’ve been a millionaire if she would’ve just stolen the money and not played the lottery.

Finally, be sure to drop by the MoneyBlogNetwork’s personal finance forum to talk about any burning finance-related topics that might be kicking around in the back of your head.