As some of you may recall, we renovated our house last year. Part of the renovations involved tearing out our deck and replacing it with a new, larger deck. Since that time, we haven’t gotten much use out of our deck because we haven’t had any patio furniture. But…

That all changed this weekend when we picked up a new 40″ x 84″ patio table (aluminum frame with with aged bronze powder-coated finish). Why so big? Because there’s six of us.

We also picked up six chairs to go along with it, as well as two matching benches for the front porch. While I had planned on setting it up this afternoon, I couldn’t find my tube of Loc-Tite so I decided to wait.

And with that… Here are some articles that caught my eye over the past week.

» Making the Move from Spender to Saver
JD broke the spending cycle. If he can do it, so can you!

» Trouble Selling? How To Enhance Your Home’s Curb Appeal
It’s spring and the housing market is slow, so… If you’re trying to sell a house, be sure to check out these tips for enhancing curb appeal. Also be sure to check out my twelve tips for preparing your house for sale.

» Ethical Consumerism, an Introduction
Sasha put together a nice introduction on ethical consumerism. If you don’t like the way things are going in the world today, vote with your wallet.

» 50 Ways to Save Money by Not Wasting
This is a great list of money saving tips that are also easy on the environment.

» The ABCs of Selling
This is a nice list of business tips from Harvey Mackay. Guess what? The customer is not always right. Your job is to find ways to make them right.

» Practical Investing Guide For Beginners
If you’ve been looking for the Cliff’s Notes version of investing, look no further… This is a great primer for the investing newbie.

» Where To Find The Down Payment For Your Dream Home
Slow markets are buyers markets. If you’re starting to think about buying a piece of real estate, this article on where to find the cash for a down payment might come in handy.

» Is it Smart to Buy Disability Insurance?
This one falls under my rule of “insure what you cannot afford.” In fact, despite having a policy through work, I’m looking for a private policy, as well.

» Should I Stop 401(k) Contributions to Pay Off Debt?
My gut reaction is that you should contribute at least enough to get your employer’s match. However, the “right” answer to this one will vary depending on your circumstances — how much debt you have, your cash flow situation, etc.