I just ran across an interesting site that features personal accounts of how people are spending their tax stimulus rebates. Some of the more amusing uses include:

- donating it to the Obama campaign (take that, W!)
- buying plane tickets to catch the New Kids on the Block reunion tour (seriously?)
- treating “a sudden and particularly messy case of giardia contracted by our puppy” (yuck!)
- installing a giant chocolate fountain in the backyard (yum!)

And with that, here are some articles that caught my eye over the past week…

» The Financial Realities of Having a New Baby
NCN details some of the financial implications of a growing family.

» My Tax Mess
This is an interesting post, not so much for the specifics of FMF’s problems, but for the underlying lessson… Even if you hire a pro to do your taxes, you still need to check their work. As I told him, this is why I do my own taxes — that way I can screw things up for free.

» Don’t Pay Your Dues
An interesting perspective from Jim… Life is too short to be wasted “paying your dues.”

» Craigslist vs. eBay
Jaimie’s experiences are similar to mine. Craigslist is a great way to get rid of items locally, but you can probably do better on eBay if the item is easily shippable.

» Plan Ahead: Six Steps to Secure Your Financial Future
The key to financial planning is that you actually need to plan. And the earlier you start, the better.

» Want Some Extra Income? Try Odd Jobs!
If you never seem to have quite enough money, why not pick up some odd jobs on your spare time and pocket a bit of extra cash?

» Taking a Deeper Look at Wants vs. Needs
One of the keys to living below your means is being able to distinguish between wants and needs.