There were so many good posts this week that I’m breaking my own rules and giving you four posts instead of the typical three. I hope you don’t mind. 
We’ve been visiting the farmer’s market once a week lately, every Saturday, for almost two months now. The freshness of the vegetables is amazing, 95% of them are local, and there’s even an organic farmer whose prices would make any Whole Foods shopper’s eyes pop out.
It’s no surprise that with lower prices and better quality, we’ve started to get nearly all of our fresh fruits and veggies at the market. This one happens to go year-round, though the selection during the summer will be limited (Florida’s growing season is winter).
I encourage you to find and visit your local farmer’s market, if you have one nearby. You might be surprised at what you find.
Here are four amazing posts I read this week:
#1: Darwin’s Money: Stop Whining About Gas Prices. Seriously: While gas prices top $4 a gallon in many parts of the country, Darwin reminds us that things aren’t as bad as they would seem on the surface.
“It’s no wonder Europeans are disgusted by Americans. They have to import most of their energy needs and they live a much more energy efficient lifestyle. They walk. They ride bikes. They don’t litter. They don’t buy crap they don’t need like we do. And they pay almost double what we do for gas. If they don’t complain, you can’t complain.”
#2: Bargaineering: How to Save on Groceries, With & Without Coupons: Most posts will cover only the coupon angle or the non-coupon angle. This one tackled the best of both worlds, with some unique ideas on how to save some dough when shopping for food. For example:
“Go ethnic. If you have never set a foot in an ethnic grocery store, a market that caters to immigrants, you are missing out. Staple items like oil, flour, and rice can be found for a fraction of the price you’ll see at a major chain.”
#3: WiseBread: 10 Signs You Shouldn’t Be a Business Owner: Becoming independent and starting your own thing is all the rage lately. The recession has emboldened, and in many cases forced, individuals to become their own bosses. But being a business owner is not all fun and games. This post from Wise Bread reminds us of the many qualities that are necessary to succeed.
“The essential requirement is to be honest with yourself. If you find that you’re nodding in agreement, step back and work on improving in those areas first, then tackle business ownership later.”
#4: Get Rich Slowly: The Financial Literacy Toolkit: April was financial literacy month. A lot of bloggers run “basic” posts this month to remind us of how to get started from the ground up. J.D. Roth put together a very broad collection of his best “basics” posts this week and posted it on Get Rich Slowly.
Enjoy your weekends!
Photo by christian.senger
Fiscal Fizzle 