Print Media, Favorite Shirt, Death to Jack (and some personal finance links)

I have a few thoughts on my mind this week:

• I’m not a fan of print media – A well-known print magazine contacted me to ask if they could do a story on me. Awesome! However, they’d need my real name (no Mark Twain or Richard Bachman’s) and a photo. You search Google for “lazy” and I’m pretty much at the top. How would you like your real name associated with “lazy” if someone does a Google search… I feared it would kill my future job prospects, so I had to pass.
• A painful $25 savings – Ever have a favorite shirt? We all do, right? Mine was a red Polo sweatshirt that I got from TJ Maxx in Boston for $10. It was just the softest thing ever. I would wear it far too much, sometimes a few days a week (remember, I worked at home for the last 18 months) over the last 4-5 years. However, a couple of months ago, it got a stain that I just couldn’t get out. It had to be put out to pasture. It was a sad day. Today, I found the same red Polo sweatshirt at Marshall’s. It was $25, marked down from $98. I grabbed it and showed my wife and she said, “OMG, you must have been crying when you found it!” I responded with, “Yeah, but it’s only a medium.” In the dressing room, I just couldn’t make the medium work. I don’t need any new clothes anyway. (Hope isn’t lost as I found an old one on ebay just now. I bet I could find a new one if I search a little more.)
• Am I the only one rooting for Jack to die? – I’m not big on death, but the stunt that Jack in the Box pulled by having Jack, the mascot, get hit by a bus in a SuperBowl commercial was horrible. Now we are being subjected to commercials with doctors hemming and hawing over him. A couple of things to note here: 1) Jack is not real 2) Getting hit by a bus is not funny nor does it draw sympathy when it’s staged. Jack in the Box even has a website, so you can track Jack’s status – pathetic. Sorry it’s just horrible on all levels (I apologize to the East Coast readers who don’t know what I’m talking about.)

Money Writers:

• Brip Blap writes on the pursuit of wealth for the sake of others.
• Frugal Dad says recession-proof your debt snowball.
• Million Dollar Journey posts the frugal dog – the cost of dog ownership.
• Digerati Life presents cheap meals and easy dinner ideas: recession dining for under $10.
• Money Smart Life talks job searching: finding a job with a new degree, certification, or license.
• My Dollar Plan on housing, housing, housing – recession.
• The Sun’s Financial Diary posts consumer reports 2009 best new car picks.

More Financial Posts:

• No Credit Needed presents he no credit needed notebook.
• Bargaineering asks ever go dumpster diving?
• Consumer Commentary offers 8 Ways to Create Your Own Stimulus Check

I’d like to call attention to Christian Finance’s Presidential Giveaway. Though I don’t endorse David Ramsey’s teachings, he does help a number of people get out of debt. There are very few people entered in the contest, so your odds of winning are pretty good.