Get Rich Slowly is the final entrant in JLP’s Question-of-the-Day Marathon. There have been many thought-provoking questions over the past month; I hope you’ve had a chance to contribute at some of the participating sites. My question is:
What does money mean to you?

When I was a boy, my family was poor. Money then meant necessities to me. It was the key to obtaining essentials, especially food and clothing. Sometimes it opened other doors, too: candy, comic books, movies. But mostly it was a means to obtain the things we needed to survive.
When I was a young adult, however, my attitude changed. My father had a successful business venture, so we had more money when I was in high school. I went to a college where I was surrounded by kids from wealthy and successful families. I began to view money as the means whereby I could acquire the luxuries my peers seemed to already have. [...]

City Girl’s Financial Blog: Question of the Day Marathon — My turn!!!
“In the past 24 hours, what have you done in relation to money?”
(tags: pfblogs qotd)

Do younger people pay with folding money only? | Ask MetaFilter
“Have you noticed a link between a person’s age and whether he/she pays for purchases with exact change?”
(tags: funnymoney)

The top 10 advantages of low-rent living
“We’re still living in an apartment which costs us next to nothing and looking back I can see how much of an advantage that has been for the both of us.”
(tags: frugality housing choices)

BBC NEWS | Technology | Spammers manipulate stock markets
“Spam messages that tout stocks and shares can have real effects on the markets, a study suggests.”
(tags: stocks spam)

School’s back in session, and with it come life-lessons in money management for students. But personal finance can be easy, even if you’re just starting out. You just have to know how it works. All of the following are concepts I wish I had known before heading to college.

Money Management
Now that you’re on your own, you might be tempted to spend money on all the things your parents wouldn’t let you have before. Go slow. If you play it smart, you can avoid the sort of money troubles that plague many young adults.

Join a credit union. Don’t just sign up for a random bank giving away t-shirts or frisbees at registration. Track down a credit union in town, or do some research into online banks.
Don’t get a credit card unless you absolutely need one. Don’t be a sucker. Those guys sitting behind the sign-up table are not there to help you. They’re there to make [...]

Pragmatic Finance - Putting my Financial House in Order
“What factors affected the career you chose? Was it purely about the pay or were there other aspects that influenced the decision?”
(tags: pfblogs qotd career)

Bargaining over the price of a bike | Ask MetaFilter
“When buying a new bike from a local bike shop, is bargaining over the price expected, and if so, how much should I be able to talk them down from the MRSP? “
(tags: bargaining shopping)

Warren Buffett - Wikiquote
As I’ve mentioned before, Buffet is one of my heroes. This huge list of quotes is an excellent introduction to his investment philosophy.
(tags: investing buffet quotes)

My high-school history teacher refused to buy bananas. We thought he was crazy, but he didn’t care. “You don’t understand the conditions bananas are picked under,” he told us. “Those people are like slaves.” This was my introduction to “voting with dollars”.
As part of the personal finance Question of the Day Marathon, Penny at Money and Values asks:
Do you involve your values in your money decisions? If so, what are some examples? If not, why not? Define “your values” however you’d like; I’m asking about the principles that are important and meaningful in your life in a broad and general sense, and whether and how you bring those into your financial/money-related choices.
This is a great question. Here are some ways I vote with my dollars:

I moved my accounts from U.S. Bank to a small local credit union. I get charged less than I did at the bank, and my money stays [...]

Money and Values: Question of the Day, 8/28: Your Money and Your Values
“Do you involve your values in your money decisions? If so, what are some examples? If not, why not?”
(tags: pfblogs qotd money values)

How do I find a great financial advisor? | Ask MetaFilter
“How should I know that whoever is passing themselves off as knowledgeable actually is just that? I want to get good advise but I don’t know where to look. Any ideas what I should do?”
(tags: askme finances money)