Thanks to everyone who has offered help with my server woes. I think I’ve got things under control: I’ve selected a place, we’ve moved all the files, and now I just need to test to be sure nothing’s broken. When I’m certain everything is as it should be, we’ll flip the switch to complete the server transfer. Get Rich Slowly may be unreachable for a couple of days as the new server address propagates throughout the internet. Things will return to normal shortly.

This is the inaugural edition of the Weekend Roundup, which will give me a chance to highlight great posts from elsewhere in the Money Blog Network (and beyond). My Daily Roundups have become irregular at best, so this will allow me to share personal finance stories that I might otherwise not have space to share. Here are some of my favorites from the past week:

• At The Simple Dollar, Trent does some fantastic research to answer the question: Does cooking at home really beat the McDonald’s $1 Cheeseburger? His conclusion? “You can make a healthier, tastier version of the McDonald’s $1 double cheeseburger at home for less than $1 per sandwich.”
• Jim at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity has a great article about what he learned from his first investment. These points are worth repeating:
  • In the short term, the stock market is basically gambling.
  • Don’t watch your stocks every day.
  • The stock market is boring.
• At No Credit Needed, NCN tackles a topic that may become relevant to me sooner than I think: how to create a budget if you have irregular income.
• The Mighty Bargain Hunter suggests seven prudent things to do with small windfalls. (Seven things other than spend the money, that is.)
• At All Financial Matters, JLP talks about controlling your fear of the market. “Quit watching CNBC! Don’t check your 401(k) balance!”
• Sasha, the new co-author at Consumerism Commentary, suggests five romantic outdoor day date ideas under $30. In Oregon, it’s getting a little late in the year for these, but they’re still good ideas to bookmark for the future.
• Nickel notes that it’s possible to borrow money from an IRA over short periods of time to bridge a rough patch. (Note that he said “possible”, and not that it was a good idea.)
• Leo at Zen Habits recentl wrote about seven things you can do today to prepare for retirement. My number one suggestion? Start now.
• Free Money Finance says “I told you so” about what FMF terms “evil house loans”. He writes: “Next time you’re tempted to go against sound financial principles, think long and hard before you proceed.”
• Finally, last year ReadyMade featured a story on how to save if you don’t have a nine-to-five. This is a nice, short article for those with non-traditional jobs.

Have a great weekend!

This article is about Spare Change  Saturday, 15th September 2007 (by J.D. Roth)