Many GRS readers have urged me to take a more active role in charity and giving back to my local community. So when my friend and colleague Chris Guillebeau asked me if I’d be willing to help with a local cause, I decided now was a great time to make the leap.
On Friday, October 23rd, Chris and I will attend a benefit dinner and auction to support Sisters of the Road, a local non-profit that fights homelessness and poverty in Portland. If you’re in the Portland area, you’re welcome to join us (and our wives) for this event. Registration is $85 per person and includes dinner, drinks, an auction — and a lively hoe-down. There’s more information at The Art of Non-Conformity. If you’re in the area and feel inclined to join us, we’d love to see you there.
Meanwhile, here are some financial articles that have caught my eye recently:
This morning, USA Today ran an [...]

I’m not the only one who has been thinking about the relationship between money and meaning lately. This is a guest post from CJ at WiseMoneyMatters.com, who is trying to live a rich life even as he works to pay down debt.
“Wealth and riches are not synonymous. Wealth will get you riches, but riches will never make you wealthy.” – Dr. Edwin Louis Cole

I love this quote from Dr. Edwin Louis Cole because it gives me a heart check. It helps me understand my motives for doing what I’m doing.
You see, my goals are to become completely debt-free. I’m getting closer and closer to that goal. Within the last few months, I downsized my house, doubled my income, and was able to pay off all of my debts except for the mortgage. So now all I have left is about $100,000 to pay off before I am completely debt-free.
In order to get to those goals, [...]

This is a guest post from Debbie Dubrow from Delicious Baby, a blog with advice about traveling with babies, toddlers and kids. Previously at GRS, Debbie wrote about how to track travel expenses and stick to a vacation budget.
The U.S. government has officially announced that we’re in a recession, but for those balancing our own budgets, it’s not new news.  Even if you haven’t been affected yet, you are probably cutting back and setting aside money to weather what may be rough months ahead.  
For some, charitable giving might seem like the easiest (and first) expense to eliminate.  But giving is even more important this year, and I believe you should consider increasing your efforts now instead of cutting back.  You don’t need to be wealthy to make a big difference in the life of someone who lives in poverty.
People on the “edges” are impacted more
People who are already struggling are impacted more by rising [...]