Blog Roundup: Nice Weather & Financial Blogger Conference

I went for my first outdoor spring run yesterday!  It was everything I’ve ever wanted and more.  As soon as I set foot outside, I realized how absolutely awful treadmill running is.  Running outside is so much better – it’s more inspiring, the time flies by, the scenery is beautiful, the breeze is refreshing, and I always just feel more cleansed afterward.  After 4-5 months trapped indoors at a gym, I am ecstatic to get outside!

This weekend, with the nice weather, the Big 12 Championship in downtown Kansas City, and KU hopefully making it to the final game, mis amigos and I will be heading down to the Power & Light district to watch the game on the big outdoor screen (no tickets for us … so sad).  The outdoor area with the big screen (which used to be called “the living room” – do they still call it that?) is one of my favorite places to hang out on summer nights.  So much fun to enjoy the warm weather outdoors than inside (you have all winter to do that!).

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**Is anyone planning on going to the Financial Blogger Conference over the October 1, 2011 weekend?  I found out about it yesterday (through Krystal’s blog post) and I would really like to go.  Chicago is just a short flight away from Kansas City, so it’s a quick trip for me.  I might need to some hotel roomies!  Let me know if you’re going!**

On to the links!  (Including some guest posts by me…)

5 Reasons I’m Happy I Rent

“Cheap rent. I realize this is not the case everywhere (just ask that “rent is too damn high” guy), but, here in Kansas City, rent is relatively cheap. My rent expense accounts for just 9% of my net income (living with someone helps, but when I lived alone, it accounted for about 21% of my net income). This allows me to save a substantial percentage of my income, putting me in a better position to (hopefully) throw down an awesome down payment when I do buy a home.” – guest post by me on Consumerism Commentary

How to Save Money While Planning a Fabulous Wedding

“First and foremost, before you plan anything, set your priorities.  This is important because priorities are different for every person. Although ice sculptures and a string quartets are a MUST for some couples, unlimited kegs of beer and an awesome DJ are on the top of the list for others.” – by me on Money Under 30

File Under “I’ve Lost My Mind” – Student Loans Paid Off By 30

“It seems that most former students have decided that education loans are a necessary evil that must tolerated forever. It doesn’t have to be this way. A year ago, you could have categorized me with the group of post-grads that were content with paying the bare minimum and trudging along slowly, accumulating hundreds if not thousands of dollars in interest in the meantime. While I accept that interest is going to work against me no matter the rate at which I manage these payments, I want these loans gone.” – by Clare on Never Niche

It’s Your Job, but is it Your Passion?

“I always knew that my dream job wasn’t exactly going to be high paying; I just figured I’d find a way to make it work. But when the time came to make that decision, I started to second guess myself. Did I want to spend my life working long hours for a low salary? How important was buying a home of my own, and was retiring early really a goal I wanted to achieve? With the new job, I wouldn’t be able to do any of those things, no matter how much I cut out of my budget. So all of a sudden, The Perfect Job didn’t seem so perfect anymore. It was a hard decision to make, but I had to be realistic with myself.” – by Krystal at Give Me Back My Five Bucks

Have a great weekend!