Free Money Finance March Madness, Elite Eight, Posts 5-8

Here's the fourth round of Free Money Finance March Madness (if you wonder what's going on in these posts, see my article announcing March Madness and/or click on my March Madness category link and scroll down to read all the posts involved in this subject.) I've listed each "game" (one post versus another) in segments along with the wording provided by the author when the post was submitted. I've also listed a keyword(s) after each post title to make it easy to vote (as a made-up example, you can just comment: Game 1 - Saving; Game 2 - Investing, etc.) Be sure to comment which one you like better out of each set of two. Here we go:

GAME 3

• 8 Lessons I Learned From The Cheapest Family In The Nation (Lessons) - This post was the single most popular post I wrote last year.  It garnered a huge response on the net and a lot of discussion to boot. I think it's a great and inspiring look at a real-life family's frugality.  The Economides family proves that with teamwork, strategy and determination, we can all live below our means and live well with less.

VERSUS

• Think before you buy!  A wallet-sized reminder of your priorities (Think) - Being a thoughtful shopper is vital if you're trying to buy less and/or buy in ways that fit your values and priorities.  This post links to a ready-made credit/debit card sleeve printed with some great questions to ask yourself before you buy anything-- and is also full of suggestions and inspiration for designing your own list of questions if the existing one isn't right for you.  It's an exercise that's all about developing a mental checklist (with a physical reminder) that makes you more intentional and thoughtful about your consumption.

GAME 4

• Lessons Learned from Diet Books: How to Think Like a Rich Person (Lessons) - Some people are rich, and some people are thin: what are they doing right? Using a best-selling diet book as inspiration, this post lays out 8 personality traits that can make it difficult for you to manage your finances, and suggests ways to combat these self-defeating traits. There are many ways in which dieting and saving money are analogous but I think these 8 points really get at the heart of why many people have trouble succeeding in each area.

VERSUS

• How I Taught My Preschooler the Value of a Dollar (Dollar) - It's important to teach young children about hard work, saving, and spending.  In a quite accidental way, I used a chart system to teach my son the value of money and hard work.  If you teach your children about delayed gratification early, it will have a positive effect on their money management skills throughout life.

Comments

[paidtwice]

Game 3: Lessons
Game 4: Dollar

[bettergoalsetter]

Think
Lessons

[Jeffrey]

Game 3: Lessons
Game 4: Dollar

[E.C.]

Game 3: Think
Game 4: Lessons

[Beth]

Game 3 - Lessons
Game 4 - Dollar

[rocketc]

8 Lessons
Dollar

[Lynnae @ Being Frugal.net]

Game 3: Lessons
Game 4: Dollar :)

[Mrs. Micah]

Lessons
Dollar

[J]

Lessons
Lessons

[Four Pillars]

Game 3: Lessons
Game 4: Dollar

[dollarjane]

Lessons
Lessons

[SingleGuyMoney]

Game 3: Lessons
Game 4: Dollar

[CBaker]

Lessons
Dollar

[Super Saver]

3 Lessons
4 Dollar

[Old Lady]

3. Lessons
4. Lessons

[Emily]

Lessons
Dollar

[CyanSquirrel]

3: Think
4: Dollar

[Caitlin]

3. Lessons
4. Lessons

[Jetgirl]

Think
Dollar

[Staci]

Lessons

Dollar

[FMF]

Voting for this round has ended. Winners are:

3 - Lessons
4 - Dollar