I didn’t have a chance to put up some links last week because of I was pushed for time.  So this week I’m combing the best from the past two weeks.  Enjoy!

Editor’s Choice:

Restaurants Pwn Your Weaknesses:  My editor’s choice is going to Hank over at Own The Dollar for his post on the behavioral tricks restaurants use against you.  As many of you know, behavioral economics is a passion of mine.  The subtle exploits that are discovered within the mind are fascinating.  For instance, by simply removing the dollar sign from prices you are less likely to actually think of how much a meal costs. You are also more drawn towards the meals with interesting names or fancy fonts and pictures.  An example is going for the All-American Double Bacon Jalapeno Cheeseburger instead of the normal cheeseburger because it has such a patriotic name.  Head over to Own The Dollar to see the rest of ways restaurants take advantage of your weak mind.

And the rest of my top picks:

Why Keep Investing?:  Generation X Finance’s Jeremy received a question from a reader that seems to have given up all hope in the stock market.  He advises not to get discouraged, and to keep looking at the long term horizon.  There are a number of pessimists in the comments, but I agree with Jeremy.  Head over there if you’re feeling down about the markets.

Ugly & Rich or Poor & Pretty? : While I love J. Money’s blog, I have to disagree and say budgets are in fact not sexy.  J has a recurring segment of “Would You Rather” which reminds me of Family Guy’s “Would You Rather” questions.  Recently he asked whether you would rather be rich and ugly or poor and pretty?  I chose rich and ugly, because I figure that’s where I’m headed.  There are dozens of responses, so head over there and check them out.

Great Depression Mortgage Bailout: In keeping with my theme about depressions this week, the Harvard Publishing Blog has a post about a mortgage bailout back during the Great Depression.  That one actually worked.  Have a read and see what we are and are not doing similarly this time around.

Easy Green and Money Saving Tips: I’ve been reading Hot, Flat, and Crowded on and off for the past couple of months.  Naturally there is a green theme in the book.  In a section I read last night, Thomas Friedman writes about blogs and their little lists of easy green tips.  He says these won’t save the planet.  He is right, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do them.  So do them to save a penny and your conscience, but don’t even begin to pretend it will have any significant impact on the planet, even if everyone did it.

What Will You Tell Your Kids?:  Get Rich Slick posed an interesting question yesterday inspired by something the author saw on NBC.  His dad was around during the Great Depression, and he is certainly around during this economic “event.”  So what will he tell his grandkids someday about 2009?  What will you tell your grandkids about 2009?  I’m still quite young, having just started my career as this meltdown was happening.  I’ll remember every bit of it.

Quick shout-out to the Festival of Frugality which hosted my post on the Great Gilded Bubble

Photo Credit: Adelle L

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