Thanks to the feeling of Spring in the air combined with the time change, my day was really thrown off balance.  Just couldn’t seem to get in the groove all day with wanting to be outside, and the excitement around the Duke vs UNC basketball game.

UNC pulled out an almost certain win to become ACC champions.  Go Heels!

[insert Dick Vitale's voice here]

March Madness is almost here baaabbbyyyyyy!

Best PF reads from the blogosphere

Carl from Behavior Gap discloses a few conversations he had with his clients about the market last week.  Sage advice from an experienced CFP.

Jim from Bargaineering makes a solid case for not buying stocks in this turbulent market, and holding your cash on the sidelines.  Experienced investors and traders know that markets like these are all about preservation of capital instead of making money, so it’s very timely advice.

Jeremy at Generation X finance makes a great point that your retirement account is not a bank account.  Some investors are beginning to think they’re throwing money away or since they’re not seeing an immediate return on their money, that it’s best to use it elsewhere.

David at MoneyNing reminded me that laziness can cost your money.  All of us have our tendencies, and mine happens to be holding onto a stack of half used gift cards.  So many in fact that I have a stack of them in my desk.

Nora from Wisebread will make you rethink your electricity usage with a nice post on vampire power.  Recording your favorite shows from your cell phone may sound like a cool trick, but consider the long term power usage your cable box and DVR are costing you over a 12 month time period.

Carnivals and Tournaments

Free Money Finance has been hosting a March Madness personal finance tournament of his own where I successfully made it passed round two with my article about telling a family friend they don’t have enough money for retirement.

He also hosted last week’s Carnival of Personal Finance where my Living Beyond Your Means: Scaled Up Consequences of Bad Decisions article was chosen as one of five editor’s top picks among the ~100 submissions.