I've been on hiatus for the last few weeks, but I'm back with the weekly list of books by kossacks (or former kossacks or close relatives of kossacks).  There are some new additions to the list this week (and a new author category) so be sure to check it out.

As usual, if you know of any any authors who I am missing, respond in the comments or send me email.  If you're an author who'd like to be added to the list anonymously, email me and I'll be happy to leave off your dKos ID.  

I need to insert my standard plug here: if you like to talk about books, be sure to check out the weekly diary series  What Are You Reading and Bookflurries.

If any author below feels misclassified by my system, just let me know and I'll be happy to move you to whichever section you think best describes your work.

I'm always looking for new ways to save money, or time, or energy (either mine, or the planet's).  I even enjoy reading ideas that I personally can't use like How to Save Money for College or  How to Save Money When Buying a Racing Yacht.  Who knows when this info might come in handy for someone I meet or for some diary I write.  The problem with most money saving tips is that I've heard them all before.  Ask 10 people how to save money on groceries, and most are going to tell you things you already know: buy in bulk, shop sales, clip coupons, buy only what you will use, shop for generics or store brands, ...  It all begins to sound the same.  So I thought I'd invite you all to share your favorite tips this week.  I'm especially looking for tips you don't think anyone else has heard of or that you don't think are spoken of often enough.  I'll go first, but I want to see you all contributing in the comments.

Normally on Tuesday evenings, I publish the list I've been keeping of books that have been published by kossacks (or former kossacks or close relatives of kossacks).  This week, I will be a bit busy tonight, so I'm publishing it early.  Please check it out and be sure to buy anything that catches your fancy.  They can all use your support.

As usual, if you know of any any authors who I am missing, respond in the comments or send me email.  If you're an author who'd like to be added to the list anonymously, email me and I'll be happy to leave off your dKos ID.  

This series will be going on hiatus for a few weeks, but I will be back at the end of the month with any new additions.  In the mean time, if you like to talk about books, be sure to check out the weekly diary series  What Are You Reading and Bookflurries.

If any author below feels misclassified by my system, just let me know and I'll be happy to move you to whichever section you think best describes your work.

Most of us like to believe we're not gullible.  We read about some scam or con and we think, "I'd never fall for that.  You can't fool me that easily!"  The truth of the matter is, we are all susceptible to believing what we're told, especially if it's what we want to hear.  Let's face it, most of the advertising industry is based on getting consumers to buy stuff they never knew they needed.  If we weren't all gullible, advertising wouldn't work.  Well, I say, if you can't beat 'em join 'em.  Go ahead, embrace your gullibility.  No, I'm not suggesting you run out and purchase the latest widget or doodad you've seen advertised and I'm not suggesting that you invest in the "can't miss" opportunity your brother-in-law is proposing.  Rather, I am suggesting you put your gullibility to work and you con yourself into saving more and spending less.  If this sounds like crazy-talk to you, follow me below the fold and see if I can convince you.

For a while now, I've been collecting a list of published authors who are also users here (or who used to be users or who are close relatives of users).   At first I would just post the list and requests for additions as a comment in the weekly diary series  What Are You Reading and Bookflurries, but eventually the list grew to the point where I started posting it as a weekly diary series on Tuesday nights.  Lately, I've noticed that the rate of new additions has trickled, so I'm wondering if I should move it to a different day or time.  Please respond in the poll to help me make this decision.

Before you vote though, be sure to check out the list.  The book list below is so large, I've had to split it into sublists.  If any author feels misclassified by this system, just let me know and I'll be happy to move you to whichever section you think best describes your work.

In our house, I would be hard pressed to say whether it is my husband or myself who is more interested in financial matters.  I tend to work more with the bookkeeping side of things tracking where our money is going and he tends to deal more with the investment side of things, keeping an eye on what kind of return we are getting on our savings.  Although he's not a kossack, not even a lurker, I have been using him as a sounding board about this series since I started writing it.  This week he piped up, "I have an idea for a diary," but rather than just sharing it with me, he went so far as to write it up himself.  So I'm posting it just as he's written it. (Woohoo!  Easy week for me!)

Without further ado, follow me below the fold for some investment advice from my better-half.

Each week, I try to post the entire list I've been keeping of published authors who happen to also be kossacks (or former kossacks, or close relatives of kossacks).  I'm sorry I missed last week, but I was on my way to this little shindig down in Austin you may have heard about.  I'm pleased to say that while I was there, I got the author of Devil's Tower to sign my copy of his book.  Unfortunately, I didn't happen to run into any of the other authors while I was carrying their books.

The book list below is so large, I've had to split it into sublists.  If any author feels misclassified by this system, just let me know and I'll be happy to move you to whichever section you think best describes your work.

As large as it is, I'm sure this list is not yet complete.  If you know of any any authors who I am missing, respond in the comments or send me email.  If you're an author who'd like to be added to the list anonymously, email me and I'll be happy to leave off your dKos ID.

As the costs of fuel have soared, so has the cost of getting people and goods from point A to point B.  Airlines are feeling this squeeze, just like the rest of us, and they have taken to turning around and squeezing their customers for every dime they can.  Since many of us will be flying next week, I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to discuss some tips for saving money and time when traveling.

I'm sure most of you haven't heard, but this obscure user here has a new book coming out soon.  He's not the only published author hanging around these parts, however.  Many months ago I started keeping a list and now I publish it every Tuesday for discussion.  You might be amazed how large this list of authors is, which is why I've split it into multiple sublists.  If any author feels misclassified by this system, just let me know and I'll be happy to move you to whichever section you think best describes your work.

As large as it is, I'm sure this list is not yet complete.  If you know of any any authors who I am missing, respond in the comments or send me email.  If you're an author who'd like to be added to the list anonymously, email me and I'll be happy to leave off your dKos ID.

This list got its start in the weekly diary series  What Are You Reading and Bookflurries.  Be sure to check those out if you like to talk about books.

Welcome to the holiday edition of Frugal Fridays.  I'm ready for a relaxing day watching things explode, so I decided to make this the topic for today.  Follow me below the fold for some ideas on how to save money while celebrating the birth of our nation and be sure to share your own patriotic money saving ideas in the comments.  Some of these tips may come a bit late to be of much help to you this year, but keep them in mind for next year.  I write notes to myself about where to go and what to bring when viewing fireworks each year and put them in my calendar to pop up next year and remind me.

If this is Tuesday, it must be time to discuss books published by Kossacks or former Kossacks or relatives of Kossacks.  If you have ever wondered how many authors we have around here, well, I have a little list.  OK, it's not so little anymore.  It's actually quite a big list, which is why I've split it into multiple sublists.  If any author feels misclassified by this system, just let me know and I'll be happy to move you to whichever section you think best describes your work.

As large as it is, I'm sure this list is not yet complete.  If you know of any any authors who I am missing, respond in the comments or send me email.  If you're an author who'd like to be added to the list anonymously, email me and I'll be happy to leave off your dKos ID.

This list got its start in the weekly diary series  What Are You Reading and Bookflurries.  Be sure to check those out if you like to talk about books.

As we slide into tougher economic times, more and more people are looking to starting their own business as a way of augmenting their income.  If you are thinking along those lines, this diary may have some helpful pointers for you.

Before I get started on this topic, there is one note that I forgot to mention in last weeks diary on disaster preparedness:

If you live in Southern California, you may want to take place in the largest public earthquake preparedness event ever on November 12-16: Shake Out.  There are multiple events occurring this week including a drill and other preparedness exercises.  The big one is coming and you had best get prepared.

Every Tuesday evening (more or less) I post the list I've been keeping of books published by authors who hang out here (or who used to hang out here or who are closely related to someone who hangs out here).  This list got its start in the weekly diary series  What Are You Reading and Bookflurries.  Be sure to check those out if you like to talk about books.

This list has grown so much that I've split it into multiple sublists.  If any author feels misclassified by this system, just let me know and I'll be happy to move you to whichever section you think best describes your work.

As large as it is, I'm sure this list is not yet complete.  If you know of any any authors who I am missing, respond in the comments or send me email.  If you're an author who'd like to be added to the list anonymously, email me and I'll be happy to leave off your dKos ID.

Right now there are tornadoes and floods in the midwest, fires in the west, hurricane season is starting in the Atlantic and it is always earthquake season, so I have disaster planning on the brain.  When a disaster strikes your home or community, it can be a really costly event.  However, with a little bit of time and effort in advance, the frugal person can avoid some of the worst trouble and expense.  Putting together a disaster plan and a set of supplies can be done rather cheaply.  It doesn't need to cost an arm and a leg and the money spent now will seem like a terrific bargain if those supplies are ever needed.  Even if they aren't, you will have bought yourself some peace of mind that is priceless.  

Much of this diary will be a reprise of the one I did six months ago on building a disaster kit.  See that diary for the detailed list of supplies I have tried to assemble.  If you already have a disaster plan and set of supplies, you may want to revisit them and update them now.  If you haven't yet made your disaster preparations, now would be a good time to start.

Each week I've been posting the list of books published by authors who hang out here (or who used to hang out here or who are closely related to someone who hangs out here).  Now that the primaries are over, if you are looking for something interesting to read, be sure to check it out.  

In looking over the list this week, I realized we have now passed the century mark, there are over 100 authors on the list.  As a matter of fact, the list is so large, I've split it into multiple sublists.  If any author feels misclassified by this system, just let me know and I'll be happy to move you to whichever section you think best describes your work.

This list got its start in the weekly diary series What Are You Reading and Bookflurries.  Be sure to check those out if you like to talk about books.

As large as it is, I'm sure this list is not yet complete.  If you know of any any authors who I am missing, respond in the comments or send me email.  If you're an author who'd like to be added to the list anonymously, email me and I'll be happy to leave off your dKos ID.

I know this is a really exciting night for people here, but if you are looking for something to read off-line, check out this listof books by Kossacks.  I used to post it each week as a comment in the diary series What Are You Reading and Bookflurries, but now it has grown so large, it merits its own weekly diary.  

As a matter of fact, the list is so large, I've split it into multiple sublists.  If any author feels misclassified by this system, just let me know and I'll be happy to move you to whichever section you think best describes your work.  

I'm sure this list is far from complete.  If you know of any any authors who I am missing, respond in the comments or send me email.  If you're an author who'd like to be added to the list anonymously, email me and I'll be happy to leave off your dKos ID.

We have a lot of authors hanging out on this site.  Some are world renowned, and some are not quite so famous, and for all of them, I have a little list.  I started keeping this a while ago and for a while I would post it each week as a comment in the diary series What Are You Reading and Bookflurries and solicit new additions.  Now that it is quite extensive, I'm posting it as a weekly diary series.  

I've divided the list of authors into several subdivisions.  The full lists are all below.  If any author feels misclassified by this system, just let me know and I'll be happy to move you to whichever section you think best describes your work.  

I'm sure these lists are not yet complete.  Please respond in the comments or send me email if you know of any authors who I am missing.  If you'd like to be added to the list anonymously, email me and I'll be happy to leave off your dKos ID.

Months ago I read this article about how expensive romantic relationships can be: Love can hurt — your bank account.  This is not the first time I've seen people say something like, "I don't have enough money to be in a romantic relationship right now."  I'm here to tell you that is just crazy talk.  While it is not true that "two can live as cheaply as one," one can, in truth, be in a relationship and spend not much more than one does living a solitary existence.  Follow me down to find some ideas for how to fall in love without breaking the bank.  

The truth of the matter is that it has been decades since I was single and dating, so some of my advice may be a bit behind the times.  Please join in the comments with your own advice.