Welcome to the weekend readers! I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year’s celebration full of fun times and fun people. I spent my evening making delicious food and playing boardgames. And now, the first roundup of 2009.

  • Though the days are starting to get longer, the battle against ice and snow is just beginning. Trent has seven tips to limit spending on snow and ice management, to which I would add if it’s not going to your garden, use the ash from your fireplace as a cheap and bountiful traction aid. (Read it at The Simple Dollar)
  • Author Leo Babauta of Zen Habits is offering a free PDF download of his book “Thriving on Less: Simplifying in a Tough Economy.” (Download it at ThePowerOfLess.com)
  • Baking soda and DIY just seem to go hand in hand, when it comes to useful products. The latest baking soda hack seen online? DIY AlkaSeltezer. With any luck though, it’ll be less necessary during the new year. (Read it at BoingBoing)
  • I covered the downside of convenience before, but Ramit has some ideas about actually creating barriers for yourself to minimize spending. (Read it at I Will Teach You To Be Rich)
  • Water isn’t just something that’s been an issue to me: the UN is proposing to include Article 31, the Right to Water, as an addition to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Please take the time to sign it, doing so only takes a few seconds. (Read it here)
  • Fees are pretty awful. In three years, my sister spent over $200 in service charges on one account. To save everyone from the burden of fees, Consumerist compiled a list of 49 banks that refund all ATM fees. (Read it at Consumerist)
  • Nina alerted me to a promotional opportunity over at Geezeo.com. Head over to register for a chance to win a $6,000 Bailout, or any number of other prizes. Thanks Nina! (Read it at Geezeo.com)

Queercents Flashback: After spending a holiday inundanted with commercials insisting that if you really love your significant other, you’d buy them a diamond I was happy to discover Bill’s article about diamonds in the Queercents archives.

Photo credit: Elizabeth Byrne.