Roundup: $1000 bagels and $25000 chocolate sundaes

How about a $100 bagel at the Westin Hotel in Times Square? Or a $25,000 chocolate sundae called the Frrozen Haute Chocolate at Serendipity 3? Yeah… that’s pretty ridiculous huh? I guess if you would even consider getting a chocolate sundae worth as much as a good car, you probably don’t care about the price. It’s it amazing how much excess there is in the world?

• NCN ponders what would happen (mathematically) if you maximized your retirement contributions.
• FMF might buy now that foreclosures have hit a high.
• MBH continues his eBay series with part 5: how to set up a store.
• Nickel gives us an update on his home addition.
• Sasha at Consumerism Commentary writes about how a recent study by the Journal of Labor Research indicates that gay men earn 23% less than married men.
• JLP talks about how this is the season to be frugal.
• JD really takes the whole “buying in bulk” concept very serious, buying over 80 lbs of beef for at least the second year in a row. Read about JD’s awesome taco soup recipe and some comments on why buying in bulk can be fun.
• Ben talks about the 24/7 nature of work when you have a pager and how work-life balance goes out of whack. Ben… it’s 2007, replace pager with Blackberry dude, unless you’re a drug dealer.
• Jeremy wants to know if mortgage bailouts encourage irresponsibility and punish prudent borrowers. I agree that they do encourage irresponsibility but I don’t think they’re avoidable because there are bigger things at stake, an overall economic slowdown hurts everyone (that’s not to say I think there should be bailouts, but I understand the reasoning). Plus ultimately gambling sometimes rewards the foolish.
• SVB talks about loans you should handle with care.
• I bookmarked this earlier in the week when it was first published and it’s an illustrated guide to cash flow.
• Sun talks dividends beyond the border.
• Lazy Man discusses how to have a successful budget meeting with your spouse.
• Daily Money Hack talks about the Discover $20 cashback bonus offer that Discover is running away for the holidays this year.
• Check out some retirement focused questions from the search results of BFP.
• Here are some tips to protect your home against potential wind damage.
• Anyone need a free sample of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee, or Vive Pro Nutri Gloss Shampoo and Conditioner, or perhaps some Reynolds Slow Cooker Liners?