I’m at the beach this weekend- except that I’m not really. I’m in a condo at the beach, sitting on a laptop trying to get some writing done, as that is what one does at a writers’ retreat. How we managed to pick the most gorgeous weekend so far this year to lock ourselves inside, I have no idea.

But just because I’m away working on my writing, there’s no need for you not to know what I’ve been reading this week. So here you go.

Squirrelers has the unenviable task of helping his parents move out of their home of 34 years. (One of our writing retreat members has been going through this as well.) The family has been lucky to discover a number of family treasures during this time, including a Priceless Letter from Grandfather.

Mr. Money Mustache is good at rants. He really is. I like this one: Can We All Stop This Fucking Complaining About Our Government? Because it reminds me exactly how lucky I am to have always lived in the US and to take for granted the right to free speech that lets me criticize our government. Not everyone is so lucky.

In other ways I am lucky, I have great work benefits, including access to an onsite gym, a public transportation pass that costs me $35/year, when it costs other people $200/month, as well as great medical benefits. This week, Odd Cents talks about work benefits she wishes she had.

Are better benefits all you need to make you happy? Or is there some magical number when it comes to income? Making Sense of Cents talks about the recent study that says the gravy zone is between $50,000-$75,000 for happiness and wonders What’s Your Happy Number?

And speaking of what makes us happy, I’ve been really enjoying my new plants this year. I’m not much of a gardener (I hate weeding), but I really like this container gardening thing. If you’re interested in trying container gardening, The Finance Geek writes about Setting Up a Container Garden on a Budget.

Now we’ve reached the part where we welcome someone new to the Yakezie challenge. This week, we’re featuring Money Life and More. I really like this post from shortly before he joined Yakezie about Finding an Accountability Partner. It matters. And that’s one of the reasons Yakezie is so fabulous.

And finally, I can’t not mention that this week, I was honored to be awarded the Blog Post of the Week by Average Joe’s Money Blog. The list of people I wish to thank is so long the band is playing me off the stage before I even start. But rest assured, this award has already found an honored place in my home.