So the expensive Toro mower I bought a year ago decided to go on strike. Unfortunately, Toro's "Guarantee to Start" is only as good as the place that looks at it.

In my case, the authorized service center charges a $62 bench fee, did its best to convince me the problem isn't covered under warranty (they can't nail Toro for a $62 bench fee, of course), AND they won't look at it for 3 1/2 weeks.

So what do I do when I have a jungle growing in the front yard and the neighbors are getting irritated?

Say hello to Mr. Reel Mower.

I think I'm going to take the train to work tomorrow.

It won't save me any time, although with some creativity I could save five minutes some days (but lose five on others). I do figure it can save me some money.

The pitch sounded too good to be true. While most bank accounts in the United States are paying a piddly 4% interest, and rates are more likely to go down than up, there's another country whose economy is booming, is one of the safest places in the world for your money, and routinely pays 9, 10, or even 14 percent interest on three-month CDs.

I clicked the banner ad. I read what the guy had to say. But I didn't sign on the dotted line. Here's why.

I've had a number of people tell me I'm making a mistake paying my mortgage off early. If all goes well, my wife and I will be rid of that debt sometime this year.

I can understand the logic behind keeping that "good debt." But that's idealistic. I have lots of reasons for getting rid of that as soon as possible.

Although a lot of people, including money saver types, recommend against buying anything at all on the day after Thanksgiving, I rolled out of bed and fought the crowds early this morning.

I think I came out ahead.

So it looks like someone in Kansas is building diesel-electric hybrids. Just not really from scratch.

Johnathan Goodwin converts vehicles, new and old, to diesel-electric hybrids. His clients include Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger and Neil Young.

I spent the afternoon putting plastic film on my windows. It was supposed to be a short project, and I do get better at it every year, but it still ended up taking about an hour per window.

I think it's time well spent. According to one article I read, it can cut your heating bills by 30 percent. That's some serious money.

I've been writing a lot about personal finance lately. I make no apologies for that; it's what's on my mind. Something that happened this weekend reminded me of why it's hard to get on the personal finance treadmill to begin with.

The numbers are big. They're intimidating. You can't possibly fix it all right now.

So don't try to fix it all right now.

I saw a link to a short story on Get Rich Slowly called What to do during a recession.

I think I can do a little better. So I'm gonna try.

I had a bit of a financial epiphany over the weekend.

I have a well-deserved reputation for being a tightwad. Part of it is in my blood; I'm largely of Scottish descent, and Scots just tend to act that way. But I think part of it is what I observed growing up.