You read right, folks! Summertime is right around the corner, at least according to the calendar in my office which is telling me that today is—without a doubt—June 19, 2004. Ah, the ocean breeze, the taste of lemonade, the short skirts, the… wait, why is everyone else’s calendar turned to October 2007? Pfft, some people around here need to learn how to tell time.

Anyway, with the warming season finally upon us, it’s time for another weekly roundup of awesome stuff written by equally awesome personal finance writers. Here are a few excellent samples to help you keep cool as the temperatures climb… (Wait, 58°F for a high today? Dumb weatherman doesn’t know what he’s talking about.)

1. A Penny Closer reminds you not to forget to pry every last reimbursable penny out of your employer. Common things employers reimburse: travel expenses, internet connection fees if you work from home a lot, and water balloon catapults used directly in the performance of your job.
2. You might have missed the birth, the first steps, and the conception, but Advanced Personal Finance suggests that you not miss the most important event of your child’s upbringing: her first credit card application. (I’m surprised he tore up the application. That little girl could have had a credit rating of 800+ by the time she’s 11 and be eligible for a 60-year, no-interest mortgage by 16!)
3. Cash Money Life points out the similarities between credit cards and guns. Example: they can both be used like cash at any convenience store.
4. Wanna make a bundle off stocks? The Digerati Life offers some excellent, can’t-fail stock market indicators. Personally, I rely on a system of catching squirrels and examining the tenderness of their eyeballs to help me predict market swings.
5. The Frugal Law Student gives us 13 cheap cold-fighting strategies. Now you don’t have to sit there and ooze mucus on your co-workers for seven days just because you’re poor!

Have a great weekend and a safe drive for everyone planning to hit the beach on this gorgeous sunny June-or-maybe-October weekend!