Emily's list: Non-Violence Day edition

Sometimes the state of our personal finances can make us a little hostile. When you see how much you have lost in your retirement account due to a plunge in the stock market, you may want to throw a chair across the room. When you realize you've overdrafted your checking account, you may want to punch a wall. And when you realize you spent way too much on your credit card and can't return any of the items, you may want to kick yourself in the butt (this one is personal ... I just spent four days in New York City and I lost a little control when shopping at stores we don't have here in Texas).

The following fantastic blog posts from the past week about personal finance can give you some things to (calmly) focus on and give you a better sense of control when it comes to your money.

1.    The Simple Dollar discusses the cultural shift toward frugality, and why it still has a negative connotation for some people. Regardless, it's great that more people are cutting back; it's sure to lessen those credit card bills.
2.    Bargaineering explains whether closing a bank account can damage your credit score.
3.    My Dollar Plan makes the case for why you should consider giving yourself an allowance, and explains how it helped him cut back on debt.
4.    The Sun's Financial Diary follows up on a past review of CreditKarma now that he has been using it longer.
5.    Get Rich Slowly reviews a new, free online tool called Credit Report Card that is a rival to CreditKarma.
6.    Consumerism Commentary chimes in and compares CreditKarma to the Credit Report Card tool.
7.    The Consumerist discusses changes to the notorious fees for American Express gift cards.
8.    Master Your Card describes the math equations you should know if you are a credit card user (which you probably are).
9.    No Credit Needed explains how he and his family forced themselves to make major changes to get out of debt, and how these changes fueled other positive changes.
10.    Single Guy Money explores the possibility that some debt may accidentally be left off a credit report.