This post comes from partner blog Blueprint for Financial Prosperity.

When I first graduated, the job market was bleak. It was so bleak, I opted to start attending graduate school even before I was accepted. (I graduated early in December and wanted to take classes immediately, so I attended while applying.) In the few months I did look for a job, I received rejection letters from all types of companies. The worst ones were from the companies I didn't even want to work for, but would accept just to have a job.

It wasn't a pleasant time for me or my graduating friends, but it taught me a lot about dealing with rejection.

This post comes from Jim at partner blog Bargaineering (formerly Blueprint for Financial Prosperity).

Mrs. Micah recently tackled the topic of whether it's a good idea to take a low-paying job (she phrased it differently -- whether certain kinds of work are beneath you).

She gave three arguments for why it's a bad idea: It takes up valuable time while draining the energy you should be using to apply for jobs, it isn't a true solution and could cause complacency, and a less-skilled job doesn't look good on a resume.

This post comes from Jim Wang at partner blog Bargaineering.

April is Financial Literacy Month and, as part of this month of financial education, I thought I'd go back to the basics with this edition of the Foundation Series. This post explains something I think everyone should integrate into their personal-finance routine -- budgeting.

Budgeting is one of those activities that sound like a hassle, even if you're a numbers person. But I guarantee that you will benefit tremendously from learning how and implementing your own budget.

He's no stranger to controversy, that "Mr. ToughMoneyLove." Whether it's help for homeowners in default -- he called that post "Homeowner bailouts destined to fail" -- or sympathy for a particular 54-year-old GM retiree -- "It's second-career time, my friend, and quit the whining," he said -- he's never shy with his opinions.

Recently, he blamed free-spending universities for teaching impressionable minds that it's OK to carry huge debt.

Try this quote on for size, from his post "The college student debt machine: A national disgrace" at Tough Money Love.

We know that gethuman.com can help you reach a real person at a corporation that has an unyielding phone tree. But there are actually many ways -- about 50, in fact -- to get the attention of the right customer-service rep.

Tip o' the hat to "vh" at Funny about Money for directing her readers to "PBX hell: 50-plus hacks and tips to get a real person at any corporation in 10 seconds or less" at VoIP-News.

For those who've been hopelessly lost in the phone-tree maze, this list could restore your blood pressure to normal.

This post comes from partner blog The Dough Roller.

Government Web sites provide a wealth of information about money-related topics. But finding what's out there can be a chore. This resource provides links to 70 government Web sites about everything from finding a job to buying a home and paying for college.

Just the other day, we were thinking it might be time to brush up on advanced complexity theory. And because we're expanding our vegetable garden, knowing more about soil mechanics might help. (Well, maybe not because we haven't taken the prerequisites.)

And in case we've forgotten about the particular charms and indignities of aging, we can take free courses on that too, courtesy of Johns Hopkins.

If you have knowledge gaps you want to fill, you can do it online -- for free. To help you find a particular topic, UniversitiesandColleges.org is building "The master list of free online college courses." Feel free to let them know of courses that don't yet appear.

Can a family with an income of $100,000 or more really have a hard time getting ahead? FreeMoneyFinance's recent post on that question has prompted quite a discussion among commenters at his site. FMF launched the debate by remarking on a family mentioned in one of a package of MSN Money stories about the "squeeze on the middle class."

The couple make six figures, but are unable to save. "We struggle to stay afloat with the rising costs of car insurance, gas, utilities, food and other necessities," one of the family members said. FMF's assessment: "They're simply spending too much. They have no control on expenses." He also guesses that they live in an expensive area, noting that "$100,000 per year is a lot, but it's more in Omaha than it is in Los Angeles."