Crunching Numbers

Jonathan asked me today, "Mom, did you know there's a number called a "google?""

"Really?" I replied. "I didn't know that." So I googled the word and sure enough, "Googol" (as it's properly spelled) refers to the numeral one followed by 100 zeros. That's a huge number. And ten to the power of Googol is called a Googolplex. I learn something new every day!

Speaking of crunching numbers, it's that time of year when we review our annual family budget and prepare for taxes. I've been using Quicken for six years now, and I love it. The check register, quick reports and online banking features make my Tuesday bill-paying sessions a breeze. However, I've never liked Quicken's budgeting component. I've tried it many times and don't think it's very intuitive (at least to my thinking). Creating my own Excel spreadsheets wasn't any better either; I always seemed to end up with awkward templates.

Thus I was thrilled when Charlie, our esteemed webmaster at the Well Trained Mind boards, recently announced the release of his free, homegrown budgeting program. I decided to take it for a test drive. Initial verdict? Pear Budget rocks! It's simple, intuitive and easily updated in minutes each week. While I will continue to use Quicken for our other financial needs, I think I'll stick with Charlie's program for our budgeting. If you're interested in an easy-to-use program, consider downloading Pear Budget.

I thought I'd try out my newfound vocabulary at bedtime.

"Jonathan, guess how much I love you?"
"How much?"
"Googol times to the moon and back!"
"Ha! Guess how much I love you, Mom?"
"How much?"
"Googolplex times to the moon and back!"

Sometimes I love being outwitted.

"He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much." Luke 16:10