Link roundup: Gold-plated medal edition

I was mildly surprised to find out that an Olympic gold medal only has six grams of gold in it. The rest is Sterling silver. With a total weight of about five ounces, that places the melt value around $300. But the athletes probably realize that there are faster and less exhausting ways to get gold and silver, anyway. That, and the ancillary financial benefits usually far outweigh the medal’s market value. Or heck: they may just do it for the love of the game!

When you need a break from watching the Olympics, check out these posts from the MBN and other great blogs in my reader:

Get Rich Slowly outs lousy store policies that taketh away the money one saveth.
Free Money Finance asks if you buy, sell, or trade gift cards. (I’ve been known to buy them at a fair discount to face value. But getting free Visa gift cards just for searching the web hardly costs me a thing!)
Five Cent Nickel talks about the state of financial education in the US. (It’s not pretty.)
Consumerism Commentary talks about passing the envelope at work for gifts and other needs. (I usually just let it pass me by, but not always.)
No Credit Needed has a monthly checklist to speed your debt reduction and increase your savings.
All Financial Matters discusses a reader’s desire to pay cash for a house in 12 years.
Wise Bread wonders if living on one income is a status symbol. (I think so, but it’s a worthwhile one to try to achieve, especially if you have kids.)
Lazy Man and Money outlines how he researches purchases.
The Frugal Duchess discusses what to do when the bill arrives in a restaurant.
Paid Twice says that a little ingenuity goes a long way.
Blogging Away Debt admits that losing focus can be bad.