A rather inspiring story from a Consumerist reader who used tips she found on the site to eliminate her $14K debt in less than two years. I myself have a substantial debt which — assuming I maintain my status quo — will be paid off within the next 12-18 months, though not by any tips found on Consumerist.

I’m in Columbus, Oh., for the weekend visiting friends who are holding
a party. Since I arrived particularly early, I agreed to accompany one
of my hosts to the grocery store to pick up some last minute items.

One of the stores we hit was Aldi, which offers some pretty fantastic
deals on groceries. They do something there I’d never encountered
before: they make you “rent” a shopping cart.

To get a cart, you stick a quarter into a box affixed to the cart’s
handle. The quarter unlocks a chain freeing it for use. When you’re
done shopping, you return the cart, put the chain back in and get your
quarter back.

For those who aren’t in love with the redesigned $5 USD note (or the $10, $20 or $50 [where it's less obnoxious], for that matter): Get Helvetica Off Our Money. (link via Daring Fireball)

The new coin designs from the Royal Mint are pretty sweet. Why can’t American coins look that badass?

Happy Leap Day, everyone! If your birthday is today, then please accept my condolences.

I’m taking a leap of my own today, as this morning I put down a deposit for a cruise in November. Last year, I joined my friend Bo and a cast of characters on a 5-day cruise to Key West and Cozumel. We’re doing it again this year, but this time it’s a 7-day trip that includes the Cayman Islands, Belize and Honduras in addition to Cozumel. Hopefully this time, the packing will be less stressful and the shopping opportunities less disappointing. And maybe I’ll have another celebrity brush at the airport.

Many photos were taken, natch, and many of our fellow cruisers were befuddled as to what kind of group we were. We got rugby team, softball team, secret service agents, football team and firefighters. To my recollection, only a couple of people on the crew pieced together what we were, and even then I only think it was after someone explained it to them.

Leaps elsewhere:

• CNET blogger Daniel Terdiman leaps into the hit Discovery Channel series “Mythbusters,” a show which itself is preparing to leap into shark-infested waters for another Shark Week special.
• The new $5 bill will leap into your wallets this month. Condé Nast Portfolio has an interactive feature about the new bill which compares its new security features with that of a €5 bill and also offers a look at past $5 bills.
• MTV may take a leap into the Beltway with its far-too-long-running series “the Real World.” The series has thus far produced approximately 20 seasons since it debuted in 1992. The last season I watched voluntarily was New Orleans in 2000.

The U.S. Mint announced a redesign of the $5 bill, also known as a “fin,” a “five-spot,” or just a “fiver.” Features including the security thread and the watermark were moved or otherwise enhanced in the redesign to reduce the likelihood of counterfeit bills popping up. The new $5 bills are expected to go into circulation next spring; a redesign of the C-note — the $100 bill — will follow sometime afterward.

Today’s online announcement comes on the heels of the news the U.S. dollar dipped not only to a new low against the euro, but it’s also on par with the Canadian dollar for the first time in almost 31 years.

Our economy is “sigh” inducing.

A list of World Currency Symbols from XE.com.