The SPF 50 seemed to do the trick. On Saturday, my girlfriend and I spent seven hours in 100+ degree heat and humid air to experience a number of musical performances at the Appel Farm Arts and Music Festival.

To tie this into personal finance, I’ll simply say that it was an expensive day. I guess you could say admission was steep, but it works out to only about $6.50 per hour per person. If we had arrived earlier, the per-hour cost would have been less, but we probably would have collapsed from heat stroke. Add to the admission the cost of tee-shirts (which came in handy towards the end of the day when we were drenched in sweat and would benefit from a change of clothing), compact discs with some new music, and some snacks (water was free), and I’m glad that this event is only once a year. In fact, the Appel Farm festival was a past favorite of mine, and this was the first year in a long time that I’ve attended. So let’s just spread the cost over the past few years and say that the event is something that I’ve been “saving up for.”

There are very few things that are more fulfilling that experiencing live music—perhaps only performing live music.

Now, here are some articles from other blogs that I’ve enjoyed recently. As They Might Be Giants were the final group I saw perform this weekend, I’ve included some clues below for TMBG fans.

My Company ESPP Has Become My New Property Tax Escrow. PT Money has an interesting point of view regarding his investment in employee stock purchase plans. He sees the automated deduction and the immediate minimum 15% return (minus taxes)—like that offered with my company’s ESPP—as a good holding account for his property tax funds. Even those earning minimum wage (hee-yah) could benefit from investing a portion of their income.

13 Free or Cheap Ways to Keep Your Home Cool This Summer. Here’s a timely article that will be beneficial to those of us experience this northeast heat wave. But opening windows can provide such relief only when it isn’t hotter outside than in. I plan on keeping my apartment cool and dark in all circumstances until the temperature reverts to normal, avoiding the huge atom-smashing machine known as the sun as much as possible.

Your Money Personality. In an attempt to over-classify and pigeonhole personality types, as has been the trend in psychoanalysis since the early twentieth century and in “leadership psychology” since the 1960s or 70s—the business world is always significantly behind the doctors and philosophers—Million Dollar Journey notes eight personality types defined by MSN Money. Brett Kessel, a writer for Microsoft’s financial column, claims to have created eight broad categories. These categories have their basis in Kiersey and Jung, but let’s give credit where credit is due: It was Hippocrates who first touched upon this subject in writing, but the idea may date back to The Mesopotamians.