Welcome to the 32nd edition of the Carnival of Financial Independence, a selection of the best articles related to Financial Independence this week. If you would like to be included next week, please submit your post via Blogger Carnivals.
Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the great reads!
Travel and Lifestyle
Pauline @ Reach Financial Independence writes I can’t complain – I realize that I have complained a lot lately about how slow things have been and how frustrating it is to deal with Guatemalan bureaucracy and the red tape. But really, there are many reasons why I can’t complain
SFB @ Simple Finance Blog writes How to Get Ready (Financially) For a Baby – Now that you got the good news and are eagerly awaiting the arrival of your bundle of joy, you will soon realize that the nine month long period is never enough to be fully ready for a baby.
Mike @ Personal Finance Journey writes The Financial Benefits of Sharing a House – How sharing a house or apartment can benefit you financially and save money for bills rates and repayments.
Christopher @ This That and The MBA writes 3 Money Mistakes I’ve Made and How to Avoid Them – If y’all remember my first post here, I confessed that while I’ve never been in debt, until recently I had absolutely no credit history. While I consider that my most major money mistake, I’ve made a few more that I’m sure others could learn from.
Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes The Heat and the Home: Why Solar Panels Are a Good Idea – By installing a solar panel over your home, you and your family will be making a wise and morally responsible decision to be symbiotic with the natural world.
Amy @ Money Mishaps writes Are you Throwing Money Away? If You do These 3 Things, Yes – Science magazine just published a study that found that, if you are poor and also mismanage your money, it is possible that you might be able to make good financial decisions but more than likely you have trapped yourself into a vicious circle and cannot.
Lisa E. @ Lisa Vs. The Loans writes The Future You – Are you making life easier or more difficult for Future You? What things do you need to sacrifice in order for Future You to be content?
Harry Campbell @ Your PF Pro writes Is Going Green Worth It? – I’m not sure what’s so attractive about farmer’s markets but I love going just to check out all the cool vendors, sample food and of course I usually end up buying a ton of stuff. Farmer’s markets in my area have evolved from selling just groceries to all different types of products like cheeses, butter, nuts and even restaurants are getting in on the action now.
Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes How Denim Can Be Bad for the Environment – How we spend our money on consumable goods should match the things we are concerned about in life. The environment is one of my biggest concerns, and as such I want to do what I can to help keep it healthy. Buying well-made, American-made denim jeans is one way I can make a difference, and hopefully you can too.
Lauren @ L Bee and the Money Tree writes Budgeting an Irregular Income – How We Make It Work – Budgeting an irregular income doesn’t have to be as complicated as it seems. Here are some tips for keeping it easy for you and your family.
Crystal @ Married (with Debt) writes 7 Money “Things” I’m Thankful For – Lately I’ve been bummed/stressed/anxious about money. That’s because we just finished up our first month living on only one income. My wife is/was a teacher, which means she can be paid over twelve months for work done over nine.
Eva Baker @ TeensGotCents writes Ted Talks and Ignite – Influence Your Community – Spark an idea – but make it quick! Ignite is a shorter version of the TED talk and is a great way to share ideas and influence your community!
Wealth and Passive Income
CAPI @ Creating a Passive Income writes The Importance of Knowing Your Net Worth – Most people may not necessarily know what their net worth is. Your net worth is the difference between the value of what you own and what you owe.
SBB @ Simple Budget Blog writes Balancing Act – Why Reconciling Your Bank Accounts is so Important – Balancing your bank accounts is an important part of your budget. Don’t believe us? Read here to learn why it can help you.
Matt @ Budget Snob writes Guard Your Retirement Income with these Comprehensive Tips – One sad fact that all people nearing or already in retirement have to deal with today is that income during retirement is lower than it has ever been in the last 60 years.
Corey @ 20s Finances writes Why You Should NOT Calculate Retirement Income off based on Income – When calculating how much you need in retirement, you should not use your current income. Find out what you should use to be prepared.
Emily @ Evolving Personal Finance writes The 3 to 6 Month Emergency Fund – The 3 to 6 Month Emergency Fund
Jon @ Novel Investor writes Roth IRA Rules: Everything You Need To Know – The Roth IRA has its advantages. But is it a good fit for you? This guide covers everything you need to know about the Roth IRA rules and more.
JC @ Passive-Income-Pursuit writes Dividend Update – September 2013 – It was a record month of dividends that ended up covering over 27% of my monthly expenses. Building up a passive income stream is great as it just continues to build month after month and will eventually lead to that all important FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE!
Ben Luthi @ The Wealth Gospel writes How Giving Can Make Your Richer – Cites a study showing that those who give, whether money or with other means, tend to be more successful and earn more money
Anton Ivanov @ Dreams Cash True writes The Best Finance Books of All Time – This list of the best finance books is a great place to start learning more about personal finance and investing. There is so much to learn from these 10 awesome books!
Daniel @ Make Money Make Cents writes The Boom in Posh Pawnbrokers – If you watch any TV at all you have probably at least glanced at some of the myriad Pawn reality shows that have become so popular as of late. Cash poor but asset rich Americans are turning to pawn brokers for short-term loans, something that has been dubbed “high-class pawn brokering.”
Real Estate and Investing
Mrs. Accountability @ Out of Debt Again writes 6 Common Mistakes to Avoid with Annuities – Annuities are one of the most popular investments made by investors under 44 years of age.
Chuck @ The Tortoise Banker writes Protect Your ASSets and Income – Generating meaningful wealth is tough enough, doing it more than once is enough to break anyone. Follow these important tips to assure you put a buffer between the world and your income and assets.
Monica @ Monica On Money writes Government Shutdown: Everyone Needs An Emergency Fund – At this point, we all know about the Government Shutdown and how much it affects us directly and indirectly. But for now, on the positive side, this is a reminder to reflect on our own personal finances.
Maria @ The Money Principle writes The Best Ways to Start Investing While Still in College – It is never too late to start investing so you may as well start while in college; still have to do it right.
Roger the Amateur Financier @ The Amateur Financier writes 6 Investment Strategies to Generate Retirement Income – A guide to methods to generate retirement income with the money that you save during your life, covering things like regular withdrawals, interest, and annuities.
Holly @ Club Thrifty writes And……We’re Renting a Home – We have not found a house we want to buy….we were renting a home instead.
Brian @ Luke1428 @ Luke1428 writes Our Nightmare on Rental Street: Evicting a Tenant – Rental real estate investing offers tremendous financial benefits. One of its darker issues is dealing with tenants that refuse to pay the rent. Here are some lessons I learned by going through such an experience.
Daisy @ Suburban Finance writes Buying Your First Home – Home buying advice for buyers to follow for a successful purchase of a home.
Rich @ Growing Money Smart writes What is a Stock? – What is a stock, is one of the first financial lessons I taught my kids!
Mr. Frenzy @ Frenzied Finances writes Moving Out: When You’re Ready to Buy a Home – Home-owning can quickly turn into a nightmare when not prepared. There are several factors to consider when deciding when you’re ready to buy a home.
Debt Guru @ Debt Free Blog writes Mortgage Hunters: How to Find an Affordable Mortgage – Are you looking for ways to secure an affordable mortgage? It may seem daunting, but it is actually quite attainable, so long as you know where to start.
Michelle @ Diversified Finances writes Renting Out A Spare Room For Money – Have you ever thought about renting out a room in your house? We have thought about it and we currently do rent out a room in our home.
Danielle @ Saving Without a Budget writes Buying a Home? These Tips will make it Easier – Even though it is a bigger dream than ever before, home ownership is still a dream for many Americans.
Lenny @ Best Money Saving Blog writes Investments That Aren’t Really A Very Good Investment – Everyone wants to make as much money as possible with as little effort. That is not always possible of course and, when it comes to financial planning, you need to be aware that all investments are definitely not created equal.
Hadley @ Epic Finances writes As stocks approach record highs, the market is looking rather complacent – As the market nears a historic high on the S&P 500 some analysts are concerned that it is looking a bit complacent. Maybe even bored.
Lily @ Paying Debt Down writes How to Invest like an Old Pro (even if you’re a Young Amateur). – Something that your Wall Street broker never wants you to find out is that investing like a Pro is actually pretty easy. The fact is, practically anyone can put together a portfolio that’s well diversified with stocks, bonds and other investments with only a small amount of effort.
Self employment and Career
Grayson @ Debt Roundup writes When Opportunity Knocks – I had an opportunity to score a new to me Jeep Wrangler. I thought about it and ended up getting a used auto loan. There are some reasons why and I lay them out here.
Don @ Money Reasons writes Was the Removal of the Uptick Rule Stupid? – The “Uptick Rule” was removed back in 2007 after a pilot study said that no manipulations occurred.This is what the pilot study found “The general consensus from these analyses and the roundtable was that the Commission should remove price test restrictions because they modestly reduce liquidity and do not appear necessary to prevent manipulation.
Hank @ Money Q&A writes 7 Steps For Financial Success To Build A Solid Future – Achieving financial success is a great part of the American dream, but it’s not easy to do if you aren’t focused on the goal. Real financial security doesn’t come about by accident. These careful steps for financial success will help you build a solid financial future.
Jon Haver @ Pay My Student Loans writes 3 Biggest Money Mistakes Recent Graduates Make – Your student loan is the most important thing you have to worry about. It’s the worst debt you can have. Why? Because it’s non-forgivable. If you run into trouble, become unemployed or have your wages garnished for some reason, the student loan stays right where it is, and even accrues more interest, making your life even more miserable.
Lazy Man @ Lazy Man and Money writes Government Shutdown – Emergency Fund Win! – For our family a prolonged government shutdown is more financially dangerous . My wife’s military status means she has to work to pick up the slack from the government workers who are prohibited from working in a shutdown. Because the government can’t pay people in a shutdown, she’ll get IOUs from the government.
Sam @ Grad Money Matters writes Making Money on Etsy – Thinking about who your target customers is very important when thinking about how you will make money on Etsy. Advertising on young women’s blogs but your target market is grandparents is not exactly the wisest thing to do. This is most likely just wasted money since your target market most likely will never see your advertisements.
Michelle @ Making Sense of Cents writes $12,334 in September Side Income – Time for Self-Employment – I definitely reached my September goal and passed it by a good amount. September was a great month for income, and I was able to add a few new clients, and there are also a couple of new services that I am offering as well.
Natalie @ Debt and the Girl writes Building my Brand in Freelance Writing – I consider myself extremely lucky. I have had this blog for over a year and its finally a place that it making money.
Alexa @ Single Moms Income writes How to Write a Blog Post in Twenty Minutes – As a freelance blogger one of your big income factors is your speed. If you charge $20 for a blog post and it takes you an hour to complete it you’ll only make $20 an hour. If you can complete two or more blog posts in an hour you’ll easily be able to make $40 an hour or more.
Harry Campbell @ The Four Hour Work Day writes “Unpaid Vacation vs. Regular Vacation “ – One of the perks of having a day job is getting paid when you go on vacation. Most companies start employees off by giving them 2 weeks of vacation plus holidays but that never seems to be enough. A lot of employers(especially in my field: engineering) are actually starting to give an extra week around Christmas time to New Years since not much work gets done during that time anyways. So that’s about 3-4 weeks of combined vacation and holidays for the average worker.
Sustainable PF @ Sustainable Personal Finance writes What Would You Do With a Financial Windfall? – As a freelance writer, I occasionally end up with what might be considered a windfall. A large project might fall in my lap, or a rush job that I can charge a premium for.
Tushar @ Earn More and Save writes 5 Ways to Earn Money on the Side – You’re busy. I get it. You want to earn extra money but don’t have enough time to dig through a pile of ideas to find the perfect one. Luckily, choosing a side job doesn’t have to be hard. You can and should do something you enjoy to bring in money on the side.
Bargain Babe @ BargainBabe.com writes Is Living at Home After College Better Than Paying Rent? – Is Living at Home After College Better Than Paying Rent? offers tips on saving money every day.
Dollar @ Easy Extra Dollar writes Start An Online Business – A successful an rewarding business can really be a dream, giving you both the ability to work from home and an income. However just like any other business, beginning an online business that will show success is going to take some effort and planning.
Cat Alford @ Budget Blonde writes The Government Shutdown and The Extreme Importantance of Emergency Funds – If you’ve been reading my blog for a few years, you might know that I was a United States park ranger before I moved to Grenada. I was an interpretive ranger, which meant that I worked at numerous sites around Richmond, Virginia creating history programs and giving battlefield tours. It was really awesome.
Saving and Simple Living
Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes Saving Money and Saving the Environment – Regardless of whether you feel that the global warming phenomenon is real or made up, you cannot argue that we throw away and waste a lot of stuff.
Marissa @ Finance Triggers writes Saving Money on Gluten Free Products – Gluten is wreaking havoc on diets these days. Most people think that this is a new trendy diet, and while it is not really a new ailment, but one that has been plaguing people for years.
Andrea @ So Over This writes 3 Tips for Saving Money on Your Internet – Anyone who pays for Internet knows how costly it can be to stay on top of the bills each month, especially in a society that leaves a lot of web surfing to be desired.
Bob @ Dwindling Debt writes Is there a Money Wasting Hole in your Budget? – The possibility that you have flaws or holes in your budget is actually quite high and, sort of like a leak under your sink that you do not know is there until you start smelling the stink of rotting plywood, you probably haven’t even noticed them.
Stuart Laing @ Daily Money Bucket writes The Easiest Way To Get Started Saving – Despite your best intentions, it’s really easy to delay the time when you start saving. So here’s the easiest way to get out of the rut and start saving.
Tushar Mathur @ Everything Finance writes Ideas for Cheap Halloween Costumes – Whether you’re thinking of putting together a cheap Halloween costume for your company potluck or needs some ideas for Halloween costumes for your children
Corey @ Steadfast Finances writes Money Doesn’t Grow On Trees: What to Do When You Need More Cash – It’s a horrible feeling when you’re short on cash but still have the household bills to pay. You’re probably starting to worry about how you are going to afford them, as skipping payments could cause irreparable damage to your credit rating. Unfortunately, money doesn’t grow on trees – but there are a few things you can do to get more cash and make it through your monthly bill cycle.
Connie @ Savvy With Saving writes How To Save At Starbucks – If I have one vice when it comes to money, it is coffee. While I try to be frugal, I still need my morning cup (or two) of coffee everyday.
Kurt @ Money Counselor writes Add $100,000 to Your Nest Egg AND Indulge Your Taste for Lattes! – I’ve discovered a way you can boost your nest egg by $100,000 over 40 years without denying yourself a single thing you can pay for with cash. A scam? Nope.
Mr.CBB @ canadianbudgetbinder writes Bust our Budget: September 2013 Budget update: Canadian Budget Binder Budget Spreadshee – Get a copy of our free excel budget spreadsheet that we use in the CBB family. Although a budget is not meant for everyone if you are serious about getting your finances back on track and want to use a simple budgeting system to get you there check this one out and see if it’s right for you. In September we spent more than we earned. Come find out why and how we handled the situation. Happy Budgeting.
Thank you for reading, have a great weekend!
-Jacob
***Photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/zeevveez/8451896693/sizes/m/in
Carnival of Financial Independence – 32nd – October 12th, 2013 Edition is a post from: My Personal Finance Journey
