2013-11-23

Welcome to the latest edition of the Carnival of Financial Camaraderie. The carnival features some of the most recent blog posts on the web from budgeting to career and education.



The carnival is hosted every second week by My University Money and if you would like to submit to future editions of the Carnival you can do so here. If you’re a blogger and your post was selected, please remember to link back to the Carnival host within the next few weeks. Have a great rest of the weekend!

BUDGETING

May @ Messy Money writes What I Discovered When I Started to Actually READ My Bills – It is common sense right? It makes sense to READ the bill you have been sent. But there is a psychological barrier to facing reality, and I used to approach my bills with either dread or indifference. Bills were bad news, a chore and complicated. Knowledge is power though, and the more I scrutinized my bills, the more opportunities I found for savings and ways to simplify my finances. Now I read ‘em till it hurts.

Daniel @ Make Money Make Cents writes Investing is Key to Beating Inflation – Investing is the key to outpacing inflation and keeping your financial security on track. Consider that that $20 a 100 years ago would be equivalent to over $300 today and you can see the glaring impact of inflation.

Oscar @ Money is the Root writes How to Fight Back against Zombie Debts – If you think zombies are only found in the movies and in popular TV shows then you are dead wrong. (Pun intended.) The fact is, zombie debt is any debt that just does not seem to ever die or go away.

Danielle @ Saving Without a Budget writes Financial Tips That Sound Bad but Work Well – If you ask most certified financial planners you will find that one of the things they are constantly warning their clients against is making bad money choices based on popular financial advice, which is often wrong.

Matt @ Budget Snob writes How your Upbringing Affects your Money Habits Part 1 – Something that most people do not realize is that how they were raised as children can actually have a big impact on how they make decisions as adults, especially with money.

Jack @ Money Saving Ethics writes Top Tips for Earning Extra Cash During the Holidays – Well boys and girls the Holidays are practically upon us once again and, if money is tight, you may be looking for some ways to bring in some extra money so that you will be able to finance all of those holiday gifts, parties and so forth that you are excitedly looking forward to.

Amy @ Money Mishaps writes 6 Excellent Tips to Lower Your Car Insurance Costs – For many consumers one of the most expensive aspects of owning an automobile is the car insurance. Depending on where you live in the United States, you could be paying anywhere from $500 up to $1,500 a year just for one vehicle, and the national average is $120 a month approximately.

Lenny @ Best Money Saving Blog writes Avoid these Common Mistakes or you will Always be Broke – While being broke may just be the fault of your circumstance because you are out of work, underemployed or just went through bankruptcy, the fact is that most people are broke all the time because they make a lot of financial mistakes.

Hadley @ Epic Finances writes Increase your Retirement Savings without a 401(k) – One of the unfortunate facts of working today is that over 70% of smaller businesses do not provide their employees with any type of retirement savings plans at all.

Andrea @ So Over This writes Tips for Moms who want to Tackle their Financial Insecurity – A recent report shows that moms who are financially insecure report feeling a lot more tension, stress and anxiety than moms who consider themselves to be financially astute.

Lily @ Paying Debt Down writes Why You Should Enter the Market Sooner – The global real estate market is still recovering from the housing bubble, but now is the perfect time to purchase a new home.

Bob @ Dwindling Debt writes Every Day Tips for Saving Money – Have you ever heard the old adage penny wise and dollar foolish? If you have then you know what we mean when we say that many people who seem to take great care of their big bills have a hard time with their budget because their little bills end up wasting a whole lot of their money.

Katie @ IRA Basics writes The Secret of Saving for Your First Deposit – Are you ready to become a homeowner and do not fancy a no-deposit home loan? Then the biggest obstacle standing in your way is the first deposit or down payment.

Sam @ The New Business Blog writes 5 Mistakes that Successful Entrepreneurs Wish they Would have Avoided – Many successful small business owners and entrepreneurs made mistakes when they started their businesses that they wish they could go back and correct.

Marissa @ Finance Triggers writes How to spot a good mortgage broker from a bad one – How can you decide if a mortgage broker is a good one or a bad one? The best way is to learn the answers to these questions.

Marissa @ Thirty Six Months writes The Things They Don’t Tell You About Money – I had a few people email me asking the transition period after University. It helps that my brother just finished his Undergrad, and looking to settle in the phase of his life where he cannot describe himself as a student anymore.

Buck @ Buck Inspire writes Tis The Enrollment Season To Be Jolly – It is time to enroll for your employee benefits! Some basics are pretty straightforward and really depends on personal preference like HMO versus PPO.

Monica @ Monica On Money writes 8 Warning SIgns That You’re Living Beyond Your Means – It might be hard to believe, but it is entirely possible to graduate from college debt-free. Think about how amazing it would be to start your new career without worrying about paying off student loans.

Larry @ KrantCents writes How to Take Control of your Life – Access to an education is the American way! A university education is expensive, but thanks to the internet, individual courses are free! Improving your skills should be a goal of everyone!

Natalie @ Debt and the Girl writes We Have To Escape… – I am going to let you in on a little secret. I have always wanted to escape. I just do not want to go into a private island somewhere in Fiji (though that would be nice). I have always wanted to get in my car and go.

Alexa @ Single Moms Income writes 10+ Lucrative Offline Small Businesses to Start in 2014 – Have you caught the entrepreneurial bug but don’t have a passion for online businesses? As much as I absolutely love the online world I cannot help but feel the urge to get involved in some type of offline business.

Alexa @ Defeat Our Debt writes How to Debt Proof Your Christmas Shopping – If you are looking to have a debt free Christmas there are several things you can do. Follow these tips to debt proof your Christmas.

Graham @ Moneystepper writes How accidents can change your perspective on life and money – How accidents can change your perspective on life and money

Jason @ The Money Makers writes Apple Launches iPad Air in November – With a lighter and thinner chasis, the newly announced iPad Air has a more powerful processor with a great new design and performance features that is sure to continue Apple’s trend setting reputation.

Sustainable PF @ Sustainable Personal Finance writes Could You REALLY Retire? – One of the most important questions that many ask themselves right now is this: Will I have enough to retire?

Kali @ Common Sense Millennial writes Why Hipsters Should Be Our New Financial Role Models – One of my favorite quotes about investing and money comes from one of the most instantly recognizable faces on Wall Street, the Oracle of Omaha himself, Mr. Warren Buffett: “Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.”

Bobby @ Making Money Fast and Slow writes Janet Yellen Is Blind to Bubbles – Peter Schiff of Euro Pacific Capital spoke out today against Janet Yellen being confirmed as the next Fed Chairwoman claiming that she was completely clueless during the 2008 financial crisis.

Holly @ Club Thrifty writes Thoughts on Small House Living – We recently sold our home and moved into a temporary rental that is half the size. Read this post for my thoughts on small house living.

Harry Campbell @ The Four Hour Work Day writes Working From Home Can Get Lonely – “I learned a lot during my three months working at home. And although I talk about the benefits a lot, there are definitely some drawbacks to the four hour work day that you should be aware of. There’s obviously more risk to starting your own business and that can put a lot of pressure on you. If you have a bad month or sales are down, your income will suffer and you might not have enough money to eat. It’s also hard to get self-motivated sometimes since there’s no one forcing you to b

Matt Becker @ Mom and Dad Money writes Keeping a Budget vs. Tracking Your Spending – Budgeting is one of those things that, despite the almost ubiquitous advice that you need to keep one, continues to mean different things to different people. Today I’d like to compare two different methods, keeping a budget vs. tracking your spending, and talk about which one you should use.

Pauline @ Reach Financial Independence writes How I lived on $400 a month in college – Find out how I lived on $400 a month in college in France.

Mr.CBB @ Canadian Budget Binder writes How to keep the romance alive on a budget – It’s important to keep the romance alive in a relationship but there are ways to do it and still stick to your budget if you just plan in advance

 

BUSINESS

IMB @ Investing Money writes Investing in Internet Security Companies – Internet security is one of the biggest problems facing government and business activity. Read here for more information regarding internet security.

Mike @ Personal Finance Journey writes Easy Ways to promote a small business – Easy and cost affordable ways you can promote your small business and gain that edge over your competition.

Hank @ Money Q&A writes Four Ways Small Business Owners Talk Themselves Out Of Success – Have you always wanted to start your own business? It is resistance keeping you from your goals. You can achieve small business owner success.

Kyle @ The Penny Hoarder writes Franchise Brokers 101: Who, What and Why? – Buying your own franchise may appear to be pretty easy. After all, the franchisor basically tells you what to order, how to set up your business, and in many ways, how to run it. They provide training and equipment and sometimes even help you find the right location.

Tushar @ Earn More and Save writes How to Make More Money At Your Current Job – You’ve been working hard and just hoping for a raise at your current job but it’s never come. You’ve read about others starting side businesses but you know that’s not for you.

Robert @ Entrepreneurship Life writes How To Write a To-Do List That Actually Works – Have you ever had so much to do that you didn’t even know where to start? I know I have. That feeling is crippling. You just sit and think about all of the work you have before you, all of the deadlines looming. Something has to get done, but what?

Christopher @ This That and The MBA writes Creative Ways to Fund Your Small Business Idea – Resources in today’s world are extremely fruitful and choosing not to use them is ignoring tools that can make you successful in many aspects of life. The Internet in itself has opened a world of possibilities that would allow for anyone to start a business if they wanted to. I

 

CAREER & EDUCATION

Jessica Moorhouse @ Mo’ Money Mo’ Houses writes Why I Won’t Be Home for the Holidays (Also My Big News!) – I can finally share my big news (and explain why I won’t be home for the holidays this year)! This past Monday I finally found out that everything is a go and I can share my exciting news with you! So what am I talking about? A new job of course!

Ben Luthi @ The Wealth Gospel writes Student Loans are Toxic – I have never heard someone look at their student loans and say it was worth it, and most students have no idea what they are getting themselves into. They give you a false sense of security and can push you into more debt later on.

Stu @ Poor Student writes Should Students Have a Car? – Cars are expensive, but sometimes a costly, necessary evil. Many people rely on them to get to and from work, but what about sudents? Stu is looking at whether or not they should have a vehicle

GenY @ Gen Y Finances writes Advice for Young Professionals – Graduating from college can be a very exciting time. You find yourself with your first real job, the freedom that comes with no more studying, and of course a nice paycheck. All of this new found time and money can invite bad habits though.

Dollar @ Easy Extra Dollar writes 5 Ways To Improve Your Adsense Earnings – Leaderboard is the most popular ad format that most webmasters uses on his website. It is good too. Using leaderboard on top of the page is the best place to improve click through rate of ads.

 

FINANCIAL ADVICE

Taylor @ The Motive Blog writes Is Leasing a Car a Dumb Idea? – A lot of people are tempted by the seemingly cheap monthly payments that come with leases. But is it ever a good idea to lease a car?

Michelle @ Fit is the New Poor writes Debt Shame – Why are you so ashamed of your debt when you should be talking about it?

Daisy @ Suburban Finance writes Giving When Money is Tight – With the holidays comes gift giving season, and unfortunately not everyone can afford to give as much as they’d want financially. Catherine suggests some alternative ways of giving back.

FI Pilgrim @ FI Journey writes Financial Lessons I Remember Learning From My Dad – I love thinking back to the lessons my dad taught me as a kid. Here I run through a few of the financial lessons I remember learning from my dad.

Adam @ Money Rebound writes Does Having More Stuff Make You More Afraid of Losing It? – Having too much can make you appreciate wealth less. Learn to enjoy what you have while you still can.

Robert @ Cult Of Money writes Why Cleaning Your House is a Smart Financial Move – As I have whipped my house in top notch shape I’ve also started doing the same with my finances. Instead of letting debit card receipts pile up before I record them I do so as they come, the bills get paid as soon as they hit the mail box, and I’ve started to watch my savings account a little more closely. So, is my clean house causing me to clean up my finances too? I think so. Here’s why.

Harry Campbell @ Your PF Pro writes “Does Brewing Your Own Beer Save You Money? “ – “I’m not sure how many of you have picked up on it, but I like to drink(alcohol, that is). I don’t spend my weekends binge drinking, but I love to enjoy a glass of wine while I’m cooking or a nice cold beer after a long day of work of exercising. I’m probably the furthest thing from a beer snob though, since I’ll drink everything from Natty Light to Corona. But if I had my choice, I’d probably go with a nice microbrew like Fat Tire or Sierra Nevada. ”

Jon Haver @ Pay My Student Loans writes Four student loan repayment assistance options – You can get Loan Repayment Assistance Programs (LRAP’s) from a variety of sources, often from schools, employers, states and the federal government.

John @ Frugal Rules writes How Much Money Will it Take to Kill Cable Television? – Amazon recently announced plans to spend over $1 billion on original television shows. With the cord cutting phenomena growing, how soon will it be until cable TV is no longer prevalent and those wanting to be frugal with their television spending can allocate those funds to other things in their life?

Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes The Unique Struggles of Being a Young Landlord – After buying our house in our twenties, it became apparent that there are some unique challenges of being a young landlord.

 

FRUGALITY

The Warrior @ Net Worth Warrior writes The Problem with the Frugality Mentality – Personal finance bloggers, like me, tend to focus on reducing spending and expenses, but rarely look at the other side of the coin to doing so. In this post, I discuss the downside to the mentality that frugality is always necessary.

Jay @ The First Million is the Hardest writes Buying an Engagement Ring Online – My Blue Nile Experience – How buying my engagement ring online instead of a traditional jewelry store saved me a ton of money.

Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes Ways to Save Money by Shopping Online for Holiday Gifts – Shopping online for holiday gifts can save you a lot of money if you know what to look for and you know how to find the best deals.

 

INVESTING

Minimalist @ Minimalist Finance writes How to Get Free Firewood – Having a wood burning fireplace can save a lot of money on heating for home owners in the winter, however, much of the cost savings are eaten up by the cost of firewood.

JP @ My Family Finances writes Managing Money: 5 Retirement Expenses to Budget For – You may have heard people tell you that it’s never too early to start saving and planning for your retirement.

Brent @ PersonalFinance-Tips writes Four Reasons You Should Invest In Real Estate And How To Get Started – Real estate is an interesting sector of the market to be invested in. There are a variety of ways to make money from a real estate investment, and even a novice investor can learn how to get the best return on his or her money.

Ryan @ Cash Money Life writes Resisting the Hard Sell – How to Say No to a Slick Sales Pitch – A good salesman know which points to push in order to make a sale. We show you some of the big things to look out for so you can avoid the hard sales pitch.

Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes Inexpensive Things To Do – Are you looking for inexpensive things to do with friends and still have fun? I highlight 5 things that my friends and I love to do to have fun and are cheap.

Matt Becker @ Mom and Dad Money writes How to Start Investing From Scratch – Part 2 – Welcome to Part 2 of my mini-series on how to start investing when you have little money or understanding of investing. This article will give you some simple steps you can take right now to get started on the right path.

Roger Wohlner @ The Chicago Financial Planner writes 1% a Small Number with Big Implications – It’s amazing how a small number like 1% can have such a big impact on your investments and the amount you’ll be able to accumulate for goals like retirement. Here is a look at the impact of saving 1% on your investment expenses.

Chad @ The Stock Market and I writes Twitter-pated – With Twitter going public within the last two weeks, a look at the how large social media IPOs have done and the draw they have for the trading public.

Robert @ The College Investor writes Buffett, Suncor Energy, and The Future of Natural Gas – As detailed in previous articles on this site, Canadian energy concerns are proving to be highly desirable investments. The safety and political stability of North America is attracting major oil firms such as Spain’s Repsol (OTC: REPPY) and China’s CNOOC (NYSE: CEO), among many others. A Wall Street Journal article reported that Repsol will spend up to $10 billion for North American energy assets. In the last five years, China alone has invested over $40 billion in North American energy

Robert @ Before You Invest writes Why Big and Popular Companies Can Be Bad Investment Choices – When you ask people to name some of their most admired companies, they often name companies like Google, Apple, Coca Cola, Pepsi, GE, etc. When they first jump in to the world of stock market investing, they also get attracted to these stocks and buy them. Also, many of us are looking to get in to newly listed “cool” companies like Facebook, Linked or Twitter. But are these companies good for investment?

J Rodriguez @ Modest Money writes Prosper Review – Detailed Prosper Lending Review – Prosper provides an excellent platform where lenders and borrowers can meet and engage in mutually beneficial transactions or as it is commonly known, peer to peer lending. Prosper enables borrowers to acquire loans at fair market rates while allowing lenders invest in the debts and profit through interest payments.

Pauline @ Make Money Your Way writes How does Currency Trading Work – Troy continues the investing for beginners series and now he talks about how does currency trading work.

 

SAVING

Anton Ivanov @ Dreams Cash True writes Best CD Rates for 2013 – Highest Certificate of Deposit Rates – The best CD rates, updated for 2013. Find the highest Certificate of Deposit rates and learn what things to look for when picking the best CD accounts.

Daisy @ When Life Give You Lemons writes How to Save Money on a Wedding – When You’re a Wedding Guest – If you’re someone who has been invited to seven weddings this summer, you may not be feeling so excited. In fact, you may be feeling downright hateful at this point. After all, all that fun and excitement does not come cheap.

Adam @ Money Bulldog writes Let Your Inner Child Save You Money – What can your younger you do to help you save some money right now?

KK @ Student Debt Survivor writes The First Time I Needed My Emergency Fund – Do you have an emergency fund? Have you ever had to use it? I have!

 

OTHER

Tony @ We Only Do This Once writes The Freedom of Doing Away with a Monthly Phone Contract – The Freedom of Doing Away with a Monthly Phone Contract Do you find yourself constantly checking your smartphone during your waking hours, and even

Cat Alford @ Budget Blonde writes Good Financial Habits Are Way More Important Than Net Worth – Read about my BIGGEST PET PEEVE and why I think good financial habits are way more important than net worth. Do you agree or disagree?

Tushar Mathur @ Everything Finance writes 4 Alternative Christmas Presents for Kids to Avoid Toy Overload – We have too much stuff, especially kids’ toys. I’m guessing you can probably relate. Honestly, we don’t buy many of our children’s toys.

Eva Baker @ TeensGotCents writes Shopping Addiction – Shopping With Sarah – Is it possible that you have a problem with shopping? As in a shopping addiction? Sarah reveals the concerns that you should look out for in your own life.

SFB @ Simple Finance Blog writes Why Do You Need Renters Insurance and How to Save Money on Getting One – While most of us consider health insurance, car insurance and homeowner’s insurance to be vital, rental insurance is one policy which is often omitted or else given least importance until it is too late.

Cindy @ MidLife Finance writes Unsettling News On Healthcare – Obama himself was puzzled why the White House hadn’t realized how complicated applying for insurance can be. He also wondered why the problems hadn’t been addressed and ironed out much earlier.

Lauren @ L Bee and the Money Tree writes What I Would Do With a $1,000 – How would you invest $1,000? I get asked a version of this question fairly often, read what I would do…

SavingMentor @ How To Save Money writes $1000+ Cash HUGE Christmas Giveaway! – You read that right! I’m giving away $1000 of my own hard earned money in cold hard cash this Christmas in what I hope will be one of the biggest giveaways the Canadian personal finance blogging scene has ever seen.

Mrs. Accountability @ Out of Debt Again writes In Control of the Money? Could You be Accused of Abuse? – Handling money in relationships is so tricky – money issues are one of the leading causes of divorces, and yet all too frequently, a completely neglected topic.

Dominique Brown @ YourFinancesSimplified writes Thanksgiving on a Budget-Gimme a Break! – Around this time every year the internet is flush with budget tips for the Thanksgiving feast and budget tips about holiday gift shopping, which is well and good, but give me a break!

Ted Jenkin @ Your Smart Money Moves writes Is December The Best Month To Buy A Car In Georgia? – It’s become pretty common knowledge that the end of the year can be one of the better times to go car shopping.

SBB @ Simple Budget Blog writes Tips for gambling responsibly on a budget – Gambling is big throughout much of the world as online gambling options have introduced it to a much broader customer base – including many younger people. There is nothing wrong with this as long as those gaming online do so responsibly, which these tips should help you to do.

Suba @ Broke Professionals writes Low Cost but Highly Treasured Holiday Gifts for Parents – Your parents have had a lifetime (yours!) to find and obtain the things they want and need.

Daisy @ Suburban Finance writes Giving When Money is Tight – Holiday giving is a great feeling, but sometimes money is tight and giving is not in the budget. There are many ways to give back on a budget.

Crystal @ Budgeting in the Fun Stuff writes Budgeting for our First Home and KILLING IT!!! – Hi everybody! I’m Lindsey from This is How I Roll, which is a lifestyle blog that has a little bit of everything on it.

Luke @ Learn Bonds writes Asset Allocation of Bonds – Take the confusion out of what percentage of your income portfolio is to be devoted to bonds with our comprehensive investment guide.

Crystal @ Married (with Debt) writes 10 Rules to Eliminate Debt Revisited – One of the first things I did after starting this site was to create an anchor – 10 Rules to Eliminate Debt and Change Your Life. Here’s an update.

CAPI @ Creating a Passive Income writes All That Glimmers: The Truth Behind Cash For Gold – There are a lot of scams out there when it comes to cash for gold. Read for necessary information to know the legitimate companies from those that scam.

Tushar @ Start Investing Money writes Who Do You Trust When Making Investment Choices? – I bet that isn’t a question you have ever asked yourself. And yet it is one of the most important questions you will ever need to answer. We sometimes hear stories of people who have lost thousands of dollars in a bad investment.

Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes Debt Tips: The Light at the End of the Financial Tunnel – Your debt may seem daunting, but there’s a way out as long as you stay calm and positive. Read here for tips to find the light.

Corey @ 20s Finances writes Smart Holiday Shopping Tips – It’s November, so that means retail stores have had Christmas trees and music playing for about four months now. Just kidding. But, I was at the mall this past weekend and Christmas music was being played in the stores. There are all sorts of tips for saving money and being smart with your spending every holiday.

Debt Guru @ Debt Free Blog writes Should You Gamble Your Way Out of Debt? – Individuals in debt who are motivated to get out can be desperate to get back on track. Anything and everything is fair game in the eyes of someone wanting to live in the black. This can include a variety of nontraditional ways to pay off your debt. While there are good ways to get out of debt and bad ways, everything deserves a discussion, including using gambling to pay off your debt.

Roger the Amateur Financier @ The Amateur Financier writes 3 Big Advantages of Using Saving Accounts – A short guide to several advantages to using savings accounts, including safety, providing interest, and allowing easy withdraw.

Lindy @ Minting Nickels writes Born With a Savings Account: 7 Expenses Your Child Should Save For – Not everyone is lucky enough to be born with a trust fund. Most of the time, people have to work hard and save to get the things they want or need.

Bargain Babe @ BargainBabe.com writes Top Five Budget-Friendly Things to Consider While Redecorating the Living Room – Top Five Budget-Friendly Things to Consider While Redecorating the Living Room offers tips on saving money every day.

Maria @ The Money Principle writes Credit card confessions: Brits reveal truth behind their secret spending – Some people seem to do a lot of secret spending. This research from MoneySuperMarket tells us what they spend on and with what consequences.

Adam @ The Cheapest Cars To Insure writes What Does Third Party Insurance Cover? – Know the important facts about your third party insurance inside and out before it’s too late.

Robert @ Entrepreneurship Life writes How To Write a To-Do List That Actually Works – Have you ever had so much to do that you didn’t even know where to start? I know I have. That feeling is crippling. You just sit and think about all of the work you have before you, all of the deadlines looming. Something has to get done, but what?

Jason B @ The Butler Journal writes November Debt Update – I’m currently working to pay off my debt. This is my November update. I have to do better.

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