Welcome to this week’s edition of the Lifestyle Carnival. The carnival is a rotating spotlight of some great posts about lifestyle. To participate in the carnival, submit a post via the carnival submission form at Blogger Carnivals.
TRAVEL
Michael @ Financial Ramblings writes Hotwire & Priceline Service Fees: A Dirty Little Hotel Pricing Secret – Travel aggregators such as Hotwire and Priceline can be a great way of saving money while on the road. But, when evaluating their offers, there’s something that you need to be aware of… Not only do they tack on services fees, but they hide them by lumping them in with the taxes. Thus, the prices that you see aren’t really as good as they appear.
Robert @ Kids Ain’t Cheap writes 5 Family Day Trips to Keep Everyone Smiling – Here are just a few of our suggestions for inexpensive days out that will allow everyone to bond together.
John S @ Frugal Rules writes Best Ways to Keep Money Safe When Traveling – The last thing you want to do when on your summer vacation is lose your money or have problems with your credit card. By following my tips you can stay safe, have an enjoyable vacation and not run into financial problems along the way.
Jason Hull @ Hull Financial Planning writes How Much Would You Have to Budget to Go to the World Cup in 2014 – If you’re planning on going to see the World Cup in Brazil in 2014, this article gives you a good idea of how much it will cost to go there and see the games. It’s based on my experience in the World Cup in South Africa in 2010 and the latest information about travel costs. Trips are much more fun when you can pay in cash than going into debt to fund them.
Steve @ Grocery Alerts writes 5 DIY Cleaning Solutions Already Inside Your Home – Get rid of your toxic chemical home cleaning solutions with and replace them with DIY and eco-friendly ones that might already be in your kitchen. Here are 5 DIY cleaning solutions you can try in any types of kitchen.
Steven @ Canadian Personal Finance writes Is an MBA still worth it? – Those seeking to increase their marketability in today’s job force may have considered going back to school (or staying in school) to get their MBA (Master’s in Business Administration). However, considering the cost of education now, getting an MBA is no longer a no-brainer. So in this article, we will explore whether an MBA is worth it or not.
FASHION
Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes Companies Running Buy One, Donate One Programs for Those In Need – It can be hard to know what to buy and from whom, but lucky for us there are some companies making it easier by doing a lot of social good with the money you pay for their products. Both TOMS shoes and Warby Parker are but just two of those companies, but I wanted to focus on them for a singular reason: they both donate an item for each item you buy from them. Let’s take a look.
HEALTH
Jordann @ Making Sense of Cents writes More Minimalist Confessions – Wedding Edition – I haven’t been a very good minimalist lately. It’s not that I don’t want to be, my desire to live a minimalist life is as strong or stronger than it’s ever been before.
Alexis @ FITnancials writes Ride your bike! – Save money and be healthy – Do you have a bike? I do! I don’t ride it too often, but I’m wanting to change that soon. There are so many positives of riding your bike, so why not incorporate it into your daily life, such as when you do your chores and errands?
Alice @ Drop the Cookies! writes Stop sabotaging your weight loss by waiting for a fresh start! – Whether your fresh start is beginning on a Monday, the 1st of the month, the new year…it doesn’t matter. The main point is that you are waiting, not acting right now.
Ashley @ The Frugal Model writes Is Chasing More Money Costing You Happiness? – After your income passes 50k, the amount of money you make no longer affects your happiness, so why do we continue to chase money at the expense of our happiness? How do we shift our perspective on money and how we let it define us?
Jeffrey James @ Life In Charge writes Anti-Aging Techniques To Keep You Healthy And Young At Heart – Are you constantly stressed? Worried? Embarrassed? Here are three anti-aging techniques that will make you feel younger, more free, and less stressed.
John @ Cough up the Dough writes Double glazing as an investment and cost cutting method – We take a quick look to see if double glazing really is a good way to save money on your heating bills. Should it be seen as an investment as oppose to an unnecessary expense. We discuss.
Jon Haver @ Pay My Student Loans writes When Do College Graduates Need Life Insurance – When it comes to life insurance, there are two different types of policies available. A term life policy is one that is put into place for a specific amount of time. Although the premiums are typically lower than those of a whole life policy, there is no cash-out advantage; it is only payable upon the death of the policy holder.
John @ OurInsuranceCanada.com writes Health Insurance Companies – There is such a large number of companies offering health insurance in Canada that is can seem overwhelming to look at them all and try to decide which one is the best option for you. To aid you in making a decision, we have listed the 3 top health insurance companies in Canada.
Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes Where Does the Day Go? – I’ll admit that I like a very scheduled day with a repeating routine – I just feel more productive. Give me extra time, no structured “to do” list, and the day seems to just fly by without much being accomplished. I need one of those every now and then and appreciate some down time, but on a daily basis? I like routine.
Everything Finance @ Everything Finance Blog writes Losing Weight on a Budget – These days there are plenty of ways to lose weight and get in shape without breaking the bank. So stop coming up with excuses and get your body moving.
GMD @ Girl Meets Debt writes ”How I Motivate Myself to Exercise and Pay Off Debt” – ”I envy people who naturally love to exercise and people who pay off their debt like a BOSS! I struggle like mad. But through trial and error I have found some tips that have helped me stay motivated to exercise and pay off debt. Today I’m sharing them.”
ENTERTAINMENT
Brock Kernin @ Clever Dude writes Would You Boycott a Business for Bad Customer Service? – A Subway manager called me a liar, so I’ve been boycotting that location for 3 years.
AB @ Aspiring Blogger writes Google Reader is Dead – Long Live Google Reader! – Like I’m sure a lot of you do, I use Google Reader to manage all of my RSS subscriptions and keep me organized. With Google Reader shutting its doors on July 1, what am I supposed to use instead? Join me as I walk you through the alternatives and help you chose the best Google Reader replacement!
David Leonhardt @ A Ghost Writers Blog writes Best Man Speeches – 11 questions for the speaker – There are plenty of generic best man speeches on the Internet, and just as many one-liners to toss out on the table. But your speech should come from the heart. Here are 11 questions to start “personalizing” that speech.
Penny Thots @ Penny Thots writes The Five Best Things You Can Do for Your Mom – You don’t have to spend a lot of money to let mom know you care. Here are five easy, frugal things you can do today:
WEALTH AND RETIREMENT
Michelle @ Diversified Finances writes What is Passive Income – Passive income is definitely something that interests me. Before I started blogging, I didn’t really give it much thought. I knew that it existed, but I just always believed that I would be the type of person to work a long time and have to actually put time into every dollar that I make.
Michael @ The Student Loan Sherpa writes Meet Colleen: Learn the Cost of 7.25% Interest and Putting Children First – Colleen is a social worker and a voice to children in need, but her student loans make financial stability a nearly impossible dream.
Alice @ Hurricanes, Panties & Dollars writes The pterodactyl retirement plan – An interesting conversation, a plan to trap a pterodactyl and waking back up in the real world. Plus a fun, catchy video and perhaps a little about retirement.
Stuart @ TermLifeInsurance.com Blog writes How Much will Loosing 20 Pounds Save you on Term Life Insurance? – Statistically speaking, an overweight person has a significantly increased chance of dying as their risk for diseases such as diabetes and heart problems increase, as well as the likelihood of higher blood pressure and digestive ailments. Besides having a worse rating and higher pricing if you are overweight, you will also be subject to a longer application process, because insurance companies may require extra medical records on overweight customers.
Milenna Sinclair @ Financial Freedom Planning writes How to Use the VeriPlan Comprehensive Retirement Planner – Comprehensive lifetime financial planning is an iterative process wherein you: A) establish financial goals and objectives, B) make assumptions about the future, C) model your lifetime finances in software, and D) evaluate your opportunities and constraints.
Gary @ Gajizmo writes Jobs That Don’t Require Experience – Similar to the chicken and the egg paradox of which came first, getting a job without experience can be difficult, but you need to get a job in order to earn experience. This can be especially frustrating for new graduates or the recently unemployed looking to make a career change. Here are the best jobs that require no experience.
Arnel Ariate @ Money Soldiers writes Money Saving Tips for Car Insurance – There are a number of money saving tricks and tips available to the canny driver to keep your insurance costs to a minimum.
MMD @ IRA vs 401k Central writes Taking An Early Withdrawal from Roth IRA Contributions – You’ve heard you can take an early withdrawal from Roth IRA contributions after five years, but did you know there are specific rules that come with it?
MMD @ My Money Design writes My Post Retirement Ideas for When I Become Financially Free – Having some post retirement ideas and goals for what you’ll do with yourself is just as important as the planning it took to get you there.
Matt Becker @ Mom and Dad Money writes Bad for the Budget. Good for the Soul. – Personal finance writers, myself included, like to talk a lot about saving money. But being able to spend your money on things that make you truly happy is just as important. Here are a few examples of how I spend money to increase my enjoyment of life.
Grayson @ Debt RoundUp writes My Percentage Based Debt Payoff and Savings Rule – I am a big believer that you can save money while paying off debt. I believe this because I did it. Not only did I do it, but it also changed my money mentality. I used an allocation strategy similar to retirement investing.
Bryan @ BryanMaltier.com writes Ways To Make Money in College – Making money in college has many benefits. In addition to having spending money and covering your living expenses, you can graduate without credit card debt and immediately start paying down your student loans. Here are a few simple ways you can start to make money in college without taking on a full-time job.
TTMK @ Tie the Money Knot writes Paternity Leave: Do You Think It’s Important For Employers to Offer It? – Some employers offer paternity leave for new fathers. Should this be more widespread? This post discusses the issue and shares personal examples.
Chris Topher @ This That and The MBA writes How To Start Preparing For Retirement In Your Twenties – However, the reform has been established to put more responsibility on the individual to make adequate preparations for later life by making only basic funds available on the state pension. Therefore, it’s a good idea to start thinking about what savings to make as early on as possible.
Dollar @ Easy Extra Dollar writes Make extra money through working from home – If you want for make money easy without your company, you should be dedicated and determined. You should ensure that you believe the role of your employer; you will also be the servant so you should release these two functions.
Thomas @ Finance Inspired writes Should you be a guarantor for your childs auto insurance? – With auto insurance getting ever more expensive for the younger, newly qualified drivers, we investigate a new trend emerging, becoming a guarantor for your child, is it really worth it?
John @ WILD about Finance writes How to get a cash injection – Getting a cash injection can sometimes seem impossible if you don’t know what the options are for you out there. Believe it or not, there is often a solution lying just around the corner which will help dig you out of that black hole.
Mel @ Mel’s Money writes Opening A Bank Account With Bad Credit – These days it is pretty much mandatory that people have a bank account, whether it be through a bank or a building society. Applying for a new account with bad credit may seem like a failure waiting to happen, but no fear, Mel is here with bank accounts especially designed for bad credit!
Simon @ Chance with Finance writes Saving Money in Everyday Situations – The costs of goods are rising and there seems to be a salary freeze on most peoples income at the moment, so now is the time to save money in a few simple steps.
Jimmy @ Finance Romance writes The volatile stock markets sailing the choppy seas – With the FTSE and DOW Jones both rocking to and fro and a total change of around 9% in the last few weeks, I take a deeper look into this.
Kristen Hawley @ ReadyForZero Blog writes What Happens When You Stop Paying Your Student Loans – Are you struggling to make payments on your student loans? One blogger talks about her journey and why it’s important to stay on track.
KK @ Student Debt Survivor writes Taking Advantage of Bank Sign-up bonuses = Easy $200 – Have you ever received a bonus for signing up for a checking account? I made a quick and easy $200 for signing up for mine.
Evan @ My Journey to Millions writes Can’t Believe How Much My Financial Life Has Changed – Starting my blog was my true financial awakening. It is literally the moment when I decided that I had to get intentional about my finances. I think most people’s gut reaction is to say, “you were already 26 and a homeowner maybe that should have happened sooner” but considering the average household in America spends almost every dollar it takes in I would say you could be 62 and still be ahead of the game when it comes to intentionally fixing your financial household.
Liana @ Card Hub writes Ask the Experts: How Can We Improve Financial Literacy in the U.S.? – Despite signs of economic recovery, it seems like the list of problems standing in the way of a secure financial future for the U.S. is getting longer by the day. From out-of-control student loan debt and habitual consumer overleveraging to Medicare insolvency and an overcomplicated tax code. Underpinning, and perhaps exacerbating, all of these problems is a disturbing lack of financial literacy.
Lynn @ Wallet Blog writes Roth IRA vs. 529 College Savings Plans: Who Wins? – How does a 529 plan stacked up against that other popular savings vehicle for higher education: the Roth IRA.
John @ Wallet Hub writes Spotlight on Charity: Is Alexandria, VA the Charity Capital of America? – The organizations to which one chooses to donate money, the amounts they give, and why they do so depend a lot on personal preference as well as other financial and economic factors. Nevertheless, it’s undoubtedly important to do your homework before giving, and Alexandria, VA is a great place to start your search given that three of the largest charitable organizations in the country call it home.
Anton Ivanov @ Dreams Cash True writes Mint.com Review – Why I Use and Love Mint – Mint has established itself as one of the best choices for managing your finances online. Learn about its features in our Mint.com review.
Khaleef Crumbley @ Faithful With A Few writes New Red Light Camera Scam Steals Your Identity – A Red Light Camera Scam, which steals your identity is becoming popular. Find out exactly how to recognize it and minimize the risk of identity theft across the board.
Khaleef Crumbley @ Fat Guy, Skinny Wallet writes We Paid Off A Credit Card This Month…But Does It Count? – We Paid Off Our Credit Card, but of course there’s a twist. Find out how we did it, and what happened to take away from our celebration.
SF @ Modest Money writes ”Experimenting in Extreme Frugality” – ”Extreme frugality is based on the notion that it is far easier to attain financial independence by reducing expenditures than by increasing income- and that this is a “purer” life than can provide an equal or excessive amount of happiness when compared to the norm. Make your own stuff- trade- and eat naturally—seems reasonable. Spending roughly $12 thousand or less annually. All in vacation included.”
CAPI @ Creating a Passive Income writes 10 Reasons to Support Small Businesses - Small businesses are the backbone of the economy, yet people find themselves frequenting big box stores. Here’s why you should support small businesses.
Tushar @ Finance TUBE writes You Want To Give Your Child The Best of Everything, But Should You? - As parents we want to give our kids the best of everything. We want to give them all the things and advantage as possible but should we? One blogger I follow often talks about how difficult her childhood was her parents are at work and they are routinely short on food.
HOBBIES
David Bar @ Bar Whiz Blog writes Most Popular Drinks For Camping – From festivals to camping, summer is the perfect time to experience the great outdoors. But just because you are roughing it, that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice modern conveniences, especially when it comes to booze. That’s why we have put together this list of the most popular drinks for camping.
Bank Free Credit @ Bank Free Credit writes 8 Ways to Score Free Kindle Books – Want to have a respectable library of e-books for your mobile reading device but don’t have the cash to finance it? Let’s look at a few different ways you can get free e-books for your Kindle app.
Cash Flow Mantra @ Cash Flow Mantra writes Blogging and The Busy Life – You may have noticed that over the past few months, my blogging activity has taken a nosedive. Needless to say, I have been quite busy. Some of the things that are happening:
GOOD EATS
Tamar @ DeviledEggs101.com writes Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs – Deviled Eggs are among America’s favorite hors d’oeuvres already, but adding smoked salmon to a simple deviled eggs recipe can turn this traditional dish into an amazingly tasty dish. Try out our smoked salmon deviled eggs recipe and let us know what you think!
CF @ The Outlier Model writes Recipe Idea: Simple Oil and Vinegar Coleslaw – It’s BBQ season and nothing cuts through heavy BBQ sauce like a nice fresh salad. I like to make coleslaw to go with things like pulled pork and BBQ’d chicken. As a frugal bonus, cabbage is a pretty cheap vegetable and full of fiber. Yum.
Mr.CBB @ Canadian Budget Binder writes Mr.CBB’s Mixed Fruit Custard Crisp Squares – If you enjoy a thick homemade custard and fresh fruit crisp you will enjoy the marrying of both them in this creamy recipe of freshness.