Welcome to the 41st 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. If you would like to host for a future edition, you can contact me
The guidelines are:
You can submit a post that was published during the last month
The posts have to relate to reaching financial independence, and fit within the following categories: Savings and Simple living, Travel and Lifestyle, Wealth and Passive income, Real Estate and Investing, or Self employment.
Submit by Wednesday night for the Saturday edition
Please mention the carnival in your roundups if you have been featured!
Travel and Lifestyle
Crystal @ Budgeting in the Fun Stuff writes 4 Ways to Travel for Mind-Bogglingly Cheap Prices – Check out these four ways to travel for mind-bogglingly cheap prices.
Pauline @ Reach Financial Independence writes Little house in Guatemala, week 52, back home edition – I finally made my way back to Guatemala, just on time for my one year anniversary. I had been away for over two months, and thankfully the trip back was less eventful than the way out via Cancun.
Mr.CBB @ Canadian Budget Binder writes Comparing comparison sites in Canada – Before you run out to spend your money you might be able to check the price and model online to get the best price going and save yourself some money.
Monica @ Monica On Money writes It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas! – I person ally have decided to skip Black Friday shopping this year, mostly because in the past I have spent a lot of money on Black Friday for random things on sale that I did not need. It is tempting to buy something just because its on sale.
Adam @ Travel Ideaz writes Eating False Goats in a Ghost Town in Uruguay – Dishes to give a go when you hit the ghost towns of Uruguay.
Harry Campbell @ The Four Hour Work Day writes How Often do you Complain About Your Situation? – There are certain people in an office that I just can’t tolerate. One of the main offenders is the “is it Friday yet?” guy. Week in and week out, this guy will come by on a Wednesday or Thursday and ask that same corny question.
John @ Frugal Rules writes What to Look out for When Booking All Inclusive Holidays – All inclusive resorts have become a popular choice for those liking to travel the world. While they can provide great value and a wonderful time, it is important to make sure that the resort you’re booking is the right fit for you and your travel needs.
Andrea @ So Over This writes Avoid Travelocity and Their Poor Customer Service – I have explained in previous posts that I am one to rant, and this is my soapbox from which I stand. I feel like I am a magnet for poor customer service, and all the headaches that come with it.
Marissa @ Thirty Six Months writes Keep your Skin Looking Great During the Cold Weather – During the winter we all know to wrap up warm and dig out our scarves and gloves. But many of us neglect a certain area that needs our attention more than every during the cold weather; our skin can easily become dry and cracked, causing us pain and irritation if not cared for properly.
Eva Baker @ TeensGotCents writes $1,000 Challenge – Insurance and Miscellaneous – Trying to get my budget in great shape for 2014. Sure hope that you will join me as I follow Brian O’Connors advice in The $1,000 Challenge!
Dominique Brown @ YourFinancesSimplified writes What is Your Idea of Financial Freedom? – The other week we sent out an email asking our readers what their idea of financial freedom is.
Jester @ The Ultimate Juggle writes Family values are high on the UAE priority list – It’s good to know as you pine for the expatriate lifestyle and consider joining the thousands of Americans and Europeans currently living and working in the oil-rich United Arab Emirates (UAE) that family values are high on the list of priorities of the country’s citizenry. And that’s the same for both nationals and expats alike.
Cat Alford @ Budget Blonde writes We Rocked November – I was really determined to make November an awesome month financially, and I’m proud to say despite several setbacks, we drop kicked November in the face!
Dee @ Color Me Frugal writes 12 Free or Cheap Ways to Get Exercise in the Winter – Here are 12 frugal and fun ways to make sure you stay active when the weather turns cold!
Jason @ The Money Makers writes Olivia Wilde is Having a Baby: What are the first-month expenses? – Olivia Wilde recently announced her pregnancy with fiance Jason Sudeikis as she is due with her first child in the coming year. Although the couple have declined to reveal their due date, they likely are expecting to set aside a budget for their baby, even with their high incomes.
Kathleen @ Frugal Portland writes So Very Thankful – Thanksgiving this year is tough. But I am so very thankful for the time I had with my mom.
Natalie @ Debt and the Girl writes Buying Winter Clothes without Breaking the Bank – It is that time of year again for cold weather and blistering winds. It is also the time to start bundling up for your outdoor activities. It can be quite damaging to your skin and health if you are not dressed appropriately, but it does not have to destroy your wallet.
Alexa @ Defeat Our Debt writes The Costs of a Five Year Old’s Birthday Party – Kids birthday parties can be very expensive. Here is how much I spent on a birthday present for my five year old.
Corey @ 20s Finances writes The TRUE Cost of Moving – I used to think that calculating the cost of moving was simple. The calculation looked something like this: Cost of packing supplies + cost of movers (optional) + uhaul rental = cost of moving Oh boy, was I wrong.
Daisy @ Suburban Finance writes Real or Fake? – Now, now, that’s not what we’re talking about today! Today we’re talking about Christmas trees! My very favorite part of the Christmas season is the tree. I love the smell, lights, decorating and mostly, how it makes a room feel.
Alexis @ FITnancials writes Personal Finance Tips For Young Adults – The period after high school can be a hard time. Most schools do not teach young adults enough about personal finance. I think there should be a class in high school teaching students how to write a check, pay bills, buy a house, pay for college and so on. Hopefully one day it is a requirement for all schools!
Michelle @ Diversified Finances writes How To Be Successful – Everyone wants to be successful. Yes, I said it. I don’t know of many people who can say that their goal is not to be successful. Being successful doesn’t mean that everything is about how much money you make.
Ben Luthi @ The Wealth Gospel writes Fun Ways to Give This Holiday Season – Giving is on everyone’s minds during the holiday season. Here are some of my favorite ways to give
Jack @ Money Saving Ethics writes Holiday Travel Tips 2013 – If you are planning to travel this holiday season? If so, you definitely should start making plans as early as possible because, as most of us know, traveling during the holidays can be expensive, tiring and stressful.
Kyle @ The Penny Hoarder writes 10 Weird Ways to Make Christmas Cash – Christmas is around the corner and if you’re in need of some quick, holiday cash, try one of these 10 weird ways to make extra money…
Minimalist @ Minimalist Finance writes Prepare Financially for the New Year – Prepare Financially for the New Year has been published on Minimalist FinanceEvery year seems to go faster and faster, and 2013 was no exception. We have just a few short weeks left of the 13th year of the millennium, and it’s time to start preparing for the new year, financially.
Hank @ Money Q&A writes Is Your Excessive Tipping Causing Poor Service For Others At Restaurants? – Is your excessive tipping ruining service at restaurants for the rest of us that have to come into contact with poor servers? Are we reinforcing bad service with excessive tipping?
Lauren @ L Bee and the Money Tree writes Cut the Crap This Christmas – You don’t have to give or receive “stuff” this Christmas. Cut the crap and go for consumable gifts!
CAPI @ Creating a Passive Income writes FSAs: All About the Flexible Spending Account – Hearing more and more about FSA’s – or flexible spending accounts? Read here to learn just what these three words mean and what they can do for you.
FI Fighter @ FI Fighter writes Unpaid Vacation: It’s Worth It! – It’s all about finding the right balance between work and life. Know when to take extra time off, even if you have to go without pay. You can’t put a price on health and happiness.
Wealth and Passive Income
Tushar @ Finance TUBE writes Your Guide to SIPPs and Pension-Oriented Investments – SIPP stands for Self Investor Personal Pension. If you have a significant pension pot or one that consists of several different strands, you may want to consolidate them. A SIPP is essentially a pension ‘wrapper’.
Oscar @ Money is the Root writes Tips to Lower your Taxes in 2013 – Tax planning in 2013 will, thankfully, be far simpler than in 2012. The rise in the top marginal tax rate will affect wealthier taxpayers, no doubt, as well as the extra taxes that are being collected to fund the Affordable Care Act.
Christopher @ This That and The MBA writes 4 Ways to Grow Into Financial Independence – Becoming financially independent from your parents can seem daunting. For many, it means getting a job, moving out, opening a personal checking account , establishing credit, and saving. This can be a tall order for those who have no experience with finances or living on their own.
Justin @ Root of Good writes I Have a Luck Making Machine – Find out how the Luck Making Machine makes us wealthier and always makes smart choices. From houses to cars to careers, we always seem to have the best luck thanks to the Luck Making Machine we own.
PPlan @ Provident Plan writes Is Trading Forex an Effective Way of Supplementing your Income? – While the UK government may be taking solace in improved growth portents and the prospects for a brighter 2014, there is still considerable work to be done!
Jon @ Novel Investor writes Year End Financial Review To-Do List – A year end financial review is a great way to take stock of your money goals each year, see what worked, what didn’t, and make adjustments for the new year.
Adam @ Money Rebound writes Could You Spend a Million Bucks in a Week? – Have you ever dreamt of having a million dollars to just spend on anything you could ever want?
Ray @ Squirrelers writes Will You Define Retirement on Your Own Terms? – How would you like to retire: based on cirucmstances controlling you, or based on you controlling things?
Ryan @ Cash Money Life writes Why an IRA Makes Sense Even If It Isn’t Tax Deductible – Not all IRAs are tax deductible. But that doesn’t mean you should avoid them. In fact, it’s almost always a good idea to invest in an IRA for retirement.
Claire @ ReadyForZero Blog writes 30 Ways to Increase Your Income – We’re often so focused on saving money that we forget about the benefit of increasing the amount of income that we earn. We share 30 ways to boost your bank account by increasing your income!
Real Estate and Investing
Ted Jenkin @ Your Smart Money Moves writes What Is A Bitcoin? – In the past several months, more and more people have been asking me about the stock market, the US Dollar, and just in general where the direction of the
Syed @ The Broke Professional writes The Most Overlooked Investment Ever – There is one investment that is an afterthought for a lot of people, but can end up being the most crucial investment of all.
Brent @ PersonalFinance-Tips writes Five Steps to Follow for The First Time Homebuyer – Buying a home at first can seem like a daunting task. There are a multitude of factors to consider, some of which are not immediately clear or apparent, as well as a variety of factors that differ based on location, what type of home you are looking for, etc.
Joshua Rodriguez @ CNA Finance writes Is It Time To Start Investing – In this post, Joshua talks about when it’s the right time to start investing as well as other things that beginning investors should know.
FI Pilgrim @ FI Journey writes I Just Set Up My First Roth IRA – It has taken me a while to see the light, but I just set up my first Roth IRA account and it was a shocking simple process!
Hadley @ Epic Finances writes Do Exchange-Traded Funds have an Advantage over Index Mutual Funds? – One of the questions that we frequently get is whether or not there is an advantage for long-term investors to use exchange traded funds instead of index mutual funds. It’s an excellent question, to be sure.
Justin @ Edward Antrobus writes 10 Reasons To Consider Small Business Exporting – Exporting used to be seen as something that only the bigger companies really did. These days the process is more accessible than ever before, even to small businesses.
IMB @ Investing Money writes Investing in Robotics – As time passes, robotics become much more relevant. Learn about robotics and investing through this week’s post.
Graham @ Moneystepper writes Timing the market: can you improve gains by timing the stock market? – Timing the stock market: can you easily time the markets? I’ll be brief. No. You can not. Do not try.
Larry @ KrantCents writes Classic Cars, Muscle Cars and Antiques Cars Are Good Investments! – Buying a used car will save you money, but a classic, muscle or antiques cars may actually make you money. You still have to choose your car carefully, but these cars usually increase in value unlike your typical car which decreases in value as soon as you buy it.
Holly @ Club Thrifty writes Buying a House: HOA Fees and Other Shenanigans – Living in a neighborhood with an HOA usually means extra rules and at least a few HOA fees. However, there are benefits to having an HOA.
Luke @ Learn Bonds writes How To Start Investing In Consumer Loans – Building Your Portfolio – What you need to know to get started invesging in P2P loans.
Self employment and Career
Don @ Money Reasons writes Not All Personal Financial Blogs Are A Good Fit For You – I’ve noticed that not all personal finance blogs are really a good fit for everybody. In this article I mention a few great sites, and then a few ideas that I consider bad ideas from lesser sites.
Pauline @ Make Money Your Way writes November blog income and stats recap – Welcome to the fifth blog income and stats recap of Make Money Your Way!
Jim @ Critical Financial writes Get Hundreds Of Facebook Fans With The ‘Like Box’ – The Like Box is aesthetically pleasing and complements your website brilliantly. A reader who visits your site will see the Like Box and potentially recognize others who like your page, making this a warm invite to ‘Like” your site.
Jacob @ AllPersonalFinance writes Top unusual ways that can help you earn a good sum of money online – There is a plethora of ways to earn money. Some prefer working long and tedious 9 – 5 hours while some prefer working from home or running a business. However, there is also a section of the world’s population that is engaged in earning a good chunk of money from varied online sources.
Tushar Mathur @ Everything Finance writes Working To Live Or Living To Work? – The concept of work and its role in a human’s life has always been somehow controversial in whether job is a ‘need to’ or a ‘want to’.
Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes Small Business Banking Options – Do you own a small business? Do you know all of you your small business banking options? Times have changed and you could be paying too much for your banking services.
Harry Campbell @ The Four Hour Work Day writes How Efficient Are You at Work? – For those of you who don’t know, I recently had the pleasure of testing out the four hour work day. Although my experiment only lasted a few months, it gave me great insight into what it would be like if I was working for myself full time. And by full time, of course I really mean only four hours a day
Andrew @ 101 Centavos writes Ten Things You Can Do To Impress People At Work – Working for the Man takes some doing. The workplace can be a political jungle, populated with hazards like vengeful Vice Presidents, ambitious underlings, and fearsome human resources trolls who are just waiting for a chance to eviscerate your career with razor-sharp talons. Fear not, here’s the prototypical blog list of ten things you (yes, you!) can do to get ahead. Some of them may require effort, some not so much.
Irfan @ Everything About Investment writes Tips for Personal Financial Success – Getting a handle of managing your basic personal finance can return many financial rewards as well as provide you with more free time to pursue your interests and freed up money to invest. When we talk about the basic elements of anyone’s personal finances we are including a personal budget, savings and investment planning, managing your income and outgoings resourcefully as well as applying for loans and finance and various insurance policies you may need over your lifespan.
Gary @ Gajizmo writes How To Find A Job After College – If you are a college student about to graduate next semester, you know that Spring and Summer offer the best opportunities to find a job after college graduation. Here are some tips on how to find a job after college.
Dollar @ Easy Extra Dollar writes Work At Home Scam – With work at home you can collect more funds and you can make more friends you expect! There’s lots of individuals who still do not think it is a great way to make funds. I think they stand one of these ways – they have not tried out this type of business yet or they have no idea what way to select to get funds.
Tonya Stumphauzer @ Budget and the Beach writes How I Made 10k in Side Income – A breakdown of how I made 10k in side income in 2013.
Amy @ Money Mishaps writes Online and Mobile Retail make Black Friday practically obsolete – Ladies and gentlemen, here is a certifiable fact; marking down prices for Christmas is an American tradition. Here is another fact that is a bit newer; today, those markdowns and bargains come right to you at home so there is no need to actually go to the store to get them.
Daniel @ Make Money Make Cents writes Want to make smarter money decisions? Use these tips from Economist Noreena Hertz – Noreena Hertz advises people in power, including presidents, prime ministers and CEOs, about international debt and globalization. She also wants to help people like you and I make better financial decisions.
Roger the Amateur Financier @ The Amateur Financier writes Net Worth Update: December 2013 – A update on my net worth, listing where my savings, investments, and debts currently stand, as well as how close I am to meeting my goals for the year.
Rich @ Growing Money Smart writes 100K in Five Years Challenge Update 2013-12-10 – This is my latest 100k in five years challenge update. This time we take into consideration the kiddie tax treatment of gains that my young friend might encounter in his account.
Jefferson @ See Debt Run writes The First Step in Building a Niche Search – Niche sites can be an excellent way to generate income. This article discussed how to do SEO keyword research for your niche site with Market Samurai.
Sam @ Grad Money Matters writes Do you want to be a work-at-home parent? – Many people think that if they work from home and have children, that it will be very easy. Sometimes it can be, but sometimes it isn’t always the best situation. Children are a wonderful thing, but sometimes being successful with your career and trying to play with children at the same time would be hard.
Alexa @ Single Moms Income writes Blog Goals Update #1:How I Tripled My Search Engine Traffic In 30 Days – Blogging is a legitimate way to earn money and one of the ways I do so. And, it is something anyone can do as long they are committed. Here is update number one on my blogging goals.
Matt @ Budget Snob writes Why a Budget is your Best Friend – The fact is, without any type of savings the returns that you are going to get are not likely to be anywhere near sufficient or close to your goals. The solution: Creating a budget and using it.
Saving and Simple Living
Mike @ Personal Finance Journey writes Grow or Buy – Can I Save Money Buying My Food? – The Pros and Cons of buying your Food and whether you can save money or not compared to growing it on your own.
Harry Campbell @ Your PF Pro writes Tuning Up a Bicycle is Easier and Cheaper Than You Think – Ever since I moved up to Newport Beach a few months ago, I have been biking nearly everywhere. When you don’t have a job, you have a lot more free time on your hands so you’re not in quite as much of a rush. A lot of people think riding your bike takes significantly more time than driving in a car, but once you’ve got a few weeks of riding under your belt, you can make surprisingly good time. You might show up to your destination a little sweaty, but you’ll save a ton on gas and you g
SavingMentor @ How To Save Money writes Save Tons Of Money On Almost Any Purchase! (VIDEO) – There’s an amazing deal going on right now where you can save a huge amount of money while purchasing almost any product you can buy online in Canada (use your imagination) by stacking multiple promotions together via the Shop.
JP @ My Family Finances writes Save On Healthcare Costs – What are some of the ways that you can keep these healthcare costs under control?
The Warrior @ Net Worth Warrior writes The Ultimate Guide to (Finally) Cutting the Cable or Satellite Cord – In-depth review of how to make the transition from cable or satellite to other resources of television entertainment.
Daisy @ Suburban Finance writes Frugality at It’s Finest – Those two words don’t always go together. It sounds more like an oxymoron to me. Why? When you think of billionaires, you almost always think of yachts, private jets, mansions, etc. Everything is high-end and very expensive. However, there are many billionaires who are actually frugal.
SBB @ Simple Budget Blog writes Analytical versus Creative Budgeting: Which one do you do? – Are you an analytical or creative budgeter? Both have methods to their budgeting, just different ones. View these examples to view where you fit!
Jack @ eMoneyLog writes A guide to shopping from thrift stores – Shopping at a thrift store can be difficult if you do not know what to buy at these stores. It can actually be very intimidating. Some of the items are just crap, many are average quality but you can also often find gems if you know what to look for. In this post I take a look at the best items to buy from the ones available at a thrift store. There are many stores that will carry old items that have antique value. If you know how to identify these you an end up with some really good items at
Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes Cable, Satellite, or Neither: Which Television Solution is Right for Your Budget? – Should you choose cable, satellite, or neither for your next television show provider? We provide the advantages and disadvantages to each.
Suba @ Broke Professionals writes Play the Savings Game – Play the savings game, it’s a different perspective on savings.
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.
Lily @ Paying Debt Down writes Money Saving Holiday Shopping Tips 2013 – Did you go so far over budget on your holiday spending last year that you didn not pay off your bills until the Fourth of July? If yes, then this post is definitely for you.
Jay @ Daily Fuel Economy Tip writes Saving Money: Old Car vs New Car – Getting left by the side of the road is no fun at all, and it makes it awful tempting to get rid of that old car for a newer model. However, before getting too bent out of shape, it’s best to step back and really take a look at the situation.
Stu @ Poor Student writes Cheap and Semi-Healthy Snacks to Help You Through Your Next Cramming Session – If you are one of those students who makes frequent trips to the vending machine at 11:00 at night to fuel another couple of hours of cramming, you aren’t alone.Why put your body through that? It’s not good for your mind and eating all of that sugar and sodium can counteract the good you are doing with studying.
Moneycone @ Money Cone writes My Project To Switch From Incandescent Light Bulbs To Energy Efficient Ones – 2 Years Later… – Results of my experiment to phase out all incandescent light bulbs in my house to energy efficient equivalents – LEDs and CFLs.
Tushar @ Start Investing Money writes Can Research Save You Money at Christmas? – We tend to focus a lot on investing money throughout the year, but trying to keep this up as we get closer to Christmas can be difficult. However even though you will likely spend more than usual on gifts for other people, you can still save money while doing so.
Mrs. Accountability @ Out of Debt Again writes Examine Your Utility Bills Every So Often – Do you get your bills and pay them without taking a second glance? What if your bill is higher than normal? Do you just assume it’s your fault and pay it?
Lindy @ Minting Nickels writes Finding New Ways to Save Money and Pay Off Your Debt Faster – If you’re on a mission to pay off debt, you’ve likely already found obvious ways to slash your budget.
Maria @ The Money Principle writes Frugality of Folly: breadmaker for Christmas? – Having a breadmaker is key to saving on food and I am getting my sons one for Christmas.
Grayson @ Debt Roundup writes Dear Verizon, This Is Our Final Goodbye! – After 14 years of being a loyal Verizon customer, I have decided to move on. After mutiple price increases, I realized there were many other options that would cost me much less. I left Verizon for a no-contract plan and brought my wife with me.
Lazy Man @ Lazy Man and Money writes 5 Smart Shopping Apps for this Holiday Season – As you prepare for the holiday shopping season, here are 5 apps that can help you save money:
Grayson @ Debt Roundup writes How I Saved $780 Per Year On My Cell Phone Bill – One question that I get often is “How do I save money on my cell phone bill?“. I can understand the popularity of this question because it seems cell phone bills are getting higher and higher these days. I decided to show others how I saved $780 per year on my cell phone bill.
Jacob @ Cash Cow Couple writes Low Cost Cell Phone Plans – We’ve been researching the cheapest cell phone plans available. Come check them out and save a boatload of money on your monthly bill!
Thank you for reading, have a great weekend!
Share this on Facebook
Tweet This!
Share this on LinkedIn
Share this on Google+
Add this to Google Bookmarks
Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon
Send via Email
Send this page to Print Friendly
The post Carnival of Financial Independence, 41st edition appeared first on Reach Financial Independence.