Tag Archives: carnival

Weekly Roundup – May 10th

Hope your weekend is going well! Ours started off with a bang yesterday when we booked our honeymoon! Heading off to Jamaica at the end of July (during hurricane season of course) for an all-inclusive extravaganza. I am working on a post for tomorrow detailing our experience with AAA travel. I’ll just say that it was a good one.

Now for a quick plug for the Carnival of Money Stories. Tomorrow is the last day to submit for the return of the carnival. It will be hosted by Gather Little by Little on Monday. You have until 5pm EST today to get your submissions in!

Great Reads From the Week

J Money from Budgets are Sexy wants to grant you one luxury wish. What would you pick? My answer is in the comments!

Bob at Christian Personal Finance explains the art of phishing scams with a great video that he found. That’s one of the things to avoid in my list of identity theft tips.

Free Money Finance tells you how one bad experience can ruin a company.

One Caveman’s Financial Adventure has a great list of 8 things new parents don’t need. I hope I don’t have to worry about these things for a few more years!

Make sure you check all of them out and I look forward to a great week of discussion! 🙂

Weekly Roundup – May 3rd

Welcome to this weeks roundup! There were plenty of great articles this week and it was hard narrowing them down to some of my favorites. However, I did it and am very happy to share them with you.

On a side note, I wanted to mention that I have resurrected the Carnival of Money Stories. It is a weekly blog carnival where bloggers share their unique money stories/experiences. I am currently looking for hosts. It is a great way to get some recognition (and links) from other bloggers. If you do not want to host but would rather submit one of your articles, head over to the submission page.

Articles of the Week

My Life ROI give you 6 signs that the recession is ending. I hope #2 doesn’t end soon. We are shopping for our honeymoon!

Wealth Pilgrim has 7 steps to turn your college-bound kid into a financial genius.

Pinyo at Moolanomy says that college students should take responsibility for their financial situation.

Miranda at Yielding Wealth recommends not using your 401(k) as a savings account. I second that!

Matt at Stupid Cents has a great tip on how to get discounts at eBay.

Is it better to sell to an atheist or a virgin? Kevin at The Money Hawk lets you know the answer.

Baker at Man vs Debt compares Suze Orman and Dave Ramsey. Which one is right?

Hope you enjoyed this weeks great posts!

Saturday Sneak-Peak: MoneyTLD.com

Welcome to this weeks edition of Saturday Sneak-Peak! Every week I explore a personal finance blog and give a brief review of the site. My major intent of the adventure is to expose everyone to new and/or obscure blogs. Up this week is MoneyTLD.com. Mike has contributed to the discussion on the site a few times and I greatly appreciate that.

Mike has some great tips on his site and I suggest you head over there and check them out. Here are some of my favorites:

Five Tips for a Successful Phone Interview

When Should a House Guest Start Paying Rent?

When is Mega Millions Worth Playing?

I asked Mike some questions to help you get to know him. Here they are!

YMR: What have you enjoyed most about blogging?

Mike: I most enjoy the ability to learn more. Although I consider myself knowledgeable in the area of personal finance, blogging forces me to think about that knowledge in a more structured manner. I have to organize my thoughts to make them coherent for other people, so I learn by teaching. If I don’t have the details right, then I do research to make sure I do have them right. I try hard not to fudge my knowledge. Plus, my readers shouldn’t hesitate to call me out on something if it looks like I did. Without that give and take, I’d just be in an ivory tower and would lack the capacity to improve.

YMR: What post did you enjoy writing the most?

Mike: While I didn’t necessarily write it, I really enjoyed hosting the Money Hacks Carnival on March 25. Compiling it was ridiculously time-consuming, but hosting that carnival really enabled me to see what else was out there. And even for the blogs already in my feed reader, I got to re-examine the posts that those bloggers thought were worth submitting. I find that much of my reading online is simply skimming, so this gave me a better chance to really delve into and think about the material.

YMR: How would you describe your writing style?

Mike: Conversational. In my head at least, I write the way I talk. As a result, I probably use too many cliches and could certainly write more tersely, but I hope that my writing thus feels familiar and readable.

YMR: What did you learn since January (about blogging) that you did not know before?

Mike: Hmm, that’s actually a pretty tough question. I’ve been blogging for several years at various sites, so the process isn’t new to me. However, if there’s one thing I’ve relearned, it’s that keeping up the pace is really difficult with blogging, especially when starting a new blog. At the beginning, you have no readers, no advertising income, and no real motivation to write aside from the idea of creating a kick-ass blog. Without a big marketing budget or celebrity status, gaining a readership is a very slow, organic process. While getting into blogging is super-easy, continuing to blog is very difficult. The many out-of-date blogs littering the internet attest to this fact.

I want to thank Mike for letting me interview him. It was a pleasure! Please head over to his site and poke around. I am positive that you will find something that you will enjoy!

Do you have a new blog (less than 6 months old)? Would you like to be featured in a Saturday Sneak-Peak? Contact me and I will set you up!

Have a great weekend!

Carnival of Twenty Something Finances – DC Edition

Welcome to this weeks edition of the Carnival of Twenty Something Finances! Last weekend, the future Mrs and I headed down to Washington, DC to check out the famous cherry blossoms. Although it was VERY crowded, I must admit that it was an amazing time to see them. DC is a great place to see on the cheap. Most museums in the city are free and they have a great transit system. Personally, we parked outside of the city at one of the free metro stations and rode the train all day. It cost us about $5 per person and we did not have to deal with the horrendous traffic and confusing streets.

Sprinkled throughout the carnival this week are some common places to see while visiting DC. Like I mentioned before, most of these sites are free to the public. You can get away with spending very, very little compared to other cities. I advise packing a lunch for you and your family as food can be rather pricey if you purchase it from vendors. Anyway, off to the carnival!

This is a picture that we took in the midst of the trees. The cherry blossoms were at their peak this year from around March 28th through April 12th.

Editor Picks

Debt Kid shows you that getting a mortgage after foreclosure is not so simple.

Debt Ninja at Punch Debt in the Face wants to know what’s your favorite dumb but fun expense? I would have to say that mine was my iPhone. I love it with a passion but I really do not need all of the features and the added expense.

Jerry at Deal Supermarket talks about getting unplugged with frugality. This was a very creative post!

DR at The Dough Roller gives you 10 tips to declutter your finances.

The Washington Monument is the most prominent structure in DC. It was built in 1884 in honor of George Washington. It’s free to get in but make sure you get their early!

The Rest of the Field

KC Lau shows you 5 ways to take charge of your finances.

Fabulously Broke in the City shows you why a small space does not mean you put your life on hold and whine.

Bank Savings Review let’s you know about four banks that gave their TARP funds bank.

Kathryn at Out of Debt Christian has the top ways to waste money on your home.

Shaun from Learn Financial Planning shows you why being frugal is just the first step.

SVB at The Digerati Life helps you choose the best online stock brokers for cheap stock trades.

Personal Finance Analyst wants to know if saving money damages your quality of life.

Patrick at Cash Money Life tells you when you should tell your boss that you are pregnant.

The Smithsonian Institution has a ton of great free museums to see in DC. You can go to the Air and Space Museum, Museum of Natural History, Freer Gallery of Art, etc.

Mr CC at Ask Mr Credit Card let’s you know how American Express submits your credit information to the credit bureaus.

Matt at Fine-Tuned Finances compares new credit card programs for saving for college.

Ginger at Ginger Won’t Snap has some credit card fraud problems.

Peak Personal Finance has 3 smart personal finance tasks that you are probably putting off.

Diego at Bankling shares with us his top 50 economics blogs.

Big Cajun Man at Canadian Personal Finance Blog has some advice for new grads.

Patrick at Money Saving Deals gives us the lowdown on how to get up to $150 from TradeKing.

RJ at Our Financial Planner shows you the miracle of compound interest.

The Lincoln Memorial is another great (free) site to see in the city.

MoneyNing shares with your his review of Everbank.

Jeff Rose at Good Financial Cents let’s you know what to do if there is a layoff pending.

Destroy Debt shows you how to get the last drop out of many popular products.

Pinyo at Moolanomy shows you how to transfer credit card balances.

Raj at DebtGoal is cutting the bill on digital services.

Wren at True Adventures in Money Hacking shows you how to get a free car. Really!

Dan at Everyday Finance gives you the best CD yields in April.

Jim at Bargaineering shows you how to pick the best credit card.

J Money at Budgets are Sexy gives some advice on Roth IRAs vs 401ks.

Visit Arlington National Cemetery and pay your respects to the thousands of fallen soldiers. You can also view the resting place of JFK and see the Eternal Flame.

Patrick at Military Finance Network shows how the stimulus plan assists military members affrected by the mortgage meltdown.

Credit Card Assist wants to know if you have ever looked at your credit card closely.

Apply 4 Credit wants to know if credit card protection plans are really worth the added cost.

Christian Personal Finance is giving away a free subscription of Kiplinger’s personal finance.

Investing School compares Etrade, TradeKing, and Zecco.

Mike at Money TLD lets you know that some expired foods can still be edible.

Eric at Twenties Money has five pieces of advice for twenty somethings.

BillEater shows you how to avoid debt reduction scams.

Kyle at Suburban Dollar gives you his review of CashCrate.

Money Hacks Carnival #51 – The Office Edition

Welcome to the 51st edition of the Money Hacks Carnival! My name is Adam and I am pleased to be your host this week. Please feel free to poke around the site if it is your first time visiting! You can subscribe to the blog using the links on the right or you can follow me on Twitter to stay up-to-date.

NBC’s The Office is my favorite show on TV. I just love watching the office banter and politics. Every week there is a moment that reminds you of something a co-worker did recently. For this carnival, I decided to categorize the topics by some great characters in the show.

Editor’s Picks

Michael Scott is the Regional Manager of the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin. If anyone has the right to pick this week’s best articles, it’s him. He is the glue that holds his team together. Did I really just say that?

Credit Shout tells us to Beware of ATM Scams. Honestly, I really had no idea about some of these. I will be thinking twice about going to the ATM now!

Living Almost Large talks about a family that is in trouble and Their Ship Is Sinking. Looking at this person’s cash flow, it’s hard to believe that they did not see the major problem.

FIRE Finance shares a great story on how Smart Refrigeration Lowers Electricity Bills. Who better to tell you about saving energy on your refrigerator than someone who works with them every day?

PF Credit Cards shows you How to Beat Priceline and Get a Winning Bid. Personally, I have been using Priceline’s Name Your Own Price for over a year now. I will never go back to paying full price again! You really have no say in the brand of your hotel, but you still get to pick the star level. I have yet to be disappointed in the hotel I end up getting.

Career

To me, no one seems more focused on their career than Dwight Schrute. He is constantly reminding everyone about his position with the company and how he is the top salesman. He is also good at sucking up to the boss. Watch the show and learn from Dwight if you are searching for a new job!

Tom at The Strump gives his opinion on How to Translate Employment Ads.

FMF at Free Money Finance lets you know How to Waste Money on a MBA.

Debt and Credit

Kelly is really into fashion and fancy things. Only working at Dunder Mifflin, I can imagine that she has some major credit card debt. Hopefully, some of these articles can help her get on the path to becoming debt free.

Jim at Bargaineering has a Review of MyFICO ScoreWatch. He says it’s perfect for credit score junkies!

Tyler from CreditCards.com talks about how Credit Card Regulation is Brewing for College Campuses Again. Personally, I have never signed up for a credit card at a table at college, sporting event , airport, etc.

Looking for a new rewards credit card? Credit Addict tells us about the Pentagon Federal Visa Rewards Card.

Shaun from Learn Financial Planning gives his 5 Principles for Getting Out of Debt. Some great insights here!

Mr. Banker at Best Interest Rate Banks gives us his review of High Interest Savings Accounts.

Studenomics Breaks Down Student Loans in a non-confrontation manner.

Chris at StumbleForward gives you some tips on Becoming a Blogger to Get Out of Debt.

Housing

Jim just recently bought a house from his parents. I bet he wishes that he could have had some of these great articles to read!

Len Penzo provides us with A Layman’s Guide to Mortgage Application Junk Fees.

Passive Family Income talks about The Recession in America and Home Foreclosures.

Frugality and Saving Money

If anyone on the show is frugal, it’s Pamela. She dresses simple, religiously watched her money while going to college, and was thrifty while planner her first wedding.

Silicon Valley Blogger at The Digerati Life has a Valentine’s Day Tip on Using Ebates to Get Cash Back.

Pete at Bible Money Matters reminds us that Small Decisions Equal Big Results.

J Money at Budgets are Sexy says The Budget is Back, Baby!

Lisa from Greener Pastures presents Economic Collapse-R-Us: 22 Lifestyle Changes of Middle Class America.

The Writer’s Coin presents Am I a Thief or an Entrepreneur? The overwhelming majority of the comments suggest a thief. Head over there and give your input. He has even written a response post to the naysayers.

Matt at Stupid Cents gives us Five Simple Ways to Buy Everything Cheaper and Save Money.

The Shark Investor gives us Strategies for Raising Savings.

Mr. Tough Money Love show us how Arming Ourselves to Save Money on Car Repairs can be a good thing.

Patrick at Money Saving Deals has some Godaddy.com Coupon Codes to share.

David at Personal Finance Analyst gives us The Best Free Budget Worksheets on the Internet.

Dana at Not Made of Money tells us How Her Family Keeps the Breaks on Spending.

The Smarter Wallet shares some delicious Cheap Meals You Can Cook at Home to Save Money.

Debt Kid shows us Why Budgets Don’t Work for Everyone.

Hank at Own The Dollar wants to know Is Three to Six Months of Expenses Enough Money For Your Emergency Fund?

Aryn at Sound Money Matters shows you The Pros and Cons of Homemade Yogurt.

Taxes

When I think of someone who would evade income taxes, I think about Creed. Hopefully some of these articles will help him file his return this year. His first return ever?

Money Tipper lets us know about TurboTax Discounts for Vanguard Customers.

Nickel at Five Cent Nickel gives us Ten Common Income Tax Credits. Head over there to make sure you are getting all the money you deserve.

Thinking of buying a new house? Madison at My Dollar Plan talks about the Possibility of a $15,000 Home Buyer Tax Credit.

Patrick at Military Finance Network answers a question about What You Need to Do If Your Stimulus Check Was Lost of Stolen.

Christian Personal Finance found some places that have Free STATE e-file Online! Living in Maryland, I know that we have free e-file for the state return. It makes it nice and easy!

Insurance

If I had to guess which employee had the greatest amount of insurance, I would say it was Andy. I’d bet he has whole life, term, universal, two health policies and a deferred annuity. He also seems to be the most likely to be a insurance salesman. He just has that way about him!

Mr. GoTo at Go To Retirement gives you an idea about Fixed Annuities and Financial Risk. I think fixed annuities are a great thing to have in retirement. It’s unfortunate that they get such a bad rep from many mainstream media types.

Junior Boomer from The Consumer Boomer talks about Women and Long-term Care Insurance.

Economy

Now honestly, who cares more about the economy than Stanley? Just look at that face!

Kathryn at Out of Debt Christian tells us about The Importance of Shopping Local.

PFR at Personal Finance Reviews tells how the FDIC Plans to Restrict Interest Rates of Troubled Banks.

Curt at Penny Jobs presents The Fiat Money System is Failing.

Money Blue Book Finance wants to know is there a Second Stimulus Check for Obama in 2009?

Investing

Toby is the head of human resources at Dunder Mifflin. If anyone was maxing out their 401(k) there, it would be him.

Sun at The Sun’s Financial Diary alerts you to a Free Stock Analysis Tool.

The Financial Blogger shows you some Options to Secure Your Investment Portfolio.

The Intelligent Speculator wants to know if Super Bowl Ads are Really Worth It?

The Investor at Monevator gives their 10 Reasons to Be Cheerful as an Investor.

Jeff from Good Financial Cents has 7 Things to Know About the 2010 Roth IRA Conversion.

Dividend Tree shows us how Everyday Life Teaches us Dividend Investing.

Other

When I was thinking about what character would be good for the category other, I thought of Ryan. He definitely had some ups and downs with Dunder Mifflin!

MoneyNing presents What Everyone Ought to Know When Applying for Free Stuff.

Patrick at Cash Money Life has some $25 Sign-up Bonuses from Lending Club. You even have 2 chances to win $100!

Mara Rodgers at Secrets for Money gives some great Tips To Teach Kids About Money.

Chris at Financial Reflections lets you know How Identiy Thieves Sell Your Data Online.

Mighty Bargain Hunter gives you Some Great Sources for Free AudioBooks.

Miss M at M is for Money shares with you Deliverance from Debt: Budget Basics.

Mike at Money TLD shares with us 10 Places to Click for Cash. There are quite a few things on this list that I have never heard of. I think I will check some of them out!

Carnival of Money Stories #93 – BCS Edition

Welcome to the 93rd edition of The Carnival of Money Stories! My name is Adam and I am pleased to be your host this week. This carnival is one of my favorites. I love reading the great personal stories every week and it’s even better hosting the carnival as I get to choose my picks as the best for the week.

Last week Florida was able to beat Oklahoma 24-14 in the College Football BCS Championship. That game (and the BCS in general) gave me an idea for a great theme this week. This week we are holding the BCS of Money Stories. In other words, the Blog Championship Series of Money Stories. I am going to mention my 2 favorite entries for this week and you can decide on your own who the champion should be. There are also different “bowl games” in which other great stories are mentioned. All I have for the winner is a picture of this amazing trophy seen above. Cherish it as best you can as you will never receive anything of its kind again in your life! Anyway, let the games begin!

BCS Championship Game

These two stories made it to the championship game. There was a unique selection process in order to earn a bid to this game. First, I added all of the numbers of the date that it was submitted with the time of day it was submitted. I then subtracted 100 because I can. I then compared their strength of schedule against those who made it to this weeks Carnival of Personal Finance.  Simple process, right? Without further ado, here are my two picks:

Curt at PennyJobs.com wants to know which pays better, popular investing or staying in front of the crowd? I think I agree with Curt on his conclusion. When people are greedy, I am afraid. When people are afraid, I am greedy.

Papa Boomer at Consumer Boomer tells his tale about almost getting hosed by Terminix and the importance of doing research before buying. I just picture the poor old ladies in my mind that the Terminix guy has already ripped off.

Shopping Bowl

The Shopping Bowl includes posts talking about shopping experiences, customer service, etc.

FMF at Free Money Finance hates getting gift cards from Macy’s (and Macy’s shopping in general). Unfortunately, someone decided to get him a card for Christmas and he let’s us know how much Macy’s rip you off!

Jim at Blueprint For Financial Prosperity is heading to Walt Disney World! A day after he booked, his wife received a better offer in an email from them. Much to his surprise, they matched the offer!

Coupon Artist over at Art of the Coupon talks about their quest to spend $0 on groceries this year. A little unrealistic, but definitely some great ways to at least try! They will spend way less than me, I can tell you that!

VH at Funny About Money went shopping for shoes that don’t hurt. Sometimes you need to spend money for quality things. They will definitely last longer!

Single Guy Money got a new car and best of all, it was free! Well, at least it was free for him.

Abby at I Pick Up Pennies gives her personal opinion on warranties and their usefulness. Personally, we bought one on my fiances laptop. Mostly because it covers accidents and spills.

Investing Bowl

The Investing Bowl shares personal experiences with investing.

Silicon Valley Blogger at The Digerati Life talks about her experience with college savings plan rewards like Upromise. I have Upromise to help pay off my loans but I have not made $4,000!

Jeff at Good Financial Cents shares a story about a man who did not utilize the match on his 401(k). A 401(k) match is one of the only things in investing where you can get a guaranteed rate of return. Make sure you are utilizing yours!

Sun at The Sun’s Financial Diary shares with you their passive income for 2009.

Mr ToughMoneyLove from Tough Money Love presents to you his year end financial performance review. He definitely made out better in the market than most!

Billy at Beginner Investing shares his story about keeping emotions out of investing.

Ryan at Uncommon Cents had a GREAT investment in 2008. Want to know what the investment was? Click to find out!

Housing Bowl

The Housing Bowl has a wide variety of posts on renovations, mortgages, etc.

LAL at Living Almost Large has basically rented his house over the past few years even though he owned it. I can imagine that there are MANY individuals in this position. Hopefully prices will rebound in the coming months.

Miss M at M is for Money needs $153,000 and your help. Miss M is in the same position as many Americans these days: upside down on her home.

Cathy at Money to Spare lets you know that one expense no homeowner should never forget. Ah, the joys of home ownership!

The Financial Blogger gives you his final thoughts on his home renovation.

Credit and Debt Bowl

The Credit and Debt Bowl showcases stories on credit and debt stories.

Mr CC from Ask Mr Credit Card was asked by his credit card company if he wanted higher rewards. His response was certainly positive!

PFR from Personal Finance Reviews shares some tips on what to do when your credit cards are closed due to inactivity. They called up the companies and to my surprise, the company actually listened!

Len from Len Penzo shows you why paying off your mortgage is a no-brainer.

Random Bowl

The Random Bowl is for those posts that just could not be placed in one of the previous bowl games. Do not let them fool you though. There are some great stories! DON’T STOP READING!

J Money from Budgets are Sexy won the lottery! Well, he isn’t the next Bill Gates, but getting closer to that cool million!

Grace from GRACEful Retirement was born without a silver spoon in her mouth. Be sure to check out this post as there is some great discussion going on!

Patrick from Cash Money Life shares with you his 2009 personal finance goals. Just the way I like them: short and sweet. It makes them much more attainable!

DD at The Happy Rock goes over their December monthly expenses. Let’s just say it was a rough month!

The Smarter Wallet gives some great tips on saving time and money with quality cookware.

Vilkri from Our Personal Finances shares with you his own personal finance story.

Z Petals shares with your her financial past.

Pete at Bible Money Matters shares a guest post from Jason at Forward Habit. Jason shares his story of how he went through a $100,000 inheritance in 6 years.

Well there you have it! Thanks for visiting my site and be sure to poke around for just a little bit. You know you want to!