Carnival of Financial Independence 28th Edition

I have been a BAD blogger recently. My job has been a little bit crazy at the moment and I have had to arrange a last minute trip to Singapore! In the meantime lots of family and friends have been down staying which has been nice….

What better way to start my writing comeback than with a blogger carnival! Lots of great posts to catch up on when I get some free time! Where do you guys read other blog posts? On the train to work? In the toilet? At work?

 

Travel and Lifestyle

 

Pauline @ Reach Financial Independence writes Off to Europe, again! – I am going back to Europe on a whim! And getting ready for a 6 weeks motorcycle trip. When did you make YOUR last crazy decision?

Tushar @ Finance TUBE writes 4 Pieces of Money Advice for Gen X – Although still young there are some of the different ways you can still compare with the future.. This is especially important when it comes to your boring answers when it comes your finances.. You have a word to budget or you have not when it comes to best spend the day.

Jason Hull @ Hull Financial Planning writes Examine your monkey brains before tying the know – There should come a time in every serious relationship where the two people involved open up the closet door and reveal the skeletons. It doesn’t always happen. But, in my case, it did.

SBB @ Simple Budget Blog writes Meeting the Mouse: Budgeting a Trip to a Disney Park – Going on a Disney vacation? Great! Time to budget. Read for the budget categories you need to fill up in order to head out to one of the Disney parks.

Tony @ We Only Do This Once writes Downsizing Within Your Home – After our wonderful 7 weeks in Vermont this summer, our family returned to Jersey and instinctively began to get rid of stuff yet again. We have spent the past 2 years seriously decluttering, yet somehow there was even more to do. After almost two months in a small cottage with mostly only necessities, the exercise seemed pretty fluid this time around.

Jester @ The Ultimate Juggle writes Your children and technology: how much is too much? – All good things come in small packages. In other words, best to keep everything in moderation than indulge ourselves silly on the things that we like. It doesn’t matter whether you are talking about food, clothes, cars or the latest computer games.

Sam @ The New Business Blog writes Hobby or Business in the Eyes of the IRS – Statistics are showing that the number of home businesses and side businesses has been growing of late as the economy has turned south.

Minimalist @ Minimalist Finance writes Ways to Save When You Are Travelling – Ways to Save When You Are Travelling has been published on Minimalist FinanceTravelling is one of the most worthwhile activities. Most people learn so much about other cultures and ways of doing things when they travel, and seeing the world is important in understanding many issues and points of view.

Suba @ Broke Professionals writes Without the Kids – Save Money, Enjoy Life – Having children is one of the most rewarding things we do in life. But if you decide to go a different path, why not explore life these ways.

Mrs. Accountability @ Out of Debt Again writes When to Upgrade… And When Not To – I think it’s so easy to get swallowed up by the promise of upgrades – of getting larger meals or longer warranties or more discounts – that it becomes hard to resist following the herd.

Matt Becker @ Mom and Dad Money writes Buying a Car: Should You Pay Cash or Get a Loan? – One of the big questions you’ll face when buying a car is how you want to pay for it. Will you pay with cash or will you finance? I think that there are pros and cons to each option, and certain situations that favor one over the other. So today I’d like to discuss those variables and explain how we arrived at the decision for ourselves.

ETZ25 @ Entertainment Timez writes Flashlight Tag Remembered – A Fun Frugal Game – A incredible fun frugal game from my childhood was a game called Flashlight Tag. For me, it was a very positive experience and one that I’m happy to share!

Monica @ Monica on Money writes 7 Things I Refuse to Give Up to Save More Money – I love saving money (who doesn’t) and some would even say I’m cheap! So I recently started looking for ways to save money on everything, but there are 7 things I refuse to give up to save more money.

 

 

 

Wealth and Passive Income

 

Oscar @ Money is the Root writes 3 Free Online Retirement Planning Tools – Many retirement plan providers as well as a number of financial planning service providers have added online tools to their mix of services to better help their customers plan for retirement.

Danielle @ Saving Without a Budget writes Planning your Retirement? Here are 8 Mistakes to Avoid – A recent national survey showed that over 85% of all respondents weren’t confident that they would be able to retire comfortably based on their current retirement plans.

Bob @ Dwindling Debt writes 50 Excellent Tips to Improve Your Finances Part 5 of 5 – We have 10 more excellent tips for you on how to improve your finances right now!

Lindy @ Minting Nickels writes Can You Make a Living Playing Poker Online? – Perhaps you went to Vegas with friends and you had a taste of winning it big at the poker table.

Kyle @ The Pensselny Hoarder writes The 4 Best Lottery Winner Stories – Whether you go to the gas station or convenience store and pick up your lottery ticket or instead frequent a site like William Hill 49s, you likely play the lottery because you dream of winning it big.

Michael @ Financial Ramblings writes Dividends Are Not Free Money – The past few years have seen an explosion of interest in dividend investing. While there are (arguably) good reasons for this, many investors don’t seem to fully understand what dividend payments actually represent.

Maria @ The Money Principle writes Two strategies for financial independence and matters to consider – In this article I discuss two strategies for financial independence and the matters one ought to consider within each of those.

Crystal @ Married (with Debt) writes Transitioning to One Income – One of the most interesting changes my family is facing is a transition to one income.

MMD @ My Money Design writes How to Make Money with a Website and Why Most Personal Finance Sites Don’t – If you’re wondering right now how to make money with a website or why your’s isn’t doing as well as you hope, then you really need to hear Jon’s story! He’s killing it making $3,000 per month!

MMD @ IRA vs 401k Central writes What Is a Non Deductible IRA and How Do I Contribute To One? – Very few people realize that you can contribute to a non deductible IRA regardless of your income level and still enjoy tax free investment growth. Here are some things that can help you get the most out of your savings.

DW @ Great Passive Income Ideas writes What Are Some Good Online Residual Income Opportunities? – The Internet has got some great online residual income opportunities that will help you earn that extra cash you need. Here are a few tips you can try.

Mr FD @ Financial Debauchery writes Cool Checking Account Promotions from Banks that Want Your Business – Fortunately when banks want your business they offer some really cool checking account promotions to entice you. See how you can take full advantage of them!

Dollar @ Easy Extra Dollar writes Avoiding Scam Online Job – Limiting the number of jobs you reply to can keep you from ever getting involved in the scam in the first place, but what is truly important is what occurs and the way you react when you receive a response to one of your emails.

Robert @ Cult Of Money writes 8 (Passive & Active) Ways to Diversify Your Income Stream – I thought it would be fun to think about all the ways there are to earn extra money outside of a traditional day job. Here’s my list of four active income sources and four passive income sources to help you better diversify your income stream.

Charles @ Gettingarichlife writes #1 Reason Why You Need To Save For Retirement – Top reason you need to save for retirement

Grayson @ Debt Roundup writes How You Can Get Rich Quick – The Truth Of Making Fast Cash – So, you want to know how to get rich quick? Doesn’t everyone! I wanted to write this to show you how you can get rich quick and live the life you have always wanted. You might love those late night infomercials telling you that if you buy their book or course, they will show you how to make so much money that it will be mind boggling. The only problem is that those people are the only ones getting rich quick. I am going to show you the real truth about making money fast.

LaTisha @ Young Finances writes How Much Do We Save to Buy a House? – Let me start by saying that I have never purchased a house, so researching this post was a great exercise for me and it actually convinced me that I should not rush into renting and instead focusing on saving money to become a homeowner.

Jon @ Novel Investor writes Traditional IRA Rules: Everything You Need To Know – Everything you need to know about the traditional IRA rules (and probably some stuff you don’t) so your retirement plan goes off without a hitch.

Evan @ Financial Independence writes Understanding Diamond Prices – I’m in the market for an engagement ring…time to learn about what influences diamond prices!

 

 

 

Real Estate and Investing

 

Katie @ IRA Basics writes When Buying a House Becomes a Headache – Whether you are a first-time buyer, second-time buyer or any other multiple-of-times buyer, getting hold of your dream home can be a really exciting time.

Luke @ Learn Bonds writes 6 Things to Like About Treasuries – I am frequently amazed by the plethora of financial pundits that will openly admit they can’t think of any reasons why investors should own Treasuries.

Justin @ Digit Fox writes Renting Versus Owning – Have you ever noticed how renting seems to carry some negative stigma with it? People are all in favor of going into debt to own an asset, but should you temporarily borrow said asset all of a sudden it becomes the worst financial move you can make.

Hank @ Money Q&A writes Don’t Be Kept In The Dark About The Costs Of Investing – The more oversight, personal involvement, and attention you give to your portfolio, the better positioned you’ll be. Understanding the costs of investing becomes easier for investors with the more you learn.

Lauren @ L Bee and the Money Tree writes Why You Should Choose Stocks – Here are 5 reasons why you should choose stocks as your primary investment.

Mr. Frenzy @ Frenzied Finances writes Home Habits: Do’s and Don’ts of Home Maintenance To Save – In an effort to focus on a more improved budget, the following are just a few things to think about when it comes to home maintenance in order to save.

IMB @ Investing Money writes Getting Technical – Investing in the markets can be a challenge, but we can make it easier. Read here for tips on investing and how to invest in the markets today.

FI Pilgrim @ FI Journey writes Imagine The Freedom Of Owning A House With No Mortgage – What would your life be like if you owned your home free and clear? How would having a house with no mortgage payment every month free your money up?

Christopher @ This That and The MBA writes Buying Property: Three Key Points to Remember – If you follow these three steps you should have no problem making the huge investment which is a piece of property. Just be sure to take your time and do everything properly, as there are few purchasing decisions as important as this one.

John S @ Frugal Rules writes When it Comes to Investing, Be the One Who Dives in Head First – Many allow fear to hold them back when it comes to investing in the stock market. However, if you give yourself some practical lessons you can put yourself in better standing to build a retirement portfolio and begin to grow your wealth.

Ted Jenkin @ Your Smart Money Moves writes You Are A Sole Proprietor: How About A Solo 401(k) – I am seeing more and more people quit the corporate America lifestyle and venture into becoming their own business owner.

 

 

 

Self employment and Career

 

Jacob @ AllPersonalFinance writes Managing Your Medical Bills – Even the healthiest and most cautious of people can find themselves burdened with massive medical expenses when the unexpected happens. Accidents and illnesses rarely give warning or discriminate between those who can handle them financially and those who cannot. This is why it is crucial for all people to take the necessary steps to manage.

Tushar @ Start Investing Money writes Preparing Financially for 2014 – Is it too early to start thinking about another year? Many would say it is, since we are only just completing the summer months. Halloween is still a long way off, let alone the idea of Christmas and another year beyond it.

Ryan @ Cash Money Life writes Could the Pomodoro Technique Help Your Productivity? – Have you tried the Pomodoro Technique for time management and productivity? It uses timed bursts of focused energy followed by a timed break. It works!

Harry Campbell @ The Four Hour Work Day writes One Stream of Income is Never Enough – I’ve had more jobs than I can count since I ‘officially started working’ at the age of 14. And I say officially because I was always hustling as a kid. There were the ordinary things like lemonade stands and selling my old junk at our family’s yard sales but I could get pretty creative when it came to making money. In high school, I remember asking my mom to give me extra bags of chips and snacks in my lunch so that I could re-sell them to my classmates for 75 cents or even a dollar.

Rich @ Growing Money Smart writes 100K in Five Years Challenge Update 2013-09-09 – We’ve changed out five year challenge strategy, but we still think we can meet our goal of 100k in five years.

Lily @ Paying Debt Down writes Top personal finance tips for young adults – As with many things in life, learning to handle finances correctly takes time and practice. Unfortunately, very few people ever get the education and direction that they need and so must learn how to handle finances on their own.

Eva Baker @ TeensGotCents writes Reaching For the Stars – Astronaut Abby – Sometimes I google everything I can think of related to teenage bloggers – and sometimes I find someone brilliant like Astronaut Abby! Take a look!

Joshua Rodriguez @ http://cnafinance.com writes How To Protect Yourself From Identity Theft Online – In this post, Joshua discusses ways that consumers can protect themselves from identity thieves online. Learn 4 simple ways to protect your information!

Daisy @ When Life Gives You Lemons, Add Vodka. writes How I Started Side Hustling: Staff/Ghost Writing & Freelancing – Daisy gives real-life, applicable tips on how to start a writing gig (even if you have never had one before)

Anton Ivanov @ Dreams Cash True writes 5 Reasons You Will Never Reach Financial Freedom – The vast majority of people will never reach financial freedom. Is one of these 5 reasons going to stop you from becoming financially free?

Jack @ Money Saving Ethics writes What Can Financial Planners Do For You? – One subject that, unfortunately, is not taught in high school is the subject of financial planning. The simple fact is that everyone, no matter who they are, will have to deal with finances and financial planning as adults.

MR @ Money Reasons writes Last Quarter Cash Flow Changes – Time to make some cash flow changes for the rest of the year as I come to the realization that my numbers don’t make sense. See how I adjusted my financial planning model accordingly.

Debt Guru @ Debt Free Blog writes iSave: 5 Financial Apps That Help – Whether it is basic budgeting, shopping help or advanced account monitors, there are apps that will help. Read here for some of the greatest on finance!

Jessica Moorhouse @ Mo’ Money Mo’ Houses writes When in Doubt…Go Back to School? – Remember when you thought you would get a job right out of school? Then remember how hard it was to actually find a job post-grad? Well moving to a new city is no different, and since I have a lot of free time on my hands job-hunting I’ve been thinking about going back to school.

Adam @ Money Bulldog writes Would Taking on a Second Job Suit You? – Many people have at some time in their life considered a second job, but would a second job suit you?

Adam @ Money Rebound writes Could You Afford to Retire Early? – Taking early retirement is a dream for many people in full time work. So can you afford to retire early or will it remain just that, a dream?

GMM @ Grad Money Matters writes Advantages of Becoming a Virtual Assistant – Freelancing seems to be on a lot of peoples’ minds lately. One hot topic is virtual assisting. There are many positives and negatives, but we will save the disadvantages of being a virtual assistant for another day 🙂

Michelle @ Diversified Finances writes What I’m Doing to Prepare for Self-Employment – A couple of months ago, I published a post on Making Sense of Cents about How To Prepare for Self-Employment. I am planning on making the switch relatively soon, and I wanted to publish an update to that post.

Michelle @ Making Sense of Cents writes $9,554 in Extra Income – Looking for Affiliate Income – August was a slower month than usual. I also took a vacation, so I will blame not being able to reach my $10K goal on that. However, I did receive an uptick in the amount of bids I put out. I received many emails from business owners who were interested in hiring me. Hopefully some of these pan out!

Roger Wohlner @ The Chicago Financial Planner writes 4 Reasons to Accept Your Company’s Buyout Offer – Over the years I’ve been asked by Baby Boomer clients and friends whether they should accept a buyout offer from their company. Almost without exception I’ve encouraged these folks to take the money and run. Here are 4 reasons to accept your company’s buyout offer.

CAPI @ Creating a Passive Income writes Stepping Up: 5 Tips for Getting Promoted – There are simple actions anyone can take to position themselves for career advancement. Here are 5 tips for getting promoted in any work environment.

Holly @ Club Thrifty writes Quit Your Day Job: How to Start a Blog – Yup! We work from home and it all began when we started a blog. How can you make money online and possibly quit your day job? Find out inside!

Corey @ 20s Finances writes Tips for Landing a Job Through Craigslist – Learn three practical steps to help you get a job through craigslist. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to stand out from others.

krantcents @ KrantCents writes 25 Odd Jobs that Make Good Money – Ever wondered how people end up in most unusual jobs? The reasons for taking up odd jobs could be many, such as making quick money, realizing passion or yearning to do something new and different. Sometimes these seemingly odd endeavors turn out to be great platforms for building personally rewarding professions.

Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes My First Experience of Earning Money and the Lessons I Learned – May be the lessons I learned when I started earning money ‘on the side’ are un-conventional. But these have served me great: I doubt that without learning these four lessons I would be at the great financial place where I am today.

Kim @ Eyes on the Dollar writes How to Attract and Retain Advertisers for Your Blog – Pauline gives great advice on how to monetize your blog if you are looking to use blogging as a way to supplement or replace income from your day job.

Jon Haver @ Pay My Student Loans writes 5 Best Jobs in College To Have To Avoid Debt – You’re smart enough to stop there. Earn some money to indulge yourself while you are working so hard to get that degree. You don’t have to go to the soul-sucking Craigslist route or work in a fast food job with high schoolers. With a little ingenuity, you can get a fun, easy, income-producing job without racking up more debt.

MakintheBacon @ MakintheBacon writes I Suck At Sales and I’m Okay With That – My experiences as a salesperson: from selling chocolate covered almonds to selling personal training sessions

KK @ Student Debt Survivor writes Fear: Friend or Foe? – Fear can be both motivating and demotivating. Is fear motivating you or holding you back?

Amanda Grossman @ ReadyForZero Blog writes The Top 5 Mental Challenges of Paying Off Debt and How to Cope with Them – The hardest part of getting out of debt is not always the math and sometimes it’s not even the money. The greatest challenge is often perseverance. This post takes on the common mental challenges of paying off debt so you can tackle the challenges and then your debt!

Mr.CBB @ Canadian Budget Binder writes The Costs Of Being Too Nice – There’s nothing wrong with being a nice person and helping others out every once in a while but when it becomes a dependency on your time and life you may have to evaluate what is important to you.

 

 

 

 

Saving and Simple Living

 

Bargain Babe @ BargainBabe.com writes Save Money On Groceries: Stop Buying These Foods – Save money on groceries by never buying these 25 foods again. You’ll be surprised how much money you can save!

Matt @ Budget Snob writes Easy Ways to Start Saving – Today we live world where being a big spender is a symbol of status and is seen as positive, but saving money and frugality were once considered great virtues.

Amy @ Money Mishaps writes Top Tips for Saving Money on Groceries – One of the largest costs that most families face is the cost of food. Indeed, just as the cost of gasoline has shot up in the last few years, the cost of food has shot up as well.

Lenny @ Best Money Saving Blog writes 10 Excellent and Frugal Finance Tips – Today it seems that everyone is looking for financial advice to help them save as much money as possible, and rightly so. With the cost of gasoline, food and clothing inching ever higher, saving a few dollars here and there can actually add up to quite a bit at month’s end.

Hadley @ Epic Finances writes Saving For Your Child’s Future – “For today’s young people, making their way financially in the adult world is harder than ever before. College costs and housing fees are through the roof! ”

Daisy @ Suburban Finance writes Saving Money On Food – This article will describe how to save money on food and in the grocery store to ensure that you are saving as much as possible and eating on the cheap.

AB @ Aspiring Blogger writes Net Worth Update – July 2013 – My 100th blog post and an increase in our net worth? Doesn’t get much better than that! Stop by and read all the details.

David @ Financial Nerd writes Lending Money To Friends – I made this terrible mistake a few months ago of lending money to my friend. It has not turned out well

Crystal @ Budgeting in the Fun Stuff writes Staying on a Budget in High Cost of Living Areas – Unlike my buddy Crystal in Texas, I left the area right after college for grad school in Pittsburgh. At the time, I thought that was outrageously expensive but DC is worse. It’s hard to keep a budget for me here, read why.

Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes The Light at the End of the Financial Tunnel – Hitting a financial wall? Stuck and don’t know what to do? Read here for some great advice to find the way through your financial troubles.

Tushar @ Earn More and Save writes Financial Foundations: Creating a Filing System for Financial Success – When it comes to saving money there are the normal pieces of advice like skip the lattes, use coupons, and set up automatic deposits to your savings account. These are great pieces of advice but you need to have your financial foundation set up first.

Daniel @ SweatingTheBigStuff.com writes When You Should Pay Bills Manually – I’ve automated just about everything, but there are a few times I still pay bills manually. There are only two reasons not to automate bills.

Richard Adams @ Frugality Magazine writes Ways To Save Water At Home And Reduce Your Bills By $184 – According to the EPA the average American uses 100 gallons of water per day at home. However by understanding all the various ways to save water it’s possible to reduce your household water bill by approximately 30% – while helping the environment too.

Edgar @ Degrees and Debt @ Degrees and Debt writes Dating on a Budget – How to date while staying within a budget!

Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes Six Fall Money Savers – Here are six things we do in the fall that help us save money by using what we have, being energy efficient or maintaining our stuff so it lasts longer.

Jacob @ Cash Cow Couple writes How to Lower Your Electric Bill to Zero – Tired of $300 electric bills? Come check out our advice on how to lower your electric bill to under $50 per month.

Nick @ A Young Pro writes Which Budgeting System is Right for You – Do you hate the “B” word? I used to hate budgeting too and I learned to use a budgeting system. Now my budget is a breeze.

Carmen @ Gajizmo writes Random Acts of Kindness – Sometimes we all get so caught up in improving our own lives (finances, family, career, education, health, etc.) that we forget to give back to our community. For this reason, Gajizmo.com donates all ad revenue to charity or uses the funds for random acts of kindness. In keeping with our mission, here is a list of 101 random acts of kindness ideas. If we all do one random act of kindness daily, we just might set the world in the right direction.

 

 

Thank you for reading, have a great weekend!