Carnival of Financial Camaraderie & Blog Update

Happy Saturday everyone.  2014 has gotten off to a great start, if you haven’t noticed by now, we’re posting 3 times a week!  So be sure to look out for our articles on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  We’ve also hired a staff writer, Kali Hawlk and she’ll be posting new articles every Wednesday.  I’ve got some great tax time giveaways planned for this year and our first one just started yesterday.  We’re giving away 5 free deluxe versions of Free Tax USA so be sure to head on over and sign up to win.  I’ve also got a TurboTax Premier Giveaway($250 value) this Friday which means there are lots of opportunities to get free tax software.  I kind of like doing taxes myself so if you’re interested in trying it out too make sure you enter to win in one of the giveaways.

I’ve got a big push this year to try and grow the blog.  I’ve gotten a little tired of the site’s design so I’ll be looking into hiring a website designer for a complete re-design.  If you know of anyone that may be qualified, feel free to refer them my way.  I like the look of the blog but I want a more professional look.  Everything you see on the site as far as design, style and set-up I did myself and since I’m not a programmer/coder there’s only so much I can do.  

I’ve also been working on a couple ‘Ultimate Guides’ that are going to be 10,000 word masterpieces with lots of cool graphics, pictures and information on two of the most popular topics on this site.  For now, I’m going to keep them a secret but I know that they’re going to bring a ton of value to all my awesome readers.  Best part of all, I’m going to be giving them away for free.  I never charge for any of the advice on my blog but the best way to support the site is to share it with as many people you know!

Anyways, this week I’m hosting the Carnival of Financial Camaraderie.  I’ve picked out a few of my favorite articles but be sure to check them all out as there are some great submissions this week!

EDITOR’S PICKS:

Holly @ Club Thrifty writes Starting an Online Business for Fun and Profit – Have you ever thought of starting an online business? If so, there are plenty of benefits for doing so. Read this post for a few of them.

Jeremy @ Modest Money writes How To Save Money On Groceries – We all know that grocery shopping adds up to a lot of money over time. Learn the best ways to save money on groceries and save big money!

Mr.CBB @ canadian budget binder writes How to handle when your spouse spends too much money – Money can easily become an issue in a marriage when one spouse spends more than the couple earns.

Pauline @ Reach Financial Independence writes How I graduated college with savings – Unlike most students, I was able to graduate with savings, working all the way through college and thanks to a state scholarship

Michael Kitces @ Nerd’s Eye View writes The Untenable State Of State Estate Taxes – Recouple, Repeal, Or Enact Gift Taxes – While recent changes in the law have removed most from the scope of the Federal estate tax, many affluent individuals – especially retirees – are still exposed to state estate and inheritance taxes. Fortunately, a “loophole” exists that allows many to avoid the tax, but the window of opportunity may close soon!

Steven J Fromm @ Philadelphia Estate and Tax Attorney Blog writes The Biggest (Tax) Loser: Misguided Gifts of Real Estate By Uninformed Do It Yourselfers, Realtors & Attorneys – With no regard to the income tax implications, many times elderly people get the idea that the transfer of real estate to children during their lifetime is a good idea

Harry Campbell @ Your PF Pro writes My Costly Wedding Mistakes (and How You Can Avoid Them) – “If you’re like that poor young woman in the photo that went viral a few weeks ago, you’re probably glad “engagement season” will be over soon. Don’t get me wrong: getting engaged is fun and exciting time in someone’s life. ”

Harry Campbell @ The Four Hour Work Day writes What’s Wrong With the Bare Minimum? – Going above and beyond the call of duty has never been one of my strong suits. In fact, there aren’t many things that come to mind that I’ve ever really over-achieved at. But I think I’ve done pretty well for myself with this attitude of not wanting to be the best, but also not wanting to be just average. I like being a little bit ahead of the curve but never too far out of sight.

John @ Frugal Rules writes I’m On a Mission to Save Money – Making a large purchase, like a house, requires many to save as much as they can. While it may be difficult to spend a significant amount of money with one purchase, you’re well served to save as much as you can for it.

 

BUDGETING

Jason @ The Money Makers writes Tootsie – Does Beauty Have to be Expensive? – Many remember Dustin Hoffman dressed in drag in the classic film Tootsie, a movie that he now says made him realize how many women he’s missed out on meeting in life simply because he judged them by their looks.

Graham @ Moneystepper writes Christmas Retail Sales – 2013 December Sales in the UK – Retail figures for December 2013 were released by the Office for National Statistics on Friday (17th January 2014).

Alexa @ Defeat Our Debt writes CareOne Debt Relief Review – If you are looking to get out of debt a debt relief service is a viable options. Here is our CareOne Debt Relief Review.

Alexa @ Single Moms Income writes 10 Cheap Ideas For Keeping Young Kids Entertained – Any parent of toddler to preschool aged kids knows that keeping kids this age entertained requires constant attention. And, I prefer to spend a little money so I can save myself from playing hide and seek for hours on end.

Natalie @ Debt and the Girl writes January Financial Housekeeping – Now is the time where we all experience a financial hangover. We have had all too many gingerbread lattes and peppermint chocolate bark.

Larry @ KrantCents writes How to Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions and Much More! – Keeping your New Year’s Resolutions is easy! If it is so easy, why do so many people break them every year?

Monica @ Monica On Money writes How To Take Charge Of Your Money – Do you remember your New Year’s Resolution? Was it to Get Out Of Debt? Or Save More Money?

Justin @ Edward Antrobus writes Insuring Your First Home – Are you looking to buy your first home in the near future? If so, then congratulations are certainly in order! Being a first-time home owner can be an extremely rewarding experience.

Marissa @ Finance Triggers writes The Perks of Living in the Suburbs – More and more people are moving are looking to move out of the city core, find out The Perks of Living in the Suburbs.

Marissa @ Thirty Six Months writes Why You Should Start Buying Your Christmas Presents in January – I know, I know! We don’t really want to think about gift giving so soon. Heck, some of us may even have charges from this past Christmas sitting on our credit cards right now. And there is no way that we want to think about spending money on stuff for a holiday that is 11 months away.

Sam @ The New Business Blog writes The Secret to Hiring Excellent Talent – Here is a newsflash that many entrepreneurs might not want to hear; it is almost impossible to build a successful business or start up by yourself. Also, it is not the best idea to hire a group of friends or family to help you as usually this ends and family problems and ended friendships.

Katie @ IRA Basics writes Benefits of a Budget – Budget. It is a dreaded word, not one that instills ideas of grandeur and immense fun. It is also a word that’s often neglected, an idea that most of us would rather not think about.

Bob @ Dwindling Debt writes Social Security and Part-time Income. What you should know – These days more Americans than ever before are going to be working past the traditional age of retirement. A recent Wells Fargo study of 1000 middle-class Americans showed that nearly 34% of them believe that they’re going to have to work until they reach the tender age of 80 years old.

Lily @ Paying Debt Down writes Top 2014 Money-Saving Tips – With 2013 coming to a close many people are looking towards 2014 and finally becoming financially independent. The fact is however that while 34% of us set financial goals, only 8% of us actually reach them, at least according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology that was done by the University of Scranton.

Andrea @ So Over This writes A New Year Brings New Beginnings – It is officially 2014, and with that comes a sobering hangover from the holiday binge spending! Sure we read the how-to tips on saving money during the holidays, but do we actually follow them?

Amy @ Money Mishaps writes Little-known Facts about Social Security Benefits – Many Americans truly have no idea how Social Security works besides the very basic information.

Hadley @ Epic Finances writes Should you keep your Mutual Funds? – If you own a lot of mutual funds this next bit of news is not going to exactly make your day. The fact is, the vast majority of them underperform the average return of the stock market.

Jack @ Money Saving Ethics writes Quick and Easy Solutions to your Money Resolutions – If you are keen on starting off 2014 with some financial resolutions, the first thing that you should do is set up some systems to help you do them faster and easier.

Danielle @ Saving Without a Budget writes Why it’s a better time than ever to start your own business – There are few things that are more American than someone starting their own business. When you take a look at some of the success stories here in the United States like Mark Cuban, Sam Walton and Bill Gates, it’s easy to see what an excellent idea and a good bit of hard work can accomplish.

Matt @ Budget Snob writes The Good news about your Credit Score – Whether it is the interest you pay on your mortgage, your ability to get a car loan or being able to get a credit card with an excellent APR, your credit score, and making sure that it is a good one, is vital.

Jay @ Daily Fuel Economy Tip writes EPA states that there was a new Car and Truck Efficiency Record for 2012 – The good news is that, at least here in the United States, fuel economy and efficiency are definitely on the rise while CO2 emissions are on the decline.

Daniel @ Make Money Make Cents writes It’s time to stop trying to keep up with the Joneses – More than likely you have heard the phrase “keeping up with the Joneses” more than a few times in your life. What it refers to is the phenomenon of using your neighbors as a standard for which to compare your own life and material goods.

Oscar @ Money is the Root writes These 10 Mutual Funds have Outdone College Costs over the last 10 Years – Even if you might have paid a hefty commission upfront (and of course taxes along the way) the following 10 mutual funds that we’re going to show you have outpaced the average rise in public college tuition costs over the last 10 years.

Marvin @ Brick By Brick Investing writes Tax Free Municipal Bonds – A detailed description of tax free municipal bonds and how to implement them into your investment portfolio.

Justin @ Root of Good writes Budgeting For Home Repairs: Lessons Learned Running A Billion Dollar Project – Running a billion dollar project taught me how to properly account for long term replacement costs when the stakes are huge. I apply the same methods used on big projects to estimating the replacement costs on my house for components like the roof, air conditioner, and major appliances.

Mario @ Debt BLAG writes How I’ll save $600 by switching from Verizon to T-mobile; or How I left a T-mobile store with MORE money than I came in with without wearing a ski m – The story of how I took advantage of a T-mobile promotion which paid me to switch from Verizon, and will me save over $50 per month

BUSINESS

IMB @ Investing Money writes Investing in Robotics-2nd Installment – It’s here and growing rapidly. It’s the new robotics revolution. Read here to learn how it affects the job industry, the economy and you in this new age.

Christopher @ This That and The MBA writes Marketing Your Small Business through Generating Referral and Repeat Business – Information by itself has become meaningless without context. The context you must create as the person responsible for marketing your small business: a relationship between you and your prospects and customers that communicates trust and delivers value. Without that context you are just noise. And your prospects have their guard up and are tuning you out.

Dollar @ Easy Extra Dollar writes Business Credit Card Online – Shopping online is current trend, which is an easy and convenient, saving a lot of time. But then, online shopping also has risks like hackers and other unscrupulous people trying to get your credit card information for fraudulent use. When you do online shopping there is this risk as you use the business credit card online.

Steve @ 2010 Tax to 2014 Tax writes IRS Free File To Open 2 Weeks Early – The IRS, internal revenue service, has announced the early opening of the free file. The free file will open as early as seventeenth January 2014.

 

CAREER & EDUCATION

Mike @ Personal Finance Journey writes When Should I Start Saving for My Childs College Years? – Ways that you can start saving money for your childrens college education. Have you started saving yet?

Corey @ 20s Finances writes Saving Money On Your Trip Back To College – When I was in college, the trip back to college cost me a decent amount of money since I lived on the opposite side of the state. But, over the years and trips back and forth, I found a few ways to help me save money, which allowed me more money for late night pizza!

Dee @ Color Me Frugal writes 6 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Getting Student Loans – Student loans can be a necessary evil when it comes to getting an education, but they do not come without certain dangers! Here are the top 6 things I wish I would have known before getting student loans.

Pauline @ Make Money Your Way writes Make money with cleaning services – We continues with our series about how to make money with side hustles or small business ideas that do not requires a lot of money down. And today I will share how to make money with cleaning services.

 

FINANCIAL ADVICE

CAPI @ Creating a Passive Income writes Live By Example: 10 Public Figures Who Overcame Great Financial Problems – From rags to riches – it’s not always a fantasy. Here’s ten famous figures who overcame their financial problems in life – can you be one of them?

May @ Messy Money writes The Worst Financial Advice Ever? – Is suggesting that you give Uncle Sam an interest free loan the worst advice ever? Maybe, but for someone who does not have the discipline to save any other way, it might be their only chance.

David @ Financial Nerd writes Where the Global Economic Center of Gravity is Moving and Why? – Where will the world economy center be in 2025?

Adam @ Money Rebound writes How on earth do celebrities go bankrupt? – Reasons why even the biggest celebrities get into huge financial messes.

TMB @ Mo Finance writes Buying a Car with a Credit Card…Dumb Move? – Some people wonder if they can’t pay less in interest by buying a car on their credit, while they’ve got a low introductory rate. That might sound all well and good, but there are big risks with this strategy.

Gary @ MCI123 writes Car Insurance Coverage – Not sure what types of car insurance coverage are available? Maybe you don’t know the difference between liability, comprehensive, collision, GAP, PIP, and full coverage? Check out our 3,000+ word guide on almost every aspect of your auto insurance policy and learn how to protect yourself properly.

Jon Haver @ Pay My Student Loans writes 3 Tools to Help Pay off Student Loans – Graduation day is arguably one of the best days in the entire college experience. After years of study, students are now ready to pursue a career in their chosen field and reap the rewards of their hard work. It also means that the start of student loan repayments is just around the corner.

Jerry @ Motive Finance writes What Cars Do the Wealthy Drive (Not What You’d Expect) – The American upper class doesn’t drive Italian supercars, like you might expect. The reality is quite modest (and prudent).

Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes Tips for Making Money with Airbnb – You can make money when you rent a room or your whole apartment or house using Airbnb. If you are interested in using this as a money-maker, here are some tips for making the most of your experience:

Charles @ Getting A Rich Life writes Why Do You Choose Material Items Over Your Loved Ones? – The average indebted American chooses to spend more than they earn. They have chosen an indebted lifestyle over precious time with family.

FRUGALITY

Dee @ Color Me Frugal writes I Was Flushing Money Down the Toilet- Literally – Little leaks in your financial plumbing can have a big ripple effect! Find out about one of our recent “leaks.” Could there be a similar leak in YOUR financial plumbing?

Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes Need More Space? Look Up – When it comes to living space, you might feel limited by the floor space, but if you look up you might find just what you need. I’m talking about attic and loft conversions.

Mark Ross @ Money Saving Dude writes Why You’re Having Trouble Saving Money And How You Can Fix It – Any one can have trouble saving his or her money. If you know that you have a problem saving your hard-earned money, then you should read this and find the right solution to your problem.

 

INVESTING

Tushar Mathur @ Everything Finance writes Ways to Save Money When You Bring Your Baby Home – Preparing to bring your baby home is an exciting and overwhelming experience, especially if it’s your first! Here’s how to save money along the way.

Tushar @ Finance TUBE writes Living and working in Canadian, American, and Australian mining towns: what are they like? – Canada and the US are home to a number of mining towns and communities. They always have been, since the days of the first pioneers. But modern day mining towns are a far cry away from the Wild West image of hard drinking men, bar room brawls, boom and bust.

Cat Alford @ Budget Blonde writes I Loved Having a Vacation Budget – I loved having a vacation budget! I saved up $1,500 for this getaway. We ended up spending just around that even with a lot of nice meals and a massage!

Bargain Babe @ BargainBabe.com writes 12 household uses for borax – 12 household uses for borax for cleaning, pest control, managing your garden, and more!

SFB @ Simple Finance Blog writes How to Find Great Deals on Vacation and Travel – Most people think that travel is unaffordable and that they lack sufficient knowledge to find bargains. Due to that, they miss out on exciting opportunities of travel and the benefits it brings.

Moneycone @ Money Cone writes My Best Financial Move Of 2013 – Year 2013 was a record year for the stock market. The S&P 500 returned 32.39% last year, including dividends. 2013 was an unusual year for my 401K.

Tushar @ Earn More and Save writes Online Bank Accounts? Watch out for These Three Hidden Fees – Having an online current account is a wonderful way to store money, save money and pay monthly bills without having to leave the home. However, one should be very cautious about online bank accounts that promise ‘free’ banking or free checking.

Irfan @ Being Investor writes Warren Buffett Investing Quotes – He’s called the oracle of Omaha and has established himself as the greatest investor of all time. He has always been sharing his investing secrets though many forums notably through Berkshire Hathaway’s annual shareholder letters.

Gary @ Gajizmo writes Largest Mutual Fund Companies – Planning on investing in the stock market this year? Interested in learning about the largest mutual fund companies in the industry? Here is a list of top mutual funds by assets.

Erastus @ Saving Advice writes Alternative Investments to the Stock Market – If you’re thinking of investing your money, not only consider investing in the stock market as the only option, but also consider; Real Estate, Private Equity, Certificate of Deposit, Peer to Peer, Lending, Fine Art, Hedge Funds, Venture Capital and Commodities as other alternatives.

writing2reality @ Write Your Own Reality writes 2013 Lending Club Tax Guide – A brief summary of what to expect when you receive your 2013 Lending Club tax forms based on the tax guide released by Lending Club.

 

SAVING

Emily @ Evolving Personal Finance writes How Do You Decide If You Can Afford a Purchase? – We currently use targeted savings accounts to save up for goals, but we are considering merging them all in the face of job transitions. But if we get rid of our specific goal saving, how do we decide if we can afford ‘want’ purchases?

Jen @ Master the Art of Saving writes How to Start Saving Money (Even if you’re always broke) – Each month our debt was growing, so how could I save 10% of nothing or $50 we didn’t have? I couldn’t, so I had to come up with another solution to be able to save money even though we were beyond broke.

PFC @ PF Carny writes The Starter Emergency Fund – Sure most people would agree that keeping money set aside in case of emergency is a wise idea. But not everybody has the money or interest needed to have a fully funded emergency fund.

Jacob @ Cash Cow Couple writes Discover Cash Rewards – If you are looking to save a little money on purchases, take a look at this option.

Gabe @ Taxes 101 writes CPA advice – Here are some tips and ideas to save money on taxes before April 15

Pauline @ Savvy Scot writes New year financial boot camp: save on transportation costs – Do you use your car every day when you could take the bus or walk? Do you have two cars or more? Today, let’s look at how we can save on the transportation costs.

Hayley @ A Disease Called Debt writes Save money by fixing things – Often we go out and buy replacement items when our old items break. This post describes how we could try fixing certain things ourselves before giving up and splashing out the cash on something new.

 

OTHER

SavingMentor @ How To Save Money writes 11 Tips For Saving Money On Printing Costs – 1) Buy Your Ink And Toner Online I recently wrote an article that shows you exactly how to save a ton of money buying your printer ink online. After I refined the process myself, I decreased my ink costs by 92%, which is just absurd when you think about it.

SBB @ Simple Budget Blog writes Three Common Budgeting Mistakes to Avoid – Working on a household budget? Read here for three common budgeting mistakes made by people like you.

Cindy @ MidLife Finance writes Cruising For The Best Price – Wonderful cruises at rock-bottom prices are possible for you, too — especially when using a few helpful approaches to find the best deals.

Eva Baker @ TeensGotCents writes An Interview with PT Money – My first ever video interview features Philip Taylor of PT Money. PT and I talk about how he got started and his best money advice for teens today.

Minimalist @ Minimalist Finance writes How to Help a Loved One Build Up Credit – If you’ve ever gone to get a car loan or a mortgage, you’ll know that credit is very important. Not only does good credit actually grant you the loan, as most companies won’t lend to you without solid credit, but it will also allow you a lower interest rate on a loan.

Ted Jenkin @ Your Smart Money Moves writes How Much Time Do You Really Waste? – As the age old adage says, ‘time is money and money is time’. If you consider this for a moment, time is really the great equalizer in life.

Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes Forget the Past and Focus on the Financial Future – You can’t go back in time to correct your financial mistakes — at least not until the time machine is invented. Time to focus on your financial future.

Brent @ PersonalFinance-Tips writes A Joint Bank Account or Separate Finances? – One of the trickiest decisions you must make when your relationship becomes serious is how you will approach your finances as a couple. Are you going to pool finances, split bills or are you going to keep everything separate? Read our free guide to tackling the tricky issue of handling finances as a loved – up couple in these tough economic times.

Tushar @ Start Investing Money writes Getting Specific with Savings Goals for the Year Ahead – We’ve talked before about the idea of setting goals so you can save what you want to save (and ideally more besides). But there is a big difference between setting goals and setting specific goals that are packed with detail.

Dominique Brown @ YourFinancesSimplified writes Bitcoin Price Collapse: Early Warning Sign Or Opportunity? – Is Bitcoin here to stay, was this merely some profit taking by investors before the Christmas holiday, or is this more of an indication of its true value?

Kyle @ The Penny Hoarder writes How Do I Start Investing With Only $100? – This is my response to a reader that asks “how do start investing with only $100”

Crystal @ Budgeting in the Fun Stuff writes How Do You Handle Rough Times? – We’ve all had a really bad day…heck, weeks or months can stink too. It could be anything – money problems, relationship problems, illness, etc.

Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes How To Save Money – Do you want to learn how to save money? Are you struggling to get by and just want simple steps that will teach you how to save money? I will teach you how to save money.

Tony @ We Only Do This Once writes Saving More Does Not Always Mean Spending Less – When people think of saving money, they automatically assume they have to stop spending but saving more does not always mean spending less.

Ryan @ Cash Money Life writes 5 Reasons Why Dividend Stocks May Be Better Than Bonds – Bonds can be an important part of an investment portfolio, but there are times when dividend stocks are a better option for many investors. Learn why here.

Hank @ Money Q&A writes How To Beat The Airlines During Flight Delays – Nothing is worse on a vacation than a cancelled flight or really long flight delays. Here are a few great tips to beat the airport flight delays.

Crystal @ Married (with Debt) writes January Financial Housekeeping – The holidays are over, and now could be a great time to tighten your financial belt. Here are some tips for financial housekeeping that can work right now!

Luke @ Learn Bonds writes My Thoughts On High Yield Bonds – High yield bonds have been referred to as “junk bonds,” but that is not the case. They can be a savvy investment for investors who understand the risks.

Lauren @ L Bee and the Money Tree writes Reflections On an Indebted Life – I’ve spent a lot of years being in debt. Basically, I’ve been in debt since I left home for college at 17 years old. The thing is, while I was a hard worker but I didn’t have the type of financial education that is shared through generations of wealth building.

Suba @ Broke Professionals writes If You’re a Professional, Why Are You Broke? – There was a story making the rounds last year about doctors filing for bankruptcy.

Debt Guru @ Debt Free Blog writes What to Consider When Choosing a Credit Card – Credit card offers are thrown at you from every direction. It’s important to choose your card carefully to avoid problems later.

Roger the Amateur Financier @ The Amateur Financier writes 8 Strategies for Eliminating Debt – A short guide to strategies for eliminating debt, enabling people to pay their debts off more efficiently and without spending as much money.

Maria @ The Money Principle writes Five Ways to Keep Your Energy Bills Down this Winter – Close the curtains, block the drafts and optimise your radiators; these are some of the ways to keep your energy bills down this winter.

Joshua Rodriguez @ CNA Finance writes Are There Any Alternatives To Secured Credit Cards? – Secured credit cards are touted as the best way to add positive marks to your credit report and improve your credit scores, but are there any alternatives? In this post, Joshua talks about why secured credit cards help and possible alternatives to look into.

JC @ Passive-Income-Pursuit writes 2013 Goals – Full Year Checkup – One year ends and another begins. That’s a perfect time for review of the previous year. I set a lot of goals for 2013 and while some were huge successes there were still some failures. Overall I’m very happy with the way the year turned out.

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 talk about retirement.

Brian Fourman @ Luke1428 writes The Attitudes of a Successful Landlord – There are five key areas to focus on that will help facilitate your success as a landlord. The more you flesh these out before starting, the better the chances of long-term success are going to be.