Lifestyle Blog Carnival

This week I’m hosting the 77th edition of the Lifestyle Carnival!  If you’re not familiar with a blog carnival, it’s basically a huge list of great articles from the past week.  Take a look and let me know which ones you liked the best!  I’ve also picked a few of my favorites and listed them below:

Bloggers, submit your blog article to the next edition using our carnival submission form at Blogger Carnivals.

Editor’s Picks:

Monica @ Monica On Money writes $25 Giveaway & I Still Want A Cheaper iPhone Plan – $100 Per Month For An iPhone Is Not Frugal! My 2 year long contract with AT&T FINALLY ended this week! So I am excited to find a new (cheaper) cell phone plan and start saving some money!

Holly @ Club Thrifty writes Working at Home: Pros and Cons – Ever since I quit my job to work from home, people have asked me if it is as awesome as it sounds.

Harry Campbell @ The Four Hour Work Day(hey that’s me!) writes What Motivates You to Work Hard? – I’ll be the first to admit that a big part of my motivation to work hard is money. It’s not that I love spending it or love having money, but I know that the harder I work now, the more likely I’ll be able to relax later.

Pauline @ Reach Financial Independence writes Cheap DIY Halloween costumes: How to Make Fairy Wings, Wand and Crown – This post will show you how to make cheap DIY halloween costumes: How to Make Fairy Wings, Wand and Crown

Adam @ Money Bulldog writes Shopping with Kids: How Not to Let It Ruin Your Life and Budget – Dealing with kids during errands can be a difficult task sometimes but here are some ideas on how to manage through those days.

Cat Alford @ Budget Blonde writes All Your Twin & Pregnancy Questions Answered! 🙂 – First of all, I feel like I have to keep saying thanks to all of you. It’s probably the hormones, but I’m feeling extra grateful for my online community. I may or may not have cried reading all of your sweet comments last week. Thank you for taking the time to write them.

 

TRAVEL

Crystal @ Married (with Debt) writes Trending Downward – I was reviewing my family’s medical expenses the other day and was happy to find that our medical expenses have been coming in lower this year.

Bargain Babe @ BargainBabe.com writes Jealousy: My Friend Has Her Dream Job, I Don’t – Jealousy: My Friend Has Her Dream Job, I Don’t offers tips on saving money every day.

SFB @ Simple Finance Blog writes Questions that First Time Home Buyer Should Ask – You may have found yourself ready to buy your first home and may have even discovered your dream home.

Daniel @ Make Money Make Cents writes The Boom in Posh Pawnbrokers – If you watch any TV at all you have probably at least glanced at some of the myriad Pawn reality shows that have become so popular as of late. Cash poor but asset rich Americans are turning to pawn brokers for short-term loans, something that has been dubbed ‘high-class pawn brokering.’

Oscar @ Money is the Root writes The facts about Socially Responsible Investing – Socially responsible investors care more about the impact of their investments then the actual money that their investment will make.

Jay @ Daily Fuel Economy Tip writes Your Fuel Economy Cheat Sheet – One of the most important influencing factors for gas mileage is the one that is completely different from automobile to automobile; the driver.

Danielle @ Saving Without a Budget writes Tips for Creating an Engaging and Profitable Website – Having a website is definitely a must-have business tool today. The problem is that most business website owners do not really have a clue as to how to optimize their website and, more importantly, make it profitable.

Matt @ Budget Snob writes What kind of Debt is the Worst? – We all know that carrying any kind of debt is not exactly a good thing but is there actually a wost kind of debt to carry?

Jack @ Money Saving Ethics writes 5 Things You Shouldn’t Look for in Your New Home – One of the most important aspects is to actually find the right house for you, something that can be exceedingly difficult for first-time buyers who do not have the experience of knowing exactly what they want.

Amy @ Money Mishaps writes Airline Fees That Might Actually Be Worth Paying For – While most people are loathe to pay anything extra when traveling by plane, especially considering that it is so darned expensive already, there are actually a few extras that might be worth paying for.

Lenny @ Best Money Saving Blog writes How to Figure Out your Credit Score – The average person has a very basic idea about their Credit Score. It is either great, good or bad. But what exactly does your Credit Score really mean?

Hadley @ Epic Finances writes An Excellent ETF fund: Vanguard Dividend Appreciation – If you are looking for a great vehicle to meet some of your financial goals, the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation (NYSEARCA: VIG) exchange traded fund (ETF) is definitely one you should consider.

Andrea @ So Over This writes The Movers Destroyed My Belongings! – My wife and I just went through the process of moving, twice within a 4 month span. We hired the same movers both times, and thought we had received good service the first time around.

Lily @ Paying Debt Down writes The Best Car Price Negotiation Tips – The average person absolutely dreads purchasing a new car for one simple reason; negotiating for the price. Successfully negotiating an excellent price on a new car entails some research, commitment, the right attitude and more than a little bit of patience.

Bob @ Dwindling Debt writes Can you Really Go Contract Free with your Smart Phone? – Today there are plenty of options that you can take advantage of once your current phone contract has expired.

Katie @ IRA Basics writes What Does Business Capitalisation Mean? – A phrase often seen in business-related publication is that of business capital or business capitalisation. What does that mean?

Sam @ The New Business Blog writes Entrepreneur Tips on Using LinkedIn from the Pros – Here are several tips and some great advice that successful entrepreneurs use to get lots more eyes in front of your content.

Marissa @ Finance Triggers writes Saving Money on Gluten Free Products – Gluten is wreaking havoc on diets these days. Most people think that this is a new trendy diet, and while it is not really a new ailment, but one that has been plaguing people for years.

Marissa @ Thirty Six Months writes Barbados Luxury on a Budget – Many people consider budget and luxury to be at opposing ends of a financial spectrum. This is not necessarily always the case.

Buck @ Buck Inspire writes Yelp For Food Help – We were .a little behind schedule so by the time we finished checking in to Las Vegas, it was already past midnight. Our food options were limited

Barbara Friedberg @ Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance writes There are many risk tolerance quizzes online, all promising to tell you how much volatility you can tolerate. The truth is no one cares when their portfolio value increases. The only risk we worry about is the decline in value!

Natalie @ Debt and the Girl writes Finding Alternatives for Buying a Big House – Tthere has been a recent movement lately in buying smaller homes. Some people have gotten even more creative and have built homes out of structures like caves, storage sheds, and even cars! It may seem unbelievable but it is true.

Alexa @ Defeat Our Debt writes Are These 3 Things Preventing You From Becoming Debt Free? – The journey to paying off debt can often be a long one. Depending on the amount of debt you have it could take months, or even years, to pay it back. And, paying off debt comes with its fair share of struggles.

Graham @ Moneystepper writes Free Online Giveaways – Pros and Cons of Hosting Competitions – Free Online Giveaways – Pros and Cons of Hosting Competitions

Graham @ Moneystepper writes Free Online Giveaways – Pros and Cons of Hosting Competitions – Free Online Giveaways – Pros and Cons of Hosting Competitions

Robert @ Kids Ain’t Cheap writes Planning a Frugal Family Feast – Depending on where you live putting together a family feast can get very expensive. By the time you factor in meat prices, dessert and all the fixings, costs add up quickly! Today we will talk about how you can have a family feast without breaking the bank!

Amrita Kanjilal @ The Bea’s Knees: Health & Living writes Preparing your life for pregnancy…and all the wonder that follows! – A list of lifestyle changes that must be made to accomodate pregnany in your lives

Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes How to Change Bad Habits to Maintain Healthy Ones – Some bad habits are pretty harmless but there are many which have a direct negative impact on our health and well-being. Here are some simple strategies on how to change bad habits to maintain healthy ones.

Brock Kernin @ Clever Dude writes 4 Unexpected Hotel Expenses That Can Break Your Vacation Budget – Every expense during a vacation needs to be planned for. On a recent trip I incurred some expenses I wasn’t expecting.

FASHION

saverspender @ Save. Spend. Splurge. writes Is it hoarding or collecting? – Is it hoarding or collecting? My aunt has $900-a-pop shoes stored all over the house, but doesn’t seem to display or wear them.

Simon Elstad @ Modest Money writes Baby Essentials I Wouldn’t Buy on the Cheap – Getting a kid is one of the biggest financial commitment a couple can make. First tendency is to scrimp on all baby related stuff but maybe there are some one should splurge on!

HEALTH

David Leonhardt @ The Happy Guy writes Some things are just not about you – There are some things that are beyond your control. You might not get the job or win your true love or make the sale…and it might just have nothing at all to do with you. No use gnawing on the bone – get back out there and try again.

FI Pilgrim @ FI Journey writes Get More Done: A Few Favorite Productivity Methods – We could all use some extra time in the day. Here is a list of a few of my favorite productivity methods that help me to get more done!

Jon Haver @ Pay My Student Loans writes are here: Home / Default / When Do College Graduates Need Life Insurance? When Do College Graduates Need Life Insurance – No one likes to contemplate their eventual death, especially as they graduate from college and have their whole life ahead of them. However, in order to provide loved ones with financial security and protection in the event of a death, a life insurance policy is a necessity for college graduates.

Edward Antrobus @ Edward Antrobus writes Do You Try to Save Money on Medical Expenses With Home Remedies? – Despite health care reform, health care and medication is going to remain expensive. That is why I typically deal with common ailments with home remedies.

 

ENTERTAINMENT

Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes Random Map Today: Most Popular Baby Name by State (Girls Only) – I came across this interactive infographic of number one most popular girl’s baby names state by state, decade by decade, and thought it would make for an interesting topic.

 

WEALTH AND RETIREMENT

Christine @ MLIQ101 writes How Much Life Insurance Should I Have? – A majority of Americans appreciate the importance of buying life insurance, but a fraction actually own a policy outside of their benefits package at work. There are dozens of factors to consider when choosing how much life insurance you need to buy. Here’s how to pick the right amount of coverage.

CAPI @ Creating a Passive Income writes Better To Be Safe: Setting Up An Emergency Fund – It’s important to ensure that families are constantly working to purchase only what they need, while setting aside an emergency fund for all possibilities.

Eva Baker @ TeensGotCents writes Skin Care Tips For Teens – Noreen Young Cosmetics – Professional advice and skin care tips for teens as well as how to save money on cosmetic products from Noreen Young, professional make-up artist.

Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes 7 Life Lessons From The Very Wealthy – If you want to become wealthy, you need to learn life lessons from the very wealthy.

Brent @ PersonalFinance-Tips writes Several steps toward improving your personal finance – Earning money today can be a complicated and a hard thing to do. We all blame it on the failing economy of the world, but it can’t always be just that. Great minds had said that you should always start from yourself, anytime you have a problem.

Mike @ Personal Finance Journey writes Five steps to financial security – Some of the most basic steps you can find to becoming financially secure

Jim @ Save College Money writes Saving College Money Update 1 – Well, it’s official, I saved some money for college!First let me start with the carnival submission service that I’m offering.  I got my first inquiry but the blogger (client) was in a niche that didn’t have many carnivals to submit to.&

ETZ25 @ Entertainment Timez writes A Dividend Stream For Entertainment – We decided to create a dividend stream for Entertainment Timez. The dividend stream will help fund the entertainment activities here!

Suba @ Broke Professionals writes What is Your Wastefulness Pet Peeve? – Recently I held my annual Grandma Rie’s Money Camp for my two grandchildren. This year, I invited their other grandma along with one of her grandchildren (my grandchildren’s cousin).

Hank @ Money Q&A writes What To Know Before You Invest In A Rental Property – When you invest in a rental property, it can be a great investment. But, you need to spend a bit of time thinking about these issues to make sure everything goes according to plan.

Lindy @ Minting Nickels writes Try This Technique to Save on College Costs – Imagine graduating college in 2.5 or 3 years instead of the typical 4 to 6 years that most students take to graduate.

Lauren @ L Bee and the Money Tree writes Aligning Financial Goals in a Relationship – Find out what your financial goals in a relationship should be and how to align them.

IMB @ Investing Money writes Investing in Specialty Drug Companies – The Pew Research Center estimates that 10,000 boomers will retire daily for the next 19 YEARS! The place to be is in the drug and health care field.

Don @ Money Reasons writes Pros and Cons of Automation – Automation is great for business processes but very bad for workers.

SBB @ Simple Budget Blog writes Budgeting for Retirement Sooner Rather Than Later – Why budgeting for your eventual retirement needs to be done now instead of at a later date.

Ted Jenkin @ Your Smart Money Moves writes Five Insurance Policies Every Small Business Owner Needs – This is the weekend you finally decided it’s time to start your own business.

Ryan @ Cash Money Life writes How Much Did the Great Recession Cost You? – Do you know how much the Great Recession cost you? A recent study calculates average family losses, including home value, lost wages, investments, and more.

Tushar @ Earn More and Save writes Supercharged Savings: 5 Purchases to Make in the Fall Season – The pumpkins are out, the leaves are falling, and the weather is cooling. Fall is in the air. Fall is a beautiful season and also the start of the holiday rush. Halloween is quickly approaching with Thanksgiving and Christmas following close behind. Make the following purchases for the rest of the year!

Minimalist @ Minimalist Finance writes There’s no Such Thing as Passive Income – Passive income is the best type of income. It’s income that you don’t have to do any work to accumulate. It’s coveted by people everywhere.

Jester @ The Ultimate Juggle writes The Importance of Family – Learn more about how career-minded people can place a huge importance on family.

Jacob @ AllPersonalFinance writes Follow Your Dreams: How to Achieve Higher Education Without the Cost – So you have decided that you would like to pursue getting a master’s degree. However, what scares you the most is the amount of education debt you’d have to take out just to get another degree.

Luke @ Learn Bonds writes Rethinking the United States ‘AAA’ Rating – Does the US still deserve a AAA credit rating?

Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes The New Job Search: Where to Find the Job of Your Dreams – Facing the unemployment dilemma? Maybe you’re just sick of your current job. No fear – here’s where online to find and apply for a new job.

Crystal @ Budgeting in the Fun Stuff writes Never Buy Flea Market Computers – When I was 19 years old, I had just moved away to college. I earned a couple of thousand to cover what I wanted and I made a mistake…

Daisy @ Suburban Finance writes Would You Have a Secret Bank Account From Your Spouse? – Hiding money from a spouse can be a practice that is considered bad, but sometimes hiding money from your husband or wife can be helpful.

Maria @ The Money Principle writes What’s your money mentality? – Whatever are your childhood experiences, they form your money mentality

Corey @ 20s Finances writes How to Grocery Shop – If you are interested in learning how to cook, then you are going to need to know how to grocery shop. You might be thinking that grocery shopping is rather easy to do. The actual task of grocery shopping is easy, but I am going to show you how to grocery shop and make it worth your money.

Tushar Mathur @ Everything Finance writes My Tips for Saving for A New Baby (Or Two!) – Saving for a new baby (or two) is definitely a life altering process. However, it’s not impossible. Here’s how I’m doing it.

Debt Guru @ Debt Free Blog writes The Next Step: Is Graduate School Worth It? – More and more grads are looking for that edge that will land them a dream job. Asking “Is Graduate School Worth It?” is important in making your next move.

Roger the Amateur Financier @ The Amateur Financier writes 7 Ways to Succeed in a Virtual Career Fair – A guide to ways you can succeed in virtual job careers, giving advice on finding them, preparing, attending, and following up on the jobs you look into.

Tushar @ Start Investing Money writes What Will the Short and Long Term Outlook Be for Twitter Shares? – If you know anything at all about Twitter you’ll undoubtedly have heard about its forthcoming stock exchange debut.

Kyle @ The Penny Hoarder writes You Can Actually Make Money by Hoarding Real Pennies… – Whenever I research a post for this site, I usually have a lot of fun zooming around the Internet looking for the wackiest, strangest ways people can make money.

SavingMentor @ How To Save Money writes Why You May Not Need An Emergency Fund – Emergency funds are almost always highly recommended by personal finance gurus and advocates of all types as one of the first financial priorities for any person no matter their financial situation.

Rich @ Growing Money Smart writes Allowance Pay Rates For Kids – This is my take on allowance pay rates for kids and the rates that I currently pay my kids. Once the become teenagers, I may change the pay rate though, but for now, they are happy.

Steve @ 2012 to 2013 Taxes writes Factors in Selecting An Online MBA Degree – Acquiring a master’s degree in your preferred field opens the door to plenty of new opportunities. Not only does obtaining a master’s degree increase the chances for upward mobility, but it also allows the graduates more job freedom.

Adam @ Money Rebound writes Is Downsizing to a Simpler Life Possible? – Using the unexpected economic changes to improve your life in many different aspects.

Dollar @ Easy Extra Dollar writes 5 Tips For Choosing An Affiliate Program – To use and affiliate program, you need to have a website. If you already own a site then you can just add text links and banners to it. You can also build individual sites to promote different products. Building multiple sites is very common.

Chuck @ The Tortoise Banker writes Protect Your ASSets and Income – Get Rich Once. Follow these important steps to assure you are prepared should the worst happen and can thrive under any circumstances

Jessica Moorhouse @ Mo’ Money Mo’ Houses writes For Love & Money Friday – Making a Budget as a Couple – Every Friday my husband and I get together to talk money, and this week we discuss budgets, specifically creating a joint budget for both of us to use to reach our mutual financial goals.

Justin @ Root of Good @ Root of Good writes $150,000 Income, $150 Income Tax – Justin at Root of Good reveals how his household made $150,000 and paid only $150 in income taxes through a combination of contributions to workplace savings plans and IRA’s. Tax efficient investing and tax loss harvesting also played a key role in keeping his income taxes at 0.1%.

John @ Frugal Rules writes Reasons Why You Should Start Investing for the Long Run – Many people want to go for the quick buck when it comes to investing. However, a long term approach in generally best if you’re looking to build wealth and grow a decent retirement portfolio that will last.

Matt Becker @ Mom and Dad Money writes Start Investing Now, Even if You Stink – Many people avoid investing out of fear. They fear doing something wrong and losing all of their money. But the truth is that those first few years of returns are relatively unimportant to your final result. So get started today, even if you don’t know what you’re doing. The benefits of starting far outweigh the risks of getting something wrong.

Sustainable PF @ Sustainable Personal Finance writes Adopting Minimalist Principles to Save Money and Live Sustainability – Congratulations! You have just finished paying for a wedding, which means you just spent the equivalent of a home down payment or a year of college on a single day. Now that the wedding’s all taken care of, your major expenses are over, right?

Harry Campbell @ Your PF Pro writes I Finally Filled Up My Lending Club Roth IRA – It seems like years ago that I wrote my two part series on opening a Lending Club Roth IRA and how to invest it. It was actually only 5 months ago, but it marked my first major investment into peer to peer lending. I was convinced to make a larger investment because my experimental account of $500 was still above 10% returns after two years. That gave me the confidence to put $5,000 into my LC Roth IRA for 2013 with another $5k on the way next year(in 2014).

KK @ Student Debt Survivor writes Bachelor’s Degrees With the Best ROI – Trying to chose a degree that will make you the “big bucks?” With the cost of college tuition rising yearly, it’s imporant to choose a bachelor’s degrees that will yield you a decent ROI.

Jacob @ Cash Cow Couple writes American Express High Yield Savings Account Review – If you’re tired of earning zero interest from your checking account, check out this American Express High Yield Savings Account Review for a better option.

Anton Ivanov @ Dreams Cash True writes Debt Snowball vs. Debt Avalanche – Which Debt Payoff Strategy is Better? – A detailed description of these two popular debt payoff strategies and a real world example of debt snowball vs. debt avalanche in action.

 

HOBBIES

Je @ Healthy Vow writes Homemade Christmas Gifts 2013 – 5 Easy To Make Christmas Gift Ideas – Homemade Christmas gift ideas for year 2013.

Christopher @ This That and The MBA writes 4 Must-Read Tips to Becoming a Successful Freelance Writer – Similarly, writing for the web is a very lucrative job. Content is on everyone’s lips at the moment, and content marketing is the way forward for all business’s to boost their brand awareness.

Pauline @ Make Money Your Way writes Make money renting your car or vehicle – This post will show you on how to make money by renting your car or vehicle.

 

GOOD EATS

Mr. CBB @ Canadian Budget Binder writes Chocolate Cheesecake Torte – If you fancy chocolate and cheesecake you will love this chocolate cheesecake torte. It’s easy to make and budget friendly.