Carnival of Financial Camaraderie

Welcome to the Carnival of Financial Camaraderie where you can get access to some of the best articles from personal finance bloggers in recent weeks!

I’m really pleased to be hosting the carnival this week and I had fun reading through the many great submissions. There were tons to choose from and so I did have to narrow down the list to a reasonable length.

Fellow bloggers – if your post hasn’t been submitted, it’s nothing personal – please submit again next time! You can submit your post to blog carnivals here. If your post has been selected, please remember to link back to this carnival.

To kick things off, I’ve highlighted my personal favourites! Enjoy…

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Alexa @ Defeat Our Debt writes Should You Take a Vacation if You’re in Debt? – Your debt is stressing you out. Work is stressing you out. And you just need a little break from the normal day to day grind.

Cat @ Budget Blonde writes Asking For Advice: I Need Balance – For the past few months, I have been so, so unsettled. And I really hate that feeling.

Richard Adams @ Frugality Magazine writes What Are The Real Costs Of Your Job? – When you’re trying to decide on a new job (or even a promotion with your current employer) the money they’re offering you should only form part of your decision-making process. So what are these other factors when considering a new job? Read on to find out…

Marissa @ Thirty Six Months writes Ten Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Blogging – Three years is a really long time to keep putting your thoughts out on the internet and hope that people will read it.

Brian Fourman @ Luke1428 writes 5 Life Changing Moments That Lead to Lifestyle Inflation – Lifestyle inflation can cause havoc when it comes to managing finances. So it’s crucial to know what it is, when it occurs and how to keep it in check.

 

BUDGETING

Maria @ The Money Principle writes Five Cheap and Fun Ways to Enjoy Your Free Time – I believe we should consider the easy-going and cheaper ways to enjoy your spare time by yourself or with friends.

Brad @ Enemy of Debt writes 5 More Killer Ways to Make Money Even in This Economy – I truly believe that no matter how good or bad the economy is, there are plenty of great ways to make extra money if you need it.

Larry @ KrantCents writes Easy Ways to Cut Commuting Costs – When you factor in the cost of fuel and wear and tear on your car, you could be shelling out a pretty penny getting to and from work.

Monica @ Monica On Money writes How To Be Frugal Without Being Cheap – There’s a fine line between being frugal and being cheap.

Danielle @ TeacHer Finance writes Top 5 Ways to Save $100.00 this week, and every week – These days $100 might not seem like a lot of money but, if you are able to save $100 a week, at the end of the year you would have $5200 that you could put towards paying down debt, putting towards an emergency fund or towards your 401(k) or IRA.

Katie @ IRA Basics writes When and How to Start IRA Withdrawals – Hopefully, when you went to open an IRA, you did so with the intention of using it for long term retirement needs.

Amy @ Money Mishaps writes Windows or A/C? Annual Summer Debate – A gallon of gas is just about four dollars anywhere you go in the United States, meaning that families will be shelling out more money this summer when they hit the road for summer vacation.

Danielle @ Saving Without a Budget writes How to Start Taking Advantage of Online Coupons – The couponing craze is definitely a big trend these days and, with the cost of food going through the roof, it’s not a surprise.

Jay @ Daily Fuel Economy Tip writes Do your Tires really affect your gas Mileage? – Did you know however that the size of your tires, their weight and the type of tread that they have all impact fuel efficiency as well?

Mario @ Adventures in Frugal writes What if instead, the new Amazon Fire Phone told you NOT to buy things? – The new Amazon Fire Phone comes with the Firefly app which makes it easy to buy anything you see, hear, or read about; but what if it did the opposite?

Jerry @ Repaid.org writes How Does Everyone Afford These New Cars? – Each year, about 5% of the US population buys a new car. With the average price of a new vehicle topping $30k, how in the heck do so many people afford them?

Mario @ Debt BLAG writes 5 personal finance goals for your 30s — that I thought up after dominating a 5k – Here are some goals for your 30s, either to add to the foundation you built in your 20s or to recover from them

Gretchen @ Retired by 40! writes The Cost of Having a Baby on Tricare Reserve Select – Well, Baby RB40 didn’t cost us nearly as much as we thought she would…..read all about it!

The Money Template @ The Money Template writes Budgeting Skills You Can Master In No Time – The following budgeting skills will help you to put it all into perspective and learn how to budget so that you have all the money you need to cover all of your bills- with some left over.

SBB @ Simple Budget Blog writes Powering Up Your Home Budget – Some tips on how to make your home budgeting work for you to create a solid household budget.

 

BUSINESS

Debt Guru @ Debt Free Blog writes Why “Do Not Call” Registries Can Help You – For many people, experiencing a telemarketer’s call at work or at home is frustration personified. Thankfully, we have “Do Not Call” registries. Read here.

Jeremy @ Modest Money writes Deadly Pitfalls of Webpreneurship (and How to Recover from Them) – Improper Use of Time Management, Improper Use of Finances, Improper Use of Marketing Techniques, Improper Protocol for Customer Service are deadly pitfalls you’re likely to make if you’re in too much of a rush to launch your online business.

 

CAREER & EDUCATION

Kyle @ The Penny Hoarder writes Want to Get Paid to Drive Your Car? Throw a Moustache on the Front – Ridesharing services like Lyft & UberX let you earn money by driving people to their destinations. Here’s how they work — and how to try them for yourself.

Mr.CBB @ canadian budget binder writes Work more to work less with a compressed work week – Many of you might agree working a compressed work week would make your life easier but for others it’s not a perk they care too much about.

 

FINANCIAL ADVICE

Harry Campbell @ Your PF Pro writes My Latest Credit Card App O Rama Nets 250,000 Points and $200: Applying and Spending – This is part two of our two part series about my latest credit card App O Rama and how I netted 250,000 points and $200. Part 1 covered preparation and strategy for an App O Rama of this kind of magnitude and today we’ll talk about how the application process and spending works.

Alexa @ Single Moms Income writes What Would You Finance? That’s the Question. – A couple weeks ago a reader left a comment on my Facebook page asking me what I thought about financing a car and how much I’d spend on a car.

Hadley @ Epic Finances writes Three Sectors to Invest in Now – Experts say that here in the United States a manufacturing renaissance is beginning to take off.

Gretchen @ Retired by 40! writes What to Do When Family Asks You To Take Over Their Finances – Obviously, I’m going to say no to this, but what other things could I do to help them?

Gretchen @ Retired by 40! writes Giraffe Manor Costs What? – Maybe you’ve seen pictures of Giraffe Manor of Facebook or Pinterest, but you might be surprised at the cost!

 

FRUGALITY

Brock Kernin @ CleverDude writes Keep Searching For Vacation Savings After Making Reservations – You’ve compared prices, called around and booked your vacation at a great price. Are you done? No way…keep searching for better prices!

Glen @ How to Save Money writes Becoming a DIY Handyman to Save Money – Learn the skills you need to DIY and save money

 

INVESTING

Mike @ Personal Finance Journey writes What Is Your Real Retirement Age Going To Be? – Given any real thought of what your real retirement age is going to be? Here are some of the tips I am currently considering with my retirement.

Ted Jenkin @ Your Smart Money Moves writes How Does LeBron Become A Billionaire? – There was no way to avoid the news this past week that LeBron James decided he was coming home to Northeast Ohio to return to playing basketball for the

Hank @ Money Q&A writes The Danger Of Buying A Home In A New Neighborhood – Buying a home in a new subdivision can be exciting. But there are many pitfalls to buying a new home home that homeowners need to be aware of when they are buying a home.

Crystal @ Married (with Debt) writes The American Dream – The headline on this CNN article caught my attention. “The American Dream is out of reach.” I think there are a lot of pessimistic people in this country.

Oscar @ Money is the Root writes Thinking of Retiring? Consider This – Let’s just go over some brief facts about Social Security to get you started.

Justin @ Edward Antrobus writes The Habits of the Rich, Part 2 – Unless you’re part of the 1% of people that are born into wealth, there’s simply no way to become wealthy by accident.

 

OTHER

SavingMentor @ How To Save Money writes Erase Your Debt Fast By Lowering Interest Rates – It’s a fact, many Canadians are are deeply in debt! Not just mortgage debt either, but consumer debt like credit cards, car loans, payday loans, and lines of credit. According to The Globe And Mail, non-mortgage debt will rise to its highest level ever by the end of 2014 coming in at $28,853 per person.

Mr. Frenzy @ Frenzied Finances writes Keeping Organized: Why It’s Important For Your Finances To Organize Papers – When your finances are disorganized, so is your life. In order to prevent a big problem, it’s time to get those finances in check. It’s time to organize.

IMB @ Investing Money writes US Grants Two Companies Permission to EXPORT Oil Products – Are you paying too much to fill up your car or truck? Don’t worry, our government has the perfect oil fix to guarantee that prices will keep going higher.

CAPI @ Creating a Passive Income writes Money at the Movies: 10 Movies on Finance Worth Watching – Money is a common topic in several famous films and documentaries. Here are 10 movies made about finance, which are actually worth your time to watch.

Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes 3 Ways Of Becoming Your Own Financial Adviser – Tolstoy famously said: “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself”. This can be very aptly applied to our own personal financial situations.

Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes Gas or Charcoal – What’s the Best Grill for Your Money? – It’s grill season! Charcoal or gas grill? Which one fits your budget?

JP @ My Family Finances writes What You Need to Know About Buying Your First Car – First Time Car Buyer? is an infographic that was produced by Gumtree

Harry @ The Rideshare Guy writes How Much Did I Make Driving For Lyft & Uber on a Saturday Night in the OC/LA? – Even though I’m now a registered Uber and Lyft driver I haven’t had much time to drive for both platforms at the same time. I wrote about my first weekend doing both a couple weeks ago and the rides were overwhelmingly Uber. Even though I’m a part time driver, I really don’t have any set times that I like to drive though. I kind of just head out whenever I feel like it or whenever I’m bored.

Erastus @ Wise Dollar writes Buying Life Insurance: 8 Tips to Help Make Your Decision – Buying life insurance can be difficult with all of the options available. I share some simple tips of what you want to look for when you buy life insurance.

Jeremy @ Modest Money writes Beware the Dangers of Social Media Lifestyle Inflation – As housing and college prices have skyrocketed, the older generation is coming to realize that today’s younger generation doesn’t have it so easy. We might enjoy more everyday conveniences, but we also face a lot of new challenges

Have a great weekend!

*Image sourced from Flickr (Alan Cleaver) and modified by Disease Called Debt