Carnival of Financial Camaraderie – September 29, 2012

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Welcome to the latest edition of the Carnival of Financial Camaraderie!  There are a lot of great posts in this edition so grab a cup of coffee and a comfortable seat so you can enjoy them all!

BUDGETING
Investor Junkie @ Investor Junkie writes LearnVest Review – Lately, there as been increased interest in encouraging women to learn more about money management, and get involved in their own finances — especially when it comes to investing. Enter LearnVest, a financial management web site aimed at women.

Evan @ My Journey to Millions writes Paying for Some of My New Home by Borrowing from Myself – I have had this idea in my head for a bit and I am almost positive I will not do go through with it, but I think it is an interesting topic nonetheless. As many readers know I am in the midst of selling my home and purchasing a new one. It is not even in question that I am going to put down at least 20% as to avoid PMI, but what if I put more money down? Specifically, what if “I borrowed money from myself” to increase my down payment and then focused on paying down those debts as quickly

Steven @ Grocery Alerts writes Starbucks Rewards Program Changes – Oct 2012 – One of our favorite rewards programs, Starbucks Rewards, is making some major changes as of October 16, 2012. Major changes include no more soy milk and free syrups and free drink or food on your birthday.

BUSINESS
Jason @ Live Real Now writes Sammy’s Story Part 3 – Sammy’s plan was to hire guys from the Salvation Army and at-risk kids, giving them a chance to improve their situations. As it turns out, a significant percentage of those folks don’t really want to work to improve their situations. The guys from the Salvation Army were all vetted by one of the counselors, but still only worked out about half of the time. The kids quit wanting to work when they found out it involved…work.

Maria @ The Money Principle writes How to buy your first commercial property – If you are in business you are likely to need premises. This is a simple guide to buying commercial property.

SFB @ Simple Finance Blog writes Chapter 7 vs. Chapter 13 Bankruptcy – This post discusses the advantage, disadvantages and credit impact of both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Which is a better option?

CAREER & EDUCATION
James Petzke @ This Is Common Cents writes Book Review: The 4-Hour Workweek – The 4-Hour Workweek is an excellent guide to living a unique lifestyle.

Jon the Saver @ Free Money Wisdom writes Most Popular Outsourced Jobs – Companies are outsourcing jobs more than ever these days. Learn about the most common outsourced jobs and how to avoid them!

Jester @ The Ultimate Juggle writes Juggling Money Issues – Life Insurance – Spending money on a life insurance premium is difficult. Find out whether the premium is worth it for your family.

FINANCIAL ADVICE
Grand Per Month @ Grand Per Month writes Four Tips for Evaluating Extra Income Opportunities – There are lots of opportunities for making some extra money, many of which have been highlighted here on Grand Per Month. But how do you figure out which method of earning cash might be right for you? Use these four tips to help you decide.

Penny Thots @ Penny Thots writes Food Stamps/Snap a Growing Reality – I heard on the news the other day that Food Stamp recipients have hit record highs now with 46 million Americans now on them, a number that seems to be growing everyday. Many families facing these real hunger issues and low income living now are being thrown into a life they never faced before and therefore never had the skills to start with prior to disaster striking. Minimum wage is becoming more and more common to have to raise a family on, no longer for the young just starting out in the wor

BARBARA FRIEDBERG @ Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance writes WEALTH BUILDING ADVICE FROM SELLING LA – Make a few smart money moves and become wealthy. Learn from a pro basketball player to build wealth.

Greg @ Club Thrifty writes How to be Rich as a Lannister – Have you ever heard the saying “rich as a Lannister?” While owning all the gold in Casterly Rock may be unrealistic, becoming independently wealthy isn’t.

Mr. Money @ Smart on Money writes Passive Ways to Make Money: Credit Card Rewards and Swagbucks – There aren’t many truly passive ways to make money, but there are ways to make money doing what you already do, and those are the methods I like to take advantage of.

Peter @ Bible Money Matters writes Don’t Leave Things up to Chance, or An NFL Replacement Referee. You’ll Be Sorry You Did! – Green Bay had plenty of chances throughout the game to take things into their own hands. They allowed 8 sacks in the first half, and really didn’t run the ball as much as they could. Their offense just couldn’t get started. They didn’t score until the second half, and really were in a place to have the call go against them because of their own poor play (and admittedly some of the other team’s good play). Similarly, because so many of us aren’t planning ahead for a rainy day, we’

FRUGALITY
harry campbell @ Your Personal Finance Pro writes How To Really Save Money at Chipotle – This post was inspired by an article I read the other day entitled: 15 Ways to Save Money at Chipotle. Now I don’t want to throw another blog under the bus, but man were their ideas lame(google the article title to find it). In college, my friends and I stopped at Chipotle at least 1-2 times a week for dinner for three years straight, so I consider myself something of a Chipotle expert

Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes Go Green and Save Money with Energy Efficient Appliances – I don’t know about you, but I simply can’t afford to throw away appliances that are still working, in order to buy new energy-efficient models. There’s a fair bit of hype these days about how much energy old appliances guzzle that it’s hard to know if there really is any benefit to upgrading.

Kim @ Modest Money writes Fostering a Pet Can Make You Rich – Fostering a pet is a wonderful way to test the waters of ownership before you take the plunge. You can potentially try it before you buy adopt it and see if you have what it takes to be a forever parent. Fostering also gives those on a budget a way to get the benefits of pet ownership without the costs.

INVESTING
Evan @ My Journey to Millions writes Finally Rebalancing and Reallocating My 401k – I am not particularly comfortable in my market timing techniques to try anything with this account other than set up the right allocation and let 30 or so years of compounding do its magic. Do I think I will take a hit in the short term as the world continues to work its problems out? Yes, but for this account only I look at it as a way to get in cheap.

Everything Finance @ Everything Finance Blog writes Why People Are Scared of P2P Lending – P2P lending is like a social uprising – we’re cutting out big business altogether and lending directly to one another. Websites like Prosper and Lending Club are merely the platforms that facilitate the action. Do you see the sheer power in that? We can get rid of banks and lend to one another, make substantially more money, and still enjoy the same safeguards that regular banks have at their disposal. Now how’s that for progressive lending?

John Derek Tucker @ John Derek Tucker on Oil Investing writes Oil ETF Basics That You Should Know – Oil as a commodity is a resource that has given good returns over the last few years. Oil ETF’s are the best as you do not have to play in the complex futures market and yet derive the benefit of the oil price rise.

PITR @ Passive Income To Retire writes Truly Passive Real Estate Investing – Find out how I found a way to invest in real estate without spending any time managing my money. It’s truly passive!

Daniel @ Sweating the Big Stuff writes What’s The Difference – Realtor vs. Real Estate Agent – You’re about to buy your first home and you want to work with a professional to guide you. You’ve got two options: a Realtor or a real estate agent.

Tushar @ Finance TUBE writes Top 5 Financial Websites for Mothers – Today we will talk about the top 5 financial websites for mothers. With high divorce rates and single mother hood, women are often lucked with full responsibility of the entire households. Fortunately there are now many internet websites to cater the women’s weak financial needs. Our Families Our Future: http://www.ourchildren-ourfuture.net/default2.aspx.

Tushar @ Start Investing Money writes What Kind of Average Returns Can You Expect on Mutual Funds? – This Post was Originally published at What Kind of Average Returns Can You Expect on Mutual Funds? on Start Investing MoneyIf you’re thinking about investing in mutual funds it makes sense you’d want to look into the potential returns you could expect first. Diving in with no knowledge of what to expect is a great route to disaster.

Passive Income Earner @ The Passive Income Earner writes Forex: xe.com review – In a previous post about foreign exchange, I learned about xe.com as an online currency exchange house. I was quite eager to give it a try in order to avoid driving downtown just to exchange my US dollars.

MMD @ My Money Design writes My Dividend Paying Stocks Income Report – September 2012 – Here are the results of my 2012 Quarter 3 dividend paying stocks. Dividends are a great way to creative passive income, lower tax payments, and retire early.

Crystal @ Budgeting in the Fun Stuff writes Where to Go for Your Roth IRA Needs? – One of the better options in the realm of asset management is investing in a Roth IRA, or Individual Retirement Arrangement. Where to go for a Roth IRA?

Jason @ Work Save Live writes Is it Necessary to Buy a House? – Should You Buy a House? Whether it’s friends, family, or colleagues, it seems like everyone these days wants to buy a house.

Kanwal @ Simply Investing writes Can You Learn Investing From a 106 Year Old? – Irving Kahn is an American value investor and money manager and the oldest living active investment professional at 106. He was an early disciple of Benjamin Graham, the creator of the value investing methodology. In his own words, here is some investing wisdom: “You stick to value, to Benjamin Graham, the man who wrote the bible for the market.

J.P. @ Novel Investor writes What to Watch For In An Earnings Conference Call – If you know what you’re looking for, the information gained from a quarterly earnings conference call can help you make money.

SAVING
Mo’ Money Mo’ Houses @ Mo’ Money Mo’ Houses writes Why is Saving for a Rainy Day Super Cool? – We all know we need to have an emergency fund, but why, how much, and where should we put it? And what does this post have to do with the zombie apocalypse?

Shilpan @ Street Smart Finance writes The Salary You Want for Your Happiness – Have you ever assigned a dollar value to your happiness? A study from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School concluded that $75,000 in annual salary is the tipping point for your happiness. Albeit I respect research from an Ivy League school, the street smart approach is always to leave no stone unturned to find the truth. If $75,000 is not the magic number, what is the salary you need to make for your happiness?

Ted Jenkin @ Your Smart Money Moves writes Teaching Kids Financial Responsibility – It’s Your Retirement OR Their College Education – For many parents in their 40’s, a loud and disturbing wake-up call is beginning to happen.

OTHER
Sharyn @ diyforstyle writes Happy Birthday Occupy Wall Street – Wall Street one year later, photos from Foley Square & Zuccotti Park

Sustainable PF @ Sustainable Personal Finance writes Green Camping Tips – Green camping is not only a no brainer it is very easy to do. Here are a number of green camping tips anyone can use.

Ashley @ Money Talks Coaching writes Review of Cash Flow 101 The Game – I went to play the game Cash Flow 101 the other night. Here is my take on the experience!

MR @ Money Reasons writes Fincon12 – A Unique Perspective – Part 2 – This is my 2nd part on my look at Fincon12 – A Unique Perspective! This year it even had more value to me that the 1st year!

Rod @ ROD Blog writes British Airways Visa Signature card : 100000 points promotion – British Airways Visa Signature card with 100000 points promotion is back. Sign up and earn the points for a free business class round trip ticket.

SBB @ Simple Budget Blog writes Budgeting Should Be Fun – Do you ignore budgeting because it is too much work or seems to boring? Find out how you can make it budgeting in order to improve your finances.

Ryan @ Early Retirement Investments writes Take Control of Your Investment: Trade Forex – Take control of your investments and consider Trade Forex!

Invest It Wisely @ Invest It Wisely writes You Don’t Have to be a Born Entrepreneur – Well, I’m proof that anyone can be an entrepreneur, whether they’ve been dreaming about it since they were kids or only since yesterday. I’m Not a Born Entrepreneur

IMB @ Investing Money writes Invest Money or Pay off Debt First? – Do you have debt that you want to pay down? Is it keeping you from investing? Find out if this is the best approach for growing wealth.

ETZ25 @ Entertainment Timez writes Difficulties Convincing Kids To Invest Money – Strategies to convince kids to invest money in the stock market! Read my concerns and the options that I am pursuing.

PPlan @ Provident Plan writes Investing Principle: Diversification – Any smart investor is going to look to look to both protect their investments while also securing the best return possible.

Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes Dangers of working without professional indemnity insurance – One thing that you would not wish to be now is a banker who was involved in the recently reported misrepresentation of Libor, and who had failed to ensure that he had adequate professional indemnity insurance (PII). Neither would you wish to be the insurer of bankers who do have adequate cover.

Shawanda @ You Have More Than You Think writes 5 Travel Hacks Learned at FinCon12 – If you follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or FourSquare, then you might’ve noticed I left my beloved District of Columbia for a few days. Where’d I go, you ask?

Dr. Dean @ The Millionaire Nurse Blog writes 8 Ridiculously Simple Ways to Save Time – If you want to get more out of your day, learn to prioritize and get rid of the time wasters.

TDB @ Tax Deduction Blog writes Brand New Spouse, Brand New Tax Issues-Enjoy – Awww, welcome back from you honeymoon in Bali, where the sun, sand, fragrances, and food provided a surreal paradise for you and your new spouse. You probably had a great time honeymooning and are looking forward to continuing that loving feeling now that you are back in the States. Unfortunately, you got married on February…

Hank @ Money Q&A writes ReadyForZero Helps You Take Control And Get Out Of Debt – ReadyForZero helps you take control and get out of debt by making good financial decisions. This free platform helps users manage your credit cards, student loans, mortgages, and more to get a full picture of your finances.

Corey @ 20s Finances writes Invest In Yourself – Find out how following your dreams and investing in yourself can improve your life. Stop sitting around waiting for life to come to you.

Luke @ Learn Bonds writes Bill Gross is Bullish On Municipal Bonds (Bearish On Treasuries) – Why Bill Gross sell off his treasuries and up his exposure to municipal bonds, and what can investors learn from his recently move.

TRL @ The Retired Landlord writes Reluctance to Home Insurance – According to a recent poll, half of those renting their homes and aged under thirty- five do not have any form of home insurance.

A Blinkin @ Funancials writes Who is More Powerful – Barack Obama or Ben Bernanke? – In my last article, I asked the question: (Are Republicans or Democrats Better at Reducing Unemployment?) The comments and emails I received gave me confidence in my (average) reader.

Roger the Amateur Financier @ The Amateur Financier writes World Domination 102 – Building a World Conquering Fortune – Humorous column on how to generate enough money to conquer the planet and work to build up your planet conquering fortune for fun and profit

Amanda L Grossman @ Frugal Confessions writes Oprah is Missing One Element in Her Definition of Luck – Oprah’s Definition of Luck: Where opportunity and preparation meet.

Corey @ Steadfast Finances writes How to Save Money Shopping – It’s that time of year where we will all start looking ahead to Christmas.

Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes Are Unions Bad for the Economy? – If you haven’t heard, the teacher’s union in the city of Chicago is striking. Last summer, there was a standoff between the governor of Wisconsin and the public employees union.

Jen @ Master the Art of Saving writes Getting The Best Deal on Large Purchases – Aside from trying to find our new refrigerator on sale, clearance or as a returned or damaged item, there are other things we can do to make the deal even……

L Bee @ L Bee and the Money Tree writes How much for puppy? – New York can be a lonely place.This is my justification anytime someone asks me why I purchased my dog, Murray. Plus if you’ve ever seen his adorable face, you’d know how hard it is to say no to the little nugget. In fact, after recently watching the movie The Man in the Iron Mask I The post How much for puppy? appeared first on L Bee and the Moneytree.

Daisy @ Add Vodka writes Teach People How to Treat You – Are we inadvertently showing people how to treat us in a negative way? I think that the majority of us are. I read this article from PR Daily called “25 things young professionals must know before 25″.

Eddie @ Finance Fox writes Are Daily Deals Actually Deals? – Companies who participate usually receive a very small amount of money back from what is sold. Most daily deal sites give the company 50 Percent of the deals that are sold.

Suba @ Broke Professionals writes Making The Most Of Your Retirement – Making The Most Of Your Retirement is a post from: Broke Professionals if you enjoy it, please visit us and subscribe to the Feed. “So where are you from?” the driver of the shuttle asked my husband and me as he drove us around Walt Disney World on our recent vacation.

JP @ My Family Finances writes Your Net Worth Is Lying to You; Don’t Let Your Family Be Fooled! – It’s not good enough to simply seek maximum net worth and leave costs out of your financial decisions.

Debt Guru @ Debt Free Blog writes Pros and Cons of Debt Consolidation – Debt consolidation may not be the best thing for those in debt. Find out what the pros and cons of consolidating your debt.

Aloysa @ My Broken Coin writes How To Marry Your Equal – When I say about marrying your equal, I do not refer to a social status or a paycheck. Equal to me means anything but status. Money, a big house, a sporty car, a big savings account does not make you equal. Read my definition

krantcents @ KrantCents writes I Always Wanted 911 Porsche Cabriolet! – I always wanted a Porsche convertible! It doesn’t stop there; I like Ferrari’s, Aston Martin’s, BMW’s, AC Cobra’s and much more. I like antique and classic cars too. Maybe it is a fantasy, a dream or a goal.

Kyle @ The Penny Hoarder writes How Does Our Credit Card Debt Compare to the Rest of the World? – As a collective continent, our money is burning a proverbial hole in our pockets. Except, it’s not quite our money. It’s our credit cards.

CAPI @ Creating a Passive Income writes 4 Steps to Declaring your Passive Income to the IRS – Do you know the tax implications of making a passive income? Here are four steps to declare your passive income streams to the IRS.

Jennifer Lynn @ Broke-Ass Mommy writes Broke-Ass Monday; Free Stuff From Around the Web (9/17/12) – Read about all the great free stuff on the web!

John @ Married (with Debt) writes Life Insurance for Working Women – I’m not sure why, but my wife and I have never really talked about needing life insurance for her. Of course she reminded me year after year that I needed to get life insurance in case I died, something I finally did last year.

Jeff Rose @ Good Financial Cents writes 7 Ways to Get Dirt Cheap Term Life Insurance – he biggest excuse that people have have for not buying life insurance is they say it costs too much. Really? Too much? A recent survey found that those that had life insurance 2/3 of them paid less than $100/month for coverage. Of those, almost half paid less than $50/month.

Jeff Rose @ Life Insurance by Jeff writes Life Insurance for Married Couples – When a couple first get married, the last thing either wants to think about is the inevitable—death. However, it is a realistic part of the cycle of life. While it’s not something to dwell on, it is a smart idea to keep in mind that one half of the married couple will die in the future, be it of old age or other unfortunate reasons.