Carnival Of Financial Camaraderie #18

Welcome to the 18th edition of the Carnival of Financial Camaraderie. A big thank you to Financial Success For Young Adults who hosted last week. Next week Newlyweds on a Budget will be hosting.  This week we have tons of submissions so thank you to everyone who contributed!

Budgeting

SavingMentor presents Buying on Sale: Are You Really Saving Money? posted at HowToSaveMoney.ca, saying, It seems that everybody loves a good sale, but the real question is when you buy stuff on sale are you really saving money? Well, sure, you are saving money off the regular price of that particular product at that particular store, but is that even meaningful?

Jason presents Overbanked posted at Live Real, Now, saying, I find it’s simpler to keep track of my savings goals by moving the money to separate accounts than to track everything in a spreadsheet.

Little House presents Mint.com for My Significant Other posted at Little House in the Valley, saying, I don’t intend to relinquish my obsession, I mean responsibility, with our finances, but I realize it’s important for my significant other to know what bills we (I mean “I”) pay, when they’re due, and how to pay them. I’d hate for something to happen to me and my SO to be completely clueless as to what to do next. So, I signed up for Mint.com – for his sake.

Business

Mike Collins presents Homer Simpson’s Top Ten Business Ideas posted at Saving Money Today, saying, Time and again Homer Simpson has tried to start his own business to help support his family. These are the best of his ideas.

Bob presents 24 Home-Based Business Ideas & Opps posted at Christian Personal Finance, saying, If you are like many, the thought of starting a home-based business has probably crossed your mind at some point. With the economy being what it is, layoffs all around us, and an increasing desire for many to escape the rat race and work from home many are trying to start a home-based business…

Career

John presents When It Comes to Personal Finance, Know Your Limitations posted at Passive Family Income, saying, One of the most important things an individual can do in regard to finances is to know and accept your limitations.

Suba presents Need a $100,000 a year Job? Be a Butler and Earn Big Bucks posted at Broke Professionals, saying, The job market has been bad for a very long time, but there are high paying careers out there. Apparently being a butler is one of them! Free room and board plus up to a hundred thousand dollars a year ‘ why not consider being a butler? You don’t even need a college degree, and Need a $100,000 a year Job? Be a Butler and Earn Big Bucks!

Shawanda Greene presents Child Support, Lesbians, and Low Pay posted at You Have More Than You Think, saying, A small collection of the lamest excuses I’ve ever heard for not working.

Ashley presents Being More Productive When Working from Home posted at Money Talks Coaching, saying, If you dream of writing a book, or starting a business, or working on a project but just can’t seem to find the time then these tricks might help you pull a few extra hours out of your week.

Credit

Mike presents Scotia Rewards Program Review posted at Rewards Cards Canada, saying, The Scotia Rewards program is a points-based system where members are awarded one Scotia Rewards point for every $1 in purchases charged to your ScotiaGold Passport Visa account or ScotiaGold Passport for business Visa account.

Erika presents Taking control of our finances posted at Newlyweds on a Budget, How one young couple hopes to take control of their finances, pay off debt and save money in 2012.

Darwin presents Mortgage Activity Gone Wild Due Record Low Rates – Are You Taking Advantage? posted at Darwin’s Money, saying, Last week, there was a 20 Percent surge in mortgage activity driven primarily by refinancing activity from record low rates. The mortgage banker’s association said seasonally adjust refinances were up 26 percent while home purchase loan activity was up 10 Something’s Working! What are you going?

Beating Broke presents Are Personal Loans a Scam posted at Beating Broke, saying, Truthfully, there is very little different between a personal loan and a payday loan.

Jim presents Is Credit karma a Scam? posted at Bargaineering, saying, Credit Karma offers free credit scores but have you checked how the service is able to offer this for free?

Shaun presents Get Your Family Out of Debt posted at Smart Family Finance, saying, Being in debt can feel like you are being held captive by your finances. Many find that once they begin getting into debt, it begins to spiral out of control. There are ways to get out of debt if you put your mind to it, and focus on being debt free.

Mike presents Create A Plan To Earn More Rewards Points posted at Rewards Cards USA, saying, One of the biggest complaints that many people have regarding their credit card rewards is that it takes too long to earn the requisite number of points to redeem for anything worthwhile.

Education

Glen Craig presents 10 Common Overlooked Tax Deductions posted at Free From Broke , saying, Don’t pay more taxes than you have to. Take a look at these ten common overlooked tax deductions and see how you can save on your taxes.

Everything Finance presents College Credits and Deductions Available When Filing Your Taxes posted at Everything Finance, saying, While there is no doubt that the price of education is outpacing inflation, the government does allow small ways to lower your overall cost.

Financial Advice

Sandy presents Applying All the Right Deductions to Increase That Return posted at Yes, I Am Cheap, Many people rely on their tax return to once again give them a savings account or an emergency fund for the New Year. To help you get the most out of your tax return, make sure to not miss out on these useful deductions.

MR presents Are Famous Personal Finance Authors Too Rich To Understand You? posted at Money Reasons, saying, Do rich personal finance authors forget what it’s like to live in the middle? Do you think personal finance bloggers walk the walk and talk the talk better?

Matt presents Should You Get a Loan for Your Car or Pay Cash? posted at RamblingFever Money, saying, In this hypothetical example, two sisters pay the exact same amount monthly for their cars over a five year period. One sister ends up with a 1-year old car worth $20,000 and the other sister ends up with a 5-year old car worth $11,000. How is this possible?

Marie presents Simple but Smart Debt Management Ideas posted at Money Spending Mommy, saying, Here are some simple things you can do to keep your debt under control.

Jeffrey presents Money Lessons from Aesop’s Fables posted at Saving Advice, saying, Many of Aesop’s Fables deal indirectly with financial topics. As an adult it’s fun to go back and re-read some of these tales. Knowing what I know now, I see how spot on many of the author’s observations were. If you ever want some snippets of inspiration or instruction about personal finance, go back and re-visit some of these tales:

Lazy Man presents Grading Men’s Health’s Tips to Build Wealth in Troubled Times posted at Lazy Man and Money, saying, I was very surprised by the lack of useful information provided by these financial experts. I’m reminded by the people who are giving the advice, Wall Street economist types. As Abraham Maslow said, “It is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail.”

Miss T. presents What Buddhism Teaches Us about Personal Finance posted at Prairie Eco Thrifter, saying, The Buddhist lifestyle is one of self discipline, self improvement, motivation, self empowerment and mindfulness. This is exactly how I want to live. All of these principles can also be applied to our own situations, even when it comes to managing our personal finances. Today I want to explore what Buddhism teaches us about personal finance.

Sunil presents How to Research and Publish an eBook Successfully – A Multi Part Series posted at The Extra Money Blog, saying, It is hard to argue that there can be another more passive way to generate income online other than publishing an eBook. Once you publish an eBook, you can sell it on unlimited platforms online for as long as those platforms and the Internet exist. And that can be done with little to no monetary investment.

Amanda presents Financial Software for Your Computer posted at Frugal Living, saying, Whether you are running a small business, creating a family budget or filing your taxes, there is a myriad of computer software available to serve your financial needs. Many of these programs not only help declutter that mess of financial papers you may have lying around, but also allow you to see exactly where your money is coming from and where it’s going.

Mr. Money presents Should You Itemize Your Tax Deductions? posted at Smart on Money, saying, If it looks like you will have a larger number than the standard, it’s a good idea to itemize in order to increase your tax efficiency.

Peter presents Mobile Wallet: Path to Financial Ruin? posted at Bible Money Matters, saying, The age of the mobile wallet sounds like a win-win for nearly everyone involved, but is it? While it is true your mobile wallet can help you find additional bargains, there is a real financial danger there.

Frugality

Steve Zussino presents Differences between TFSA and RRSP – Explanation and terms posted at Canadian Personal Finance, saying, According to the BMO Financial group, 40% of Canadians still don’t know the difference between a TFSA and RRSP. This sounds like a high figure but in speaking to some of my peers, personal finance is not a topic most people enjoy to talk about.

Steve Zussino presents How to save money eating a gluten-free diet posted at Grocery Alerts, saying, I have tried a lot of gluten free breads, cookies, and pastas and have finally found some wonderful products. Now I have yummy gluten free substitutes for all of the foods that I was used to eating before going gluten free. Here are some tips for eating gluten free on a budget:

Wayne presents Cheap Movie Alternatives posted at Young Family Finance, saying, It isnt uncommon for young families to be strapped for cash. When you are looking for creative ways to save money without making a huge sacrifice, it is time to get creative. With the popularity of motion picture, it is hard to give up movies. Yet, going to the movies is not getting cheaper.

Kelly presents Seven Fun Hobbies that Won’t Cost You a Cent posted at Wallet Watcher , saying, Here’s a handful of hobbies that are sure to be entertaining, beneficial and basically free of charge.

Investing

Justin presents Investing to Beat Inflation posted at Money Is the Root, saying, I’ve noticed that many people are content to keep their money in savings accounts, checking accounts, or even under their mattresses. It amazes me how obsessed people become with clipping coupons to save pennies, but they allow inflation to eat away at their life savings without a flinch.

Investor Junkie presents What Is ETF Contango posted at Investor Junkie, saying, While ETFs make it easier to invest in a variety of asset classes, using an ETF does not release you from your obligation to pay attention to what is happening with your investments.

Echo presents Canadian Wealth Advisor Review posted at Boomer & Echo, saying, Canadian Wealth Advisor covers “safe money” investments: real estate investment trusts (REITs), exchange-traded funds (ETFs), conservative large-capitalization stocks, RRSPs, RRIFs, TFSAs, GICs and tax-advantaged investments.

Other

Hank presents How I Recently Invested In A Rock Band posted at Money Q&A, saying, There are tons of other great projects on Kickstarter that you can invest in like the new Crowfield album. Kickstarter is a great way to invest in a rock band and other awesome projects.

YFS presents Can I Survive At the Poverty Line? posted at Your Finances Simplified, I completed my interview with 107 WINA on Sunday December 18th concerning my article on ‘Can you survive the poverty line’. I would like to thank Wendy Edwards for reaching out to me and giving me the opportunity to conduct the interview.

A Blinkin presents Are You A Mental Accountant? posted at Funancials, saying, I hope most of you have had a chance to read my previous article about The Legend of the Man in the Green Bathrobe. If you haven’t, go back and read it. It’s a prerequisite for continuing this post. I anticipated what the responses would be in the comments before they came rolling in.

Michael presents Turbo Tax 2012 Review posted at PT Money Personal Finance, saying, A review of the differing versions of Turbo Tax 2012, including their customer support.

krantcents presents Term Life Insurance Is My Choice! posted at KrantCents, saying, Term life insurance is my choice, should it be yours? We all know that life insurance is important, so it is a matter of choice which one is right for you. If you are young, healthy and expect to stay that way, term life insurance should be your choice.

PITR presents My Blog Owning Strategy posted at Passive Income To Retire, saying, Find out my blog owning strategy that I am using to approach building up my multiple blogs.

Young And Thrifty presents Quicken Home and Business 2012 Review posted at YoungAndThrifty, saying, It almost seems that any Personal Finance Blogger isn’t really a personal finance blogger if they don’t use some sort of snazzy personal finance software like Quicken to track their spending, their budgets, and their investments all in one place.

Amanda L Grossman presents How to Save Money on Dieting posted at Frugal Confessions, saying, Comparing diet program costs is one way to maximize the amount of money you have to spend on dieting or to make you run the other way with your hard earned money, see how they stack up against one another!

Jeffrey presents Making Space For Roommates: Are the Savings Worth the Hassles? posted at Money Spruce, Sharing an apartment with roommates can save money, but it often means making other sacrifices too. I weigh the pros and cons of roommates for my next move.

Mich presents Hyperion Exploration Carries Strong Operational Momentum into 2012 posted at Beating The Index, saying, Hyperion Exploration exited 2011 with a bang; the company was able to exceed its exit guidance by spending less capital than anticipated. I believe this strong operational momentum will carry into 2012 with the upcoming operational update and the 2012 capex program due at any day before the end of this month. Find out why!

Saving

Philip Taylor presents How to Become an Online Tutor and Make an Extra $1,000 a Month posted at PT Money Personal Finance, saying, Make more money: An interview with an online tutor reveals the pros/cons of online tutoring, qualifications needed, and how much money you could expect to make.

LaTisha presents Some Unusual Savings Tips posted at Financial Success for Young Adults, saying, If you find yourself short of cash when it comes time to add to your ISA, it may be time to consider a few money saving tips for individual savings accounts.

D.J. presents Stay Disciplined with Your Savings to See Your Money Grow posted at The Family Wallet, saying, If the household budget calls for depositing a certain amount of money into the savings account, then that is the amount that needs to be deposited. No ifs, ands, or buts.

Todd R. Tresidder presents 5 Surprising Reasons Why Retirement Calculators Can’t Be Trusted posted at Financial Mentor, saying, The number one savings goal is retirement. Yes, it may be a long way off in the future but it is best to learn the ropes now before you make a serious mistake. Retirement calculators shouldn’t be trusted for 5 very important reasons.

We were also included in last weeks carnivals

• Carnival of Personal Finance
• Canadian Finance Carnival
• Carnival of Wealth
• Carnival of Financial Camraderie
• Totally Money Carnival
• Canadian Finance Carnival