Hello and welcome to my blog.  I’m thrilled to be hosting the Carnival of Personal Finance today.  My name is Ashley.  I post here daily about my family’s finances with a focus on budgeting, saving, and frugal living.  I hope you take a look around and if you like what you see please subscribe!

Editor’s Picks

Here’s a World Record I would like to take a shot at.  The most Ferrero Rocher chocolates eaten in one minute.  Seven!  I think I could swing that.  On October 10, 2008, Jim Lyngvild ate seven Ferrero Rocher on TV in Denmark.   So while I try a shot at my favorite world record… make sure you read my favorite submissions to the Carnival this week.

Mrs. Money from Ultimate Money Blog presents How to Avoid Prepayment Penalties.  Seriously, never pay another prepayment penalty again.  It’s simpler than you think!
Mr. ToughMoneyLove from Tough Money Love presents Money May Satisfy But It Does Not Bring Happiness.  I totally agree.  Once you have your basic needs met, your happiness is up to you.
Wojciech Kulicki from Fiscal Fizzle presents Using a Monthly Report to Discuss Money With Your Spouse.  Getting your spouse on board with the financial plan is absolutely critical to its success.  If you are having trouble talking with your spouse then this post is a must read.
Matt from Finance for Physicians presents 9 Ways for Medical Students to Begin Building Wealth.  These steps aren’t just for Medical Students.  They are for absolutely everyone!
D4L from Dividends Value presents Will Housing Lead Us Out Of The Recession?.  Some uplifting news about the housing market… finally!

Money Management

The most expensive pair of jeans :  An original pair of Levi Strauss & Co (USA) 501 jeans aged over 115 years old were sold by Randy Knight (USA) to an anonymous collector (Japan) for $60,000 (£33,230) through internet auction site eBay on June 15, 2005.

Jason Unger from Automatic Finances presents The Superstar Athlete’s Guide to (Mis)managing Your Money.  Sad but true.  Don’t manage your money like a Superstar!
FFB from Free From Broke presents No Job Is Below You!.  Any job you put your all into is a job to be proud of.
Super Saver from My Wealth Builder presents The Recession Has Stress Tested our Financial Situation.  Super saver takes a look at their retirement savings and gives an analysis.
Thomas from Paying For Retirement presents Flexible Spending Accounts - Did You Know?, and says, “Discloses the advantages and disadvantages of having an FSA account including how to get free money.”
Neal Frankle from Wealth Pilgrim presents Do You Have a Financial Allergy?. Often times our feelings about money have nothing to do with dollars and cents.
Glblguy from Gather Little by Little presents The importance of income diversity.  I’ve come to see the importance of income diversification lately.  This is a concept that everyone should be aware of.
Four Pillars from Four Pillars presents Buying A New Car or Used Car? Things To Think About. New car or used car? The issue is more complicated than you might think.
Erin from PlinkPlink: Moms Talking about Money presents Mom Reigns as CFO in Many Families.  What percentage of women feel they are the household CFO?
Money Blogger from Another Money Blogger presents My Personal Finance Mistakes: The Beginning.  The start of a series of posts about financial mistakes in his past.  Seems like being raised poor would set a person out for good money management.  Click through to see how it did just the opposite.
CPF from Christian Financial Help presents 12 ways to earn extra money - doing what you love!. These are 12 great tips to make some extra cash doing things that you love to do!
asgreen from Always the Planner presents Talking About Money.  I’m a huge huge fan of honesty in money.  But you guys already knew that.
Emiley Thacker from The Smarter Wallet presents Should You Buy Extended Warranty Coverage?. I never pick up the extended warranty.  Extended warranties are very profitable… for the seller.  Which means that most people never use them.
Stephanie PTY from Poorer Than You presents What You Don’t Know About Renters Insurance.  I never had renters insurance, but it’s probably something all renters should have.
Pinyo from Moolanomy presents Extra Income Ideas For College Students And Recent Graduates.  Here are 7 ideas that college students and recent graduates can use to start earning side income.
Kyle from Amateur Asset Allocator presents Avoid Scams By Using Common Sense. Unfortunately, I think common sense is a rare commodity.
Studenomist from Studenomics presents Can You Be An Entrepreneur Within An Organization?.  I really never looked at being an entrepreneur this way.  Interesting.
RC from Think Your Way To Wealth presents Do You Think Like a Rich Person.  So true!
Flexo from Consumerism Commentary presents Eight Tips for Living Through a Recession.  Good tips for all the time, not just recessions.
Kate Kashman from The Paycheck Chronicles presents Powers of Attorney.  I’m surprised that USAA doesn’t have a better system for Powers of Attorney.  That seems like something they would deal with all the time.
FMF from Free Money Finance presents 20 ways to make more money.  Everyone can use more money and you should be able to find at least one thing in this list that suits you.

Investing

The largest gold coin weighs 100 kg (220 lb 7 oz), measures 50 cm (19.6 in) in diameter, 3 cm (1.1 in) in thickness and is made from bullion with a purity of 99.999 per cent. The legal-tender coin was introduced on 3 May 2007 by the Royal Canadian Mint with a face value of CAN$1 million (US$900,375; £451,585).

RJ from Our Financial Planner presents Portfolio Income and Financial Independence. This is a really good read.  It points out the whole reason we should be investing.
jim from Bargaineering.com presents Guide to Social Lending Networks.  A must read if you are thinking about getting into peer to peer to lending.
FIRE Finance from FIRE Finance presents Early Retirement Case Study - Sandy Aldridge and Dale Lugenbehl. Here’s a couple who retired comfortably on $270,000.  Find out how!
Investing School from Investing School presents Diversification Across All Asset Classes. Are you diversified?  I mean really truly diversified?  Read this article to find out.
Kyle from Suburban Dollar presents Why Lending Club Isn’t for Most People. Do you know the qualifications for being a lender with Lending Club?  I had no idea.
ABCs of Investing from ABCs of Investing presents Online Discount Brokerages.  A brief description of online or discount brokerages.
The Financial Blogger from The Financial Blogger presents 3 Reasons Why You Should Not Do Market Timing.  If you got out of the market before the crash… great!  But when will you get back in?
Amit from Investo Blog presents Covered Call Writing explained. Writing a Covered call and some variations of this options trading strategy explained using a simple example.
Retirehappy from My Retirement Blog presents Earning $20,000 Equals Half Million Dollar Nest Egg.  A nice compromise for those who can no longer retire due to market conditions.
MoneyNing from Personal Finance Blog by MoneyNing presents The Impending Retirement Crisis.  Another crisis? Can we really handle it?
Debt Kid from Debt Kid presents What is a Self Directed IRA?. Ok, I’m going to be completely hones here.  I’ve never heard of a Self Directed IRA.  But it seems interesting.  I would like to know more.
The Dividend Guy from The Dividend Guy presents 8 Ways to Deal with Volatile Markets.  The markets will go up, and the markets will go down.  How you deal with it will affect your returns.
Ray from Financial Highway presents Leveraging-The Benefits and Dangerous.  Find out the benefits and risks of leveraging.
LAL from LivingAlmostLarge presents Cheering the Meltdown?.  I just wish I had some money to take advantage of the discounted prices.
ElizabethG (Modern Gal) from Modern Gal presents Where Did the Dividends Go?.  Good question.  Find out how she is dealing with the missing dividends.
Jeremy from Generation X Finance presents Five Things We Can Learn From the Market Bust.  I’ve learned I have a higher risk tolerance than I thought.
Sun from The Sun’s Financial Diary presents Asset Allocation: What It Is and Why It Is Important .  Where are you on the efficient frontier curve?

Real Estate

Steve from Personal Finance Start-Up Blog presents New Chapter in my Mortgage Refinance Journey: The Home Affordable Refinance.  He thought the Home Affordable Refinance program didn’t apply to him.  Turns out he was wrong.
Frank Curmudgeon from Bad Money Advice presents Is Owning or Renting Best?.  As with so much in personal finance,  it depends!
Dan from Darwin’s Finance presents Is it Ethical to Re-Lock your Mortgage Deal when Rates Drop?
Peter Jeziorek from eHow Article presents How to Buy Property in China.  Ever thought about buying real estate in China?  Step One: Live or work there for at least a year.
FruGal from FruGal presents Is buying a repossession capitalizing on someone else’s misfortune?.  I don’t think so.  You are taking a “bad asset” off the market, which helps everyone… including the family that had it foreclosed on.
Dan Melson from Searchlight Crusade presents Buyers: Stretching Your Budget Means Compromise.  Bottom line:  The great steals are drying up in the real estate market.
Miranda from Yielding Wealth presents Stopping a Foreclosure Once It Starts.  If you are battling a foreclosure, you must know your options.
Smarty from Growing Money presents Rental Property Update February 2009.  Read this if you are thinking of becoming a landlord.
Miss M from M is for Money presents The First TIme Home Buyer - Be a Smarter Shopper.  A must read if you are thinking about house hunting soon. Discusses the ethical issues in dropping your current locked in rate for a lower rate before closing.  I say “go for it”.

Budgeting and Saving

On May 25th 1999, Michael Kettman had 28 basketballs spinning at once in London England.  Sometimes I feel this way when I’m trying to get the budget to balance.

Chance from Personal Finance Software Reviews presents Use Your Tax Rebate to Make the Best Budgeting Move Possible.  Do this!!  I have been budgeting this way for years.  I can’t imagine any other way to do it.
J. Money from Budgets are Sexy presents Dear J - “Please help before money ruins our marriage!” A reader needs some help on getting on the same financial page as her husband.  Make sure to leave your advice for her.
Bob Vineyard, CLU from InsureBlog presents Meals Served with a Health Insurance Garnish. How would feel about a $1 surcharge to your bill to help your waiter buy health insurance?
Adam from Your Money Relationship presents Buying a New Car? Cash Rebate vs 0% Financing Spreadsheet. Confused as to whether or not you should take cash back or super cheap financing?  This post explains the options and includes a handy dandy spreadsheet to help with your calculations.
Tim from 401k Planning presents Tools for Rating Your 401k.  This is really cool!  A super handy tool if you are in the job market.
BP from One Chance To Live presents How do you help the helpless?.  You can’t.  That’s the frustrating part.
John Hunter from Curious Cat Investing and Economics Blog presents Add to Your 401(k) and IRA.  If you haven’t been saving for retirement… now might be the best time in the past 10 years to get started.
Savings Toolbox from Savings Toolbox presents Finding Money to Save.  I love these tips!
Kristia from Family Balance Sheet presents In today’s economy, it pays to ask for a discount. Never hurts to try!

Frugality

The largest collection of air sickness bags (aka: most frugal collection ever) is owned by Niek Vermeulen.  He has 5,468 air sickness bags from 1,065 airlines, as of March 26, 2008.

Jim Leigh from Switch to Riches presents Saving Even MORE on Groceries. See what you can learn from America’s Cheapest Family.
Ron from The Wisdom Journal presents Rethinking the American Dream.   Have we taken the ideal of “Freedom from want” a little too far?
Young Cash Cow from Young Cash Cow presents What’s in a Name Brand?.  Name brand Vs. Generic.  What’s your preference?
Megan from Counting My Pennies presents Has the economy changed your spending habits?.  I don’t think it’s changed mine.  But maybe it has in a way I haven’t realized.
morrison from All Doors Considered presents Frugal is the new Black. Everybody seems to be jumping on the frugal bandwagon now.  This blogger has been on it since 1985!
Aryn from Sound Money Matters presents How to Host a Spa Party for (Almost) Free.  I have to admit I’d never heard of a spa party.  But anything you can do for (almost) free sounds good to me!
Jeff from StretchyDollar.com presents Who You Know Could Save You.  Don’t underestimate the power of networking.
pfincome from Passive Family Income presents 8 Benfits of Eating at Home - Other than Saving Money.  Don’t tell me this stuff… I love to eat out.

Debt and Credit

Paying down debt can feel like the world’s longest road trip.  But the actual world’s longest road trip was taken by Emil and Liliana Schmid of Switzerland. They have covered 626,960 km (389,574 miles) in their Toyota Land Cruiser since October 16th 1984, crossing 159 countries and territories in the process.

Chief Family Officer from Chief Family Officer presents Becoming debt-free: Sometimes you just need to believe it’s possible.  She just realized she can pay off her mortgage in just over 6 years.  Find out how!
mfd from My Findependance Day presents Debt Repayment: Feel the rush.  I think some people get a bigger rush from shopping than they do from paying off debt.  Not me!  But some people.
Finance Girl from Finance Gets Personal presents How to Fly to Europe for Free. A detailed guide to quickly and carefully earning enough miles to fly your family to Europe (or anywhere) for free!
Baker from Man Vs. Debt presents Declaring War: Canceling Credit Cards. To cancel or not to cancel.  That is the question.
Destroy Debt from Destroy Debt presents Credit Companies are Hurting Your Credit Score.  This happened to me… and it’s very frustrating!
Tyler Metzger from Taking Charge presents Donor wants $10,000 back for missing inauguration.  It’s an interesting dilemma.
Peter from Bible Money Matters presents Are You Emotionally Invested In Your Credit Card?,  I guess I can understand.  I don’t want to close the credit card account I got when I was 18.  I would have never guessed I would be attached to an account.  Strange.
CreditCardAssist.com from CreditCardAssist.com presents Three Methods to Protect Your Credit Card in Online Transactions.  I used to take Verified by Visa customer service calls.  (blah)  Surprisingly few companies actually use this service.
Apply4-Credit.com from Apply4-Credit.com presents Top 5 Credit Card Deals That You Must Have.  You already have these benefits, you might as well know about them!
Silicon Valley Blogger from The Digerati Life presents Get The Best Home Loan Rates With These Tips. 4 steps to getting the best mortgage.
Trisha Wagner from American Consumer News presents Should You Purchase Credit Card Protection Insurance?.  I really dislike Credit Card Protection.
Debt Freedom Fighter from Discover Debt Freedom presents Personal Loan Information for People that Have a Low Credit Score.  Understanding the terms of your loan is always important.  Even more so for those with bad credit.
Clint from Accumulating Money presents A Home Improvement Loan - Will it Work for You?.  Is a Home Improvement loan the same as a home equity loan?  I guess not.
Chris Holdheide from Stumble Forward presents Help Getting Out Of Debt When You’re Frustrated.  How big is your “why”?
Madison from My Dollar Plan presents Would You Take a Loan Modification?.  If you qualify and it will save you money… do it!
Jason from MyMoneyMinute presents Recession Buster: Increase Cash Flow With High Interest Checking.  I wish I could earn 4% on my checking account. That would be fantastic.
PFR from Personal Finance Reviews presents The AmericanDream Card - The Pooled Rewards Card.  This card gives you an entry into a drawing instead of points or cash back.  Interesting… but I’ll take my guaranteed cash back.
Miss Thrifty from Miss Thrifty presents Miss Thrifty’s Mortgage Masterplan (cough).  I like this post for the look into how they do mortgages in the UK.  Plus, I’m a fan of paying off the mortgage early.

Taxes and the Economy

Taxes and the economy are enough to make me want to jump.  The largest number of jumpers happened on May 10, 2003.  Twenty members of a parachute club jumped from a balloon simultaneously at 2,000 m (6,500 ft) over Markelo, The Netherlands.

Mr. GoTo from Go To Retirement presents Understanding Taxes on Retirement Job Income.  A handy easy to read and understand explanation of taxes after retirement.
Jeff Rose from Good Financial Cents presents What Happens When You Don’t File Your Taxes?.  Yikes, can’t be good!
Beyond Paycheck to Paycheck from Beyond Paycheck to Paycheck presents First Time Home Buyer Credit - Your options if you buy after April 15. Can you take the home buyer’s credit this year if you buy a house after April 15th?  In short, yes.  Find out how!
Lisa Spinelli from Greener Pastures presents 5 Consumer Trends in the Recession Economy.  Do you think alcohol consumption went up or down in 2008?
vh from Funny about Money presents Buy!.  Shop now to beat inflation later.
Mr. GoTo from Go To Retirement presents Medical and Health Insurance Premiums - Finding the Deductions.  Make sure you know all your deductions, no need to pay more in taxes than necessary.
George from Fat Pitch Financials presents Deflation Risk Fading.  It appears the risk of deflation is fading and that the real focus of concern should once again be inflation.
Kevin from Red Stapler Chronicles presents How Would You React to a Pay Cut?.  I hope you don’t ever have to find out.

chocolate pic by: 10 Corso Como

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