Hello! Welcome to the 11th edition of the Finance Fiesta. If this is your first time here please have a look around my site. If you like what you see, consider subscribing.

I’ve decided to dedicate this edition to our Olympic athletes. In 1992, I was fortunate enough to have the once in a lifetime opportunity to attend the Winter Olympics in France. I got to see the bobsled, a slalom, an ice skating exhibition, and the closing ceremonies. I also had the chance to have dinner with Gold Medalist Bonnie Blair and hold her medal. It was amazing!

But let’s get on with the main event. We had 35 competitors this week and I’m handing out medals for my overall favorites as well as a gold medal in each event.

The gold medal goes to Ted with Student Debt in America posted at CampusGrotto. This article scored high marks in relevance and comprehensiveness. If you are looking to finance your education, this is an article you need to read.

The silver medal goes to Tanesha Morgan with IRS Mileage Rates - Getting the Most Out of Your Business Use Vehicle posted at Personal Finance Analyst. This article wowed the judge (me!) with it’s thorough explanation of the tax rules when you use your car for your business.

And the bronze medal goes to Fitz Villafuerte with Ways To Save Money On Hair Care posted at Ready To Be Rich. This article brings home the bronze because of it’s down to earth money saving advice about something we all spend money on.

Congratulations to the winners!!

And the individual events…

The Wealth Building Event

The Gold Medal goes to Will with Making Money Online, Ten Things I Wish I Knew As A Beginner posted at Your Finish Rich Plan. There are still tons of things on this list I need to learn.

Tammy Powell presents Your Guide to Getting Your Property Rented FAST?. posted at Enlightened Wealth Institute student Tammy Powell.

There are 28 Olympic sports in the summer Olympics, each broken down into specific events.

The Credit and Debt Event

The Gold Medal goes to the Coupon Artist with Financial Education From Discover Credit Card: “We Are A Nation of Consumers…and There’s Nothing Wrong With That” posted at artofthecoupon.com. Of course it’s ok with Discover if we consume. As long as we borrow the money from them to do it!

ChristianPF presents Getting out of Debt (Part 1): It’s not about you posted at Christian Financial Blog.
Benjamin Dinsmore presents Dave Ramsey Shifted My Financial Paradigm posted at Trees Full of Money.
William Blake presents Bankruptcy Laws Protect Borrowers From Harassment By Creditors posted at Becoming Debt Free.
Mr Credit Card presents Does Having A Checking or Savings Account Affect Your Credit Score? posted at Ask Mr Credit Card.

The Investing and Economics Event

The Gold Medal goes to David with Investing in Bonds - The Basics posted at Physician Entrepreneur. Bonds have always been somewhat mysterious to me.

Timothy Lutts presents Stuck on Biotech Stocks posted at The Iconoclast Investor.
Silicon Valley Blogger presents Financial Bloggers Reveal Their Stock Portfolio Returns (Mid-Year 2008)The Digerati Life.
Joe Manausa presents 3 Bogus Real Estate Statistics - Know Them Or Be Burned By Them posted at Really Better Real Estate.
Lisa Spinelli presents Pushing Fifty. We Carry a Big Stick. | Greener Pastures: Personal Finance posted at Greener Pastures.

Out of 10,500 athletes competing this year, the US has 647.

The Money Management Event

The Gold Medal goes to Jim with Don’t Pay Your Children’s College Education posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity! Contrats! I actually agree.

Megan presents I’m Willing To Pay More For a Good Experience posted at Counting My Pennies.
J. Money presents Paying $1.00 to use a public bathroom is good. Paying 25¢ is bad. posted at Budgets are Sexy..
Rothira presents Keep Non-Deductible Traditional IRAs Separate posted at Roth IRA Explained.
The Shark Investor presents Alternative Income: Selling Illustrations, Photos or Videos posted at The Shark Investor.
LAL presents Tipping Rant posted at LivingAlmostLarge.
Tool presents Grand Yield Direct’s FDIC Insured Savings Review posted at Savings Toolbox.
Michael Geoffrey presents What Do You Believe About Money? posted at Debt Smackdown.
JB presents Short-Term Goals posted at Get Rich Or Die Trying.
Master Your Card presents A Letter to the Bank posted at Master Your Card.
Penelope Pince presents Does Thinking About Money Make You a Bad Person? posted at Our Fourpence Worth.
Passive Family Income presents Make money by being Green posted at Passive Family Income.

Beijing has been preparing for the Olympic games since December 13th 2001.

The Frugal Living Event

The Gold Medal goes to Karine with Frugality is Good for the Soul posted at The Art of Frugality. Spending less than you earn is definitely good for soul.

KCLau presents Frugal living doesn’t mean cheap posted at KCLau’s Money Tips.
Joseph presents How To Save Money On Cars posted at Penny Pinching.
Sarah Scrafford presents Online University Lowdown: 50 Simple Driving Techniques that Will Increase Your Gas Mileage posted at Online University Lowdown.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the Fiesta! If you are a blogger make sure you submit an article to the next edition. It’s being held at Living Almost Large.

Welcome to the second edition of the Finance Fiesta! If this is your first time here, please take a look around. If you like what you see consider subscribing to my feed.

This week’s theme is the Margarita! You can’t really have a fiesta without a few margaritas, right? So sit back, have a few drinks, and enjoy all the articles I’ve selected for you this week. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Before we begin let me teach you how to make a real Margarita. It’s not supposed to come from a bottle with an over dressed lady on the front.

2 oz white or silver tequila
1 1/3 oz of cointreau
2/3 oz lime juice

Prepare the glass by wetting the rim with lime juice and then dipping into some coarse salt. Mix ingredients in a shaker and shake with ice. Strain into glass. Garnish with lime wedge.

Ok, now that we have our drink… Lets get going.

Editor’s Picks

Niharika presents 101 Ways to Use Less Gas posted at EcoTrekker.
Jim presents Best Gasoline Cashback Credit Cards posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity.
Kevin presents More on the Good and Bad of Credit Cards posted at No Debt Plan.
Bill D presents 11 Ways to Become a More Successful Stock Trader posted at The Wealth Hunter.
Master Your Card presents Are Credit Card Rewards Really All That? posted at Master Your Card.
Dorian Wales presents The Relation between Age and Portfolio Risk – Counter Intuitive Results posted at The Personal Financier.
Livingalmostlarge presents Same Sex Rights? | LivingAlmostLarge posted at LivingAlmostLarge.
Penelope Pince presents Lottery Tickets: Worthy Investment or Waste of Money? posted at Our Fourpence Worth.

Credit Cards

My Money Adventure presents Surprising Statements from a Credit Card Salesman posted at My Money Adventure.
Ted presents College Student Credit Cards posted at CampusGrotto.
MBB presents Cash Back Reward Credit Cards posted at Money Blue Book: Personal Finance Blog.

Investing

Alvaro Fernandez presents Your Brain On Trading 101 posted at Cognitive Fitness blog.
The Shark Investor presents 10 Reasons Not To Trade Forex posted at The Shark Investor.
Aussie presents Australian Stock Market Basics posted at Australian Stock Market Investing.
Brice Hogan presents Creating A Stock Portfolio posted at Financialzip.com.
Marcus presents Investing In The Stock Market posted at Stock Market Investing For Beginners.
Emmitt Khamo presents Passive Income Ideas - Dividend Investing posted at Passive Income.
Steve Faber presents - Discount Online Stock Brokers - A Comparison posted at Debt Free.
KCLau presents Picking the right Structured Fund posted at KCLau’s Money Tips.

The Margarita was “Drink of the Month” in Esquire Magazine, December 1953. The recipe they featured was:

1 oz tequila
Dash of triple sec
Juice of 1/2 lime or lemon

Pour over crushed ice, stir. Rub the rim of a stem glass with lemon or lime, spin in salt - pour and sip.

Money Management

Mark Butler presents You Control the Money or The Money Controls You posted at The Butler Project.
Faron Benoit presents Compulsive Spending is the Biggest Behavioral Block Against Fugal Living posted at Financial Learn.
The Dividend Guy presents A Quality Dividend Portfolio Using 5 Investments posted at The Dividend Guy Blog.
Hilary Green presents Car Buying: 5 Ways To Shop Smart posted at Cars for Girls.
Joy Harrison presents Should I use a home equity loan to finance my new car? posted at Money Sense.
retirehappy presents Goal Saving Using Target Retirement Funds posted at My Retirement Blog.
Joe Manausa presents Frustrated Homeowners posted at Tallahassee Real Estate Blog.
Helen Anderson presents 5 Ways to Start Your Business With No Money! at Personal Finance Blog, Budgeting, Debt @ Bankaholic posted at Bankaholic.
James presents Payday Loan Tips and Tricks posted at Payday Loan Cheapskate.
Joe Caterisano presents how to save money using grocery coupons posted at Penny Pinching.
Dereck presents Want to be rich? Then shut up and listen posted at I Will Not Die.

The frozen Margarita machine was invented by Marino Martinez in 1971. Inspired by the 7-11 Slurpee machine and using an old soft serve ice cream dispenser he offered the frozen Margaritas in his Dallas restaurant. The original machine is now located in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Here’s how to make your own frozen Margarita.

3 oz white tequila
1 oz triple sec
2 oz lime juice
1 cup crushed ice

Rub lime on rim of glass and dip into salt. Pour tequila, triple sec, lime juice and ice into a blender. Blend well at high speed. Pour into cocktail glass. Garnish with lime wedge.

Saving and Budgeting

PT presents Saving Money IS Investing - So Act Like An Investor posted at Prime Time Money.
Dollar presents Making Money With Compounding posted at The Mighty Dollar.
Crystal Nichols presents Confessions of a former shopaholic posted at Living the Frugal Life.
Garret presents 7 Ways To Save Money On Your Fuel Bill posted at Personal Finance Basics.
Brian M Chin presents 4 Tips to Accumulating an Emergency Fund posted at beechin blog.

Debt Repayment

Olen presents Pay Off Your Mortgage - Fast! posted at Get Out Of Debt.
Big Larry presents Dealing with Debt Biblically posted at Holy Cash Cow.

Other

Emily Starbuck Gerson presents The identity theft and meth connection posted at Taking Charge.
Will presents Why You Need To Make A Living Will – How And Where To Get One posted at Your Finish Rich Plan - A Personal Finance Blog.
Michel Fortin presents Apply The Law of Contrast to Build Desire posted at The Michel Fortin Blog.
Praveen presents Why Are Mortgage Rates High? posted at My Simple Trading System.

Well, that’s everything. The next Finance Fiesta is being held on June 19th over at Our Fourpence Worth. Make sure to submit your articles!

Pic credits:
First pic: Zesmerelda
Second pic: WordRidden
Third pic: eHow

Normally, people take loans as the way to spend money through creditcard and also take leverage through mortgage for their homes.

I just wanted to let everyone know that I participated in The Carnival of Personal Finance again this week. It’s up and running so please go check it out!

I participated in two carnivals this week.

I also participated in the Carnival of Personal Finance over at Stock Trading To Go. I’m way down at the bottom… look for me!