Carnival of Financial Planning: Friday the 13th Edition

BUDGETING AND ECONOMICS

Alexis @ FITnancials writes Save Money on Food AND Eat Healthy – I’m on a budget, and a kind of strict one as well. Since I am on a budget, I am always looking for ways to save money on food. Some people spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on each person in their family on food. Some families have food budgets in the thousands each month, which amazes me!

Matt @ Budget Snob writes Easy Ways to Start Saving – Today we live world where being a big spender is a symbol of status and is seen as positive, but saving money and frugality were once considered great virtues.

Justin @ Digit Fox writes Renting Versus Owning – Have you ever noticed how renting seems to carry some negative stigma with it? People are all in favor of going into debt to own an asset, but should you temporarily borrow said asset all of a sudden it becomes the worst financial move you can make.

Jack @ Money Saving Ethics writes What Can Financial Planners Do For You? – One subject that, unfortunately, is not taught in high school is the subject of financial planning. The simple fact is that everyone, no matter who they are, will have to deal with finances and financial planning as adults.

Daniel @ SweatingTheBigStuff.com writes When You Should Pay Bills Manually – I have automated just about everything, but there are a few times I still pay bills manually. There are only two reasons not to automate bills.

Ted Jenkin @ Your Smart Money Moves writes You Are A Sole Proprietor: How About A Solo 401(k) – I am seeing more and more people quit the corporate America lifestyle and venture into becoming their own business owner.

Jacob @ Cash Cow Couple writes How to Lower Your Electric Bill to Zero – Tired of $300 electric bills? Come check out our advice on how to lower your electric bill to under $50 per month.

Nick @ A Young Pro writes Which Budgeting System is Right for You – Do you hate the “B” word? I used to hate budgeting too and I learned to use a budgeting system. Now my budget is a breeze.

 

CAREER AND INCOME

Adam @ Money Bulldog writes Would Taking on a Second Job Suit You? – Many people have at some time in their life considered a second job, but would a second job suit you?

krantcents @ KrantCents writes 25 Odd Jobs that Make Good Money – Ever wondered how people end up in most unusual jobs? The reasons for taking up odd jobs could be many, such as making quick money, realizing passion or yearning to do something new and different. Sometimes these seemingly odd endeavors turn out to be great platforms for building personally rewarding professions.

Buck @ Buck Inspire writes Workplace Productivity In America – Due to Baby Buck’s ever changing sleep patterns, my energy levels have been all over the map. I’ve been compensating by taking quick power naps during my lunch break. Take a look at workplace productivity and another way to deal with low energy.

Corey @ 20s Finances writes Tips for Landing a Job Through Craigslist – Learn three practical steps to help you get a job through craigslist. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to stand out from others.

Roger the Amateur Financier @ The Amateur Financier writes 13 Ways to Control Your Student Debt – With fall upon us, it’s time for the leaves to start changing, the air to start getting brisker, and of course, the students to return to the colleges.

DEBT AND CREDIT

Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes The Light at the End of the Financial Tunnel – Hitting a financial wall? Stuck and don’t know what to do? Read here for some great advice to find the way through your financial troubles.

David @ Financial Nerd writes Lending Money To Friends – I made this terrible mistake a few months ago of lending money to my friend. It has not turned out well

INVESTING AND SAVING

Anton Ivanov @ Dreams Cash True writes 5 Reasons You Will Never Reach Financial Freedom – The vast majority of people will never reach financial freedom. Is one of these 5 reasons going to stop you from becoming financially free?

Kyle @ The Penny Hoarder writes The 4 Best Lottery Winner Stories – Whether you go to the gas station or convenience store and pick up your lottery ticket or instead frequent a site like William Hill 49s, you likely play the lottery because you dream of winning it big.

Luke @ Learn Bonds writes 6 Things to Like About Treasuries – I am frequently amazed by the plethora of financial pundits that will openly admit they can’t think of any reasons why investors should own Treasuries.

Daisy @ Suburban Finance writes Saving Money On Food – This article will describe how to save money on food and in the grocery store to ensure that you are saving as much as possible and eating on the cheap.

Tony @ We Only Do This Once writes Downsizing Within Your Home – After our wonderful 7 weeks in Vermont this summer, our family returned to Jersey and instinctively began to get rid of stuff yet again. We have spent the past 2 years seriously decluttering, yet somehow there was even more to do. After almost two months in a small cottage with mostly only necessities, the exercise seemed pretty fluid this time around.

Bargain Babe @ BargainBabe.com writes Save Money On Groceries: Stop Buying These Foods – Save money on groceries by never buying these 25 foods again. You’ll be surprised how much money you can save!

Michelle @ The Shop My Closet Project writes Using up my stuff, and debt pay off updates! – Ok, I’m going to admit that I’m beginning to be a little alarmed by how much product I apparently have. Several months ago I decided not only to stop shopping for clothing items, but to use up the product that I have. I’m looking forward to picking up the pace on my debt repayment during the cold weather months.

Jester @ The Ultimate Juggle writes Your children and technology: how much is too much? – All good things come in small packages. In other words, best to keep everything in moderation than indulge ourselves silly on the things that we like. It doesn’t matter whether you are talking about food, clothes, cars or the latest computer games.

IMB @ Investing Money writes Getting Technical – Investing in the markets can be a challenge, but we can make it easier. Read here for tips on investing and how to invest in the markets today.

Monica @ Monica on Money writes 7 Things I Refuse to Give Up to Save More Money – I love saving money (who doesn’t) and some would even say I’m cheap! So I recently started looking for ways to save money on everything, but there are 7 things I refuse to give up to save more money.

DW @ Great Passive Income Ideas writes What Are Some Good Online Residual Income Opportunities? – The Internet has got some great online residual income opportunities that will help you earn that extra cash you need. Here are a few tips you can try.

Matt Becker @ Mom and Dad Money writes The Peer-to-Peer Lending Numbers They Don’t Want You to See – I see a lot of glowing reviews of peer-to-peer lending extolling the high short-term returns earned by the people singing its virtues. These reported returns have always seemed a little fishy to me, so I decided to dig a little deeper. Today, I want to share some of the results I found that the peer-to-peer lending marketers hope you never see.

REAL ESTATE AND PROPERTY

SBB @ Simple Budget Blog writes Meeting the Mouse: Budgeting a Trip to a Disney Park – Going on a Disney vacation? Great! Time to budget. Read for the budget categories you need to fill up in order to head out to one of the Disney parks.

Cat Alford @ Budget Blonde writes Reevaluating My Student Loan Plan – I’ve been taking some time to reevaluate my student loan plan. There are a few reasons why. Here are a few of them.

FI Pilgrim @ FI Journey writes Imagine The Freedom Of Owning A House With No Mortgage – What would your life be like if you owned your home free and clear? How would having a house with no mortgage payment every month free your money up?

RETIREMENT AND TAXATION

MR @ Money Reasons writes Last Quarter Cash Flow Changes – Time to make some cash flow changes for the rest of the year as I come to the realization that my numbers don’t make sense. See how I adjusted my financial planning model accordingly.

Adam @ Money Rebound writes Could You Afford to Retire Early? – Taking early retirement is a dream for many people in full time work. So can you afford to retire early or will it remain just that, a dream?

Crystal @ Budgeting in the Fun Stuff writes Staying on a Budget in High Cost of Living Areas – Unlike my buddy Crystal in Texas, I left the area right after college for grad school in Pittsburgh. At the time, I thought that was outrageously expensive but DC is worse. It’s hard to keep a budget for me here, read why.