Finally Warm in Central New York, Carnival of Money Pros

Welcome to the first warm day here in Central New York, I mean the Carnival of Money Pros.

SB @ One Cent at a Time writes 15 Creative Ways to Earn Money Online From Home – People from around the world can cater to the global need for information and services, and, earn good money working from wherever they are. This article lists 15 very creative, legal and constructive ways of making money online from your home.

Glen Craig @ f writes First Comes a House, Then Marriage? – There’s a new trend where couples are buying a home or property before they get married. Is this wise? Are there benefits to this?

Glen @ Credit Card Smarts writes Credit Card Surcharges May Be At A Store Near You – Take a close look at the register when you make a credit card purchase. You may find some credit card surcharges added on.

Michelle @ Making Sense of Cents writes Should We Rent Our Home or Sell It? – Have you ever thought about buying a rental home and becoming a landlord? Maybe you are debating about whether you should sell your current house or rent it out, just like we are.

Lance @ Money Life and More writes How I Got a $520 Southwest Ticket for Free – Free airline tickets? YES PLEASE! Want to know how I did it? It really isn’t that complicated at all. The only bummer about the whole situation is that the ticket isn’t for a flight for me. I got the ticket so my brother could fly out to my upcoming wedding which is pretty awesome if you ask me.

Emily @ Evolving Personal Finance writes Pulling Back the Veil on Our Daily Money Management – I detail exactly how we manage our money throughout the month. We have joint finances and track using Mint but this post goes into much more of the minutiae for financial voyeurs.

Irfan @ Everything About Investment writes Money Saving tips for 2013 – According to Bureau of Economic Analysis, on an average, Americans save around 4 percent of their income. But some great savers manage to save more than that. Here are some money saving tips for 2013, go through these tips and find which you can apply and use them in your life and you’ll quickly find yourself saving some serious money.

Mike @ The Financial Blogger writes How You Can Help The World Out – Are you helping this planet out?

Green Panda @ Green Panda Treehouse writes What If You Suck at Your Summer Job? – What if the summer job isn’t right for you?

Pete @ Intelligent Speculator writes Time For A Fresh Look At Facebook – Some new thoughts on investing in Facebook.

Div Guy @ The Dividend Guy Blog writes Stock Squeeze! Look For All The Money You Can Invest in The Stock Market – I’m bullish for the rest of the year… and I’m actually going to make some trades in the near future…

Dividend Growth Investor @ Dividend Growth Investor writes How Warren Buffett made his fortune – While most investors are familiar with the story of Berkshire Hathaway, few seem to know how exactly Buffett made his first millions, that catapulted him to Berkshire Hathaway and the companies and stocks he owns through it.

Abbie @ Finance Junkie writes How To Reduce The Cost Of A Wedding – Planning a wedding can be a very stressful for most of us, especially when it comes to the cost- saving money on the day could help you better your honeymoon destination or even still you could start a Mr and Mrs savings account.

Mr. Frenzy @ Frenzied Finances writes The Advantages of DIY: Around The Home Projects To Save Money – Looking to save some money on fixing up your home? Why not do it yourself? It’s not too hard. Here are several DIY around the home projects for you to try.

Mel @ Mel’s Money writes Money Saving Tips For Decorating Your Home – Sometimes we get caught up with going all out on re-decorating our homes and it can be quite costly, let alone time consuming- try these tips for decorating, without having to spend too much!

Tushar @ Earn More and Save writes Don’t Be Afraid to Negotiate – I used to be shy and socially awkward. Every social interaction was better when it was over.

Ted Jenkin @ Your Smart Money Moves writes National 529 Day – Check out this 529 Day special edition of Your Smart Money Moves to find out how to save for your child’s college education on your personal finance budget!

Debt Guru @ Debt Free Blog writes Cash or Credit: How to Use Your Credit Card Less – It’s tempting to pay with credit that your credit card debt can spiral out of control before you know it. Don’t let it happen! Read these tips to avoid it.

BARBARA FRIEDBERG @ Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance writes WHAT HAPPENS WHEN FED EXITS FROM STIMULUS? – End of quantitative easing, raise interest rates. Will there be a stock market crash? What will happen to investments?

Lauren @ L Bee and the Money Tree writes I’ve just been robbed….and I’m not sure how to feel. – Still, there are psychological ramifications from being robbed, at least for me.

Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes Saving Cash and the Environment at the Same Time – You may think the extra steps to help the earth are a pain, but they can save you money too! Read for tips on the simple things you can do.

Jester @ The Ultimate Juggle writes Easy Ways to Improve Your Finances – Everyone wants more money or more peace of mind when it comes to money. Almost everyone, at least. While this may not be possible for everyone, there are a lot of practical steps that you can take to improve your financial situation that require very little time or energy.

Ray @ Squirrelers writes Stocks and Inflation: What is the True Equity Premium? – Stocks have done exceptionally well of late, particularly in a low inflation environment. Looking at previous decades, we can see that this isn’t always the case.

Tony @ We Only Do This Once writes The Road to Misery is Paved With Good Intentions – It wasn’t until I hit a financial and emotional low in my late 20’s that I began to see how my horrid money management skills were bankrupting me in more than one way.

Tushar @ Finance TUBE writes 3 Questions To Ask Yourself When It Comes To Splurging – Today I will be talking about 3 Questions To Ask Yourself When It Comes To Splurging. When it comes to buy a big ticket could be tempting to swipe the cards. Some things are more important than saving money. Yes this might also lead to financial problems.

TTMK @ Tie the Money Knot writes Increase in Breadwinner Moms: Is This Good or Bad? – Recent research shows that there has been an increase in homes with a breadwinner that’s a Mom. I think this is a positive development – what about you?

krantcents @ KrantCents writes Too Young to Retire! – Too young to retire and too old to get a job! There are many people in their forties and fifties that feel that way. They lost their jobs in the recession and cannot find another one. They already exhausted their unemployment and have given up.

Crystal @ Budgeting in the Fun Stuff writes We’re Taking Advantage of the CHEAP Cruise Prices!!! – Overall, Carnival just doesn’t have a good rep right now. So what have we done? We have booked a cruise on Carnival, of course.

Brent @ PersonalFinance-Tips writes 5 Things You should Do when Interest Rates are Low – Low interest rates sound exciting and attractive. Consumers can take advantage of those by getting cheaper loans. But what if you are an investor? It could be a challenging time especially when you aim to keep your money growing. Bank deposits may get worse at this time because those already assume much lower interest rates before prevailing rates dropped.

Walt@MyWealthDEsire @ My Wealth Desire writes How Jeff Bezos Builds the Biggest Online Store – The Truth of Amazon Success – One of the most successful online businesses of all time is Amazon store. Amazon was founded by Jeff Bezos and his wife Mackenzie in 1994 as an online book store. Presently, Bezos is living a rewarding life as a result of all the sacrifices and hard work he had done for the the success of their business – Amazon.

Daniel @ Sweating the Big Stuff writes I Want To Be An Extreme Couponer But Don’t Have The Patience – Being an extreme couponer sounds great because you can saving 75% or more on the things you need (and want), but it takes a lot of work!

MMD @ My Money Design writes My Affiliate Marketing Ideas for Targeting the Right Audience – As far as blogging revenue goes, the right execution of your affiliate marketing ideas can be a great source of passive income as long as you have a plan.

Hank @ Money Q&A writes Confessions of a Short Term Stock Trader with Swing Trading – I have a confession. I have been swing trading with a small part of my stock portfolio, buying and selling stock for only days for short term price moves.

Kevin @ Passiveincometoretire writes The New Retirement for Some – CNN.com delivers the latest breaking news and information on the latest top stories, weather, business, entertainment, politics, and more. For in-depth coverage, CNN.com provides special reports, video, audio, photo galleries, and interactive guides.

Robert @ My Multiple Incomes writes Saving to Start a Business – Starting a business is one of those landmark life events that people tend to reflect on in the years to come.

Robert @ The College Investor writes Should You Invest In Frontier Markets? – Do you want to invest in small economies that offer the potential for explosive growth? Consider putting part of your portfolio into frontier markets.

Corey @ 20s Finances writes Tricks I Used to Save Money in College – During my four years away in college I used a couple of tricks to save money and I am now passing them on to you.

Robert @ Entrepreneurship Life writes How To Be More Productive: Stop Wishing and Start Working – I want, I wish and I will are danger words. They are the words we use when we are thinking about doing work. If we are wishing, wanting or promising ourselves that we will, we have already been overtaken by procrastination.

Robert @ Kids Ain’t Cheap writes How to Save Money on Food – Other than housing, food is probably the second largest component in a family’s budget. With food prices only rising, it is important to save as much money as possible without compromising the integrity of your family’s healthy diet.

Robert @ Beat The 9 to 5 writes How a Bad Boss, Boredom, and a School Crush Led Me To Entrepreneurship – I’m always fascinated by stories about how people decided they wanted to become entrepreneurs. We always hear about the inspiring story, or the life changing event. But, in most cases, it was a series of events and circumstances that all connected together to put the right pieces in place.

Darwin @ Darwin’s Money writes 5 Reasons You Should NEVER, EVER Sell Your Pension – Many people are now selling their pensions for a one-time cash settlement. This is a HUGE mistake. See why.

Jacob @ AllPersonalFinance writes Want to get a good real estate deal? Listen to your agent’s advice – Whenever you enlist the help of an agent, you do that not only to get a list of homes according to your preferences. A real estate agent can be very helpful in guiding and educating you. Most often when an agent suggests an alternative, home buyers often dismiss the suggestion and go with their own choice. A few consider the advice carefully.

Corey @ Steadfast Finances writes Can you trust no medical exam life insurance? – When you apply for life insurance, there is usually quite a lot of paperwork to contend with. Along with the paperwork and the small print, you will often have to undergo a medical exam as well.

Suba @ Broke Professionals writes Would We Have Saved Money Renting? – Home ownership is supposed to be the American Dream, but it wasn’t for me. Here’s how much money we lost buying a house instead of renting one.

Minimalist @ Minimalist Finance writes Getting Rid of Bank Fees – Getting Rid of Bank Fees has been published on Minimalist FinanceOne of the worst wastes of money is banking fees. Nobody actually wants to spend money on banking fees, but unfortunately most think that they are stuck paying them. Some people pay upward of $20/month just to have a checking account.

Melissa @ Minting Nickels writes Stop Planning a Lump Sum Retirement – For those that are actually being proactive about saving for their retirement, many of them are following the “Lump Sum” plan, which means that they are basically contributing toward a 401(k) or 403(b) and have no other investment plans. Now is the time to diversify and find other retirement investments.

Evan @ My Journey to Millions writes June 2013 Net Worth Update – From May 2013 to June 2013 my net worth increased 2.34% Year to Date my net worth is still down 4.39%. I think next month is finally the month I get back to even year to date

Jason @ Live Real Now writes Horseback Riding Lessons – We’re looking at $5400 for a horse, gear, and boarding the first year. If we cancel the lessons, by spring we’d have $2000 of that saved and most of the rest can be bought over time. On the other hand, if we go that route, we’ll never save enough to buy the hobby farm we’re looking for. Decisions, decisions.

Amanda L Grossman @ Frugal Confessions writes House Rich and Cash Poor: How to Save Money on Your Home After the Closing – Are you house rich and cash poor, meaning you live in the home of your dreams but are mortgaged to your maximum budget allowance? Experts say that your housing expenses should be no more than 30% of your monthly budget.

MMD @ IRA vs 401k Central writes Roth IRA Basics and How They’re Different From a Traditional IRA – It helps to know your Traditional and Roth IRA basics. Although both are excellent tools, one of them is likely better suited to your individual needs.

Brock Kernin @ Clever Dude writes I Save Money by Spending A Lot On Groceries – I still look for specials and coupons, but groceries is one thing I don’t mind splurging on.

Ryan @ Cash Money Life writes 10 Apps for Saving Money on Groceries – Spending too much money at the grocery store? Try a few of these fantastic smartphone apps that will help you stick to your list and save money!

SFB @ Simple Finance Blog writes How to Build Credit for the First Time? – A major challenge faced by many today is building credit and in the absence of a credit history, one may find it hard to qualify for a credit card or any kind of loan.

Sam @ Simplefinancialfreedom writes Why There Should Be Inclusive Credit Scores – Every year thousands of Americans make mistakes that show up on their credit report.

Roger the Amateur Financier @ The Amateur Financier writes When Wills Aren’t Enough: Time for Trusts – A look at trusts, particularly Revocable Living Trusts, as a way to pass money to beneficiaries without having to go through probate processes.

A Blinkin @ Funancials writes How To Quickly Double Your Money – Using the Rule of 72 can help you estimate (1) how much money you’ll have in retirement and (2) what kind of returns you need to ensure a comfortable retirement. It can also be used as MOTIVATION to SAVE MONEY NOW (because you know you won’t save more later).

Crystal @ Married (with Debt) writes What Do You Do With Your Fun Money? – It’s something every financially independent couple should have: fun money. But are you really having fun with this extra cash? For me, the answer is no.

Mike @ Personal Finance Journey writes Will your circle of friends be your financial ball and chain? – Do your friends constantly challenge your financial plans? Are they holding you back? Should you surround with the successful people you you want to be like?

CAPI @ Creating a Passive Income writes Investing: How to Be More Conservative With Your Money – These days, investors should know the ways to handle their money. We’ll help. Here are some great tips on being conservative with your money as an investor.

Luke @ Learn Bonds writes The U.S. Bond Market May Be Much Different Than You Think It Is – A breakdown of the size of the US Bond Market by bond type, as well as a comparison of how big the bond market is to the stock market.

Jon Haver @ Pay My Student Loans writes Let the Military Help Fund Your Education – This is not a loan, but the money that is to be considered “earned” as base pay. The Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard each have their own unique set of service requirements, but Congress has given each service the right to pay up to 100 percent of tuition expenses for selected students enrolled in off-duty hours classes.

IMB @ Investing Money writes Why the Fed’s Money Printing Has Not Lead to Higher Inflation – Why is there a seeming contradiction-rapid money printing and low inflation? To find answers we must follow the money trail. Read here for more information!

Steven @ MyDividendStocks writes Earned, Passive Income And Your Portfolio – There are essentially three types of income passive, earned and portfolio. When filing your income tax at the end of the year each one of these types of incomes have different taxes. This is why it is important that you completely understand the difference between each one.

JC @ Passive-Income-Pursuit writes The Cost of a Loss – Just how bad is a loss when it comes to your investments and how long does it take to recoup?

PPlan @ Provident Plan writes No triple-dip hip hooray! – Anyone who doubts that local authorities are still wasting ratepayers’ money on incompetents in pointless jobs need look no further than Kent’s police.

Joe @ Midlife Finance writes Making Credit Cards Work For You – These innocent little slivers of plastic have gotten a bad rep. Not because they’re doing anything evil — but because some people have used them to get into serious debt.

Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes Budgeting Facts – I love crunching numbers, especially when it comes to working out my monthly budget. However, I learned how to make a budget through trial and error and I’m still working out the kinks. So when I came upon this infographic and read the fine print, I realized I’ve been doing it all wrong!

Penny Thots @ Penny Thots writes Would My Life Insurance Claim Be Denied If I Smoke and Have a Non-Smoking Policy? – Saying you’re a non-smoker just to get cheaper premiums is not a good idea. Your claim could be denied if you are found out, and you could be placed on an insurance register, naming you as a liar and making it very difficult to get insured in the future.

Tushar @ Start Investing Money writes What Should You Do if You Simply Cannot Save for the Future? – The focus of this blog is to start investing money: sinking it into one or more investments so you have a nest egg to fall back on in the future. However, all this relies on the fact you have at least some surplus cash to play with.

Kyle @ The Penny Hoarder writes Saving Money By Getting Healthy – Often when you hear about approaches to health and business the word ‘holistic’ is used with a fair amount of frequency. And while for some it may just be the buzzword-du-jour, it does actually have very powerful and far reaching benefits as a concept.

SBB @ Simple Budget Blog writes Budget & The Home: Budgeting Your Home Improvements – Looking to fix up your house a little? You might need to budget to make it work. Here’s how to budget the little and big things your house may need.

Kevin Watts @ Graduating From Debt writes Obama Student Loan Forgiveness – With the increasing concerns about student loan debts in the country, President Obama has introduced a plan that aims to help students who are incapable of completing their loan payments, as well as those who have paid a significant percentage of their loan balance for several years.

Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes Do You Have an Income Problem? Or a Cash Flow Problem? – As a freelance writer married to an adjunct professor, my household income is sometimes a little unpredictable. In many cases, it’s not about how much we have coming in; it’s more about when the money arrives and leaves.

Kevin @ 20smoney.com writes How Bad Credit Can Hurt in an Emergency – People often don’t realize the effect that their bad credit issues has until they are in dire need of money, and don’t have access to it because they maxed

Shannon Ryan @ The Heavy Purse writes The True Cost of College – Shannon breaks down the true cost of college and some of its hidden costs.

Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes Is a Security System Worth the Cost? – Statistically, you have a good chance of not getting your house broken into, so that begs the question (Is a security system worth the cost?)

Maria @ The Money Principle writes Five Ways to Save Money through Your Smart Phone – Smart phones can be pricey; but when used properly you can save money using them. In this article we set out five ways to save money with your smart phone.

MR @ Money Reasons writes My Personal Finance Pyramid Update – Lower (Upper Middle Class) – My Personal Finance Pyramid If you have read this blog in the past, you know that I created a visual chart to gauge my personal finance progress as I climb a wealth pyramid that I have created.

Investor Junkie @ Investor Junkie writes How to Plan for Retirement as a Self-Employed Entrepreneur – As an entrepreneur, you won’t have access to many of the benefits other workers take for granted, and retirement planning can be one of the biggest hurdles to clear.

Fiona Lee @ ReadyForZero Blog writes How to Deal with Unexpected Debt – Life can sometimes get in the way of even the best financial plans, which can lead to unplanned debt. This post talks about steps you can take to deal with unexpected debt.

Jacob @ Cash Cow Couple writes Starting a Blog That Matters – Here is my comprehensive guide to starting a blog that matters. If you’re going to do it, do it right!

Paul @ The Frugal Toad writes How to Access Retirement Funds Penalty Free – A common misunderstanding of individuals contemplating when to retire is that you can not access your retirement accounts until you are at least age 59 1/2. You may be surprised to learn that there are ways to withdraw funds from your retirement accounts before age 59 1/2 and avoid paying the 10% early withdrawal penalty.

Jon @ Novel Investor writes 5 Bad Investing Habits To Avoid – There are many do’s and don’ts with investing. Here are five bad investing habits all worth avoiding and a few that can quickly lose your money.

Anton Ivanov @ Dreams Cash True writes Portfolio Planning Basics – Determining Your Risk Tolerance – Determining your risk tolerance is an important step in the investment portfolio planning process. Simply put, your risk tolerance is a measure of how much investment risk you are willing to take on. It will directly dictate the types of assets appropriate for your portfolio.

Mr.CBB @ Canadian Budget Binder writes Free Plants And Easy Ways To Save Money On Gardening – The cost to landscape a home with beautiful plants can cost you big bucks in your budget.Over the years replacing plants can also cost money that you might be saving for retirement or future home renovations. Planning now to have a healthy garden using plants that work for you is an important first step. Find out ways to score Free plants and the easiest ways to save money on gardening for the frugal gardener in you.

Adam @ Money Bulldog writes The Biggest Companies in the World ~ Where did they begin? – The biggest companies in world all had to start somewhere. Find out where they began with this great infographic and we also talk about the attributes which led them to where they are today.

Adam @ Money Rebound writes Fun and Funky Ways to Make Extra Money – Most of us could use a little extra cash and work doesn’t always have to be boring. Take a look at these fun and funky ways to make some extra cash.

Charles Yeaman @ The Tortoise Banker writes 5 Lessons We’ve Learned From the Joneses – You see them. Across the street. At church. At dinner parties. Mr. and Mrs. Jones. Big diamond ring, brand new cars, huge house, high school kids both have BMWs. A part of you, if only for a moment gets the smallest feeling of envy before…ZAP! Your gut reminds you that the JONES family is probably living beyond their means, and may not have an ounce of savings to their name.

Philip @ PT Money writes The Real Reason You Need Umbrella Insurance – Do you have teenage kids, a pool, or hired workers on your property? There are many reasons anyone could benefit from umbrella insurance. Hank explains why and how you should be covered.

Anton Ivanov @ Dreams Cash True writes Portfolio Planning Basics – Determining Your Risk Toleranc – Accidentally submitted a wrong URL earlier… Description: Determining your risk tolerance is an important step in the investment portfolio planning process. Simply put, your risk tolerance is a measure of how much investment risk you are willing to take on. It will directly dictate the types of assets appropriate for your portfolio.

Glen Craig @ Free From Broke writes How Can I Pay Off My Student Loan Faster? 3 Programs to Help – Students are racking up historic student loan debt to graduate. Here are 3 programs to help pay off student loans faster.

Jason Hull @ Hull Financial Planning writes Six Areas Where I Disagree with Dave Ramsey’s Investing and Retirement Withdrawal Advice – Dave Ramsey claims, for educational purposes, that you can earn 12% average returns per year and withdraw 8% per year in retirement. This article explains how both the math and the psychology of these assertions are incorrect.

Khaleef Crumbley @ Fat Guy, Skinny Wallet writes Paid Off Car Loan: We Are Making Progress In Our Battle Against Debt! – We paid off our car loan recently! Of course, there was drama associated with it, but it is taken care of now. Find out what’s next for us financially.

Khaleef Crumbley @ Faithful With A Few writes Is Your College – or Your Degree – Worth the Money? – Is A College Degree Worth It? This is something that everyone considering higher education must answer. Here are some points to consider before making your decision.

Emily @ Evolving Personal Finance writes Early Retirement Isn’t for Us – Eight reasons why my husband and I are NOT currently pursuing early retirement or financial independence.