That’s the way (uh-huh! uh-huh!) I like it: Best of Money Carnival
August 10th, 2009 | by mbhunter |I’ve hosted a number of blog carnivals over the years, and I really like the way FMF has set up the Best of Money Carnival. It’s been very enjoyable, and easy, to host this one. The Best of Money Carnival, as the name implies, highlights the best personal finance posts from the past two weeks in a top-ten-countdown fashion. This week, vis-a-vis KC & the Sunshine Band, I’ll introduce the posts, and tell you why I liked them.
Number 10: Confessions of an online poker player, posted by an anonymous professional poker player over at Budgets are Sexy.
Why I liked it: I had read this post before I knew it was submitted to the carnival, and it was fascinating reading. First, it’s a business that has to be learned. Second, it’s work, just like any other profession. Third, knowledge is power, just like everything else. “Poker is the hardest way to make an easy living,” J. Money of Budgets are Sexy wrote in his submission. Anyway, a neat read.
Number 9: Carnival of Debt Reduction: The Federal Debt and Deficit Problem Issue, posted over at Ask Mr. Credit Card.
Why I liked it: Seriously, it’s not for self-serving reasons – yes, I do manage the Carnival of Debt Reduction! – but beyond that it’s an involved post even without all of the debt reduction links. Lots of data for your perusal. (No, Mr. Credit Card, you weren’t hallucinating. It was a good post!)
Number 8: Can you benefit from energy efficient rebates? posted at Frugally Green.
Why I liked it: It’s a nice outline of which energy-efficient upgrades are eligible for the rebate. Though when somebody gives me something like a tax break I have to ask why, there’s little reason not to take it if it doesn’t make sense all around. The last paragraph of the post gets back to the real message though: “Even without the incentives being offered to us, we should carefully consider the cost savings and benefits that we can realize by purchasing more efficient products.”
Number 7: The Labors of Labor by Wench Wisdom.
Why I liked it: This post comes after the recent minimum wage increase in the United States, and calls people to action to improve their own lot rather than fight for higher minimum wages: “The answer to these maladies doesn’t lie in unionization, but rather a trip to the mirror—the fate of your continued employment and rate of pay depends on you …”
Number 6: How much money do you need to retire? by Redeeming Riches.
Why I liked it: The conversation at the beginning of the post is good. It reinforces the rest of the post. The main point: “The short answer to the question, ‘How much money do I need to retire?’ is ‘It depends’. Because every person and situation is different there are just no hard and fast rules to help determine what’s appropriate.”
Number 5: Searching for an inexpensive new couch by Two Pennies Earned.
Why I liked it: Straightforward, complete illustration of all the nooks and crannies they looked for their new couch, plain and simple. Lots of lessons learned!
Number 4: Have You Ever Had A DEBT FREE Christmas, And Will You Accept My Challenge? posted over at Enemy of Debt.
Why I liked it: Perfect timing on this post! Who knows how early retailers will start thinking about Christmas this year? This post beats the “Holiday Merchandising Season” to the punch. I also like the call to action distilled to a fill-in-the-blank checklist.
Number 3: Make money writing for Hubpages, posted by Christian Personal Finance.
Why I liked it: ChristianPF followed through on something I dabbled in a couple of years ago. Anyway, the tradeoff between writing, and maintaining, your own content and posting content to a ready-made audience is interesting. Seeing how the latter works was a bit different than I expected.
Number 2: My jobs, I get my dream job, posted by Free Money Finance.
Why I liked it: I’ve been blogging almost as long as FMF and I know for a fact how hard the guy works. He posts a lot and stays squarely on the pulse of personal finance. The frequent links to the mainstream articles are great, but his real gems have been his original posts. This is one of them.
Number 1: Faith-Based or Socially Responsible Investing – Delusions of Righteousness, posted by Provident Planning.
Why I liked this one the best: Socially-responsible investing is not immune to marketing. What makes marketing this kind of investment very touchy is that it needs to address people’s faith. This post takes a very clear stand on which common claims are reasonable and which aren’t. I’m not sure I agree with all of what he says, but I agree with some, and in any case Paul Williams sticks his neck out far enough to earn this week’s Best of the Best title.
Well, there you are! Thanks to everyone who submitted posts this week. I had lots of fun with this Carnival! Enjoy the rest of your week. If you enjoyed this post, I invite you to subscribe to my feed or follow me on Twitter. Peace!
(Photos: *Vintage Fairytale* and faeryboots)
5 Responses to “That’s the way (uh-huh! uh-huh!) I like it: Best of Money Carnival”
By Brad on Aug 10, 2009 | Reply
Thank you so much for including my article in the top ten!! Much appreciated!
By Paul Williams @ Provident Planning on Aug 10, 2009 | Reply
Thanks, MBH! I’m very excited to be at the top of the list!!! I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on the parts you didn’t agree with. I am still refining my thinking on the issue. Thanks again!!
By J. Money on Aug 10, 2009 | Reply
Glad you enjoyed the article my man! Appreciate the inclusion…here’s to a great week
By Pgarcia on Aug 10, 2009 | Reply
And to think that most of us think of Poker as just a game. Never thought it would require so much work.
In the blog post about the faith-based investing I think that it’s very valuable. I don’t know if I would do it just because of that but if it motivates others to invest, then it is good news. Besides, anything that gives people more options is always welcomed
By Jason @ Redeeming Riches on Aug 10, 2009 | Reply
Thanks for including my post! I appreciate it and I’m glad you enjoyed the conversation! =)