Mighty Bargain Hunter

Welcome to this week’s Carnival of Personal Finance

Stumble it! Tip it! Facebook it! | 12/13/10

Welcome to this week’s Carnival of Personal Finance! We’re in the final stretch to the holidays.  A number of my picks for this week’s carnival deal with the holiday season.  Enjoy all of the posts!

MBH Picks!

• Good Financial Cents tells the story of how he got started as a financial planner.
• Credit Cards Canada asks what it would cost to put the twelve days of Christmas on your credit card.
• The Penny Hoarder gives a how-to on making money by shopping at drugstores.
• Magical Penny has something different in mind when he talks about diversification.
• Gen Y Wealth lists twenty financial milestones to reach in your twenties.
• The Saved Quarter has a great list of ten gifts that keep on saving.
• Life Lessons from a Military Wife has a great list of gifts from the heart instead of the wallet.

Budgeting

• The Financial Blogger has a guest post that shows (succintly) how to instantly increase motivation for sticking to a budget.
• Green Panda Treehouse chats about where our money goes.
• Live Real, Now suggests a pre-step to Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps.
• Passive Family Income lists three steps to setting up a budget.
• Mom’s Plan shows how to save money on groceries without coupons.
• It’s the envelope budgeting method with a slick interface and great training resources.  Check out Mvelopes Personal and give it a try for free!

Career

• Free Money Finance discusses one opinion of the biggest thing an MBA does for you.
• Darwin’s Money reports that looks matter in the workplace.  (Survival of the fittest, I guess.)
• Before You Invest explains how to start an eBay business.
• Boomer and Echo lays out the cost of starting a franchise.

Credit

• Studenomics goes through how credit card companies make money.
• Smart Balance Transfers lists three reasons not to get an airline credit card.
• CardHub explains how to get a higher credit limit.
• Credit Card Offers IQ has some Citi bonuses to report.
• The Digerati Life lists five prepaid Visa cards that require no credit check.
• Credit Card Forum gives ShopDiscover reward tips.
• Soldier of Finance marches through how to get free credit scores at CreditKarma.
• Ask Mr. Credit Card reports on the Mastercard DDoS attack.
• Miss Bankrupt explains the difference between prepaid cards and secured cards.
• Nerd Wallet compares Citi rewards cards.
• Discover More® Card – $100 Cash Bonus

Debt

• Consumer Boomer calls for responsible use of revolving credit this holiday season.
• Balance Junkie explains how to solve a debt problem.
• Sustainable Life Blog reports on a debt payoff decision.  Was it the student loan or the truck?
• Donna Freedman wishes everyone a debt-free Christmas.
• Tight budget for Christmas this year?  Make your dollars go further with Mr. Rebates!

Finance

• MomVesting explains the concept of net worth and offers words of advice if that number is below zero.
• PFStock talks about a website that lets you see how your income stacks up to other people in your ZIP code.
• Sustainable Personal Finance has a com-post.  (Garbage collection for nothing and your premium soil for free.)
• Sun’s Financial Diary discusses loans of last resort.

Frugality

• Living Richly On A Budget kicks that expensive caffeinated drink habit down to size and shows how to make your espressos at home.
• FruGal winterizes her beauty routine on a budget.
• Consumerism Commentary tackles the argument that frugality is bad for the economy.
• Sweating the Big Stuff advocates donating more to charity.
• Subscribe to Groupon’s Daily Deals!

Investing

• Commodities Universe gives a brief introduction to paper trading some futures contracts.
• Buy Like Buffett runs down some Christmas gifts that appreciate in value.
• Investing Thesis has a fairly lengthy interview on the topic of gold, bonds, fiat currencies and economics.
• Do Not Wait recommends not waiting to identify your sources of investing risk.
• The Dividend Guy recommends investing in yourself.  I agree 100%!
• The Intelligent Speculator lists no less than twenty things to consider when evaluating an exchange-traded fund.
• Dividends Value gives us a baker’s dozen of stocks with a good mix of yield and growth.
• Money Thinking chimes in with a history lesson on what happens when the stock market crashes.
• The College Investor explains different kinds of education saving accounts.
• Retire By 40 goes through his portfolio and explains his rebalancing.
• ETF Base makes the case for emerging markets exposure.
• The Smarter Wallet discusses modern portfolio theory.
• Chicago Financial Planner has a bit of a gripe with Vanguard.
• Dividend Growth Investor makes the case for dividend investing in retirement.
• Watson Inc wonders if he’s a financial hypocrite.

Money Management

• Net Worth Journey shares three lessons learned from hair transitioning and how they apply to money management.
• Generation X Finance lists five great year-end financial moves.
• Beating Broke expounds on financial intentionality.
• Provident Planning continues his series on stupid rules of thumb.
• Go Banking Rates warns that this winter could be costly.
• Musings of an Abstract Aucklander (!) chats about lifestyle creep.
• Prepaid Cards 123 discusses prepaid cards that offer online bill pay services.  Interesting way to keep on top of things if you’ve made mistakes before.
• Grumpy Rumblings of the Untenured (!) ask if paying a relative’s tuition is the right thing to do.
• Daily Financial Solutions explains the real cost of owning a car.
• Manage your money for free with Mint.com!

Real Estate

• Garbage Filter explains some common real estate terms helpful to those looking to buy a home.
• Yes, I Am Cheap predicted the mortgage fraud crisis.
• Mortgage rates are at multi-decade lows.  See if you could save money with a mortgage refinance!

Reviews

• Accumulating Money reviews a book on the stock market by Mariusz Skonieczny.
• PT Money reviews EBates.
• Investor Junkie reviews E*Trade.

Saving

• Fabulously Broke in the City breaks this little news:  Women who save are sexy.
• Money Help for Christians gives a brief introduction to the 403(b) retirement account.
• Cash Money Life explains how to cash in US Savings Bonds.
• Len Penzo blows the cover on six money-saving tips that are anything but.

Taxes

• Bargaineering ponders what would happen if the mortgage interest tax deduction didn’t exist.
• Spruce Up Your Finances discusses the ins and outs of itemized deductions.
• Personal Dividends makes the case for solo 401(k)s for the small business owner.
• One Money Design has a tax prep checklist.
• Get quick answers and speedy, professional, intuitive tax preparation with H&R Block At Home!

Other

• Prairie Eco-Thrifter reveals the key to happiness.  Well said.
• Wealth Pilgrim explains term life insurance.
• Budgeting In The Fun Stuff plays her top five songs about personal finance.
• Oblivious Investor investigates and discusses a different side of online bank recommendations.
• Financially Poor parades ten epic money pwns.  (Warning — this post is PG-13.)
• Dough Roller shines the spotlight on the American Red Cross.
• My Dollar Plan reports on some Amazon bonuses.
• Canadian Finance Blog describes some insurance you can do without.

That’s it!  Thanks for checking out the posts.  Have a safe and happy holiday!

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