Yakezie Carnival

The Yakezie Carnival is brought to you to by the network of personal finance bloggers of the Yakezie. You can submit articles at Blogger Carnivals.

Shilpan @ Street Smart Finance writes How to Use Your Credit Cards Wisely for Holiday Shopping – The year is winding down, and we are now in the midst of this year’s holiday shopping season. While we are still in the throes of the global economic recession, you and millions of other people will venture out to crowded department stores, malls, and boutiques in search of the perfect gifts for their friends and family.

Lance @ Money Life and More writes Use Credit Card Rewards to Pay for Christmas! – The holidays can be a very expensive time of year depending on your gift giving tendencies and how much you celebrate the holiday festivities. Luckily I’m going to share a unique way to pay for your Christmas this year that is a bit out of the box.

James Petzke @ This Is Common Cents writes Oh Drat, My Computer is “Outdated” – Keeping up with technology used to cost me over a thousand dollars per year.

Jacob @ My Personal Finance Journey @ My Personal Finance Journey writes When Renting is Better than Owning a Home – There are some points in life where renting a home is better than owning a home. This post explores the various situations in life where this is true.

Glen Craig @ Free From Broke writes 3 Ways to Have a Less Commercialized Holiday Season – You don’t have to be trapped by the commercialism that surrounds us around the holidays. Take a look at these three ways you can have a less commercialized holiday season.

Robert @ Kids Ain’t Cheap writes Does Insurance Cover Infertility Treatments and IVF? – Some types of infertility treatments are covered by insurance. This can be a huge benefit to an otherwise dreary situation.

Michael @ Financial Ramblings writes Interest Rates and Unemployment – Well, at least we now have an idea when we can expect interest rates to start to rise…

Kyle James @ Rather-Be-Shopping.com writes My Best Personal Finance Tip of 2012 – Make your savings automatic for the people.

Jen @ Master the Art of Saving writes How Living in a Small Town Affects Our Finances – I knew moving from a large city (population of 165,000) to a small town (population of 5,500) would have some sort of effect on our finances…I just wasn’t….

Tushar @ Start Investing Money writes What are the Best Oil Mutual Funds? – Why buy oil stocks when you can but a plethora of oil companies? Read my take on the best oil mutual funds.

Corey @ 20s Finances writes Saying Goodbye to Your First Credit Card (the balance, anyways) – Maybe it’s time for you to consider thinking about saying goodbye to your first credit card. Find out how it might affect you.

Tushar @ Earn More and Save writes Unconventional Investment Series: Investing in Wine – Unconventional Investment Series: Investing in Wine

Hank @ Money Q&A writes Legitimate Ways To Make Money At Home – Many people are always looking for legitimate ways to make money at home. As a result, there are a lot of scams out there that prey on people. Here are some great ways to legitimate ways to make money at home.

Rod @ ROD Blog writes Review of Chase Ink Plus Business Card – Chase Ink Plus business card is offering a $500 sign up bonus. Is it worth signing up for this card? What are the benefits, problems and the reward structure?

A Blinkin @ Funancials writes What Causes Inflation? – Most of us consider inflation to be a general rise in prices. While this is a valid observation, the rise in prices is actually the effect. Higher prices don’t cause inflation. An increase in the money supply causes inflation.

Kanwal @ Simply Investing writes Should You Buy Low and Sell High or Buy Low and Hold? – A reader asked: “When you buy dividend paying stocks do you usually hang on for ever or are you buying and selling stocks every few years.

PPlan @ Provident Plan writes How to Improve Your Finances – As the Holiday season approaches, many families are left wondering where all of their money went.

Roger the Amateur Financier @ The Amateur Financier writes Four Financial Changes For When You Have a Baby – If you’re a regular reader, you’re probably well aware that there is a baby about to enter my life.

Your Boss @ What Your Boss Really Thinks writes Ask Your Boss: When a Boss Doesn’t Deal With an Office Bully – “I am in a unique position. I am an onsite vendor working for a client. The job is going pretty well except for one thing: One of the members on our small team is very difficult to work with.

BARBARA FRIEDBERG @ Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance writes AUTO INSURANCE 101 – Learn auto insurance basics; dedictibles, premiums, coverages and what it all means. Tips for cheap autoo insurance.

Ted Jenkin @ Your Smart Money Moves writes Can We Just Skip Gift Cards This Christmas? – I haven’t done any of my holiday shopping at this point, but I’m going to declare a new theory of relative proportion at Your Smart Money Moves today.

Jessica @ Mo’ Money Mo’ Houses writes Tips & Tricks to Saving Mo’ Money When Online Shopping – I love online shopping, and it’s not just because I can shop in my pjs. The deals are unreal, that is if you use some of these handy tips and tricks to save major bucks.

Eddie @ Finance Fox writes Some Marry The Wrong Person Knowingly – Marriage is one of those subjects that requires certainty, and not a lot of potential. Despite this, some marry the wrong person knowingly.

Evan @ My Journey to Millions writes December 2012 Dividend Champion Watchlist Update – Every few months I like to update the watch list for my Dividend Investment Portfolio (last update was in October of 2012). As explained in great detail below, I apply various metrics to the Dividend Champion List (defined below) to weed through the list to create a watchlist that I’ll buy lots of over the next few months.

Mr. Money @ Smart on Money writes How to Avoid Paying 3 Common Fees – No one likes to pay extra money. However, there are a number of fees that you end up paying as you go through life. Indeed, it seems as though there are always new fees cropping up everywhere you turn, whether it’s an increase in ATM fees, or whether you discover that you can no longer check even one bag for free when you fly.

Daniel @ Sweating the Big Stuff writes Planning To Donate To Charity? Do It Before The IRS Deadline – Thinking of donating a little more to charity this year and hoping to get the tax deduction you’re owed? Make sure you’re aware of these IRS deadlines.

Jester @ The Ultimate Juggle writes Things to Do After Getting Married – In the past year, I’ve attended four different weddings. It was a busy and exciting year, yet as I reflect back on those union celebrations, I can’t help but think back to what my wife and I have done after saying, “I do.&

IMB @ Investing Money writes Understanding a Roth IRA and its Advantages – A Roth IRA is a nice investment vehicle to use for retirement planning. Find out more about it.

Kyle @ The Penny Hoarder writes How to Make Money Sharing Your Christmas List – Modern technology has made our time the age of the Penny Hoarder. Only ten years ago, companies paid large chunks of change to one massive advertising agency to get the word out on products and build a brand.

Invest It Wisely @ Invest It Wisely writes How to Host a Christmas Party on a Budget – We usually host the annual family reunion in our home so we learned how keep control on spending while still enjoying it.

Jennifer Lynn @ Broke-Ass Mommy writes The Vagaries of Life – Soo my darlings, how do you strive to balance it all? Any particular coping mechanisms to slash through all of the objectives etched into your daily agenda?

Aloysa @ My Broken Coin writes Love Skiing But Hate Spending? Go Nordic. – Utah. Dry summers. Cold winters. Snowy mountains. Expensive ski resorts. Utahns love their snow so much that they claim to have “The Best Snow on Earth.” I can argue with this statement. To say something like this means you are way too arrogant to my liking.

Ashley @ Money Talks Coaching writes Hospital Stay – Last week I wrote about how my husband was changing companies and that the new company has expensive health insurance.

Jon Rhodes @ Affiliate Marketing Help writes How To Get A Guest Post Published – This article shows the unique perspective of a guest post publisher. It highlights the thought processes of how he decides whether to accept or reject a guest post. This can really help increase your chances of getting a guest post published.

Sustainable PF @ Sustainable Personal Finance writes How to Shop for Eco-friendly Appliances – New eco-friendly appliances, especially the big ones such as refrigerators and washing machines, are a serious commitment for homeowners.

CAPI @ Creating a Passive Income writes Passive Income: Let Someone Else Pay Your Mortgage – Learn how you can have someone else pay your mortgage for you! You can generate passive income through real estate.

Amanda L Grossman @ Frugal Confessions writes Options to Deal with Buyer’s Remorse – Have you ever had buyer’s remorse? I like to live my life with no regrets—I am a true believer that every moment, both good and bad, has been integral to

Crystal @ Budgeting in the Fun Stuff writes Adventures in Landlording – So Far, So Good – It’s been a while since I talked about our rental income. Here is our most recent updates on our adventures in landlording.

Ryan @ Early Retirement Investments writes Protect Your Business and Employees from Fire – How to protect your business and employees from fire. Read what I thinking!

SBB @ Simple Budget Blog writes Optimizing Your Return on Savings (and Keeping it Simple) – Everyone wants to earn more money with the money that they already have. As a basic rule, investors want high returns in order to grow their wealth faster and easier. If earning more money were as easy as merely desiring it, everyone in the world would be a rich person. Instead, it is often quite difficult. It’s hard to predict when a company may go under.

Bryan @ Gajizmo.com writes Largest Mutual Fund Companies By Assets – In previous years, mutual funds have seen huge outflows in net assets. In 2012, due to more stability in the stock market and solid returns, mutual funds have began to see growth in their assets under management. Investors can learn about the advantages of mutual fund companies and find the largest ones by assets managed.

MMD @ My Money Design writes Should I Pay Off My Mortgage Early or Look for a Better Return? – Should I pay off my mortgage early or look for other opportunities with a better rate of return? What about inflation or other investment goals?

Jason @ Work Save Live writes 6 Ways to Involve Your Children in Giving This Holiday Season – Children are born with giving hearts, and if they are taught at a young age that giving should be a part of their lives, they do so naturally and compassionately. Here are 6 ideas to get your children involved in giving this holiday season.

harry campbell @ Your Personal Finance Pro writes How Much Money Would it Take to Leave a Great Life? – When I graduated college four years ago, I faced a tough job market with very few prospects. I had a couple interviews but I was only offered one position as a navigation/systems engineer in Palmdale, CA. Even though it was my only offer at the time, it was still a tough decision. I debated about taking the job because I had lived in SoCal all my life(never more than 10 minutes from the beach) and I can assure you that Palmdale was/is no Southern Cali! I really wanted to turn down the offer b

TDB @ Tax Deduction Blog writes How to Make Penalty-free Early Withdrawals from your IRA and 401(k) – Here are some ways in which you can get money (early withdrawal) from your 401(k) or your IRA before maturity and not incur any penalty.

SFB @ Simple Finance Blog writes Variable Annuities and 401(k) Plan Combo: More Losses than Gains – Over the years, variable annuities have gained popularity. The reason, perhaps, is partly because it is marketed more aggressively by many financial institutions these days.

Tushar @ Finance TUBE writes 4 Frugal Gift Ideas for Acquaintances – Today we will be talking about 4 Frugal Gift Ideas for Acquaintances and service providers. With the holiday upon it can be a challenge upon us to know what can be appropriate to gift to the people to help us all along.

My Wealth Desire @ My Wealth Desire writes 5 Steps to Pay Off Credit Card – Two years ago, I had 4 credit cards with substantial amount of debt in each credit card. Then finally one time I decided to reduce my credit cards to one. I became aware at that time that if I have a bulk debt from my credit cards it will be very hard for me to control and attain my financial freedom.

Luke @ Learn Bonds writes Help Your Children Buy a House Without Getting Into Trouble With the Taxman – Thinking about lending money to family to buy a house? How you structure the loan has a lot of tax consequences. Get the answers you need here.

Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes How to Improve Your Budget – Everyone who has been budgeting for a while knows that the perfect technique with budgeting isn’t developed over night. It’s more of a process than people often like to admit. Sure, budgeting may sound simple when we talk about it, but it’s much more complex. It’s not merely a step 1, step 2, and step 3.

Andrea @ Modest Money writes 7 Ways to Lose Money with Last-Minute Gift Shopping – Last minute Christmas shopping is never fun, but on top of that you might be losing money by proscrastinating. Learn how.

Passive Income Earner @ The Passive Income Earner writes TFSA Explained – Find everything you need to know about the Tax Free Savings Account or TFSA

MR @ Money Reasons writes Financial Year End Strategy – Have you started your financial year end strategy yet? I have and I explain why this is the perfect time to do so!

Corey @ Steadfast Finances writes Which Accounting Method Should You Use for Your Small Business – The end of the year is coming up and my wife has a big accounting decision to make. This year, my wife started a music studio. Since it’s her first year of operation, she has to pick an accounting method to properly report the taxes owed from the business. Perhaps you’ve never given your choices much thought.

krantcents @ KrantCents writes What Is a Progress Report and Why Is It Important? – A progress report is a report of work accomplished during a specific time period. Simple enough, but how often do you reflect on your progress? Although I monitor my progress and adjust my efforts often, I very rarely prepare a report. Just recording your progress is not enough to accomplish your goals either.

Teacher Man @ My University Money writes Last Minute Gift Ideas – A Financial Education – So you’re down to the nitty gritty for Christmas gifts yet again. Last year you promised yourself it would never come to this again. No more last second stressful dashes to the mall to fight crowds of other anxiety-ridden zombies. Yet somehow December just flew by again this year…

The Happy Homeowner @ The Happy Homeowner writes $1400+ of Travel for $520 – Would you love to travel but aren’t sure how the cost of a vacation can fit into your budget? In this post I highlight my most recent money-saving travel deals and how you can take a vacation that won’t bust your budget!

Wealth Effect Blogger @ www.YourWealthEffect.com writes Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs and Enticing Yields – When you’re hungry, the smell of bacon wrapped hot dogs cooking on the grill is almost irresistible much like the appeal of enticing yields for those hungry for income.

Jason @ Live Real Now writes Dreams – It’s hard to raise a family on a stablehand’s income. My wife’s alternative was to own horses. This comes with a different set of problems.

Beating Broke @ Beating Broke writes Mortgage Insurance: Annoyance or Helper? – Is mortgage insurance an annoyance or a helper? I think it’s a little bit of both. It’ll mean that you don’t get the mortgage paid off as quickly as well since you’ll not only start with a larger loan, but have a chunk of your monthly payment siphoned off. It also helps in that it does help you get a loan with a lower down payment because it assures the lender that the mortgage will be made good should you default.

Michelle @ The Shop My Closet Project writes Fourteen days to go till payday – 14 days until payday is a long time, but at least I’m half way there! Read my take on this payment arrangement!

Jon the Saver @ Free Money Wisdom writes Buying Life Insurance For Your Kids – Buying life insurance for your kids is an important and very mature choice to make. While it’s another expenses, you can rest easy that your family will be fine.

Suba @ Broke Professionals writes I’ve Forgotten How To Buy Christmas Gifts For My Husband – After years of no-gift Christmases and going Christmas shopping for myself, I’ve forgotten how to buy gifts for my husband without him finding out.

Ray @ Squirrelers writes Why Do People Blame Presidents For Their Money Problems? – When things go well, many people like to take credit for their success. When things go wrong, blame is often assigned. One of the people that some folks blame is whoever happens to be president at the time, and this post explores the strangeness of this concept

TTMK @ Tie the Money Knot writes Eliminate Mortgage Debt as Quickly as Possible – Some folks consider mortgage debt to be different than other debt, in that it’s okay to carry it for years – even decades. While I’ve been a part of this too, I have to ask: shouldn’t we eliminate it as quickly as possible?

DPF @ Digital Personal Finance writes 12 Tips on Using Linkedin to Help Grow Your Career – Making good use Linkedin can be a good way to help your career, as in some fields it can be almost expected to be on it in some form. Here are 12 tips to get the most of it.

Maria @ The Money Principle writes Watch your money this festive period – Many people use Christmas as an occasion when they ‘let their hair down’ and spend without cpntrol or responsibility. Don’t forget to watch your money.

Veronica Hill @ Pelican on Money writes Sometimes It’s Better to Pay Up – You’re being charged a late fee and your outstanding bill is going into collections. Do you spend several days arguing the mistake someone in charge of your bill has made, or pay up the late fee and entire balance due? Sometimes it’s just easier to pay it and forget it.

Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes Does Money Grow on Trees? – You hear it all of the time: money doesn’t grow on trees! Growing up, I heard my Mom use that phrase or a similar one to me multiple times.

Justin @ Young And Thrifty writes 7 Well Paying Jobs that Don’t Require a University Degree – If you are thinking about making a career change, or spooked by the cost of a university education for yourself or your child, there are well-paying jobs that don’t require university degree.

FMF @ Free Money Finance writes Stacking Multiple Discounts to Rack Up Big Savings – A few weeks ago I noted how I save while shopping at outlet malls. The key: stacking multiple offers on top of each other to get substantial discounts. Well, our family recently had a big success doing this on a much larger scale and thought I’d share the details.

Girl Meets Debt @ Girl Meets Debt writes Have Yourself a Very Merry and Not So Expensive Christmas – This holiday season, I have been surprisingly really good and resisted many spending temptations. I am going to share with you some tried and true tips I used to save money this year:

Holly @ Club Thrifty writes Confessions of a Cheap-Ass Santa – I admit it. I am a cheap-ass Santa. Yet, I don’t let it bother me. In fact, here are a few confessions of ways I’ve saved money on gifts this Christmas.

Buck Inspire @ Buck Inspire writes Meet My New Virtual Assistant, Siri! – Since time is so hard to come by these days, I needed help making phone calls, looking up directions, and most importantly, creating content. Fortunately for me, my new virtual assistant lives in my smartphone!

John S @ Frugal Rules writes First Steps to Investing in the Stock Market – Just starting to invest in the stock market can be a daunting task for many. But, with a few simple guidelines you can get started on the road to investing for your future.

Dividend Growth Investor @ Dividend Growth Investor writes Dividend Stocks I Purchased Over the Past Two Months – As I mentioned in my dividend retirement plan, I am an investor in the accumulation phase. I typically purchase somewhere between one to three investments each month.

Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes How to Remain Inspired – I’m a big believer of staying motivated by doing something that inspires you on a regular basis. Here are my suggestions to maintain inspiration:

Matt @ Living in Financial Excellence writes Living Beyond Rich: You Gotta Read This Book! – Living Beyond Rich isn’t just financial advice. It’s a personal story, full of heartfelt emotion and passion. It’s the true story of how one normal, everyday family got rid of $150,000 of consumer debt in a REALLY short period of time. Jen McDonough bares it all in the book, sharing her family’s most intimate financial details for the world to read – so that the world may learn from their mistakes and experiences.

Everything Finance @ Everything Finance Blog writes Start the New Year Right–Declutter and Make Money Selling Books & Electronics – If you would like to start the new year with some extra cash and an organized, de-cluttered home, why not sell or trade in some of your clutter old valuables.

Cash Flow Mantra @ Cash Flow Mantra writes The Check Is In the Mail – I am actually pleased to be saying, “The check is in the mail.” That’s because I am the one sending the check. And the recipient is the IRS.

PK @ Don’t Quit Your Day Job… writes Is Social Security a Good Investment? – Social Security, when stacked up against the possibilities of a private account, comes no where close to the returns that could be possible. Would you opt out, given the chance?

Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes A Mason Jar Jubilee – Okay, so I’m officially obsessed with Mason Jars and I blame Pinterest. The ideas I’ve found on Pinterest range from holiday gifts like cookie recipes and meals in a jar to soap dispensers, lanterns and chandeliers to name just a few ways to use these wonderful objects creatively.

Steve @ Grocery Alerts writes Would you pay for a $7 cup of coffee from Starbucks? – Has anyone tried the new Costa Rica Finca Palmilera coffee from Starbucks? I did and it was the most expensive coffee I ever drank at $7 for a Grande.

Andrew @ 101 Centavos writes Delta Airlines and the March of Folly – Corporations are not unknown for making dumb decisions and stupid moves. Some are patently obvious on their face, like the Netflix/Qwikster fiasco, some are revealed as idiotic only in retrospect (such as Decca Records deciding NOT to sign up the Beatles). Still other boneheaded moves just leave some of the outside watchers shaking their head, softly muttering under their breath, “They’ll be soooorry”

Bob @ ChristianPF writes 9 Homemade Christmas Presents That Might Actually Get Used – Let’s be honest, we have all received some homemade Christmas gifts that never saw the light of day again – sometimes they are well intentioned and so we might not care that our peppermint-scented ruler holder won’t get too much use…

Philip @ PT Money Personal Finance writes Hot New Toys for Christmas 2012 – What toys top the list as the “most wanted” this year? How do they stack up to the most wanted toys in the past 2 years? Here’s everything you need to know.

Michelle @ See Debt Run writes The Angel On My Shoulder – It’s 3 in the morning and I have an angel on my shoulder. She shows me a better way to live. She doesn’t hate those that look different or have differing views.

Emily @ Evolving Personal Finance writes Blog Statistics Update November – December 2012 – Our site statistics for the last month – we saw a good amount of growth!

Glen Craig @ Free From Broke writes PerkStreet – Free Online Checking, Cash Back Rewards and More – Review – PerkStreet Financial offers a free online checking account with cash back rewards when you use their debit card to make purchases and more. Here is my review.

Shaun @ Money Cactus writes How Wealthy People Make Money – Many of us feel that financial wealth is unattainable due to our circumstance or profession, but my feeling is that it can be attainable for many people however, it generally involves some level of risk.

Grayson @ Debt Roundup writes Where Does The Money Go When Raising A Child – When having a child, it can be easy to just let the money fly out the window, but where is it going. This great infographic compares how much it cost in 1960 versus 2011. The numbers will make you think!

Edward Antrobus @ Edward Antrobus writes We Got Outta Debt: Book Review – For my next book review, I’m reviewing We Got Outta Debt, a short guide by Joe Foley who paid off $68,000 worth of debt in just three years.