Welcome to another chit-chat edition. Last week I doubted ability to post this article. When you area reading this I am vacationing in Orlando. Yes I had finished this up before heading out.

Thanks for being a reader at OCAAT. You are not alone, you are part of a growing follower base. Recently I was surprised with some ranking assigned to OCAAT. Earlier I used to check my ranks a lot. Now I have learnt to spend my time well focusing on reading and writing more.

My Technorati ranking is at all time high and they have somehow assigned me the Top Finance blog status, yes a rank 1. This is the their rank screen on 05/21/12

As a result I have been getting a lot of visitors including media reporters and journalists looking for interesting leads on personal blogs.

This is welcome sign, I recently got an offer to write for a media agency (yes, with my not-so-american English!). I had o decline for now. I know having a weekly column at a major news site is a sure-fire way to get my blog establish. I may knock them next year.

OCAAT also broke in to top 100 Personal Finance blog in Wisebread blog rank. This list is a popular hunting ground for blog advertisers looking for potential clients.

Next week i’ll write the monthly update post. although so far this week we haven’t got any mention at large websites, the daily visitor (regular and through searches) number is steadily increasing.

My week-long training has ended, with a  lot of interest generated to know a lot more. So next few weeks I would be in learning mode apart from usual work related stuff.  By the year-end, I will have another skill to add to my résumé and to mention on LinkedIn.

If you have missed my related post, here an article about finding job through social media. Hope this could be of help.

No roundup this week as I couldn’t get time to sort and rank them among all the articles I read this week.

Carnival Inclusion

I am thankful to the gracious carnival hosts who published my articles last week.

Yakezie Carnival @ Young Adult Finances
Financial Carnival for Young Adults @ 20′s Finances
Financial Simplicity Carnival @ Dog Ate My Wallet
Top PF Posts of the Week @ Personal Finance Whiz
Totally Money Blog Carnival @ The Debt Princess
Carnival of personal Finance @ James Petzke

If you have hosted a carnival last week, where I was included and not linked above, please email me – I would love to add your link.

Happiness, I definitely believe, is the holy grail for everyone. The problem is, we equate it to money, most of the time. I always keep this in mind: money can buy you a bed but never sleep. The best things in life—and those that will bring utter joy—are the ones with no price tag.

I need happiness in life, so do you, so do all of us. 

It doesn’t come all the time, I can’t really say I’m a content, peaceful man. I have my share of sorrow and down moments. Repeating the apt repeated phrase, this blog is my way to learn things and get ahead in life. Likewise this post is to remind you as well as myself that happiness can be found if we stretch your hand at right direction, even with little money.

Related Post: Enjoy life’s free resources and get enriched in your life.

I will live probably another 40 -50 years. Out of which I’ll sleep one third of it. I will indulge in money earning activities for another one third of it. That leaves me with only 15 – 20 years to worry about being happy. This will be the time when I’ll be worried about life and calculating what I achieved, couldn’t achieve and could have achieved.

There are two ways of tackling emptiness of life

1. Scale down expectation and be happy with whatever life brings on.
2. Scale up efforts to achieve goals, that bring happiness and satisfaction. Goals that are tangible, intangible and sometimes impossible.

The problem with second option is, there’s no end or dearth of goals in one’s life. There’s no end of needs and wants. At the same time, the problem with first option is, one may feel defeated and left out from life’s better offerings. See, I am confused!

I only know I must find a balance between these two points. I need to work towards some goals that can give me maximum happiness. I can’t achieve all the happiness in the world. Going up in the corporate ladder can satisfy my ego and give me power but, that won’t make my near ones love me more. Giving them my company and time would perhaps do that. But then, unless I spend extra hours doing my work I am not going to go up in career.

The best thing is, know what gives you more satisfaction, then work at those. And, to do that I am learning below points, I am hopeful that these can be of great help to you as well if you adjust them as per your priorities and wishes.

Value  loved ones over everything else

I’d rather get stressed out with work than with personal relationship issues. The latter just hits you right where you’re going to hurt a lot: in your heart. That’s why I always try my best to take care of my loved ones, including my friends. I try to help in whatever way I can and find time to be with them, especially with my kids, even it’s just for a few hours a day.

Don’t sweat the small stuff

When you’re pressured with a lot of things, you can’t help but simply do that. You whine, complain, and notice just about everything. But then, I realized we only have 24 hours a day; and from the rate things are going, they go by so fast. I don’t want to spend even a few minutes worrying about or being angry at something I don’t have full control.

Keep yourself healthy

As much as possible, I keep my stress level to a minimum. Many people think that stress per se is bad for your health. It isn’t. In fact, there’s good stress, the one that gets you all pumped up and motivated to accomplish something. It becomes dangerous when it is at its all-time high. It causes hormone imbalances, lowers your immune system, makes you prone to infections, and skyrocket your blood pressure. It also slows down your metabolism. Thus, too much stress puts you in a terrible shape.

I also eat food which includes fruits, as well as exercise regularly. You don’t have to go to the gym to do just that. You can buy a yoga mat, ball, or even use whatever items you have in your home, such as benches or chairs. You can have fun by dancing Zumba.

Related Post: Stay healthy to become rich.

I cultivate my spirituality

I believe that every person is composed of body, mind, and spirit. If one of these is weak or imbalanced, the other two aren’t in perfect condition either. I find time to listen to my inner body and spirit by doing meditations for at least 15 minutes a day.

Give back

There’s a karmic law that says whatever you do to others, there’s an equivalent similar consequence. So if you do good, you can expect goodness in your life. I try to keep this in mind, but it isn’t really my main motivation why I pay it forward. Generosity always gives you the feeling of completeness and lightheartedness. There’s no other way of saying it but it makes you feel really good about yourself. It empowers you, making you believe you can definitely do something for others and you can change other people’s lives even in your own little way.

Related Post: What is karma in personal finance.

I learned to accept certain truths in life

Forgiveness is definitely more powerful than hate. Indifference is the mother of all evil. You only have one life to live so you have to make the most out of it. You’re dying from the moment you’re born. All these things made me value my life more than whatever money I’ll probably get in my lifetime.

I look at the other side of the coin

Whenever I’m on the verge of complaining, I simply think about its other side. A couple of weeks ago, I was bombarded with a lot of work I thought I could not breathe anymore. When I noticed, I was already beginning to complain, I immediately made myself realized how lucky I am to still have a lot of work to do. Every day, I try to feel my life with gratitude so I can look at myself as half full.

Caution: Don’t always say ‘yes’ just to feel wanted, say ‘No’ sometimes to be happy at work.

I relish the simple pleasures in life

I love waking up in the morning and allowing the sun’s rays to touch my face. I like it when I get to spend some time alone with my wife, even when we’re just watching television. I prefer an early sleep over a bottle of ice-cold beer or wine.

I don’t pretend I don’t need any more money. What I’m trying to say is it takes more than just loads of cash in the bank account to make me happy. Life should be filled with compassion, love, generosity, and gratitude.

Summer is the time of the year when fuel price go crazy. This year even the winter saw very cost of gasoline. With China and Indian economy expanding there’s more than ever demand for gas. The price can only go up, may be with little ease at times due to other economical factors. But, in the long term it will only go up and thus we need to adjust fuel need and usage to keep gas cost low.

Related Post : 10 Tips to save on Gas

Besides comparison shopping, driving less, carpooling or availing public transportation, there are various other little tweaks that can help keep the fuel consumption low.

Some unconventional ways to make your car fuel-efficient

First and foremost is to reduce weight of your car. you can achieve this by removing items that you don’t actually need all the time. These things are non-essential items that add to the weight of the vehicle.

Is your car fitted with a roof top rack or a tow-bar that you rarely use? Both these accessories add weight and increase drag. Maybe you are still carrying sandbag in the trunk at this time of the year, this is not winter anymore you can get rid of it. Do you carry sports equipment all the time in your car? Especially golf kit is a heavy item. Is it that looking at your minivan one gets the feeling that you’re moving?

Reduce artificial add-on weight on your car to get better fuel economy. Lesser energy required to move a lighter vehicle.

Another unconventional way to reduce car weight is by reducing weight of the fuel. Unless you commute long distance or you are on road all the time for work, you may not fill in the full tank.

A gallon of gas weighs 6 lbs. If your gas tank takes in 14 gallon, then by filling the tank to half shall result in reduction of 42 lbs of weight of your car. This will result in a small but measurable improvement in fuel consumption.

Apart from the energy needed by the engine to move your vehicle, the largest energy sucker is your A/C system. Experts say that A/C system takes 5 -15% of energy in a moving car with A/C on.

You can reduce A/C unit’s energy consumption by making a few simple and easy adjustments.

• Minor tweak to seal your AC compressor pipe (as they are generally lie close to hot engine) can improve A/C performance a few notch. Here is the complete technique. If you can’t do it, ask your mechanic to do it for you.
• I generally don’t use Ac in the morning and evening while driving through the city roads. I keep the windows down  and let outside air cool our car. Your place might not have this luxury, places like Arizona, Nevada, etc. But most of continental United States does. I don’t do it on highways as the air drag can actually require more energy to move the vehicle.
• In summer park your under shade. Before you get on the car, open all windows and sun roof. This will prevent your car from being heated up before you start your journey.
• If you can’t avoid parking under the shade, try to keep some opening on at least two of the windows for letting air to circulate, inside hot air would disperse through the opening, it’s the law of physics.
• Apply windshield shade, it has two simultaneous benefits – it cools your car while stopping passers-by and would-be criminals from peeking inside your vehicle for valuables. windshield shade helps to lower the surface temperature of the steering wheel and seats; if you have leather seats, you will particularly notice the benefit.
• Consider having your side windows tinted to decrease the greenhouse effect and hence the need for extra cooling.
• Change air filters regularly.
• in summer dress up lightly, carry water, you will feel less need of cold air. Similarly during winter months wear heavy clothes and your body will remain warm up.
• Turning on inside air circulation takes less time to cool inside air rather than letting outside air to flow in.
• Adjust the A/C outlets depending on occupants in your car, if you are driving alone, there’s no need to let the passenger side outlets to remain open. Similarly if no one is sitting at the back, why should the rear A/C outlets be open?
• Last but not the least, ask your dealer or mechanic for minor adjustment to increase A/C performance. They usually know a few specific adjustment for your model of the car. The might have done that with other cars of same model. Absolutely no harm in asking them anyway.

Minor adjustment to your driving habit can bring some fuel economy

By combining separate trips to the same part of town into a single trip you can save on gas. You can carpool for your shopping trips with neighbors as well. Organize something within your neighborhood – weekly grocery store trip, weekly eating out, etc. Take a single car instead of going on your individual cars.

Adjust your highway speed, don’t go too fats or too slow. My car has a gas meter on it, I have seen going steady on cruise control at 60 mph consumes least gas, compared to a 50 mph or 70 mph.

Lastly, are you still driving on snow tires? If you are, you should switch to regular tires now. snow tires usually requires more energy to move.

Hope you haven’t frowned seeing the title. There are many who invest in stocks out of compulsion or impulses. This article is for those. I generally tend to write about people who are like me, middle class, having some money to enjoy life but, mostly trying hard to maximize money’s worth.

People like us, do not usually have money for buying stocks on impulse. Still, it almost happened to me last week. I was on the verge of buying into Facebook on the opening day.

In the end, I did resist myself against buying the Facebook stock. Not that Facebook is a bad investment but, the whole affair was nothing else than impulse buying. I didn’t study the valuation, I wasn’t reading analyst reports. I was just buying it, for the sake of it. Giving in to the hype and hoopla.

It happened to me once, it may have happened to you several times already. The problem is that when you have money sitting waiting to be invested, you put money in the first opportunity you find.

There are two problems in this approach.

1. Not doing enough research about future growth and market trend.
2. Not knowing enough about the possible better alternatives.

In the first, we run into the danger of losing out on investment growth or possibly even, devaluation of asset . On the other hand, the second problem is of missing out on better growth opportunity. So, You should resist your impulses till you have researched sufficiently.

How did I resist my temptation of buying into Facebook?

I went back thinking about fundamental values that I believe in. I like to pick up undervalued stock at discount. Facebook IPO at $38 is not undervalued by any means. It is also against my investment philosophy to buy a stock which may not be in business 10 years from now. All my stocks are bought for 20 -30 years horizon. I can’t be sure that Facebook would still be in business 10 years from now given the dynamic nature of their area of business, social network.

Sure they can start other lines of businesses if they had enough cash flow, the way Google is doing now. I wasn’t sure about their future cash-flow either.

I am not a professional investor who always keeps track of his purchases or study future predictions (charts and trends) regularly. I buy stocks and tend to forget about them for a long time. I am comfortable with stocks that are dividend paying and constantly increasing their dividend over the years, I invest directly in them. Otherwise my ETF’s and MF’s take care of promising start-ups and small cap stocks opportunity.

I came to a conclusion that I would let my fund managers decide if they want to invest in Facebook.

To summarize it all these are the tips that works for me when it comes to resisting stock buying impulses.

Target minimum amount of study before buying – Set a rule not to buy stocks without minimum pre-study. We often get excited reading articles on a particular stock with ‘high potential’. Don’t just jump in to buy it, at least read few other articles on the same company before deciding to buy.

Your broker may extend free/paid analyst research on individual stocks, they are extremely helpful for stock research.

Make a few rules and don’t deviate – The way I had resisted my temptation, you can probably follow that. I made my rule not to invest in a company where sustainability is a big concern. As per my guru, Warren buffet, We shouldn’t invest in businesses which we do not understand.

Not talking about Facebook, we understand how they run. But, there are number of businesses which you may not understand. You have no clue how profit is made and revenue is generated. Develop some solid rules and don’t relax them. For me the biggest rule is whether I can convince myself about long-term sustainability.

Budget for investment and fix quota for various type of investment – if you like, check out “where should I invest my money?“. There are many options to get decent return from your capital. Stock market is not the only one. Diversification minimizes risk of losing money.

Put all eggs in one basket, the basket falls and all your eggs are broken. When you put a fixed quota on stock investment, you automatically safeguarding some part of the money. So, even though you are giving in to impulses, you are reducing the risk.

Remember your past mistakes – I did a blunder in 2008, when WaMu (Washington Mutual bank) was in free fall, I was buying stocks, too big to fail, isn’t it? Well, it failed and so was my hard-earned money. Such was the extent of my loss in WaMu that till last year I claimed stock loss on my tax return, . When you are in middle class, it hurts!

Remember your mistakes, read stories about stock market blunders. Go no further than recent JP Morgan fiasco, with $2B loss, the story should be everywhere. Past mistakes make us prudent in future.

Consult someone who knows it better – We all have some friend, colleague or someone in family who knows stocks better than we do, mostly. Before clicking that ‘buy’ button seek his/her advice.

Even after putting hours researching a stock, you may miss few important points. Second opinion is like a defense. Guard yourself properly before going in for attack.

When you get past all tips above and are still interested, set a limit order – don’t buy at market price. Set a limit at 1-2% lower than the market price.

Readers, as I stated before, I am not a professional investor I may have misstated things here but, hope you have got the idea clearly and loudly. 

Readers thanks for sticking around to read another chit-chat. I have no idea how many of you really follow this weekend series. I see around 200 page views on average for my chit-chat posts. I believe that’s the number of my dedicated readers.

A sincere thank to all of you, hope you’d do some great stuff on mother’s day. I called my mom and said thanks, I didn’t tell her about dedicating a post for her. Actually she doesn’t know that I write something that others read. She’d have fainted hearing this.

I exhibited poor linguistic skills at school. I know I haven’t improved much still, I am a lot better than I was a year before when I started this blog. So I am really excited to have you as a reader who keep on coming back.

We are going to Orlando for a three-day vacation during memorial day weekend. We’ll be spending three nights in a vacation property, I’ll not be able to spend time with the blog so, most probably next week’s chit-chat edition will not be published.

On the home front, SMB hasn’t found a job yet. We are trying for a baby since last couple of years. Nothing’s happening on that front too. Let’s see what’s in store for us.

I have a week-long training ahead next week. Good thing is this is at-home training, 10 – 6. I am taking time off from work to attend this training to keep myself updated with latest technology.

We are in the field of Java technology and we build software solution. Not software like he ones you install on your PC, It’s about developing web applications like your’s banks/credit cards. We build applications for the use of our call center professionals. They contain much more data than what you see on your typical bank account page.

The training is on a rapid application development platform called ‘PEGA’. So now I have decided to learn PEGA to keep myself ahead of others. A few weeks back I wrote that we have got a very challenging project to deliver this year. That requires PEGA expertise. Not that I too need to learn it but, I decided to build my knowledge, in case…

In knowledge economy, everyone is your competitor. I have 12 years of work experience. I will get a job where I am competing with someone who is fresh out of college. I have still 30 more years to work. Now, what happens 20 years from now? I will have 32 years of experience and the same fresher will have 20 years of experience. If I do not keep myself up-trained, I’ll lose out then.

So, readers whatever you do continue to learn and sharpen your skills. When you’re all into solving present issues, think about the future issues as well, and, work towards solving that. Our brain has amazing power, give it a chance to think, it’ll find you a way.

Find ways to get ahead in whatever you wish to achieve, get an inch closer to our goal everyday. Grow yourself one cent at a time. We are all gifted, only the ones who improve are the ones that get ahead.

Past week’s great reads

I was revetted to readers comments at GRS post seeking readers’ feedback. Such a dedicated readership base is unparalleled in blog world. Many blogs have more traffic than GRS but, the dedication is missing.

Into writing good and inspiring stuff? Yakezie writing contest may be of help. This is the philanthropic aspect of Yakezie. Well, if you are into copy writing you can contact me as well. I often think of hiring guest writers for the blog. Especially since I can only post 4 days a week. We could probably do with a guest writer writing one post-a-week.

You have more than you think has suggestion for young women out there. Mistakes they make in choosing men and money.

Let me inspire you by pointing towards a post by Steve from change your thoughts, how to appreciate whatever you have.

Unleash the super power of your brain and body, as I said above in chat chat section, we can do amazing things when needed. We just don’t do it always.

Ok, enough of seriousness, now I will point towards a hilarious post that can definitely make you lol. So over debt presents an open letter to her son’s school.

Carnival Inclusion

I am thankful to the gracious carnival hosts who published my articles last week.

Yakezie Carnival @ Well heeled Blog
Financial Carnival for Young Adults @ 20′s Finances
Financial Simplicity Carnival @ Make Money make Cents
Carnival of Money pros @ Little miss MoneyBags
Carnival of Retirement @ Portfolio Princess
Top PF Posts of the Week @ Personal Finance Whiz
Totally Money Blog Carnival @ The Debt Princess
Carnival of Wealth @ Control Your Cash
Honorable inclusion in Best of Money Carnival @ Stock Market Basics

If you have hosted a carnival last week, where I was included and not linked above, please email me – I would love to add your link.

Fellow blogger Miss T is giving away lots of prizes on occasion of blog’s 2 year anniversary, including iPad. In return you need to give her some social love. I entered in the contest as well, who doesn’t want a free iPad?

Thanks for being my reader!

Long before programmers started coding applications like eBay or Craigslist, garage sales were the only tool of choice for the bargain hunters. If you have never been to a garage sale it might be due to some of the myths.

Have you ever purchased an used car? If you can buy a used car why can’t you buy other used things? I often go to garage sells to pickup treasures. Somebody’s junk can be others’ treasure.

I once tried setting up a side business of buying from garage sales and selling on eBay. I made decent money leveraging the price difference. I got my first video camera with the money I accumulated with week-end ventures. Pretty soon I did realize that the model is only sustainable if I did it full-time.

You can get much more for your money when you buy it used than you do when buying new. So what is preventing you from venturing in to a garage sale? What are the myths that plays in your mind about garage sales?

Stuff at garage sales has all been used - Used items like porcelain, glass, silverware and some clothing can simply be washed or dry cleaned. Agree, cheap clothing may take more money out of your pocket to buy and then dry clean than buying new. But expensive clothes can always be purchased at a great bargain.

Used stuff can be bought online – More than 50% of stuff on eBay are re sale items from garage sales. Lot of people do that. So you are paying more when buying used stuff online, add to it the wait time and shipping charges.

It is time-consuming – Yes it is, to some extent, but as long as you are not doing it as a business and just doing it for saving money, then I’d say you should not consider it as a chore rather, it is a week-end fun. It can be treated like a treasure hunting.

Social Stigma – SMB was initially reluctant to Buying stuff at garage sales. “Don’t we have enough money to buy new things?” she used to say. I had to explain to her about the treasure hunting angle and how we can  better use the money for fun.

If you wish to setup a garage sells yourself – do it! Garage sale could be an excellent early financial lesson for your kids. Let your kids also take part and learn a few valuable lessons on trading.

How to shop at garage Sales

Now let’s talk about how we should go about garage sells when we are buyers. The main point is to be better prepared and getting the best deal out of the already reduced price sale.

1. Make a list of things you need – I have seen impulse shopping at garage sales, just because cost is cheap people tend to buy things and clutter their home. Once I bought a paper shredder and never used before finally selling it on Craigslist two years later. Make a buying list a night before  the sale, preferably on Friday night.
2. Match your list with garage sale advertisements – Local newspaper, classified sections or the free classified booklets you get in your mail box, scan them through for matching items on sale at a near-by garage sale. Don’t hesitate to call up the sellers if you need to inquire for the items that’d be on sale.
3. Map out your route – Make sure the matched items from step 1 and 2 above is on your route. Map the sale hopping carefully with gas save in mind. Going first to the sale where maximum match is found worked with me. You may also start from the furthest sale and then gradually come back towards home.
4. Check online prices for items in your list – Checkout Craigslist, Amazon or eBay for the price of the used items you need. This will help you determine deals at the garage sale. This can also help you negotiate with the seller. Last thing you want is to pay more than the price offered online.
5. Be prepared. Wear cool, comfortable clothes. Bring lots of change and dollar bills. Keep your money in your pockets, not in your purse/wallet. Bring shopping bags and empty your car trunk before starting out.
6. Be quick – Unless you are at the last garage sell of the day, be quick in order to cover other sales on your route.
7. Negotiate – Always ask politely for a cheaper price. Be careful, don’t try to bargain on items which are already marked down drastically. I often find sellers accepting cheaper rate for items as a bundle, rather than haggling on each item.
8. Check what you buy – Carefully check items for hard-to-see tears, stains, and breakage. For furniture, check for mold. Be careful with the glassware, thoroughly check for cracks.
9. Too early or too late, both are fine. The best stuff is available at the start of a sale, but the best deals can be had later in the day when seller wants to get rid of things quickly.
10. Wait for price drop – This doesn’t work always still, worth a try. Drop your name and number with the seller asking him/her to call you if the item is not sold by the end of the day. You may get good discount on those items later on.
11. Get help on standby – Especially if you get good deal on heavy items like furniture. You may call your help to carry those items to your home.
12. One weekend may not be enough –  You may need to go out for a few weeks before checking off all the items on your wish list. Try your luck at a different corner of the city the next week.

Which items to look for in a garage sale 

Some of the items that usually available at majority of the garage sales are

• Kitchen appliances. Not talking about spoons and spatulas, I never tried that as these are things I would always prefer new. But appliances like mixer, grinder, blender, toaster or even microwave can be had at a very cheap rate.
• CD/DVD. You won’t find the latest, greatest gadgets at a garage sale but, you’ll find enough of quality used items. Make sure you test before trying.
• Microwave ovens. We saw many small microwaves. Often people upgrade and sale their old one. We even sold our old microwave just for $15 on Craigslist couple of years back.
• Furniture. Once, when I was new to this country, our entire home was decorated with used furniture we accumulated from garage sales. Form TV stand to coffee table; including side bed lamps. Be careful about the mold though, thoroughly inspect furniture before buying.
• Bikes. If you want a small set, you can pick one up for just a few bucks.
• Glassware – No matter how old the glassware on sale is, a simple wiping off with a glass cleaner can make it as shiny as a new one.
• Books and toys - Specially school text books can be had in garage sales. I often saw quality toys and sport equipment.

What not to buy in garage sales

Lastly, I won’t venture in to a garage sale to buy any of these things. I like them new.

• Computers and electronics – If its manufacturer selling refurbished its a different thing. You simply do not have enough time to check electronics thoroughly.
• Mattresses – The number one reason being bedbugs. Also hygiene concerns are more important than saving a few bucks.
• A Baby Product – Because babies put things in mouth first. Items like crib etc are security risk as well as you do not know which part is compromised by the previous owner.
• Food items – No brainer here. why should you?
• Ordinary cloths, underwear, swimsuits – If money required to dry clean a cloth is more than the cost of new cloth, why should you buy in the first place? I will recommend against using products as body hugging as swimsuits or underwear. 

When you come back from a sale, make sure to wash everything off as soon as possible or send for cleaning outside,  I always ask my friends to get used clothes dry cleaned before using.

Shop at garage sale but be extremely careful of the deadly trio – bedbug, mold and fungus. Thorough cleaning of the items you buy (even glassware) is a must.

The following is a guets post from Alayna Frankenberry

Do you know how to handle your credit cards? Do you know what the seven deadly sins are? If you ever attended Catholic school, or if you’re a fan of horror movies and fashion editorials, you’re probably familiar with the religious belief that’s become a cultural trope. In fact, if you’re like most red-blooded Americans, you’ve likely checked at least three or four of the deadly sins off your list before it’s even lunchtime.

while most of us have found ways to “get away with” these sins on a regular basis (on this plane of existence anyway) there are some sins that could have a very immediate impact on your well-being. They’re the seven deadly credit card sins, and memorizing them is the first step on the road to financial salvation.

1. Ignorance. Zero APR? No introductory fee? Perks? It’s your lucky day! Or is is it? Before you sign that dotted line, take five minutes to actually read what you’re signing up for. If you don’t, you could be in for some nasty surprises down the road. Have you already committed this cardinal credit sin? Look for a low-interest balance transfers credit card to help you out of your financial hole.
2. Promiscuousness. This is a rookie mistake, but even credit veterans often lose focus and commit this common credit sin. When you’re approved for a new card or a higher line of credit, your excitement takes over and you act like someone who’s won the lottery instead of someone who’s forking over their hard-earned money (plus interest). Remember, just because it doesn’t come out of your bank account doesn’t mean you don’t have to pay for it. Treat your card the same way you treat your checking account, and keep your greed under control. Wise use of credit cards can help you avoid debt.
3. Underpaying. We’ve all committed this credit sin at least once, and many cardholders do it without realizing how harmful it is. Making the minimum monthly payment is tempting when funds are low and your budget is stretched thin, but it both damages your credit score and forces you to pay hundreds or even thousands more than you owe in interest. Each month, do more than the bare minimum. When you do, you’ll be protecting yourself in two different ways. Better still, paying bill in full and on-time.
4. Hoarding. Does your wallet contain more cards than your local Hallmark store? If so, you’re guilty of this deadly credit sin. It’s not abnormal to have more than one card, but if you’re signing up for cards left and right, you’re killing your credit score and turning your monthly bill-paying into a Mensa riddle. You don’t need 20 separate credit cards. What you need is to calm down.
5. Cardicide. File this one under “wrath.” If your credit situation has become so insurmountable that you feel like there’s no solution, closing a bunch of cards can seem like a smart move. Like most ideas that come to us in a rage, this one’s a bad idea, because closing cards can harm your credit score. To repair your credit and build good credit over time, create a payment plan that you can handle and work patiently to pay off your cards instead.
6. Generosity. You have a friend who needs to make a purchase. He comes to you for help, and in a misguided attempt at being generous, you hand over your card. Big mistake. This action might seem saintly, but it’s one of the biggest credit sins you can commit. You know how your friend can’t get good credit? There’s a reason for that. Lend your card to him and you’ll feel pretty good for a while, but when it comes time for him to pay you back, you’ll feel like a bank.
7. Perking. Those gas discounts, free air miles and cash-back rewards might seem heavenly, but an obsession with perks often leads to financial purgatory. Those special prizes are designed to be alluring, but to get them you’ll have to spend. Overspending outweighs the benefits of your card’s perks, and so instead of finding yourself in a wonderland of free goodies, you’ll be kicking yourself for letting your feelings overwhelm your common sense.

Memorize the seven deadly credit card sins, then take a good look at yourself in the mirror. If your naughty credit habits are more likely to earn you a spot in a financial firepit than a pass to the holy VIP lounge of credit card success, just remember that it’s never too late to repent. Start doing your penance now, and get your credit back on the road to salvation. Because no matter how bad you’ve been in the past, the door to financial redemption is always open.

Alayna Frankenberry is a freelance writer who believes you shouldn’t have to perform a full-scale exorcism to find financial salvation.

Life isn’t easy for small businesses, but if you want your business to succeed, you have to stay on the right side of the law and that means complying with costly insurance legislation.

Stay legal

Very often, when planning a new company, insurance is the last thing you think about. But, once you’re up and running, it’s something you can’t avoid. Despite the pressures involved in getting a new business off the ground, if you ignore your legal responsibilities, you could find yourself in real trouble. Yet, many small business owners and part-time entrepreneurs still fail to take out insurance despite the legal consequences.

However, the unfortunate reality is that the legal implications of business insurance apply just as stringently to small SMEs as they do to large multinational corporations. Fail to comply and you will be penalised, which could lead to the downfall of your company and even the repossession of your personal assets.

Look on the bright side

One way of dealing with your insurance obligation is to view them as a business asset. Regardless of the legal implications and the cost, the right insurance package could be a lifesaver for your business. After all, what would you do if your business were affected by fire, a major theft or even accidental damage? In business, anything can happen and usually does. Insurance is there to protect you if it does.

Review your insurance needs

Your first step should be find out exactly what insurance you are required to have by law and what insurance your business could benefit from. Legally, insurance regulations can vary from region to region, so a good place to start might be your local small business centre. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills should be able to point you in the right direction too. One thing is certain, if you employ staff, you’re legally obliged to have employer liability insurance. In certain cases, you’ll need public liability cover too. Furthermore, if you’re a sole trader with a need for expensive specialised equipment you might want to include cover for theft, loss or damage of that equipment.

Cut costs, not corners

Once you’ve ascertained the cover that you need, you next stop will be to look at ways to keep your insurance costs down. Insurance premiums may have risen steeply in recent years, yet there are a few ways in which you can cut costs and still stay within the confines of the law.

• Look at the company’s activities. Are there certain activities that contribute to your insurance costs that you can do without? Anything that costs the business more than it brings in should go in the short term.

• Examine best practice in health and safety. Taking advice in respect of a health and safety audit, for example, could cut your costs even further.

• Review security. Is your business property alarmed properly? What could you do to improve security that would be reflected in your insurance quote?

• Compare quotes from different insurers, but don’t forget to take in the small print. Excess could make a huge difference to the value of your policy. Consider a Hiscox small business insurance quote as a starting point.

Look at all of these aspects and you’ll be able to give yourself two choices when it comes to your insurance bill. You could choose a lower level of cover, effectively cutting your premiums. Or, you could be able to afford a higher level of cover, which would offer your business better levels of protection. The choice is yours.

This is a follow-up post from the earlier listing of 80 ways to lose money. This time, I am going to increase the number of tips to 101 because these are about saving money (and not losing).

Here are 101 ways to save money which are easy to implement as well.

1. Switch off the fan, air conditioner when you leave a room.
2. Apply various driving techniques to save on gas cost.
3. Use fans which rotate when winds blow as you need no electricity for them.
4. Walk as much as you can and use public transport which cost less and save gas.
5. Close the water faucet while brushing. See – Save water, Save money.
6. Close the shower when applying soap or shampoo.
7. Drink lots of cold water to keep your body temperature cool and reduce the need for air conditioning.
8. Use fans instead of air conditioners when it is not too hot.
9. Wash your car or other things on your lawn so don’t need to water them again.
10. Water the lawn or the plants before sunrise or after sunset, to keep air cool and prevent wastage of water.
11. Instead of washing clothes according to color, separately wash the clothes that lose color and wash the rest together.
12. Buy in bulk whenever you can. 
13. Don’t overeat and be healthy.
14. Buy a bigger freezer to store bulk items for extended period. 
15. Don’t keep food in refrigerator for too long, it spoils the food after a few days.
16. Use steel or stainless steel as it lasts longer than plastic articles.
17. Do not hire people for housework, instead do it yourself as it also helps as a good exercise. 
18. Leak-proof your home to save on energy consumption.
19. Don’t throw the plastic containers, reuse and re-purpose them.
20. Choose a bank with no-fee/lesser-fee to bank with.
21. Instead of ordering a pizza, buy frozen pizza which costs less.
22. While washing clothes turn them inside out to preserve their appearance.
23. Use less detergent powder unless clothes are very dirty to make them last longer.
24. Use old clothes to make rags, etc. 
25. Instead of expensive cleaners use vinegar.
26. Don’t get attracted towards sales.
27. Instead of gas/oil mowers use a push mower.
28. Wash clothes only when they are dirty.
29. Pay all bills on time to prevent penalty fees and finance charges.
30. Always check your bank balance before writing a check, to avoid overdraft fee.
31. Practice comparison shopping to drive lower cost whenever possible.
32. Cut your cable subscription and watch T.V online.
33. Before you go for shopping, eat.
34. Make coffee or tea at home.
35. Cut back on eating out frequently.
36. Don’t renew subscription for magazines you hardly read.
37. Quit smoking to save on cigarette cost and future healthcare cost.
38. Quit drinking if possible
39. Buy generic store products instead of name brand.
40. Create your monthly/annual budget and stick to it.
41. Don’t ask for home delivery if it is not free.
42. Drink water instead of soft drinks.
43. Cut on the number of trips to the mall.
44. Reduce auto insurance premium by raising deductibles.
45. Wash your car yourself, do not use car wash.
46. Use solar water heater to save grid electricity cost.
47. Grow plants and vegetables in your garden.
48. Use curtains to keep your home cooler in summer and warmer in winter.
49. Carry your own food when travelling, at least for initial days.
50. Throw parties in your home, rather than at clubs/restaurants.
51. Make gifts at home rather than buying expensive gifts.
52. Use alternate energy to save grid electricity cost.
53. Always try to negotiate while shopping. I always try to bargain for at least 10% reduction of original price.
54. Save flight ticket cost by booking tickets well in advance.
55. Go to less expensive tourists spots. or take staycation
56. Use free online phone services to make calls. Even Skype can help save a lot of money. 
57. Fit solar electricity generators.
58. Try to buy used car to save on new car premium pricing.
59. Go for vacations mid-week to avail the cheapest tickets for the week. Related – How I saved money during vacation.
60. Use CFL or LED lights instead of incandescent bulbs.
61. Try to repair simple faults before they become big and require more money to fix.
62. Never full your car’s fuel tank.
63. Don’t buy food if you don’t need it.
64. Park as soon as you see an empty parking space. See – How to save on parking cost.
65. Use rags, instead of expensive paper towels, etc.  See –  Go paperless to save money.
66. Use things to the maximum.
67. Never buy unnecessary things.
68. Make baby food at home.
69. Exercise at home, instead of going to the gym. Related – Losing weight saves money.
70. Move in a less expensive city.
71. Buy clothes from thrift stores.
72. Instead of costly zip-lock bags, use simple bags.
73. If possible use less expensive travelling ways.
74. Don’t buy mineral water, use tap water instead.
75. Use free software instead of their paid alternatives. See – How to buy software online.
76. Sell unwanted things to earn extra bucks.
77. Use a simpler cell phone. that can meet basic phone need. See – How to save money on cell phones.
78. Never throw soap remnants, instead combine them and use it.
79. Use cold water in summer to bath and to wash clothes.
80. Instead of an electric clock, use a wind-up clock.
81. Live in a locality with lower home price/rent. Related – How to save money while renting.
82. Before soaping dishes, rinse them.
83. Shop online and save on gas.
84. Choose short-cuts while driving.
85. When not using watches turn them off to save battery.
86. Use a cloth bag instead of buying a plastic bag everywhere.
87. Make pizzas and burgers at home.
88. Reuse old furniture instead of buying new.
89. Do your own taxes with the help of professional software, rather than hiring a consultant.
90. Use a microwave as much as possible to save electricity cost for cooking needs.
91. Do regular maintenance to reduce car repair cost. See – Regular care care for saving money.
92. Wash only when your dishwasher/washing machine is full.
93. Reduce cell phone cost.
94. Never let your account balance fall below minimum.
95. Save money with free stuff
96. Don’t buy clothes that require dry-cleaning only.
97. Ask your doctor about generic medicines when available, compared to name brands.
98. Pack your lunch when going to work.
99.  If you have an extra room in your house, give it on a rent.
100. Be happy with what you have!
101. Borrow books and movies from local library instead of renting them.

While saving money on these thing, do not miss good opportunities to save money and be a motivated saver, make saving a fun.

Readers, every item in the list can’t be followed by all of you. For some being social drinker is value for money. So I would say practice habits which you are more comfortable with.

Welcome to the 361′st edition of Carnival of Personal Finance. I am honored to be your host for the second time in 12 months of my blogging history. If you are a first time visitor, thanks for your time, do remember the blog name, very easy to remember – I guess and most importantly, keep on visiting.

Like every other blogger I talk rubbish sometimes, if you are a regular personal finance blogger or blog reader, you may have been already accustomed to read gibberish and non-sense stuff often anyway.

When neo-bloggers (in relative term) starts claiming a beautiful discovery that Dave Ramsey’s methods are mathematically wrong, I feel pity on their ignorance. Coming back to the point, yes I do talk non-sense sometimes, but most of the time my articles get editor’s choice distinctions at carnivals. So keep visiting. I may bore you sometimes, but not always.

I forgot that the theme is Mother’s day today. Here’s my tribute to my mother, published yesterday. Once you’re done with that, continue to next paragraph, if not, finish reading it first.

The biggest gift you can give to your mother, is your presence, I accept your apology for not being able to be with your mother this year. But, do not forget it next year. Perfumes, flowers, chocolates or cards are all fine, but they hardly create any memory. Going by my average readers’ age of 32, your moms are growing older. She loves to get your message, phone call or flowers, but what she badly wants is your presence.

Ignoring few exceptions, your mother mostly shaped you as human being when you were growing up. She was there when you needed most. You take good care of her now, I am sure your children would see and learn the same habit. It’s what I call Karma.

Lord Krishna and his Mother Yashoda - Hindu mythology

Let’s begin the carnival now, with my partial, narrow-minded and shortsighted selections for top posts.

Unqualified Editor’s Picks

After spending awful time reading the submissions, I am exhausted. Forgive me if your master-piece is not chosen. Better luck next time.

Kathryn @ Financial Highway from Financial Highway presents Common Interview Questions and Answers. I liked it because its extensive in nature. The amount of time devoted to this article was great. Although we never ask some questions he mentioned as ‘common’, it’s a treasure for job seekers.

Echo from Boomer & Echo presents Pitfalls Of Chasing The Highest Dividend Yield, and says, “Choosing a dividend stock involves a lot more than simply looking for the highest dividend yield”.  – Canada or United States or New Delhi, this simple formula of researching past dividend growth rate should provide better comfort for your dividend investment.

Peter from Bible Money Matters presents How to Setup a Custodial Account for a Minor to Help Them Save or Invest, and says, “There are times where you may want to setup an account for one of your minor children or a family member to help them start saving for the future, to teach them about how to manage money or to jump-start a college savings fund. Depending on what your goals are, there are different ways to go about doing this, but setting up a custodial account under the Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA) or the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) can be done at most banks, brokerages and mutual fund companies”. Peter said so much, I am not going to take any more space. 

Nicole from Nicole and Maggie: Grumpy Rumblings of the Untenured presents How to wash dishes: Beyond Frugality, and says, “Nicole and Maggie discuss the most efficient way to wash dishes using a double sink when you’re without a dishwasher. This is hardcore”. This is really hardcore. The steps and the comments are too engaging. This is very normal in my home country, India. But, abnormal here in US. Before you say good bye to your dish washing liquids, calculate time save vs. money save. For me, saving extra 10 hrs a month is more valuable then spending $20 extra on washing soap and electricity.

Miss T. from Prairie Eco Thrifter presents Start Small; Dream Big: Achieving Financial Security from Small Beginnings, and says, “What would you do, who could you be, what would you dream, if you knew you couldn’t fail? So dream big, comforted by the knowledge that it’s OK to start your financial journey small. Remember, everything big was once small at the beginning!” Very inspiring post. Starts small and dream big!

Rest of the submissions

Here’s some awesome posts that can add value to your life, categorized as per the subject of the article.

Career

Dan Meyers from Your Life, Their Life presents Are you a work athlete?, and says, “In football, most players have a one-position title… the few who can do it all are simply called “Athletes”. Are you a work athlete?”

Jefferson from See Debt Run presents You Should Quit Your Job! 5 Signs That It Is Time To Move On, and says, “Warning signs that you should quit your job. Not getting invited to meetings, not enough work, don’t get along with boss, don’t get along with teammates.”

Philip from PT Money Personal Finance presents From Unemployed to Entrepreneur, and says, “An insightful interview with a couple who decided to start their own pizza making business after they both lost their jobs.”

Mike from The Financial Blogger presents Do You Care About Job Security?, and says, “How important is a stable job?”

Mike from Do Not Wait presents Should You Work For a Startup Company?, and says, “We look at the benefits of a small startup.”

Jason from One Money Design presents Do Higher Status Occupations and Higher Income Lead to More Stress?, and says, “Moving up the corporate latter and earning more pay and responsibility may be impacting the stress in your life. Is it worth it?”

Debt

Robert from The College Investor presents Student Loan Interest Rates Doubling: A Bad Thing?, and says, “I don’t think that higher student loan interest rates are bad – in fact, I think they are a good thing. I’ve discussed student loans many times, but I continue to be a firm believer in avoiding them as much as possible, and making sure that you calculate the Return on Investment in your education, and how student loan debt plays into it.”

Victoria Lindsay from Lend Not Borrow presents The Cost to Learn- Student Loan Debt!, and says, “Taking a close look at student loan debt and asking the question, “are we educating students enough on student debt management?”. ”

Roshawn Watson from Watson Inc presents Student Loan Debt Destroying Quality of Life, and says, “Perhaps no debt is so reverenced as the ubiquitous student loan. Recently, I came across data that only strengthened my belief: even student loan debt can decrease quality of life.”

Janet from Credit, Eh presents 3 Cool Ways to Reduce Your Debt Faster, and says, “When it comes to debt reduction, you want to be at the top of your game. There are many different ideas when it comes to debt reduction, but the best thing to do is think cool.”

Investing

D4L from Dividend Growth Stocks presents 7 Higher-Yielding Consumer Stocks To Build Your Yield, and says, “An investment strategy based on Dividend Growth Stocks focuses on companies that produce predictable results and thus are able to consistently raise their dividends. Demand for household and personal care products is generally stable and not affected by changes in the economy or other factors. If you lose your job, you probably won’t stop bathing, washing your clothes, brushing your teeth or stop buying toilet paper. That’s why companies in the Consumer Defensive sector are sought after as desirable dividend growth investments.”

Darrow Kirkpatrick from Can I Retire Yet? presents Diversification: Why Seeing Red Can be a Good Thing…, and says, “This article takes a simple metaphor (the stoplight colors), plus my personal experience, to illustrate the essence of investment diversification. A wise investor knows that a mix of daily investing results is best, because that represents the heartbeat of a well-diversified portfolio at work.”

PK from Don’t Quit Your Day Job… presents Is It Possible to Beat The Stock Market?, and says, “1,158 days of my trading history audited and bared for the world to see – and yes, over those 38 months I did beat the market. A fluke? Perhaps, and we’ll see if I regress to mean.

However, it’s possible evidence that a value approach to investing might outperform other styles of stock investing.”

FMF from Free Money Finance presents 80-20 Your Investments, and says, “While many people seem intimidated by investing and don’t know where to begin or what to do, being a successful investor is not that complicated. In the end it comes down to three basic (but important) steps.”

Barbara Friedberg from Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance presents MBA Series; Tax free or Taxable Bonds; Which Would You Choose?, and says, “Basic investing primer on how to decide whether to invest in taxable or tax free bonds. You’ll never wonder again.”

FamilyMoneyValues from Family Money Values presents Land for Sale, and says, “Ways to make money from raw land investments”.

Connie Prater from Taking Charge presents I want a piece of the Facebook IPO, but I’m just small potatoes, and says, “Everyone is talking about Facebook’s impending initial public offering (IPO) and whether the social media giant is truly valued at a realistic level. I’m not a Wall Streeter, but the prospect of potentially being able to get in on an IPO has me excited. Small-time investors rarely have this opportunity. Granted, I’ve got only a glimmer of hope of actually buying the stock from eTrade’s allotment. They may laugh at my paltry bid. Friends have said it will be a blessing if eTrade turns me down because then I can buy the stock at a much lower level when it is traded on the market and takes a nosedive, as many analysts are predicting. Call me crazy, but I still want in on the Facebook IPO.”

Drew from My Dollar Plan presents Roth IRAs: An Opposing View, and says, “The Roth IRA is one of the most touted personal finance investing vehicles around but here’s a bit of a different take on the subject!”

J.P. from Novel Investor presents Remember Your Investment Horizon, and says, “Fears in Europe, slowing economy, unemployment concerns, and a few hundred other data sets all contribute to the daily swings of the market. When the markets start acting crazy, remembering your investment horizon will bring everything back into perspective.”

Glen Craig from Free From Broke presents What is a Spousal IRA and How Does It Work?, and says, “It makes sense thinking that you have to work in order to contribute to an IRA, right? Well, if your spouse works and you don’t then you can take advantage of a spousal IRA.

Roger Wohlner from Chicago Financial Planner presents Is Betterment Really a Better Idea?, and says, “What troubles me though is that Betterment went ahead and published a post that was so full of inaccuracies. Was this a cheap attempt to bash advisors in order to drive business their way? Did they truly not understand why their post was inaccurate? Were they unaware of the flaws in the NBER study?

If the answer is yes to any of these questions it raises doubts in my mind as to the business maturity of the Betterment management team. Maybe their model is wonderful and they are a “better mousetrap.” At the end of the day, however, this episode will forever make them suspect in my mind.”

Pierre from Intelligent Speculator presents Facebook is Not All About Revenues, and says, “We take a deeper look at Facebook.”

Money Management

Bret from Hope to Prosper presents How Much Money is Eough?, and says, “With all of the Facebook IPO fever, it seems like everyone wants to become the next billionaire. For me, that is probably my worst nightmare.”

Ricky from Qwoter presents Planning for Retirement, and says, “Do you really have enough funds to be able to live comfortable when it comes time for you to retire? Make sure you aren’t making some common retirement planning mistakes to keep you on the right path for retirement.”

Earth and Money from Earth and Money presents How NOT to Make a Financial Decision, and says, “When it comes to making financial decisions, it is imperative that you have a clear and focused mind. Given how hard we work for our money, a poorly made financial decision can come back to haunt us many times over.”

Justin from The Family Finances presents Keep The “Personal” In Personal Finance, and says, “Personal finance is about so much more than numbers and math.”

Green Panda from Green Panda Treehouse presents Mistakes We All Make After College, and says, “Are you making these mistakes?”

Div Guy from The Dividend Guy Blog presents If You Had $10,000 Today, What Would You Do With It?, and says, “We look at dealing with this amount of money.”

Squirrelers from Squirrelers presents Different Ways to Plan Ahead for Retirement, and says, “Planning for retirement is a simple concept, yet it can involve many considerations. This post discusses steps to consider when planning for a successful financial future.”

Jeff Rose from Good Financial Cents presents 8 Warning Signs You Need to Fire Your Financial Advisor, and says, “If you have a suspect financial advisor, here are warning signs that you need use the words of Donald Trump and tell them “You’re Fired” and move on.”

Grace from GRACEful Retirement presents I Can’t Explain it. I just have to spend it., and says, “There’s what we should do financially, and there’s what we really do, which may or may not make any monetary sense.”

Finance

Jessia Thompson from Structured Settlement & Annuity Blog presents Jessica Thompson, and says, “Due to the care we put into each post, our blog in under six months already has most of its pages indexed and ranking on Google. ”

Russ Thornton from Wealthcare For Women presents Is Happiness A Result Or An Ingredient?, and says, “It’s been interesting for me to see how different women define success and how they’re personal happiness relates to their vision of success, now or in the future.

Many women seem to believe that once they reach their goals and achieve their personal version of success, happiness will be a natural byproduct. A result of their success.

Others seem to consider happiness a key ingredient in their journey to live a successful life. For these women, happiness is a key ingredient. Or maybe a prerequisite to success.”

Adam Hagerman from Walking To Wealth presents What Is Financial Freedom?, and says, “”. Actually says nothing!

Michael Kitces from Nerd’s Eye View presents LearnVest – A Glimpse Of Financial Planning’s Future Serving The Masses In The Digital Age?, and says, “Although financial planning seeks to improve the lives of all who need help making better financial decisions, in practice its scope has mostly been limited to those with a relatively high level of affluence, at least compared to the “average” American. Where financial planning firms have failed, though, a technology company is finding success, as “start-up” firm LearnVest leaps forward. Will a technology firm employing financial planners set the model that solves the challenge the financial planning profession couldn’t?”

Adam Baker from Man Vs. Debt presents Danger in Comparing Yourself to Others, and says, “You have to make financial decisions based on your own situation, and not as a result of comparing yourself to others.”

Jeff Rose from Life Insurance By Jeff presents How Does Guaranteed Acceptance Life Insurance Work?, and says, “For those who cannot get approved for a basic term life policy, guaranteed acceptance life insurance is the solution to their problem.

Finance

Squeezer from Personal Finance Success presents When should you check your credit report?, and says, “Checking your credit report is an important step in improving your credit and protecting yourself from identity theft.”

Martin from Studenomics presents The Only Post on Student Loans You Need to Read, and says, “What you need to know about student loans.”

Budgeting

Eric from Narrow Bridge Finance presents Making Travel a Reality, and says, “In November, I spent 2 weeks in London, Paris, and Amsterdam. In January, I was in Costa Rica. In March, I made it to Fayetteville, Arkansas for a weekend. On Monday, I came home from New Orleans for three days before I drive to Omaha for a long weekend. Next weekend I am back in Arkansas, and by the end of the summer I will have been to Minneapolis and hopefully Spain.

This might be incredibly overwhelming, but you can really do it too. I promise.”

TTMK from Tie the Money Knot presents Be a Bridesmaid and Go Broke?, and says, “When people agree to be a part of someone’s wedding, it can be an honor. It’s also very expensive in many cases, particularly for bridesmaids. This post examines the topic of how outrageous this can be.”

Frugality

Bob from Christian Personal Finance presents How to buy gift cards at a discount, and says, “Who knew that you can buy gift cards at a nice discount from the retail price? Here are a few options for those looking to do it…” Read and be helped immediately. Save some money

Donna Freedman from Frugal Cool presents Thrift stores for DIYers, and says, “”Building materials reuse” companies like Habitat for Humanity ReStores sell lumber, plumbing, paint, housewares, appliances and other items at amazing discounts. It’s like shopping at a thrift store: You never know what you’re going to get. But you do know that it’ll be cheap”

Taxes

Sean from One Smart Dollar presents Small Business Tax Deductions You Should be Claiming, and says, “As a small business owner you are given the right to take tax deduction on certain business expenses. Here are a few of the most popular ones.”

Real Estate

Tim from Brilliant Finances: Personal Finance How To presents The Perfect Storm Brewing for Real Estate Investors According to Census Bureau Report, and says, “Mainstream media seems to be missing some key information that can help their readers. This article is aimed to help my readers capitalize on a significant event in history.”

Nathan Richardson from ComplexSearch.com presents 10 Reasons The Housing Market Won’t Recover Anytime Soon, and says, “Everybody is hoping for the recovery soon, but here are some sound reasons why the housing market could take some time to recover.”

John from Wallet Blog presents Mortgage Rates Hit Record Lows, and says, “To buy or not to buy…Wow, what a question! With mortgage rates at record lows, now may well be the right time either purchase or refinance a home. Take a look at the how and why of low interest rates and decide for yourself”.

Money Walks from Money Walks presents 5 Things to Do When Renting a Place, and says, “”. Didn’t say anything about the post!

Sandy from Yes, I am Cheap presents Why I’m Buying Rental Property While Still In Debt, and says, “If you listen to the news, it would make you run in the opposite direction of buying property at a time when you probably should be running directly to real estate. The housing affordability index is at its best, because of low housing prices and record low mortgage interest rates”

Credit

Liana from Card Hub presents Review: Bank of America’s New Travel Rewards Credit Cards, and says, “Bank of America just made travel a whole lot sweeter for their customers. With three new travel rewards cards on the market, it looks like they are taking on their competition. But how do these new offers really stack up?”

Mike from Rewards Cards Canada presents Why Cash Back Beats Travel Rewards, and says, “A free vacation keeps many Canadians loyal to their travel rewards program, but for me, cash back is king. Here’s why cash back beats travel rewards:”

Mike from Rewards Cards USA presents Best Airline Miles Credit Cards, and says, “One of the reasons that many people sign up for rewards programs is to save money on travel. Here are some of the best airline miles credit cards:”

Jim from Bargaineering presents Pros and Cons of Credit Cards.

SB from Finance Product Reviews presents Best Credit Cards for Balance Transfer in 2012.

Saving

Everything Finance from Everything Finance Blog presents 5 Great Ways to Stay Away from Your Savings Account, and says, “Stretching our money is something most of us would like to be able to do on a daily basis. Although the unfortunate reality of unexpected costs in life often makes this a difficult achievement, there are some concrete ways to work toward greater financial freedom and continued savings. Hopefully these five ideas and concepts will help you achieve these goals, and get you on the path to beneficial spending and smart financial choices in the future.”

Money Thinker from Money Thinking presents Retirement – Harder for Mom than Dad?, and says, “”. Too lazy to think about the article!

Other

Drew from Objective Wealth presents The Million Dollar Question, and says, “Drew gets his chalk out and takes us back to school in order to work out how three seemingly unrelated money and wealth case studies are inescapably connected by a certain philosophical view, but which one is it? Heavy!”