Carnival of Retirement - 94th Edition

This is my first time to host a blog carnival, and I'm honoured to host this week's Carnival of Retirement - 94th Edition.

Here are my top three picks:

SBB @ Simple Budget Blog writes Ready, Set, Shop! Tips on Getting Through the Holiday Shopping Season - The things to watch out for as you begin your annual holiday shopping experience.

Daisy @ Suburban Finance writes Want to Learn About Personal Finance? Play Monopoly - According to dictionary.com, the term -monopoly- is defined as "exclusive control of a commodity or service in a particular market or a control that makes possible the manipulation of prices." I highly doubt I knew what that meant when I was younger, but read what I learned.

Bob @ Dwindling Debt writes Here are 4 Fees that you actually Should Pay - There are a handful of fees that it actually pays you to pay (no pun intended) and our little blog today will let you know what they are and why you should do it. Enjoy.

And the rest of this week's submissions:

Tushar @ Earn More and Save writes 3 Reasons Why Bargain Shopping is Bad for Your Wallet - The economy is still shaky for the most part and everyone wants to be a bargain shopper nowadays. The problem? Bargain shopping can often be bad for your wallet. Here's why.

Maria @ The Money Principle writes Frugality or folly: stop wasting food! - We all waste too much food and it is time to stop. As a bonus you'll learn how to make spaghetti carbonara and meringue.

Corey @ Steadfast Finances writes Reasons to Get Life Insurance - I was talking to a friend of mine the other day who is almost 3o and his wife is pregnant. When I asked him what type of life insurance he had, he looked puzzled. "Surely you have life insurance at your age, with a child on the way?" I asked him. I was shocked to find out that he did not think he needed life insurance because he was ONLY 30.

Eva Baker @ TeensGotCents writes Paparazzi Business Update - I started a new business in September and spent my entire emergency fund in the process. This is my first paparazzi business update!


Minimalist @ Minimalist Finance writes Ways to Find Money to Save - Over and over again, we hear about people that use the excuse that they can’t save money for the future because they don’t have enough money in the now. Many people struggle to put money away when they are already living hand to mouth.

JP @ My Family Finances writes Why Paying Down Debt Is Better Than Investing In The Stock Market - Overall, while investing in the stock market may seem like a good idea, the fact remains that doing so would only put you at a greater risk of losing more money.

Tushar Mathur @ Everything Finance writes How To Save A Few Bucks When You Go Out To Eat - If you want to go out to eat but you're on a tight budget, here's how to save a few bucks when you go!

Mr. Frenzy @ Frenzied Finances writes Common Personal Finance Mistakes and How to Avoid Them - There are widespread personal finance mistakes made by many Americans that can easily be avoided. What mistakes are you making? Read here to find out!

Kyle @ The Penny Hoarder writes Long-term vs. Short-term Small Business Loans - Learn about the key differences between short-term loans and long-term loans. No matter what kind of business you have, this information will help you determine which small business loans can best benefit your bottom line.

CAPI @ Creating a Passive Income writes Getting a Kickstart: How to Use Donation Sites - Most people are either unaware of or are reluctant to use donation sites. For some, this may seem like virtual panhandling, but the exact opposite is true.

Mrs. Accountability @ Out of Debt Again writes Shopping Cart Abandonment: Three Ways to Drop the Rate - Have you ever logged onto a store’s website and browsed around, maybe clicked on a couple of items to add them to your cart, then left the page without buying a single item?

Hank @ Money Q&A writes How You Can Save A Ton Of Money With Coupons This Holiday Season - You don't have to go to extreme measures to make coupons, coupon codes, and deals help you and your family save money with coupons. Here are some great tips to save a ton!

PPlan @ Provident Plan writes Is Income Protection Necessary? - My wife and I have finally gotten to a point where we are earning a decent amount more than our expenses.

Cat Alford @ Budget Blonde writes Wow, It's Really Hard To Save Money Here! - Now that I've been back in the U.S. I've been spending money left and right. It's really hard to save money here! There are so many unexpected expenses!

Crystal @ Married (with Debt) writes I Bought a New TV - I just bought myself a new TV. There wasn’t anything wrong with my old TV. I just wanted a new one. Before you start typing, let me explain.

IMB @ Investing Money writes Increasing the ROI on Your Investments - This holiday season, everyone wants a little extra cash to spend on those you love. If you are an investor, you might be looking for the money from your investments. If you can squeeze a little higher return from your investments, you might be able to spend a little more in Holiday shopping.

Ryan @ Cash Money Life writes Take the Stress Out of Christmas Shopping - Christmas shopping can be an expensive and stressful event! Use these tips to make your shopping list, set a budget, and the reduce stress of the season!

Tushar @ Start Investing Money writes Should You Blow Your Savings on Christmas? - This has to be one of the most tempting times of the year. It's like a diet you stay on for 95% of the duration, only to fall at the final hurdle and let yourself down during those last few days that could have made a real difference.

Luke @ Learn Bonds writes Two Moderately-Aggressive Asset Allocations For Income-Focused Investors - A look at 2 moderate risk asset allocation models for those who want to have a higher yield while being able to withstand risk in maturities.

Brent @ PersonalFinance-Tips writes 6 Tricks To Help You Get Out Of Debt Quickly - Debt is something that the majority of people today have to deal with, which is unfortunate. With this being said, if you do have debt, there are simple things you can do to increase the rate at which you are able to pay it off. Below are six tricks to help you reach a debt free lifestyle as quickly as possible.

Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes 5 Tips for Identity Theft Victims - Identity theft has made so many victims that you should no longer wonder if your identity will be compromised, but when.

Lindy @ Minting Nickels writes Top Mistakes to Avoid in Online Forex Trading - There are plenty of places that tell you what you should do when you’re trading Forex online, but not as many telling you what you shouldn’t.

Jacob @ AllPersonalFinance writes Commodities: Tips and Tricks to Expert Investing - Many investors, young and old, look to the commodities market when seeking double-digit returns. In this market, one can make serious returns even when the overall stock markets are down. However, when trading commodities, one should follow a few basic rules should they want to achieve success. Here are four tips for a commodities investor.

SFB @ Simple Finance Blog writes How to Set Yourself Up To Be a Financial Success When Starting the First Job------ - Whenever anyone starts out at their first job, it is a process of learning few significant lessons in order to succeed in the real world.

Mike @ Personal Finance Journey writes 5 Costly Mistakes Contractors Make When Starting a Home Remodel Project - 5 simple but easy to follow ways to avoid making mistakes and costing yourself money during a home renovation.

Tushar @ Finance TUBE writes Time to Manage Your Largest Asset - For most people the largest assets are there home and the contents inside of it. But many people don't spend enough time managing their home, not understanding their financial implications of not managing it.

Ted Jenkin @ Your Smart Money Moves writes Do You Have 6.2% Extra In Your Paycheck? - It’s pretty amazing to me how many people truly still don’t understand our payroll tax system.

Crystal @ Budgeting in the Fun Stuff writes 10 Tips to Save Money - Here's an oldie but goodie from early 2011! Here are my top 10 tips to save money: 1. Save Automatically. Setting up automatic contributions is the best way, in my opinion, to save money...

Roger the Amateur Financier @ The Amateur Financier writes Save Money While Job Hunting: A Few Simple Tips - A contribution discussing some ways to keep your cost of going to interviews and job hunting to a minimum while you are getting a number...

Dominique Brown @ YourFinancesSimplified writes I Don't Borrow-Why Should I Worry About My Credit Score? - People who don’t worry about their credit report and credit score are being short-sighted.

Bargain Babe @ BargainBabe.com writes 9 More Ways to Stay Warm Without Turning the Heat On - 9 More Ways to Stay Warm Without Turning the Heat On

Debt Guru @ Debt Free Blog writes Hand Me Downs: Why They Win the Battle of New VS Used - Need clothes for your child? Consider the money savers that are hand me downs, or even used clothing from other sources, instead of buying new.

Michelle @ The Shop My Closet Project writes Life in the Red-A tale of being in debt - I have spent my entire adult life living life in "The Red". When I say in "The Red". I mean in debt. When you talk living paycheck to paycheck I get it. I get juggling bills and money around to see what I have in the bank and in my pocket so that I can pay things off.

Cindy @ MidLife Finance writes Getting the Most from Black Friday - Inside and Out - It’s coming — the holiday shopping period that drives us crazy each year, but also gives up great bargains. BlackFriday is on its way!

Ben Luthi @ The Wealth Gospel writes What I Learned About Financial Independence as a Mormon Missionary - My experience as a missionary in Germany was unforgettable. Beyond meeting all the crazies and getting to serve others, I learned a lot about financial independence

Ben Luthi @ The Wealth Gospel writes Changing Your Behavior Isn't Enough - If you want to obtain financial security, it’s not enough to change your behavior. You have to change your nature.

Michael Kitces @ Nerd's Eye View writes The Idiocy Of The IPO Price Pop - The whole point of an IPO is for a company to sell off a piece of itself, raising money to help invest for its future growth. Which actually means companies that have a big price "pop" after they IPO get less value, and the "best" IPOs should actually be the ones where the price does NOT immediately rise!

Daisy @ When Life Give You Lemons writes We’re Doing Big Things to Tame Our Heating Bill - We hate our heating bill, and we are doing a lot to lower it. Here are some of the steps we have taken.

Daisy @ Suburban Finance writes Want to Learn About Personal Finance? Play Monopoly - In my opinion, Monopoly is the ONE game that sheds light on several aspects of personal finance. It makes you think about money. How to manage your money. How to build wealth. Risk tolerance. Knowing when to take a risk. Buying, owning and investing in real estate. It is a game that can be used as a tool to teach kids and adults about how important it is to manage your money and grow your wealth.

Daniel @ Make Money Make Cents writes It's Time To Stop Trying to Keep Up With The Joneses - Keeping up with the Joneses is the phenomenon of using your neighbors as a standard for which to compare your own life and material goods.

Oscar @ Money is the Root writes Harmless? Hardly. These things can Negatively affect your Credit Score. - Most consumers are so busy looking out for the big mistakes that can cause credit problems that they completely overlook small but equally damaging problems that can pop up every day.

Jay @ Daily Fuel Economy Tip writes Five Ways for Parents to Save on Tutoring - You may be starting to notice your child's strengths and weaknesses in school, as far as grades go. There is a solution: tutoring.

Matt @ Budget Snob writes How your Upbringing Affects your Money Habits Part 2 - Something that most people do not realize is that how they were raised as children can actually have a big impact on how they make decisions as adults, especially with money.

Amy @ Money Mishaps writes Online and Mobile Retail make Black Friday practically obsolete - Ladies and gentlemen, here is a certifiable fact; marking down prices for Christmas is an American tradition. Here is another fact that is a bit newer; today, those markdowns and bargains come right to you at home so there is no need to actually go to the store to get them.

Lenny @ Best Money Saving Blog writes Avoid these Common Mistakes or you will Always be Broke – Part 2 - While being broke may just be the fault of your circumstance because you are out of work, underemployed or just went through bankruptcy, the fact is that most people are broke all the time because they make a lot of financial mistakes.

Hadley @ Epic Finances writes Thinking about purchasing Aflac Stock? Now may be a very good time - Aflac is, right now, an excellent buy due to its recent post earnings pullback and, in our opinion, could easily be chosen over other insurance rivals like The Hartford and Berkshire Hathaway.

Andrea @ So Over This writes More Money, More Gifts: Effective Ways to Save on Holiday Shopping - There are so many people looking to save money during the holidays while also getting the gifts that they want for their family and friends. Fortunately, there are several effective ways that this goal can be accomplished.

Lily @ Paying Debt Down writes Can you improve your credit in 15 Minutes a day? Yes you can - More and more people are realizing that maintaining a high credit score and understanding their credit is vital to their financial well-being as well as their life in general.

Katie @ IRA Basics writes The Secret of Saving for Your First Deposit - Are you ready to become a homeowner and do not fancy a no-deposit home loan? Then the biggest obstacle standing in your way is the first deposit or down payment.

Sam @ The New Business Blog writes Over 70% of Employees Missing Out on Pretax Dollars for Medical Expenses - In 2013 fewer Americans than ever put pretax dollars a way to cover future medical expenses but changes in 2014 will make these flexible spending accounts bit more attractive. These new changes will actually give taxpayers a bit of extra time to use their money.

Marissa @ Finance Triggers writes How to spot a good mortgage broker from a bad one - How can you decide if a mortgage broker is a good one or a bad one? The best way is to learn the answers to these questions.

Marissa @ Thirty Six Months writes The Joys of Being a Freelancer - While I do not consider my consider my consulting role that of a freelancer, I have, at times, taken on freelance clients for various projects. The beauty of being a freelance is not necessarily the freedom to work wherever you want, but more so the ability to work with whomever you feel is a great fit.

Buck @ Buck Inspire writes Tis The Enrollment Season To Be Jolly - It is time to enroll for your employee benefits! Some basics are pretty straightforward and really depends on personal preference like HMO versus PPO.

Monica @ Monica On Money writes How To Graduate College Debt Free - It might be hard to believe, but it is entirely possible to graduate from college debt-free. Think about how amazing it would be to start your new career without worrying about paying off student loans.

Holly @ Club Thrifty writes 5 Ridiculous Gifts I'm Not Getting My Kids - As the mother of two toddler daughters, I am horrified by some of the toys I have seen in stores. Read this post for 5 ridiculous gifts I will not be buying.

Larry @ KrantCents writes Everything Is Always on Sale! - Everything is always on sale seems like an exaggeration! If you are expecting to go to your local store and find absolutely everything on sale, you will be disappointed. Then again, you can find just about everything on sale somewhere.

Natalie @ Debt and the Girl writes Can Frugal Be Taken Too Far? - I was perusing the Netflix selection on my computer one afternoon and I found a show called Extreme Cheapskates.

Alexa @ Single Moms Income writes 5 Practical Christmas Gifts for Kids - If you want to save money and buy Christmas gifts kids will love, you need practical gifts. Here is a list of five practical Christmas gifts for kids.

Alexa @ Defeat Our Debt writes Personal Finance 101: Back to the Basics - To layout a strong financial foundation you need to know the personal finance basics. In this post we go back to the basics for you.

Graham @ Moneystepper writes Peer-to-peer lending – Funding Circle experiment - Peer-to-peer lending – Funding Circle experiment

Jason @ The Money Makers writes Olivia Wilde is Having a Baby: What are the first-month expenses? - Olivia Wilde recently announced her pregnancy with fiance Jason Sudeikis as she is due with her first child in the coming year. Although the couple have declined to reveal their due date, they likely are expecting to set aside a budget for their baby, even with their high incomes.

Sustainable PF @ Sustainable Personal Finance writes The Importance of Saving Early - When my husband and I first married, we were poor and in debt. It was a difficult place to be, and, even as we made inroads and improved our finances, we still felt pinched.

FI Pilgrim @ FI Journey writes Is Patience Still A Virtue? - There are a lot of things in life that money cannot buy. But in my experience there are also a lot of things that debt can take away. I council patience!

Justin @ Edward Antrobus writes Dump your Mutual Fund if they do these 4 things. - The simple fact about investing in mutual funds is that it does take a bit of work, time and energy to do it right.


GenY @ Gen Y Finances writes Does Everyone Need an Emergency Fund? - You’ve probably heard more times than you can count that you should have savings put away for a rainy day. You may have also heard the old phrase that one size does not fit all.

Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes What Are Your Priorities? Choosing Where You Spend Your Time - While I’m excited about these newfound projects, I do need to be careful about over-scheduling. One of the pitfalls of modern society is the tendency to be out and doing for the sake of being busy. I want to stay carefully balanced.

Adam @ Money Bulldog writes 5 Signs You Chose the Wrong Career - Do you find yourself getting bored at work way too often? Maybe it's time to switch career paths.

Adam @ Money Rebound writes Who Are the Richest Fictional Characters of All Time? - Fictional characters that made you wish you had their riches when you were younger.

Justin @ Root of Good @ Root of Good writes Investment Management Using Asset Allocation Targets - Many investors have an asset allocation for their portfolios. Find out how to rebalance your portfolio using asset allocation targets and free software.

Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes A Yummy Retirement Recipe - A while ago, I thought of a clever idea; write up the steps to a budget like a recipe. Here's my "recipe" for a successful retirement:

Lazy Man @ Lazy Man and Money writes A Great 14 Year Old Entrepreneur - You may remember me writing about Abigail Martin and her $500 wedding. At the time I called her my hero. Today, I add Willow Tufano to that list. A few more of these stories and I'll have to come up with a Lazy Man Hall of Fame of Amazing People.

Matt @ Living in Financial Excellence writes Do You Have Enough Money to Retire? - If you don’t want to end up greeting strangers at the door of Wal-Mart (and I know I don’t!), then you might want to sit down and figure out how much money you’ll really need when you retire.

Christopher @ This That and The MBA writes Saving For The Future - When I am looking for a new account, I tend to look for an online account because many of them pay higher interest rates than the typical brick and mortar banks. Just because the account is online does not mean that they are any less of a bank than a brick and mortar bank that you are used to.

Dollar @ Easy Extra Dollar writes 5 Ways To Improve Your Adsense Earnings - Leaderboard is the most popular ad format that most webmasters uses on his website. It is good too. Using leaderboard on top of the page is the best place to improve click through rate of ads.

Brian @ Luke1428 @ Luke1428 writes What Good Is Freedom When You Are Told What To Do With It? - Freedom is the foundation upon which the United States was founded. The implementation of Obamacare seems to have blurred the lines between personal freedom to choose and the government's role to better society.

John @ Frugal Rules writes Tradeking Review: An Online Brokerage Worth Considering - Investing in the stock market is vital to building wealth and with the variety of options available of where to invest it can be confusing. Choosing a good brokerage that has good offering and low fees can be a great way to help grow your retirement portfolio and get your investing on the right foot.

Jon Haver @ Pay My Student Loans writes How to Find School Loans and Grants - Sources of loans and grants lie in three primary places: federal government, state education agencies, and individual college and university financial aid offices.

Matt Becker @ Mom and Dad Money writes Disability Insurance: Why Almost Everyone Needs It - Disability insurance is one of the hallmarks of a secure financial plan. And it's something that almost everyone needs. If you rely on your income, disability insurance is a must.

Pauline @ Reach Financial Independence writes My 7 Steps to Financial Freedom – A Proven System for Building Your Wealth - Today Anton Ivanov of Dreams Cash True gives us an overview of his wealth building system, the 7 steps to financial freedom describe in his eBook.

Pauline @ Make Money Your Way writes I bought another PF blog! - I just bought a third PF blog, here are the details of how to value a blog and the expected returns!

Mr.CBB @ canadian budget binder writes Comparing the comparison sites in Canada - If you love a good deal then you know you can compare prices using comparison sites online.

Harry Campbell @ Your PF Pro writes Am I Ready for a Career in Financial Planning? - One of my goals during my three month work hiatus was to look into a career in financial planning. Even though I majored in aerospace engineering during college, it wasn’t until after I graduated and started working that I found out how much I liked helping people with their finances. People are usually surprised to discover that I’m so into personal finance considering my educational background. But I think the two go hand in hand; I base a lot of my investing principles/techniques off f

Harry Campbell @ The Four Hour Work Day writes Have You Ever Had a Really Great Manager? - On most nights when I get home from work, I have a pretty consistent routine. I’ll work online for a couple hours while I have a little snack and then it’s off to prepare dinner, or grab a quick bite to eat. Once in a while, my fiancee will even cook dinner for me! But after that, I sit down in front of the TV and put on one of my favorite shows: The Office. It’s kind of sad but that show is one of the only ones I can watch over and over without it ever getting old.

For the carnival archive visit: www.carnivalofretirement.com. If you want to host a future carnival or submit for next week see the signup form at Blogger Carnivals.