Each week, the carnival features the best personal finance blogging on the Web. In this week’s carnival you’ll find money-saving tips, ideas for your investments, commentaries on taxes and the economy, and even a couple of financial posts inspired by Mother’s Day!

In This Edition

• Editor’s Picks
• Mother’s Day Posts
• Relevant to Money Under 30 Readers
• Originally Omitted Posts

• Saving and Frugal Tips
• Credit and Debt
• Financial Planning and Investing
• Real Estate
• Taxes

• The Economy
• Budgeting and Money Management
• Other
• About the Carnival

Photo by pasma.

Editor’s Picks

Do you frequently fall victim to impulse buys from store checkout aisles and displays? If so, check out You Don’t Need That! 8 Tricks for Impulse Control at I’ve Paid For This Twice Already.

Kevin from No Debt Plan has a post that is humorous, but also dead-on. Check out his post 10 Steps to Avoid Becoming a Millionaire, and if you are doing any of these things, stop!

Is your portfolio in a rut? MoneyNing looks back on his investments year-to-date and rehashes some investing basics that have taken him from a yield of -99.79% to +9.99% so far this year. And, if you’re good at keeping your monthly budget, but loose track of cash purchases, Dorian Wales from The Personal Financier reflects on four ways to account for cash expenditures in your budget. Finally, you spend a lot of time building your financial security, but Megan from A Dollar a Day asks are you ready for a disaster?

Mother’s Day

I have to give a nod to two posts inspired by mom’s day yesterday: Shuchong from But WHY Doesn’t It Grow on Trees reflects on financial lessons learned from mom, and Finance Girl from Finance Gets Personal wrote about giving mom an experience for Mother’s Day… of course this is also good for father’s day, a birthday, or anybody deserving!

Relevant to Money Under 30 Readers

Before I dive into the bulk of carnival posts, there are a few more I wanted to highlight for this blog’s regular readers. Ben from Money Smart Life covers health insurance options for recent graduates, GBlogger from Can I Get Rich On A Salary lists generalizations made about Generation Y and money and ponders whether any are accurate. Steve from brip blap talks about how the smartest financial move he made in college was learning a foreign language. Also, Denina covers five avoidable money mistakes students make.

Omitted Posts

Due to a glitch in the email host that collects submissions, the following posts were omitted when the carnival was first posted. Sorry! They are here now, and the carnival organizers are working on fixing the delay in submissions.

Foxie from Dreaming of Ferraris is focusing on the future, learning to balance paying for past mistakes, spending a little now, and saving for the future. Junger from Online Savings Blog asks What Would You Do For $1 Million?.

Kyle from Amateur Asset Allocator takes a look at the attributes of a good dividend stock. Four Pillars from Quest For Four Pillars explains why zero down payment on a house is just fine.

The Financial Blogger presents Conquering The World From Your Bedroom. Todd from Harvesting Dollars presents Index Funds Are A Commodity, and Checking Accounts Are Too. Eden from Finance and Fat looks at Prosper.com, and asks: Why Bother?

Saving Money and Frugal Tips

Seeking strategies to supercharge your savings? Lazy Man and Money shows you how to snowflake an emergency fund, and Bob from Christian Personal Finances suggests living a minimalist life. Need a thing or two? Mrs. NtJS from Not the Jet Set tells you how to shop garage sales like a pro. And for anything you can’t sell at the garage sale, Free Money Finance recommends you throw it out to avoid spending $3k a year on storage.

Mighty Bargain Hunter is impressed with Amazon’s food selection, while Free From Broke is keeping costs down on oil changes. J. Savings from Budgets are Sexy needs your help with a list of 100 bargains for $1.00 or less!, while Biff from basicfinancial is learning to have fun while being frugal.

If fuel prices have gotten you down, Living the Cheap Life tells you how to get a free haircut, Maria O’Brien at Financial Tips suggests buying locally grown food, Margaret from You Might as Well Burn $5! suggests saving on food with a price book, and Sun from The Sun’s Financial Diary provides some tips to save money on fuel itself from Consumer Reports. Also, Chief Family Officer asks Why roll over ECBs at CVS?

Looking for something fun (and free) to do with the kids? Amy at The Q Family suggests taking them to this free family activity at Home Depot. Speaking of kids, Bill from Money Hacks recently learned just how much his wife’s work is worth. Moving soon? Shawna from Bumblefucked has some words of warning for anybody who is moving as she explains how changing her address cost her $75. Finally, Mom from Wide Open Wallet writes about why what you drive does not equal what you are worth in Millionaires Drive Minivans.

Credit and Debt

Debt Freedom Fighter tells the story of getting into lots of debt, and how he plans to get out with the post: Record Breaking Debt: How did We Get This Way and How Do We Get Out SGM from Single Guy Money looks back at his year of finances as he tries to get out of debt. In debt yourself? Perhaps you’re wondering: do you need a credit history to get a cell phone? Mrs. Micah fills you in. Meanwhile, Ryan from Uncommon Cents talks about 401(k) Loans.

Jonathan from Master Your Card discusses the differences between good debt and bad debt, FIRE Finance warns about the over limit fees on the Citi CashReturns card, and Feminist Finance writes about marrying debt.

Ashley from College of Cash hates being angry and stressed about loans, Lisa Spinelli from Greener Pastures I had a dream she maxed out her credit cards (sounds like a nightmare), and Shana from Smart Easy Money presents an alternative look at her history with credit. Amanda from Me vs Debt got her FICO score into the 700s (congrats!), meaning she could probably get approved for Credit Addict’s three best credit cards. Speaking of credit cards, Mr Credit Card reflects on the Fed’s proposed rules for credit card banks.

Financial Planning and Investing

The legendary Sequoia Fund has reopened to new investors, but Dan from Everyday Finance asks whether you should avoid this fund.

Relliksc from Goal of Financial Freedom tells you why to put time and money on your side.

Jim from Blueprint for Financial Prosperity takes a look at the best online brokers.

Clint from Accumulating Money tells you why you need life insurance and Squawkfox points out how to buy it without getting screwed. FiveCentNickel shares his investment portfolio’s asset allocation and location, while My Retirement Blog reviews Sharebuilder IRA.

Pinyo from Moolanomy presents a roadmap to better financial health and The Dividend Guy looks at why most mutual fund managers under-perform the market. Enoch Ko from The Wealth Accumulator asks What is your risk (or volatility) tolerance?

Henry Stern InsureBlog discusses ways to shelter your assets should you need long term care. Jacob from All About The Ben takes a detailed look at PharmaNet Development Group Inc.. Dividend Growth Investor presents Valspar Corporation (VAL) Dividend Analysis. Raymond from Money Blue Book Finance looks at Warren Buffett’s single most important piece of advice for stock market investors, Barb from Pasadena Financial Planner writes about independent investment counselors and financial advisors, and Smarty from Growing Money takes a look at his goals and progress in 2008.

Dividends4Life looks at whether stock dividends are worthless and Journey 2 Retirement points out why you should not chase the highest yield, and The MoneyGardener presents ways tohedge yourself against rising gasoline costs.

Real Estate

Not many folks wrote about real estate this week, but Dan Melson from Searchlight Crusade discusses how to write real estate offers that can beat out a higher competing offer. Hunting Happiness writes about beginning experiences in residential investment properties, and Steve Faber from Debt Free looks at the dangers of reverse mortgages.

Taxes

Wonder where the presidential candidates stand on taxes? DR from Dough Roller presents Presidential Candidates’ Tax Proposals–A Complete Guide. Speaking of federal taxes, Hank from My Investing Blog asks: What Do You Say About Dumping Our National Income Tax And Switching To A National Sales Tax?.

Still looking for your rebate? Paula Wethington from Monroe on a Budget asks: Are you really on the IRS direct depost list? Meanwhile, Broke Grad Student is still waiting for the 2008 tax rebate. Prime Time Money suggests you use your tax rebate to get free groceries. Finally, ever wondered how sales tax applies to online resources? Anthoney Grigsby from HelpMyCashGrow.com checks it out with his post: Amazon.com vs. New York & The Internet sales tax.

The Economy

Gather Little by Little shares what you need to do now to survive a recession, while Chris Kakaras shares some sobering facts about the state of our country’s personal finances in this situation analysis. The Money Kings thinks GM should stop pretending to be a green company, and Heather Allen from DebtFree Playbook Blog looks at the language of money and how the economic landscape changes the way we speak.

Beyond Paycheck to Paycheck asks: Are you in love with a possible recession? Shadox from Money and Such has some ideas for finding a job in a difficult economy.

Budgeting and Money Management

Luke from Money & Fitness Blog takes a look at dealing with joint finances, and Bryce from Save and Conquer presents what to do if you receive unexpected money.

It’s one thing to set a budget for your family vacation, and another thing entirely to stick to it once you are on the road. Here are easy tips for living within your budget, even while you’re on vacation, from Debbie at DeliciousBaby.

MITBeta from Don’t Feed The Alligators explains how to use Google apps to track spending, while Joe D from Know The Ledge recommends keeping a lean checking account.

Shannon Christman from Saving Advice Blog presents ten great bits of financial advice, and from American Consumer News points out that with the increase in electronic payments, it’s not so easy to float checks anymore. AndyS from Saving to Invest recommends starting to budget for $5 gas, and Andy from Finance Viewpoint answers some reader questions about taxes and allocating $100k.

Last but certainly not least, Debbie from Destroy Debt offers some pointers for spending less to free up available income.

Other

Fathersez looks at how applying Kaizen, the Japanese science of continual improvement in our daily lives, can help us improve our personal finances, while Aryn from Sound Money Matters asks How much car insurance do you need? The Happy Rock discusses simplifying your finances, and Super Saver from My Wealth Builder tells you how to identify and avoid advertising mind tricks.

Deepali from Paradigm Shifted suggests that wealth is not a material gain, but a state of mind, Kaye from Mrs Nespy’s World presents teaching children about money, part two (giving). My Money Adventure lets us in on the personal finance book I’m going to “read”.

About the Carnival of Personal Finance

The Carnival of Personal Finance is the Web’s premier weekly collection of blog articles on financial topics. Bloggers are invited to submit articles for consideration before 5 p.m. Eastern time each Sunday. Next week’s Carnival will be hosted at Canadian Dream: Free at 45.

Editor’s Picks

28 Tips to Repair Your Credit Score by CindyS at Oh My Aching Debts. A fabulous collection of the real things you can do to improve your credit.

5 Steps For Identity Theft Victims To Deal with Debt Collectors by B. Duncan at Identity Thoughts. This post (hopefully) won’t apply to many people, but offers a few great tips about what to do if debt collectors start to call you about a debt that legitimately is not yours. Yikes!

Credit Tips and Advice

6 tips for bumping up your credit score by Hank at My Investing Blog.

Arguments For And Against Carrying Multiple Reward Credit Cards by Ray at Money Blue Book: Personal Finance Blog.

Improve Your Financial IQ - Get Your Credit Reports and Scores by Will at Your Finish Rich Plan.

Easy Ways to Build Credit by Alexander at Wealth Junkies.

How I Raised My Credit Score 40 Points in 24hrs. and Saved 8 a Month in Interest by Jimson Lee at No Debt Anymore .org.

Everything you wanted to know about Fico Scores by Jonathan at Master Your Card.

Understanding Frozen Credit by Jeremy Zongker at Creditor Web.

Other Articles

3 Steps to a Lower Interest Rate by Brice Hogan at Financialzip.com.

Creating a Budget by Leaving The Folks at Real World Advice. In debt? Your banks don’t care about you by Mike Leonard at Until Debt Do Us Part.

Asset Allocation, Investment Asset Tax Location, and Emergency Cash Management by Barb A. Ryan at Pasadena Financial Planner.

Election Promises by Jeremy Zongker at Debt Comics.

Submit your blog article to the next edition of credit report stories using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Welcome to the April 21, 2008 edition of the Carnival of Twenty Something Finances. With over 60 submissions and more than 50 articles selected for inclusion, this week’s carnival features loads of great tips for building a bright financial future, so let’s dive right into the articles!

Editor’s Picks

There were three posts this week that I think really stood out from the pack:

First was the post from Erica Douglass on three businesses you can run in a bad economy. A recession doesn’t mean you’re going to starve, it just means you need to work harder — and smarter — to continue to be successful. Three Business Ideas That Will Help You Thrive During A Recession will inspire you to ride out the tough times, and you can read it over at erica.biz.

The Baglady has an excellent short post about how we can make our thinking and our actions, not luck, determine our futures — also timely given the economic times. Read Don’t Let Bad Luck Determine Your Future at The Baglady.

Finally, ChristianPF presents a specific but useful frugal tip: How to watch HD TV on your computer. You can find the quick how-to guide at Money in the Bible | Christian Personal Finance Blog.

Frugal Tips

Sarah presents Four ways to suck less at vintage & thrift shopping posted at SARAHSPY.

Meg introduces FruWiki.com! posted at All About Appearances. Meg says: “As a fellow twenty something trying climb out of debt, I’ve embraced living more frugally and am in awe of the cleverness of fellow frugalites of all generations. We are truly fortunate to be the internet generation and have the technology to share that information so easily and widely. I launched FruWiki.com so that we could gather and share some of the great wisdom out there and help others live more on less.”

Hank presents Am I off my rocker or are food prices going up faster than anything else? posted at My Investing Blog.

Sam presents New Car Features and Buying Tips ! Surfer Sam posted at Surfer Sam and Friends, saying, “The News About New Cars Brand new features for fun and safety. Smarter, safer cars are taking care of us”

Zork Brauk presents UFO Recession Tip 63 - Top 10 Cheap, Sexy Dates posted at It’s the Recession, Stupid!, saying, “Fun and cheap date ideas.”

Maria O’Brien presents Frugal Grocery Shopping Tips posted at Financial Tips.

Debt and Credit

Michael Bass presents Debt and Depression posted at Debt Prison, saying, “I’ve learned to focus on what I do have. I have so much to be thankful for. Don’t we all?”

In college? Thinking about a credit card? Read Choosing a Student Credit Card posted at Millionaire Money Habits.

Mr Credit Card presents Zero Interest Credit Cards to Avoid posted at Ask Mr Credit Card’s Blog.

Raymond presents How To Avoid A 0% Balance Transfer Mistake posted at Money Blue Book.

Jeremy Zongker presents Are Low Interest Credit Cards Really a Good Deal? posted at Creditor Web.

Jonathan presents Banks vs. Credit Unions: Which is Better? posted at Master Your Card.

GBlogger presents 800 Credit Score, Strong Income, Strong Assets Not Enough To Save HELOC posted at Can I get Rich on a Salary?, saying, “The credit market is getting harsher on loans and particularly on home-equity lines of credit, as this true story illustrates.”

Budgeting, Money Management, and Saving

Chica with issues presents How much is your time worth? It is a cost that needs considered. posted at Bumblefucked.

Nadege presents Learn why allocating your paycheck is the key to becoming wealthy posted at fabulous finances.

Barb A. Ryan presents Your Personal Financial Planning Skills posted at Pasadena Financial Planner.

TV Girl presents Choosing Fight Over Flight posted at TV Girl and Money.

Jeremy Zongker presents How to NOT Live on a Budget posted at Debbie’s Debt Advice.

Dorian Wales presents How I Saved Over 3,000$ In One Hour posted at Personal Financier.

Brice Hogan presents The Way to Financial Independence posted at Financialzip.com, saying, “The basic steps to prepare young twenty somethings for getting to retirement and financial independence.”

Investing, Real Estate, and Earning Money

KCLau presents How to Identify and Invest in the Hot Stocks of Tomorrow posted at KCLau’s Money Tips, saying, “A review of the book “Finding the Next Starbucks by Michael Moe.”

Learn four ways to profit from domains at The Shark Investor.

Raag Vamdatt presents Want to own a company? Buy stock! posted at . A great primer on owning stock..

jendiren presents How to make money online in a nutshell posted at Sassy Solution.

Gary Evans presents How to Become a Money Magnet posted at Good To Feel Good.

FIRE Getters presents a post on using Etrade’s Quickplan - Personalized & Easy Retirement Planning! posted at FIRE Finance.

Helen Anderson presents 5 Tips for Buying a Home in a Down Market at Best CD (Certificate of Deposit) Rates, Money Market Rates, High Interest Accounts posted at Bankaholic.

Jorge H. presents General Electric Fizzles - Market Retest of Lows? posted at My Adventures into The Street, saying, “Does GE’s missed earnings signal more downward action for the markets?”

Taxes and the Economy

Praveen presents The IRS Are Humans, Too… posted at My Simple Trading System.

Living off Dividends presents Tax Benefits Of Passive Income posted at LIVING OFF DIVIDENDS, saying, “As Benjamin Franklin famously said, “A penny saved is a penny earned”. See how to save money through advantageous tax rates on your blog income and other passive income sources.”

Sagar presents Are Bernanke’s Hands Tied? 8 Reasons the US May Be in Worse Trouble Than You Think posted at Currency Trading.net.

Jeremy Zongker presents Election Promises posted at Debt Comics.

The Investor presents Hands off our falling house prices posted at Monevator.com, saying, “Why are rising prices for wheat and rice bad, and yet falling prices for houses not thought of as good? Because the truth is that for many 20-somethings, lower real estate prices can’t come soon enough.”

Personal Development

Life. Money. Development. presents The 7 Attributes of Leadership posted at Life. Money. Development., saying, “An excellent presentation of the attributes every leader should have.”

Steve Faber presents - Statistics on Divorce - How You Can Avoid Becoming One of Them posted at DebtBlog.

That concludes this edition of the Carnival of Twenty Somethign Finances…thanks for reading and for the great submissions!

You can submit your blog article to the next edition of twenty something finances using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Was your article not included? I tried to include as many submissions as possible, however, I omitted some for the following reasons: 1.) The topic was not really related to personal finance for twenty somethings 2.) The link was invalid 3.) There was already an included submission from the same blog.

Most notably, my article on the annual cost of pet ownership was an editor’s pick in this week’s Carnival of Personal Finance hosted by David at MoneyNing. Thanks, David!

Real World Really did a great job of hosting this week’s Carnival of Debt Reduction, and even included a haiku about each post. Impressive! You can find my post on 10 businesses with low start-up costs there.

My look at super cheap bus fares was featured in both the Carnival of Twenty Something Finances at The Baglady and the Festival of Frugality at A Penny Saved.

Upcoming Carnivals to Be Hosted Here

Money Under 30 will be proud host to the Carnival of Twenty Something Finances on April 21st, the Carnival of Credit Report Stories on April 28th, and the Carnival of Personal Finance on May 12th. Be sure to get your entries in!