• Simple, smart ways to limit your student loan debt. [Kiplinger]
• About to buy a home? Consider these tips to get the best price. [Globe and Mail]
• Should you rent or buy? This infographic helps you decide. [Credit Karma]
• One blogger ponders whether or not an MBA is worth it. [Well-Heeled Blog]
• Another ponders the same for expensive private colleges. [PT Money]
• These simple interview tweaks could make or break your chance for a job. [Yahoo Finance]
• Tips for earning an income from  your hobby. [Adaptu]
• Full-time freelancer? Getting a mortgage may require work, but it’s not impossible. [NY Times]
• The consequences of youth unemployment are way bigger than just having to move back in with mom and dad. [The Economist]

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• Is it worth it? A list of the best foods to bulk-buy. (Mint Life)
• Social media really is taking over the world: a new study uses twitter to predict the stock market. (Consumerism Commentary)
• Until you land your dream job, here are some tips to rock out a less-than-awesome job. (Brazen Careerist)
• 15 financial moves to make right now. (Time)
• If your productivity is lacking, try taking more breaks. (Dumb Little Man)
• It’s never easy, but these 9 tips will get you started saving money. (Dumb Little Man)
• Before you decide to withdraw funds from your retirement account, consider the penalties. (Wisebread)
• An interesting look at 7 new careers that didn’t exist a decade ago. (MoneyNing)
• First-time renter? Check out these 7 things to consider. (Moolanomy)
• A guide to investing in your 20s. (MainStreet)

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Mint Life: Infographic: How couples divide their money

Get Rich Slowly: Make more money: How to supercharge your income

Debt Free Adventure: Does your FICO score matter?

20Something Finance: I hate my job! 55% of Americans agree. 5 steps to fix it

Budgets Are Sexy: Don’t put yourself in “the situation”

Brazen Careerist: Networking roulette: Networking made easy

Finally, thanks to PTMoney for hosting last week’s Carnival of Personal Finance and including Mark’s post on short-term savings.

Good Financial Cents: Prepaid services that are worth it and some that aren’t.

Budgets Are Sexy: Chicken farming as side hustle.

Money Crashers: Why downsizing can save you money. The hardworking MC team also released a new top personal finance blog list (we debuted at #51).

Enemy of Debt: The Enemy of Debt basic budget spreadsheet (3.0).

Investopedia: Top 6 mortgage mistakes. Written by our very own Mark Riddix.

I Will Teach You To Be Rich: How to apply the 80/20 rule to earn more, work less, and dominate.

20Something Finance The U.S. is the most overworked developed nation in the world; when do we draw the line?

Behavior Gap: The secret to financial success.

Free From Broke: Is it still a good idea to buy a house in this economy? Probably. I like this, ’cause I just bought one! (Details TBA…)

Green Panda Treehouse: Good reasons to buy a car with cash.

Budgets Are Sexy: Is college worth it?

LearnVest: How business cards can help you get a job.

PT Money: 10 money lessons every college student should know. (Sure wish I did).

Money Crashers: How to respond to unauthorized transactions on your bank account.

Finally, much thanks to the Sustainable Life Blog for hosting this week’s Carnival of Personal Finance which included our post on the difference between growth and value investing. Cheers!

Own the Dollar: 83 money moves to make before turning 30 (Not new, but great…)

Financial Highway: Your credit card is NOT an emergency fund.

Five Cent Nickel: How to negotiate like a pro.

The Digerati Life: Should you invest in an Ivy League education?

Enemy of Debt: Please stop saying: “I don’t make enough money to do that!”

Generation X Finance: Five ways social media can cost you money.

Buy Like Buffet: Why there will never be another Warren Buffet.

20Something Finance: Seven benefits to downsizing to a tiny home.

Budgets Are Sexy: Should you postpone/forgo having kids because of the money you’ll save?

Money Crashers: Tips for planning cheap meals.

Dough Roller: How to buy a refurbished iPhone.

Money Funk: How to control emotional spending.

20Something Finance: How much should you tip for food delivery?

Green Panda Treehouse: The importance of asset allocation.

20s Money: Why you should WAIT to buy a home!

Financial Samurai: Being overly content can be detrimental to your career.

Net Banker: ING to offer special July 4th bonuses.

New York Times Bucks: Ways to save money when you use your cell phone abroad.

• Choose Where You Want to Live, Then Find a Job — In one of the more personal articles I’ve written here, I examine my decision to move to Maine without a “real job”—even in the middle of a recession—and just make it work.

• How to Create a Five-Year Financial Plan — We all know that building financial security doesn’t happen overnight. That said, it’s not very easy to put money away for 40, 20, even 10 years from now. Five years is a different story. That’s why it’s so important to set a “five-year plan”.

• 23 Things Beginners Absolutely Must Know About Saving for Retirement — I’m proud of this post that contains basic but critical information about saving for retirement. This article did really well on social media sites like StumbleUpon, though I was disappointed it didn’t get more comments.

• How to Overcome a Fear of Your Finances — Does the thought of looking at your credit card statements or checking account make you anxious? Have you ever ignored financial mail because you just don’t want to deal with it? You’re not alone. This post offers tips to beat your fear and start taking control of your money.

• Confessions of an Ex-Textbook Salesman — Over my career, I have had the dubious fortune of selling both cars and textbooks. When I first launched this blog, I wrote an extremely popular article about all the dirty tricks I learned about car dealerships. I decided to do the same about my experience working for a college textbook publisher.

• Radically Re-Thinking Credit Cards — Nobody agrees on the “right” credit card strategy. Should you cut them all up or get as many as you can to maximize your rewards? Neither, says I in this two-part article.

• How to Watch Your Wallet With High-Rolling Friends — I think this post is uber-relevant to young people. It tackles a question we’ve all faced at some point: How can we go out with friends and have a good time without looking cheap and/or going into debt?

• AT&T Wireless Rebate Gift Cards are a Raw Deal — There’s nothing spectacular about this post; it’s just a bitch session about how much AT&T Wireless rebate gift cards suck. But apparently, lots of other people agree.

• The 15 Best Financial iPhone Apps — I read a study claiming iPhone users are more productive that those that use other mobile phones. Based upon the popularity of this piece showcasing some of the best early financial iPhone apps, I have a hunch handle their money better, too.

• My Credit Card Raised My Interest Rate! Here’s What to Do — Everybody I know that owns a credit card was affected by rate hikes this year. I know folks with huge credit limits and perfect credit scores see their APRs go as high as 20, 25, even 30 percent. It’s ridiculous, but if it has happened to you, here’s what to do.

• In a Recession, Should You Save Cash Before Paying Debt? — That’s what Suze Orman said later this year, and I agree. Some readers also weighed in with their perspectives in the comments.

• Young and Upside Down on the Mortgage — Imagine you bought your dream home only to find two or three years later that it’s only worth half of what you paid for it. It’s a reality many people are facing right now.

• 10 Easy Ways to Simplify Your Finances — Some people love juggling dozens of bank accounts and credit cards to earn the best interest and rewards. I, on the other hand, sincerely believe money doesn’t have to be complicated. Therefore, I present a few ways to make it less so.

• A Case for Local Banks and Credit Unions — Finally, I leave you with a piece of advice I encourage you to follow: leave your large bank. Small banks and credit unions will add personal service to your banking and keep the money you save in your community; you may even snag a better deal.

That’s it for this 365 days. See you in 2010.

Happy New Year!

I’ve got a lot to be thankful for this year. When it comes to blogging, I’m thankful for everybody who reads Money Under 30 and leaves great comments and for all the other bloggers pouring their heart and soul into creating absolutely incredible content for the rest of us to read, enjoy, and hopefully learn from. Here are just a few examples:

• A great personal story about the road to home ownership. (Fiscal Fizzle)
• A short but important article showing the power of making extra debt payments. (Debt Free Adventure)
• The pros and cons of giving plastic (gift cards) as holiday gifts. (Cash Money Life)
• An important question to ask yourself: Is debt really what is keeping you down? (Suburban Dollar)
• I find this stuff fascinating: What real millionaires do. (Free Money Finance)
• It’s all tried and true advice, but a lot more fun when you think of it this way: Five ways to screw your credit card. (Squawkfox)
• Good advice for anybody tempted: The pitfalls of trading penny stocks. (Dual Income No Kids)

Last, but not least, I’m thankful for the Carnival of Personal Finance, and this week’s host, M is for Money. Great job!

Happy Halloween!

• Three methods to pay off more than one debt. (Poorer Than You)
• A financial “foul up” by Matt Jabs, who describes how he’s upside down and paying the price. (My Next Buck)
• Some good advice for when you are ready to make decisions about home ownership. (Green Panda Treehouse)
• A few frugality tips for pet owners. (Living Almost Large)
• Why working while you’re a student may be harder than you think. (Studenonmics)
• The shockingly low rate of retirement savings by Americans. Don’t become a part of this trend! (20somethingfinance)

Finally a big thank you to the hosts of this week’s Carnival of Twentysomething Finances and Carnival of Personal Finance (where my post on signs you may be at risk for identity theft was an editor’s pick!)