Welcome to the Money Pros M-Day edtion!

I’m doing this carnival while I’m sitting in a restaurant at lunch but unfortunately, my time is up.  So not much of an intro paragraph, but enjoy the great articles below!

 
 
SBB @ Simple Budget Blog writes Yet More Items To Budget For Your Independently Published Book – More items to consider when independently publishing your book.

Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes Sin Stocks: What They Are And Why You Should Buy Them – Are you aware of sin stocks? They are stocks that are related sinful acts – drinking, smoking, etc.

Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes From Garden to Table: Why Home Gardens are Both Fun and Inexpensive – Interested in having a home garden? From family bonding to inexpensive meals, here are few reasons why planting your own food works.

Dominique Brown @ YourFinancesSimplified writes What is Earnest Money? – This week we’ll continue learning about terms related to real estate and selling or buying a home. If you’ve bought a home before, you’ve probably heard the term earnest money, but if you’re looking for a home for the first time, you may not be aware of this concept.

Mr. Frenzy @ Frenzied Finances writes Buyer Beware: Avoiding Shopping Scams – Thanks to the Internet, anyone can fall victim to a fraud. Knowing what to look for will be the first step to protecting yourself from becoming a victim.

CAPI @ Creating a Passive Income writes How to Help your Friends with Passive Income – Passive income is a financial stream that is derived from little or no extra effort. Think you’re an expert? Here’s how to help friends with passive income.

Hank @ Money Q&A writes How To Compete In The Current Job Market – job-seekers must adapt accordingly to the demands of a deceptively competitive job market if they are to make money. Consider the following steps towards achieving this.

Debt Guru @ Debt Free Blog writes Reconsidering Your Retirement: 10 Tips – Considering retirement? Before you go any further, start reconsidering your retirement, just in case you missed anything. Here are ten tips to consider.

Ted Jenkin @ Your Smart Money Moves writes How Rich Do You Think You Are? – Wealth can be defined in many different ways, but classically it is measured through one’s net worth.

JP @ My Family Finances writes The Story of Money and Currency – It’s a good resource for anyone who needs to understand how money works and how we value it.

Lauren @ L Bee and the Money Tree writes Personal Saving Wisdom from Grandma: The Envelope Budgeting Method – L Bee Note: While I am working today enjoy this guest post from the folks over at Your Finances Simplified, another bang-on PF site. I’ve never used the envelope budgeting method (mostly because I was scared of running out!) but I appreciate the step-by-step how to below.

Michelle @ The Shop My Closet Project writes Why Being #2 Is The Best (Financial) Thing To Happen To The U.S.A. – The American Middle Class had slipped from the # 1 position of being the richest middle class in the world to #2. The thing is the lack of surprise was not a surprise. We already had that feeling. We’re not stupid. We knew that things weren’t going well for the American Middle Class for quite a while

Kyle @ The Penny Hoarder writes How to Make Money Reselling Craigslist Freebies – Maybe you’ve used Craigslist to buy or sell things, but have you ever checked out all of the things that are free? That’s right; there is a section devoted to things which are simply given away. People give things away because it is easier than trying to sell them or bring them to a thrift store as a donation.

IMB @ Investing Money writes High Speed Trading – Trading has changed as we have become more technologically able. Read here for all you need to know about high speed trading and the stock market.

Maria @ The Money Principle writes One for the weekend: class and the workings of capitalism – A simplistic chart of how capitalism work and your chance to check which class you belong to.

Crystal @ Married (with Debt) writes Financial Creativity – My wife and I are on the same page when it comes to our financial goals. This has led me to financial creativity. Stealth savings…

Mike @ Personal Finance Journey writes How hard is it for you to ask financial questions? – Are you someone who can talk finances and ask questions or do you need our easy ways to ask financial questions when your nervous about doing so?

Roger the Amateur Financier @ The Amateur Financier writes Sensible Age To Plan Retirement | When Should I Begin Planning My Retirement? – What is a sensible age to begin planning your retirement? That depends on several factors. When you retire, it’s not going to be like it might have been for you parents. Guaranteed lifelong healthcare, locked-in pension payments and proverbial gold watches may certainly not apply.

Mario @ Adventures in Frugal writes What type of frugal are you — simplicity frugal or champagne frugal? – There’s a war for the soul of frugal! Are you a simplicist or a maximizer?

Emily @ Evolving Personal Finance writes What Do You Wish You Had Discussed before Marriage? – I give an example of a conversation I’m glad my husband and I had before marriage and one I wish we had and ask the commenters to do the same.

Daniel @ Make Money Make Cents writes Sexy Stocks: Usually Not Worth It – When you first start talking to people about the stock market, the average reaction by the average individual is to change the topic.

Oscar @ Money is the Root writes Can your Personality Determine your Income? – Experts will tell you that, when it comes to earning money, the type of personality that you have definitely influences how much money you will earn, save and/or put towards retirement.

Marissa @ Finance Triggers writes 3 Ways to Ensure You Have Money Left in the Last Week of the Month – We all know that when we look in our bank accounts during the week approaching pay day, it is more than likely that a few moths will fly out.

Danielle @ Saving Without a Budget writes Tips on How to Make and Save Extra Money – Every person always toys with the idea of making extra cash and becoming an overnight success.

Matt @ Budget Snob writes Late Payment: Who are the Worst Offenders? – According to The Times, Government bodies are amongst the very worst offenders when it comes to late payments in the UK.

Jack @ Money Saving Ethics writes Taking the Leap: When is it Time to Ditch the Lease? – This past decade has paved the way for some very big changes in the housing market, making it both harder to find a home and easier to get financed for one.

Amy @ Money Mishaps writes Financial Rules for your Life – Part 2 – There is absolutely no denying that money is a big part lives. It is the means to many important ends including security, opportunity, wish fulfillment and even philanthropy.

Lenny @ Best Money Saving Blog writes Financial Aid Tips for the Uninitiated – If you are the parent of a child in high school that is rapidly approaching college age, chances are that you have just been introduced to the numbers game that is financial aid.

Hadley @ Epic Finances writes Did some tech insiders dump their shares ahead of the slump in March? – In a move that has caused more than a bit of unease among many investors, insiders at some of the hottest private and publicly traded Internet companies got rid of substantial personal stock stakes before the March slump began.

Andrea @ So Over This writes Parents Need to Start Teaching Their Kids Financial Responsbility! – Believe it or not, you are personally responsible for every financial decision your children make throughout their entire lives!

Lily @ Paying Debt Down writes Better Late Than Never: How to Avoid Late Fees at All Costs – Late fees are fun for no one but they are also very easily avoided.

Bob @ Dwindling Debt writes 4 Places You Should NOT Swipe Your Debit Card – When we hear about massive data breaches at credit report company Experian or a department store like Target, it becomes apparent that debit card problems are spiraling out of control.

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 Top 3 Challenges of Running a Small Business – Before leaving your day job to start your own small business, you should first understand the many challenges that you may face as an entrepreneur.

Marissa @ Thirty Six Months writes How to Save Money On Moving House: – When moving house, you have two options: to transport things on your own, or hire a moving company.

Aaron @ Aaron Hung writes It’s Never Too Early: Financial Habits To Build in Your Twenties – Too many students are thrown into college with no understanding of how the real world works and are left to figure it out on their own.

Alexa @ Defeat Our Debt writes How to Get Rid of Debt on Your Own – There is no easy way to get rid of debt. You have several options, each come with their own set of pros and cons. Here is how to get rid of debt on your own.

Charles @ Getting A Rich Life writes Find Your Financial Freedom Inspiration – Those who are inspired are more likely to stick with their path towards financial independence.

Danielle @ TeacHer Finance writes Three Types of Apps to Get Your Bank Account Back on Track – There are apps for absolutely everything you need these days, whether it is help managing your eating habits, catching up with your celebrity gossip or sling-shotting birds into the faces of cute little piggies.

Justin @ iPlugin writes Should You Own an iPad Air? – Are you looking for a new tablet because your old one has reached the end of its useful life or maybe simply because you want to upgrade to a better device?

Michelle @ Making Sense of Cents writes Barclaycard Arrival World MasterCard Review – Receive $440 For Travel – I plan on using this new credit card for most of our wedding expenses and also for our normal day-to-day expenses.

Harry Campbell @ Your PF Pro writes Increase Your Citi Credit Card Limits – Most of the time when I get mail from Citi it’s junk mail like offers for balance transfers, adding an authorized user or those paper checks. Does anyone actually use those stupid checks that probably charge 30% interest? I sure don’t and any time I see a letter from Citi, I open it, scan it quickly and almost always throw it away. But the other day, I got an offer that was actually pretty enticing.

Joshua Rodriguez @ CNA Finance writes Budgets – Happiness (Science Says So) – In this post, William from First Quarter Finance discusses the connection between budgets and happiness with your financial position. Find out why budgets make people happy!

Evan @ The Smaller Dollar writes Frugal Vacation Idea – Go Camping! – For the frugal vacationer a great way to stretch that smaller dollar farther is to pack the tent, grab the cooler, and go camping!

Andrew @ Finance with Reason writes Five ways to save money on shaving – Saving costs can add up to hundreds of dollars per year, especially if you buy more expensive razors and products. Here are five ways to save on shaving

Jerry @ Miss Finance writes Will a Debt Collector Remove Debts from Your Credit Report? – Sadly, most collectors don’t like to remove debts, but there are things you can do to entice them.

Christine @ CO123 writes Edible Arrangements Coupons, Coupon Codes – Planning something unique for Mother’s Day can be tough. Flowers are a bit cliché, but why not try a creative fruit bouquet? If you haven’t already seen or tried Edible Arrangement’s beautiful fruit bouquets, check out these Mother’s Day coupon codes to save you money.

Nell Casey @ The Million Dollar Diva writes A New Do + A Money Lesson for All of Us – Sometimes money lessons come from the strangest situations. When someone taught me how to curl my hair, I learnt a valuable lesson about appreciating other’s knowledge about money management.

TW @ Tightwad Travelers writes How to Check Your Credit Score for Free – You absolutely have to check your credit score before applying for new lines of credit.

Erastus @ Sprout Wealth writes Why Credit Cards are Not Evil – Are Credit Cards evil? I am going to say they aren’t. Too many use of credit cards incorrectly and then we blame them for their money problems. If you use the tool correctly, things tend to go OK.

Mario @ Debt BLAG writes May 2014 net worth update — DOWN $6,700! – My net worth took a nose dive in April; check out why I’m not too worried about it

Stephanie @ Six Figures Under writes What We Learned from Using a Balance Transfer to Pay Off Student Loans – We used a credit card balance transfer to pay off $11,000 of federal student loans. Would we do it again? Here’s what we learned from our experience.

Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes Landscaping for Drought Living – I don’t predict a mass migration out of California any time soon, which means the population of California needs to alter the ways in which we conserve and use our precious water supply. Obviously, drinking water and irrigating crops comes in as number one and two on the scale of importance,which means all other water purposes need to be drastically reduced.

Mr.CBB @ Canadian Budget Binder writes Saying goodbye to the mortgage payment – After many years of saving the time has come to say goodbye to our mortgage and hello to debt freedom

Joshua Rodriguez @ CNA Finance writes Financial Hardship Programs – The Ultimate Guide – In this post, Joshua shares a great deal of information about financial hardship programs. Could they be your key to debt freedom? Find out here!

Harry Campbell @ Your PF Pro writes Reader Question: Traditional PPO vs HSA Plan – Most employers have realized the benefit of an HSA/HDHP combo by now and offer great incentives to sign up for one. They save money, you save a lot of money, it’s a win-win. And as long as your employer offers a decent HSA plan you almost always come out ahead vs. a traditional plan. The trouble arises when you spend only a couple thousand every year like Amber. Figuring out which plan is right for you can be difficult if you have some expenses but not enough to go way over the deductible. In

Mr. 4HWD @ The Four Hour Work Day writes 3 Ways to Develop a Support System – When you’re working hard to develop a side hustle or business, or trying to make the leap from employment to entrepreneurship, you’re going to need a few shoulders to lean on from time to time. Managing a full-time job working for someone else while establishing your own side gigs is exhausting, and everyone needs a little help along the way.

Gretchen @ Retired by 40! writes What can Miranda Lambert Teach About Frugality? – During my commute one day I found inspiration in Miranda Lambert’s “Automatic.” Find out why it struck a chord and what it teaches about frugality.

Mark Ross @ Money Saving Dude writes 5 Ways How To Earn Money Online Without Any Investment – In today’s world, earning money can be as easy as answering survey questions or sharing something in your Facebook account. In simple terms, you can now earn money online without any investment. Here’s a list of the things you can do to make money online without you spending a dime.

R.J. Weiss @ The Insurance Protection Blog writes The Pros and Cons of Group Life Insurance for Parents – There are advantages to group life insurance and they’re disadvantages. In this post, you’ll learn who benefits from buying group life insurance and who benefits from buying insurance outside of a group policy.

Thomas @ i need money ASAP! writes Make Money Selling Glow Sticks – Selling glow sticks is an easy way to cash in on all the summer excitement.

Hope you enjoyed them!