Well, it looks like my exit from the blogging world may have been a little bit premature
I completely forgot that I had voluteered way back when to host the Yakezie Carnival this week. Funny that that should happen the week I decide to pull out of blogging. Rather than leave everyone hanging, I decided to go through with hosting – one last thank you to the blogging community for everything these last six months, including the many, many carnival hosts that linked to my article.

Happy Carnival!

Editor’s Choices

Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes Avoid Toxic Skincare Products in Minutes Flat - the skincare industry is full of products laden with toxic chemicals, which we (often) unknowingly slather all over ourselves to “protect” us from the sun or wrinkles or whatever. Did you know that tens of thousands of chemicals are used in these products and that most of them are not tested for safety? Most people don’t and I surely didn’t.

Editor: Though the article might be a little overly doomsday, its something that needs to get more exposure in our world today. Skincare products have a direct pathway into our bodies – before you buy something, ask yourself if you would eat it. If you wouldn’t, then why would you consider putting it on your skin – its all going to the same place!

Cash Flow Mantra @ Cash Flow Mantra writes You Tube Saved Me $100 or More - My son recently locked his keys in his car. A quick search of car locksmiths revealed that it would likely cost at least $100 to have one come out close to 11 pm on a Friday night in the rain to unlock the car door in order to retrieve the set of keys. So I decided to see if there might be a DIY way to break into the car.

Editor: Beyond the fact that this article is going to teach us all how to steal cars, the author highlights the power of the internet to save money. I have about 60 GB of digital video from my wedding that I am planning to stitch together into a movie. Rather than buy a piece of video editing software than can range in cost from $100-1000, I did a little internet research, and found some free open source software to do the job, with tutorials on how to do what I need to do. In the end, I saved hundreds of dollars. 

The Rest of the Best

James Petzke @ This Is Common Cents writes Early Retirement: Is It Possible? – Early retirement can be achieved by anyone if they’re willing to make some lifestyle changes.

Aaron Hung @ Aaron Hung.com writes Three Techniques to Boost Your Blogging Power – You have probably seen at least several professional bloggers and the fantastic pages they generate. They are capable to induce a tiny dose of envy, in particular when your website doesn’t look like anything when it is held up close to theirs.

Lance @ Money Life & More writes iPhone 5: How Cell Phone Companies Can Afford to Give You a $450 Discount – During the Apple presentation they annouced their prices of the phone, and in fine print told you that in order to get this price you must sign a new 2 year contract. This isn’t breaking news to anyone who has bought a smartphone in the last few years. However, to those who only buy phones when you upgrade your contract it may be a bit of an eye opener.

David Carlson @ Young Adult Money writes Ways to Stay Fit on a Budget – Getting and staying in shape doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. This post has tips on how to stay fit on a budget.

Dr. Dean @ The Millionaire Nurse Blog writes Need Help Finding Thousands in Missing Money? – There are billions of dollars of missing money owed to you and me. It’s true. Mary Pitman’s Little Book of Missing Money will help you find yours.

SFB @ Simple Finance Blog writes Money Lessons Learned On Vacation – I thought I’d budgeted for our family’s trip to Disney World; obviously, I thought wrong. Here are my top 4 money lessons learned on vacation.

Passive Income Earner @ The Passive Income Earner writes Family Finance: Understanding Your Car Insurance – The importance of understanding your car insurance costs and what it provides you.

Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes How to Teach Children About Money – Find out how you can teach you kids about money. While it will vary by family, there are a few basics that every parents must do.

Ashley @ Money Talks Coaching writes A Tiny Piece of Plastic Cost Me $125 – My van broke. Terrible thing! Car repairs can be scary things, but if you own a car then you WILL have car repairs. It just comes with the territory.

Sustainable PF @ Sustainable Personal Finance writes 5 Financial Planning Mistakes to Avoid – While there are far more than 5 Financial Planning Mistakes you can make here are a few that are easily avoidable.

Jennifer Lynn @ Broke-Ass Mommy writes The Importance of Saving: Don’t Hack Down Your Money Tree – Even a little saved today make a big difference in creating a Money Tree. Start today, read this article to find out why!

SBB @ Simple Budget Blog writes Simple Retirement Plan – Does the complexity of retirement planning or investing keep you from actually doing it? Find out how to simplify the process and get started today.

Rich @ Growing Money Smart writes Building Wealth Takes Time… Or Does It? – Are you going to sit around waiting for wealth to fall in your lap? Do you believe in pixie dust? Or are you going to go out and make or get it? Life is short, make a 5 year plan and go out and do it!

Shawanda @ You Have More Than You Think writes The 3 Most Diabolical Online Scams and How to Avoid Them – Classified ads are the preffered stomping ground of online con artists.

Corey @ Steadfast Finances writes How to Have Fun For Cheap – Enjoying your free time does not have to break the bank. Find out how to have fun for cheap!

Roger the Amateur Financier @ The Amateur Financier writes World Domination 101 – Basic Skills to Control the Planet – A guide to some of the skills you’ll need to build in order to be ready to take of the world and render yourself the king (or queen).

Kyle @ The Penny Hoarder writes Making Money Is Also About Cost Cutting and Not Losing It – The “Great Recession” may go down in history as a curse on current generations, but the opportunities to get ahead of the game are still ever present, if only a little more challenging and difficult to monetize.

TRL @ The Retired Landlord writes Real Estate Vacancy – How to Shorten the Time between Tenants – Find out how you can shorten real estate vacancies and minimize the additional cost for you, the landlord.

Suba @ Broke Professionals writes The Psychology of Saving – The Psychology of Saving is a post from: Broke Professionals if you enjoy it, please visit us and subscribe to the Feed. Saving is hard, especially when you don’t have much discretionary income. Saving over years and years is harder still. People do get saver’s fatigue.

L Bee @ L Bee and the Money Tree writes Five Most Common Money Nightmares – In the latest issue of Self magazine they have a piece entitled “Money Nightmares” based on a poll they conducted with their readers. In fact, these money nightmares “regularly” keep up to 69% of the women polled up at night. See the five most common “Money Nightmares” detailed in the article below.

Debt Guru @ Debt Free Blog writes Debt is Cyclical – Find out how debt is cyclical and what you can do to get out of it.

MR @ Money Reasons writes Saving Money Repairing Your Own Dryer – Instead of spending well over $1,000, I decided to saving money and DIY! Read and watch how repairing your own dryer can be accomplished for 9 dollars

Hank @ Money Q&A writes How To Use A Budget To Help You Set Priorities – You can use a budget as a tool to help you save your money and set your financial priorities and financial goals. Budgeting also helps you establish a plan of attack on how to reduce your debt.

Aloysa @ My Broken Coin writes What I Wish I Knew About Life and Finances In My 20s – If we could turn back time, I wish I could go back to when I was 20 and do it again! Read my thoughts!

PPlan @ Provident Plan writes Lending Money to Family and Friends – Many individuals have been stuck in this situation: your friend complains that they have no money, and then they either directly or indirectly ask you if you

Robert @ My Multiple Incomes writes Pros and Cons of Having a Franchise – There are many advantages and disadvantages of being a part of a franchise. You should think of both sides before you finally decide what is right for you.

Robert @ The College Investor writes So, What Do You Do? – I learned at a bloggging conference over the weekend that there isn’t much difference between the professionals and the hobbyists. Sometimes, the difference was timing — the guys who’d been doing it the longest had the most experience (and the glint in their eye that showed that they’d made it).

Kanwal @ Simply Investing writes Your Friend Just Gave You a Hot Stock Tip. What do you do? – A friend, colleague or relative just gave you a hot stock tip. What should you do? Should you run out and go buy this stock? No! The simple answer is, “Thanks, I’ll look into it”.   Buying a stock, bond, mutual fund, or any other investment without doing your own research is not investing it is speculating.

Mr. Money @ Smart on Money writes How to Check Your Credit Report for Errors – and Get Mistakes Fixed – Here are the steps you need to take to fix a mistake on your credit report:

CAPI @ Creating a Passive Income writes Passive Income: The Secret of Making Money While you Sleep – Passive income is often the way to create income while you sleep. Find out several ways you can do it.

Rod @ ROD Blog writes PerkStreet Financial checking account review – PerkStreet Financial Review : Is it a good alternative to the local big banks? Today there is no shortage to the amount of checking accounts out there to choose from and many of them don’t have any distinguishing features to set them apart from the competition. Once you eliminate the accounts that carry a fee,…

Tushar @ Start Investing Money writes What are Fidelity Mutual Funds? – Don’t have any Fidelity Mutual Funds? Read my thoughts as to why you might want to check them out!

Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes Banking Industry is a Joke – I don’t think many people know just how much the banking industry takes advantage of people. I wrote previously about Bank Transfer Day a few months ago.

Daniel @ Sweating the Big Stuff writes Why Doesn’t Homeowners Insurance Cover Floods? – There are a lot of reasons why people can’t buy a home. In addition to the usual reasons, we can now add the high cost of homeowners insurance.

Jen @ Master the Art of Saving writes Don’t Be Fooled By “No Spend Days” – Are you fooling yourself into thinking that your no spend days are actually improving your finances? You might be. All over the internet, people are……….

Michael @ So You Think You Can Save writes 9 Ways To Save On Laundry – Chances are you’re spending too much when doing laundry. Here are some tips to help you save.

Daisy @ Add Vodka writes Is It Ethical to Buy at Flea Markets? – A few weeks ago, I was watching some late-night TV and a show about shoplifting in the US was on.

Jeff Rose @ Good Financial Cents writes How to Get a Personal Loan Approved – In some cases, a personal loan is desirable. You may want to start a home business, or you may want to borrow for a vacation, or you might have some other use for the money. A personal loan — usually unsecured — can provide you with a little extra cash to help you meet your goals.

Amanda L Grossman @ Frugal Confessions writes Waste Not Want Not: Leftover Orange, Lemon, and Lime Peels – I studied abroad in London for a semester in college.

A Blinkin @ Funancials writes Buying a Car Won’t Help You Reach Your Dreams – I was flipping through the pages of Money Magazine when an advertisement caught my eye. The ad was promoting the All-New 31 MPG Highway 2013 Honda CRV. To soccer moms all over the world, this car is hella cool.It’s also hella expensive.My problem isn’t with the car itself, but instead with the Money Magazine advertisement.

John @ Married (with Debt) writes Be Wary of Corporate Personal Finance Advice – I think it goes without saying that we should always be mindful of who is paying the money to get their message in our ears or eyeballs, and online personal finance is no exception.

Crystal @ Budgeting in the Fun Stuff writes How I Helped my Mother Stop Working Overtime with 15 minutes of Planning – I feel relieved. It might not have been the most dramatic of breakthroughs, or even the most sophisticated applications of all the financial planning strategies

Invest It Wisely @ Invest It Wisely writes Freelancing Revenue Report: Out of the Trenches and Climbing Up the Mountain – Status Report I’m now in the eighth month of entrepreneurship – my, how time flies by! Much has happened since I took the plunge, read about my discoveries along the way.

Corey @ 20s Finances writes ETFs vs. Individual Stocks – Individual stocks and ETFs offer different benefits and disadvantages. Find out which one is right for you before investing.

Sean @ One Smart Dollar writes Gangnam Style in America – Spending beyond our means is a huge problem all throughout the world and is the reason why so many people get themselves into debt. The popular YouTube video Gangnam Style shows how this is a problem in a South Korean neighborhood.

Jester @ The Ultimate Juggle writes Are car parks really businesses? – As part of an initiative to promote retail, some parking fees are being waived in the West End this weekend. The beginning of the Olympics saw a drop in footfall in central London areas which retailers believe may be due to repeated warnings about traffic congestion and overextended transport hubs.

YFS @ Your Finances Simplified writes How to Save For A Child’s Higher Education – According to an article posted in CNBC.com, the cost for an academic year from 2010-2011 is approximately $56,500 including tuition plus room and board.

Maria @ The Money Principle writes Children and money: are we teaching our future the wrong thing(s)? – We teach our children mainly how to save. But the relationship between children and money is better developed by teaching them how to spend.

JP @ My Family Finances writes How to Save Money Without Giving Up Your Social Life – You can find a good balance and use some smart budgeting and money saving tips to have an awesome social life without going broke.

Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes The Benefits of Renter’s Insurance – I’ve had renter’s insurance for years and have thankfully never had to file a claim until now; reason being – my bike was stolen. Now, most people who poo-poo a bike being stolen as reason to file an insurance claim, but my bike was important to me and wasn’t cheap. I also found out that because I’ve never filed a claim in all the years I’ve had insurance, this particular claim won’t affect my premium.

krantcents @ KrantCents writes Are Temp Jobs the New Career Track? – Over 40% more people hold temp jobs now than in 2009! I recently read an article called Careers Are Dead which says the labor market has changed to temporary or contract work.

BARBARA FRIEDBERG @ Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance writes BEST WAY TO PLAY THE LOTTERY (YOU’RE NOT GOING TO LIKE IT) – Is there a way to win the lottery? There is an alternative. Learn the way to win (it’s not what you think).

MMD @ My Money Design writes Practicing Entrepreneurship the Fraidy-Cat Way – Using Your Job – I’m a giant fraidy-cat when it comes to the subject of entrepreneurship. It’s not that I don’t believe in taking risks – I just question if the risk is worth taking.

Jason @ Work Save Live writes Have You Been Scammed With Payment Protection Insurance? – Understanding Payment Protection Insurance Payment protection insurance, also known as PPI, is a special type of insurance product that is designed to cover payments to lenders in the event the borrower can’t pay.

Ted Jenkin @ Your Smart Money Moves writes The Best Ways to Save for College – When it comes to saving for college, there is a ton of information out there.

Eddie @ Finance Fox writes The Secret to Success in Life is Investing in Yourself – We all work hard for that bonus, salary increase, debt elimination, and even to save more and invest money, but how many of us invest in ourselves?

Tushar @ Finance TUBE writes The Energy Sucking Monster: Air Conditioning – Today we will talk about The Energy Sucking Monster: Air Conditioning. I don’t know if you realize this but 22 Billion dollars is spending every year on air conditioning. That is 70% of our electric bill just on air conditioning. And I know that we are being experiencing record of temperature this summer.

IMB @ Investing Money writes Do You Need the Money You’re Investing? – Your need for the money that you are investing will influence how you invest the money.

Luke @ Learn Bonds writes Should Your Core Bond Fund Own Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities (CMBS)? – A recent interview on the basics of Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities (CMBS) with the manager of the Artio Total Return fund Don Quigley.

PITR @ Passive Income To Retire writes Understanding Mutual Fund Classes – Find out everything you need to know about Mutual Fund Classes!

Jon the Saver @ Free Money Wisdom writes What is a Title Loan? – Title loans are confusing for the average American. But sometimes, they can be used in a great way to protect your assets.

TDB @ Tax Deduction Blog writes Are Health Care Home Improvements Tax Deductible? – As the year draws to a close, it may be a good idea for you to take stock of your potential federal tax liability. Let’s face it, there isn’t much you can do in the way of damage control after the year ends. A quick review now will tell you if you need to implement…

PK @ Don’t Quit Your Day Job… writes Who Is My Representative? – Sick of voter apathy? Lead the fight to fix it by figuring out the state and federal representatives at any point in the (United states) map.

Lena @ What Mommy Does writes Sample Monthly Expenses Spreadsheet – Keeping a monthly budget is important, but don’t kill yourself by starting from scratch – download my sample budgeting template and customize it to fit your life.

Sicorra @ Tackling Our Debt writes 101 Frugal Tips to Help You Save Money – Now to some people these frugal tips will sound like things they already do everyday, and they are probably reading this and thinking “what’s the big deal?”. But for many other people these frugal tips will be an eye-opener because they are probably used to spending a lot of money on anything and everything, much like my husband and I did.

Marie at Family Money Values @ Family Money Values writes How to Become a Millionaire, What I Would Do Differently – If you are consciously seeking to live an intentional life, to become wealthy – or to at least be comfortable financially, perhaps you can use some of the below reflections on what I might have done differently to become a millionaire.Here are my reflections on a faster path to wealth. Here is what I would tell my younger self to do, knowing what I now know.

J.P. @ Novel Investor writes The Unending QE And Your Money – The Fed announcement of QE3 was the big news last week. Despite my misgivings and distaste for more easing, it’s here, it’s going to happen, so let’s make some money from it. Or more importantly, not lose any.

Ray @ Squirrelers writes Reader Comments on the Value of Traveling – A recent post on money, traveling, and location independence elicited an opposing view from a reader. This post shares the reader response, and continues the debate on the financial justification for travel.

TTMK @ Tie the Money Knot writes Working Mothers, Careers, and Double Standards – Double standards often exist in life. This includes the realm of working or non-working parents, and their careers. This post explores this topic.

Jeremy @ Modest Money writes 7 Considerations for Buying A Cheap Car – The thought of buying some freedom with a cheap car can be quite tempting. Do not let that emotion cloud your judgement and result in buying a vehicle that costs too much to keep on the road.

Deacon @ Well Kept Wallet writes 10 Ways to Keep from Spending Money – Are you looking for some ways to keep you from spending money? Well, you have come to the right place. It can be hard to resist the urge to go shopping or to buy items that you really want. Here are 10 tips to help you fight the urge and help you get your finances in order.

Carvin @ http://ruleyourwalletblog.com writes Why do the rich get richer? According to Fisher – An explanation of why the rich get richer according to Irvin Fishers theories. Theories include psychology and multiple income streams.

Jason @ Live Real Now writes Cheap Lo Mein – I did some research and came up with a quick, easy, and cheap recipe for lo mein. It takes 3 dishes and 20 minutes.

Beating Broke @ Beating Broke writes Long-Term Care: Are You Prepared? – While I’m not sure that there is any way to prepare for the emotional toll caring for your parents brings, you can prepare for the financial toll it brings.

Tushar @ Everything Finance Blog writes A Recap of the Financial Blogger Conference FINCON12 – I had the pleasure of attending the Financial Blogger Conference in Denver earlier this month, and just like last year, it was chock full of great information. Here are the three main takeaways I got from attending the sessions:

James Petzke @ This Is Common Cents writes Book Review: The 4-Hour Workweek – Tim Ferriss shows us how it is possible to work only 4 hours per week.

Philip @ PT Money Personal Finance writes The Key to Earning Free Travel with Your Credit Card – The key to maximizing airline miles or points is in both earning as many as possible and spending them wisely.

The Yakezie Carnival is brought to you to by the network of personal finance bloggers of the Yakezie. You can submit articles at Blogger Carnivals.

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