Make sure you check out some of these carnivals… the hosts put in a lot of time and effort to put together the best articles they can.

The ABCs of Invested hosted the Carnival of Personal Finance, and included my interview with Ramit Sethi. Make sure you check it out – it’s a 3000 word interview with the author of the latest PF best-seller, “I Will Teach You to Be Rich”.

I Pick Up Pennies hosted the Carnival of Everything Money, and included my post on 26 Tips for Surviving Your First Job.

Weakonomics hosted the Carnival of Twenty Something Finances: Final Four Edition. It was a great theme, and he included my article on Ten Tips for Young Investors? The Media Doesn’t Get It.

Money TLD hosted the carnival of Personal Development – Gandhi Edition, and was nice enough to include my post on Paying it Forward, Every Day.

And last but not least, Kavmerica hosted the Carnival of Economics, and included my article on Canned Goods and Condoms – What are People Still Buying?

Sorry if I haven’t been replying to comments as quickly. I’ve had some family and friends over recently, and I’ve got to give priority where it’s due. I’ll be back in full force next week though!

The Writer’s Coin hosted the Comics and Cents Carnival. It’s a festival combining finances and humor. My post on The Top 43 Songs About Money was included as an editor’s pick!

Pecuniarities is hosting the Carnival of Pecuniary Delights – Madoline Hatter Pecuiniary Arts Edition. It’s a new festival that puts an emphasis on quality writing. They included my article on 20 Questions with J.D. Roth, Author of Get Rich Slowly. If you haven’t read it yet, check it out. J.D. has some great thoughts on starting a business/website, personal finance, and goals.

Ask Mr. Credit Card hosted the Money Hacks Carnival – April Fool’s Day Edition. It’s a fun theme. It includes the story of the most famous April Day’s tricks throughout history. He included my post that asks, Are Savers Dooming the Economy? No!!!

Make sure to check the carnivals out! Two of them are new, and the other is always full of good links.

I’ll be back in even more carnivals next week. I fell behind in my carnival submissions, but I’m making it more of a priority again.

It starts with a plan, and isn’t something that happens overnight. You have to work hard at it, make sacrifices, and always keep your goals in mind.

It takes patience, and regular care. But if you get overzealous with maintenance, you may end up ruining all your hard work.

Another way they’re alike? At this point in my life, I’m not able to do what I want with my money or my facial hair.

While I may not be able to harness the awesome power of the mustache, there are some people that have done it so well, that it became a crucial part of their image and success.

I think there is a lot to learn from these mustachioed moguls, so I chose mustaches as the theme for this edition of the Carnival of Twenty Something Finances.

I hope you enjoy!

Editor’s picks

What you want to do, and what you can do, is limited only by what you can dream

- Mike Melville

• Pinyo at Moolanomy explains Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps in great detail, including advantages and counterpoints.
• J. Money at Budgets are Sexy. is good at naming things. His site has a great name, and so does his submission: Wow, Wal-Mart is Almost as Big as My Johnson! It gives some facts about the super giant that you may not be aware of.
• DR at The Dough Roller has a great post on the 10 Lies That Got You (and Keep You) in Credit Card Debt. I’ve fallen for at least half of them, and I may be falling for one or two of them now. Are you lying to yourself?
• Kathryn at Out of Debt – Christian Finances and Debt Help has an intriguing post on how We Can All Afford to be Generous. I really enjoyed this post, as she had a chance encounter with a stranger that helped open her eyes.
• Personal Finance Blog by Money Ning writes about The Latte Factor and Becoming a Millionaire. We’ve all ready about how if you stop buying coffee everyday, you’ll become a millionaire. So why aren’t more people millionaires? Money Ning breaks debunks this often used example, and instead points us towards the bigger picture.

Banking – The Monopoly Man

The Monopoly Man has his hands in everything…real estate, beauty pageants, stocks, but he is best known for his work with money and as a banker

• Savings Toolbox gives us 5 Ways Saving Online makes sense.
• Sam at Personal Finance Ology  presents Online Banks vs. Traditional Banks (Which is right for you?).
• Cody at Investment for Beginners explains What is a Money Market Account, and How Does it Work?
• Wren at Tired of Being Poor reviews Mint.com, a free online personal finance service.
• Shaun at Short Term Loans writes about how Short-Term Loans Cause Long-Term Destruction.

Budgeting – Jack Sparrow

 Why is the rum always gone?!?

- Captain Jack Sparrow

Jack Sparrow may be a good pirate, but budgeting skills could use some improvement. If he was more careful with planning his rum consumption, maybe he wouldn’t find himself with an empty bottle quite so often.

• Patrick at Cash Money Life reviews the popular budgeting software Why You Need a Budget. He also includes a coupon code so you can buy it at a discount.
• KClau’s Money Tips has a tongue in cheek post on how to Save Money the Stupid Way. Sometimes the best advice is also the most simple.

Career - Burt Reynolds

 The only way you can hurt anyone in this business is by succeeding and hurting their pocketbook maybe, or just smiling and not giving up.

- Burt Reynolds

Burt Reynolds career spans more than four decades, and includes appearances in more than 90 films and 300 television episodes. A big part of his success has been due to his refusal to give up, regardless of what critics have said. He’s a good reminder that you need to keep on trying trying, and forge your own path throughout your career.

• Dawn at Dawn’s Evolution reminds us all to Never Be Afraid to Take on New Challenges in your Career.
• Debt Kid asks Are You Having Any Fun? Yes, I Love My Work. Lucky!

Cars - Dale Earnhardt

 It’s the never ending battle of making your cars better and also trying to better yourself.

- Dale Earnhardt

The Intimidator struck a chord with fans because of his aggressive driving on the track, and his blue collar roots at home. As tragic as his death was, he died doing exactly what he loved: racing hard on the last turn of the last lap of NASCAR’s biggest race.

To this day, Dale Earnhardt is one of the highest grossing dead celebrities. He’s the only person to have his own edition of Monopoly. And more than anyone on the list, he could tell you the value of a properly maintained car.

• Living Almost Large presents Borrowing a Car? He’s not the one doing the borrowing though… his roommate is. And it doesn’t seem like the roomie is really paying his fair share, so he’s not sure what to do.
• Shaun at Learn Financial Planning has a good list of 7 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Buying a Car. Buying a car and house are two of the biggest purchases you can make. You don’t want to mess them up.
• Sigrid at A1 How To writes about Technology and Low Car Insurance Rates – What is the Link?

Changing the way you think – Earl Hickey

I learned a valuable lesson that night. If you’re going to try to fly a bicycle, you’d better make sure E.T is sittin’ in your basket instead of a twelve pack of beer.

- Earl Hickey

My Name is Earl is one of my favorite shows. The lead character has found that he’s actually happier and better off when he treats others with respect. Changing the way he thinks has improved his life more than any amount of money ever could.

• Dorian at The Personal Financier ponders: Is Rationalization the Key to Happiness?
• Megan at Counting Your Pennies has a cautionary tale about how Friends and Money Don’t Mix.
• Always the Planner was nearly forced to stop writing when someone gave away her true identity. Now she asks, Would You Go Public? Note – my sincerest apologies to Always the Planner! I assumed they were a “he”, when in fact they are a “she”. I should have checked rather than assume.  I’m sorry!

Credit Cards and Debt – Borat

 When you chase a dream, especially one with plastic chests, you sometimes do not see what is right in front of you.

- Borat Sagdiyev

Borat traveled across the country chasing a dream that is full of plastic, and it almost led to his ruin. If your dreams require a significant amount of plastic to get there, you could end up down a similar path. Debit and credit cannot be used to finance your happiness.

• PF Credit Cards explains Why He Still Gets His Bills and Credit Card Statements in Paper.
• Leave Debt Behind offers some tips on How to Pay Down Your Debt Quickly.
• Finance Tips 101 presents Discover How to Pay Off Debt.
• Destory Debt has ~25 Get Out of Debt Tips.
• Travis at Christian Money Mountain writes about his Money Dilemma. Should he pay off student loans or his car loan?

Education – Gandalf

You can learn everything there is to know about [Hobbits'] ways in a month, and after a hundred years they can still surprise you.

- Gandalf

Gandalf was unique among the great and powerful of Middle Earth. Not because of his abilities, but in how he approached learning. Others sought education as a means to an end; to increase their power. Gandalf alone sought learning so that he could better recognize his limits. As a result, he became truly great, while the powers of others – like Saurman – crumbled.

• Patrick at Military Finance Network writes about Extra College Money for Military Members and Veterans.
• Tom at FCC Student Blog has 7 Ways to Get Good Grades in College.
• Jeff at Good Financial Cents explains how Graduating College Debt Free Can Be Life Changing.

Frugality - Walter Sobchak

Look, just because we’re bereaved, that doesn’t make us saps!

- Walter Sobchak

Walter knows frugality. Even when he’s mourning for one of his best friends, he doesn’t let his emotion get the best of him. He saved thousands by walking to a Ralph’s, and buying a can of coffee to use an as urn. If that’s not a great example of how to save on big purchases, I don’t know what is.

• Rob at Energy Saving Gadgets reviews Watts Up Pro – Kill a Watt Monitor. If you’re serious about monitoring your power usage and really clamping down on your electricity bill, then this is the device for you.
• Tristan at Find Financial Freedom has some Frugal Living Tips to Beat the Recession.
• How I Save Money takes a different approach. Instead of giving tips, they debunk other so-called tips in their post on Frugal Frauds Revealed.
• David at Personal Finance Analyst is tackling one of the biggest energy users, in his post on Keeping Cool on the Cheap – How to Save on Air Conditioning.
• Coopon Artist shares 6 Places to Find Cheap (Quality?) Furniture.
• ChristianPF at Christian Personal Finance Blog goes over a list of the Top 10 Money Wasters. How many of these are you falling for? They’re easy ways to save more money without sacrificing your lifestyle.

Investing - Tom Selleck

I praise CBS for taking a risk, which is always the price you pay for opportunity.

- Tom Selleck

Tom Selleck knows that if you want a payoff, you’re going to have to expose yourself to risk. The bigger the payoff you want, the more risk is involved.

• The Investor at Monevator did a great job breaking down Warren Buffet’s Annual Letter to Shareholders.
•  Super Saver at My Wealth Builder goes over some of the rules of bear markets in his post on Bear Market Maxims.
• Patricia at Bankling brings us The Ultimate Guide to Ponzi Schemes. It’s been going on for a long time before Madoff did it.
•  The Investing School explains in detail What are Treasury Securities.
•  Llama Money (love the name!) asks whether we’re ignoring the most basic investing advice  in his post on Investing - a Conundrum.
• Matthew at Fine Tuned Finances takes a look at investment options other than stocks in his submission A Comparison of No-Risk Investment Options.
• Money Confidentialexamines the nature of cause, effect, and stimuluses in his post Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc.
• Kyle at Suburban Dollar explains What is a Ponzi Scheme.
• Marcus at Stock Market Investing for Beginners presents Buying Stocks for Beginners. An entry level guide to the stock market.

Media - Ron Burgundy

 I’m not a baby. I am a man. I am an anchorman.

- Ron Burgundy

Ron Burgundy may just be a comic stereotype of media personalities, but recently I feel like it’s not too far from the truth.

• Michael at The Political and Financial Markets Commentator doesn’t like the experts either, and warns us to Beware the Misleading Nature of 24 Hour Business News.
• Dana at The Investoralist takes a look at some of the excuses we’ve been hearing from the media in her post What’s a Reporter to Do?

Real Estate - Bill the Butcher

 Each of the Five Points is a finger. When I close my hand it becomes a fist. And, if I wish, I can turn it against you.

- Bill the Butcher

You probably don’t use your home or apartment to run a gang, but decisions about real estate are still the biggest and most expensive that we make. You need to be very careful when making housing choices.

• Matthew at American Consumer News has a good post on Common Mistakes First Time Home Renters Make. It’s not often that someone covers the first time renting situation.
• Dan at Darwin’s Finance says Mortgage Rates are Dropping to Record Lows – is it Time to Refinance?

Taxes – Albert Einstein

The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax.

- Albert Einstein

If Einstein thought taxes were confusing, then chances are that you and I could use a little help with them.

• Stephanie at Poorer Than You has some ideas on how and to Save Your Tax Refund.
• Tax Hacks explains some of the Changes for the 2008 Tax Laws.
• Ben at Money Smart Life wants you to get more money back on your taxes. He wrote a post about Tax Deductions and Personal Exemptions for 2008.

That’s it for this edition of the Carnival of Twenty Something Finances. I hope that you enjoyed the mustache theme, had some fun, and learned some valuable lessons.

Thanks for reading!

Green Panda Treehouse hosted the Carnival of Personal Finance: Music Edition, and chose my article: Are Savers Dooming the Economy? NO!!! as an editor’s pick. This is an honor…the Carnival of Personal Finance is one of the biggest around.

Good Financial Cents hosted the Money Hacks Carnival – March Madness, Baby! edition. They included my post on Why Budgets Fail; Use Accrural Accounting to Ensure Success.

And last, but not least, The Penny Daily hosted the Carnival of Investing Strategies, and included my recap of Jim Cramer’s Response to Jon Stewart. It’s a funny feud, but make sure to check out the facts behind it too.

In other carnival news, I’m going to be hosting the Carnival of Twenty Something Finance this Monday, so make sure to get your entries in! I’m going to take a mustache-based approach to personal finance, so it’ll be good for a laugh as well as learning.

Also, there’s going to be a new carnival starting soon. It’s called the Carnival of Pecuniary Delights, and more than any carnival I’ve seen, they’re putting an emphasis on quality writing and quality articles. Not just accepting as many borderline-spam posts as possible for the sake of links.

Check out the carnival homepage for more details. The first edition is in two weeks, and they’re looking for hosts and submissions.

Thanks again to all the carnival hosts out there!

I’m a big fan of carnivals… both from the contributing side, and also as a casual reader.

This was a good week for me, and I was included in no less than 9 carnivals – including twice as an editor’s pick!

Please take some time to look at each of the links below… it takes a lot of work to put them together, and I’m sure you could learn something from it.

That being said, here are the ones I was featured in.

Money TLD hosted the Carnival of Twenty Something Finances – Last Hour Edition. I loved this theme. I hated giving up my hour of sleep this weekend, when I could have used it most! My article on 13 Things to Never Share with your Co-Workers was chosen as an editor’s pick! Thanks for the honor!

The Penny Daily hosted the 5th edition of the Carnival of Everything Money, and did a great job. There are 40+ articles. They even chose my article on How Much is $787 Billion as an editor’s choice! Thanks!

Mighty Bargain Hunter hosted the Carnival of Debt Reduction, Spring Forward Edition. He included my Get Out of Debt – February Update! post, and even gave me a compliment on my progress! Many thanks!

Money Ning – one of my favorite sites – hosted the Carnival of Money Hacks, and was kind enough to include my post on the Top 43 Songs About Money.

Funny About Money hosted the Festival of Frugality, and included my 10 Tips for Saving More at the Grocery Store.

The Military Finance Network hosted the Carnival of Financial Goals, and chose my post on how to Trick Yourself into Saving More. Please check out the site…he’s helping military families, which we can all respect.

Stock Trading To Go hosted the Carnival of Personal Finance, and included a whopping 91 links! One of them was my article on whether or not the recession will lead to A Generation of Risk Aversion?

Life Made Great hosted the Carnival of Personal Development, and includeded one of my favorite articles I’ve written so far: The Escalator Not Taken.

Kavmerica hosted the Carnival of Economics, and included my post questioning How Did Your 401K Really Stack Up in 2008? Not only did he include my article, but he corrected it after I totally botched the link. Thanks!

I hope you enjoyed my posts, and especially the Carnivals themselves. Please check them out! The hosts put a lot of effort and pride into it.

PS – wear something green, and try some black and white pudding in honor of March 17th!

Wait, that’s not quite right. Let me try that again.

Today is my 100th post!

I knew it would be hard to start a blog, but I still underestimated just how much work there would be.  There were times I got discouraged and wanted to give up.

Reaching my 100th post is symbolic for me, because it shows that I can tough it out and stick to my goals. However, I could not have done it without the help of many people – especially you!

Without readers, I’d be yelling into the wind.

Without commentors, I’d have been tempted to give up.

And without people linking to this site, no one would know about it.

As a thank you, I have created a carnival of links, consisting of everyone who has commented on my site. I sorted through my 400+ comments, and checked out every one that left a website. There are 70 finance links in all, broken down into 15 different categories.

Please take a look at these links…I spent a lot of time to bring you the best articles I could find from each site, and there’s some quality stuff in there.

So without further ado, here is my Carnival of Gratitude.

On Blogging

A lot of us in the financial community are bloggers, so it only makes sense to include a few tips about blogging.

Blogging and Blogger has some great thoughts about How to Build Traffic.

Penny Jobs shares 7 Secret Tips I’ve Learned About Personal Finance Blogging. My favorite? Helping others. You win with people. It’s amazing how far you can get just by treating others with respect.

On Budgeting

We’re all trying to save a few bucks, and the best way to do that is with a budget.

Funny About Money explains How to Budget for Extraordinary Costs. You gotta plan for emergencies, folks. One oversight could be enough to throw your budget off for months.

Paying for Retirement asks How is Your Monthly Budget? I’m a big believer in the importance of setting a budget and sticking to it. It’s like the front line in the war on poor finances.

On Entrepreneurship

There are two sides to the personal finance coin. Part of it is spending less, and equally important is making more money. Here are a few posts about entrepreneurship.

Blueprint Economics – who gave me my first comment ever! – has some good thoughts on Building Your Team with the best personnel possible. If you want to be successful, surround yourself with those who are already successful.

Penny Seeds has an interesting article on Lessons Learned from Struggling Entrepreneurs in Other Countries.

Seven Figure Psychic asks if you are Still in Love with your Niche? You have to specialize to be successful, but what happens if you get tired of your area of expertise?

On Frugality

A penny saved is actually more than a penny earned. Here are some ways to stretch your pennies.

Lovely Las Vegas  has some tips for Saving Money in Downtown Las Vegas. I love Vegas… I just wish it was as easy to beat the casinos as it was to get a good deal.

Pecuniarities tackles self-responsibility by asking Who’s to Blame for Your Spending? I’ll give you a hint. It’s you!

Prime Time Money runs down a list of 15 Things You Should Never Pay For. No sense in wasting money, after all.

Moolanomy tells the man that I Don’t Want Your Freakin’ Extended Warranty. After all, why would companies offer extended warranties unless it was better for them in the long run?

Budgets Are Sexy asks How Frugal is Too Frugal? After a certain point, the returns are diminished, and you could be hurting yourself.

Shrinkage is Good tells us How Banks Steal $2 Billion from Us Every Year through bank fees. Don’t let them get even more of our money!

My Life ROI gives some advice for Saving $4000 a Year. They’re good tips, designed to save money without impacting your quality of life.

On Fun

I love posts that can keep a good balance of informative and interesting. Sometimes, fun is the best way to go. Here are a few examples of that.

My Journey to Millions lists 9 Financial Lessons Learned from the Legend of Zelda. You can’t go wrong if you’re mixing video games with personal finance.

The Road Through Middle Earth has a great Tolkien-related post about Dreams and Legends that Appear out of the Grass. In addition to discussing some of Tolkien’s best writing, it can also be a metaphor for overcoming adversity.

Obscured Clarity has 11 Spectacular Bird Photosby David Hemmings. I’ll admit, it’s not finance related, but it’s a great set of pictures.

Weakonomics has a great and creative article comparing Your Favorite Politicians as Star Wars Characters. My inner-nerd greatly appreciates this one.

On General Finance Topics

In life, you have to be flexible and accept what may come. The same goes for link carnivals too.

Green Panda Treehouse explains Why She Doesn’t Use Automated Payments. I don’t blame her – I don’t either.

The Paycheck Chronicles describes how the GI Bill has changed since 9/11.

 One Advice tackles the age old question of What is Good Debt? What is Bad Debt?

Hannlyn tells us how to Replace Your Variable-rate Student Loan Rates with One Fixed-rate Loan.

On Goals

If you don’t know where you’re going, you can’t be unhappy with where you’re at.

My Quest to Build an Empire tells us Why It’s Important to Set Goals.

Creating Momentum is going to Quit Screwing Around, and really get working on her goals.

The Wonderful World of Slinky writes about their dream. What’s Yours?

Second Child, Last Born gives us an update on their March 2009 Goals.

Personal Finance Firewall has an update on his February Goals.

Checkbook Diaries tells us why his goal of Fully Funding an Emergency Fund is important.

All Things Financial tells us about a Vacation Worth Taking.

On Kids

It’s never too early to start educating your children when it comes to finance.

 Cash Money Life explains how to Make Your Child Your Financial Guru.

Father Sez shares tips on How to Prepare Your Kids to Handle Financial Stress.

On Mental Attitudes

You have to have the right attitude if you want to get anywhere in life.

15 Minutes to Riches warns that Information Overload Will Eat Your Brain.

Wealth Junkies gives 5 Tips for Taking the Long View with Money.

Hustle Up is going to Live Below His Means.

Money Young explains The Difference between Broke, Poor, Rich, Wealthy, Frugal, and Cheap.

Life Made Great writes about how We Get What We Ask For.

Retirement: a Full Time Job is Choosing Happiness. I think we all should!

On Personal Development

Your financial journey should also be a quest to learn and grow on a personal level.

Thriveal asks How Will You Change the World?

Financial Matters has some tips for How to Come Out Stronger in this Economy.

Your Money Relationship shares some Financial Lessons from Flight 1549.

 The Happy Rock ponders if we’re In Search of Perfection, or Seeking Honesty and Growth.

Divorced Dad Frugal Dad says that if you’re Feeling Helpless, Knowledge Will Empower You.

FIRE Finance has a list of 1001 Financial Words You Need to Know.

This Improved Life thinks that Sometimes You Just Have to Say No to Yourself.

Seek Wisdom, Find Wealth explains what the true Cost of Wisdom is.

Taking Charge Credit Card Blog is Growing Up, and Got Her First Collections Letter.

The Amateur Financier shares Three Things He Wish He Knew When He Was Younger.

Scordo gives 5 Reasons Why It’s Important to Have Social Skills.

On Real Estate

Buying a house is the biggest purchase you’ll make. It’s important to do it right.

Bankruptcy Access asks Who’s the Real Owner of Mortgages?

Free From Broke has some Frugal Ideas to Help Your Home Sell.

On the Recession

There’s no point denying the elephant in the room. Times are hard.

Monevator explains that The Recession is Not a Choice.

All Financial Matters wonders When Things Will Get Back to Normal.

Stretchy Dollar has 5 Great Recession Tips From 5th Graders. Sometimes the best advice is also the most simple.

Curious Cat Investing is also wondering When Will the Recession be Over?

My Two Dollars asks What, If Anything, Have You Given Up During the Recession?

My Notes on the Stock Market says this is a Depression, Not Recession. That’s the Impression, at least.

Elementary Finance has a similar point of view, and thinks that An Economic Depression is in Our Future.

On Stocks

Even though the market is down, it’s still a great opportunity. Maybe even more so than it was before the bottom dropped out.

Saving to Invest describes Another Panic Monday on Wall Street.

Passive Family Income says that with a Recession in America, it’s Trading Stocks, not Investing.

The Digerati Life asks How Do You Feel Now that the Dow Jones Closed at 6700?

The Oblivious Investor tells us that the Biggest 401K Mistake People Make is Not Accepting Free Money.

Money Progress explains some Investment Changes for After the Crash.

My Covered Call gives some information on the Historical Performance of the market.

Taxes

Only two things are certain in life, and taxes are one of them.

Fine Tuned Finances explains How to Get Tax Credits and Deductions by Saving for Retirement.

My Barnabas asks What Are You Going to Do With Your Tax Refund?

Don’t Mess With Taxes (awesome name, by the way) lets us know that the New Withholding Tables are Ready.

Work

Are you working to live, or living to work? I know it’s a cliche, but try giving it some serious thought.

Finance Your Life describes how Young Professionals Do Not Need a Work Life Balance.

The Strump gives tips on Dealing with the Behaviorial Job Interview.

And last – but certainly not least – The Online Investing AI Blog tells us how Getting Laid Off Can Be a Good Experience.

Again, thank you all for reading, commenting on, and linking to my site! I sincerely appreciate your contributions, and appreciate being able to learn from you.

I hope you continute to join me on my next 100 posts, and beyond!

Free Money Finance hosted the Carnival of Personal Finance, and included my article on What Would Mario Do? 9 Money Lessons from Super Mario Brothers.

The Penny Daily hosted the Carnival of Investing Strategies, and included my post on Fear and Loathing on Main Street.

Don’t Mess with Taxes hosted Tax Carnival #9, and included my post about how E-Filing Your Taxes May Cost More Than You Think.

Thanks to everyone who included my links!

I’ve been submitting to more carnivals recently, and I wanted to start a regular post where I list the carnivals I’m appearing in. I’m doing this as a “Thank You” to all the hosts, because I know how much time and effort it takes to put them together.

So if you have a few extra minutes, please check out some of these carnivals. The hosts put in a lot of work, and it’s a great way to read some of the best blog posts out there.

Broke Grad Student is the home of the Carnival of Personal Finance – YouTube edition. He broke down ~75 links into 10 categories, and has interesting YouTube videos scattered throughout to break things up. He also chose my article on What Would Bilbo Do? 14 money lessons from The Hobbit as an editor’s pick!

The Penny Daily hosted the 3rd edition of the Carnival of Everything Money. It’s got 30 links on everything related to finance, so it’s a good one if you’re looking for variety. My post on Consumers Cut Back, but Have They Changed Their Ways? was also chosen as an editor’s pick.

Ask Mr. Credit Card hosted the Carnival of Debt Reduction - Quotable Quotes edition – and chose to include my Get out of Debt! – January update.

Fat Pitch Financials hosted the Carnival of Stocks, and included a guest post that I hosted. To give credit where it’s due, it was written by the Oblivious Investor, but the article appeared on my site. It’s called Want to Know How to Succeed at Investing? Stop Trying.

Bankruptcy Access is the home of the Bankruptcy and Debt Carnival, and they included my post on Debunking Credit Card Myths.

Student Scrooge is the host of the Festival of Frugality - Winter is almost over edition, and included my post on How 5 Everyday Businesses Try to Trick You.

Personal-Finance-Ology hosted the Carnival of Money Hacks – Bailout Edition, and chose my article asking Is David Bowie to Blame for the Credit Crunch?

Many thanks again for everyone who hosted, and chose to include my articles. Your hard work is appreciated.

Welcome to the Carnival of Financial Goals.  I chose music for the theme because it’s a great source of motivation for me.  It helps me focus when there are distractions, and it drives me when I need a little more ”ummph” to accomplish a hard task.

There were more than 100 submissions this month, but unfornately, they couldn’t all make it.  It was hard, but I narrowed it down to a more readable number.

Withour further ado, here is the Carnival of Financial Goals – Music Edition.  I hope you enjoy these entries as much as I did.

Editor’s Picks

Rising up, straight to the top.
Have the guts, got the glory.
Went the distance, now I’m not gonna stop.
Just a man and his will to survive.

- Survivor, “Eye of the Tiger”

nickel presents Financial Goals for 2008: Reviewing Our Progress posted at fivecentnickel.com.

David presents Start The New Year Off Right With Some Budgeting Tips. posted at My Two Dollars.

MoneyNing presents How to Brighten the Path to Prosperity Even in a Dark Tunnel posted at Money Ning.

FIRE Getters presents A Simple Budget That Works? posted at FIRE Finance.

Shaun Connell presents How to Write a Financial Plan posted at Financial Planning.

The Investor presents The really obvious thing we all forget when borrowing money posted at Monevator.com.

Motivation / Point of View

Are you going to live your life standing in the back, looking around?
Are you gonna waste your time?  Gotta make a move, or you’ll miss out.

- Jimmy Eat World, “A Praise Chorus”

Dorian Wales presents Success: Who Dares Wins? posted at The Personal Financier.

Broderick Allen presents Persistence posted at Broderick Allen – Personal Growth and Enjoying Life’s Journey.

ChristianPF presents How to create lifelong memories posted at Money in the Bible | Christian Personal Finance Blog.

Debt Reduction

It don’t take money, and it don’t take fame.  Don’t need no credit card to ride on this train.

- Huey Lewis and the News, “The Power of Love”

Whapibak presents Financial Freedom Phase One: Tackle Irresponsibility posted at Second Child, Last Born.

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Debt Elimination Tips: How To Reduce Debt With These Dos and Don’ts posted at The Digerati Life.

Budgeting

I may not have a lot to give, but what I got I’ll give to you.
I don’t care too much for money, money can’t but me love.

- The Beatles, “Can’t Buy Me Love”

Tristan presents Managing Monthly Outgoings And Household Budgeting posted at Find Financial Freedom.

Raj Patel presents Build a Rough and Quick Budget in Minutes posted at DebtGoal.

Career

I went downtown to look for a job.
I had no training, no experience to speak of.
I looked at the holes in my jeans, and turned and headed back.

- Social Distortion, “Story of My Life”

Lazy Man and Money presents How Worried Are You About Being Laid-Off? posted at Lazy Man and Money.

Jim presents Three Morale-Boosting Tips for Job Seekers posted at Bargaineering.

Resolutions

Say it’s true, it’s true…
And we can break through.

- U2, “New Year’s Day”

Patrick presents 2009 Personal Finance Goals – Back to the Essentials posted at Cash Money Life.

Madison presents New Year’s Resolution: Organization and Execution posted at My Dollar Plan.

Fathersez presents My goals for 2009 posted at Father Sez.

Steward presents 2009 Family Financial Goals posted at My Family’s Money.

Goal Setting

Were you born to resist, or be abused?
I swear I’ll never give in, I refuse.

- Foo Fighters, “Best of You”

Andy presents Setting Effective Goals Using Indicators of Performance posted at Saving to Invest.

Finance Fanatic presents How To Set Effective Goals – S.M.A.R.T. Goals posted at Planning Financials | Personal Finance For You.

SingleGuyMoney presents December Savings Challenge Update posted at Single Guy Money.

RC presents Tips for Making Your Personal Finance Resolutions Stick- Turn Your Resolutions into Habits posted at Think Your Way to Wealth.

Net Worth

If I had a million dollars, well I’d buy you an exotic pet.
Yep, like a llama.  Or an Emu.

- Bare Naked Ladies, “If I had a Million Dollars”

FMF presents 2008 Net Worth Review: Ouch! posted at Free Money Finance.

Kat presents Annual $$ Check-up posted at the part-time life.

That concludes this special music edition of the carnival.  Thanks for reading!

You can submit your entry to the next edition of Carnival of Financial Goals using the carnival submission form.  Past posts and future hosts can be found at the blog carnival index page.

Thanks to No Debt Plan for hosting it.  It’s got a great “Historic Moment” theme.

Here are 71 links to help you hack your finances.  They are broken down into twelve categories, and each starts with a Presidential quote.  Enjoy!

Editor’s Choice

There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth, and pursue it steadily. Nothing but harmony, honesty, industry and frugality are necessary to make us a great and happy nation.

- George Washington

• E-Trade Complete Online Savings Account Review posted at Money Ning
• Does anyone know if Pet Insurance is worth the beans? posted at Budgets are Sexy.
• All About “Free” Money Making Seminars posted at Free Money Finance
• How to File Your 2008 Federal Taxes for Free posted at Cash Money Life
• Circuit City could provide some resale opportunities posted at Mighty Bargain Hunter
• 21 Deal Sites and Online Tools To Help You Save Money posted at The Digerati Life
• The Funny Thing About Plans Is… posted at The Financial Blogger
• Calculating Your Mortgage Refinance Payback Period posted at Five Cent Nickel

Using Credit Responsibly

All the perplexities, confusion, and distress in America arise, not from defects in their Constitution or Confederation, not from want of honor or virtue, so much as the downright ignorance of the nature of coin, credit, and circulation.

- John Adams

• Crafty Creditors Are Making Changes posted at The Happy Rock
• Citi: Request Automatic Credit Line Increases posted at Daily Money Hack
• Free Money from Reverse Arbitrage posted at M is for Money
• Requested my $250 Chase Freedom Card Cash Check posted at The Sun’s Financial Diary

Economics

Whoever controls the volume of money in any country is absolute master of all industry and commerce.

- James Garfield

• The Financial Crisis: Losing Your Job and Money May Not Be the Only Casualty posted at The Political and Financial Markets Commentator
• Thrift Paradox – Is Frugality Hurting Our Economy? posted at Watson Inc
• Bank of America Headed Back to the TARP ATM posted at Dividends4Life
• Are the Rules of Retirement Changing? posted at Passive Family Income
• What Happens During an Online Bank Failure? posted at Best Interest Rate Banks
• 3 Things to Consider When Working for a Family Run Business posted at The Strump
• What Industries are Hiring Now? posted at Financial Reflections
• The Pell Grant: 2009 and Beyond posted at Personal Finance Analyst

Self-responsibility and Motivation

Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.

- John F. Kennedy

• 100 Terrific Self-Learning Sites to Boost Your Resume During the Recession posted at Best Universities
• Persistence Wins the Race posted at HarvestingDollars
• Can Your Personality Help You Deal with the Economy? posted at PennyJobs
• The Other Shoe Fell posted at Money Beagle
• Information Overload Will Eat Your Brain posted at 15 Minutes to Riches!
• Bail YOURSELF Out in 2009 posted at Wisdom From Wenchypoo’s Mental Wastebasket
• It’s Not Hard To Be Good posted at The Shark Investor

Home Ownership

To deal with individual human needs at the everyday level can be noble sometimes.

- Jimmy Carter

• Shopping for a Mortgage posted at Fix My Personal Finance
• Looking to Remodel Your Home?  What’s the Best ROI? posted at The Passive Dad
• Am I Ready for Home Ownership? posted at Personal Finance Ology
• Home Insurance – Things to Know posted at Home I Own

On Character

 If you think about what you ought to do for other people, your character will take care of itself.  Character is a by-product, and any man who devotes himself to its cultivation in his own case will become a selfish prig.

- Woodrow Wilson

• What is Abundance? posted at You Are Truly Loved
• From Rags to Riches posted at Living Almost Large
• Will Digital Television Result in Tossed Technology? posted at Uncommon Cents
• Frugality and the Environment posted at ZPetals
• Payday Loans SUCK…But Should We Ban Them? posted at Short Term Loans

The Value of Hard Work

I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have

- Thomas Jefferson

• Skip the Get Rich Quick Schemes posted at Wealth Junkies
• Why You Should Never Join MLM posted at Isaac Yassar’s Overture
• A Lesson (almost) Learned the Hard Way posted at My Journey to Millions

Making Informed Decisions

Information is the oxygen of the modern age.  It seeps through the walls topped barbed wire, it wafts across the electrified borders.

- Ronald Reagan

• Get the Best Interest Rate: A Review of MoneyAisle.com posted at Your Money Relationship
• E-Trade Bank Online Savings Account Review posted at Money Blue Book
• Ebates.com Review: Save Money When Shopping Online posted at Prime Time Money
• Free Download – Microsoft Office Accounting Express 2009 posted at FIRE Finance
• Read that Contract! posted at Funny about Money

Income and Investing

 Wealth can only be accumulated by the earnings of industry and the savings of frugality.

- John Tyler

• Find Your Missing Money posted at The Buck List
• Making Money on eBay posted at Little People Wealth
• Where Did the 2008 Investment Losses Go? posted at My Wealth Builder
• Baby Boomers: Time To Put Your Money Back In The Market posted at Consumer Boomer
• Bid Ask Spread posted at Investing School
• How to Invest with $10,000-$50,000 in the Current Market Condition posted at Recession Thoughts
• Where in the Market Should I Invest? posted at The Penny Daily
• Dividend Payout Factor – What it Means to Me posted at Dividend Tree

Frugality

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.  You cannot establish security on borrowed money.  You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn.

- Abraham Lincoln

• Lower My Bills – Cell Phone Edition posted at Paying for Retirement
• 10 Luxury Items You Can Buy Now for 10 Cents on the Dollar posted at International Listings Blog
• Best Ways to Reduce Your Energy Bill posted at Secrets for Money
• Printable Valentine’s Day Cards posted at Home Life Weekly
• Free and Legal TV and Movies Online posted at Christian Personal Finance Blog
• Frugal Winter Projects Perfect for Cold Days posted at Sound Money Matters
• Electricity Update for December 2008 posted at Out of Debt Again
• Save Money on Your Landline Phone posted at Lazy Man and Money
• Save Money by Always Being in a Contract posted at Just Saver
• Low Cost Entertainment for the Kids on a Budget posted at The Family Wallet
• Be a Better Bargainer posted at Out of Debt – Christian Finances and Debt Help
• Make Razor Blades Last Longer By Keeping Them Dry posted at Money Tipper
• Effective Gas Consumption – Can it be Done? posted at Save Money on Gas
• Save Money on Healthy Organic Foods posted at Natural Family Living Blog
• Buying a Car?  Get Your Financing First posted at The Smarter Wallet
• Marketing Logic posted at I Pick Up Pennies

Taxes

We believe the American people can spend their money better than the government can spend it.

- George W. Bush

• Free Tax Preparation for Military Members posted at Military Finance Network
• Turbo Tax Online Price Increases Over the Years posted at One Family’s Blog
• Invest Some Time in Knowing Your Taxes posted at One Million Bucks

The Future

Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age.

- Barack Obama

I’m not going to post any links for this one, because no one knows what the future will hold.  Let’s just try to remember that we’re all in this together, and a good economy starts in the home and with individuals.  We’re all going to have to work harder and make sacrifices to pull through this.

Thanks for checking out the Presidential edition of the Money Hacks Carnival.  For more information about hosting or submitting, please check out the Money Hacks Carnival homepage.

If you haven’t already, make sure you check out the article – it’s already become our second-most viewed post in less than a week!

The Well Run Dry was nice enough to host the Festival of Frugality #158.  He did a great job filtering through submissions, and picked the creme of the crop to feature on his site.  Please take a minute to check it out.  He’s put together some great frugality links.