Should five percent appear too small,
Be thankful I don’t take it all.
‘Cause I’m the tax man
Yeah, I’m the tax man

- The Beatles, “Taxman”

Well, it’s that time of year again – tax day! Hopefully you haven’t put it off until the last minute. If you have, you should probably be working on your taxes…not reading blogs

If you’re already finished, I’ve got a great set of links for you.

• Green Panda Treehouse has a great article on 5 Things to Do to Build Wealth in Your 20s. It’s an older post, but I just found out about it this week. Your early years are the best ones to make an impact on your finances, thanks to compound interest. And all 5 of his things are realistic.
• Gen X Finance put together a list of 20 Free Online Finance Courses. The best investment you can make is in yourself, and many of these classes are offered by colleges like MIT, Yale, Rutgers, Purdue, etc…. I plan on signing up for a few of these!
• LLama Money writes about Debt Motivation, and how we’re going about things backwards. Instead of going into debt for purchases, assuming we’ll be able to pay it off later, we should be saving first then indulging ourselves.
• Punch Debt in the Face (a site I just discovered this week) has an article asking What’s Your Favorite Dumb but Fun Expense? Mine? probably music and alcohol.
• Stetchy Dollar has some more tips for Converting a Super-Spender to a Frugal Saver. This is the second part of a two-part series.

And for the fun link, I’m going to keep it seasonal. The company behind Peeps, those marshallow chicks that we love to eat every spring, hosted a diorama contest. You can check out the Peeps on Parade 2009 Finalists here.

I hope you have a good week!

In addition to mowing the yard, planting new grass, and planting wildflowers, I’ve been doing some Financial Spring Cleaning as well. It’s a list of what I’ve been up to recently, but what is everyone else doing? Let’s take a look.

Living Almost Large writes about The Importance of Customer Service. This is something I can relate with, as I’ve suffered some poor customer service recently (more on that later this week).

Bargaineering has a Credit Score Q&A with Liz Weston. Liz is a great financial writer, and one of the few that targets the younger audience. You can never take your credit score too seriously, so make sure you check it out.

The Oblivious Investor has a good post warning: Don’t Let Your Ego Get in the Way. Sometimes, the things you think you know are even more deadly than the things you don’t. Make sure you recognize your limits.

The Checkbook Diaries has an article on the importance of Diversifying Your Financial Mind. The best investment you can make is in yourself. Make sure that learning is part of your financial road map.

And last, but not least, Christian PF has an intriguing article about how Money Doesn’t Solve Money Problems. If it did, you wouldn’t hear about professional athletes and lottery winners going broke.

And for the fun link this week…10 Commercials that are Exercises in WTF.

Hope you enjoyed this week’s roundup. And spend some time outside!

Divorced Dad Frugal Dad is a man of my own mold. Grilling out is my favorite thing in the world to do, and he made an awesome surf and turf meal at home for only $26! Not only do you save a lot by cooking at home, but it can be incredibly satisfying to make a quality meal for yourself.

Always the Planner has some intriguing thoughts about what it means to be Frugal vs. Cheap, and how it can be dangerous to take it too far. She also has a good sense of humor, as she didn’t get mad when I called her a “he” in the carnival earlier this week. Just goes to show that you shouldn’t make assumptions.

Your Money Relationship did some interesting homework on the average net worth of Americans. If you’re under 25, it’s $1475. If you’re between 25-34, it’s $8525. If you’re me, it’s probably negative right now, but is on the way back up.

The Digerati Life has a thoughtful post on financial gurus.  I’ve taken some cheap shots at Jim Cramer recently, so it’s only fair that I be fair and point out that financial experts are human too.

And last, but certainly not least, No Credit Needed has a list of Reasons We Fail To Stick to Our Budget. It’s a great article, full of some common budget miscues, as well as a list of hints and tips from readers via twitter. A helpful post, and a creative use of technology.

And for the fun link, I’m linked to an article on Cracked.com. (warning – some of their stuff may not look so great if people see you browsing it at work…it’s still safe for work, but some of their ads and such are risque).

They have a funny list of 6 Reasons the Economy is More Depressing than You Thought. They intentionally take things over the top, but it’s nice to laugh at things for a change.

That’s it for this week. I’ll end it by asking a question of you that I’ve been asking myself a lot recently.

What are you doing to achieve your goals?

- this blog post

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!

Growing up, spring was my favorite season. The weather gets warmer, trees and plants come back to life, and school ends, giving you three responsibility-free months to look forward to.

Now that I’m older, it’s still my favorite season, even though I don’t have the summer off to look forward to. I still love the warmer weather, and it means I can begin landscaping in earnest (one of my favorite hobbies/chores).

I hope you’re enjoying the warm weather, and also the NCAA tournament. Hopefully your team is doing better than mine did.

Here are this week’s links:

No Credit Needed shares his thoughts on Debt Reduction and the Emergency Fund. This is one of those questions where there is no right answer. Some people say you should build an emergency fund before you pay down debt. Others think you should just pay down debt, because it makes the most sense financially. I split the difference, and try to start an emergency fund as I pay down debt, so I can avoid slipping backwards while still making progress.

Fine Tuned Finances has Five Ways to Maximize Your Career Opportunities in College. Unfortunately, getting your degree isn’t enough to stand out from the crowd and land a good job. You’ve got to look for ways to distinguish yourself while you’re still in school.

Shrinkage is Good has a fun article full of Financial Advice from 10 Fictional Billionaires. It’s very creative, and includes tips from the likes of Scrooge McDuck, Tony Stark, Thurston Howell the Third, and more.

My Supercharged Life gives three simple financial rules, and asks Have They Outlived Their Usefulness? I think they’re still relevant. People have just forgotten about them – much to their own detriment.

And in an article that combines one of my favorite authors with one of my favorite sites, Ramit Sethi has a post at Get Rich Slowly about the Psychology of Passive Barriers; Why Your Friends Don’t Save Money, Eat Healthier, or Clean Their Garages. It’s a great article that tries to change the way we think.

And for the fun link, one of my favorite web comics XKCD has finally tackled finances. In their latest, they tackle the AIG bonuses, but probably not in the way you think. He’s mad at the media, not AIG.

I agree with him. I think the real travesty here is how much time and effort are focused on the bonuses, when in reality there are much more important things that the media and politicians should be devoting their time to.

Not to mention it doesn’t make sense to get mad about $160 million in bonuses after we gave them $170 billion in bailout money. It’s like going to McDonald’s, and ordering a super sized Big Mac meal with a diet Coke. Yeah, you might save some calories, but it pales in comparison to what you’re going to be eating anyway.

Kyle at the Amateur Asset Allocator gives us tips on Choosing the best IRA for your needs: Traditional or Roth?

Jeff at Stretchy Dollar breaks down Needs and Wants, and how we can improve our finances and lives by prioritizing them.

The Online Investing AI Blog writes about how Tough Times are an Opportunity to Get Better at Managing Money.

The Financial Blogger thinks We are Nothing but Slaves in the Rat Race. And you know what? I agree with him. Something has got to change, folks. When did working to the bone to pay off your bills – if you’re lucky – become an acceptable way of life?

Are you wondering whether to put your hard earned money in boring index funds, or exciting actively managed funds? The Oblivious Investor has some words of advice for you. And they come from some of the brightest minds in charge of actively managed funds. The surprising answer? They all recommend index funds. If Charles Schwab himself recommends index funds, I’m going to believe him.

For the fun link, I’m going back to the Onion. According to their latest exclusive, a Rise in Rent has Forced Taco Bell to Take in a Roomate. Definitely a joke, but a good way to save money none the less.

Wall Street may be down, but you can still find ways to improve your bottom line. Here are some of my favorite links from this week:

The Frugal Duchess has 11 Awesome Tips for Cutting your Grocery Bills. We all spend too much on food. Follow her tips, and you can minimize the damage.

PF Firewall has a thought provoking article on The Correlation Between Aggressive Driving and Aggressive Spending. I got in a wreck once because I was angry, so I can understand how destructive an aggressive mindset can be, especially in finances.

The Online Investing AI Blog examines What are the Hidden Opportunities of a Down Economy? Even now, there are ways to get ahead…you just have to know where to look, and have the right mindset.

Monevator asks Can Quantitative Easing Prevent a Recession? I didn’t recognize the technical term, but it’s printing more money with the hope that it will jumpstart the economy. Monevator’s outlook? It’s like hitting a TV that is on the fritz. It may or may not fix it, and there’s no clear correlation between the action and result.

Scordo has a simple, but incredibly effective way to save money: pack your lunch. Too many people overlook this, but I save around $40-$50 a week by packing my own food.

And for the fun week, it’s the video behind my post about how Jon Stewart destroyed CNBC:

Here are this week’s links.

Shrinkage is Good explains How Banks Steal Almost $2 Billion A Year From Customers. Long story short? Overdraft fees. Don’t be one of the victims.

Wise Bread added a new tool this week to their already good site. It’s a list of the top financial blogs, ranked in categories such as popularity, subscribers, incoming links, and even Twitter followers. This is a great idea, both for readers and webmasters. The list contains 197 blogs, but still has some accuracy problems – they didn’t include Pimp Your Finances! Soon enough, maybe.

Wallet Pop writes about some of the Incredibly Pointless Stimulus Funding Requests that the state of Ohio has received from its residents. Some of the strangest include $200,000 to retrain wrestlers, $10,000 to facilitate the dreams of children online, $75,000 for a home based birdhouse business, and my personal favorite: $20 billion to a man explains that “as long as Uncle Sugar is passing out money, I thought why not stick it to those yet unborn suckers….”

The Truth of Credit has a great list of the Top 10 Worst Financial Habits. Nothing too shocking here, but the best advice tends to be simple, and they’re all easily avoidable.

And last but not least, Lazy Man and Money writes about Three Investing Lessons Learned the Hard Way. The lessons are 1) it hurts to lose money, 2) people want to sell when it’s time to buy, and 3) establish risk tolerance before investing. They’re all great tips. It’s too late to undo mistakes you made before the crash, but if you follow his tips, you might be able to avoid further damage or possibly prevent future mistakes.

And the fun link this week has nothing to do with money, because I think we already hear way too much about it as it is.

It’s too easy to think about all the things that are going wrong in life, rather than being happy with what we have. Sometimes, reading about the misfortunes of others can be a good way to put things in perspective.

I found a site recently that is perfect for that. It’s called F My Life. The premise behind it is that people send in funny stories about how bad their life is. It’s a bit off color at times, but it can be addictive. Here are some examples:

Today, while at work at my grocery store I sold a TON of eggs to a bunch of kids. We joked around that they were “going to bake a giant cake.” When I got home I found out someone had egged my house. FML.

Today, I was playing with my 2 year old sister. She was “making” me tea with her new tea set, and I would “drink” it. After awhile, she ran off and returned with actual water in the cup. I drank the water, which made her happy. Then I realized the only water she can reach is from the toilet. FML.

Today, I walked home from a guy’s dorm early in the morning, still wearing my dress and heels from the night before. I walked by a mother and her little daughter, who said “Mommy, why is she so dressed up so early in the morning?” and the mom replied “Because honey, she makes bad decisions. FML.

Check it out… it’s a great place to go next time you’re feeling down about yourself. It’s basically like a Fail Blog for life.

I hope you enjoyed this weeks links. Thanks for reading – I sincerely appreciate it!

It describes itself as “a community for financial news, ideas, and tips”, but my favorite way to describe it is one their slogans:

Tip’d: 700 billion reasons to join

It’s a great slogan, even if it needs to be updated to 787 billion after the recent stimulus package.

So what is Tip’d?  It’s a community-based website, where people submit news stories related to anything finance.  They have 12 different categories for submissions, ranging from personal finance to private equity and venture capitalism.

Once a story is submitted, it goes to the “Upcoming” section.  Other users read the articles, and can “Tip” it if they like it, or “Topple it” if it’s Spam.

If a story gets enough Tips in a certain amount of time, they’ll move to the “Published” section of the site.  This is what appears when you go to its home page. 

They don’t publish their magical formula, but it appears that submitted stories have around 24 hours to move from the “Upcoming” section to “Published”.  If they do not hit a threshold of Tips in that time, they are no longer eligible to be published, but they do not disappear from the site altogether.  It seems as if the required number of Tips depends on the amount of traffic on the site.  At 4AM, it may only take 5 or 6 Tips to make it to the front page, but at busy times, getting 10+ may not be enough.

Tip’d has quickly become my favorite web site.  This is not an exaggeration – I’m #29 on their top users list.  Why do I spend so much time there?  Because in only four months, it’s become the best source for financial news online.  Hands down, no questions asked.  As a casual reader, I find it informative and interesting. As a blogger, it’s one of the best tools I have.

Here are some of the ways I use Tip’d to build my audience:

1. Publicizing my site

It’s hard to promote a new blog, especially if you don’t have a strong online presence to leverage. Using social media sites like Digg was out of the question. Plus other sites don’t have the audience for finance, and they’re not nearly as friendly to bloggers or new users either.

Tip’d actually welcomes bloggers. According to their blog:

I prefer to encourage, rather than discourage, people from submitting their own content–synergy happens when interests align! (You get submissions, they get traffic.)

I was able to use Tip’d to get my name out there in financial blogosphere. If I had a good story, I could get it published, regardless of how small my site was. I think it’s also helped get other people to link to my site.

2. Increasing my financial knowledge

 I’m always trying to learn more, and Tip’d has the best financial news feed I’ve seen. After all, they have a community of people who take pride in finding the best finance stories online.

The quality and selection of articles is much better here than you could find anywhere else.

3. Networking with other bloggers

There is a large presence of bloggers on Tip’d. I’ve been able to introduce myself to others, and establish some legitimacy with my presence on Tip’d.

I also get to learn more about other bloggers, and interact with them on another level. It’s almost like an extension of leaving comments on a blog. I can build networks and help support quality blogs by submitting their posts, tipping their articles, and leaving comments on their stuff.

4. Power tools for bloggers

They like bloggers so much that they have an entire section for blogger tools.  They make it easy to add a Tip’d button to every article on your blog, simply by inserting a one-line script into your permalink template.

They also write a blog where they regularly share tips and tricks with users.

5. Finding new sources of inspiration

We’re all short on time. Yeah, I look around my usual stable of financial sites, but it’s impossible to get to everything. Tip’d features the best of the best news, so it’s a great place to find inspiration for things to write about.  It’s been a time saver, and cure for writer’s block.

6. Learning from the successes of others

I use Tip’d to see what other bloggers are doing right.  I can see what kind of stories tend to do well, and how they’re active in the community.

7. Finding new links for my site

Like many people, I host a weekly roundup where I link only to other blogs.  I like to feature links from some of the smaller blogs (because fewer people have seen the articles or the blog).  I never have a problem finding new links on Tip’d.

8. Getting instant feedback on my writing

It’s hard getting feedback when you’re just starting out.  You can’t rely on the number of comments or hits as an indicator of how well you’re doing.

Tip’d has been great in that it provides me with nearly instant feedback.  Within a day of submitting an article, I can tell how well it’s being received by both casual readers and other blogs.

As an example, there was one time I had two posts ready to publish on my site.  I thought one would be solid gold, while I thought the other was just filler.  No one noticed my “gold” story, while the “filler” ended up one of my most viewed posts to date .

9. Making a long term investment in the Tip’d community

I’m convinced that the success of Tip’d will only grow in the future.  In a little less than four months, they have 3200 comments, 4700+ registered users, nearly 9300 submitted stories, and more than 58,000 Tips.  The sky is the limit here.

What do you hear when you turn on the news? Money money money.  It’s going to be that way for a long time to come, especially if the economy continues to worsen for the next few years. Tip’d came along at the perfect time.

I’m proud to be part of the Tip’d community, and am grateful for the help and support they have given me.  I try to give back too.

And while it’s not my motivation for being active on the site, I can’t help but feel that getting in on the ground floor of a new social media site will have some benefits down the road.

Those are some of the many ways I use Tip’d to build an audience, but they could just as easily be ways I build my net worth.  The insight I get from Tip’d is priceless, and it’s been my best promotion tool.  Regardless of if you’re a reader or blogger, I recommend giving Tip’d a shot.

Adam at Your Money Relationship asks, Are You ‘Living Within Your Means’ or ‘Below You Means’? It’s an interesting on take on what each means, and which he’d rather be.

Billshrink has a fun (and slightly sarcastic) article telling you to Stop Wasting Your Money on These 25 Things.

Mike at Oblivious Investor suggests that we Don’t Retire.  It takes a look at the idea that the nature of retirement could be changing, and it might not be for the worse.

The Happy Rock reminds us all that Living In Fear Is Not Productive! Younger people have felt less of an impact than others so far, but we have the most to lose by living in fear.  Don’t give in!

Patrice at Seek Wisdom, Find Wealth writes about how she Wants to Be a Nobody. It’s a good way to become and act wealthy.

Fined Tuned Finances shows how if you pay the minimum payments on credit cards, you could be paying them for 42 years.

And for the fun link, Fined Tuned Finances also found a hilarious video from Saturday Night Live about a new system for building wealth:

DDFD at Divorced Dad Frugal Dad has some great thoughts on Dreams, Hopes, and Ambitions.  In it, he asks, and attempts to answer: “What holds us back?”  It’s a good post on inspiration and motivation.

Jeff at The Stretchy Dollar asks, “Do You Have a Jobby?“  A jobby is something that you do outside of your regular job for income, and hopefully it’s something you enjoy as well.  It’s always a good idea to start alternative flows of income.

Monevator also writes about alternative income, but its different in that it’s about passive income.  He has a great post on “Why a little passive income from side projects is worth a lot more than you think“.

Johnny at Wise Bread has a humorous, tongue-in-cheek rant about what it takes to be rich.  You don’t need to use one of those amazing “get rich quick” products.  Instead, you just need to be honest with yourself, and spend less than you earn.  There are no short cuts on the path to wealth.

Doctor S at Finance Your Life welcomes A New Member to the Unemployed.  One of his friends was recently downgraded from part time to outright unemployment.  He tells us about his friend’s state of mind, as well as what his next move is going to be.

And for the fun link, I found something that is kind of related to Valentine’s Day.  The Binder Park zoo in Battle Creek, Michigan, launched a new program for romantics this year: Zoorotica.  It’s a special zoo tour for adults-only couples, and gives people an intimate look at the mating habits and patterns of animals. 

Sounds weird, but apparently it’s a hit.  The tickets have sold out, and the zoo had to start a waiting list to accommodate everyone who couldn’t get in.

Here are this week’s links:

Andrea at Creating Momentum has an article on the importance of Living on Less Before You Have To.  For those of you not familiar with her site, Andrea is trying to leave the corporate world and make a living as a self-employed writer.  It’s a really interesting transition to watch.

True Adventures in Money Hacking has some advice on Going Out Without Going Broke.  Everybody likes to go out and have fun, and the post has 9 tips on how to save some money while you do it.

JLP at All Financial Matters writes about how Obama has limited executive pay for companies receiving bailout money, and how some people think it will cause a flight of talent away from these companies.  JLP’s response?  The flight of talent argument really cracks him up.

Monevator has a great list of 10 Reasons to be Cheerful as an Investor.  Even in the midst of a recession, there are things to be optimistic about.  My favorite?  #10 – opportunities abound.

And last but not least, Bill Shrink has a list of the Top 5 Ways to Immediately Protect Yourself from Identity Theft.  You can never be too careful.

The fun link this week is about how technology influences our lives.  Not necessarily in the way you think though.  It’s not about a new gadget that will save us time, or some breakthrough in electronics that will improve the quality of our lives.  It’s a lot funnier than both of those.

In what’s believed to be the first use of a Mii in crimefighting, police in Japan used the Nintendo Wii (my favite gaming console) to create a “wanted” poster for the driver in a hit-and-run accident.  Here’s the mugshot they came up with:

Have you played against this man?

I hope you enjoyed this week’s roundup!

Either way, the best thing to do is improve your own situation.  Here are some links to do it.

Mike at The Oblivious Investor writes about his 30 Year Market Prediction.  Bottom line?  “It hasn’t looked this good for quite a while.”  For young investors, this isn’t a recession.  It’s an opportunity.

At Free Money Finance, It’s Budgeting Time of the Year.  It’s a ridiculously detailed post with everything you need to set a budget, including a comparison of tools you can use to do it.

Mara at Secrets for Money has a great article on Another Type of Wealth: Pay it Forward and Random Acts of Kindness.  I’ve always been a big believer in treating others – especially strangers – the way you’d like to be treated.  This article explains how it can actually be good for our health and our money.

In a sign of the times, Wallet Pop is reporting on how girl scouts are putting fewer cookies in each box as a result of rising costs.

Kevin at No Debt Plan has a no-frills article on how to Cut the Crap and Check Your Monthly Budget Commitments.  Setting a budget and cutting spending will require work and sacrifice, but its absolutely necessary if you want to get out of debt.

And the fun link is a comic strip, but it’s not laugh-out-loud funny.  It came as a shock to me that Dilbert was recently laid off from his job.  Now he’s coping with unemployment and financial stress.  It’s nice to see art reflecting life.  Hopefully things turn around for Dilbert – and the rest of the country – very quickly.

I am honored to say that I was included in the list.

If you have a chance, stop by and check it out.   The author made a point of choosing sites that are passionate about sharing knowledge, so I guarantee you’ll learn something if you click on a few of the links.

NCN at No Credit Needed explains 5 debt reduction methods.  It’s interesting to read about something other than the standard two approaches of paying off the smallest debt or highest interest debts first.

DDFD at Divorced Dad Frugal Dad explains how defensive entrepreneurism can be used as protection against financial setbacks.  Always good to make more money.

Audrey at Small Business Resource has Five Tips For First Time Entrepreneurs.  She gives an insightful look at things to remember when starting a business.

MoneyNing at PF Credit Cards has a list of 10 Easy Ways Credit Card Companies Make Money Off Us.  Credit card companies are normally out to get you.  Here are ten traps to watch out for.

Susan Kuhn has a guest post My Super-Charged Life about How to Become Remarkable in One Easy Lesson.  The idea is to be exceptional and purpose driven in everything we do.  Very inspirational.

And the fun link is about funny money.  On Flickr, Joe D! has a gallery full of hilarious pictures he’s drawn on paper currency.  Here’s one of his pictures, named “Mr. Peanut Washington”:

the resemblance is uncanny

I’d also like to thank everyone who submitted to, linked to, and commented on the Presidential edition of the Money Hacks Carnival I hosted earlier this week.