Carnival of Saving Money - Fourth Edition

Welcome to the January 26, 2009 edition of Carnival of Saving Money.

Adam Freedman presents Thoughts on 2008?s Economy and Stock Market posted at The Investor's Journal.

Shaun Connell presents How to Write a Financial Plan posted at Financial Planning, saying, "Personal finance is essential, but without a coherent financial plan to unite all of the tips and strategies, your chances of success are minimal. Learn how to write your own financial plan!"

KCLau presents Redefine Retirement: Lifestyle Design of the New Rich posted at KCLau's Money Tips, saying, "About retirement, deferred retirement versus mini-retirement, income relativity and how to earn the income you want in the shortest time."

GrrlScientist presents Survival Skills 101: Frugal Living posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, "We're all having a hard time right now, so here are a few suggestions for surviving a financial crisis, such as un(der)employment or chronic poverty. Further, by changing your life style now, you can save money for the future."

MoneyNing presents 5 Surefire Ways to Stop Thinking Your Paycheck is Never Enough posted at Money Ning, saying, "Why can so many families live below $50,000 a year while others earning 4 times in the same country still feel poor? If you are wondering the answer to this question yourself, or if you feel like the paycheck is never enough, here are 5 suggestions for you."

Ray K presents Save Money By Always Being In A Contract posted at JustSaver.com.

Skyler Reep presents Week 1 Recap ($6.82) posted at 30 Days for 30 Dollars, saying, "Doesn't the USDA want us to be healthy? Didn't they write the food pyramid? The one that encourages us to buy and eat lots of grains, meat, and dairy? Why are we still encouraged by the government to eat fatty, unhealthy food?"

Investing School presents Certificate of Deposit (CD) For the Average Investor posted at Investing School, saying, "CDs can be a great option no matter how aggressive your investment portfolio is!"

Matthew Paulson presents Throw a Great Kids Party on a Budget posted at American Consumer News.

Debt Freedom Fighter presents Achieve Debt Elimination in Five Simple Steps posted at Discover Debt Freedom!.

Savings Toolbox presents Reducing What You Waste Will Save Some Cash posted at Savings Toolbox.

Destroy Debt presents Debt Got You Down? Turn That Frown Around posted at Debbie's Debt Advice.

Deposit Accounts presents Top 10 Free Online Money Management Tools posted at The Money Blog.

nemesis presents How to save more money posted at Wealth Gears.

Debt Free Destiny presents Don't Let a Joint Account Get You Out of Joint posted at Debt Free Destiny.

Shaun Connell presents Inflation: How to Beat it with Smart Financial Planning posted at 20 SomethingFinance.com, saying, "Got a high-interest savings account or investments? You're still probably going to lose money over the long run. Inflation is currently the federal government's policy... and if you don't take the right financial planning steps, you could be letting your savings nickel and dime away."

kathryn presents Basic Ideas for Balancing a Budget posted at Out of Debt Christian, saying, "Finances are one of the most difficult challenges that many of us face during our lives. It is no surprise (or maybe I should say it SHOULDN’T be a surprise) that the challenges double when we get married."

JRickG presents Financial Integrity posted at JE Gonzalez, saying, "Taking care of finances"

Michael Haltman presents The Financial Crisis: Losing Your Job and Money May Not Be The Only Casualty posted at The Political and Financial Markets Commentator, saying, ""One mother in TriBeCa, who is married, at least for now, to a Wall Street executive, put it rather bluntly: “My job was to run the household and the children’s lives,” she said. “His job is to provide us with a nice lifestyle.” But his bonus has disappeared, and his annual pay has dropped to $150,000 from $800,000 a year. “Let me just say this,” she said, “I’m still doing my job.”"

Diana Santos presents Surviving this Weak Economy posted at Diana's Neighborhood, saying, "Surviving this weak economy can be frustrating and seem almost impossible. When gas was almost at double where it is today, many of us drove less, consolidating our errands."

Kat presents Homesteading and Homekeeping at Whisper Wind Farm: Surviving Our Economic Black Hole posted at Homesteading and Homekeeping at Whisper Wind Farm.

Ted Reimers presents Ways to get Free College Tuition posted at CampusGrotto.

FIRE Getters presents Advantages of Online Banking posted at FIRE Finance.

MoneyNing presents E-Trade Complete Online Savings Account Review posted at Money Ning, saying, "ETrade is a great online bank, especially if you already have an brokerage with them. Give this bank a serious consideration if you are looking for a place to park your money!"

Verna Morris presents 10 Luxury Items You Can Now Buy for 10 Cents on the Dollar posted at International Listings Blog.

Patrick Coyne presents Saving Made Easy - Free Trick That Really Works posted at Self Development and Financial Development, saying, "Simple Tip on Saving and Budgeting that work for you."

Robert Hazlewood presents A Survival Guide For The Economic Times posted at Ways to Survive Life.

David Weliver presents What Feature is Most Important to You at Your Bank? posted at BankAround, saying, "A look at what people want most from their bank or credit union."

passive family income presents Gift Giving Guide - How to Plan Ahead posted at Passive Family Income, saying, "Tips on how to plan ahead on your gift purchases for the coming year that will save you money!"

John C. presents Home Energy Saving Tips - Consume Less Energy & Save Money posted at Squidoo: Home Energy Saving Tips - Consume Less Energy & Save Money, saying, "Here are some home energy saving tips covering how to consume less, and keep more money in your pocket."

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Seriously Thrifty? Some Wild Ways To Save (Part 1) posted at The Digerati Life.

Tushar Mathur presents Are You Doing The Most Important Thing to Get Rich posted at Everything Finance, saying, "Creating wealth is a long process, but it begins with one easy step. Before paying any bills, write yourself a check for as little as $25. If you do only one thing, this is more likely to make you wealthy than anything else. Paying yourself first is popular advice because it’s the most important step to becoming financially independent."

Shaun Connell presents Payday Loans SUCK... But Should We Ban Them? posted at Short-Term Loans, saying, "These short-term loans target "suckers" and are disgustingly stupid to get. But some suggest the government should step in. Do you agree? I think it's a horrible idea."

Todd presents Living on a budget takes time posted at Upgrade Your Life!.

Savings Toolbox presents Stashing Cash at Home posted at Savings Toolbox.

Ariel Bravy presents What Is Abundance? | You Are Truly Loved posted at You Are Truly Loved, saying, "Let's redefine the term 'abundance' and see how we can still get things without needing money!"

Livingalmostlarge presents Winter is good for the pocketbook posted at LivingAlmostLarge.

The Smarter Wallet presents Auto Insurance Quotes Dos and Don'ts posted at The Smarter Wallet.

One Family presents Frugal Living – Ten Great Gift Ideas for Frugal Families (Christmas Holiday Shopping Tips) posted at One Family's Blog.

Josh presents emergency fund l saving l banking l finance | Centsability to Wealth posted at Centsability to Wealth.

Stingy Student presents Stingy Students: Free Sam's Club membership posted at Stingy Students.

Heidi presents A Penny Saved is More than a Penny Earned! posted at Little People Wealth.

Debt Free Dave presents Circuit City Closing, Who's Next? posted at Debt Free Earth, saying, "Yesterday came the announcement that surprised few: after being unable to find a buyer, Circuit City asked a bankruptcy judge to allow them to close their remaining 567 stores. They had already closed 155 stores in the past 2 months while attempting to find a buyer."

kathryn presents Be a Better Bargainer posted at Out of Debt Christian, saying, "A 2007 Consumer Reports survey discovered that 61 percent of those polled had tried to get a bargain by haggling and more than 90 percent of them succeeded."

Abigail Perry presents Marketing logic posted at i pick up pennies, saying, "One of the major challenges for anyone trying to be frugal in modern society: marketers. They help create a sense of need for products that are actually luxuries. And we fall for it every time. I use cell phones as an example, but really any consumer product is applicable."

Sun presents Where Did Our Money Go? posted at The Sun’s Financial Diary.

Ryan Suenaga presents Emergency Funds Need Funding Too posted at Uncommon Cents.

VC presents Don’t be a Victim of Brand Marketing posted at The Penny Daily.

That is all for this month's Carnival of Saving Money. Be sure to check back next month for our next issue. Thank you to all the participants.