Kids Don’t Want To Drive, I Want an Island and a Link Carnival

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I hope you’re coming off a really relaxing weekend. Mine was quite hectic, but now it is behind me and I can focus on the week ahead. Last week had a couple of neat articles in case you missed them:

• Firstly, I created a motivational poster for you to enjoy!
• Continuing my trend of book reviews (Like my BlogWise book review), I did a $100 Startup Book review.
• If that wasn’t enough, I made my foray onto Pinterest. Why is a entrepreneurial/personal finance blogger on Pinterest? Because I can.

I hope you like book reviews because I’ve been reading a lot lately! I just finished Rework last week and I’m 1/3 the way through the 4-Hour Work Week. I’ll have my review of Rework up sometime this week or next week. In addition to all of this, I also read that kids don’t want to drive anymore and I can apparently now start planning to buy a private island.

Other than that, and a bunch of delicious barbecue that I ate this weekend (that part wasn’t hectic) that is about all I have except for the hours and hours of awesome reading that is about to follow for you! Have a great week, and be sure to keep checking back for updates. Now, time for our link carnival!

J.P. @ Novel Investor writes 401k Fees: New Disclosure Rules Show True Costs – We all know high costs and fees will eat into any savings plan. The new 401k fee disclosure rules will give participants a better idea just how much their retirement plan costs.

TB @ Blue Collar Workman writes New Air Conditioners Really Do Save You Money – When was the last time you thought about the efficiency of your a/c unit? If you’ve got an a/c that’s been a part of your home since the 80s, you might need to start considering a new one!

Lance @ Money Life & More writes I Got A Crazy Deal: Samsung Galaxy Skyrocket – After crafting a list of reason why I thought AT&T should give me a free $150 smartphone I picked up the phone and gave them a call. What follows is how I got them to give me the phone for free…

Vanessa @ Vanessa’s Money writes Mini-Economics Lesson: Opportunity Cost – I explain how the seemingly complicated economic principle of opportunity cost can be simply applied to personal finance

MR @ Money Reasons writes Striving for Income Diversification – Why have one income stream when you can have many? This is my attempt at creating multiple income streams.

Kevin @ Thousandaire writes I Paid Off $33,850 in Student Loans in 4 Years – I graduated from college four years ago with almost $34,000 in student loan debt. I paid off the last dollar and now I’m saving for a house.

SFB @ Simple Finance Blog writes Battle of the Bulk: Costco, Sam’s Club, & BJ’s – I’ve broken down the membership costs of some of America’s biggest bulk retailers for you.

Maria @ The Money Principle writes Do you really need insurance? – We all need insurance because shit happens; and when it hits the fan we have to be protected. If you are thinking that while this is true, the statistical probability of something happening to you is pretty slim you are wrong. For two reasons, read more to find out why!

Dave @ Financial Conflict Coach writes Do Group Dynamics Influence How You Spend Your Money? – As social creatures, we’re drawn to groups. In these groups, each of us assumes a specific role. These roles may have an effect on the way you spend or save money.

Hank @ Money Q&A writes Killer Stock Characteristic #4 – Dividend Growth Rate – A company’s dividend growth rate is a good proxy for how much their share price should also grow. A company’s share price is the present value of all its future cash flows.

Amanda L Grossman @ Frugal Confessions writes We Were Swindled, in Our Own Home – We were so swindled and managed over the last 45 minutes that we literally escaped to the top of our two-story home and shut the door to my office to regroup. I am not even close to exaggerating.

YFS @ Your Finances Simplified writes My 1000 Dollar Budgeting Mistake and How You Can Avoid it – I want to talk to you about budgeting. I am actually going to give you a story about budgeting mistakes. By this time I feel that you should know how to budget. But, if not, I will create another video.

Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes How to Work Your Way Out of Debt Quickly – Many young families are struggling to get out of their debt. As a result of college expenses and traditionally lower salaries, overcoming large amounts of debt can be quite the challenge.

Jen @ Master the Art of Saving writes Avoiding Having Kids Costs Money Too – There are a ton of posts out there that talk about the cost of having kids, but not many (or any) about the cost of not having kids. While we already have a kid and know how expensive it is, our goal since then has been to not have any more kids. Oddly though, avoiding having kids can still cost money.

krantcents @ KrantCents writes The 3 T’s of Success – The 3 T’s of Success is the twentieth in a series of articles to help you reach your goal.

Tushar @ Start Investing Money writes What Are Some Company Names and Stock Symbols? – Company names and stock symbols are commonly confused. Read these examples of confusion!

Suba @ Broke Professionals writes Professional Profiles: Sarah, the International Grad Student – My best friend earned admission to graduate school across the pond. Turns out, she’s not the only American flocking to Britain for business school.

Invest It Wisely @ Invest It Wisely writes Living to 100 and Beyond: Building Your Portfolio – This is the third in a series of articles on living to 100 and beyond. In this article, I discuss the investment vehicles needed after retirement!

Jon the Saver @ Free Money Wisdom writes Can You Become a One-Car Household? – If you’re interested in cutting your living expenses radically the best way to do that is by eliminating big expenses.

101 Centavos @ 101 Centavos writes What You Know Ain’t So – Or rather, what you know may not necessarily be so. Conventional wisdom has a conventional way of being frequently turned on its head. Myths get bust…

Corey @ 20s Finances writes 7 Ways To Pay Off Your Student Loans Quickly – I am an advocate of paying off your student loans quickly. With the average graduates student loan bill coming in around $24,000 many feel overwhelmed with the standard 10 year repayment plan. This post is designed to show you ways how you can make a big dent in your student loan balance and get rid of the debt quickly.

Dave @ Debt Black Hole writes Does A “Goldilocks Zone” Exist For Debt? – Personal Finance is filled with extremes and polarized opinions. Some people believe you should not have any kind of debt, others think certain kinds of debt are useful to build wealth. Is it possible to have a debt load that’s “just right”?

Jason @ Work Save Live writes How to Invest in Consumer Debt – How to Invest in Consumer Debt Many investors are familiar with investing in corporate and government debt through the purchase of bonds. Bonds are often attractive because they’re considered one of the safer types of investments. This is especially true of U.S. Treasury bonds which are guaranteed by the U.S. government.

Ashley @ Money Talks Coaching writes Summer Plans – My kids are on summer break. Usually I talk about it quite a bit leading up to the last few days of school. I didn’t this year.

Passive Income Earner @ The Passive Income Earner writes How To Know If You Have A Debt Problem? – Many people make far more money than they really need to live. However, somewhere between lifestyle inflation and the requirement to make large minimum payments on debt balances each month, many who earn a sizable income are struggling to make ends meet and are living paycheck to paycheck. Debt is an issue that those in all income brackets must contend with.

Greg Field @ NerdWallet writes Top 10 Kasasa Partners to Earn Big and Bank Local – An explanation of what Kasasa is and how it can save you lots of money, along with our list of the best banks that use it. Great personal finance information. Enjoy

Greg Field @ NerdWallet writes Top 10 Kasasa Partners to Earn Big and Bank Local – An explanation of what Kasasa is and how it can save you lots of money, along with our list of the best banks that use it. Great personal finance information. Enjoy

Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes How To Invest When You Are Scared of The Stock Market – There are many stories about the younger generation being scared to invest in the stock market because they started to invest at the peak of the market back in 2007 and lost almost everything.

PPlan @ Provident Plan writes No Medical Exam Life Insurance – Many insurance companies require that applicants for life insurance undergo a medical examination before they will issue a policy.

Ryan @ Early Retirement Investments writes 7 Savings Steps to Take Before Retirement – Here are 7 saving steps to take before retirement. Are you making them?

Jeremy Waller @ Personal Finance Whiz writes My Search for Residual Income – Over the last 5 years I have constantly had a number of side projects to earn an extra income. In most cases it wasn’t much, maybe a couple hundred per month. There have been a few times I did really well and brought in over $1,000 of extra income.

@ You Have More Than You Think writes Seriously, You Really Do Have More Than You Think: How to Earn Extra Cash With Ordinary Stuff – Use what you have–right now–to bring in extra cash. You don’t have to wait until you start a business or get a raise to increase your income.

harry campbell @ Your Personal Finance Pro writes 401k Plans Only Work if You Contribute – From time to time, I’ll read about how bad 401k plans are for investors like you and me. Apparently, most people don’t even realize they’re paying fees on top of other fees to invest in certain funds. And while a minority of companies do it right, by providing low cost index and ETF funds, most, sadly do not. It’s up to you the investor, to thoroughly research your asset allocation and the funds you plan to invest in. But all these points become moot if you don’t contribute enough

Crystal @ Budgeting in the Fun Stuff writes How in the World Did I Get Here? – Has anyone been transparent about how they got into their massive debt? I will share some of my story regarding my downward spiral into endless debt.

Aloysa @ My Broken Coin writes How to Negotiate A Raise From an Insider’s Point of View – I have to admit that supervising people can be a very rewarding experience. It also can be frustrating, sometimes even maddening. People come to me with different set of problems. Some like to complain about others. Some like to ask for advice or direction they need to take with a project.

Daisy @ Add Vodka writes Trick Yourself Into Saving Money – In the past couple of years, my income has doubled, and so has my desire to buy, buy, buy.

Jester @ The Ultimate Juggle writes Myrtle Beach – The Perfect Affordable Family Vacation – The following are some of the reasons that my family like to vacation down in Myrtle Beach for our primary family vacation

John @ Married (with Debt) writes Free Debt and Budget Spreadsheet – A debt and budget spreadsheet is an essential tool to help you take control of your money and get out of debt. Get a free spreadsheet here.

PITR @ Passive Income To Retire writes 3 Lessons to Boost Your Positional Leadership – Most people need to begin a career at the bottom of the totem pole, then work their way over the years to a more prominent position in the company.

Daniel @ Sweating the Big Stuff writes Would You Rather Have One-Time or Passive Income? – I think personal finance bloggers have an unhealthy obsession with creating passive income. It sounds great, but they’re giving up lots of money!

Sustainable PF @ Sustainable Personal Finance writes Staycation: Better for Your Wallet and the Environment – By staying home during your time off you save money and the planet.

Eddie @ Finance Fox writes Financial Infidelity – A Growing Concern On The Rise – Nearly 60 percent of women, and 50 percent of men admit to some form of financial infidelity.

A Blinkin @ Funancials writes How To Get A Job and Girlfriend – Have you ever been without a job? I have heard that, aside from losing a child, being unemployed is one of toughest experiences to go through. If you have been fortunate enough to have not experienced this anguish, lets find another angle.

JP @ My Family Finances writes My Biggest Money Mistake – My biggest money mistake ended up being a chain reaction of mistakes.

Kyle @ The Penny Hoarder writes Smart Phone App Pays You to Look at Displays While Shopping – Surely there is an app that will pay you while you shop? As it turns out, there is such an app and it’s called EasyShift.

Luke @ Learn Bonds writes Why We Don’t Need the Fed – Summing up the argument for why we do not need the federal reserve and would be better off with another system.

Sicorra @ Tackling Our Debt writes Tips for Couples Traveling on a Tight Budget – If you are a couple living on a tight budget is it still possible to travel and enjoy yourself? You bet it is! Check this out to learn how.

Paul Vachon @ The Frugal Toad writes How to Travel Cheap at the 2012 London Olympics – Using London and the Olympics in the same sentence almost always means expensive. You would be surprised how cheaply you can stay in London. Read on and I’ll show you how!

Corey @ Steadfast Finances writes 5 Tips to Help You Land a Job Out of College – Find out how you can get a job out of college. Learning these tips will improve your changes of making a decent salary.

Sean @ One Smart Dollar writes Mortgage Broker vs Mortgage Lender – What is the difference between a mortgage Broker and a mortgage lender?

Teacher Man @ My University Money writes Why You Should Take Out Student Loans – One of the biggest financial mistakes I made while going to school was NOT taking out some student loans money.

Teacher Man @ Young And Thrifty writes TFSA vs RESP Contributions – n the past we have compared RRSP and TFSA accounts, and RESP vs RRSP accounts, so today we’re going to do a head-to-head comparison of TFSA vs RESP contributions.

Jeremy @ Modest Money writes How Breaking Up Is The Best Kick In The Ass Money Can Buy – Often when a relationship ends you are devastated as you feel your world has been turned upside down. When it first happens, it is tough not to just focus on the negatives of the situation. Really though, it is the ideal time to improve pretty much every aspect of your life.

Kraig @ Young, Cheap Living writes 10 Things That Made My Dad The Greatest – Father’s Day has been a little awkward for me ever since I lost my dad, 11 years ago, at 17. This Father’s Day, I reflected on just how lucky I am to have had the great dad I did by describing what made him the best dad I have ever known. It really helped turn my sadness into gladness this Father’s Day.

SB @ One Cent at a Time writes 51 Ways to Get Out Of Debt – A Harvard Business School Graduate recently made headlines for paying off a $90,000 debt load in just 7 months. It’s an amazing accomplishment and shows that it can be done. Here are not one or two but, 51 ways to do that.

SB @ Finance Product Review writes WalMart MoneyCard Review – A Prepaid Card for Everyone – This is a prepaid debit card with a difference, no bank account is actually associated with it, though you can have your salary directly deposited to the card account.

Dr. Dean @ The Millionaire Nurse Blog writes Don’t Text These 5 People! – Texting is fine, usually. But there are people you just don’t want to text, it can cost you!