Financial Carnival for Young Adults ' 10th Edition

Welcome to the tenth edition of the Financial Carnival for Young Adults. My purpose with this carnival is to create an easy-to-find place for information about finances for young adults. The carnival is hosted here at 20's Finances each week and features the most recent articles from around the web.

I just wanted to thank everyone for submitting their post. This carnival has grown really fast and I am happy to share the many great posts listed here with my readers.

harry campbell @ Your Personal Finance Pro writes Getting Away From Internet Job Searches: Networking Tips for Young Professionals - With unemployment at 8.2% as of March 2012, many Americans find themselves relying on the same unsuccessful job hunting tactics. Recent graduates are stuck looking for work in an extremely saturated job market where supply is high and demand is low. So what makes one candidate stand out from another?

Melissa @ Fiscal Phoenix writes Good Meeting Habits to Practice Now ' More than the pointless aspect of most meetings, one thing I've observed is the poor behavior that runs rampant throughout those meetings. From entry level staff on up to managers and directors, there is no shortage of people who are rude and inconsiderate during meetings.

Dr. Dean @ The Millionaire Nurse Blog writes 100 Words On How To Become 'Well To Do!' ' Want to be financially successful? Check out this short mantra, and repeat it daily.

Timothy @ Wealth Artisan writes 5 Budgeting Tools ' Are you looking for tools to help you budget? We have a list of the best budgeting tools including free budgeting tools to help you reach your savings goals.

KT @ Personal Finance Journey writes Some Smart Ways to Use an Unexpected Windfall ' As a child, you may have played the game of LIFE and enjoyed those moments you get an unexpected windfall. The same can happen in real life. A few years ago, many Americans got an unexpected windfall when President Bush offered a tax rebate to a majority of U.S. citizens.

Eddie @ Finance Fox writes 10 Signs You Need Help With Money ' One thing is certain with money is that it's never too late to make a turn around and admit that you need help with money.

Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes Revisiting The Buffett Rule ' I previously wrote about how I was against The Buffett Rule, raising taxes on the rich to help balance the budget.

SFB @ Simple Finance Blog writes How does a Letter of Credit Differ from a Bank Guarantee? ' In layma's terms, a bank guarantee and a letter of credit may seem similar, but they are not. Here are the key differences and when to use them.

PITR @ Passive Income To Retire writes Risky Investments ' High Return ' Investing with great risks gives you a bigger potential return. You won't always avoid mistakes, but you will learn from them.

Princess P @ Portfolio Princess writes Smart, Savvy, And On A Budget ' Sometimes sticking to a budget is no easy task, but there are ways to make saving money easy by following these simple budgeting tips.

Jeffrey @ Money Spruce writes How to Be an Entrepreneur ' The following is a guest post. Answering the question 'How to Be an Entrepreneur' is a a somewhat complicated one. There's really no simple way to answer it. The first thing I will tell you: being an entrepreneur is easy, but being a successful entrepreneur is not. Here's a few simple steps to think about.

FG @ Financial God writes Cars Are the Mass-Transit Solution of the Future ' As you sit in traffic on your way to work, you might find it hard to believe, but one day, that congested highway will be part of the mass-transit wave of the future.

Ryan @ Early Retirement Investments writes Are You Spending Too Much on Business Expenses? ' Related Posts:How to Save Money Every Month Using UnionBank Online Banking ServicesFinding Money for Retirement When Your Paycheck is SmallQuickBooks Pro 2011:'

Aloysa @ My Broken Coin writes Who I Have Not Become ' At some point in life, we all dream of becoming someone else, someone different from who we are now. We have certain aspirations and hopes. Sometimes we live up to our dreams. Sometimes they remain just that ' dreams.

Luke @ Learn Bonds writes Should You Trust Your Financial Advisor? ' Does your financial advisor have a fiduciary duty to act in your best interest? It depends on the type of advisor you are work with.

krantcents @ KrantCents writes The 3 M's of Success ' The 3 M's of Success is the thirteenth in a series of articles to help you reach your goal.

Jason @ Work Save Live writes Where to Save Your Retirement Investing Contributions ' Welcome to the 3rd week of my 'Understanding Retirement Planning & Investing' series! If you've missed the first two posts be sure to check them out! Everything You Need to Know About a Roth IRA & Why to Start One.

Amanda L Grossman @ Frugal Confessions writes Environmental Reward Program Update ' Earth Day/Week is here, and I thought I would take the opportunity to update you on the reward point programs I introduced about a year ago.

Maria @ The Money Principle writes Regulate the people, not the banks! ' Read why it is not the institution that the government need to go after, but those few selfish individuals in the company!

TRL @ The Retired Landlord writes Why I am Investing in Real Estate ' Investing in real estate is not a easy commitment, but doesn't mean it isn't worth it. Find out why I am investing in real estate.

Kanwal @ Simply Investing writes Is it Good When Companies Buy Back Their Own Shares? ' Companies will sometimes buy back their own shares, but is this good or bad for you the shareholder? Generally it's a good thing because in the long run it will result in an increase in the share price.

Ashley @ Money Talks Coaching writes How to Spend Less on Gas ' How much gas are we using to drive to work, to school, to the store, and so on? Here are some tips on how you can deal with the high price of gas.

John @ Married (with Debt) writes Pay Off Debt Before Investing: Rule 9 ' This is Rule 9 in my 10 Rules to Eliminate Debt and Change Your Life Should I pay off debt before investing? If you are asking this question, let me first say congratulations.

Jen @ Master the Art of Saving writes How Much House Do You Really Need? ' Sometimes we just need to ask ourselves: How much house do I need? If you stay in your house almost all the time, then of course your needs would'

Corey @ Steadfast Finances writes Why are Home Foreclosures Picking Up in 2012? ' Find out why foreclosure rates are increasing in 2012. Will you be next?

Dave @ Financial Conflict Coach writes Are You A Good Negotiator? ' Most people are afraid of negotiating. The good news is- negotiation is a learned skill.

Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes 5 Tips to Save Money on Your Grocery Bill ' If you are looking to save money, you might want to consider these tips to reduce your expenses with your grocery bill.

Sustainable PF @ Sustainable Personal Finance writes Green Tip #240 ' Rain Barrel ' The 240th Green Tip: Use a Rain Barrel to collect rain water and reduce your water usage costs.

MR @ Money Reasons writes Fixing Your Garage Door Opener By DIY ' These are the steps I followed to replace my craftman garage door gears that were shredded. This particular repair cost me $25 vs around $200 for a repairman.

Peter @ Bible Money Matters writes Mint.com Review: Online Personal Finance and Budgeting Software ' While I'm not sure I would ever give up using a desktop budgeting and finance software like the one we're currently using, YNAB, I believe that Mint.com is a fun and extremely useful supplement to what we do with that software. It is a great way to get a snapshot into our finances, give us reminders, update us on our budget and show us where the money is going. So let's jump in and take a full look at the software in this Mint.com review.

YFS @ Your Finances Simplified writes The Benefits of Giving to Charitable Institutions ' They say that giving and helping others can offer people more satisfaction than acquiring material things. For centuries different individuals, even the most wealthy ones, have found a sense of fulfillment in giving, and indeed it is in the act'

Jon the Saver @ Free Money Wisdom writes Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Credit Card Review and a 2 Free Flights! ' Earn up to two free flights with the Chase Southwest Rewards credit card! If you're traveling soon, this card is one that you need now!

Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes Visualizing the Financial Future ' I had an epiphany yesterday: to truly save what you need for the future, you need to visualize it clearly and realistically. Now maybe this had something to do with my 40th birthday, or maybe it had something to do with the weather, or perhaps a Forbes article I was reading; either way, all of a sudden had this clear vision of what I want my life to be like in 10 years from now and a rough sketch of how I was going to get there.

Linsey @ 1099 Mom writes Make Money Writing Articles Online ' Thanks to the internet and the popularity of blogs, writing for pay is becoming more common. If you love to write, there are many ways to make money writing articles online.

Jason @ Live Real, Now writes Whiners ' I have a lot of friends and family in different financial stages in their lives. Some are deeper in debt than I am, others are just starting to dig their own pit, still others have paid off every cent of debt they've ever used. That's okay; as they say, it takes all kinds to make the world go round. Out of all of those, the only ones who irritate me are the spendthrift whiners.

Jeremy Waller @ Personal Finance Whiz writes Top Personal Finance Posts Of The Week ' Wal-Mart Bribery Scandal Edition ' Wal-Mart, one of the largest companies in the world, has just found itself in the middle of a massive bribery scandal. Allegedly, bribes totaling more than $24 million were paid to Mexican officials to speed up the permitting process to open new stores.

Kyle @ The Penny Hoarder writes How to Make $500/week Cleaning out Foreclosures ' Foreclosure cleaners often earn a whopping $500 to $2,500 per house that they clean. Here are a few tips on how to score these jobs'

Sean @ One Smart Dollar writes What are the Best Days to Buy Specific Items ' Did you know that you can save money just buy making purchases on a specific day of the week or month?

Kay Lynn @ Bucksome Boomer writes 10 Sneaky Expenses That You Never Saw Coming ' Do you want to be wealthy in the future? Do you have a plan set in place to achieve your wealth goals? If you have a plan, then I'm assuming that you've made a budget for your monthly expenses, which is great, but guess what? Not all expenses occur on a monthly basis. Make sure that you don't forget about these sneaky costs that tend to catch some people by surprise.

MMD @ MyMoneyDesign writes Before Retirement, Eliminate Your Biggest Expense ' Have you ever considered the benefits of paying off your mortgage early as a way to save BIG during retirement and reduce the amount of income you'll need? If you've got a lot of time between then and now, even better! Let's crunch some numbers and see how much extra it would take to eliminate your mortgage payments altogether.

Kevin @ Thousandaire writes It's All About Creating Income ' Lots of people worry about saving millions of dollars. If you generate passive income, you won't need so much in savings.

Debt Guru @ Debt Free Blog writes Is the Cash Method Helpful? ' Is an all cash method of budgeting the best way to control your spending? Find out if the envelope method is right for you.

PPlan @ Provident Plan writes Top 5 Mortgage Mistakes ' Learn about the top five mortgage mistakes that you can make when buying a new house or condo.

Shaun @ Smart Family Finance writes Should Families Pay Off All Their Loans: No, Debt is Not Bad and It is Not Always Riskier than Cash ' I'm sorry, but if you think debt is bad; you are wrong! Debt can be good, sometimes it is even essential.

Earth and Money @ Earth and Money writes Comparison of Foreign ATM Fees Charged by Canadian Banks ' A comparison of the foreign ATM fees charged by all the big five Canadian banks, and a few alternative options as well. With a little insight and planning, you can go abroad and spend your money the right way ' enjoying your trip!

Suba @ Broke Professionals writes Our House On The Market: Month Two ' Two months in to having our house on the market, and still no offers. I'm anxious to slash our asking price and reduce allowances we've made for closing costs.

Daniel @ Sweating the Big Stuff writes The Finances of Addiction ' It seems like just about everybody is addicted to something. Do you know how expensive additions are?

Penny Thots @ Penny Thots writes Financial Lessons Learned from Video Games ' Video games offer much more than a needed break in the routine. They teach great financial lessons about life and making money, as well as give a little entertainment. While you should limit your time playing video games, don't completely discount them as 'useless.'

Beating Broke @ Beating Broke writes Do You Let Television Affect Your Reality? ' Reality shows such as Sell This House and Storage Wars can be useful sometimes, but often, they increase your level of 'want' or make you think you can do something you are really not qualified to do. Remember, these shows are for entertainment purposes, and the chance that you will be able to replicate the success of the participants is slim.

Jester @ The Ultimate Juggle writes Saving Money By Doing Small Repairs Yourself ' How I save money to spend on my kids by doing small repairs myself. If what you are trying to fix is old, it might be worth it to try fixing it yourself.

A Blinkin @ Funancials writes Why Do Banks Sell Mortgages? ' Sometimes I use my blog as a medium to rant about the funny things people do with their money; but other times I tackle common questions that I receive from readers or overhear when I'm wondering the golf course streets. One common question/comment I've gotten recently has been around mortgages.

101 Centavos @ 101 Centavos writes To Peak Oil or Not To Peak Oil? ' The world is running out of oil' so might as well buy a few shares in the companies that make it and move it around. Having had some cash free up'

Daisy @ Add Vodka writes Vancouver Personal Finance ' A couple of weeks ago, TeacHer Finance wrote a post asking whether or not personal finance advice should depend on geography. I say YES.

Tushar @ Start Investing Money writes The Average Returns to Expect on Mutual Funds ' This Post was Originally published at The Average Returns to Expect on Mutual Funds on Start Investing MoneyWhen you are deciding on a vehicle for investing your money, mutual funds may come up in conversation more often than not. Because the risk is spread out, the investment is perceived as safer than gambling on individual stocks.

Crystal @ Budgeting in the Fun Stuff writes Build a Home Series ' Floor Plan and The Lot ' The first steps with our builder were to decide on the floor plan of our future home and to pick our lot. We had to pick our floor plan first.

Steve @ Brip Blap writes Fear of Making Money ' Fear of money ' worrying about its scarcity, or its disappearance ' can cripple you from making more and even more importantly from enjoying life.

Hank @ Money Q&A writes Only Certain Home Improvement Projects Will Pay You Back ' Most of your home improvement projects and remodeling projects are not going to make you money and will unfortunately not translate dollar for dollar in new home equity.

Steve @ Money Infant writes Happy Songkran from Thailand ' No, I haven't lost my mind. I know it isn't New Year in most of the world, but here in Thailand it is.

Busy Exec @ The 'Busy Executive' Money Blog writes Why discussing money among your friends is still taboo? ' With how many of your friends do you discuss and share a similar financial mindset? For some reason, it's easier to discuss one's financial thoughts with strangers than the people close to you.

Money Cone @ Money Cone writes In Pursuit of the Most Rewarding Rewards Card ' For those who use a credit card for convenience and not for the interest rate, it makes sense to choose a card that maximizes rewards. 5% cash back on gas? That's more than what the markets returned last year! Claim what's rightfully yours!

Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes How to Network at Work and Increase Your Influence ' The importance of a personal network is well known and is as applicable to your personal life as to your working career. Follow these strategies on how to network at work and watch as your influence increases.

Jeremy @ Modest Money writes Thank You For Irresponsible Credit Card Usage ' There are many personal finance blogs that tell you to cut up your credit cards or exercise greater willpower with credit cards. While that may be good advice depending on your situation, I want to personally thank the countless people who are irresponsible with their credit card usage.

Rich Avery @ Money Wise Pastor writes How Magic Jack Works and Saves Me $500 a Year on Home Phone Service ' Have you wondered how Magic Jack works and whether it could really save you money on your home phone service? Magic Jack works well for our family and saves us nearly $500 a year in home phone charges!

Teacher Man @ My University Money writes How To Use Your Liberal Arts Degree To Get a Government Job ' I have been someone negative about the job prospects out there for people like me with a liberal arts degree before. While it is still not what I recommend for most people coming out of high school, it can be a valuable tool in your career tool belt if leveraged correctly.

Echo @ Boomer & Echo writes Pros And Cons Of Waiting To Buy A Home ' Should you buy a home now and take advantage of ultra-low interest rates, or should you wait until housing prices come down from their record levels? Here's the pros and cons of waiting to buy a home:

Emily @ Evolving Personal Finance writes Targeted Savings Account Calculation: Cars through Aug2013 ' I detail a methodology for projecting how much we expect to spend out of a certain targeted savings account and then how much we need to save monthly.

SB @ One Cent at a Time writes How to Start with Managing Personal Finance ' Most critical and hardest barrier to managing personal finance is getting started. A guide to help you get going with the first few baby steps towards better management of your personal finance.

SB @ Finance Product Reviews writes Everbank Review ' A Bank Which Pledges Yeild ' Not often we come across banks who has rate pledges, EverBank announces at its home site that the rates for its account holders would remain in top territory. Read moe in this review.

Robert @ My Multiple Incomes writes The Importance of a Schedule and Time Management ' I work full time, run multiple websites, and am getting a rental property put together, and more! Needless to say, if I wasn't organized, I would be pulling my hair out right now! However, because I take the time to plan and organize, I can usually squeeze everything in that I need to in a day, and still have free time to hang out with my family and walk the dog. Here are some of my scheduling tips that you may find useful.

Everything Finance @ Everything Finance Blog writes Top 10 Money Management Tips for College Students ' Your first year in college, you will learn a lot, both academically and personally. You should also be learning quite a bit financially. How you conduct your finances for the next four years while you are in college can determine in part what type of lifestyle you will have when you graduate. If you are mired in credit card and student loan debt, you may have no choice but to move back in with your parents. To successfully manage your finances, take advantage of these 10 tips:

Robert @ The College Investor writes The Ultimate College Internship Guide ' Internships can be great ways to get first hand experiences in the field you may want to pursue after graduation. They also look great on resumes for new graduates, and many do pay, so you can have some spending money. Finally, it can be a good way to start building your professional network and making industry connections for after graduation. If you're thinking about getting an internship this summer, here is your guide to nailing the process!

Glen Craig @ Free From Broke writes 7 Money Mistakes That Can Keep You from Achieving Your Goals ' Money mistakes can cost you your goals. Take a look at which mistakes you have to pay special attention to so that you can reach your goals.

Why Cars are Destroying Our Society

What kind of car do you drive? Are one of those people that worries about breaking down on the side of the road because your car is older than most high schoolers? Or are you someone who loves the smell of a new car. We all know that smell ' it's not just a sign of its recent production date, but is also about comfort, security, and assurances (aka warranties). If we are honest with ourselves, we often upgrade cars because of the fear to have our cars break down on us. Many of us are hesitant to buy used cars (and only do so because our finances require it) because you never really know what the previous owner did to it.

In other societies, we may use the term 'purity' to describe the lure of a new car. There's something about knowing it has always been in good hands and never treated badly. It may just be worth the extra coinage to have the piece of mind, right? While I can joke about the reasons we often upgrade our cars, the reason why this is even remotely funny to you is because there is truth to it. Excessive advertising overwhelms us with the lure to buy, upgrade, and add unnecessary accessories to our cars. Whether we realize it or not, this false narrative is effectively destroying our society. It is not only putting financial strain on individuals and families, but also is causing the physical destruction of our planet.

Childhood Brainwashing

Those who deny the desire to buy a nice car must have had a different childhood from me. I don't know about you, but I always wanted one of those electric cars by Power Wheels that young children (who often lack the motor skills to run/walk) cruise around in. I am sure that I don't have to describe it more than that.Many of you probably had one or knew someone with a set of power wheels (notice the name ' POWER).

While my parents did their best to provide for us kids, the one area of my life that I felt was missing at the time was a brand new power wheel car. Who doesn't like the feeling of knowing you have the nicest vehicle of your 5 year old friends? Regrettably, this is just one of the fine examples that cars and the need to have/drive/be associated with them is part of the narrative that is corrupting us ' even from childhood.The popular and perhaps subliminal message to children is clear from the beginning. Driving a nice car is important ' it says something about who you are.  And you wonder why so many people think it's okay to finance a car'

This false narrative is invading every aspect of our lives. The trip to the grocery store is now a chance to remind children that life is ultimately about driving a really nice car. The activity that once was a chore or a pain for parents as they dragged their children along as they look for the food which will sustain their family for the next week is now made easier because of one thing: the shopping cart race car. Children love this! I highly doubt it's part of their genes. Simply put ' it's a cultural value. A cultural value that is destroying our society.

Cars as an Image of Success

Over the past few decades, through cultural fascination with different makes and models of vehicles, western society has become obsessed with the appearance of cars as opposed to practicality. I am the first one to admit that I too bought into this myth. As an aspiring young 16 year old high school student, (deep down) I longed to fit in ' to be popular. (I guess being on the Knowledge Bowl and Tennis Varsity teams didn't cut it)

So, what is someone to do? I did what any middle-class teenager would do to improve his reputation' BEG my parents for the family car. While I'm not positive I believed it would make me popular, I KNEW that everyone were jealous and it did improve my social status (sadly). Now, some of you may be thinking why the family car would make me popular. Well, here's the thing. It wasn't just any family car. My first car, as a 16 year old was a 1995 Ford Mustang Convertible. For those who don't know what that looks like, I have provided a picture of my first car below for you. Enjoy ' I certainly did.

Despite my glory years in high school, I soon learned the impracticality of this car as I packed up the small, soon-to-be-discovered uncomfortable car and traveled across the country to go to college. Moving from dorm room to storage facility and back to dorm room year after year got old in the small car that I once loved. Not only did it require tens of trips each year, but it demanded a certain skill of maneuvering and sheer force to fit the large items like a dorm fridge into the car.

Needless to say, my approach to owning cars changed quickly. I graduated college, sold my 'dream' car and got the most practical vehicle I could find- a used station wagon. While the station wagon has a negative connotation for most young adults (I still can't figure out the reason), I soon fell in love. It's large storage space and high MPG has made it the ideal car for me and my wife ' and it's a car that goes against the popular narrative.

By popular narrative, I mean the excessive and unnecessary accessories ' ranging from the neon lights that are placed under cars (for which only God knows why) to the spinning wheels that cost as much as multiple months of rent. It is this same lie that convinces consumers that appearance or image is more important than practicality. For example, the popularity of (large) SUV's surged over the past two decades. While wikipedia reports that the popularity has decline in recent years, I know many people who prefer a large SUV or truck because of the versatility that it offers. Really, people? How often do you drive off-road or tow something, or need to use the four-wheel drive?

The 'Catch 22' of Vehicles: Environmental Damage vs. Image Narrative

Yet, as I mentioned, people are starting to change their perspective. This has come about largely because of two reasons ' the increase in oil prices and the literal destruction of the planet. Despite serious warnings of global warming, people living in western society have not made any significant move away from the dependency on private transportation. If you want to argue this point with me, let me point out that the 2008 Green Car of the Year was the one and only massive 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe. While it may be a (small) step in the right direction, the reported 21 MPG won't save the planet any time soon.

The need to be frugal and yet also care for the environment puts us in a Catch 22. A position with pro's and con's on both sides of the coin. On the one hand, we can resist the advertisements to upgrade our car to the newest, fastest, and even most efficient cars, but at what cost? While I don't have any statistical information, older cars as a general rule are less fuel efficient therefore worse for the environment. We may be able to be successful at resisting popular advertising, but at what cost to our environment? and at what cost to environment-related health conditions? Whether we realize it or not, our attempt to save a few pennies could actually be creating an environment which will have higher costs in the future, especially for our children and grandchildren.

On the other side of the coin, it seems that if we try to be more environmentally-friendly, it means a strong correspondence to the narrative that private vehicles is the image of success. I don't know about you, but I no longer want to buy into this idea that I am defined by the stuff I own or the car that I drive.

There is no easy answer. The only appropriate answer to the question of whether we should resist buying new cars OR help save the environment by buying newer, efficient cars is YES ' or in other words, both and yet neither at the same time. Our long-term goal of preserving our environment must be held up against the popular consumerist mindset. I'm not naive enough to suggest that everyone bike to work in order to save the environment and dollars on the commute ' but I am hopeful enough to believe that small changes can make a difference.

Readers, do you agree that cars are destroying our society? What's your take on the difficult position we are place in?

photocredit: marvins_dad via flickr
photocredit: lifeisbutadrink.com

Spring Cleaning ' Getting Organized

As many of you will recall, one of my proudest moments as an adult was when I was able to furnish my entire apartment for $600. I won't re-write what I have already written, but I was able to accomplish a near-impossible feat. Moving after graduation can be difficult. We all know the challenges that graduates face and being able to find inexpensive furniture saved my wife and me some financial stress.

Even though we were able to find decently priced items, it wasn't without a sacrifice. Over the past two years, we have lived with an average desk. By average, I mean annoying. It was annoying for two primary reasons. First, it had an adjustable keyboard area, with brackets underneath to support the necessary adjustments. While normally this is a great feature, it was annoying for me because I would always hit my knees on them. Secondly, I never had enough desk space. Again, because of the keyboard area, there was not enough space to have a laptop and paper that I could write on.

How Easy Unused Space Becomes Cluttered

As a result of the annoyance, we hardly ever used our desk. It was just taking up space in our office and serving as an extra surface to place unpaid bills for the time being. With me spending more time blogging, I felt it necessary to have a great place to work from. We are also paying rent to have this extra space, so we might as well take full advantage of it.

In case you are curious how cluttered and dirty our desk can become, here is a picture of what it looked like before I started this project. One thing to note is that there were winter boots still in this space months after seeing any snow. They are now properly stored until next winter.

How Much Being Organized Matters

While I have started to realize that having the cleanest apartment is not the most important thing in the world, it does matter to a certain degree. We spent an entire Saturday going to the store (the desk we wanted wasn't any cheaper on craigslist), getting our new desk, putting it together and taking down the old desk. It was a full day and left more sore in many places. Yet, I am happy to report that it is much more organized in our office and we now have a lot more desk space ' which means more productive blogging. Here's a look at the new desk (almost complete).

While it may seem like a small difference, having a space that fits your needs and is organized can go a long ways to improve your overall mental health. While it did cost a little bit of money to upgrade our desk, we won't need to replace our new desk for a long time. Because we are debt free and our monthly expenses are 'low' (for this area), we can afford to treat ourselves here and there.

Have you upgraded an item lately? What was the motivation?

Financial Carnival for Young Adults ' 9th Edition

Welcome to the ninth edition of the Financial Carnival for Young Adults. My purpose with this carnival is to create an easy-to-find place for information about finances for young adults. The carnival is hosted here at 20's Finances each week and features the most recent articles from around the web.

Kraig @ Young, Cheap Living writes 10 Personal Finance Tips for Young Adults ' As he gets another year closer to turning 30, Kraig examines what he's learned about personal finance in his twenties and shares 10 tips on personal finance that he's learned so far.

Maria @ The Money Principle writes Zen and the art of motorcar ownership: how much are our car ownership costs, really ? ' Read about the Zen car concept, perhaps it could work for you too!

Ryan @ Early Retirement Investments writes About The Baby Boomers Already Flocking to Retirement ' The Baby Boomers Are Already Flocking to Retirement! Read more to find out!

YFS @ Your Finances Simplified writes Stop paying your mortgage today!' and be a victim! ' A few days ago a friend of mine placed a very interesting link on my wall and included this message: This story made me think of your blog. Dominique, I would love to hear your opinion on this.

TRL @ The Retired Landlord writes Why Investing in Real Estate Takes Time ' Investing in real estate is a long-term approach to building income. Understanding that it takes time is important to realize now.

A Blinkin @ Funancials writes Should You Sell Your Timeshare? ' Timeshares soared in popularity over the past 15 years, but recently, as the economy has dipped; many individuals are reconsidering whether owning a timeshare is really worth it. During boom years, people thought timeshares were a great investment, similar to owning a vacation home, but without all of the other costs associated with it.

Suba @ Broke Professionals writes Give Yourself Financial Hope ' Saving for a rainy day, being frugal with your money and following your budget are all great things to do to keep your financial aspirations on track ' but they do get old.

Jeffrey @ Money Spruce writes Famous Money Movie Moments and Lessons (with Video!) ' Money movies are entertaining, but you can learn something from them, too! Here's a few of the best moments that are not only funny but also have great lessons.

Dr. Dean @ The Millionaire Nurse Blog writes 24 Stupid Things People Do With Their Money! ' Have you ever done anything stupid that cost you money? Check out my list of stupid things not to do and see how well you're doing.

MMD @ MyMoneyDesign writes What Would You Do With An Extra $1,000? ' Having just received $1,000 from my previous escrow balance, should I totally blow it or do something responsible? Let's explore the options and see all the things you could do with an extra $1,000.

Jason @ Work Save Live writes Should I Sell My Wife's Wedding Ring? ' Some say that a home is where you make it' However, reality is that we get attached to our homes and they end up being a place where memories are created and live forever. Instead of a house being a shelter (as they're intended) they become our identity.

Princess P @ Portfolio Princess writes Why Females are Better Investors ' Women are better investors because they take a calculated approach to risk and investing in the stock market. Low volatility portfolios come with patience.

Crystal @ Budgeting in the Fun Stuff writes We Found Our Dream Home!!! ' Last Thursday morning, we were preapproved for a mortgage loan despite being self employed. Then we headed out just to browse. We found our dream home.

Kevin @ Thousandaire writes What If I Don't File My Taxes On Time? ' If you can't file your taxes on time then you can file for an extension and save yourself a lot of penalties and interest.

Aloysa @ My Broken Coin writes Save Money by Shopping in Pawn Shops ' Learn how to save money by shopping in Pawn Shops

PITR @ Passive Income To Retire writes Is Passive Income only for the Rich? ' Can only the rich create passive income or is there another way (besides investing money that you already have) to create passive income.

Evan @ My Journey to Millions writes 6 Ways to Give Your Finances a Spring Cleaning This Year ' Spring cleaning your finances each year will give you a similar 'clean' feeling, as well as netting some pretty significant savings. Here are some tips for 'financial spring cleaning' you can use:

Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes The Price of Being Organized ' Find out what it cost me to buy a new desk and become more organized.

Peter @ Bible Money Matters writes Blogging Can Be a Great Side Income or Full Time Job: How to Get Started ' One of the first blogs I started reading back in 2007, and one of the ones that inspired me to start my own, was the site ChristianPF.com, written by Bob Lotich. The site was one of the very first Christian personal finance sites, and I knew that was the niche I wanted my own blog to be in. Bob was very approachable and has helped me over the years when I had questions ' and I was lucky enough to meet him last year at the Financial Blogger Conference in Chicago.

Sean @ One Smart Dollar writes Gym Memberships ' Using Money To Motivate You ' All of us need ways to motivate ourselves to get things done. One of the biggest motivators is money. Thank you for your consideration.

krantcents @ KrantCents writes The 3 L's of Success ' The 3 L's of Success is the twelfth in a series of articles to help you reach your goal.

Shaun @ Smart Family Finance writes 10 things Entrepreneurs can learn from watching Ghostbusters: Top Ten Family Finance Posts #6 ' Ghostbusters is a classic '80s comedy, but it also teaches us a lot about entrepreneurship.

Daniel @ Sweating the Big Stuff writes You're Emancipated From Paying Taxes'At Least For A Few Days ' In 2012, taxes aren't due until April 17th, two days later than usual. But do you know why?

Linsey @ 1099 Mom writes Why Bloggers, Marketers, and Coaches Shouldn't Use MailChimp for their Email Provider ' Today I got dumped. Yep, the big monkey in the sky decided that, after using them for over a year to send out my 1099 Mom email newsletters, I was in violation of their TOS. It all started after I spent over an hour crafting this month's email newsletter (full of legit freelance postings and tips for balancing work and family), and got this email instead of the newsletter:

Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes Have You Changed Banks Recently? ' The reason I haven't consolidated all of my accounts to one credit union or online account is that it just seems like a huge hassle to switch over all to one primary bank. Especially since I have a bunch of accounts that serve particular purposes.

Steve @ Money Infant writes Our Bangkok Budget ' At last the much hyped and long awaited Bangkok budget! Keep in mind that this budget is for 2 adults and a 2 year old living in what is considered one of the more expensive places to live in Bangkok.

Amanda L Grossman @ Frugal Confessions writes Guests are Coming: Does the Entertainment Book or CityPASS Offer More Savings? ' We are so excited and feel very blessed that our home was chosen for a Grossman reunion.

Earth and Money @ Earth and Money writes What Do You Need in Your Cage? ' While listening to a podcast about zoos, I was touched by a fascinating concept that can be related back to society, lifestyle, money and happiness. You see, at some level, we are all just animals in a cage.

SFB @ Simple Finance Blog writes Birth Control for the Financially Frugal ' I'm trying to figure out which birth control method is the most cost-effective. Tubal ligation? IUD? Pills? The answer isn't as simple as you'd think.

Ashley @ Money Talks Coaching writes Ask the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ' I came across a new (new to me anyways) government site that has a ton of financial information on it. It's called the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Corey @ 20s Finances writes How to Get a Job without Experience ' Are you looking to switch careers or get a new job? If you are just graduating from college and are trying to get a job in this economy it may be pretty difficult. There is a lot of competition out there and even if you had a job in college, odds are that there is someone with longer work experience.

Jon the Saver @ Free Money Wisdom writes Avoid Starbucks and Make your Own Gourmet Mocha Coffee! ' Use this awesome mocha recipe to avoid Starbucks and help you save money. it is not only tasty but fun to make, now go grab some coffee!

KT @ Personal Finance Journey writes Save Hundreds of Dollars a Year by Making These Four Drinks at Home ' We spend a lot on beverages. Take a typical Saturday ' you may grab some coffee in the morning and spend anywhere from $2 to $6, depending on the drink you buy.

101 Centavos @ 101 Centavos writes Building Raised Garden Beds, Part 1 ' Here is an article on how to build a raised garden beds!

Jeremy Waller @ Personal Finance Whiz writes 5 Reasons to Keep Your Credit Report Up To Date ' Many people think that their credit reports reflect only up-to-date, accurate information, but unfortunately many people would be wrong. About 79 percent of reports contain some type of error, with 25 percent containing errors serious enough that lenders will deny you new lines of credit.

Debt Guru @ Debt Free Blog writes Use Incentives to Pay off Debt ' Paying off debt can be a lot easier when you use incentives to motivate yourself.

Luke @ Learn Bonds writes To Bond or not to Bond, That is the Question ' Several great tips from bond market pros on how to get the most out of your bond investments in today's low yield environment.

Hank @ Money Q&A writes Benefits Of High Deductible Health Insurance Plans ' A high deductible health insurance plan is designed to provide for catastrophic coverage in case something happens to you, providing good coverage for a decent price.

Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes 6 Places to Find Inexpensive Organic Cotton Clothing ' Growing cotton is a burden on our planet and people, and that's why we should be buying organic cotton clothing whenever possible. The problem, however, is that a lot of clothing made from organic cotton is very expensive and far out of reach for the majority of shoppers.

Corey @ Steadfast Finances writes Common but Avoidable IRA Tax Mistakes ' Learn more about common IRA tax mistakes. Find out if you are making avoidable mistakes.

Jason @ Live Real, Now writes Five Signs You Don't Need That ' Everybody occasionally buys things they don't need, from DVDs to luxury cars. There are signs that what you're buy may not be an actual necessity. Here are five signs you should put that back:

Eddie @ Finance Fox writes Tools to Boost Small Business Growth ' There are many tools available to help small business owners grow their businesses, but like many newly formed business money becomes the biggest constraint.

Matt @ Living in Financial Excellence writes Budgeting for Beginners: How to Get Started ' Your first budget can be very intimidating. If you've never attempted one before, it's often overwhelming just figuring out where to start. But it doesn't have to be that way. The budgeting process is actually pretty simple in theory. The good news is, it's simple in practice too.

Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes Saving Money By Negotiating Health Care Costs ' My last post was about how the country could save money if everyone was more conscious of medical costs and limited their use for times when they really needed a doctor.

The Planner @ Provident Plan writes What is Rich? What does it Mean? ' Defining what is rich and/or wealth alters our understanding of ourselves and our mission in life. Find out why.

101 Centavos @ 101 Centavos writes Building Raised Garden Beds, Part 1 ' Here is an article on how to build a raised garden beds!

Sustainable PF @ Sustainable Personal Finance writes Public Service Compensation ' The Next Bubble? ' Is public service compensation the next bundle? Opinions will vary.

Jen @ Master the Art of Saving writes Having Only One Car Saves Us Money-Even Though it Sucks ' It's been over two years now since my husband's car broke down for good. It was a sad day, but sometimes things have an upside. I have realized that there are other ways that having only one car saves us money, aside from the obvious ones.

Daisy @ Add Vodka writes Start Off On The Right Foot: Tips for Interns (Or Newbies in General) ' How to do well at an internship and impress your boss

FG @ Financial God writes Why Are Environmentalists Against North American Oil & Gas? ' I don't understand why environmentalists are supporting regimes that are well-known for their corruption and human-rights abuses, like Iran or Venezuela.

John @ Married (with Debt) writes Debt Payoff Calculator ' How to Use One ' A debt payoff calculator takes your debts owed and interest rates and tells you how long it will take to pay them off. An important tool.

MR @ Money Reasons writes Are You Trying to Become Financially Independent? ' I admit it, I wasted time on wasteful activities, but now I want to be rich and I'm changing my direction. Now I have a plan, do you?

Kyle @ The Penny Hoarder writes It's Raining Cash! We're Giving Away $550 bucks'. ' Welcome to the $550 It's Raining Cash Giveaway hosted by Giveaway Promote and The Penny Hoarder.

SB @ One Cent at a Time writes Basics of Insurance: Why we Need Insurance? ' What is insurance? Insurance is all about playing defense, where as an investment is an offense. You protect yourself and your asset by having insurance and investments take care of future needs.

Jeremy @ Modest Money writes Establishing Spending Priorities - Depending on your financial situation, you may need to make some sacrifices. At the same time, you don't want to let your budgeting prevent you from enjoying the things you love. To stay happy you need to establish spending priorities and spend a bit where it makes you happy.

SB @ Finance Product Reviews writes American Express Serve Platform Review ' Let it Serve You ' American Express Serve is a new generation payment platform for your peer-to-peer money transfer needs. Will serve be able to edge past Google wallet and PayPal? What are the features for Serve platform?

Emily @ Evolving Personal Finance writes Mini-Vacation Financials: Smoky Mountain Trip for a Wedding ' I share our estimated and actual costs for a recent weekend trip as well as how we had a ton of fun without breaking the bank!

Penny Thots @ Penny Thots writes Five Steps to Making a Great Impression in the Office ' By making a great impression in the office, you are more likely to be considered for a promotion or pay rise. Often performance is very difficult to measure and ends up being judged on impressions. By following these simple steps, you can stay ahead of the game ' or at least ahead of everyone else!

Van Beek @ Stock Trend Investing writes Investing in Gold Stock Vs. Bullion ' There are multiple ways to invest in gold. Namely, you may choose whether to invest in gold bullion, or gold stocks, and each has its own benefits and strategies.

Robert @ My Multiple Incomes writes How to Invest to Generate a Passive Income ' Generating a passive income is hard to do, but there are many ways to do it. I will cover the most common and basic ones here. It is important to note that most income is not truly passive in the sense that no work was required. However, in my examples below, you will see how the income is now passive since the work was done prior to the income being made.

Echo @ Boomer & Echo writes 10 Fees That Are Worth The Money ' Some fees just can't be avoided, but that doesn't mean every fee is designed to rip you off. You can feel good about paying fees when they provide enough benefit to justify the cost. Here are 10 fees that are worth the money:

Glen Craig @ Free From Broke writes What Would You Do with a Cash Windfall? ' Who wouldn't love to have a cash windfall come their way? But what would you do with a cash windfall? See three options you can take with the money.

The Basics of Permanent Life Insurance

Understanding life insurance is one of the many challenges that young adults face these days. Between all of the confusing terms and the many options, it can become quite overwhelming. While you may be tempted to ignore this and see how long you can go without getting life insurance, it may be in your best interest to get life insurance now, while your young.

Permanent life insurance is a type of insurance product that is very similar to an endowment or a whole life policy. The person insured by a permanent life policy is covered for life, and if you keep your policy payments up-to-date, your payout is guaranteed once your policy ends. Permanent life insurance also builds up cash value over time. This kind of insurance is different from term life policies, because term plans offer insurance that you can purchase for a predetermined length of time. Most of these times are for level periods, such as five, 10, 15, or 20 years. With a term policy, your insurer only awards your beneficiaries a death benefit if you die during the term of your policy.

Types of Permanent Life Insurance

When permanent life insurance originated, companies only offered it in the form of whole life plans with fixed payments and non-flexible premiums. This guaranteed that consumers would have a pre-set cash value that would be guaranteed and a premium payment that would stay level over the years.  It was inevitable that consumers would demand greater flexibility, and as a result, universal life insurance was created.

Universal life insurance was the best solution to the rigidity of whole life insurance. It let consumers enjoy much greater flexibility by allowing premium payment amounts to be adjustable. With a universal life policy, you could also withdraw from your plan without the hefty penalties and interest that whole life plans carried with them.

Other varieties of permanent life insurance later came on the scene. For example, variable life insurance emerged as a solution for consumers who wanted to take a greater risk with their investment but also gain the potential for much higher returns. Variable permanent life insurance is the best of both worlds because it combines the perks of whole life with the flexibly of universal. You can have greater control over the money you invest in your plan when you choose this option. Additionally, permanent health insurance plans all have great tax breaks, so when you combine the tax incentives of permanent life with the possible returns of investing in a variable plan, you may see your money explode in growth over time. No matter which permanent life option you choose, if you think you are a candidate for coverage, you should seek out an independent financial advisor that can assist you with choosing from these options.

Advantages of Permanent Life Insurance

You know that investing, risk, and liquidity are not your primary motivators for purchasing life insurance. The main reason is to protect your family with money for their living expenses if you die. The great thing about permanent life insurance is that it accomplishes this goal for your whole lifetime, and although investing is secondary, you also get the key benefit of an investment component. A permanent life insurance policy has a kind of 'savings account' built right into the policy, so you have the ability to tap into or borrow against the cash value your policy has accumulated over time.

Permanent life insurance is better than term life because term insurance only covers you for a predetermined number of years. Although term life plans carry much lower premium payments, the policies build up no cash value over time. Permanent life plans are also great because the cash value that you accumulate over time is not taxed until you decide to withdraw it. You can even sidestep those taxes by taking out a loan against your policy. This is great for people who make a lot of money because they can shelter their earnings in a permanent life plan when they have maxed out all of their other investment options.

A final advantage is the one you will have as you get older. Because it lasts for life, a permanent life insurance policy could be great for the elderly, people whose estates have no liquidity. This is also great for small business owners who have all of their assets tied up in their business. This is because the death benefit of a permanent life insurance plan is oftentimes greater than what these kinds of people would be able to save on their own.

Disadvantages of Permanent Life Insurance

One of the primary disadvantages of permanent life insurance is that it is generally more coverage than most people may need. In addition, if you have not maxed out your other investment options, then a permanent life plan might not be your best investment. The goal of permanent life is to provide growth and protection for investors, but most should really seek out those characteristics in separate plans.

Additionally, because premiums for permanent life plans tend to be very high, you may be tempted to buy less of a death benefit than you really need. For example, a permanent life insurance policy for $1 million for a 40-year-old woman in great health may cost her as much as a whopping $13,900 a year. On the other hand, that same woman could land a $1 million term policy for 20 years for about $750. That's a massive price difference, so cost may essentially be the biggest disadvantage of permanent life insurance.

Finally, permanent health insurance plans may not be very transparent, so it may be difficult to figure out how much the policy is actually worth as an investment. Some financial experts point out that a good solution to this problem may be to buy a term policy and invest the rest of your money through other avenues. The first place to start is to ask for life insurance quotes and evaluate which option is right for you.

Have you got life insurance before?

Paying Your Bills on Time

Have you had trouble paying your bills? If you are anything like me, the last thing that you want to think about when you return from a long day at the office is the bills that came in the mail. Billing companies know this too. In case you can't tell from the photo above, this bill that came in the mail today says 'Do Not Discard' on it. Companies are starting to realize what we have all known from personal experience for years ' that is, what we all do when we get home. We set the mail on a pile and forget about it for a few days until we clean house and go through the pile of mail.

What happens when we do this is that we often miss important bills. Before we know it, we've missed bills that we could have afforded to pay for ' whether it is a utility bill, internet, or credit card statement. Paying your bills on time is a very important aspect of managing your finances. Not only do late payments have the potential to ruin your credit, they also force you to pay extra fees for the delay. So, what can you do to pay our bills on time?

How to Pay Your Bills on Time

Pay Your Bills When You Get Them: One obvious option to paying your bills on time is to pay them when you get them. When you walk through the front door, take an extra minute, open the envelope and sit down at the computer to process the payment. It may be the last thing you want to do when you get home, but at least you aren't kicking yourself later.

Set Reminders: Another practical way to pay your bills on time is to use calendar reminders to pay your bills on time. I personally like using my phone for reminders, so I can login to my various accounts and pay the bills when I need to. The only downside to this route is that it could ruin a relaxing evening or go off in the middle of a movie. It's happened to me, but I have the ability to snooze it and be reminded hours later.

Set Up Automatic Payment: Another practical way to pay your bills is to set automatic payments for all of your regular bills. This ensures that it will always be paid (as long as you have a large enough balance in your savings account) and you don't have to worry about it. The only downside, and why I don't choose this route, is that bills can rise and you wouldn't notice the changes. Then, by the time you realize the mistake (if ever) like I did when I was tracking my expenses, it would be too late.

How do you pay your bills on time?

My Vegetable Garden ' Transplanting

As you will probably recall, a couple of weeks ago my wife and I planned and planted our vegetable garden for the year. Our goals are to save money with our garden and have a good time while doing so. An easy way to save money is to develop a hobby that keeps you busy and distracted so that you are not sitting around and looking for something to buy. Thus, our vegetable garden will not only save us money by not having to buy the food from the grocery store, but keep us preoccupied.

Transplanting our Seedlings

After a couple of weeks of planting seeds (as you will recall, we planted tomatos, beans, cucumbers and herbs), we were forced to transplant the beans outside. We learned that certain things grow much faster than other plants. The beans were among these. They were at least 6 inches tall in a week and a half. We felt like keeping them inside would do more harm (in stinting their growth) than risking the cool temperatures.

Unfortunately, we were wrong. Two days after we transplanted, I discovered our beans shriveled up and practically dead. If you are looking to move your plants outside, make sure to plan it accordingly. Moving them out too soon can be quite costly. Granted, financially, it only cost us about $.50 since we planted from seeds, but it also meant that we need to start the beans over. Thus, we are a few weeks behind schedule on our beans, but nothing too major.

Tips for Transplanting Plants

If you are growing a garden from scratch, you may need to consider these tips for transplanting your seedlings or plants. Remember that I am no expert, but have successfuly transplanted a few plants now.

1. Make Sure it is Warm Enough Outside: I don't think I need to elaborate on this one. Certain plants cannot survive the cold temperature. I did find out that certain plants can survive in colder temperatures than others, but I am no expert to know which are which (yet).
2. Do it gradually: Transplanting the seedlings or plants too quickly can cause the plants to go into shock. Instead of moving them outside and taking them out of the pots and into the ground without extra time to adjust, let them remain in the pots they are already planted in for a few days.
3. Apply New Soil Around Plant: Be sure to be careful when you are transplanting plants. Putting soil firmly around the previously used soil will allow a place for the roots to expand.
4. Water Generously: Making sure to water the plants after moving them can help them adjust to the new soil. Be careful not to overwater the plants though. It may be a difficult balance, but you'll get the hang of it.

Growing a vegetable garden isn't a quick fix. It takes a lot of patience and continual care. In many ways, it is counter-cultural. We often want things fast in this 'microwave' culture, but gardening is a nice reminder that everything doesn't happen that way. In the same way that investments take time to grow, so does a garden. I hope to be able to show some results in a couple weeks.

Are you growing a vegetable garden this year? Have you started planting?

 

How to Budget for Vacations

Thanks for visiting 20's Finances. Don't miss your chance to enter the current giveaway for $25.

With the summer months coming up, my wife and I are preparing for our annual vacation. While we are both limited in the number of days that we can take off, we always make a priority to take a week off in honor of our anniversary. We haven't always been able to take the vacation of our dreams, but we usually do something. While I would be happy camping for a week, my wife reminds me of her constant desire to travel to new places. Sometimes I realize that I would be a boring person without her.

I am sure most of us, if financially capable, would love to travel the world. Yet, it's not always that easy, is it? Are you left wondering how to balance staying within your budget, while also not missing out on your life? Budgeting for your vacation doesn't have to be complicated ' but it something you should be attentive of. The last thing that you want is to pay for a vacation with your credit and be forced to pay for it over the next year or two of your life, while constantly 'kicking' yourself for letting go.

How My Wife and I Budget for Vacations

My wife and I take a rather relaxed approach to paying for our vacations. Again, while we typically do not go all out for our vacations, we do usually spend between $1,000 and $2,000 each year. This is a small luxury for the many sacrifices we make during the year. We don't make a lot of money each month and we know that there is no way that we can pay for the entire trip in one month. Can anyone?

The trick for us to pay for our vacations ahead of time is to spread out the expenses. For our vacations, there are usually 1 or 2 big expenses. The first is our accommodations. Regardless of where we are going, we have to sleep somewhere and this is often the most expensive aspect. It's also important to point out that housing accommodations usually require a reservation and deposit. An easy way to relieve our expenses during the month we actually take our trip is to pay for the housing months in advance. While this uses up our free cash in another month, it keeps us from overspending on both months. I have found this helps me enjoy the trip even more. Not only is the trip paid for ahead of time, but it has been gradual over several months.

Other Ways to Budget for Vacations

Split Up the Cost Evenly: Another practical way to avoid having to pay the entire amount of the vacation in one month is to add up the total cost of the trip (for example $1400) and divide it by the number of months left before the trip actually happens (let's say 7 months). This comes out to a monthly fee. In our example, it means that you have to pay $200 per month for this trip. It can sound a lot better than the total price of the trip. While I think this is a legitimate option for many people, I avoid this for two reasons. 1) You generally can't pay for it this way. Like I said, there is usually a pretty hefty deposit. This means that managing your finances for this trip just got a lot more complicated because you are recording expenses on different months than they actually occurred. 2) The second reason that I avoid this route is that it too complicated. It takes a lot of work to save X amount per month. I would rather only have to keep track of the expenses for the trip for a few months out of the year ' not all 12.

There plenty of other ways to budget for vacations. The College Investor polled his readers a few weeks back (when I was preparing this post) and they gave a variety of responses. These vary from creating sub-accounts designated for different activities to some combination between savings and budgeting.

How do you budget for vacations?

 

Financial Carnival for Young Adults ' 8th Edition

Thanks for visiting 20's Finances. Don't miss your chance to enter the current giveaway for $25.

Welcome to the eighth edition of the Financial Carnival for Young Adults. My purpose with this carnival is to create an easy-to-find place for information about finances for young adults. The carnival is hosted here at 20's Finances each week and features the most recent articles from around the web.

Featured Articles on Young Finances:

Robert @ My Multiple Incomes writes Getting Money for Starting Out - Starting your side gigs can be the hardest part of getting going. Like it or not, most side businesses do require some level of funding. I like websites and blogging because the start-up capital required is very small ' you can get a domain name and hosting for around $60. The only real investment beyond that is my time. However, not all side jobs are the same, and some do require a bit of start-up funding. Here are some tips on how to get money when starting out.

Everything Finance @ Everything Finance Blog writes Clever Ways to Pay for College - The rising cost of college tuition is staggering. According to the Institute of Education Sciences, the average cost of a 4-year institution is an amazing $32,475 for 2009-2010, up from $8,672 in 1980-81. $32,475 is for each year, making a four year ride cost nearly $130,000! There are homes that sell for less than that.

Julia @ Grad Budget writes Grad School Secrets: Delicious Food on a Budget - Discusses several ways to minimize money spent on food.

Robert @ The College Investor writes College Budget Woes - Students are always trying to find ways to get more bang for their buck. With the pressures of doing well in class, money should be the least of their worries. I have a few suggestions that I hope will help the average college student stretch their dollar.

Maria @ The Money Principle writes Five things older people have and young people' - Living in a culture glorifying youth we start fearing aging, forgetting that older people have knowledge, wisdom, wealth, happiness and cheaper insurance.

Tushar @ Start Investing Money writes Tips for Building a Mutual Fund - This Post was Originally published at Tips for Building a Mutual Fund on Start Investing MoneyBefore you begin investing in mutual funds blindly, you need to have a firm grasp of what they are and how they can work for your financial portfolio.

Jon the Saver @ Free Money Wisdom writes How Can You Kill Student Debt in School? - Killing student debt while in college is not an impossible feat. Use these tips to destroy your debt in school and graduate debt free!

Dr. Dean @ The Millionaire Nurse Blog writes Save on Gas: At The Expense Of Our Marriage? ' A Mars and Venus twist on the 'improving your gas mileage' article.

Other Great Articles:

Steve @ Money Infant writes Frugal Meals: Chili ' I'm a huge fan of chili. There's something about the meaty spiciness of chili that makes my mouth water just writing about it. And it is versatile and frugal.

John @ Married (with Debt) writes Early Retirement Extreme ' In a recent post I laid out some money myths designed to keep people trapped in wage slavery. I want to talk today about how to buck those myths and try to achieve early retirement extreme.

Jeffrey @ Money Spruce writes Time and Money Goals, Aligned ' There are productive things I could be doing instead of _____. Many things fit in that blank: watching sports, Facebook, sleeping. But there are also things that might not be a productive use of my time, and they cost money, too. I'm talking about going out to bars or restaurants, taking trips on the weekends, or other things of similar nature.

Sean @ One Smart Dollar writes 5 Tips to Cut Your Moving Expenses ' Moving can be a very expensive process. Follow these steps to make it a little easier on you and your wallet.

ETZ25 @ Entertainment Timez writes A Dividend Stream For Entertainment ' We decided to create a dividend stream for Entertainment Timez. The dividend stream will help fund the entertainment activities here!

Jester @ The Ultimate Juggle writes Staying Healthy While Busy ' Find out how to lose weight even when life is busiest.

Princess P @ Portfolio Princess writes Smart, Savvy, And On A Budget ' Sometimes sticking to a budget is no easy task, but there are ways to make saving money easy by following these simple budgeting tips.

Jeremy Waller @ Personal Finance Whiz writes My Car Was Totaled Today ' Oh man what a rough day. I lost a good friend today. My beloved jeep was totaled in an accident. I was driving to my office today the same as I've done every week day for the last 5 years. About 3 miles from my exit, 2 dogs ran onto the road. Unbeknownst to me'

MMD @ http://www.mymoneydesign.com writes How to Buy an Index Fund ' If you're new to investing, you're probably not totally sure what an 'Index Fund' is or why people always talk about them. Read on and I'll show you how to buy one of the easiest and cheapest Index Funds available.

A Blinkin @ Funancials writes How To Pay Off Your Mortgage Quicker ' I just told you that I Don't Want To Be Debt Free and now I'm going to tell you how to pay off your mortgage quicker, how does that make sense? I do so because personal finance is personal. I would never give the same advice to everybody.

MR @ Money Reasons writes Reasons To Get A Tax Refund ' Tax reasons that getting a tax refund might be the better option for you, and why I declare zero allowances.

Scott @ Mortgage 1A writes FHA Loan Underwriting Guidelines and Requirements 2012 - The Federal Housing Administration, commonly known as 'FHA,' is part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD.) The program was created for low income individuals, or families that might need a little help in the homeownership process.

Amanda L Grossman @ Frugal Confessions writes A Refinance Game-Changer for Us ' I could not be happier than a person whose mortgage company decides to lower their rate at no cost to them ' which is exactly what is happening for us!

Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes Saving Money By Paying For Health Care Costs ' As my regular readers know, I had some issues earlier this year with my knee. I needed to get an x-ray and then an MRI. For all of my adult life, I had been part of a PPO medical plan.

Daisy @ Add Vodka writes Big Decision ' This week has been a very 'Daisy centered' week so far on WLGYL, because I started off the week with my budget and goals and now I'm going to tell you all about a big decision I have to make.

YFS @ Your Finances Simplified writes 6 Awesome Places to Retire Abroad ' The US economy currently isn't at its best. I mean we are recovering but, right now the economy is on a topsy-turvy ride as it battles the influences of the European debt crisis.

Eddie @ Finance Fox writes 5 Unusual Ways To Make Money ' Thanks to suggestions by some friends online and in the PF blogging community, I have been able to put together a compact list of 5 different and unusual ways to make money.

Luke @ Learn Bonds writes Inflation Protected Bonds ' i Bonds are the Clear Winner ' Looking for inflation protected bonds? In this article we give a comparison of two popular options TIPS and i Series US Savings Bonds.

KT @ Personal Finance Journey writes 3 Easy Ways to Grow Your Emergency Fund ' For many people, putting money aside in an emergency fund is no easy task. Whether you are struggling with a low paying job or too much debt to repay, you may feel that every dollar is already accounted for. However, there are some ways to save that are (nearly) painless.

Crystal @ Budgeting in the Fun Stuff writes How to Get the Best Price for Your Car ' The following is a guest post from Aaron at Three Thrifty Guys about how to get the best price for your car.

PITR @ Passive Income To Retire writes What is Retirement? ' Find out what the traditional view of retirement is and how I see retirement as something different.

Earth and Money @ Earth and Money writes Planning a Green Frugal Wedding ' Invitations ' In many cases, being either frugal or environmentally responsible when it comes to weddings requires you to challenge the status quo or the established wedding traditions. Invitations are one of the easiest places to save the environment and cut the wedding budget.

krantcents @ KrantCents writes How to Run a Successful Business ' How to run a successful business. Learn what skills are necessary to run a successful business.

Corey @ 20s Finances writes Easy Ways to Save Money ' Do you have trouble saving money? If you are looking to increase your extra cash flow, whether that is to build an emergency fund or to put money into other financial vehicles, read this article1

Kevin @ Thousandaire writes How to Avoid The Underpayment Penalty ' If you want to avoid the federal income tax underpayment penalty, make sure you pay as much in taxes this year as you did last year.

Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes Managing Your Finances Takes Time ' Managing your finances takes time. As a general rule, there are very few financial mistakes that you can correct in a short period of time.

Aloysa @ My Broken Coin writes Dealing with Wants: How I failed my No-Buy Challenge ' Remember I was on a self-induced three month no-buy challenge? Here is my confession: I failed it miserably in March. People say that the first two months are the most difficult, and then the miracle happens. You get out of the habit of wanting things. Maybe for some of us it works.

FG @ Financial God writes Ron Paul: The One True Hope for Change in 2012 ' It's now 2012, and the United States will elect a new president to run the (still) most powerful country in the world. It's now been nearly four years since the eve of the ongoing global financial troubles, and I am very interested in how this election is going to play out.

101 Centavos @ 101 Centavos writes Why Study History, Indeed' ' Doesn't matter who wins or loses in this year's Presidential elections, taxes are going up. What's more, Government at all levels, city, county, state'

Jen @ Master the Art of Saving writes The Easiest Way to Improve Credit Scores ' So my husband's credit score was stagnant and his credit report was pretty much empty, even after mine began to flourish. So I did the easiest thing'

Hank @ Money Q&A writes Not Living At Home? You May Need Vacant Home Insurance ' You are at risk of violating your homeowner's insurance policy if you move out, no one is living in your home, and you do not have vacant home insurance.

Daniel @ Sweating the Big Stuff writes Why You Shouldn't Wait Til Next Year To Ask For A Raise ' Asking for a raise might be uncomfortable, but not asking could cost you a lot more than you expect!

Jason @ Work Save Live writes Understanding the Basics: 401(k), 403(b), 457, Roth IRA, and Traditional IRA ' Last week I started my series 'Understanding Retirement Planning & Investing' with Everything You Need to Know About a Roth IRA & Why to Start One.

Corey @ Steadfast Finances writes Visa Black Card Review ' Looking for an elite credit card with great perks? Look no further. The Visa Black Card is here to provide you with some of the most luxurious benefits.

Pat Huddleston @ Investor's Watchblog writes JOBS Act a Red Carpet for Fraudsters ' I guess the politics made it inevitable. But, man, have we stepped in it now.

Michelle @ Making Sense of Cents writes Mystery Shopping ' Mystery shopping is a good way to make extra income while getting free stuff. Do you mystery shop?

Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes Factors to Consider When Accepting a Job ' I was offered two jobs on the same day, so I made decision based not just on the money I would receive, but on the benefits and a few other factors.

Kyle @ The Penny Hoarder writes Earn $10-$20/Hour Completing Mini-Jobs Around Town for FieldAgent ' There's an app for that called the Field Agent. With the Field Agent app you basically get paid performing small tasks.

SFB @ Simple Finance Blog writes Donate or Sell? My Tax Conundrum ' Should I donate or sell our used items ' or donate them for the tax write off? Help me weigh the pros and cons.

Suba @ Broke Professionals writes Why You Should Eliminate Your Tax Refund ' Why give Uncle Sam a no-interest loan on your hard earned money? Simply changing your exemptions on your w-4 forms is all it takes to put more money in your pocket.

Jeremy @ Modest Money writes My First Childhood Exposure To Gambling ' I'm not sure when the average child gets exposed to gambling, but I personally got a fairly young start. No my parents didn't drag me to the casinos or horse racing track as a toddler. Instead I took the initiative with getting into gambling on my own.

Shaun @ Smart Family Finance writes Should Families Buy a House or Rent an Apartment: When Renting Is Better Than Buying ' While I am confident that most bloggers and everyday people are losing money by renting for lifetime, I cannot deny that renting can be the better financial decision. Today, I want to cover the circumstances where renting will save you money.

Kari @ Small Budget Big Dreams writes Buy a Home in 16 steps: Step 3-Buyer Consultation ' During the Buyer consultation you meet with your buyer's agent to describe what you're looking for in a home. Be sure to list everything you want (you can, and will, likely have to adjust your expectations later).

Ken Faulkenberry @ AAAMP Blog writes Different Types of Cash Flow for Investment Analysis ' The many different types of cash flow can be confusing. Here is a summary and description of the important types of cash flow for investment analysis.

Boomer @ Boomer & Echo writes Decoding Your Company Pension Plan ' Here are five crucial questions to ask about your company pension plan to determine how it stacks up:

Teacher Man @ My University Money writes Student Tax Return ' It's that time of the year again. The time for beer that is cheaper than the usual cheap. When pasta and 'red sauce' 5 days a week consists of budgeting. Spring time for post-secondary students is often a lean financial period.

YPFinances @ Young Professional Finances writes It Takes Less Than $5 To Make Someone Happy ' My boyfriend came to my work with an unexpected surprise! It only cost a few dollars and turned my day completely around.

SB @ Finance Product Reviews writes Foursquare Local Networking for your Money ' A Review - Can Foursquare local networking coupled with games and deals be useful for your money? Read to know more about the application

Glen Craig @ Free From Broke writes Save Money by Bundling Insurance Policies ' We all want to save on insurance. You can do this is by bundling insurance policies. See more on how bundled insurance can help you save as well as some drawbacks.

Squirrelers @ Squirrelers writes Driving vs Public Transportation ' Saving time and money is something most of us would like to do, right? The topic of driving vs public transportation brings up how we can solve one or both issues by examining the best way to commute

SB @ One Cent at a Time writes What to Carry and not to Carry in your Wallet ' Few things you must carry in wallet to satisfy essential needs and things you shouldn't carry to protect ID theft and loss with a list I carry in my wallet always.

Financial Carnival for Young Adults ' 7th Edition

Thanks for visiting 20's Finances. Don't miss your chance to enter the current giveaway for $25.

Welcome to the seventh edition of the Financial Carnival for Young Adults. My purpose with this carnival is to create an easy-to-find place for information about finances for young adults. The carnival is hosted here at 20's Finances each week and features the most recent articles from around the web.

Khaleef Crumbley @ Faithful With A Few writes Roth Vs Traditional IRA: Which One Is Best For You? ' Roth vs Traditional IRA is an important distinction By understanding the differences, you can increase your retirement nest egg by hundreds of thousands of dollars!

Dr. Dean @ The Millionaire Nurse Blog writes 24 Stupid Things People Do With Their Money! ' Have you ever done anything stupid that cost you money? Check out my list of stupid things not to do and see how well you're doing.

Jeremy @ Modest Money writes Outsourcing Online Business Tasks To Earn More Money ' Do you run one of the many online business that could benefit tremendously from outsourcing? Read about how a seasoned internet marketing professional learned how to use outsourcing to earn more money.

MMD @ MyMoneyDesign writes Which is Better ' Term or Permanent Life Insurance? ' Part 2 ' Should you buy cheaper Term insurance that will expire or the more expensive Permanent insurance that is guaranteed for life? Let me share with you two real quotes I received, and we'll crunch the numbers to figure out which one is the better alternative.

Julia @ Grad Budget writes Grad School Secrets: Furniture on a Budget ' Discusses several methods of finding cheap or free Furniture

Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes March Progress Monitoring ' The beginning of April means a time to recap my goals. I like things in three, therefore my goals were to save money ($6,000 for the year), continue to grow my blog (375 readers daily), and ride my bike (1,000 miles this year). So how am I doing at day 90?

Jon Rhodes @ Affiliate Tips writes Affiliate Marketing ' A Great Potential Career? ' This article gives you an idea of the sort of lifestyle you can lead if you become a full time internet affiliate marketer.

SB @ Finance Product Reviews writes MB Trading Brokerage Platform Review ' MB Trading the unsung hero of the brokerage world. 7 times best brokerage award winner. Read this review to learn more about it

Srinath @ The University of Money writes Best Investments for Young people ' This post describes some of the best investments for people who have just started earning and are in their early 20's.

SB @ One Cent at a Time writes What is Obama Care and How Does it Affect Us? - In-depth analysis of President Obama's health care reform bill, fondly called Obamacare. Is it going to change the present health care chaos around us, or it's blow to your freedom and liberty?

Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes How to Have a Small Budget Wedding ' Weddings can always get very pricey very quickly, even if you're trying your hardest to save money. However, you should know that there are a number of steps you can take toward having a more affordable wedding.

Busy Exec @ The 'Busy Executive' Money Blog writes 5 Steps To Avoid Hitting The Career Ceiling ' As we work to save for retirement, a steady and increasing income is important. After all, the faster you reach your number, the faster you can move on and really enjoy those passions in life. Here are my top 5 tips to avoid hitting the wall in your career:

Thad Puckett @ ThadThoughts writes Learning to Save | What I Learned At 7 Year's of Age ' Lessons I learned about saving when I was just 7 years old.

Echo @ Boomer & Echo writes Why You Should Avoid Mortgage Life Insurance ' Buying mortgage life insurance from your bank is generally a bad idea. Term life insurance is much cheaper and offers greater protection.

Roger @ The Amateur Financier writes Just How Many People Really Need to Work? ' A thought experiment, considering just how many people would need to keep working in order to keep society functioning properly, while the rest of us spend our time sipping martinis as we lounge by the pool.

Money Cone @ Money Cone writes Companies I Won't Do Business With ' As a lone consumer, there isn't much I can do about poor customer service. What I can do is, not deal with such companies. Might not make even a dent in how these companies do business, but greatly reduces stress in my life.

SB @ One Cent at a Time writes What is Obama Care and How Does it Affect Us? - In-depth analysis of President Obama's health care reform bill, fondly called Obamacare. Is it going to change the present health care chaos around us, or it's blow to your freedom and liberty?

Jake @ I Am 1 Percent writes 7 Financial Tips For Young Adults ' Seven tips I wish I had in my late teens and early 20's that would've assisted me in my road to being in the 1 percent

Kari @ Small Budget Big Dreams writes Financial Confession: I Hide Money ' Do you hide money from your friends, family and spouse? I do, but it's probably not what you think.

Everything Finance @ Everything Finance Blog writes Bad Credit? Bank Accounts That Will Forgive You ' If you have bad credit, you may find it is difficult to have any of the basic financial services you used to enjoy such as a credit cards and a checking account. However, as more and more people have bad credit and file for bankruptcy, more banks are beginning to offer services to those individuals. If you have bad credit, here are a few banks that will forgive you and give you a second chance.

Khaleef Crumbley @ Fat Guy, Skinny Wallet writes Why A Roth IRA Is Better For Us Than A Traditional - A Roth IRA is a powerful tool for saving toward retirement Find out why we chose this option over a Traditional IRA, and see if this move is right for you!

Teacher Man @ My University Money writes Why Cutting The GST Was Great Politics and Terrible Economics ' As some of you may have picked up on I tend to have a slightly right of center bias on economic issues (not social ones I should quickly point out). I tend to believe in many of the bedrock foundations of fiscal conservatism such as a balanced budget, the responsibility of the individual, and small governments.

Karl @ CultOfMoney writes Spring Training for your Money ' The point of spring training for baseball is so that players can shake the rust off after a long off-season, work on their fundamentals, and lets coaches evaluate what players will work best on the baseball team. I've written with the baseball analogy with respect to fantasy baseball before. If you follow the same process for real baseball and have a spring training for your money, you'll be ready for opening day too. Just remember though, there's actually no off-season for your finance

Emily @ Evolving Personal Finance writes Dental Care without Insurance ' By speaking with my coworker after a dentist appointment, I found a way to save 50% on our bill! I include several possibilities for saving money on dental care when you don't have dental insurance through your employer.

Earth and Money @ Earth and Money writes Stop Price Shopping for Groceries Now! ' For most people, going to multiple grocery stores to take advantage of sales on different items is a complete waste of time and resources.

Kraig @ Young, Cheap Living writes How To Get Started with Mint.com ' This article outlines the overall concept of Mint.com and the basics of how to use it. It looks at how it displays and calculates your net worth when you connect it to all of your financial accounts. This post also describes Mint's budget functionality and how to create and manage a budget using it.

Glen Craig @ Free From Broke writes In Honor of Financial Literacy Month: Back to Basics ' April is Financial Literacy Month. Here is a refresher course on financial basics you should look into if you are planning to spruce up your finances.

Paul Vachon @ The Frugal Toad writes ' With college tuition rising much faster than the rate of inflation, more college-bound students depend on financial aid to help pay for college. This comprehensive guide shows where to find financial aid and scholarships.