Financial Carnival for Young Adults ' 21st Edition

Welcome to the twenty-first 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 almost week and features the most recent articles from around the web. This week it includes topics of budgets, student loans, and cheap summer activities.

Budgeting

I absolutely love budgeting. My wife tells me it's because I just want to be a grown up, but there is something about evaluating my progress each month (and setting limits for next month) that excites me. It helps me feel intentional and keeps my priorities straight.

Lance @ Money Life & More writes Break It Down ' Daily Income and Expenses ' I always see people talking about how much things cost in total, by month or by paycheck. There is another dimension that you can consider and it is mostly a mental exercise. Break your income and expenses down to dollars per day.

JP @ My Family Finances writes How Does the Average Family Budget Compare to Yours? - We are obsessed with being more than average. So, if you want to avoid the average family budget, it helps to know what it is.

Tushar @ Start Investing Money writes Are Your Parents Jeopardizing Your Savings Plans? - Are Your Parents Jeopardizing Your Savings Plans without even knowing it? After all, we are a product of our childhood and the way that we were raised'

L Bee @ L Bee and the Money Tree writes How I cut my spending 38 Percent by simply by writing it down. - You may have heard me gushing on my blog/twitter about this FREE debt worksheet I've been working off starting last month. A fellow pf blogger, John at Married with Debt is kind enough to send over the excel spreadsheet he and his wife use to track their finances FOR FREE to anyone who wants it.

Student Loans

Student loans or college debt is never a fun topic. I was able to graduate debt free, but I know that I was lucky. There were times when I didn't think I was going to make it without getting a loan, but I did. Here are some great articles on student loans.

Glen Craig @ Free From Broke writes Have a Student Going Off to College? Teach Your Child about Student Loan Debt - If your child is accepted to number of great colleges that's awesome. But she should understand the costs and how student loan debt will affect them later on.

Jessica @ Budget for Health writes Do you use your college degree? ' It's sad that 1/3 of college graduates get jobs that don't even require a college degree. I'm thankful Dave & I both got jobs related to our degrees!

Jon the Saver @ Free Money Wisdom writes Paying off Debt? Follow your Own Rules ' When it comes to paying off debt, I've realized two things: it's a long process, and you have to make your own rules. Depending on how much debt you have to begin with, it can take years to get yourself out of the red.

Daniel @ Sweating the Big Stuff writes Do You Pay Student Loans Bills With a Credit Card? ' I love using my credit card for gas (3 percent cash back) when I can, but there are certain situations where you simply can't use a credit card to pay your bills. I would love to get 1 percent cash back on my rent'

Crystal @ Budgeting in the Fun Stuff writes Is the 'College Experience' Worth Student Loan Debt? - My husband and I have disagreed about the point of an undergraduate degree. I think college is for growing and he thinks college is for getting a job.

Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes Why Being Debt Free is Great for Your Family ' Find out why being debt free is important for your family.

Bridget @ Money After Graduation writes Avoiding Debt After Graduation - As college leavers know, taking another course is a great way to delay the start of paying off your student debts. Unfortunately, once you've passed the post and enjoyed graduation you quickly head towards the time you need to start making those repayments.

Summer Savings

Last, but certainly not least. I love summer! I have written before that it is one area where it puts my budget to the test because there are so many more temptations than ever before. Hot weather and outdoor activities along with weddings, vacations, etc. What's not to love. Well, make sure to consider your budget when you make your summer plans. To help you with that choice, here are some helpful posts:

Erika @ From Shopping to Saving writes How to Save Money at the Fair or Amusement Park ' Tips to save money at the fair or amusement park this summer.

Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes Saving Money on Wedding Photography ' As most newly married couples and brides know, hiring a photographer isn't cheap. If you're lucky enough to have a friend who dabbles in photography or is a professional photographer, you might be in luck. But for most everyone else, skimping on photography is a painful choice.

Ashley @ Money Talks Coaching writes Have Fun on a Budget This Summer? ' We look forward to the summer months all year long. Summer for many of us means vacations, road trips, concerts, and backyard barbeques.

Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes How to Save Money Visiting Yellowstone National Park ' It isn't cheap to visit a national park, if you stay in the park lodging and eat at restaurants ' which we did (because I am NOT a camper!), but there are some things you can do to trim expenses. Here are some of the things we did to curb our spending: