Welcome to the 73rd edition of the Carnival of Money Stories.  My name is LAL and I’m excited to be hosting my first Money Stories Carnival.  Please look around and explore the site.  Also check out the Carnival of Money Stories webpage and look around. They are always looking for new hosts. 

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…..I would be very grateful! But onto the73rd Carnival of Money Stories!  This edition is based on the movie Best in Show.  A very funny movie making fun of multiple stereotypical groups and people who attend dog shows.  I hope you think it’s fun because I had a blast posting it. Please come back again for a visit!

Editor’s Picks

These articles are the creme de la creme of their categories.  I thought they were funny and yet interesting. 

• Alison talks about Walmart’s sale strategy in So That’s How They Do It posted at This Wasn’t in The Plan. I have to agree it’s not only Walmart that has empty shelves when there are good sales, and mysteriously the more expensive product is available.
• Finance Girl questions why it is so expensive to have a dinner party instead of eating out in The Cost of Dinner Parties (Or, Should We Just Go Out to Eat?) posted at Finance Gets Personal. Well at home you drink wine/beer, eat appetizer, and dessert. But going out you might only eat half of your entree and take the rest home with water!
• Kelly asks us who we are in How Do You Describe Yourself? posted at Almost Frugal. She says you have to know yourself to really make progress with your personal finance both good and bad traits. I agree 100%!  And my list would read frugal, easy-going, thoughtful, stubborn, and loyal.

Frugal

I chose the bloodhound to represent Frugality because in the movie the Harlan Pepper his owner is a very frugal, simple guy.  He travels to the dog show frugally in an RV, and talks about how his life is only about fishing and dogs.  Sometimes the simple life is best.

• Amanda explains how she has her cake and eats it too inYou Can Have Frugality and Quality of Life posted at Value For Your Life. My issue is that she likely makes more than the average person and thus can choose to be frugal. If you don’t have the choice can you still be frugal or is it a necessary lifestyle?
• Adam Hagerman rants about his bike buying experience in The Age of No Negotiation posted at Your Money Relationship. Truth is most large stores no longer negotiate, only small business owners. 
• Sandy Naidu gives us his 9 money saving grocery shopping tips inTips On Saving Money At The Supermarket - Grocery Stores & Supermarkets posted at Future Nest Egg. I think he should have done 10!
• NtJS tells us about his bargain shopping experience in So What’s It Really Worth? : Light Fixtures posted at not the jet set. It’s worth whatever you paid for it!
• MoneyNing gives us 9 tips on getting ready for school in Frugally and Happily Back to School 9 Different Ways posted at Money Ning. Is 9 tips the new 10?

Career

I chose the overworked, neurotic, stressed out power couple the Swans.  Their the perfect DINK couple, who have found success in their careers.  Now they treat their dog like the perfect child they want.  So perhaps this is what happens to people who achieve success in their careers?

• FMF tells us stories about his best bosses in Share Your Good Boss Story posted at Free Money Finance. He welcomes others to share their good/bad boss stories as well.
• Curt asks the perennial question of loving your job in Do What You Love or Love What You Do? posted at PennyJobs.com. I think it’s better to love what you do, but perhaps that’s the safe answer.
• Steward talks about moving for jobs in Poverty and Relocating posted at My Family’s Money. Having lived in San Diego, there are also many people who cross the border daily for hours at a time to make more US dollars but live in Tijiuana.
• James Lee tells us why you should take things personally in The Unexpected Benefit of Taking Things Personally posted at Online Business Freedom.
• Robert Phillips tells us how to do better in market sales by improving your sales letter in How to Fix Boring Copy posted at CYBERCA$HOLOGY.
• The DIV-Net talks about his monthly passive income and explains which source he prefers in Passive Income as of 07/31/2008 posted at Track Monthly Passive Income.
• Dorian Wales examines if a 35 hour work week would lead to a better quality of life in No Salvation from Productivity Improvements: The Failed 35 Hour Work Week Experiment and Work-Life Balance Examined posted at The Personal Financier. I must be lazy because I’d love a shorter work week.
• Weight Ladder / Rich Leverage asks us if we’re ready to be successful in Are You Ready to Be a Financial Success? posted at Rich Credit Debt Loan. Sure I’d love to be successful, but can it be easier? ;P

Real Estate

So I picked the gay couple to represent real estate.  Because in the movie they talk about their ability to build a home whereever they go.  Even a dog show just for the weekend!  Home is what you make of it.

• Jim talks about why he renovates his house and it’s expected returns in 2007 Remodeling Best Home Renovations List posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity. We’re currently painting out house because I hate the colors. 
• Full-Grown Single tells us the third part of her homebuying experience as a single woman in Homebuying, part 3 posted at Full-Grown Single.
• Tammy Powell tells us her 2 tips when investing in real estate in her post 2 Absolute things to avoid in buying rental properties posted at Enlightened Wealth Institute student Tammy Powell.

Debt and Credit

Since debt and credit are considered the Evil Empire, in the movie the standard poodle Rhapsody in White is considered the favorite having won the event 2x before.  And the arrogance of her owners definitely make it easy to cheer against them like Credit Cards and Debt. 

• Ryan Suenaga talks about getting a free GPS from DiscoverCard in MyGPSOffer.com is For Real! posted at Uncommon Cents. Guess credit cards can be good for something.
• Tanesha Morgan talks about buying life insurance in Credit Report….For Your Health??? posted at Personal Finance Analyst. She’s does not like this new health credit report which gives companies more reason to deny coverage…hmm…is she in favor of one insurance like me?
• Ashley tells us the story of a rich person going broke in Rich People Gone Broke: Zsa Zsa Gabor posted at Wide Open Wallet. A PF bloggers group writing project, feel free to write a post about a rich person gone broke and join in!
• Mr. ToughMoneyLove explains to us why he is campaigning to end FICO scores in My Tough Love Campaign Against Credit Score Obsession (Part 2) posted at Tough Money Love » Hard Truth and Tough Love for Money Problems and Personal Finance.

Personal Finance

The Flecks are the unassuming, average couple who happen to own a super cute dog.  Much like personal finance they are everyone.  And they represent the broad range of “average” americans.  Thus this category has a broad range of stories relating to personal finance.

• Kevin walks us through his reasons for a Roth 401k in Why Roth 401k? Taxes are Bound to Go Up posted at No Debt Plan. There are no hard fast rules about Roth or Regular 401k, it’s completely dependent on your income.
• Stephanie talks about losing a wallet instead of assuming it’s misplaced in Don’t Assume posted at Stop the Ride!. I always assume my wallets are lost when I can’t find them, but then I have a trend of losing my wallets.
• APFB tells about his tipping conundrum in Tipping Expectations posted at Another Personal Finance Blog. I had to laugh since I ranted about it recently as well.
• FIRE Finance gives us their take on tipping in Story behind our tipping guidelines posted at FIRE Finance. Weird so many posts about tipping.
•  VH tells us about his investigation of his neighbors in Big Brother in Action posted at Funny about Money. Something very amusing in finding out the dirty little secrets of your neighbors.
• J. Money talks about good fortune landing in his lap when he’s least expecting it in Worrying about money never got me very far…so why bother? posted at Budgets are Sexy.. I love good karma as well.
• Silicon Valley Blogger talks about why she stayed in the US instead of leaving as planned years ago in Proud To Be An American Says This First Generation Immigrant posted at The Digerati Life. Hmm..I wonder if my DH’s list would be the same? I think his would be just one thing - wife, Nuff said.
• The Financial Blogger talks TV affecting his finances in My TV is Eating out My Brain posted at The Financial Blogger. I like background noise from the tv while I’m working at home, does that count as watching tv?

Hope this carnival was as much for you as it has been for me.  I’m looking forward to hosting again but not anytime soon.  Please come back or subscribe!  Thank you to all participants.