Welcome to the 08-25-2008 Edition of the Twenty-Something Finances Carnival!  I’m LAL, host of LivingAlmostLarge.  I’m a 29 year old DINK and very excited to be hosting my first twenty-something carnival.  Please feel free to look around and come back again! Last week I hosted the 73rd Carnival of Money Stories and 12th Finance Fiesta, check those out as well.

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…..I would be very grateful! But onto the Twenty-Something Finances Carnival - College Edition!  Since school is starting up again I thought we should do a school related theme.  I hope you think it’s fun because I had a blast posting it. Please come back again for a visit!

Dean’s List - Editor’s Picks

These are the best posts from the different areas of the Carnival.  They make the Dean’s List for being fun, well written, and interesting.  A+!

• Jim explains what the lazy portfolio is in Introduction to Lazy Portfolios posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity. I personally like William Berstein a lot and will be giving away his book “4 pillars of investing.”
• Abigail Perry discusses her opinion about Emergency Funds in Why I won’t save an emergency fund posted at i pick up pennies. She goes against conventional opinion by not seeing a need for an EF while in debt. I think a lot depends on how long debt repayment will occur.

Freshman Year - Frugality

So how’s frugality similar to freshman year?  I think that your freshman year you are fearful of credit cards, spending, and being loose with money.  But during this first year of college you begin to loosen up, perhaps get a credit card and start charging and spending money with other stupid freshman.  So you start off frugal because you don’t know any better, then get more spendy as you are learn to live.

• Joe Caterisano gives us great tips on being a garage sale pro in Saving Money At Garage And Yard Sales posted at Penny Pinching. Way to early for me to get up on a weekend, but maybe one day.
• Joseph writes about buying used cars inHow To Save Money On Cars posted at Penny Pinching. I have to say that the cars I want aren’t much cheaper used, so it’s really not worth it
• Steve Faber makes a list of the best cars to drive without wasting gas in- Top 12 Cars With the Best Gas Mileage That are Actually Fun to Drive posted at super gas saver. I have to say I can’t afford most of the cars on the list, oh well!
• Del Sandeen gives us tips to curb our spending habits in Here is a Way to Stop Yourself from Making Impulse Purchases posted at Fiscal Liberty.  Hmm..he only gives himself 24 hours I need maybe more like 1 week!
• Realm of Prosperity shows us how we can save a few bucks when it comes to textbooks in Frugal Textbook Buying Tips posted at Realm of Prosperity.

Sophomore Year - Credit and Debt

So Sophomore year = Debt and Credit?  Yes.  I think it’s when people get really into trouble.  They are more used to CC, and perhaps have chatted with friends about using Student Loan Money to buy whatever they want. It’s free money.  So sophomore year is about screwing up with debt.

• Twenties Money talks about how her university sold her information in My College Sold Me Out posted at Twenties Money.
• Mr Credit Card explains what to do when you start cancelling all your credit cards and your score drops in What to Do If You Closed Out Too Many Credit Card Accounts posted at Ask Mr Credit Card. I think my laziness is helping me because I haven’t cancelled some of my older cards.
• Imarketing4s tells us about Debt Consolidation in All The Debt Consolidation Information You Ever Needed To Know posted at Free Debt Consolidation: Qualified Financial Management.
• Tushar Mathur gives some advice to incoming freshman on how they should handle their finances in Your Future without Debt! posted at Everything Finance.
• Mr. ToughMoneyLove gives some strategies for making sure your credit score is sufficient Responsible Credit Score Strategies for Young Adults posted at Tough Money Love » Hard Truth and Tough Love for Money Problems and Personal Finance.

Junior Year - Career and Income

• Dereck discusses selling his soul for money in One Order of Liquid Soul, Please posted at I Will Not Die. Honestly who doesn’t? Truth is you spend your 20s easily searching for the “right” job, right life, etc. We are a lost generation, but perhaps it’s a new way of living, constantly shifting, changing job depending on our situation.
• ChristianPF uses a guest post to tell us about 9 lessons to start a business with cash posted at ChristianPF. My DH is planning on starting a business, but I doubt it will be with cash. I think it will be with financing and angel investing. I wonder if smaller businesses can use cash, but bigger business ideas with more potential to make money cost more to start up?
• Dorian Wales examines whether a shorter work week would lead to a higher 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 would only work 35 hours if I got paid for 40, but I guess I’m lazy.
• Benjamin Dinsmore talks about 5 things to think about when looking for more money in 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Asking Your Boss for a Raise posted at Trees Full of Money. He asks very good questions.
• The Shark Investor talks about how to create alternative incomes streams in Alternative Income: Selling Illustrations, Photos or Videos posted at The Shark Investor. I think that blogging can generate extra income if you really get serious about it.
• Will talks about his new online money making ventures his blog in Making Money Online, Ten Things I Wish I Knew As A Beginner posted at Your Finish Rich Plan. I think it can be done with some work and diligence.
• Alaia Williams gives us tips on working at home in Work-At-Home Productivity: When no one’s looking over your shoulder. posted at One Organized Life Blog.  Hmm..I have to sell that idea to my boss…

Senior Year - Savings and Investing

Senior year is when you start job hunting and looking at prospective offers. You get advice about what are good benefits like a 401k match and medical premiums being paid.  Also many people get a wake up as they enter the real world.

• Monevator explains why some brokers make it easier to become a daytrader in How a boring broker will make you richer posted at Monevator.com. Personally we used Firstrade, a well rated discount broker.
• KCLau presents a real life example of a family trying to retire in How a medium family can retire comfortably (Real Life Case Study) posted at KCLau’s Money Tips. Good post but it’s hard to follow the couple’s numbers because they are in Malaysia, but the overall strategies can be applied universally.

5th Year - Miscellaneous

I think that everyone wants that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It’s why we do personal finance and try to improve. These posts are for people who are studying extra their 5th year.  Bonuses. 

• J. Money talks about cleaning his wallet in 3 Things you should always keep in your wallet/purse/clip. posted at Budgets are Sexy.. I have to ask the question does anyone actually go out with identification?
• Joe Manausa talks about 3 fake RE statistics in 3 Bogus Real Estate Statistics - Know Them Or Be Burned By Them posted at Really Better Real Estate.
• ElleAtDefiningSomeday suggest making smart financial decisions in your 20s in her post Personal Finances in Your…. 20s posted at Defining Someday.
• Sudhanshu discusses the different sides of bootstrapping a start up business in Bootstrapping or Fund Raising posted at Gyaan Sutra.
• MoneyNing gives us insight into how he and Emma try to stay positive and not worry about their finances in Stop Worrying About Your Finances posted at Personal Finance Blog by Money Ning.
• AndrewB tells us why making money and looking good won’t necessarily make you happy in You Think Making More Money equals happiness? Think Again posted at Make More Money.
• Silicon Valley Blogger gives us some examples of some not-so-good business plans that ended up doing alright in Small Business Ideas That Made It Big, Despite Being Dumb posted at The Digerati Life.

I had fun and read a lot of great articles so thank you to all participants.  I hope you enjoyed this carnival and will come again soon!  Perhaps also I’ll be honesting again one day. Also please link back to this carnival!