Welcome to the 29th Carnival of Money Hacks! I’m LAL, host of LivingAlmostLarge and a new blog called LAL musings! LAL Musings is where I write about life, love, and everything else not financial so please check it out.

I’m a 29 year old DINK and very excited to be hosting my first Money Hackers Carnival. As you can see I’m a proud member of the Money Hackers Network and very happy to be hosting this carnival.  Please check out the website if you are interested in hosting a future carnival.  Also I’m soo excited with so many awesome entries, thank you all so much for participating!  This is my largest carnival yet!

Please feel free to look around, sign up for feeds from the blog, and come back again! Recently I hosted the 73rd Carnival of Money Stories, 12th Finance Fiesta, and the 8-28 Edition of Twenty-Something Finances, so check those out as well.  Also next week please return for the the 143rd Festival of Frugality and SUBMIT a post about frugality to help make it just as large as this week’s Carnival of Money Hacks!

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…..I would be very grateful and it will help the carnival! But onto the 29th Carnival of Money Hacks: Food Heaven. I hope you think it’s fun because I had a blast posting it. Please come back again for a visit!

Welcome back everyone for the 29th Carnival of Money Hacks!  I am very excited to be hosting the carnival this week. Hope you have a great time reading these posts.

I picked the topic food heaven to share with everyone my favorite foods.  I had so many topics that I had trouble linking it to anything, so I figured with a Baker’s Dozen, I’d do food!  Onto the carnival.

Editor’s Pick

So I guess my favorite food would be sushi.  I’ve loved sushi since childhood.  My favorite would probably Toro, or fatty Tuna belly.  Like sushi, these picks cover a broad range of topics.

• Allison Nazarian talks about new laws starting a business in Vermont Offers VAs Virtual Business Benefits posted at CopywritingForVAs. Wow I’m going to share this with my DH, how cool I had no idea.
• Mr Credit Card talks abouts how our emotions affect our spending in Binge Spending and Financial Fasting posted at Ask Mr Credit Card. I see spending much like being on a diet, it’s a lifestyle, not a change for a few months and then back again!
• Austin asks the question if you won money what would you do with it in What if I gave you 100,000 bucks? posted at The Orange Paper. Sadly I’d pay off our student loans, bulk up our EF, buy one newer car, and that would use up all the money.  Maybe we should all write what’d we do with $100k.
• BTG tells us how a video game teaches personal finance in 3 Lessons World Of Warcraft Taught Me About Money Management posted at Bridging The Gaap. I had to laugh when I read this post, mostly because my BIL loves the online version of this game. Guess why he’s good at personal finance.
• Paul Goodwin talks about defending your portfolio in Cut Your Losses Short posted at The Iconoclast Investor.   He says sometimes you have to play defense and leave your money in cash when the market is going down.  Right now just by chance we’re in cash because we rolled over a 401k into a Rollover IRA.  But typically I don’t agree with trying to “time” the market.

Frugal

If were being very frugal all I would eat would be chapaghetti ramen noodles.  They are cheap, yet delicious for ramen noodles.  Less than $1/package and enough for a meal.  But long term with the high levels of sodium they aren’t good for you.  Although they are awesome.

• Nickel talks about saving money on prescription drugs in How to Save Money on Prescription Drugs posted at fivecentnickel.com. Good tips, but I personally can’t take some generics unfortunately without becoming ill so it depends on your situation.
• FIRE Finance gives us tips to save money in $6000! Save Your Hard Earned Money! posted at FIRE Finance. Wow, I don’t spend $6k/year on the stuff he does, maybe eating out once a week is the one thing we do, but I don’t do lunch, pizza, or snacks . I buy soda but when 12/packs are $2, not a 6-pack. But the realization of spending money is good.
• FMF asks us what we think about rebates in The Rebate Run-Around posted at Free Money Finance. I rarely do mail in rebates unless it’s basically free or a fantastic deal, it’s just way to much hassle. Hence CVS beats Walgreens usually in my book.
• The Smarter Wallet gives us frugal travel tips in Travelocity’s Race To Savings Promotions: Up To 40% Off posted at The Smarter Wallet.  You have to act fast to get this deals.
• Kevin asks us how much do we spend on laundry a week in Money Down the Drain: Inefficient Laundry | No Debt Plan posted at No Debt Plan. Maybe kids are extra, extra dirty and 7 loads a week are necessary?
• Kat suggests a frugal tip for looking good in beauty school posted at the part-time life. One thing I’ve found is it usually takes too long to make it worth the money savings.
• Miss Thrifty says sometimes the cheap stuff works as well as the expensive stuff in GHD hair straighteners: I’ve got a better idea! posted at Miss Thrifty. I tend to agree that sometimes the cheap and expensive products are exactly the same.
• Thursday Bram talks about frugal school tips in Start The School Year Off Right: A Few Frugal Tips for Getting Through the Fall posted at Wise Bread. Very good tips, though I never had a packed lunch growing up, my mom was too busy and it cost 25 cents/day.
• RC gives us suggestions for grouping tasks to save money in Grouping Tasks to Save Both Time and Money posted at Think Your Way to Wealth.
• Money Hackers give us frugal tips for shopping in Ebates $10 Sign Up Bonus And Online Shopping Tips posted at Moolanomy. Free money I love it.
• George L Smyth links to a sound bite about saving money on groceries in one money in One Minute How-To-How To Save On Grocery Bills posted at George L Smyth. Reviews marketing tips which can be found on HotCouponWorld or theCouponMom.
• Kaye gives us frugal college tips in Cheap Living for Broke College Students – Part 2 posted at Mrs Nespy’s Frugal World. I wonder how much I would have saved not drinking…Shudder..too much.
• Amy @ The Q Family gives us frugal tips to save money in 13 Painless Ways to Save $100 posted at The Q Family Adventure. I had to laugh because I do 12 of the 13, I don’t make my own cleaners, it’s just easier to buy it.
• Cash Money Life gives us a frugal tip in Check Engine Light On? Get it Diagnosed Free posted at Cash Money Life. I usually get professional help, but then again I have a great car that has never been in the shop.
• Value For Your Life gives us cheap reciepes in 5 Fun Frugal Alternatives to Eating Out posted at Value For Your Life. Sounds like cheap eats to me!

Savings/Budget

While I believe in savings and budgeting, I like to eat well. So my budget includes my favorite type of protein fish.  Which is lean, has lots of healthy oils, and can help you lose/maintain your weight.  This particular dish is the neck of a yellowtail fish broiled. Yum.

• Laura gives us a plan for starting an emergency fund in Put Tuition Refund in a High Yield Savings Account as an Emergency Fund | Green Panda Treehouse posted at Green Panda Treehouse. Hmm, I didn’t know I had any extra money, our loans are only for a small portion of DH’s tuition. Nice idea though.
• PT reviews ING Direct and what he likes about it in ING DIRECTs Electric Orange Account: My Review posted at Prime Time Money. Sounds great, but I’m not ready to give up my BofA yet, and I already have a HSBC account.
• GBlogger shares a secret about becoming wealthier in 40% Wealthier? posted at CAN I GET RICH ON A SALARY. If you are reading this carnival, I can bet you are well on your way to becoming rich.
• Dana Jones gives us examples of categorizing your expenses in Expense Categories posted at Practical Finances. She gives a huge comprehensive list, yet says it should be modified for everyone’s personal budget. I agree, but I have way less categories.
• Mr. Banker suggests linking your bank accounts both ways in Establish Fund Transfer Links Both Ways posted at Best Interest Rate Banks. I have HSBC but I don’t think I can link BofA to HSBC.
• Andy discusses how the recent reports about the economy should cause us worry in Jobs and Housing – The one two punch. Start growing your emergency funds now posted at $aving to Invest. He suggests a 1 year EF, I can’t say I disagree.
• BTG talks about his take on a EF in BTG Explains: What Is An Emergency Fund? posted at Bridging The Gap. I respectfully disagree, I think and EF is for death, disability, and job loss. Otherwise you should be saving for things like car repairs, medical bills, replacing items, high utilties, etc. I think ”fat” needs to be expected and build into a budget.
• Karen talks about unexpected budget expenses in Preparing for the storm posted at Living Well on Less. I hope her family is doing well and are safe, good example of extra fat that was necessary, but not an emergency.
• Randy gives us list of money savers in Are You Letting Free Money Slip Through Your Fingers? posted at Fiscal Zen. While it sounds good, is it really worth buying a new car for an incentive? I think it costs more than keeping my old car. So be wary of “spending money to save money”, which I wrote about here.
• The Happy Rock talks about the digital tv switch and it’s impact on his budget in The Big Switch…Analog to Digital TV Signal Debacle posted at The Happy Rock. I got free boxes from our cable company, finally Verizon is good for something.

Credit Cards

Since most posts about credit cards are about people overspending, I figured I’d post a super indulgent food I love.  Creme Brulee!  If I’m going over the top it’s one of the richest desserts being made up of egg yolks and caramlized sugar.

• Jim talks about credit cards in Best Cash Back Reward Credit Cards posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity. My best credit card is the Citibank Simplicity Cash Back Mastercard which is no longer available. I get 5% cash back on gas, drugstores, and groceries and 1% on everything else.
• Dave gives us a website to use to find the best credit card in Get The Best Reward Credit Card For You! posted at Cheapo Groovo. Funny how people are looking at this time of year for the best CC deal, I thought it would be nearer to the New Year.
• Silicon Valley Blogger tells us about a credit card bonus in Discover More Card Offers $50 Cash Back Bonus posted at The Digerati Life.  I love my Discover card for it’s bonus categories.
• DMH tells us to ask for lower CC rates in Ask Credit Card for Interest Rate Reduction posted at Daily Money Hack. I agree, what’s the worse that can happen, they say no?
• Sandy Naidu tells us about credit card tricks in Top 5 Dirty Little Credit Card Tricks posted at Future Nest Egg. Good tricks to be aware of if you carry a balance.
• Colin discusses shortened 0% Credit Card terms in Credit Card Issuers Slashing Intro 0% APR Periods posted at The Truth About Credit Cards.com.  I didn’t know there even was 16 months of 0% loans out there. This is a good tool to pay off debt though.
• MBB explains how credit cards are generated in Generate Valid Credit Card Numbers posted at Money Blue Book Personal Finance Blog. Wow, I had guessed it was an algorithm, but I didn’t realize it could be broken down so easily.

Debt

What can I say?  If you are debt, you should be eating rice and beans.  Healthy but cheap foods to help you get out of debt faster.  I think it’s delicious but it does get old after awhile.

• Lisa Spinelli gives us 10 way to get into debt in 10 Ways to Bury Yourself In Debt posted at Greener Pastures. I have to agree with all 9 of 10 reasons. I find that sometimes automatic bill doesn’t arrive as efficiently so I’d have to disagree with #10.
• Lane Wright gives us a way to deal with financial stress in How To Deal With Financial Difficulties posted at Fast Signature Loan. His argument about getting signature loans does have merit.
• Del Sandeen explains about debt settlement in 3 Reasons to Run from Debt Settlement Companies posted at Fiscal Liberty. He has 3 very valid points and I especially like the last one.
• Amy gives us the third part in a series of debt payoff posts in Back to Basics: Replace Bad Habits posted at My Daily Dollars. I agree keeping busy helps people not spend, but my DH and I love playing video games. $50 for 100s of hours of game playing pleasure!
• Aaron suggests using visualition techniques to get out of debt in Debt 101: Session 5 – How to VISUALLY Track Your Progress posted at Where You Are Now. Looks like a great way to get motivated.

Investing

Investing is supposed to be risky.  It takes a strong stomach to survive the dips of the market.  Well another of my favorite foods is “taro” or “poi”.  A root Hawaiians love to eat, but many I think find the texture unappealing.  So take a risk and try it.

• Serge talks about single stocks in Comparing 10 most essential microstocks posted at turcanu.net. Maybe I should consider investing in some microstocks, I have to figure out our portfolio diversification first though.
• Tradingsphere gives us investment tips in Investments To Avoid posted at Free Stock Tips. I’ve found that not all penny stocks are bad personally.
• Upside Trader suggests shorting Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in Let’s Talk Pennies and Rallies posted at upsidetrader. Uh, I think I’ll wait this out and see what happens.
• SEC Fraud tells us how to report investing fraud in How to Report Fraud to the SEC posted at SEC Fraud. I wonder how many people do this?

Retirement

Well I have to admit that I really don’t want to be eating cat food in retirement.  I’d rather be eating steak.  But if you reading this obviously want to be eating steak and not cat food.

• Retirehappy suggests not using a Roth IRA in this market in Unconvert A Roth IRA Conversion posted at My Retirement Blog. I asked the question how do you save on taxes really? Just not paying taxes on $4k for the year?
• RothIRA explains why you need to keep your accounts seperate for tax purposes in Keep Non-Deductible Traditional IRAs Separate posted at Roth IRA Explained. I agree, specific seperation makes tax time easier.
• Madison tells us that tracking your retirement contributions is important in How to Track Your Roth IRA Contributions… and Why You Need To! posted at My Dollar Plan. I might start tracking it more in depth, but for now firstrade is doing it for us.

Insurance

Insurance I see as vitamins.  Something you have to buy and take daily.  It helps to protect your health.  Not my favorite food, not my favorite thing but necessary.

• Sam talks about insurance you don’t need in 14 Totally Ridiculous Insurance You Probably Don?t Need posted at Fix My Personal Finance – Personal Finance Advice – Money Management Advice. The only one I wonder about is wedding insurance? I mean that might be worth it, although I’ve been to 2 weddings where the marriage was over before I got back from going! One ended with 4 days and one within 7 days, making me guess that it was over before the wedding even went on!
• Aryn tells us to be aware of our companies open enrollment in When Is Your Open Enrollment Period? posted at Sound Money Matters. Our is November of every year and we are considering dropping vision insurance but probably not.

Career

Well I figure everyday we have to eat carbohydrates to keep going.  Like our careers, our salaries are what keep us going.  But my favorite carb is probably bread.

• Helen Anderson gives us career advice in Choosing a Recession Proof Career posted at Bankaholic. I know teachers however we are hired and fired every year and have trouble finding jobs, so I wonder if teaching will drop by the wayside as a “secure” career?
• The Shark Investor talks about career development in Investing In Yourself posted at The Shark Investor.  I think it’s a nice balance perspective on areas to help develop your career.
• Cindy King talks about launching her own small business in My Own Case Study – Small Business Flexibility posted at Cindy King. It’s an interesting read about starting your own business and choices you have to make.

Real Estate

Home is where the heart is and that is real estate.  I picked my favorite comfort food which reminds me of home, Natto or fermented soybeans.  This is not a comfort food for most, but it is for me.  Everyone has one crazy weird dish that they love and reminds them of home.

• Realm of Prosperity shares with us an urban myth about a college student succeeding in RE investing in College Student Bought Home Instead of Renting posted at Realm of Prosperity. I gotta wonder how a place that commands $1800/month for 3 bedrooms ($600/month) sells for only $40k? Guess that’s why it’s an urban myth, or story heard from a friend of a friend.
• Greg Swann talks about real estate agents commissions in Introduction to “A consumer’s guide to the divorced real estate commission” – the eBook posted at BloodhoundBlog. I think we’re moving there already with I sold my house dot com, etc.

Economy

This cartoon puts into perspective I’m sure how many feel about the economy and food. When it’s bad, it’s time to buckle down and eat anything.  Yet when it’s good does it mean we waste food?

• Wenchypoo explains her take on government subsidies and handouts in Word of the Day: Decadence posted at Wisdom From Wenchypoo’s Mental Wastebasket. I am not sure if the worse people are portrayed on TV, but also I do feel bad for people evacuating from their homes. Because some are probably bitching for being inconvienced and aren’t on government handouts like she thinks, but are well just complainers in general.

Taxes

I bet I’m not hte only person who views taxes as a necessary evil.  I also put vegetables into that categories.  Something I eat, but I don’t love them. I certainly don’t go, I’m hungry I’ll eat veggies.  I’d rather eat a piece of chocolate.

• Robert D Flach tells us we may have to refile our taxes in THE FEELING IS DEMUTUAL posted at THE WANDERING TAX PRO. Darn it, I have to go back and see what we sold in 2005-2007.

Miscellaneous

I love all different types of chocolates.  Just like these posts below, I enjoyed them all.  They just didn’t fit into any real category except by not fitting into one. And like chocolate I don’t mind whatever type you give me I’ll enjoy it.

• FFB talks about dealing with a car accident in Not Having The Police At A Car Accident Can Cost You posted at Free From Broke. When I got hit in a parking lot the Mercedez just took off and didn’t stop though I got out of my car! The nerve!
• Ozone gives tips to gamble in Can’t Miss Online Poker Promotions posted at Poker Tips. Maybe someone can use this, but only gamble please with money you can afford to lose.
• Nathalie Lussier gives us the second of three parts on shaping your relationship with money in Money Talks: How Do You Talk Back? posted at Billionaire Woman.com. She gives us some interesting sayings about money to think about.
• J. Money debates iphone versus sidekick in iPhones are for Coders, and Sidekicks are for Ballers posted at Budgets are Sexy.. Thank God I’ve held off my DH from getting either one, after all I still want him to listen to me when we’re out and not playing on the darn phone!
• Glblguy suggests being careful of email surveys in Online survey scams? posted at Gather Little by Little. I usually label it as spam because I’m worried I’ll make a mistake personally.
• Nicholas Powiull talks about giving in How to Attract Money into Your Life & Get into the Mind-Set of Abundance (My Personal Experience): by Nicholas Powiull posted at Conscious Flex.   I wonder if we PF bloggers take money too seriously.
• Ryan Suenaga talks about spending more in When Sales Get You to Spend More posted at Uncommon Cents.  Common trick, one I can easily fall into as well.
• Lisa Spinelli asks if you’d pay to find out about your ancestors in DNA Mapping – Now an Affordable Peek into Your Past and Future posted at Greener Pastures. Hmm..$1k is still too expensive to me, but then again I know what my DNA looks like unlike most.
• Madeleine Begun Kane gives us a bit of humor in Loose Change Exchange (Limerick) posted at Mad Kane’s Humor Blog.

Thanks for visiting.  Hope you had a great visit and enjoyed the carnival.  Please come back again, especially for next week’s Festival of Frugality, or sign up to get posts delivered!  Also next week the Carnival will be hosted at Quest To Be Debt Free.