Weekly Carnivals and Such

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What is a carnival and why should you care? I’m glad you asked. In the blogosphere, carnivals are organized by topic and give bloggers an opportunity to submit their best posts for weekly publication. For the blogger, it’s a great opportunity to promote your blog. More importantly, for the reader it is a convenient way to find the best of the best articles on a given topic. This week I participated in a number of carnivals, which I list below. If you’re new to carnivals or haven’t had a chance to check out this week’s editions, I encourage you to do so.

• Carnival of Personal Finance #113 was hosted this week at My Open Wallet. I’m happy to report that my article 10 Surefire Ways to Spend More Than You Make was chosen as an Editor’s Pick. Thanks, Ms. Wallet. This carnival included many great articles and here are a few that I really liked:
• How Much is the Home Run Record Worth? @ Cash Money Life. Having attended the Monday game the day before Bonds broke the record, this article was of particular interest to me. By the way, I chose to blog rather than attend Tuesday’s game! I need a life.
• How To Financially Prepare Your Kids For College @ Blueprint for Financial Prosperity. I enjoyed this article, and it brought back memories of being turned down for a credit card when I was in college.
• Carnival of the Capitalists was hosted this week by Spooky Action. My article on 5 Steps to Achieving the 24-hour Work Week (Which Beats the 4-Hour Work Week) was included in the carnival. Thanks, Spooky Action. Here are a few articles I really enjoyed:
• The Dow Jones Industrial Average: Then and Now @ Fivecentnickel. I always enjoy looking back into the past to better understand the future.
• Buybacks vs. Dividends @ Fat Pitch Financials. Isn’t the “obvious” choice buybacks, so long as the company doesn’t do something stupid with the stock, because buybacks don’t have an immediate tax consequence while dividends do? I should have voted!
• Why Getting a Degree Isn’t Always a Sound Financial Decision @ SavingAdvice.com. As somebody with two degrees, I’ve been thinking about whether the return on my investment was all that great. What do you think?
• Carnival of Money Stories was hosted this week by Ask Mr. Credit Card. The carnival was very creative, set in a show-and-tell format. My article on How to Pick Your First Mutual Fund was included in the carnival. Thanks, Mr. Credit Card. Here are some other stories I enjoyed:
• What is Your House Worth? @ Money and Such. Interesting thoughts on buying versus renting in the Bay area. By the way, there are a number of alternatives to using Zillow to value real estate. I can spend all day on these sites.
• Lies About Credit Card Debt! @ FIRE Finance. An intelligently written piece on credit card debt.
• How Money Can Change a Life @ Money Smart Life. Excellent article about a drug dealer gone good.

Enjoy!