Save and Conquer

We were listed in three carnivals/festivals this week.

Our article, Don’t Keep Secrets, made editor’s pick in the Money Hacks Carnival #15 – French Open Edition. There were 60 posts in the Carnival, so it is a great honor to be chosen as one of the four editor’s picks. There were many other good posts in the Carnival. Several that I liked were

• Become an Invaluable Employee by Adopting a Solution Oriented Mind Set at The Personal Financier. I am always on the lookout for good ways to increase my value as an employee. I have previously posted on the subject here and here. Dorian Wales has put together a very good post on how progressively solving problems keeps managers happy. There are two other related posts at There Personal Financier: How to Fortify Your Job: 10 valuable (and challenging) Tips and 6 Tips on How to Make yourself a Desired Employee. Both of these posts list being solution oriented as a key trait. I would have chosen this as an editor’s pick had I been hosting.
• 10 Reasons to be “cool” and make your own cards at Budgets Are Sexy was another editor’s pick. My wife enjoys scrapbooking. She has used her skills for the past several years to make our Christmas cards. They have been very prtty and well done. I, on the other hand, either go to the Hallmark store, or make something on the computer that might look OK but costs more to print than a store-bought card. This post is aimed more at the inexpensive craft-type card making.

Our article, Retirement Plans in Trouble,was listed in Carnival of Personal Finance #155 – Time With Family Edition. This, again was the largest carnival with 98 posts. I am still reading through the posts. Some that I liked were

• 26 Ways To Make Extra Money While Keeping Your Day Job at The Wisdom Journal. There are some tips here for everyone. I have considered #10, teaching one or two classes at a community college.
• Being Efficient and Frugal in your Bathroom at Money & Fitness Blog. Besides having some good stats on the cost of leaky fixtures. I actually prefer the “efficient” tips over the frugal.
• Is it worth picking up a penny from the sidewalk? at Pinching Copper. I agree with Pinching Copper’s point that pennies are worthless and should be dropped from our currency. But I still do pick them up.
• How Fees Eat Your Lunch — It Still Adds Up To Dollars at Free Money Finance. This is something that every Boglehead knows, but the general public may not. FMF does a good job listing the explicit and implicit fees, and tells you the difference between the two.

Finally, our article, Air Travel, was listed in the Festival of Frugality #128: No Debt Plan Edition. I always find some of my favorite posts in the Festival of Frugality. Some that I liked were

• Eating Healthy While Clipping Coupons: The Dos and Don’ts at Cheap Healthy Good. I agree that many coupons for foodstuffs are for unhealthy items, but there are coupons for healthy foods and pantry staples, as well as personal supplies. Definitely worth a read.
• 10 Fun and Frugal Father’s Day Gifts at The Dough Roller. My favorite of the 10 gifts is a “Dad’s” coupon book where each coupon would be for something fun to do with my son. (They have to be inexpensive things like go bicycle riding or play frisbee.)

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