Carnival of Money Stories

The Carnival of Money Stories is a weekly collection of money-related stories from the blogosphere. And this week, I'm the host! Check out the following posts (along with a brief summary of each, many directly from the authors):

• Squirreling Gone Wild #16: The Crafty Waitress -- This story is about a waitress who engaged in all kinds of shennanigans - so it would seem - to get a big tip from a business traveler. How would you handle this situation?
• Fathers and Money -- What do our Fathers teach us about money?
• Changing My Mindset From One of a First Use Consumer to One of Thrift -- I was very disappointed a few weeks ago when my salad spinner fell to the floor and shattered.
• Working For Money or For Passion? -- A good friend of mine just starting working at an accounting firm. I asked him how his new job is. He responded, “I hate the work, but love the money.”
• Finding a Sweet Spot for Part-Time Jobs -- In 2010, I worked at seven part time jobs, six of which are seasonal. Based on this experience, I am discovering my sweet spot for characteristics of retirement part-time jobs. Here are some elements of the sweet spot.
• How to Change a Flight -- Features the two most important lessons I learned during approximately 3 hours on the phone with Delta and Orbitz.
• Get A Free Credit Report and Score: But Does it Even Matter? -- This is my story of how I have (in the past) played credit card roulette and how I went about checking my credit score last week. But the bigger question is - does the credit score really matter?
• Do You Have an Inner Entrepreneur? -- What business would you open if you received a $15,000 head start?
• “Easy For Me to Say” -- From the author: Every now and then I get told my advice is "easy for me to say" cuz I have a lot of money saved up. Yeah, easy for me to say because it works! ;)
• Money May Be The Root of All Evil -- I feel that my whole professional, and some of my personal, identity are all based on my financial institution. What happens to me if I leave my comfort zone to embark on a new professional adventure?
• Financial Discoveries in a Consumerist Culture -- The Soviet Union stores were not glamorous or inviting. I remember dim lights, brown and grey interior colors and the gloomy faces of sales people. The customer service was non-existent. The major rule of “don’t ask, don’t tell” applied to the customer service. Clothes and shoes all looked the same: dark colors, shapeless form. Now, imagine a girl who came to the United States and saw all the goods offered to consumers with shiny smiles on the sales people’s faces. Imagine a little kid in Disneyland with free admission and endless possibilities. I made my first discovery: shopping wonderland.
• 4 Tips to Becoming an Outrageously Cool Entrepreneur -- Are you considering becoming or are you already an entrepreneur? Here are 4 tips that will help you.
• Sleeping in Strange Places -- On my recent four week road trip I slept in a number of very strange places.
• 6 Ways to Change the Impact of Food on your Budget -- Food expenses are one of the biggest budget-busters. Find out what you can do to cut back here.
• Should Married Couples Have Joint Bank Accounts? -- One of the most common discussions that I hear from people considering walking down the isle, or those who have already gotten hitched, is the age old topic of whether or not couples should have joint bank accounts – and whether they should share their finances.
• Student Loan Payment Countdown! -- Closing in on having a loan paid off.
• Please Cancel My Account -- Why you should think twice about a subscription program for products.
• We Refinanced Our Mortgage - With mortgage rates are record lows, did you refinance your loan recently? We did.
• Think you’re broke? You probably aren’t. -- When you’re sick as a dog and have just $1 in the house….well, go ahead and complain. My aunt didn't, by the way. She just shrugged and said, “I’m usually not that broke.”
• Do You DIY? -- Learning how to DIY is one of the best ways to save money. Here's just a couple of examples of how you can save money if you do it yourself.
• A Well-Trained Husband -- I've become so well-trained at following offensive orders in stores.
• Firefighters Let House Burn and Pets Die Over $75 -- So, I’m sure that many of you have already heard about the house that burned down in Tennessee because the owner didn’t pay a $75 fee to the neighboring city. Here’s the story.
• How A Second Income Stream Can Give You Some Financial Security -- Here's a story of how someone is working to build a second income stream.
• Check Scam - Don't Be A Victim! -- Let us present an anatomy of a check scam. Its always fun to unravel the details of a scam. The best part is to let our friends and relatives know about it so that they don't fall prey to ever new vicious scams ...
• Getting through a Social Security-free month -- Despite the late, great annoyance of having Social Security confiscate an entire month’s SS income in direct contradiction of what two of its workers said would happen, it looks like October will pass without too much disaster.
• Building a CD Ladder – Month 2 Results -- Arguably the most stable passive income source one could create, investing in a high yield certificate of deposit (CD) can offer a guaranteed return on investment. There are really no surprises when investing in a CD. As long as the certificate is backed by the FDIC, an investor can be confident their initial investment is safe (unlike the stock market), along with the interest earned.
• I’m Sick Of Hearing It’s For The Kids -- Some parents go too far, getting stuff for their kids when their own finances aren't in order. I'm sick of hearing "it's for the kids."
• Meeting with a Fee-Only Certified Financial Planner, Part 1: Finding an Advisor and Gathering Info -- My experience with a CFP.
• If I Had A Grilled Cheesus -- A post about financial wishes and dreams.

Enjoy!

P.S. If you submitted a post and it was not included, there's a simple reason for that: it wasn't a money story and thus doesn't fit this carnival.

Comments

[Craig]

Thanks for hosting and including my article on parents and spending too much on their kids!

[Kristia@FamilyBalanceSheet]

Thanks for including my post and for hosting the carnival.

[Mike - Saving Money Today]

thanks for hosting and including my post!!

[Aloysa]

Thank you for including my post!

[Crystal@BFS]

Thanks for the link love! Have a great week!

[Funny about Money]

Thanks for including Funny's latest budgetary squib. Like the minimalist approach to this week's carnival: it's very clean and sleek! Thanks for hosting.

[J. Money]

Thx for hosting my brotha!

[Squirrelers]

Thanks for including my post and hosting this week's edition of the carnival!

[Khaleef @ KNS Financial]

Thanks for hosting and including my article on the firefighters who watched the guy's house and pets burn!

[Donna Freedman]

I appreciate your having chosen my post, and having hosted the carnival.

[FIRE Finance]

Thanks for hosting the carnival and including our post. Best wishes ahead :).

Cheers,
FIRE Finance

[Jason@LiveRealNow]

Thanks for including me!