Welcome to the March 2nd edition of the Lifestyle Carnival.

TRAVEL

Don @ Money Reasons writes Why Does The Media Still Print Stuff About Madoff? – Madoff is a closed sad chapter in life, and yet new media still covers this man, why? Is there no honor in the media channels anymore. Madoff lies, surprise!

Jon @ Our Fine Adventure writes On Priorities (Or Why You Can Do Almost Anything You Want) – We claim we can’t do the things we want because we don’t have either enough time or money, but in reality, we just have different priorities and ways that we spend that time and money.

 

HEALTH

Larry @ KrantCents writes Do Something Extraordinary! – Extraordinary is defined as going beyond the usual, regular or customary. This time of year, you make resolutions, plans, goals or changes.

Lauren @ L Bee and the Money Tree writes The Three Things You Need To Affect Change In Your Life – I enjoy observing people. Have you ever sat down at a coffee shop patio and watched the people go by? Do you ever wonder about their personal stories what makes them successful, happy, sad, and hopeful? I also enjoy listening to the snippets of conversation that float through the air.

Alice @ Drop the Cookies! writes Tracking Weight Loss Successfully – One of the best ways to set yourself up for weight loss failure is to only track your weight. Sure jumping on the scale and seeing the numbers go down is an accurate way of seeing if your body weight is lower.

 

ENTERTAINMENT

Natalie @ Debt and the Girl writes Could You Survive on $4 an Hour? – There has been a lot of discussion lately in the news on trying to eliminate high employment especially among the long-term unemployed.

Oscar @ Money is the Root writes Should you be using Mint, the free online personal finance service? – One of the main points that we constantly try to make here on our blog is that everyone should have (and use) a budget to keep their spending in line and adequately fund their emergency, retirement and other savings accounts.

Alice @ Hurricanes Panties & Dollars writes The Chick Kit – Turning a otherwise useless empty Altoids container into a spiffy, carry it everywhere chick kit. Just what every girl needs. You can make one for yourself or use it as a sassy gift.

 

WEALTH AND RETIREMENT

Crystal @ Married (with Debt) writes What Would I Sacrifice for Retirement? – Forgoing cable, average bill $80, could amount to a million dollars saved over the course of 50 years. So, naturally I began to think what I was willing to sacrifice for retirement.

Mike @ Personal Finance Journey writes 5 ways Your Contactless Payments Cost You More – Contactless Payments have revolutionized the financial world and how you spend but will it help you save or help you spend more?

Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes 4 Mistakes You’re Making When Investing – When it comes to investing, there is no formula to success. There are many different profitable investment styles, thus we cannot say “just do X, Y, Z and you’ll be a millionaire”.

Crystal @ Budgeting in the Fun Stuff writes Spender’s Guilt – Amy, a BFS newsletter subscriber, left an excellent question in this month’s comment section that spoke to me…it’s a problem that I have too.

Ted Jenkin @ Your Smart Money Moves writes The Flappy Bird Economy – If you have kids or teenagers in your family, then it’s likely you have seen the highly downloaded app called Flappy Bird.

SBB @ Simple Budget Blog writes Budgeting 101: Five Things You Need to Start a Budget – Haven’t followed our budget advice yet? It’s not too late. Here are the five simple things you need to start a household budget.

Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes The Credit Scale: Where You Want to Be – Establishing credit, or working towards a better score? Here’s what you want to aim for on the credit scale.

Maria @ The Money Principle writes Four savings when skiing in your 50s (and I am really unhappy about the third one) – Saving is supposed to be a good thing. Why am I not happy with the saving I am making?

Mrs. Accountability @ Out of Debt Again writes It’s Easy to Pay Your Bills… When You Have Enough Money – My mother came to live with us about six months ago.

Bargain Babe @ BargainBabe.com writes 5 Fun AND Frugal Easter Activities – This list of frugal Easter activities has crafts perfect for children of all ages!

PFC @ PF Carny writes Does Couponing Really Save Money? – Depending on how you do it and how into it you get, it can be either bad or good. Does couponing really save you money? It can, but it can also cost you money at the same time.

Cat Alford @ Budget Blonde writes How I’m Getting Free Diapers for the First 3 Months – Have you ever wanted to get free diapers for your kids? Here’s how I’m ensuring my total cost for diapers is $0 at the end of the first three months.

Sustainable PF @ Sustainable Personal Finance writes 4 Tips for Encouraging Your Kids to Adopt Sustainable Practices – Many of us want to leave the world a better place. One of the best ways to do that is to teach your children your values, and encourage them to do the right thing — especially when it comes to adopting sustainable practices.

Monica @ Monica On Money writes Is Cash Really King? – CASH vs. Credit Card. What’s Better? A year ago, I cut up my credit card. (I only had one).

Aaron @ Aaron Hung writes Emergency Funds in a Savings Account? Forget About It – Here on our blog we have said many times that having an emergency savings account available should something happen, like an accident or loss of job, is a very good idea and vital for all consumers.

Marissa @ Thirty Six Months writes How to Budget for Unexpected Expenses – This winter has been brutal. Extremely brutal. And I am not just talking about the extreme cold, but the record snowfall as well. Let’s just say that I have spent more time indoors in the last 2 months, than I have in all of 2012-2013 combined.

Marissa @ Finance Triggers writes Five simple steps to increase your disposable income in 2014 – January can be one of the most stressful months of the year, especially with financial worries following the festive period’s expensive outlays. So here are five simple steps to increase your disposable income in 2014.

Gretchen @ Retired by 40! writes How Much Are You Willing To Spend On Your Pets? – Spending thousands of dollars on a pet doesn’t fit into the budget – what do I do?

Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes Goal Setting Strategies from the Scarlett O’Hara’s of the World – For those of us who put off goals that seem too difficult or require some tough decisions, there is hope. It’s taken me quite a while, years really, to become proficient at setting goals that I’ll actually accomplish, even “big, life changing” goals that take a lot of gumption. The secret is very simple:

Adam @ Modest Money writes Getting Into Real Estate Investing – Real estate investing has long been held as a great choice for individuals looking for a long-term investment. Here are some of the things you should know.

Jeremy @ Glennalicious writes How To Cancel A Credit Card – Breaking Up With Your Credit Card Company – A Credit card is not just an account. Its a financial relationship between you and the company. But what do you do when that r/ship goes sour? Learn how to break up with credit companies and cancel your credit cards without hurting your credit score or history.

Brock Kernin @ Clever Dude writes What Financial Advice Do You Choose to Ignore? – There’s no shortage of financial advice out there. Which do you follow, and which do you ignore?

 

HOBBIES

Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes Control Your Bagworms–Economically and Organically – The way we control our bagworms, and the method I suggest to you is work intensive and manual. The cost is a bit of your time and possibly a few bucks to buy some kerosene or gasoline or other lighter fluid.

Justin @ Edward Antrobus writes Improve your Returns with these Investing Tips – The S&P 500 index had a banner year and saw gains of more than 30% in 2013!

Jen @ Prepping Is Sexy writes Ammo Storage: Finding Your Magic Number – Deciding how much ammo you should store is a popular, yet very personal topic. Everybody has different circumstances and environments. So how can you figure out your magic number?

Danielle @ Saving Without a Budget writes Want to Reach your 2014 Financial Goals? Here are 5 Tips that will help – No matter who you are or what your financial goals in 2014 happened to be, the best way to meet them (and exceed them) is to have a financial plan.

Alexa @ Single Moms Income writes How to Make an Easy $1,000 This Year By Writing for Blogs – Do you have a special goal you’re saving for this year? Would an extra thousand dollars make a big difference?

GOOD EATS

Mr.CBB @ Canadian Budget Binder writes Orange and Carrot Breakfast Muffins – I love muffins of any kind even at breakfast and they are so easy to make that if you have kids you can get them involved with the process.

Andrea @ So Over This writes Saving Money on Child Care! – Here is a question for those of you with children; did you know that if you pay a babysitter or other childcare professional over $1900 a year, you have to pay employer taxes as well?