Money Pros Carnival – Quotes and Cheesecake Edition

Welcome to this week’s Money Pros Carnival.

This carnival is being put together between chapters of The Casual Vacancy, and my attempts of making cheesecake.

For the record- if anyone ever wants to bribe me to do some illegal, I can be paid in cheesecake, particularly anything raspberry or mango.

I’m going through a ‘quotes’ this week and this is by far my favorite.

Lance @ Money Life and More writes Should I Pay Off My Car Loan Update – In August I asked my readers “Should I pay off my 0.9% car loan?“. There were many different opinions on what I should do. After a few weeks of considering the facts I’ve finally come to a decision.

Pauline @ Reach Financial Independence writes How to save money on currency exchange – Currency exchange can be tricky, here are some tips to make sure you get the best rate for your hard earned cash before you go on holiday!

Mike @ The Financial Blogger writes How Do You Go Back to Work When Being Self-Employed Flops? – Nobody ever discusses the reverse. The idea of going back to work.

Martin @ Studenomics writes What High School Students Need to Know About Making Money – I share everything that I wish I knew about making money in high school.

Kim @ Eyes on the Dollar writes Being a Boss, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly – This post talks about the pros and cons of owning and operating a small business.

Sustainable PF @ Sustainable Personal Finance writes Enough, ok? Job Evaluation makes the 2012 Amapceo Tentative Collective Bargaining Agreement Indigestible. – The tentative collective bargaining agreement between Amapceo and the Ontario Government was palatable until Joe Evaluation specifics were revealed.

Jon the Saver @ Free Money Wisdom writes How I Paid off $6,000 In Credit Card Debt – Paying off debt is no easy task. Learn how I paid off over six thousand dollars in consumer debt and finally escaped to freedom!

Amanda L Grossman @ Frugal Confessions writes 6 Frugal and Fun Activities for Fall and Halloween – We are truly experiencing the best of both worlds right now with borderline crisp mornings melting away into warm and sunny afternoons.

Invest It Wisely @ Invest It Wisely writes Why I Love Being a Landlord – Read why I love being a landlord! Perhaps you’ll consider taking the plunge too.

Suba @ Broke Professionals writes How to Manage People – Part 2 – How to Manage People – Part 2 is a post from: Broke Professionals if you enjoy it, please visit us and subscribe to the Feed. Real tips from a real manager – support your staff. A while back, I explored the top paying jobs of 2012 and noted that 6 of them involved management positions.

Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes Class Warfare Heats Up – With President Obama continuing to call for those making over $250,000 to pay their fair share of taxes, class warfare is heating up just in time for the election.

Daisy @ Add Vodka writes How to Ask For a Raise – The below post is a guest post. I work in the public sector where we can’t ask for raises. Well – we can, but we would be denied.

Jester @ The Ultimate Juggle writes Free Things Cost You Money Too – There are times when free things cost money too. Sometimes much more than you could imagine. Check out my examples, they surprised me when I wrote about them.

CAPI @ Creating a Passive Income writes Passive Income With a Camper – Have you ever thought about creating a passive income with a camper? It’s entirely possible.

Hank @ Money Q&A writes Why Your Stay At Home Spouse Needs Life Insurance – Far too many families forget to purchase life insurance for a spouse that stays at home and takes care of the children. This can be a tragic mistake should the stay at home spouse die unexpectedly.

SBB @ Simple Budget Blog writes Simplicity Saves a Lot of Financial Headaches – Do you get overwhelmed with looking at too many details in your budget? Find out why keeping it simple is inherently better.

TRL @ The Retired Landlord writes Best Ways to Buy a Rental Property – Find out the many ways that you can pay for a rental property. There are more ways than the traditional mortgage.

John @ Married (with Debt) writes AT&T Upgrade Fee Is a Poke in the Eye – Why does AT&T charge an upgrade fee to existing customers? Learn how to get it waived.

Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes How Families Can Save Money Around The Home – The cost of living is still on the increase for Britain, with pay rises failing to keep up with the cost of inflation. In August, inflation stood at 2.5 percent, while the average employee benefitted from just a 1.5 percent yearly pay increase.

Bill @ Budgets Are Awesome writes How to Save Money on an Enterprise Rent-A-Car Rental – I found a way to get the weekly rate when you rent a car for single days. This trick can save you $50 or more on car rentals.

Tim @ Fortune Fanatic writes Tips for Buying a Used Car – Used cars are cheaper than new cars, but you must do your due diligence. Here are some tips to find a good used car at a good price.

Mike @ Personal Finance Journey writes How to Compare Credit Cards – 4 Great ways to compare credit cards and make the right decision when choosing the right card for you.

krantcents @ KrantCents writes I Will Only Work for Fun! – I will work for fun or I won’t work! Over the years, I have seen various signs such as work for food, beer, $ dollars, satisfaction, fame, money or the joy of working. Too often these words are meaningless. If you do not enjoy what you do, you should quit! That’s right, quit your job.

Harry Campbell @ Your Personal Finance Pro writes Save Money on Your Flu Shot This Winter – Ever since I started working in a cubicle environment, I feel like I get sick much more frequently than I used to. Although we have unlimited sick days at work, I don’t like to use them unless I’m truly sick and can’t get out of bed. For all the minor coughs and colds, I’ll still come in and get my work done even if I should probably be resting at home. But who wants to stay at home and watch TV all day when you’re sick? That can get old quickly. The problem with this mentality

Shawanda @ You Have More Than You Think writes 3 Semi-Easy Ways to Boost Your Credit Score (and Get a Free Credit Check) – my position on borrowing money has shifted a bit. Two years ago, I would’ve ended my answer with “before I knew better.” No buts. No qualifying statements. Y’all know me. Debt freedom is worth far more than a depreciating asset I can’t afford. Heck, I struggle with taking out a mortgage to buy a modest home.

Roit @ http://themoneymail.com/ writes How to Set Goals and achieve them – Going beyond the SMART framework – How often have you set goals and not managed to achieve them? You have heard of the SMART goals to set goals, let go a step further and see how to achieve them.

TB @ Blue Collar Workman writes Are Fake Shutters Worth the Money? – Sometimes we buy things because they look good, and shutters can be one of those things. Is it worth it? Or shoudl you buy the real-deal thing?

Corey @ Steadfast Finances writes 5 Tricks to Help you Cut your Telecom and Utility Bills – If there was one word that could sum up our decade so far, it would be austerity.

Sam @ Money Management Blog writes How to Compare Management Fees for Funds – Two free tools can help you pick the best mutual funds and ETFs based on fees. Lower fees increase your returns.

Michelle @ The Shop My Closet Project writes How to Ride A Bus-Why are you so freakin’ scared? – Why should you learn how to ride a bus? Well, I’ve listed some reasons in the post. Let’s get a couple of things out of the way before you freak out on me.

JP @ My Family Finances writes Buying a House is definitely an Asset for Your Family – Freezing your housing costs and avoiding rent inflation are big assets. They don’t change on the whims of the housing market and they aren’t subject to the foolishness of investors.

Ashley @ Money Talks Coaching writes How Big Is Your Carrot? – I saw this picture the other day and loved it. Which carrot would you rather have? I think it speaks so clearly to the financial decisions we have to

Tushar @ Finance TUBE writes Business 101: 6 Steps to a Successful Small Business – Today we will talk about 6 Steps to a Successful Small Business. If you are considering starting a business, start by what you know and like. Test your ideas first to make sure that your potential clients like your idea too. Next you need to plan ahead.

Jason @ Work Save Live writes The Rise of the Female Trader – Female Traders on the Rise For months I’ve been wanting to post an Infographic here on WSL, but I just haven’t found the time to do so.

Jennifer Lynn @ Broke-Ass Mommy writes Willow Bay, Here We Come – I am not dead, just zipping along in the car on our way to Willow Bay, Pennsylvania for two days of autumn camping fun. Will attempt to provide more tales from the tent as the weekend progresses. Have a superb Friday, everyone.

Sean @ One Smart Dollar writes What is the Fiscal Cliff and Why Should I Care? – We are looming on the fiscal cliff. Here is a little basic information about what it is and why it is important for your life.

Rich @ Growing Money Smart writes Is Beating the Median Income Levels Keeping You Poorer Than You Should Be? – Is beating the median income level statistics keeping you from achieving wealth, and keeping you poorer than you should be? Are you content to just do a certain percentage better than the middle income levels? Read why you shouldn’t be complacent about money!

Evan @ My Journey to Millions writes Where Did All the NFL Owners Obtain Their Wealth? – Recently, I began to wonder just where did all the NFL owners get the money to buy the teams in the first place?

Ted Jenkin @ Your Smart Money Moves writes The Financial Cost of Getting a DUI – Most people don’t think about how costly getting a DUI could be because nobody ever plans to get a DUI.

Your Boss @ What Your Boss Really Thinks writes I am Offering Resume Review Services – Let’s admit it, not everyone is capable of composing a resume that adequately highlights their abilities.The candidate who lands an interview is usually the one who has the most impressive resume. I can help you to create a well-crafted resume that fits your skills, experience and background.

Robert @ The College Investor writes Switching Ain’t Easy – Your Guide to Changing Banks, Insurance, and More – One of most common excuses I hear everyday about why people accept being at a sucky bank, insurance company, or whatever XYZ business, is that switching is hard. But you know what – it ISN’T! It just takes time, which is something that many people don’t have.

PITR @ Passive Income To Retire writes Which Path to Early Retirement? – Self-employment has inherent risks, but working a day job that I don’t like is even more difficult. Which one should I choose?

Eddie @ Finance Fox writes How to Earn More on Your Savings – Here are a few tips to try and considerations to bear in mind when saving money in any kind of savings account.

SFB @ Simple Finance Blog writes Setting Up Your Investment Strategy – It’s important to remember the rules of smart money management when deciding where to invest your nest egg.

Luke @ Learn Bonds writes Par Value – What it is and How it Works – In this article we define par value from a bond investors standpoint. Everything you need to know about par value before buying a bond.

TDB @ Tax Deduction Blog writes Tax organization : Organize Your Home By Setting Up A Home Filing System – How many times were you caught up in a situation wherein you were trying to get hold of your tax records or bank statements but could not locate them? For this reason, it is vital for anyone to save time and set up a home filing system, that best suits their needs.

Tushar @ Start Investing Money writes Prosper: an American Peer to Peer Lending Club – This Post was Originally published at Prosper: an American Peer to Peer Lending Club on Start Investing MoneyPeer to peer lending is certainly becoming more popular, and Prosper is one of the leading clubs of its kind for investors and borrowers in the US to consider.

Robert @ My Multiple Incomes writes Crowdsourcing Task-Oriented Projects – Small businesses that have projects that can be broken down into easily assigned tasks can now benefit from crowdsourcing. With the power of the Internet, there are literally millions of workers willing to make few quick bucks by fulfilling short assignments via crowdsourcing websites like CrowdFlower.com, MechanicalTurk.com, and Samasource.org.

Jen @ Master the Art of Saving writes UPDATED: Stupid Sewer-A Mini Update – We’re all moved in, but it’s still a disaster here. OMG! All this stuff keeps coming up and needing to get done and so many expenses.

Robert @ Entrepreneurship & Life writes Treat Your Business Finances Like a Business – It is incredibly important for you to track your business finances separate from your own. Even if you operate as a sole proprietor, you need to have separate bank accounts for your business.

BARBARA FRIEDBERG @ Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance writes HOW TO START A BUSINESS; Reader Question – Start a business now. Set goals, put into action, follow up.

Steve @ Ready To Quit My Job! writes Sometimes Change Can Happen Internally – Before handing in your resignation, explore these options. Sometime your employer may have a different position or departments that will be a better fit for you.

Crystal @ Budgeting in the Fun Stuff writes Could That Happen to Me? – ESPN showed Called Broke, it was about pro athletes who went broke after making more money in four or five years than most people make in their lifetimes.

Joe @ Midlife Finance writes Staying Warm This Winter – The key, of course, is think ahead. Prepare now. Then you’ll be able to enjoy the winter weather…instead of just shivering and making do.

Wealth Effect Blogger @ www.yourwealtheffect.com writes The Latte Factor Doesn’t Work For Me – Saving in one area (such as giving up lattes) won’t help you reach your overall financial goal unless you look at your entire financial picture.

A Blinkin @ Funancials writes Presidents are at the Mercy of the Business Cycle – If you’ve been following along, you know that we have been looking at the economic track record of past Presidents. Hopefully, this will allow us to make an informed decision when we cast our vote for Mitt Romney or President Obama (or neither). I’m searching high and low for possible trends. Unfortunately, the trend that I have noticed (thus far) is that there is no trend.

Mr. Money @ Smart on Money writes Make Saving Easier with Targeted Goals – One of the ways that you can make saving easier for yourself is to set goals. When you have a target, it can be easier to stay motivated. Besides, it’s almost always easier to see how far you’ve come if you actually know where you are going. Plus, knowing what you are working for can help you stay motivated.

Jake Thompson @ BecomingYourOwnBank.com writes 5 Reasons I Don’t Invest In Mutual Funds – Are mutual funds really the best place to put your money? You may be surprised to learn that mutual funds may not be the golden goose you thought they were. With a lousy track record, scams and corruption, and many retirees having to work longer from losses, you may want to rethink your investment strategy.

Roger the Amateur Financier @ The Amateur Financier writes Some Thoughts on Crowdsourcing – If there’s a task you need to get done, there’s plenty of ways to go about completing it nowadays, each with their own pros and cons. You can do the task yourself, although you’ll need to know how to do whatever it is, and do so well enough to achieve your desired goal.

PPlan @ Provident Plan writes 10 Ways to Save on Holiday Travel – I’m sure you have all noticed that holiday stuff is everywhere now.

Teacher Man @ My University Money writes My University Money Interactive Student Budget – My University Money is proud to offer its own unique original resource with its interactive student budget. We understand that you’re busy and don’t have time to fuss around making excel spreadsheets (all you accounting students out there aside), so we went ahead and set up a colour-coded model that even an humanities guy like me can figure out!

Young @ Young And Thrifty writes A Woman’s Perspective on Engagement Rings – As a woman who has been dating her boyfriend for the past 7 years, bought a home and moved in together for the past 1.5 years, my perspective on an engagement ring is simple. I think I just want one.

MR @ Money Reasons writes Are You Always Ready To Fight Financially? – Today, we just continually fight financially to keep our finances intact and to accumulate wealth some day.

Beating Broke @ Beating Broke writes How I Saved Money on iPad Repairs (Twice) – I started doing research on repairing my iPad myself. I could buy a replacement digitizer for about $50, and if I could figure out how to do it myself, I’d save 50% on the second screen repair. I watched a few youtube videos of repairs being done, and decided that it was worth a try. Worst case scenario, I failed and had to send it off, losing the $50 in parts and some time.

IMB @ Investing Money writes Common Investing Mistakes – Find out if you are making these common mistakes and what you can do to increase your retirement funds.

TTMK @ Tie the Money Knot writes Follow Up: Dating and Debt Disaster Part 2 – Mixing dating and debt can be risky. Would you help pay off the debt of someone you’re dating?

Daniel @ Sweating the Big Stuff writes Wells Fargo Offering Free Credit Check Through Nov. 15th – Not all big banks are evil. Wells fargo is giving free credit scores and credit reports for a month!

Maria @ The Money Principle writes Why comparing your budget to this of other people is a really dumb thing to do – Your budget is a reflection of yourself and should feel comfortable. Your preferences and wants are your own and you are the one to work these out.

Corey @ 20s Finances writes Would You Rather…Buy a Second Car or Travel? – Would you rather buy a (second) car or have a nice annual vacation? What means more to you and why?

Passive Income Earner @ The Passive Income Earner writes Dividend Growth Index – 2012 Q3 Results – It’s that time of the year where we review the Dividend Growth Index (DGI). A year ago, a group of blogger focused on dividend investing got together to create a dividend growth index. This quarter (Q3 2012) marks the first year of the index. Here is a background on the Dividend Growth Index (DGI).

MMD @ My Money Design writes Maxing Out Your 401k Matching – Don’t You Dare Leave Money on the Table! – Do you really know how much money you’re losing if you’re not getting your full 401k matching contribution from your employer? You might be shocked!

Investor Junkie @ Investor Junkie writes Lending Club and Prosper Update (October 2012) – It appears Prosper notes are of a slightly lower credit grade to my liking. Granted this also means much possible higher returns than what Lending Club offers, but I am not sure how much to invest in the riskier notes. In the amount of new loans Prosper receives monthly, it is about 1 1/2 years behind Lending Club. As of today, I have no issue finding loans in Lending Club that meet my criteria.

Sicorra @ Tackling Our Debt writes How to Save Money on Home Improvement Projects – Whether you are making minor updates or refinishing your entire house, there are ways to get the work done without spending a ton of money. Let’s talk about some of the ways that you can complete your home improvement projects and still save money.

J.P. @ Novel Investor writes The Best Reasons To Sell A Stock – There is an art to selling stock, or more importantly, knowing when to sell a stock. Which separates the good investors from the great ones.

Jeff Root @ Rootfin Life Insurance Blog writes Affordable Life Insurance for Cigar Smokers – The number 1 goal for cigar smokers searching for the best life insurance rates is to obtain NON-SMOKER rates – here’s how you do that

Connor @ Cash Cabana writes How to Save on Airline Flights – Online travel tools can help you predict future prices for flights to buy at just the right time.

Chris @ Modest Money writes 5 Reasons You Should Avoid a Low Credit Score at All Cost – Most of us do not realize it or do not want to think about it, but subscribing to dozens of credits and letting the credit mount is extremely damaging for our credit rating. If you are one of those people who think that a low credit score is nothing to be concerned about, then you had better think again.

Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes How I Saved Thousands of Dollars on College Textbooks – Here’s how I saved a lot on the cost of textbooks when in college, and you can too:

Lazy Man @ Lazy Man and Money writes Lending Club Update 2012 – I’m starting to favor putting more of my money to work in Lending Club. I love to diversify and I think P2P Lending allows for one to do just that. While Lending Club is, in a historical sense, a new company, the returns appear to be a lot more stable than some other kinds of equities.

Ken Faulkenberry @ AAAMP Blog writes Analyzing Stock Market Risk and Finding Solutions – Since we can’t control stock market risk, we have to implement risk management solutions that put the odds of investment gains heavily in our favor.

Steven @ Grocery Alerts writes Top 100 Websites for Saving Money in Canada – My wife and I decided to write this eBook to share all the great websites out there that help us Canucks save money! We included websites that give advice on investing, mortgage rates, insurance quotes, coupons, mobile deal websites, financial gurus, frugal living, retirement pros, consumer news, financial media, and personal blogs.

Savvy Scot @ The Savvy Scot writes The Saver: In Which Category Do You Belong? – WARNING: This post may cause a realisation! The Savvy Scot broadly categories the 3 different types of saver – Disciplined, Occasional and Horrendous – the question is; are you really the type you think you are? Oh and there is $50 to be won by reading here too…

FMF @ Free Money Finance writes Checking Out Annuities – Shortly after posting The False Promises of Annuities and Annuity Calculators, I ran into this piece from CNN Money. Overall, the article left me with a better impression about annuities and how they could be used than I had before reading it.

Glen Craig @ Free From Broke writes Six Essential Health Care Open Enrollment Tips – Open enrollment can be a confusing time. To help you navigate your health care options, here are some essential health care open enrollment tips.

Glen @ Credit Card Smarts writes Could a P2P Loan Help You Pay Off Your Credit Card Debt? – Sometimes a traditional loan or a credit card balance transfer isn’t possible to help you pay off credit card debt. Enter P2P (person to person) loans.

John Schmoll @ Frugal Rules writes When is Being Frugal Really Just Being Cheap? – Many times we try to be frugal in order to save money, but it can often mean you’re just being cheap. It’s important to know the difference between the two and look for quality items that can help you save more money in the long run.

Everything Finance @ Everything Finance Blog writes Difference Between Going Out of Business and Going Bankrupt – Many small businesses fail within the first few years of operation, and even large companies have filed for Chapter 11 thanks to the recent economic downturn. While you may not want to start a business with bankruptcy in mind, it is important to develop an exit strategy, both for letting the business end naturally and simply closing or selling it and for the worst case scenario of having to file bankruptcy.

Cash Flow Mantra @ Cash Flow Mantra writes My Least Favorite Bill – I just paid my least favorite bill yesterday. It is a bill that arrives quarterly and without fail. It is almost as much as my house payment, and would be more if I didn’t escrow real estate taxes and insurance. I am talking about my quarterly payments for life and disability insurance.

Marie at Family Money Values @ Family Money Values writes Grandma Rie’s 2012 Money Camp – Teaching the next generation to successfully handle money and personal finances is normally a family responsibility. Although parents bear much of the burden to teach, train and model good personal finance, extended family members can also contribute. Here are some ideas on ways grandparents can help during a week long money camp filled with activities focused on learning about money and finances.

Grand Per Month @ Grand Per Month writes Assign Your Income Streams Different Jobs – If you are working full-time and also making a grand per month, chances are you are more financially comfortable than you were before you took on a side job. (You may also be more tired than you were before.) However, as you become more comfortable in your financial situation, you may want to be careful to avoid income creep.

Penny Thots @ Penny Thots writes Victims of Silent Inflation – You’ll have to pardon me as I use this post as a bit of a rant. My rant has to do with something I call silent inflation. Basically, this means that inflation is happening, but in the background. Not up front and out loud. Marketers are making good use of one of the oldest tricks in the book which is charging the same price for less product. I for one am really annoyed by this and would prefer that they just increase the prices a little bit and leave our package/serving/product sizes alone.

Jonathan @ How to Save $100,000 writes How to Use Chebyshev’s Inequality – Learn how to use Chebyshev’s Inequality

Pete @ Personal Finance Online writes Should You Put Money into An Underwater Home – One family I know is underwater by $40,000 on a $200,000 home. Thanks to several foreclosures in a short radius around their neighborhood, prices have plummeted. They bought in at the top. Should they put more into an underwater home?

Bruce @ Banking Brute writes Can A Bank Deny A Bank Account for Bad Credit? – Can a bank deny you a savings or checking account because of bad credit? Find out now.

Emily @ PT Money Personal Finance writes Train vs Plane vs Bus — A Long-Distance Travel Cost and Time Comparison – With the rising cost of flights and checked bags, it might seem like trains or buses must be a cheaper option. This post compares not only prices, but also time for all three on the same trip.

Jason @ Live Real Now writes Net Worth Update – There’s a lot of uncertainty that, at most, involves $20,000. Again, it’s not nothing, but it’s not a lot. It won’t cover our barebones expenses for 6 months. We pay $15,000 per year just in daycare, and we need to put braces on a kid next year. We are in a much better place, but I can’t stop hustling.

Melissa @ Bargaineering writes 5 Creative Ways to Pay for College or Get It for Free – If you are creative, you can get your degree without paying a fortune or taking out thousands of dollars of loans. Consider these 5 methods:

Jacob @ My Personal Finance Journey @ My Personal Finance Journey writes Steering Clear of Financial Disaster – “The main keys to avoiding financial disaster are managing your debt, limiting your reliance on credit, always spending less than you earn, and consistently tracking your money so you know where it goes every month.” This post examines these steps in detail.

Mike @ The Financial Blogger writes You’re Not an Entrepreneur Because You Read Books – Theory is fine, but we look at the importance of taking real action.

Martin @ Start Freelancing Now writes The 100% Effective Guide For Getting Things Done as a Freelancer – Are you ready to become the best freelancer possible?