Awesome New Year Money Advice from My Finance Blogging Friends

This is a little late getting posted, but the advice is just as awesome this week. These posts are from my friends at Yakezie, a blogging network for those who write about finances. Since I write about making money, they are nice enough to let me play in their sandbox.  There is so much wisdom in this one post, and I cannot impress on you enough how much these bloggers know. Visit, leave them some comments, and show them some love, please. 

P.S.– Don’t worry, the second part of my series for beginners is coming, I have just been finishing up some pressing work. 

Justin@TheFrugalPath @ The Frugal Path writes Credit Cards: Should I Blame Them for my Debt? – If you’re in debit it’s easy to blame the credit card companies. But if you look at the reasons why you’ve bought things on credit your thoughts may shift a bit.

Jeremy @ Modest Money writes Grocery Shopping Savings Made Simple – One financial topic covered on virtually every personal finance blog is how to save money at the grocery store. That makes complete sense since it is where we spent a good chunk of our money each month.

James Petzke @ This Is Common Cents writes Couponing: The Time Consuming Way to Increase Your Spending – Coupons can only get you deals on processed crap food, not good, whole, healthy ingredients.

Darwin @ Darwin’s Money writes The Cost of Lice: A Financial Evaluation from Recent Experience – While the topic’s nasty, the costs are real…LICE! Here’s what a recent bout of being “exposed” to a lice house cost us.

Michael @ Financial Ramblings writes 2013 Federal Income Tax Brackets (Projected) – Next year’s tax brackets are still up in the air, but we can make some educated guesses under various assumptions about how the fiscal cliff drama will be resolved.

Rohit @ The Money Mail writes Roth IRA Conversion – Converting to a Roth IRA is a very easy and simple process. This article provides an overview of the Roth IRA conversion rules and process. If you ar looking to convert your Traditional IRA or 401K account to a Roth IRA, read on.

James @ Free in Ten Years writes Book review: Your Money or Your Life – Your Money or Your Life changed my life financially and is on the way to changing my life completely by allowing me to reach financial independence faster than I thought was possible.

Andrew @ 101 Centavos writes “Quick, Help Me Find a Career” – New college graduates may not be “entitled” to a career, but there are plenty of “jobs” around. Just a matter of looking.

Lance @ Money Life and More writes 5 Affordable Home Makeover Project Ideas – We knew when we bought our townhouse that it needed a home makeover because it was stuck in the time period it was built in, the 80′s. Nothing against the 80′s, but we wanted to update many items by giving ourselves a home makeover.

Dividend Growth Investor @ Dividend Growth Investor writes Why dividend investors should never touch principal? – I recently read an article from Forbes about generating income in retirement. While I disagree with the portfolio constructed by the editorial staff, what grabbed my attention was the following quote from Lord Greystoke in the movie “Tarzan”: “Someday, he says to the young man from the jungle, this will all be yours: Live off the income from the land, but don’t sell any of it.”

Joe Cassandra @ 7Minute Entrepreneur writes Use Less Energy to Automate Yourself to Success More Efficiently – Psychology lesson on automating and mastering tasks to better succeed in negotiation, interviewing, and socializing.

MR @ Money Reasons writes Using Paypal As A Simplified Bookkeeping System – I recently signed up for the PayPal credit card so I could used paypal as a simplified bookkeeping system for tax purposes.

Corey @ 20s Finances writes Investing in Real Estate vs. Stock Market – Retail investors often flock to two very different asset classes to reach their retirement goals. Each one has its own advantages.

Walt Valdemoro @ My Wealth Desire writes How to Earn Money on YouTube Videos and Useful Tips to Make Money From YouTube – If you are looking on how to earn money from the internet, YouTube video is one of the best and efficient options nowadays. YouTube becomes one of the best sources of living to some successful people who know the best method to earn money online by using their videos. Others luckily earned huge amount of money by just posting videos of their pets, kids’ adventure, tutorial and many other subjects.

Marvin @ Brick By Brick Investing writes How I Manage My 401k – A detailed description of how I utilize technical and fundamental analysis to manage my 401k

Jester @ The Ultimate Juggle writes Savings Account vs Money Market – If someone were to tell me a year ago that having a savings account could be a bad thing, I would have probably laughed in their face.

Eddie @ Finance Fox writes Tipping Etiquette a Touchy Subject For Patrons and Servers – I’ve written a few articles in the past about the tipping etiquette, how much to tip and in which cases to tip. Yet, tipping etiquette is different for everyone.

Daisy @ Add Vodka writes Giveaway: Apple iPad3 – Last week, we were in the mall Christmas shopping for our families and we walked by the Apple Store. It was, of course, chock full of Christmas shoppers. I dragged the boyfriend into the store to take a look at an Apple iPad3.

Luke @ Learn Bonds writes Will Your Balanced Fund Protect You In The Next Bear Market? – Considering investing in a balanced fund? Here is the definition of what a balanced fund is, and some things you may want to consider before investing.

Bryan @ Gajizmo.com – PF writes Should I Pay Off My Mortgage Early? – There are certainly advantages and disadvantages to paying off your mortgage early. In this article, we describe the specific financial situations that warrant a family paying off their mortgage versus other circumstances where you would be better off keeping it.

Aloysa @ My Broken Coin writes Things I Learned About Myself in November – Last month I decided to explore a different realm of writing besides blogging, and I joined NaNoWrimo. I was writing a novel. In one month. Yeah, I know what you are thinking. During this one month I not only attempted to write a novel, I also did some self-analysis, self-exploration and self-beating.

Kyle @ The Penny Hoarder writes Moving Jobs? Take Your Retirement Fund with You – How many times have you changed jobs? Three, four, five, or more? Each time you change jobs, do you make sure to take your retirement with you? If you are young and only employed briefly, do you just pay the penalties and instead cash out the retirement and pocket the money? We live in a The post Moving Jobs? Take Your Retirement Fund with You appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

Suba @ Broke Professionals writes Rearranging My Financial Priorities – A dumb decision in college kept me from catching the travel bug for more than a decade. Now, I’m rethinking my financial priorities.

Passive Income Earner @ The Passive Income Earner writes How To Rebalance a Stock Portfolio – Find out what you need to look out for when rebalancing a stock portfolio

Jennifer Lynn @ Broke-Ass Mommy writes A Mish-Mash of Goals – Read how I’m doing with my financial goals and really life goals too!

SBB @ Simple Budget Blog writes Spending Less Than You Earn – Spending less than you earn is one of the most basic things in the world. Everyone says that it is easy, but it’s much harder to actually carry out.

IMB @ Investing Money writes Should I Invest in Individual Stocks? – Everyone should consider investing in individual stocks. You need to consider the fees and risks involved in this strategy. find out if it is right for you.

Amanda L Grossman @ Frugal Confessions writes Sometimes it’s Not about Money: My Splurge on an Afternoon at Natural Hot Springs – I dropped my bags in my hotel room, took a quick glimpse in the mirror to check for post-flight acceptability, and immediately rented a car in downtown Denver.

Greg @ Club Thrifty writes How Much Money is Enough? – You probably heard that the Powerball jackpot recently reached an estimated $550 million dollars. It got me thinking, “How much money is enough?”

Marvin @ Brick By Brick Investing writes How A Single Person Should Live If They Want To Be Rich – A detailed letter providing guidelines to a young fraternity brother on how to become rich.

CAPI @ Creating a Passive Income writes When to Not Be Passive with Passive Income – Passive income takes some time commitment at certain times. Find out when you should invest your time.

Ashley @ Money Talks Coaching writes Living Beyond Rich – Did you know I’m in a book?! It’s called Living Beyond Rich and it launches today! Wohoo! I’m so excited.

Crystal @ Budgeting in the Fun Stuff writes Were We Worried When Buying Our New House? Great Question! – A reader asked if our unstable income caused us to worry while we were having our new house built. Short answer, yes. But there is more to the story…

Roger the Amateur Financier @ The Amateur Financier writes Three Things to Do Right Before a Baby’s Birth – A short guide to some of the things you need to do right before a baby is born into your family, from making a baby delivery bag to preparing for a week of food

Cash Flow Mantra @ Cash Flow Mantra writes Hoping the Rental House Refinance Works Out – 5 of my rental properties are the ones that I will be able to refinance. I figured that while I was decreasing the interest rate, I would also look into decreasing the term. Currently, my rates run from 6.38% to 7% with remaining terms of 21 to 23 years. I had him look at 20 year and 15 year numbers, and I am liking what I see.

Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes 5 More Ways To Prepare Your Home For The Winter – Here are 5 more ways in addition to the earlier ones on ways to prepare you home for the winter.

Debt Guru @ Debt Free Blog writes Budgeting for the Year – The year is almost coming to a close and that means a lot of things. Not only does it mean Holidays, vacation, time with family, but also the beginning of a new year. This is the time of the year that people start to go crazy with new years resolutions.

Tushar @ Earn More and Save writes Peer to Peer Lending Versus CDs – Peer to peer lending and CDs – which is a better vehicle to invest your money?

PPlan @ Provident Plan writes Should you rent or buy your next home? – Buying a home is definitely a large investment. There are a lot of things that should be thought about, but what if renting your home is actually a better

TDB @ Tax Deduction Blog writes How to get the best tax advantage with HSA? – HSA provides all the advantages of a traditional IRA, including tax-deductible contributions and the best of Roth IRA, which is tax-free growth?

Jason @ Live Real Now writes The Happy Butt – If you have a negative outlook on everything, I have good news for you: it’s possible to defeat it. No matter how long you’ve been looking at the world through coffin-colored glasses, no matter how ingrained your negative slant is, it’s possible to change it.

BARBARA FRIEDBERG @ Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance writes YOU ARE ALREADY WEALTHY – Wealthy life is more than money. Count the ways you are rich (hint, not only money)

harry campbell @ Your Personal Finance Pro writes Guest Post: What to Look for in an Online Brokerage – We’ve all seen the commercials for online brokerages; one has a green line, another wants you to talk to someone named Chuck, and still others have celebrity pitchmen telling you to take control of your financial future with their platform. They’re all members of the multi-billion dollar online brokerage industry. Up until the last few decades, if you wanted to invest in the stock market, you had to go through a high priced broker that might charge you several hundred dollars.

DPF @ Digital Personal Finance writes 5 Ways Bloggers Can Use Fiverr to Outsource Tasks – There are many ways people can get things done for less, and the free market offers some real opportunities to save if you simply look. This post shares a recent experience using Fiverr to save money on a blogging task, and also discusses other outsourcing possibilities.

Your Boss @ What Your Boss Really Thinks writes Ask Your Boss: How To Negotiate a Job Offer – how to negotiate a job offer, points of negotiating, salary negotiating, job interviews, boss’s point of view on salary negotiating.

Ted Jenkin @ Your Smart Money Moves writes What Is An Appropriate Holiday Tip To Give? – Thanksgiving is behind us and now it is on to the mad holiday dash that will include office Christmas parties, trips to the local mall, and lots of gift

Daniel @ Sweating the Big Stuff writes Lending Club: One Year Later – It’s been a little over a year since I started investing in Lending Club. It looks like my performance has pretty good! Here’s what I’ve learned.

Corey @ Steadfast Finances writes How Much Does College Really Cost? – College costs a lot more than just tuition. The cost of college also includes other fees associated with getting a college degree.

Jason @ Work Save Live writes US Bank FlexPerks(R) Travel Rewards Visa Signature(R) Card – Just weeks away from Christmas, we all know how expensive the holidays can be. Forget the presents, food, and décor… I am talking about the costly traveling to see our loved ones. After all, there is nothing that kills your Christmas buzz quite like spending hundreds or even thousands on flights and lodging to be near family for -the most wonderful time of the year-.

Hank @ Money Q&A writes How To Evaluate The Return On Rental Property And Investment Real Estate – There are a few things that you need to consider when evaluating your options on the return on rental property and investment real estate. Here are a few things that you need to think about when investing.

Tushar @ Start Investing Money writes Low Minimum Mutual Funds to Consider Investing In – I’ve researched a lot of mutual funds and I found these low minimum mutual funds to consider investing in.

Beating Broke @ Beating Broke writes What Christmas Expectations Are You Setting for Your Children? – If you have small children, think carefully about what expectations you want to give your children. Yes, retailers would prefer that you shop ’til you drop and give your credit card a work out, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are what some people do who have chosen to have a different Christmas celebration than retailers would prefer you have:

Josh Thompson @ Becoming Your Own Bank writes Cash Value Life Insurance – Cash value life insurance may not be as bad as you think, in fact, it may be better than your current investments, or a great part of an overall investment portfolio.

Drew @ Objective Wealth writes A Christmas Carol? Bah, Humbug! – Why A Christmas Carol’s Ebenezer Scrooge was misunderstood and Christmas as we know it makes for such a fantastic celebration of wealth and productivity.

Savvy Scot @ The Savvy Scot writes SALLTYE – Spend a LOT Less Than You Earn – A GREAT point from The Savvy Scot this week; SALLTYE – Spend A Lot Less Than You Earn.. And Here’s why

Ryan @ Early Retirement Investments writes Finding Ways to Increase Your Bottom Line – Here are the ways to increase your bottom line. See if you thought of these options.

ETZ25 @ Entertainment Timez writes Fun With Free Christmas Activities – These are the free christmas activities that I enjoy doing during this christmas year

Sicorra @ Tackling Our Debt writes Blog Planner – An Effective Way to Organize and Manage Your Blog – You are welcome to download your free copy of my 2013 Blog Planner and begin using it right away. This Blog Planner is divided up into multiple tabs to literally keep track of every aspect of blogging.

Everything Finance @ Everything Finance Blog writes Thoughtful yet Cheap Gifts Under $20 – Prepare yourself with these thoughtful yet cheap gift ideas for everyone on your list that will make people wonder if Santa hired you as an elf.

A Blinkin @ Funancials writes How To Dominate The Dow – Who wants to spend all their time researching a company to truly understand whether or not it’s a good investment? Nobody! That’s why I’m bringing to you 3 -Easy Button- strategies to get the ridiculous returns you deserve!

Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes Turn Your Wasted Time into Productive Time – When you think about how much time you have, it’s easy to assume that you don’t have very much time at all. You probably feel busy, running from place to place, trying to get everything done. The truth, though, is that you likely waste more time than you think.

Boris @ Cheapnfrugal writes Money lessons to be learned from Gangnam Style – Gangnam style is the most popular videon on youtube. Are you aware of the message behind it? It talks about the vanity of people and you’re willing to spend $5 for coffee but not for a meal. 

Gary @ Gajizmo – PF writes Why You Should Always Carry Cash With You – We all worry about getting mugged with a handful of cash in our wallet, but there are plenty of good reasons you should always carry cash with you.

krantcents @ KrantCents writes Year-end Tax Planning Tips – Are you doing year-end tax planning? If not, be prepared to pay more in taxes! As a former Chief Financial Officer (CFO), I routinely did year-end tax planning for the companies I worked for. Along with our accounting firm, we took a proactive role in reducing our taxes.

Evan @ My Journey to Millions writes A Housing Sale and Purchase Update–We Are Getting Close to a New Home! – The problem is that since they waited so long to get a mortgage commitment and since I was so risk adverse I didn’t start my mortgage paperwork until they got their commitment. Oh yeah I found a house and I am in contract more on that below.

Mrs. PoP @ Planting Our Pennies writes What Am I Gonna Do With A Gun Rack? – Mrs. PoP relies on the wisdom of the timeless classic, Wayne\’s World, for gift giving and receiving advice this holiday season.

Michelle @ The Shop My Closet Project writes What if money didn’t matter? – Read my take on if money did not matter! What do you think?

Maria @ The Money Principle writes Give Yourself the Spirit of Entrepreneurialism this Christmas – Entrepreneurialism needs variety of conditions and a tidy, pleasant working environment is one of them.

Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes Stay Healthy, Save Money – Doctor visits, prescription drugs and taking the time off of work can be expensive not to mention making you feel crappy during the process of recovery. Here are some ways to stay healthy:

Justin @ My University Money writes Six Online Shopping Safety Tips – Many of us have become pretty comfortable shopping online. That’s good because it enables us to save money and it also shows that we’re embracing technological change. At the same time, that comfort level can also expose us to identity theft and security breaches that can do a lot of damage.

Young @ Young And Thrifty writes How a Savings Account Keeps You Out of Debt – Like Rodney Dangerfield, savings accounts don’t get any respect. In a world dominated by exchange traded funds, tax-sheltered retirement plans, and low interest credit cards, savings accounts are kind of dull.

SFB @ Simple Finance Blog writes Who Should Pay For Bridesmaids’ Expenses? – Who pays for the expenses incurred by bridesmaids? It’s a question every bride-to-be has grappled with, and one that lacks a coherent answer.

Jon the Saver @ Free Money Wisdom writes Ideas for Inexpensive Christmas Gifts for Young Children – Christmas does not always have to be expensive. They won’t realize how much you spent on them. As long as they think it’s cool, you’re good!

Sustainable PF @ Sustainable Personal Finance writes 3 Tips for Reducing Consumerism the Holiday Season – I do enjoy the holiday season. I like the putting up the tree, and I enjoy spending time with family, and I like that winter is falling, and that I want to be

Invest It Wisely @ Invest It Wisely writes 3 Low Cost Ways to Grow Your Small Business – Thanks to the Internet and your own social skills, there are plenty of ways to grow your business that don’t cost a dime.

Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes How to Improve Your Family’s Finances – It’s been a while since I have written specifically about family finances. In the past year, my wife have made huge progress in our family’s financial situation. In the past year, both of us have received promotions/new jobs, increased our savings, invested more money, and also splurged a little.

Sean @ One Smart Dollar writes How to Answer the Top 10 Most Common Interview Questions – With unemployment rates at such high levels, employees need every advantage to better the other candidates. Here are answers for the top 10 most common interview questions

FMF @ Free Money Finance writes Are You Better Off than You Were Four Years Ago? – A big question in the presidential campaign a few weeks ago was “are you better off than you were four years ago?” Both sides had their points-of-view and tried to influence the electorate to their way of thinking, hoping it would lead to more votes.

Jeff Rose @ Good Financial Cents writes Roth IRA Rules 2013 – The IRS has revealed it current Roth IRA rules. This data was based on a variety of factors and figures including inflation statistics to come up with new limits for the contributions.

Robert @ The College Investor writes Set Financial Rules, and Live Within Them – It may not be sexy, but discovering what you can do with money that you save is as close as I can get!

Jeremy @ Modest Money writes Credit Card Balance Transfers Can Be Your Friend – When we think of potential benefits of credit cards, the most obvious ones are the convenience and the rewards you can earn on purchases. The other big benefit that we should keep in mind is balance transfer options.

J Wayne @ All Things Finance writes Rise Of The Female Trader [Infographic] – The number of female traders in the market is growing rapidly. This infographic does a great job explaining the make up of these new investors.

J.P. @ Novel Investor writes Tax Day 2013: Tax Deadlines For The 2012 Tax Year – With tax time right around the corner, it’s always good to have the important tax deadlines marked on your calendar before you plan your 2012 tax return.

John S @ Frugal Rules writes Why Rebalancing Your Portfolio is Like Buying a Carton of Eggs – Portfolios, much like eggs can be damaged for numerous reasons. You also want to make sure you have a well balanced portfolio, just like you want a well-balanced diet. Part of a balanced portfolio is rebalancing it annually to make sure you have the best allocation possible.

Marie at Family Money Values @ Family Money Values writes Best of the Past – A tour of the best of the past years posts both here at Family Money Values and on other sites for which I have written

KK @ Student Debt Survivor writes Student Debt Denial – When I first got my student loan bill I was in a state of panic. Are you in student debt denial?

Carmen @ My Best Car Insurance 101 writes Ways To Get The Cheapest Car Insurance – The New Year is coming and we’re all going to be checking our budgets for the last year? Your insurance premiums will surely stand out and you’ll want to find a way to lower your rates while keeping the best coverage.

Carmen @ Best Car Insurance writes How Credit Scores Affect Car Insurance Rates – Many consumers are not aware that insurance companies use credit scores in the underwriting process for car insurance coverage. See how your credit scores may be affecting your rates.

PK @ Don’t Quit Your Day Job… writes The Earth Is Flat! Why a Flatter Tax Code is Better (The No Math Edition!) – “A flatter tax code with less deductions? But that’ll raise the same amount of money!” But not is all as it seems… why a flatter code is better for new technologies.

Deacon @ Well Kept Wallet writes How to Track Your Finances Online for Free – Do you want to get a handle on your finances? Have you ever thought about tracking your spending? It is amazing how fast money can disappear if we don’t have a plan. There are many different resources out there to help you manage your finances, however, there is one website that I use that has helped us to become debt-free (except the home).

Edward Antrobus @ Edward Antrobus writes 2 Frugal Tips for Preparing Your Home for a Showing – Preparing your home for a showing is essential for getting it sold and getting the best price. Follow these three frugal tips to prepare for it yourself.

Philip @ PT Money Personal Finance writes How to Pay for College If You Started Saving too Late – What if your child is about to leave for college this year and you never began that college fund for them? How can you pay for it? Here are some tips.

Brad Jones @ Structured Settlement Quotes writes A Look at the Advantages to Using Structured Settlement Brokers – Selling your structured settlement gives you access to a lump sum of cash immediately. This can be enormously beneficial, particularly if you are facing serious financial difficulties. Whether you’ve lost your job, have mounting medical bills or need to get your creditors off your back, that lump sum can be essential.

Emily @ Evolving Personal Finance writes Who Paid for Your Wedding? – I share who paid for what for our wedding and in what proportion and ask how money affected the dynamics of planning your wedding.

Girl Meets Debt @ Girl Meets Debt writes Girl Meets Debt (No Longer in Financial Denial) – They say that the first step towards recovery is admitting you have a problem. It is actually very intimidating yet liberating at the same time to say (or write!) that I have a debt problem. I am ready to be proactive and tackle this debt on.