46th Carnival of Money Stories—Living it Out

Part of what we do in PF blogging is learning. We learn about how to get out of debt, how to save money, etc. But the next part is the doing. That’s what keeps our blogs going—the living (or not living) it day in and day out.

This is the Carnival of Money Stories. It’s a collection of the blog entries that are less about technical stuff and more about the stuff of everyday life (though we have some advice too, based off real life examples).

I decided not to do any editor’s picks this week, since I think they’re all great stories—everyone has to live it out in their own way.

VH of Funny About Money reflected on how she got so deep into debt and came up with a great piece on what not to do with your finances. Little by little, it’s so easy to slip into debt.

PaidTwice wishes she’d understood inflation much earlier. On the plus side, she certainly did a good job of saving even if she fell victim to inflation too.

Lynnae at Being Frugal tells the story of her trip to the store and why you should always have a backup plan. It’s all to easy to end up tired and unprepared and just wanting to get home.

Mr Credit Card got a credit limit increase on his Amex Blue Cash card. He reflects on how he got to this point by behaving well over the last 14 years he’s been with the company and 3 years he’s had the card.

Dawn introduces us to Buddy and Fugee. Sure, they cost a fair amount to feed and care for, but they’re also a very rewarding pair of puppies.

BPT of Money Changes Things learned a lot about entrepreneurship and cash-based business from her times as the girl scout cookie mom (grinch). I do enjoy my girl scout cookies. I can imagine that selling them would be a lot more frustrating.

David at My Two Dollars is falling deeper into a hole called debt thanks to his recent medical bills. My mom’s treatments cost more than my dad makes in a year. But her insurance has covered it so far.

Randall of Credit Withdrawal asks the ever-pressing question “Should you Share Financial Information with Family?” I’d say that it definitely depends on your family. Mine (for better or worse) know about this blog. Hi Mom and Dad, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, etc! Would you tell yours about your blog or your financial difficulties.

Charles H. Green at Trust Matters is very annoyed by banks behaving badly. They’re giving him all kinds of perks unasked—but billing him too…

T. Pettinger of the Mortgage Blog recounts his personal experience with debt. His solution: Earn more.

Free Money Finance explains how he created a home inventory for insurance purposes. Very important step for anyone with homeowner’s or renter’s insurance. You need to prove what you’ve got if you lose it.

Pinyo at Moolanomy got his free Verizon tv and wishes he could do it all over again. You see, he found out about an even better and more practical deal. The thing is, though, we never really know what deals will come along. So unless we’re psychic, we may have to do the best we can and be satisfied with that.

Henry Bagdasarian was at a gas station when he discovered his credit card was expired. Sometimes the companies apparently don’t send you the knew one.

wealthy_1 explains her car-shopping experience. She’s not very positive about it all, but she’s trying.

Moneychallenge of the Great Money Challenge is learning from January’s spending pattern.

Investing Angel explains how to avoid falling victim to a stock scam. Too many sad money stories about these. Good tips to keep your investing story safe.

Madison at My Dollar Plan presents the results of her stay home or go back to work poll. She’s dealing with both needs and responsibilities…and hopefully she’ll eventually be able to reconcile everything she wants.

Ana of DebtFREE-Revolution had to pay another stupid tax–this time it’s overdraft fees.

Brooke at Dollar Frugal didn’t get a free ride for cell phones when it came to rebates. But it could have been worse.

RacerX reflects on their 180 degree shift in less than 180 days. He and his family have made a lot of changes for the better.

Shawna of One Girl’s Quest reviews her secret to debt reduction success. But I’m not going to spoil it for you.

Raymond of Money Blue Book wishes that Verizon Wireless would stop harassing him about renewing his contract. Those contracts are a sweet deal for them and a real hassle for us.

Mr. Debtbeater analyzed their holiday financial setbacks, explaining how a one-time splurge outside the budget (for no good reason) can seriously impact your long term financial goals.

BeThisWay discovered that shame is a powerful incentive, darn it. She’s pulling her sewing machine back out and is going to fix some sheets. Sometimes linens can be pretty frustrating to manage. Good luck!

KCLau advises us not to spend on things we don’t want to please people we don’t even like. It seems like a lot of spending is meant to impress others and convince them of our financial status.

JvW of Good Life on a Budget is pretty sure that their home value has decreased. The question is what to do about it now. Maybe nothing, after all they’re still living there and will just have to pay it down.

Thanks everyone for reading and submitting. Next week’s CoMS is at College of Cash.

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