Carnival of 20-Something Finances: "Viral Pictures" edition.

Goooooooooood morning my fellow PF readers and bloggers! Welcome to today's Carnival of 20-Something Finances - the "Viral Pictures" edition.

We all get them from time to time, but not once have they ever been associated with personal finance. Today that changes! So before you start the week "working", take a couple more minutes to yourself and enjoy the fruit of our 20-something minds ;)

I can't promise it won't bring back fond ol' memories of yesteryear, but I CAN promise there's some great nuggets of information here. You might even learn something today, imagine that?

So click around a bit and see what you can find. And if you're in a rush, be sure to at least check out the editor's picks. Then, and only then, you have my permission to get the day started ;)

Without further ado, here are the chosen articles....along with pictures that may, or may not, involve excess drinking and a load of tom foolery. Enjoy!


Editor's Picks.


These trophies are for you! Your hard work and dedication to personal finance has paid off, and I thank you for adding goodness to the blogosphere. Check 'em out before your A.D.D. kicks in ;)

• Roshawn Watson presents Tori Spelling - Unsung Financial Hero? over on Watson Inc. It's hard to believe, but former 90210 actress Tori Spelling's entrepreneurial side is impressive. She designs and markets her own line of jewelry, ran the country Chateau La Rue Inn, owns a production company, and penned a NY Times best-seller! Come again?
• Hilary Green gives us the Cars Under $25,000, and writes for Cars for Girls. There aren't many things sexier than a woman who knows her cars, and Hilary sure knows her stuff. Her site, Cars for Girls, helps to "empower women by respecting and educating them in order to help them make smarter buying decisions." Rock it out girl!
• Raymond shares How Credit Scores Work And How Scores Are Calculated at Money Blue Book Personal Finance. An awesome, and in depth, review of credit card goodness. It's a long one, but you'll come away a lot smarter for sure! At the very least, check out the graph midway through for a snapshot on HOW they're calculated.
• Benjamin gets into The Complete Guide to Protecting Your Credit and Identity posted at Trees Full of Money. Identity theft can happen to anyone from age 1 to age 100, so it's always great to be on top things. Benjamin shares with us the steps necessary to maximize our protection against this indecent crime.

Get Your Mind Right.


Don't let anyone foil your fun! (sorry, i couldn't resist). When it comes to financial mindsets, we can be all over the place, but it doesn't have to be that way. The key is understanding all the players on the field so you can put a game plan in action. These bloggers evaluate their own "financial mindsets" and can help get ya started.

• Tiffanie presents why a personal finance blog, you ask? A voyeuristic look into her financial past over at we like money.
• Nadege shares The actions I took that created my financial peak posted at fabulous finances. Nadege believes it's a good idea to review your financial picture every now and then and see where you stand.
• Dorian Wales writes My View of Frugal Thinking over at The Personal Financier. She presents her thoughts on frugality and personal finance literacy.
• Brooke shares her Groundhog Day Goals - 7 July over at Dollar Frugal. A pretty nifty idea - revisiting her goals each month on the month-date matching (2/2, 3/3, 7/7, etc).
• Anand presents How to Master Money & Wealth Raising Your Financial Awareness posted at AnandDhillon.com - Self-Help for Self-Mastery. This article details a plan for increasing your awareness of your financial situation. With increased awareness comes the opportunity to make better choices and improve your finances. No doubt!
  

The Opposite of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.


Unlike the military, we here at Budgets Are Sexy encourage any and all questions - how else are you to learn? Here are some of the q's going around the 20-something's minds these days.

• KC Lau asks: Do you have the assets to pay for your liabilities? over on KCLau's Money Tips. You know I do baby! An article on whether one has the assets to pay off liabilities and how to obtain assets
• Toni Graybill presents What is wealth? posted at Maximize Health and Wealth and adds it's a "simple explanation of your why and what".
• LAL presents Etiquette Question posted at LivingAlmostLarge. In our 20s we attend so many weddings. Is there etiquette for going or not?
• Lexie Puckett presents Saving Money Tip - What Does Recession Mean To You? from Budget Lexicon. This post discusses why twenty somethings need to be concerned about the current state of the economy and how we can financially protect ourselves

Edumacation 101.


Don't wake up one day like this girl, get out there and keep doing your thing! You can never learn too much - and if you think you do, you're on crack. Did you know that there are square watermelons in Japan? Did you know that Coca-cola was originally green? These posts below aren't as good for cocktail parties, but they sure work for the wallet!

• ChristianPF presents Hypermiling 101 - ways to save lots of gas posted at Christian Debt help. The simple steps and tips the hypermilers use to get more than double the gas mileage the rest of us get.
• Woman Tribune presents Mind Your Own Business Girls: Business Coaching, Education & Empowerment for Woman Entrepreneurs over on Woman Tribune, adding "Earn a six figure income working just a few hours a week. Join Mind Your Own Business Girls for business coaching, education & empowerment for woman entrepreneurs."
• Tip Diva shares Tip Diva Top Ten Tips - If Your Wallet Is Stolen over at Tip Diva. She unfortunately had her wallet stolen the other day! Luckily, her ATM card and driver’s license were not in the wallet, but the perp decided to buy $200 worth of train tickets using her credit cards. Here’s what to do in case your wallet is stolen.
• Kristine shows that Debit Card Fraud is Much More Damaging Than Credit Card Fraud over on The Money Wise Coach. A thief paid a visit to her as well, unfortunately, but she's all the smarter now because of it!
• DMH presents Wedding Tips: Get Three+ Catering Quotes posted at Daily Money Hack. It's always a good idea to get multiple quotes!
• Mr Credit Card presents Finances vs. Credit Part 2 of 4: Debt Consolidation posted at Ask Mr Credit Card. A great post to read before xfering a c/c balance over, or picking a consolidation company.
• The Shark Investor presents Do It Yourself Projects As A Source Of Alternative Income posted at The Shark Investor. A good look at when doing it yourself actually makes senese.
• Lauren presents 11 Easy Ways to Save on Gas over on FGC Auto Blog. We can use as many tips as we can these days!
• Dan Green presents Why You Can't Get Your Rate Quote From Freddie Mac's Weekly Survey on The Mortgage Reports. He recommends igoring the online rate reports, saying it's nearly impossible to get a "ballpark mortgage rate" unless you talk with a loan officer.
• Joe Caterisano presents 26 tips to save money on gasoline posted at Penny Pinching. one of them is "Walk. It is also good exercise." haha...I love it.
• Tyler presents Colgate Washes Up Another Dividend posted at Dividend Investor. He gives a look at Colgate and the potential the company has to be a great long-term dividend growth stock - and why now may be the time to invest.

Paying for the Edumacation.


Unlike the air we breath, we have to pay for these extra smarts. It's definitely no fun, of course, but not to worry as there's always help around the corner. Take a gander at these to get you on the right track.

• jim shares his Sixty Second Guide to Stafford Loan Consolidation over on Blueprint for Financial Prosperity, and includes a quick rundown of the new rates starting July 1st. I have to agree, consolidation is KEY. And there's definitely no "magic trick" about it.
• Finance Tips 101 presents Scholarship And Grant Information For Interested High School Graduates posted at Finance Tips 101. A great read if you're about to jump into the most beautiful land there is - College. Just think of what you can do w/ all that money you'd save w/ a scholarship?
• Hanna Kassis presents Tax Breaks for College Students: pt. 2 over on College Finance 101. Already in college? Take a good look at this post.

Well, that's it kiddies! As always, if you liked what you saw think about signing up to the old feed of mine. It was a pleasure being your host, and i hope you at least got some nice eye candy before starting out the week. Now if you'll excuse me, i have to go scour my email for some more goodies!

Holler,

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