Roger Wohlner @ The Chicago Financial Planner writes Choosing the Right Financial Advisor – Key Considerations – With the holidays behind us and taxes on the horizon, many folks are looking to find a qualified financial advisor who is right for their situation. Maybe getting your finances in order was a New Year’s Resolution. Perhaps you’ve realized that retirement is getting closer. Whether you will be looking to work with a financial advisor for the first time or feel that your current advisor isn’t meeting your needs, here are some issues for you to consider in your selection process.

William @ Quote Me A Price writes Annuities and Structured Settlements: What�s the Difference? – Annuities and structured settlements have many similarities, and you might even make the mistake of thinking they are the same thing. Sure, they both pay regular payments to the people they are owed to over a specified time period, but the way state and federal laws see these two types of payments confirms that they are indeed different things.

Michelle @ Making Sense of Cents writes $6,523 in January Extra Income and GOALS – Yes, you read that correctly, I beat my goal that I made in December, and I made $6,523 in extra income in the month of January! After expenses, I made $5,823 for the month of January. I thought the goal that I set was pretty high since I made $5,570 in December (and thought that was hard). I still can’t believe that I am doing so well, when just one year ago my extra income was at around $100 per month.

Michael Kitces @ Nerd’s Eye View writes Understanding Marginal Tax Rate Vs Effective Tax Rate And When To Use Each – Effective investment decision making requires accounting for both economic and tax consequences. Unfortunately, though, many people are confused about which tax rate to use… so this article lays out exactly which ones to use and when!

Steve @ 2012 Taxes writes Higher Mortgage Rates In 2013? – The news that renters and home buyers do not want to hear is that 2013 will almost certainly see higher housing costs, higher rents and various mortgage fees.

Robert @ The College Investor writes 5 Best Investing Books to Get Started Investing – These books are designed for the beginner, but still have a lot of solid topics that any level investor can use. Here is my take on the five best investing books to get started investing!

Robert @ My Multiple Incomes writes My Guide to Finding and Hiring a Virtual Assistant – Since this has been one of my most popular topics, I’ve also created a total Virtual Assistant Guide to help anyone find the tools that they need to hire the right help and the right time. Here’s my guide to finding a virtual assistant for your needs.

Robert @ Entrepreneurship Life writes Tasks You Can Easily Outsource to a Virtual Assistant – Some jobs are easy to take care of yourself. Others are a bit tedious, time consuming, and distract you from making more money or running your businesses efficiently. For those jobs, you can hire a virtual assistant to take care of them for you.

Robert @ Kids Ain’t Cheap writes Introducing Solid Foods – Individually baby foods are not super expensive, but if you consider how many jars you’ll buy over the months that your child will eat non-table food it adds up!

Jeff Rose @ Good Financial Cents writes Mindset of a Millionaire – What do you think of when you imagine being a millionaire? Do you think you can buy the newest Jaguar, a $10 million estate? Do you imagine that riches are something that you will only acquire through incredible good luck? Do you know that a millionaire mindset can also be learned? Think like a millionaire now with these suggested tips.

Jon @ Pay My Student Loans writes 120 African American Grants and Scholarships – This article was years in the making, as I researched to attend school I kept an excel spreadsheet off all the grants I found, When I graduated and had to pay off a few of the student loans I had I found this site (PayMyStudentLoans.com) and thought it would be a great place for me to share my research with others. I really hope that the hours of research I have poured into this list over the years will help make the dream of higher education a reality for someone.

Lance @ Money Life and More writes Am I Crazy? Not Taking the Optimal Financial Path May Be the Right Decision – As a personal finance blogger I often pressure myself to make the best financial decisions possible so I can be a good role model to my readers. However, at times I feel like I need to do something I want rather than what makes the most sense financially. Read on to see what has been occupying my thoughts all week.

Mike @ The Financial Blogger writes Get Your Things Done 100% of the Time – How to get your work done!

Green Panda @ Green Panda Treehouse writes Why I Haven’t Bought an iPad Yet – Are you saving your money?

Div Guy @ The Dividend Guy Blog writes How To Move Away From Mutual Funds and Open an Online Broker Account – Will you move away from mutual funds?

Glen Craig @ Free From Broke writes Should You Break Up With Your Credit Card? When to Move On – Just like a relationship that isn’t working for you there comes a time when you should break up with your credit card. See when it’s time to move on.

Dividend Growth Investor @ Dividend Growth Investor writes Should dividend investors hold on to Abbott (ABT) and Abbvie (ABBV) following the split? – On January 1, 2013, Abbott Laboratories split into two companies, one which retained its name Abbott Laboratories (ABT), and another named Abbvie (ABBV).Since both companies have not had a chance to operate for long periods of time, I would simply hold on to my position.

Martin @ Studenomics writes How Can You Kill That Annoying Credit Card Debt? – Your resource for crushing your debt.

MR @ Money Reasons writes Dark Side of an HSA – After particapting in an HSA for more than five years, I’m doing to reveal the dark side of an HSA account. This is something that affect the middle classes that nobody talks about.

Kyle @ The Penny Hoarder writes How to Get a Free $54/Month for the Rest of Your Life…. – I’ve made a living over the past few years coming up with ways to make money that range from the genius, like my idea to make money buying beer, to those that border on the ridiculous, like my idea to start a cricket farm.

Jon the Saver @ Free Money Wisdom writes The Simplicity of Living Beneath Your Means – Living below your means is truly an amazing feeling. Gone are the days of spending too much, start investing and living smart!

Maria @ The Money Principle writes Take charge of your finances: focus on ‘wants’ rather than ‘needs’ – Making decisions about finances by satisfying needs is a long standing mantra in personal finance. Here I argue that mastering wants is the way to go.

Jason @ Work Save Live writes 5 More Easy Ways Everybody Can Save Money – Considering the difficulties in today’s economy, it’s certainly a time to cut expenses. Saving money by eliminating unnecessary purchases leaves you a nest egg for when you really need it. In addition, saving money helps you pay down existing credit card or other bills.

TDB @ Tax Deduction Blog writes The New 411 on Job Search Tax Deductions – What expenses are deductible for your new job search? Here is a handy list of 7 guidelines that makes your job search expenses tax deductible

Daisy @ Add Vodka writes Spring Cleaning For Your Finances – It’s not quite spring yet in the great white North, but it was 8 degrees (46.4 F) in my region today and sunny, so that counts for something. Whenever it starts getting spring-like out, I get excited to start spring!

Eddie @ Finance Fox writes Do You Carry The Wrong Credit Card? – This question applies to literally millions of Canadians – 85 per cent of us carry a credit card, according to the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada

Hank @ Money Q&A writes Where To Invest $1,000 In Today’s Market – Here are ten excellent places where to invest $1000 today. While you’ll see some of these ideas are using the term investing loosely, it is investing in the broader sense of the word.

SBB @ Simple Budget Blog writes Simplify Budget: Ways to Lower Your Transportation Costs – In an effort to simplify our budget and make managing our finances easier, I’ve looked for new ways to reduce our household spending on transportation. The majority of our transportation costs comes from fuel and car maintenance, but I know everyone’s situation is different.

Jen @ PF Carny writes Steps to Determine If You Are Ready to Open Your Own Business – If you are working for “the man” at a 9 to 5 job, you may dream of nothing more than venturing out on your own and being your own boss. This is the true American dream, and in this age of the Internet, it has become a reality for many people.

BARBARA FRIEDBERG @ Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance writes LIVE A WEALTHY LIFE; MY DAY AT HABITAT FOR HUMANITY – Wealthy living through service to others; more money too.

Jen @ Master the Art of Saving writes Saving Up Money To Pay Cash For A Car – So how in the world am I going to be able to save that much money in such a short time? Well, I’m not certain that I will, but I’ll definitely give it a go. Here’s my plan:

Corey @ 20s Finances writes The Hidden Costs of Renting – It’s important to understand that while homeownership has many costs (perhaps more costs than you are aware of), renting has its own unique costs that are worth considering before becoming a renter for life.

Tushar @ Earn More and Save writes The Lowdown on Frugal Living – Discover the real deal behind frugal living – what the trend is all about, why you should try it, and how the lifestyle can help you save a boatload of money.

Mandy @ Money Master Mom writes Getting Over the Fear of Asking – Are you like me? Does it make you uncomfortable to ask for a discount? Here are 3 examples of big benefits from asking simple questions.

Crystal @ Budgeting in the Fun Stuff writes I Don’t Believe in “Good Debt” – I simply don’t think of any debt as good debt. This doesn’t mean that I treat all debt the same, but I don’t see any of it as a good thing.

ETZ25 @ Entertainment Timez writes Is AIG The Perfect Stock? – Is AIG the perfect stock for 2013? Read why I think this stock has legs and we’re betting that 2013 will be a great year for us.

PPlan @ Provident Plan writes Increasing the value of your home – The economy has probably tanked the value of our house, but there are things we can do to increase its value.

harry campbell @ Your Personal Finance Pro writes An Argument for the Social Security Program to Continue – There are very few programs in the US which are understood less than the Social Security program. You’ll hear a lot of mis-information about Social Security. “You’ll never get what you put into it!” “I’ll be lucky to get anything.” So on and so forth. The mis-information you hear contributes to giving the Social Security (SS) program a bad rap. I contend, however, that there is not better bang for your buck than the SS program – especially after adjusting for risk.

Michelle @ The Shop My Closet Project writes I’m using my SH$T January-a no more buying product manifesto – read my no more buying product manifesto!

Jennifer Lynn @ Broke-Ass Mommy writes Time to establish financial and savings goals for 2013. – Yep, now is the time to establish financial and savings goals!

Chris @ BudgetWays.com writes How To Save Money With Cheap Car Insurance – Most people spend at least a thousand dollars on car insurance, and if you have kids or multiple cars, you’re probably spending at least twice that. Learning how to buy the right type and amount of coverage, while applying for discounts is essential to saving yourself a few hundred dollars a year with cheap car insurance.

Gary @ Gajizmo.com writes Advantages and Disadvantages of Mutual Funds – Mutual funds are among the most popular investment vehicles in the marketplace and represent a multi-trillion dollar industry, but do retail investors know the pros and cons when deciding if investing in a fund is best for them? In this article, we analyze and explain the advantages and disadvantages of mutual funds to help you determine if investing in one makes sense with your financial needs and goals.

Passive Income Earner @ The Passive Income Earner writes Dividend Stock Analysis: Tim Hortons (THI) – Is THI a worthy investment at this time? Did it saturate its Canadian market?

Simon @ Your Wealth Planners writes Dealing with Debt – An IVA may be the Answer – February can be a depressing month as it is without having to worry about debt on top.

Mary Rhodes @ Fine Tune Finances writes Is There Such Thing as Good Debt? – “Debt” is a word many of us have learned to fear. But having debt, to a certain degree, is not always a bad thing. There is such thing as good debt versus bad debt, and you may be in a position to put your mind at ease if your debt falls into the positive category.

Tushar @ Start Investing Money writes Editions TV Show Looks at 4 Reasons to Buy a Second Home – Editions TV with Terry Bradshaw looked at a few reasons to avoid buying a second home. Now Editions takes a look a four reasons you should consider buying one.

John @ WILD about Finance writes 16 Ways to Save Money on your Bills this Winter – With winter in full flow, and everybody still struggling to get their finances sorted out after the festive period, theres no better way to save on your monthly bills, and here are 16 ways how

Michelle @ Making Sense of Cents writes How To Start A Blog – Tips for a Beginner – I receive e-mails nearly everyday (and most of the time multiple times everyday) about blog tips and how to start a blog. I will say this now, I do not consider myself an expert in making a blog at all. That’s pretty much a given right? I have made many mistakes and have now decided that I will make a weekly series on having a blog and tips (and also mistakes).

Suba @ Broke Professionals writes Planning My European Vacation: Getting A Passport – After revisiting my financial priorities to put traveling at the top, I’m ready to plan my European vacation. Step #1? Getting a passport!

Aloysa @ My Broken Coin writes What No One Ever Tells You About Costa Rica – Get my personal inside scoop on my vacation to Costa Rica, and things to watch out for and beware of!

Jester @ The Ultimate Juggle writes Will Our Kids Have Wealth Building Opportunities Like We Had? – Are there less wealth building opportunities for kids in the future? I think this is a possibility and explain why I think so.

Lazy Man @ Lazy Man and Money writes Ask the Readers: Is This Trading or Investing? – It’s been awhile since I’ve given an update on some stocks that I’ve been “travesting” in. I just made up travesting as a combination of trading and investing. Previously, I had mentioned how I had this crazy stock trading idea: buying because someone else paid a lot more for it.

Peter @ Bible Money Matters writes ReadyForZero Review: A Program to Help You Pay Down Your Debt – ReadyForZero is a valuable tool for those who want to get out of debt, and best of all, it is free! As long as your accounts link without trouble (unlike mine), and you want to pay off your debts based on the highest interest rate instead of the smallest debt, ReadyForZero is an excellent tool to use and may just help you get out of debt faster.

Alice @ Hurricanes, Panties & Dollars writes Saving on Inebriation & 10 Money Themed Drinks – I love to drink and have a great time, but if you’re drinking at bars—it can add up faster than a stripper can spot a $100 bill. That’s fast!

William @ Quote Me A Price writes The Advantage of Utilizing a Structured Settlement Broker – If you need the money you have been awarded from a settlement immediately, selling your settlement to a structured settlement broker is a very good choice. Though, you should not try selling your settlement without the services of an expert in the field.

Ted Jenkin @ Your Smart Money Moves writes Three Money Lessons I Learned From My Parents – I don’t think we can often appreciate everything that happens to us growing up as a child.

MMD @ IRA vs 401k Central writes How Inheriting a Roth IRA Can Be a Great Tax-Advantaged Gift – One little known benefits of inheriting a Roth IRA is that you can designate it to someone after you die with little to no tax consequences.

MMD @ My Money Design writes Is the Conventional System to Create Wealth Rigged? – Is following conventional financial advice a rigged game? There’s got to be a better way to create wealth beyond simply saving for the next 30 years!

Ashley @ Money Talks Coaching writes The B Word: How To Create And Use A Budget That Will Change Your Life – I wrote an e-book! It’s called The B word: How to create and use a budget that will change your life. It’s on Amazon for a mere 2.9

John @ Married (with Debt) writes An Exciting New Life for Married (with Debt) – If you are reading this, you may be wondering where the heck I’ve been. No, this post isn’t an apology for a lack of activity. Instead, it is an announcement about the future of this site, and I’m happy to say, it’s looking bright.

Evan @ My Journey to Millions writes January 2013 Net Worth Update – Thank F’n God Its Over! – I am very excited to have made it out of January 2013 alive and without a drinking problem as it was filled with some great highs mixed in with some terrible, awful lows.

Jason @ Live Real Now writes I’m the Bad Guy – In a couple of years, I want to buy a $450,000 spread on about a dozen acres and let my wife’s dreams come true. Or, we could buy a couple of horses now and never have the money for a down payment.

Bank Free Credit @ Bank Free Credit writes How Do I Improve My Credit Score? – Most people don’t think seriously about their credit score until it is too late – when they are preparing to make a major purchase – such as a mortgage or a car. You need to improving your credit score before you get to this point.

Joshua Thompson @ Becoming Your Own Bank writes Bonds Outperform Stocks Over 30 Years – Bonds outperformed stocks over the last 30 years. What does that mean for your portfolio?

krantcents @ KrantCents writes Budgets and Diets Are a Waste of Time! – Budgets and diets are a waste of time! Most, if not all personal finance (PF) bloggers are probably surprised I would say that. A budget or diet is not the answer for overspending or overeating. If these things worked for everyone, there would be no debt or overweight people.

Grayson @ Debt Roundup writes What Not to do When You’re In Serious Financial Trouble – If you are in a financial problem, here are some things that you should not do in order to make your financial issue easier.

Kim @ Eyes on the Dollar writes Reformed Spenders Adjust to Life on Budget – This post shows that planning and budgeting can make a huge difference toward changing poor money behaviors,even for those who used to chronically overspend.

Invest It Wisely @ Invest It Wisely writes What Does It Take to Emotionally Succeed as an Entrepreneur? Here’s What I’ve Learned, One Year After Quitting My Job and Taking the Leap of Faith – It’s been about one year since I took my leap of faith and entered the world of self employment, so what does it take emotionally to succeed?

Sean @ One Smart Dollar writes What is a Currency War? – Most people have never heard of a currency war or are not fully aware of what it really is. By understanding the concept you will be able to understand how it can affect your investments.

Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes The Different Types Of Popular Retirement Funds – Workers need to survive when their working days are over. They need a regular source of income to pay their bills when they can no longer work. Thus, every worker needs a retirement plan for the rainy days ahead. Workers can choose from the different types of retirement plans available.

Daniel @ Sweating the Big Stuff writes How Much Did We Spend On Our Honeymoon? – We were planning on spending $3,500 on our honeymoon. We missed by…a bit.

Corey @ Steadfast Finances writes 9 Things Every New Graduate Must Buy – Graduating college and adjusting to real life requires a few common accessories. Find out what they are and how you can be prepared.

Carmen @ MyBestCarInsurance101.com writes How To Find The Best Car Insurance Quotes – As a former car insurance agent and broker, the top advice I provide for family and friends looking for the best car insurance is to just research. Review the different types of coverage you may need, understand your risk profile and the factors that may affect your premium, and ask for discounts. This article covers all these topics indepth.

Mike @ Personal Finance Journey writes Overseas Investment – Australian Real Estate Market – Easy ideas on investing in Australian Real Estate. Is this right for you and how it can benefit your financial plan.

Joe @ Midlife Finance writes 5 Ominous Signs That Your Elderly Parents May Need Help – When your parents live further away, it’s easy to forget that they’re changing, too. Eventually, they may need more help than you’re aware of right now. How can you tell?

CAPI @ Creating a Passive Income writes Become a Hobbyist: It’s a Passive Income Dream Come True! – Can you turn your hobby into a source of income? Find out how to start making money off of the thing that you love.

A Blinkin @ Funancials writes $999.99 Giveaway – What an incredible Superbowl. If I were to measure the entertainment, I would say: Michelle Williams; Commercials; Beyonce; Jacoby Jones; The game was extremely entertaining, but I wasn’t as impressed with the commercials.

Roger the Amateur Financier @ The Amateur Financier writes How You Can Tell If Your Boss Is Insane – Let’s be honest: if you work at most typical jobs, you probably think that your boss is a little…odd.

Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes Money & Marriage: How to Get and Stay on the Same Track – Here are some of my tips on how to get and stay on the same money track as your spouse.

Everything Finance @ Everything Finance Blog writes Types of Identity Theft: What Is Business or Commercial Identity Theft? – What many people may not be aware of is that business identity theft is also on the rise. This type of theft is also called commercial or corporate theft, and just like personal identity theft, it occurs when a thief uses a business’ line of credit for himself to open offices or merchant accounts.

Grand Per Month @ Grand Per Month writes Getting a Loan to Start a Money Making Business – Regardless of where you plan on borrowing the money to start a business, you want to make sure that you have a good business idea and good business plan in place. Having money does not make a bad business idea succeed. Only borrow as much as you need, but remember that under capitalization is a major cause of business failure. You want to have some cushion for slow months and manage cash flow well.

Penny Thots @ Penny Thots writes Top Mutual Funds of 2012 – According to US News and World Report, the following 10 mutual funds were the more popular funds in 2012 in terms of inflows (money being invested in the funds). Here is the list with the amount of inflows in parenthesis:

Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes Recognizing Financial Patterns – I had an “Ah ha” moment that is making me think differently about my spending and is motivating me to change some ways in which I do things. But just what is that pattern, you might wonder?

eemusings @ NZ Muse writes Does pay-what-you-want really work? – Can a business model that lets customers dictate pricing succeed?

Brad @ Structured Settlement Quotes writes Money Problems $999.99 Cash Give Away – Last month we hosted our first giveaway here at StructuredSettlement-Quotes.com. This month we continue the giveaway contest series by announcing the launch of our $999.99 cash giveaway. This contest will run until the end of February 2013.

Investor Junkie @ Investor Junkie writes Betterment Review – When we first reviewed Betterment, we gave them three and half out of five stars. This was mainly because of their high annual fees and limited asset allocation. With the decreases in their fees and some improvements in their service – Betterment is a much more viable option. Therefore, we now rate them four and half out of five stars.

Luke @ Learn Bonds writes Rolling Down the Yield Curve: How to Make Money by Waiting – One of the easiest and time tested strategies for making money investing in bonds is called rolling down the yield curve. Here’s what you need to know.

Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes 3 Ways to Save Money (A Lot of Money!) – I’m sure you are familiar with the “latte-factor”, which was popularized by David Bach in his Automatic Millionaire book series.

William @ Quote Me A Price writes Annuities and Structured Settlements: What�s the Difference? – Annuities and structured settlements have many similarities, and you might even make the mistake of thinking they are the same thing. Sure, they both pay regular payments to the people they are owed to over a specified time period, but the way state and federal laws see these two types of payments confirms that they are indeed different things.

Girl Meets Debt @ Girl Meets Debt writes Making My Cash-Back Credit Card Work for Me – Now I know what you are all thinking…I must be crazy to want to start using my credit card again after being so irresponsible with it in the first place but you know what? I am finally at a place in my life where I feel confident that I can and will use credit sensibly.

JP @ My Family Finances writes It’s a Buyers Market out there! Top tips for finding a bargain – In a market where home loans come at a premium and even the slightest oversight on your paperwork or research can force you to walk away from a home – and maybe your earnest money – knowing everything you can about the industry, the process, and the market before house shopping is more vital than ever before.

SFB @ Simple Finance Blog writes 5 Deadly Finance Mistakes New Graduates MUST Avoid – Here are the five deadly finance mistakes that new graduates should avoid, and what they should do instead to set themselves up for financial success.

Amanda L Grossman @ Frugal Confessions writes How to Host a Biggest Loser Competition at Work – While cleaning out the top drawer of my filing cabinet at work last week—I shamefully could no longer open the drawer nor close it—I came across several

Greg @ Club Thrifty writes My Credit Score: Why I Don’t Care and You Shouldn’t Either – Worried about your credit score? Don’t be. The credit score is one of the most deceptive tactics that lenders use to control your behavior. Here’s why.

Jules Wilson @ Fat Guy,Skinny Wallet writes Would You Believe More Car Trouble? – I’m sitting here at my mechanic’s shop once again. Yes, my car has overheated again!

Jules Wilson @ Faithful With a Few writes Would You Be Willing To Move To Another Country – My wife and I would watch this show sometimes and think about whether we could really pick up and move to another country. I couldn’t imagine going about my life in the U.S. and then waking up one day and trying to find a home and establish a new life in a new place.

Alan Webster @ 401kcalculator.org writes Why Your 401k Limit Is More Generous Than Ever – Your 401K limit is as high as it’s ever been. This post looks at how the 401k limit has changed compared to the rate of inflation

Scott Skyles @ Mortgage1a.com writes What Causes Fluctuation in Mortgage Interest Rates? – For anyone wondering just what causes fluctuation in mortgage interest rates, the answer is two-fold. While interest mortgage rates tend to go up and down due to supply and demand

John @ Card Hub Blog writes Ask the Experts: Where Do We Get Our Spending Habits From? – Are our spending habits learned, and if so, from where?

Lynn @ Wallet Blog writes Punting your Cable TV Bill – You can cancel your cable and fill the void with alternative TV-entertainment options While this is not an exhaustive list, it might meet your entertainment and budgetary requirements.

Will @ Card Guys Blog writes Don’t sunburn your credit card – This is the time when many people in northern areas start planning to head south for the winter. The problem many people face is that they have still not paid off all the Christmas expenses. But a mid-winter or late winter getaway does not have to break the bank.

John S @ Frugal Rules writes http://www.frugalrules.com/5-easy-ways-save-money-lost-due-payroll-tax-increase/ – The Payroll Tax Holiday went away at the beginning of 2013. Some families were prepared, some were not. This is a list of ways to help make up for that, or if you’re looking to live more frugal and save money in general.

Jon @ Novel Investor writes The Role Of Cash In Your Portfolio – One of the least covered aspects of investing is how cash plays a role in your portfolio. Yet it can be an important tool to help manage risks.

Mr.CBB @ Canadian Budget Binder writes Financial Advisors 101~Get The Inside Scoop – Know the right questions to ask your financial advisor so you are an informed investor. You are in charge of your personal finances so ask the right questions to get the answers you need to make informed decisions.

NoTrustFund @ Where’s My Trust Fund writes Creating A Budget – Create a budget using the balanced money formula

Dividend Growth Investor @ Dividend Growth Investor writes Four Consumer Stocks for a 2013 Economic Expansion – With the continuing rebound of the global economy for a fourth consecutive year, corporate revenues and profits are at record highs. US multinational corporations, which have substantial operations abroad, are very well positioned for the expansion in the number of middle class consumers in the developing markets.I expect the following companies to benefit from the rise of the middle class in emerging markets due to their strong brand names and because of their status.

Bryan @ BryanMaltier.com writes Whole Life Insurance – What Is It? Pros and Cons – Considering life insurance? By now, you must know what term life insurance is, but what about whole policies? Written by a former life insurance agent and broker, this article details the cash value component, how much coverage to buy, how it compares as an investment, payment options, and a brief comparison of different types of life insurance protection.

KK @ Student Debt Survivor writes Chained to Your Work? – Do you ever feel like you’re chained to your work? Can you be chained to your work if you’re not a, “big earner?”. I think so.

Matt @ Dividend Monk writes The Comprehensive Guide to Index Funds – A detailed overview of the simplest long-term investing method.

Steve @ 2013 Taxes writes The Debt Ceiling Crisis – Yesterday, the Senate voted to approve a measure that suspends the U.S. debt ceiling which translates to our country being able to at least temporarily pay bills.

JC @ Passive-Income-Pursuit @ Passive Income Pursuit writes How getting laid off was the best thing for my finances – Going through what brought me toward the goal of reaching early financial independence and keeping track of my finances.

Deacon @ Well Kept Wallet writes 5 Habits of Broke People – According to Websters Dictionary, the word “broke” means penniless. While there are people who have no money because of misfortune, there are many people who are broke because of their habits. Here are five habits of broke people that you should avoid if you want to become wealthy some day.

Edgar @ Degrees and Debt writes Saving Money on Gas via Shopping Programs – How to use shopping programs to save money on gas

Glen Craig @ Free From Broke writes How to Blog and Make Money – 5 Ways to Use Your Blog to Make Money – You’ve heard the stories of those who blog and make money. But how do they do it? Take a look at five ways you can use a blog to make money.

Jason Hull @ Hull Financial Planning writes Preventive Medicine Costs Less Than Reactive Medicine – In this article, we examine how much it costs to go to the gym and eat healthy throughout your lifetime rather than have to pay for the medical expenses which come later as a result of living an unhealthy lifestyle.

Marie at FamilyMoneyValues @ Family Money Values writes Opportunity Cost – At what price do you do the things you do? Could you be engaged in something that is better paying, more fulfilling, or more rewarding? What is your opportunity cost?

Emily @ PT Money Personal Finance writes Best Part-time Jobs with Benefits for 2013 – It might be more difficult to find companies that will offer benefits to workers, especially with the upcoming changes with the Affordable Care Act, but we know of 20 companies who do.

Jacob @ My Personal Finance Journey @ My Personal Finance Journey writes Working Off Your Holiday Debt Overhang – The holiday season ended just a few weeks ago, but if you are like most people, the memory still lingers on – and you have the credit card bills to prove it. The holiday season can create large expenses that just beg for at least an occasional swipe of plastic. This post gives some tips on how to handle this holiday debt load and get back on financial track.

Emily @ Evolving Personal Finance writes Irregular Income: Gravy Edition – What do you do with irregular income that you don’t depend on for your living expenses? Are you succumbing to lifestyle inflation or saving it?

Steve @ 2013 Taxes writes Free Taxcaster App By TurboTax – You can get a free Taxcaster app by Turbotax for your Android tablet or phone with the recently released product from Intuit.

This is the third day since I’ve been home that it’s been storming. In my first winter living on a lake in Northern Ontario, I am definitely noticing a huge increase in the amount snowfall we’ve been getting. Every single highway out of town was closed. You need to get somewhere? Too bad! I went to the gym one morning before it got too bad, and by the time I went to go home an hour later there was so much snow and wind I could barely drive the few blocks home. I’ve been told by locals here that often the grocery stores start to get scarce in product because they can’t get any more shipments in, and the gas stations have run out of gas for the same reasons. I find this all hilarious but I’m thinking if it ever gets that bad I might be less amused.

This is a view from my friend’s yard one day into the storm.

You know what’s great for your budget? A snow storm. (Thanks Canada!) I have barely been able to leave the house this week except when absolutely necessary. I have not purchased a single thing all week and I have been able to catch up on some housework as well. This is also great motivation to use up all of the food in my fridge and pantry.  If I lived in the Arctic I think I may already have been a millionaire by now. I also might have lost my mind, but that’s besides the point.

All of this snow is reminding me of the winters I used to see as a young kid. In the last 10 years I can’t remember a winter that we had a lot of snow consistently and storms that closed anything much down. When my parents were young, it was even worse. Next week it is supposed to get up to +5 Celsius so all of this snow will melt as quickly as it came. That’s global warming for you!

What do you do when your snowed/rained/weathered in?

This is the second in a featured series on Drop that Debt entitled The Perfect Price. See the first post here.

My hair is fairly long and naturally dry due to it’s curliness. I try to only wash it 2 times per week and use olive oil on the ends to keep it healthy. (You should try it. I’m in love.) By the second day of no washing my roots get a bit oily, so I have tried different dry shampoo products to absorb the oil in my roots but leave the moisture in the rest of my hair.

Working at a drugstore for awhile gave me great discounts and the opportunity to try some of the higher end hair products as well as the lower end ones. Here were my experiences :

Low End: $3-10

• The inexpensive spray-in dry shampoos I tried didn’t seem t0 reduce oil at all. They left a filmy feeling on my hair, and had a strange smell.

• Using cornstarch in your roots actually works like a charm. Here is a great blog post I found on making your own dry shampoo containing corn starch. It’s a bit harder to get in the hair than a spray but I found it to work better. Essential oils can be expensive but you use such a small amount it would last you years.

Higher End: $ 15-25

• Klorane is a good option in the higher price bracket. It works well and smells better than the cheaper ones.

• I tried Lush’s No Drought dry shampoo in a loose powder form. It smells amazing without any strange scent like the sprays had and although it is less convenient to get in the hair than a spray, it’s totally worth it.

Overall Best Pick : Corn starch and essential oil. It would be a bit of an investment up front to get the essential oil but if you can’t afford it you can just use plain corn starch. Lush dry shampoo would be a close second for me. The spray products seemed to have a strange smell and just plain didn’t work well. If you’d like the convenience of a spray bottle you should go for Klorane. More expensive is still better than purchasing a less expensive product that does not work at all.

I guess in terms of dry shampoo, the frugal option wins out!

This post has been sponsored by Ryan Gosling. You’re welcome.

Becoming a minimalist was a watershed moment in my life.  I went from holding onto everything “just in case” (including shoelaces, old birthday cards, and an apron from when I was a day care teacher’s aide) and being a collector (of Rubik’s cubes and books) to shedding half my belongings in one fell swoop.  Last June, I signed my first lease “all by myself.”  And then I charged myself with the task of going through all the boxes of stuff I had packed away in my mom’s basement for storage to determine what I needed for my own place.  At first, I only removed a few books (how could I get rid of anything by Stephen King? Or my college texts?) and a couple small items.  But a few days later, something in me snapped and I went mad-minimalist on all my stuff.

Minimalism isn’t about not having anything except what you need to survive.  It’s about prioritizing the things that matter by getting rid of the things that don’t.  For instance, I got rid of all my craft supplies except for painting, because painting is an important hobby of mine.  I don’t need paint to live, but I enjoy it, so it deserves a place in my home.  Prioritize what your life is about, and build your “stuff” around those priorities instead of around the increasingly-common priority of just getting more stuff than the next guy.

I’ve really gotten some pet bonding time in.

Now that I have no income aside from my freelance side income I’m feeling the strain of not being able to pay my bills without cutting into my bank account. It’s going to be pretty painful to watch, but I think it’s necessary and luckily I’ve been padding my bank account with extra money in preparation for this situation.

I’ve been trying to apply to any jobs in my field that I can find, but so far there hasn’t been much. I’m going to keep trying and perhaps venture into some things I’m interested in that aren’t necessarily the normal thing someone with a marketing degree might do. I think that being very open to wherever my life and passion takes me is important at this point.

But I digress. This will be a tough few months for me. Here are some solutions that I’ve come up with to get through these 3 months as painlessly as possible :

I’m getting a break on rent. It’s not really rent, just my share of the mortgage and house bills. My boyfriend has very nicely decided that he doesn’t mind me paying a bit less for the next few months. That’s my biggest expense so it will make a huge difference for me.

I’m applying for unemployment. I’ve never filed before so it’s new to me, but it will give me a little bit of income that should help to cover my major bills. I’ll still be looking for other work but for now it’s necessary and since I’ve been paying unemployment insurance for years at least I’ll get some money back from that.

Cutting back on my spending. In the past few months I have been reasonable, but generally been able to buy some clothes when I want to, go to dinner when I want to, etc. I could easily have been more careful. I may even try a no-spend month. But that might be better left until April when I’ll at least have work to fill my time again. I am going to try to adjust my budget to reflect my lack of income for the next few months.

I’m getting jacked. I always work out a lot, but I’ve been going to the gym for at least 2 hours on most days. I go for a run, do some weightlifting and then go for a walk with a friend later on during the day. Considering it’s a flat rate cost of $43 to use the gym each month, it’s a free way to get out of the house and do something I love at the same time.

Loan payments will be cut back to their minimums. It’s definitely not my ideal situation but it just means that come April I will have to make a great commitment to repayment in order to reach my goal of $10,000 in repayment for 2013.

I am striving to get through the next few months with at least a bit of money left in my bank account. It’s already midway through January. I think time will fly and it will be April in the blink of an eye.

Some things of note :

• Gas was very high for me this month. The trips to our parents places really ate this budget up for me. I expected it, and know that most month aren’t like this so it’s okay.
• Entertainment was much higher than usual; visiting family and friends usually means going out a bit more. More people were around throughout December, so it meant that the boyfriend and I went out a bit more.
• Those couches we bought last month is the reasoning for Miscellaneous being such a skyrocketed number. I’ve now paid down approximately a third of my share, and will pay the other two-thirds when I am back to work and have some more income!

TFSA: $501.98, +.49 in interest accrual.

Chequing Account : $3,783, +323 which I am completely happy about since it was such an expensive month. I really need to keep my account padded in order to survive this winter without working!

Student Line of Credit : $29,650 -113 this month. (Total Payment with Interest = $225)

OSAP Loan : $30975, -222 this month. (Total Payment with Interest = $357.25) Already under the $31,000 mark! I can’t wait until both loans are under $30,000, which should happen sometime this spring.

How did you do in December with your budget? Did buying gifts totally trip you up or were you prepared?

With 2013 just getting started, I have many goals that I’d like to complete this year. This will be the first full year I will be out of school, running this blog, and making real progress towards paying down my debts. I have set my goals high so that I hopefully won’t reach them early, but will be constantly striving to achieve them. I will do an update every once in awhile to let you know how I am getting along with my 2013 goals.

 Pay down $10,000 of student debt. 2012 was a great start to my debt repayment, but I’d definitely like to kick it up a notch this year. I am hoping I can manage to reach these numbers despite the fact that from now until April I will only be able to afford minimum payments since I am laid off of my job. I still think that for the other 9 months I should be able to manage over $1,000/month payments.

 Increase readership of the blog by 200%. I plan on measuring this via daily hits. I’m hoping to double them over the next 12 months through posting more and getting myself out there more.

 Post at least 10 times each month. It has been difficult as of late to keep up with the blog. Partially because of laziness, but mostly because of being busy with too many other things and not being prepared (being a few weeks ahead in my posts). With all of my time off now, I definitely plan on being more present and I’m hoping to post far more than 10 times each month if I can!

 Get some more freelance work. I’d like to pick up at least one more client this year, or perhaps start writing something that could be turned into a book. This is a pretty big undertaking, but at the very least I’d like to start writing more and getting a bit better at it.

 Eat clean 90% of the time. I do very well already in terms of working out, and I eat fairly well, but this year I really would like to get my eating to almost perfect. It makes me feel so good physically and mentally when I fuel my body with what it needs, and I think I am doing myself a disservice when I eat junk or overindulge in alcohol and feel like crap.

 Read 10 books. I have been pretty bad lately with reading; it seems like surfing online and reading a lot of information doesn’t allow me the time I’d like to have to read. I am going to try to limit my time spent online a little bit more and read actual books a bit more.

Those are all of my goals for this year. I’m sure as time goes on I might want to add one or two, but for now it’ll do!

What are your goals for the new year? Have you made any “resolutions”?

I am back from my extended Christmas vacation. I had a great Christmas and New Year’s Day. It was pretty low-key working and spending time with my family and friends. I hope all of your holidays were an amazing time!

2012 was a great year for me overall. I’d like to celebrate the start of a new year by taking a look back at some great milestones from this past year:

Getting my finances in order. After finishing school and getting a full-time job, I have for the first time in my adult life been making enough money to cover my expenses and then some. I also finally made the financial changes I needed to. Starting a budget and figuring out how much money I could afford to spend each month has opened my eyes, and since the summer I have consistently paid down my student loans more than the minimum payment each month.

Starting Drop That Debt. Working as a server for a few months after school I was starting to feel like I wasn’t making any progress in my career. My degree is in marketing management, and I was thinking working in social media was a pretty great option. Starting up a blog began as an idea to improve my resume, but it has turned into so, so much more than that. I felt an instant connection with the personal finance blogging community, and my love of writing has been reignited because of this blog.

Buying my first home. My boyfriend and I got to purchase our first home this year. Thanks mostly to him, this is much sooner than I thought I would be able to. I am very thankful that I now get to start saving equity into a home instead of getting nothing back while renting.

Getting my first paid social media gig. I am happy to be working for Bridget over at Money After Graduation in my first ever social media / writing position. It has been a lot of fun and I hope to start getting a few more clients in the new year.

Finishing school. It was a long 6.5 year haul and I am very happy to finally be done with school. I did enjoy my program and the school itself, but all of the financial stress as well as having to work two jobs during school meant I was way too busy all of the time. I truly appreciate the free time that leaving school has left me (which I have used to start this blog, for example!).

What were some of the great things that happened to you this year?

This week I went out to eat a few times. This isn’t exactly ideal for me, but it’s also not normal and just happened because of a few different circumstances. Luckily I didn’t spend much either of the times.

On Saturday it was my BF’s Christmas party, so I bought a few drinks at the restaurant. (It was unofficial, and therefore not paid for.) On the last of my Christmas gifts I spent $43, and I had to get a few wrapping supplies for $11 which should last me at least two years. My Christmas spending overall has been really reasonable and I’m happy with how much it cost me in the end. I’m still ahead for December despite the expenses. How’s that for money management!

On Monday I will be heading out to my family’s home a long, long way away to enjoy some Christmas celebrations, so likely won’t be back on the blog until later next week. Have a VERY MERRY Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate!) and thank you for taking the time to read my blog!

How did you do with spending this week?

In the month of November we had our lowest budgeted month for groceries yet. We paid approximately $250 for two people’s groceries for the entire month, which isn’t too bad at all! I’d be happy to get it even lower but I realize this may be unrealistic and don’t want to be stressing out too much about our spending; as long as it’s reasonable I’m definitely okay with it.

The main reason why our grocery bills were so low in November was because we ate everything in the refrigerator until there was nothing left. It wasn’t as pleasant as getting to pick whatever I wanted out of a variety of things, but it felt great to actually use up almost all of the food we purchased before going to get more. It easily cut our amount of food waste in half or so.

If I don’t feel like eating peppers but that’s all that’s left in the fridge, that’s what I get!  I think that living in a first world country has created a mindset where people don’t even notice the food that is going to waste simply because they don’t want it. Many people can only dream of having a choice in what food they eat, if there is any food to eat at all.  I realize I completely sound like a parent telling their child to eat all of their vegetables because “there are starving children in Africa”, but it really is true!

Another thing we have been more mindful of is when we go away for a few days to visit family (which is the requirement since they live so far away), we try to be mindful and not do a big grocery shop right beforehand. Inevitably some of that food goes to waste as we forget about it or don’t get back home in time to eat it all. It’s better again to leave the fridge a little bit emptier rather than more full.

Some of the regular practices we have such as buying what’s on sale for the week and freezing, and getting discounted meat and other items (as long as they’re still good) also helped to lower the bill. Staying away from junk food helps too. We’ve been making more of an effort to avoid frozen pizza and the like. It’s not that this food is that expensive (when on sale), but I end up hungry 15 minutes later because it’s basically just eating cardboard crap! So I end up eating twice the amount, gaining weight, feeling crappy and spending more money in the grand scheme of things.

How have you lowered your grocery bill? Where are your trouble spots when it comes to grocery spending?