Best of Money Carnival #109

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Welcome to the 109th edition of the Best of Money Carnival! It's been exciting to go through all the entries, but I can only share the ten best personal finance articles this week. This was especially hard with wonderful submissions I received.

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10 Best Personal Finance Articles

#10: How Paying Cash Keeps You From Over Spending

So looking back on the day as a whole, it’s a good thing I use cash now for most if my expenses. Not only do I use cash, but I plan ahead to be prepared for events like this. We decided in advance we wanted to have an expense-free fun day with the kids, so we limited the cash we carried to the show. Since I didn’t have a credit card, I couldn’t just go and buy whatever I wanted. I was forced to enjoy myself without spending money.

Matt from Living in Financial Excellence

For some people cash can be a powerful tool in keeping their finances in check. I thought laid out a wonderful post on why it works for him.

#9: Investing VS Speculating: The Difference Between Building Wealth and Gambling

Some think investing and speculating are the same thing but they couldn't be more wrong. See how they are different.

Glen Craig from Free From Broke

I don't understand people who think they'll get rich by investing in the market without a plan. Mindless investing is reckless and can harm your finances. Glen does a great job on explaining what investing really means.

#8: Eight Things Millionaires Have in Common with Each Other

What makes millionaires different from the merely affluent or the middle-class? The Spectrum Group set out to understand this by sifting through their ongoing quarterly research. They found eight factors that the millionaires had in common – factors we can apply to our own lives and finances.

Miss T. from Prairie Eco Thrifter

I find these studies to be interesting just because so many people make assumptions of what it takes to become a millionaire. Hopefully this post will give you some ideas that you can use.

#7: Pay Down Debt: Financial vs. Emotional Considerations

Analyzes both financial and emotional motivations for paying down debt and helps the reader discover which method works best for them.

Philip from Deliver Away Debt

If personal finance were simply about the numbers, getting our debts eliminated would be much easier. Unfortunately there are other factors involved.

#6: Join An Investment Club

A great way to increase your knowledge of finances is to join an investment club. There are two types of investment clubs – formal and informal.

Boomer from Boomer & Echo

If you're nervous about getting started with investing, joining a club can be helpful.

#5: How Can I Convince Them to Save More Money?

Tips for convincing children and spouses to save more money and thoughts on setting boundaries when discussing saving with other adults.

Philip from PT Money Personal Finance

Helping out your immediate family get on the same page is one challenge, but should you do it with friends and extended family? Phillip looks into this a bit.

#4: Should You Liquidate Savings to Pay off Debt?

It's the age old question – if you have extra cash, should you use it to pay off debt or keep it in savings?

Madison from My Dollar Plan

What I loved about Madison's approach was the run the numbers method. You may not agree with it, but she has numbers backing it up. It's a great post to read after checking out Deliver Away Debt's entry.

#3: What to Do When Your Credit Card is Stolen

My credit card number was recently stolen. Thankfully my credit card company came to the rescue and helped me avoid any major hassles. These tips can help you deal with a stolen credit card.

Ryan from Cash Money Life

I love practical posts and Ryan does a fantastic job going through the process. I feel bad that he had to go through the scare himself, but I'm glad it was resolved.

#2: Dollar Cost Averaging vs. Dollar Value Averaging – Which Is Better?

When it comes to investing for retirement, most people specify a certain Dollar amount (% of their income) to contribute each month. In other words, they use dollar cost averaging.However, there is a large amount of research showing that dollar value averaging may be more effective in earning higher returns in the long term. This post takes a detailed look at this subject over the past ten years.

Jacob from My Personal Finance Journey

Looking to tweak your retirement strategy? You may be interested in Jacob's take.

My pick for the week?

#1: Sorry…I Recycle For The Money

Recycling isn't always about doing the right thing or “being green”. If you are so inclined, you can find the more precious recyclables you put out to the curb each week can be taken to a depot where you can get cash in return!

SPF from Sustainable Personal Finance

Sometimes when you do the selfless thing you get an additional benefit besides feeling good. I thought it's great that financial incentives can encourage others to improve the environment.

Join the Best of Money Carnival Next Week

Those are my picks;  I'd love to hear your thoughts on the carnival. Which was your favorite of the ten listed?  Do you agree with the order?

If you're interested in seeing which 10 will be picked next week, check out The Jenny Pincher next Monday!

Photo Credit: Samantha Poynter