Yakezie Carnival: The Power Ballad edition

I’m in the middle of reading Chuck Klosterman’s Fargo Rock City, his phenomenally written book about the importance of hair bands/glam metal. As someone who is a not so closeted fan of this music, I’m intrigued by this book. He wrote a chapter about the significance of MTV, including a commentary on how bad hair band videos were. I agree. But that doesn’t mean they’re not fun. And because “carnival” implies “fun”, I’d like to welcome you to the Yakezie Carnival, Power Ballad edition! Yakezie is a group of personal finance and lifestyle bloggers (if you would like to be included in a future edition, please submit your post here).

“Love Song” by Tesla. Released in 1989 as a single from their album The Great Radio Controversy. Reached #10 on the US charts. This is my favorite power ballad and Tesla is one of my favorite hair bands of all time. 

Roger the Amateur Financier @ The Amateur Financier writes Is It Time to Eliminate the Penny – A discussion of one of the issues that occasionally arises in the country, the discussion of whether we should eliminate the penny and only use nickels, dimes, and quarters as change.

JP @ My Family Finances writes How Much Does the Average Family Spend on Mother’s Day Gifts in 2012? – While, I count myself among the mass of average Mother’s Day shoppers, my goal is to stay away from the average family Mother’s Day spender.

Roshawn Watson @ Watson Inc writes Is it Better To Be Frugal or Earn More? – It is certainly not frugality alone that accounts for building wealth.Today, we explore the loaded question: is it better to be frugal or to be a high earner?

Kurt Fischer @ Money Counselor writes Cashing In on Facebook – Borne of venture capital, angel investing, innovation, and risk-taking, Facebook will make a few people very rich on May 18.

Dr. Dean @ The Millionaire Nurse Blog writes Your Co-worker Quits Breathing, What Do You Do? – A sudden cardiac arrest can occur at anytime to anybody. Are you prepared to help if your coworker or family member quits breathing or is choking?

Jeffrey @ Money Spruce writes Only 72: If You’re Serious About Building an Online Business – If you want to get right to the sale, click here to go to Only 72. I’m writing today about the Only 72 sale. It’s 90 percent off over $1,000 in ebooks and guides for the entrepreneur – but only for 72 hours. Why I’m writing a post about it Almost 2 years ago, I began searching for a different path in life.

Jon the Saver @ Free Money Wisdom writes Don’t Forget About Life Insurance! – Forgetting to purchase life insurance can be one of the worst mistakes you could make in your life. Don;t forget about life insurance.

Jen @ Master the Art of Saving writes How to Start Saving Money (Even if you’re always broke) – Yep, that’s right…broke people can save money too.

“Every Rose Has It’s Thorn” by Poison. Released October 1988 as a single from Poison’s second album Open Up and Say…Ahh!  Reached #1 on the US charts. I always wanted to learn to play this song on the guitar. Another failed dream, I suppose. 

Daisy @ Add Vodka writes Shopping Frugally – I don’t know about you, but if I’m about to buy an item that I’ve had my eye on for awhile, I do a lot of research.

Corey @ Steadfast Finances writes Travel for Pennies: How Rethinking International Travel Can Save You Money – Find out easy and practical steps to travel to great places without breaking the bank.

MR @ Money Reasons writes Beyond Frugal – Fixing My Son’s Broken Bike – Satisfaction from fixing my son’s broken brake levers and a video to demonstate how to do frugally it.

Ashley @ Money Talks Coaching writes How Much Life Insurance Do You Need? – Life insurance isn’t sexy or fun but it is something you need to think about every few decades.

KT @ Personal Finance Journey writes Easy Energy Saving Tips… – Energy costs seem to rise almost every day, and it can be hard to keep pace with them, especially if you find yourself on a tight budget. While it might be something that some people can just about cope with, for others, simply meeting the cost of their basic energy needs can be awfully difficult.

PITR @ Passive Income To Retire writes How to Generate Interest in a New Business – Find out how you can use a promotional offer to generate interest in your new business.

Debt Guru @ Debt Free Blog writes Does Over-Confidence Lead to Debt? – Find out why over-confidence can easily lead to debt. To live debt free, you have to stay humble and diligent. Learn how you can do it.

Maria @ The Money Principle writes A need or a want: this is the problem! – Our lives change most when there has been a seriously interruptive event in them – although we can change our lives because we want to do, we do this most efficiently and quickly when we need to.

“I Remember You” by Skid Row. Released in November 1989 as a single from their album Skid Row. Reached #6 on the US charts. I belt this car out in my song like I’m a rock star. It’s fun. 

http://youtu.be/ivFYVAntpw0

Kevin @ Thousandaire writes Do’s and Don’ts with your Credit Card – The concept behind credit cards is a simple one: charge now, pay later.

PPlan @ Provident Plan writes How to Handle Medical Bills like a Pro – Ah, medical bills. We all hate them but they have been part of our life since birth. As the old, wise saying goes, there is no such thing as free lunch.

Shawanda Greene @ You Have More Than You Think writes Top 5 Tips for Getting the Most from Your Accountant – How your small business can derive the most value from accounting services.

a @ Aaron Hung.com writes What does it take to earn passive income? – Let’s face it; we all want that ultimate goal of one day living off of our passive income ventures, whether it’d be stocks, blogging, or any other online business that you’re working on. Just think about it, you’re lying on the beach in the Virgin Islands somewhere without a care in the world while you’re keep getting paid without even lifting a finger

TB @ Blue Collar Workman writes When the Snow Piles Up – To make money at your job, you need to be able to collect it. What happens if someone refuses to pay you for work done?

YFS @ Your Finances Simplified writes Roth vs. Traditional IRA (In Depth Review) – Since the conception of the Individual Retirement Arrangement (IRA) in 1974 from the Employment Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), it has helped thousands of individuals to save money for a comfortable retirement. Over the years, the types of IRAs …

Evan @ My Journey to Millions writes Do People Consider the Economy When Choosing a Major? A No Statistic Discussion of the Topic – Maybe the current economy is now the new economy. For example, is it possible the major you chose is in a changing or dying field? Take the aforementioned teachers for example. I don’t think the “heyday” of teaching is ever going to return. Governments have less and less money to spend on teachers (regardless of whether you think this is the right move) and the job security you think you had is gone…is that still the major for you? Would you still choose teaching if they take away t

Mr. Money @ Smart on Money writes How Scammers Use Personal Information to Fool You – The fact that personal information about you is available online means that scammers can use it to fool you into thinking that you are being contacted by someone you know, or someone you share an affinity with. Here are some of the ways that a scammer can trick you with the help of information that many people don’t think about as being too telling online.

“Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone)” by Cinderella. Released in August 1988 from their album Long Cold Winter. Reached #12 on the US chart. Tied for my second favorite power ballad (with Steelheart’s “I’ll Never Let You Go”)

Sustainable PF @ Sustainable Personal Finance writes Why “No More Lattes” Rarely Works – Who would’ve known that all this time we have been pouring caffeine-laced devil’s brew down our throats every morning?! If you’re not aware that

MMD @ MyMoneyDesign writes Six Easy Steps to Figuring Out Your Retirement – When someone says you should save 10% for retirement, what does this actually mean? Will you hit your goals? How do you even know what your goals are? I’d like to offer you my advice for a simple and streamlined introductory approach to figuring out your retirement goals.

John @ Married (with Debt) writes Debt to Income Ratio: Not Just for Banks – What is a debt to income ratio? Is it only for banks? Find out how you can use it to determine how to get out of debt.

Suba @ Broke Professionals writes The Three Musketeers: My Dad’s Medical Team – Money is still my dad’s focus, even when facing quadruple bypass and vascular surgeries within three months.

Luke @ Learn Bonds writes Revenue Bonds – Revenue Bonds definition and comparison of Revenue Bonds to General Obligation Municipal Bonds.

Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes Walkable Neighborhoods Can Be Easier on Your Pocketbook – Selecting a more walkable or bikeable neighborhood can reduce the cost of driving, owning a car, and future health care expenses as well.

Jason @ Live Real, Now writes Fixing Your Credit Report – There are no quick fixes for bad credit, just good new habits and time.

101 Centavos @ 101 Centavos writes Travel Notes: Just Say Ahn-Nyeong Hah-Seh-Yo and Kon’nichi Wa – Just a couple words is all you need to know when traveling abroad. Hello and thank you and a big smile will open a lot of doors in the East, especially in a business setting, and most especially coming from Americans, renowned foreign-language ignoramuses.

“To Be With You” by Mr. Big. Released in 1991(?) from their album Lean Into It. Reached #1 on the US charts. I saw Mr. Big when they opened for Rush at Jones Beach Amphitheater on Long Island. I can’t figure out that pairing either. 

http://youtu.be/5QD5n98R_nk

Jason @ Work Save Live writes Broke, Desperate, and Being an Idiot – I wanted to relive the past a bit more and talk about how my ‘financial peace & debt free’ journey originally got started.

Kanwal @ Simply Investing writes Do You Think Investing is Too Difficult? – There is a common misconception that people have regarding investing, especially investing in stocks and that is, “investing is difficult”. Most people believe that investing by themselves is too complicated therefore most folks leave it to the so called professionals.

Theresa Torres @ Credit Donkey writes How to Break the Paycheck-to-Paycheck Cycle – Start taking these action steps today to break the vicious cycle that has you missing payments and lying awake at night worrying. It may be hard at first but the peace this will bring to your life will be worth it.

Kyle @ The Penny Hoarder writes Woman Finds Meteorite Worth $20,000 While Walking the Dog – This is one of those stories that makes me want to get off my butt and take the dog for a walk! So get this…

TRL @ The Retired Landlord writes The Number One Reason People Don’t Invest in Real Estate – Find out why people don’t invest in real estate. It’s not just a simple matter of weighing the risks and benefits.

krantcents @ KrantCents writes The 3 P’s of Success – The 3 P’s of Success is the sixteenth in a series of articles to help you reach your goal.

Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes Summer Temptations – Find out how I resist the many temptations that the summer months bring. Are vacations and ice-cream worth throwing out yoru budget?

Eddie @ Finance Fox writes Car Buying Guide – Part 1 – I Bought a New Used Car – My goal with this car buying guide is to offer you something to take out from my car buying experience. Buying a used car is NOT the only way to go. There are other options.

“More Than Words” by Extreme. Released in 1990 as a single from their album Extreme II: Pornograffiti. Reached #1 on the US charts. Immensely popular and you know the words. Admit it. Nothing to be ashamed of. 

Jeremy Waller @ Personal Finance Whiz writes Oh Noes! The Facebook IPO! – Today is the big day. The day that Facebook goes public and makes Mark Zukerberg the 29th richest person in the world. It’s unreal how much hype is surrounding this IPO. I don’t know if it’s because it’s one of the biggest IPOs in history or if its simply because it’s Facebook.

Marie at FamilyMoneyValues @ Family Money Values writes Land for Sale – Ways to make money from raw land investments

Sean @ One Smart Dollar writes Money Saving Workout Routines for a Fit Recession-ista – Spending money for a gym membership can be expensive. Here are some great tips to keep yourself in shape and not break the budget.

Daniel @ Sweating the Big Stuff writes Our Decision To Join Our Finances – When Lauren and I got engaged last year, we had an important decision to make: did we want to combine finances or keep them separate?

Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes Money Rules When Spending Money – I was recently in Chicago for a charity event. The events were held at the hotel I was staying at so I ended up eating a handful of meals in the hotel.

Hank @ Money Q&A writes Why I Bought Shares Of Facebook On Its IPO Opening Day – I bought shares of Facebook yesterday on its opening day on the market after its initial public offering (IPO). Should you buy shares of Facebook IPO? Here are some reasons.

Jeremy @ Modest Money writes Are Finance Bloggers Perfect Identity Theft Targets – One of the threats of the online world that we often forget about is identity theft. It’s easy to forget about those kinds of dangers as we are going about our business online. It’s one of those kinds of things that you don’t truly appreciate until it actually happens to you.

Amanda L Grossman @ Frugal Confessions writes Is Your Frugality Invoked to Stretch Dollars or to Stockpile the Savings? – There are two possible outcomes of frugality. One is to stretch your dollar so that you get a lot more in purchases.

“I’ll Be There For You” by Bon Jovi. Released in 1989 from their album New Jersey. Reached #1 on the US charts. Not my favorite power ballad, but one of the most popular (in my professional opinion).

Ted Jenkin @ Your Smart Money Moves writes Did You Learn Anything From DotCom 1.0? – There is an old saying that history has a way of repeating itself. For those of you who can remember the glorious run of the stock market in the late 1990’s filled with internet companies who went public faster than you can say ding ding of the opening bell on Wall Street, are we now watching the launch of DotCom 2.0 in the stock market. With Facebook going public last week with over a 100 billion dollar valuation, have we as investors and consumers learned anything about risk and investi

Crystal @ Budgeting in the Fun Stuff writes Hilarious Hypocrisy – Do you even think the wine lady understands how hilarious her life decisions are? How many of us are completely overlooking our own giant blind spots?

Beating Broke @ Beating Broke writes Have You Become Complacent with Your Gazelle Intensity? – Sometimes when you are tired and are immersed in your debt repayment, getting out of debt can feel hopeless. You can feel like the debt will never go away, and you can start to doubt yourself and the sacrifices you are making. In times of doubt, read stories like Mihalic’s to see that gazelle intensity does work. He made it through to the other side. You can, too.

Nunzio Bruno @ Financially Digital writes Are you a Captain America Type? – Everyone thinks that they are a leader. You see heroes on the big screen and you try to identify with their strengths. How much of an impact do you really have though? This post lists the 5 biggest components of being a good leader – a Captain America kind of leader. Whether you manage a team for work or don’t consider yourself a leader at all – this post can help you navigate tough social and professional situations. It’s your time to shine!

Invest It Wisely @ Invest It Wisely writes Living to 100 and Beyond: How Will It Affect Your Retirement Plans? – This is the first in a series of articles on living to 100 and beyond. This post was originally published on May 17, 2010.

Everything Finance @ Everything Finance Blog writes How to Find Online Coupons for Your Favorite Restaurant – Like any fat category in your budget, the dining out category can be curbed without sacrificing quality. Finding online coupons for your favorite restaurant is surprisingly easy. Try these strategies

A Blinkin @ Funancials writes Stop Saying You’re Too Young…Or Too Old – I used to spend all of my free time reading books about personal finance and investing – boy, was that boring. About 2 months ago I started focusing more on topics such as finding your purpose and chasing your dreams. I stumbled upon a book titled The Dream Manager, which I recommend to everybody.

JP @ My Family Finances writes Starting to Exercise? Should Your Family Spend Money to Work Out? – Starting to exercise? While I’d love to just say, go frugal, you don’t need to spend money to be active, it’s really not that simple. There are many good reasons to spend money working out.

“Surrender” by Trixter. Released in 1991ish as a single from their album Trixter. This song did not chart at all in the US and if you’ve heard this song before today, you’re my new BFF.

SFB @ Simple Finance Blog writes How to Be a Debt Collector’s Worst Nightmare – What are you rights when debt collectors call? How to navigate the unethical collection practices of debt collection agencies?

Aloysa @ My Broken Coin writes The Financial Dangers of Being a Mail-Order Bride – In this article I talk about the dangers of being a mail-order bride!

Corey @ 20s Finances writes When It’s Difficult to Save Money – Do you have a difficult time saving money? Saving money should be a priority for all young adults, but we all know that it’s not that easy – is it? While I already gave you easy ways to save money, it doesn’t mean that life doesn’t get in the way. In the past few weeks, I have been reminded of how difficult it is to save money in certain times of lives.

Tushar @ Start Investing Money writes What Should You Do When an Investment Dives in Value? – This Post was Originally published at What Should You Do When an Investment Dives in Value? on Start Investing Money

Robert @ My Multiple Incomes writes Are Two Wage Earners Better Than One? – You may naturally think that two wage earners in a household is always better than one, but in reality, it may not be depending on your household expenses. Here are some quick things to consider.

Earth and Money @ Earth and Money writes Are We an Impatient Society? – Yesterday, I was delayed several minutes by a chatty customer in line at the grocery store. Should I have been more patient?

Tim @ Brilliant Finances Personal Finance How To writes Some Tips on Buying a New Car Without Breaking the Bank – Summer is almost here and a lot of people buy cars at this time. If you’ve been thinking aobut buying a new car be sure to read this article for money saving tips.

Robert @ The College Investor writes How Safe Are Your Finances from Your Kids? – The USDA has calculated the costs of raising a child for both single parent households and dual parent households, and it can cost anywhere from $118,590 to $250,262 to raise a child to 18 years of age. And then you get to college! So, how safe will your finances be when you have kids?

“Love of a Lifetime” by FireHouse. Released in 1991 as a single from their album FireHouse. Reached #5 on the US charts. A popular wedding song from that time (or so I’ve been told). 

Cash Flow Mantra @ Cash Flow Mantra writes Calculating ROI When Selling Covered Calls – There has been a lot of option activity in my retirement accounts recently so I wanted to take some time and explain how to calculate the return on investment (ROI) using a real example of a trade that I did yesterday.

Andi @ Making The Life You Want writes New Life Step 1: Visualization – One of the greatest “tricks” I was ever able to learn was the ability to visualize what I wanted so that I could start the process of getting there. This post instructs you on a visualization exercise so that you can start making the life you want.

Jeff Rose @ Good Financial Cents writes Why I Purchased a 2.5 Million Term Life Insurance Policy – Because far too many people still don’t have any life insurance at all, and if they do, they don’t nearly have enough.

harry campbell @ Your Personal Finance Pro writes Should Young Professionals Invest in Dividend Stocks? – With fixed income investments like bonds and CD’s returning decade lows, some investors have turned to dividend stocks as a way to receive predictable income at regular intervals. Dividend stocks usually refer to companies that have a history of paying out dividends to shareholders. In fact, each year, the S&P 500 publishes a list of it’s dividend aristocrats. A company must increase it’s annual dividend payout every single year for 25 consecutive years to get onto that list. Many begi

Jon Rhodes @ Affiliate Tips writes Should I Submit To Directories? – This article discusses whether it is advantageous to submit your blog or web site to directories. It also looks at how google views paid directories.

Jacob @ My Personal Finance Journey @ My Personal Finance Journey writes 7 Business Startup Lessons – This post illustrates 7 mistakes and 7 lessons learned the hard way by the author while starting his own business. By making and learning from these mistakes, the author was a big financial success and was able to retire early. By reading about his experiences, hopefully you won’t suffer the same mistakes when starting your own business. This is by no means everything needed to start a successful business, but it is essential knowledge that will give you an edge in the early stages.

Steve Zussino @ Canadian Personal Finance writes My Ultimate Travel Tip to Save Money – House Swap! – My best travel tip to save money is to avoid hotels and try house swaps. I have done 3 house swaps to save money on hotels and eating out while traveling and they were all amazing experiences.

Steve Zussino @ Grocery Alerts writes 10 ways Canadians can save money at the movies – Before making your picks as to what you are planning to watch, you should consider how to spend your movie budget. In anticipation, I wanted to share 10 ways Canadians can save money at the movies.

“Only Time Will Tell” by Nelson. Released in 1991 as a single from their album After the Rain. It charted in the US but I could not find its peak position. I know that Nelson got a bad rap but I like them. Yes, I said like. Not liked. 

PK @ Don’t Quit Your Day Job… writes Predicting the S&P 500 – May 2012 Edition – My attempts to divine the direction and magnitude of the S&P 500

Philip @ PT Money Personal Finance writes The Best Approach to Long-Term Savings (Non-Retirement): Building Your Nest Egg – Discusses creating a savings plan for money to be used on a yet-to-be-determined long-term expense. Analyzes it by looking at a few of the major factors: liquidity, return, and risk tolerance.

Glen Craig @ Free From Broke writes Tradeking and Zecco to Merge – More Capabilities, Same Great Pricing – Online brokers TradeKing and Zecco have announced that they will be merging. See more about the merger.

Eric J. Nisall @ DollarVersity writes Don’t Be An Ass: Rules For Using Bank Drive-Up Services – The drive-up lanes at your bank have rules to keep traffic flowing smoothly and quickly. Don’t be the one who screws it all up by not following these rules!

J.P. @ Novel Investor writes The Complete Shareholder Proxy Vote Guide – As a shareholder, understanding your rights, the proxy voting process and knowing the SEC proxy rules is the best way to stay involved. How you vote could have a direct impact on the company and your money going forward.

Lance @ Money Life & More writes Business Mileage Reimbursement – Do You Really Make Money? – Whenever I’ve talked to anyone who receives mileage checks they all tell me how much money they “make” by driving for business miles. The mileage rate more than covers the cost of the gas they use! I want to challenge this assumption. The IRS doesn’t aim for people to make money.

Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes 5 Reasons Why You Should Meditate – What I like the most is that anyone can meditate, anywhere. It’s free and all ages of people can do it.

Lina Zussino @ Baby Alerts writes Top 5 kids clothing stores & some savings tips – There are quite a lot of choices when it comes to buying your kid’s clothing. Here are my top 5 choices for kids clothing stores, and some tips on how to get deals and discounts there.

Bonus video: “I Still Think About You” by Danger Danger. Danger Danger was my most favorite hair band and I was absolutely obsessed with them. My walls were covered with pictures of them, and meeting singer Ted Poley and guitarist Andy Timmons remains some of the most memorable days of my teenage life (interesting footnote: I met Ted Poley outside a parking garage after a Nelson concert. Yeah, I can’t process it that well either).