Welcome to the 38th edition of the Carnival of Money Stories! This carnival is designed to share personal financial and money related stories – an experience you had, what you learned, how you grew, or anything else that tells your story.
This week there are 20 excellent entries. I have bolded and highlighted the Editor’s Choice selections – 6 articles that particularly struck me as being something most readers would read and enjoy, and could offer something in terms of a lesson learned. Each of the entries this week is very good though, and I recommend taking the time to read each of them.
Business
Matt Wolfe presents Re-evaluate Your Path posted at How I Will Be Rich, saying, “Sometimes you need to make some mistakes before you really get on the right path.”
Charity and Giving
Lynnae presents Unemployment, Tithing, and God’s Provision posted at beingfrugal.net. This is a touching article that proves anyone can give when it is truly in their heart to do so.
Mr Credit Card presents GivingExpress Program – Automatic Charity Giving? posted at Ask Mr Credit Card. This is a great way to begin your automatic giving program, while earning reward points at the same time.
Credit
FMF presents Got My Second Chase Freedom Card and an Extra $100 posted at Free Money Finance, saying, “The story behind my second Chase Freedom card.”
Debt
The Financial Blogger presents Restructuring My Debts Through My Property Part 2 posted at The Financial Blogger, saying, “I explain how I increased my cash flow by restructuring my debts by refinancing my property. It’s all a matter of lifestyle vs. interest paid after 30 years. You have to make a decision in regards to this manner. I picked the lifestyle.”
Stephen Joseph presents Eternally In Debt, Eternally Free posted at Steve H. Joseph’s Creative Self-Expression Blog, saying, “Your outer debts may reflect some deeper inner conflicts. As a twenty year old, I had a lot of hangups about my place in the world that generated a lot of problems for me. Then one morning I discovered some much needed liberation. Career and Finances are a lot less painful for me now.”
General
Ashley presents Too Many Bank Accounts Cut Down to Size posted at College of Cash, saying, “What happens when you have too many accounts.” It can be messy! I’ve tried to simplify my life by consolidating a few accounts as well. It makes life easier!
paidtwice presents Narrowly Avoided “Lack of Organization” Stupid Tax posted at I’ve Paid For This Twice Already…, saying, “Sometimes I am a dolt. 
” Editor’s note – I know I have been known to forget important dates on occasion!
Erin from Working For Financial Freedom presents DIY Day 1: Dirt is cheap? Not mine. DIY construction and home improvements always come with surprises!
John from Smart Money Daily presents Six True Stories of people Who Found Cash and Turned it In. Would You Do the Same? He writes, “Being smart with your money isn’t only about investing and budgeting. It’s also about getting to know your attitudes, beliefs and values around money. Not to judge them as right or wrong, so much as just to become familiar with where our choices are coming from. Most of us have considered the question ‘If you found a big bag of cash on the road, and no one was around to see, what would you do?’”
the baglady presents The Cost of Living in Paradise Redux – A Financial Project All Young People Could Do. I think this is a cute story that dates back to grade school – and how the financial lessons learned at an early age still matter now.
Mark Runta presents Hello – My Name Is Mark Runta (Part I) posted at Smart Investing & Money Management, saying, “How I learned my lesson and decided to move on with”
Investing
The Dividend Guy presents Watching My Dividend Payments Grow Year After Year posted at The Dividend Guy Blog, saying, “Dividends are a powerful tool. The real power comes from holding them for a number of years and reinvesting the dividends. This is an example of that in my own personal portfolio.”
plonkee presents avoiding giving investment advice posted at plonkee money, saying, “What do you do when someone wants advice but they only want advice that they already agree with?”
Randall presents Losing My (Investing) Virginity posted at Credit Withdrawal. Editor’s note – There is always something to be said about the first time… you invest your money! I know I learned a lot, and now my investing experience is much more gratifying and rewarding than I ever though possible. 
Cash Money Life presents Do Your Research Before You Invest posted at Cash Money Life. This article has a lot in common with the preceding article. I was young and uninformed when I began investing, and, being my first time, I didn’t quite know what to expect. I’ve learned a lot since then, and I enjoy knowing that I am not throwing money away.
Other
Madison presents Creating a Special Needs Trust posted at My Dollar Plan, saying, “We recently set up a special needs trust for for a family member. It is an important part of planning for the future of a disabled individual and has large consequences if done incorrectly.”
Silicon Valley Blogger presents The Pressures of Holiday Spending posted at The Digerati Life. This is a good article about spending and saving during the holidays. It’s OK to do a little of both.
David presents Thinking Back About The Money I Wasted In 2007. Posted at My Two Dollars. I think we all have a few similar examples, but I don’t care to think about mine right now… I would probably reach into the low thousands in no time!
Retirement
Super Saver presents Our Journey To Financial Freedom #10 – When Preparation Met Opportunity posted at My Wealth Builder. This is a great article about how to prepare for retirement finances. This is part of a larger series, and each entry is well written and informative.
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Thanks! I hope everyone enjoyed this edition of the Carnival of Money Stories! Thanks to everyone who participated in this week’s edition. If you would like to participate in the next edition, you can submit your blog article the carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on the blog carnival index page.
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Thanks for hosting and for including my submission!
Nice work Patrick! You have been the king of carnivals lately. Thanks for picking my article as an Editor’s Choice!
Thanks for hosting!
Thanks for hosting
Thank-you for hosting!