Carnival of Personal Finance #202 - The Lao Tzu Edition

Lao Tsu writing the Tao Te Ching on bamboo paper

Welcome to the 202nd Lao Tzu edition of the Carnival of Personal Finance. With each passing day the going is getting tougher for millions. So we felt inspired to theme the Carnival on the quotes from the great master Lao Tzu. He is the author of “Tao Te Ching.” Tao means the way of all life, Te means the fit use of life by men, and Ching implies text or classic. He believed simplicity to be the key to truth and freedom. On that note we hope that his sayings will help us to consciously lead a simple life filled with joy and abundance.

A small note before we get started on the carnival. You may want to checkout our current giveaway of YNAB (You Need A Budget) Pro - Personal Finance Software worth $50. To enter the giveaway all you need to do is simply a leave a comment with your favorite two digits.

To enjoy this huge carnival to the fullest it might help to ease yourself into a relaxing chair with a drink of your choice and some time on your hands :).

Editor's Picks

Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.

• The Three Most Influential Lessons My Parents Taught Me - "My parents taught me some very important financial lessons, if not life lessons" - My Life ROI, Frugal Dad
  
  MLR shares three most influential lessons that his parents taught him at an early age of 8 years which helped him to remain debt free throughout his adult life and pay his way through college. A candid article which is a must read for all adults especially those who are parenting young kids :).
  
• Are Green And Socially Responsible Mutual Funds Worth It? - "A greener and more socially responsible alternative to investing in green and socially responsible mutual funds." - Pinyo, Moolanomy
  
  Pinyo presents some salient points about why investing in green and socially responsible mutual funds may not make sense.
  
• 5 Ways To Report Scams - "Have you ever wondered who you should report a scam to?" - Chris Holdheide, Stumble Forward
  
  Chris has written a very useful and informative article about how to report a scam and who to report it to should you become a victim.

Investing

Health is the greatest possession. Contentment is the greatest treasure. Confidence is the greatest friend. Non-being is the greatest joy.

• What Matters In Investing - "The financial media has a vested interest in making investing seem difficult. It's not!" - Kyle, Amateur Asset Allocator
  
• IRA or Roth IRA? Which One is Better? - Matthew Paulson, Fine Tuned Finances
  
• The Hyperinflation Scam - "Can hyperinflation lead to a complete devaluation of the US dollar against hard assets such as gold, oil, land and others, which would eventually lead to everyone living in caves hunting for food?" - DGI, Dividend Growth Investor"
  
• Investment Strategies that Work - Day 4 - Asset Allocation - "A simple discussion about how asset allocation works." - Wealth Pilgrim
  
• How to Invest in Cuba Following Obama's Olive Branch - "With Obama's recent olive branch to Cuba, a CUBA focused Fund rallied 40% overnight. Will the trend continue?" - Dan, Darwin's Finance
  
• One Reason the Rich Get Richer - "Rich people get richer because they get opportunities the rest of us don't." - Free Money Finance
  
• A Two Step Process To Follow After A Dividend Freeze - "Designed to help us determine if we should sell a stock after a dividend freeze." - D4L, Dividends Value
  
• Why don't more 401(k) plans include index funds? - Helen, Affine Financial Services
  
• Bad Stock Market Performance Raises Your Insurance Premium - The Weakonomist
  
• Transfer In Cash - "A brief description of transfers in cash" - ABCs of Investing
  
• How To Stretch Your IRA For Your Beneficiaries - "Learn how to pass more on to your children through a Stretch IRA" - Jeff Rose, Good Financial Cents
  
• Investor Mistakes: Looking at Past Performance - "All that the past will do is lose you more money. Don't look!" - Investing School
  
• Learn How To Invest: Develop An Investment Plan - Tim Parker, The Smarter Wallet
  
• Ammo Becomes The Best Investment of the Year - Curt, Penny Jobs
  
• The Secret Fund Managers Don't Want You to Know - Jason Unger, Automatic Finances
  
• Buy and hold and indexing in bear markets - "A look at the truth about indexing in the light of the recent bear market: indexing no longer works - myth or reality?" - Marc Ryan, Independent Investor
  
• Rampant Inflation: My Big Early Retirement Worry - Elizabeth G, Modern Gal
  

Frugality, Saving & Budgeting

Be Content with what you have. Rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.

• No-Grocery-Shopping Week - Todd, Harvesting Dollars
  
• Six Ideas for Cheap Summer Vacations - "If you can afford travel without debt, this is a great year to do it for less" - Aryn, Sound Money Matters
  
• How to get free long distance calls - "Get free long distance calls with my computer through MagicJack " - CPF, Christian Financial Help
  
• Cheap things to do with your kids - "Things to do with your kids that involve more time than money." - Don, Keep My Dollar
  
• Be Behind The Times - Michele, Saving Money In Real Life
  
• 10 Earth Week Activities that will Save you Money - "A list of 10 things you can do for earth week that will help our environment and save you money." - Passive Family Income
  
• Common 401k Planning Mistakes & Tips to Avoid them - Tim, 401k Planning
  
• Save Money By Dropping Some Pounds - "Who knew that an extra ten or 40 pounds could cost so much?" - That One Caveman, One Caveman's Financial Journey
  
• COBRA / ARRA Update: No Kidding? We Called It - "If you're counting on the government or your former employer to subsidize your health insurance, you may be in for a rude shock" - Henry Stern, InsureBlog
  
• What Your Cable Company Doesn't Want You To Know - Money Beagle
  
• Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) - "RESPs allow you to save for a child?s post-secondary education" - The Canadian Finance Blog
  
• 8 Best Free Music Websites - The Happy Rock from The Happy Rock
  
• Are You Willing to Sacrifice to Succeed? - "We forget that success normally takes sacrifice. Are you willing to sacrifice for your personal finance goals?" - Kevin, No Debt Plan
  

Money Management

The sage does not hoard. The more he helps others, the more he benefits himself, the more he gives to others, the more he gets himself. The Way of Heaven does one good but never does one harm. The Way of the sage is to act but not to compete.

• Early Social Security: A Way around the Earnings Limit - VH, Funny about Money
  
• 25 Ideas For Your Income Tax Refund - "Did you get an income tax refund? Here are 25 things you can do with it!" - FFB, Free From Broke
  
• Financial Plan for the Young and Single - Savings Toolbox
  
• 5 Easy Steps to Online Financial - Debbie Dragon, American Consumer News
  
• What To Do With All Your Extra Money - "Ever find yourself with some extra money and you don't know where to put it?" - MLR, My Life ROI
  
• Making More vs Spending Less - Rags, Rags 2 Riches
  
• 19 Ways To Start Off On The Wrong Foot - Nate, Money Young
  
• A Financial Back-Up Plan - "Being prepared for personal emergencies can help prevent it from becoming a financial emergency as well" - Kate Kashman, The Paycheck Chronicles
  
• Why Emergency Fund is Important and How to Start One - "The recent recession has illustrated the importance of emergency fund. Here are some reasons why it is important and how to construct an emergency fund" - Ray, Financial Highway
  
• Your Home Office: Ideas To Set Up Your Place of Work - Silicon Valley Blogger, The Digerati Life
  
• Free Excel Spreadsheets for Managing Your Personal Finances - "Here are some of the more popular and free Excel Templates for managing your personal finances" - Green Panda, Green Panda Treehouse
  
• Opposites Attract - When a Saver Marries a Spender - Miss M, M is for Money
  
• 16 Second Quarter Financial Tips - Madison, My Dollar Plan
  

Credit & Debt

If you would take, you must first give, this is the beginning of intelligence.

• Criminal Charges, Volume XXXVII: Fast food fraud - Jeremy, Taking Charge
  
• Best Rates Not Always the Best Deals - Credit Card Assist
  
• Free FICO Credit Score - Jim, Bargaineering
  
• Reviewing My Credit Score - "A review of your credit score and what you should do next" - My Findependence Day
  
• Closing Credit Card Accounts will Not Help Your Credit Score - PT Money, Prime Time Money
  
• Obama Puts Weight Behind Credit Card Bill Of Rights - Mr. CC, Ask Mr. Credit Card's Blog
  
• Improve Your Credit Score Under the New FICO Scoring - "The impact of the new FICO score on steps to improving your credit score" - Ben, Money Smart Life
  
• Free Credit Score Websites Comparison - Simon, Cafe Credit
  
• Debt is bad - "Does it make sense to save $ when you're in some bad debt? My brother expresses his own views in an interesting way :)" - J. Money, Budgets are Sexy
  
• Simple and Easy Methods to Reduce Your Debt Significantly - Debt Freedom Fighter, Discover Debt Freedom
  
• I'm Dumb For Consolidating My Student Loan - "Who said consolidating was a good idea? I wish I could punch them in the face" - Debt Ninja, Punch Debt In The Face
  
• Yet Another 4 Reasons To Hate Credit Card Companies - Baker from Man Vs. Debt
  

Real Estate

In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don't try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present.

• Renewing a Mortgage - Variable or Fixed Rate? - "Wondering if you should switch from a variable rate to fixed rate? Read about some tips that will help you decide by concentrating on cost certainty" - Nurseb911, Triaging My Way To Financial Success
  
• Shopping For The Best Loan In The New Lending Environment - Dan Melson, Searchlight Crusade
  
• How to be a Slum Lord - "Have you ever wondered who owns all those run-down buildings in the worst part of town?" - TStrump, The Strump - Financial Blog
  
• Rental Property Update April 2009 - "Ever wonder if there can be financial loss from a bad tenant in a Rental Property?" - Smarty, Growing Money
  

Finance & Economy

I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.

• The Recession And The Effects On Paying For College - Simon, Realm of Prosperity
  
• Are you standing financially naked when it comes to your personal finances? - B Simple, Simplified Financial Lifestyle
  
• Stress Tests and Capital Adequacy Explained - "The highly anticipated FED stress test results may very well serve as fuel for further gains" - Dorian Wales, The Personal Financier

Career

At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.

• Why Social Networking Doesn't Work - "A discussion of how networking is about forming relationships, not simply collecting business cards." - Steven, Hundred Goals
  
• Staff Meeting with God: You Can Learn a Lot from a Snake! - "Moses has a staff meeting with God. During this job interview, the Lord uses a snake as part of an object lesson to teach him about authority and wisdom." - CoolHappyGuy, Wealth From The Bible.com
  
• Seven Reasons to Join the Military (and make it a career) - Bob, Bob's Occasional Musings
  

Other

Truthful words are not beautiful; beautiful words are not truthful. Good words are not persuasive; persuasive words are not good.

• The Importance in Education - "School is not just to learn about Calculus" - David, MoneyNing
  
• What If I Die? Make Sure Your Family Has All Your Important Information In One Place - "A look at why you should put all of your important financial and personal information in one place for your family members to access" - Peter, Bible Money Matters
  
• Geezeo Review - "Geezeo is financial management with a social twist" - Chance, Personal Finance Software Reviews
  
• Taxation Without Representation - "Could the Government's runaway spending derail your investment future plans?" - Bret Frohlich
  
• Mark Cuban, Naked Pizza, and Being Passionate and Persistent about Your Dreams - RC, Think Your Way To Wealth
  
• Review of Dave Ramsey's Town Hall for Hope - "A look at the Town Hall for Hope where we discuss what was said and what we feel about it" - Kyle, Suburban Dollar
  
• Review: I Will Teach You To Be Rich - B.B., Beating Broke
  
• The Three C's of Financial Happiness - Jeff, Stretchy Dollar
  
• Make Money Online from a Blog - Step by Step Guide - "A detailed guide on how to make money online from a blog" - Investo Blogger, Investo Blog
  

Well, with that we've reached the end of this carnival. If you liked the carnival, you may want to look around. We've got some great articles that might prove useful towards leading a simple yet happy life :).

We thank Flexo for giving us an opportunity to host a Carnival of Personal Finance. The next edition of this carnival will be crafted by Weakonomics. Heartfelt thanks to all for making this carnival a success. Adieu till we meet again at another carnival of joyful sharing.

A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say - "we did it ourselves."

Image Source(s): Lao Tsu Photo courtesy of kafka4prez, iStockPhoto

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