Carnival of Savings 3rd Edition

Welcome to the September 17, 2009 3rd edition of The Carnival of Savings. I was not sure I was going to be on time with this edition, but here I am...

Last week, I started out with issues with my MS Office Enterprise 2007 software.  I was locked out due to validation issues Microsoft was claiming on my software.  After several evenings of trying to resolve this issue with email back and forth to Microsoft, it took a computer guru acquaintance of ours 5 minutes yesterday to resolve the problem on the phone.

Last night, we did not have internet nor did we have phone service.  I have yet to find out why - I hung up the phone after holding for one hour.

So, with all that said ... Below you will find some really good posts that will provide you with creative ways to save, help with your budget and perhaps re-wire your brain when it comes to spending.  I really did enjoy Debt Kid's post about creating a budget.

The Carnival of Savings 3rd Edition ...

R.J. Weiss presents Personal Finance Plan Phase 2 posted at Genyweath.com.

Debt Kid presents I'm on a Budget, Not Broke! posted at DebtKid.

MatthewPaulson presents Saving Your way Through College posted at Fine-Tuned Finances.

Billeater presents Cutting Down Summer Air Conditioning Costs posted at Billeater.

Stingy Student presents Stingy Students: Free Starbucks on Sundays posted at Stingy Students, saying, "Learn how to get free Starbucks on Sundays!"

Grocery Tips

Buck Weber presents Save Money By Foraging posted at THE BUCK LIST, saying, "Foraging can serve as a free supplement to both your grocery budget and your exercise regime. The joy of connecting with nature and enjoying its fresh bounty can be even more rewarding than any monetary savings."

Marla Walters presents The Casserole Club Makes a Comeback! posted at Parenting Squad.  This is a great idea for working moms. Make dinner twice a week in bulk and exchange with friends and have a different meal every night.

The Smarter Wallet presents Coupon Chief Review: Discount Coupon Site For Savvy Shoppers posted at The Smarter Wallet, saying, "Looking for a place to pick up coupons?"

Emily Simmons presents How to Have a Successful Yard Sale posted at Be In Health Now, saying, "These are the tips my husband and I followed when having our yard sale last week, resulting in more than $400 extra in our traveling fund! Hope you find them helpful, too."

Saving Tips

FIRE Getters presents Back To School - Savers Guide posted at FIRE Finance, saying, "With rising tuition and increasing costs of school as well as college education, getting our kids back to school can be a major drain on our pockets if we don't plan it well. It gets better if we can get our kids to cooperate with us :). Well, easier said than done!"

Ray presents What Is A Good Credit Score? posted at Money Blue Book, saying, "A good credit score can equate to better interest rate savings. So what is a good credit score?"



Condo Blues presents 10 Ways for College Students to Go Green on the Cheap posted at Condo Blues, saying, "Here’s a list of 10 tips for college students who want to go green and save money doing it."



Heidi presents Get Your Household Items Free with CVS posted at Little People Wealth, saying, "This is the CVS beginners guide."


One Advice presents How to Get Good at Saving posted at One Advice, saying, "Saving money can often be hard, especially if you find that you are living paycheck-to-paycheck and have no money left over at the end of the month. But learning how to get good at saving can make it a breeze..."


Stefanie presents Cutting Utility Costs posted at Money Encounter$, saying, "Saving money can start in your home with these tips to cutting your utility bills!"


Jenny presents Stop The Credit Card Madness posted at Stop Spending Money, saying, "If people remembered that buying an item on credit essentially meant paying an extra 20% more for the item, they would be less likely to spend."


Faizal Nisar presents Master the Art of Saving Money posted at Be Truly Happy, saying, "Discover how to maximize your savings by learning patience, self-discipline and how to make a simple budget plan."

Louis Rudner presents How To Organize Yourself Financially | Trading Oxen posted at Trading Oxen, saying, "Various ways to organize your finances. Ideas for setting up different bank accounts and managing your overall finances."


Darwin presents Consumer Reports Wisdom from October’s Issue posted at Darwin's Finance, saying, "This article highlights the top ideas, savings tips and product reviews from Consumer Reports."


Silicon Valley Blogger presents The Dave Ramsey Budget: Budgeting Tips For Successful Savers posted at The Digerati Life, saying, "Thanks!"


Banker Saver presents 4 Financial Tips To Weather The Mortgage Crisis posted at Banker Saver.

Travel Tips

Martin Andrews presents Before Your Departure Checklist - Important Things To Remember! posted at Globe Cheap Travel, saying, "Discount Travel Techniques that guarantee big savings on family vacations, international flights, accommodation, entertainment, and a great free departure checklist that everyone should have.."

Nickel presents Get Cheap Car Rentals From Priceline (or Hotwire) posted at fivecentnickel.com.

Amy @ The Q Family presents 5 Expenses Not Include on Your Cruise posted at The Q Family Adventures Travel Blog.

Wise_Bread presents Save Money on Travel Accommodations posted at Wisebread.

That concludes this edition.  Thank you to everyone who submitted a post.

We will be doing things a little differently for the next edition.  We have been receiving a hodge podge of savings tips which has been great but for the next edition, we will set a theme.  Since we are getting closer to the holidays, please submit posts regarding holiday savings tips, crafts, recipes, gift ideas -- anything that will help cut the budget during the holidays.

Submit your blog article to the next edition of carnival of savings using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Special Note To Participants In This Edition:  Please don't forget to pick up this permalink and insert it in your post as a courtesy to readers and as stipulated in Blog Carnival Guidelines.  Thank you.

Photo:  SWS Photo Collection