Carnival of Pecuniary Delights #25 – Stephen Covey Edition

Welcome to the 25th edition of the Carnival of Pecuniary Delights. I’m delighted to be hosting this week! I’ve participated in the carnival since its inception and have big shoes to fill when it comes to hosting.

If this is your first time at Fiscal Fizzle, here’s a warm welcome to the community. Please consider subscribing before you head out.

This Week’s Theme

I selected Stephen Covey for this week’s carnival theme because he is truly one of my ‘personal heroes.’ Long-time readers know how frequently I quote his work, and one of the founding principles of this blog is just that – following principles, a staple of Covey’s work.

Throughout the Carnival, you’ll see quotes from Stephen Covey that teach us a great deal about life. I encourage you to pause and think about each one as you read!

Editor’s Picks

“The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”

“Most people define greatness through wealth and popularity and position in the corner office. But what I call everyday greatness comes from character and contribution.”

I’m pleased to select four of the best entries this week as my Editor’s Picks. There were some really fantastic submissions, but the following really stood out:

• Baker from Man vs. Debt compares living across the globe in Cost of Living Abroad: International Bloggers Share Expenses. Did you know that Internet costs only $20 in Thailand, and $120 in Papua New Guinea? These intriguing stats made for some interesting conversation.
• The Dough Roller has created a great resource, giving us 23 Powerful Tips and Tools to Eliminate Debt. It takes the ‘conventional’ approach to debt elimination and puts it on steroids.
• April at Get Rich Slowly wrote Lighting a Fire: How to Overcome Procrastination. This post really struck a chord with me, as I often have trouble simply starting things. Discipline is ultra-important when it comes to your finances.
• Free From Broke offers 25 Traits Of The Not So Well To Do, a study in things to avoid if you want to get ahead in your financial life. You’ll be nodding your head furiously!

Saving Money

“The commitments we make to ourselves and to others, and our integrity to those commitments, is the essence and clearest manifestation of our proactivity.”

“Happiness can be defined, in part at least, as the fruit of the desire and ability to sacrifice what we want now for what we want eventually.”

• The Buck List gives us 10 Free Barter & Swap Sites as a great money-saving alternative to buying & selling things and services.
• Studenomics tells us How Community College Can Benefit You. While saving you tons of money is a definite plus, there are a few more great advantages.
• Free Money Finances shows us How to Save Money on Moving. I’ve moved a few times in my life, and could have used this advice.
• Budgets are Sexy proposes that we Save $10 bucks and wash that sexy car of yours. He also gives us 10 reasons why.
• The Canadian Finance Blog makes a case for Accelerated Bi-Weekly Mortgage Payments in a short and sweet post.

Investing

“‘Begin with the end in mind’ is based on the principle that all things are created twice. There’s a mental or first creation, and a physical or second creation to all things.”

“Contrary to most of our scripting, to win does not mean somebody else has to lose…”

• Banker, Saver tells us about CD Ladder Basics: Diversifying With Certificates of Deposit. A post on the basics of laddering, and the latest trends.
• Investing Toolkit presents Building a Retirement Portfolio, which includes three things to consider when you’re preparing for retirement.
• PT Money shows us how to do a 403(b) Rollover to a Traditional IRA, useful if you’ve just changed jobs.
• Money Help for Christians asks Are You Smart Enough To Time the Market? If the market geniuses are not, can we really hope to be?
• Darwin’s Finance teaches us about investing in How Stock Options Work Series: Covered Call Writing. I personally don’t get that advanced in investing, but it’s great for those of you interested in learning more!

Credit

“Without involvement, there is no commitment. Mark it down, asterisk it, circle it, underline it. No involvement, no commitment.”

“We immediately become more effective when we decide to change ourselves rather than asking things to change for us.”

• Own The Dollar asks What is the True Cost of Only Paying the Minimum Payments on Your Credit Cards? It sure makes you think twice!
• Simplified Financial Lifestyle suggests we use a Two Card Financial Trick to Simplify Your Personal Finances.

Everything Else

“We simply assume that the way we see things is the way they really are or the way they should be. And our attitudes and behaviors grow out of these assumptions.”

“You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage – pleasantly, smilingly, nonapologetically – to say ‘no’ to other things. And the way you do that is by having a bigger ‘YES’ burning inside…”

• My Dollar Plan has published a timely and useful guide on How to Convert from Microsoft Money to Quicken.
• Blogging for Change shows us how Depression makes money management difficult. Indeed, even occasional bad moods influence our financial decisions.
• Christian Personal Finance talks about Medi-Share: A Christian health insurance alternative.
• Bargaineering shares the 2010 Federal Income Tax Brackets. Very useful for planning ahead!
• Don’t Quit Your Day Job suggests A Modest Proposal – More (Gas) Taxes!

And finally,

“Writing is another powerful way to sharpen the mental saw. Keeping a journal of our thoughts, experiences, insights, and learnings promotes mental clarity, exactness, and context.”

A big thank-you to everyone who participated in this week’s carnival. Next Thursday, the carnival will be hosted by none other than Financial Highway. Be sure to get your entries in by going to the carnival’s submission page.

Photo credits:

• Success http://www.flickr.com/photos/aloshbennett/ / CC BY 2.0
• Hard at Work http://www.flickr.com/photos/maveric2003/ / CC BY 2.0
• Determination http://www.flickr.com/photos/randysonofrobert/ / CC BY 2.0
• Distraction http://www.flickr.com/photos/torley/ / CC BY-SA 2.0
• Saying No http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevensnodgrass/ / CC BY 2.0