Welcome to my humble blog and the 329th edition of the Carnival of Personal Finance.  I have been participating in the Carnival of Personal Finance since  the 175th edition, way back in 2008.  It is my honor and privilege to host the carnival this week.  I certainly hope you enjoy it.

California Dreaming Theme

I figured everyone could use a cool break from the blazing hot summer.  So, I thought we would cruise up the California coast together.  Just imagine the sea breeze blowing, surf music playing, surfboards in the back and the warm sun shining.  After all, the summer is officially over and soon it’s going to be a long dark winter.  Let’s all enjoy the sunshine while it lasts.

Editor’s Choice

I selected articles for the Editor’s Choice award, based on how interesting and informative they were.  Congratulations and well done to the winners.

• Don’t Quit Your Day Job – Home Price Affordability Calculator
• The Dividend Guy Blog – 6 Reasons Why You Should Panic and 1 Reason Why You Should Keep Investing
• Net Worth Journey – Repairing Your Credit Yourself
• Passive Income Now – How to Set Up an Online Store
• Watson Inc. – Should You Pay-off The House?

San Diego

San Diego is known as the Birthplace of California.  It is now the 8th largest city in the US and the 2nd largest city in California by population.  Neighboring communities include Del Mar and Solana Beach.  Famous surf breaks include Cortes Bank and Black’s Beach at Torrey Pines.  Popular tourist destinations include Mission Bay, Sea World, Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo.  Popular activities include the Unlimited Hydro Boat Races and Over the Line Softball Tournament.

Budgeting

• It’s Raining Pennies – Breaking Down the Cost of Food per Person
• Wealth Pilgrim – Becoming A Stay At Home Mom or Dad – and Affording It
• Money Smarts Blog – A Practical Way To Estimate Home Maintenance Costs
• Master the Art of Saving – How Should I Use The Extra Money? You Decide
• Smart on Money – How to Deal with Regular Bills when You Have an Irregular Income
• 20’s Finance – The Best Way to Track Expenses
• I Personal Finances – You Won’t Be Happy, if You Don’t Feel at Financial Choice

Carlsbad

Carlsbad, located in North San Diego County, is one of the highest-income areas of the US.  It also developed the world’s first skateboard park in 1976.  Popular surf breaks include Moonlight Beach and Swami’s in Encinitas.  Neighboring communities include Encinitas and Oceanside.   Popular tourist destinations include Legoland and the San Diego Wild Animal Park.  Popular activities include golf and tennis at the La Costa Resort and visiting the flower fields of the Carlsbad Ranch.

Career

• Bible Money Matters – Life as a Financial Blogger: What You Need to Know
• Compounding Return – Military Personal Finance: Don’t Be a Statistic
• The Financial Blogger – The Thing About Blogging That Most of us Forget
• Experiglot – 5 Tips For Networking on a Budget

San Clemente

San Clemente is known as the Spanish Village by the Sea.  It claims to have the World’s Best Climate with 310 days of sunshine per year and a very narrow range of temperatures.  Neighboring communities include Capistrano Beach, Dana Point and Laguna Beach.  San Clemente is my home break and it borders on three famous surf breaks, Trestles, San Onofre and Doheney.  Popular tourist activities include the Ocean Festival and whale watching excursions from Dana Point harbor.

Credit

• Damon Day & Associates – Does Credit Counseling Hurt Your Credit
• Sustainable Personal Finance – Alternative Credit Scores
• Rewards Cards Canada – Best Gift Card Rewards For Employees
• Smart Balance Transfers – September 2011 Report On 0% APR Balance Transfer Credit Cards
• Canadian Personal Finance Blog – Surreal Paragraphs in Credit Card Statements
• Help me Travel Cheap – Best Cash Back Credit Cards with Mileage Transfer Options
• Studenomics – Do I Need a Credit Card?

Huntington Beach

Huntington Beach is known as Surf City USA.  They host the world surfing championships each year.  Neighboring communities include Newport Beach, Sunset Beach and Seal Beach.  Famous surf breaks include The Wedge in Newport and Huntington Beach Pier.  Popular tourist destinations include the International Surfing Museum and South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa.  Popular activities include the US Open of Surfing and Cruise of the Light Boats.

Debt

• Rabbit Funds – Timebox your way to Better Financial Health
• Pay Down Debt Help – Dave Ramsey’s Debt Snowball
• Growing Money – Benefits of Paying Off Your Mortgage Early
• Money Help for Christians – The Simplicity and Complexity of Debt

Hermosa Beach

Hermosa Beach is located in the South Bay area of Los Angeles.  Neighboring communities include Redondo Beach and Manhattan Beach.  Popular surf breaks include the Redondo Breakwater and the Manhattan and Hermosa Beach piers.  Popular tourist destinations include Pier Plaza and The Strand, a beachfront trail that runs the length of all three cities.  Popular activities include the AVP Pro Volleyball Tour and the Fiesta Hermosa Arts and Crafts festival.

Economy

• Intelligent Speculator – 10 Ways To Stay Calm In These Crazy Markets
• Taking Charge – U.S. economic recession shifted FICO credit scores
• Wallet Blog – Usury Laws, Anyone?

Santa Monica

The city was named after Santa Monica of Hippo, because the Spaniards celebrated her feast on this location.  Neighboring communities include Venice Beach and Marina Del Rey.  Popular surf breaks include Dockweilier State Beach and the Santa Monica pier.  Popular tourist destinations include Venice Beach and the amusement park on the Santa Monica Pier.  Popular activities include the Taste of Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Film Festival.

Finances

Malibu

Malibu is located in northern Los Angeles County and is known for famous celebrity residents and natural disasters.  It is home to 21 miles of beautiful beaches, which are used as the backdrop for countless movies and TV shows.  Neighboring communities include Oxnard and Ventura.  Popular surf breaks include Zuma Beach, Surfrider Beach and Malibu State Beach.  Popular activities include the Malibu Arts Festival and the Malibu International Film Festival.

Frugality

• Consumer Boomer – Cheap Medications For Seniors Online
• One Money Design – Saving Money on Groceries by Not Wasting Food
• Financial Highway – 45 Money Saving Tips
• Totally Money – 6 ways to reduce the cost of your supermarket shop

Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara is known as the American Riviera, because of its pleasant year-round weather and Mediterranean styled architecture.   The city is home to legendary surfing champions Tom Curren and Kelly Slater.  Neighboring communities include Isla Vista, Goleta, Montecito and Carpinteria.  Famous surf breaks include Rincon and The Ranch.  Popular activities include the Old Spanish Days Festival and the Summer Solstice Parade.

Investing

• Your Life, Their Life – Too much money?  Try day trading!
• Darwin’s Money – This Investment Pays 100:1 – Timing is the Issue
• ETF Base – 5 Reasons to Avoid the Most Popular Gold ETF GLD
• Qwoter – Tracking Investments
• Stumble Forward – Low Fee IRA – Is It Really The Best Way To Save For Retirement
• Dividend Growth Investor – How dividend stocks protect investors from inflation
• Dividend Growth Stocks – There’s Gold In Them Thar Dividend Stocks
• Green Panda Teahouse – Are You Going To Graduate and Go Back To School?
• FIRE Finances – Brokerage Went Belly Up – Where Are My Investments?

Pismo Beach

Pismo Beach was known as the Clam Capital of the World in the 1950s.  But, due to over-harvesting and the protected sea otters, the clams aren’t as plentiful as they once were.  Neighboring communities include Oceano and San Luis Obispo.  Popular surf breaks include Cable Landing and Avila Beach.  Popular tourist destinations include the Oceano Dunes State Park for off-roaders.  Popular activities include the Clam Festival and West Coast Classic Car Show.

Money Management

• Humble Savers – Five Ways to Save – With the Children
• Paid Twice – Seven Holiday Movies That Put Money and Materials into Perspective
• Squirrelers – Financial Chemistry
• Money Beagle –  I Hope The New GM Contract Doesn’t Create A Bunch of Clark Griswolds
• Free Money Wisdom – 3 Easy Ways to Reduce Personal Insurance Costs
• Christian Personal Finance – 5 Lessons Learned From My First Job
• Control Your Cash – Break Your Appliances, not the Bank
• Bucksome Boomer – When Are You Retiring?
• DollarVersity – Not All Financial Advisors Are Created Equal
• Money Capsules – Asking Your Trusted Advisor(s) the Right Questions
• Card Hub – Bank of America Joins Checking Account Fee Party with New $5 Charge for Debit Card Use

Morro Bay

Morro Rock was called El Moro by a Portuguese explorer, because he thought it looked like the head of a Moor.  Morro Bay is a sleepy town in Central California, with a history in fishing and agriculture.  Neighboring communities include Baywood and Cayucos.  Popular surf breaks include Morro Rock, the Cayucos pier and Moonstone in San Simeon.  Popular tourist destinations include Morro Bay, Hearst Castle and Morro Rock, which is a 576 foot high volcanic plug.

Real Estate

• Boomer & Echo – Home Renovations: Do They Pay Off?

Monterey

Monterey is known as California’s First City.  The stunning coastline includes the famous 17 Mile Drive.  Neighboring communities include Carmel and Seaside.  Popular surf breaks include Ghost Tree and Sand Dollar Beach.  Popular tourist destinations include Cannery Row and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  Popular activities include the Monterey Blues Festival (formerly the Monterey Jazz and Pop festivals) and golf at the Pebble Beach Resort.

Savings

Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz is also known as Surf City and it has a long-standing feud with Huntington Beach over the moniker.  Neighboring communities include Capitola and Rio Del Mar.  Famous surf breaks include Steamer Lane and Pleasure Point.  Popular tourist destinations include the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, California’s oldest amusement park.  Popular activities include the Wharf to Wharf foot race and O’Neil Coldwater Classic surf contest.

Taxes

San Francisco

San Francisco is often called The City by the Bay.  It is known for liberal activism, technology companies and devastating earthquakes.  Neighboring communities include Pacifica and Half Moon Bay.  Famous surf breaks include Mavericks and Ocean Beach.  Popular tourist destinations include Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz, Chinatown and the Golden Gate Bridge.  Popular activities include the Chinese New Year Parade and the Bay to Breakers foot race.

Other

• Good Financial Cents – Banking Scams: How Banks Are Legally Stealing Your Money and What You Can Do About It
• Free Money Finance – How the Typical Family Pays for College
• My Dollar Plan – Pressing the Reset Button
• Nicole and Maggie:  Grumpy Rumblings – Sharing Finances
• One Cent at a Time – Real War Of The Reel World: Netflix vs Blockbuster – The Fight Goes On

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is that Life’s a Beach.  We can either enjoy the water and sunshine or complain about the sand and parking.  Either way, the our attitude determines how we enjoy our lives.

“The voice of the sea speaks to the soul.”

Kate Chopin – American Author

Until Next Summer

Thanks to all of the talented bloggers for participating in the Carnival of Personal Finance.  Don’t forget to Digg, Stumble, Like, Tweet and link back to the Carnival.  Everyone benefits from the links and the community.