Money Obedience

This is our weekly roundup, where we share some interesting posts written by personal finance bloggers we follow. Well, this time around it has become our bi-weekly roundup since we skipped last week. As always, when we list a post in this roundup we stick with our favorite themes: setting up a budget, household expenses, lower debt, and general personal finance topics that can aid in reaching financial goals. We hope that you enjoy the insights of these fellow bloggers!

Setting up a Budget and Household Expenses

Using Adult Allowance to Cut Back on Expenses. - Wojciech describes what an adult allowance is. He tells us how he and his wife organized their allowance when they set up a budget. Finally he also lists the benefits of an adult allowance.

Another Example of a Rich Person Who Can't Control Her Spending. - Even people with a high income can overspend. Setting up a budget and staying within a budget is important for everybody at all income levels.

It’s Not the Small Stuff. - Kristy points out that you can save big money when you make big purchases like a house or a car. The costs associated with such big ticket items make a huge difference in your financial success. We wrote a similar post about our car purchase a year ago.

Moving on a budget? Consider staying where you are. - Karen gives us a very good account why she decided to stay in the current apartment. There are some pros and cons to staying versus moving that you might think about. This post is also a good example of how you can make a wiser decision when you take all kinds of factors into consideration.

Another PayDay Closer To Goals. - Finance Girl gives us an excellent example of how a paycheck can be divvied up for living expenses and financial goals.

Lower Debt

A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Your Credit Card Interest Rates Reduced. - If you are suffering from the burden of high credit card interest rates, Trent’s guide is a must read. He describes in detail how you can improve your chances of lowering your credit card interest rates and your payments.

Investing

Don’t ignore your instincts. - The writer tells us that our own level of comfort is one of the most important elements when we make any financial decisions, but especially when we invest money.

Miscellaneous

Is 8 To 12 The New 3 To 6? - The author questions the time-honored wisdom of putting 3-6 months’ worth of expenses in an emergency fund. He wonders whether that number should be increased to 8-12 months’ worth of expenses.

How to stick to a decision. - Steve describes the uncertainties surrounding a life decision he is making. He also lets us know that too much freedom or too many options can make one feel uncomfortable. This post is relevant to all of us since we all have to make decisions of varying magnitudes during our life times.

Incentives Demoralizes Professional Activity. - Jim alerts us to two video clips. One talks about how incentives can actually work against us. The other talks about the paradox of choice. In some ways, then, Jim’s post and Steve’s (see immediately above) are related this week.