Best of Money Carnival #50 - The Mother's Day Edition

Eliminate the Muda is honored to present the Best of Money Carnival #50 The Mother’s Day edition. The Best of Money Carnival was started by one of the blogoshere’s most respected personal finance bloggers, Free Money Finance.

Picking my favorites from such a large selection was almost as difficult as buying my wife a good Mother’s Day present, and that’s where we find inspiration for this weeks theme. With every passing year it seems finding the right gift is getting harder. Get some ideas of what to buy (and not buy) your favorite mom.

Please take a look at each of my 10 favorite articles in no particular order. When done, please leave a comment and share your best Mother’s day gift ideas. This way, it will be easier for us all next year!

Our first Mother’s Day I bought my wife a beanie baby. We thought we were being smart investors by dumping our disposable income of the latest investing fad. Anyone want to buy a chilly bear? It is mint! – photo by asteegabo

A Top 10 Pick– Do you need a financial makeover? – by Simple Life in France – We work hard to learn about money and investments. Then as we get older we get complacent. Is your money in the best place and being put to the best use? Maybe you do need a financial makeover. 

Since the cute Beanie Baby was a flop in year 1 of motherhood, I decided to go all out for the next. The wife received a strand of pearls with matching earrings. Today they sit in a dark safety deposit box. That doesn’t count as money in the bank, does it?- photo by Mnxan Opena

A Top 10 Pick – Through the Looking Glass – by Watson Inc. – Roshawn inspires us to believe in ourselves and our abilities to achieve our dreams.

We had only lived in California for a few months when my wife’s third Mother’s Day rolled around. Being hot and sunny we decided to tint the windows of her car so she could ride in comfort. As I recall we spent $150. Years later I learned you can find tint for less than $30 and do it yourself in an afternoon. Ouch! – photo by JeffWilcox

A Top 10 Pick– Dave Ramsey Gives Bad Investment Advice by The Oblivious Investor – This article illustrates that no one person is as smart as everyone. Dave Ramsey deserves a lot of credit in my book ( The Book That Changed My Life) for the inspiration he provides to millions. In this post you learn that even Dave can still learn!

Our fourth Mother’s day was a catastrophe! It was our first year in California. The only thing she wanted was a vacuum and I obliged. I never lived it down! Not from her, she was happy. It was my co-workers that berated me!- photo by markhillary

A Top 10 Pick– Pay Off Mortgage Sooner, Invest, Or Save? The Math Analysis by Money Help for Christians – Craig Ford not only knows how to cook a killer pizza (I’m getting there!), he also shares some important and pertinent insights to the argument of investing or paying down the mortgage. For me he clinched it in one of the last few bullet points. 

My wife’s fifth Mother’s Day was a frugal one. We had both changed jobs. I took a cushy corporate job with great benefits and low pay while she became self-employed as a stay-at-home mom. With my pay cut and hers, our income dropped by 50%, our savings had run out, and our debt was quickly growing. This was the year my wife received a white nightshirt with a photo of her kids ironed-on. – photo by 91RS

A Top 10 Pick– 14 Dumb Mistakes That College Graduates Make by GenYWealth –  RJ provides timeless advice for your child that is graduating this year. Then again, you might want to read it for yourself. There is also great advice for the rest of us as well. What, you haven’t started a Roth IRA yet?

One of our many methods of ensuring our continued indebtedness was spending money on “collections.” In this case it was not the beanie babies, it was clocks. For my wife’s sixth Mother’s day she received another clock. The minimalists would cringe to know we sport a collection of more than 60 time pieces!- photo by laffy4K

A Top 10 Pick– Could Legalizing Marijuana Help Balance the Budget? – by The Amateur Financier – A comprehensive look at the dollar and sense behind the debate. 

One of the other “collections” we have is Life is Good products. It doesn’t matter; shirts, hats, pajamas we love all their stuff. For our seventh Mother’s Day it was a Life is Good extravaganza with water bottles and even a dog bowl.- photo by Monica Arellano Ongpin

A Top 10 Pick– You’ve Got to Really WANT it by Budgets are $exy – J.$ (J. Money) is knockin em’ dead with his laid-back but entertaining approach to personal finance. J. shows us that we all have what it takes AND he even helps you find it! Life is good, isn’t it J?

There are few people that don’t enjoy running water. You can now find personal fountains both big and small. The eighth year of Motherhood my wife received a wall-mounted fountain. It was a monster and definitely had running water. Unfortunately, the motor was so loud that we couldn’t enjoy the fountain. It now sits dormant. – photo by sarahgardenvisit

A Top 10 Pick– Your Interview With Local Psychologist Dr. Matthew Bowen Part 1 by Enemy of Debt – Few people exude passion like this blogger does for personal finance. He captures me every time I venture near his site. This interview was based on questions from dozens of people and is sure to enlighten you.

Our ninth year of parenthood had entered routine and I had no ideas of what to get my wife. She saved the day when she expressed interest in a purse that had an outer shell which could be changed to match her mood. You would think with 7 shells you would get at least 7 years use? Think again!

A Top 10 Pick– Different Types of Insurance: Do You Have What You Need? by PTMoney. It could be said that life is just a long series of gambles. Each decision can result in gain or loss. Making sure you have the right kind and right amount of insurance provides protection. – photo by rojer

I scored big for year 10! The kids greeted their mother as she awoke for the morning. Each of them handed her a turned wooden block. About six inches tall they resembled goblets from the Renaissance, thick and hefty. She remained perplexed as she turned them, one in each hand. The contours were similar but  they were not the same. Only when it was pointed out did she see that the goblets reflected the shape of her children’s silhouette. Follow the contour of the goblets shape, or focus on the shape of the shadow, to see the facial profile.

And if you would like to have a goblet crafted in the profile of your child’s face, follow this link to ProfileInWood.com

Joe Plemon also scored big with this weeks Editors Pick!

The Top Pick – 6 Financial Lessons From Johnny Appleseed by Christian PF. Joe Plemon eloquently weaves a great story with a little history and teaches valuable money lessons along the way.

Do not forget, click below to leave a comment about your best Mother’s Day gift idea!

If you would like to learn what my wife got for Mother’s Day this year, sign up for my RSS Feed or subscribe via email. All will be revealed later this week. Hint: It beats the vacuum!