Carnival of Debt Reduction #13

Welcome to the thirteenth Carnival of Debt Reduction, created thirteen weeks ago by MBHunter to help all of us get a better handle on our debt and its slow death. This week we have a nice collection of entries for your viewing pleasure:

• Ray of The Millionaire Blog has a great post explaining away a common misconception some people have. Debt is NOT a way of life… “We need to change the way we view debt if we are ever going to be debt free and achieve financial peace.” I totally agree.
• FMF of Free Money Finance discusses an important decision many face: Should you pay down debt and forsake your 401k? This article answers that question.
• Dawn of Frugal For Life wants to know, are you a master or a slave to your money. One would assume we are all Masters, but truth be told- Slave fits some of us better.
• Nick of 2¢ Worth has “Ate” steps to fighting debt, a clever play on words as you will find out when you read his article.
• Early Riser goes through the seven phases of credit card maturity as he has lived them. Makes me wonder what phase eight will be.
• Jonathan from MyMoneyBlog has some great tips on how to reduce the hit to your pocketbook when you’re shopping online for gifts this holiday season. If You’re Gonna Buy Online, Get Cash Back; A brief comparison of some of the most popular cash-back programs is provided.
• MBHunter from Mighty Bargain Hunter, who started the Carnival of Debt Reduction, doesn’t feel bad for the credit card companies for the hit they took right before the change in the bankruptcy laws. I don’t feel bad either.
• TT from Retire At 30 has some contrarian advice with regard to paying off debt versus saving away money. Instead of playing the numbers he argues that you should play the psychology and do what is most likely to help you stay the course, not what theoretically should be best in the long run by running the cold hard numbers.
• NCN from No Credit Needed writes about the Value of Waiting, likening a binge on easy-access credit to cotton candy at the fair.

Some other articles worth reading (but weren’t submitted) include ConsumerismCommentary’s thoughts on the Bankruptcy Backfiring on Credit Card Companies (perhaps your arch-nemesis), and FiveCentNickel’s tips on How to Opt out of Pre-Approved Credit Card Offers.

If you’d like to participate in the Carnival of Debt Reduction, next week’s host is You Need A Budget, please take an opportunity this week to send them your entries . See you all next week!

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