The Best of Finance Blogosphere: The "Confessions" Edition

What better way to keep your spending in check and fight against debt, than publicly announcing your intentions and confessing every time you slip? Well, that’s exactly what Tricia @ blogging away debt does on her blog and in this archive of confessions! Tricia has been a source of inspiration for scores of readers and has been featured in main stream media such as the New York Times! Check it out – maybe it will give you some inspiration too!

While Tricia talks of her confessions on a day-to-day basis, SVB @ The Digerati Life fesses up with a list of the foolish money mistakes she has made in her life, so far. I liked her list a lot for the detailed discussion of what she could do to avoid those mistakes, and in some cases admission that if she has to do it all over again, she would likely repeat those mistakes again. It’s a great list for all of us to learn from.

Inspired by SVB’s confessions, The Frugal Zeitgeist lists her own stupid money mistakes. An excerpt from her confession - ”I sent the check off the next morning, and I've been squeaky-clean and scrupulous about my taxes ever since.” And that was at Age 15! You should check out her blog to read the whole story.

When I write these “Best of” editions, I am not looking so much for the latest in the finance blogosphere, as I am for the best stories that resonate the most with me. So here’s one that is old but timeless. In this early 2006 entry Madame X @ my open wallet throws out her Ms. Goodie-Two-Shoes image and owns up to a list of financial mistakes. I love her crisp writing style and to give you a flavor of her writing, here is a glimpse - Got into long-distance relationship. And liked it. The travel is fun but the phone bills are murder. followed by Even worse: got into long-distance relationship with a poet. Semi-employed poet. Not inherited-wealthy poet.

I know these confessions are not easy to make, and that too publicly on a blog, opening yourself up to comments and judgment! I would like to take a moment and thank them for doing it anyway, because we can now (a) learn from their mistakes and (b) be inspired by their openness!

And before moving onto the list of carnivals and festivals for the week, here is another confession, but of a different sort. In Confessions of a Personal Finance Blogger Matthew Paulson @ Getting Green writes what many of personal finance bloggers would like to confess about blogging. While the focus of this list is not on money mistakes, the confessions ring with truth, and if you provided this list to *any* personal finance blogger, I am sure they will own up to at least three of the items, maybe more.

OK. Now onto the list of carnivals and festivals for the week.

• The Festival of Frugality was hosted at Debt Hater.


• The Carnival of Personal Finance was hosted at Tired but Happy.


• The Carnival of Ethics, Values and Personal Finance was hosted at The Weight of Money.


• The Make it from Scratch #6 was hosted at Stop the Ride.

Related Articles:

• The Best of Blogosphere: “Personal Finance Bloggers are Remarkably Funny!” Edition


• The Best of Finance Blogosphere: “Ugh, It’s Tax Time” Edition


• The Best of Finance Blogosphere: The Ugly Monster Called "Debt"


• The Best of Finance Blogosphere: Some Great ‘Series’ to Watch Out

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