what is the DIY jubilee? it is the latest, newest money and lifestyle related blog carnival!

why another blog carnival?!

’tis true, there are at least a dozen strong, regular personal finance related blog carnivals, festivals, and fiestas out there. recently, however, i was reflecting on how wouldn’t it be nice if there was a central ‘repository’ of useful, interesting, cool, and/or excellent blog articles that focused on money-saving Do-It-Yourself tales?

the closest blog carnivals i can think of that are not far from possessing this characteristic might be the festival of frugality (which i do regularly participate in, and will be hosting next week), and make it from scratch. however, the latter is heavy on cooking and recipes, while the former is a more general, all-encompassing celebration of frugal-related matters.

what i was looking for, was a very specialized resource/niche, a subset that might be found from the festival, while being a superset of the ‘make it from scratch’ — something ‘in between’, one might say.

what is the DIY jubilee ?!

especially during these times of recession, many of us are finding ways to cut back on our expenses. this might include taking action ourselves for tasks that we normally might have done by someone else, or creating something with our own hands (or machines, etc.) rather than buying it from someone else.

how have you been DIY-ing?

the idea is that the project was done with the primary motivation being to save money.  my hope is that the editions will be accessible and appealing to money-conscious readers first.  enjoying the DIY task (while allowed of course!) is secondary.

how about some inspiring examples?!

to get some ideas for the type of articles i (and hopefully other future hosts) would be looking for, i culled the following from the general blogosphere:

• DIY clothesline from (past) hobbies here at fwp
  
• Free Info on Home Repair at blueprint for prosperity
• how to make homemade mouthwash at christian finance blog
• do it yourself car repair at tight-fisted miser
• the personal financier used manual labor and paint to make an old bed new
• homemade winter gifts by sound money matters

let’s participate!

like what you have read? excited about the premise? looking forward to offering what you’ve got, and peeking into what others might have to share? then submit your DIY related blog post from the past few months to the Do-It-Yourself Jubilee !

submissions guidelines:

• posts should be 200 words or more
• one post per submitter per blog
• posts should have been submitted to or will be submitted to no more than 2 OTHER blog carnivals.
• you must have written your own post — that is to say, submitter is author.
• article is from no older than 2 months
• relevant submissions that others might enjoy or benefit from are welcome
• photos encouraged (especially if your post is a ‘how-to’)!

sample submissions categories:

• how-to’s
• stories
• crafts
• home decor
• home improvement
• accessories
• miscellany
• in the kitchen*
• gifts
• other home
• office
• clothing
• in the garage
• resources
• ..and more!

the first issue will be posted on 11/24. the deadline is the saturday night before, 11/22 midnight PST.

the jubilee will have its own site coming soon.

please give this post some link love to help announce this exciting new blog carnival! thanks, and happy “Doing it Yourself”!

questions, comments?  please let me know below* !

*leaving a comment will qualify you to enter the current book giveaway that ends this saturday!

photo by andy hay

hello!  and welcome to the second ever edition of the new carnival of financial resources!  if you missed the first issue, you can find it here at FWP.  the next edition #3 will be hosted by on a quest to be debt free on november 15th (deadline noon EST the 13th!).

this round we again had almost 50 submissions!  thank you to everyone who expressed interest by sharing one of your posts with us.

speaking of submitting posts, please please read the submissions guidelines thoroughly at the carnival site before submitting your article (if you haven’t already done so)!

please visit these bloggers’ sites and offer feedback/comments.  and while you’re at it, why not take a look around here at FWP and subscribe to the rss feed ? ;)  this week, i am giving away a book called the homeowner’s handbook on energy efficiency.  all (hopefully meaningful) comments posted somewhere at this site will be considered in the drawing on 11/15!

happy (late) halloween!

yay gargoyles !!

tools

bob at christian pf tells us about how quicken online is now available for free!  “I would say that since Quicken Online is free, it is worth trying.”

thursday at wealth junkies also tells us that quicken online has dropped its fee. “Good money management software is hard to find. Quicken is one of the few companies that has built a reputation as one of the better — although somewhat expensive — software packages. Quicken Online, however, is now a free money management option.”

budgets are sexy advises us to photo/videograph to itemize your belongings for future insurance claims.  “only 4% of the population actually do this - and those who don’t couldn’t even come up with 50% of their belongings when it came time to itemize for insurance claims. SCARY to say the least.”

michael cohen at wmmedia advises us on how to profitably sell our websites. “A common question that troubles most website owners is: How do I sell my website?”

momma’s blog tells us about the magic of a spending log. “There is something to be said for the almost magical powers of keeping a written record.”

andrea smith tells us about the action needed in order to recover from bankruptcy. “When it comes to finances, bankruptcy is definitely one of the most difficult problems that one can face. Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean that it’s a hopeless situation. As soon as you’ve been discharged, you can take action to rebuild your credit right away.”

wenchypoo from her mental wastebasket tells us about the moves for maximizing your earnings, and/or lessening your taxes. “it is a small compilation of effective maneuvers available to the stay-at-home spouse, employee, or small-time entrepreneur.”

khan at higher education & career weblog gives us some tips on marketing our way to a better career.  “With a little work and creativity, your marketing skills will pay off. Whether it is in the form of a raise, promotion, or a better job, let your value, experience, and skills shine!”

lifestyle

bmgarrett at blogciety advises on how to beat the credit crunch “All we read about lately is the credit crunch and the major impact it is having on the everyday lives of people in several countries. Indeed, the time has come for many of us to reevaluate how we live.”

joshua seth shares his advice on 5 steps to prosper during hard economic times.  “You may not be able to change what’s happening in the world, but you can absolutely change how it affects you and actually profit by it in a big way.”

anna at on a quest to be debt free shares how we can do quickie bedroom makeovers — without spending a lot!  “Low-cost design-pro tricks to try now!”

business, services

here’s how cosigning a loan can affect your credit, according to ask mr. credit card.  “If you go into a co-signing situation aware of the risks and prepared for them, then it’s possible it could be a winning situation. If you are unprepared, you run the risk of losing your own good credit history and owing the money that the other person borrowed.”

lisa spinelli at greener pastures encourages negotiating in order to save hundreds or thousands of dollars.  “Negotiating the best price for a purchase can be stressful and time consuming. Yet certain purchases must be negotiated.”

investments

peter crump at win-win real estate investments tells us why you should have an IRA. “We’re living in tough times, and if you’re headed for retirement, times may even be getting tougher once you’ve retired, depending on how much planning, and investing, you’ve done for your retirement. And depending on whether you’ve got your own IRA.”

fire finance evaluates at what rate we should save for a secure retirement. “There are certain rules of thumb about saving which can give a general guideline about saving”

moneyning at the investment school writes how your portfolio performance compared with the averages determines the risk you are taking.  “The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DOW) shot up 11% (936.42 points) today, roughly representing $305 billion dollars of wealth. While it’s a great day for stock holders that make money when the stock market goes up, what’s more important is how much money we have gained today.”

deals & coupons

chris at credit shout talks about what we can get for our credit card points. “If you use a credit card you might as well receive points that you can cash in for top notch rewards. With enough points you may be able to score yourself a free trip or a big screen television. Does it get any better than that?”

reviews

here at the financial wellness project, i write about a positive experience i had with ING direct customer service, in quick resolution with ing direct.  “thanks ING direct, for your prompt service, and for having made that dispute as simple, painless, and straightforward as possible for me!”

kclau at his money tips shares his review of the malaysia insurance planning guide. “Buying insurance plans is a long term commitment. You might as well get it right on the first time and be informed as much as possible. You can get this ebook for US$4.95.”

people

dawn at iowahippiechick shares her highlight of jeff at my super charged life.  “A highlight of Jeff over at My Super-Charged Life … and his back to basics series on personal finance. An awesome site with tons of terrific financial resources!”

adam freedman at the investor’s journal tells us to be greedy when others are fearful, in profiling warren buffet.  “This philosophy is timelessly profound, can be applied to any form of investing, be it real estate, the stock market, etc., and is simple to understand.”

*  *  *

that’s it for this edition!  thanks everyone!

whee!  the festival of frugality carnival* and carnival of money stories have included two FWP posts this week!

i had submitted:

1. sun-drying clothes to save a bit of energy (please return to comment here)
2. a (small) sign of financial maturity (please return to comment here)

*what is a blog carnival?