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This week, I hosted the Carnival of Personal Finance - Fun with Finance.

Check out the past week's collection of recent blog articles on personal finance, frugality, real estate, taxes, budgeting, credit cards, debt, saving, career, and business.

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Today is my grandmother's funeral but the kicker is that I am not allowed to attend because I'm pregnant.

I know it sounds ridiculous, but it's a Chinese tradition that pregnant women are not supposed to attend funerals, cemeteries, etc to protect the unborn baby. My husband can't even be a pallbearer because of it. There are probably other superstitions that are connected to it too.

Although I don't believe in the superstitions, I have to respect them.

When my grandmother was sick in the hospital, before she passed, I was told not to go visit her, in fear that I might catch an illness that may affect the baby. But once I found out her condition got worse, I went anyway.

And I'm glad I did. Because two days later, she passed away in her sleep, in the hospital, at the ripe old age of 91.

I was really upset when I was told I couldn't go to the funeral, but I know my grandmother would not have wanted me to go. Such is life.

She left this world knowing that her great grandchild was going to be born. And she even left my baby a gift.

I'll miss her dearly.

It’s here again – a FREE Hello Kitty calendar for 2011! I’ve been searching for this since last December. It’s finally out today!

The free printable Hello Kitty calendar was such a popular post last year, I decided to share this again.

If you’re a big Hello Kitty fan like I am, you’ll want to download this. After all, it’s free, free, free!

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Being unemployed and pregnant, I have to really watch what I spend at the moment. Having a baby is expensive, not only with medical bills but with all the stuff that a baby needs.

Things that we needed were a crib, baby clothes, changing table, etc. Everything adds up. So I was on a mission to find free, gently used, baby stuff.

The first place that I turned to was Freecycle.org. It’s a nonprofit network of local Yahoo groups in your community, where you can post stuff you want to pass on or want. The purpose of Freecycle is to keep perfectly good stuff out of landfills.

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With so many major banks getting rid of free checking or making you jump through hoops to earn it, there aren’t many financial institutions left, with brick-and-mortar branches, that offer free checking. So where can you stash your money for free with no minimum balance or hassle and perhaps earn interest along the way?

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Chase bank announced it will start charging its former WAMU customers, a checking account service fee of $10, starting on February 8, 2011. The Chase Free Extra Checking account will be converted to Chase Total Checking (or Chase “Total Ripoff”).

To avoid the $10 monthly service fee, you have to meet one of the following criteria:

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The one story that dominated the news last week was the story of a homeless man with a golden voice.

This inspiring overnight, rags-to-riches story about Ted Williams, former felon now the most sought after voice-over talent, gives us hope that our circumstances can change for the better at any given moment.

He knew what his strength was, his commanding voice, and made it known on a cardboard...

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The new tax law, signed by President Obama on December 17, 2010, temporarily extends the 2001 – 2003 federal income tax rate cuts, extends unemployment for 13 months, implements new payroll tax breaks, reestablishes the estate tax, and more.

This is good news for most taxpayers. With this long recession, we all need tax breaks, don’t we?

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Not only is 2011 the year for extension of tax cuts, but it’s also the year we get 3 extra days to file our taxes. Tax day has been extended to April 18 for 2011 only.

Why? Emancipation Day, a holiday that celebrates the freeing of slaves in Washington D.C. falls on Sat., April 16, but is...

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I love anything that will save time. And time is money. I’ve been using my iPhone to deposit checks for the past few months. I was apprehensive at first, but since it’s so easy, I have avoided unnecessary trips to the bank.

To test the deposit, I have actually deposited a check at the bank and deposited another check with the iPhone app on the same day. Both checks were posted in my account in the same amount of time, after Chase approved the deposits.

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Expiring tomorrow: cash in $40 or more in coins at any coinstar machine, choose a eCertificate, get a $10 bonus!

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It's been an interesting year. Here are the top 10 posts for my blog.

1. Free 2010 Hello Kitty Calendar

2. True Life: I Can No Longer Afford My Lifestyle

3. How American Airlines Saved $3 Million/Yr.

4. Costco Gift Baskets

5. How We Paid Off a Huge Debt

6. How to Type a Heart on Your Keyboard

7. How I Saved Over $100 a Month

8. Free 2010 Calendar Template

9. Unemployment Extension of 2010 Passes, Do You Qualify?

10. How NOT to Pay Off Debt

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I was very excited to receive a Magic Bullet for Christmas, especially after we watched the commercial again last week and my husband said he wanted it.

But figuring out what to do in it is more challenging. Any ideas?

Need a new dessert for the holidays? How about warm ginger cake?



My all-time favorite dessert is the warm ginger cake topped with pumpkin ice cream, caramel sauce, and whipped cream from Park Chow restaurant in San Francisco. There’s nothing like it anywhere else.

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On December 17, 2010, President Obama signed into law, the “Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010″. This sweeping tax package reauthorizes federal unemployment benefits for another 13 months, ending in January 2012.



Before this bill, unemployment extensions officially ended by November 30, 2010. That means if your unemployment insurance ended after that date, you would not qualify for further extension of benefits.

Luckily for you, if your unemployment insurance ended by that deadline, you would qualify for an extension of benefits.

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It’s less than a week before Christmas. If you haven’t finished your gift shopping, don’t worry, you still have time to do it online.



Today is the LAST DAY to order gifts from Amazon.com and get free super saver shipping in time for Christmas.

Here are my Top 12 Foodie Gifts for 2010, with gifts under $50, under $35, and under $20.

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Santa may be just about ready to load up his sleigh, but what if you are still behind with your preparations? Even worse what if you need to prepare for Christmas on a budget? Well, here are best tips for having a cracker of a Christmas without breaking the bank.



Although the holidays are just round the corner, it isn’t too late to create an enjoyable but cost-effective Christmas, even if you haven’t yet started your preparations.

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My article on 10 Homemade Christmas Gifts was featured in this week’s edition of Festival of Frugality – The Christmas Song Edition, hosted by Passive Family Income.

Don’t have time to make your own gifts? Here are some cool gifts I hand-picked for you, all of which are under $20 from Amazon.com, my favorite shopping site.



There is something for every budget. Shop for gifts under $10, $15, and $25.

All of the items include Free Super Saver Shipping on orders $25 or more.

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Holidays are filled with excitement and fun. You don’t have to spend a fortune this festive season to enjoy yourself. You must see what is more important during your holidays, heavy expenditure or spending quality time with your loved ones.



If you spend a lot of money on celebrations and gifts, it’ll last only a day or two but you have to carry the burden of debt for a very long time. For that reason, if you’re frugal in your holidays, you may stay debt free the rest of your lives.

Tips to help you celebrate your festive season on a budget:

These are recipes based on using a moka pot mentioned in the previous post. As you can see, the espresso drink recipes are simple. Do something nice for yourself or a loved one, make your own espresso drinks every day without having to leave your house! Be a home barista at family gatherings. And save yourself hundreds of dollars throughout the year.



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There are many articles about saving money by making your own coffee at home. But they're about making drip coffee. What if you prefer the more sophisticated, cafe espresso drinks, which require more skill to make? Isn't that why you spend the extra $3 - $4 a day to buy it from Starbucks?



How much does your daily latte or mocha cost you? $3 - $4 a day? $21 - $28 a week? $84 - $112 a month? What if you made your espresso drinks at home or even at work?

You don't even need an expensive espresso machine! In fact, I'll admit, I'm afraid of the espresso machine, especially the frothing feature. It's loud and screaming hot. You can burn yourself if you're not careful. And it takes a lot of skill to use it.

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The frigid weather makes me crave more comfort food. Arroz caldo is one of my favorite Filipino comfort foods. It’s basically, Filipino porridge, much like Chinese congee or jook. But what’s different about arroz caldo is that it has so much more flavor than Chinese porridge. There’s ginger, fried garlic, and fish sauce to spice it up.

I use whatever rice I have on hand – brown, jasmine, calrose, long grain, or short grain. You can even mix them up. Also, if you have sweet rice, substitute it with one rice cooker size cup, which will make the arroz caldo creamier.



Fried garlic is sold in a plastic container at Asian grocery stores. It makes it much easier than chopping and frying your own garlic.

After making the arroz caldo, we can eat it over several days. You can also freeze it, which is what Filipino restaurants do.

After making this countless times, I’ve come up with an easy and quick way to make arroz caldo, by cooking the rice first and using a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken.

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Homemade gifts are not only inexpensive to make but also more meaningful to give. You’ve spent extra time to make a gift specifically for that person and it shows. Also, homemade gifts are less likely to be re-gifted!

When I was younger, every Christmas, I would look forward to my neighbor’s homemade chocolate chip cookies, packed in a Folger’s coffee tin. But these weren’t just any chocolate chip cookies, they were the best chocolate chip cookies ever! And they went fast. Many years later, I can still remember her special homemade gift even though she has now passed on. Even now, I cannot find cookies that taste like hers, because she made it with love.

Create warm memories for your friends and family. Give a special homemade gift this Christmas!



1. Recipe Kit. Know someone who loves to bake? Why not make it easier for them to try a new recipe? Put together all of the dry ingredients, layered in a beautiful glass container. Then attach the recipe card, finished with a pretty bow.

And go beyond cookies. What about Apple Almond Gingerbread, Cinnamon Pancake Mix, or Rosemary Olive Oil? The possibilities are endless. Here are over 30 ideas to get your started.

2. Gift Basket. Gift baskets are easy to put together and are pretty awesome to receive as gifts. Start with a basket from a crafts store or even a plastic container from the dollar store. Pick a theme catered to the recipient. Then bundle things that go together in the theme.

Here are some examples:

For coffee lovers – reusable to-go coffee mug, porcelain coffee drip filter, gourmet coffee beans, and a box of biscottis.

For tea lovers – tea press, tea cup and saucer,a bag of loose leaf tea, and tea cookies

For sushi lovers – Japanese sushi tray, chopsticks, bento box, and sushi erasers

3. Baked Goods. You can’t really go wrong with baked goods. Whether it be shortbread cookies, zucchini bread, or fudgy brownies, baked goods can brighten anyone’s day. Just a tip, cookies stay fresh longer in tins. Try storing them coffee tins or cookie tins.

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Udder Cover, the maker of nursing covers, is offering free nursing covers! The catch? Only pay for $9.95 shipping and handling. This is a deal since nursing covers generally cost between $25 - $30.

What is a nursing cover? It's a piece of fabric, much like an apron, that provides privacy for mothers nursing their babies.

I just ordered my free nursing cover and was able to use PayPal to pay, since I have some funds in there.

They are connected to Seven Slings, cloth baby carriers, who had a similar free deal. Also, Udder Cover is accredited by the Better Business Bureau.

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Being frugal does not have to be boring. In fact, frugality can be fun because there are a number of ways you can have fun while saving money at the same time. Plus, when you know you are being financially responsible you will feel free to truly enjoy yourself, and you'll be getting more fun from simple activities.



1. Cook up a storm
2. Explore the museum
3. Plant a garden
4. Visit the library
5. Get outdoors

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I put together a list of the best holiday deals. Hope you can use it and save some money!



Barnes and Noble - 15% off

Bath and Bodyworks - $10 off

Borders - 33% off

Current Catalog - 20% off

Kohl's - 50% off

Macy's Friends and Family - 25% off

Walgreens Friends and Family - 15% off

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Who doesn't love free shipping? Avoid the holiday crowds and fights over parking.

Order your gifts online and get free holiday shipping! Most of the deals below don't require a coupon code. Plus, a few sites offer free holiday shipping on all orders!



Amazon.com - Orders of $25 or more

Athleta.com - Orders of $50 or more

BananaRepublic.com - Orders of $50 or more

BarnesandNoble.com - Orders of $25 or more

BedBathandBeyond.com - Orders over $100, expires 12/16

Borders.com - Orders of $40 or more for nonmembers; $25 or more for members

ChefsCatalog.com - Orders of $49 or more

Chocolate.com - Orders of $60 or more

ColorfulImages.com - Orders of $25 or more

CurrentCatalog.com - Orders over $40, receive 20% off, expires 12/1

CVS.com - Orders of $60 or more, receive $15 off and free shipping (promo code: CYBERMONDAY), expires 11/30

Drugstore.com - Orders of $25 or more

eBags.com - All orders (promo code: LINKFREES), expires 12/31 - special offer from Living Richly on a Budget

Gap.com - Orders of $50 or more

Kohls.com - Orders of $50 or more

Full list here:

This week, I hosted the Money Hacks Carnival #106 - The Savvy Saver Edition. Check it out.

My blog post, 5 tips on how to find a job in this economy was included in this week's Money Hacks Carnival. Great tips and interesting articles: