Diamonds in the rough roundup 11/29/13

–Active Income is Much More Enjoyable Than Passive Income by Financial Samurai:  We all dream about making lots of passive income, money that just pours into our accounts without us doing anything.  This, of course, takes a lot of work upfront and is a lot easier said than done.  But can making active income be eventually more fulfilling than passive income?  I believe it all comes down to maintaining a balance, as you can build up streams of passive income (investment dividends, rental properties etc.) while opening up time for you to pursue what fulfills you.

–How accidents can change your perspective on life and money by Moneystepper:  Graham writes a great reflective post based on a recent biking accident he had.  It caused him to re-think and make adjustments to his current goals.  A great reminder that we all have a limited time on this Earth and we never know when it’s going to end.  We should make sure what we’re doing is important and worthwhile, and make sure we are enjoying the journey and not just focusing on the results.  Glad to see he is recovering well.

–Too much bad personal finance advice out there by Punch debt in the face:  Short and sweet post exposing some of the poor financial advice out there.  Financial advice should not be cookie cutter because everyone is in a unique situation and everyone wants different things out of life.  Some people love fancy cars but hate traveling.  Telling a person like that to not buy a new car even if they can afford it and will enjoy it is simply bad advice.  If they are in debt and are not able to afford the car, that is another issue.  But personal finance should be personal, so you have to adapt it to your situation.  With my blog I like to give my take on different issues along with stories of my life.  There are a few financial rules which everyone should follow (see Financial Commandments).  But after that, personal finance should be personal.

–Large Tax Refund!  Oh Wait……..Darn I’m Getting a Large Tax Refund! by Life, Dollars, and Sense:  Getting a large tax refund is a big point of contention for some people.  This post does a nice job of summing up the advantages of NOT getting a large refund.  And that is having more of your money when you need it rather than letting the government hold it for you.  Most people fall on the side of not getting a huge refund because you don’t want to be giving the government a no interest loan with your money.  But i feel for those who have trouble saving, there is some value of getting a large refund but making sure that you spend it on debt or put it into savings.

–How I learned to Stop Procrastinating, & Love Letting Go by Zenhabits:  Short and sweet post that gets to the root of solving procrastination and other mental crutches that we tend to rely on.  By looking into why we rely on some of these crutches and focusing on what habits will get us to where we want to be, we can learn to be a lot happier with ourselves and our performance.