There’s lots of good stuff in the money blog carnivals this week. Here are my picks from the immensely popular Carnival of Personal Finance and the frugal-minded folk at at Festival of Frugality:

The Carnival of Personal Finance for Nov. 17 was hosted by the Credit Card Information blog. Here are some of the tips you’ll find on all things financial:

• Chief Family Officer presents Holiday shopping tips: “If your goal is to save the most money, then you should be prepared to devote your time to hunting down the best deals.” Where do I find the time to be a frugal shopper and still take care of my family and work duties? I made the time by deliberately looking for a home close to where I work. Yes, my husband also works full-time; but my job was the more stable one during our past two moves.
• American Consumer News presents What to do when there is less money than you need: “There is no shame in getting help when you need it, and the assistance you receive now can go a long way in helping you get back on your feet and improve your situation in the near future.” If you live in southeast Michigan, you’ll find links to the local assistance agencies on my blogroll and sidebars.
• Stop Buying Crap presents Five Kick-Ass Personal Finance Blogs from Traditional Media: “How about some literary genius from the experts, the real journalists, the pro-bloggers, the big kahuna…” Great links – I’ve visited most of those blogs. SBC also has some fun with the traditional media vs. hobby blogger perspectives. I fall on the traditional media side of that equation because Monroe on a Budget is sponsored by the newspaper where I work. That means I have access to all of The Monroe Evening News archives and resources, which is a huge advantage. So I appreciate the fact that the hobby and free-lance bloggers also treat me as a colleague in their eworld.
• Monroe on a Budget presents Plan now for those holiday drives. “This is what you do: as you go about shopping for your own family, take advantage of that early bird sale, that 2-for-1 offer, that toy coupon, that rewards points program, etc. and then use the savings to buy ONE extra gift.” I assure you, Monroe County families will have multiple possibilities this year as to where to direct those charity gifts. I’m the reporter who schedules public service announcements in the Community Page section of The Monroe Evening News, and those Christmas donation appeals are already arriving at my desk.

The Festival of Frugality for Nov. 18 was hosted by The Financial Wellness Project. Here are some of the posts you’ll find on frugal living concepts:

• Credit Withdrawal presents How frugality has become the new fashion: “This New Frugality is long in coming. The United States has been a country of consumers, many living well beyond their means, for years.” Frugalness was once seen as something one did only “when you had to.” But even a touch of frugalness will help you focus spending priorities on what you really enjoy or need.
• A Simple Walk presents Frugally baking for Christmas and for the rest of the year:“Avoid all recipes with fancy ingredients that cost too much money or are too hard to find.” I also recommend that approach. If you really are longing for a particular Christmas treat, make only half of it this season.
• Savvy Frugality presents Talking Turkey: Saving money on Thanksgiving meals: “Some people (certainly not me) don’t even LIKE turkey. A nice big roasting chicken, smoked salmon, Cornish game hens or a ham will work, too.” The first holiday dinner I hosted featured Cornish hens cooked in a slow cooker. I have since, however, taken on the challenge of roasting turkeys on two separate occasions.
• Cooking During Stolen Moments presents Helping your family embrace a frugal kitchen: “Eat the “old way” at least 3 days a week. That way, anyone who is cautious about trying new foods or foods prepared a different way will know there will be something they are used to tomorrow or the next day.” I often have to make multiple side dishes because of picky eaters, but I do insist everyone eat from the same main dish.
• Monroe on a Budget presents Budget-friendly Christmas gift ideas. “Don’t spend too much money to make the stocking look full. Oranges and nuts in the shell are traditional and healthy Christmas treats and can take up a lot of space in the sock for very little money.” You don’t need to go overboard when piling packages under the tree, either.

Yes, I’m back in the carnival loop. I’ve already got posts picked out to send to next week’s showcases.