Welcome to the 128th edition of the Best of Money Carnival. I’ve wanted to host this carnival for the first time and I finally got my opportunity!

Please, please, please read these articles, they all have something innovative or special to offer, sometimes getting different perspectives on topics can be really useful!

Counting down to my favorite article…

#10: Corey presents How My Gas Was Shut Off Because of My Neighbor posted at 20′s Finances.

This makes no sense and I would have kicked the guy out of my house before he turned off my gas because of a clerical error. You gotta stand up for what you believe in!

#9: Flexo presents 5 Reasons You’re Unhappy With Your Career Progress posted at Consumerism Commentary.

We all fall into ruts sometimes at work, but follow these steps to get a clearer picture of what you want and how to get there.

#8: Marie presents Six reasons to share your knowledge at work posted at Broke Professionals.

Sometimes we may think that keeping knowledge to ourselves at work will make us an expert and therefore harder to be replaced. As Marie shows us, there are some big advantages to sharing our information!

#7: Jill presents 7 Financial Consequences When You Say I Do” posted at My Dollar Plan.

I’m getting married in about 8 months, and clearly there’s a lot of planning to do, both with the wedding details, but also with our finances. We’ve had some preliminary discussions about our finances, but still need to iron some things out.

#6: Crystal presents My Monthly Goal Reward Led to a Serious Talk posted at Budgeting In the Fun Stuff.

Wow, talk about a successful side business! I like to pretend I gave Crystal her start, but now I’m starting to think that maybe her big gains started happening around the time I became self-employed over the summer…Either way, you go girl!

#5: Lazy Man presents MonaVie’s Money-Losing Scheme to Solve the Recession / Layoffs posted at Lazy Man and Money.

Lazy Man has long held a grudge against MonaVie, and for good reason. His post explains the new fuel that has been added to the fire.

#4: The Financial Blogger presents Do You Want to Blog Full-Time? Here’s a Reality Check That Nobody Else Will Give You posted at The Financial Blogger.

Being honest and working hard doesn’t always pay off the way we expect. Sometimes shortcuts can pay big dividends. I feel for you man, keep trying!

#3: Craig Ford presents 3 Reasons Why We Kissed Budgeting Goodbye posted at Money Help For Christians.

Like Craig, I stopped budgeting a few months ago for many of the same reasons. For some people budgeting can be great, but these are great reasons why it’s not a great fit for everyone.

#2: Paula presents Superman Is Dead: The Real Secret to Success posted at Afford Anything.

This is definitely true in my line of work, where part of my salary comes in the form of commission. While there are a few big spenders who I rely on, it’s always important to diversify and continually grow my customer base.

and my top pick…

#1: Suba presents Creative ways to help a charity without spending any money posted at Wealth Informatics.

I’ve made the argument that we should all give more to charity, but this article shows how we can give with minimal effort and changes to our current lifestyle.

Thanks for reading and have a great week!

Getting into debt is something we all try to avoid, however sometimes it’s beyond our control. If we find ourselves suffering from a serious illness or injury, the financial consequences can be overwhelming.

If you are ill and need to take time off work, then loss of earnings can be quite significant, especially if you’re self-employed or own your own business. Loss of wages or earnings can make a big dent to your bank account. The larger financial drain, however, will be the cost of medical care. If you need to be hospitalised for a long period of time or need special treatment, private healthcare can be extremely costly, leaving you in a position where you might have to quickly sell your house to cover costs.

In more serious cases of illness or injury, special equipment may need to be installed in your home. Or you might need to get a live-in or part time carer. Neither of these will come cheap, and chances are, your illness or injury will have come out of the blue, leaving you financially unprepared.

However, if you find yourself in debt due to an illness or injury, try not to let the stress overwhelm you. Debt is a common issue that many people face and you can take action, or get help, to lift you out again. It will be a slow process but by staying positive and being organised you can get there. Start by making a budget. Establish where your largest outgoing costs are, and decide whether these are necessities or not. Do away with any unnecessary costs, and work out ways to reduce your regular bills. Even making small changes like this can help relieve some of the stress.

In some cases you may qualify for a disability allowance or sickness benefit, so it’s worth looking into this option. Enquire with your local Income Support office, who will ask you about your situation and confirm whether you are entitled to some financial help. Also speak to your bank and find out if they can help you; they will have specialist advisors for helping customers with financial difficulties, and may be able to establish a repayment plan for your debts or even extend the terms of any loans you might have.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help; being ill or injured is an unfortunate situation and you don’t have to be left drowning in debt. Taking action and asking for help at the first instance can make all the difference.