By Sheryl Smolkin

“Best from the blogosphere” took three weeks off, but all of our favourite bloggers kept right on writing, so there is lots of great content for our first issue of 2014.

Many of you may have made financial New Year’s resolutions like paying off debt, spending less and saving more. On retirehappy.ca, Jim Yih says you will achieve your goals if you keep it simple, take responsibility and stay disciplined.

Krystal Yee’s top financial goal is to retire as early as possible. Therefore, on givemebackmyfivebucks.com she explains that she decided to divert $110 bi-weekly from excess mortgage payments to RRSP savings to ensure she saves at least $750/year for retirement. Then she will use her annual tax refund to pay down her mortgage.

Marie Engen at Boomer & Echo says you can save money by making major purchases at the right time of year. If you plan ahead you can realize substantial savings. For example, her Calendar of Saving Money suggests that January white sales are a good time to stock up on linens.

If you are looking for new ways to boost your earnings, a guest blogger on the Canadian finance blog offers 4 ways to generate income in your personal life. So if you have decided to finally clean out overflowing closets and drawers, you may be able to sell everything from good as new clothing to DVDs online.

And finally, if you are one of those lucky people who belong to a defined benefit pension plan, Sean Cooper’s blog on milliondollarjourney.com explains the financial implications of retiring early, depending on whether your pension will be reduced or you are eligible for an unreduced retirement.

Do you follow blogs with terrific ideas for saving money that haven’t been mentioned in our weekly “Best from the blogosphere. Share the information with us on http://wp.me/P1YR2T-JR and your name will be entered in a quarterly draw for a gift card.

By Sheryl Smolkin

Whether you are going back to work or back to school this fall, this week we highlight blogs that will help you pay down current debt and avoid going into debt in future.

10 Steps to a Debt Free Life starts with the cardinal rule: Spend less money than you earn. And Big Cajun Man says once you no longer have any debt, save the money instead of going on a spending binge.

While living frugally may seem to be an impossible challenge, Gail Vaz-Oxlade once again reminds us that Frugality = Deprivation. Not!

One way many youg people are keeping expenses down these days is by cutting the cord to either cable or satellite television services. On howtosavemoney.ca SavingMentor explains why regardless of what you may have read to the contrary, Netflix Canada can be a pretty good deal.

If you are a college or university student, taking out student loans may seem like an inevitable necessity. But before you do, read about What to consider when taking student loans on myuniversitymoney.com.

And finally, if you are not sure what career options to pursue, don’t forget to consider a lucrative trade. On milliondollarjourney.com you can find out about how apprenticeships work and and how you can earn while you learn.

Do you follow blogs with terrific ideas for saving money that haven’t been mentioned in our weekly “Best from the blogosphere. Share the information with us on http://wp.me/P1YR2T-JR and your name will be entered in a quarterly draw for a gift card.