Earlier this week, I went to run an errand during lunchtime and stopped at a small neighborhood gas station. I swiped my credit card, entered my ZIP code and waited. Eventually, I was told there was a network error. I wasn't the only one. All of the customers had to go up to a kiosk and deal with a cashier and a malfunctioning network. The line was growing and people were getting irritable or leaving.

I've always wondered what would happen if a real crisis caused all network connections to go down or electricity to fail, which would prevent credit card processing from working. I love paying for gas with my credit or debit cards so that I don't have to try to predict how much I need to spend ahead of time. But maybe I should consider carrying enough cash for a tank of gas.

For plenty of great personal finance tips and advice, read on for my list of my 10 favorite blog posts from the past week.

Jan. 20 is Inauguration Day in the United States. One year from now, will President Barack Obama still be in office, or will we be watching a new Republican candidate sworn in? While incumbents are usually favored, who knows what will happen this time next year.

Read on for my list of 10 of my favorite personal finance blog posts I found in the past week.

My blog about trying to set up a Facebook app to allow my friends to share my Citi ThankYou rewards points was featured in this week's Carnival of Personal Finance hosted by Diva in Debt.

Suze Orman came out with her own debit card this week, called the Approved Card. It's received a lot of attention -- not all of it positive. Some people are aghast that a personal finance expert would push her own product to her loyal following. I have no problem with that. I don't even mind her making lots of money on it. But it had better be a good deal at the same time.

My friend says, "No Thanks," to request to share information on Citi's ThankYou Point Sharing app. Reaping the benefits of Citi's new rewards sharing program may not be as easy as it appears. Arm twisting may be necessary if none of my friends have that rewards card or any rewards points to share with me.

And who among my friends is going to be want give up their hard-earned rewards so that I can buy a tent or go on a cruise?

My friend was conned out of $4,000 from a man she met on an online dating website. Sadly, the Better Business Bureau reports that 2011 was an active year for scam artists.

It's a buyer's market in the world of real estate right now, and many of my late-20s peers are itching to snatch up a house with prices and interest rates so low. But most of us either don't have enough savings or enough credit history to qualify. According to data from the National Association of Realtors, that means that first-time homebuyers are becoming rarer in the market, and those who do buy are turning to their parents for help.

What makes me nervous about this is that if you can't afford a mortgage on your own, can you really afford a home? Owning a home means you pay for homeowner's insurance, maintenance, any homeowner's association fees and property taxes. Even if my parents did help me buy a house, I don't think I'm financially prepared to incur all of those other costs that go along with being a homeowner, and I'm worried that some of my peers who buy homes with parents' help may not realize how much more expensive overall it can be than renting.

Don't get me wrong -- I'd love to own a home someday. But I'm in no rush. I'm still celebrating the fact that I escaped the holidays without credit card debt! Keep reading for my list of my top 10 favorite personal finance blog posts from the past week.

Each year feels like it passes faster than the next, and 2011 was no exception. So much changed for me when I got married in March. On that day, my husband's daunting law school debt became partly my responsibility (he is in his second year), and we then got on the same insurance plans. My emergency fund was also partly depleted in 2011 due to an unexpected laptop death.

On the bright side, I managed to go on an amazing trip to Costa Rica in October without incurring any debt due to diligent savings. I also escaped this past holiday season without any credit card debt--a first for me.

If one or more of your resolutions for 2012 is to improve your finances, read on for this list of 10 great personal finance blog posts from the past week.

Sometimes the difference between keeping $150 and losing it is one simple phone call.

It's a simple lesson: Persistence pays. It's also one that every personal finance expert worth their salt will tell you is among the most important to learn. No one cares about your money as much as you do, and to keep it, sometimes you have to fight for it.

I learned that the hard way today during one incredibly irritating morning of back-and-forth with a major airline.

Holy moly, the holidays are almost here. Hanukkah starts on Tuesday evening, and Christmas is in just over a week away. With a gift list that includes my husband, parents, step-parents, siblings, in-laws, and a few special colleagues, I'm definitely feeling the pinch.

If you are one of those many people who has been procrastinating holiday shopping, whether you're too busy or are avoiding spending the money, here are several easy ways to get affordable holiday presents. Plus, read my roundup of my 10 favorite personal finance blog posts from this past week.

It's interesting to me that women who are hard-working and financially responsible are some of the best potential mates, but some men seem to have trouble getting serious with women who make more or have better careers. Come on, guys -- let's celebrate the ladies instead of being scared of them! Who cares if you have credit card debt or are still in the early stages of your career. We can love you just as much anyway. I should know; my husband is in law school!

Read on for my list of my 10 favorite personal finance blog posts from the past week.

Remember that classic opening scene from "The Grifters" where John Cusack tries to con a busy bartender out of $10 by presenting a $20 bill for change and then substituting a $10 in its place?

There's a grifter here in the Tampa Bay area where I live who figured out a way to pull a similar stunt with a $25 American Express gift card. St. Petersburg Police say he scammed Bay Area bars and restaurants out of more than $20,000 over seven months before they nabbed him.

Credit card companies know what features their customers are looking for and naturally use the information to make their terms sound as compelling as possible. For example, they may capitalize on existing legislation designed to protect consumers, and they definitely make liberal use of "the fine print" to qualify their glorious-sounding offers.

In other words, many of their policies aren't as great as they make them out to be, so don't be fooled. Know what you're really getting before you sign up. After all, the last thing you want to do is make an important financial decision based on terms that you don't understand.

I've written numerous times about chip-and-PIN credit cards, but mostly about how it's frustrating that the technology has been adopted in Europe and Asia, but not in the United States. It makes international travel frustrating.

Some U.S. issuers started making chip-and-PIN cards this year, but they were small and exclusive banks such as the United Nations Federal Credit Union. Today, I'm a happy girl because, according to The Washington Post, Chase rolled out a chip-and-PIN card in November!

Keep on reading for more details and my list of my very favorite personal finance blog posts from the past week.

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is next week, which means it's nearly Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Then we really won't be able to avoid the holiday commercials and music everywhere we go. Companies with existing gift cards are already pushing them hard.

Gift cards are extremely convenient, especially since so many can be sent by email. But the thing that kills me is that the recipient knows the exact value you spent on the gift. Plus, gift cards are also inherently risky since it's not guaranteed the stores will be there forever. Then again, it's very hard to beat the luxury of getting to buy whatever you want in a certain store or restaurant.

Read on for my list of my 10 favorite personal finance blog posts from the past week, many of which offer great tips for holiday shopping!