Emily's list: Happy 75th birthday, Elvis Presley

Today is a special day in music history: It is the 75th birthday of the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley. On this day in 1935, the American rock and blues legend was born in Tupelo, Miss. He went on to become the second best-selling solo artist in popular music, as well as an actor and Vegas showman.

After a massively successful career that transformed pop culture and earned him a fortune, Elvis died suddenly at the age of 42 from a  prescription drug abuse. He had been on the decline for a while, but his flame extinguished quickly and tragically, leaving millions of his fans in "Heartbreak Hotel."

Elvis' wealth and fame brought him many benefits, but it had its drawbacks. He became so famous that he couldn't leave his house without getting mobbed. He made tons of money, but didn't get to enjoy it nearly as much as he could have, especially since his life was cut short.

Sometimes we may think that becoming fabulously wealthy sounds like a dream, but remember that it can come with consequences. Rather than striving for riches and fame, make sure to be content with your own achievements, like paying off your credit card debt or building up a solid emergency fund. It's liberating to be happy with what you do have rather than always fighting for more. And do you really want thousands of screaming fans chasing after you all the time? If you're listening to "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" then perhaps you do.

I hope you will turn on some Elvis today and enjoy this roundup of some of my favorite credit- and debit-related posts from the personal finance blogosphere from the past week!

1. I'm sure we all received plenty of gift cards this holiday! Free Money Finance offers tips on how to make sure you don't let those cards go to waste. Like the Elvis song, "It's Now or Never."

2. Love your legal tender! Budgets are $exy introduces the "Move Your Money" movement to readers, which tries to persuade consumers why they should want to, need to, love to move their cash from big banks to local banks or credit unions.

3. Money Ning discusses the popular "SMART" (specific, measurable, agreed upon, realistic and time-base) goal-setting method, but explains why a big hunk o'something is missing, especially if you want to apply it to your personal finance goals.

4. Are your finances "All Shook Up" after an expensive holiday season? Balance Junkie offers six tips to cure your debt hangover, and some tips for curing regular hangovers, as well!

5. After reading our article about why prepaid debit cards are replacing checks for rebates, Kristy at Master Your Card shares her thoughts on this new practice. She doesn't think retailers are treating you nice.

6. Being shackled to debt can make us feel like a prisoner. The Centsible Life is going to ward off the "Jailhouse Rock" and pay off her debt off as soon as possible by challenging herself to 365 days of home cooking. She also explains her rules and the additional benefits of this goal.

7. Debt Free Adventure helps a reader determine his financial priorities when it comes to paying off student loans, investing for retirement and building up savings. Needless to say, "Viva Las Vegas" is not among the priorities. 

8. Generation X Finance explains several ways you can improve your finances in 2010, including the automation of your expense payments and going paperless, if you don't think that's "Too Much."

9. "Don't Be Cruel" to your wallet! My Two Dollars offers advice on how to start the year off right by organizing your finances. One major point is to consolidate your credit cards.