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Unless you’ve been in a coma for the past week, you know that a volcanic explosion in Iceland on April 14 rocked Europe. Flights were grounded for nearly a week in more than 20 countries, leaving countless travelers across the globe stranded, many of whom had to sleep on cots at airports and live on a diet of airport food while running up their credit cards.

Those with travel insurance fared better than those without, but it was a pickle for everyone. Some countries resorted to sending boats to various countries to retrieve some of their citizens and military personnel. People missed weddings, funerals, birthdays, vacations, work and more.

The volcano also crippled the airline industry. The companies lost millions of dollars each day the flights were grounded, and have faced a logistical nightmare trying to sort through the backlog of travelers while trying to maintain regular operations.

How does this apply to those of us not directly affected the volcano whose name nobody can pronounce? This is a prime example of how life is full of surprises. While we can just cruise through life and hope that things just go as planned, they rarely do.

Times like these prove why it’s so important to have a hefty emergency fund set aside. It helps to have a credit card with a large amount of available credit in case you get in a bind. It’s also always smart to carry some cash in case electricity goes out and your credit cards can’t be processed. I recommend you spend a few minutes thinking about how prepared you are for an emergency.

I hope you will take the time to read the following roundup of some of my favorite personal finance blog posts from the past week!

1. Ask Mr. Credit Card helps readers understand what the process is for removing old accounts that went to collections from their credit reports.

2. Christian PF gives readers a list of five frugality tips that will help you save money, including canceling unused memberships and beginning to budget.

3. Even personal finance experts don’t excel at all money matters. The Simple Dollar reveals which five money issues he and his wife have trouble agreeing upon.

4. The filthy rich are not immune from money problems, either. Master Your Card exposes some of the celebrities with the worst credit card disasters and financial fails.

5. Consumerism Commentary reflects on a Money Magazine article about the 100 best money moves you can make right now, including one regarding teaching kids about credit, and gives his input about which points stand out.

6. The Sun’s Financial Diary gives readers tips on how they can manage their credit card debt instead of letting it run or ruin their lives.

7. Jill at My Dollar Plan explains why turning 25 can be a bit scary when it comes to personal finance, because that’s when most banking institutions say you really need to get your act together. I feel your pain, sister — I just turned 25 in February!

8. Rich Credit Debt Loan helps readers learn several ways they can leverage their credit cards to make money.

9. Some of us do crazy things in desperate times. Debt Kid ponders what he would or wouldn’t do to pay off debt, and asks readers what their limits are.

10. Cash Money Life reminds us that it’s never too early to bestow financial wisdom upon your children and begin teaching them money basics.

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