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WiseBread.com recently released a list of the top 165 personal finance web sites.  WiseBread used traffic, incoming blog links, RSS subscribers, link authority, and Compete scores to determine the rankings.  The chart is also updated on daily basis so you can actually re-visit the chart each day and see different sites move up and down in the rankings.

Personal finance blogs are a great resource, especially given current economic conditions.  The top blogs do a great job of giving practical tips and advice as well as solid reasons why individuals cannot afford to not lead frugal lifestyles.  Now, while you shouldn't take money advice from your average Joe, many of the sites on the top 165 list are written by individuals with deep knowledge of how to manage and save money (in my opinion, there's really no difference between, say, a Suzie Orman who has no real finance background, and any of the top bloggers on the list).

Here's my personal list of the top five (5) personal finance sites on the web:

JD Roth does a great job with timely articles and deep analysis.  J.D. is blogging full time now and also has plenty of great guest posts!

Trent is an example of a personal finance blog that is highly practical - his tips and writing style is straightforward and he has tremendous, and varying, content.  I'm a great fan of the The Simple Dollar and I think it's the best personal finance blog on the web (period).

The content here varies from home grown tips to content plucked from the web and re-hashed. The site owner posts tons of content and it's worth checking out a couple of times a day. 

The site was started by a female engineer from Silicon Valley.  The site focuses on personal finance, technology, and entrepreneurship but it's mostly about saving money).  

Jim runs Bargaineering, which was formerly BluePrint for Financial Prosperity (one of the first personal finance blog sites to be created).  Here's what Jim says about his site: "On the surface, it seems like this site is mostly about money - how to earn more of it, how to save it, how to spend less of it, and how to grow it; and it is, money forms the basis of many things in our lives, probably too many things! At the end of the day, whether you have $100 or $100 million, we believe that happiness comes from doing more of what you love with the people that you love."

Five Ways To Save Money At A Sporting Event  
Excerpt: **This is a guest post by Jeff Rose. In my hometown, one of the things that my wife and I enjoy doing is going to see our former alma mater battling it out on the basketball court.  I'm sure most can relate to attending a similar event, whether it be your former university... via Frugaldad.com

Excerpt: I've been happily married to the same man for 22 years. What is our secret to marital bliss? In one word, communication. Oh yeah, and respect. I'd better add kindness, cooperation, compromise, commitment, shared values and fun. AND date nights! via Millionairemommynextdoor.com

Excerpt: I was thinking about why more people and families don't have a budget.*It's really the thing to do to keep track of your expenses and income and make sure you don't go over with your spending. I thought about all the... via Freefrombroke.com

Excerpt: It seems like a good time to post a winter favorites list. You all helped me out greatly last week with your suggestions about where I should go when I get to Tokyo and Kyoto - what better time to return the favor and highlight a few of my favorite things on this end via 101cookbooks.com

Excerpt: We love it when we get emails like this. Reader Patricia from Montreal wrote us saying that she loves the site, and it inspires her cooking. She took Emma's Januaryweekend project challenge to make homemade pasta, and look at how well it turned out! Read on to see more of her homemade pasta. via thekitchn.com

Excerpt: The month of February I'll be offering a money-making tip every weekday. Here's the one for today: Make money by blogging. I've talked about this idea a bit before, but I wanted to add some specifics today. via freemoneyfinance.com

Excerpt: It's tax time! It's hard to remember everything about taxes, so here is a comprehensive tax guide to get you through tax season! From important tax dates to planning for next year, and just about everything in between, we've got you covered! via mydollarplan.com

Excerpt: I have a pretty funny story about scrounging for change.Two years ago, right before Christmas, I gathered up all of the lose change in our house and headed to a local grocery store.  My goal was to use the store's Conistar machine and exchange my coins for an Amazon gift certificate.  I'm not sure exactly how much change I had when I arrived at the store, but I do know that it filled up a large  Ziploc bag. via ncnblog.com

Excerpt: One nice day can throw your senses into a tizzy after spending the last several months couped up in the house or bundled up in layered clothing. Struggling through cabin fever can be especially difficult for those who crave the sun and just don't see enough of it during the winter months.  via wisebread.com

In honor of President's Day, I'm rolling out some slightly used blog entries which are in fantastic condition.  The entries all come with standard savings and get great bang for your buck, how-to, value!  Hurry down to Scordo.com before the Presidents' Day savings expire!

Here's a preview of the hot deals on our lot:

1. Do you buy bottled salad dressing?  If so, not only are you wasting money, but you're consuming an inferior product.  Making your own salad dressing is just plain easy, here's my classic salad dressing recipe (note: triple the ingredients and keep the dressing in the fridge for up to 30 days).

2. Is your home still drafty and cold, well there's still time to save money and winterize your home. 

3. I posted some quick tips on preparing for an economic downturn back in October and I think the action items are highly relevant in any economic environment.

4. Kitchen gadgets, appliances, and tool can quickly take over your home and not to mention drain your pocketbook.  Here's my list of essential kitchen tools. 

5. Did you just purchase a new home or are you getting ready to take on a major renovation?  Read both Part I  and Part 2  of my series on practical tools for homeowners.

6. Most men are clueless when it comes to buying shoes and, moreover, figuring out what type of shoes should make up their collection.  I offer a brief article on how many shoes a man should own. 

7. Do you despise cleaning your home or pay someone else to clean your house?  Click here for a quick summary of why I like to clean and how I go about cleaning my house. 

8. There's a big difference between being cheap and being frugal.  Here's the way I see the distinction. 

9. My immigrant parents have taught me many financial life lessons and I think many people can learn from the immigrant's guide to personal finance 

10. If you can manage it, you should dedicate a portion of your home to a home office, here's my guide and rationale for the home office.

- Gen X Finance on the "Gig Economy" 

- Bargaineering speaks to getting better deals with service providers or how to negotiate 

- CrackerJack Greenback warns about buying in bulk 

- Diamond Cut Life ponders when less is more

- The Simple Dollar writes about maturity and money 

- 101 Cookbooks on Porcini Mushroom Soup 

- The Wall Street Journal's The Wallet on kids and money 

- Dooce on being 22 weeks pregnant, my wife can relate 

- Kottke points out  the PBS documentary "The Assent of Money" which chronicles the evolution of finance and money 

- Mother Earth News has a great article on the top DIY sites, including Askthebuilder.com, Makezine.com, and Instructables.com 

- This Old House has a feature on how to make your doors draft free 

- The Art of Manliness discusses a man's style in relation to his body type 

- Cooking Up a Story on how American's eat 

- WiseBread talks about how to go green and save money 

- Get Rich Slowy on driving older vehicles (this discussion is the real jewel of this post) 

- The Greenest Dollar on cleaning jewelry 

Guest blogger from Heros of Capitalism writes about why he still buys books as opposed to going to the local library.  via Get Rich Slowly.

Top four money fights for couples.  via FreeMoneyFinance.

Best personal finance books for your bookshelves. via Blue Print for Financial Prosperity. 

6 simple household hacks.  via MSN Money Blog guest blogger WiseBread.

Tips for saving money when eating out at a restaurant.  via WiseBread.

Have a Happy New Year from Scordo.com (go 2009!)!

Have a wonderful holiday!