Only around half of Americans consider themselves financially literate, and this number has steadily decreased every year since 2020. Despite this, everyone has a financial goal, whether a new pair of shoes or a new home. Developing personal finance skills is the key to combining these things, improving financial literacy, and helping you get what you want from your money.
But fitting personal finance education into your daily schedule might be easier said than done. From working to running errands to doing chores, there’s no time to dive into budgeting basics, let alone convertible preference shares. If you want to improve your personal finance skills, finding ways to learn that don’t interfere with your day-to-day is paramount.
In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the most informative, popular, and best-loved personal finance blogs and podcasts. Among those listed below are general, educational resources you can use to get to grips with the basics, through to informal, relatable podcasts that’ll make you forget you’re learning about something as seemingly dry as personal finance.
Personal Finance Blogs
The Balance - For personal finance ‘beginners’ who want the basics.
Getting started with personal finance education can be daunting. On most blogs, you’ll struggle to find guides to the basic tenets of money management without having to sift through articles about complex tax loopholes and niche financial services. While The Balance’s blog does include these from time to time, their site is primarily built on highly informative guides to budgeting, banking, mortgages, and career planning.
Not to mention, they offer some invaluable tools, like their budget calculator, and include an overview of the U.S. economy that will put your financial situation in context. With a team of highly educated content creators and fact-checkers, you can be sure that what you read on The Balance is accurate and up-to-date. If you only have time to read one personal finance blog, make it this one.
MoneyUnder30 - For young people who can’t believe Personal Finance 101 wasn’t a high school class.
Money management is complex at the best of times, but it seems almost impossible when you’re racking up student debt, balancing a job with studies, and contending with house prices at an all-time high. Add to this the fact that most people won’t tell you anything more than ‘work hard and save up’, and it’s no wonder twenty-somethings have such a cynical relationship to personal finance.
But MoneyUnder30 is here to change that, one downloadable budgeting worksheet at a time. The site’s ‘Start Here’ section more than makes up for the lack of personal finance education most of us suffered during schooling, covering saving, budgeting, credit, debt, investing, and even buying a first car or house. Additionally, the blog’s creator, David Weliver, has curated a long list of apps, bank accounts, and commission-free resources he believes are the best available for young people.
Get Rich Slowly - For those who’ve given up on get-rich-quick schemes.
Battling 15 years of credit card debt, in December 2004, J.D. Roth decided to manage his personal finances like those of a small business. He drew up a debt-reduction plan and became totally debt-free in just three years. With a no-nonsense yet no-judgement attitude to money management, his blog, Get Rich Slowly, helps others do the same.
While Get Rich Slowly’s blog no longer receives regular updates, its back catalog is packed full of articles detailing J.D.’s approach to personal finance: spend wisely, save smartly, and boost income. With a site that prioritizes simplicity and practical advice, J.D. and Get Rich Slowly can help, no matter where in your financial journey you are. He’s also collated a list of all the blogs and podcasts that helped him over the years, so you’ll have more than enough reading to do.
rich & REGULAR - For couples struggling with personal finance.
Even if you’re a pro at personal finance, there’s no getting around the fact that it’s not the most stimulating topic. This is especially true if you’re battling money issues alongside your significant other. Conversations about financial management can quickly become arguments, taking all the fun out of what was meant to be a happy life. Add $200,000 worth of debt to the equation, and you’ll have the situation Kiersten and Julien found themselves in 2012. After five years of money management, they started Rich & REGULAR to share their struggles and solutions.
One of Rich & REGULAR’s strengths is the way it intertwines personal finance into lifestyle, with blog posts about cooking great food on a budget, how to indulge yourself without overspending, and general life updates from Mr and Mrs R&R that’ll make you feel much less alone on your journey to becoming debt free. If you find you like their blog, be sure to check out the rich & REGULAR podcast, too.
Personal Finance Podcasts
How To Money - For those who want to make personal finance part of their day-to-day life.
Who better to help integrate personal finance into your daily schedule than Matt and Joel, two best friends who’ve made the journey to financial independence and want to help you do the same? If you’ve got to grips with the basics and want to learn something new, this is the podcast for you. However, you can also start right from the beginning with Matt and Joel’s Money Gears, and work your way up.
Perhaps the best thing about How to Money is that it manages to take personal finance, something many of us forget about after we’ve penned our weekly budgets, and make it interesting enough to last for almost 900 podcast episodes. The hosts welcome guests, discuss listener questions, break down current events in the world of economics, and dive deep into seemingly inconsequential money matters.
Queer Money - For members of the LGBTQ+ community seeking financial freedom.
Husbands David and John are no strangers to irresponsible financial decisions, once paying for a Vegas trip to see Madonna with their student loans. However, while they worked to improve their personal finance skills, they realized their sexuality often meant they had different priorities for money management. Collating everything they’ve learned, and are still learning, the Queer Money podcast is their effort to assist other LGBTQ+ individuals on the road to financial freedom.
Queer Money’s episodes range from bite-sized overviews of the most financially/LGBTQ+ friendly cities in America to 2-hour long discussions of how and why embracing your identity can impact your financial well-being. Plus, with just under 550 episodes in their back catalog, Queer Money will keep you busy whether you’re on your way to work or setting up a side gig.
Financial Feminist - For women who want a personal finance partner.
After saving her first $100,000 at the age of 25, Tori Dunlap became something of a sensation. Not only were people interested in her story, they wanted to replicate her success. So, in 2016, she launched Her First 100K, a financial advice blog. After much demand from her readers, she also created the Financial Feminist podcast in 2019, which quickly became the number 1 most popular business podcast for women.
Women have a unique relationship with personal finance and money management, and this is exactly what Financial Feminist seeks to explore and address. As well as guides to saving, spending, and investing, Tori hosts interviews with various financially independent women, discusses how to get the most from careers in male-dominated industries, and offers much-needed pep talks to help you along the way.
Marriage Kids and Money - For those juggling family life and increasing their income.
Managing your finances is stressful enough, but when your family depends on you to spend and save responsibly, it can feel overwhelming. Thankfully, there are several hacks and resources out there to help, and in 2016, Andy Hill, the founder of the Marriage Kids and Money blog, became determined to learn and use them all.
After paying off $50,000 worth of debt, saying goodbye to his mortgage, and creating a financial foundation that his grandchildren will benefit from, he launched the Marriage Kids and Money podcast to help other young families do the same. Being a personal finance podcast for families, Marriage Kids and Money features topics like creating generational wealth plans and saving for your children’s college funds, alongside managing the weekly grocery shop and communicating effectively about money with your kids.
In Conclusion…
Finding a blog or podcast to help educate yourself about personal finance or hone your existing skills makes the journey to financial independence seem less arduous. Once you’ve found your favorites, don’t hesitate to follow them on social media and get involved in their communities.
Having said that, don’t rush or put unnecessary pressure on yourself. Sometimes, media can sell an ideal that simply doesn’t work for everyone, so take your time and forgive your mistakes. Personal finance isn’t a one-size-fits-all kind of thing, and it’s worth sampling a few blogs and podcasts until you find those that align with your journey.
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