Money Management

Top 10 Personal Finance Articles of the Month — November 2019

It’s time again for one of my favorite features here on Dyer News: a look at the top 10 personal finance articles of the month. First up we’ll look at a few tips and tricks that can help you adjust your money mindset. Then, with the holidays just around the corner, we’ll discuss money and stress-saving suggestions, followed by a couple of articles about the dangers of lifestyle inflation. Finally we’ll talk about marriage finances and home warranties.

As usual, this month’s list includes a couple Dyer News Top 10 mainstays as well as a few first-timers. Without further ado, below is my list of the top 10 personal finance articles published in November of 2019, along with their title, author, and the site they originally appeared on.

Money Mindset

6 Ways I Trick Myself Into Spending Less — Laurie, The Three Year Experiment

It’s one thing to say you’re going to start saving more money and quite another to actually do it. Moreover, in some cases, the key to becoming more frugal may be to essentially fool yourself into it. How so? Laurie shares a few techniques she’s employed to help her spend less.

The Impact Of Friction And How It Holds Us Back From Getting Things Done — Kevin, Financial Panther

As much as we’d like everything in life to be easy, that’s rarely if ever the case. Instead many of us encounter roadblocks and hurdles on a daily basis — whether they be money-related or not. For his piece, Kevin highlights a few examples of how encountering friction can hurt your finances and how you can overcome such setbacks.

Strategy vs. Tactics: Why You Need Both to Get What You Want in Life — Zach, Four Pillar Freedom

You’ve probably heard about the different elements that make for a successful goal. Similar to this concept is the idea that, in order to achieve your financial dreams and other goals, you need to have both a strong strategy as well as the proper tactics. As Zach explains, by using these two in tandem, you can make major positive changes for yourself.

Why I Change My Voicemail Weekly Though Nobody Ever Calls — Financial Pilgrimage

Part of changing your money mindset means setting new habits. As it turns out, making even small adjustments to your everyday actions can have sizeable impacts in the long run. So while it might not be directly related to personal finance, this interesting anecdote from Financial Pilgrimage makes a point worth considering.

Lifestyle Inflation

Lifestyle Inflation: The Silent Assassin — Simple Life Compass

In personal finance, there are several terms that the average adult might not be familiar with but may have fallen victim to themselves. Among them is lifestyle inflation — also referred to as lifestyle creep. As Simple Life Compass explains, this concept can have an unfortunate impact on your money, even if you don’t notice it.

Is it Lifestyle Inflation or Do I Need to Adjust My Budget? — Penny, She Picks Up Pennies

Now that you know what lifestyle inflation is in theory, you may be wondering if certain situations you’ve encountered fall under that banner. Specifically, could there be instances where your spending increases not because of lifestyle inflation but by legitimate necessity? Penny looks at such a situation in her own life and how it’s impacting her budget.

Holiday Shopping

How to Avoid a Transactional Christmas — Handful of Thoughts

While the holiday season may be a time of giving, it can also be a time of waste. That’s because many of us get caught in the trap of buying things for others because we feel we need to, leading to some purely transactional exchanges. To prevent such problems, this article from Handful of Thoughts highlights some better gifting ideas.

8 Shopping Tools to Try This Holiday Season (and Every Day) — Kyle Burbank, Money@30

As many Black Friday shoppers this year surely found out, buying gifts online can be a far less stressful proposition. Even better, thanks to a number of free tools, you can easily earn cashback or other rewards as well. With that in mind, Kyle features eight of his favorite tools you can use to save money this holiday season and year-round.

Personal Finance Tips

Sharing Finances in Marriage (How to Fix Money Problems in a Relationship) —  Amanda Grossman, Frugal Confessions

Perhaps the biggest change previously single people encounter when they get married is growing accustomed to sharing finances with their partners. Sadly, not everyone makes the adjustment so easily, leading to arguments and even divorce. In a bid to help prevent these age-old issues, Amanda looks at some helpful tips and tools for making money work in your relationship.

Is a Home Warranty Worth It? — Josh Patoka, Wallet Hacks

Anyone who owns a home knows that there can be times when the costs add up quickly. Because of this, the idea of having a home warranty to help cover some of the expenses when things go wrong might be appealing — but is it worth it? That’s the question Josh seeks to answer in this post.

Thanks for checking out my top 10 personal finance articles published last month and congratulations to all of the bloggers who made the list. To find more of these great articles on a daily basis, be sure to follow me on Twitter @jondyer9 and of course visit DyerNews.com.

Other Articles by Jonathan Dyer