Top 10 Personal Finance Articles of the Month — October 2018

Freeing Your Finances

Handcuffs and Hustles: Why Income Streams are Crucial — Jim Wang, Wallet Hacks

First of all, you may be wondering about the headline for this one. Without spoiling anything, those first two terms refer to a cause of and solution to the financial servitude that many of us face. Furthermore Jim looks at how building different streams of income can help you gain greater freedom when it comes to your finances.

Finding Freedom and Happiness in a Materialistic World —Michelle Schroeder-Gardner, Making Sense of Cents

You’ve probably heard it said that the things you own can end up owning you. Not only can materialism be a drag on your finances but can also hold you back from doing what you want to do. For her piece, Michelle dives into the topic of materialism and how freeing yourself from it can improve both your finances and your life.

Barista FIRE: Bridging The Benefits Gap — Bob, The Frugal Fellow

In recent years the FIRE movement (typically short for Financial Independence, Retire Early) has gained notoriety, with many bloggers taking sides on the matter and others coming up with their own spins on the concept. At the heart of any of these different FIRE models is the idea that setting yourself up financially can help you achieve greater freedom in your life. With that in mind, Bob takes a look at one twist on the FIRE trend: Barista FIRE.

Are You Saving Enough for Retirement? — Jessica Friedrichs, Faithful Budgeting

Regardless of whether you’re pursuing FIRE or not, there’s no doubt that you’ll someday want to be able to enjoy a comfortable retirement. Unfortunately the actions you take (or don’t take) today could negatively impact that possibility. That’s why Jessica has to ask, “are you saving enough for retirement?”

Personal Finance Tips

How to Save For a House: A Step-by-Step Guide — R.J. Weiss, The Ways to Wealth

For most people, buying a house will be the largest purchase they ever make. Moreover, with expert opinion suggesting you put at least 20% down, just saving up to buy a house can be a major challenge. If you’re considering joining the ranks of homeowners, R.J. offers a handy guide to help you achieve that goal.

Overlooked Money Leaks That Can Steal Your Cash — Debt & Cupcakes

If you don’t have a tightly controlled budget, odds are that you probably have a few “money leaks” affecting your finances. Ranging from unnecessary memberships to seemingly small splurges, these “dollar here, dollar there” expenses can add up to more than you realize. Debt & Cupcakes takes a closer look at some of these money leaks and how you can put a stop to them.

Why Extreme Frugality Is Bad — Middle Age Money Man

When it comes to being frugal, can you ever take things too far? After all, the more you can save, the better, right? Not so fast says the Middle Age Money Man, who explains why extreme frugality can end up being a bad thing.

The 5 Biggest Things I Learned at #FinCon18 —Kyle Burbank, Money@30

Finally this month, I have to say I’ve grown pretty jealous after reading several FinCon recaps that have come out over the past few weeks. Looking on the bright side, I appreciate how much knowledge these bloggers have passed on through their articles. So while I’ll hopefully get around to attending for myself one of these years, in the meantime, Kyle shares his experience at FinCon 2018 and what he learned from the experience.

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.