The Best of Money Under 30
Whether it’s your first time here or you’ve been browsing for a while, thank you for visiting! In three years, I’ve written over 400 articles on personal finance for twenty-somethings. You can browse all articles, by date, in the archive. Also, here I’ve put together a list of some of my most helpful and most popular articles. I’ve arranged them by topic and in an order that will be useful if you’re just starting to tackle your finances:
- Creating and Sticking to a Budget
- Saving Money
- Dealing with Debt
- Managing Credit
- Your Career
- Investing in Your Future
- Owning Your Home
Creating and Sticking to a Budget
The first and most important part of getting your finances under control is to understand where you money is going, how to reign in your spending, and how to direct money where you want it to go (like savings and debt payments). In other words, budgeting. These articles will help you get started:
- Budgeting in Your Twenties
- How to Budget For and Track Cash Spending
- Free Budgeting Spreadsheet
- 10 Useful Tools to Help You Budget
- Free Budgeting Tool: Quicken Online
Saving Money
Got your budget under control? The next step is to begin saving money—whether it will go towards your emergency fund or savings goals or debt payments, which we’ll cover later.
- Paying Yourself First: How to Do It and Why It Works
- Make Your Savings Account Untouchable
- Emergency Fund Calculator: How Much Cash Do You Need?
- 31 Saving Tips (One a Day for a Month)
- High Yield Savings Accounts Compared
- How to Save For a Down Payment on Your First Home
Dealing With Debt
Once you have mastered managing where you money goes and how not to spend it all, it’s time to tackle your debts and work on building and maintaining a solid credit score. Debt plagues today’s twenty-somethings more than it ever has in history, and it’s impossible to build financial stability while carrying a truckload of debt.
- Debt Free in Seven Steps
- Credit Card Debt: Eight Ways Out
- Debt Management Programs: Right for You?
- Is It OK to Get Married With Debt?
- Credit Card Balance Transfers: What You Need to Know
Managing Credit
Although I think it’s preferable to live life with as little credit (and subsequently, debt) as possible, credit is a powerful tool that can help you build wealth when used responsibly.
- Check Your Credit Report for Free
- The Best Credit Cards for Twenty-Somethings
- Free Credit Reports and Monitoring Offers Compared
- Five Credit Score Killers and Boosters
- Charge Cards an Attractive Alternative to Credit Cards
Your Career
Your ability to work—and any education or specialized skills you possess—are your most valuable asset. Your twenties are the time to develop these and maximize their potential to increase your income for the rest of your life.
- 10 Easy Things to Do Now to Make More Money Later
- 10 Ways to Demonstrate Value to Your Employer
- Surviving a Second Job: 10 Moonlighting Tips
- What are the Best Jobs for College Graduates Today?
- 10 Habits of Self-Made Millionaires
Investing in Your Future
Once you have begun saving money and paying down debt, it’s time to think about investing for your future. Learn to take full advantage of retirement savings plans and also how to develop a sound investment strategy that will help you meet your individual life goals.
- How Much Should Be in Your 401(k) at 30?
- Roth IRA or Traditional IRA: What Do You Do?
- 5 Alternative Investment Ideas
- Asset Allocation for Investors Under 30
Owning Your Home
Although home ownership may not be for everybody, it remains one of many young people’s first major financial goals. Buying your first home is not easy, but it is certainly rewarding.
