The Best Personal Finance Blogs

Somewhere along the line, personal finance blogging took off in a big way. Suddenly you didn’t need to work on Wall Street to talk about investing; everyone from cubicle foot soldiers to small business owners to stay-at-home mothers were reporting on their financial situations and adventures (and misadventures) through the magic of the blogosphere. And what’s more, they were doing it with wit, clarity and surprising regularity. Not to mention a refreshing, almost voyeuristic honesty; come on, who doesn’t get curious about how much money the guy next door makes, has, spends, saves?

But with so many blogs out there, where do you go to find the right information? What’s the first step? From flashy full-service Web sites to free journals on Blogspot, here’s a rundown of a few personal finance blogs worth checking out.

Boston Gal’s Open Wallet – http://bostongalsopenwallet.blogspot.com/
One of the most simple models of the personal finance blog is one person documenting what they get up to in the realm of money. Jane, a self-declared “single 30-something Bostonian”, lets her readers into her life, her thoughts, her fears and (yes) her wallet with candor and warmth. The arresting simplicity of the side display-her current net worth against her carefully-planned $3,376,500 goal – gets to the heart of what this style of personal finance blogging is all about: the straight story, for the world to know and understand.

Young and Broke – http://youngandbroke.typepad.com/
A newlywed woman from Chicago greets you with a self-assured smile and a self-deprecating title. The author is en route to an MBA and thus the posts come long and well-detailed, but still written in a breezy, person-to-person manner. It’s like one of the more casual business magazines, or an e-mail from a smart friend.

Consumerism Commentary – http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/
Blogger Flexo is an outspoken member of the personal finance blog community whose frequent updates are generally short, to the point and full of helpful links. Banks to check out, articles to read-it’s a one-stop shop for quick info to go.

I Will Teach You To Be Rich – http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com
Ramit Sethi writes in a direct, no-nonsense style targeted especially for college students and recent graduates on how to make use of their young years to steer their own financial course. To get an idea of the sort of humor style he writes with, recall that he also runs a blog called ‘Things I Hate’. If you’re new to personal finance blogs, you’ll want to catch up on pretty much everything posted here before you arrived. You’ll be left with a sense of both possibility and responsibility, and a slight notion of feeling superior to other folks.

Free Money Finance – http://www.freemoneyfinance.com/
“Grow your net worth!” it says. Tips on how to save, how to invest, how to score a little quick side cash. But not written in the style of offers, but encouragements. This blog is particularly concerned with making sure the world knows the importance of saving money for retirement, as it’s a lesson many don’t seem to pick up on. Personal finance bloggers know better!

NYC Money – http://nycmoney.iblogs.com/
Not every personal finance blogger is struggling to get out of debt or keep the bills paid on time. Look into the life of a New Yorker with a $745,000 net worth… who’s still learning. A look at what investing can bring you to, and how to continue with it once you get there-how the other half lives in the most expensive city in the nation.

Consumerist – http://www.consumerist.com/
Focusing on what big corporations do to get and keep your business, with a hip, rebellious flair.

Freakonomics Blog – http://www.freakonomics.com/blog/
If you’ve read the book (and who hasn’t?), this is just more of the same. But if you’ve read the book (and who hasn’t?), that should make you smile.

And finally, this article would not be complete without a nod to
pfblogs.org – http://www.pfblogs.org
An aggregator of all the personal finance blogs you can shake several sticks at.

There’s so much you can learn from other people just like you, taking the same steps and making the same mistakes. Reading blogs is no substitute for taking action on your own, but the two can and do go hand in hand.

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