If you’re like me, a lot of ideas are swimming around in your head. It can be hard to nail down what areas of your life you want to focus on.

That’s where this list of 100 goals to focus on for a successful year comes in handy!

100 goals is a lot of goals, but this list is meant to give you a bunch of ideas that you can pick and choose from. We have ideas for money goals, career goals, personal development goals, and finally health & fitness goals.

You’ll find inspiration and things you can take action on below.

1. Create an emergency fund
2. Automate your savings
3. Create a budget
4. Track your income and expenses
5. Save for a down payment on a house, a wedding, a baby fund, a car, etc.
6. Create a student loan repayment strategy.
7. Travel more, but spend less by travel hacking using credit card rewards to get free flights and hotel stays
8. Make a plan to give a percentage of your income to charity
9. Identify your spending triggers and create a plan to cut temptation out
10. Make a plan for paying off your debt
11. Commit to not getting further into debt
12. Learn more about investing
13. Open an IRA and start saving for retirement
14. Contribute more toward your 401(k) – enough to get matching contributions from your employer (if it’s offered)
15. Learn how to invest in rental property
16. Read some awesome personal finance books
17. Spend in a way that reflects your values
18. Save a certain percentage of your income each month
19. Start a side hustle
20. Review your insurance coverage to make sure your needs are met
21. Consider refinancing your student loans and learn about income-driven repayment plans
22. Try calling creditors to get your interest rates lowered if you have credit card debt
23. Cut cable (if you haven’t already!)
24. Take a “no-spend” challenge or a ban on buying certain things
25. Calculate and track your net worth
26. Learn how to optimize your taxes and take advantage of tax savings
27. Create a will and an estate plan if you have a family

1. Ask for a raise, or work toward getting one
2. Work toward a promotion (and a raise)
3. Update your resume
4. Go to networking events in your area
5. Go to a conference in your industry (yes, even if you are a huge introvert!)
6. Try learning one new skill each quarter that you can apply directly to your job
7. Create a “pat on the back” folder in your inbox and fill it with praise you receive from coworkers and managers
8. Distance yourself from office politics as much as possible
9. Start a side business to diversify your income
10. Look for a better paying job with more opportunities for growth if you feel stagnant at your current job
11. Find a mentor in your field
12. Work toward receiving recognition for something you’ve done – does your employer offer awards?
13. Work more hours or less hours depending on your personal and financial goals
14. Get comfortable with negotiating
15. Take a public speaking class, join Toastmasters, or seek out opportunities for public speaking
16. Explore other interests you have to gear up for a career change
17. Do regular salary research to make sure you are getting paid what you should be
18. Consider going back to school for an advanced degree
19. Take a course to get certified in something related to your industry
20. If you’re still in college, research internship opportunities
21. Raise your rates with clients if you’re a freelancer and/or business owner
22. Get comfortable with the idea of outsourcing and think of how it can benefit your career instead of hurt it
23. Learn how to manage your time better
24. Set expectations and boundaries with clients/customers
25. Find a way to showcase your creativity in your job

1. Find things to be grateful for
2. Control your thoughts and emotions and choose to react better to negative situations
3. Give meditation a try
4. Learn the art of having patience – good for those with a short fuse
5. If you’re Type A, try going with the flow and being spontaneous more often
6. If you’re Type B, try embracing organization and planning more
7. Think of a few habits you want to develop (like not checking your phone/social media as often) and mindfully incorporate them into your life
8. Consider enlisting professional help in the form of a coach or psychologist
9. Read inspirational stories from others
10. Make more time for yourself; stop focusing on others as much
11. Live more intentionally and mindfully each day
12. Volunteer at an organization close to your heart
13. Become more confident in yourself; have faith you can accomplish new things
14. Get out of your comfort zone and do something completely out of character (but still legal, of course)
15. Learn a new language
16. Travel to a different country and live like a local to immerse yourself in a different culture
17. Write something, whether that means starting a blog or going all in and writing a book
18. Put yourself in the shoes of others more often
19. Get rid of your tendency to procrastinate and get ahead on a few projects
20. Pick up a book like How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie (a classic) or The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
21. Learn a new language using software like Duolingo or Rosetta Stone
22. Wake up earlier to get a head start on the day (or work through the night ;))
23. Cut out or decrease the time you spend in front of the TV
24. Consume more information – there’s tons of free content out there in the form of books, blogs, podcasts, video courses, etc.
25. Keep a daily journal or blog

1. Try cutting out sugar from your diet
2. Eat smaller meals frequently throughout the day
3. Cut out all fast food
4. De-stress and relax more often
5. Be proactive and get an annual checkup
6. Set aside 10-15 minutes each day, search YouTube for a exercise video, and do it!
7. Get into exercising at home with light weights or kettlebells
8. Go to your apartment complex’s gym or your town’s community fitness center for free
9. Become vegan or vegetarian
10. Have vegetables with every meal, or at least two out of three meals per day
11. Drink more water (a Contigo water bottle can help)
12. Choose to walk to places within a mile or two of your house instead of driving
13. Start a couch to 5k program to work your way up to running
14. Make it a point to try a new, healthy meal at least once per month
15. Join a community sports team or find a Meetup group where people play sports
16. Improve your posture by being mindful of how you sit at work, or…
17. Get a standing desk (you can build your own)
18. Increase your flexibility
19. Commit to working out at least three times a week, every week
20. Visit a nutritionist to optimize your diet
21. Get more sleep
22. Decrease or cut out any unhealthy vices you have, like smoking, drinking, or eating frozen meals all the time
23. Pick a workout or diet program and stick with it consistently for a month or two
24. Make sure you’re getting enough vitamins from your diet and if not, choose appropriate supplements
25. Try a new fitness class to get more excited about getting in shape (Groupon always has deals)

 
If you’re looking to make next year your best year yet, then these 100 goals focused on money, career, personal development, and health and fitness should help make it happen!

We basically have unlimited access to a ton of information right at our fingertips, thanks to the internet.

What’s even better is that the majority of this information is free.

So if you want to get resourceful, finding free alternatives to products and services that would otherwise cost money is pretty easy.

It’s even easier with this list of free things on the internet you should be using!

Everything is broken down into categories so you can easily find what you need.

1) Free Education Sites

 
These are first on the list because they’re truly valuable resources. If you love to learn, you don’t necessarily need to go back to college and take classes. Instead, there are MOOCs – Massive Open Online Courses. The list below contains both learning platforms and sites that have curated free courses offered on a certain subject.

The list doesn’t end here at all, either. If you’re interested in learning about a specific industry or skill, I recommend searching for a learning platform dedicated to it!

• Coursera
• Khan Academy
• Open Culture
• edX
• Open Education Database
• Academic Earth
• MIT Open Courseware

2) Free Trials for Memberships

 
Almost every subscription based service or product has a free trial. The best part is you can usually get something for free in exchange for referrals.

The one caveat with this is to remember to set a reminder for yourself to cancel if the free trial requires a credit or debit card upon sign up.

Hulu+: There’s a standard one week free trial to Hulu+, but if you search for specials, you might find ones that last a month or longer. Get the most out of your free trial by binge-watching a few shows.

Netflix: Can’t decide between Hulu+ and Netflix? You might want to start with Netflix first as it offers a more generous one month free trial period.

Hello Fresh: Want to give a food delivery service a try? Hello Fresh gives you recipes and all the ingredients you need to make great meals for dinner, and they offer 3 meals for free.

You Need a Budget: This is a super popular budgeting software that normally has a monthly fee, but you can try it free for 34 days.

Lynda.com: You get a 10 day free trial with Lynda.com, and it has just over 4,600 courses available if you’re interested in learning about photography, programming, video editing, etc. There’s not much it doesn’t offer!

3) Free Music Services

 
I can’t even remember the last time I bought a CD. Can you? These days, it’s just so much easier to stream a wide variety of songs right from your phone or computer.

Besides curating your own playlists, you can also listen to a huge amount of radios for free as well.

Pandora: One of the first services to offer music streaming for free, Pandora allows you to discover tons of music you otherwise might not have heard. You search for music you like, and it plays music it thinks you’d like based on that. You can tell Pandora if you like a song or not by giving it a thumbs up or thumbs down.

Spotify: I prefer Spotify to Pandora only because I can be a little picky about music recommendations. I prefer to create my own playlists and search for specific songs that I can save. That’s not to say you can’t discover new music, though. Spotify also offers recommendations and it has plenty of playlists to look through depending on the day, time, and your mood.

Slacker: At first glance, Slacker looks very similar to Pandora. The difference is that you can create and share your playlists with Slacker, and it promotes playlists curated by experts. Pandora uses algorithms to determine if songs are similar. Slacker further enforces its “human-powered” concept by allowing celebrities of all sorts to take over the station.

Radio station streaming: Lastly, your favorite radio most likely has an online streaming service so you can listen to it on your computer at work.

4) Free Entertainment

 
YouTube: Where would we be without it? From cat videos to tutorials to troubleshooting and learning, you can find pretty much anything you want to keep yourself entertained. YouTube could even go under the music section as it’s incredibly easy to create playlists, and it often has singles and remixes that might not be available elsewhere. There are even content creators who have formatted shows.

Crunchyroll: If you like anime and manga, then you’ll find most everything you need by tuning into Crunchyroll. The free version is a bit limited, but at least it’s offered!

Twitch.tv: Twitch originally started as a platform to watch game play, but it has evolved over its short lifespan to include board games and artistic hobbies as well. If you’re into crafts, cosplaying, or watching people have fun while playing games, you can tune into any stream for free.

5) Podcasts

 
What’s not to love about podcasts? Most of the time they’re commercial free, and plugs for sponsors don’t last nearly as long as radio commercials do.

You can download a variety of podcasts, so if you’re looking for comedy, education, or actual scripted shows, you’ll find it here. I personally enjoy listening to music podcasts because I get an hour or two of non-stop mixes of the latest tracks.

6) Free Open Software

 
There are free alternatives to popular software out there if you know where to look. If you’ve built your own PC before, you know how annoying it can be to buy all the programs you need.

A great example of open software is one you’ve probably heard of: Open Office.

We can’t mention free tools without mentioning Google’s suite of products. Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and more all have great functionality for basic users, and the fact that everything is saved in the cloud means you can access it from anywhere.

Want to take it a step further? If, for some reason, you find yourself without an operating system on a PC of yours, or you want to dual boot, Linux can be a great option. It’s a completely free OS, and it’s pretty and very functional. You can use it as you would regularly use Windows, and for the nerds out there, it has a separate distribution that offers an interface for command-line prompts. It also comes with its own suite of programs, so you’ll have a word processor and graphic design software.

Speaking of, while I love Photoshop, I realize some people would rather not pay the monthly fee to have access to it. In that case, GIMP, Canva, PicMonkey, and InkScape (alternative for Illustrator) are worth looking at.

7) Free ebooks

 
I don’t know about you, but I love to read. I practically grew up in a library. While you can get books for free by borrowing them, sometimes finishing them by the due date can be a challenge (especially if you’re busy). However, if you’re not the type of person who reads books multiple times, buying can sometimes be a waste.

Instead, look for free eBooks! There are plenty of sites that offer selections, and even though some exclusively offer classics, you could decide your life needs a little Pride & Prejudice.

Project Gutenberg: There’s over 50,000 ebooks on this site, and you can search by most popular and most recent. Be aware that many are older because the copyright has expired on most of them.

SpringerOpen Books: Springer provides access to scientific documents and journals, so if you’re looking for something a bit more academic, you’ll find it here. All research is peer-reviewed.

OpenLibrary: The purpose of this project is literally in the name. OpenLibrary’s model is similar to Wikipedia – they want to catalogue every book ever published. That means you can create pages for your favorite books and share them with the world. You can also download free, out-of-copyright books, and borrow books that are in copyright.

Smashwords: This site has a selection of books you can buy along with its free books. Most of what you’ll find in the free section are books published by indie authors. There’s every genre you can think of along with essays, poetry, and screenplays.

8) Actual Freebies

 
What would a list about free things to use on the internet be without mentioning the fact you can score a bunch of freebies online?

There are many websites that will send you free samples of things to try, and these products may even be full-size samples:

• Reddit’s Freebies Subreddit
• Freebies.org
• I Crave Freebies
• A great list of birthday freebies to sign up for
• Don’t forget to check the “free” section of Craigslist!

9) Free Money Management Tools

 
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention money management tools in this article being that this is a personal finance website! Thankfully there are quite a few free ones to choose from.

Personal Capital: Personal Capital is a one-stop-shop for all your finance needs. You can review your spending, the performance of your portfolio, and see if your retirement savings are on track.

Mint: I’m sure you’ve heard of Mint by now, but it automatically tracks and categorizes your spending, you can set up spending goals/limits for a budget, and receive alerts when you’re nearing your limits.

Digit: This is a great, free tool to use if you’re not a natural saver. Digit analyzes your spending patterns, takes a look at your bank account, and figures out how much you can afford to save. It then transfers that amount to a separate savings account. Digit promises to never overdraw your account and offers a guarantee on it.

Penny: This app is a relative newcomer to the personal finance scene, but it’s great for people who are on the go or need a little encouragement. Penny might be an app, but it functions as a coach, as it will have actual text conversations with you about the state of your money.

10) Free Cash Back Sites

 
Last, but not least, we’ll round out this list of free things you should use with a few places where you can earn free money. Well, it’s not totally free – you do technically pay with your time – but it beats getting nothing!

Swagbucks: This is a great site to use in your spare time or while you’re watching TV. You can earn Swagbucks by performing a variety of tasks on the website, such as taking surveys, watching videos, and using its search engine. You can redeem your Swagbucks for gift cards. A lot of people use this strategy around the holidays to reduce the cost of gifts.

Ebates: If you’re going to be shopping for something, you might as well try to earn as much for your purchase as possible, right? You can do that by shopping through Ebates. There’s a huge selection of popular retailers to choose from, and when you shop using Ebates, you earn cash back for your purchases. You can redeem the cash back once you reach a certain threshold.

Credit Card Portals: Do you have a rewards credit card? Then chances are, you can earn even more cash back with your card by shopping through a rewards portal. It functions essentially the same way as Ebates.

Bonus Free Stuff

 
Because who doesn’t want more free stuff? Here are just a few things to look into if you’re a little bored:

• Cards Against Humanity Online
• Free-to-play games on Steam (PC games)
• A list of productivity tools, many of which are free
• Duolingo
• Coloring pages for kids (or adults, who’s judging?)
• Hemingway Editor
• Justin Guitar – Free Lessons
• Font Squirrel

Who ever said there wasn’t anything free in life? Blogs are a great example of free information, too. ;) As anyone who goes online knows, there’s a ton of free stuff to be found if you’re willing to look for it. Hopefully some of these resources are useful for you.

 
 
What are some of your favorite free things you use on the internet? Are any from this list? 
 
 

I know I have. Minutes, days, and months all seem to fly by lately.

Before we know it, half the year is gone, and we’ve barely scratched the surface on accomplishing our goals.

Sometimes, this is simply the result of not using our time wisely.

Sure, dinner comes and goes, and it’s bedtime before we know it, but what were we doing to pass the time? Watching TV? Surfing social media feeds? Watching cat videos on YouTube?

Instead, why not try dedicating one or two hours of your nights and weekends to improving your life just a little bit?

Here are 12 productive things you can do on your laptop in your spare time.

1) Organize Your Files

 
Okay, maybe I’m an organizational weirdo (my closet is color coded), but I love having all my files on my computers organized. It makes it ten times easier to find whatever it is I’m looking for. (This is really helpful when you’re a freelancer with 10+ clients, too.)

For example, I have a folder for pictures which is separated into locations and years, images for my site, images for my clients’ sites, music (with separate folders for artists), articles (divided by client), tax documents…and that’s barely scratching the surface.

You can do the same if you use Dropbox or Google Drive, which I also do. The podcast I’m part of has a shared folder in Google Drive, and we have each podcast episode broken down by folder, so it’s easy to see which files go with which episode.

Getting your files organized and keeping them organized can save you a ton of time down the road. While you’re going through the process, delete files you no longer need to free up space!

2) Start a Side Hustle

 
We’ll leave off with the most obvious one: start a side hustle in your spare time on your laptop!

Yes, you can run a small business right from your laptop and become location independent, if that’s something you’re interested in. Or you can earn a few extra hundred dollars a month by using skills you already possess and offering the service to others.

Or you can start a blog and monetize it down the road. One guarantee if you start a blog – you will learn a lot in the process and you truly never know where it will take you. While it’s not always the case, many people who start a blog have turned it into a full-time income.

Earning more helps you advance toward your financial goals more than pinching pennies, and you’re bound to pick up valuable skills you can either take back to your workplace, or use to launch your own business full time.

3) Learn a New Language

 
Want to travel or ramp up your resume? Then learning a new language might be a great idea.

There is paid software out there that you can use, but why take the chance if you’re not sure you can commit to it?

Instead, try Duolingo. There’s both a free version and a paid version, and it’s also an app (so you can study on your phone). It offers a ton of different languages to learn. Babbel is similar, but only the first course in each language is free, so try each before paying for a subscription.

4) Study For a Certification

 
What’s more productive than studying for something that will potentially increase your salary? Whether you want to go into a new field or advance in your current field, try to search around for free courses that will prepare you to take exams for certifications.

You can do this even if you’re a freelancer looking to edge out competition. As an example, Google offers a free analytics course that helps you prepare for the Analytics Individual Qualification exam. Knowing how to track how effective an ad or social media campaign is can be pretty useful depending on the services you offer.

5) Learn a New Skill

 
Alternatively, you can choose to learn a new skill that doesn’t necessarily correspond with a certification, but will still boost your income.

Lynda.com is one of the best places to start as it has a crazy amount of courses on subjects ranging from video production to photography to web development.

Here’s a tip: check your library to see if it offers a free subscription to Lynda. If not, there are still plenty of free sites like Codeacademy that will teach you valuable skills, not to mention the plethora of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) that can give you a great education without the hefty price tag.

If you’ve been meaning to learn something new for the challenge or because it interests you, you’ll likely find something on YouTube or a site that teaches the concepts for free.

6) Make Extra Money through Sharing your Opinion and Cashback Rewards

 
Along the same lines, if you like to unwind while watching TV, or if you spend a decent amount of time on the bus or train for your commute, why not take the time to earn extra money?

Sharing your opinion for cash is one of the easiest ways to lazily make money from home while binging on the latest Netflix show. Check out our big list of survey websites to get started.

Besides making extra money, there are also opportunities to get cashback on purchases you make. Sites like Rakuten offer cashback on purchases you make. Here’s a list of more than ten cashback sites you can sign up for. Some of these websites have sign-up bonuses when you use our link.

Finally, if you aren’t getting cashback through your credit card it’s time for a new one. Browse and compare the options available here.

7) Enter Giveaways

 
DC used to enter giveaways as a side hustle, and it has the potential to be fairly lucrative if you keep up with it. He even won a trip to Hawaii!

There are plenty of free giveaways to enter on your laptop during your spare time. If you’ve got nothing else going on, why not try? The more you enter, the more you increase your chances of winning.

Just as a bit of a warning, you might need various social media accounts to enter into these giveaways, as some require a like, follow, or tweet, so create a few specifically for entering giveaways before going on an entry spree.

8) Check in With Your Spending

 
You didn’t think we’d forget about money management, did you? Time spent managing your money is time well spent. Set a reminder for yourself to sit down with your laptop and have a budget check-in once a week to make sure you’re on track for the month.

You can use our free automated budget spreadsheet to help you stay on top of all your transactions each month. This spreadsheet uses Tiller to automatically pull in your transactions from all your bank and credit card accounts. It can be a huge time saver.

9) Watch Educational Videos

 
If you’re not a podcast person, Ted Talks might be up your alley. They tend to be on the shorter side, and they’re usually focused on one subject.

Experts talk about interesting discoveries they’ve made and explain how their findings can be applied to the real world. Others present a radically different perspective on subjects you might have learned in school that will make you think differently about them. You’re bound to find a few lifehacks here as well.

Maybe watching someone give a talk on a stage isn’t your thing, or you’re looking for material more in the realm of traditional education. Check out the following informational YouTube channels that also have animations to keep your attention: CrashCourse, AsapSCIENCE, MinutePhysics, and SciShow.

If you love picking up “useless knowledge,” give Mental Floss and Because Science (lots of “nerdy” topics) a watch.

Lastly, How to Adult is filled with useful knowledge on, well, something I’m sure we could all find useful as young adults.

10) Read a Book

 
I know, I know. Why read a book on your laptop when you might have a tablet or phone that can do the job?

Well, everyone has different reading preferences, and some people can’t stand holding an actual book or reading on a tiny screen. A laptop provides a middle ground. Check your library for ebooks or borrow a classic for free online.

You don’t necessarily need to read a book book, either. Maybe there’s a short ebook freebie you got when you signed up to a newsletter that you’ve been meaning to check out. PDFs longer than 20 pages count as long as you’re learning something, right?

11) Watch Tutorials

 
Are you awful at cooking? Always wanted to learn how to sew, draw, or play guitar? Maybe you want to pick up knitting or cosplaying? Is there a DIY project on your mind that you don’t know how to start?

There’s a ton of tutorials out there on each, and most of them are entertaining as well as informational. Try and find a series for beginners out there that can guide you step-by-step through a certain process.

12) Write in a Journal

 
Admittedly, I love journaling with pen and paper, but there are some pretty great online journals out there.

No, I’m not talking about LiveJournal (if anyone remembers those), but there’s one I’ve used called Penzu that allows you to customize the look of your journal, and allows you to password protect it.

You can have multiple journals if you want, which is great if you’re trying to track health or financial goals.

What are your favorite things to do to stay productive while on your laptop or computer? Have you already used any of these ideas? Share in the comments!

As long as you’re tracking your expenses and income in some way or another, you should succeed.

I know that goes against common financial advice, but budgeting in its traditional form didn’t work for me, and I hate seeing people give up on budgeting after a few failed attempts.

That’s why we’re covering a number of different ways to budget in this article.

Let’s get to it!

1) The “Traditional” Line-Item Budget

 
We’ll start with the basic budget most people are familiar with, since other budgeting methods build off of this premise.

This method works best for those who need to get major spending issues under control, those who need to get out of debt, and those who don’t mind categorizing their expenses.

This is a more time-consuming method, so it’s also good for people who don’t mind tedious tasks.

I know, I made that sound so appealing. But the truth is, this is the classic example of budgeting for a reason – it works (for most people).

To get started, list out all of your expenses, both necessary and discretionary. That means everything from your rent/mortgage, utilities, insurance premiums, copayments, cell phone bill, groceries, gas, pet supplies, hair cuts, clothing, and debt get recorded.

You can get really detailed with your categories and have “household,” “debt,” “transportation,” “food,” etc. listed out, with all the separate expenses underneath. That’s why it’s a “line-item” budget – you break everything out so you can see exactly where your money is going.

You should also have three columns: estimated spending, actual spending, and what’s leftover. This way, you can see how well you did, and compare your total spending with your income.

If you think this is a good budgeting method for you, grab our free budget spreadsheet below. It’s automated using Tiller, which also has their own free budget templates in Google Sheets. Tiller grabs all your spend data and puts it in a uniform format, making it a truly automated way to track your spending and update your budget.

2) Proportional Budgets

 
You might have heard of the 80/20 budget, or the 50/30/20 budget. These budgets give you loose guidelines on how to spend and save your money.

For example, in the 80/20 budget, you spend 80% of your income, and save 20%. In the 50/30/20 budget, you spend 50% on necessary items (needs), 30% on discretionary expenses (wants), and put 20% toward debt and savings.

This budgeting method is good for those who don’t want to follow a super strict line-item budget, or spend tons of time updating their spending. This method allows you to figure out how much to put away, and how much to spend, in simple terms.

The only potential issue here is that you need to discern between wants and needs. Unfortunately, a lot of people blur the lines, causing them to justify their spending on wants. Be careful of this if you choose this budgeting method.

You may be wondering, what if your debt repayments total more than 20% of your income? Or your necessary expenses are more than half your income?

You can think outside the guidelines and modify them. Maybe you want to follow a 30/10/60 model and save more money, or maybe you need to do 40/10/50 to pay off your debt and save quicker.

The lesson here is that budgets are supposed to be flexible so you can modify them when your life situation changes.

3) The Pay Yourself First Model

 
Paying yourself first puts the focus on your savings. That’s because you put money away at the beginning of the month, before you have a chance to spend it on anything.

It requires you to figure out the difference between your income and expenses upfront, but after that, it’s smooth sailing until you need to change it up.

This budgeting method is good for those who are left wondering where all their money went at the end of the month, and don’t want to follow a strict budget.

Total up your monthly net income (take an average of the last six months if your income fluctuates), total up all of your monthly expenses, and then subtract to find out what’s left. Ideally, you want to be sending this amount to your savings. You can use a spreadsheet or budgeting app to help calculate this.

A good rule of thumb to follow for how much you should be saving is to aim for at least 5% of your income. 10% is great, and 20% is amazing, but I know as young adults, we sometimes don’t have a ton of money to work with (especially with student loan debt to deal with).

If you’re in the red each month, then you need to figure out ways to reduce your expenses or earn more so that you have money to spare for savings.

4) The Envelope Budget

 
This budgeting method is similar to a line-item budget, but simplified, and usually based around using cash only.

You figure out the major expense categories you need cash for, such as groceries, gas, dining out, entertainment, fun, etc., grab envelopes for your categories, and then figure out how much money you can allocate for each.

Then, take a trip to the ATM and withdraw the amount of money you’ll need for the month. Divide your cash up between the envelopes.

When your cash is gone, you can’t spend more. It’s that simple, and it forces you to get creative if you’re running low.

At the very least, it makes you more aware of your spending. For example, you might head to the grocery store toward the end of the month, and realize you only have $50 left to spend. You’ll be motivated to get the most out of your money!

This budgeting method is good for those who have problems controlling their spending with credit or debit cards, and don’t realize how much they’re spending and where. It also works well for those getting out of debt and those who don’t feel comfortable using plastic.

5) Zero-Sum Budget

 
This is exactly what it sounds like. At the end of the month, your budget should equal zero. That means that if you have $300 left at the end of the month, you need to give that $300 a job. Every dollar needs to be accounted for.

This budgeting method is good for those who often have money left at the end of the month, but end up thinking of it as money they’re free to spend.

While this might seem like the opposite of the pay yourself first method, it can be used similarly if you budget based on last month’s income. It forces you to plan ahead and think strategically about how you want to spend your money.

Check out the book Zero Down Your Debt for a more comprehensive overview of this budgeting method.

6) The Opposite of a Budget, Budget

 
This last one is something I follow. It’s not exactly a budget, it’s more of a philosophy, but it still involves tracking your spending.

Instead of worrying about how much I’m spending per category, I spend based on my values, and cut everything else out.

This sounds a lot easier than it is.

This “budgeting” method is good for those who are already frugal, very aware of and disciplined with their spending, and those who naturally enjoy saving.

I wouldn’t recommend this method for someone completely new to money management because, well, they probably need to learn the basics of managing their money well first.

But for those of us who think saving money is fun, it can sometimes be a relief to not track every single penny. When you’re spending on needs and minimal wants, and still heading in the right financial direction, there might not be a need for a strict budget.

How this works is I have a basic outline for what I’m allowed to spend on, my core values, and anything that falls outside of that doesn’t get priority.

For example, I barely spend money on restaurants and entertainment because I’d rather eat at home and have a fun night in with friends. However, I will spend money on travel, especially if family is involved. I treat myself occasionally, especially if it’s centered around a new experience. I like coffee, having pets, and I will invest money in myself and my business when appropriate.

That doesn’t mean I go all out and spend like crazy. I still find ways to save; I research prices, find digital coupons, travel hack, and look for specials. The key is knowing how to keep your spending in check.

 
 
Are you ready to start budgeting yet? You now have six methods to choose from, and there are still more out there.

Remember that you can modify any of these methods to suit your needs. Don’t pigeonhole your finances into something that won’t work. A budget should be flexible and forgiving.

 
 
What budgeting method do you like to use? Are there any that you don’t like? What do you do to make budgeting easier?
 
 

-DC

There comes a time for most people when their living space just feels…stale.

Things have been the same for years, and you no longer enjoy your home like you used to.

Or maybe you’ve outgrown the decor that you started with.

Or maybe that wallpaper isn’t as charming as you originally thought it was.

Whatever the reason, you’re presumably going to be living in your home for quite some time. You want to be happy when you’re in it!

There’s just one problem: you don’t have a huge budget to work with.

That’s okay. You don’t need $50,000 to redecorate or transform your home into something you like. You don’t even need $1,000 for most of these upgrades.

So if you want to spruce up your home and give it a little TLC, here are 20 ways to upgrade it on a budget.

1) Fresh Coat of Paint

 
Yeah, I know, plenty of people throw this tip out there, so it sounds old and boring.

But let me tell you from personal experience, as “old” as this trick may sound, it’s completely true.

When my parents were selling their house, we gave all of the rooms a new coat of paint, and it made a tremendous difference in the way we even saw the house.

Everything just looked more put together.

We did the same thing when they bought their new house. It came with white walls. Boring.

My mom and I got a few swatch books together and started picking out colors according to a theme. They live in the south, near the beach, so we went with some neutral colors, along with sea blues and sunny yellows.

When we were all done, their house had SO much more personality. Heck, I even suggested they paint their shutters because the exterior of their house is also a boring white. We chose a cute teal color, and they get compliments on it all the time.

The key with paint is to go with a theme. Don’t pick any old colors and try and throw them together. Figure out what makes home feel like home to you, and go off of that. It will greatly help you implement the following tips and just makes designing the interior of your house easier.

2) Outlets and Light Switches

 
This is another thing I helped my parents with before they sold their house. Unfortunately, my parents are smokers, and almost everything that was once white in the house was now a gross yellow color. Including all of the outlets and light switches.

As I began looking for replacements, I discovered a whole new world out there when it comes to specially designed plates. You definitely don’t have to go with plain white ones or wooden ones – there are plenty to choose from.

Hopefully you have a theme you want to go with for design, because that makes choosing plates easier. For example, maybe you want a beach-themed house. Pick plates that have seashells and sea creatures on them!

3) Cabinet Hardware

 
Are you tired of your cabinets? Give them a new look by getting some hardware, or replacing old hardware.

My boyfriend and I recently did this, and as weird as it sounds, it has made a big difference in the kitchen.

I’ve always loved our kitchen because we have mahogany colored cabinets with a pretty backsplash, but something was missing. And some of the drawers were hard to pull out.

New hardware is functional as well as beautiful. We chose oil rubbed bronze hardware and it looks awesome. We have about 20 cabinets and we got all of the hardware at Walmart (of all places – we stumbled on it!) for close to $50.

4) Light Fixtures

 
Light fixtures aren’t something you normally pay a lot of attention to, but you will notice the difference from a boring, generic fixture to one that really shines.

For example, I remember this chandelier we had in our old house that was in a hallway on a vaulted ceiling. It was barely noticeable because it was hung so high, and honestly, it just looked old. It didn’t add anything to the house – we barely even used it to light the hallway.

However, when my parents went house hunting, I remember seeing a few really pretty chandeliers in dining rooms that you could easily design your furniture around. More recently, one of my friends crafted a really cool chandelier out of a ship wheel.

Light fixtures can also add some oomph to otherwise boring or small bathrooms. Modern fixtures look way better than those old dressing room style lights – you know, a bunch of bulbs everywhere.

5) Lamps and Shades

 
Again, I feel like lamps are something that most people tend to ignore unless they really add something to a space.

Most lamps and lampshades I see are the same. White or off-white shade on top of a chrome, bronze, or black rod. Woo, right?

Why not go for something more decorative that stands out? Get a fun shade with color and design, one that’s a funky shape, or one that adds some ambiance. Example: I recently got a salt lamp. A what? Yes, a salt lamp – straight from the Himalayan mountains. Apparently they help with allergies by cleaning the air, and they emit a warm glow. Plus it looks interesting. Win on all fronts, and they range from $20-$50.

If you’re not a huge fan of table lamps (I’m not), then see if you can find any nice standing lamps. I prefer these – especially ones with 3 or more bulbs – because they light a room better and they’re flexible.

6) Actual Lighting

 
With all this talk about lights, we need to talk about actual lighting – as in, the type of bulbs you use.

So many people have made the switch to more energy efficient bulbs, such as CFL and LED (LED being more efficient). Doing so can save you money on your electric bill. It’s an easy upgrade, and prices have been steadily decreasing on these bulbs.

Furthermore, did you know there’s an art to choosing the color your lights emit? Since I’ve only been co-owning a home for the last few months, I had no idea how extensive the light aisle in Target is…until we needed to replace a bulb. There were more choices than I thought!

Depending on the type of space the bulb is for, you might want a warmer or cooler tone. So if you are replacing bulbs, make sure you go with the right color – it could help with your productivity, especially if you work from home.

7) Fix Up Doors

 
I’ve been browsing the housing listings in our area as I’m itching to get started with real estate investing, and I’ve discovered that I’m fairly put-off by plain wooden doors.

That’s not something I’d normally think about, but I’ve had white doors my entire life, with white trim, and that’s just what I’m used to. Wooden doors that haven’t been painted or stained just look unfinished.

Here’s where paint comes in handy again! If your doors are older, or the paint has been coming off, give your doors some paint love.

If that’s not enough, consider getting new door knobs that match the plates you went with for outlets and switches. My parents had old gold knobs, and we made it a point to replace them when we put the house up for sale. They screamed “antiquated.” (Which is fine if that’s the look you’re going for, but we weren’t.)

Do you have a larger budget? You could also think about replacing the doors completely. There are other options besides the “regular” doors we’re all used to, like barn doors, french doors, and sliding doors – as long as they fit the frame. You could also consider updating your closet doors with one of these styles!

Of course, you can do the same for your exterior doors: new coats of paint can make your home “pop” before people even come in. Or you can get a nice new screen door.

8) Paint or Upgrade the Trim

 
Most trim is white. There’s nothing wrong with that, but over time, trim can get scuffed up, or maybe it just looks worn because there’s nothing special about it.

Yet again, trim isn’t something we pay a whole lot of attention to, but now that I’m thinking about it, I looked at the current trim in our house and realized it’s a step above what I’m used to. The trim around the doors has indented lines going around it, whereas the trim at our old house was just flat. It complements the doors nicely because they’re the ones with the rectangles in it. (Is there a technical term for that? Probably.) And at our old house, we just had plain, flat doors.

While these sound like small upgrades, they can make a difference when you’ve been used to something less-nice.

You don’t have to replace the trim if that’s outside of your budget. Give it a new coat of paint, or paint it a different color.

If you’re up for adding something, one thing I always notice in houses is crown molding. My old apartment had it and I always thought it was a cute touch. It’s a great way to add character to your home.

9) Seal Your Windows

 
Especially if you live somewhere with cold winters. Drafts are no fun! They’re also not great for your energy usage.

Replacing windows can be costly, but in the meantime, you can seal them by caulking them. There are plenty of videos on how to do it, so venture into the DIY land for this one.

Also – if you don’t have pets that will break the seal – consider putting a plastic seal over your windows. There are inexpensive window sealing kits that are easy to use.

10) Get New Blinds

 
One thing I really miss about my old apartment is the awesome blinds it had. That might sound weird, but they were the heavy wooden blinds (that coincidentally make it harder for pets to destroy) that just felt nicely made.

Cheap blinds can get ruined easy, and they just look generic. My old blinds happened to be painted white, but my parents have similar blinds in their kitchen that are more of a chestnut color.

Some houses don’t even have blinds, but have shades instead. Our old house was like that, and I hated them. Hated them. The ones in my bedroom had this old school pink floral pattern on them, and the ones in my parents room were forest green. It was like the wallpaper equivalent for windows. They also got ripped easily.

Upgrading blinds can be slightly expensive, but it’s an interesting way to change up the look of your home, considering windows are usually in every room!

11) Frame Your Windows Differently

 
Okay, if you can’t afford new blinds or shades, then focus on covering your existing ones. Get new curtains, new curtain rods, or style your curtains differently.

That sounds weird to say, but if you run a search on it, you’ll find quite a few ideas on how to shape your curtains, and there is no shortage of patterns, designs, and materials to choose from.

Plus, some curtains are heavy, and they might reduce drafts. Blackout curtains could be a good idea for your bedroom if there are any bright lights that shine in.

12) Insulate

 
This is a more boring way to upgrade your house, but an upgrade is an upgrade, right?

When most people think of insulation, they think of insulating an attic. While that’s true, there are a lot of different places you might want to insulate your home. Energy.gov has a useful diagram you can refer to.

Again, this is a simple DIY fix you can do over a weekend.

13) Add an Appliance

 
The price of some appliances is enough to make my eyes widen and jaw drop. I don’t know how people can spend $3,000 on a fridge, but then again, newer appliances are doing more and more crazy stuff that I had no idea they were capable of.

But if your budget is over $500 and your appliances are getting old or giving you grief, then think about upgrading – one at a time. Your kitchen may look a little mismatched temporarily, but who cares.

We actually did this recently, but we got an appliance for free. A friend of a friend was giving away a dishwasher, and we wanted one because we didn’t have one. So we snagged it, paid for some parts (like the hook-up), and installed it. Now we have a dishwasher, and it cost less than $100.

If you live in a decent area, look on Cragislist for deals. Some people may be trashing their appliances for the simple fact they’re upgrading to all stainless steel.

14) Create More Space and Get Organized

 
So many people feel the need to move into a large home because they lack space. If you’ve felt a little cramped, why not look for ways to create more space?

This has been a big one for our house because it’s 400 sq. ft. We also have one small closet. Not a lot of room to work with, but we make it work anyway.

First, we have a lot of stuff in the attic. Go through your rooms and pick up anything that hasn’t been used in the last six months. Store it in the attic or garage, if you have the room.

If you find things that haven’t been used or seen the light of day in over a year, consider if you even need it. If not, get on the decluttering bandwagon and donate it, sell it, or trash it.

Next, figure out how to create more space, and where you need it. We implemented the following storage solutions:

• A shoe rack for our closet
• A DVD case for movies and video games
• A smaller entertainment system (giving us more room in the living room)
• A shelf for the laundry room to hold miscellaneous items like paper goods
• Another 4-tier shelf for the laundry room that holds towels
• A shelf in the bathroom
• A long ottoman for the living room that holds spare blankets and pillows
• We’ve been thinking about adding shelves to the bedroom, living room, and kitchen as well, along with some containers to go under our bed.

Functional furniture, decluttering, and organizing can help create more space in your house, allowing you to breathe easier. Clutter creates stress.

15) Upgrade Your Furniture

 
Furniture sets can be had for less than $5,000, but assuming you’re working with a more limited budget, there are a few solutions.

First, you can reupholster furniture if you’re crafty. Get different fabric that goes along with your decor and go to town on chairs and couches.

Next, look to Craigslist for used furniture like tables, chairs, desks, and dressers. You can always refinish older furniture and give it new life.

You can also go cheap and buy “starter home” furniture from Ikea, Walmart, or Target. However, I’d think twice about going this route because you don’t want to spend $500-$1,000 and have to replace it all again in a few years.

Another option might be to put out the word that you’re looking for a new ____. Especially if you have friends that are moving into houses and selling their old furniture.

16) Focus on Your Yard

 
A home’s curb appeal can matter a lot – even to you! Who wants to come home to a yard that looks like an overgrown mess? Not you, and your neighbors probably don’t appreciate it, either.

After cleaning up anything that shouldn’t be out there (don’t use your yard as storage), think about getting rid of unsightly or out-of-control plants and shrubs in your yard. Trim back bushes and branches. Pull out weeds. Plant a garden or some flowers instead. Get your grass green again with fertilizer.

If you have the budget and an expansive yard, consider hiring a landscaper to do the initial work for you, and maintain it afterward. Or, think about getting some nice pavers, create a patio, or steps if you have a hilly yard. Put in a fire pit.

There are so many things you can do with the exterior of a house. You can even get stones and get rid of your grass, or add some gravel for more driveway space.

17) Add a Backsplash

 
Nice backsplashes can make a big difference in kitchens. It was one of the first things I noticed when my boyfriend sent me the listing to the house he bought.

There are so many different types of backsplashes to choose from, too. You can use fabric covered by glass, subway tile, tiles with a unique cut, wood paneling, or even paint your own. The color and character added might just convince you to spend a little more time in your kitchen.

18) Add a Butcher Block or Get an Island

 
This is another upgrade we made recently. My boyfriend loves to cook – the kitchen is almost like his man cave. (I hate cooking so I gladly stay away unless there are brownies.)

When we added the dishwasher, we moved a cabinet out, and thus needed more countertop. Since we had no idea what was used previously, we decided to get a butcher block.

It looks unique and it’s definitely a little bonus for any chef. It cost us around $300 for an 8 foot piece of wood.

Alternatively, if you need more meal prep space, you can get a rolling island – as long as your kitchen is big enough. This also serves as a good storage solution.

19) Re-do Your Floors

 
Flooring can really make-or-break the entire decor of your home. I absolutely love wood floors, and I detest green carpet (why is that still a thing?).

Laminate flooring is a much cheaper alternative to real wood floors, and it’s not that hard to install. Prices can be as low as 50 cents a square foot. If you want something a bit sturdier for a little more money, look at ceramic tile with a wood “look.”

Don’t have the money to upgrade, or you’re stuck with carpet? Try having your carpets professionally cleaned. If you have pets or a high-traffic area in your home, this can help make your carpet look less worn.

20) Upgrade Your Bathroom

 
Bathrooms tend to be on the smaller side, and therefore easier and cheaper to upgrade.

As I mentioned, I got to help my parents upgrade their house before it was sold, and I had free reign on how to re-do my bathroom.

Believe it or not, I was still budget-conscious about it, so I did my research and picked the nicest, cheapest tile I could. My dad renovated the bathroom from the sheet rock up. New bathtub with new tile surround, new paint, new floors, new towel holder.

When it was done it looked like a spa getaway. I was jealous I wouldn’t be able to use it much longer!

I’m fairly certain we did all of this for under $1,000, but the bathroom was also smaller.

However, you don’t have to go crazy. Maybe you just want a new vanity ($100-$500). Maybe you want a new mirror, or want to add shelves, or want to replace the hardware and faucets with something other than chrome. Each individual piece shouldn’t be that much money.
_____________________

I hope you realize there are numerous ways to upgrade your home on a small budget. You don’t need to tear out a bunch of stuff and hire a contractor to add personality to your home. One simple “fix” you could do right now is rearrange furniture! It can literally be that simple.

 
What are some small upgrades you’ve made to your home? Is there anything on this list you want to do?
 

Of course, as most of us know, networking is a necessary evil if we want to further our careers.

So how can we make it less painful?

There are a few ways, and I can say from experience that it gets easier the more you do it. The hardest part is putting yourself out there.

If that’s something you’ve been struggling with, here’s how to get over your fear of networking.

1) Start Small – Practice With Someone You Know

 
I wouldn’t recommend throwing yourself into a large networking event right off the bat. You need to ease into it (unless you’re an extrovert, and most of them don’t have a fear of networking!).

Turn to a friend or a coworker you know well and ask them if they can help you act out a networking scenario.

The purpose is to simply get comfortable telling other people about yourself and what you do, along with asking them questions about their career.

You can talk with your friend over coffee or a meal and make it strictly about business. Bring your business cards (if you have them), dress nicely, have a way to take notes, and if it makes you feel more comfortable, bring some prompts for questions.

However, make sure you’re talking with a friend who is comfortable networking and has some experience. You don’t want to invite another friend who is struggling with the same issues, otherwise you might have an awkward time. This should be a learning experience.

At the end of your networking date, ask them for advice and pointers, and be ready for their honesty. You might not be happy that you appeared nervous or unclear, but the thing to focus on is that you’re aware of it and can fix it!

2) Practice Still Makes Perfect

 
Another route you could try is taking a friend or coworker to a small event with you.

This event doesn’t necessarily need to be classified as a career networking event. Maybe you’re new in town and want to meet other people, or maybe you’re attending a meetup for a hobby you have.

In this case, it doesn’t matter if the friend is experienced or not. If they are, you’ll likely learn more, but if not, you have someone with you who is in the exact same boat as you, and you can help each other throughout the event.

For example, you could have some friendly competition and turn networking into a game: whoever gets the most business cards “wins.” (Although I recommend focusing more on making actual connections when you’re really networking.)

Besides making the experience fun, it helps to have someone else to lean on. They can encourage you when you’re not feeling confident enough, and they can share their experiences throughout the event so you learn from them. You can provide the same.

Having someone else there instantly makes you feel less alone and less anxious since you always have a backup plan. Just be careful not to overly rely on them.

3) Have an Icebreaker Ready

 
When you’re going to a networking event, it can help to have an icebreaker or two ready to prevent any potentially awkward situations. This can give you some peace of mind going into it.

Icebreakers can be anything from a joke to something very noticeable about your appearance that most people would comment on to offering a compliment. It doesn’t have to be cheesy.

For example, I attended a networking conference and had purple hair. I was one of a few people that had an unusual hair color. Was it a conversation starter? Yep. Did it make me stand out? Yep.

Speaking of, using icebreakers to your advantage can be great because they have the opportunity to make you more memorable. In a sea of hundreds and sometimes thousands of people, you want to be memorable, as much as you might want to blend into a wall.

4) Realize That Everyone is There for the Same Reason

 
Let’s be honest – most people are at a networking event to make connections. Their motives may be slightly different, but it all boils down to the same thing.

“Who you know” is very valuable, and networking events afford everyone a great opportunity to connect with people they otherwise might not have interacted with.

When you realize that everyone at the event is there to do the same exact thing as you, it’s a little less intimidating. You might feel weird about giving your business card out and “promoting” yourself, but that’s just how the game is played. People are looking to connect with other people, why not you?

As long as you follow proper etiquette when networking (i.e. don’t shove your business cards into someone’s face while they’re talking to someone else) and you’re pleasant, you shouldn’t have much to worry about.

Plus, I can almost guarantee you that you’re not the only person there who’s afraid. You’re not alone, as much as you might feel like you are, so jump in!

5) Figure Out a Positive “Elevator Speech”

 
Elevator speeches can seem gimmicky, but they’re useful to think about, especially if your job is hard to explain.

You want to clearly communicate to everyone you connect with what it is you do, why it matters (especially to them), and why you do it, among other things.

The worst thing you can do is answer, “What do you do?” with, “Eh, most people don’t really get what I do, not even my boss, but here’s my title anyway!”

You don’t have to be overly enthusiastic about your job, but don’t downplay it. How you answer this question typically sets the tone for the rest of the conversation.

6) Define a Clear Goal

 
One way to sort of distract yourself from networking is looking at the smaller picture: what are you trying to accomplish by networking?

Are you looking to go in a different direction with your career? Do you want to move to a different company? Are you trying to get clients? Do you want to gain knowledge?

All of these can require different networking techniques.

Figure out what you want to get out of a networking event ahead of time, write it down, and keep checking on it throughout the event so you stay accountable.

You can name one big goal, three smaller goals – as long as you have some goal, that’s better than not having any.

However, the clearer your goal is, the more effective it becomes, and the easier it is to achieve.

“Talk to three people” is an easy goal to have, but what does it really do for you?

“Talk to three people in X company/in Y position/who are connected to Z” is much better and keeps you on track.

7) Just Meet People

 
While having a clear goal is absolutely important, sometimes it helps to be less uptight about networking events.

Sure, there are a lot of opportunities around you, and you might not want to miss out, but if you’re so scared you can’t put yourself out there in any way, shape, or form, then what difference does it make?

Instead of approaching it as a “networking event,” get rid of the word “networking” and just think of it as going to a giant meetup.

I’m not saying to take it less seriously, though. Don’t use this as an easy way out! I’m only saying that it can help to think of events like these as simple opportunities to meet people. As themselves. Without the fancy job titles and everything else.

I can’t tell you how many fascinating people I’ve come across in conversation at conferences. Everyone has a different story – ask about it, and you’ll probably either learn something new, be inspired, or make a genuine connection.

____________________

At the end of the day, everyone goes to networking events for the same reason, and you more than likely have one or two things in common with them if you’re attending an industry conference, entrepreneur or blogger meetup, etc. Focus on those commonalities and you should have material you can approach everyone with!

If all else fails, it’s okay to leave early and take a break. There will be other opportunities.

You may enjoy some of our other career and work-related posts:

• How to Make More Money at your 9-5

• How to Network Effectively for a New Job

• 7 Signs You Should Change Your Career

• 5 Ways to Bounce Back After You’ve Burnt Out at Work

• 8 Ways to be More Productive at Work

• 10 Signs You’re Not Meant to Freelance

 
Have you had to get over your fear of networking? What did you do to get more comfortable with it? 
 

The world of podcasting has expanded greatly in the last few years.

I remember attending a conference for financial bloggers and hearing about everyone’s plans to get into podcasting just two years ago.

This past year, at that same conference, I’m fairly certain a record number of live podcasts happened.

It’s not hard to figure out why podcasts have become such a huge medium. With so many of us constantly “on the go,” we prefer to listen instead of read. Listening allows us to do other things, like commute, clean, or cook.

Not only that, but people’s personalities shine through more in podcasts since you can hear their tone of voice.

So if you’re looking for podcasts to listen to for financial success, I’ve created a list of a few that are fun to listen to. You won’t find stuffy, stodgy advice in these.

1) Afford Anything Podcast

 
Lots of people were super excited when Paula Pant announced that she was starting a podcast earlier this year, and I can tell you it definitely won’t disappoint. If you love her blog, you’ll likely love the podcast, because she’s so much fun to listen to.

Paula interviews authors, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders, and she also offers her own advice on “ask Paula” episodes (she takes questions from listeners). She’s not afraid to ask tough questions, dive deeper into topics, and tell it like it is.

Her episode introduction is a succinct summary of what to expect: you can afford anything, but not everything, and how you decide to spend your most limited assets – money time, energy, focus, attention – greatly impact your quality of life. She’s all about figuring out how to make better decisions that will guide you toward your goals.

Whether you’re looking for advice on real estate investing, saving, paying off debt, investing, earning more, being more productive – you’ll find it, and episodes are normally around 45 to 60 minutes long.

2) Martinis and Your Money

 
Fun fact: I was with Shannon McLay, the host of this awesome podcast, when she came up with the idea for it at the same financial blogger conference I mentioned at the beginning of this post. In fact, she won best personal finance podcast at the conference two years ago!

If you miss Shannon’s blog posts, you’ll want to tune in. For those who don’t know, Shannon is a financial coach with years of advisory experience, and she covers all sorts of financial topics with advice aimed specifically at millennials…while drinking. (It’s called Martinis and Your Money for a reason!) Yes, it’s as fun as it sounds.

You’ll also find “happy hour” episodes once a month, which feature fellow awesome bloggers Melanie from Dear Debt, Mrs. Frugalwoods, and Tonya from Budget and the Beach. These are probably my favorite episodes, and they run about an hour each. Shannon’s other episodes vary between 40 – 60 minutes.

3) His & Her Money Show

 
Talaat and Tai McNeely host this show, and they are hilarious and full of energy. If you’re looking for financial encouragement and motivation, you should listen to them. Seriously. They are all about helping and inspiring. 

This podcast isn’t just for couples, either, despite the title. They interview experts, “average” people like you and me who achieved financial success either with saving or paying off debt, side hustlers, entrepreneurs, and more.

New episodes are published multiple times a week, and most are on the shorter side – around 20 – 30 minutes long – which is great if you have a shorter commute, or if you’re doing 20 minutes on the treadmill.

4) SO Money With Farnoosh Torabi

 
Farnoosh Torabi is a well-known name in the personal finance world as she’s an author, television personality, and journalist. It’s no surprise she’s also a podcaster.

Farnoosh’s show is easy to listen to because she interviews a range of entrepreneurs, authors, influencers, executives at financial companies, and more. Their stories are relatable, and Farnoosh asks great questions that elicit insightful responses. It’s almost like you’re listening in to a chat over coffee.

She also has “Ask Farnoosh” episodes, where she answers a multitude of questions from readers.

Most of the episodes are also less than 40 minutes, which makes it perfect for a commute.

5) The Financial Conversation Podcast

 
Okay, I’m not trying to toot my own horn here. This may be a podcast that I’m part of, but my co-hosts Kayla (Shoeaholic No More) and fellow staff writer Chonce (My Debt Epiphany) launched this podcast at the beginning of this year with the goal to destroy the taboo surrounding money.

We talk about all sorts of “real” topics like the downsides of freelancing, whether there’s such a thing as earning too much money, how to deal with the ups and downs of running your own business, why we should pay off debt at our own pace, how our mentality with money can seriously affect the financial decisions we make, and more.

We don’t go into anything at a “what the heck are you talking about?” level. What you can expect is an honest, fun conversation (hence the name) between friends. Sometimes, we get to interview experts as well.

Most of our episodes are around 30 – 45 minutes.

6) Stacking Benjamins Podcast

 
This is likely the most established and well-known podcast on this list, and DC has actually made an appearance on it! Stacking Benjamins is hosted by Joe Saul-Sehy and OG, and often features roundtable discussions with other financial experts on current topics.

It’s also probably one of the most amusing financial podcasts out there, and Joe’s extensive experience in media makes him a great host. The roundtable guests have a lot of chemistry, so even if they’re discussing something like investing and the stock market, you’ll find it funny and informative.

You’re also likely to find a bit of everything on Stacking Benjamins. They publish three times a week, and since they have multiple segments within an episode, they change topics frequently – something not found on most podcasts on this list.

Most episodes are around an hour long, although if you want more, there’s also “The Green Room,” an extended version of Stacking Benjamins – with less emphasis on money.

7) Adulting TV

 
This is another podcast that covers much more than just finance, but as you can guess from the name, it’s the perfect podcast to listen to if you’re in your 20s and 30s, and even beyond, because when are we ever really “adults”?

Harlan Landes and Miranda Marquit do an excellent job of covering a variety of different topics that concern us. You can expect everything from life, finance, career, and relationship advice in a very honest setting.

They both bring insights from lessons learned into the discussion, whether it’s on a simple financial topic like emergency funds or a more complex topic like figuring out if you’ll ever find your soulmate.

A lot of their episodes are within that popular 30-40 minute range, making it a great listen for lunch breaks.

8) Budgets and Cents Podcast

 
Carrie Smith and Cait Flanders make an amazing team. I love both of their blogs, and their podcast is equally awesome.

I also like that they’ve taken a different approach with podcasting – they have seasons with themes, and each episode is centered around that theme.

They currently have two seasons out: Personal Finances and Being Your Own Boss – which match perfectly with what we talk about here.

Carrie and Cait are both very successful businesswomen who are down-to-earth, and you can tell they genuinely want to help others succeed. They offer personal advice on how they’ve managed (or mismanaged) their finances and businesses while bantering back and forth with each other.

A couple of their episodes run over an hour long, with more being in the 45-55 minute range.

Honorary Mentions

 
There are so many good personal finance podcasts out there, so if you can’t get enough, or if you’ve found the above aren’t quite the right fit, then check these podcasts out!<

• The Mad Fientist Financial Independence Podcast – This is for all of you who want to reach financial independence or want to find out more about it. The Mad Fientist interviews fellow financial independence bloggers to find out how they reached FI and what drove them to do it.

• Listen Money Matters – This is a laid-back personal finance podcast that’s entertaining and informative. It’s hosted by Andrew Fiebert and Thomas Frank, and they’re super easy going so you don’t have to worry about being bored to death by finance talk. It’s like listening to friends talk while hanging out and drinking beers. 

• Personal Profitability Podcast – Eric Rosenberg is the host of this one, and I personally love how the intro is basically what you’d expect from a trance podcast. As the name suggests, this podcast is perfect for those who want to get into side hustling and self-employment, as Eric interviews many entrepreneurs.

• Money Mastermind Show – What’s cool about this podcast is that there are five panelists on each episode, which means you’re bound to get a wealth of perspectives on a variety of different topics. The panel also broadcasts live via Google Hangouts every Wednesday at 9pm Central, so you can watch the discussion as it’s happening on the site. Episodes are on the shorter side, around 20-30 minutes long.

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There are so many personal finance podcasts in iTunes that you’re sure to find something you like! So if you learn better by listening instead of reading, why not try a few?

If you don’t have iTunes or an Apple device – don’t worry, many podcasts are available on Stitcher or other apps that are on the Android platform. Or you can just listen via the media player on a website.

 
I know I missed some – what are your favorite financial podcasts to listen to?