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25 Best Personal Finance Articles of 2021
Every month here on Dyer News, we compile the Top 10 Personal Finance Articles of the Month. These lists consist of blog entries and posts that we appreciated or found interesting and that we felt deserved some additional recognition. Well, with 2022 having arrived, we decided to look back over the previous year to assemble the 25 Best Personal Finance Articles of 2021!
Below are some of the articles that caught our eye over this past year along with the authors behind them and the site on which they originally appeared. By the way, since ranking all of this great content would certainly prove a daunting task, they are instead presented in no particular order. So without further adieu here are the best personal finance articles from 2021.
The Top 25 Best Personal Finance Posts of 2021
How To Spend, Save, and Invest In Alignment With Your Values — Lindsay Bryan-Podvin, Mind Money Balance
One of the recurring themes we’ve explored in these features is the idea that personal finance is, indeed, personal — meaning that there is rarely a “one size fits all” solution. A prime example of this fact is that you may have a set of values that may lead you to second guess suggestions that others see nothing wrong with. Luckily, as Lindsay explains, adjusting your spending, savings, and investing habits to align with your personal beliefs may not need to be as complicated as you might fear.
Why Being Content is the Most Important Financial Principle — Ashley Eneriz, MoneyNing
We’ve all heard it said that money can’t buy happiness. Yet, many of us tend to forget this cliche, allowing ourselves to believe that more money would solve all of our problems. In reality, while money can fix some situations, Ashley points out that being content can lead to better finances rather than the other way around.
The Simple Act That Started My Personal Finance Addiction — Derek, Life and My Finances
What was the first time you truly started to pay attention to your finances and take an interest in bettering them? For some, the answer may be a childhood lesson or perhaps an adult low-point that necessitated change. According to Derek, his personal finance addiction actually kicked off with a visit to the bank and a first-hand look at the magic of interest.
The Stoic Path to Wealth: Ancient Investing Strategy for the Modern World — Darius Foroux
February 2021 was among the wildest months for the stock market — well, at least in some corners of it. Of course, as attractive as short-term gains from, say, Gamestop short squeezes may seem, true wealth is more often gained over time. Instead of gambling it all on such speculation, Darius proposes the Stoic form of investing along with other tips such as the 90/10 rule.
Should We Talk About Shame and Money? — A Dime Saved
These days, people are shamed for all kinds of reasons, including several that involve money. Ironically, while those participating in such activities may think that they’re merely helping people to correct their behaviors, that’s likely not the case. In fact, as this post from A Dime Saved shares, shaming people for money matters may be a reason why financial topics remain taboo in our society — which, in turn, could lead to even more bad money habits.
Saver’s Remorse: When Your What Overtakes Your Why — Penny, She Picks Up Pennies
There’s a strong chance you’ve experienced what’s known as buyer’s remorse at least once in your life. Perhaps you purchased something you thought you wanted or needed only to discover that you’d have been better off keeping your money. As it turns out, this concept can work the other way as well, with Penny detailing her experience with saver’s remorse.
How Being Lazy Helped Me Retire At 30 — A Purple Life
If you ask most people, they’d probably say that laziness is an enemy of good finance. After all, one needs to work hard and be productive to make money, right? Well, as this post from A Purple Life blog notes, being lazy can actually have financial benefits at times.
Investing for Beginners: From Your First $1 to $10k and Beyond — Adam, Minafi
Even as various apps make all kinds of investment options more accessible, it can still be difficult for newbies to know where to start. For example, should new investors begin with taxable accounts or focus strictly on retirement options? In this post, Adam not only dives into those questions and more but also provides handy calculators and other interactive tools for beginning investors to explore.
Are You Prepared for Your Financial Failure? — Accidentally Retired
Let’s face it: no one likes to think about failing. Instead, it’s much easier to fantasize about everything going perfectly and how great that will be. Alas, this isn’t reality. What’s more, as this article from Accidentally Retired notes, visualizing your potential failures can actually be helpful and necessary as it can prepare you for the worst-case scenario.
What If One Dollar Was Worth One Use? — Alyssa Davies, Mixed Up Money
Contrary to what most people assume, being good with money doesn’t necessarily mean always going for the cheapest options but, instead, involves finding the best value. But how will you know if something is worth it? That’s where Alyssa’s proposed “dollar per use” rule of thumb comes in, potentially making it easier to evaluate your purchases and ensure you’re getting value from them.
Why Coast FIRE Should Be the Goal: An Example — Financial Chain Breakers
If you’ve been paying any amount of attention to the financial independence movement, you likely know that there are several flavors of FIRE. Among these is what’s known as Coast FIRE, which suggests that individuals simply “coast to the finish line.” As this post from Financial Chain Breakers explains, this method may have benefits over other versions of FIRE, leading them to refocus their goals.
Why I’m A Deadbeat — Budget Life List
To most people, the term “deadbeat” typically means someone who doesn’t pay their bills. Yet, to credit card companies, the term may be used to describe customers who don’t actually turn them any profit. With that in mind, this Budget Life List article shares why being a deadbeat can actually be a great thing.
The Optimal Amount of Hassle — Morgan Housel, Collaborative Fund
Fact: life doesn’t always go right and there will be times you are inconvenienced. However, what matters is how you react in these times and how you handle them. From life to business to investing and more, Morgan looks at the “the optimal amount of hassle” can play a role in your life.
What’s Really Important in Life? How Trade-Offs Help Us Decide — No More Weekdays
At the end of the day, the key to good personal finance isn’t just saving money but getting the most value out of your money. In order to do this, you’ll need to make a few trade-offs and compromises that meet your overall goals. To help you do that, this article from No More Weekends lays out a clever tool for finding the right financial priority balance for you.
The Purpose of Frugality is To Get Your Stake Money Together — The Escape Artist
As we’ve discussed before, “frugality” is an oft-misunderstood concept. One such misconception is that frugality can only save you so much as you’re usually just cutting small expenses. However, this post from The Escape Artist points out how frugality can free up funds for investing, potentially making a major impact on your finances.
How Remote Work Better Prepared Me for Organizing My Finances and Helped Me Save More Money — Todd Kunsman, Invested Wallet
Although remote work might not be right for everyone, there are definitely advantages for some. This includes both tangible financial benefits as well as some less obvious impacts on your money. As Todd explains, being a remote worker actually helped him to become more financially organized.
7 of the Worst Pieces of Financial Advice Around — Kathryn Vercillo, Saving Advice
Like with most topics, when it comes to money, everybody’s got an opinion. Unfortunately, those opinions may not always be the most helpful and could do more harm to your finances than good. Thus, Kathryn highlights just a few pieces of money advice that don’t pass muster.
Value Spending: How to Really Save Money — Clipping Chains
Which is more relevant to your finances: the amount of money you spend or the value you get from it? While the former may be key in some cases, it’s the latter that can make a larger difference in the long run. That’s why Clipping Chains looks at what value spending means and why it’s so important.
My Biggest Financial Regret (And How to Avoid Making the Same Mistake) — Kara Perez, Bravely Go
No matter who you are, you’ve surely made money mistakes in the past. Some of these may be obvious — and perhaps you even knew it was a mistake at the time — while the errors with others only appeared with time. In this post, Kara reflects on a few of her financial regrets and how things could have gone differently.
The Psychology of Money: 16 Lessons for the FIRE Community — Money Flamingo
In 2020, author Morgan Housel published his book The Psychology of Money. While that might make the book sound heady and technical, it actually contains several financial lessons that those in the FIRE community and beyond can learn from. With that in ‘mind,’ Money Flamingo highlights 16 such lessons as illustrated by Housel’s work.
Fly or Drive? The Pros and Cons of Each— Kyle Burbank, Money@30
If you’re trying to travel but don’t want to spend too much, you may be asking yourself whether it makes more sense to drive or fly to your destination. Depending on several different factors, the answer to which is the better choice can vary — and there are definitely pros and cons to balance. With that in mind, Kyle looks at some of the reasons for and against each travel medium.
OK Boomer: Renting is Better than Owning — Lisa, A Lawyer and Her Money
You’ve undoubtedly heard this refrain before: “Renting is just throwing money away.” For as common as this belief is, the truth is much more complicated than that. What’s more, Lisa argues that, actually, renting is better than owning overall.
How I Gave Myself Permission To Try — Kevin, Financial Panther
Continuing the theme, before you can pursue FI or make other life changes, a few other things usually need to fall into place. For example, prior to leaving a job, you may need to have a cash cushion to help you stay afloat. That’s just one of the elements that Kevin says gave him the ability to try.
3 Personal Finance Lessons I Learned from Playing Monopoly — Erin, Level Up Personal Finance
Considering that Monopoly is a board game classic, there’s a good chance you’ve played it yourself. And while the game is unmistakably related to economics, its other fiscal lessons may not be as obvious. Enter Erin, who points out a few personal finance tips as learned from Monopoly.
There Are No Rules for Minimalism. That’s All Bulls*** — Renee, The Fun Sized Life
Just as there are a lot of misconceptions about personal finance and living frugally, these are some perceived “rules” to minimalism that don’t really apply. Yet, these “rules” might stop someone from embracing minimalism for fear that they might have to do something they don’t actually want to do. Thankfully, Renee reminds us that such limitations are B.S. and that minimalism is for everyone
Thanks for checking out our top 25 personal finance articles published in 2021 and a huge “thank you” to all of the bloggers who have continued to put out great content all year long — in spite of everything else. Here’s to a hopeful and happy 2022.
