Personal Finance

Top 10 Personal Finance Articles of the Month — November 2021

It’s time again for one of my favorite features here on Dyer News: a look at the top 10 personal finance articles of the month. We’ll start things off with a look at a pair of articles tied to some recent (and recurring) headlines. After that, we’ll turn to financial independence. Finally, we’ll look at renting versus buying items, running out of room, and more.

As usual, this month’s list includes a couple of Dyer News Top 10 mainstays as well as a few first-timers. Without further ado, below is my list of the top 10 personal finance articles published in November of 2021, along with their title, author, and the site they originally appeared on.

In the News

Supply Chain Issues Provide the Perfect Excuse to Change Your Holiday Gift-Giving — Tanja Hester, Our Next Life

As you’ve surely seen, this holiday season has been impacted by supply chain issues. Due to a confluence of factors, finding the items you need might be a bit harder than normal (even if the problem may be slightly exaggerated in some cases). However, Tanja suggests using this situation to your advantage and leveraging it to address your gift-giving traditions.

Does Inflation Matter If You’re Frugal? — Sam, Government Worker FI

Another big economic story as of late has been inflation. With prices rising, in part, thanks to the aforementioned supply chain issues, Americans may be seeing their wallets impacted. With that in mind, Sam offers some analysis on his own personal experience with inflation and spending over the past two years.

Financial Independence

When You’re Not Ready to Chase Financial Independence — Darcy, We Want Guac

When people hear about the concept of financial independence, the end result of such a pursuit can sound great. Of course, getting to that point isn’t as easy, which is why most people are ultimately not ready to take on the challenge. On that note, this post from Darcy looks at what happens when you’re not ready to try for FI.

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.

The Six Phases of Financial Independence [Revisited] — Mark Seed, Financial Independence Hub

Unless you suddenly realize you’re sitting on a ton of money, chances are your journey to financial independence won’t be immediate. Instead, there are several phases you may go through. In fact, Mark takes a look at six specific phases on the way to FI.

What I Would Have Done Differently On My FI Journey — Modest Millionaires

As is clear from the sheer number of FI “flavors,” there are many different paths people can take to achieve their ultimate goal. Of course, regardless of which route you take, there’s always the chance that you’ll make some missteps along the way. In this post from Modest Millionaires, they highlight some of the things they would have done differently if they had to do it over again.

Personal Finance Tips

12 Things You Should Rent Instead of Buy — Lyle Solomon, Money Saved is Money Earned

The debate over whether it’s better to rent or buy a home has been pretty well worn at this point. But what about renting as it relates to other items and needs? Lyle lays out a few things that you may be best off renting instead of purchasing — including some surprising picks.

Do You Have Too Much Stuff and Not Enough Space? — One Frugal Girl

Speaking of buying items, have you found yourself running out of space? If, so it may be time for some changes. This article from One Frugal Girl looks at a few tips for organizing, decluttering, and more.

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.

Ten 5-Minute Money Actions to Help Your Finances — Joshua Becker, Becoming Minimalist

When it comes to personal finance, many people assume that they need to go all-out in order to instigate change. In reality, however, taking small actions can have a big impact. To that point, Joshua shares several quick and easy actions you can take now to start improving your finances overall.

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Thanks for checking out my top 10 personal finance articles published last month and congratulations to all of the bloggers who made the list. To find more of these great articles on a daily basis, be sure to follow me on Twitter @jondyer9 and of course visit DyerNews.com.