Millennials. We’re selfish. Lazy. We’re in hock up to our eyeballs. And it’s all our fault.
Well…not really. Here’s the thing: We’re actually the most educated generation in American history, believe it or not.
But…the cost of college educations doubled between 1996 and 2006 (and we’re still seeing a steep rise in cost).
Then the housing and job market tanked when many of us were looking for our first adult jobs. The Great Recession hit. Interest rates fell.
As new adults, we dealt with trying to find jobs that paid above minimum wage, never mind the benefits—or if the job fits into our career plans. (And I would bet that more than a few of you know someone—or yourself—who joined the military either to pay for college or in order to have a steady job with a steady paycheck and benefits because one wasn’t available in the civilian world.) For all of those reasons, we’re less likely to take on more debt by buying houses or cars and more likely to try to save with smaller banks.
But we’re not lazy. We’re frugal and conscious with our finances.
Some burgeoning research is finding that we might be the most frugal and financially minded generation since The Greatest Generation. (Take that, misplaced stereotypes!)
Although it seems like we’ve had a pretty unlucky time of it thus far, we’ve got one thing on our side: technology. We’re able to tap into tons of information to help us make smart financial choices—something our grandparents simply didn’t have.
Sifting through all of the information can be a chore, so we’ve found 6 financial blogs that will give you great advice and viewpoints without making you do a lot of digging.
The Budget Loving Military Wife
The Budget Loving Military Wife is written by Nichole, a military spouse who is currently living in the UK. While her blog is for anyone looking for “financial freedom,” she also includes posts specific to the military community. Her posts are meaty and offer sensible advice that you can actually incorporate into your planning and spending. She also cultivates a community through her $1,000,000 Challenge, so if you’re looking to save money and be accountable, you might be interested in joining!
Want to know more about The Budget Loving Military Wife? Here are 3 articles we recommend:
- How to Pay Off Debt When Living Paycheck to Paycheck
- 10 Biggest Financial Mistakes. Military Edition
- How to Spend Your Tax Refund Wisely
The Empowered Dollar
If you’ve ever wondered why more financial blogs aren’t in cartoon form, this blog is for you. Written by Stephanie, a 20-something artist and blogger, The Empowered Dollar offers a light-hearted (and cartoon-heavy) look at being money-wise from a millennial perspective. Stephanie herself paid off $35,000 of debt in 4 years—so she knows what many of us are experiencing, and she uses that knowledge to write a unique and interesting site full of helpful tips and information.
Start with these 3 articles on The Empowered Dollar:
- How to Use Mint.com (And Why I Use a Robot to Budget)
- I’ve Avoided Investing for Years, But the Power of Zombies Convinced Me to Start
- How Much Money Should I Be Saving? Your Time-Travelling Self Says “More”
Making Sense of Cents
Michelle began her blog when she was deeply in debt…and ended up quitting her day job to write her blog. (For bloggers, she’s living the dream!) She routinely makes more than $14,000 a month and every month she shares her updates and exactly how she makes that much cash. But her blog isn’t just about what she makes, it’s about practical tips for saving and stretching money so you’re able to live a fuller life with what you have.
Here are 3 articles to invest time in reading on Making Sense of Cents:
- Identity Theft Impacts Millions Each Year, Could You Be Next?
- 9 Actions To Take To Trick Yourself Into Saving Money
- The Worst Money Advice I’ve Ever Heard
The Military Wallet
Written by Ryan Guina, an Air Force veteran, this blog is driven less by personality and more by the nitty, gritty facts of military life. While The Military Wallet sometimes delves into more emotional topics relating to finances, the vast majority of stories detail military discounts and policies and programs that can affect your bottom line. The Military Wallet also has a podcast for those of you who aren’t big blog readers.
Does The Military Wallet appeal to your financial sense? Start here to find out:
- Surviving a Military Paycheck Error
- How to Pay for School When You Run out of GI Bill Benefits
- Why Military Members Don’t Get Matching Contributions in the Thrift Savings Plan
Gen Y Planning
Sophia Bera herself is a millennial and is the only blogger in this list who is a certified financial planner. Gen Y Planning is a fresh and educational look at the unique needs and fears of millennials when it comes to planning for the here-and-now and for the future.
Here are 3 articles we recommend from Gen Y Planning:
- Wholly Healthy: How to Stay Physically and Financially Fit
- How Gen Y Can Build a Positive Relationship with Money
- Couples & Money: Those Dreaded Words, “We Need to Talk”
Money Under 30
One of the oldest and most well-known blogs for millennials, Money Under 30 is run by David, a writer who wants to help readers “create better habits, beat debt, and build real wealth.” The site is easy to navigate and offers tons of resources and advice on a variety of pertinent topics.
With Money Under 30, here are 3 articles to check out:
- Debt-to-Income Ratio: The Little Number Your Bank Cares About (And You Should To)
- In The Daycare vs. Stay-at-home Parent Debate, Some Costs Aren’t Obvious
- 3 TV Shows That May Actually Teach You Something About Money
There you have it—6 financial blogs that you really should spend a little time reading. No matter where you are in your financial journey these blogs can offer additional insights, resources and ideas as you look to fortify your nest egg, buy a house, plan for retirement or save for that once-in-a-lifetime vacation.
