Resources
Budgeting
Not many people enjoy budgeting, but it is hard to succeed without it. It can be difficult to start the habit and remain consistent. Here are a few tools to help you get started with budgeting.
- Mint.com
- YNAB (You Need a Budget)
- Microsoft Excel
Mint.com is a free online financial tracker and budgeting tool. You can import transactions directly from your bank and assign transactions to categories in your budget Most of this happens automatically when you link your accounts but sometimes you will be required to manually enter information. Mint.com is also a resource for checking your credit score, finding credit cards and loans.
This is my preferred budgeting method. You can import transactions daily directly from your bank accounts. There is a default budget to start with and it is highly customizable. They have extensive support and documentation to help you set up a new budget and learn to live by the 4 rules of good budgeting; Give every dollar a job, Embrace your true expenses, Roll with the Punches, and Age your money. Unfortunately, this is not a free resource. Currently YNAB costs $6.99/month
Before I could afford fancy budgeting software I used an MS Excel spreadsheet. Although you have to manually update it, you are able to easily personalize it to fit your needs. The Calculators page has a Budget template to get you started.
Credit Reporting Agencies
The "Big Three" Credit Reporting Agencies; these companies gather all of your financial information. Lenders pull your credit report from them to determine your credit worthiness. You are entitled to obtain 1 free credit report every 12 months from each of these credit agencies.
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The Credit Reporting agencies will only give you one copy every 12 months of your credit report. In order to track your credit report and score more closely you can use other credit tracking websites. The ones listed below are free options.
- Credit Karma
- Credit Sesame
- Your Bank
View your credit score and report. Uses VantageScore.
View your credit score and report. Uses VantageScore.
Many banks offer free credit scores. These are often based on Transunion or VantageScore credit reports. Although these credit scores and reports should not be considered your official scores. They can be a good tool for tracking your overall credit health. Some banks that offer free credit reports are Capital One, Discover, Bank of America, American Express. Check your banks web portal to determine if you are eligible for a free credit report
Side Hustling
Earning more money is a key step to becoming financially stable. Often times in your early career, one job does not meet all of your financial needs. Finding new ways to leverage your knowledge and skills can greatly help you in paying off debt and saving more. Here are just a few places you can find more information on earning more money.
- Side Hustle Nation
- Freelancer
- Fiverr
This website has a blog and podcast with tons of ideas on how to make additional money.
A site to search for and bid on freelance projects.
A site where you can offer your skills for $5, and bid on projects
Investing
After you are able to pay off debt and begin saving, it is important to save for your future. Investing is highly important if you ever want to be able to retire. Here are a few resources to start you on a path to investing.
- Vanguard
- Betterment
- Personal Capital
Do It Yourself investing
Robo-investing with no minimum investment amount
For a fee you can get personalized investment advice
Calculators
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Worksheets
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