The 7 Personal Finance Articles We Loved This Week
For better or for worse, we have exactly one month left in 2016. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been *huge* on New Year’s as a holiday; it’s always felt like an excuse to make some poor decisions you wouldn’t usually (which I’m guilty of as well), even though dates don’t really mean…anything. That being said, I actually am a fan of New Year’s resolutions. I haven’t always stuck with them, and I do think forcing yourself into a crash diet or exercise routine you don’t even enjoy isn’t really a good idea. But I do think there are ways to make resolutions for the new year that are healthy, that help you grow into a better you.
Of course, while the external motivation of an approaching January can truly help you make some changes, you don’t need it. We can all decide to make changes to be a little better every day. That’s why I really loved J. Money‘s own article this week, “19 Ways To Be Better Today Than Yesterday.” I sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that changes in my life need to be grandiose — that I need to save huge chunks of money at a time in order to achieve my savings goals, or that I need to start hardcore exercising every single day for it to make a difference. J. Money’s list is full of small things you can do to make your own life or the lives around you just a little better, if only for a moment.
I encourage you to check out the other articles this week, too, especially if you’re looking for a killer book recommendation, or thoughts on how to keep going when things get tough. Enjoy!
1. 19 Ways To Be Better Today Than Yesterday – Budgets Are Sexy
“We can’t be perfect every day, but we can surely try a little harder if we’re fortunate enough to even have the opportunity (i.e. we’re still alive).”
2. Why I Practice Being Financially Independent When I’m Not – Tawcan
“On the days that I am not working at my 9-5 job, I like to practice being financially independent…I remind myself the reasons for saving and investing money.”
3. The Book That Changed My Life Forever – Liberate.Life
“If somebody pointed a gun at my head and said, ‘I want to live a life of freedom and autonomy so I can do what’s important to me. Recommend the best resource in the world for achieving this or I will shoot you,’ then I would respond with…”
4. 3 Reasons You Should Stop Budgeting By The Month – Mapped Out Money
“The problem isn’t that you just suck at managing money. The problem is that you’re thinking about it all wrong.”
5. You Can’t Live If You Don’t Play – Nomadic Matt
“Once you stumble upon what it is you love, pursue it with vigor…because there’s nothing worse than a wasted dream!”
6. The True Cost Of #VanLife – Climbing
“Yes, you have a rad van, a hot outdoorsy significant other, and the ability to climb anywhere, but how exactly are you paying for that?”
7. What To Do When You Don’t Know What To Do – Cait Flanders
“Because I couldn’t see past this dark period in my life, I had no idea when I would finally see the light again. So I surrendered to the pain and confusion, waved my white flag and said, ‘I don’t know what to do anymore.’ His simple reply was one I’ve never forgotten.”
Image via Unsplash
