Fix Your Finances For Free

I firmly believe that money can do nothing for you if you don’t know what to do with your money. Getting a financial advisor and actually doing what they say is ideal. However when you can’t afford an expert, do the next best thing and turn yourself into one.

How do you become a financial guru? Utilize the latest online budgeting web tools and read the blogs of real people who figured out how to get their finances in order. By taking good financial advice and making an effort to stay on a budget , I think anyone can get on the path to financial success.

MONEY UNDER 30
While looking for savings and loan advice online, I came across MoneyUnder30.com, a personal finance blog by David Weliver. David features money tips on budgeting, saving, credit, investing, and getting out of debt in your twenties (and beyond). I was particularly attracted to his blog because he shares exactly how he consolidated his credit card debt and got a micro-loan. With so many different credit cards, banks, and financial websites online that simply want to take your money, its nice to find real people who have gone through similar experiences and can tell you where to go to get real help.

THE FRUGALISTA
More than four years ago I stumbled on Natalie McNeal, creator of thefrugalista.com. Around that time Natalie was drowning in over $20,000 worth of debt from credit cards and student loans, so she decided to take charge of her finances and journal her experience via the frugalista blog. After cutting her expenses and saving $400, Natalie decided to ‘get frugal’. With her blog and book “The Frugalista Files: How One Woman Got Out of Debt Without Giving Up the Fabulous Life”, Natalie has been sharing her story with us all these years and helping others get financially fit in the process.

THE PURSE CAMPAIGN
If you are low on will power when it comes to your spending habits, don’t tackle this BIG issue alone. Financial advisor Deborah Owens, created the Purse Campaign for women who want to build wealth. You can pave your road to financial security by forming a Purse Group of your own. Meeting with friends regularly, you can learn how to live a wealthy lifestyle by adopting the 7 Wealthy Habits. You will learn how to build wealth together, offer one another support as you learn together and handle your personal finances individually. Recently featured in Essence Magazine the Purse Campaign is nation wide. One purse group was able to save over $30,000! For more details visit deborahowens.com

MINT.COM
Getting advice from successful budget bloggers is a great place to start, but what do you do when budgeting your expenses is honestly more than you can handle? Consider joining Mint.com, the best FREE way to manage your money. Mint brings all your financial accounts together online or on your mobile device, automatically categorizes your transactions, lets you set budgets and helps you achieve your savings goals.

This article is featured in the August 2011 Issue of SistaSense Magazine available in print or digital format at http://mag.sistasense.com.