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2017 was a great inaugural year for Savings and Sangria!

Thanks to everyone who joined our growing community this year! We’re slowing reaching more and more young women to teach them the basics of personal finance through Happy Money Management.

If you’ve been following along this year, you’ve learned how to:

  • earn more
  • spend less
  • decrease debt
  • increase assets
  • budget
  • save
  • start investing

We’ve looked at a lot of big picture concepts this year, like how the rich get richer by buying assets instead of liabilities. In the new year, we’re going to dive a little deeper into specifics, like how exactly do you buy a Certificate of Deposit to start your Dream Fund?

We’re so excited to continue providing actionable posts to help you with your finances in the new year!

But before we jump into 2018, let’s put a bow on Savings and Sangria’s first year by counting down the 10 Best Posts from 2017 to Boost Your Finances!

10 Best Posts from 2017 to Boost Your Finances

Wanna be an Investor?! You're closer than you think! We can show you how to become an investor TODAY with just $5!

10. How to Become an Investor Today with Just $5

In How to Become an Investor Today with Just $5, we talked about moving from saving into investing. And how easy that transition can actually be. You can literally get started today with as little as $5! And there are some awesome apps to help you automate the process so you can invest a bit every paycheck without even thinking about it.

What am I supposed to do if I can't pay my bills this month?! We've got you covered with a short-term fix and a long-term solution to this serious problem.

9. Help! I Can’t Pay My Bills

In Help! I Can’t Pay My Bills, we covered the steps to take when you realize you won’t be able to make ends meet this month. You get a short-term band-aid fix, as well as a long-term, not-gonna-have-to-stress-like-this-ever-again solution. If you’ve ever had a month where you can’t cover all your bills, this is a must-read!

8. The 10 Best Personal Finance Books that Will Change Your Life

In The 10 Best Personal Finance Books that Will Change Your Life, we reviewed some of the best-ever personal finance books. The ones that literally alter the way you see money and change your life for the better. We also listed some personal finance books that are way over-hyped and can totally be skipped. See which books made which list!

awesome list of sneaky ways to save money

7. Sneaky Ways to Save Money

In Sneaky Ways to Save Money, we listed non-traditional ways to save. Ways the average American doesn’t usually even think about. Things like boosting your credit score or making your debt payments biweekly instead of monthly. Check out this post to learn exactly how these little tricks can save you tens of thousands of dollars!

I could sooooo use some extra cash. Awesome list of some weird-but-not-too-weird ways to make money!

6. 20+ Weird Ways to Make Money In Your Spare Time

In 20+ Weird Ways to Make Money in Your Spare Time, we talked about (you guessed it) weird ways to make money in your spare time. Things like offering guided tours of your town or signing up as a juror for a mock trial. Some may be doable, and some may just be way too weird for you. Check them out to see which ones you’d like to try!

Money's not going to rule my life. I'm choosing happy money management to stress less and celebrate more.

5. The 10 Commandments of Happy Money Management

The 10 Commandments of Happy Money Management are the cornerstones of Savings and Sangria’s personal finance philosophy. These are the rules by which we live financially. And these are our recommendations for anyone looking to develop a smart, stress-free way to manage your money. Are you keeping these Happy Money Management commandments?

How to become a millionaire even on a low income

4. How to Become a Millionaire on a Low Salary

In How to Become a Millionaire on a Low Salary, we detailed the exact steps you need to take to accumulate a cool million. We even have a free downloadable template for you to create your personal Millionaire Savings Plan! And here’s the best part: you don’t need to make a lot of money to make this happen. Thanks to compound interest, you only need to save a small fraction of a million to make yourself a millionaire. What are you waiting for? Go get started!

Post 3 The Three Barrel Approach to Savings | savingsandsangria.com

3. The 3 Accounts You Need to Grow Your Savings

In The 3 Accounts You Need to Grow Your Savings, we outlined the only 3 accounts you really need to properly manage all your money. That’s right. You don’t need a bajillion accounts and a complicated scheme to grow your wealth. 3 simple accounts will do the trick! See which ones you need.

Pay off your debt 13 years sooner and save $38,600 in the process!

2. How to be Debt-Free 13 Years Sooner (and Save $38,600 in the Process!)

In How to be Debt-Free 13 Years Sooner (and Save $38,600 in the Process), we looked at a brilliant strategy for paying off debt faster and avoiding stupid-high interest expenses. Have you heard of the “debt snowball” method? Well, we renamed it the “Champagne Waterfall” method 😉 And we’ll show you how to use this genius trick to completely change your future! If you don’t want to still be paying your student loans when you retire, read this!

The $$831,751 reason to save for retirement while you're young and broke

1. The $831,751 Reason to Save for Retirement While You’re Young and Broke

In our best post from 2017, The $831,751 Reason to Save for Retirement While You’re Young and Broke, we discussed one of the biggest financial mistake our generation is making: waiting too long to save for retirement. The best time to save for retirement is when you’re young and broke. And not just because it builds a good saving habit. The main reason you need to save for retirement right now is to take advantage of years of compound interest. Read this post to see why you can expect an extra $831,751 at retirement if you start saving at 25 than if you start saving at 40.

4 steps to make over your finances in the new year

BONUS: How To Make Over Your Finances in the New Year

If you’re ready to make over your finances in 2018, get started today by reading How To Make Over Your Finances in the New Year!

Thanks again to everyone for making 2017 awesome and 2018 even better!

Cheers! From Savings and Sangria