Where do I go When I Need Money Guidance & Information

I know a lot about money. Personal finance is my thing, saving money has always been my passion since childhood. I would closely monitor my Bradford & Bingley savings account, loving to watch my balance grow and seeing interest added every three months. I was always the one to find deals, be that on clothes, freebies, nights out. Getting out to work as young as possible was important to become more financially independent.

I also love talking about money and am very fortunate to have lots and lots of friends who are also very good with money. When it comes to my own personal finance I like to speak to others to help me make decisions when I need money guidance. Finance may be personal, but it REALLY helps to talk about it with others.

I also fully believe in never ending learning. Learning from the experts in my field to widen my knowledge. I want to share my favourite resources for information that keep me fully informed and 100% in control of my finances.

Facebook Group – Meaningful Money Community

I’m starting with my favourite Facebook Group for money, being the Meaningful Money Community from Pete Matthew. This is SUCH a wonderful group packed full of friendly experts and real people. Any question can be asked in there and you will get a raft of opinions but never any judgement (thanks to some incredible moderators). I’ve seen so much discussed in there, from debt to savings to investment and pensions. Its never overwhelming and things are explained in a brilliant way.

I have asked so many questions in that group and have felt the support and the love particularly from people in the same situation as me, eg post divorce financial questions.

Also Pete and I are fellow Penzance dwellers. I lived there from 1977 to 1995, he moved there 20ish years ago. We always catch up when I am back home for a visit. This was July 2021.

Podcast

Confession time with podcasts, podcasts are not the way I choose to consume my personal finance information. But I have listened to a few over the past few years and have been guests on so many podcasts.

Shameless plug of a few episodes I have appeared on and some of those podcasts that I would recommend.

Meaningful Money Podcast

The Money Guide with Mrs Mummypenny

Making Money with Lynn James S12 Ep 2

Money To The Masses Podcast

A Podcast to Celebrate International Womens Day Episode 213

Secrets to Saving Money Podcast

Financial Times Podcast

Podcast: mid-life financial MOTs, credit card debts and Britain’s growing tax gap

YouTube

I have to be in the mood for YouTube and consuming personal finance content on there. When I go on there (like I have done researching for this post) I get caught up in a spiral of content drifting from one video to another.

My favourite channels are:-

Nicola at The Frugal Cottage who delivers brilliant frugal content along with her journey towards financial freedom. Her most popular recent video How to Eat for £10 a Week, 3.4k views at the time of writing. Check her out.

Jennifer Kempson’s MaMa FurFur Youtube channel is flying, at time of writing 81k subscribers. For a UK Personal Finance influencer this is AMAZING. This video is a great one, huge number of views. Def check out her channel and subscribe for all sort of personal finance guidance.

Deals

I love a deal and always try to save on everything that I buy. Everything! I love a cash back deal, a freebie, a voucher code, a loyalty app. You name it I love it. Jordon Cox, The Coupon kid knows everything about deals and I m always learning about new deal from him. In fact I got a free box of chocolates via his Twitter updates just this week!

He regularly updates his website with the best deals, always sharing them on Twitter. His website is well worth reading and go follow him on Twitter.

General Personal Finance Reading

The best website around for understanding all personal finance products and services, no matter how complex is Money To The Masses. Always my first port of call for research. The articles are written in such a way to make even the most complex thing simpler. And there is so much content, Damien Fahy and his team have been creating content for more than 10 years.

Budgeting

I have written plenty of content about budgeting but it helps to have a person to run my own personal budget by for an external point of view. I recommend everyone does this. Spend some time creating a budget then run it past a trust, non judgemental friend who may have different ideas and certainly a different perspective.

My trusted person is Faith Archer who run Much More With Less website. Also a brilliantly written website that I enjoy reading, particularly for demystifying the potentially complex world of investing.

Faith always finds way to cut a bit more fat from my budget, or gives me ideas to make it more realistic. She has been a great help particularly over the two years from 2017 to 2019 when I was paying off £16k of debt.

Books

I get sent SOOO many money books, and have in fact written a rather good one myself – The Money Guide to Transform Your Life.

But which ones do I rate and have enjoyed reading? I have to put Pete Matthew’s book Meaningful Money Handbook. An easy to read guide to everything money with a clear guide on what you need to do and when.

Instagram

There are a couple of accounts really nailing the Instagram game. They are creating incredible content in an easy to understand and consume way. And its fun, its engaging and teaching people the core of personal finance without becoming too heavy.

Check out Thrifty Londoner and Mr Money Jar

I trust this is a very useful list of my favourite and the best resources in the personal finance world. Enjoy their content and learn how to be more financially free.