If you want to make better financial decisions in 2021, you should start following personal finance influencers. Social media is a powerful tool, and we think it makes sense to use it to learn new skills and encourage ourselves to make smarter decisions.
Consider that nearly half of millennials (ages 23 to 38) say that social media has tempted them to spend money that they don’t have. 57% say they pay more attention to what their friends are spending rather than saving! FOMO (fear of missing out) is a powerful motivator. We adopt the values and behaviors of people we regularly follow and admire because it gives us a sense of community and belonging.
Source: Charles Schwab Modern Wealth Survey
You are Who You Follow
The things you read and watch on social media every day can profoundly impact the choices you make in your daily life. In 2020, the average person spent 153 minutes per day on social media. Of course, this is an average, so many spend even more time on social media. That kind of regular engagement has the power to shape everything from what you believe to what you buy and even how you vote. They say “you are what you eat” and “you are the company you keep,” so it stands to reason that, in our increasingly digital world, “you are who you follow.”
6 Personal Finance Influencers You Should Follow
So what if instead of following people who spend money we don’t have, we decided to follow influencers who celebrate good financial habits? Will their good habits rub off on us if we regularly engage with their content? It’s certainly possible! Consider it a mind hack that could help you stay focused on your top financial goals.
Here is a list of our favorite personal finance influencers we think you should add to your social media diet. Not only are their profiles full of A+ advice and educational content, but they are fun and entertaining too. Enjoy!
Budget Girl – Sarah Wilson
Sarah Wilson, aka “Budget Girl,” is a debt-destroyer, side-hustler, and financial wellness advocate. For 6.5 years, Sarah has chronicled her financial journey with weekly videos on YouTube. Included are the successes and challenges she faced while paying off $33,000 of student loans in just three years on a modest reporter’s salary ($26,000 /year.) To improve her financial future, she’s side-hustled, negotiated for better pay, and diversified her income stream. Inspired by a passion for financial freedom, Budget Girl proudly teaches others how to manage their money, pay off debt and live the life of their dreams for less.
Topics: Budgeting, financial freedom at any income, investing for beginners, income property, diverse income streams
What sets them apart: Sarah’s videos are professional and high quality, but her vibe is down to earth and never sales-y. Though her social media following is massive (the most of all the influencers on this round-up), she isn’t a full-time YouTuber. Instead, Sarah has decided to keep her salary job (because she loves it) but also because having multiple streams of income just makes sense!
Budget Girl has a cumulative 1.75M followers across Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. For more, check out her website: budgetgirl.com.
Slay This Debt – Deedra Boodram
Deedra Boodram started her YouTube channel six years ago and dedicated her first year of videos to leading a minimalist lifestyle. Over time, her content evolved and began to address a wide range of topics about living a frugal, debt-free lifestyle. Deedra chronicled her journey following Dave Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps and used that momentum to create original content featuring her favorite budget tips and money-saving hacks.
Topics: Frugal living hacks, frugal vs. cheap, debt payoff, grocery shopping, investing, staying on-budget
What sets them apart: Slay This Debt is a primarily video-based social channel. Deedra releases videos several times a month and covers topics that draw on her study of Dave Ramsey. Deedra and her husband are a military family and often talk about money in the context of their on-base lifestyle. Her videos also feature cameos from her husband, Amos.
Slay This Debt has a cumulative 34.2k followers on YouTube, Instagram and Twitter.
Frugal Rules – John Schmoll
John Schmoll founded Frugal Rules after leaving a 15-year stint in the financial sector. He started a business of his own but missed talking about money with his colleagues. Despite having no digital background, John leaped, at the opportunity to start a blog and create a social media community for his favorite subject. John creates engaging and approachable content by drawing on his finance career and personal experience, paying down $20,000 in credit card debt after college.
Topics: Credit cards, investing, living within your means, paying down debt
What sets them apart: John’s financial sector experience sets him apart from some of the other personal finance influencers on this list. However, despite having a financial background, he isn’t shy about making mistakes while navigating his financial hurdles. These factors combined give him an informed and relatable voice. His blog also provides helpful product reviews.
Frugal Rules has a cumulative 71k followers across Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest and Facebook.
Poised Finance & Lifestyle – Sahirenys Pierce
Sahirenys Pierce (pronounced Sai-ren-ese) is the content creator behind the blog, Poised Finance & Lifestyle. She holds a BS in Finance from California State University Northridge with an emphasis in financial planning. After working at several financial service companies like Merrill Lynch, MetLife, and Ameriprise, she started her blog. She is now a full-time personal finance influencer, content creator and speaker.
Topics: Household spending, investing, retirement savings plans, lifestyle spending hacks
What sets them apart: Sahirenys is a bilingual content creator. Her Instagram posts feature both English and Spanish captions. Besides being a trained financial expert, she is a 1st generation Dominican-American and mom of two.
Sahirenys Pierce had a cumulative 33.8k followers across Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest.
Afford Anything – Paula Pant
Paula Pant is the host and creator of the Afford Anything podcast and blog. She is also the author of the free e-book Escape, all about how to escape the 9 to 5. In addition to social media channels, Paula hosts her core community on a custom blog forum. The forum is away from the hustle and bustle of social media. The platform includes access to bi-weekly Zoom chats, the ability to PM other members, search the forum by topic, and join discussion groups based on your interests. As a trained journalist, Paula brings a level of professionalism and polish to her work that makes it easy to enjoy.
Topics: Investing, real estate investing, passive income, financial literacy, online business, finding your passion, financial independence, health and wealth, and travel
What sets them apart: Paula is a podcaster. Each episode is approximately an hour in length and features user-generated questions that she answers in detail. She also has a PSA segment that goes out on Thursdays and addresses specific topics in a condensed, fuss-free version of the podcast.
Afford Anything has a cumulative 105.5k followers on Youtube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. You can also find her podcast on Spotify and other places where podcasts are streamed.
Vee Frugal Fox – Vee Weir
@veefrugalfox *Up-and-coming Personal Finance Influencer*
Vee Weir, aka “ Vee Frugal Fox,” started her Instagram account to document her journey after hitting financial rock bottom in January 2014. At the time, she was 22 and fresh out of undergrad. Weir explains, “instead of feeling residual holiday joy, I felt panic and shame.” To conquer her financial woes, she binge-read Dave Ramsey’s book, Total Money Makeover and created a debt payoff chart. Over the next year, she worked hard, saved and shared her journey with a growing follower base on Instagram. Since those first few years, Weir has faced other challenges like divorce and job loss. None of those topics are off-limits.
Topics: Debt payoff, budgeting, divorce, job loss, side hustles
What sets them apart: Weir is a proud financial feminist and bisexual person. She sometimes accompanies her financial advice with conversations about identity, ethics and the impact politics can have on our resources and living standards.
Vee Frugal Fox has a cumulative 13.3k followers across Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.
More money tips:
How to Run a SWOT Analysis on Your Finances
11 Common Money Myths Debunked
50/30/20 Budgeting What it is and How it Works
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