Save More Money with These 40 Expert Tips

Save More Money with These 40 Expert Tips Save More Money With These 40 Expert Tips Save More Money With These 40 Expert TipsWhether youre using multiple savings accounts or a simple change jar, there are plenty of ways you can save more money and protect yourself from financial uncertainty.Saving money isn’t easy, especially if you don’t have a solid strategy. That’s why we reached out to a whole bunch of personal finance experts and came away with these 40 great tips with us to help you save more by saving smarter.1. Create a budget.Matt Dworetsky, President of  Dworetsky Financial in Wall Township, New Jersey:“Creating a budget is one of the first steps a person should take to save money. If you don’t know what you’re spending your money on, it’s harder to save. Creating a spending plan allows you to see how much money you have coming in and plan how and where you will spend it. Following your budget will guarantee that you are able to pay your bills each month and have enough left over to go towards savings or repaying debt.2. Track your spending.S tephanie Hammell, MBA,  an investment advisor with  LPL Financial:“Start with a money tracker like Mint: Money, Bill Pay, Credit Score Investing that will help track your historical habits with money and spending, which can help lead to better planning for the future.“The main goal will be to identify what you need to be focusing on. Then plan to deploy assets, resources,  and energy to get to where you want to be. Determine where you are willing to make sacrifices in your purchases for gains in other objectives.  â€3. Set a goal.Keina Newell, founder of  Wealth Over Now (@wealthovernow) financial coaching and education:“Define how much you want to save and what youre saving for and how soon you want to save the specific amount.  For example, I want to save $1000 in the next 12 months to start an emergency fund.“Now, do the math to see how much you would need to save monthly (1000/12=83) Now you know you need to save $83 a month or about $21 a week.  Making a goal that i s specific and time-bound provides you with increased clarity and confidence.”4. Cut out any unnecessary spending.Hanna Horvath, personal finance reporter at  Policygenius  (@policygenius):“Once you’ve outlined your spending in your budgeting sheet, you’ll be able to see where you can cut back. For example, you might see you’re paying for cable when you only use online streaming services or you keep paying for that gym membership you never really use.“Perhaps you’re still getting hit with a charge for an online magazine subscription you stopped reading months ago. Canceling these services will help you cut back on your spending and, ultimately, boosting your savings.”5. Pay yourself first.Logan Allec, CPA (@moneydoneright), owner of personal finance website  Money Done Right:“Too many people simply spend any extra money they get. When they do this, they are not paying themselves first and making themselves rich; they are paying the stores they shop at and making th ese stores rich!“So commit to depositing a certain percentage of what you earn into a savings or investment account before giving your money to anybody else.”Mercedes Forrest, personal finance coach,  and Certified Financial Education at  BottomLineFinances.com  (@bottomlinefinances):“Before you pay any bills,  pay yourself first. So, what does this mean? It means as soon as any income hits your bank account, you put some money aside for savings. Start small and build your way up, even if you start with only $50 per paycheck. Paying yourself first puts this money out of sight and out of mind. Soon enough you’ll get used to not having this money to spend.”6. Start with the change jar technique.Todd R. Christensen, author, Accredited Financial Counselor ®, and education manager at  Money Fit by DRS, Inc. (@MoneyFitbyDRS):“Get a big, clear water cooler bottle (big body, small neck) and dump all change into it as you walk in the door. As you see it growing, you will realize you can save and feel very little pain from doing so. Once you catch the savings fever, you can move to additional savings options.”7. Set up a savings account.Mercedes Forrest:“If you want to successfully save then you should separate your savings from your bills and spending money by putting it in a separate account. If you don’t separate this money, then you will be more inclined to spend it whether by accident on purpose.“There are multiple options for savings accounts, but you should consider an online savings that yields a slightly higher interest rate than a traditional savings account. Online savings accounts also provide more limitations to easily accessing your savings.  Thus, minimizing savings dipping.”Hanna Horvath:“Interest rates generally fall between 0.01 percent and two percent for a basic account, which is better than nothing. You could also consider a high-yield savings account if that feels right for your budget.”Andy Misek, digital marketing speci alist at personal finance comparison site  Finance Guru:The only downfall to having a savings account is that youre limited in how many transfers you have each month. If you use too many transfers, the account can automatically be changed to a checking account and youll no longer reap the benefits of the interest.”8. Use multiple bank accounts.Ronit Enos  (@ronitenossalonsprofits),  business strategist and ideation coach:“If you want to thrive and understand money and spending, follow this tip: Have clarity on your financial goals such as: what kind of home and vacation you want, amount you want to spend on health and wellness, the amount of saving you need to put aside (life insurance, college fund, personal development, retirement) and annual taxes.“Then, open five bank accounts named for each category and deposit money into them every month, even if it’s a small amount:“Income: for deposits only, whatever comes from your income.“Saving Allocation: 10 percent if you ar e 2 2-32, 20 percent if you are 32-55 (for IRA, college, personal development emergencies).“Household Musts: transportation, rent, utilities, mortgage.“Health and Wellness: the gym, yoga, meditation, supper food.“Travel and Leisure: need but not must, vacation entertainment fun.”“Plan a financial meeting on the 10th and the 25th of every month, for not more than one hour, and every 3months celebrate your wins!”9. Build the habit.Keina Newell:“Its important that we start saving early and often. The habit of saving, even if its only five dollars a month or $25 month is most important.  Commit to saving a set amount each paycheck.”10. Start your emergency fund.Matt Dworetsky:“We all know we should have one for life’s unexpected events, but not many people actually take the time to open an emergency account and set up automatic deposits. Creating an emergency fund will give you peace of mind and help out in the case of job loss, car troubles or medical expenses.”S tephanie Hammell:“Put aside at least three-to-six months’ worth of living expenses as a rainy day fund. There will always be something that comes up unexpectedly such as car maintenance, hospital expenses, or layoffs at work, so this will help save you the stress of having to worry about how to pay those off.“This should be a priority as a financial security measure. If your paychecks are inconsistent, then youll want to put aside even more so you can feel confident you are prepared for that rainy day (which will come at some point).”11. Take advantage of 401(k) matching.Andy Misek:There are many ways to put money aside and have it work for you. One of the most common ways people put money aside is through their companys 401(k). A 401(k) is a retirement fund that many companies offer.“Not only is it a great way to save for your retirement, but your company may also match a certain percentage contribution. For instance, if you put five percent of your pre-taxed income into your 401(k), your company will match that contribution. Thats free money put towards your retirement!12. Invest in your future goals.Stephanie Hammell:Open up an investment account, such as an IRA or 401(k) with tax advantages. Diversify your assets among various asset classes of stocks, bonds or mutual funds. The allocation apportioned to each of these will really depend on the amount of risk that the individual is willing and able to take on to sleep at night!Roth IRA’s can be a great choice because they offer post-tax investment growth, which means that your contributions are taxed upon entry, allowing your assets to grow tax-free leading to tax-free income in retirement. You can withdraw up to $10,000 without penalty from this type of account for a first-time home purchase too. You can also withdraw contributions you make to your Roth tax and penalty free anytime.13. Define  your why.  Ahna Holloran, personal finance coach with  Fika Finance  (@fikafinance):“Saving money is an important step towards financial success. Many of us know we should do, but were unclear as to why and how.“Defining the why is key. If you dont why you are saving, or what you are saving for, then it will be much harder to delay pleasure in other areas of your life in order to save.“A why could be to be able to pay for an emergency (such as a car repair or medical cost) out of pocket and not be afraid for my familys health and safety, or to save for a house and have a safe and comfortable place to live, or something similar.“Define your why, and then take actions to put it into practice. When you have defined your why and gotten a clear picture of your money, the physical act of saving becomes a lot easier and more enjoyable!”14. Minimize your utility bills.Andy Misek:You also need to be conscientious about your utility bills as well.. Turn off your lights and tv, take shorter showers, dont run your dishwasher. While all of these things seem trivial, they all make a huge difference in the cost of your energy bill. While gas, electricity, and water are all essential, youre in control over how much you pay for all of those.Doug Keller, marketing manager at Payless Power (@paylesspower):“Turn Down the Water Heater: As the second largest expense within our homes, the water heater is responsible for supplying the sinks, shower, dishwasher, and laundry machine with hot water. Frequently, the default temperature for the tanked heater is set to 140 degrees Fahrenheit but that is higher than necessary as it could enable water to reach scalding levels. By dialing things back to 120 degrees, you can still get the hot water you desire and save a lot of energy in the process, which will save you money each month.“Change your Light Bulbs: While you can wait for your light bulbs to burn out, taking an active approach and purchasing energy efficient bulbs like LEDs and CFLs to replace the use of incandescent bulbs will pay off. Incandescents only convert aroun d 10-20 percent of the energy they’re supplied with to light, meaning they waste a lot unnecessarily. In comparison, energy efficient bulbs can convert 80-90 percent of their energy into light. They also have longer lifespans than incandescents, ensuring a long-run benefit.“Unplug Electronics: Even after they have been powered off, electronic devices have the ability to consume electricity if they are left plugged in. This is known as vampire energy and it can make up roughly 20 percent of the monthly electricity costs incurred within households. As a result, once you are done using electronics be sure to unplug them. It’s simple but could save you a couple hundred dollars a year.15. Automate your savings:Keina Newell:Set up an auto draft from your checking account to a savings account that is not linked to your checking account. I always suggest that clients use a high-interest bearing account (e.g., Ally, Discover) they get the perks of earning interest on their money, and i ts not attached to their regular account.Mercedes Forrest:“Eliminate the thought process of saving by automating the process. Time the automation so that as soon as your income hits your bank account your savings is automatically transferred to a savings account.”16. Manage your debt.Stephanie Hammell:“If you feel you are living paycheck to paycheck, you may be paying high interest rates on too much debt. Before you can maximize on what assets you currently have, youll need to get your debt under control. Making it a habit to fully pay off your credit card bill in the month you get it is one factor that can help manage that.”17. Be careful with credit cards.Andy Misek:“One way many people end up not saving money is by using their credit card too frequently. Its so easy to use your credit cardâ€"you get what you want and you arent using any money in your account. However, youll have to pay that money back at the end of the month.“If you cant you start accruing interest an d this is where the problem comes in. Youre paying more money than the original purchase is worth.”18. Lower your interest rates.Matt Dworetsky:“If you have good credit, you may be able to negotiate lower interest rates on credit card debts. Before calling, evaluate the terms of your credit card and look for competing offers, this will make your case stronger while negotiating. Be polite to the representative on your phone, and if they say no, continue to pay off your debts and try again in a few months.”19. Increase your income.Marc Andre, personal finance blogger at  VitalDollar.com (@vital_dollar):“One of the most effective ways to build up savings is actually to focus on increasing your income. The more money that you make, the more money youll have to save (assuming your expenses dont increase as well).“Making more money may sound difficult, but today there are countless ways to make some extra money in your spare time. You can drive for Uber, walk dogs, clean houses, mow lawns, sell crafts on Etsy, take online surveys, rent out a room in your house, or offer any number of different services as a freelancer. Those are just a few of the ideas.“Its very realistic to make a few hundred dollars per month with a side hustle, and that can have a huge impact on your savings.”Mike Pearson, founder of personal finance website  Credit Takeoff:  â€œThe best way to boost your savings is to increase your income. The more money you have coming in, the more you can save.  Easier said than done? With todays gig economy, there are endless options for someone to make an extra $50 per week if youre creative and willing enough.“They can:“Drive for Uber or Lyft.“Deliver for PostMates.“Mow lawns or shovel snow.“Rent a spare room on Airbnb.“Walk dogs.“Do mystery shopping.”“I could go on and on. The point is that there are so many ways to make an extra buck, either on the weekends or at night. You might only have to put in 5-10 hours of work per week to get an extra $200 a month in cash. Then, with that extra cash in hand, you can start to strategize how to build your savings.”20. Buy used whenever you can.Logan Allec:“Being willing to purchase high-quality used items can save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars a year. This thinking can be applied to minor purchases such as clothing and small appliances, of course, but the larger the purchase, the bigger the savings you will enjoy.“Consider a vehicle purchase.  According to Carfax, the value of a new car can drop by up to 20 percent … just in the first year of ownership! Why not take advantage of the depreciation inherent in new car purchases by buying used?”21. Don’t forget your inner college student.Matthias  Alleckna,  energy analyst for energy rate comparison website EnergyRates.ca:“Some people tell you to never lose your inner child. When it comes to personal finances, Id suggest you not to lose your inner college student. Im not saying you should live in a dorm or eat junk food every day but think of the good old days when you didnt need a car, a three-bedroom apartment or even cable.“As adults, sometimes we caught ourselves paying for things we dont really need in the name of comfort. The truth is that you can live a comfortable life and still let go of some superficial things. Even on a budget, if you look around you will notice you pay for things you dont need or use frequently. Dont be afraid of changes and get rid of those things.”22. Do your grocery shopping  online.Jenna Coleman,  consumer behavior expert in the grocery industry at ParticularPantry.com  (@particularpantry):“While it may sound counterintuitive, ordering groceries online can really help save money. Many online stores are becoming more competitive with in-store pricing, Walmart matches everything but the coupons, and shoppers arent tempted into impulse buys that blow their budget.“Buying groceries online also allows the shopper to see the running total of their groceries so they can be more deliberate about which items they need in order to stay on budget.23. Pack your own lunch and make your own coffee.Matt Dworetsky:“We all like to indulge now and then, but getting in the habit of buying lunch and coffee every day adds up quickly. Take a few minutes in the morning to pack your own lunch and brew your own coffee. Put all the money your saving towards something that will last longer than your lunch break.”24. Take food savings one step further.Hanna Horvath:“Sure, you’ve probably heard about how you’ll save more by not going out to eat, but even if you always do meal prep, there are plenty of additional ways to save when grocery shopping. We have a list of  50 ways to save on groceries that can really help you cut back on food expenses.”25. Use cash-back apps.McKinzie Bean, blogger and  entrepreneur at  Moms Make Cents (@momsmakecents):There are a number of things that you can do to save money, but some of my fa vorites are tightening your grocery budget and using cash-back apps. When these two strategies are stacked it can make a big impact on your budget.“Before going to the grocery store look up the weekly ad for a few places in your area. Pay the most attention the items they have listed on the first page. These are called loss leaders and are generally priced extra low as an incentive to get you to come into their store. Meal plan around the items that are marked down that week. That will save you money on your groceries every week.“To stack the savings download a cash-back app like Ibotta or Drop and you can earn cash back on qualifying purchases. When you stack that with the already low prices when you are shopping the savings can add up quickly!26. Stash extra windfalls to boost your savings!Keina Newell:“I know it sounds funny but when you get unexpected income (e.g., tax refunds, pay raise, bonus, gifts) use a percentage of that to boost your savings.”Mercedes Forrest:“D on’t use a bonus or a pay raise as an opportunity to ball out of control. Yes, you can treat yourself to a little something, however, you should use a bonus or extra bit of monthly cash from a raise as an opportunity to save more.”27. Put your money where you can’t get it.Todd R. Christensen:“Trick yourself by either direct depositing or automatically transferring savings to an account at a bank or credit union that is separate from where you keep your checking account. Do NOT get an ATM card and try to find a financial institution with no evening or weekend hours and no drive through. Make it inconvenient to get your money out of your savings.”28. Lower your rent.Justin Pogue, real estate consultant, financial  advisor, and author of Rental Secrets:“Those with lower incomes are seeing rent consume an ever larger percentage of their income. Affordable housing and other assistance programs do exist. But, there are far too many people competing for far too few openings lea ving most to deal with the traditional rental market. Learning market-based strategies to slow the growth of rent cost or reducing rent can greatly enhance their ability to save.“These strategies include learning to rent when the lowest rents of the year are available, and to obtain free rent by working for landlords who own smaller properties. As my book Rental Secrets points out, landlords have problems. Landlords pay renters who solve their problems in the form of lower rent.“A great majority of people are looking to get their housing in place before school starts. This is why theres such a frenzy for housing in the late summer. However, there are still vacancies that landlords need to fill in the late fall and winter. But, the number of people looking has dropped dramatically. This puts renters in a position to obtain rent discounts approaching 6 percent just based on timing, as verified by a study performed by Renthop.com.“Another strategy from my book is to work as the l andlords on-site representative for a smaller property. Some landlords simply recognize the benefit of having such a person available, while others are legally required to do so. In exchange, these representatives receive drastically reduced rent or even free rent for their services.29. Review your credit card statements.Matt Dworetsky:“Far too many of us neglect to review our credit card statement each month, which could be a costly mistake.  It is always a good idea to double check that the charges are correct, that your payments are being made on time and that no fraudulent activity occurred. It’s also possible that you’ll catch some subscription fees you forgot you were paying.”30. Create a shopping list … and stick to it.Logan Allec:“One of the biggest budget (and time) killers is wandering aimlessly through major retailers such as Target or Walmart with the intention of only buying one or two items but walking out hours later having spent an extra $20, $50, or eve n $100 more than you thought you would.“To kick this habit, create a shopping list of exactly what you need to purchase and then stick to this list once you get into the store. Dont even go to any unnecessary aisles!  Just go straight to the items you need, purchase them, and leave the premises.”31. Meal-plan.Jenna Coleman:“Even though the average American family spends 10 percent of their budget on groceries, very few have a set grocery budget or thought out meal plans. Even fewer are educated about all of their grocery shopping choices.“As a consumer behavior expert in the grocery industry, I find that the most effective thing a family can do is spend time every week to create a meal plan and then compare the prices between a few stores to make sure they are saving the most money.”32. Blindly” contribute to your future.Stephanie Hammell:“Just like the accomplished feeling you get after a workout to improve your wellbeing, you rarely regret saving for your own future â€"you know you will need that money one day!“Once you open up your investment account, plan to set up automatic payments from your checking account to that investment account bi-weekly or monthly right when your paycheck hits your account.“This way, you will not see the money leaving your checking account and it won’t hurt as much to see it go- it will have been as if it wasn’t even there in the first place! In the process, however, you will be saving yourself a better future.“Whether its $1,000, $500, $100, $50 to $20 a month, there is always a certain amount that someone could put aside for that, even if it requires just buying one less lunch or dinner out a week.“Most importantly, the time to start is never tomorrow, it is always now. As they say, it’s not about timing the market, but time in the market, so start as early as you can and make that money work for you!”33. Make it a family matter.Keina Newell:“Teach your children the power of saving, have money co nversations.  When your child gets money for birthdays or chores or performing a job encourage them to split their funds into three buckets (giving, saving, spending).“Take it a step further and make them use the money theyve set aside for spending to fund their lifestyle while also teaching them the importance of saving.”34. Get fixed-price deals on regular expenses.Matthias Alleckna:“When youre on a budget, cost certainty is even more significant. Any small change to your budget could impact your finances significantly, so you need to make sure you avoid surprises the most you can.“One of the best ways of reaching financial predictability is getting as many fixed-price deals as you can. From the electricity bill to your phone plan, do what you can to make sure you pay predictable bills every month. Such a measure will allow increasing your financial stability and protect you from negative surprises.”35. Use the library.Doug Keller:“As a home for thousands of books and internet access, the library is a great place to go regularly to cut the energy use within your home for a time while still having access to the things you need. And with a library card, you can check out books and even DVDs possibly for free, which will reduce your entertainment expenses.”36. Stay home once in a whileAndy Misek:“One thing many younger people have a problem with is going out too often. Its easy to get a group of friends together, go out and get some food. However, that adds up VERY quickly. You need to limit how often you go out and have people over at your house. Youll end up saving a ton of money.37. Re-shop your insurance policies.Hanna Horvath:“One of the best ways to save on an expense you have to haveâ€"insuranceâ€"is to periodically re-shop existing policies. A  Policygenius survey found that one in three Americans have never re-shopped their home or auto insurance. But by not doing this, you could be leaving money on the table.”38. Freeze your credi t.Matt Dworetsky:“As of last year, everyone is able to freeze their credit with the three major credit bureaus for free. This feature is offered online and is very quick and easy. Identity theft is very prevalent, and scammers who open fraudulent cards in your name can destroy your credit score.“Freezing your credit takes ten minutes and puts you in control of your finances. If you have a child under the age of 18, you can also freeze their credit for them.”39. Dont focus on the amounts, focus on the actions.Robyn, creator of the personal finance blog  A Dime Saved, (@adimesaved) for financial newbies:“My advice would be: Dont focus on the amounts, focus on the actions. Dont worry if you cant save more than five dollars a month. The important thing is that you are saving.”“When you budget for savings (no matter how small) you are creating good financial habits that will get you in the habit of saving, especially when you do eventually have a bigger income. Also, even thi s small amount is better than nothing!”“Dont think that just because you can only save small amounts its not worthwhile to save what you can. Every dime counts!”40. Make it fun!Mercedes Forrest:“Set a savings goal, give yourself a due date and reward yourself along the way for hitting your savings target. For example, if your savings target is $500 then celebrate by giving yourself a reward when you reach $250 and then again when you reach $500.”What will you do with that money?Will you spend it? We dont really recommend you do that. In fact, one of the best things you can do with that money is simply  hanging onto it. Even if youre not investing that money and letting it grow, maintaining a well-stocked emergency fund will help keep your financial situation stable.When folks  dont  have an emergency fundâ€"or any money in savings at allâ€"an unexpected bill or emergency expense could end up knocking their wallet for a loop. This is how people end up taking out high-cost n o credit check loans like payday loans, title loans, and cash advances just to get by.Relying on the wrong bad credit loan could leave you trapped in a cycle of debt for months or even years to come! Thats why you should use the money you save to help build a brighter, more stable financial future instead. To learn more, check out these other posts and articles from OppLoans:Building Your Financial Life: Budgeting for BeginnersFrom Budget to Baller: 6 Tips to Grow Your Money8 Good Habits to Get Your Financesâ€"and Your Lifeâ€"on TrackThe Broke Person’s Guide to Credit CardsDo you have a   personal finance question youd like us to answer? Let us know! You can find us  on  Facebook  and  Twitter.  |  InstagramContributorsLogan Allec (@moneydoneright) is a CPA and owner of the personal finance website  Money Done Right.    After spending his twenties grinding it out in the corporate world and paying off over $35,000 in student loans, he dropped everything and launched  Money Done Rig ht  in 2017.    His mission is to help everybodyâ€"from college students to retireesâ€"make, save, and invest more money.    Logan resides in the Los Angeles area with his wife Caroline.Matthias  Alleckna has worked in the energy industry for a number of years. He is currently an energy analyst at  EnergyRates.ca, a leading energy rate comparison website that helps consumers find low-cost rates for electricity and gas. From personal finances to everything energy,  Matthias writes weekly content for the EnergyRates.ca blog and has contributed to many media outlets such as HuffPost, Yahoo! and Forbes.Marc Andre is a personal finance blogger at  VitalDollar.com (@vital_dollar), where he writes about saving money, managing money, and ways to make more money. His goal with Vital Dollar is to help individuals and families get the most out of the money they have and to reach their full financial potential. He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and their two kids(a son and a daughter).McKi nzie Bean (@momsmakecents)  is a mother of two and personal finance junkie. She loves teaching other moms how to save money, make money and take control of their financial situation. She has degrees in behavioral science and financial planning and has been featured in major publications like Forbes, The Penny Hoarder, Tailwind and more.Author and Accredited Financial Counselor ®, Todd R. Christensen, MIM, MA, is Education Manager at  Money Fit by DRS, Inc. (@MoneyFitbyDRS), a nationwide nonprofit financial wellness and credit counseling agency. Todd develops educational programs and produces materials that teach personal financial skills and responsibilities to all ages. Having facilitated nearly two thousand workshops since 2004 on the fundamentals of effective money management, he based his first book, Everyday Money for Everyday People (2014), on the discussions, tips, stories and ideas shared by the tens of thousands of individuals and couples in attendance.Jenna Coleman  (@part icularpantry) is a consumer behavior expert in the grocery industry who believes that finding the right food for your family should be easier. She  is a firm believer that everyone can be an educated consumer and she’s on a mission to bring unbiased transparency to your choices of food and modes of shopping so that you can make deliberate choices for your particular life.Matt Dworetsky, president of Dworetsky Financial, helps clients maximize their retirement by creating personalized plans for their goals. Whether you are a federal employee, small business owner or any person looking to set up your retirement the right way, Matt will help create a legacy and plan for retirement pitfalls.Ronit Enos  (@ronitenossalonsprofits) is an award-winning business strategist and ideation coach practicing innovative approaches that allow entrepreneurs to achieve optimal freedom and success. Salon  Cadence  is her unique program that teaches business owners how to manage cash flow, and gain cla rity and confidence on how to run their businesses.    Her philosophy allows owners to reduce time spent on minutia and focus approximately 85 percent of their efforts on business development to achieve financial freedom and success.Mercedes Forrest  (@bottomlinefinances) is a Personal Finance Educator who navigates professional women in the spirited pursuit of using their finances to create financial freedom and a fuller life. In the spirited pursuit of creating her own financial freedom, she paid off $100K in student loan debt, built a five-figure emergency savings account in addition to creating a fund which allowed her to take a four-month unpaid sabbatical to travel.Stephanie Hammell is an Investment Advisor through LPL Financial, the largest independent broker-dealer in the nation. She is also the founder of the Health and Wealth Society, a 5-star rated organization dedicated to help improve the physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing of the community through fulfilling exper iences. According to a LinkedIn study done by J.P. Morgan Asset Management, Stephanie was ranked #1 as the most endorsed person at LPL Financial for Financial Planning (data provided by #instats).Creator and financial coach at Fika Finance  (@fikafinance), Ahna Holloran is devoted to empowering you in your financial journey. She’ll guide you away from stress and anxiety, giving you tools to take control of your finances and forge a healthy relationship with money.Hanna Horvath  (@Hanna__Horvath) is a personal finance reporter at  Policygenius  Magazine (@policygenius) in New York City. She previously wrote for KNBC in Los Angeles and has a journalism degree, with an emphasis on public health, from Syracuse University.Douglas Keller has been a financial expert for 20 years, helping people reach financial stability. He works for  Payless Power (@paylesspower) where he continues to help people save money on their bills every month.Andy  Misek  is the Digital Marketing Specialist at F inance Guru, a comparison website for loans, credit cards, insurance, banks,  and home utilities.Keina Newell (@wealthovernow) is the founder and financial coach at  Wealth Over Now. She was her  first client. She came out of school with $75,000 in debt, making $33,000 so she started having money dates with herself  to align her income with her goals. By the age of 28, she bought her first home and paid off her student loans a few years later.  She now empowers single young professional women to gain clarity and confidence with their money.Mike  Pearson  is the founder of  Credit Takeoff, a research-driven personal finance site for people looking to improve their credit. A proud member of the 800 Credit Club,  Mike  writes about practical steps that everyday consumers can take to increase their credit scores. His advice on credit repair and credit scores has appeared in QuickBooks, Go Banking Rates, and MortgageLoan.com.Justin Pogue currently works as a real estate consultant based in San Jose, CA.    His services are sought after by property management companies, investors, and real estate consulting companies alike.    Since 2003, he has developed and managed apartments, rental homes and student housing across the United States.    Justin holds a degree in Economics from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA from The Darden School at the University of Virginia.Robyn is a mother and someone who feels passionately about helping people with their finances. She has taken her personal experience, advice she was given, things she has learned on her own and in her MBA studies and tries to share what she feels is important financially on her blog,  A Dime Saved  (@adimesaved).