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Consumer debt has become a national issue within the United States and abroad. In fact, Americans have racked up a combined $11.4 trillion in consumer debt. With marketers becoming increasingly more clever and the costs of higher education climbing at a higher rate than average salaries, it is no wonder on average each household in the United States owes $15,000 in credit card debt.
However, it does not have to continue in this direction. In fact, many emerging money saving experts are setting new trends of striving towards paying off debt and living more financially independent. A quick search of social media will show you financial gurus with a wide range of philosophies and lifestyles. We will show you the top 10 money saving experts to follow on social media, review their teachings, and discuss the pros and cons of each.
Product FAQ
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1. What Is Financial Independence?
2. What Do Money Saving Experts Do?
3. Where Can You Find Them?
How We Reviewed
We reviewed the top 10 money saving experts on social media. We discuss who they are, the philosophies behind their financial advice, and the pros and cons to each financial guru. We also show you where to find more information about each money saving expert on social media.
Potential Money You Can Save
Following the teaching of these financial experts, you can expect to:
What We Reviewed
- 1Dave Ramsey
- 2Erin Lowry
- 3Mr. Money Mustache
- 4Deacon Hayes
- 5Liz Weston
- 6Jason Zweig
- 7Jason Vitug
- 8Suze Orman
- 9Liz Frugalwood
- 10David Ning
Top 10 Money Saving Experts
Image Source: Dave Ramsey
Who Are They?
Dave Ramsey is a Tennessee native who is not afraid to admit that he himself struggled with debt early in his life. Since that time, he has not only overcome bankruptcy but also has built an empire of money saving experts (called Dave Ramsey Solutions) and personal finance resources. He has authored countless books, hosts a radio show, and has developed many personal finance programs such as Financial Peace University. He has also developed a budgeting app called EveryDollar.
Their Advice
Dave Ramsey is a proponent of what he calls the “debt snowball method.” He advises his followers to first write out all of their sources of debt (credit cards, student loans, car payments, etc.). From there, you list the debt in order from smallest to largest remaining balance and pay off your account with the smallest balance first.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Where to Follow
Image Source: Erin Lowry
Who Are They?
Erin Lowry is a money saving expert who authors a blog and a book called Broke Millennial. She tailors financial advice to young people with an emphasis on keeping yourself out of debt. Erin Lowry practices what she preaches. She made it through college debt free by consistently making financially savvy decisions.
Their Advice
Erin tackles topics like how to have conversations about finances with your significant other, simple budgeting tips, and how to pay off debt while planning for the future. She has a financial independence course that includes a 5-step plan towards gaining control of your finances.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Where to Follow
Image Source: Mr. Money Mustache
Who Are They?
Peter Adeney, also known as Mr. Money Mustache, is a former software engineer who was able to retire with his wife at the age of 30. He now operates a personal finance blog to help others do the same.
Their Advice
This money saving expert advises you simply to save at least 50% of your income. Mr. Money Mustache feels that in our culture of consumerism, people spend entirely too much money on physical items (unnecessary clothes, new cars, huge houses, etc.). He argues that by cutting out purchases that are not necessary, people can save money, retire early, live a life they love and benefit the environment, too.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Where to Follow
Image Source: Deacon Hayes
Who Are They?
Founder of the Well Kept Wallet, Deacon Hayes is a money saving expert who had to learn some hard financial lessons for himself before sharing them with others. Even though he appeared to be thriving out the outside, when he took a close look at his finances, he realized he had a huge amount of debt. After pulling himself out of debt, Deacon Hayes was inspired to share his lessons learned with others.
Their Advice
Through his website, Well Kept Wallet, Deacon Hayes offers advice on how to maximize your income, and then save a large amount of that income so that you can pay off debt and retire early.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Where to Follow
Image Source: Liz Weston
Who Are They?
If you have already looked into personal finance, chances are you have come across the advice of Liz Weston already. Liz is well known in the personal finance realm and has been featured on popular websites like NerdWallet and won several awards for her work.
Their Advice
Liz Weston believes in empowering people to make informed decisions. To do this, people need to have a sound understanding of financial concepts. This is where Liz comes in, by helping translate confusing financial jargon into more easily understandable terms.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Where to Follow
Image Source: Jason Zweig
Who Are They?
Jason Zweig has written about personal finance for many of the top financial websites and magazines, including the Wall Street Journal, Money magazine, and Forbes magazine.
Their Advice
Jason Zweig helps guide his readers towards setting realistic financial goals. He also helps them form smart investing strategies. Jason has taken a particular interest in what drives financial behaviors. He authored a book entitled Your Money and Your Brain about how brain science and psychology influence the decisions we make about money.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Where to Follow
Image Source: Jason Vitug
Who Are They?
Jason Vitug is the founder of the “Road to Financial Wellness” campaign. He has written a best-selling book and given many talks around the country about finance. He believes that the topic of money and finances should no longer be taboo.
Their Advice
Jason Vitug was able to quit his job and spend a year backpacking around the world while living off of his savings. Now he wants to share his approach towards financial freedom with others.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Where to Follow
Image Source: Suze Orman
Who Are They?
Suze Orman is a well-known finance expert who has authored many books and is the host of the Suze Orman Show.
Their Advice
Suze Orman shares the story of how a bad investor caused her to lose a large amount of money early on. The story goes that she earned $50,000 to start her own restaurant, but her financial advisor invested the money in a high risk/high reward account that wound up losing her all of her money.Now, she hopes to share her financial knowledge with the world so that people are armed with the information needed to prevent the same mishap from happening to them. Her advice ranges from how to plan for retirement to writing wills and estate planning.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Where to Follow
Image Source: Liz Frugalwood
Who Are They?
Liz “Frugalwood,” along with her husband, Nate, and two young children make up the family known as “The Frugalwoods.” The couple, both in their mid-30s, quit their jobs to live on a large homestead in Vermont.
Their Advice
Liz outlines her families story journey towards extreme frugality in her book, The Frugalwoods. Early on in their marriage, Liz and Nate realized that consumerism and unnecessary spending were not leading to happiness.
They gradually cut back on spending, eventually allowing them to both quit their jobs and purchase a large homestead in Vermont. While they realize this may not be for everyone, they encourage people to take an objective look at their spending habits and determine if it is undermining their long-term goals.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Where to Follow
Image Source: David Ning
Who Are They?
David Ning is the founder of the website MoneyNing.com
Their Advice
David Ning’s advice is simple. He helps people find ways to make more income while also saving more money at the same time.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Where to Follow
The Verdict
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Although there is much to be learned from all the money saving experts listed, our favorite financial guru is Dave Ramsey. Having overcome debt himself, he has personal experiences with the challenges his followers are facing. He offers practical advice that can be used by anyone. He also provides a vast number of resources to help people find financial freedom.
