Save more, spend smarter, and make your money go further
Finances are often talked about like some enigma that can’t be cracked unless you’re an accountant, investor, or a CFO. In fact, according to a study from Statista, only 25% of respondents said they considered themselves to be very financially literate, while 4% said they were not financially literate at all.
But the stigma around financial expertise has got to go! By using your resources and taking charge of your own financial standing, you can make a difference in your own life and even inform friends and family who are struggling to manage their own finances.
One of the best ways to glean financial knowledge is to read about it. From financial news and our #RealMoneyTalk series, to the best finance books of all time, there are plenty of opportunities to learn more about your money. Whether you’re looking to boost your budgeting skills, try your hand at investing, or want to learn how to save for retirement, you’re in the right place.
In this post, we’re discussing the 16 best financial books of all time. From books by spunky financial advisor Suze Orman to finance books specifically for millennials, there’s something in here for anyone who wants to strengthen their financial prowess.
Looking for a quick book recommendation? Use the links below to skip ahead, or read end to end to get the most out of our comprehensive list of the best finance books of all time.
Best financial books by category
To help you find the right book for your financial needs, we’ve broken this list down into 7 categories, with some of the best book selections in each.
Best financial books for all readers
Whether you’re just opening your first credit card or you’re trying to figure out how to start a budget, there’s a lot to learn in the finance world. But pick up the most recent issue of the Wall Street Journal as a finance novice, and you might feel a little lost, to say the least.
Before you dive into market trends and economic policy, it’s a good idea to establish some foundational knowledge first. Our list of the best financial books of all time in the general category include titles that encourage changing your perspective on money, to a book that gives a cynical yet informative run-down of the top financial terms consumers need to know.
Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness
In addition to providing advice on finances and wealth, Nobel Prize winning author, Richard H. Thaler tells readers how they can shift their decision-making skills in all facets of life including health and happiness.
Thaler and co-author Cass R. Sunstein include rich behavioral data to look at how humans make decisions and how they can improve their “choice architecture” to avoid investment mistakes, unhealthy habits, and even relationship faux pas. If you’re in search of a new perspective to help you better manage your finances and related decisions, Nudge could be just the push you need to take hold of your personal finances and start meeting your financial goals.
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
If you’ve tried budgeting before and you just can’t get it to stick, it could be time to take a closer look at your habits. In his New York Times bestselling book, author Charles Duhigg examines how people create habits and how we can change them.
Duhigg backs his methodology in The Power of Habit with scientific research and anecdotes that readers can apply to their own lives, whether it’s changing financial habits or learning how to be more productive in work and in life.
The Devil’s Financial Dictionary
One of the biggest roadblocks in financial literacy can be connected to the complexity of the financial jargon and processes we see on the news and in blogs. But in the name of readability, author Jason Zweig brings these convoluted terms back to earth with witty definitions that Wall Street executives and financial amateurs alike can appreciate.
If you’ve ever felt like the finance world is too pompous or complex for your liking, you’re certainly not alone. The Devil’s Financial Dictionary demystifies everything from Wall Street lingo to general terms you can apply to your everyday life.
Best financial books for retirement
Preparing for retirement is an exciting time. You’ve worked much of your life building your career and saving up money, and now it’s time to start catching sunsets instead of chasing deadlines. But as you’re preparing for your sunset years, a lot of questions tend to arise.
How much money should I have in my 401k? Can I really afford to retire? When can I access the money in my retirement fund?
Sound familiar? You’re not alone—a lot of new and upcoming retirees have experienced the same woes as they plan for life after work. But the good news is, some of the most successful finance experts and authors in the world have taken to this topic to provide consumers with the answers they need as they approach retirement.
With that said, here are some of the top finance books for retirement planning:
You’ve Earned It, Don’t Lose It
You probably recognize her spunky personality and hard-hitting financial advice from the Oprah Show and Dr. Oz, but applying her advice directly to your personal finances is a revelation all on its own. In her book You’ve Earned It, Don’t Lose It, author and financial advisor Suze Orman discusses exactly what consumers need to know as they’re prepping their finances for their upcoming retirement.
From choosing trusts vs. wills to maximizing retirement income, Orman’s national bestseller is nothing short of a complete guide to retirement planning.
How to Retire with Enough Money: And How to Know What Enough Is
Ever wondered how much money you need to retire or how much longer you’ll have to work to get there? In her book, How to Retire with Enough Money: And How to Know What Enough Is, retirement planning specialist Teresa Ghilarducci levels with upcoming retirees to tell them how much is enough and how to make your retirement savings grow all in a quick 144-page read.
Ghilarducci also discusses the external factors that might impact your retirement, including politics and the healthcare systems we currently have in place. If you’re looking for a way to ramp up your retirement savings, even if you’re still in college, this book is among the best financial books of all time…at least in our book.
Best financial books for millennials
If you’re a millennial in 2019, you’re likely in a more complicated financial position than people your age in past generations. Perhaps you’re a recent college grad trying to navigate the workforce on your own and you haven’t quite found a balance between entry level experience and a livable wage. Or, maybe you’ve reached the most exciting moment of your financial history thus far and you’re ready to meet another financial milestone such as buying a house or starting to invest in the stock market.
No matter where you’re at with your finances at the moment, it’s an exciting time to learn more about your money. If you’re looking for knowledge and advice specifically designed for millennials, check out these finance books.
Broke Millennial
Ever heard of #GYFLT? Author and personal finance expert Erin Lowry developed the hashtag to send millennials an important message: “get your financial life together!”. Whether you’ve started saving money or you’re living paycheck-to-paycheck , Lowry’s Broke Millennial book series acts as a guide as you prepare to tackle financial milestones such as getting married, buying a house, having kids, or trying your hand at investing.
So far, Lowry has two books in the Broke Millennial lineup: Broke Millennial: Strop Scraping By and Get Your Financial Life Together and Broke Millennial: A Beginner’s Guide to Leveling Up Your Money. Did we mention she’s also a contributor to our blog? Click here to read more from Erin Lowry.
Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence
Many of us need a step-by-step guide to help us get our habits in order—whether it’s revamping your personal finances or getting back on your fitness game. With their book Your Money or Your Life, authors Vicki Robin, Joe Dominguez, and Mr. Money Mustache team up to give readers 9 simple steps to help them shift how they deal with money to make progress toward financial independence.
If you want to learn the basics of managing money, figure out how to fund your dreams, and start taking control of your financial future, this book comes highly recommended as one of our favorite personal finance books for millennials.
Millennial Money: How Young Investors Can Build a Fortune
If you’ve been considering investing your money, congratulations! That’s a huge step to take in your financial future, and it’s an exciting time to learn about how the finance world really works, first-hand. In his guide, Millennial Money, author Patrick O’Shaughnessy discusses how young people can cash-in on the global stock market to make up for potentially limited access to pension plans and Social Security.
O’Shaughnessy recommends investing early to reap the most reward and provides a basic strategy to help you develop your stock portfolio.
Best financial books for women
From career paths and finances to family structures, women in the 21st century lead very different lifestyles now than they ever have in the past. But along with their triumphs and new opportunities, women today may find themselves facing unique challenges when it comes to managing their own money.
Whether you’re looking for help learning how to balance your family life or financial life, or you’re looking to take over the investment world, there are plenty of empowering finance books for women to boost their financial knowledge.
Here are some of the best finance books for women:
You Are a Badass® at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth
You may have heard some buzz about author Jen Sincero’s premiere novel, You Are a Badass® , also informally known as the young person’s guide to self-worth and stability. Well, the first edition was so successful that Sincero has since released two other books in the series: You Are a Badass® Every Day and You Are a Badass® at Making Money.
In each of her books, Jen Sincero offers empowering advice to readers, along with real strategies to make your personal goals actually happen. In You Are a Badass® at Making Money, Sincero uses humorous personal experiences as the backbone of her monetary manifesto, while teaching readers to:
Find out what’s holding them back from making money
Generate wealth according to their own standards, rather than societal norms
Curate their own financial future instead of waiting for things to happen
If you’re in search of a modern take on money that’s relatable instead of intimidating, look no further than this one.
Smart Mom, Rich Mom
Finding a healthy financial balance can be tough when you’re raising a family…or getting ready to start one. From diapers to diplomas, having kids can end up taking a toll on your finances if you’re not armed with the right resources to keep things in check.
In her book, Smart Mom, Rich Mom, Kimberly Palmer explores different ways women can shape their financial future while raising a family. Palmer covers everything from career growth to creating budgets to help ease the stress on moms juggling household and financial responsibilities. If you’re curious about how you can prepare your budget for kids, or want to know how to repair your current financial situation, this book could be just the financial read you need.
Best financial books for budgeting
Budgeting can be one of the trickiest things to master when it comes to achieving financial wellness, but as you probably know, budgeting is an important skill to learn. Whether you’re wondering why you need a budget in the first place or where to begin, these budget-specific books are here to help.
How to Manage Your Money When You Don’t Have Any
One of the most frustrating roadblocks to saving money is feeling like you don’t even have enough money to cover your bills, let alone save. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 12.3% of Americans were living in poverty in 2017. With that statistic in mind, it’s easy to see that financial challenges are widespread across the country.
If you’ve ever been in a scenario where you’re scraping by to pay your bills but you want to save money, Erik Wecks’ How to Manage Your Money When You Don’t Have Any could give you the insight and inspiration you need to optimize your financial situation. Wecks speaks from his personal experience struggling to make ends meet in order to give context and provide readers with suggestions that might work for them, too.
The Financial Diet
Feeling lost at the thought of crunching numbers or developing a budget? Author Chelsea Fagan’s been there. In her book/life guide, The Financial Diet, Fagan gives millennials and Gen Zers the tools to take over their finances and build a better future. From budgeting to investing and slimming down spending, Fagan’s got your finance questions answered.
Best financial books for entrepreneurs
Are you planning your next business venture or world takeover as you’re reading this? You might want to take a moment to learn from the experts first. In these finance books for entrepreneurs, you can learn from their mistakes, find out how to optimize your business plan, and discover new strategies to boost your business.
You Are a Mogul
Entrepreneur Tiffany Pham has had to adapt to life fast—and she’s done more than just adapt. From attending business school at Harvard to founding her own company, Pham’s had a lot of experience building her empire from the ground up. In her book You Are a Mogul, Pham tells readers all about how she got to where she is and how they too can make their own entrepreneurial dreams come to fruition.
Whether you’re looking for guidance in identifying your passions or want to know how to “Crush it in Corporate Life,” You Are a Mogul includes the resources and real-life advice you need to jumpstart your career.
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t
Have you ever wondered what really differentiates two competing companies when it comes to success? They entered the market at the same time and both have strong branding, but why is one so much more successful than the other?
In his book Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t, author Jim Collins analyzes what makes a company go from good to great, and why some companies are able to achieve success despite their mediocre reputation. Collins focuses on 4 key findings to support his theory:
Leadership structure
The Hedgehog Concept
Discipline
The Flywheel and the Doom Loop
If you’re thinking about starting your own business or what to optimize your current structure, consider using Collins’ book as your guide toward entrepreneurial success.
Best financial books for investors
Navigating the stock market as a beginner is no simple task. To help you learn the ropes, investment experts such as Warren Buffet and Burton G. Malkiel are spilling their secrets in these financial books for new and seasoned investors.
The Essays of Warren Buffet
As one of the most successful businessmen of all time, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffet, is one of the most influential figures in the investment world. Lawrence A. Cunningham’s curation of Warren Buffet’s essays include topics from wealth management to investment strategy.
If you’ve considered investing in the stock market but you’re not sure where to start, The Essays of Warren Buffet could be the introductory guide you need to take the leap.
A Random Walk Down Wall Street
Jumping into the investment world can be intimidating, to say the least. But having a lay of the land, working knowledge of the terminology, and some insight on investment strategy, you could be cashing-in on Wall Street in no time.
In his investment guide, A Random Walk Down Wall Street, Burton G. Malkiel educates readers on a variety of investment topics that can easily be applied to the modern marketplace, thanks to updated editions. Malkiel covers just about everything consumers need to know about successful investing—from 401ks to digital currency trends.
More ways to learn about finance
In addition to reading some of the best financial books of all time, there are plenty of other resources out there to help you diversify and expand upon your financial knowledge. Try incorporating some of these strategies to become a self-taught financial expert:
Speak to a financial advisor
Learn more about your credit score by getting a free credit report
Listen to finance-related podcasts
Read financial news and blogs
Participate in conversations about finances with family and friends
Practice managing your personal finances by using a budgeting app
Take a class online or at a local college
Watch our #RealMoneyTalk series
Key takeaways: Best Finance Books of All Time
The financial world can often seem intimidating, but if you just take a little time to learn about it, you may find that you’ll have a better hold on your own financial standing. Use this list as a guide to help you learn more about how money works in general and as it applies to your personal finances.
Have any financial book recommendations of your own? Let us know in the comment section below!
Save more, spend smarter, and make your money go further
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My father was an entrepreneur. He was always starting businesses. Most failed. Some succeeded in a wild fashion. (The inheritance he left the family is in the form of his most successful business, the source of my day job.)
It’s no surprise that as a child, I wanted to make money too.
I made my first business venture when I was in the second grade. I sold lemonade by the side of the road. It was miserable failure. I was trying to sell lemonade in March, on an infrequently-traveled stretch of country road, in rural Oregon. I didn’t sell any lemonade.
But in fourth grade, I started a little business that actually made money. Star Wars was huge in 1978, and like all the other boys, I collected Star Wars cards. Whatever change I could scrounge went to these cards. (We used to walk the sides of the roads collecting pop bottles. We’d cash in the deposits and immediately buy more Star Wars cards.) Collecting was frustrating. Sometimes I would have six of one card, and none of another. This bugged me until I realized that I could turn the surplus to my advantage.
I took all of my doubles (and triples and quadruples, etc.) and sorted them into random piles of about twenty card each. I wrapped each stack in a piece of typing paper and wrote 10¢ on the package in black felt pen. I made as many packages as I could, took them to school, and sold them to the other boys. I took that money to the local variety store and converted it into new cards. It was brilliant!
I did the same thing with Hardy Boys books. I loved the Hardy Boys — my aunts and uncles knew this, so I often got books as gifts. After I finished them, I’d take them to school and sell them for fifty cents. (They cost two dollars new.)
I was learning practical business lessons, and I was only ten years old.
In one week, my sister will be moving back in with us.
She’s joining us in Colorado so that she can do a little more traveling while having a safe place to store her stuff. She won’t be with us full-time, as she mainly plans on using our home as a home base so that she can travel more. However, she will be with us some of the time and she will be paying rent for when she is actually with us.
Related article: We’re Moving To Fruita, Colorado! And My Moving Bucket List.
I’m excited to have her move back in. We’ve missed her, it will be nice to have our dog sitter back (I’m not going to lie, this will be amazing), and the little extra money will be nice.
While renting a room in your house most likely will not make you rich, it may earn you a good amount of side income. I know of a few people who rent out many rooms in their home and have been able to pay off their home completely due to this.
There are many things to think about if you are interested in renting out a room in your house. It’s not an easy decision and will require some thought. Some people love the extra cash that renting a room in your house brings, while others just aren’t meant to live with others.
Side note: This post is about renting a room in your house on a long-term basis. If you are interested in renting out a spare room on a short-term basis (such as for vacations), I highly recommend you check out Airbnb. I know people who are making thousands of dollars a month by renting out rooms on this site!
Related: 12 Passive Income Ideas That Will Let You Enjoy Life More
Below is what you need to know when renting out a room in your house for extra money.
Check to make sure you can start renting out a room in your house.
Before you spend any more time, you should always make sure that you can actually rent out a spare room in your home. If you are unsure, it might be a good idea to check with laws in your town as some towns are a little picky when it comes to rentals.
If you are renting your home from someone else, then it’s always wise to ask for your landlord’s permission. They might want a new contract written up or they might even say no.
If you live in a neighborhood that’s in a homeowners association, sometimes they don’t allow renters either. It’s very wise to check with your HOA as well so that you don’t get fined.
Research before you set a monthly rent.
Setting a price for your rental can be a hard part of this process. I highly suggest that you do your research before you assign a random number on your spare room. I say this because if you price it too low, then you may actually end up costing yourself money in the end (due to wear and tear, utility bills, etc.).
Also, if you price it too high then no one may be interested.
You can determine the price of your room rental mainly by checking comparables. You can check what other spare rooms are going for in your area, what extras they may be offering, whether there is a private bathroom included or not, and more.
One thing you will have to determine is whether you will include utilities in your rental rate, or if you will split all bills with your new roommate.
For me, I like to just make it easy and include it. However, you may lose money if your new roommate is wasteful when it comes to electricity, water, etc. By splitting utilities, your roommate will most likely be more mindful of what they are using.
Advertise that you are renting out a room in your house.
There are many places where you can advertise your rental. You can put a sign on your front lawn, advertise in a newspaper, or place an ad online on a website such as Craigslist.
Everyone and everything is online now, so posting your ad online will most likely be your best choice.
Always be honest with what you list in your advertisement. You should be honest about how big the room is, what rooms come with the agreement, if there is a separate entrance, and more. Also, be sure to include pictures of what is included.
Interview possible roommates.
You should never just take any random person when renting out a room in your house. Always conduct interviews just like you would if you were renting out your whole home.
Conducting interviews is important because you can learn more about the possible roommate, weed out any crazy people, and determine if the two of you will get along. You will be living within feet of them, so this is a very wise step to take.
You can also do a background check if you would like as well. After all, you will be living with them!
Always set rules when renting a room in your house.
Before your new roommate moves in, it is always a great idea to talk about (you may even want to create a contract) the many things that people fight about once they move in together. This can help prevent arguments.
Some of the things you may want to talk about include:
Can they have friends over? What about a party or a BBQ? What about sleepovers?
What noise level is allowed?
Who cleans the home?
What area or areas are off limits?
When is rent due?
Who buys things like toilet paper and trash bags?
Will food be shared? Sometimes when renting a room in your house, food is shared. I don’t think this is common though.
Would you ever think about renting out a room in your house for extra money? Why or why not?
Hello! Today, I have a debt payoff story from Alyssa Hunt. Alyssa is the creator of TheLifeHunt.com a blog that helps busy hustlers work towards business success and financial freedom all while managing full-time jobs. She is currently working towards a Master’s degree in English Literature and she teaches writing composition to university freshmen.
When I graduated college in 2014 with my undergraduate degree, I had racked up $30,000 in student loan debt. During my four years of college, I didn’t think much of taking out a loan here and there.
After all, I needed a way to pay for tuition.
Once the excitement and celebrations of graduation ended, I felt a mound of debt on my shoulders.
It was then that I decided to focus all my attention on paying off my debt as fast as I could. And by fast, I meant that I wanted to have all $30,000 paid off in exactly 2 years after receiving my first bill.
Setting my goal of 2 years felt entirely achievable to me, but to everyone else, it was crazy and impossible. I don’t believe a single person thought it could be done. So many people tried to convince me that student loan debt is “good debt” and that it’s “normal” to have debt.
While this might be true, I hated the thought of owing that much money to anyone and I wanted to get rid of that burden immediately. So, I developed “Operation Debt Payoff” and gave myself a 2-year time frame.
Many people questioned me as to why I decided on only 2 years. The truth is, I wanted the financial freedom to travel, plan my dream wedding, get a master’s degree, start a business, and live comfortably without the burden of debt. Since I was able to pay my debt off at such a young age, I’ve been able to succeed at all the things on my list.
Within 2 years after receiving my student loan bill, I made my final payment and became debt free by the age of 23.
Related content on paying off your debt:
Here are the exact steps I took to achieve my goals!
Loan Audit and Professional Help
The truth is I set my goal of 2 years before I even knew much about my loans. All I knew was that they totaled $30,000. That meant the first thing I needed to do was conduct a loan audit to figure out all the nitty, gritty, logistics.
I learned that there are two types of student loans: federal and private. During my four years, I took out 8 federal loans. That meant that my monthly payment was over $500 and my interest rates varied from 3.4% to over 6% per loan.
This is from my FedLoan Servicing account, which shows the date that I took out the loan, the type of loan, and the status (which they are all paid in full by now).
This was extremely overwhelming.
To help me out, my parents took me to our families’ financial advisor. I came prepared with a print out of each loan so that I could be transparent with the advisor. After I told him that I would have all my debt paid off in only 2 years, he chuckled and told me that it was impossible and unrealistic.
He then told me that everyone needs a little debt in their lives because the payments help with your credit score. Maybe this is true, but I still had no interest in paying $500 a month for the next 10 years, even if that meant a tiny bump on my credit score. And besides, debt is debt and I hate owing anyone anything.
Once he saw that I was determined to stick to my plan, he told me to come back in 2 years if I succeeded. And, guess what? In 2 years, I popped into his office and announced that I was debt free.
The look on his face: Priceless!
The Method Behind my Success
This method specifically works for federal loans that are unconsolidated.
I owe my success to two major decisions:
The decision not to consolidate my loans.
The decision to pay only the monthly minimum.
The reason I chose not to consolidate my loans into 1 giant loan was because I chose to focus on paying off one loan at a time.
My entire game plan was to pay off one individual loan in full at a time, starting at the loan with the highest interest rate, while still making my monthly minimum payments.
These are some screenshots of the payments I made on three of my loans with the starting principal and the interest the loan accrued.
Let me break this down for you.
I put my loans in order from the loan with the highest interest rate, which was over 6% all the way down to the lowest, which was 3.4%. Then, I focused on saving enough money to pay off an entire loan in the order of highest to the lowest interest rate.
While it was a simple and straightforward plan, it took some willpower to not jump ahead. What I mean by this is that it was tempting to pay off the loans out of order.
For example, one loan was only $2,000 at a 3.61% interest rate while another loan was $4,500 at 4.5%. Since the $4,500 loan had a higher interest rate, I needed to pay that one off first to save me money in the long run.
The temptation came once I had $2,000 saved and sitting in the bank because I wanted to just pay off that loan. However, I stuck to paying off the loans in the order of interest rate and it absolutely worked.I can’t stress enough how wildly successful this plan was.
Why Paying the Minimum Balance Worked So Well
While paying more than the minimum monthly balance might seem like a faster way to pay down debt, it’s important to know that your money doesn’t always go to your overall principal balance.
Part of your monthly payments goes straight toward your accumulated interest and then the money that is left over goes to the principal balance. That is why it takes approximately 10 years to pay off student loans because they are calculating in all the interest you will accumulate over the years.
By using the method of focusing on saving for one loan at a time while paying the minimum balance, you ultimately cut down on thousands of dollars of interest. Also, when you pay in full for an individual loan, you don’t have to worry about whether or not that money goes to the principal or your interest because you are completely wiping out a loan from your bill.
Additionally, by focusing on one individual loan, it helps to break down the overwhelming idea of paying $30,000. For me, I was able to focus on a $5,500 loan, or a $3,500 loan, which felt way more doable than trying to pay off $30,000. It’s easier to see progress when money is going towards individual loans rather than putting money towards a giant principal balance and feeling like nothing is happening.
This method also allowed me to set tangible short-term savings goals. Based on the money I was making with my full-time job, I knew exactly when I would have enough to pay off an entire loan so I was able to plan accordingly.
My ultimate suggestion is to stick to the monthly minimum and save up to pay off an entire loan. Doing that is the only reason I was able to pay off my bill in 2 years.
Other debt payoff stories:
Saving Aggressively
Believe it or not, I came up with “Operation Debt Payoff” within one week of graduating college. I knew that if I was going to be successful, I only needed to do one thing: save money.
That’s exactly what I did. I started to save, and I mean aggressively.
In fact, by the time my first bill came in the mail, I had enough money set aside to pay off my 3 highest loans immediately. That meant that my $500 monthly payment dropped to $300 within the first month.
By the time I had only one loan left to pay, my minimum payment was around $30 a month. That’s a huge drop from the $500 I started out paying. Talk about success!
However, to save that much money came with a list of sacrifices.
After doing some calculations, I learned that I needed to save approximately 70% – 80% of each paycheck to meet my goal of 2 years. To save that much, it meant that I had to make some serious cuts and adjustments to how I lived.
The first big adjustment was that I moved back home after college so I could save on rent. This was such a great decision (and I loved living with my parents!). Next came all the things I needed to cut: Starbucks, eating out, manicures, getting my hair done, shopping, trips, etc. Basically, I became the most frugal 21-year-old ever.
And let me tell you, people were quick to call me prude, stingy, uptight, no-fun, and so much more. Did I care? Well, honestly, a little bit. But, did I see the bigger picture? Absolutely. And by the way, those same people who called me prude back then are now asking me how to save money so they can be debt free.
Making such a huge adjustment to how I saved money, and ultimately becoming a frugal person, ended up being something that stuck with me. While I do take trips now and spend money on the occasional luxury, I learned that giving up Starbucks and manicures for 2 years didn’t harm me at all. Those two years of aggressive saving taught me discipline, focus, and the difference between the things I wanted and the things I needed.
If you think aggressive saving sounds difficult, I assure you that it’s not. After you make the necessary adjustments, it becomes second nature. For me, once I saved up enough money to pay off a loan, I was so excited to start my saving process all over again.
By the time I paid off all $30,000, I decided to continue with my aggressive saving methods (with a little more flexibility), in order to build up a solid savings account.
The Reality of it All
This method of paying off student loan debt takes a lot of discipline. Just because I was paying off a large amount of debt didn’t mean that the world around me stopped.
I still had bills such as car insurance, phone bill, health insurance, gas, groceries, retirement, tithing, etc. I also had emergencies come up that required me to spend money I was planning on saving. On top of all of that, I had to travel across the country to a family reunion for a week that resulted in me spending even more money.
Despite all of this, I still found as many ways possible to make my plan work given my circumstances. Here are some things I did:
Started saving before my bill came. This helped make a huge dent right away.
Set a budget. I listed all my bills and then worked in my 70% – 80% savings from my paycheck.
I found ways to make extra money through freelance writing gigs.
I didn’t upgrade any technology, like my phone, in those two years.
I got hand me down clothes from friends instead of shopping.
I learned how to meal prep.
I worked extra hours at my job when I could.
Reactions Then vs. Now
When I first announced my goal to everyone, many people didn’t take me seriously. I was told that it couldn’t be done, that I was being foolish, that I didn’t understand how debt worked, and that I would lose my friends. But, I stuck to my plan. And guess what happened?
Everyone quickly learned that I was very determined and they eventually adapted to my new lifestyle.
Since I knew I couldn’t spend much money on socializing, I learned how to enjoy hanging out with friends without spending. I took advantage of window-shopping, I didn’t order food at restaurants, I made DIY gifts for birthdays, my friends and I had many fun nights in, and we did plenty of free outings such as the beach, farmer’s markets, and museums.
During this time I didn’t lose a single friend.
Yes, they joked and called me stingy, but the truth is, I was being stingy, and it was completely worth it.
Nowadays, the same people who told me I couldn’t do it ask me how I managed to pay off that much debt in such a short amount of time. I have even received random emails from a friend of a friend because they need help crafting their repayment plan.
Most of the time when I tell people how I succeeded, they think it’s some miracle that only I could have pulled off. That’s not true at all!
Everyone’s debt situation is unique, which means everyone needs to craft their own “Operation Debt Payoff” plan. Maybe you want to pay your debt off faster than I did, or maybe you need to take a little more time.
Whatever you decide to do, just know that regardless of what everyone says, you can absolutely do it. I believe in you! You totally got this!
What are your tips about paying off student loan debt?
This post may contain affiliate links, which helps us to continue providing relevant content and we receive a small commission at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read the full disclosure here.
Empower Personal Wealth, LLC (“EPW”) compensates Money Bliss for new leads. Money Bliss is not an investment client of Personal Capital Advisors Corporation or Empower Advisory Group, LLC.
You are looking for the best investment app to help you save money, but all of them seem too complicated. You want something that is simple, easy to use, helpful, and even better if the app is free.
Empower is an online service for tracking your finances. Before a merger, the company began in 2009, and to this day it has been growing exponentially with a user base of over two million people.
Personal Capital is now Empower.
The app works on desktop as well as mobile devices, giving users the ability to track their spending easily wherever they go.
Empower also offers a suite of tools that help you get out more information about how you are using your money so that you can make better financial decisions.
On this Empower review, we will focus on what they do well, how it works for those who use it, and where Empower could improve.
Don’t forget… here is a list of all of the budgeting apps on the market.
If you are looking for an easier way to monitor your financials and see how healthy your finances really are, then you may want to check out what Empower has to offer.
What is Empower?
Empower is an online tool for tracking your finances.
It has been called the best financial app out there, and I agree with that statement. But, I personally use it as one of the money management tools to help guide our financial decisions.
I have used Empower to track my investments for over six years now, which probably makes me a bit of an expert on this topic because I use it on a regular basis.
Overall, Empower is a financial planning and wealth management tool that users can use to manage their net worth. The product offers tools for managing investments, retirement, debt payoff, and other personal finance goals.
How does it work?
First of all, Empower is a FREE app that helps you keep track of all your accounts. It can help you to invest better and did we mention… it is free to use!
To get the most out of this app, you’ll have to link each of your financial accounts one by one so that Empower can learn how you spend money.
It takes a couple of minutes to create an account and verify your identity.
The longest step is linking accounts to the Empower app. Just make sure you do this step within 7 days to get the most out of the app.
Features of Empower
The features of Empower include the ability to visualize your overall financial picture, keep track of your investments in a dashboard, and see which companies you are invested in.
Most people associate Empower as one of the best tools to help with investing, like a stock screener and an investment calculator.
But, there are many great features available for free including:
Net Worth Planner
Retirement Planner
Fee Analyzer
Cash Flow Management
Savings Planner
Budgeting
College Savings Planner
Investment Checkup
Pros and Cons of Empower
First of all, Empower is free to use. So, you might as well test drive the system and check out if the Empower app fits what you are looking for.
Just like any of the Empower reviews will tell you, there are positives and negatives with every type of money management app available.
You just have to decide the most important features for you. As well as what you are willing to pay.
Pros of Empower:
Free portfolio management tool.
Good for new investors who want a free-to-use tool with minimal features.
Easy to use and can be accessed on multiple platforms.
Can track investments across multiple accounts.
Tracks over 23,000 securities and over 1,000 mutual funds. – check
Offers a free app for on-the-go access.
Offers in-depth analysis and investment research on stocks, bonds, and ETFs.
Cloud-based platform
Free to use!
Cons of Empower:
Sales call from staff
Wealth management service is more expensive than a traditional advisor or simply investing in index funds.
High wealth management fee
Unable to reconcile your bank statements with Empower, but since they are coming from your bank directly, they should already be in sync.
No credit health information
Budgeting Tool needs improvement
Limited transaction management and budgeting
No import option for transactions from any platform including YNAB, Quicken or Mint
Cloud-based platform
Many people report that the Empower app requires $100,000 in investment assets to be eligible. That is untrue. In fact, it works best for those who have at least $100k in some form of investments – 401k, IRA, brokerage accounts, or even cash!
Empoweris incredibly easy to use and has helpful financial planning tools.
Overall, it is one of the many great tools to help further push you to financial freedom.
Empower Pricing
While Empower is free to access personal finance tools, it does come at a small price of annoyance.
Empower is free
Empower is a free online portfolio platform that helps people save and invest their money. It offers tools to track net worth, create investment plans, compare retirement accounts, view savings goals and cash flow, and more.
This is the great part of using this app!
The downside is to make these dashboards free is they are trying to entice you to move to their wealth management services.
You do not need to invest your money with Empower to use this platform.
It is best to keep everything invested where it currently is and use their free tools to analyze and make the necessary changes.
As such, once you sign up, you will receive calls on a reoccurring basis offering you a free analysis. There is no pressure to do this. Once you have said no enough times, they will stop calling you.
For those under $1 million in investable assets, their fee is 0.89%.
As you can read in this book, there are many ways to invest yourself without paying that fee.
In fact, this is my favorite book explaining how much harder and longer you have to work by paying someone a 1% wealth management fee.
However, for a small percentage of people, this may be a more cost-effective way of receiving professional advice, as it eliminates hidden costs from this type of service.
Empower Tools
Empower is a financial management platform that provides tools to help individuals manage their personal finances. The platform offers tools for portfolio tracking, performance analysis, and retirement planning. The company also provides its users with educational resources on financial topics.
Under their free dashboard, these are the tools you can use for free.
Net Worth Calculator
This simple tool will keep track of your net worth. Very simple and always available.
Know where you stand, by downloading the free app to see your true net worth in real-time.
Understanding your personal financial statement is important.
Savings Planner
One of the most asked questions is how much I need to save for:
Retirement
Emergency Fund
To Pay Down Debt
Calculate how much to save each year with a 70% chance of reaching your retirement goals. Learn how much you are currently savings and how much you need to start saving.
Cash Flow
Cash flow is the amount of cash available for expenses at a certain time. This term used in personal finance describes the rate at which one’s income and expenses change over time.
The Cash Flow tool is easy to use because Empower automatically tracks deposits and spending. The time saver feature allows users to see their cash flow, balance sheet, net worth, asset allocation over a period of time.
Cash flow is a budgeting tool that offers limited information on spending. It provides a second check when using another program that gives you more details like Quicken or Simplfi.
Retirement Planner
This is the #1 reason I recommend Empower especially if you are looking to stay away from a financial planner.
Trying to figure out how much you need for retirement by yourself seems like picking a random number from the sky.
The retirement planner is used by millions of people to figure out how on track they are for retirement. Plus get tips on what they can do to improve their chances of success.
Budgeting
Budgeting is a method of allocating financial resources by identifying and evaluating needs, prioritizing them in order to meet goals, and monitoring the achievement of those goals.
Empower includes a budgeting section to help you set monthly spending targets and track your spending. They automatically import the information from linked accounts such as checking, savings, and credit card statements.
Using their free online financial dashboard, allows you to track your spending and investments. There are interactive charts, graphs, pie-charts, and even widgets. All to make sure your budgeting is on track.
Investment Checkup
This portfolio analysis is the process of measuring performance and risk in order to develop a strategy for capital allocation. The goal of portfolio analysis is to improve return on investment, which can be achieved by increasing return on assets, decreasing the risk of losses, or reducing the variance.
The Empower app lets you explore your entire portfolio visually. It also provides asset allocation tools and tax optimization tools to help manage a person’s financial life.
Fee Analyzer
A fee analyzer helps people to determine the annual fees they are paying in their retirement plan.
401K Analyzer also calculates how much your retirement is costing you and provides a breakdown of any hidden fees that may be present within mutual funds with which it has been linked. This Retirement Planner tool uses assumptions about account holdings and investment behavior for calculating expenses against an estimated portfolio value.
Consequently, these fees add up over time and will drastically put a drag on your portfolio and reduce your retirement savings.
Empower Dashboard is Free
Just remember, you do not need to hire an advisor to use the platform.
Empower is a free tool for individual investors.
Empower provides users with access to all of the above-mentioned advanced tools for free. In addition, they offer free financial advice through their blog and social media pages.
It allows users to track their investments and get a personalized financial plan. The service also offers apps for iOS and Android devices, which makes it easy to manage finances on the go.
Empower Wealth Management Review of Services
In addition to offering free financial tools, Empower provides wealth management services.
You get to work one-on-one with an advisor who will give you personalized advice based on your situation.
They help you to invest, save money and track your financial goals.
Their advisors start by determining your risk tolerance and goals in order to construct the best personal financial plan for you.
If you are interested in getting a better understanding of your financial situation, Empower is an excellent option. It gives users the tools to understand their investments, budgets, and cash flow all with one app.
All it requires is that you sign up for free without any obligations or commitments from them whatsoever. You do not have to agree to use their wealth management program.
Personally, I cannot comment on an Empower advisor review as I have not used this service personally.
Empower Investment Strategy
The Empower investment strategy is a simple way to invest your money for the long-term.
This means that you will be able to retire and live a comfortable life without any concern about how you will be able to live.
They employ the tactic called Smart Weighting because they invest equally across all sectors and industries, which can provide diverse returns with minimal risk. The best part of this strategy is it’s easy to use as Empower has created an interface that makes portfolio management simple for users on any device or platform.
Empower’s software is able to identify tax-loss harvesting opportunities (opportunities where the investor sells an investment after it has fallen in value and pays fewer taxes than if the sale had occurred earlier) than investing on their own.
In addition, Empower invests passively for cost efficiency which means that they don’t take any active management into account.
The best part about Empower and one of the key areas I prefer, is they include socially responsible investments as well as an investment strategy to fit any budget.
They identify which companies are doing good work for society and invest in them accordingly. This feature makes personal finance much more interesting and easier than ever before!
Wealth Management Tiers
Many people invest in various financial services and products, such as mutual funds or stocks. They are promised that these investments will generate a good return, but they do not always make the best choice. Wealth management services are a way to help people manage their personal investments. They may charge fees for their service, but that is not always the case.
Depending on your level of assets, will determine the amount of services you will receive.
Investment Services:
This is the most basic level to receive financial and retirement planning guidance from their team of experts.
$100K in investment assets
Unlimited advice from any of the available financial advisors
Managed ETF portfolio
Wealth Management:
This is where you can receive more personalized services and dedicated support to manage your money as you move through new financial challenges.
$200K minimum in investment assets
Two dedicated financial advisors
Access to specialists in real estate, stock options, and more
Regular reviews on your customized portfolio
Tax optimization
Private Client :
This is the most exclusive level at Empower to help you receive comprehensive financial planning. They will help build a customized investment plan to reach your lifestyle goals.
over $1 million in investment assets
Two dedicated financial advisors
Priority access to specialists
In-depth retirement and wealth planning
Wealth Management Fee Structure
Empower charges only an all-inclusive annual management fee at a fraction of the cost of traditional financial institutions. In addition, they do not charge hidden fees, trailing fees, or trade commissions.
First $1 million = .89%
First $3 million = .79%
Next $2 million = .69%
Next $5 million = .59%
Over $10 million = .49%
Overall, if you want a financial advisor or a second opinion, using Empower wealth management services may be for you.
Even if you don’t join, you can still use the tools for free, no questions asked.
My Empower Review from Experience
I have had a lot of experience using Empower in the past. They provide snapshot financial pictures of your personal situation that are very informative.
Plus it is a free tool to use, which is always a bonus.
Empower is one of my favorite online tools to see all your finances in one place.
It is eye-opening to see the overall picture. Also, tracking investments across multiple accounts can be overwhelming, but they make the process seamless and help you stay on top of things.
Personally, my favorite tools are the net worth, fee analyzer, and retirement planner.
I use Empower in conjunction with Quicken. Read my Quicken review.
My Empower dashboard is my overall financial picture whereas Quicken tracks all of my day-to-day spending and helps me remember when we purchased something for a return.
The app has a convenient interface that makes managing your personal financial situation easy, even if you’re not familiar with finance jargon or investing terminology. With this tool at hand, keeping track of where everything stands financially becomes easier than ever before!
Just to note… to get the best financial picture, you must include all of your accounts. The more time you spend in the Empower dashboard, the more helpful analysis you will get from the tool.
Empower Alternatives
In addition to Empower, there are other financial apps that can help you allocate your portfolio.
These include Betterment with Wealthfront also being a viable option for those who want the best of both worlds by tracking their investments in stocks and bonds. However, these alternatives have much higher fees than what is charged by Empower which makes it an appealing alternative if the fee does not bother you.
Also, if you are looking for budgeting capabilities you may want to look at Quicken, Mint, YNAB, or Simplifi.
At the end of the day, you have to decide what your goals are and what you are looking for.
From all of the free and paid budgeting apps, here are our top budgeting apps to check out!
This section may contain affiliate links, which helps us to continue providing relevant content and we receive a small commission at no cost to you. Please read the full disclosure below.
Personal Capital Advisors Corporation (“PCAC”) compensates Money Bliss (“Company”) for new leads. (“Company”) is not an investment client of PCAC.
Personal finance and money management software allows you to manage spending, create monthly budgets, track investments, retirement and more.
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Personal Capital is wealth management for the Internet Age. The online platform combines digital technology with highly personalized service to provide a holistic view of a unique financial picture (AKA your net worth).
Make sure to connect all of your accounts within 7 days to set up your Personal Financial dashboard.
Tiller is the only tool that automatically updates Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel with your spending, transactions, and balances each day.
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Automate your financial plan with set-and-forget money tools that fit right into your daily life.
That’s why Qapital puts your goals front and center, then helps you plan your spending, saving, and investing around them.
Manage your money less in 5 minutes each week. Reach your money goals with confidence! The personal finance app gives you something to look forward to.
“The easiest, most comprehensive way to both see where your money is going and plan for future expenses.”
Your automated financial assistant and budget tracker are designed to put you back in control of your money.
Stay on top of your spending, easily track bills, cancel unwanted subscriptions, and find ways to improve!
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moneybliss.org
HoneyMoney increases your awareness about your money habits. Being fully aware of your money naturally changes how you spend it.
Great way to use cash flow budgeting. Plus uses “envelopes” to budget.
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Moneyspire is user-friendly personal finance and small business accounting software that brings your entire finances together in one place.
Have total control over your financial life in one click.
Is Empower right for you?
Empower is a company that offers tools for personal finance management. This app has more than one hundred different tools to help you with your finances, including monthly budgeting and investing tracking.
Empower also helps people manage their credit card debt, establish emergency funds, track retirement savings progressions, calculate their net worth, and much more!
The smartphone app integrates locations, bank accounts, and credit scores which allows users to access current information on their financial situation.
The online portal allows for comparing available investment options.
This tool allows people to plan out the future of their money as well as provides them with valuable financial information in an easy-to-read format so they can make informed decisions.
As stated before, Empower is a financial app that can help you manage your investment assets. It has many features and it’s not perfect, but it’s the best out there in terms of value for money.
You can always test drive it and see what you learn about your personal finance situation.
Now you can try it free (no credit card required!)
Know someone else that needs this, too? Then, please share!!
Hey everyone! Today, I have a great guest post to share on how you can increase your Pinterest traffic to your blog. Ling sees over 100,000 monthly pageviews on her blog from Pinterest and she shares her best tips below, as well as in her new guide The Golden Compass To Pinterest Traffic. Enjoy her article below.
—–
Hi everyone!
My name is Ling and I created my first blog in the personal finance niche, Finsavvy Panda, along with a Pinterest business account in November 2017 when I was looking for ways to quit my job.
After reaching my first $18,000 monthly affiliate income with my first blog in the summer of 2019, I was beyond excited but nervous at the same time.
Excited because I would have never imagined earning this kind of income from home. But I was also nervous because all my earnings were coming from one blog. That’s when I started an anonymous lifestyle blog so I could diversify my online income and test my Pinterest strategies in different niches.
Today, I earn an annual net income of over $200,000 and it’s mostly thanks to the traffic I get from Pinterest!
Prior to creating a Pinterest business account to drive blog traffic, I used Pinterest like how any regular user would to get inspiration and ideas for home décor, crafty gifts, DIY projects, and healthy recipes.
In fact, I used to flip preloved furniture as a fun hobby for extra money so I could increase my savings.
I remember bingeing content on Pinterest to learn how DIY bloggers would sand, paint, decoupage, and design wooden furniture. Learning from the DIY crafty bloggers on Pinterest helped me earn an extra $500 to $2,000 per month with a flipping hobby!
This hobby allowed me to have fun and unleash my creativity, but I stopped refurbishing small furniture because the income was too active and linear.
Not too long after, I started a personal finance blog, followed by my lifestyle blog, and so far, I’m loving it because it can feel quite passive once you’ve put in the upfront work and effort.
Related content:
How To Get Consistent and Long-Lasting Traffic on Pinterest
After using Pinterest (from a consumer and business perspective) for several years, I am going to share my tips on how I consistently get over 100,000 monthly pageviews from Pinterest.
You may even come across periods when Pinterest sends you over 10,000 pageviews in ONE SINGLE DAY like how it has happened to me several times in the past:
It’s true that some blog niches will do better than others on Pinterest. However, I still believe that almost any niche can drive a good amount of traffic. It depends on what you write about and how you spin those topics on your blog to make it “Pinterest-friendly”.
On top of that, if you want to succeed on the platform, it’s important to understand it from the perspectives of a real consumer and a business user.
Because I had so many readers ask me for Pinterest traffic tips over the years of my blogging career, I created The Golden Compass To Pinterest Traffic, a very comprehensive A to Z step-by-step guide, to help bloggers and content creators succeed on Pinterest.
This guide is a one-stop shop to help brand new and intermediate bloggers create Pinterest content that will get ranked for consistent and long-lasting traffic. They are the exact strategies I used for two of my blogs, which were both accepted into Mediavine, allowing me to diversify my blog income with display ads.
Today, I wanted to share some of my insights with you on Making Sense of Cents, so here are my 7 actionable tips to help you get traffic and succeed on Pinterest.
1. Make sure you have a solid foundation on Pinterest
Before you get started on Pinterest to get traffic, you need to sign up for a Pinterest business account and make sure you build a solid foundation.
From my experience working with bloggers, many people immediately pin out random images that link back to their blogs without setting up the basic things first.
These include:
Claiming your website on Pinterest
Setting up what they call “Rich” pins
Optimizing your Pinterest profile, boards, Pin images, and Pin descriptions
You can’t just create a Pinterest account and start randomly pinning your posts without optimizing your Pinterest profile and having some sort of strategy.
2. Choose a category or niche and try to stick with it
You need to have an idea of what you’ll be blogging about most of the time. That way, you can create specific content and narrowed-down topics that tailor to a specific audience.
I want to say it’s okay to go a bit broader with your topics at the beginning when you have no experience with blogging, writing, or using Pinterest. But when I say go “broad”, I don’t literally mean write about everything and anything especially when you can’t spin those articles around by making them relate to each other.
For example, I don’t recommend writing one article about budgeting tips, the next article about chicken recipes, and then the next article about traveling in NYC. These three are not related and have nothing in common with each other. That will confuse not only your readers, but Pinterest will have no idea how to categorize you on the platform.
I understand that some of you may find it hard to stick to a dedicated niche, so here are my quick tips if you really want to write about everything.
Suppose you’re a general personal finance blogger. You could turn that chicken dinner blog post into budget-friendly chicken dinner recipes under $X. You can also write about cheap travels in NYC.
Alternatively, if you’re a travel blogger, you can spin those other articles around and write about budgeting for a travel fund, or the best chicken sandwiches in NYC. You get my point, right?
Having said that, I still highly recommend narrowing it down and don’t stray too far from your main niche.
As you write more content, you’ll get a feel of what types of topics you want to stick to in your long-term strategy. This is important because you want to tell Pinterest what your focus is so that the platform knows how to distribute your content to the right audience.
3. Don’t neglect Pinterest SEO and keyword research
One mistake I see many new bloggers make, including myself when I was a beginner, is they neglect Pinterest SEO and doing proper keyword research in their niche.
For those of you who don’t know what this means, don’t worry. I can quickly explain this in simple English for you.
“SEO” stands for search engine optimization and all that really means is writing blog posts that get searched by users and having them show on Pinterest.
Once you become a Pinterest business user, you’ll realize that Pinterest is more than just a social media.
It’s also a visual search engine where many users look for inspiration and ideas by typing specific keywords or phrases into the Pinterest search bar. It’s no different from searching for ideas and solutions to your problems on Google.
For example, when I was using Pinterest as a real user several years ago to look for refurbishing furniture ideas for my side hustle hobby (before I even started my blog), I would type the following phrases into the Pinterest search bar:
How to prime and paint a coffee table
How to make chalk paint or DIY chalk paint
DIY farmhouse rustic nightstand
Black and white decoupage ideas for side tables
Lion head drawer pulls
These are called “keywords” and simply searching for those keywords on Pinterest led me to many DIY, home décor, and craft bloggers! These DIY and craft bloggers most likely did keyword research and wrote many blog posts based on all those phrases that I (real user) searched for.
After reading those helpful blog posts, I made purchases on items like an orbital sander, drawer pulls, decoupage paper designs, and many more products through the bloggers’ affiliate links. These unique links allow bloggers to earn a commission every time someone clicks on the link and makes a purchase.
Affiliate marketing is one method bloggers use to make money with their blogs. Michelle has a fantastic e-course called Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing that teaches you how to implement affiliate marketing strategies onto your blog. I’ve taken this course several years ago and it’s the resource that helped me earn my first full-time income with affiliate marketing. I highly recommend it if you want to learn how to strategically insert affiliate links onto your posts so that you can increase your conversions and bring in more income!
As you can see, there are many benefits to learning Pinterest SEO and doing keyword research. You can capture your audience, help them with a specific problem, and earn money with those blog posts using methods like display ads and affiliate marketing.
I’m going to illustrate a couple of examples in the next point to help you prepare a list of blog post ideas for your readers!
4. Prepare blog post ideas using keyword research
By learning what users like to search for on Pinterest, you can come up with a list of profitable blog post ideas and prepare them in advance. This is how you can help your potential readers find and discover you on Pinterest!
To get started on keyword research, you have to first put yourself in the position of the user. Just like the example I gave earlier about myself when I was searching for DIY-related keywords as a real Pinterest user.
What would you type into the search bar when you’re specifically looking for something?
Another quick and simple way to do this is to type the first few words into the Pinterest search and see what keywords show up in the autocomplete drop-down.
If you’re a travel blogger, you can type something like “things to do in…” and you’ll see the following suggestions from Pinterest.
You can write at least 5 different blog post ideas based on this one simple search:
Things To Do in Chicago
Things To Do in Nashville Tennessee
Things To Do in London
Things To Do in San Diego
Things To Do in Boston
And the list of “things to do in…” can go on and on.
Another example is perhaps you want to recommend essentials to your readers. In this case, you can type “travel essentials” and mark down those suggested target keywords as your blog post ideas.
Once you hit enter after searching for your keyword or phrase, you’ll also notice the colorful tiles underneath the search bar. These tiny tiles are additional or related keywords.
For example, “travel essentials” is a general keyword or phrase. But when you use the pink tile, “for women” example, this becomes what they call a “long-tail” keyword. Instead of writing a blog post about “the best travel essentials” (this is the general keyword), you can also write another blog post to target an audience of women using the long-tail keyword, “the best travel essentials for women”.
After blogging for several years, I can tell you that Pinterest SEO is essential. You can’t afford to neglect Pinterest keyword research if you want people to find your articles!
5. Know who your audience is
In my first two years of blogging, I made a lot of mistakes with my blog because I didn’t really know who I was writing to.
Sure, you can “niche” down by only writing about personal finance and money topics like what I do on Finsavvy Panda, but truly understanding your audience is more than just “niching down”.
I always knew that I should be narrowing down and targeting a specific audience, but no matter how much I read or learned online about “know who your audience is”, I just didn’t fully understand that concept until more and more readers kept e-mailing me and asking me questions.
It wasn’t until my third year of blogging, or even last year, that this really hit me in the head!
Yes, doing keyword research is essential. But even after you have your blog post ideas ready based on your keyword research, you can’t blindly write without knowing who you’re speaking to.
Suppose you’re a male nutritionist and fitness blogger. Which audience are you tailoring your message to?
An unfit male who is overweight and wants a simple diet and exercise plan to help them achieve their weight loss goals.
An average-built male who wants to learn about a specific diet and workout plan to help them tone and build muscle.
A male who’s already fit and somewhat knowledgeable about specific diet plans but wants to go to the next level and bulk up even more.
As you can see, those are three very different audiences, and you can’t possibly write for all of them. The saying goes, “If you try to please everyone you’ll please no one”.
This advice about “knowing your audience” may sound like common sense, but you’d be surprised that many bloggers don’t really know who their audience is. To be honest, I still struggle with this part but I’m always learning more about my readers and testing new strategies to see what works and what doesn’t.
To get started on knowing your target audience, use Google and Pinterest analytics to analyze your data. It’s so easy to neglect this part, especially when you’re not an analytical blogger. However, to my surprise, when I started using this data, I was able to better target my audience and readers for more intentional traffic.
The more intentional you are with your content, the more quality readers you’ll attract.
6. Make your Pin design and titles click-worthy
The first step to getting your blog posts found is doing proper keyword research on Pinterest and “optimizing” your Pin descriptions. Doing that alone will increase your chances of ranking higher on the Pinterest search engine, allowing people to find your blog posts.
But what good is it when your Pin is shown on the organic searches without a click-worthy title?
I want to emphasize that you will get traffic as long as your Pins are shown on the feed, especially on organic searches. However, you can increase your traffic further just by simply making small tweaks to your Pin designs and titles.
I’ve tested this by coming up with a variation of titles on my Pin designs for the same blog post. There are a lot of factors that cause more or fewer clicks to your pages. Those factors include the audience on Pinterest, search volume for your target keywords, the Pinterest algorithm, and many more.
Holding all else constant, I noticed that whenever I made tweaks to a word, phrase, or even design on the Pins for my anonymous lifestyle blog, my click-through rate (AKA traffic) on Pinterest improved significantly.
For the sake of simplicity, let me illustrate an example. I am going to deliberately use blogging and business titles as examples here because I know it speaks to you.
Which of the following titles (for the same blog post) entices you to click in and actually read them?
How To Get Traffic on Pinterest in 20XX
How To Get Traffic on Pinterest and Monetize Your Blog in 20XX
The Ugly Truth About How Long It Takes To Get Traffic on Pinterest
10 Pinterest Traffic Tips That Nobody Tells You About
10 Reasons Why You’re Not Getting Any Traffic On Pinterest
Think about those Pin titles and ask yourself which one sparks the most curiosity.
You can also see one of my Pin templates used by my friend, Enoch from Savvy New Canadians. He made quick tweaks to the general pre-made template to target his personal finance audience and named his title “21 Easy Ways To Make An Extra $1,000 Right Now”.
This is a better headline than a boring title like “How To Make Extra Money”, “Best Ways To Make Extra Money” or “21 Ways To Make More Money” because the word “Easy” speaks to a specific audience who’s looking for quick wins, and the term, “right now” emphasizes to the reader that he/she can do something about it immediately.
Generally speaking, people are more likely to click in and read your post when you suggest something that’s relatively easier, quicker, and immediate.
You can use these Pin Savvy Templates to help you create beautiful and click-worthy Pins in just seconds. They are the templates I use to make over 100 Pins in less than 30 minutes hence saving me time and hassle.
Pin Design and Title Example Using One of Michelle’s Pin
When I was searching for “meatless dinner ideas” or “no meat dinners” on mobile, this Pin that Michelle used from the Pin Savvy Templates bundle showed up on the top searches on Pinterest. Michelle is ranking quite high on Pinterest with these related keywords about meatless meals on the platform as you can see in the screenshot:
This is what you’ll want to aim for – to have your Pins show up on organic searches when users are searching for keywords or phrases used on your blog post.
While designing your Pin, you’ll want to think about titles that will pique your readers’ interest because that is one thing you can do to increase your traffic on Pinterest when they find you on searches.
Click-worthy titles for Michelle’s blog post about meatless dinner can include:
10 Insanely Delicious Meatless Recipes You Need To Try Now (To target the general audience)
10 Budget-Friendly Meatless Meals Under $X (To target budget-conscious audience)
10 Insanely Good Meatless Recipes – Kids Approved! (To target families with kids who typically don’t like veggies)
10 Fast and Easy Meatless Dinner Ideas – X Minutes and Under! (To target people looking for quick and easy meals)
10 Healthy Vegetarian Dinner Recipes You’ll Want To Make Forever (To target health-conscious readers. Health-conscious people know that just because it’s vegetarian, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s healthy, so you’ll want to call it out if it is.)
Noticed that ties back to the point I made above about targeting your audience.
Not only can you make your Pin designs pretty and click-worthy, but you can also see how you can attract a specific type of audience depending on what words you use in your headline.
7. See what’s trending on Pinterest
Look for some content ideas by using Pinterest Trends.
Pinterest Trends can be extremely helpful for bloggers in a number of ways. For starters, this tool can help you get an idea of what people are searching for on Pinterest. This is valuable information because it can give you an indication of what topics are popular and thus, worth writing about.
To get started on Pinterest Trends, go to “Trends” under the “Analytics” tab.
Once you’re there, you’ll see a variety of different categories that you can browse through. If you’re not sure where to start, try looking at the “What’s surging this week” section to see what’s currently trending on Pinterest. This section displays trends with high growth in search volume within the last 7 days, so you can take advantage of this information to see what you can write about.
The great thing about Pinterest Trends is that these ideas are not necessarily seasonal for one time only. You can reference them year-round! For example, if you see that “Summertime Recipes” is currently trending, you could write a blog post about summer recipes even if it’s not currently summer. This is valuable information because it allows you to be ahead of the curve and write about topics before they become popular again next year.
Aside from seasonal topics, you can also use Pinterest Trends to determine what content is popular among your target audience. For example, if you’re a beauty blogger, you could check out the “Beauty” category to see what topics are being searched for by Pinners on the platform. This information can help you come up with blog post ideas that are relevant to your audience.
Many people overlook Pinterest Trends thinking it’s only related to seasonal or current events, but this isn’t true at all. As bloggers, you can create an unlimited amount of evergreen content based on the information found in this tool.
What To Do When You’re Not Getting Any Pinterest Traffic or When Your Pinterest Traffic is Down
It doesn’t matter what platform, channel, or social media you use to get traffic, you’ll always experience a shift in pageviews. This is very normal and every blogger goes through it no matter how new or seasoned they are.
When Pinterest hits you in the face, the best course of action is to continue working on your blog. That includes writing new blog posts, updating your older content, learning how to use a tool, engaging with your readers, etc.
You can’t control Pinterest’s algorithm, but what you can control is writing new content on a consistent basis. This actually applies to all channels regardless if you’re on YouTube, Instagram, Google, Pinterest, etc. They are always thirsty for creators like you to consistently publish new content on their platform. It is a tried-and-true long-term strategy that almost never fails.
In fact, in The Golden Compass To Pinterest Traffic, I cover every single step you need to take as a blogger to succeed when you’re not getting any Pinterest traffic or when your pageviews are down. There’s more to it than just optimizing your Pinterest profile, boards, Pin design, and Pin descriptions. I go through everything a beginner needs to know and implement all the way to strategizing your content on Pinterest.
These are the Pinterest strategies I use to get consistent and intentional traffic to my blogs, which allowed me to quit my job and earn an annual six-figure income online.
About the Author: Ling Thich is the blogger behind Finsavvy Panda and Blog Savvy Panda. She also runs an anonymous lifestyle blog as a side hobby to learn and test different strategies. Overall, Ling loves teaching beginners how to start and grow their blogs on Pinterest. Outside of blogging, she enjoys staying active and exploring different cities.
What questions do you have about Pinterest? Do you use Pinterest to grow your blog? Why or why not?
Save more, spend smarter, and make your money go further We all know about supply and demand in relation to the economy, but have you heard of a housing bubble? Perhaps you’ve heard the term as it relates to the 2008 market crash, or perhaps you’ve heard whispers that we’re in another housing bubble again. … [Read more…]
*UPDATE THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED!”
Well, all the paint is dry, the floors are finished and our boxes are stacked ceiling high in our new house! Even as I walk from room to room it still feels a bit like we’re squatting in some elegant yet unfurnished Airbnb. But I can’t wait to turn this house into our home. After living in what I knew would be temporary spaces for the last five years, it’s almost hard to know where to begin. This is the home I might live in for the next – well, suffice to say too many years to truly fathom.
Whenever crave making a space feel homey I head straight to the bedrooms. A bedroom should be your sanctuary – your respite from the day’s stresses. It’s your opportunity to create the physical manifestation of your distinct style – this is the place to get really personal with your design. Your design should also be centered around a good night’s sleep since we do spend one third of our lives in bed!
Now that we’re living in an actual house, we’re spoiled with a guest bedroom – and I’m actually more excited to create the ultimate respite for my future guests than I am for myself. I’ve only stayed in a couple of guest bedrooms over the years that have stuck with me – but when a room is decorated just so, has eye-catching touches and attention to detail – like the ultimate hotel-like bed, well, you remember.
So I’m setting my sights very high for our guest room. All will be revealed in due time (you’re going to have to be a touch patient for the before & afters), but I’m starting with the bed. It’s been quite some time since I got a new mattress so when Sealy offered to send me their new Cocoon by Sealy mattress I was thrilled to finally get to try the whole bed in a box idea. No spending hours testing mattresses at some showroom – it just shows up at your doorstep ready to be unpacked. Count me in.
I snapped a few pics of my unboxing experience for you – it’s seriously nuts how a mattress can fit into such a small box! – and be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post… two lucky readers will win their own Cocoon by Sealy!
The box was delivered right to my doorstep.
Our queen-sized mattress was easy to open up.
I see a future playhouse for Carter coming on!
The mattress comes vacuum sealed. You simply remove the plastic and 30 minutes later et voila – your mattress is good to go!
how badly does it look like a need a good night’s sleep in that pic! Cocoon by Sealy includes all classic mattress sizes, from a Twin to a California King and two distinct feels: Softer – a cozy, more enveloping feel; the right choice if you like sleeping in your bed and Firmer – a sturdy, more substantial feel; the right choice if you like sleeping on your bed. Since this is our guest room I went for softer because I always love a cushy mattress when I’m on vacation!
The coolest part? Cocoon by Sealy offers 100% Satisfaction guaranteed, 100 Night Trial, Free Shipping and a 10 year warranty. If you don’t like the mattress for any reason you can return it – no questions asked. You don’t even have to repack it. Sealy will arrange to pick up the mattress and donate it to a local agency.
I’m so excited to partner with Cocoon by Sealy to giveaway two mattresses to two lucky Apt34 readers. To enter, simply tell me what makes your bedroom your happy place in the comments section below.
Two (2) winners will be selected at random on Monday, April 25 at 8:00am PST. Entrants limited to the continental U.S. only. No purchase necessary to enter.
I’ve got rather grand plans up my sleeve for our guest room, but I’m glad I know I’ll have a comfy bed for our visitors to enjoy no matter where the design takes me. And we’re actually hosting our first guests this weekend so I’ll be getting a full review of the mattress. Stay tuned for updates!
image via amber interiors
This post is sponsored by Cocoon By Sealy. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Thanks for supporting partnerships I’m excited about and have kept apartment 34’s doors open.
Appraisal, HELOC, Internal Audit, Correspondent Products; The U.S. Economy: Strong Like Bull?
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Appraisal, HELOC, Internal Audit, Correspondent Products; The U.S. Economy: Strong Like Bull?
By: Rob Chrisman
Wed, May 17 2023, 10:47 AM
I head to Connecticut early today for the CMBA conference, but on another personal note, congratulations to Robbie Chrisman, host of the daily mortgage podcast based on this Commentary, who recently rode his single-speed bicycle from Manhattan, across the Appalachians, to Chicago, working when not pedaling. (In terms of physical prowess, I feel fortunate not cramping up putting my socks on in the morning.) The weather seems to have improved in most places, the Northeast included, and we’re approaching travel season. Here’s an interesting list of tourist scams to avoid during all seasons. (I’ve never had a baby thrown my way.) Perhaps the improving weather influenced homebuilder sentiment, as have falling lumber prices: sentiment has improved in May according to the NAHB off the lows of 2022. People need a place to live, but perhaps not one to work. “The ‘return to the office’ won’t save the office: More people are going to offices more of the time. Offices are still in trouble.” U.S. lenders, including banks who own those loans, are being warned that commercial property is “next shoe to drop.” Executives and investors fret about the impact of rising rates and empty buildings on the $5.6 trillion market. (Today’s podcast can be found here and this week’s is sponsored by Richey May, a recognized leader in providing specialized advisory, audit, tax, technology and other services to the mortgage industry for almost four decades, helping transform the mortgage business. Interview with Richey May’s Nathan Lee on the best ways for lenders to leverage data, benchmark, and analyze various metrics to achieve profitability.)
Lender and Broker Products, Software, and Services
Servicers of all types and sizes trust their portfolios to MSP®, Black Knight’s loan servicing system. Just ask 7 Servicing, a credit union service organization that recently chose Black Knight’s integrated solutions. In addition to MSP, which supports all aspects of servicing, from loan boarding to default, 7 Servicing will use Servicing Digital to give its members a convenient, self-service application. Accessible via a mobile app or the web, Servicing Digital gives homeowners easy access to personalized and timely information about their mortgage and home. What’s more, organizations like 7 Servicing that use Servicing Digital can build deeper relationships and engagement with their members. This can lead to higher member satisfaction and increased retention. Learn how Servicing Digital can help you improve the customer experience at your organization in the blog post ”5 Ways to Retain More Servicing Customers Through Communication.”
“Rain just after you wash your car. Being late and hitting every red light. Some things in life happen just like clockwork. You know what you can also count on? Working with a consistent team of processors when you pass your processing operations to wemlo®. Our processing pod set-up means you’ll have a go-to processor, dedicated backup processor, and manager you can count on for every loan submitted. We know you don’t want a bunch of random processors in your files or working with your hard-earned clients – that’s why we’ve designed a workflow centered around business continuity. Ready for dependable third-party processing support? Learn more about wemlo’s consistent third-party processing services today.“
Best execution on a loan plus reduced repurchase risk at no additional upfront cost? A no brainer, right? Work with your hedge advisory firm and Plaza National Correspondent Lending for a “last look.” If Plaza Home Mortgage can match the pricing, you’ll get the best price plus Plaza’s Certified Loan Program that protects you from buybacks due to manufacturing defects. Reach out to Plaza for more information or see Plaza at MBA Secondary in NYC, May 21-24.
Still on the fence about DPA? Here what Click n’ Close client Steve Shelton, Managing Principal at First Choice Lending Services, has to say: “Click n’ Close’s proprietary DPA product has helped us tremendously grow our purchase money business and close more deals, especially when our borrowers don’t qualify for other programs because of income limits, or where seller-paid concessions weren’t available or in multiple offer situations. From management to account executives, inside reps and underwriters, everyone at Click n’ Close comes together to figure out how to make loans work and close them efficiently, truly a boutique style of service rarely seen in today’s wholesale marketplace.” Contact Adam Rieke or Kerry Webb (wholesale) or Julas Hollie (correspondent) to get started today. P.S. Don’t miss Michael Lima’s DPA session at the MBA Secondary Conference on Tuesday, May 23 at 11 am, or drop him a line to meet in person.
What’s an internal audit anyway and do you need one? An internal audit acts as a third line of defense for your mortgage operation. It provides comprehensive assurance based on the highest level of independence and objectivity to evaluate the effectiveness of management’s internal controls. This function should advise your mortgage operation on plans to achieve the company’s strategic, operational, financial and compliance goals. An effective internal audit should go far beyond just checking a compliance box; it should be an integral part of protecting your company. If you want to ensure you’re adhering to regulatory requirements and demonstrating good faith business practices, a Richey May internal audit is a good fit. If you’re looking to be Fannie Mae approved in the future or want to maintain your approved status, it’s required. If you’re unsure whether you need an internal audit, ask one of Richey May’s experts today or learn more here.
There are over 200 different species of chameleons in the world, each optimized for their own environment. Their ability to adapt and change color in their surroundings is key to their survival. In a rapidly evolving mortgage industry, lenders need to be able to adapt just as quickly. As home equity increases HELOCs present lenders with new opportunities, and innovative technology can help lenders offset the risks involved in home equity lending. In a Q&A with the National Association of Federally Insured Credit Unions (NAFCU), Wolters Kluwer’s Mark Mackey explored the effects of the shifting industry and the growing importance of Home Equity, particularly in regard to credit unions. He also examines the risks and benefits of HELOCs. Learn more about the importance of HELOCs in the shifting industry by reading the Q&A today.
You do everything to create a perfect origination experience, yet you send a link to some random AMCs your borrowers never heard of where they’re expected to share personal information and a credit card. For lenders with less than 50 loans per month, is it likely your AMC will create a dedicated page featuring your brand? Not likely. Well, enter Jaro. Not an AMC, but technology that empowers AMCs. This technology creates a branded landing page for your appraisal orders. Additionally, Jaro offers a suite of products to provide more predictability with your borrower’s values. On Tuesday, May 23rd at 2 pm ET/11 am PT, National Mortgage Professional, we’ll deep-dive into the appraisal process, identify its flaws, and discuss potential remedies made possible by Jaro, all without switching your AMC. This session will feature Jaro’s Managing Director, Gareth Borcherds. To be a part of this enlightening discussion, register here.
Capital Markets
Mortgage rates rose to the highest level in nearly two months yesterday as prices on the front-end of the yield curve were weighed down by better-than-expected data and long-end yields were pushed up due to Pfizer’s $31 billion duration-heavy, multi-tranche, fourth largest ever offering of bonds. There were also FDIC sales, $12.5 billion over Monday and yesterday in total, which contributed to the widening of MBS spreads to roughly 315 basis points. Retail sales, which factor into GDP, rose in April despite still-high inflation and borrowing costs as slow unemployment and steady wage growth continued to support demand. The 0.4 percent month-over-month advance in sales would normally be good but follows larger declines in February and March (-0.7 percent) and doesn’t take into account price changes, meaning that on an inflation-adjusted basis retail sales are actually down. Declining sales will eventually be a headwind to economic growth this year.
The National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index rose to 50 in May, meaning an equal number of builders have as positive a view of the market as a negative view of the market. Though the figure beat both expectations and April’s reading, the index has been trending under 50 since last August and fell a record twelve months in a row over the entirety of last year.
The housing boom over the past couple of years was mostly in home prices, not in home building, and this report dampens expectations for much new home building leading up to and continuing during the spring season. This report, and the lack of home building in general, suggests that the dire shortage of new home construction is not set to change anytime soon, which is quite a head scratcher considering the extreme dearth of home inventory for sale.
As every lender knows, the inventory of homes for sale has dried up. So, where have the spring home selling seasonals gone? Ask the millions of American homeowners paying 4 percent or less on their mortgages who are deciding to stay put rather than trade up. One-third of housing inventory hitting the market is new construction, compared to historical norms of a little more than 10 percent. The annual rate of home building currently resides at 980k, less than half its 2.3 million average since 2000. Existing home sales are due out tomorrow morning and are expected to drop to a 4.3 million annualized rate, or down 3.2 percent compared to March, which in turn was down 2.4 percent compared to February. It’s rough out there.
After mortgage rates increased last week (even as Treasury yields were essentially flat), mortgage applications decreased 5.7 percent from one week earlier, according to data from MBA. We’ve also received housing starts and building permits for April (). Markets were looking for 1.44 million and 1.46 million compared with 1.42 million and 1.43 million previously. Later today brings a Treasury auction of $15 billion 20-year bonds. We begin the day with the 2-year back up to 4.07, Agency MBS prices better by a few 32nds, and the 10-year yielding 3.52 after closing yesterday at 3.55 percent.
I, and an estimated couple thousand industry execs, head up Manhattan soon. Adam Quinones, Founder of dataQollab and former Head of Mortgages at Refinitiv, has some advice for anyone going to New York for the MBA’s National Secondary. (Part 3 of 5.) “Be careful crossing the street: the yellow cars don’t stop. If you’re hailing a cab, look for yellow tops with their numbers lit up. That means the driver wants a fare. Once you’re in the cab, give the driver a cross street, not an address. “9th and 57th” for example. If you give them an address, they will know you’re a tourist and will be more likely to take you on a joy ride.”
Employment and Transitions
Evergreen Home Loans™ is passionate about changing the world one relationship at a time through homeownership. That passion has established Evergreen as one of the Western states’ leading residential mortgage lenders for over 36 years. Consistently named one of the best workplaces in America, Evergreen is known as a people-powered local lender with big advantages, committed to providing high-touch service that’s complimented by a robust portfolio of products that meets the needs of today’s buyers and real estate agents and an exclusive technology platform that brings mobility and convenience to mortgage origination. “When it comes to tools of the trade, our loan officers are armed for success. Modern technology helps us super serve customers and streamline the process for everybody,” said Todd Miles, executive vice president, loan production, at Evergreen. If you’re passionate about impacting lives through homeownership, visit the careers page and discover what’s possible with Evergreen.
“In an ever-changing industry, it’s more important than ever for a mortgage company to be able to pivot, adapt, and grow. Homestead Funding has been assisting borrowers with their home financing needs for nearly 30 years, and we continue to expand our programs, enhance our technology stack, and grow our sales team. Aletha of North Carolina joined our team for two main reasons: Homestead’s resilience in the mortgage industry, and the confidence in knowing there are colleagues, support staff, and senior management behind her. Dave from New York signed on for our focus on superior service for our borrowers and emphasis on partners’ experience. To learn more about why Loan Originators choose Homestead Funding, watch our video here. For more career information and confidential talk, contact Michele Teague today: (518)-368-1494.”
You’re obviously the kind of mortgage professional who stays in the know. Why else would you be reading the Chrisman Newsletter? If we have you pegged, you’ll love this: we tracked down 4 surprising mortgage stats that will change the rest of 2023. Just click here for the free infographic. Stat-savvy and looking for your next business move? Motto Mortgage brokerages are hiring talented loan originators in: AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MI, MO, NC, NJ, NM, NV, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, and WA. Get all the info here.
“Are you a proven, high-performing Non-QM Account Executive? We’re looking to add YOU to our roster. Join the team of elite Account Executives who have access to uncapped commissions allowing you to earn what you’re worth, dedicated Scenarios Desk with HERO Broker Portal assistance, and exclusive loan products outside of what traditional Non-QM lenders offer including CDFI financing. Borrowers are leaving the 9-5 model and need solutions. Fill their financing needs & grow your own book of business while making an impact for diverse and underserved markets. Ready to change your jersey and dominate the Non-QM market? Reach out to Angela Castillo, VP of Talent Acquisitions, today for a confidential interview at 602.848.2967 or click here.”
Opus Capital Markets Consultants is excited to announce the addition of Pete Thomas to the company, to focus on creating new opportunities for the organization. “Pete has a tremendous industry background, particularly in Capital Markets, having been with Clayton/Covius, PHH, Freedom, and Bear Stearns, with deep relationships across the country,” said Pete Butler, EVP Strategy and Growth at Opus.
Dovenmuehle has appointed Ron Malik as SVP of default servicing to oversee Dovenmuehle’s special servicing initiatives and maintain a high level of compliance and service satisfaction in all areas of default servicing,
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The Christmas season is here and you want fun ideas to do!
To help make your life easier this year, I created a bucket list full of over 100 activities. You can use it as an actual bucket list or just enjoy scrolling through some fun things to do with friends and family before December 25th.
You will find everything from decorating ideas for your home (from simple snowflakes that are easy enough for kids to make) all the way to DIY recipes for Christmas treats.
Who doesn’t love a good list?
This Christmas bucket list is things you can do with your family around the Christmas season to make it more lively and enjoyable.
I made this list for my own kids, but I thought I would share it with you to use it too!
How can you make your Christmas bucket list more fun?
There are many different ways to make your Christmas bucket list more fun.
One way is to focus on new activities that you haven’t done before. Another way is to add food-related activities, which always make Christmas special.
You can also try incorporating some outdoor activities, even if it’s just for a (snowy) day.
And don’t forget about family traditions! They’re a big part of the holidays and can really enhance the experience.
No matter what you do, make sure you enjoy yourself (and not stress yourself out)! The holidays are a time for celebration and should be spent with loved ones. Merry Christmas!
Memorable Christmas Bucket List
While we love the classic Christmas bucket lists, we also are always looking for unique ideas to add to your holiday bucket list.
Some of these out-of-the-box ideas are pretty sweet and you may want to do them year and year again.
You can find everything from baking cookies to attending a German market to spending Christmas at a lodge. No matter what you choose, make sure you keep in touch with your family and friends during the holidays.
1. Go to Mexico. This is one of our Christmas traditions! There is something relaxing about enjoying the beach while Felix Navidad is playing in the background. (Gift hint… all of the beach gifts can be given to be used on the trip.)
2. Book a Wintery Mountain Stay. On the flip side, there is something magical about sipping hot cocoa while by the fireplace when giant snowflakes are falling outside.
3. Participate in a Neighborhood Luminaires Night. Organize one night for all of your neighbors to put luminaries outlining their driveways. It is a symbolic event with neighbors coming together in peace.
4. Roast Chestnuts. Just like in the famous song by Nat King Cole, it is your turn to roast chestnuts on an open fire.
5. Wrap Presents with Friends. For some wrapping presents is fun, for others it is a task. But everything is always sweeter to do with friends, so plan a time to wrap presents with friends. Appetizers and drinks are optional.
6. Order Matching Christmas Pajamas. This is a popular Christmas tradition for most families. Make sure you order your matching Christmas Pajamas in time. Some of my favorite places to find them are Kohl’s, Macy’s, and Amazon.
7.Wear Matching Christmas Pajamas. Depending on the age of your kids and spouse will depend on how well the matching outfits go over. Make sure to snap pictures!!
8.Kiss Under the Mistletoe. This is a fun Christmas tradition for kids and adults. Kids love this because it’s not just kissing their parents on the cheek, but they get to kiss everyone in the room! Adults love this too because it’s a great opportunity to get some alone time with your significant other.
9. Host a Progressive Dinner. This is a great idea to host a fun holiday party. For each course of a meal, you move houses.
For example, you start at house A for appetizers.
Then, move to House B for dinner.
Finally, wrap up at House C for dessert.
If you have more houses participating, then you can easily stretch to a 7-course meal.
10. Buy Ugly Christmas sweaters. This is a love-hate for many people. Are you totally into buying Christmas sweaters or do you want to shy away? Either way, it is always helpful to have at least one ugly Christmas sweater in your closet.
11. And then host an Ugly Sweater Christmas Party. Time to invite all of your introvert friends for an epic ugly sweater party. The winner walks away with a prize!
12. Go to a Christmas Eve Service. If you’re feeling a little more spiritual, there are many churches that offer Christmas Eve services. If it’s your first time going to one, consider this a good opportunity to introduce the whole family and get them interested in going.
13. Classic Christmas Movie Marathon. This is always a popular idea! Especially one that is next to free to do! Pull up the classic movies and enjoy!
14. Read Christmas Books. This is another one that is uber-popular in our house! We try to stick with Christmas-only books in the month of December. One of our favorites is JK Rowling’s latest book!
15. Go on River Cruises. The river is a great place to find some peace and quiet. You can go during the day or at night.
16. Stay Downtown. Whether you are looking in another state or in your own city, you’ll find a new adventure.
17. Snowman Building Competition. Set up a snowman building competition in your neighborhood and let the winners decide what charity to donate the money raised! Bragging rites until the next competition is held.
18. Shake a Snowglobe. Maybe even add to your snowglobe collection. There is a great children’s book called Snow Globe Family. That is a super fun read.
Classic Christmas Bucket List Ideas
This is the list you think of when it comes to Christmas things to do!
Whatever you decide to do this holiday season, make sure it’s something that will create memories that will last a lifetime.
19. Bake Christmas Cookies. This is the classic holiday bucket list idea. Here are some of our favorite Christmas cookie recipes.
20. Watch Christmas Hallmark Movies. Did you know there is a countdown to when the Hallmark Channel releases their Christmas movies?!?! Yes, this is a must-do for many people. In fact, you may want to buy them the same Hallmark socks we gave our moms.
21. Host a Christmas cookie exchange. Yes, please! Cookie exchanges are the best. In fact, it is one of the most popular Christmas challenges.
22. Go Christmas Caroling. Is it a tradition? Or is it just something that you love to do with your friends and family? Bring joy to your neighborhood or nursing home by singing traditional Christmas carols.
23. Volunteer. This could be serving at a soup kitchen, organizing an event for people who can’t afford gifts to “shop,” or lending a hand to a neighbor in need. There are many organizations looking for help.
24. Build a Snowman. Yes, this is the ultimate idea for families. Make sure you have the snowman supplies to dress up your Frosty the Snowman properly. Don’t forget the carrot nose!
25. Build a Gingerbread House. This is a classic activity for many kids and you can easily pick up a gingerbread house kit for under $10. However, it is not just for kids. Check out this family’s gingerbread house display!
26. Christmas Portrait Time. Thankfully, this time of year you can find plenty of Pinterest-perfect backdrops to take portraits at. You can take family photos or one of each person in your house. This accessory helps your amateur photos look professional!
27. Mail Christmas Cards. This may have been a long-standing tradition for many years and slowly making a comeback. You can take Christmas photos just for the occasion or a collage of photos. Order your Christmas cards here.
28. Read Twas the Night Before Christmas. This Christmas classic must be read at least once on Christmas Eve. Grab your copy of the classic book.
29. Find Creative Ideas for Elf of the Shelf. Let’s face it. You jumped on this tradition … hook.line.and.sinker. Now, you must keep up with all of the Pinterest perfect ideas.
Christmas Outdoor Bucket List
Time to get outside and explore. Fresh air is always helpful!
30. Go Sledding. This is a classic bucket list item. Check out a new sledding hill in your neighborhood.
31. Build a Snow Fort. This is personally one of my favorite activities, but Mother Nature must cooperate with tons of snow! Grab some shovels and start building a fort!
32. Snowball Fight Time. Who doesn’t love a good snowball fight?!?! Grab some friends and head out for an epic snowball fight. Even better if you built the snow fort prior to game time!
33. Go Ice Skating. This is a classic especially if you live in the upper midwest. There are plenty of recreation centers that make ice skating a reasonable cost activity.
34. Skiing. Fresh powder sounds like the perfect Christmas tradition. Just make sure to book your ticket early.
35. Plan a Wintery Picnic. Grab a blanket, lunch, some hot cocoa, and your Christmas Pajamas for an outdoor picnic this winter! Make this time special with a special picnic basket to use.
36. Go Snowboarding. Time to shred the slopes. Check out the latest snowboarding gear.
37. Time to Go Tobogganing. What is tobogganing exactly? Much like sledding except you hit the snow-covered slopes and artificial-ice-covered chutes with a toboggan.
38. Give the Gift of Nature. Take your family on an outing to see some beautiful nature! Get out in the fresh air and enjoy the beauty of nature.
39. Make a Snow Angel. This is the perfect activity for kids to do. Yet, very calming and peaceful if you decide to get down in the snow and create snow angels.
40. Hunt for the Perfect Live Tree. Grab your permit and go on a hunt for the perfect Christmas tree. Make sure to bundle up and wear snow boots!
41. Catch Snowflakes on your Tongue. Regardless of your age, this childhood memory needs to be done yearly for your Christmas bucket list. Drop all of your worries off your shoulders as you catch a snowflake on your tongue.
42 Skate on Outdoor Ice Skating Rinks. Skip the indoor rinks and head outside to skate. Even more romantic if the snow is falling.
43. Create a Winter Wonderland. This one is a do-it-yourself project that doesn’t require any crafting skills.
44. Go for a Holiday Walk. Take some time out of the hustle and bustle by taking a walk outside.
45. Neighborhood Christmas Light Competition. Another great idea is to put your home in a Christmas lights competition! This can be really fun if you have friends and family who live close by. All you need is some creative decorations and an appetite for holiday cheer.
Name That Entertainment Holiday Bucket List
Time for friends, laughter, and fun!!
These are the social must-haves on your entertainment holiday bucket list!
46. Host Christmas Eve Dinner at your home. If you have room, open up your home to friends or family who might otherwise be alone for Christmas. Our Christmas Eve tradition is fondue!
47. Christmas Party Night. Invite your friends and family over for a Christmas party night! This is a fun way to get everyone together in one place, have some laughs, and enjoy each other’s company.
48. Wear Christmas Dress Attire. Everyone wants an excuse to dress up. So, make sure you have a special occasion to year your Christmas cocktail dresses.
49. Find Entertainment from the Seasonal Classics. This could be watching The Polar Express (it’s on Netflix now!), listening to holiday music, or reading a children’s Christmas book.
50. Host an Advent Calendar Party. It is so much fun to count down the days before Christmas! This works especially well in a classroom setting. Each day is a new activity to count down the days until Christmas.
51. A Christmas Story. Watch A Christmas Story and then read a few of the lines with your friends!
52. Home Acting. Put on your own production of your favorite movie or theater production!
53. Misfit Toys. Collect a variety of small, inexpensive toys and have your guests guess which toy belongs to each guest. To make it more fun, be sure to include some items that are broken or missing pieces!
54. Mistletoe Bingo. Get your guests in the Christmas spirit by setting up a bingo board with different categories for them to fill out!
55. Birthday Party for Jesus. ‘Tis the reason for the season – the birth of Jesus Christ. Plan a birthday party to celebrate everything Jesus gave to us.
56. Holiday Game Night. Christmas is a time for fun and games, so why not have a Christmas-themed game night? Some popular game ideas include playing charades, Pictionary, or Cranium. You could also try some new games that you haven’t played before – like Elf on the Shelf or Monopoly.
Holiday Season Bucket List Around Town
One of the best things about the holiday season is there are SO MANY activities to do with no money. You can find something to do each day for free.
The paid events are classics that create lifelong memories!
57. Book a Limo to Check out Christmas Lights. What better way to enjoy watching the Christmas lights and not having to drive? Personally, this works great when sharing the limo costs with friends!
58. Attend a Local Craft Fair. These craft fairs are becoming a hot place to find personalized gifts. Plus it is a great way to give back to local small businesses as well as the high school teams and clubs who organize the craft fairs.
59. Book Tickets to a Lightshow. This is a hot commodity so make sure to book your tickets early – like around Halloween. That way you will get the prime time you want to attend the light show. Also, many areas have more than one popular light show to see!
60. Attend a Ballet Performace. While the Nutcracker is a popular dance performance, there are plenty of other ballets at this time of year.
61. Watch The Nutcracker Live. I have danced in and seen the Nutcracker so many times that I have lost count. However, I love the production, the costumes, and the music! Make it more magical by taking a young girl who has never seen the Nutcracker before and watching the production through their star-struck eyes.
62. Visit Your Local Christmas Market. Every town has one. A local store stocked with all things Christmas! Maybe even see if your area has a German Christmas Market and check out the varying traditions.
63. Attend a Holiday Tree Lighting Event. Right after Thanksgiving, there are plenty of local tree lighting ceremonies. Check with your city for dates and times.
64. Attend a Holiday Festival. The holidays are the perfect time to attend a festival with family or friends. By attending, you can enjoy the activities and experience new things that may be on your list for next year!
64. Attend a Christmas Parade. Get out and see the Christmas spirit in all of your favorite holiday traditions. Most cities kick off the holidays with a parade.
Christmas Bucket List in the Kitchen (Recipes a Must!)
Around the holidays, the kitchen is the hub of the activity. More money is spent on food and drink in November and December. So, you must include a few of these Christmas activities on your list.
65. Decorate Sugar Cookies. This is a great project that tastes delicious. It’s also really easy and you’ll be surprised how much your decorating skills improve each year.
66. Make Hot Cider. Hot cider is a great drink to have this time of year. This Christmas treat can be made in the oven or on the stovetop, with just enough heat that it’s still perfect for kids and adults. Plus it makes your house smell naturally festive.
67. Enjoy Hot Chocolate with Marshmallows. This is a perfect wintertime drink. Surprise the family with cute Christmas mugs.
68. Drink Egg Nog. This is a classic must-have during the holidays. There is something that warms your belly with the creaminess of egg nog. Make sure to buy your Egg Nog early as many stores ran out at Christmas time. Which eggnog flavor is your favorite?
69. Gourmet Hot Chocolate Bar. Set up a hot chocolate bar with all of your favorite toppings, like cinnamon, heavy cream, and gourmet chocolates. This will make the holidays even more special!
70. Snowy Ice Cream Treats! Make some delicious homemade ice cream and put it in bowls or cups and hand them out to your loved ones.
71. Visit a Bakery. These places are filled with great ideas! If you don’t have time, pick up one of their creations. Or try to make your own at home.
72. Make Your Own Gingerbread House Kit. This gingerbread house kit contains everything you need to make a gingerbread house this season.
73. Make Homemade Marshmallows. These are so simple to make and perfect for hot chocolate or in a sugar cookie recipe!
74. Make a Birthday Cake for Jesus. There is a huge reason to celebrate! So, let’s bake a cake and celebrate!
Crafty Christmas Bucket List
You don’t have to be super crafty for any of these projects. Simple ways to make decorations!
For many people, making their own gifts is a great way to give awesome Christmas gifts when you are broke.
75. Get crafty! There are thousands of Christmas crafts you can do during this season! Some ideas include making ornaments or wreaths, cutting out snowflakes, decorating a gingerbread house, or making your own Christmas cards.
76. Make DIY Christmas Tree Ornaments. Okay, I will be honest … there are so many great ideas for DIY Christmas Tree ornaments that I freeze on which project to actually complete. So, pick 1 or 2 that you know are within your crafty skills and get started!
77. Make Paper Snowflakes. This is a classic Christmas activity to do.
78. Make a Christmas Wreath and Decorations with your kids or family members. This is great for the whole family to do together, as it helps create memories that are sure to last a lifetime.
79. Wonder the Craft Stores. With no agenda and plenty of time! Let your mind wander and fill with amazing Christmas crafts you could make.
80. Make Salt Dough Ornaments. This is the simplest Christmas craft for the non-crafty person! Learn how to make salt dough from Katie.
81. Create Candy Care Garlands. The options are endless on this one! You can use big candy canes or mini candy canes to make your garlands.
82. Decorate a Christmas Photo Frame. This is a fun project that can be completed in just minutes! Take any old frame and spray paint it white. Then, add Christmas decorations around it or use spray painted puzzle pieces.
83. Knit Christmas Mittens. This is a quick and easy project to knit up for the holidays!
84. Make Your Own Snowmen. Make your own snowman out of rice or beans, it’s fun and easy.
85. Put Snowflakes on the Windows. This is a fun and easy way to decorate for the holidays.
86. Make Your Own Poinsettia Wreath. These wreaths can be made in no time at all!
87. Find Creative Ideas for Elf of the Shelf. Let’s decorate the elf and make its day bright!
88. Make Wreath Cards from Last year’s Christmas Cards. This is a great way to upcycle and make unique Christmas ideas. Watch this YouTube video to learn how.
89. Decorate Staircases with Ribbons. This is a simple trick to make your house look more festive!
90. Make Orange Peel Poppuri. This is a simple and quick recipe that will make your house smell fragrant.
91. Make Christmas Cards. This is the perfect time to make your own Christmas card with all of your family members, friends, and even pets! There are so many fun ways to customize these cards. You can be crafty with paper supplies or use a digital template.
Decoration Christmas Bucket List
The decor is the major component of the holidays! Make sure you are ready to get decorating!
92. Decorate the Christmas Tree. This “to-do” should be treated with a little more emphasis. Plan an event around decorating the tree and sharing memories while hanging ornaments.
93. Create a Themed Christmas Tree. Star Wars fan? Barbie lover? Marvel fan? Sports diehard? Time to unleash all of your passion and decorate a themed Christmas tree in honor of your fervor. Find some ideas to jumpstart your creativity.
94. Hang Chrismas lights. Even better make your house look better than the National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Order your lights here.
95. Upgrade Your Christmas House Lights to a Christmas Light Show. Thankfully, technology has greatly approved and you do not need to be an engineer to figure it out. You can pick up this up and quickly set your lights to music.
96. Pick a New Scent for the Holidays. Personally, I like peppermint.
97. Buy Cute Christmas Dish Towels. This is a simple decoration tip from the pros. With this simple purchase, it looks like your house has been staged for the Pinterest perfect Christmas dinner.
Shopping Place for Holiday Activity
Every bucket list has gifts on it, so time to get your shopping done!
98. Create your Christmas Budget List. While this may not be on the top of your list, this is a very important money management tip to master. Learn how to make a Christmas budget that works for you.
99. Shop for Christmas Gifts. This is a great time to find gifts for your friends and family. No need to rush, but shop early if possible! Amazon has a ton of gift ideas that are easy on the wallet too! Find a list of the best Christmas gifts under $10 for kids.
100. Purchase Christmas Flowers just for You! Buy some fresh flowers from your local flower shop and enjoy them for the holidays!
101. Wear Christmas socks. Hello, we all love cool socks! Make sure you pick up some new Christmas socks for your holiday collection.
102. Start A Collection. If you are looking for some easy gifts, start a collection that can be added year after year! A few examples include Christmas ornaments, books about Christmas traditions from around the world, and ornaments made out of candy canes.
103. Shop A Christmas Store. Find a Christmas Store; they are worth a visit if you want to get into the holiday spirit! They have everything from traditional nutcrackers to more unique items like Santa toilet paper holders. No matter what your interests are, these specialty stores have something for everyone.
104. Give Money Creatively. Did you know you could give money besides just writing a check? There are over 45 different money gift ideas for you.
Christmas Bucket List for Family Activities
Entertaining the kids is a must! Thankfully there are so many things to do.
Plus you can see the magic of the season through their eyes!
105. Write a Letter to Santa. This needs to be done in the first part of December in time to reach the North Pole.
106. Make Reindeer Food. Fruit and vegetables make a great snack for the reindeer, so it’s easy to do this activity with your kids. You can also experiment with adding different spices into the mix such as cinnamon or nutmeg.
107. Watch the Holiday Funny Movie Marathon. This is a fun way to spend a cold or hot day. Pick out some of your favorite hilarious movies and get cozy in front of the TV! Laugh til you drop!
108. Make Winter Slime. Yes, every kids LOVES slime and what is better than just slime… WINTER SLIME! Pick up Iceberg Frozen Winter Slime for your kid’s Christmas Party.
109. Host a Kid’s Christmas Party. This is something we have done every year is to host a kid’s Christmas party. It is a simple and festive way to share in the Christmas season. Provide some simple Christmas crafts, hot chocolate (with marshmallows of course), and easy snacks.
110. Sing Christmas Carols. This is a fun family activity that will make you feel festive!
111. Visit Santa. This is an old-fashioned tradition that never gets old. Visit Santa and find out if you have been naughty or nice!
112. Make Paper Snowflakes. This activity is a must for kids. Simple and easy to make. Plus they will get lost in the activity for hours! Find paper snowflake ideas.
113. Make Rudolph Pancakes. One easy way to make your Christmas bucket list more fun is by adding some creative and festive tasks to ordinary things like making pancakes.
114. Talk to Santa Claus. It’s hard to believe, but there are actually people who talk to Santa every year and make sure he has everything he needs for Christmas Eve. You can talk to him on the phone or online, and it’s a great way for your kids to get in touch with their inner child.
115. Go for a Christmas Scavenger Hunt. This is a great family activity that will have your kids having fun and learning at the same time. You can make it as easy or as hard for them to complete, depending on their age.
116. Make a Christmas wish list and check it twice. Have the kids pick out gifts they would like for themselves as well as give to others.
117. Have a Holiday Movie Night with your Friends and Family. Make some popcorn, grab your favorite movie, and cuddle up on the couch for an evening of laughter!
Holiday Bucket List to Help Others
You don’t have to be a millionaire philanthropist to help others in your community. You can make a difference by doing small things that will go unnoticed, but still, provide assistance for those who need it.
118. Participate in Random Acts of Kindness. This is a fun way to do something nice for someone else this Christmas. It’s also a great opportunity to practice your own “random acts of kindness” you want to give back in the new year.
119. Polar Plunge: A Fun and Festive Way to Help Others. Create a team of people who will pledge money for every degree the temperature drops below freezing! Make sure to follow through and take the polar plunge!
120. Donate to a Food Bank. Make a donation to your local food bank or homeless shelter in order to help those who are less fortunate during this time of year. This is a perfect way to help those in need in the wintertime and continue the tradition year round!
121. Be Someone’s Secret Santa. This is a fun and heartwarming tradition that works well for your whole family. It’s simple, too: just give out the names of people you would like to be Santa Claus for in December and tell them not to let the person know who you are.
122. Donate Toys. There are a ton of organizations that accept donations of toys or other items. Find the best charities to donate your old toys and help those in need this holiday season!
123. Make a Financial Contribution to a Nonprofit. Most nonprofits receive the majority of their financial donations in the last months of the year. Maybe see if you could make it a part of your biweekly budget and give more often.
124. Visit the Animal Shelter for a pet adoption event. It’s not just cats and dogs that need homes on Christmas Eve! Many of our furry friends are forgotten about this time of year. Stop by a local animal shelter.
125. Adopt a Family for Christmas. If you’re not into the whole Santa Claus thing, why not take it upon yourself to give back to the community? Adopt a family for Christmas by purchasing gifts, food, and necessities that they might not otherwise have. There are many families in need this time of year and it’s truly an act of love and kindness to give back in this way.
126. Give the gift of music. If you’re a musician or know someone who is, offer to play at a nursing home or assisted living facility on Christmas Eve. If you’re not a musician, sponsor the music of a local choir or orchestra.
127. Give the Gift of a Smile. Visit an elderly neighbor and say hi. Smile to the person behind you in line. It takes more muscles to frown than smile.
128. Pick a Tag from a Giving Tree. Many companies set up a tree with tags of people who are in need. Then, their employees can pick a tag and purchase the selected item.
129. Baking for Others: A Fun Way to Help Others. Bake for someone in your neighborhood and donate the ingredients to an organization that feeds people in need!
130. Pray for Peace and Happiness. Don’t stop praying during these hard times. Pray for peace, happiness and prosperity around the world.
Something Else for Holiday Bucket List Items
These are the ones that are still awesome ideas but don’t fit in the above categories!
131. Empty your Christmas Schedule. This is a great way to destress, especially if you have been stressing about your holiday season.
132. Start Dreaming About Your New Year’s Resolutions. This one is my favorite! I love rolling over to a new year with fresh dreams.
133. Grab your Yearly Planner before January 1st. Yes! Especially with supply chain issues, I recommend getting your yearly planner in advance. Here is the current yearly planner I use.
134. Create Your Own Advent Calendar. It’s easy to create your own advent calendar. Use a simple white board and some markers to create your own countdown to Christmas.
Christmas Bucket List for Couples
These are the top 10 ideas from above just for couples!
Ice Skating at Night
Kiss Under the Mistletoe
Go on a Sleigh Ride
Romantic Movie Night
Catch a Snowflake on Your Tongue
Enjoy A Fireside Cuddle
Leisurely Stroll on a Snowy Mountain Area
Escape for a Night Away
Volunteer Together
Dream About Your Future
Christmas Bucket List Template
Okay, we gave you TONS OF IDEAS!
There is absolutely no way you can accomplish them all in one Christmas season.
So, here is a template to use to pick your top 25 activities to complete.
If you’re like us then setting up the tree is something that you always look forward to. From decorating the tree, baking cookies, and watching movies under it with your family this Christmas is sure to be a magical time for all of us!
What are some tips for creating an ultimate Christmas bucket list?
There are a few things to keep in mind when creating your ultimate Christmas bucket list.
First, make sure that it includes experiences that you will really enjoy. This is not the time for obligation or duty–the list should be filled with activities that you and your loved ones will love doing together.
Second, try to include a variety of different types of activities, from traveling and vacationing to visiting new places and trying out new experiences.
And finally, don’t forget to add some classic holiday traditions as well!
KEY TIP… Plan Your Day Ahead: What are you going to do tomorrow?
How can you make your Christmas bucket list more meaningful?
When it comes to the holidays, many people want to do as much as they can.
The Christmas bucket list is often a great way to make sure that you’re able to check off all of the items on your wish list. But sometimes, we can become overwhelmed by all of the things that we want to do. This year, consider making your bucket list more meaningful by doing activities that will bring you happiness and joy.
Idea #1 – Be Happy
One way to make your Christmas bucket list more meaningful is by only including activities that truly make you happy.
For example, if decorating the tree or going shopping for presents isn’t really your thing, then don’t put them down as items that you have to do this year! Instead, focus on doing things like baking cookies with loved ones or taking a walk in the snow.
Idea #2 – Spend Time Together
Another way to make your holiday season more special is by spending time together over a fire. Whether you build one in your backyard or take advantage of one at a local park, this is a great opportunity for conversation and reflection.
Consider lighting the fireplace and reading a good book together–or having some deep conversations about what’s been going on in each other’s lives!
Idea #3 – Make an Advent Calendar
Making your own advent calendar is a fun way to get into the Christmas spirit. You can make it as simple or as complex as you want, but the key is to include activities that will get you excited for the holiday season.
For example, one day you might do an act of service for someone else, and on another day you might bake cookies!
Now, start brainstorming ideas with your family and friends.
Idea #4 – Get Prepared
Take time to figure out what kind of holiday experience you want, which helps narrow down the items on your bucket list.
Another way to make your Christmas bucket list more special is by preparing for Christmas Eve the night before. One great idea is to create a box filled with all of the things you’ll need for the following day. This could include pajamas, breakfast foods, and even some presents!
Use the printable to prioritize which activities your family would like to do during the holidays.
Idea #5 – Make it Personal
Finally, why not add a personal touch to your Christmas this year?
Make your list as personal and meaningful to you as possible by only including activities that are important.
Instead of using store-bought wreaths and ornaments, try making them yourself! There are endless possibilities when it comes to homemade decorations, so get creative and have some fun!
This isn’t the time to make your season harder – only what you want to do.
What are some things you can do to make your Christmas bucket list more exciting?
There are many ways to make your Christmas bucket list more exciting!
One way is to add a variety of activities, from festive traditions to outdoor adventures.
You can also mix up the type of activities so that you have something for everyone in the family. Additionally, you can make a point to do new things every year and keep your bucket list updated.
This will help ensure that you have an enjoyable and memorable Christmas season.
What are some tips for making your Christmas bucket list more fun for everyone?
One way to make your Christmas bucket list more fun for everyone is to try and do something that is meaningful and fun for everyone in your family.
This could be anything from spending time by the Christmas tree together, to doing random acts of kindness this holiday season!
A great tip would be to have everyone include their top three ideas that make the family Christmas bucket list.
All in all, you want to start Christmas traditions that the whole family looks forward to each and every year. This may be as simple as starting a new family tradition or making homemade gifts for your friends and neighbors.
Which Holiday Activities do you Need & Love?
So many ideas, right?
Your head may be spinning, but only put the holiday activities on your list that you want to do.
If you’re looking for something special to do this year, consider checking out one of the many Christmas productions around the country. From The Nutcracker to A Christmas Carol, there’s something for everyone.
And don’t forget about all of the amazing light displays – they’re definitely worth seeing!
It’s the most wonderful time of year, so you might as well make your family traditions more exciting by adding some creative tasks to what is normally a boring list of chores.
What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions? I’d love to hear about them!
For more inspiration, check out our Christmas Pinterest board.
Merry Christmas!
Also, it might be time to start thinking about what do I want for Christmas?
Know someone else that needs this, too? Then, please share!!