Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.
When I started reading personal finance (PF) blogs, I was drawn into anything related to money savings that I could find. I got to know about a lot of bloggers and learned a ton from them.
However, at one point, I realized most of the bloggers I followed were not Asian. Although their tips, discussion, and meal plans were amazing, I felt like something was missing. I was yearning for something more familiar to me.
How can I pack a quick Asian lunch instead of peanut butter and jam sandwiches? How do I cook a frugal dinner with rice as the staple instead of pasta or potatoes?
I started Googling key words such as “frugal Asian” and “Asian finance” but didn’t find much. Most of the blogs that came up through those searches are no longer active.
If you ever wonder why my blog is called “Frugal Asian Finance,” it’s because (1) the title best reflects the content of the blog and (2) those are the key words I searched before.
After I started blogging, I have received so much feedback from you all. I usually click on different blogs out of curiosity and have discovered so many other fellow Asian PF bloggers.
I have compiled the following list (in alphabetical order) in case you want to read more about them.
Afford Anything by Paula Pant
Paula used to be a journalist. She lived below her means and made extra income with multiple side hustles. Paula then traveled all over the world for two years. When she came back to the US, Paula started building her real estate portfolio to gain financial independence from the 9-5 grind.
Paula used to publish her monthly rental income reports and offered great tips for small-scale landlords and real estate investors.
Financial Samurai by Sam
Sam had gotten an MBA and worked in the finance industry for 10 years before his net worth plummeted in 2009. Sam started his blog in the same year to help him and others understand the financial crisis and its consequences.
He’s one of the few bloggers I know of who have formal training in finance, and it definitely shows in this writing. Sam’s posts usually contain thorough analyses backed by extensive data. He writes about real estate, stocks and bonds, retirement, and various finance-related subjects.
Financially Alert by Michael
Michael is originally from Los Angeles. He retired in 2012 at the age of 36 and lives with his wife and son in the Bay area. He’s a stay-at-home dad, blogger, and investor.
Michael focuses on early retirement. He has all the impressive financial indicators that almost everyone wishes to have: a credit score of 834, a net worth of $1,762,368, 0 consumer debt, and 5 streams of income.
Frugal Asian Finance by Ms. FAF
This blog is by yours truly, Ms. FAF (aka me). I started the blog on March 21, 2017 to document my frugal journey with Mr. FAF and Baby FAF to a financially free future.
I grew up in a low-income family in Vietnam and have always been conscious about my spending habit. One key reason why I’m so frugal is because I want to be able to support myself and my family financially and to prepare for any financial crisis that comes my way in the future.
Give Me Back My 5 Bucks by Krystal Yee
Krystal is a marketing professional based in Vancouver, Toronto. She is also a co-founder of the Canadian Personal Finance Conference.
Living Rich Cheaply by Andrew
Andrew works as an attorney and lives with his family in one of the most expensive cities in the world: New York City. I found Andrew’s blog after he left a great comment on mine. Like me, Andrew has always been frugal and does not have any consumer debt to pay off.
Millennial Money Diaries by Jing Pei
Jing is a software engineer in the Bay area. She earns a six-figure income but is conscious of her spending. Jing documents her daily expenses in her weekly money diary.
Millennial Personal Finance by David
I found David’s blog through his comment on another blog. An engineer by training, David is passionate about personal finance and writes about various money-saving tips on his site.
MoneyNing by David Ning
David used to be an IT manager and the top salesperson in the corporate world. David then left his job and has started several successful business ventures since.
Money We Have by Barry Choi
Barry is based in Toronto, Canada. He learned about investment the hard way. His financial advisor wasn’t straightforward about all the high management fees and deferred sales charges of the mutual funds in which he was advised to invest. Barry ended up firing the financial advisor and started to teach himself about personal finance.
If you love traveling, you might want to check out Barry’s blog since he offers frugal travel tips for world travelers.
Navigating Adulthood by Ying
Ying offers advice for millennials and recent college graduates to help ease their transition to adulthood. She also shares great tips on living happily on a budget.
Retireby40 by Joe Udo
Joe left his high-paying engineer job to become a stay-at-home dad/blogger at 38. His blog provides great advice on early retirement and retirement investment. The income he gets from his passive investment enables Joe to retire early and spend more time with his wife and kid.
Saving The Crumbs by Al and Deb
Al and Deb live in Tennessee. Despite never having a six-figure income, they have managed to save 50% or more of their gross income. They have an average monthly food budget of $48 and paid off their $185,000 house after two years of purchasing it.
Tawcan by Bob Lai
Bob is based in Vancouver, Canada. Frugality is what Bob observed from his parents and has adopted for his own lifestyle.
Through his own mistakes, Bob has drawn valuable lessons about investment, particularly dividend stock investing, that he generously offers to his readers.
The Frugal Gene by Lily He-Prudhomme
Lily is a 25-year-old millennial blogger based in Seattle, WA. Lily has a great sense of humor and is rocking it as an Airbnb superhost. Lily is on track to making over $50,000 on her Airbnb rental this year (2017). She also shares amazing tips on how to save and make money.
The Luxe Strategist
If you’re conscious about your spending yet still want to enjoy the best luxuries life has to offer, the The Luxe Strategist can give you great advice on how to do that. The Luxe Strategist lives in New York and is able to save 50% of her income while traveling the world and purchasing Proenza Schouler sweaters and $400 sneakers.
The Wallet Diet by Christine Nguyen
Christine is a freelancer based on Toronto, Canada. She paid off $35,000 in student loans and has traveled to 23 countries.
Tub Of Cash by Tim Kim
Based in Orange County, CA, Tim is a VP at a mid-sized company and a certified personal trainer together with many other job titles. Tim does monthly cash give-aways on a regular basis. The most recent one was $500, so head on over to his blog if you want to win some serious cash.
Wallet Hacks by Jim Wang
I learned about Jim through his podcast with Paula at Afford Anything where he talks about how he sold his Bargaineering blog for a seven-figure amount. In his Wallet Hacks blog, Jim offers an amazing how-to guide to save and make money.
Conclusion
I know there are many other amazing bloggers out there. But this list will do for now. I hope you found some blogs that you like. 🙂
List of Asian Personal Finance Bloggers – Part 2
List of Asian Personal Finance Bloggers – Parts 1 & 2
Join Us For The Latest Update!
I endorse this message with the following!!! ?????????
Thank you for the badges! <3
I’m not Asian, but being more of a congee gal than a peanut butter and jam gal, I appreciate you putting this list together. 😉 So many of my fave blogs on here!!!
LOL I loved your comment! And I agree, there are some super solid bloggers here!
Haha my mother-in-law eats congee every morning. I’m glad you liked the list! 😉
Thank you so much for including me in this round-up! Although I’m a “part-time” personal finance blogger, I have fallen in love with the community. There’s just so much encouragement and knowledge that everyone has to offer! xoxo
I’m also a part-time PF blogger hehe. And yes, I LOVE the community and the support!
Thanks for the shout out! I follow most of the people on this list as well =) I feel a certain kinship towards fellow Asian PF bloggers as well. It’s probably the cultural similarities and whatnot.
I do too! I also think it’s because of the cultural similarities. It’s amazing to read a post and tell myself “That happens to me too!” 😀
<3 <3 <3 This list!!
Aww thank you, Jing!
Thanks for including Retire by 40!
Some new blogs here for me to check out. $48/month for food! How is that possible?
I know! Deb and Al are vegetarian and grow their own garden. I think that helps a lot with the food budget!
Financial Samurai is the best! Literally one of the only bloggers I follow on a consistent basis.
I know what you mean. I like his blog too! 😉
Hi Brian! I appreciate your kind words and readership.
Thanks, Sam
Thanks for including me! I know what you me about yearning for something more familiar…and as Tim says, there is a certain kinship because the cultural similarities and probably how we were raised. I gotta say fried rice is my go-to for easy meal. We often have some extra rice, frozen veggies in the freezer, eggs, and throw in whatever meat we have in the fridge and you got yourself an quick and easy meal.
Based on a cursory browsing of your site, I didn’t realize you’re Asian/Chinese. Now I know… 🙂 Cool!
Haha I LOVE fried rice. One time Mr. FAF made it for me every day for like a week lol. I pack lunch to work too. It’s usually leftover dinner that I find delicious when I’m hungry 😀
Thanks for including me!
Thanks for the inspiration! 😉
Sweet! Thanks for sharing. I feel that every type of person can provide a different perspective on personal finance. I LOVE THESE BLOGS!
Most definitely! I like that every blogger has a unique story to tell! I love these blogs too haha 😀
I just bought a matcha cream puff, so I’ve earned my Asian badge for the day. Some of these blogs I’ve never seen before, so looking forward to new reading material!
Thanks for including me!
Of course! I LOVE matcha ice-cream!
This is a fun list! I’m half asian 🙂
Hi Michelle! I was kind of guessing that too but wasn’t sure. Thanks for letting me know! ^.^
Funny that I was actually thinking about the amount of Asian finance bloggers recently. I was realizing that more than half of the ones I read regularly are Asian. Which seems odd considering Asian’s make up 5%(ish) of the population. I wonder why?
Thanks for posting I look forward to seeing how a $48 a month grocery budget is possible. I’m afraid the meal plan will be lacking some of my favorite forms of protein.
haha maybe more Asians are feeling the blogging bug these days. Must be something about the spring of 2017! I know 4 other Asian bloggers who started at almost the same time as I did. I think Asian PF bloggers might offer a perspective that’s different from the mainstream blogging community, so it might be intriguing to some people.
Deb and Al are vegetarian, so yes, you won’t see beef/pork/chicken in their diets. 😉
Hey FAF, this is a great list. It’s great to get to know other Asian bloggers and another fellow Vietnamese blogger. I don’t provide any quick, delicious or frugal money saving meals, but I like to help people save money in general.
There are quite a few video bloggers on YouTube that can show you how to make a great “Pho” in a flash ?
Hi Leo, I indeed LOVE “Pho” haha. I will definitely make sure to include you in the list for Part II. It’s great to know you as well! ^.^
Thanks for including me, great to see so many fellow Asian personal finance bloggers.
Me too! Your blog is great! =)
I knew about Joe Udo, Sam-urai, and Jim. I never heard of the other bloggers, yet. Where’ve I been? Now I’m not going to have any time going through even more blogs…
Thanks Mrs. FAF!
Darren
Joe, Samurai, and Jim are indeed big names in the PF blogging community. I hope you’ll find more PF bloggers that you like on the list. 😉
I had no idea all of these bloggers were Asian. Such a huge community and really great content from each one of them. Thanks for sharing!!!
Great list! I’ve been already reading from some of them for years, I’m glad you added a description for every site in the list. New sources to read are always welcome.
Hi Alex, I’m glad you liked it! ^.^
Thanks for this. I read about half of the bloggers you mentioned on this list and didn’t know about the rest, going to check it out. It’s nice that their are a good number of Asian PF bloggers out there.☺??
Yay! And now you’re one of us! ^.^
Very interesting. I’m half-Thai, but born and raised right here in the dirty south (carolina). Dad was first from his family to come to the USA. Represent!
Noted. I will include you in part 2 of the list. Thanks for letting me know! ^.^
Thank you for adding to my reading list! Here’s another asian finance blogger reporting in!
Awesome! I’ll add you to part 2 of the list! 😉
I have been reading Financially Alert by Michael for a long time. I think it is the best position.
Thanks for the rest, not all I knew.
Glad you liked the list! 🙂
Great list! I too am Asian but never thought that I had a unique angle to what I have to say about PF. Though the community has been great, which is what definitely keeps me going!
Hi Sarah, thanks for dropping by! I will add you to part 2 of the list! 🙂
Hey cool list! I wonder why there are so many Asian financial bloggers? Or does it just seem that way b/c you put together a list? I have met plenty of African American and Hispanic bloggers too at the conferences.
Fun stuff!
Sam
Thank you, Sam! It’s great to hear it from you! I didn’t know there were so many Asian PF bloggers either. I think it’s because I’m putting all the blogs together, so it looks like a lot. It’s great that you got to meet so many PF bloggers at conferences. I’ve been dreaming about going to Fincon to meet other PF bloggers, including you! 😀
Thanks for spending the time to compile this list. This is very helpful resources!
Glad you liked it! 🙂
Thank you, Ms. FAF. I’m an Asianphile so this post warmed my heart.
Haha I have never heard the term Asianphile before. Glad you liked the list! ^.^