Below is the list of Asian personal finance bloggers that I updated as of 9/19/2017.
I no longer update the list.
Thank you ALL so much for your support with this project!
10! Ten Factorial Rocks by Mr. TFR
Mr. TFR is in his 40s working as a corporate senior manager at a consumer product company.
He loves his job and believes that income is the key to financial independence.
Mr. TFR has 20 years of corporate experience.
He started as an engineer and was promoted to manager, director, vice president, and division head, and recently head of M&A and alliances of a $100 million corporation.
He had all of his education expenses throughout college and graduate school (MBA and PhD) paid for by the schools.
He graduated debt-free with $10,000 in savings.
Mr. TFR named his blog Ten Factorial because $10! ($3.63 Million) is the milestone his family is working towards in order to achieve financial independence.
20 Something Lawyer by George
George is a female lawyer in her 20s in the Philippines. She focuses on litigation and corporate law.
George is also a non-practicing economist and currently practicing public interest law. She loves law but also enjoys finance, travel, fitness, and fashion.
A Frugal Family’s Journey by Mr. AFFJ
Mr. AFFJ is a 41 year-old government employee by day and a blogger by night. His wife stays at home to take care of their 4-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son, but she plans to return to the workforce at the end of the year.
After getting married, Mr. AFFJ and his wife sold Mr. AFFJ’s first home, which he had bought from his parents, for a $300,000 profit in less than a week. With such a quick sale and the urge to find a new place to live, Mr. AFFJ and his wife moved in with his in-laws 7 months after they got married.
During the 9 months of living with their parents, they lived off of the interest from their first home profit and saved close to $100,000.
Mr. AFFJ and his wife have been investing in the stock market for 10 years. They make roughly $1,700/year from the dividend paying stocks in their portfolio. They plan to be financially independent in 14 years.
Mr. AFFJ lives with his wife and two children in Orange County, CA.
A Gai Shan Life by Revanche
Revanche is a professional in her 30s living in the Bay area. She has been a personal finance blogger since 2006.
When Revanche was nine, her mom let her write checks to pay for the real bills.
At the age of seventeen, she helped her family get through a tough time and came out stronger and more aware of the importance of personal finance.
From 2000 to 2008, Revanche paid off nearly $200K in family debts, none of which was incurred by her, while supporting her family of four.
She started a personal finance blog as her free therapy.
Revanche and her family are currently in a much better financial position. They are striving to be rich not just in assets but also in love and giving.
Adulting Millennial by Aya
Aya got a corporate job at a multi-national company after receiving her Master’s degree and fell victim to lifestyle inflation.
With a higher salary than she was used to, Aya started buying clothes and makeup, eating out on a daily basis, and purchasing gadgets and a bigger apartment.
After a year, Aya realized she needed to go back to frugality and have fought hard to stop lifestyle inflation. After hesitating to start blogging for a while, Aya decided to launch her blog in 2017.
Aya offers tips and tricks on adulting such as finances, retirement investment, travel hacking, and debt payoff.
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.
A Journey We Love by Ruby and Peter
Ruby and Peter work full-time while chugging along on their blog. They plan to reach financial independence by 2030 (13 years from now) through expense reduction, side hustles, investing, and AirBnB.
Ruby is the main brain power behind the blog. She loves sharing travel hacks and money saving tips with the reader. Ruby moved from the Philippines to America for job opportunity.
She lives in Jacksonville, Florida and has traveled to more than 20 countries.
Peter, Ruby’s husband, is a contributor and editor on the blog. He’s originally from Slovakia. Peter’s hobbies include soccer, College Football, reading and traveling. They have a fur-baby named Rosie. Rosie “works” as a receptionist and security guard for Peter and Ruby’s Airbnb.
Bayalis Is The Answer by Mrs. BITA
Mrs. BITA is a 38-year-old software engineer. Her husband, Mr. BITA, is a 32-year-old programmer. Mrs. BITA has lived in various places in India and the world partly because her dad used to work as a doctor in the Indian army.
Mr. BITA worked in Bangalore for a then US-based startup company nicknamed “George” for five years. She then moved to their headquarters office in Silicon Valley on an L1 visa right before her 30th birthday.
Despite knowing her colleagues via email and videos back in India and speaking the language fluently, Mrs. BITA has had challenges adapting to the new life in the US such as getting a social security number (SSN) and opening a credit card. She was offered a car loan at 16.5% by Bank of America which she declined.
In 2016, Mrs. BITA learned about FIRE and started her blog to document her journey to early retirement.
BeSmartRich by Mr. BSR
Mr. BSR is a chartered accountant in his 30s and currently lives in Toronto, Canada. He was born in South Korea. Mr. BSR came to Canada to study English and work for 6 months in 2006.
While studying English, Mr. BSR worked as a dish washer and pawn shop assistant making less than $7 an hour. Determined to get out of poverty and stay in the land of opportunity, he decided to get an education from an affordable business school in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
His hard work paid off. Mr. BSR graduated among the top 10 commerce graduates with Summa Cum Laude and landed a job offer from a top 4 accounting firm one year before his graduation. He got married in 2013 and became a Canadian citizen in 2015.
Mr. BSR started his blog to encourage everyone to study hard, work efficiently, be frugal, and invest wisely. He sets himself as an example of someone who made less than a minimum wage, had no English skills, and was a high school graduate living far away from home in a totally new country.
Big Kid, Little Adult by Pia
Pia is a young professional in her 30s. On her blog, Pia publishes monthly financial reports where she discusses her expenses, financial goals, and other major financial news in her life. She also publishes recipes for frugal yet delicious-looking dishes.
Brokepedia by Kristin Wong
Kristin is an award-winning personal finance writer and journalist. She used to work as a correspondent for the MSN Living original series, Sex by the Numbers. Kristin is a regular contributor for Lifehacker and mental_floss.
She launched Brokepedia in 2014 after her fear of getting laid off became a reality. On her blog, Kristen started documenting what she has learned about saving and making money.
Kristin has since been featured on Kiplinger, American Public Media, The Huffington Post, and Business Insider. She has also written for NBC News, the Scripps network, Bankrate, and Fidelity.
Boost My Budget by B.
B. was constantly stressed out about money, worrying whether she had enough money to live on. Out of frustration, B. would blame external factors, such as the high costs of living and the economy, for her financial situation.
In 2016, she took the plunge into personal finance in order to improve her financial situation. B. found solace in finding different ways to make extra income and start side hustles. She shares her tips on boosting income on her blog.
B. is 30 years old and currently lives in London, UK.
Cash Fasting by Jane
Jane started her blog in 2006 out of frustration about her slow debt payoff and retirement savings.
Fast forward to July 2017, she has paid off $35,000 under 3 years and is now on her way to financial independence.
Jane sets a long-term goal to lower her expenses through a series of “cash fasts” which she documents on her blog. Jane also publishes her quarterly financial updates where she talks about the progress with her financial goals for the year.
Jane lives in New York City with her boyfriend, Ian, and have great tips on dating on a budget in the city. Jane is half Chinese.
Casual Investing by Mr. CI
Mr. CI has lived with his wife and two boys, aged 9 and 7, in the East Bay of San Francisco since 2013. He started his blog to share his experiences and be part of a personal finance community.
Mr. CI’s family lives on one income and has prioritized their financial future since the purchase of their home. Mr. CI completed his first financial goal of buying one stock via Robinhood on June 23, 2017. He is waiting to receive his first dividend payout and plans to increase his contributions each month.
Centsible Indian by Pratheeba
Pratheeba studied engineering in India before coming to America to pursue an MBA. While being naturally frugal, she has learned a lot about financial planning, investment, and other finance-related topics through her MBA.
On her blog, Pratheeba talks about the following topics: Family Finance, Budgeting, Organization, Meal Planning, Lifestyle, and Recipes. She currently lives with her husband of 8 years and her two children (a boy and a girl) in the US.
CentsToJoy by Ms. CTJ
Ms. CTJ is a 28-year-old medical technician living in Toronto, Canada. She graduated from college in 2010 with $28,000 in student loans. Motivated by personal finance blogs to speed up her student loan payments, Ms. CTJ became increasingly interested in budgets and spreadsheets.
Ms. CTJ started blogging about personal finance to keep herself accountable, improve her finances, and become a better person. She became debt free in 2013 and achieved a positive net worth in 2014. She got engaged in October 2016 and started joint budgeting and planning a wedding with her fiance in 2017.
Cheapsters by Jackie
Jackie started full-time freelancing after leaving a full-time contract job in 2015. She loves writing about personal finance, especially money saving and side hustle tips.
When Jackie was young, she had separate piggy banks for pennies, dimes, nickels, and quarters in order to save for the neighborhood carnival. She had her first side gig at the age of 10 when she played an extra in Michael Jackson’s “Heal the World” music video as a child Vietnamese boat refugee.
She once aspired to be a hand model after learning. However, after learning that that she would need to get manicures every two weeks and apply cuticle oil before bed every day, Jackie gave up on her modeling plans since she didn’t want to spend so much money to take care of her hands.
Chronicles of A Father with Cents by Kris
Kris is a frequent reader and commenter on my blog, so I was pleased when Kris informed me he had set up a blog of his own.
With the encouragement of this then soon-to-be wife, Kris took drastic actions to pay off $10,000 in credit card debt in 6 months right before his wedding. Kris also paid off $40,000 in student loans after 6 years (8 months after his wedding).
Kris and his wife have been debt free for the past 5 years and have increased their 401(k) contributions, maxed out their IRA contributions, and invested in other funds.
Current on Currency by Anum Yoon
Current on Currency focuses on personal finance for college students and 20 somethings. Anum had lived in three different countries before moving to the US. Anum lived in Hong Kong until she finished middle school.
Anum didn’t think much about personal finance until she started high school in the foothills of the Himalayas. She learned how to budget and live with a monthly allowance of $15 given by her school.
After Anum moved to America for college, she lost track of her expenses and ended up spending $10,000 after the first semester in college. That money didn’t include tuition, room or board.
Anum is now debt free. She documents her journey to financial freedom on her blog.
Dad is Cheap by Vic
Vic works as a Data Analyst at a company that offers children educational products. He doesn’t want his daughter to have as much as he did at a young age. Vic grew up as spoiled kid and got all the cool toys and gadgets at the time. Today those would include the new iPad, the new iPhone, and both an Xbox One and a Playstation 4.
Vic’s parents supported him financially throughout his life up until his graduation from college. He didn’t learn about the importance of money until then. Unlike Vic, his wife grew up in financial hardships. She has helped transform Vic from someone with a strong sense of entitlement to a dad with love and strong work ethics.
Vic is a big fan of video games and professional wrestling. His favorite TV shows include The Wire and Breaking Bad. Vic lives with his wife and two children in the suburbs of LA County.
Debt BLAG by Mario
Mario reached out to me on Twitter asking me how to get on the List of Asian Personal Finance Bloggers, so I’m happy to include him here. In January 2013, Mario, back then a single guy living in New York, realized that he had amassed more than $160,000 in debt.
It was also during that time that he started Debt Blag. On his blog, Mario offers the lessons he learned the hard way about paying off debt to reach financial independence.
Debt Free Geek by Chris
Chris works as the Vice President and Director of Information Security for a financial institution. At the age of 28, Chris paid off over $150,000 in 3.5 years and is now 100% debt free (no mortgage).
However, Chris and his wife realized that money didn’t make them happy. They are now working towards financial independence.
Dirt Cheap Wealth by Shivika
Shivika’s grew up in a lower-middle class turned upper-class family in India. Her father hustled his way throughout most of his life. He made a fortune for himself and his family when he successfully founded an IMPEX (import-export) business for office equipment. He was one of the first people to introduce computers into India.
However, a business mishap exhausted her family’s wealth and pushed Shavika’s parents into selling some of their properties and moving to the US. Her family came to the US with $1,000. Her dad worked in an office and slept on the kitchen floor.
Shivika didn’t know how to save until she got married. Shivika was never taught about the principles of personal finance. On her blog, Shavika shares “unconventional and unique” wealth building tips.
Earn More Live Freely by Ming
After Ming and her husband lost their jobs due to a sudden company close-down, she started looking for a new job and got frustrated by not having control over her finances.
Ming took her husband’s advice and started a freelance business business. Ming’s online business has now grown to provide her and her family with a stable monthly income.
She offers a free 4-day email crash course called “How To Create A New Income Stream Using Skills/Knowledge You Already Have (Without Leaving Your Day Job).”
Epic Quiver by Mr. EQ
After graduating from college, Mr. EQ decided to leave the US with a backpack of clothes, 10 books and $500 to his name. Over the next three years, he traveled the work while working odd jobs. Despite averaging $10,000 a year in income, Mr. EQ saved more than 70% of his salary.
He once worked at a carnival 12 hours a week for 21 days as a bungee trampoline operator, making $350 a day, while living in a tent. Mr. EQ later came back to California to pursue an MBA and has since worked for three Fortune 500 companies.
In 2011, Mr. EQ started investing in asset classes such as the rock market, gold, real estate, and San Diego craft beer.
Financial Nirvana Mama by Tracy
Tracy is a consultant, entrepreneur, and real estate investor based in Canada. After graduating college with a huge student loan debt and $600 to her name, Tracy set a goal to pay off that debt as soon as she could. She accomplished that goal after two years of working as a model, tutor and as an environmental engineer for 70+ hours a week.
After being burned out from the stressful long hours and overnight shifts, Tracy decided to dive into real estate and achieved her financial freedom 7 years later. She also left her six-figure engineering job with potential for promotion after 13 years.
Tracy has grown her real estate into a multi-million dollar portfolio while maintaining a demanding career and taking care of her family (with twin daughters).
Filling The Pig by Kevin
Kevin has been financially hemorrhaged and in debt. But he always found ways to get out of financial hardships and learned from his mistakes. He has managed large corporate budgets, operated three side businesses, and invested in stocks.
Kevin has been doing his own taxes since the age of 16 and has been audited by the IRS due to his multiple side businesses. He has loved both experiences and thus considered himself “nerdy.”
His side businesses included equipment flipping, outdoor equipment rental, real estate flipping, and rental properties. He invested $10,000 in the stock market after it crashed in 2008 and had roughly $18,000 in his account a year later. His return in 2016 was 36%.
Kevin is half Japanese and half Swedish.
Financial Independence 55 (Fi55) by Poh Tan
Poh is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) in his 50s. After achieving financial independence, Poh retired from the workforce. However, with a desire to stay productive, Poh went on to get his Certified Financial Planner (CFP) qualification and teach accounting at a local college.
Poh started his blog to share his tips on how to become financially independent.
Financial Panther
Financial Panther graduated college in 2009 in the midst of the 2008 financial crisis. Due to the dire job market, he went to law school and graduated in May 2013 with $87,000 in student loans.
Financial Panther accelerated his debt payoff starting in January 2014 and made the final payment in June 2016. He then left the big law firm he had worked at for 3 years and took a government attorney job that paid $50,000 less than his previous job.
However, Financial Panther had gotten used to living below his means, so he didn’t notice any major lifestyle change. He has started a series of side hustles such as a dog-sitting business, Airbnb, delivering food, and selling used items online.
Financial Panther and his wife are now paying off his wife’s students loans from dental school. They have an adorable dog named Financial Pub.
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.
FIREPlant by FIREPlanter
On his blog, FIREPlanter shares his journey towards Financial Independence and the beauty of being financially free. He shares lessons, tips, and tricks about how he’s grown his FIREplant over the past years.
FIREPlanter publishes a Dividends Series where he documents his quarterly dividend yield. He’s based in the UK.
FITnancials by Alexis
Alexis started her blog in 2013 to share her tips on personal finance, travel, and fitness. Alexis works as a full-time blogger, which has enabled her to travel the world. Alexis has been to Europe, South America, Australia, and Asia.
Alexis used to have a binge eating disorder but overcame herself to lose more than 60 lbs after realizing one night that she was overweight at over 170 lbs (5’2” in height). Since then, Alexis has made more conscious choices about her nutrition and exercise.
Alexis is Michelle (Making Sense of Cents)’s younger sister.
From Pennies to Plenty by Arlene
In 2013, Arlene moved back to her home in San Francisco after years of work, school, and travel. She had $30,000 in student loans and no job. Arlene was relieved to get a contract job working in the schools for eight months until the summer.
There was no telling whether she could get summer work or a job for the next school year. She got through that summer through budgeting and saving. Arlene ended up getting a job that she needed, but it wasn’t something she wanted.
Arlene has now paid off her student loans and are trying to accomplish her new goals: purchasing a home, maintaining her car, starting a family, saving for retirement, and buffering up her emergency fund. She plans to achieve all of those goals while enjoying life to the fullest.
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.
Frugal Hackers by Mr. and Mrs. FH
Mr. and Mrs. Frugal Hackers (FH) are a Canadian married couple of Indian origin currently living in San Francisco. At the age of 30 and 27 (2017), they make a combined annual income of $300,000 as a Software Engineer and an Accounting Manager.
Unlike many people in San Francisco who squander their hard-earned money on extravagant purchases, the couple lives a frugal life and is on track to saving 70% of their after-tax income in 2017.
After purchasing a 3-bedroom 1300 sq. ft. apartment in San Francisco, Mr. and Mrs. FH started looking at their finances more carefully, they realized that with intentional frugality, they could hit the $1 million milestone by July 2021 (in 4 years) and become financially independent.
When they do, Mr. FH will be 33, and Mrs. FH will be 30. They plan to move back to Vancouver and live under $35,000 a year to enjoy their early retirement.
FrugalFI by Olivia
Olivia is a 24-year-old female working in Program Management and has a degree in Marketing from University of Washington. She got her first part-time job at the age of 16 and was able to save $10,000 at age 21.
Olivia plans to retire at the age of 45 and documents her journey to FIRE on her blog. She distinguishes herself from other FIRE blogs since she didn’t major in STEM, does’t have a six-figure salary, and is not a male. She publishes monthly net worth updates on her site to keep track of her progress.
Olivia lives in the Seattle metro area. Her hobbies include video games, outdoor summer/winter sports, and gardening.
Future Proof MD
Future Proof MD is a radiology resident and personal finance blogger. He addresses personal finance topics that appeal to young medical professionals (i.e. med students, residents and fellows).
Future Proof MD started his blog to fill a knowledge gap about personal finance among young medical professionals. Despite his hectic schedule as a resident in training, he publishes posts three times a week: Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
If you are a medical student or are trying to pay off debt from med school, or even if you just want to know what it’s like paying off medical school loans, then head on over to his blog and check out some great tips.
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.
Growing My Pennies by Tina
Tina is originally from the Midwest but currently lives in Las Vegas. She started blogging to connect with a community of bloggers who are working towards financial freedom. Tina particularly wants to connect with those with a similar background as her: in mid 30s, not in a really high-paying job, and passionate about early retirement.
Her Tiny Atlas by Meghan
Meghan graduated college in 2015 and loves traveling the world while on a budget. On her blog, she shares her tips and tricks on how to explore various destinations, cultures, and cuisines without breaking the bank.
Her daily budget for India and Nepal was $10. Meghan once traveled to Iceland, Amsterdam, and Spain for three weeks on a $2,000 budget. Her dream destinations include Bali (Indonesia), Cartagena (Colombia), and Lisbon (Portugal).
High Fiving Dollars by Sarah Li Cain
Sarah was once jobless, homeless, and $9,000 in credit card debt due to an ex-boyfriend. Since then, she has learned to take better care of her physical, mental and financial health and now lives happily with her husband and son.
Sarah once walked away from a job that was physically and emotionally draining. She had no backup plan and no job lined up the next day. But a healthy emergency fund that could cover 18 months of her family’s expenses showed Sarah that she had options.
Through her experience, Sarah wants to empower women to take charge of their financial and emotional health.
I Saved 5k by Leo T. Ly
Leo is a realtor based in Ontario, Canada. If you are interested in gaining financial independence and investing in real estate, then I Saved 5k is for you.
After reaching the millionaire status over 10 years, Leo is well on his way to gaining financial independence: increasing his net worth to $2 million and retiring by the age of 48. Leo’s recipe for financial success consists of disciplined saving, utilizing tax rules, and leveraging money for investment instead of consumption.
I The Corporate Slave by Maven
Maven is a CPA at a multinational company. When she’s not at work, Maven likes working on her personal finance. On her blog, Maven describes her life as a ‘corporate slave’ and her path to financial freedom. She talks passionately about her experience with food, travel, and fashion. She also publishes her monthly net worth reports.
Maven is originally from Manila, Philippines. She currently resides in France.
Jen On Money By Jen
Jen is a lawyer based in Toronto, Canada. After graduating from law school with $50,000 in debt, Jen found herself alarmingly concerned about how to pay off such a huge amount of debt.
However, a beginners personal finance book came to Jen’s rescue. She started to learn the basics about how to effectively manage her money. Jen officially embarked on her debt payoff journey in Feb 2016. She paid off $30,000 of debt after one and a half years despite living in an expensive city and making an average salary.
On her blog, Jen offers money tips that have worked well for her and which she hopes will help other young women.
Just Making Cents by JT, M, and Conner
JT worked on Wall Street for more than 15 years. He grew up in a poor family on the West Coast and has lived on the East Coast for over 16 years. His mom was a seamstress while his dad was a 7-11 employee. JT’s friends in Los Angeles were gang members.
JT moved to New York with $700 and no job. After getting a series of rejections, he started working at J Crew to cover his $20/day hostel expense. JT ended up getting a high-paying job at a multi-billion dollar hedge fund working mostly with Ivy Leaguers and some of the highest formerly elected officials.
JT later moved to Philadelphia, where he currently lives with his wife and three children (Zuzzy, Zack, and Liza).
M worked in consumer and digital marketing for magazines for more than ten years. He now works as a consultant for a top-3 MBA program, advising students on how to get job offers from the most precious companies in the world.
Conner works as an editor-in-chief for the blog.
Learn to be Great by Darren
Darren’s topics of interest include personal finance, personal development, health, fitness, and life. Darren retired from the US Army three years ago and works as an instructor for the US Army’s Soldiers and civilian workforce.
Darren started his blog to explore his creativity, show others how to run a profitable business, and to leave a legacy for his children.
Lisa Vs. The Loans by Lisa
Lisa works as a treasury analyst at a financial services company . Lisa and her husband are on their way to pay off $49,716.72 in debt (student loans, credit card debts, and car loans) before she turns 30. She documents that journey in her Debt Free By 30 series.
Lisa started her blog to hold herself accountable for the debt payoff and now wants to share more about her life and finances. She lives with her husband, her brother, her mom, and her auntie in San Francisco, California.
LiveFrugaLee by Danny and Manny Lee
Danny and Manny Lee (aka Mr. and Dr. FrugaLee) are twin brother bloggers. Mr. FrugaLee started his blog in February 2016 and was joined a year later by Dr. FrugaLee.
They were born and raised in Rhode Island and grew up in easton Cranston, Providence. With a strong aptitude for math and science, Mr. FrugalLee pursed a B.S. in chemical engineering from Brown University while Dr. FrugalLee obtained a B.S. in computer engineering from Boston University. They both graduated in 2007.
Mr. FrugalLee currently lives with his wife and son in Virginia after moving to Missouri and Kansas for his jobs. He is a patent examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He also works as a part-time realtor at Samson Properties. His side hustles so far include working as a waiter at Uncle Julio’s Fairfax Corner and driving for Uber and Lyft.
Dr. FrugalLee worked as an IT specialist in New Jersey for three years before going to med school and later on completing his residency in New York, where he currently lives with his wife and daughter. He plans to finish his residency by 2020. His financial goal is to achieve financial independence by 2030.
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.
Making Sense of Cents by Michelle Schroeder-Gardner
Michelle started her blog in 2011 to document how she paid off $38,000 in student loans. Since then, Making Sense of Cents has grown into a successful business, generating $979,321 in income in 2016. Michelle’s most recent income report for May 2017 reached $120,104.93.
Michelle and her husband sold their house in 2015 to travel full-time in their RV. They have two adorable fur-children.
What I admire about Michelle is not only her impressive income but also her acumen and tenacity as a businesswomen. She has only two part-time assistants, an editor and a tech specialist, instead of a big team.
Michelle has faced multiple comments and questions from others doubting her ability as a woman to single-handedly build such a strong business. But she has shown them that she can do what they deem impossible. She can do what they think THEY can’t.
I like proving other people wrong when they think I can’t do something successfully, so it’s not an overstatement that I look up to Michelle as my role model when it comes to blogging.
Side note: Mr. FAF has always doubted my ability to run a successful blog and make any money from it. In other words, he doubts my ability to become a successful businesswoman. I know it doesn’t sound romantic, but it’s the harsh reality.
I understand where he’s coming from. Making money from blogging is still a foreign concept to him. Mr. FAF always says my blog is just for fun, which irks me to no end.
One time, I showed him Michelle’s monthly income report and told him one day I will make in a month what he can make in a year. I’m not sure if I will, but I just loved his facial expression right then and there: shocked and in disbelief.
Millionaire by 50 by Menard
Menard was born and raised in the Philippines. In 1997, he came to America to work as a computer programmer. He came from a well-to-do family and was struck by the income inequality in Manila, where he used to live.
After living in America for five years, Menard realized the importance of being on time and investing early, something he didn’t realize in his 20s.
Menard now works as a software engineer. He lives with his wife, a registered nurse, his two children, and his in-laws. Over the past decades, he and his wife’s combined income ranged from $120K to $200K. Menard reached his millionaire status after Donald Trump won the presidential election in November, 2016.
Minimalist In The City by Kate and Dave
Kate was introduced to minimalism by her friend, who wanted to adopt a minimalist lifestyle out of frustration about her small yet packed apartment. Kate then found hundreds of blogs about minimalism and was fascinated by the concept and how many bloggers have successfully become minimalists.
Having grown up in a metropolitan area, Kate finds peace in the simple beauty of minimalism and is now pursuing it together with her husband, Dave. Kate and Dave publishes monthly expense reports to document their goal of achieving financial independence when their investment portfolio reaches a high level of performance. They currently live in Singapore.
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.
Millennial Revolution by FIRECracker & Wanderer
FIRECracker & Wanderer are computer engineers and children’s authors who retired at 31 and started traveling the world on $40,000 CAD/year.
After saving up tirelessly for years and realizing it still wasn’t enough in the expensive real estate market in one of the most expensive cities in Canada, they decided to not purchase a house.
Instead, the couple rented and invested their savings. They managed to build a 7-figure portfolio, which enabled them to reach financial independence at age 31.
Since then, they couple have pursued their passion projects such as writing children’s books, coding apps for a non-profit, and working on their personal finance blog.
Miss Bonnie MD by Dr. Bonnie Koo
Dr. Bonnie Koo is a dermatologist in New York but has always been an entrepreneur at heart. Her first successful business venture was her lemonade stand when Dr. Koo was only 10 years old. After graduating from Barnard College, she worked at Morgan Stanley making six figures by the age of 23.
Dr. Koo went on to earn her medical degree at Columbia University. It was during this time and before she finished her residency that Dr. Koo lived paycheck to paycheck and was $20,000 in credit card debt. She ended up with $200,000 in student loans. With a passion for financial health, she plans to achieve financial independence in 15-20 years.
Bonnie also has an amazing bi-monthly podcast called “Friends Talk Finance.”
Mixed Money Arts by Mr. MMA
Mr. MMA recently graduated from law school and currently resides in New York. Through careful financial planning, his parents went from receiving food stamps to being in the upper middle class. However, Mr. MMA admits that despite seeing the power of savings from his parents, he was “an irresponsible fresh-out-of-college twenty-two year old.”
Mr. MMA worked as a tutor and a cashier during high school. He participated in a work-study program to work as the manager of a local bubble tea shop. However, after dropping a thousand or two on restaurants, clothes and his social life, he had $100 saved up by the time he graduated.
Mr. MMA moved to East Asia for work after graduation and earned $24,000/year after taxes. He saved up $7,000 after his first year in Asia even with free housing. He spent the majority of his income on alcohol, black car service, expensive restaurants and frequent trips to nearby countries in Asia twice a month.
After returning to the US with $1,000 to his name, Mr. MMA was determined to be financially responsible. And he wants to share all of the financial lessons he’s learned and have found in his new journey on his blog.
Mommy Finance by Melanie
On March 11 of this year, Melanie entered the 30 club. One month later, April 2017, Melanie and her husband finished their one year of living with a mortgage. These two milestones prompted Melanie to take a closer look at her current life and the future. Below are the key takeaways from her reflections:
1. It is more difficult to save money with a mortage and utility bills compared to when she was living with family.
2. She needs better tools to track her finances than an Excel sheet on her phone.
3. She needs to lower unnecessary expenses such as a $40 pair of Nike’s for her son.
4. She needs to increase her savings or earn more income.
5. It will take a lot of hard work and dedication to save for her son’s college tuition.
Melanie was born and raised in Oahu, Hawaii. Melanie started Mommy Finance to hold herself accountable for her family’s debt payoff and keep track of growing her 3-year-old son’s college fund.
Money Done Right by Logan and Caroline
Logan and Caroline are millennials in their 20s. Logan graduated from college with $35,631 in student loans in 2009. During that time, the economy was tanking, and he had no money, no assistance from his parents, and no car.
In the August night before he started his first job, Logan told himself that he would have to work hard, pay off his debt, and learn everything he could about money, investment, passive income, and financial freedom. Eight years later, Logan has increased his net worth from negative $35,000 to positive $775,000 (as of May 2017).
Logan’s wife, Caroline, is Korean American.
Money Matters For Globetrotters by Hui-chin Chen
Hui-chin is a financial planner trained in the US. Originally from Taiwan, she has lived in five countries as a student, an employee , a non-profit worker, a dependent, and a small business owner over the past 13 years. She is now a dual citizen and has three passports. Hui-chin plans to continue her nomad lifestyle in the future despite all the frustration of adjusting that comes with it.
Her blog is targeted at American expats, immigrants/expats in the US, and American citizens. If you have some type of ties with America, the content is best suited for you. However, the basic principles of personal finance will still apply wherever you might be.
Hui-chin is also interested in the behavioral aspect of financial decisions which is featured in her Smart Decision Making posts.
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.
Mr. Tako Escapes by Mr. Tako
I follow Mr. Tako Escapes’s blog religiously but wasn’t sure if he was Asian until Dr. Physician On Fire confirmed with me on the Rockstar Finance forum.
If you visit Mr. Tako’s blog, you will be impressed with the beautiful and delicious-looking photos of Japanese dishes that he makes. Mr. Tako and his family rarely eat out since he’s such a great cook.
Mr. Tako became financially independent with his wife at the age of 38. In 2015, Mr. Tako and his wife were worth over $2 million USD although he made less than $100,000 for most of his career.
He lives with his wife and two sons in the Pacific Northwest of the US.
Ms. Financial Literacy by Nina Seibold
Back in 2009, Nina and her husband spent a lot on healthy food, restaurants, and vacations. But they were frugal in many other aspects of their lives.
Nina was driving a 1985 Honda Civic while her husband was driving the same model made in 1995. They were not interested in the latest gadgets. Her husband didn’t get a phone data plan until 2013, and Nina didn’t get hers until December 2012.
Nina and her husband are working to achieve financial independence by 2018. They plan to save 33X their annual expenses for that goal. Their current monthly expenses are roughly $5,000, 35% of which goes to childcare. Once they leave their 9-5 jobs and can stay home with their daughter, their annual expenses will drop to $50,000 or less.
Nina and her family live in San Francisco.
My Money Blog by Johnathan Ping
Johnathan started his blog in December 2004. He is a father of three, a business owner, and an avid investor in pursuit of financial freedom.
He has been running a successfully corporation, which he decided to incorporate into an S-corp instead of an LLC, for more than 10 years. Johnathan takes on the President, CEO, and many other executive positions (CIO, CFO, COO) of his business.
Johnathan publishes a series of updates on his retirement portfolio income and asset allocation to track his progress towards being financially free.
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.
Net Worth Goals by Joe
Joe admits on his blog that he’s just an average person who has never been “a great student, been “gifted,” or blessed with a silver spoon.” He has made mistakes in the past such as buying an overpriced car in his early 20s and spending money he didn’t have.
Although not being an academic enthusiast, Joe was fascinated by his Entrepreneurship class, where he learned about the importance of goal setting. He’s determined to phase out his financial dependence on debt, his job, and the rat race. In other words, Joe has mapped out a path towards his financial freedom by 40.
NZ Muse
NZ Muse lives in Auckland, New Zealand but took six months off in 2013 to travel the world. She was one of the three Asians majoring in journalism at her school and writes for a living.
In her hardest days, NZ Muse ate so many jam sandwiches that she no longer wants to have jam in her house. Things started to look up for NZ Muse. She bought a house in 2016 and has been living it since.
One Cent at a Time by Mr. SMB
Mr. SMB is in his mid 30s and works in the Technology department of a major financial corporation. After getting a Masters degree in Computer Science from one of the top universities in India, he was transferred by his America-based employer to their head office in the US. Mr. SMB plans to climb up the corporate ladder and then transition to full-time blogging in the future.
Mr. SMB has never been in debt or paid any interest rates or penalty fees. He is passionate about frugality, investment, and finance. He takes pride in being a go-to financial advisor for his colleagues at work.
With a strong belief that building wealth takes time, he named his personal finance blog One Cent at a Time, where he shares his tips on staying debt free and “How to be rich.”
Mr. SMB currently lives with his wife and son in Miami, Florida.
Par Compounded by Andrew
After getting a degree in finance and accounting, Andrew moved to Southern California and currently works as an equity research analyst. He is interested in topics related to finance, accounting, and particularly the stock market.
Andrew became passionate about investment after reading Ben Graham’s Intelligent Investor and Phil Fisher’s Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits. He made his debut into investing by purchasing Berkshire Hathaway stocks as a sophomore in college and still have them until today.
On his blog, Andrew talks about personal finance, the market, life/happiness, and his side hustles.
Passive Income M.D. by Mr. PMID
Mr. Passive Income M.D. (PIMD) is an anesthesiologist. He lives with his family (his wife, kids, and multiple dogs) on the West Coast. Mr. PIMD’s end goal is to balance spending time with family and meeting the requirements of his demanding profession.
Mr. PIMD didn’t realize the potential of passive income until he read books such as Rich Dad, Poor Dad and The 4-Hour Workweek. With his friend’s encouragement, Mr. PIMD started Passive Income M.D. to document his path to passive income which will enable him to dedicate more time to his family.
Penny Wise Dollar Wiser by James
James is in his early 30s and is married with one kid. During the 2008 financial crisis, he got laid off due to his company’s cost reduction strategy. The company later filed for bankruptcy in 2011.
Feeling the pressure of no income, no savings, and $41,000 in student loans, James moved back home to live with his parents. Amidst all the financial turmoil, his then girlfriend decided to break up with him.
After recovering from such unfortunate and sudden events, James set his mind on changing his life and finances. He began learning about money management, investment, and entrepreneurship. Since then, James has paid off his student loans, increased his savings, invested in stocks and bonds, and started two successful businesses.
James and his wife currently work full-time. However, with the birth of their son, his wife plans to become a stay-at-home mom. Thanks to their careful budget planning, James and his wife are on their way to retiring by 40 despite the incoming loss of his wife’s steady income.
Quietly Saving by Weenie
Weenie lives in Manchester, UK. Her hobbies include soccer, fiction, home brewing beer, and TV shows such as ‘Game of Thrones.” She worked for an international finance company for 21 years until December 2016. Weenie is currently debt free except for her mortgage.
Weenie graduated college amidst the early 1990s recession. With £2,000 of student loans and credit card debts, she worked for her family business for a couple of years to pay it off.
After the economy started to recover, Weenie worked in various temp positions making decent wages. It was also during this time that she fell victim to the credit card trap in order to keep up with her friends and family who were making more money than she did.
She bought a house with her ex-boyfriend but continued to accumulate more stuff that they didn’t really need including taking out loans for two brand-new cars.
They continued the lifestyle until her ex-boyfriend got laid off. Weenie started to pay off her debt and covered all of their expenses with her income. Weenie later moved in with her family and bought a rental property which she later paid off while living in her family house.
She has been debt free for the past few years and is currently living frugally to retire early.
RetireHappy by Jim Yih
Based in Canada, Jim is an award-winning blogger, professional financial speaker, best-selling author, and columnist. He focuses on investment, retirement, and personal finance with over 20 years of experience.
Jim believes in the importance of education in achieving financial success. After hitting the best sellers list with his first book Mutual Fundamentals in 1999, Jim has published 6 other books on personal finance, including 10 Things I Wish Someone Told Me About Retirement and Ideas for Success.
RetireHappy has been recognized as Canada’s best personal finance blog by the Globe and Mail.
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.
Rogue Dad, M.D. by Rogue Dad
Rogue Dad is a second-generation Pakistani-American Muslim pediatric resident and married with three kids. He was born and raised in a conservative Midwest state. Throughout his life, Rogue Dad has experienced discrimination and discomfort targeted at his religion whether it’s at school or in a social setting.
He doesn’t feel a sense of belonging either in America or in Pakistan. In America, he doesn’t seem to have the right skin color, religion or name. In Pakistan, he doesn’t have the right clothing, mannerisms, or accent.
He started his blog to share his experience and interact with people who normally wouldn’t interact with in order to explore a common ground. His topics include medicine, money, faith, and family.
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.
Savingchamps by Lorna
Lorna grew up in a frugal family in China. In 2000, she came to America to pursue a PhD. Lorna paid for the GRE and application fees for 15 graduate schools in the U.S with the savings she had put away by working multiple jobs throughout college and grad school.
Lorna lives with her husband (Roy) and two children (Andrew and Allison) in the DC area.
SavingsPinay by Izza Glino
Izza works as a content creator, technical writer, and event host besides running her personal finance blog.
Prior to starting her blog, Izza’s expenses used to exceed her income, leaving her with no money three days before the pay day. She was under the pressure of keeping up and fitting in with her colleagues who had a different lifestyle from hers. In 2014, Izza discovered personal finance books and resources on how to make money online.
She started SavingsPinay in 2014 and got 13,000-15,000 page views per month in 2016. She publishes four times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday). Her blog is now one of the Top 50 Personal Finance Blog in the Philippines.
Izza aims to become financially free by 30.
Simple Money Man by Owais
Owais works in Finance and Accounting for the State of Maryland. He was raised in Laurel, Maryland, and still lives there to this day with his wife and son. Owais has a CPA license and a CIA certification that he obtained years ago.
Owais admits that his posts are usually shorter than those you find on other personal finance blogs for two main reasons. First, Owais has a full-time job and a family he wants to dedicate his time to. Second, he is a man of few words although he is social. His writing tends to be simple and contains many stats, figures, and references.
Smart Provision by SP
SP is a simple and minimalistic blogger in his early 20s. He used to be “spendy” college student who would spend $1,000 a month buying the latest gadgets to impress other people and to make his life easier.
After three years of not focusing on saving, one day SP came across Mr. Money Mustache’s famous article The Shockingly Simple Math Behind Early Retirement.
He decided to get a better-paying job, reduced his expenses, and increased his 401(k) contribution to accelerate his progress towards FIRE.
In an effort to retire early, SP is working hard to reach $1,000,000 which will enable him to withdraw $40,000 a year at a rate of 4%. He publishes monthly net worth reports to keep track of his progress.
Stretch A Dime by Michael
Michael is in his late 30s working in management. In 2000, Michael had $27,000 in credit card debt after getting his Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering. The debt was mainly due to his interest in name-brand items, partying, expensive vacations and other pricey hobbies. Michael didn’t want to find out about how much he owed until all of his credit cards were maxed out.
He took drastic measures to wean himself off credit cards and to get out of debt:
– Carrying only one credit card for emergencies.
– Cancelling all the non-necessities such as cable TV, his cell phone, and eating out.
– Keeping track of every penny he spent.
– Tacking his credit card debts from the smallest to the largest
With the help of a mentor and a good-paying job, Michael paid off the $27,000 debt in three years and have stayed debt free ever since. After that experience, he started diving into personal finance and has become more resourceful at handling his finances.
Stretching My Money by Albert
Albert became serious about saving when he was a theater student and transitioned into a brief career as an artist making $400 a week. He then used the savings to get an MBA and went on to start an office job. On his blog, Albert shares his tips on spending, saving, and investment on his way to early retirement.
Albert is based in Toronto, Canada.
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 Blind Investor by Mr. TBI
Mr. TBI and his wife got married 10 years ago. He recommends blind dates suggested by family and friends as a great way to explore what life has to offer. They both followed their parents’ advice to get an education, start a career, and then get married.
Mr. TBI later realized that his parents’ advice and the cultural norms they adopted were invaluable. When Mr. TBI and his wife tied the knot, their combined net worth was $518,000, $465,000 of which came from his wife.
The Broke Professional by Syed
Syed has worked as an optometrist since 2009. After meeting many new grads who aren’t familiar with retirement planning, investment, or how best to pay off their student loans, Syed started the Broke Professional to provide guidance on personal finance.
He likes to talking about the NY Giants and Knicks.
The Expat Investor by Jay
Jay is 29 years old and has worked in Afghanistan for almost four years. His job has enabled Jay to increase his net worth, savings, and long-term investment. He is currently debt free except for the two mortgages that he bough in the US.
Depite the harsh working environment in Afghanhistan (i.e. being confined, a 7 days/week work schedule, 12-hour shifts with no break on holidays), Jay is happy to have taken on the challenge.
Over the past two years, Jay has stepped up his investment in infex funds, stocks, p2p lending, and real estate. He publishes a series of monthly net worth reports. His net worth as of July 2017 was $846,552.
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 Give and Get by Elizabeth
Elizabeth is an attorney in her early 30s working at a law firm in Washington DC. Her parents immigrated to America and worked hard to give themselves and their three children a college education.
They have paid off their house and are now retired. Elizabeth’s parents taught her the importance of saving and instilled in her an intolerance for waste.
Elizabeth started her blog one month after she was certain about her ending engagement. Her blog focuses on high-income earners who are not afraid to spend their hard-earned money on something they truly want whether it’s a latte or a Lexus paid in cash.
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 Practical Saver by Allen Liwanag
Allen was born and raised in the Philippines. He came to America in 2004 after graduating from college. Allen got into a total of $25,000 debt in student loans and credit cards. He saw the amount as a wake-up call and took drastic actions to pay off debt.
Besides making the extra dollars to pay off debt, Allen also applied for more than 400 jobs and interviewed at more than 50 companies for a better-paying job opportunity. Allen learned everything he could about personal finance and was finally debt free after two years. Allen doesn’t mind people calling him cheap or “El Cheapo.”
Allen started blogging in February 2016. As of June 2017, his year-to-date blog income is more than $24,000. Allen also has impressive blog traffic stats to show in the early days of his blogging endeavor.
— 3rd month of blogging: 16,960 views ($657.17 in income)
— 4th month of blogging: 29,399 views ($1,400 in income)
— 5th month of blogging: 60,753 views ($2,950 in income)
— 6th month of blogging: 102,482 view ($3,430 in income)
The Tireless Worker by Terence
Terrence grew up not realizing the importance of money, savings, or a budget since personal finance wasn’t taught at school. He thought that investment was only for Wall Street bankers. However, thanks for his mom, Terrance saved his extra allowance. He also saw his family’s frugal lifestyle and learned from it.
Knowing the difficulty of understanding all the technical terms related to investment, Terrence is currently developing a Technical Analysis course in order to provide a more simplistic understanding of investment terminology.
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.
Working Optional by Mr. WO
Mr. Working Optional (MO) is a first-generation immigrant from India. He has been self-employed in the IT industry for more than a decade. Mr. WO started blogging to document his journey to financial freedom and inspire others to pursue their own paths.
He aims to become a millionaire by 40 by saving, paying off the mortgage, exploring passive income, and learning tirelessly about personal finance.
His hobbies include hiking, traveling and riding his motorcycle. He lives with his wife and two children in Southern California.
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.
Urban Departures by Emily and Daniel
Emily and Daniel is a couple team who is passionate about personal finance and travel. Both of them are engineers. Daniel had $30,000 in student loans while Emily had a negative net worth when they got married.
They paid off their student loans in two years and paid for their wedding in cash. They put the rest of their savings in a down payment for their first home.
Emily and Daniel have two children.
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.
