If you’ve ever tried to achieve a tough goal, you know what a difference it makes to have someone support you along the way. A person like that can help you stay accountable and focused, even when the going...
If you’ve ever tried to achieve a tough goal, you know what a difference it makes to have someone support you along the way. A person like that can help you stay accountable and focused, even when the going gets tough (because you know it will).
That camaraderie is what we had in mind when we launched The Penny Hoarder Community in December 2018. In the Community, members — now more than 11,000 strong! — share advice, strategies and suggestions, all aimed at helping themselves and one another feel less stress about money.
To mark our first year with the Community, we’ve rounded up 2019’s most commented-on discussions for you. Check them out, then sign up to become a member. Who knows? You just might find the support you need to make 2020 the year you finally make your money goals a reality.
FROM THE SAVE MONEY FORUM
1. Buying and Reselling on eBay
In one of our most active comment threads, community members shared their experiences with buying and reselling on eBay, including tips on logistics, pricing and deciding what to sell.
2. If Money Were No Object, Where Would You Travel and Why?
Community members took some time out from exchanging practical money-saving and -making tips to talk about their dream vacations, thanks to a question posed by Jon Moore, one of our volunteer moderators.
3. Should You Donate Part of a Bonus to Charity or Church?
Staff writer Grace Schweizer posed a question in the community that got a lot of members talking: “You just received a $5,000 bonus at work. Your significant other says you should give at least $500 to your church or a charity. Go or no-go?” The consensus? You’ll have to read the discussion to find out.
4. Should You Lend Money to a Family Member Who Wants to Start a Business?
Another community member posed this question, which touched on a topic many of our members have strong opinions about. What do you think?
5. What’s the Cheapest Way to Get Around If You Don’t Have a Car?
Cars can be costly, but sometimes you just don’t have an alternative. In this discussion, community members shared their tips and strategies (and a few heartwarming stories!) for getting around when you don’t have a car at your disposal.
6. Can Drinking Coffee Affect Your Finances?
Jon, our volunteer moderator, posed this question after he was inspired by a trip to a coffee shop to do some work. He brought his own coffee from home instead of spending $5 on a cup from the shop, which sparked a lively discussion about the frugal pleasures of making your own coffee and tea.
7. Are You an Amazon Shopper?
A fun part of being a community member is having the opportunity to help our staff writers and editors with their stories. In this discussion, a staff writer wanted to know how many of our community members use Amazon. The ensuing comments showed just how many people have strong opinions about the world’s biggest online retailer.
8. Giving to Charity
Charitable giving is not something that often comes up when talking about how to make and save more money, but volunteer moderator Jon asked some good questions that got people talking about their own experiences with giving to charities, including how they decide what organizations to give to and how much to give.
9. Anyone Pursuing a F.I.R.E. Strategy?
As the community member says, F.I.R.E. has been on fire lately, with lots of news coverage about the Financial Independence Retire Early movement. One member wanted to know if anyone in the community was actually pursuing a F.I.R.E. strategy, and they were rewarded with some thoughtful responses.
10. How to Make Money By Asking Questions on Quora
You may know Quora as a site where actual people ask questions and have them answered by other actual people, but did you know you can make money by asking those questions? We didn’t! At least, not until one of our volunteer moderators started a discussion thread explaining how he makes money by asking questions on Quora.
Caitlin Constantine is the deputy managing editor of The Penny Hoarder.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.