It’s New Year’s Eve as I write this and my house is packed with little kids and family, which, as you can imagine, has made it a little difficult for me to sit down and get some good, in-depth writing down. Still, I wanted to get one last post in before the year comes to an end, and right now (as the kiddos are napping), seems as good a time as any to get in a quick post before the clock strikes midnight.
Over the past year, this blog has grown at a steady pace and I’m definitely happy with what I’ve managed to achieve. This is especially true given that I work full-time and do all of my side hustles too. It doesn’t leave me with a ton of time to write often.
Still, in 2017, I managed to put out 87 posts, which seems pretty decent – about 7 posts a month or so. Most of my posts end up at well over 1,000 words, so when you add it all up, I wrote well over 87,000 words in 2017. That’s basically an entire book!
With lots of new readers finding the blog, I thought it would be helpful to recap some of the posts in 2017 that I really enjoyed and that I think are worth looking at again. I’ve divided these posts into different categories, so check them out if you’re looking for something to start off the new year.
Money Hacks
Netspend Account: 5% Interest Savings and $20 Signup Bonus. My emergency fund earns me 5% interest every year in an FDIC insured savings account. If you are looking for a spot to put your cash savings, make sure you read about how you can do that here.
Insight Card: A Step-By-Step Guide to 5% Interest. A follow-up to the Netspend post above. Read both of these posts and you’ll see how you can maximize all of your 5% interest, FDIC insured savings accounts.
Where Should You Put Your Emergency Fund? I walk through exactly where you should put your emergency fund for optimal returns. Hint: Use 5% interest savings accounts!
Earn Tax-Free Airbnb Income With The Masters Rule. If you’re on the fence about hosting on Airbnb, consider just trying it for 14 days or less. Most people don’t know this, but if you rent out your home for 14 days or less in a calendar year, you can earn that income completely tax-free.
The 529 Plan Hack For Current Students. This option didn’t even exist for me earlier this year, but it does now since my wife still pays tuition for her residency program. If your state gives you an income tax deduction, funnel your tuition payments through your 529 plan and save on some taxes.
Financial Independence
No Dad, I Didn’t Get Fired. Living a financially healthy lifestyle gives you flexibility, which in turn, gives you the option to live in a way that most people won’t believe is possible.
The Dream of Barista FIRE. We’ve all had those easy, chill jobs that we love (mine was working at a golf course during college). Let’s dream about how we can make that happen again.
Do You Use Work As An Excuse Not To Reach Financial Independence? I have a lot of friends who tell me they don’t save much because they like working. But is that just an excuse for why you’re not saving?
Don’t Know What To Do With Your Life? Why Not Retire Early? I have a friend of mine who is a bartender that has saved up ridiculous sums of money. He’s been trying to figure out what he should do next career-wise. He’s lost – but why not just retire if he doesn’t know what else to do?
Ways To Think About Money
Wealth Is Relative – Remember This And Be Happier. A lot of us could be happier if we just remembered how much money we really do make – and how it’s much more than we think.
Live Like A Student. So many of us are so eager to just jump into full-out adult life once we snag that first real paycheck (lifestyle inflation galore!). Take a few seconds and just enjoy the student life – and set yourself up with a good financial base by doing so.
Saving Money Isn’t About Self-Control. A lot of people think that saving money is just about willing yourself to do it. If you can just force yourself to save more, you’ll make it. That, however, is not how saving is done. You don’t will yourself to save money – you make saving happen automatically.
Be Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable. Not being able to handle even a moment of discomfort is one reason I think so many people struggle financially. Get comfortable with moment of uncomfortableness. You’ll be better off for it.
Career Stuff
I’m Switching To A Non-Traditional Legal Career. In mid-2017, I made a big career change, leaving the traditional practice of law and moving into a new world of non-traditional legal work. Being a regular, old, practicing attorney just wasn’t for me. Check out why I made that move here.
When Leaving Biglaw, the Financial Struggle Shouldn’t Be Real. I read an article early in the year that said that many people leaving biglaw struggle financially for years afterward. This just shouldn’t be the case – it hasn’t been for me – and I explain why here.
Side Hustle Stuff
Side Hustle Reports. I haven’t added it all up yet, but in 2017, I should end up making over $16,000 from using sharing economy apps. Check them all out at my side hustle report page, where I break down exactly what I earned in each month from every app and side hustle I do.
The Underrated Value Of A Side Hustle For Early Retirement. Most people don’t realize just how valuable a side hustle is – even a small one. Using the 4% rule, you can see that a side hustle is worth a ton!
Fidelity Solo 401k: A Step-By-Step Guide to Setting Up Your Self-Employed Retirement Plan. If you are doing any side hustle, then congrats, you’re in an amazing position where you can save extra money into a bonus retirement account that other people don’t get to have. Here’s exactly how I set up my Solo 401k so that I can save even more money each year!
Job Spotter App Review – Earn Extra Money By Taking Pictures of Hiring Signs. One side hustle that everyone can do is using an app called Job Spotter. It takes up just a few minutes of your time and can give you some extra spending money.
Student Loans And Debt
My Student Loan Refinancing Experience. I refinanced my loans three times during the course of my student loan payoff journey. Here’s how it all went down.
Paying Off Debt Is Never Easy. The criticism that I hate is when people say that they could pay off debt easily if they made the income I made. I find it belittling – as if my accomplishment was a cakewalk (it wasn’t). Here’s a post about why paying off debt is never easy, no matter what anyone says.
Pay Off Your Student Loans Now – It Doesn’t Get Any Easier Later. The best time to pay off your student loans is when you’re young. You have no expenses, no obligations, and no one expects you to be a baller yet. Take advantage of that moment in time to crush your student loans! It won’t get any easier later.
Biking and Mass Transit
Yes, You Can Bike To Work. A lot of people make excuses about why they can’t bike to work. I’m a “big shot” lawyer and I still bike to work almost every day. I promise you that you can do it too.
Save $100,000 By Solving The Last Mile Problem. For a lot of people, driving becomes a necessity because they can’t figure out how to close that last mile between their house and some form of mass transit. Here are some ways you can close that gap.
Travel Hacking
An Amateur Travel Hacker’s First Experience With Travel Hacking. Earlier this year, I entered the world of travel hacking and now I am obsessed with it. Learn how I got interested in this world with this post.
Chase 5/24 Rule – What You Need To Know To Maximize Your Travel Hacking. When you’re getting started with travel hacking, there are some basics you need to know to start things off on the right foot. Here’s a post I wrote to try to help you get started the right way.
Southwest Companion Pass – How To Fly For Free For Two Years. My wife and I are just about to snag our first ever Southwest Companion Pass, which means we’ll be flying for free for the next two years – no lie! Here’s how we did it.
Money Systems
Using Airbnb To Create Your Home Maintenance Fund. I host guests year-round in a spare room in my house. This is a great way for me to make money that covers my yearly maintenance savings each year.
The Stupid Mistakes Fund. One of my more popular posts in 2017. In this post, I talk about a stupid thing that happened to me, but how it doesn’t impact my budget because of something I call, my stupid mistakes fund.
7 Best Cashback Apps That Everyone Should Use. Whenever I buy something, I’m looking for some return on that spend. There are a bunch of apps out there that give you money back for spending that you might already be doing anyway. And they take no time to set up. So you might as well do it and get at least something back!
Final Words
2017 was a great year and I’m hoping that 2018 will be even better. Thanks to everyone for following along this year and for your support. This whole blogging thing has been an adventure, and it’s only possible because people like you are willing to go out there and take time out of your day to read what I have to say.
Stay safe out there everyone. See you in the new year!
More Recommended Ebike/Scooters
Check out these other ebikes/scooters I've had the chance to do a review for:
- GEN3 Outcross Bike – The GEN3 Outcross is a solid, affordable fat tire ebike that does a good job of doing what I need it to do. It works great for city riding, giving me a smooth ride in all conditions. It’s works really well as a winter ebike since the fat tires give it good traction over snow and ice. Check out my GEN3 Outcross Review.
- Himiway Escape Bike – The Himiway Escape is an interesting bike for anyone looking for a moped-style ebike. If you’re a gig economy worker, the Himiway Escape is particularly interesting and it’s possible to think of it as an investment, especially if you can opt to do deliveries with the Himiway versus using a car. It’s not cheap, but you can definitely make your money back when you compare the mileage you’ll put on your car versus using an ebike. Check out my Himiway Escape Bike Review.
- Espin Sport Bike – The Espin Sport is a good ebike for someone who is looking for an ebike that feels and rides more like a regular bike. There are many ebikes that are really only bikes in name. In reality, they’re basically electric mopeds. The Espin Sport, by contrast, is a bike you could probably ride without the battery and you’d feel like you’re just riding a regular bike. Check out my Espin Sport Review.
- Varla Eagle One Scooter – The Varla Eagle One is an excellent scooter that can make sense for a lot of people. It can work as a primary mode of transportation. You can use it to work on gig economy apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. And it can also be a recreational vehicle if you’d prefer to use it for that. Check out my Varla Eagle One Review.
- Fucare H3 Scooter – The Fucare H3 is a fun scooter and I’ve enjoyed testing it out. For a daily commuter or quick trips or errands, the Fucare H3 is probably the scooter I’ll use. It’s portable and easy to maneuver, so it’s just easier to take on the road when I need it. Check out my Fucare H3 Scooter Review.
More Recommended Investing App Bonuses
For additional investing app bonuses, be sure to check out the ones below:
- M1 Finance ($10) – This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $10 for opening an account. Check out my M1 Finance Referral Bonus – Step-By-Step Guide.
- SoFi Invest ($25) – SoFi Invest is an easy brokerage account bonus that you can earn with just a few minutes of work. Use my SoFi Invest referral link, fund your SoFi Invest brokerage account with $100 and you’ll get $25 of free stock. I also have a step-by-step guide for the SoFi Invest referral bonus.
- Moomoo (5 free stocks) – Moomoo is a free investing app currently offering 5 free stocks (usually worth around $75-$100) if you open an account using a referral link and deposit $2,000. Read my Moomoo referral bonus guide for more information.
- Webull (5 free stocks) – Webull also gives you 5 free stock valued between $3-$3,000 each if you open an account using my referral link. Here’s a guide I wrote about how to earn your free stocks using Webull.
- Robinhood (1 free stock) – Robinhood gives you a free stock valued between $2.50-$225 if you open an account using my referral link.
- Public (1 free stock) - Public gives you a free stock valued between $3-$70 if you open an account using my referral link.
More Recommended Bank Account Bonuses
If you’re looking for more easy bank bonuses, check out the below options. These bonuses are all easy to earn and have no fees or minimum balance requirements to worry about.
- Chime ($100) - Chime is a free bank account that offers a referral bonus if you use a referral link and complete a direct deposit of $200 or more. In practice, any ACH transfer into this account triggers the bonus. This bonus is easy to earn and posts instantly, so you’ll know if you met the requirements as soon as you move money into the account. I wrote a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Chime referral bonus that I recommend you check out.
- Upgrade ($100) – Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $100 referral bonus if you open an account and complete three debit card transactions. These bonus terms are easy to meet, so it’s well worth doing this bonus as soon as you can. Importantly, this bonus says that it’s now scheduled to end on October 31, 2022. As long as you get your account opened before October 31st, you should be eligible. Here’s a post I wrote with more details: Upgrade $100 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Directions.
- SoFi Money ($350) – SoFi Money is a free checking account from SoFi. They’re currently offering a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi account with a referral link and deposit $10. You can also make an additional $300 as well if you complete a direct deposit. This is a good bank that is also 100% free, so you won’t have to worry about managing this account. Here’s a post I wrote with instructions on how to earn your SoFi Money bonus: SoFi Money Referral Bonus: Step By Step Guide.
- Fifth Third Bank ($250) – This offer is limited to customers in the following states: Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia, and South Carolina. If you don’t live in one of those states, you won’t be able to open an account online but you can still open an account in-branch if you happen to be visiting a city that has a branch. This is a fairly easy bank bonus to earn, especially since there are plenty of data points showing what will trigger the direct deposit requirement. In addition, you can open the Fifth Third Momentum Checking bank account, which comes with no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements. Read my guide on this bonus here.
- Current ($50) – Current is a free fintech bank that’s offering new users a $50 referral bonus after signing up for an account using a referral link.Current is an easy bonus to earn and also gives you access to three savings accounts that pay you 4% interest on up to $2,000. That means you can put away up to $6,000 earning 4% interest. That’s very good and makes Current an account I recommend to everyone. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Current Bank bonus.
- OnJuno ($100) – OnJuno is a fintech/neobank that is currently offering a $100 referral bonus if you open an account using a referral link and complete a direct deposit of $250 or more. The account has no fees or minimum balance requirements. Even better, the bonus posts immediately after you meet the requirements. If you can meet the direct deposit requirements, OnJuno is an easy bank bonus that’s worth snagging. Check out my OnJuno referral bonus guide here.
- Varo ($50) – Varo is a free fintech banking app similar to Chime or Current. It’s currently offering a $50 bonus to new users that open a new Varo account with a referral link. The bonus for this bank is very easy to meet, all you need to do is spend $20 within 30 days of opening your Varo account. Check out my step-by-step guide to learn how to earn this bonus.
- Fairwinds Credit Union ($100) – Fairwinds Credit Union is offering a referral bonus for users that sign up using a referral link. Fairwinds has no fees or minimum balance, so this is a particularly easy bonus to earn. Since this is a smaller credit union, my gut instinct tells me this offer won’t be around long, so if you’re in a position to meet the bonus requirements, grab this bonus before it’s gone. Here is my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Fairwinds Credit Union bonus.
- Novo Bank ($40) - Novo bank is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 bonus if you open a Novo business checking account using a referral link. In addition to being a good bank bonus, Novo is also a good business checking account. It has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements and operates a good app and website. Indeed, it’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog. Check out my post on how to easily open a Novo account.
- Spiral ($50) – Spiral is a fintech bank that's currently offering new customers a $50 signup bonus after opening a free checking account with them. The Spiral referral bonus is especially good because it's a free checking account and doesn't require a direct deposit to earn the bonus. Here is my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Spiral Bank bonus.
- One Finance ($50) – One Finance is a fintech bank that’s currently offering a $50 signup bonus if you open an account using a One Finance referral link and have a direct deposit of $250 or more. This is a completely free bank account with no minimum balance requirement, so if you can meet the requirements, it’s worth doing. Check out my One Finance referral bonus guide here.
- Albert ($150) – If you can manage to do a real direct deposit, Albert is an easy account you can use to earn a referral bonus. Here’s a review about Albert I wrote. And here’s a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Albert referral bonus.
- Netspend ($20 + 5% Interest Savings Account) – Netspend is a company that provides 5% interest savings accounts. If you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get a $20 signup bonus once you make your first deposit into your Netspend account of $40 or more. That means you get a 5% interest savings account and a free $20 to start! Make sure to check out my in-depth guide on how to set up these accounts.
Kevin is an attorney and the blogger behind Financial Panther, a blog about personal finance, travel hacking, and side hustling using the gig economy. He paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer.
Kevin is passionate about earning money using the gig economy and you can see all the ways he makes extra income every month in his side hustle reports.
Kevin is also big on using the latest fintech apps to improve his finances. Some of Kevin's favorite fintech apps include:
- SoFi Money. A really good checking account with absolutely no fees. You'll get a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi Money account with a referral link, and an additional $300 if you complete a direct deposit.
- Upgrade Bank. Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $100 referral bonus if you open an account and complete three debit card transactions. These bonus terms are easy to meet, so it’s well worth doing this bonus as soon as you can. Note that it’s now scheduled to end on October 31, 2022.
- Novo Bank. Novo bank is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 bonus if you open a Novo business checking account using a referral link. It’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog.
- M1 Finance. This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $10 for opening an account.
- Personal Capital. One of best free apps you can use to monitor your portfolio and track your net worth. This is one of the apps I use to track my financial accounts.
Feel free to send Kevin a message here.
Thanks for consolidating all of your favorite 2017 posts!
I look forward to reading your content and I wish you a successful 2018!
Thanks Sean! Appreciate the support!