Best Reddit Channels for Saving Money
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One of the greatest things about the internet is that it gives us the opportunity to connect with others and share our experiences. And as many have discovered, Reddit is the perfect place to do just that. There is a Reddit channel (also known as a subreddit) for any topic you can imagine, from dogs to specific cities and even video games. So it’s no surprise that there are subreddits out there that are dedicated to saving money, too. Here are some of the best subreddits to check out if you’re interested in learning more or starting a discussion.
In this article
Overview of the best Reddit channels for saving money
Subreddit | Best For |
Bogleheads | Passive investors |
FatFIRE | Early retirement on a higher-than-average budget |
Financial Independence | Anyone who wants to learn how to achieve finance independence |
FinancialPlanning | General financial planning discussions |
Frugal | Frugal living advice |
leanfire | Retirement planning on a “lean” budget |
Personal Finance | General financial information and educational resources |
PFtools | Information about personal finance tools |
povertyfinance | Resources and advice for people facing financial hardships |
Shoestring | Budget travel advice |
sidehustle | Side hustle advice |
StudentLoans | Student loan discussions |
Best Reddit channels for saving money
Bogleheads
The Bogleheads subreddit was created for passive investors who follow Jack Bogle’s message and method of investing. As the founder of Vanguard, Jack Bogle pioneered indexed mutual funds. His idea of making investing easier and more affordable for average investors inspired many in the investment world.
Bogleheads describes itself as a “passive indexing community for long-term lazy investors.” Since Bogle focused on simple investment strategies, this description makes sense, but the word “lazy’ shouldn’t be taken as an insult. People who are passionate about passive investment strategies tend to believe that their method allows them to achieve the same gains as investors who chase high stock market returns, but without all of the work. It’s not lazy; it’s smart!
As you’d expect from any subreddit, this one has faced criticism. One user recently created a post to share their observation about some of the community member’s “smugness.” It seems that many members of the community aren’t shy about vocalizing their belief that the Bogle method is superior to other investment strategies. This isn’t all that surprising, given the fact that this is a subreddit specifically designed for this one strategy.
Since this is a subreddit created with a specific mindset, it might not be right for everyone. It’s true that Bogle inspired people to get the most out of their long-term investments by indexing. However, that means that if you aren’t interested in index investing or investing at all, this subreddit probably isn’t for you.
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FatFIRE
FatFIRE is a subreddit that is dedicated to helping people achieve financial independence and retire early. If it seems like a clever, random name — it’s not. So let’s back up a bit.
. Basically, the idea behind it is that a person needs to invest 25x their annual spending to become financially independent. By investing this much money, the person won’t need to rely on a regular paycheck to get by, and as such, can retire early.
You might be asking yourself — well, what kind of lifestyle does that afford? The truth is that there are different branches of the FIRE movement. One branch of FIRE — called Lean FIRE — is when a person saves up 25x their annual expenses and spends less than the average American. Fat FIRE is geared more towards people who do not want to be frugal in retirement and spend more than the average American.
FatFIRE the subreddit is a great place for people to discuss their experiences and goals if they’re hoping to achieve financial independence whilst maintaining their lifestyle. Posts aren’t as targeted or educational as some other subreddits might offer, but the insights can be worth checking out.
Financial Independence
The Financial Independence subreddit is designed for people who want to be financially independent. It’s a broader subreddit than some of the smaller communities that focus on a specific method or ideology when it comes to achieving financial independence.
One of the great things about this subreddit is that there is a very thorough FAQ section. It explains the basics of financial independence as well as how to post on the subreddit for the best results. There’s even a daily discussion thread for general personal finance where community members can post general personal finance questions and seek advice.
The goal of achieving financial independence can involve several topics and methods. Fortunately, this community is accepting of a wide range of questions and discussions. For example, you can post about side hustles, paying off debt, budgeting, and more on this subreddit.
If you’re looking for a place to seek out information or ask for advice about achieving financial independence, this subreddit is worth considering. Whether you’re browsing other people’s posts or asking your own questions, there are sure to be some insights to gain.
FinancialPlanning
The FinancialPlanning subreddit gives people a community where they can discuss pretty much any aspect of financial planning and personal finance. The subreddit aims to foster discussions amongst its members, and there are some rules to abide by. For example, stock analysis or guidance is not something that should be discussed within this subreddit.
On this subreddit, you’ll find a weekly thread where people can ask questions about personal finances and wealth. Some of the common topics include whether financial advisors are worth the fees and how much is needed to retire. The weekly thread is there to provide a supportive “safe place” for people to ask questions that they’ve always wanted to know the answer to but were too afraid to ask.
In addition to the weekly thread, you’ll find an endless supply of posts from community members. People ask about everything from whether buying a car is a good investment to how to manage their income. It’s important to keep in mind that people can provide their opinions and share personal experiences, but sometimes advice from an expert is ultimately needed.
The FinancialPlanning subreddit is a great place for anyone who’s curious about finances in any way. The wide range of topics covered can provide insights and personal anecdotes that others can learn from. It’s also a good place to go if you have a general finance-related question to ask.
Frugal
The Frugal subreddit is dedicated to managing your resources in a way that helps reduce waste. It’s more than saving money — frugal living also involves saving time and prioritizing convenience.
You’ll also find that this subreddit touches on eco-friendly practices. Some people ask questions about things like how to reduce waste in the form of taking shorter showers. Community members also share their tips on how to dry clothes without a dryer, save on utilities, and more.
This subreddit is a good mix of budgeting discussions, but that doesn’t mean that community members only recommend the least-expensive products. Instead, the discussions are thoughtful and take into consideration the value and quality of products.
If you’re interested in living a frugal lifestyle, this subreddit is a good place to go for inspiration. Whether you’re looking for secondhand clothing recommendations or ideas to save on projects around the house, you’re likely to find some answers here.
leanfire
The leanfire community is for people who want to achieve financial independence in a minimalist way. More specifically, this subreddit says that it is for people who want to retire before the age of 60 with less than $23,000 in yearly household expenses per person.
With this subreddit, you’ll find a weekly discussion thread. In this thread, community members can discuss their progress toward saving for retirement as well as any setbacks they have faced. Community members can also ask questions or share general thoughts and feelings about the process.
This community is about more than sharing experiences, though. You’ll also find discussions about what’s happening in the world today. For example, one user asked if today’s high housing costs have made it common for adults not to be able to afford to be single. Other community members responded with housing costs in their area as well as their experiences with affording homeownership.
If you’re curious about whether you could afford to achieve financial independence with a frugal lifestyle, this subreddit is worth a look. Even if you’re not actively working toward early retirement at the moment, the discussions within this subreddit can help you see if the lifestyle is right for you.
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Personal Finance
The Personal Finance subreddit, simply put, is huge. This is a place where you can go to learn about and ask for advice on pretty much any personal finance topic that you can think of. When it comes to saving money, this subreddit is probably one of the best resources on Reddit.
There’s a Wiki on this subreddit, unlike some of the other finance-related subreddits. The Wiki is full of useful information and guides to help community members get started. Another purpose of the Wiki is to try to eliminate repetitive posts about frequently asked questions and topics.
Basically, this subreddit is a one-stop-shop for a lot of financial education. The Wiki itself includes basic financial advice as well as advice based on age ranges, from high school students to middle-aged adults. There are also regional subreddits and information about specific topics including mortgages, insurance, taxes, and more.
All of this is only the beginning. When you look at the actual discussions within this community, you’ll find more specific questions and answers regarding credit cards, bank accounts, salaries, and more. Even if you’re not interested in investing or financial independence, this subreddit is useful because it contains financial information that everyone needs to know.
PFtools
The Personal Finance Tools (PFtools) subreddit is for people to discuss the tools that make managing personal finances a little easier. Since the subreddit is exclusively for personal finance tools, it’s a good resource if you’re looking for some quick anecdotes. Other personal finance subreddits may have information about personal finance tools as well, but it’s possible to get lost in the shuffle of many other topics.
There are a few types of tools that you can discuss on this subreddit. This includes tools that can be used to help people get out of debt and manage their wealth. You can also discuss budgeting, saving, and investing tools on this subreddit.
The downside of this subreddit is that it has a comparatively small number of users. It isn’t a very active subreddit, so it might take time to receive answers if you post a question or start a discussion. There are also quite a few posts from users who have created their own personal finance tool and want to share it.
If you’re not looking for a large community, this subreddit is a good place to go if you just want to find some information about personal finance tools. Keep in mind that you can always go back to the other personal finance subreddits if you need more information than you can find here.
povertyfinance
The povertyfinance subreddit was specifically created with the financially challenged in mind. Users can come to this subreddit for judgment-free financial advice and guidance no matter what their situation is.
One of the great things about this subreddit is that it has a Wiki with plenty of resources. This is especially important in this group because it allows people to seek out guidance without asking a question themselves. There’s a “where to start” guide as well as life planning and household financial topics, among other things.
On this subreddit, you’ll also find emergency resources. This includes emergency food resources and benefit programs broken down by country and state. There are also resources for mental health and legal services.
Within the community, users share their success stories, complaints, and seek out advice. Some of the topics include how to deal with debt collectors, the rising costs of gas and housing prices, and affordable restaurants. If you’re facing financial hardship, this subreddit can be a great place for resources and advice.
Shoestring
The Shoestring subreddit goes beyond some of the traditional personal finance topics. It’s a community that encourages discussion about traveling frugally. This includes travel hacks, cheap ways to travel, and cheap places to visit.
The one downside is that even with a community of over 1 million users, there is no Wiki for this subreddit. That means that there’s no central location for frequently asked questions and resources. If you’re looking for information about specific topics, you’ll have to use the search function to see if someone has posted about it in the past.
That being said, this can be a fun community if you love to travel. Users within the community share their experiences about traveling to certain destinations. You can also find information about staying in an Airbnb and couch surfing.
As I spent time on this subreddit, I noticed that there were people of all ages and situations looking for advice. Some people have posted looking for suggestions for travel destinations that have free activities for kids. Other people are looking for ways to make quick cash in their travel destinations if necessary. It seems that there’s a little bit of something for everyone here. Who knows — you might even find a travel buddy on this subreddit!
sidehustle
As you might imagine, the Sidehustle subreddit is all about side hustles. It’s specifically meant as a community for people who take on gigs on top of another full-time job or commitment.
This subreddit does not have a Wiki, but given the topic of conversation, that’s not a big issue. People have all sorts of side hustles, so there’s no reason to limit the resources and ideas, especially since new opportunities pop up every day.
Each week, moderators host a self-promo thread. Users can use this thread to promote their side hustles or even their small businesses. It’s important to note that the subreddit does not allow advertising or self-promotion outside of the weekly threads.
Most of the threads within this subreddit are started by users who are looking for side hustle ideas or feedback. For example, there are discussions about whether blogging or YouTube is a more lucrative way to make money. There are also threads from users who are looking for advice about how to promote their side hustle. If you’re interested in picking up a side hustle or need help maintaining yours, this subreddit is the perfect place to go.
StudentLoans
Unfortunately, a lot of us have had to take out student loans at some point. But, fortunately, this subreddit gives people a place to go to look for advice and talk about the process of getting and repaying them.
The range of topics on the StudentLoans subreddit cover just about anything you can imagine related to student loans. This includes repayment strategies, questions about interest rates, and even success stories! And while the subreddit does allow for a wide range of topics, there are a few topics that are not allowed, including crowdfunding and requests for loan co-signers.
There isn’t a full Wiki on this subreddit, but there are plenty of important resources. The subreddit is an advice community that aims to provide unbiased and clear information about student loans. The moderators seem pretty good at upholding this standard.
In addition to being an advice community, this subreddit has a list of useful links that users might need. This includes the Federal Student Aid dashboard, a place to pull your credit report or find your credit score, and a calculator to estimate federal loan repayment plans. There’s also a link to its sister subreddit for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
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Summary table
Channel | Topics | Community members |
Bogleheads | Passive investment strategies; the Bogle method | 139,000 |
FatFIRE | Financial independence and the Fat FIRE movement | 287,000 |
Financial Independence | Personal finance and financial independence | 1,000,000 |
FinancialPlanning | Personal finance | 280,000 |
Frugal | Frugal living | 2,100,000 |
leanfire | Financial independence and the Lean FIRE movement | 230,000 |
Personal Finance | Anything related to personal finance | 15,400,000 |
PFtools | Personal finance tools | 9,500 |
povertyfinance | Personal finance for the financially-challenged | 992,000 |
Shoestring | Traveling on a shoestring budget | 1,500,000 |
sidehustle | Side hustles | 78,600 |
StudentLoans | Student loans | 127,000 |
FAQs
What is a subreddit, anyway?
Reddit is a large social network, and subreddits are niche forums that live on the Reddit website. Each subreddit has a focus as well as rules and moderators who keep tabs on what’s happening within the community.
Which personal finance subreddit should I use?
It depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re looking for general personal finance tips for ways to save money, you’ll probably find what you need within the Personal Finance subreddit or the Frugal subreddit. However, if you’re looking for information about a specific topic such as real estate investing, you’ll want to also look at subreddits for that topic.
What can I learn from these subreddits?
Each subreddit has something unique to offer. The ones with Wikis tend to have lots of information for you to read through to learn about certain topics, such as how to build an emergency fund. You’ll also be able to get real-world examples from other Reddit users on topics such as passive income sources and where to find the best cheap flights.
Why should you use personal finance subreddits?
Any adult (and some teenagers) can benefit from personal finance subreddits in some way. Beginners can use subreddits to gain financial literacy, starting with the first time they apply for a credit card or student loan. These subreddits can also be a great resource for more savvy Redditors to keep on top of what’s trending within a specific topic.
Reddit users can also come together within their chosen personal finance community to share their experiences and look for advice. Of course, there’s no guarantee that any Redditor is an expert in their topic, but even so, they may have valuable insights to share.
Top-rated investing insights app for busy professionals
- Stock Recommendations that have beaten the S&P 500 by over 12% - Past 4 years & counting.
- Jargon-free market news with stock research, actionable in just 3-5 minutes.
- Data-drive analysis and personalized recommendations to empower you to make smarter investment decisions.
The bottom line
When you go to Reddit for the first time, it can seem overwhelming. But if you know where to go, there’s some great information and communities to discover. With the number of subreddits out there, it’s no surprise that there are plenty of subreddits out there that can help you save money.
There’s a subreddit out there for just about anybody. Whether you’re interested in learning about student loans, living on a budget, or investing, there’s bound to be something out there for you. These subreddits are some of the best out there to give you a good jumping-off point.
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Ashley Hart is a lead copywriter and digital marketing expert covering finance, law, real estate, music, entertainment, health and wellness.
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