SoFi Blog

When you work hard, you want to play hard. We get it. You deserve to enjoy the finer things in life, and you can have them—you just have to be smart and strategic with your spending. Sticking to a budget while saving toward financial goals doesn’t mean you can’t splurge a little. In this, our second story in a series on spending hacks, we continue to help you figure it all out. With some savvy tweaks and an eye for planning ahead, you can have what you want.

Andrew Dietrich refinanced his student loans with us. Then he went through our Entrepreneur Program to help start Final. Within two days of launching their site last year, Final had 20,000 signups. Read on to hear how the idea came about, the challenges the founders have faced, and why it’s important to take advice with a grain of salt.

Ready to make your debt sweat in the New Year?

Whether it’s a credit card carrying around extra poundage after the holidays, a student loan that sweats when it walks up the stairs, or a mortgage that requires multiple airplane seats, we’ve got a plan that will whip your debt into shape by making it so skinny, it literally disappears.

Read on for our 5-step debt shape-up guide, and make 2016 the year you shed some serious debt.

As families and friends across the country gather for Thanksgiving, many Americans are bringing an unwanted guest along with them: high interest rate credit card debt.

And while it probably won’t be a topic of conversation around the dinner table, it’s always there in the back of your mind – a reminder that you’re spending thousands of dollars on interest when you’d rather use that money to pay for holiday gifts or a ski vacation.

Related: Credit Card Interest Calculator

Fortunately, there is a better solution. Find out how refinancing credit card debt with a low interest rate personal loan can get that unwanted turkey off your back – so you can focus on the fun of Thanksgiving instead.

Paying for a wedding these days is no joke. With the average cost weighing in at more than $31,000 (a five-year high) it’s little wonder that a growing number of couples are looking for ways to save on the big day. But at the same time, you (ideally) only get to do this once, so you want to do it right.

If you’re in this camp, check out these five easy swaps that keep your budget under control – without compromising your vision for the special day.