// Best Of 2008
Best Of 2008
In Case You Missed It: How Money Are You
Quizzes are way more fun when they don't affect our GPA, and throughout 2008 we've been exposing our knowledge of news and random facts through little exams. Hopefully, you've enjoyed taking them as much as I've enjoyed creating them. In case you missed some, here are the most popular quizzes from 2008.
The Best Everyday Saving Trick in 2008
Bringing lunch to work was the obvious winner as your pick for the best everyday saving trick in 2008. Something that seems so small can make a huge impact on our budgets, and I've seen the difference in my own bank account by bringing my lunch more often this year.
Bringing leftovers or cooking a batch of something on Sundays makes packing your lunch a less time-consuming process.
In Case You Missed It: Ask Savvy
All year you've been asking me smart, challenging questions that I've had the pleasure of answering to the best of my ability. I absolutely love trying to help you savvy ladies, and I always end up learning something, too, when you weigh in with your own comments and advice. Here are some of the most popular Ask Savvy posts of the year.
Your Favorite Money Management Tool in 2008
According to the website, Mint.com has been named the best online personal finance tool by Money, Kiplinger, and PC magazines, and is PC World’s Editor’s Choice; now Mint can add another line to its accolades as the SavvySugar readers' favorite of 2008!
Unsure of what this online money management tool entails? Mint is a free website that allows you to view all of your accounts in one place, provides budgeting tools that help determine where would be easiest to cut spending, and helps find interest savings by comparing your bank account and credit card rates to others.
How Much You Spent on Gas in 2008
Gas won the crown of the most overpriced expense in 2008, and if you drove at all there's no way you couldn't notice its impact on your bank account. Most of you estimate that you've spent between $1,000 to $2,000 on gas over the course of 2008.
Now that prices have come way down, I encourage you to save the money you're no longer spending on gas.
Lehman Brothers Shocked You Most in 2008
Nearly half of you voted that Lehman Brothers made the most shocking banking headlines this year, and I agree that the 158-year-old firm filing for bankruptcy was the news that really took me off guard in 2008. Lehman's failure is the biggest bankruptcy filing in US history, and the collapse of such a large and well-respected institution made everyone uneasy.
Some investors believe that we've seen the worst of the financial industry's problems, but the majority of you are skeptical.
The Most Secure and Overrated Careers of 2008
It has been a rough year for the job market, though the recession has weeded out some shining exceptions to the bad news. In a landslide vote, you chose health care as the industry with the most secure jobs in 2008. I agree it's a secure field relative to most others, and it seems that health care workers are always in demand.
Staycation Is the Best Word of 2008
There's nothing quite as satisfying as putting vacation days on your work calendar, even if you're not actually leaving town. While the New Oxford American Dictionary named hypermiling the word of 2008, if you had it your way, you would name staycation the best word of 2008. Runner-up to staycation is the phrase toxic debt, which received 21 percent of the vote.
What You Splurged on in 2008
You know that going through life with constant deprivation is really no way to live, and this year 28 percent of you chose to splurge on clothes, shoes, bags, or jewelry. Vacations were also a very popular splurge in 2008, capturing 26 percent of your votes.
The easiest way to splurge without guilt is to save up for the things that we covet.
How Much You Spent on Travel in 2008
Saving up for a trip is one of the best types of saving, in my opinion. The majority of you spent somewhere between $500 and $3,000 on travel this year, so let's just call it an average of $1,500, shall we? Eighty-seven percent of you traveled away from home at some point in 2008.
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