We tried 19 viral money hacks

01/27/26 - Tuesday

January 27, 2026

 

Hey friend,

You know those viral “save money” hacks that make you think,

“Wait… is everyone doing this?”

Yeah. Those.

For this week’s episode, we decided to actually look at 19 of them.

The clever ones, the questionable ones, the ones that sound genius at first glance, and yes, one that is straight up illegal.

(Don’t worry, we didn’t actually do that one, but we HAD TO talk about it)

We break down which hacks are:

  • Genuinely helpful and worth keeping

  • Overhyped and not saving you nearly as much as TikTok claims

  • More work than they’re worth

  • And the kind that could cost you way more than they save

If you’ve ever felt confused about what advice to trust online or overwhelmed by the sheer volume of money hacks out there, this episode will help you filter the noise and keep what actually works.

A money hack most people overlook (but shouldn’t) 👀

One of the most underrated ways to save money is understanding your credit.

A better score can mean better rates on things like car loans or even insurance, which can lower your monthly costs.

Which is why we recommend SmartCredit®️ - they help by giving you a customized action plan using tools like ScoreBuilder®️ which shows exactly what’s helping or hurting your score and lets you communicate directly with creditors inside the platform to potentially resolve negative items.

This matters because payment history alone makes up over 35% of your credit score.

You also get credit monitoring, alerts, and $1M in fraud insurance included. **

One big takeaway we keep coming back to

Not every “hack” is meant to be sustainable. Some are built for shock value, clicks, or a quick hit of novelty.

Real savings usually come from boring, unsexy decisions you stick with, not from gaming the system or chasing loopholes.

Which brings us to something that is not viral, but actually matters.

Let’s talk about the ✨unglamorous✨ stuff for a second

Life insurance is not trending on your feed. It is not aesthetic. It is not exciting. But it is one of those foundational money decisions that quietly protects everything else you are building.

As with anything, you need to get quotes from multiple companies to see who can offer you the best rates.

But for reference, a healthy non-smoking 30-year-old can should be able to get a 20-year, $500,000 term life policy for around $15-$18 per month. That only bumps up to $23-$28 for a 40-year-old.

We like Ethos Life and Ladder because they make life insurance straightforward and human. **

🌱 Ethos offers fast, online term life insurance with no medical exams for many people. They include a free Will and estate planning tools.

🪜Ladder is great if you expect your life insurance needs to change in the future. You can increase or decrease your coverage as your needs shift, which most plans don’t allow.

Before you go

Don’t forget to fill out our 2026 Listener Survey by January 30th!

Your responses directly shape what episodes we make, what topics we dig into, and what we leave behind this year. If you like the direction the show is going or want us to change it, this is where you tell us.

Thanks for being here, questioning the internet, and choosing progress over gimmicks.

Talk soon,
Jen & Jill

P.S. If you listen to this episode and realize you have tried one of these hacks already, you are not alone. We definitely have too. Let us know in the comments!

**Means this is a sponsored or affiliate section. We may earn a small fee or commission when you choose to try one of our sponsor or affiliate partners. But opinions are still 1000% our own.