Lauren focuses on helping people better understand how to budget and save money. Her work has appeared on USA Today, the Associated Press and more. She attempts to practice what she preaches: Saving enough to have a debt-free wedding and religiously contributing to her emergency fund. Before joining NerdWallet, she worked as a freelance writer and editor. When she’s not writing, you can find her binge-watching Netflix, hiking or gawking at dogs on social media. Lauren has a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of California, Santa Cruz.