The first month of blogging has concluded. What have I accomplished this month?
Save $100 Challenge
At the beginning of the month, I promised my readers that I could teach them how to save a hundred dollars by the end of the month. The month has come to a close, and I believe I have given everybody that has read this blog the opportunity to do just that. For those that haven't been reading, here's a quick recap so that you too can save $100 this month.
Start by tracking your spending with a spending record. See where you're spending your money so that you know where you are overspending. Sometimes just being aware of how much money you're spending on something is motivation enough to stop spending that much money. Then open a high interest online bank account so that you can separate your spending from your saving, and automate your savings so that you don't have to force yourself to save. Reduce your fixed expenses so that you save money on a monthly basis without having to do anymore work. Start an emergency fund. Finally, save a bunch of money on groceries this month. How much money did you save this month? Why not set up your finances to automatically withdraw that much money from your account every month so that you can start saving?
The Great Blog Off
The Great Blog Off comes to its conclusion today. I did not win. If you haven't voted yet, head on over to the Facebook Group page and cast your vote for your favorite blogger of the month.
April
I have started to formulate a number of plans for the month of April. One that I am willing to reveal is the start of a series on combining finances. As my fiance and I have progressed through our relationship, we have come across a number of stages of financial independence and interdependence. I will be sharing my thoughts on the stages of relationships, and how they are related to finances. I will also be addressing some of the major obstacles that we've come across, and how we have been tackling those issues.
Any questions? Comments? Concerns?
Showing posts with label The Great Blog Off. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Great Blog Off. Show all posts
Mar 31, 2009
Mar 28, 2009
Weekend Review 28.03.09
So The Great Blog Off has entered its voting week. According to my count, I have one vote. From my brother-in-law. Well, I'm depressed, so let's move on.
On Associated Content, one of my articles was featured! This is terrific news, as it has significantly altered how many views I have gotten on my articles. The last time I posted, I had made about a quarter, and now I have earned over double that, mostly from the one featured article. I guess the lesson here is that it is all about exposure. Not only do I have to write a lot of different articles, I have to ensure that they are of a high enough quality to be worthy of featuring. I also have to start finding and adding my own photos, because the one they chose to add there really, really sucks.
The saving $100 challenge could have come to a close this week, if you have followed all of my posts on the subject. I know that I've saved well over $100 a month using these tips, and you easily can too. I think that I will post an official ending to the $100 challenge sometime next week before month's end, just to wrap things up before I move on to another series next month.
Around the Web in Personal Finance
Get Rich Slowly had a great post about the mentality of oversaving. He talks about how as he moved from spender to saver, he may have crossed a line and gone too far. He discusses the small, but important difference between being frugal, and being cheap.
For small business owners, especially those that are just starting up, check out The Simple Dollar's post on confidence. He begins a discussion on the phrase "fake it 'til you make it", referring to how one must exhue confidence in order to build confidence.
Clever Dude Finance posted an article on ways to save money on transportation at college. That reminded me of all the ways that I saved money while at college, like living in a one bedroom apartment with two other guys. Speaking of college, Pimp Your Finances has a post about crucial questions for twenty somethings. I've thought about a lot of the questions before, but definitely not all, and definitely not all at the same time.
So what did you learn this week? What did you like? What did you miss? Anything you'd like to see more of? Less? Sound off.
On Associated Content, one of my articles was featured! This is terrific news, as it has significantly altered how many views I have gotten on my articles. The last time I posted, I had made about a quarter, and now I have earned over double that, mostly from the one featured article. I guess the lesson here is that it is all about exposure. Not only do I have to write a lot of different articles, I have to ensure that they are of a high enough quality to be worthy of featuring. I also have to start finding and adding my own photos, because the one they chose to add there really, really sucks.
The saving $100 challenge could have come to a close this week, if you have followed all of my posts on the subject. I know that I've saved well over $100 a month using these tips, and you easily can too. I think that I will post an official ending to the $100 challenge sometime next week before month's end, just to wrap things up before I move on to another series next month.
Around the Web in Personal Finance
Get Rich Slowly had a great post about the mentality of oversaving. He talks about how as he moved from spender to saver, he may have crossed a line and gone too far. He discusses the small, but important difference between being frugal, and being cheap.
"But at some point I crossed the line from frugal to cheap. I’ve spent the past few months seeking balance: allowing myself permission to spend on a few indulgences while choosing to cut back in other areas."He also concludes that oversaving does not lead to happiness, and that as long as our saving goals are being met, feel free to spend the rest wisely in order to enjoy living life.
For small business owners, especially those that are just starting up, check out The Simple Dollar's post on confidence. He begins a discussion on the phrase "fake it 'til you make it", referring to how one must exhue confidence in order to build confidence.
"In other words, fake it ’til you make it is a call to arms to act confident in your endeavors, because that confidence will eventually lead to success. It’s a good example of the power of positive thinking"I think we all struggle with our skills and talents - even more so when we're trying to set a price on our abilities.
Clever Dude Finance posted an article on ways to save money on transportation at college. That reminded me of all the ways that I saved money while at college, like living in a one bedroom apartment with two other guys. Speaking of college, Pimp Your Finances has a post about crucial questions for twenty somethings. I've thought about a lot of the questions before, but definitely not all, and definitely not all at the same time.
So what did you learn this week? What did you like? What did you miss? Anything you'd like to see more of? Less? Sound off.
Mar 26, 2009
About Me
As The Great Blog Off enters its final week, I just wanted to give you some insight into who I am, and how I got to be blogging about personal finance on the interwebs. Its not like I woke up one day thinking to myself, "gee, I wonder where I can find the best interest rate in a savings account?"
I believe it all started back in college. At the time, having no income forced me to live in such a way that I could save as much money as possible. I spent four years sharing a one bedroom apartment with at least two other guys, eating a lot of Kraft Dinner, and washing my laundry only when absolutely necessary. Post graduation, I moved to one of the most expensive places in British Columbia - North Vancouver. Along with a 3x increase in monthly rent (while still sharing a one bedroom apartment with a roommate), I also got the highest paying job of my life. I was soon living a much less frugal life, with regular pizza and beer nights, a high definition TV, and a trip to Hawaii. I was making more money in two weeks than I had made the entire year working part time at college.
Six months after it began, it was all over - literally. I was unemployed, and quite broke. All the money that I made was now gone, to video games and a full freezer. Thankfully, I hadn't gotten myself into anymore debt, but suddenly student loans needed repaying, and a wedding was on the horizon.
My television was still getting its regular use, however, and my unemployment was spent watching far too much TLC. One show managed to catch my attention, and I started to watch it on a regular basis. It was called, "Til Debt Do Us Part", and it featured Gail Vaz-Oxlade telling couples who got themselves into a lot of debt how to save their money and their marriage. It intrigued me deeply, and I started getting more and more interested in my own finances. I knew that I was in student loan debt, but I was otherwise okay, as I wasn't racking up credit card or any sort of consumer debt. I wasn't spending more than I was making. However, at the end of every month I would have always spent all of my money, and I didn't know where it was going.
So after I got a new job and started working full time again, I started tracking my spending. Soon I found out that I was spending way more money on things that I shouldn 't be (mostly toys and food), and decided to cut it out. At the same time, I wasn't making as much money I used to be, but I was used to spending a lot more money. I was forced to live more frugally, so I started cutting things out, but I still felt financially stressed.
So I started reading lots of personal finance blogs, learning about how I can save more money. I started enacting some of the things that I was reading about, like setting up an emergency fund, calling my service providers and getting them to reduce my expenses, and automating all my finances. I have started to see a difference, perhaps not in my bank account, but in my attitude. I have found a joy in saving money, and I feel in control. I'm making less money than I was before, and when I get my paycheck I still get worried about all the bills and how I'm going to save for a wedding, but I feel as though I'm headed in the right direction.
I'm excited for the future, because I can see a day where I won't feel financial strain or stress. I can see a day where I can afford to live how I want to live, and feel financial freedom. That day is coming, and I hope that you can come with me as I learn by living.
I believe it all started back in college. At the time, having no income forced me to live in such a way that I could save as much money as possible. I spent four years sharing a one bedroom apartment with at least two other guys, eating a lot of Kraft Dinner, and washing my laundry only when absolutely necessary. Post graduation, I moved to one of the most expensive places in British Columbia - North Vancouver. Along with a 3x increase in monthly rent (while still sharing a one bedroom apartment with a roommate), I also got the highest paying job of my life. I was soon living a much less frugal life, with regular pizza and beer nights, a high definition TV, and a trip to Hawaii. I was making more money in two weeks than I had made the entire year working part time at college.
Six months after it began, it was all over - literally. I was unemployed, and quite broke. All the money that I made was now gone, to video games and a full freezer. Thankfully, I hadn't gotten myself into anymore debt, but suddenly student loans needed repaying, and a wedding was on the horizon.
My television was still getting its regular use, however, and my unemployment was spent watching far too much TLC. One show managed to catch my attention, and I started to watch it on a regular basis. It was called, "Til Debt Do Us Part", and it featured Gail Vaz-Oxlade telling couples who got themselves into a lot of debt how to save their money and their marriage. It intrigued me deeply, and I started getting more and more interested in my own finances. I knew that I was in student loan debt, but I was otherwise okay, as I wasn't racking up credit card or any sort of consumer debt. I wasn't spending more than I was making. However, at the end of every month I would have always spent all of my money, and I didn't know where it was going.
So after I got a new job and started working full time again, I started tracking my spending. Soon I found out that I was spending way more money on things that I shouldn 't be (mostly toys and food), and decided to cut it out. At the same time, I wasn't making as much money I used to be, but I was used to spending a lot more money. I was forced to live more frugally, so I started cutting things out, but I still felt financially stressed.
So I started reading lots of personal finance blogs, learning about how I can save more money. I started enacting some of the things that I was reading about, like setting up an emergency fund, calling my service providers and getting them to reduce my expenses, and automating all my finances. I have started to see a difference, perhaps not in my bank account, but in my attitude. I have found a joy in saving money, and I feel in control. I'm making less money than I was before, and when I get my paycheck I still get worried about all the bills and how I'm going to save for a wedding, but I feel as though I'm headed in the right direction.
I'm excited for the future, because I can see a day where I won't feel financial strain or stress. I can see a day where I can afford to live how I want to live, and feel financial freedom. That day is coming, and I hope that you can come with me as I learn by living.
Mar 24, 2009
A Look Forward
Last week I wrote about the slow start that I was having trying to make money online. I had only earned a few cents, I was frustrated because I wasn't finding enough time to write, and I was becoming worried that my time investments may never pay off. At this point, I am proud to say that I have significantly increased my earnings. I have earned over a quarter! In even more exciting news, one of my articles was featured on the Dating and Relationships category page! I am not sure how being featured is going to affect my pageviews, as AC hasn't updated their stats since Friday. In addition, the PR manager from AC commented on my Weekend Review post, encouraging me to continue writing articles for them. Looks like someone is getting some attention. Laura, from AC, reminded me that while I might not have made very much money so far, "the longer your articles live on AC.com, the more they'll continue to earn for you". This is something called "passive income", something that I would like to continue building upon.
Passive Income
Passive income is money that you are earning without doing anything for it. You put in an initial investment (time, money, etc), and then as time progresses, you continue to earn additional money from that investment. For example, interest earned in your "high" interest online savings account is passive income. In my case, I make the initial investment (time) into an article, and I earn passive income from it for the rest of the time that it is featured on Associated Content. Granted, sometimes certain articles will not make much, or any money, and will with time most likely fade, but there is always going to be a chance that another six people will view that article, and I will earn one more cent.
I used to scoff at this type of income, because it is so minuscule, and it takes forever. What I've begun to learn, however, is that time is on my side. While it might be a small amount of money now, it just may grow into a decent amount of money in a year or two. All it takes is a few minutes writing, something that I've been enjoying doing, and I have set up the potential for some future income.
The Great Blog Off
In other news, The Great Blog Off is entering its final week. I've been enjoying reading these guys blogs, and it has certainly motivated me to blog consistently. I know that I am planning on continuing to blog even after the votes have been tallied, and I hope that they will join me.
For this last full week on blog.alan.schram before The Great Blog Off vote, I will continue to write about how you can save $100 this month. I will also be outlining some of my goals for the blog and for Associated Content as I strive to continue to make money online by writing. New and exciting things are on the horizon, and I hope you join me as I learn by living.
Passive Income
Passive income is money that you are earning without doing anything for it. You put in an initial investment (time, money, etc), and then as time progresses, you continue to earn additional money from that investment. For example, interest earned in your "high" interest online savings account is passive income. In my case, I make the initial investment (time) into an article, and I earn passive income from it for the rest of the time that it is featured on Associated Content. Granted, sometimes certain articles will not make much, or any money, and will with time most likely fade, but there is always going to be a chance that another six people will view that article, and I will earn one more cent.
I used to scoff at this type of income, because it is so minuscule, and it takes forever. What I've begun to learn, however, is that time is on my side. While it might be a small amount of money now, it just may grow into a decent amount of money in a year or two. All it takes is a few minutes writing, something that I've been enjoying doing, and I have set up the potential for some future income.
The Great Blog Off
In other news, The Great Blog Off is entering its final week. I've been enjoying reading these guys blogs, and it has certainly motivated me to blog consistently. I know that I am planning on continuing to blog even after the votes have been tallied, and I hope that they will join me.
For this last full week on blog.alan.schram before The Great Blog Off vote, I will continue to write about how you can save $100 this month. I will also be outlining some of my goals for the blog and for Associated Content as I strive to continue to make money online by writing. New and exciting things are on the horizon, and I hope you join me as I learn by living.
Mar 17, 2009
Motivation
One of my dreams is to be able to earn an income writing. A few weeks ago I took the first baby step by signing up to produce content for Associated Content. It was a slow start, but that was exactly what I expected. So far, I've earned a whopping twelve cents from AC. That number is based off of the 5 articles that I've written for the website, all of which were published. My most popular one, to date, is the introduction to mixed martial arts. If I look at that as an hourly rate, I am probably make one to two cents per hour of work. Not the best return for my time.
At the same time I signed on to be a part of The Great Blog Off, a month long foray into the world of competitive blogging. This means that I have a lot more writing to do in my spare time compared to what I did a month ago. Combining these two new projects alongside my regular work schedule, planning a wedding, looking for a new place to live, and maintaining friendships means that I don't always have the chance to write when I want to.
Lately, when I do get the chance to write, I don't always want to write articles for AC. I have a couple ideas for articles that I want to write, I just haven't had the motivation to sit down and work through them. Instead, I've had a number of ideas for this here blog, and have pre-written a number of potential posts. A few weeks ago, I spent a Saturday writing and I wrote three of the articles that are now on AC, yet I couldn't find anything to write for the blog.
The wonderful benefit of writing for myself is that I can work on whatever I'm inspired to write on. If I want to blog about budgeting, I can do that. If I am excited about the articles that I wrote for AC, I can publish a post sharing my excitement. If I want to write about MMA, I will do just that.
This is why I want to be a writer. I want to be able to work on what I want, as I want, when I want, and where I want. It is part of the ethos of personal freedom, financial and otherwise, that I am striving to achieve in my life.
At the same time I signed on to be a part of The Great Blog Off, a month long foray into the world of competitive blogging. This means that I have a lot more writing to do in my spare time compared to what I did a month ago. Combining these two new projects alongside my regular work schedule, planning a wedding, looking for a new place to live, and maintaining friendships means that I don't always have the chance to write when I want to.
Lately, when I do get the chance to write, I don't always want to write articles for AC. I have a couple ideas for articles that I want to write, I just haven't had the motivation to sit down and work through them. Instead, I've had a number of ideas for this here blog, and have pre-written a number of potential posts. A few weeks ago, I spent a Saturday writing and I wrote three of the articles that are now on AC, yet I couldn't find anything to write for the blog.
The wonderful benefit of writing for myself is that I can work on whatever I'm inspired to write on. If I want to blog about budgeting, I can do that. If I am excited about the articles that I wrote for AC, I can publish a post sharing my excitement. If I want to write about MMA, I will do just that.
This is why I want to be a writer. I want to be able to work on what I want, as I want, when I want, and where I want. It is part of the ethos of personal freedom, financial and otherwise, that I am striving to achieve in my life.
Mar 3, 2009
The Great Blog Off
Welcome, Great Blog Off Voters!
The Great Blog Off is a joint venture between myself and three friends. We've decided to see who is the greatest blogger. So, over the next month we're going to be blogging, and we created a facebook group dedicated to those that will follow, and then eventually vote on their favorite blogger.
Now, though I am the only one to ever hold a blog (or two) before, I am at a distinct disadvantage. I am also the only one of the four who has an actual full time job. The rest are "entrepreneurs" or "working part time" or "bums who live with their parents". Therefore the time that I am able to devote to The Great Blog Off is significantly limited in comparison. And while yes, I may have a few prior blog posts (about 300 I guess), this blog was started yesterday, and this blog is the blog that I ask to be rated upon. I wouldn't do something like link to my old myspace blog or my old blogspot blog. Like I said, I wouldn't want to be rated on my entire history of work, just what I post on this here blog.
Anyways, feel free to join the Facebook group and check out the other guy's blogs. They're good people (though bad bloggers), so head on over to Adam Loewen's blog, Jeff Hawker's blog, and Tony Bookless's blog. Bookmark us all so that you can witness our month long blogging effort to out blog one another, and in the process, maybe you'll learn a thing or two.
The Great Blog Off is a joint venture between myself and three friends. We've decided to see who is the greatest blogger. So, over the next month we're going to be blogging, and we created a facebook group dedicated to those that will follow, and then eventually vote on their favorite blogger.
Now, though I am the only one to ever hold a blog (or two) before, I am at a distinct disadvantage. I am also the only one of the four who has an actual full time job. The rest are "entrepreneurs" or "working part time" or "bums who live with their parents". Therefore the time that I am able to devote to The Great Blog Off is significantly limited in comparison. And while yes, I may have a few prior blog posts (about 300 I guess), this blog was started yesterday, and this blog is the blog that I ask to be rated upon. I wouldn't do something like link to my old myspace blog or my old blogspot blog. Like I said, I wouldn't want to be rated on my entire history of work, just what I post on this here blog.
Anyways, feel free to join the Facebook group and check out the other guy's blogs. They're good people (though bad bloggers), so head on over to Adam Loewen's blog, Jeff Hawker's blog, and Tony Bookless's blog. Bookmark us all so that you can witness our month long blogging effort to out blog one another, and in the process, maybe you'll learn a thing or two.
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