The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: arebelspy on November 09, 2015, 12:59:46 PM
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So the wife and I are thinking about starting a blog. But I'm not sure if it'll be worth doing.
(http://i.imgur.com/235oG0t.jpg)
One big reason to do it would be to keep friends/family updated on our adventures, so it will naturally include our travels post-FIRE.
But I'm looking for other reasons, cause we can always just throw up a picture and sentence on Facebook about where we are and what we're doing and keep everyone updated. So I'm wondering are there other things we can write about? For example, I'm thinking it may be worthwhile to have other stuff on there, like financial stuff, for those people wondering how they can FIRE (we're not worried about revealing finances to people we know). Or information about real estate. Or whatever.
So my question for you all, and the reason why I started this thread is: What sort of stuff should go on this blog? What types of posts would you like to see?
Are there any questions you have, or questions you feel like "beginners" would have? Questions about our back story, or how we did anything? Questions about plans, or contingencies, or what?
Basically--any ideas you have for blog posts on things you think people might wonder about? That will help me figure out if it happens at all, and, if so, what direction to take it in.
Cheers! :)
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I think there's interest and value in just showing what it's like to live an uncommon life, the things you're able to see, do, choose. For beginners, they might ask, "what would I do with all that free time in FIRE?" Your blog can show a tangible example, something they can point to and say, "that, something like THAT!"
Plus, I like travel stories and pictures.
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Hi ARS, I would definitely read your blog, regardless of what you decide to write about.
As I now have the nuts and bolts of FIRE techniques more or less worked out, I find myself most interested in writing about philosophy or mental aspects of pre- and post-FIRE life. MMM and Dr. Doom's blog and Jon Snow's journal are a few favorites, very diverse but all with a philosophical edge.
I think beginners always like to hear about personal financials, how you did it personally. There are others who have written about that, but none in your particular position. I would personally like to hear more about your real estate approach, how you evaluate real estate financials and operational challenges from a FIRE perspective, and how you feel about real estate investment in different sorts of markets around the country and the world. How important was real estate vs saving in your FIRE journey? How do you think your approach would translate to other areas geographically, and can you how us some example or real numbers to help us understand your position?
Working out math problems and cost/benefits related to tax and general investment planning is also a very interesting area. I've really enjoyed Mad Fientist, GoCurryCracker, and Tyler's PortfolioCharts recently in this vein. I personally would have a hard time approaching their level of quality in analysis, but you may be able to. Even if your posts were not at their level of detail, as a teacher you may be able to use different language or techniques to explain these concepts that would help some people understand.
I think there is a lot more to be said on all these topics. Even if your blog rehashes topics which have been written about elsewhere, you and your wife are great writers and a fresh perspective will make it worth reading for me and others.
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So my question for you all, and the reason why I started this thread is: What sort of stuff should go on this blog? What types of posts would you like to see?
Are there any questions you have, or questions you feel like "beginners" would have? Questions about our back story, or how we did anything? Questions about plans, or contingencies, or what?
I almost feel like a backstory/how we got here post(s) would be pretty necessary to a new blog. Plus, it could provide great fodder (based on comments) for future posts.
I am the type that likes specifics...not like a "we maxed our retirement accounts and lived modestly"....more like "we each put in 18k in a 401k per year and 5500 in a ira. then we contributed x dollars to vanguard fund y, because *insert logic*...all while we lived off approximately $xx,xxx per year" That is much more my cup of tea. Real numbers make it more real for me, personally.
I think what i would be most interested in is your drawdown strategy. specifics on how you all plan to tap into retirement accounts/real estate equity, especially while traveling abroad. how much do you plan to withdraw? contingency plans? etc.
You all will have some cool as shit stories by planning on giving birth outside the US and then continuing your travels with a newborn. That topic could probably be an entire blog in itself.
best of luck in everything!
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Definitely real estate. I'm not currently pursuing real estate as part of my strategy because it's so overwhelming, but I am in awe of your real estate empire.
(https://www.redfin.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2014/09/dawson_2-300x227.gif)
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As someone who is hoping to do this in a couple of years, I would particularly be interested in the occasional post re health care, taxes, etc. while abroad.
And of course, cool pics and cool stories of all the awesome things you're doing…
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Definitely would read anything you blog about. If you're traveling, how you do it to keep costs down. How you got to FIRE. How you even decided to do that, to begin with. Details about saving, rentals, etc. would be great, too. I think personal finance blogs from people who are actually retired are the most valuable--I don't want to read crap like the Simple Dollar, because it's not relevant. I'm never going to finance a new Prius, thank you very much. ;) And it's great to have someone to point to when there's a naysayer who's saying, "Retire early? You can't do that!" and then I can point and say "A Rebel Spy and his wife did, on teacher salaries... Their blog is at _____."
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I would definitely be an avid follower of your blog. My husband and I are planning on following in some of your footsteps (FIRE around age 30 combined with perma-travel and possible nomad-kid) and would love for your family to 'test the waters' and act as a FIRE guinea pig :)
Posts that I would be interested in include:
How you went about choosing a country for your child to be born in.
Details about expenses incurred for the Camino de Santiago.
In the future- how your costs and travel methodology changes with the arrival of your baby.
General idea about what day to day life is like as a traveling FIRE person... with pictures!
I appreciate the attitude and insights you bring to this forum... so any philosophical meanderings would also be valued.
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As someone on my own FIRE journey, I think it would be interesting to mix posts about current life (where you are going, what you are doing and what you are spending) with posts on how you got to this point in your FI life.
This mix would provide inspiration and motivation on days when FIRE seems so far away as well as the specific nuts and bolts to help get achieve it sooner.
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One of my favorite features of a blog is the clean "journal" format vs. a loose collection of forum and Facebook posts that can become unrecoverable. We started a blog years ago primarily as a journal, but it stalled out. One of my FIRE goals is to update it from time to time. I believe it will be great to look back on it 10-20-30+ years from now.
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I'd read! I'm curious how you will select each place you live and find an appropriate house/apartment, what you might learn to cook based on local cuisine, and how you will prepare and care for the baby. I'm also interested in how you will manage your taxes, if you'll take on new hobbies/work in each location and what you'll do when/if you're back in the States.
Ultimately, I enjoy seeing as many different ways to have a good life as possible -- the more different from me, the better! I never know what I will learn.
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YES!!! Wholehearted support here. You could post NOT ONLY travel pictures, but rental stories along the lines:
"This happened when a renter X did Y", and how your "team-on-the-ground sent pictures Z, then solved the issue" all while you were filling canteens, AND/OR checking your accounts from a wifi hotspot at a tasting room in the middle of the Iberian countryside.
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I would LOVE to hear more about how to save and what to do with money from a teachers perspective. Since starting this journey, I have found saving to be different than others, with choices that are 'clear as mud' for 403b's and 457's. What you have decided to do in your journey's would be awesome as well.
I just know that when I suggested to a teacher friend of mine about MMM, their first response was, "But I don't make $100,000 a year!" So maybe how to save from a modest income or a working income perspective?
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Only if you pinky-swear not to sell it. I loved Trent Hamm's and JD Roth's blogs, but when they sold them and the inevitable drop in quality happened, I felt like I'd lost actual friends. I know this makes me sound like a weirdo, but I read and contributed to their blogs because their message resonated with my life and goals. Afterwards, not so much. Right now I'm racking my brain. I can't even remember what Hamm's blog is/was called. Oh yeah, The Simple Dollar. Ugh. I know JD 's planning a new blog and I am looking forward to becoming an active reader again. I like his voice and viewpoints.
Write about whatever you want. Don't pigeonhole yourself into any tight spaces. Your interests will change as your life does and your audience will follow. I'm in.
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I'd really like to hear about your real estate business. I have the feeling there is a lot I could learn.
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I am forever searching for "How much does it cost to..." How much does it cost to sail? How much does it cost to live in an RV? How much does it cost to live in Spain? and so on. Although it seems like the most boring subject in the world, people considering a type of lifestyle love seeing the detailed spreadsheets on living expenses.
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How about a series about how you got to where you are and why you are traveling to the destinations you are traveling to and the costs associated with each location.
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I would read that! For me, I'm always interested in the emotional connection to money and FIRE.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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I would like learning real numbers and the details of health care, travel hacking, taxes etc...but I would really like to follow your story. Why did you decide to become global citizens and how are you making it work? What sort of cultural or emotional challenges do you run into as you go?
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I am forever searching for "How much does it cost to..." How much does it cost to sail? How much does it cost to live in an RV? How much does it cost to live in Spain? and so on. Although it seems like the most boring subject in the world, people considering a type of lifestyle love seeing the detailed spreadsheets on living expenses.
Hey SailorGirl - me, too! There is an RV blog clearinghouse called HitchItch. There are a ton of travel journals and blogs linked there. A good number of the RVers post their monthly and annual expenses. Some live on air and pennies and others seem to have unlimited funds. Make sure you have plenty of time before you start following threads. Don't come to me trying to get the good chunks of your life back after you've gone down that rabbit hole. You've been warned ;-).
Note to ARS - If you want to see a ton o'blog styles in one place, you might want to take a look, too.
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I like nuts and bolts advice (especially RE related) but also philosophy, observations, etc, in the same vein as Dr. Doom. Your tone will be yours, obviously, so it will be different, but I really look forward to this.
And as a future teacher, any thoughts/observations specific to teachers would be appreciated!
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I'd probably read it.
I think you'll fit into a niche nicely. Focus on what you know. Early retirement and the process of your evolution through ER. Aiming for FIRE, preparation, plans. Traveling. Eventually the traveling with kids angle. Real estate.
I think the more personal your blog is the better as people like to relate. People like to read about real people more than a rehashing of the same financial principles they can read about at bogleheads or a FAQ somewhere.
I use my own blog as a personal reference. Sometimes I'll want to check some facts about a trip or our spending or whatever and it's at my fingertips "in the cloud".
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I'd read it! Definitely include a backstory with specifics of financials. I'm also interested in traveling post FIRE. I have a lot of travel under my belt, but would love to hear more about how to do it even more frugally.
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As someone on my own FIRE journey, I think it would be interesting to mix posts about current life (where you are going, what you are doing and what you are spending) with posts on how you got to this point in your FI life.
This mix would provide inspiration and motivation on days when FIRE seems so far away as well as the specific nuts and bolts to help get achieve it sooner.
+1
I just read through "Living a FI" and loved the combination of current information and "back story" to help understand his journey.
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All these topics are of interest to me as well. Also practical stuff like how you handle a home base, or should you have one at all? Also surprises after FIRE, both positive and negative? This is especially true since you started traveling right after FIRE, so you don't have really any routines to fall back on.
The travel topic is near to me. I have never traveled for very long periods of time, which is really quite different than a short "escape" vacation.
I for one would love to read a blog with your experiences, because you think through issues that come up quite well. Plus you are practical and no-nonsense. MMM has built a brand on FIRE, so he has a vested interest in the way FIRE is portrayed. You have not, so hearing your experiences validates the concept of FIRE. There is a big difference between a mathematical concept, and the daily realities of that concept. I would like to hear more about that.
Thanks for the idea. You have my vote!
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I would love to hear about some of the challenges of writing while on the road. And, as others before me have said, how the process of dealing with pulling money from passive income works for you.
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I'm in.
What I'd like to see:
The good, as in: "most amazing fish taco place @" and where it is.
The bad, as in: "worst place to xyz ever!" so I don't go there.
The funny. LOTS of the funny, please!
The nuts and bolts: the center unit of a triplex spends less in utilities. If prospective tenants whine about no window over the kitchen sink, explain they can put a nekkid pic of Brad Pitt there for their viewing pleasure, and then bask in the glow of their lowered electric bill (worked for me).
Anything travel related.
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A lot of retired or pre-retired couple blogs are are one person writing about the experience of the couple, perhaps with the rare post by the other half. You both have a talent for writing. Maybe you could try to keep a blog more evenly balanced and we'd hear from both of you.
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So my question for you all, and the reason why I started this thread is: What sort of stuff should go on this blog? What types of posts would you like to see?
Are there any questions you have, or questions you feel like "beginners" would have? Questions about our back story, or how we did anything? Questions about plans, or contingencies, or what?
I almost feel like a backstory/how we got here post(s) would be pretty necessary to a new blog. Plus, it could provide great fodder (based on comments) for future posts.
I am the type that likes specifics...not like a "we maxed our retirement accounts and lived modestly"....more like "we each put in 18k in a 401k per year and 5500 in a ira. then we contributed x dollars to vanguard fund y, because *insert logic*...all while we lived off approximately $xx,xxx per year" That is much more my cup of tea. Real numbers make it more real for me, personally.
I think what i would be most interested in is your drawdown strategy. specifics on how you all plan to tap into retirement accounts/real estate equity, especially while traveling abroad. how much do you plan to withdraw? contingency plans? etc.
You all will have some cool as shit stories by planning on giving birth outside the US and then continuing your travels with a newborn. That topic could probably be an entire blog in itself.
best of luck in everything!
I say why not. And to echo the above, start with whatever floats your boat and then let the comments inspire new topics.
Leave a comment on this web zone if you want a pizza roll.
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I would read that blog, I really like your posts on the forum. Mostly interested in travel stories and your motivation and journey to FIRE.
I've found a lot of blogs to become targeted to the beginner/lowest common denominator, so if you can separate out baby steps and posts for intermediates, that would be ace.
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I imagine that with your popularity here, you'll have a fairly instant dedicated readership. The topic obviously has some influence on the name, unless you go for something non-specific like arebelblog.com.
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You seem to have planned a fabulous trip while working a lot,both of you. I would love to read more about how to efficiently plan moderately priced travel.
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I'd love to read about your real estate and travel hacking advice. There are plenty of travel hacking blogs out there but most of them aren't particularly Mustachian.
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I'd love to know more about how you got started and how things change as Baby Spy grows up. We are pregnant with our first child and would love to get into Real Estate. Your posts have always been very informative and encouraging for us to read.
Please let us know if you move forward with the blog. We'd love to read it!
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I imagine that with your popularity here, you'll have a fairly instant dedicated readership. The topic obviously has some influence on the name, unless you go for something non-specific like arebelblog.com.
I agree with everyone but especially this
My only caveat is that you really need to want to do it for yourself. Otherwise it's easy for blogging to become a chore. I make sure to write only when I want to, not because I haven't written a post in X days.
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Definitely real estate. I'm not currently pursuing real estate as part of my strategy because it's so overwhelming, but I am in awe of your real estate empire.
(https://www.redfin.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2014/09/dawson_2-300x227.gif)
This, I personally would love specifics on how you did your real estate deals, why it made sense and what rules you followed. A step by step how to I guess. Also life posts, and philosophical posts are great as well.
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I'd really like to hear about your real estate business. I have the feeling there is a lot I could learn.
Me too.
Honestly, though, you are a very thoughtful and knowledgeable person. I expect I'll be interested in whatever you think it's worth your time to write on.
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I'd love to read about your travel adventures. And who knows where the blog will take you in topics to write about. Look at the beginning of Go Curry Cracker. Just Jeremy and Winnie moving around, discussing future plans, talking about travel and adventure. And now he's writing about the intricacies of the ACA. Go figure.
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I'd be most interested in the real estate, because you are so successful at it. Also, would love to read about your travel adventures and the things you learn while slow traveling. It's something I would like to do in the future.
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By all means go for it. Would love to hear about how your real estate is going, but also new travel discoveries that you are uncovering that would appeal to people on this forum. You can find nice travel reports and conventional travel advice pretty much anywhere, but special insights on nice places to visit and things to do in Europe that are not expensive, that's worth hearing about.
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Small world! My wife and I are planning on doing this in a year and a half, although we already have kids. We have worked overseas for long stretches already an have found that choosing living locations can be a big part of the ERE strategy. We are looking at Panama, Ecuador, and Portugal as possible bases of operation. Best of luck on the site, I will definitely read yours.
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Yes, please! I'd love to hear about the nuts and bolts of your travels (visas, spending, etc.) plus your reflections if you feel like sharing them. If you scope out future homesteading sights around the world, you could share what you find.
I'd also like to read about your real estate/teaching experiences and your wife's writing. What's her schedule? What are her plans? Whatever you write would be much appreciated!
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Cool, thanks everyone, some great ideas here. :)
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What are you going to get out of it?
You may recall I PM'd you about writing a book about your real estate empire. So, I'd love to see that. And then mustachian world travel, too? Wow, it would be a real "Here's how to get rich and here's what to do with your riches".
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What are you going to get out of it?
Great question.
We haven't blogged so far because it's seemed like work. Now that we're FIRE'd, and especially here towards the beginning, I don't want anything we "have" to do. Any obligations. So having a blog, and feeling like we "should" update it was not something I was interested in.
But we do want an outlet to share our travels with family and friends, and Mustachians. I've felt a little guilty not updating here about the Camino, and subsequent adventures. Writing is fun, some times.
The hardest part for me is generating ideas of what to write about. I have far more replies than threads started, even on a percent basis, because I have plenty to say in response to things, not so much to just pontificate in a vacuum. But I may be able to come up with a few things.
You may recall I PM'd you about writing a book about your real estate empire. So, I'd love to see that. And then mustachian world travel, too? Wow, it would be a real "Here's how to get rich and here's what to do with your riches".
Hah, I wouldn't call it an empire. Just a few properties, but enough for us. :)
That might be fun.
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Well, it's been over 11 months since I started this thread (actually, now that I look, 11 months to the day since the last post in it).
No blog yet. :P
Somehow there's not enough time in FIRE to do silly things like BLOG.
But progress made!
Ali wrote a few blog posts in Nov 2015, about the time I started this post. Then zero progress for 6 months.
Then in May, I got a domain, and set up the site*. Just a placeholder, basically with a homepage with a paragraph, an "about" page with the only real content (a page long description of us/our story), and a contact page. But choosing a template, layout, uploading some pictures, etc. are all some of the hardest parts.
Then zero progress for 5 months.
Then now, in October, started adding some content (mostly just stuff ripped from my travel thread in the journals here), and hired a programmer on Freelancer to fix some of the CSS and tweak a few things.
Sooo going live... maybe soon**?
Still would love any input on the question in the OP. Rereading this thread, seems overwhelmingly people say: Travel posts, and Real Estate posts. Makes sense, since that's where most of my content on these forums lie. But anything else you're interested in seeing, feel free to chime in now!
*There is a reason why this happened then. The careful reader of something I recommend often will have discovered the URL.
**There is a reason why it may have to happen soon. There is no reason why you would know this yet, but it will become obvious when it happens. Feel free to guess though! ;)
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The careful reader of something I recommend often will have discovered the URL.
I tried gofuckmyself.com, but got a DNS error.
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The careful reader of something I recommend often will have discovered the URL.
I tried gofuckmyself.com, but got a DNS error.
I blocked you from spamming there too much.
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I would be an avid reader of your blog. I would love toread the back story of how you and your wife retired but also youraboit your current nomadic life. How do you get from place to place? How is it traveling with a baby? How is the 4%rule working for you? Etc.
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*There is a reason why this happened then. The careful reader of something I recommend often will have discovered the URL.
Ha Ha, I found your blog months ago but at the time only had the "about" and home page up. Nice to see you've got some content up.
Now I'm going to try and guess the reason for this:
**There is a reason why it may have to happen soon. There is no reason why you would know this yet, but it will become obvious when it happens. Feel free to guess though! ;)
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*There is a reason why this happened then. The careful reader of something I recommend often will have discovered the URL.
Ha Ha, I found your blog months ago but at the time only had the "about" and home page up. Nice to see you've got some content up.
Nice! I was wondering if anyone had. It makes me glad that you were (the?) one who did. :)
It's very much a work in progress, so ignore broken links for now--content is being added semi-daily, though, like I said, most of it is just ripped from posts here, to start out with, so probably nothing you haven't seen.
Now I'm going to try and guess the reason for this:
**There is a reason why it may have to happen soon. There is no reason why you would know this yet, but it will become obvious when it happens. Feel free to guess though! ;)
Not quite as big of a reason, but along the same lines.
EDIT: Woo, first blog comment. Thanks! :D
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congratulations. now the real work begins. keep that guy busy
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*There is a reason why this happened then. The careful reader of something I recommend often will have discovered the URL.
Ha Ha, I found your blog months ago but at the time only had the "about" and home page up. Nice to see you've got some content up.
Nice! I was wondering if anyone had. It makes me glad that you were (the?) one who did. :)
It's very much a work in progress, so ignore broken links for now--content is being added semi-daily, though, like I said, most of it is just ripped from posts here, to start out with, so probably nothing you haven't seen.
Well if you remember I've had WAY to much internet time since late August so that's probably why/how I stumbled on it.
EDIT: Woo, first blog comment. Thanks! :D
Ha, your welcome. They say you always remember your first
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We haven't blogged so far because it's seemed like work. Now that we're FIRE'd, and especially here towards the beginning, I don't want anything we "have" to do. Any obligations. So having a blog, and feeling like we "should" update it was not something I was interested in.
But we do want an outlet to share our travels with family and friends, and Mustachians. I've felt a little guilty not updating here about the Camino, and subsequent adventures. Writing is fun, some times.
The hardest part for me is generating ideas of what to write about. I have far more replies than threads started, even on a percent basis, because I have plenty to say in response to things, not so much to just pontificate in a vacuum. But I may be able to come up with a few things.
I made a Instagram so that my family/friends can keep track of me. Nobody expects you to write an article on there, and I'm taking pictures anyways.
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My favorite types of posts are people's personal experiences with optimizing their lives.
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We haven't blogged so far because it's seemed like work. Now that we're FIRE'd, and especially here towards the beginning, I don't want anything we "have" to do. Any obligations. So having a blog, and feeling like we "should" update it was not something I was interested in.
But we do want an outlet to share our travels with family and friends, and Mustachians. I've felt a little guilty not updating here about the Camino, and subsequent adventures. Writing is fun, some times.
The hardest part for me is generating ideas of what to write about. I have far more replies than threads started, even on a percent basis, because I have plenty to say in response to things, not so much to just pontificate in a vacuum. But I may be able to come up with a few things.
I made a Instagram so that my family/friends can keep track of me. Nobody expects you to write an article on there, and I'm taking pictures anyways.
Yeah, I really like that idea, but we're terrible at remembering to take pictures, and terrible at remembering to post them when we do. :)
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Specificity is the soul of narrative.
I like blogs that deal with the concrete details of someone's life, rather than a lot of "Buy vs Rent" or "Says to slash your grocery budget".
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You know "7 ways to slash your budget?" It was a huge success. What you need is a hook... "8 ways to slash your budget." That's 1 more way.
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You know "7 ways to slash your budget?" It was a huge success. What you need is a hook... "8 ways to slash your budget." That's 1 more way.
At first I was like, * everything, 5 ways to slash my budget (http://www.theonion.com/blogpost/fuck-everything-were-doing-five-blades-11056).
After seeing your post though...now mine goes to 11 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOO5S4vxi0o).
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I tried both ymmv.com and yourmilagemayvary.com. You even said in your clue that you needed to launch by May, as in "your mileage MAY vary". Thought I had it nailed, but no...
Googling your username and your real name also didn't help. Any more clues?
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Specificity is the soul of narrative.
I like blogs that deal with the concrete details of someone's life, rather than a lot of "Buy vs Rent" or "Says to slash your grocery budget".
I agree with this. Interesting stories, funny stuff. The discussion of what your life is like on the road - things you've discovered that everyone says "x" but...meh, maybe not so much.
I've been reading blogs from travelers of specific types (vans, rvs, etc.), working nomads, early retirees, etc. for several years, and the ones that stick with me have something specific and interesting to say that is personal in nature.
While some people like the specific $ breakdown of what things cost or where money comes from, I don't have interest in reading someone else's spreadsheet as a blog post. I do like the "how to get X service while in Y place" type of info blogs - however, only a handful of these efforts are really worth it for info that won't become dated almost immediately or isn't duplicative of what is already out there. I also suspect that for someone not driven to monetize blogging, these posts might be boring to write also if unprompted by a specific reader question.
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My first thouggt when I read this thread title was "well, duh" but now I see that it was started months ago! I'd definitely read it, but I can see how it would be difficult to keep up with. Topics I'm interested in are much like the other recommendations : travel, real estate, baby (bc what a cute baby), your journey to FIRE, and your side hustles, tips and tricks (dare i say hacks? Nah, i daren't).
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I'm surprised you haven't done this already! Seems like a natural fit. I think the backstory, current stories and a whole lot on real estate would go over great. There is room for more info on RE as a path to FI for sure.
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Agree with all posters that said "tell your story". You retired super early with relatively low salaries, right? Who wouldn't want to understand how that is done?
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Googling your username and your real name also didn't help.
Feel better now because I know I'm not the only one who did that. And wasn't successful. LOL
I missed this thread first time round but I think we did talk about blogging when we met so that I assume you already know I'd definitely read it. :-) As for the reason it might be soon, all I can think of after reading this thread is that you've finished that book on real estate investing that was mentioned up above and it's going to be published soon. Or maybe you've been interviewed by, say, the New Yorker and it's coming out soon? Yeah, I'm not much good on guessing. I'll still read your blog though.
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Googling your username and your real name also didn't help.
Feel better now because I know I'm not the only one who did that. And wasn't successful. LOL
I tried both ymmv.com and yourmilagemayvary.com. You even said in your clue that you needed to launch by May, as in "your mileage MAY vary". Thought I had it nailed, but no...
Googling your username and your real name also didn't help. Any more clues?
Haha, couldn't make it that easy.
Until recently, there was just one way to find it (that I hinted at above). Now there's other ways.
But no, it's not linked to this username. :)
Thanks for the thoughts everyone--making it "personal" will definitely be high on our list of goals for it.
I missed this thread first time round but I think we did talk about blogging when we met so that I assume you already know I'd definitely read it. :-) As for the reason it might be soon, all I can think of after reading this thread is that you've finished that book on real estate investing that was mentioned up above and it's going to be published soon. Or maybe you've been interviewed by, say, the New Yorker and it's coming out soon? Yeah, I'm not much good on guessing. I'll still read your blog though.
Nothing that prestigious, but closest guess so far. :)
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Comment #2! Curious how you found it, @FiveSigmas--direct listing of the URL (first hint I gave) or Googling based on more recent posts made in it (second way). :)
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Another financial blog is not needed. Well let me rephrase that borrowing from a quote i heard before... "another financial blog is not needed; what is needed is another outstanding financial blog". (original quote i think was talking about lawyers)
But really, the financial blogs all seem to say pretty much same thing. All the useful pertinent guidance can be summarized now on about one page.
What is needed are more detailed or somewhat detailed examples of how a successful person/couple applied the principals to their own lives and decisions. The logic steps they used in making a major decision or even minor decisions in their lives.
Your postings and responses in this forum are consistently logical, straightforward and practical. I would bookmark a site i knew would not waste my time with the usual pf stuff.
A question and answer section where the peeps could pose a question and if chosen get a reply from arebelspy would be the most value added feature that is currently not available enough. Presently, the guy only responds intermittently on this forum.
that's my opinion.
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Where's our LINK to the BLOG?
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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Another financial blog is not needed. Well let me rephrase that borrowing from a quote i heard before... "another financial blog is not needed; what is needed is another outstanding financial blog". (original quote i think was talking about lawyers)
But really, the financial blogs all seem to say pretty much same thing. All the useful pertinent guidance can be summarized now on about one page.
What is needed are more detailed or somewhat detailed examples of how a successful person/couple applied the principals to their own lives and decisions. The logic steps they used in making a major decision or even minor decisions in their lives.
Your postings and responses in this forum are consistently logical, straightforward and practical. I would bookmark a site i knew would not waste my time with the usual pf stuff.
A question and answer section where the peeps could pose a question and if chosen get a reply from arebelspy would be the most value added feature that is currently not available enough. Presently, the guy only responds intermittently on this forum.
that's my opinion.
That's all really good. I agree.
I do think I need some of those posts, initially, as reference posts, because they answer the most common questions about ER.
Any MMM readers may know what we mean when we say early retirement, may understand the math that makes it work, and those posts are boring.
They're boring for me, too.
But I also feel like I need to have some of that basic information initially as a reference for those readers who don't know these simple basics. We were all there once.
So we're planning on having all that stuff available at launch, then not posting basic personal finance stuff like that again.
Where's our LINK to the BLOG?
Not ready for launch yet. A few detectives have found it, but while it's good presentation-wise (IMO), it's nowhere close to ready content-wise. :)
Appreciating the thoughts/suggestions from everyone!
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Comment #2! Curious how you found it, @FiveSigmas--direct listing of the URL (first hint I gave) or Googling based on more recent posts made in it (second way). :)
I don't know about @FiveSigmas but I found it with a bit of Google-fu based on what I know about your story. (I don't remember which search terms ended up being successful because it took a few tries.) I've added it to my RSS feed and look forward to reading it once it's up and running.
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Comment #2! Curious how you found it, @FiveSigmas--direct listing of the URL (first hint I gave) or Googling based on more recent posts made in it (second way). :)
I don't know about @FiveSigmas but I found it with a bit of Google-fu based on what I know about your story. (I don't remember which search terms ended up being successful because it took a few tries.) I've added it to my RSS feed and look forward to reading it once it's up and running.
Nice. :D
You must have been quite clever about it, because I can't find it now on Google even knowing some terms to search for!
That will become a more and more viable strategy (and easier to find) as we post more content.
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I do think I need some of those posts, initially, as reference posts, because they answer the most common questions about ER.
Any MMM readers may know what we mean when we say early retirement, may understand the math that makes it work, and those posts are boring.
They're boring for me, too.
But I also feel like I need to have some of that basic information initially as a reference for those readers who don't know these simple basics. We were all there once.
So we're planning on having all that stuff available at launch, then not posting basic personal finance stuff like that again.
Why regurgitate PF stuff that other bloggers have already covered, and covered well? Is your goal to monetize the blog? I'm wondering because, from the posts of yours I've read, the obligation to a duplication of effort doesn't seem like something you'd be interested in, as opposed to referring people to existing content that you think is well written. I'm totally not against monetizing, BTW, just curious.
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You're living the life many people dream about but have no idea how to make happen. Lots of good answers here about breaking it down into specifics. One very important one would be "How we decided we could in fact achieve FIRE on two teachers' salaries", and the steps, including state of mind/mentality/positivity. Because most people would just dismiss the whole FIRE thing because they don't make $80 - 100K per year. You're here to show them how.
I'd totally read your blog. :)
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Why regurgitate PF stuff that other bloggers have already covered, and covered well?
Because, like I said, there are just common questions people who aren't a part of the ER community have, that they'd like answered. To already have those posts done that they can reference would help them. Those posts are not for MMM readers, they're for other people coming across the site/story and wanting to know more about how it's done.
Is your goal to monetize the blog? I'm wondering because, from the posts of yours I've read, the obligation to a duplication of effort doesn't seem like something you'd be interested in, as opposed to referring people to existing content that you think is well written. I'm totally not against monetizing, BTW, just curious.
The goal is not to monetize the blog, but there will be some monetization, regardless.
100% of the profits from the blog will go to charity. Seems silly to leave free money on the table (e.g. if I'm going to link to something anyways that has an affiliate program, such as an Amazon link, might as well use an affiliate link) when it could be put to use helping someone. But the monetization will be sparse. No ads are planned, for example, and affiliate stuff should be rare, at most.
We don't need, nor want income to ever be even a side-goal of the blog. So making the decision to not keep any that is made helps keep out some of the more powerful conflicts of interest that come with that.
Overall though, I'd expect almost no monetization.
You're living the life many people dream about but have no idea how to make happen. Lots of good answers here about breaking it down into specifics. One very important one would be "How we decided we could in fact achieve FIRE on two teachers' salaries", and the steps, including state of mind/mentality/positivity. Because most people would just dismiss the whole FIRE thing because they don't make $80 - 100K per year. You're here to show them how.
I'd totally read your blog. :)
Hmm, I will have to think about how to convey that. For us, it was pretty simple math. We live on $X. We make $Y, which is about 4 times more than X... 75% savings rate rockets you to FI pretty quick. Not much psychology/mentality needed when we saw it working right away, and money piling up (despite major mistakes, it kept pouring in faster than we could spend).
Probably the hard part most people will have trouble believing is how to live on 25% of your sub-100k salary. :)
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I typed in four keywords and your blog was #9 listing on google. Found it on the first try.
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Comment #2! Curious how you found it, @FiveSigmas--direct listing of the URL (first hint I gave) or Googling based on more recent posts made in it (second way). :)
I don't know about @FiveSigmas but I found it with a bit of Google-fu based on what I know about your story. (I don't remember which search terms ended up being successful because it took a few tries.) I've added it to my RSS feed and look forward to reading it once it's up and running.
Nice. :D
You must have been quite clever about it, because I can't find it now on Google even knowing some terms to search for!
That will become a more and more viable strategy (and easier to find) as we post more content.
I'm having trouble replicating those results now as I can't seem to find the site using the same search terms I tried last time. Even when I type in the name of the site it doesn't show up on the first few pages of results. I can only seem to get back by typing in the URL directly.
Hopefully once you start adding more content to the site it will improve its visibility in Google's search results (assuming that's what you want).
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Why regurgitate PF stuff that other bloggers have already covered, and covered well?
Because, like I said, there are just common questions people who aren't a part of the ER community have, that they'd like answered. To already have those posts done that they can reference would help them. Those posts are not for MMM readers, they're for other people coming across the site/story and wanting to know more about how it's done.
What I meant was, why rewrite content others have covered instead of referring people to that existing content? Is that taboo in blogging? (I know about zero re: the business of blogging) Maybe it's just easier to rewrite it?
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Hopefully once you start adding more content to the site it will improve its visibility in Google's search results (assuming that's what you want).
Meh. Maybe some day. Right now, don't care about SEO, monetization, social media, etc. It's a blog for fun, and because people have asked for it. If I was blogging for profit, it would be done quite differently.
Why regurgitate PF stuff that other bloggers have already covered, and covered well?
Because, like I said, there are just common questions people who aren't a part of the ER community have, that they'd like answered. To already have those posts done that they can reference would help them. Those posts are not for MMM readers, they're for other people coming across the site/story and wanting to know more about how it's done.
What I meant was, why rewrite content others have covered instead of referring people to that existing content? Is that taboo in blogging? (I know about zero re: the business of blogging) Maybe it's just easier to rewrite it?
I think someone on my site for my story wanting to know how it works is less likely to random MadFIentist/GCC/MMM/etc. links and read them than they would my spin on it. Even though those other ones are better written, if you're going to a site to read about two teachers who ER'd at 29 and are traveling the world, you want to know how they did it, and hear them explain how you can do it. Maybe some people will read links to other content, and I'll certainly include that, but I don't think my "reference posts" on those common questions we get can just be a link to another site.
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What I meant was, why rewrite content others have covered instead of referring people to that existing content? Is that taboo in blogging? (I know about zero re: the business of blogging) Maybe it's just easier to rewrite it?
I think someone on my site for my story wanting to know how it works is less likely to random MadFIentist/GCC/MMM/etc. links and read them than they would my spin on it. Even though those other ones are better written, if you're going to a site to read about two teachers who ER'd at 29 and are traveling the world, you want to know how they did it, and hear them explain how you can do it. Maybe some people will read links to other content, and I'll certainly include that, but I don't think my "reference posts" on those common questions we get can just be a link to another site.
Makes sense.
On my blog I just created a page for recommended learning where I wrote blurbs about the specific FIRE concepts (Roth IRA ladder, ACA subsidies, etc.) that I intend to utilize/are utilizing and referring the reader the the places I learned about them that I thought were worth referring to. If I reference a concept in a post I can just kick the reader to that recommending learning page for continued learning. At the moment though I only half-heartedly care about the blog because it's as much for me as it is for anyone else at the moment. However, your story is much more worth sharing than mine. I can understand where it'd be worth having everything "under one roof."
I wanted to ask in case I was violating some unspoken, common rule of blogging.
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What I meant was, why rewrite content others have covered instead of referring people to that existing content? Is that taboo in blogging? (I know about zero re: the business of blogging) Maybe it's just easier to rewrite it?
I think someone on my site for my story wanting to know how it works is less likely to random MadFIentist/GCC/MMM/etc. links and read them than they would my spin on it. Even though those other ones are better written, if you're going to a site to read about two teachers who ER'd at 29 and are traveling the world, you want to know how they did it, and hear them explain how you can do it. Maybe some people will read links to other content, and I'll certainly include that, but I don't think my "reference posts" on those common questions we get can just be a link to another site.
Makes sense.
On my blog I just created a page for recommended learning where I wrote blurbs about the specific FIRE concepts (Roth IRA ladder, ACA subsidies, etc.) that I intend to utilize/are utilizing and referring the reader the the places I learned about them that I thought were worth referring to. If I reference a concept in a post I can just kick the reader to that recommending learning page for continued learning. At the moment though I only half-heartedly care about the blog because it's as much for me as it is for anyone else at the moment. However, your story is much more worth sharing than mine. I can understand where it'd be worth having everything "under one roof."
I wanted to ask in case I was violating some unspoken, common rule of blogging.
No rule that I'm aware of--in fact, I'm sure people want you linking to their stuff. ;)
I definitely won't be writing about IRAs. Or Roth rollovers. Or Taxes. Links to GCC, MadFientist, etc. will be abundant, for those.
But the shockingly simple math, I'll explain. The concept of what early retirement even IS (i.e., not just sitting on the couch all day), I'll have a post on. Just some of those simple concepts to introduce. Just when the site is launched, to be able to point to.
Then hopefully none of that crap anymore. :)
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I was originally leaning towards what Mr. Green was thinking like why waste time or re-create the wheel. Link to the Shockingly simple math, RoG, GCC, etc and be done. But then when you posted this:
I think someone on my site for my story wanting to know how it works is less likely to random MadFIentist/GCC/MMM/etc. links and read them than they would my spin on it. Even though those other ones are better written, if you're going to a site to read about two teachers who ER'd at 29 and are traveling the world, you want to know how they did it, and hear them explain how you can do it. Maybe some people will read links to other content, and I'll certainly include that, but I don't think my "reference posts" on those common questions we get can just be a link to another site.
I now more see/agree with your point. Obviously for us MMMers coming over to your blog we likely already have read and enjoyed many of the other FI blogs and get the concept. But if your third cousin, ex-coworker, people you meet traveling, etc. want to learn more they may be more intrigued hearing it from the Horses ARS mouth.
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Looking forward to it!
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I missed this thread first time round but I think we did talk about blogging when we met so that I assume you already know I'd definitely read it. :-) As for the reason it might be soon, all I can think of after reading this thread is that you've finished that book on real estate investing that was mentioned up above and it's going to be published soon. Or maybe you've been interviewed by, say, the New Yorker and it's coming out soon? Yeah, I'm not much good on guessing. I'll still read your blog though.
Nothing that prestigious, but closest guess so far. :)
Interview/guest post on MMM?
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Already did the guest post (http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/07/08/early-retirement-cant-work-or-id-have-heard-of-it-before/), but nope, not an MMM interview. Closer though. :)
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Already did the guest post (http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/07/08/early-retirement-cant-work-or-id-have-heard-of-it-before/), but nope, not an MMM interview. Closer though. :)
Brandon at Mad Fientist podcast?
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I would totally read your blog and obviously you have a strong following on here so I'd expect it to be pretty successful! Echo everyone else's suggestions for real facts, your personal story, etc. I've also done some thinking about blogging (it would be lifestyle/ travel/ personal finance oriented) but the major stumbling block I keep running into is a deep reluctance to (1) make my life public in that way and (2) concern about posting photos of us and our kid. I realize I could do it anonymously and not post photos of us but then you lose the personal connection (which I enjoy with say MMM and GoCurryCracker), and as you're probably realizing from this thread, it seems to be not all that difficult to connect an anonymous blog with a real person these days. What are your thoughts about these two issues? Is the benefit of engaging with your audience, keeping family and friends updated, inspiring others, etc. worth the trade-off in losing privacy and anonymity? I was starting to get comfortable with the risk but then a lifestyle/design blog I read (which included pics of the writer and her family) shut itself down following some scary-sounding threats from a reader, and the vicious cycle of worry started all over again. :-P Would love to hear where you come out on this as it might help me work through similar issues.
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I would like to see some specifics on how to travel with kids. Or just how difficult/what to expect. How do you get them to sit still or just entertain them for hours on a plane. Any specifics to world travel that most of us don't get to see would be interesting; the BumFuzzle article about crossing the panama canal comes to mind.
**another kid, buying a house/farm, buy a boat to sail, all three?
I'll just wait for the link already wasted too much time.
Some of the Realestate articles/blogs can seem unrealistic or unrelateale. I go to biggerpockets occasionally, and I am sure there are some good posters but there are a lot of them that are 20 yo and think they can make $1mil in the next 18 months or something. I am sure if I put in the time I could find some good content there but it is just hard to find. Think of a way to be specific yet not boring so that others can put their selves in your shoes to see how they could do the same thing.
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Posts *I'd* like to see from the traveling spy family:
"The traveling landlord's electronic bookshelf" - essentially, look back through the book recommendation list, and suggest which one's you'd check-out from the library to read, and which one's you want to keep on-hand (electronically, since you're now a traveling landlord). Which books do you insist your local 'PM team' keep on-hand for reference (i.e. the "Landlording" book with all those full-sized forms, perhaps?)
"Mortgage notes for mustachians: benefits & pitfalls" - explain your take on mortgage notes that may seem well covered in places like Bigger Pockets, the different 'note exchanges', etc, but give us the view through 'rebel-spy-glasses'. (yes, you can use this for your blog)...
"Brick & Mortar home ownership vs. Notes" - you'll know what I'm talking about here.
"Even teachers can do this", etc.
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Already did the guest post (http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/07/08/early-retirement-cant-work-or-id-have-heard-of-it-before/), but nope, not an MMM interview. Closer though. :)
Brandon at Mad Fientist podcast?
(http://unep.org/training/images/GGA_Winners.jpeg)
I would totally read your blog and obviously you have a strong following on here so I'd expect it to be pretty successful! Echo everyone else's suggestions for real facts, your personal story, etc. I've also done some thinking about blogging (it would be lifestyle/ travel/ personal finance oriented) but the major stumbling block I keep running into is a deep reluctance to (1) make my life public in that way and (2) concern about posting photos of us and our kid. I realize I could do it anonymously and not post photos of us but then you lose the personal connection (which I enjoy with say MMM and GoCurryCracker), and as you're probably realizing from this thread, it seems to be not all that difficult to connect an anonymous blog with a real person these days. What are your thoughts about these two issues? Is the benefit of engaging with your audience, keeping family and friends updated, inspiring others, etc. worth the trade-off in losing privacy and anonymity? I was starting to get comfortable with the risk but then a lifestyle/design blog I read (which included pics of the writer and her family) shut itself down following some scary-sounding threats from a reader, and the vicious cycle of worry started all over again. :-P Would love to hear where you come out on this as it might help me work through similar issues.
Not worried about anonymity at all.
I do think privacy is a very important concept--I think people should have anonymity from giant entities that can hurt them--e.g. the government, which can use force, and imprison someone. Since we don't have that nowadays, due to the blatant disregards for our constitutional rights, all I can do is shrug on that, and vote my beliefs.
Anonymity from strangers on the Internet? I don't care. We should have the right to keep ourselves private (e.g. I'm against a site like Facebook or Google, for example, requiring real names to sign up), but I don't worry about danger in choosing to give up that right.
Think about how many people are NOT anonymous. Every celebrity. Internet personas. Think of any person you can name who you've never met. Tons of bloggers, like JLCollins, MMM, etc. Any author you've ever read. Like you said, how easy is it to connect someone's name to their personal information.
The actual instances of stalking or other issues are low. Very, very low. Real stalking instances are much more likely from someone like an ex-SO. I don't worry about things with very low probability.
I would like to see some specifics on how to travel with kids. Or just how difficult/what to expect. How do you get them to sit still or just entertain them for hours on a plane. Any specifics to world travel that most of us don't get to see would be interesting; the BumFuzzle article about crossing the panama canal comes to mind.
**another kid, buying a house/farm, buy a boat to sail, all three?
I'll just wait for the link already wasted too much time.
Some of the Realestate articles/blogs can seem unrealistic or unrelateale. I go to biggerpockets occasionally, and I am sure there are some good posters but there are a lot of them that are 20 yo and think they can make $1mil in the next 18 months or something. I am sure if I put in the time I could find some good content there but it is just hard to find. Think of a way to be specific yet not boring so that others can put their selves in your shoes to see how they could do the same thing.
Posts *I'd* like to see from the traveling spy family:
"The traveling landlord's electronic bookshelf" - essentially, look back through the book recommendation list, and suggest which one's you'd check-out from the library to read, and which one's you want to keep on-hand (electronically, since you're now a traveling landlord). Which books do you insist your local 'PM team' keep on-hand for reference (i.e. the "Landlording" book with all those full-sized forms, perhaps?)
"Mortgage notes for mustachians: benefits & pitfalls" - explain your take on mortgage notes that may seem well covered in places like Bigger Pockets, the different 'note exchanges', etc, but give us the view through 'rebel-spy-glasses'. (yes, you can use this for your blog)...
"Brick & Mortar home ownership vs. Notes" - you'll know what I'm talking about here.
"Even teachers can do this", etc.
Great ideas from both of you, thanks! Didn't have RE notes on my list, but should have.
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Important these all come from the "View thru arebelspy-glass", please... ;-)
[BTW... I *finally* came up with the unique perspective I could bring to all this, and have started "Mother Fussbudget's No Fuss Budget" blog. For those over 50 - late to the game - attempting a 'not-so-Early-Retirement'. You'll be among the first to know via PM when it's ready for bloggity face punches]
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http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/redditor-asks-for-a-mmmramit-blog-for-non-high-income-earners/?topicseen (http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/redditor-asks-for-a-mmmramit-blog-for-non-high-income-earners/?topicseen)
A blog leaning towards lower income earners, maybe?
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Do you have any links/recommendations to the resources to start a blog?
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http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/redditor-asks-for-a-mmmramit-blog-for-non-high-income-earners/?topicseen (http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/redditor-asks-for-a-mmmramit-blog-for-non-high-income-earners/?topicseen)
A blog leaning towards lower income earners, maybe?
Yes. I think there's a demand for this, ARS, and you and Allie have lived it.
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I found it a little while back, when you had a link on someone else's website and so far like it a lot.
Bloggin IS work. I have had a (non financial) blog for years and it definitely is work.
I have also tried an FI blog, that has been a bit idle, as I always have issues pulling the trigger on posts I write,
as I don't want to rehash stuff that so many others have covered.
At the same time I was hoping to use that blog to donate more to charity (not making any money yet) eventually, but then
too much in your face monetization bothers me too......not so esay
Knowing how you guys write and live, you won't have any issues with writing great posts.
In terms of content, I'd say write about what you want to share.
I bet a lot of people are interested in your journey to fire and then what you are doing with your freedom now.
But you need to figure out where you want to go with it first.
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GASP! This is funny to me because you came over to my journal, barged into my life, and sounded soooo sure about the blogging thing for me... It's funny that you're over here asking if you should or not for you!
Didn't check the timeline though....to see if you posted this before or after you convinced me to start a blog.
Good luck, CAN'T wait to read yours!
regarding pontificating in a vacuum vs replying to posts.... You could have a series of FAQ. Kind of like dear abby. So whatever question you feel inspired to write about, you just say "A friend/random internet stranger asked xxxxxx. Here's what I think".
Go with what you're good at, right? Find your own voice, your own way of doing things.
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This thread is old. Blog domain was acquired over 6 months ago.
Blog domain was outed in Jim's book, though I think only LWTG found it that way, then on a much wider scale by the MadFIentist interview a few months ago.
Have many posts written, just haven't uploaded them. Hard to get interested in it, since it's something I'm doing for other's sake, rather than my own.
GASP! This is funny to me because you came over to my journal, barged into my life, and sounded soooo sure about the blogging thing for me... It's funny that you're over here asking if you should or not for you!
My problem is I have too much money, and not enough time.
(I anticipate making six figures next year--while retired, traveling the world and "working" less than an hour a week, all on things I enjoy.)
Your problem is that you have too little money (and not enough time ;) ), and the time you do have is being paid at is minimum wage or lower, as you're in Mexico.
Blogging is one solution to earning money online, so you are paid in US dollars while spending in pesos. Google "geographic arbitrage."
I am paid in US dollars, and spend in lots of currencies. It works well.
You need to leverage that tool, and your ability to speak English, as should anyone in a country where they earn very low wages, IMO.
Sorry to barge in; just trying to help. :)
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Barge away! I was just trying to be funny. Found your blog and signed up for your newsletter. I know you have no motivation to do it.....but I'd love to hear about your real estate journey.