As of today, I’ve been blogging for exactly 20% of my life.
TWENTY PERCENT.
That’s more than any years spent in early education, high school, college, at any job I’ve ever had before, any hobby I’ve ever enjoyed, pets I’ve kept around, and even longer than my marriage by a mere 3 months (fun fact*: I blogged while up on the altar!).
It’s safe to say I really like talking about money :) Or rather, I enjoy talking to YOU about money. Since, after all, I owe all 7 years of success to those who come here day in and day out and encourage me to keep sharing my thoughts. It’s no fun talking to a wall – I’ve tried – so without anyone reading these words it would have been a lost cause at month 7.
So thank you for being here! And for always being so supportive!
People are always surprised how *nice* all you commenters are here, but it never surprises me a bit. We’re here to help people out and leave the judging for the a-holes in real life (which believe me, we get enough of am I right?). I think this says a lot about our community, so it’s no fake praise when I say this site would really be nothing without you. And my career (and wallet) thanks you kindly for that :)
I’ve learned a lot here over the years, in both life and in money, so today I thought I’d share some of these items with you to jump start our weekend on the right foot. Let me know what you think!
#1. Money never changes
While the economy, unemployment, interest rates, fashions, size of cell phones and internet companies have changed (Twitter was barely on the scene and MySpace was all the rage in ’08!), the fundamental rules of money have not. In fact, they haven’t changed in hundreds or even thousands of years. You might recall my book on Thrift I picked up from 1875:
“Thrift does not require superior courage, nor superior intellect, nor any superhero virtue. It merely requires common sense, and the power of resisting selfish enjoyments. In fact, thrift is merely common sense in every-day working action. It needs no fervent resolution, but only a little patient self-denial. Begin is its device! The more the habit of thrift is practiced, the easier it becomes, and the sooner it compensates the self-denier for the sacrifices which it has imposed.”
Sound like “spending less than you make?” Or “being frugal?” Or how about “Fruclassity” – a term my dear friends Prudence and Laurie have coined? Point is, money works the same back then as it does now. There are no secrets, or get rich quick schemes, or any of those magic potions we would just LOVE to turn out to be true. Only new ways of expressing ideas around finances in hopes they sink in and finally cause that epiphany. (So quit looking for the work around and just “begin its device!” ;))
#2. Compound savings/investing is a BEAST
I won’t touch on this too much as I’m a broken record with this stuff, but had I not stashed any money away back in 2008 (and continually throughout), there’s no way I’d have nearly $450,000 to my name. I surely did not invest $450,000 into the markets, which means a large chunk has been given to me out of thin air by the power of compounding and believing in our country’s businesses.
(It would be interesting to see, though, how much I actually invested that turned into these thousands… Maybe $200k? Or $150k since I was taking advantage of FREE 401(k) matches for years?)
Regardless, I systematically put in the money and now, all these years later, with no additional effort on my behalf, it’s grown into a sizeable nest egg. I strongly encourage you start doing the same if you haven’t pulled the trigger as well. Even just doing ONE THING every year like maxing out your Roth IRA could make you a millionaire over time! It’s really not that complicated!
#3. Self-employment is awesome, but it’s also not awesome
This time of the year also marks 4 years of working for myself. And had you ever told me I’d become an “entrepreneur” I would have laughed in your face. I’m not a business man. Or an inventor. Nor do I want to run some large global company with millions of employees and bonuses being thrown everywhere. I’ve come to realize that I very much enjoy “just” being a blogger and living the lifestyle I enjoy vs. trying to take over the world. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but just that it’s important to know what you truly want in life.
And as much as setting your own schedule and typing in your undies is incredibly liberating (don’t worry, I’m partially clothed right now), I can tell you self-employment is definitely not for everyone. The money can be nice (like, really nice) It’s not always fun making decisions 24/7 or working 50, 60, 80 hours a week because you know no one else will do it for you. Nor is it that joyful when your website crashes or you lose major advertisers or people threaten your family and kids because you’re doing something with your life and they aren’t (+1 to being anonymous).
Owning your own business is rewarding, but it’s also a major work out on both your body and your brain. And I have a much bigger appreciation for both sides of the coin now, fully realizing there’s no shame at all in working for someone else. Despite what people might say. The shame comes in resigning yourself to being miserable for the rest of your life no matter what your employment looks like. This country is famous for giving us freedom, and it would be a disservice not to take advantage of the blessings we’re so fortunately offered.
#4. Your life is going to change, and so will your goals
The one thing that’s becoming more evident as the years tick by, is that life consistently changes and so do the things you want to get out of it. 7 years ago while still in my 20’s, all I really cared about was having fun and hitting up the bars. I had no kids, no real responsibility outside my 9-5 (which I put the bare minimum in to skate by), and certainly no vision for the future.
Now – in my mid-30s – I realize there’s more to life than just beer and goofing off with my friends, though I still very much enjoy that :) And it hasn’t been an overnight change either.
- In 2008 I wanted to learn about money and be more productive with my time
- In 2009 I was addicted to earning and maxing out my 401(k) to aggressively grow my net worth
- In 2010 I dreamed about working for myself and started shoveling money into my “dream fund“
- In 2011 it was all about surviving on my own and learning how to give back
- In 2012 it was all about a different kind of surviving – being a dad :)
- In 2013 it was more about living and less about working – resulting in a major drop of income
- In 2014 it was all about challenging my expenses and my things, and becoming more aware of the “early retirement” movement and what that really means to my now family of 4
- And in 2015, it’s shaping up to be the year of transition and laying the foundation of moving towards this E.R. lifestyle while stopping the hemorrhaging of cash.
While oversimplified, you can see just how different each of these years have been. Especially year #1 compared to #7. We went from not even knowing what we were doing with money, or online business really (I didn’t even know what a blog was??) all the way to becoming a family man with thousands in the bank and the vision for how I wanted to spend the rest of my life. That’s an incredible leap, and I bet if you went back in time you’d see a serious mind shift yourself.
What this means is that you should focus on what’s important in your life *right now* and understand that it’ll probably change later which is OK. Our priorities and circumstances shift over time, but as long as you’re always working towards improvement you can feel good about being on the right track.
#5. Money challenges can form pretty powerful habits
One of the first challenges I tried when I was ready to get serious with my money was trying a “no spend” month in 2008 over the 40 days of Lent. I had a nasty habit of going to the mall whenever I was bored, and when I took on this challenge it was a hard wake up call that I’d been spending aimlessly for years without realizing. I knew I was loosy goosy with my money, but I had no idea that I was leaking $200-$300 a month for nothing that great in return. From that point forward I was cured :)
(Hint: the best way not to spend money? DON’T GO INTO STORES!)
Other challenges I’ve tried: tracking all my expenses for 3 months (your mind will be blown), selling 1 item a week on Craigslist (you already know how that’s going – we’re up $500 in 5 months!), and other kick-ass ideas that I can’t think of right now for the life of me.
(Update: You can now check out all my experiments over the years here)
Point is, getting outside of your comfort zone every now and then can do wonders to your finances. And since most only last a month or two anyways, they’re really not that hard to pull off. You can find 5 of my favorite challenges here, and of course the ultimate “Challenge Everything” one here.
#6. It’s not about the money
One of the first articles on this site was about how I wanted to become a millionaire and that I wanted it for you too. I created the “Million Dollar Club” so we could commit to the goal and root each other on (now with 146 members strong!), but as cool as that was, I now know it’s not the main point in the end.
We’d all be happy with a million dollar net worth, but we’d be even happier with FREEDOM. Freedom to live our lives on our own terms, freedom to spend more time with loved ones or on hobbies that enrich us, and freedom to even still work or volunteer or do whatever else our heart desires. We need money of course, but we can’t let it outshine it’s true purpose.
#7. Another 7 years will come again, and another 7 after that
If we’re so fortunate, we’ll have many 7 year stretches to come. And no matter how we fight it, time will go on with or without us. So our mission is to take advantage of this luxury and start DOING STUFF right away. Whether that’s saving, investing, paying off debt, starting a hobby, buying a business, switching careers, marrying your lover (how many people do you think will get proposed to tomorrow?), breaking up with your lover (how many people do you think will get dumped today? ;)), selling your crap, whatever.
We need to start NOW because a lot of this stuff takes time. And it’s much easier to do things in baby steps than it is to try and knock stuff out in one huge ass sitting. The passing of time is one of the only certainties in our life, so we have to take advantage of it where we can. You’d be looking at a blank screen right now had I not just up and wrote my first post all those years ago ;) And I can guarantee my money wouldn’t be looking how it is now either had I not taken that chance! Half the time I behave with my finances just so I don’t look like an asshat in front of you guys! Haha…
But the point is I did it. I gave it a try and I started. And every single one of you have done the same and succeeded too. We just have to keep on going. Keep trying and failing and repeating the process while getting closer and closer to true financial freedom. It doesn’t happen over night, but it does happen eventually.
I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes by Carl Sandburg:
“Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.”
What has 7 years brought you?
—-
PS: Here are some interesting things you might not know about this blog :)
– I originally wanted SavingIsSexy.com but it was taken
– I used to go as “J. Savings” instead of “J. Money”
– I’m not at all a writer at heart
– There’s only 1 post I ever regretted
– We proudly have a theme song
– This blog was born out of making a wrong right hand turn and buying a house on a whim.
What Budgets Are Sexy looked like in 2008:
*Blogging platforms have the ability to schedule posts ;)
[Apple II computer shot by amitp // Maybe edited by J$]
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Congrats on 7 years!
7 years has bought me a lot of travel (yay), a wedding (yay) my first child – also in 2012 (yay), losing two rental properties in the earthquakes in New Zealand in 2011 (boo) and the wisdom that comes with all of the above, which is priceless.
Wowww so extreme! Isn’t it crazy how much happens over the years?
The last seven years I survived two tours in the Middle East, travelled throughout Asia, bought a home, lost the home, became a Navy Chief, started a blog, and started my dream of becoming a writer. The next seven years are going to be awesome and I can’t wait.
I’m excited for you :)
Huge congrats on 7 years!!! That’s a remarkable amount of time and it’s really inspiring to see everything you’ve done, and written about, over the years.
I’m in the same boat with plans/dreams changing over the years. I think being flexible and open to different courses in life is really freeing and lets us explore avenues we might not have considered. 7 years ago, I definitely did not have a homestead goal–quite the contrary, I wanted a good job in an office! I love seeing that transformation in myself over time. And a homestead sounds a lot cooler to say too.
P.S. J. Savings does not have the same ring to it, so I’m glad it was supplanted by money. Of course, with most things we could say we’re glad when they’re supplanted by money.
We can thank my wife for that – she kept telling me how dorky it sounded and then one day it hit me that she was right :)
I really enjoy having my coffee with you every morning!
What a compliment, Franklin – thank you!
The last seven years I graduated college, travelled to Eastern Europe and South America, gave up on a career path I’d been pursuing for years, took up a new career path, became a Big Sister, ended a seven-year relationship, met someone new, picked up a lot of new hobbies and also a lot of amazing friendships.
Wow, now I’m really excited for the next seven! Thanks, J!
Congrats on 7 years! That’s awesme! 7 years ago I was a completely different person. We were just beginning our journey from the land of negative net worth at that point, and we were swimming in debt. In the last 7 years we have completely turned it around. We have paid off a large chunk of debt and our net worth crossed into the black. We are now working on growing it!! So much more fun to be in the black than the red :-)
And in another 7 years you may cross $1 Million? :)
Alright J. Money, what’s the one post you regretted? You’re leaving us on the edge of our seats, not cool :) In all seriousness, congrats on 7 fantastic years!
PS – I love that your favorite quote from Carl has to do with coins.
You won’t find it because I’ve deleted it off the site :) Which also became the only post I’ve done so (other than cleaning up some stuff on the site).
The post itself wasn’t that bad, and actually wasn’t even written by me – it was a guest post – but it had the unfortunate effect of causing pain to the person who wrote it. A lot of inappropriate bashing was going on so I had to pull it off and cease the negativity. It was the only time our community let me down.
I agree, J Money has a better ring to it. Happy blogging birthday! I think 7 makes you an oldie but goodie in the blog world.
My 7 years…
added 2 more boys the family
sold two houses
bought one house
finished a master’s degree
I quit my job to stay home with the boys. (After I spent all that money on a masters.) :(
We started reading about money and regretted that we didn’t read about money back when we sold the two houses. Hard lessons learned.
At least you’ll always have the Masters! :)
“Half the time I behave with my finances just so I don’t look like an asshat in front of you guys!”
You’re a lovable asshat. But seriously, guilt is one of my best motivators. I hate it and wish I was super productive, but I find that when I’m feeling guilty about something, I’ll try to fix it ASAP.
Congrats on 7 years! Is there a calculation to convert that in true blogging years? Kinda like Dog years.
Our goals and dreams have evolved over the last 7 years. At the beginning of tat time we were living pay check to pay check and beyond our means. After some common sense education on money we have cleaned up our mes and are now building wealth. Glad to have found this path!
I like to think of myself as an 80 year old now :)
Starting is the hardest part for sure. But I’m sure you haven’t looked back since. Thanks for being a great place to stop for a read and some great ideas along my FI journey!
You know, for someone who is not “not at all a writer at heart” I really enjoy your writing/blog.
I hope you continue on many more years :)
Ummmm so what is that post you regret? (Ok maybe you wouldn’t want to say)
Thank you :) It takes me way more hours than it should to put these articles together (it took me 6 hours to do this one, or example) but I’m always happy once I hit “publish.” It’s nice to be able to see where your time went, and to have it all archived.
RE: Post I regret – it’s been long since taken down because it caused way more harm than good :(
ps. It’s altar* not alter.
7 years is a long time! I’m sure the viability of blogging has changed dramatically over those 7 years. How do you think it will change over the next 7?
Yes, it sure has!
I think over the next decade everything’s going to merge together more and it’ll be hard to tell what blogs vs sites vs whatever else is next will look like. Social media is making everything so much more personal and one-on-one so it’ll be exciting regardless! And much better to be on the wave of the future vs the ones retreating :)
Love this and adding it as a late edition to my link love today. OH freelancing…so true. So challenging yet can be so rewarding to be doing exactly what you want to be doing.
Thanks for the link love! That’s like gold for us, eh? :)
Congrats on 7 years!!!!! It’s amazing how much you have grown and what you have accomplished and it’s all available for public record! In 7 years, I have moved 4 times, had 4 jobs, watched my son grow from a toddler to now a 3rd grader, lost 50 pounds, started a company, and wrote a book.
#BAM
Glad to have you in the fold and congrats on the longevity! I started CleverDude.com nearly 9 years ago (this June) and since then, got my Masters, changed jobs 3 times, have no consumer debt (just mortgage), ran 3.5 marathons, lost 40lbs and paid off over 40% of our house. And surprisingly, for being a car guy, I’m only on my 2nd vehicle since then (bought another Ridgeline last September).
Cheers on the next 7 years!
Oh, and what was the 1 article you regretted?
Hey ol’ friend! It’s been forever chatting with you – thanks for stopping by :)
You were one of my first blogging friends! I still remember that very 1st blogger happy hour I attended and how scared I was to meet people in person, haha… you guys helped made it easy though :)
Congrats on all your success over the years! I’m glad we’re still connected!
You were one of the first blogs I read and in part I was encouraged to start my own blog because of you! There’s definitely been progression in our goals since we started our journey. When I started reading I was only 21, and now I’m 24 with a house, a job, 2 master’s degree, and just trying to figure out life along the way. I wouldn’t have been aggressive with our savings without personal finance blogs.
YAY!!!! That warms my heart!!!
You may say you’re not a writer at heart, but the way you tell a story and make it humorous is part of what keeps people coming back. A lot of “writers at heart” can’t write like that.
And J. Money sounds way more baller than J. savings!
Thanks Robin – that means a lot :) Especially since writing is so hard for me! (took me 6 hours to write today’s post)
Congratulations, J$. I’m very much looking forward to the next seven years.
What did the last 7 years bring me? They brought me: financial security (no debt, investments and higher earning); stronger family; my son is a teen and not a little boy any longer; I am the Mistress Supreme of couple of blogs :); and…
..I’m hapier than I’ve been for a very long time. Excited about life and what it holds.
And 7 years ago we didn’t know each other at all :)
Congrats on 7 years! Do you think you’ll still be blogging in another 7 years?
I don’t know if I’ll be blogging per se, but I’ll definitely be online doing something cool and probably relating to money :) The internet is still SO YOUNG and if we’re online for another 10, 20, 50 years just imagine how much we’ll have learned and progressed! It’s too hard to even fathom!
Dang, pretty soon you’re gonna have second-generation readers!
Huge congrats sir!! 7 years is a long time for many things, but even more so when it comes to blogging and very cool to see the things you’ve learned and come to appreciate over that time. The past 7 years for me have been a whirlwind…having 4 kids, losing one of them, getting my MBA, buying a house, starting a business of my own, starting the blog and losing nearly 100 pounds.
I just LOVE that Carl Sandburg quote! It’s so incredibly true – time can do great things for you if you’re willing to give different things a go and loving the people around you and in your life. Congrats again sir…thanks for what you do here!
I tear up every time I hear about your kid :( You are so much stronger than I!!!
Wow! 7 years and you are an inspiration to so many people. Thank you J. Money and congratulations! It’s wonderful to look up to bloggers like you & recognize that in 7 years it’s created such a positive community.
Gosh, in 7 years for me…I attended college, lost my father to cancer, mustered strength to be the first one in my family to receive a 4-year degree, graduated, moved to a brand new city with where I didn’t know anyone & started working for a huge corporation (enticing at the time), and realized it was taking my life away. I finally received a job opportunity for a family owned mid-sized company and got back to my passions of writing, running, cooking & reading. My blog was inspired by all millennials that were saddled with student loan debt and reading an article off Forbes about Alexa Von Tobel the owner/founder of LearnVest. It’s people in the personal finance blogging sphere (as well as family & loved ones) that keep shaping out my life to be incredibly positive!
Thank you again, J. Money! Absolutely loved learning about the 7 things you’ve learned through your impressive track record of 7 years of blogging.
-Alyssa at Generation YRA
I’m so glad, Alyssa! Going now to go check out your site – thanks for stopping by :)
Congratulations on 7 years! What a journey you have been on :) 7 years ago I’d started on my path to my career which I’m in today :) I moved house, met my now husband and changed a lot in the process! Here’s to the next 7 years :)
That was pretty darned inspiring, and you always keep personal finance fun. I’d dread looking back 7 years considering how irresponsible I was with my money.
As everyone else said, congrats on 7 years! And here’s to another 7+!
I agree with the coin thing. Any time you spend money, someone is keeping a portion YOUR hard earned money(and investing it themselves).
Wow 7 years, that deserves a big celebration! I’m just living through your 2012, learning a different kind of surviving…being a dad. ;)
Definitely agree that your life is going to change so will your goals. If your life doesn’t change overtime, then it gets stale and boring.
Kids change everything :) Bad for your wallet but great for love!
Haha great post! Love your perspective.
I was horrified when I saw I had blog posts from 2010… I’ve been over-sharing on the internet too long.
Just about everything around us changes constantly. Look at all the lists and lists of events and accomplishments from just the past seven years. And compare that to how money just doesn’t change. The quote from 1875 is just as true today as 140 years ago, which surprisingly is 20x the other length of time we’re talking about.
Congrats to you. And congrats to everyone else on life’s moments. We too have been through our fair share in seven years… getting married, two babies, several jobs, two houses, losing a parent, but the best of all is discovering the idea of financial independence so that we can reclaim our choices in life and live it by our rules instead of following any social norms!
Joining in on the chorus – a big congrats to your 7-year blogging anniversary. (And happy early wedding anniversary)
I loved your point that “Money Never Changes”
I know I might be labeling myself as a total money idiot, but I just learned that in mutual funds, index funds that judge simply on tracked numbers usually out-perform one managed by human beings. I was floored by that! I would have thought that for sure that “human touch” would guarantee a better return for those funds… but no dice.
I guess it’s another point that goes to show that money doesn’t change… and it can be better to trust the legacy of history than even the most “expert” of adults… because no matter how “expert” we are in any field, there’s still loads for us to learn and figure out.
YES! Index funds are great!! And the best part is they’re MUCH cheaper expense-wise meaning not only can you just be lazy and dump all your money in there, but all the savings from indexing just compounds even more over the years building your $$$ up higher! It’s a beautiful thing!
Like everyone else on here, I just continue to love this site, J$! I can’t drink coffee or hot chocolate while reading, though, because I laugh too hard – out loud – at your writing so I’m worried I’d get frothy beverage all over my desk.
You are such a MENTOR to all of us :) … keep the motivation coming! LOVED the 1875 quote on thrift!
In the past seven years (age 44 now), I went from not having a budget to realizing that retirement planning is SUPER IMPORTANT and that hey, I’d like to try and “retire early” even though I don’t yet know what number/age that will end up being. I now have a super-strict monthly budget. I “pay myself first” retirement savings-wise before doing anything like taking trips or having blow $. And you are right– it’s such a gas to see that number growing and growing. We all have to admit: this is hard, hard work, and unfortunately, you can’t take even a month off from it cause that would mean you’ll be working an additional month on the back end. But, how amazing is it gonna be when that “finish line” comes into sight???…
Oh and also in the last seven years I met a great guy and we got married and against all odds we are still married, despite the fact that he has four kids and I am raising zero kids and most of the time my head feels like it’s just gonna blow off from stress. :)
Keep on keepin’ on, J$ !!
Haha… keep pushing forward my friend, your future self will love you for it :)
Congrats to you for sticking with it these past 7 years. You can tell that this blog and your money habits have changed your life and given you options that not many have.
Have you ever heard of a “Momento Mori” Chart? Google it, I think you will dig it.
Cheers!
daaaaang interesting!
found this article while googling it:
http://www.scrawnytobrawny.com/28251
Congrats. I read you from the very beginning when personal finance blogs were still relatively new and novel. I’ve been on and off personal finance blogs ever since, sort of re-joining the fold this year after a long absence. The blogging world has changed a lot. I can’t seem to find an active group/center of bloggers and I’m not sure if these types of blog are as useful anymore.
Here’s a summery of my last seven years: 3 blogs started, 2 blogs folded, 1 marriage, 2 kids, same job!
Wow, you’ve been around for a while then – love it :)
It’s true there’s not as many groups/centers as there used to be with blogging (which is partially why I created RockstarFinance.com to showcase a lot of the great bloggers/articles (which needs a forum now that I think of it?)), but we do have FinCon.
http://finconexpo.com/
Have you considered going to our blogger conference we host each year? Not only is it cool to hang out with like-minded people, but there’s tons of presentations and ways to learn/grow our sites etc throughout. It really is an incredible conference, and very different than your typical ones where people are “forced” to go out of work and are lame, haha…
wow, 7 years! That was an interesting time, too… just a few short weeks before the generational low in the Dow and S&P. Look at how far we’ve ALL come in those 7 years… I’m pretty sure most people thought the financial world was about to collapse! And Tea Partiers and preppers still do… lol
Good points! Haha… I was def. lucky in that I started plowing in all my money at the bottom of the market only to watch it grow enormously again :)
Very kind of you to mention “Fruclassity”, Mr. $. Much appreciated : )
It’s interesting that your focus is on 7 years. Dave Ramsey says it takes the average household 7 years to become completely debt-free. When we started our journey out of debt, 7 years seemed impossibly long. Now that we’re closing in on the end of year 3, it doesn’t seem so long anymore. You’re right in saying it isn’t about the money. There is so much of habit and thought process and inner-sabotage and character and relationships involved in this journey. Money is more the symptom of deeper issues. We’re on track though, and good to keep going!
I didn’t know that about Dave Ramsey – interesting!
And yes – you’re doing an excellent job my friend, what a feat to be able to pull off! :)
This post brought a tear to my eye, J$. 7 years ago you had no idea of the impact you’d make on so many people, myself included. This site wouldn’t be nearly as popular as it is without your never-ending willingness to help others. Thank you, and happy bloggiversary. :-)
Thank you so much Laurie – you’re so sweet!
Listening to your theme song for the first time as I write this. Congrats on the first seven years and here’s to the next seven. For me the last seven years has been very high, very low and very high again. I moved to a new state to be a big fish in a small pond, bought a house, met my future husband whom I would not had met had I not moved to a new state, married him, got scapegoated out of big fish job, starting a brand new career, struggling at it but moving forward, learned that it’s better to work to live than the other way around and am happier than I have ever been. :) Your theme song rocks. The end. Until tomorrow, and the next day and so on. :)
Haha… is it stuck in your head now? :)
J Money is a lot catchier than J Savings! Thanks for sticking with this blogging thing for so long. Can’t wait to see what the next few years bring.
J$,
A big congrats on seven years, brother. Not too many blogs are that old. I can attest firsthand of the difficulty of writing consistently good/engaging/inspiring content for years on end. Awesome work!
And I hear you on changing. We all change over time, which is a natural and wonderful aspect of life. Not changing would be totally boring and weird. Obviously, we all hope to change for the better, but sometimes we have to go through some changes for the worse to enjoy the good times.
I’ll be seeing you for another seven years. :)
Best regards.
Yes you will, indeed sir :) Lots of huge changes for you in the past 7 years too! We’ve come far!
Congratulations on 7 years of blogging! I think budgets are sexier than saving, so I think fate worked well here. (savingissexy.com never made it, I checked!)
I believe the resort place, Sandals, used to own it back then… which I always found pretty random, haha…
Congrats on 7 years! J. Savings just doesn’t sound right at all! Seven years ago, I had a newborn and lots of credit card debt. It’s been a journey for sure, so thanks for helping me along.
Love the post J. Money – as a new blogger I’m inspired to keep on chugging away because of the progress you’ve made!
I could’ve sworn you were trying to take over the world. I liked the insights on self-employment.
Congrats on 7 years my friend. What a journey you have been on and who knows where you will end up in another 7 years. President maybe? Your fiscal policy would be sound!
Funny to see your site in 2008 looking very similar to today. Why mess with a good thing?
President of Awesome University, maybe ;)
Crazy when you put it in the context of 20% of your life! Congrats on such an awesome achievement and milestone! My blogging career is 14% of yours so far, but what you’ve done is extremely inspiring. And love the reflections on your progress over this period, especially on working for yourself – some people push this as being the absolute dream lifestyle, and I’ve often thought this is what we should all strive for at any cost, but it’s good to hear you actually giving weight to both sides, and encouraging people to focus on what works for them.
Looking forward to more great insights from you as you continue to grow wealthier and wiser :)
It really bothers me when people say that others “NEED” to go and work for themselves because they’re just doing everything “for The Man.” It really takes a certain mindset to make that route successful, and it’s really good that not everyone wants/has/can do that line of work or else the world wouldn’t function! We need both entrepreneurs AND 9-5’ers for our economy to work. And no shame in either :)
Congrats on a great 7 years! Budgets are Sexy definitely more catching than Savings are sexy.
For me, the past seven years have been busy. Thinking back I’ve come to realise that I have achieved a lot and experienced a lot even though at times it doesn’t feel that way.
Thank you for the energy and hard work of sticking with the blog for 7 years. You certainly have helped me with day to day behaviours and techniques easily followed to make a huge difference in my thinking and my bank balance! This is another GREAT post – very inspiring! and J Money is a WAY better name than J Savings – I’m glad you chose it. Go Well for another 7 years (cause i still need your motivation!)
I shall keep going for you, friend! You’ve been around for most/all of the years! :)
Point #4 all the way. I see it in theater all the time. People get so transfixed on this singular goal of what they think will make them happy that they don’t adjust their goals as their lives evolve and end up making themselves miserable.
Congrats on 7-years. Thanks for the post and a walk down memory lane. I look forward to 7 more years from you. Your portfolio should be eye-popping in 7-years!
I just hit the one year blogging mark and one thing I learned is how many amazing people there are out there writing great things about money.
Yup! And then you’ll start noticing all those amazing people stopping writing about money too :( Blogs typically don’t have a long shelf life which sucks.
Congrats on your first year! Here’s to the 2nd!
Congrats on 7 years! I’m sure you’ve learn much more than you’ve listed here but thanks for sharing your top 7. :) I am nowhere near 7 years but can definitely relate to a few of them. Wishing you continued success on your next 7 years and beyond! AFFJ
I love this! You have brought so much to the community, J! And J Money has a lot more swagger than J Savings ;) I can’t wait to see what you do next. In 7 years I have lived in three states, fell in love, got my master’s degree, had my lowest financial moment, started my own business, traveled to 6 countries, and paid off $45k in debt ($30k+ in the last three years when I got serious).
Hot damn! You are on fire, girl!
7 years! Awesome.
Great list, I am particularly partial to number 6, but they’re all good.
But the best thing of all is that sweet joystick in your feature image… man… that takes me back. And makes me want to play a flight sim.
Keeping rocking it!
Congrats on 7 years, that is awesome!
Congrats on 7 Years! That’s hilarious you blogged while up on the altar! I think it’s awesome the community you’ve built here and a testament to your devotion to helping others with money.
Congrats on 7 years!
Congratulations :)
My ‘other’ blog is 9 years this September. It’s a general blog, written in Romanian, so not something most people here could enjoy. In the past 6 years my life changed completely. I lost my job, started my small web design business, am working from home, while also raising my daughter (husband is also working on his small biz, which allows him to spend a lot of time with us as well).
Financially, I never did better, but what matters most is that we are happy with this arrangement.
9 years – impressive! There’s only a few blogs left in the finance world that’s been around for that long – and I believe they’ve all actually sold in their heyday?
#6 So true, it’s not about the money. Having financial breathing room is great, but the life options and time flexibility that money provide are just as awesome. Money also means that you can approach your job with a different attitude. Last August my wife and I took new teaching jobs with the intent of saving about 80% of our salaries. While we like the jobs well enough, we realize that our lives don’t depend on these jobs…they are temporary. That mental adjustment, versus the we-have-to-teach-here-for-30-years perspective, is very liberating. As a result, the normal stresses of teaching (evaluations, meetings, unruly students, etc.) don’t seem to bother us like they used to.
YES! AGREED!! Much better when you choose to work somewhere and perfectly fine with or without the job – you guys have been doing amazing w/ your wealth (and life) growth lately. Very motivating.
Working 24/7 as your own boss does stink sometimes. The last two times I was away on vacation, my sites broke and I had to spend time working to get them back up and running. If this wasn’t my main source of income, I might consider letting them be broke for a few days as it isn’t a huge deal. But when I depend on the income, I have to work, regardless if I am on vacation or not!
Yup!
And wasn’t it more fun when all your blog’s money was *extra* and not *mandatory to live off*? Haha… I sometimes have to work on a new project to make me feel like B.A.S. is on the side ;)
Was “superhero” really a word back in 1875? Before Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, et al? Wow, you never know what gems of knowledge may turn up on your blog, J$. If the word was in coinage way back then I wonder, who were the superheroes?
Congratulations on a great milestone, and guard against the 7-year itch. I don’t have as many 7-year stretches left on my calendar as you do but I hope to celebrate millionairehood with you well before 2022:)
You sure do have an eye for the unusual, my friend ;) I didn’t think twice about the superhero!
In seven years I have….
Helped (a lot) with my daughter’s DIY wedding (and three days later had to present at an undergraduate research symposium — yikes!)
Got that undergraduate degree, my first ever, at age 52 — better late than REALLY late
Traveled a bunch
Started speaking at the Financial Blogger Conference (four years and counting); I’ll do a presentation at the New Media Expo in April
Threw all my stuff in a U-Haul and drove to Alaska
Wrote nonstop for MSN Money until Microsoft kicked us all to the virtual curb in Sept. 2012
Found midlife love — an old friend who turned into something much, much more (http://donnafreedman.com/2013/02/14/midlife-love-rocks-ask-me-how-i-know/)
And am now working on a personal project that I hope will become an alternate income stream, which is a big step for an old print newshound who always thought writing was the way to make a living
Looking forward to another seven — and to seeing you at FinCon in Charlotte, yes? It’s close enough for you to drive!
Life is good, my friend!! What an amazing journey you’ve been on! Always a delight running into you in the real world… Will happily do so again in Charlotte, yes :) Def. driving!
Wow…..7 years, congrats! Thats like 45 years in internet-years. And that makes you ancient as far as blogging goes! It’s funny you mention it’s not about the money because it’s a basic piece of advice that almost all successful entrepreneur has said at some point. So true yet so simple
I feel like it’s something we all have to learn on our own too? I’ve heard that phrase a lot over the years but never really “got it” until recently. Guess it’s the same with a lot of concepts in life :)
I literally just found your website a few days ago and so glad I did! Awesome inside info on what it’s been like from a completely honest perspective.
Congrats and I look forward to stalking your entire site now!
We’re glad to have you here, Sarah! Been nice chatting on Twitter as well :)
In the last seven years, I’ve researched and written a dissertation, started teaching and gone from “sort of ok” to “really quite good at this,” gotten my PhD, lived in three different states, driven from coast to coast and back again, become a godmother (twice), paid off all my student loans and achieved positive net worth, and stalled out on two major quilting projects (can’t win ’em all.)
Congratulations to you! Your blog is a high point of the internet and you should be very proud :)
You’ve been hustling!
Great post there, J$ – stuff that I can learn from, in particular that goals will inevitably change over time.
Over the past 7 years:
– I ended a 15 year relationship
– I finally cleared my credit card debt through the sale of my house
– I bought a rental property
– I started to invest my money
– last year, I discovered your blog plus many other PF/FI blogs so I started my own!
Like someone else mentioned, I have a personal/general blog that’s 10 years old, but it’s more like a diary and not updated that regularly.
Keep up the great work!
Thanks for always adding to our conversations, weenie! I like seeing your face (and words) show up here :)
Huge congrats on 7 years! I would bet the number or blogs that stay consistent that long is 1% of 1%. Here’s to 7 more.
unfortunately that’s true… only 1 or 2 of my friends from back in the day are still around. and, actually, they’ve since sold their blogs! haha… but at least we’re still friends :)
Man where to begin with this post. First off, congrats on 7 yrs, impressive. I like your style even if you don’t consider yourself a “writer at heart”.
Yeah things change.in the last 7 yrs, I:
finished school, again,
started work,
got married, bought a house,
Paid off my godawful debt load from school loans and bad credit card choices,
Decided I didn’t want to keep up this lifestyle due to the ridiculous time demands
Discovered FIRE thru the awesomeness of my wife, Mrs. SSC
Discovered she’d been saving and planning in the background and holy cow, we are looking at 2018/2019 to get to less working and more living.
I can’t wait. Thanks for the inspiration and keep cranking out great posts!
You married a smart woman!!
I just faced the cold hard facts myself this week after building an Early Retirement spreadsheet: https://budgetsaresexy.com/2015/02/early-retirement-fi-spreadsheet/
Curious about the only blog post you ever regretted, but I suppose you would have linked to it if you were sharing. Fun stuff to read, I think the theme behind is you are trying to save and invest money, it may change from this to that, but bottom line is it’s still saving.
It’s also the only main post I ever deleted off the site ;) It elicited more hate to the writer than help so I took it down (it was a guest post)
Congrats on 7 years J. Money. Thats amazing. Someday I’d also like to work for myself but its comments like this that frighten me… “self-employment is awesome, but it’s also not awesome”. There are parts of self-employment that I know I’ll love. But I don’t think I’ve full appreciated the negatives of working for yourself. You should do a post on it…. or point me towards the one you’ve probably already done ;)
It’s not for everyone, but sometimes you have to test it out and see if you’re that someone :) The beauty w/ the online world is you could do it on the side and then slowly migrate over if/when things go really well. And depending on how cool/flexible your job is, you could even take a sabbatical or long vacay or something and test-drive the self-employment route! Then if you don’t like it, stay at the job! haha… works in theory at least.
Thanks for the reply J. Money! Doing it on the side is the plan for now. It’s working pretty well already but I wish I had more time to dedicate to it. Lots of cool stuff I’d like to learn/try. At the same time it’s comforting to still have a steady paycheck. The sabbatical idea is good. Something I’ll keep in mind.
Congrats on the 7 years of blogging, that’s a long time to do almost anything! The past 7 years has brought me extreme debt and a negative net worth, graduating from college and securing a job (thankfully!), and slowly moving towards a positive net worth and a lot less debt.
I like point #4 and point #6, as your financial and non financial goals will always being moving as you get further in life. It’s also important to realize that there probably isn’t a set number out there and the end goal is happiness and financial freedom. Though you (most likely) do need some money to pull that off!
Hoping the next seven years can lead to more progress towards my financial goals.
J Money, high five! You deserve all those lessons and congratulations. Thanks for sharing it with us. Looking back, I feel I have become more responsible and a better person in all aspects of life.
Very inspiring post. Yours is one of the first blogs I’ve read that inspired me on my decision to start my own. Here’s to a great next 7 years!
Well that’s cool! Thanks for telling me so :) And congrats on the blog!
First of all congrats on your success over the past 7 years! I have started following your blog about 6 months ago and have really enjoyed the posts you put up almost daily. some very inspiring things to take away from this post as I am very new to blogging.
Thanks J$
Appreciate it man :) Congrats on the new launch of your own blog over there! I expect a similar post from you 7 years from now, haha…
Congrats and thanks for sharing. Honest success stories, such as yours, are inspirational. I believe you’re motivating and inspiring more people than you’re aware of. Your blog, and others like it, first inspired me to start my own home based business, and now I’m trying to pay it forward and educate others, too. Keep up the great work!
So cool, Emily – way to go! It’s one thing to read and learn about stuff, and a whole other to then PUT IT IN ACTION. So way to put it in action :)
Congrats J. on the 7 years (and the 4-years of self-employment)! Like many other readers have echoed, I’ve enjoyed following along with your journey and have learned a ton from you, both on the blogging side and the personal finance side.
Here’s to the next 7! Wonder what BudgetsAreSexy will look like in 2022 … I hope to be viewing it from my early retirement lunar module hoverboard.
Oh man that would be sweet! I’ll gladly be joining you by then :)
7 years? What is that in dog years? It has to count extra. Thanks for sharing so much energy and wisdom. We can not even imagine the changes that will come over the next 7 years, but it will be fun to watch.
glad you’re enjoying the site :)
Been reading for a long time and I also too blog. I gotta say, for me at least, it’s a real struggle to make any sort of meaningful income from blogging, but it helps get your mind straight and ultimately save via actions.
Keep up the great work.
Agreed, Drew. There’s plenty of other (faster) ways to generate income than blogging :) If i added up all the hours I’ve spent over the past 7 years I’m sure my hourly rate would be pretty damn low, haha… But it sure is good for learning and opportunities and keeping ourselves on track as you mentioned :)
Congrats on 7 years J. Money! I can’t believe you used to go by J.Savings. I much prefer J. Money. Such a great moniker. Keep up the good work! Hope the next 7 years brings your just as much success!
Thanks Thomas :) Hope your blogging adventures are going well too!
Thanks for sharing this! These are all eye-opening :)
What do you say about those who sell everything to travel? They say experience is more important than the money. What is your stand?
I say money is a tool to create your perfect lifestyle, so if traveling/experiencing new adventures/cultures excites you then by all means rock it! I’m all for following your heart if you can get your finances to line up with it :) Studies are always showing that buying “experiences” over “things” typically make you happier in the long run. I hope you’re talking from experience too! Going over now to check out your blog…
Thanks J! :) It’s something that I’ve been pondering upon lately. I wanted to travel but I also want to save and invest for the future. I agree with you that money is a means to create your perfect lifestyle.
This is so inspiring. I have only been blogging for 1 year, but my goals have already changed. I started blogging to share my experience saving and investing, but have met so many interesting people – that now I view my blog as being a way to connect with other bloggers and cool startups. Thanks for sharing your experience with us younger bloggers.
YES! Definitely!!
Literally 99% of all my friends are now from our online family here – it’s pretty incredible :)
And now that we’ve launched our new money forums, we’re even getting more connected! Check it out: http://forums.rockstarfinance.com
Wow…..for last 7 years my life completely changed the direction))
The things happened:
1) i got my MBA (5,5 years)
2)I moved in completely different country…suddenly)))
3)i left from 6 years relationship
4) I traveled alone in Europe and visited the places i always wanted to see
5)I traveled to Asia
6) I ALMOST moved to live in India (but didnt)
7) i took 2 jobs and lost them
8) I mooved 4 times to different towns=)
9) i start my blog and ecommerce website
10) i made money with side hustle by giving for rent to the tourists my rented apartment illegally ))))but it was good money 1000$ profit=))
11)i made 2 years spiritual yoga with Indian Guru and it changed me completely
12) i changed 3 different cars (sold/bought)
13)i met my future life partner)
14) i getting married in 1 week (wow)=))
Wow..didnt even notice how all happened=)))
SO COOL!!!
Congrats on all of that stuff, haha… And I’d imagine some of the others you “almost did” but didn’t would come to fruition in the next 7 years too :) Pretty crazy to think what the future holds for us, right?
Hope the wedding went well!! Thanks for sharing it all!
Hi J. Money,
Great! Congrats on your 7 years of blogging, I must to say its inspiring for everyone and specially for me because I am a new blogger, just started blogging few months ago. So I need to get some suggestions and idea’s by you.
rock on – welcome to the community man!
Be sure to submit your blog over to our Blogger Directory :)
http://directory.rockstarfinance.com/submit-blog
Congrats on 7 years … I am just starting out and stumbled on your blog. I am enjoying it so far!!!
Great! Thank you! I hope you fall in love with blogging too – it’s such a great community else I’d have been long gone by now :)
Hi Money, Congrats for successful almost 9 years :). I feel energetic by seeing your great success in steps. You have been a good blogger for last 8 years so you must have a good knowledge about money and finance.
Its amazing that you put only 20% time of your life and got a lot of success. This domain is full of competition, a huge competition you did a great job.
Congrats on 7 years … I am just starting out and stumbled on your blog. I am enjoying this so much..Its a pleasant read!!