My last month on the blog :)

in Blogging Life by J. Money / on / with (63) Comments Share
dove

Morning friends, old and new!

Welp, it’s that time of the journey where I start phasing out of the blog here and pass the torch on to a younger, more impassioned, person to continue spreading the good word!

One of the scariest things I’ll ever do as I’ve been blogging here for over *a fourth* of my life now (!!!), but as novelist Paulo Coelho once said, “If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine. It’s lethal!” And I think it’s finally time for me to move onto that next project :)

But the good news is – I’ll still be here for the next month! So no sappy goodbyes until then! (And you know there’s no way in hell I could leave the community forever, haha… My heart and soul is too tied to it!)

But what does this mean for the blog, exactly?? What’s going to change, and who’ll be taking it over?! Where will I be moving to and how can we stay connected as bffs?

Answers to all these questions, and more, below..

The Plan For The Blog

In a nutshell, it’ll continue as-is for the entire month of MAY, with me blogging daily Mon-Thur and then my younger successor hopping in on Fridays to start, then come June 1st I’ll officially retire from the blog with him taking the reins from there and moving to a Mon, Wed, Fri schedule.

And then every few months I’ll pop in just so say hi and shoot you all updates as I’m sure I won’t be able to keep my trap closed forever ;) So I hope you’ll still be here and at least give the new guy a chance!

The New Blogger Taking Over The Reins!

I’m so SO excited to share this with you, and won’t even leave you hanging for any longer ;)

The new face of the blog come June will be a personal friend of mine, and fellow blogger who I’ve been following for over a year now, who goes by the name of “5AM Joel” from 5AMJoel.com :)

I started reading his stuff well before I even considered selling this blog, and every time I finished an article of his I felt a little bit happier than when I first got there. Always a good sign you’re doing something right!

In fact, I literally created a list of bullet points my “perfect” successor would have, and as soon as I was finished he was one of the first names that popped in my head.

I’ll let him share more of his story the next time he comes on here, but here’s that list of bullets I came up with just so you know what was most important to me:

  • being real
  • engaging
  • transparent
  • fun!
  • passionate
  • entertaining
  • funny
  • POSITIVE!
  • storyteller

So basically – the perfect lover, only of finance ;) And fortunately for us he was up for the job, as he certainly didn’t need one already living the FIRE LIFESTYLE we all so want!! But yet another reason he’s such a good fit to take things over here – he’s doing it purely out of wanting to continue his *own* internal mission of helping people live their best lives!

He’s literally a younger, more energetic version of myself – only without all the lol’s and emoji’s pasted everywhere ;) He even likes dabbling in real estate! *gasp*!

Here’s more about him over at his lifestyle and finance site –> 5AMJoel.com. And then here are some of the recent posts and notes we’ve already featured from him on the blog lately:

Total coincidence, btw, that his name starts with a “J” :) But I’m absolutely taking it as a sign! Haha… Welcome aboard, brother!

J. Money Going Forward…

So as I mentioned, I’ll still be here on the blog writing for the entirety of May except on Fridays, and then once June 1st rolls by I’ll be logging off for good, but still very much in the community.

Here’s everywhere you’ll be able to stay connected with me if you’re not already:

  • Twitter: @BudgetsAreSexy (where I hang out daily)
  • Email: j@jmoney.biz
  • My personal newsletter: jmoney.biz/newsletter (a bi-weekly email that goes out on Fridays, sharing what I’m up to lately and all the cool stuff I find across the web)

As for what I’ll be working on next??

Well, I’ll give you a clue: if you liked Rockstar Finance, you’re probably going to like what we’re brewing over at Soapbox.com :) The company that now owns Budgets Are Sexy, and who tapped me for this new project they were dreaming up.

I can’t tell you anything more than that just yet (except that I’ll be the Lead Curator on it – oops!), and that it’s tentatively scheduled to launch on July 1st with my boy Nate helping out (oops again!!), but rest assured you’ll know when it’s out the door… ;) And it might even include some daily videos I shoot too! (Oops again, damn it!)

soapbox.com[Click to get on the waiting list!]

So TL;DR: I’m here for one more month, then Joel will be taking over, and in the meantime you can follow me in all those places listed above so we remain BFFs forever… And then if you wanna get in on the next project I’m working on, just stay tuned and I’ll give you a shout as soon as it’s launched!

In the meantime, questions, comments, concerns – pass them all over below! Crazy stuff to think about, so let’s just not for the next few weeks and continue enjoying each other’s company before we part :)

Love y’all more than you’ll ever know, and SUPER thankful for everything you’ve done to help my personal dreams come true.

Looking forward to where these next adventures take us 👍

j. money signature

PS: For those who missed it, here’s the thinking behind why I decided it was finally time for me to move on: New Beginnings, and The Future of Budgets Are Sexy

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63 Comments

  1. Marc May 4, 2020 at 6:56 AM

    I’m glad to hear that you’ll still be involved at Soapbox and really interested to see what you guys have in store over there.

    1. J. Money May 4, 2020 at 7:46 AM

      Thanks man! Yeah – shaping up to be pretty cool so far!

      Really think it’s going to help out a lot of people, and gets me out of my comfort zone a little too – which is exactly what I need right now :)

  2. OG Clever Dude May 4, 2020 at 8:00 AM

    Best wishes and good luck on the next phase of your journey J Money! Can you believe it’s been just about 10 years since I sold my blog? (you know who bought it ;)

    Your site has been the only PF blog I’ve following since then, so it’ll be sad to see you go, but it sounds like it’s in good hands going forward. I’ve considered starting a blog again, but I have to figure out whether I actually have a story to tell. In my case, we’ve paid off our mortgage (couple months ago), have no other debt, have good jobs and are still DINKs. I lead a pretty boring life now!

    Congrats again, and stay healthy and safe!

    1. J. Money May 4, 2020 at 8:10 AM

      oh man, feels like just the other month we were sitting down talking about blogging for the first time :)

      what a beautiful and crazy ride so far…

      you still in the DC area?

      congrats on killing off that house!! Boring is Sexy .com!!

  3. Debbie May 4, 2020 at 8:40 AM

    Good luck with your future plans! I’m sure it’ll all work out for you going in a positive direction.
    I followed your blog for a few years & last June I stumbled on a guy who commented on one of your postings. I clicked on his name & it lead me to his website. He retired at age 43 to Panama with his wife & daughter. We had planned on retiring in 6 years. Instead we retired in 6 months, having sold all of our “stuff” including our house. Our 4/20 Panama Immigration appt to relocate was postponed due to the virus, so we’re in a temporary AirBNB rental until the borders reopen. Thanx for helping to change our lives forever!! Truly hope your future is bright & happy!

    1. J. Money May 4, 2020 at 9:09 AM

      Ahhh that’s so cool!!

      Way to take action and make it happen!

      I love Jim – such a great (and NICE) guy :) Did you know he was on House Hunters International the other day???! Google it!

      (he also once gave himself a mohawk and was “J. Money” for Halloween haha…. love that guy)

      1. Debbie May 4, 2020 at 11:38 AM

        Oh yes, I watched him & his wife on House Hunters International but his 9 year old daughter,Faith,
        stole the show! Of course, I already knew which place they chose to live in as I’ve followed his blog every step of the way since he moved to Panama last summer. You’re right, he’s a nice guy just like you!!! I’ll have to see if there’s a pic on file of his J$$ Halloween mohawk, LOL

          1. Debbie May 4, 2020 at 12:58 PM

            WOW! Pretty cool ! Thanx for sharing.

  4. Lisa O May 4, 2020 at 8:54 AM

    Best of Luck! You will be miss but ….YOU GOTTA DO YOU!

    Thank you for all the information & stories you have shared.

    1. J. Money May 4, 2020 at 9:10 AM

      You’re welcome!

      Thanks for being along the journey! :)

  5. Jenn May 4, 2020 at 8:55 AM

    Best Wishes!!! Can’t wait to see what’s next. And YAY for 5am Joel! I just love him! Nice choice!
    :)
    jh

    1. 5am Joel May 4, 2020 at 11:23 AM

      Aww, thanks Jenn! It’s so bittersweet to see J leave, but he really does have bigger and better things he’s working on! We’re all gonna love it!
      Cheers!

  6. Stefanie OConnell May 4, 2020 at 8:58 AM

    Will miss you here, but looking forward to seeing everything you do next. Hope you’re feeling excited about it!

    1. J. Money May 4, 2020 at 9:11 AM

      Hi friend!!

      I am excited, yes! And hella nervous! :)

      But making me feel young again! Hahaha…

  7. Lance May 4, 2020 at 9:01 AM

    I’m glad to hear you aren’t leaving the scene for good :) Good luck with Soapbox!

    1. J. Money May 4, 2020 at 9:13 AM

      Thanks dude!

      And hope to see you and everyone at the next Fincon whenever it turns out to be!

  8. Paul May 4, 2020 at 9:03 AM

    Damn it man…. I worked from home for over 10 years and some days this blog and comments area was my only source of human interaction. Selfishly, in my mind you would run this blog forever but I’m glad for you and the opportunity that you have going forward. I started reading this blog around 2014 after I moved into a house that was way too expensive for my salary. I think I actually found this blog searching for a budgeting spreadsheet. Anyway, fast forward 6 ish years I went from a 30K net worth to a 600K net worth (Now closer to 500K but its temporary). I know I don’t comment that much anymore, but that’s more because my new job is demanding and its rare I even have the time to type something up. Anyway, I’ll be sure to follow the new stuff both here and soapbox. FWIW, “So long, and thanks for all the fish”.

    1. J. Money May 4, 2020 at 9:15 AM

      Thanks man :)

      Been loving our interactions over the years and hope we can still keep them up for another 6 years! By then you’ll be a millionaire at the rate you’re going :)

    2. 5am Joel May 4, 2020 at 11:28 AM

      Hey Paul! Comments are one of the best things about this blog. Keep ’em coming cause people love to hear what everyone else is up to and hear how they’re making it. $500k in 6 years? – that’s nuts… I’m certainly interested in hearing more about your story.

  9. Steve May 4, 2020 at 9:21 AM

    As someone who sold a blog last year, I totally understand moving on to bigger and better things. In fact, that’s what true entrepreneurs do. They build, then they move on and build again.

    It’s a super fun cycle.

    Good luck, J!

    1. J. Money May 4, 2020 at 10:00 AM

      This is true!

      And some of us (accidental) entrepreneurs just take a little more time than others to make the transition, lol…

  10. Tracy May 4, 2020 at 9:55 AM

    Ah man…I’ve commented off and on over the years about how much you influence us here in TN and I’m so glad that another great blogger is coming in to take the reins. I was very unhappy when Rockstar Finance went the way it did so I will admit I’ve been nervous about what was going to happen to this site. I will keep my subscription to budgetsaresexy and your personal newsletter and look forward to checking out this soapbox thing!

    And, since it is a Motley Fool product I’m going to throw this out there. I used to give The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens as a high school graduation gift but it is getting way too dated. I’ve looked at lots of other suggestions out there from the PF blogosphere but none of the ones I’ve tried work as well as this. They are either too full of language (sorry JL Collins, I personally love your stuff but it is too much for some of my conservative mom friends) or too full of story (Frugalwoods fun to read but not enough practical application in their book) to make for a practical graduation gift. Does anyone have a recommendation I might have missed? Or can we get Motley Fool to update their book?? I have some upcoming gifts to buy and I am not happy with the choice I’ve made… =)

    1. J. Money May 4, 2020 at 10:04 AM

      I will relay your desire over to them! :)

      I’ve always liked giving The Millionaire Next Door or The Automatic Millionaire as gifts, but they don’t focus as much on *investing* as others do… (on the flip side, having “millionaire” in the title helps people PICK UP THE BOOKS at least for a hot second! :))

      Glad you’re giving the blog a chance once I’m officially gone too… You’ll at least be 10x happier with it than you were with Rockstar’s demise ;)

  11. Jaime May 4, 2020 at 10:34 AM

    Does 5Am Joel have a FB page?

    1. 5am Joel May 4, 2020 at 11:36 AM

      Hey Jaime, No FB for me just yet… But when I do decide to join the 21st century you’ll be the first to know!

  12. stephanie t May 4, 2020 at 10:35 AM

    Oh! I’m excited for you, and wish you even more success on your new adventure. I read 5AMJoel every day already, and I’ve often thought that his style and enthusiasm are much like yours. I’ll definitely be reading his adventures here.
    As for you…I’ll be watching closely for your next appearance. On a serious note, you propelled me (who never dreamed I could be where I am now, financially) and gave me the gift of knowledge. My daughter is now following you daily and is on very solid financial footing. Much better than her mama at that same age! Cheers to you J$$.

    1. J. Money May 4, 2020 at 11:48 AM

      Awwww what a blessing!!!

      She has a smart mom to be putting this stuff in front of her at an early age!! :)

      Much love!

    2. 5am Joel May 4, 2020 at 11:54 AM

      Cheers Steph! Thanks for reading and it’s awesome to hear your daughter is off to a strong financial start! Maybe she’ll take over the blog one day in the future. You never know… ;)

  13. Joe May 4, 2020 at 10:41 AM

    Good luck with your new ventures. I’ll miss your voice here.
    Best wishes

    1. J. Money May 4, 2020 at 11:49 AM

      Thanks dude!

      You’ll literally get my voice on the next project ;)

  14. Derek May 4, 2020 at 10:53 AM

    Dude!!!! Congrats again!!
    Really looking forward to seeing what’s next for you.
    Thanks for everything.
    (I owe you an update on our progress too! Give me about 6 months to actually get around to it. Haha)
    – Your other boy.

    1. J. Money May 4, 2020 at 11:52 AM

      Haha there you are!!

      Probably all that hustling that’s getting in the way of the update :)

  15. Chris May 4, 2020 at 10:56 AM

    Best of luck my brother. So excited for you!

    Change is always hard. You’ve been an amazing resource for me over the years and amazingly generous. If I can ever be of any help to you as you navigate this next phase of life, feel free to hit me up.

    Cheers!
    Chris

    1. J. Money May 4, 2020 at 11:55 AM

      Thanks man – appreciate that!

      I REALLY want to push forward with this Community Fund idea I’ve been working on here recently, so might be pinging you about that soon. Want to start helping more *financially* as well as educationally!

      Here’s original post on it and have an update coming soon on the blog here with what we did with all the money raised :)

      https://budgetsaresexy.com/the-community-fund/

  16. Adam @ Minafi May 4, 2020 at 11:12 AM

    Woh, big news! Joel is awesome, and it does sound like he’s a perfect fit for taking on the challenge.

    I’m excited to see what you work on next!

    1. J. Money May 4, 2020 at 11:58 AM

      Thanks brother!

      Might be reaching out to you once this is out the door too to see if we can collaborate on anything :)

  17. Tawcan May 4, 2020 at 11:24 AM

    Good luck with the new adventures J. Sounds like this blog is in good hands.

    1. J. Money May 4, 2020 at 11:58 AM

      Thanks man! Hope to see you soon whenever Fincon is back in action!

  18. Revanche @ A Gai Shan Life May 4, 2020 at 12:46 PM

    I’m not ready, bud!! I’m happy FOR you but still not ready to close the chapter on this particular novel. :)

    I’ll be looking for you and Nate and Soapbox. <3

    1. J. Money May 4, 2020 at 12:54 PM

      Haha, hopefully there will be even more juicy chapters in this next one! :)

  19. Christine May 4, 2020 at 1:34 PM

    Noooooooooooo! But congratulations on taking the next step and best wishes! This is pretty much the only blog I currently actually keep up with, so you’ve done good!

    Tomorrow is the last day of my current job…so I think I’m having all the same feels!

    1. J. Money May 5, 2020 at 6:23 AM

      Oh wow, haha…. major life changes going on over there ;)

      Hope it just means the next phases will be even better!

  20. Brian Winch May 4, 2020 at 2:58 PM

    All the best to you! Looking forward to soapbox.com.

    1. J. Money May 5, 2020 at 6:24 AM

      Thanks brother – been fun getting to know you and your trash business over the years :)

  21. Art May 5, 2020 at 1:06 AM

    J. Money, it has been a true pleasure reading your stuff and I am psyched to see Joel come on here and keep the good work going. I truly don’t think you could’ve picked a better person! – Art

    1. J. Money May 5, 2020 at 6:24 AM

      Awesome!! Glad you feel that way too!

    1. J. Money May 5, 2020 at 6:24 AM

      Thanks D$!

  23. GE Miller May 5, 2020 at 10:38 AM

    Awww daaaaaamn.

    End of an era, brother. End of an era.

    Excited to see what’s next, and now that I’m FIRE, let’s find a project to work on together.

    1. J. Money May 5, 2020 at 11:43 AM

      I like the sound of that!

  24. carl May 5, 2020 at 10:44 AM

    Damn! Congratulations!

    I love that “Coelho” quote. Ruts and routine are easy. Forcing yourself off the cliff and setting fire to your current circles of comfort; that’s where life gets more fun and interesting.

    I can’t wait to see what you do for Act 2 or whichever act you’re on. It sounds like you’ll continue to be involved in the personal finance space which also makes me happy. I’d be sad if I didn’t get to see your ass at FinCon every year.

    Onward and upward!

    1. J. Money May 5, 2020 at 11:46 AM

      Will def. still be around passing on the good word and crashing the parties, don’t you worry ;) Y’all are my people!! Ain’t no one in real life likes this stuff! Lol…

  25. Grant May 5, 2020 at 12:26 PM

    Wishing you much success and peace on your journey, man. Thanks, as always, for the inspiration and setting the bar so high for all of us bloggers. Excited to follow your next adventure and to be on this life journey with you. I’m happiest when I’m challenged and growing. Ease and convenience are alright for a while, but aren’t that sexy. Much love, Grant

    1. J. Money May 6, 2020 at 8:23 AM

      Amen, brother…

      We both still got a lot more fun and projects inside us to be had :)

      Been awesome watching your rise in the community. Don’t know if I know anyone as passionate as you are! It’s refreshing!

  26. The Crusher May 6, 2020 at 10:14 AM

    Very, very sorry to see you go. Thank you for all of the great content over the years!!

    1. J. Money May 6, 2020 at 10:47 AM

      Yeah man!! Let’s stay connected over the years – still more $$$ fun to go!

  27. Kay May 7, 2020 at 9:53 AM

    Jmoney, Thanks for all the wonderful articles, ideas and energy you brought into our (readers’) lives! Can’t wait to see what’s next for you.

    5AMJoel, Welcome, I’m a follower of your blog as well.. Cant wait to see what you do over here.

    1. J. Money May 7, 2020 at 10:16 AM

      Much love, Kate!

  28. the May 8, 2020 at 3:03 AM

    End of an era indeed!

    You are one of the blogs I’ve always remained subscribed to over all of these years as well. How you’ve kept things fresh and entertaining for so long is a real achievement.

    A tour de force in the financial blogging world!

    Glad we still have ways to keep in touch with you

    All the best with your new adventures and see you around :)

    1. J. Money May 8, 2020 at 1:05 PM

      Thanks dude!

      I hope you’ll stay in touch! You’re not that far from breaking the 12 year record yourself ;)

      I remember when you came onto the scene – glad you’re still at it!

  29. Primal Prosperity May 17, 2020 at 12:41 PM

    Darn, you are my favorite blogger… seriously! I’m going to send you an email to keep in touch. :)

    As a minimalist, I also need to comment on the Elon Musk post… haha!

    1. J. Money May 18, 2020 at 9:49 AM

      Please do, friend!!

      I will still be around – just not here in this spot :)

      Would love to stay connected!