Morning guys!!
So I have something to announce today that I’m super excited – and super scared!! – to share, but as we always do here on the blog I’ll be as transparent and real as possible with y’all, and hopefully by the end of it you’ll still want to be friends :)
This wild and crazy news that I still can’t believe I’m about to say?
I’ve decided to sell Budgets Are Sexy and help build out a new financial network about to launch, while at the same time still *blogging here daily* as I have been for the past 11+ years ;)
Since of course there’s no way I’m just gonna leave everyone hanging after so long!
As part of the partnership I’ve committed to being here at least for another 6 months (and hopefully more if everyone will still have me!), so in a way nothing is changing at all here since you’ll still see my pretty face day in and day out, while on the other hand everything is changing as I simultaneously focus on a new venture in hopes of making a greater impact in the community.
This company acquiring Budgets Are Sexy and who I’ll be working with to launch this upcoming project? The SoapBox Financial Network, a division of The Motley Fool whose mission is eerily close to my own: to help people become “smarter, happier and richer.” (the only thing missing here is “sexier” ;))
This may come as a surprise to many of you, particularly since I’ve been happily in the game forever, but when things align so perfectly that you just can’t ignore them, you gotta go with your gut and hope it’s the right call.
That said, here are some of the bigger lifestyle variables I’ve been considering, which will help explain why this all makes more sense for me right now:
#1. Freedom. It sounds weird, but handing over something that’s by all means considered an asset also feels incredibly freeing! There’s so many aspects to running a blog than just writing for it (accounting, sales, tech, marketing, growth!) that the idea of shedding everything you hate and focusing on only what you enjoy (for me – writing and community!), makes the whole proposition that much better. And as a practicing minimalist, it’s one less major thing to worry about and detach from too which I’m surprisingly okay with. I’ve come to realize I don’t necessarily need to *own* a project or thing in order to enjoy it, just so long as I’m given the opportunity to do so.
(Also – how crazy is it that you can even *sell* a blog?? It’s literally just my thoughts on a site out there, but technically once it starts making $$$ it doubles as a “small business.” So wild, right?)
#2. Opportunity. Speaking of opportunity ;) I’ve been fortunate to have a number of them passed over to me throughout the years, and while many of them don’t end up making sense, there are times like this that match my strengths and desires so well that it makes my present situation look quite dull, haha… And that’s saying something since we have a pretty good thing going here!! But that’s the thing about opportunities – they can hit you when you least expect it, and if you’re not open enough to really consider them, you’re liable to live a life full of regret, or worse – always wondering *what could have been!* It’s hard to know whether it’s truly the right decision until after it’s done, but you do your best with the info provided you at the time, and right now that info is telling me to GO FOR IT or else I’d be a complete imbecile, haha… So this is me avoiding imbecilism! ;)
#3. Identity. This one’s a bit harder to explain, but I feel like I’ve been living two separate lives for so long that I now can’t tell which is the real one and which is the digital one, haha… Even though we’re one and the same! And while such is the nature of being an online blogger, I’ve noticed that I often prioritize the wrong version of me during the times when the opposite should be happening. Like when I was in the ER the other week to make sure I wasn’t dying (spoiler alert: I wasn’t!), but how all I could think about was how I was going to break the news on the blog and what would happen to it afterwards?! Instead of, you know, focusing on my health or family!! Not that they didn’t come up at some point, haha, but still – no bueno. So this is also a good step in helping me detach a little more in hopes of improved focus on the real me, even though of course the digital me will be tagging along forever ;)
#4. Collaboration! Man it’s been so long since I’ve worked with a good – and smart – team! Being solo has its perks, but I’ve sorely missed the camaraderie of working with others and building something bigger than ourselves… The last time I had this was when we turbocharged Rockstar Finance, and I think making this move will be a great way to recapture some of that magic from back then. Only now with the funding and resources to really blow it out of the water! And after touring the offices of The Fool the other day, I can confidently say our cultures are rather well aligned.
(Fun fact: these offices I toured were the same ones I visited almost 9 years ago when my blog was just starting to take off and they were interested in meeting! And now a decade later here I am partnering up on such a fun project! So surreal!)
#5. Capitalization. From the start of this blog on Feb 12th, 2008 to today, I’ve spent approximately 4,216 days in a row building the site – or a little over a quarter of my life (!!!). And while I never set out to make any real money off it, the thought of the site one day getting shut down or hacked, or again – God forbid something happening to ME where I can’t maintain it any longer! – it’s nice to be able to capitalize on all the hard work over the years while I’m fully present and able to set up a legacy plan for my heirs. Not that I think about death every other second or anything, just every hour! ;)
#6. Change. You might have noticed this, but I’ve also gotten pretty complacent on the blog over the years as evidence of my ever increasing sabbaticals, haha… So this acquisition makes for a good time to spice it up more too and shock me out of my comfort zone. Even though it IS rather cozy here going with the flow and not really challenging myself!
#7. And lastly of course, The Financials :) Which I’m not gonna lie – does play a major role here. The mission and the community of the blog have always come first, which you can tell from me never monetizing much on the site! ;), but receiving a large chunk of money certainly adds to the excitement. How large exactly? Well, unfortunately I can’t divulge the true numbers due to the nature of contracts and legality (though believe me I fought for it, even though I lost!), however I *can* tell you the purchase price was in the low to mid 6 figures, and it’ll be pretty hard to miss in our next net worth report ;) It also comes with a substantial salary that’s hard to hate as well, so between that and everything else listed above it puts us in a great position to hit financial freedom even sooner, while having the right mindset – and freedom – to enjoy it then. Not that we’re still anywhere close to it, haha…
So there it is!
The news is out of the bag and officially in motion now – eek!
I hope you’ll give it a chance and see how it feels!
I’d write you a whole treatise on how much y’all mean to me and why none of this would even be possible without you (both true stories), but seeing how this isn’t even close to The End and I’ll literally be back tomorrow with a brand new post, haha, I’ll save those parting words for another day well into the future ;)
For now, just know I appreciate y’all more than you’ll ever know, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for always encouraging me and reading the blog!! We still got a lot of financial gospel to preach, so let’s keep the party going!
Yours in finance forever,
*******
PS: I still own my Twitter and email accounts (@BudgetsAreSexy // budgetsaresexy @ gmail (dot) com), so feel free to reach out directly anytime! Or through my personal weekly newsletter if you want to stay even more connected: jmoney.biz/newsletter
UPDATE: Here’s the Fool’s announcement of it :) –> The Motley Fool Launches Soapbox Financial Network, Acquires BudgetsAreSexy.com
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Hello my friend! I wonder how many people will read this and check their calendar to make sure it’s not April Fools’ Day, hehe. In all seriousness, I know how much thought/consideration went into making this decision… and I just want to say that I couldn’t be more proud of you. Proud of you for trusting your gut and living in accordance with your values. And proud of you for all the work you put into something that you could ultimately sell/transition. It has been no small feat, and is something that the whole community has benefited from over the years. Now, it makes complete sense to me that it’s time for you + your family to benefit even more from it too. I hope YOU are proud of yourself. The next few weeks will likely be filled fielding comments/questions + making these adjustments in your work. When it starts to settle in, I hope you’ll take some time to sit quietly and really think about what the past 11+ years have meant to you. Working with you meant the world to me, and I can’t wait to see what you do next. I love you and miss you! xoxo
ahhh you’re so good to me!!!
thank you!!!!
I pulled a Cait Flanders the other night when the sun was setting and I was sitting there at a winery with my family – I just laid back and stared into the horizon thinking about those 11 years and trying to soak in “that moment” – similar to what you advised me to do w/ Rockstar Finance (and oddly enough – that moment was with a sun setting too!).
Thank you so much for all your support over the yeas – I am so much better with you in my life.
Not gonna lie, I checked the calendar.
As long as you didn’t sell to the now owner of Rockstar Finance, then all is good!
I can relate to now wanting to only focus on the fun aspects of blogging….writing. Good call from where I’m sitting.
Haha… definitely not ;)
Wow, just wow J. How awesome is the modern world that you can just broadcast your thoughts about something on a blog and then sell it for a nice 6 figure paycheck later on? But you did the work, you put the time in, and you deserve the rewards. Success is about discipline and showing up, and 11 years of showing up to write on a blog is some serious showing up!
Great job dude, congrats!
Thanks dude!!! It is pretty wild!! Never would I have guessed this that first day sitting down and writing the first post… Just never know where where things can take you when you’re super passionate about things :)
Hey J!
I’ve been reading your site now for over a year! Its made a big difference in my financial life! One that has allowed me to see the future as an opportunity! It’s clear that this is what “blogging” has done for you! I am truly excited for you! Change always comes with a bit of chaos, but it sounds like your managing this really well! So happy for you and your family! Congratulations!
Dwight
Heyy, thanks man!! So glad you’ve been getting something out of the blog this year!! Thanks so much for letting me know! :)
Hi J- Saw the email and just wanted to stop by and congratulate you, and wish you well in this next phase of your life. I’m sure it wasn’t an easy decision. I was a reader of your site years before I started my own, and wanted to make sure I thanked you for all you’ve done over the years. Not just inspiring people through your own site, but also all that you’ve done to help lift up the community of bloggers as a whole. Have fun!
Awwwww, thanks Liz! I didn’t know you used to read my blog before starting your own – very cool! See you at fincon this week to keep the party going? :)
Yeah, I’ve been reading personal finance blogs since J D Roth first chiseled them into the stone tablets of the internet. :) I was a perpetual lurker. Definitely hope to see you this week!
Hahahha
Congratulations J!
You’ve done incredible work here and I’m happy that you’re happy. Best wishes on this new transition and I can’t wait to see what you do next :D
Thanks Elle!!
Massive congrats! All your success is so well deserved!
Thank you, Kate!
Many congrats… you’ve built a great community and had enormous impact (so far), so it must be nice to be able to take a bit off the table… but stay at the table. Good to hear you’ll still be around doing what you do.
I sure will – I love this table! :)
Hey man! What a news!
Really a nice way to make something that can last forever while also being able to regain some of your own freedom (and personality). From (my) readers perspective, I’d like to see where the path leads you, so please let us know here how this develops ;-)
Cheers and thank you for being!
Vita
I sure will, brother! I’ll still be here blogging away every day, and I’m sure business stuff will creep into it throughout :) Thanks for reading all these years!
Congrats on making what sounds like a great move for you, J! Great to hear we can continue to read your energetic musings on the regular, while you embrace this opportunity to “avoid imbecilism”. Ha!
Thanks for building up this community and for always being such a transparent, positive voice. Hope to say hi again at this year’s FinCon!
Thanks Michelle!!! See you soon, for sure!
BOOM!! You hit the Milly! Congrats Man! Next goal…2M!
Haha…. this is true :) Will be an exciting next net worth report!
Exciting for you! Congrats on the changes. Enjoy your journey. Motley Fool is what gave me the confidence to get my financial life together in my late teens (how I miss when their forums weren’t behind paywalls). Have a great time!
oh wowww, really??? so neat! if they ever do a paywall around these articles though I’m out ;)
Huge Congratulations J, so happy and excited for you! And a big thanks to you for all you’ve done for the community and people everywhere thus far. We know your’ll continue to deliver and we’ll always want to be friends. :) All the best in your new adventures!
Thanks Amy :) Super excited to keep building things here in our space! I’m def. not going anywhere!
Wow – I am so happy for you!! I know this wasn’t an easy decision to make but it sounds like you have a lot of peace of mind about it and that is truly all that matters. I’m so looking forward to seeing you this week and hopefully, we get a chance to celebrate your new venture. Maybe we can even extend our 2-minute hallway greet that we were hoping to double to 4 minutes into, I don’t know, 8 minutes?? That’s long enough to chug a beer, right?? ;)
Congratulations, again!!
Deal, haha…
You’re the best.
Congratulations! I’m so excited for you I can barely stand it. It’s fitting that selling this site will finally take you over the $1 million mark. I’ve been along for your ENTIRE journey, reading since the very beginning, and I am beyond thrilled for you. Way to go! You deserve it! Not only because you’ve been blogging for so long but because you’ve rallied around the PF community while telling your story. Kudos.I hope you and I get to meet up at Fincon finally.
Thank you friend!!! I still can’t believe you’ve been reading for so long!! We will 100% meet up in real life this week – can’t wait!! :)
So when do we get to learn about the new network?
Congrats on the sale and I’m glad to hear you’ll still be around.
As soon as it’s ready to be launched! Still in the super early stages of it though so it may be a while.
Hey J. I’ve said this to you a dozen or more times since we started talking, but I wanted to be louder about it: It is an honor, a privilege, and a thrill to have you on board as the first Founding Member of the Soapbox Financial Network. You’re an incredibly talented writer, which is why we started the conversation, but we’ve come to appreciate even more your energy, your connection to this community, and your passion for helping people. You’ve truly become part of our team. I can’t wait to see where we go together.
Thanks man!! Means a lot. And really just for believing and trusting in me these past few weeks. Haven’t felt this *alive* in a while and ready for the next chapter!
Congrats man! That’s great that things align and work out like they did for you. Woohoo!! Glad to hear the good news and hope this site works out better than other sites that got sold. Glad this is going to be such a good move for you and the fam too. After all isn’t that what this is all about? Living the lifestyle we want, not what were forced to live.
Amen on that, brother…
We actually had lots of convos on how NOT to kill a site when you buy it, haha, so I’m feeling cautiously optimistic here :)
Next Network Post = Epic Gains!!!!
Lets just hope this site doesn’t go the way of Rockstar… Although since you’ll be involved I doubt it will.
You have full permission to punch me in the face if it does, lol…
Congrats J! You put in the work, you get rewarded haha looking forward to seeing more of your writing now that you can focus on the aspect you love the most! Exciting times!
Thanks Todd!
Congrats J on the sale :) they say it takes a decade to truly master something, and it’s super exciting you get to cash in and now be on to new opportunities.
Well I wouldn’t say I’ve mastered anything, haha, but yes to capitalizing and opportunities!
Congratulations man!
Thank you sir! Just trying to be more like you ;)
Big news! That’s awesome! Those are some big changes, but it sounds like we’ll still get to see a lot of you around here in the near future :)
Side note – looks like this sale is going to put you over a milly! Let me be one of the first to send my congrats at the milestone!! ;)
You are a keen observer! :)
Thank you!! And see you soon at FinCon yeah?
Another “old-timer” sells. Congrats!
Not many left now, eh?
So let’s just assume you sold for $500K, just for fun. Divided by 11 years…. ;)
Seriously, congrats. Although if you have the data you actually hourly or annual income from the site over it’s lifetime would be a really interesting statistic. And by interesting, I mean probably kind of depressing when you factor in all the hours you’ve put it it :)
Looking forward to what’s next!
Yes, the hourly rate is definitely not impressive in the least haha… You’d be much better off financially taking a normal job :)
congrat’s on the sale and to a great group. i’ve been pounding the table for the motley fool being a fantastic outfit for a long time to anyone who would listen. it’s where i learned most of the early nuts and bolts of saving and investing. i took it a step further with a paid subscription that put me onto a bunch of gigantic winning stocks and i’m not paid in any way to say that (and the VTSAX ONLY crowd hates me for it).
good luck with whatever you decide to do.
Haha, that is awesome man… I’m still a VTSAX guy, but I know there are many routes to freedom so I don’t hold that against them ;)
Exciting news my man! You’ll have to let us know what your plans are after the six months is up and whether you’d want to continue to consult and get a paycheck from them. That sounds like a pretty good deal if so.
I’ve decided to roll the dice and just keep on going and not sell Financial Samurai. It’s interesting how there have been so many interested acquires recently across various sites.
The biggest struggle I have been selling that it’s just so hard to sell your baby. I didn’t start my site to make money, but it now does. Everything feels like Gravy now to be honest so figure with all the money goes away, at least I’ll have an archive of posts and podcast episodes to share with my kids.
I hope you get to spend more time with your family now!
Congrats again.
Sam
It’s a tough process to go through mentally for sure… I think you just *know* when it’s time, and up until then you just keep doing your thing and counting your blessings to even have such opportunities :)
Congrats J and this is exciting news for you. I kinda expected this a little bit and I’m happy to hear that everything aligned for you. I guess the next net worth report you’ll enter the double comma club? Sounds like someone’s buying us a round at FinCon haha!
Haha – deal!
Wow, I’m fascinated by this! Did you worry about the creative control aspect of the blog? It definitely must be awesome to know you can worry less about the backend of the blogging business and focus on creating posts. I’m glad you will still be the one posting. Seems like a pretty good deal – sell the site, and get to earn a salary while doing what you already were doing. I’m definitely curious to see how this will all shake out and what BAS will look like six months from now!
Speaking of, what is up with Rockstar Finance? Seemed dead for awhile and now it looks like a dead link?
Yeah dude – seems a little bit too good to be true, but big risks = big rewards, right? :) And they’re def. cool with me continuing to blog in my own style and what not, so that part will never change which was my first concern. Passed them this article for review before posting it, and all they wrote back was “we love it!”. So I think we’ll be a-okay in that regard :)
Rockstar – If ONLY someone knew what was going on???! I haven’t the slightest clue myself and it’s all rather sad… All I can hope is that they’re building something killer in the back end and ready to come out with a bang again :) though why you’d shut down the site first is beyond me, haha….
Congrats, J. Money! I’m super excited for you and your family. :)
Thanks man! See you soon for our yearly beers :)
Wow! and Congratulations! I’m so happy for you to be able to lighten your load and free up time for your family! You’ve done so much, so well for this community and we’re all grateful. Enjoy the fruits of your years of labor!
Take care
Thanks Carol!!
Congrats, J$!
You’re one of the very first that got me interested in finances. Connected with your more casual, storytelling approach. You made it relatable and inviting. You’re one of the most authentic people in this space and you deserve all the best! Happy to see how far you’ve taken it and anxiously waiting to see your next undertaking!
Thank you so much!!! Really glad it’s coming across that way as it’s def. my hope!! I learn so much from others who are the same, and it’s so nice to just be able to be yourself and not have to change in order to be successful :) I’m a pretty casual dude! haha…
September is starting with a bang. At the end of the day, you know what’s best for your business. Congrats!
Thank you sir – see you soon!
Congrats J! What an exciting new adventure for you. As long as you’re pursuing your happy, we’re all in. Wishing you the best!
Elise
I’m def. pursuing that happy! haha… I like that way of looking at it – thanks :)
Congratulations J. I’ve been reading this site for 10+ years now. It’ll be tough to replace you once the 6 month is up. Good luck with the new venture. Will you pay off the house now? :D
HAH! I haven’t even thought about what to do with the money yet… I’ll probably hoard it for a while and just stare at it in amazement :)
Can’t believe you’ve been reading for 10 years!!! Thanks man!!
Woah! Big news! Congrats!!!
I toured the Fool’s offices in…2000! When I was a part of an investment club. I still have the bottle opener keychain they gave us.
HAH!!!! Awesome!!! I think you need to come back next year for a 20 year reunion :)
Wow! I haven’t heard an announcement this shocking since . . . like three months ago when you bought a house. :)
Seriously, this one is a shocker. But hopefully it is another step in building the life you want for yourself and your family. CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Haha yeah – I’m full of surprises over here! ;)
I’m both so happy for you and need you to keep writing here and in other places for at least five more years (and more ;)). What is the internet and PF life without BudgetsAreSexy done your way??? I don’t even know.
Haha… Well I very much want that too, so I’m sure we’ll make it happen! :) Whether on this blog or any of the other ideas constantly brewing in my head.
Congrats. I’m so inspired by your authenticity, your commitment and now your pivot. It’s great.
Your fans and members here are rooting for you. May be good, one day, to break down “how to sell your side hustle for big bucks.”
best
Thanks Liz! Pretty shocked that I haven’t got a ton of hate mail yet, haha…
And that would make for an interesting blog post – going on my list of ideas!
Also, ps….since my last comment the other day on my goal of paying off the recent cc debt, I scheduled the pay off the 0% interest one…and will pay off my husband’s tonight. I “found” extra money in my old checking account that I need to close. (THAT isnow my new goal..,forgot about that. It’s costing me $12/mo I guess b/c there’s no direct deposit. I do not pay for someone else to have my money. Sionara!) Apparently my comapany was still depositing my expense checks there and because of lots of work travel, there was a chunk in there. I’m sure seeing those $0 balances will be great. Hate carrying a balance!
NICE!!!! Debt freedom here you come!!
Congrats! This sounds like an excellent shift for you, one of those right time, right place situations. I’ll be back, as I might win a giveaway again (the leather goods $100 gift card!), and I love your insight. Your life is very different than mine, but I like learning new things. Also, any way your new gig can incorporate a revised/more robust version of Rockstar Finance? Always enjoyed that, and I like to look for new bloggers that might have nuggets of wisdom, especially women bloggers of a certain age :) Carry on…
“Your life is very different than mine, but I like learning new things. ”
That’s an excellent way of looking at things!! And probably why ALL of us enjoy learning from others too since we’re all so different from each other :)
As for the new project, I’m sure you will see elements reminiscent to those days ;)
I guess I’ll leave my third comment in ten years of reading the blog ;)
I know I allude to it all the time in passing, but I just want to say clearly and for the record that working with you — hell, just KNOWING you — this past decade has been one of the greatest blessings of my life.
From the moment we first met back when I was doing my philanthropy work, I could see there was something special about you, because I knew how to care for *People* writ large, and build systems to enable mass giving, but from Day One you showed me how to care for each individual *person* in a very real way, and that has been invaluable.
We’ve had our disagreements over the years where I want to be more businesslike and you want to be more personal (and I’m glad that you win the vast majority of those battles), but I want you to know that in every conversation with others, I tell them that you are the person I respect the very most in the web game, because you are exactly who you are, and you don’t let anything or anyone change that (you are unapologetically authentic, to use a branding phrase). That is so rare in this business, and one of the major reasons I’m always ready to jump in with you on projects.
The community you’ve built here in your little corner of the web is second to none, sir. No black-hat tactics, no ads, no “growth hacks” – nothing but the simple act of engaging with each and every person you come across as if they are special to you . . . because *SPOILER ALERT* they ARE special to you! Ironically, that one tiny, simple thing is also the secret to your massive success. And that’s a secret I don’t mind spilling, because it’s something that almost no one can replicate even if they try (and godspeed to them if the DO replicate it, because it means there’s more positivity being put into the world)!
Before I get too long and rambly here in the comments section, I’ll end on this: building Love Drop with you was one of the biggest highlights of both my personal and professional life. I had already been on a crash course of personal growth, but in that one year the lessons grew exponentially, and I learned more about life and love and hard work than I ever thought I would. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner to go on that journey with me, and the impact we made along the way is something that, to put in your words, “they can never take away from us” :)
I’m proud of you, man. Congratulations on your first decade of impact, and here’s to many more! I can’t wait to see you at FinCon in a few days for the first time in what feels like far too long…
Love you, brother!
Dangg man – I love you too, of course!!! I need to print this out and frame it or something! Haha… But seriously, never have I enjoyed so many conversations – or debates! – as I have with you over the years, and every week I love getting on our talks even if we have absolutely nothing to talk about. I know one day we’ll be back to working on another project so I don’t sweat it, but I DO love how well we work together and can’t wait to see *what* exactly that next project will be – especially as we’re constantly coming up with so many random ones! Haha… Maybe it’ll be the Internet House? ;) Or Love Drop turbocharged?? Regardless, so I’m glad you’re in my life, brother, and def. looking forward to finally hanging out in REAL life once and for all.. been way too long!! I’ve seen my accountant more times than you!!
Congrats!
Heyy!! how the hell have you been? :)
Hey congrats J! Well done on a decade-plus building something awesome. Looking forward to seeing what you do next.
Thanks man!! Been devouring your latest blog posts over there.. I love this new “blogging the way we used to” route ;) It worked then, so why not now?
Awesome and a BIG congrats! Now. who’s next to sell?
I heard Steve from ThinkSaveRetire.com just did!
Woh, big news! I’m excited to see what kind of lifestyle changes this brings for you. So many people talk about the shift from “outside employment to self employment” but there are many gains from having that steady paycheck while letting letting someone else shoulder the stress everyday.
Think this makes a lot of sense for Fool – can’t wait to see where it goes. :)
Haha yeah – as Lori Greneir from Shark Tank likes to say:
“Entrepreneurs are the only people who will work 80 hours a week to avoid working 40 hours a week”
It’ll be a nice break from doing “all the things” for a bit :)
I’ve never posted here J, but this big news warrants a reply from everyone! I’ve been following you since you started as it was around the same time I got out of college and started my own journey. Your blog and love of spreadsheets always had me coming back for more. Always great content. I’ve got a homegrown system that I’ve been updating every weekend since 2008, so your same discipline has always been motivating (even after plenty of money mistakes of my own!). Congrats on starting the next chapter from me and my family. Expecting big things from you at the Fool!
JLeo
Nice!!! I’d love to see a copy of that homegrown spreadsheet one day if you’re ever up for sharing :) Thanks for taking the time today to share! Love it that you’ve been around for so long!
Congrats on the sale! It sounds like this is well thought through and is what makes the most sense for you and your family right now. If you are able to put the same level of effort into your new project as when you built up Rockstar Finance (RIP) I’m sure it will be a huge success.
Thanks for all you’ve done in the community. Indirectly you helped me attend my first FinCon last year as I attended on a scholarship from Rockstar Finance. Without your efforts to build that site who knows if I’d ever have the courage to attend.
Fascinating!!
Will you be going this year too? If so we should connect!
Longtime lurker so this is my first time posting.
Congratulations on the big announcement. You’ve helped me and countless others understand the importance of this movement.
Wishing you the best of luck!
Thanks you, Friends in the South!!! Please pop over more so I can learn from your journey too! :)
Wow, great news! And well deserved! Although I must say for selfish reasons, I sure am glad that we’ll still be hearing from you regularly, ha ha. Best of luck in this new venture!
Yup, not going anywhere anytime soon :) It’s still my baby and I need to feed it! Haha…
We started blogging around the same time and I’ve learned so much from you. Congrats. You’ve earned it.
Yeah dude – I remember!! And we’re both still at it too – so cool!
Yes, Cait Flanders, that was my first thought – is this some kind of April Fools’ Day joke? Ha, ha.
Congratulations, J, I’m so happy for you! I’ve enjoyed getting your emails and reading your blog more than you will ever know. Glad to hear you will still be around, writing your heart out! You’ve already make a huge impact on the world, can’t wait to see where else your creativity & collaboration with others takes you! Just reading through the comments, I had to check out Love Drop – what an amazing idea and fantastic project!
Thanks BBSS!!!
So glad you’ve been enjoying the blog!
We talk about one day bringing back Love Drop a lot, so if we ever pull the trigger on it maybe you can join us in it and help make it even better :)
Congrats on the sale of your site. It’s been fun to watch your site and other assorted side projects grow over the years. Here’s to the next chapter, and all that it brings!
You gotta hold it down for me now! Not many OGs left! ;)
congrats on the new adventure. Must admit one of my first thoughts were can’t wait to see how much he got on the next net worth update. Glad they didn’t try to block you from doing that. As it won’t tell the whole story but we can probably guess round about how much it was.
Oh yeah – had to be able to share my net worth still ;) It’ll be the Big One!
You are THE MAN!!! Way to go. Can’t wait to see what the new project will turn into.
I’ll add on to the idea that it’s “just your thoughts on a website, so how could it be worth money?”
Take it one step further and those “thoughts” are… food, gas, bills, cars, vacations, gifts, clothes, and whatever else you purchase with the money earned by putting your thoughts on a webpage.
I “wow” Carrie with this thought about once a month. CARRIE!!! WE ARE LITERALLY PAYING FOR ALL OUR STUFF FROM PUTTING THOUGHTS ON A WEBSITE!!! (She loves it)
But it really is amazing that we live in a time and place where this is possible. Trading thoughts for food.
Haha… you are not wrong on that!!
Gotta go and put that ish on a bumper sticker now ;)
The only better affirmation of your work than generating lot of cash via an acquisition — and creating a great partnership — is the opportunity to see again very clearly the impact that you’re having on people’s lives, J. Money. Congratulations and well deserved.
It seems like something pretty cool could happen with the mixture of your experience, your passionate tribe of teammates here, and a bunch of Fools. Very excited about the years ahead.
Tom
Same here, sir!!
Really excited about this next step – thanks for trusting in me and giving me the opp :)
(Also still marinating on that exercise we did last week – such a simple one, yet also hard to fully peel it all back! But I’m making progress!)
Though I felt bummed out at first, I’m super happy for you. Good luck with your new project. Looking forward to seeing how things unfold for you, friend.
Hopefully you’ll find I’m the same Me :)
Congratulations!! It sounds like a wonderful opportunity for you. I’m glad I will get to see you reach your goal of 1 million. I have been hanging around to see you achieve that milestone and cheering you on. It seems like you will reach it as soon as the sale goes through. I have noticed you dropping off more but I wanted to see you reach the million mark and kept checking in. I’ll check in for a final posting. Good luck to you!
Haha, awesome…
It’ll def. push us over the ledge so you’ll see it soon!
Thanks for reading and believing in me for so long!
I have no doubt the change will free up time to focus on the important stuff. I can’t wait to see what you have in store. Your work, J, over the years has been nothing short of phenomenal.
Congratulations!
Thanks dude!! You know I’m a big fan of your stuff too :)
Because of your site, my husband and I have been tracking our monthly net worth for 10 years now.
In those 10 years, I watched you quit your job in real time and brave it on your own.
I’ve watched you go from workaholic to a mohawked guy with 3 kids who’s continuously seeking balance.
You introduced me to the zero waste movement and encouraged my minimalism.
In those 10 years I’ve since unsubscribed to every other personal finance blog except yours. Yours is special. Your voice is encouraging and your net worth updates remind me to stay focused on improving my financial life.
Thanks.
Holy $hit!!!!!!!
I don’t even know what to say, wow!!
thank you thank you thank you for telling me all this!!
You completely made my week!!
Let’s please stay connected over the years, okay?? :)
Congratulations! Hope to say hello this week in DC!
You know it, brother!
We’d be pretty lame if we skipped out on this one considering it’s in our back yard, haha…
Hope things are well!
Congrats, brother! Sounds like a great opportunity and a good relationship… very excited for you!
— Jim
Thanks man – we’re gonna miss you this week :)
Jay! Wow, this is awesome. I’m so happy for you. Yours are the only other PF blogger emails I still subscribe to and I’ve always loved your very open and transparent writing style so I’m so relieved you’re sticking around. Congrats on the sale and I might see you at Fincon.
(and yes, blogs being worth actual money still boggles my mind, got mine valued recently and nearly dropped dead with the shock!).
Haha awesome!!
If you ever want an intro to the Soapbox team if it’s something you’re seriously considering (or just interested in maybe partnering up on something), just shout and happy to put you two together!
Will 100% see you this week – gonna be fun!
Wow, I am surprised but very excited for you. Congratulations! It sounds like this was a well thought out decision. Additionally, when the stars align, opportunity presents itself!
Um, my favorite thing about blogging is writing. Everything else, not so much. Your future endeavors sound splendidly focused on writing & collaboration. Your hard work has paid off. Nicely done!
Something broke today and it was so refreshing to just shoot an email and have it fixed within hours :) No sweat whatsoever over here! Haha… Hopefully that bodes well! :)
Wow, congratulations! Glad to hear you’ll still be writing though, even in the short term. Looking forward to see what you do next!
Thanks Nicola! Hope things are going well with your blog too! :) Always loved the name…
HOLY COW
C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S
Nice job, man! Here’s to the next chapter!
Indeed, man!! Thanks for coming along the journey!
From a long-time reader–
I had to explain to my husband (who doesn’t read blogs) about your site, and “who” you are in the PF blog world. I think I spent 10 minutes talking about Rockstar Finance, and your charity efforts, and your challenge everything posts, and community building, and… Congratulations on your new opportunity! I will be looking forward to what comes next.
You are too much, haha…
did you finally convince him money blogs are cool, or still no hope?! ;)
J,
Thank you so much for what you have done to help others with their finances. I’ve only been reading your blog for a couple of years, and it was Budgets Are Sexy and the FIRE movement that drove me to take a good look at what I’ve been doing all these years with my money. My husband and I have finally taken control of our finances, because of your blog. We are doing FPU (Dave Ramsey) now and will be out of debt soon. We do have a positive net worth, though, but not a million bucks yet. We are still working on that!
May God continue to bless you as you move forward in Personal Finance!
Karen
yayyy!!!!
the best thing a financial blogger can hear – i’m so happy for you guys!!
keep going strong! I want an email the day you DO cross over that millionaire status! although we all know you’ve already won The Game of Finance the second you take control.
So a huge congratulations right back over to ya there, Karen :)
Congrats! I’ve been following your blog for a while. No need to explain yourself, but glad you let us in on some of the details. Maybe we will cross paths in DC this week.
Thanks man – I’m sure we will!
Congrats, J. Money. I’ve been following along and enjoying your posts for ages. Praying this site now doesn’t go the way of Get Rich Slowly (which JD has done a lovely job reviving again)l.
Haha, yeah…
I’m already 0 for 1 on that one (Rockstar), so the odds HAVE to be in my favor this time, right?? ;)
Congrats, I am truly happy for you! You were one of the first blogs I stumbled upon many years ago when I first heard that FIRE was an actual thing and not something I just thought about in my head.
Hah!! And now you’re rockin’ your own blog and inspiring people!!
Life is good! :)
J
I have been stalking/reading you from the beginning. I must say that when I read this post, my first thought was–I guess he won’t have a mortgage for long…:)
Congrats. You have put the work in. Don’t you dare leave me.
I shall not let you down! ;)
Just wanted to check in to let you and th4 community know that I had never heard of your blog before reading the news of the aquisition on The Motley Fool webpage. And probably would not have ever known about it.
Oh cool, well hopefully we don’t scare you away anytime soon! ;) Welcome to the community!
You will be missed…………………..your blog is bibliotherapy homework for all my clients!
Well keep on dishing out that homework, C$!! I ain’t going nowhere! ;)
This does make me a little nervous after what happened to Dividend Mantra, my (former) second favorite finance site that “sold out” a few years ago. BAS has been my number one go to since 2015, and I got faith in you J. Money, so I hope everything goes well.
I got you!!! :)
Congratulations!
I have been following your financial journey for some time, and you have broken through the yellow tape of the finish line! Your insights and transparency have been informative. I am not sure what direction the new blog will take, because to state the obvious, your journey was the primary focus. Thanks for your commitment to honesty and vision to inspire others.
Bill
Thanks Bill!! Hopefully that journey keeps on going here as I’m not going anywhere soon! :)
Oh, how ironic that the day that I read this, I had just checked out Rockstar Finance earlier to see what it had become after swapping hands only to find that the site was no longer up and running. Hopefully BaS has a better fate.
Congrats J$! I’ll be following you over to the new stomping grounds!
I’m hoping the odds are in our favor here as surely the Rockstar virus can’t strike twice, right??! ;)
Yeah I was double-checking that it wasn’t April Fools, and made sure to read to the end so I didn’t miss a “just kidding” or something!
Wow, big step, and congrats!
I wouldn’t be that mean :)
How exciting for you and your family! It won’t be the same without you but I’m sure we haven’t heard the last from you:)
Def. not! Because I’m still here! :)
Congrats. quite a nice haul there. Hope the site stays as cool as it is. As long as you’re there writing for it, it should be pretty darn OK.
…as long as it does not become Dividend Mantra part 2..
cheers!
John
Ugh, yeah – that was a slow death over there :(
Wha….? I just found you. :(
Happy for you. You have worked hard for a lot of years. Just imagine being on my side of things and trying to read it all. lol.
All I can say is “Enjoy”. You deserve it. I will raise a glass of beer in your honor this weekend.
No need to cry in the wine just yet – I’m still here blogging away as I’ve always been! So hopefully you can still enjoy for a while! :)
Congratulations my brotha!
Way to go young stud!
Thank you, sir!
Life/biz good for you over there?
Congrats on the payout. I’ve been reading since I think near the beginning. How did you get big in 2010? Whatever that was, I found you and read pretty regularly.
Not to be a downer, but is there any history of these sales doing well for the owners? Most famously Get Rich Slowly was the top dog in financial blogging before selling and it apparently went… not well.
I think the problem is that the author now has one giant conflict of interest, and a key part of these blogs is the ability to speak their mind about everything. Now it’s everything, except that which conflicts with what the owner wants.
Also interesting, but not surprising, that the value of your blog was always there, but not in your financial net worth statement. It’s obvious why bloggers don’t want to publicize what they think their blog is worth, in case someone else in the market thinks it’s worth more. Plus these are obviously hard to quantify, but every private business has a value. Blogs, by their sharing nature are in a bit of a funny place with this regard.
Congrats on the double comma club and that huge step closer to FIRE.
Yeah – plus the values can fluctuate so much so I just went the super conservative route of leaving out knowing that one day later it would (probably) be accounted for :)
As for history of blog sales – you’re absolutely right! In fact, I literally told the Fool that I’ve never seen a site *get better* after it was sold, to which they replied “that’s why we need YOU to help us set a better example!” So that’s actually part of my “job” over there with them now – to do things in a way that keeps the community and sites nice and healthy as they continue to acquire more :) So if anything goes down, you can put the blame on me! Haha…
I also have it in the contract to be able to write on whatever I please and in my same style here too or else there’s no point! And they 100% agreed with it! So I’d say we’re off to a great start so far?
Hey J. Congrats on the move/decision. It’s been fun knowing ya and having you as a blogging buddy back in the day. I’ve been taking ‘sabbaticals’ on my blog too due to life (grad school, moving, new tenure track job) so I get what it is like to feel like you need a change. All the best and keep making those sexy budgets!
Hey Lulu!!
Always nice seeing you around town :)
Dug into my inbox to see the first time we connected and looks like it was back in December of 2008!! Wild!!
Here’s to another 11 years of friendship!
I’d like to think that my recent subscription to the Motley Fool Stock Advisor enabled them to make this purchase possible. YOU’RE WELCOME, J. MONEY. ;)
Haha, thank you! I owe you a beer!
I started reading your blog years ago. I’m wondering… if the financials were appealing to you in selling your site, why not just monetize it? The alternative is leaving it after 6 months, and it is clear you will be missed. It looks like you have huge traffic here and could have made a lot from monetizing and perhaps selling at a much higher price down the road.
Yup – I could have monetized it a lot more, but I didn’t like how it intrudes the user experience so I opted purposely not to :) And I also don’t like blogging specifically *to make* money as it’s not as authentic or transparent, so they were all calls I made early on and had to be okay with the consequences… which didn’t turn out too badly in the least ;)