everyoneshouldblog

4 years ago we stepped off the employment treadmill and stopped into a life focused on travel and family.

Originally this little blog was simply intended to be a way for friends and family to see what we were up to. When people starting asking how we could be so financially secure at such a young age, I started writing a bit about money. Then we got some press, and the number of friends and family following along exploded.

The results have been life changing. So much so, I think everyone should blog.

The benefits of blogging are many and the costs are few. The benefits include:

Entertainment

Blogging is loads of fun. I suppose I could just sit on the sofa and watch television, but creation is a lot more rewarding than consumption.

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Community

No matter the subject, there are people interested in the same things as you and me. There are blogs about every possible topic. There are even blogs about curry and crackers, and sometimes both at once.

I happen to be interested in travel and money, and because I started writing about those topics I’ve met thousands of other people who are too!

I had the pleasure of hanging out with many of them at the Chautauqua and  FinCon. I’ve had coffee, gone for bike rides, and met up for beers with hundreds of people in many different countries. I’ve met lifelong friends, and been hosted by several in their homes.

Had I never started to write this blog, how many really cool financially savvy people would I know? My guess is three.

Learning

Most of the content on this blog is an expression of my learning and growth. 4 years ago I didn’t know jack about taxes, Obamacare, traveling with children, or starting a blog.

Sure, I had some vague notion of how these things worked, but when I started writing it became clear how little I actually knew. The most heavily trafficked posts on this site are the result of realizing I was completely wrong, dumping hours or days of work in the trash, and starting over.

Best of all, I’ve learned a ton from this community in comments and email (Roth IRA recharacterization, the Child Tax Credit, de minimus safe-harbor election, and some cool cities in Spain come to mind…)

Thank you for the learning opportunity!

Fulfillment

If there was one thing in life that I’ve probably enjoyed more than any other, it is learning.

That is, until I started sharing what I’ve learned.

It’s nice to wake up to emails of gratitude from friends around the globe.

Expression

Blogging is a medium available to everyone. It is a means of self-expression where anyone with an idea can reach an audience the size of the world.

A few bloggers are experts in their field, and people come to them in search of knowledge. Others are funny, charming, artfully expressive… and people come to them to feel alive and inspired. Some are contentious and loud, others are warm and calm.

No two people will share ideas the same way or appeal to the same audience, but all can find value.

vangoghquoteThere are also more practical reasons for blogging:

Income

The costs of blogging are low, so it takes little to go from zero to profit.

For less than the cost of a monthly latte and the laptop you already own, you can host your very own income producing site. We went from zero to nearly paying all of our bills in just 2.5 years.

For early retirement minded people, a few extra bucks in the early years can help significantly with sequence of returns risk.

Taxes

Owning a business such as a blog provides some fun tax opportunities.

You can turn that laptop you already own and extra room in your house into tax deductions. If you happen to work a little business travel into your blogger lifestyle, travel expenses are tax deductible too.

As income increases, you can open a solo 401k (both Traditional and Roth varieties) to boost retirement savings. You could even hire your own kids, helping them pay for college while cutting your taxes.

Start a Blog

But that’s just me. Maybe you think nobody should blog… Wouldn’t that make a great blog post! ;)

If blogging sounds interesting, it only takes about 30 minutes to get started. My simple guide on how to start a blog walks you through the whole process.

Links in the start a blog guide (and below) are affiliate links. If you click on a link and start a blog, we will get a commission. This is completely optional, but certainly appreciated.

Have a great day!

With gratitude,

Jeremy, Winnie, & Julian


Get started with blogging today!