I started reading personal finance blogs while on maternity leave earlier this year; there wasn’t much to do while nursing a baby other than to read blogs on a handheld device. I devoured posts like a fat kid at a pie eating contest and would click on blogrolls to discover new material. I was fascinated with how people spend and managed their money, but the more I read personal finance blogs, the more I realized that I had a problem with them. Most of the ones I encountered fell into three categories: determined [to get out of debt] debtors, extreme savers, and savvy investors. I couldn’t relate.
“You should start a personal finance blog for all those out-of-debt shoe-and-travel-loving new-to-investing yuppies like me*!” I said to Daniel, who was the one who introduced me to this blogging niche. He smiled, nodded and moved on to the next conversation, which (in his defense) is generally what you do when you’re married to someone who pitches new ideas and proposes new projects on a daily basis.
After reading yet another article with tips on how to save money (don’t buy coffee at Starbucks, drive a used car, bring brown bag lunch, cut cable, slim down cell phone plan options), I turned to Daniel and said “I make my own coffee and lunch every day, never had cable, don’t own a cell phone, take the subway to work, but don’t know how to invest the savings in my RRSP. I don’t need tips on how to be responsible with my money; I need tips on how to be wise with it.”
I was looking for the blog that fit between the those blogging their way out of debt and those posting monthly dividend updates; between the extreme savers and big consumers (of the design and fashion variety that I usually read). I wanted a blog that provided practical lifestyle examples of how to achieve financial freedom while not sacrificing a certain standard of living (one with shoes and travel).
“You should start a personal finance blog,” I said to Daniel again, “you can write for all those out-of-debt shoe-and-travel-loving new-to-investing yuppies like me!” This time, as I explained where I was coming from, Daniel seriously considered it.
At the end of September Daniel and I started Urban Departures. It’s been a short but fun three months getting things started the day before the CPFC#13. We’ve given some insight into our spending habits, weighed in on some financial decisions and shared some of the things we’ve learned:
- Breakdown of our monthly budget
- Back to Basics with the RRSP and TFSA
- The Great Debate: Condos vs. Houses
- Why I Avoided Sales and Buy Retail
- Comparison of Chequing Accounts in Canada
We’d like to thank you (yay readers) for checking in with us. We look forward to learning new things, exploring new ideas and sharing them with you as we move into 2014. Happy new year!
* Since then, I’ve discovered many more PF blogs, many of which this out-of-debt- shoe-and-travel-loving, new-to-investing yuppy can relate to.
Photo Credit: The Paper Wall
Yay! Cheers to a new year! Looking forward to future posts!
Thanks Heather! Happy new year to you.
I read Save Spend Splurge, and so clicked across to your blog – you got me when you said you were an engineer. I’m a girl engineer too, and a blogger, so I feel this similarity of spirit (though no baby, I do bake and hope to craft more!) I’m a little over the ‘I’m getting out of debt’ blogs too, cause like you, I take my own lunch and don’t get starbucks every day (though… some days I’d like to do it everyday). I’ll have a poke around and see some of your other posts too!
xoxo 🙂
Sarah’s blog Live to List is also interesting in her attempt and quest to cut down on waste in her life.
Hi Sarah. Thanks for stopping by. Please do roam around!
Haha. I always feel an affinity to female engineer bloggers. There isn’t too many of us out there and we should stick together.
This is the point I’ve reached in my blogging too 🙂
I’m really trying to push people now, to get them to at least invest in index funds and not just stash cash. Plus talk about money in general and whatever I want to talk about HAHA.
Personally I prefer the “whatever I want to talk about” sprinkled with a a healthy dose of money talk… which is why I like your blog!
Pretty much all the PF blogs I read (which admittedly is not that many) fall into that middle ground. I’m really interested in personal stories (PEOPLE) not numbers, but I’m thrilled everytime I find another great personal blogger who also has an interest in money (but doesn’t rehash tired old topics that have been covered a zillion times). Personal journeys are what make blogs interesting and unique.
I’m interested in the personal stories. It’s what makes the blogger relatable and the blog interesting. Though, I do admit, I like numbers as well, but preferably supported with a story.