That’s it. I’m done. My work at the family box factory is officially over. For better or worse, I am now a full-time writer. (More on this later in the weekend.)
It’s going to take me a couple weeks to catch up with all the things I’ve been neglecting around here, but by the beginning of April, I should have developed some sort of routine. One of my objectives is to devote more attention to reader requests. I enjoy researching the topics you suggest. I also hope to conduct more interviews, and to provide more frequent book reviews. And, of course, I’ll devote time to finding ways to save and make money.
As a launching point, I’m opening the floor to you to suggest topics for future articles. If there’s something you’d like to write about, please leave a comment here. If there are topcis you’d like to see covered, now’s the time to mention it. Feel free to tell me what you’d like to see less of, too. Lastly, if you have a question for a future “Ask the Readers” installment, this is a good place to share it.
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I’d really like to see an article about health insurance for people who are self employed, freelancers, or own a small business. It’s the #1 reason why I am scared to leave my corporate job.
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Ooo – escapee took my answer. I would echo those sentiments word for word.
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Congrats on going full-time with GRS! I’ve been an avid fan of this site for some time, and it’s been a major help in my becoming debt-free.
I’d like to know more about what people are doing differently after they’ve eliminated all debt. In particular, are they going back to school, starting their own businesses, etc? If they’re going back to school, how will an advanced degree help them going forward?
I’m considering going back for my MBA, but I’m unsure how it will help my career (besides just being fun to be back in school). I guess I’d just like to know more about what others are doing after they’ve met their goals.
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No real request, but congrats JD! That’s awesome! I’m sure you’ll be able to make this site even better now!
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Congratulations on going to full time writing’s. I recently found your site about a month ago and get get enough of it.
Thanks for all the information.
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Yes… I’d like to suggest:
How people who are frozen in fear about money, can learn to begin their journey; ie: “a journey of self-efficacy”. I have heard that one reason people don’t make beneficial dents in their financial issues is because it’s too frightening to undertake’.
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The joys of being a professional writer! I enjoy it quite a bit. Congrats on taking this big step!
As for me, I’d like to see a little more on long-term, practical investments.
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And congrats, JD!
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I would like to have more information on dealing with low credit scores. Best of luck in your new career, we are already lucky by having you.
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Just wanted to say congrats J.D. Not many people have the opportunity (or the guts) to pursue their dreams full time. Good for you and the best of luck.
FT
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How about something on creative ways to find a job (especially for liberal arts types) in a tough economy? You may have already covered this, so I’ll take a look, but it never hurts to rehash it again! Thanks and congratulations.
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What a great feeling, you are in charge of your destiny.
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Awesome JD, thanks for inspiring us to follow our dreams.
I’ve had something nagging me lately that I think would make a good Ask the Readers segment. I’ve been doing awesome with personal finance since I began to take it seriously 3 years ago. I got jump started by reading Your money or your life. It was the gateway book led to many others I’ve since read in the genre.
My issue is with the save now spend later mentality, versus save now spend now on experiences I won’t be able to have when I’m older. My friends have recently dropped $2-3K on trips to Asia, scuba in the islands, European vacations, etc. I’ve done traveling in the past and enjoyed it, but I haven’t done any in the last few years and don’t miss it much. Should I feel bad that I’m not participating in these experiences now. I tell myself that I’ll have plenty of time to do this when I’m older but they raise a few good points. When I’m older I may not be in as good health, or otherwise physically able to participate in many of these activities. Participating in these experiences now means I’ll have the experience to draw on for the rest of my life, and it will enrich me and make me more worldly. The other side of the debate, the one I’m currently on, is getting over the reluctance to drop this kind of money on a 10-day trip annually. Even if I know I’d enjoy the trip, I’m going to feel guilty spending all that money that I know will bring me closer to my goal of financial freedom (the crossover point from ymoyl).
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I’d like to know more about the following topics:
1. Investment properties: how-to’s, pitfalls, pros and cons. I own a condo that I might like to keep and rent out someday, when I’m ready to buy a house…but I know I won’t get the same tax benefits once it’s not a primary residence. Just curious to hear more from people who do this successfully.
2. Similar to Wesley, above — would love recommendations from people who have “made it” (out of debt, earning more than they spend) — where do they invest their money, what could I be doing now (in my 30s) that could have huge benefits later on? I’m talking about advice beyond saving money, having an emergency fund, contributing to a 401(k)…once you’re doing all of that, what is the next step, big or small?
3. Couples and finances. I’d like to hear more from couples who merge finances, or keep everything separate, or anything in between. Also, how do couples resolve financial disagreements, especially when they don’t earn the same income? And do they split all costs 50/50, or contribute the same % amount of each salary to the household? I’m not looking for the “right” answer, just more information.
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I submitted a guest post awhile ago and it’s ok if you don’t want to use it, but I think some people might be interested in commuter relationships and/or marriages.
Congrats on your new gig. Is this sooner than expected?
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Congrats on going full time. I would like to learn more about annuities. I know very little about them and from what I hear they are very confusing. I think that would be a good post for a lot of people.
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This is an odd request, considering that you’ve become a full time “writer”…but I’d like to hear a Get Rich Slowly podcast.
Here’s my line of thinking: The average person can only read so many posts per day. In my RSS reading I’ve noticed that as soon as blogs start increasing their output, I slowly become overwhelmed, and my reading of that blog declines…or even stops if it becomes too much. Also, reading requires 100% of my attention, whereas I can work while listening to a podcast (and commuters can drive, for that matter).
Anyways, just a wish…maybe it would be something worth experimenting with, right?
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Good for you, JD! Hope things go well!
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I’d like to see categories set up, where some advice can be designated for beginners. I love reading the site, but I’m a COMPLETE novice. Having a beginner, baby-steps area would bomb-diggity.
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I would like to see more articles on finances related to students and travel. Also, some investment strategies for students would be nice!
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We love you, J.D.!!!!!!!
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I’d like to see less of the “how not to fall for advertising” segments. They come across as very anti-corporate, which is a tired sentiment.
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@Roger
A beginners’ area is a great idea.
@Don
I have no intention to increase the current output. Currently my schedule is this:
* one major post every weekday morning
* a minor post every weekend morning and on most weekday afternoons
* a links post 2-3 evenings per week
Instead, I hope to focus on increasing quality. I really want to learn more about personal finance so that I can write more intelligently about the subject. (At the same time, though, I don’t want to become some financial wonk. Those guys bore me to tears. If I become one of those guys, I’ll be mortified.)
A podcast is definitely one of the things I plan to do in the future. It’s on the list of things to do, and I have several enthusiastic readers hoping to help me along.
@Moneymonk
Yes, it feels great to be in charge of my destiny, but it scares the hell out of me, too…
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JD,
We can take your moneyhacks section and turn it into the GRS begineer’s primer.
Also, the podcasts will be excellent.
I’d like to know what folks might want more from the forums and such there.
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Congrats! you’re an inspiration.
1) How to apply GTD & tim ferris’ 4HWW’s principals to personal finance.
2) Money Makeovers (Money Makeover Mondays?)
3) Like the others above, I really, really, really want to know how others live after they’re debt free. I know I’m supposed to visualize my goal (for ex: how will I live in a post-debt state), but I’m having trouble with this. So I would love to see how others go about their day-to-day activities post-debt vs. pre-debt. what changed? I want to know everything about living a debt-free lifestyle. As a postdebtor, what snags did you hit? How is a post-debt reality different than what you expected during your pre-debt period? How do you raise your standard of living (with the money you were paying to debt) without slipping into your old ways and spending too much? etc. There is soooo little on the particulars of living a debt-free lifestyle on the web.
Thank you for asking for our opinion!
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Congrats JD! Please keep letting us know how it’s going from your POV, too. I’ve been referring all “how do we deal with debt” questions to your site.
I echo the nomination of having health insurance without employer benefits, especially for people with pre-existing conditions and families.
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Congrats on becoming a full-time writer!
-What do you do when you are still in school and still accumulating debt?
-A post on self-control tips when it comes to impulse spending
-I love the posts where you include comments from your lovely wife. Her wit cracks me up.
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Congrats! I’m one of your international readers and like it when you highlight international PF blogs, perhaps you could have occasional compare and contrast posts, i.e. pensions options in UK/US/Canada, tax issues etc. I’m sure I’m not your only international reader and hopefully your American audience would be interested in learning about more about finance elsewhere.
I’ll keep reading regardless, of course!
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Congratulations! That is quite an achievement. Keep it up. I’m enjoying your site!
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Congrats JD!
I’ve enjoyed reading your posts for about half a year now. As a graduate student about to graduate this May, I have a few questions that I’d love to hear (or I guess read) you discuss. And, I apologize if you have addressed these in earlier posts (and I just haven’t found them in the archives yet – ha!).
“When I graduate, what’s the best thing to do with my money from my first job while still enjoy my new freedom from school?”
“What are the top 5-10 books to read about money? What are the top 5-10 books that you recommend for reading which are NOT about money?”
“How do I take advantage of economic trends (especially with stocks a lot cheaper right now)? Should I go for this strategy or stick to Index funds like you recommend?”
“Who are your personal inspirations outside of the net? (i.e. historical people, current leaders, family, friends?)”
“Should I support a presidential, mayoral, or any other type of candidate monetarily?”
Hopefully, this list isn’t a complete repeat of ideas presented by other people (sorry, I didn’t carefully read the rest of the comments).
Good luck with this new transition!
Matt
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I’d like to know about Exchange Traded Funds.
Right now, it’s a buzzword to me, and that’s all I know about it.
But, then, I haven’t done any research on them, either.
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Congratulations J.D.! Very motivational move
I’d like to know more about how people are managing credit card balances while getting out of debt. Do they do balance transfers? Would that hurt your credit score? Other type of debt consolidation? I’ve heard of prosper.com Any opinions on the site?
Thanks,
Charlotte
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Just adding my congratulations and good wishes on the job switch!
one angle on the “what happens after you’re debt free” topic might be some more pieces on how to define “enough” — i can’t remember if you have reviewed “the number” by Lee Eisenberg, which I think is pertinent to that, since for a lot of people getting out of debt is just step one to “feeling secure for life” and that seems to be a moving targe for a lot of people…
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Congratulations on taking a big leap!
I’m really interested in how a paper-free finance systems (ie, all online statements, online bill paying, etc) works in terms of long-term recordkeeping. My first career was in a bank, so I keep all paper for 7+ years. I’m a little afraid of letting go of my paper security blanket.
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JD:
One thing I’d like to see you explore are the ins-and-outs of finances and expatriation to another country (temporarily or permanently). I’ve got a goal of moving out of the US sometime in the next few years, which has made me start researching a whole host of questions for me such as:
– taking a student loan or other debts with you,
– getting credit (or not) in the new country,
– US vs. new country taxation,
– ways to find out what’s similar and different about their banking system,
– how to transfer your assets from the US to another country safely and legally
– what the heck to do about 401(k)s and IRAs
– what to know about Social Security and the expat
– what to expect in terms of the costs of moving and immigration fees
–financial pros and cons to seeking dual citizenship vs. renouncing US citizenship vs. just being a guest
etc.
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I’d actually like to see some better site navigation and archives categorization. Set it so that we can see/search posts by categories such as ‘Credit Cards’, ‘Investing’, ‘Book Reviews’, etc.
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Just wanted to chime in with my congrats, JD. The world will be better with more of your writing in it!
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Here goes:
Articles on happiness and positive thinking.
Books that changed your life.
Essays that changed your life.
How-to articles re: getting started in real-estate investing.
Ideas for entrepreneurship and home-based businesses.
Ideas for generating passive income,i.e., realistic “schemes”, hehe.
An interview w/ Kris.
SIMPLE, frugal meal ideas that anyone could make.
Articles on Eckhart Tolle and practicing the Power of Now in everyday life.
Stress reduction.
Videos, i.e., day-in-the-life type videos (just for fun
More motivational and personal development articles a la Zen Habits and Dumb Little Man.
The Meaning of Life.
At least one book review a week, even more would be better, tho.
You could do product reviews of what you consider to be all-around good products for us to use, “I really recommend The Hoover Vacuum Cleaner to my readers because blah blah blah.”
An *updated* list of the best web resources for PF and personal development.
Life-is-short type articles.
Ayn Rand.
A review of The E Myth Revisited, which is the *greatest* book ever written re: starting your own business.
Fiction reviews, like anything by Horatio Alger, Jr.
Biography and autobiography reviews of great men like Sam Walton, Andrew Carnegie, etc.
Salesmanship and guerrilla marketing.
Star Trek.
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Congratulations, JD. I know you’ve worked hard for this and that it is *VERY* scary.
I did the voluntarily-unemployed thing for a few years. Which is NOT the same as self-employed, but did involve the OMG I quit my job will I be okay?!? freakout, figuring out health insurance, and so on. So if you think it would help to talk, let me know.
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Oh yeah –
stuff on the ideas of Jean Baudrillard and Jean-Paul Sartre that pertain to PF.
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Also, one post that could sorta serve as a Unified Field Theory of *everything* that’s written about here on this blog, like a Theory of Everything PF kinda post. Leo sorta did this for his site, and I’m pretty sure it’s his most popular post ever:
http://zenhabits.net/2007/05/handbook-for-life-52-tips-for-happiness-and-productivity/
Can you tell I’m excited about you becoming a full-time blogger, J.D.? It’s like the best literary news out there right now!!
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Congratulations and welcome to the world of the self employed. I did it six years ago and wished I had done it sooner. As far as future topics…..I like to see some discussion regarding budgeting and managing cash flow when self employed. I am an architect with a small business here in Portland and trying to become debt free is tough when my receivables in any given month fluctuates, depending on the work flow that I have. Any ideas on how others stabilized the cash flow in their businesses would certainly interest me.
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Congratulations on finally stepping out.
I’m still looking for an article on pre-nuptial agreements. I think it’s VERY important to look at when it comes to finances, but I’m too lazy to find out information on it myself, plus, a lot of the readers will probably have input on the topic.
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I second the “money makeover” idea… Basically on a weekly or monthly basis, someone agrees to lay it all out for you to analyze… bonus for not having the same situations , to show the different ways that someone can get into debt (ie over use of credit cards, medical bills, education that maybe isn’t paying off, ways you can end up owing taxes).
Comparison of some of the options of health insurance out there (stuff like MyBlue, or whatever it’s called) offered as a low cost insurance for young adults/people between jobs/etc, and what kind of coverage it really is. (Or at least an explainer of different terms, I’ve taken a college class on health insurance and it can be pretty crazy to understand even after that.)
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My dream is to take a 6 month to one year hiatus to travel the world. I’m currently in my mid 30s. I want to travel while I’m still young and really able to enjoy myself. I have often heard about people traveling the world but I never could figure out how they were able to afford it. Yes, the guy who wrote the book 4 Hour Work Week discusses this and that’s fine, but I would really like to hear from a real person who didn’t attend a Ivy League School or is a trust fund baby. It would be great if you could interview a few regular, everyday people who have done this.
Thanks in advance for your help.
P.S. I have really enjoyed reading your blog. Also, Big Congrats on leaving the cube farm.
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Well, first,
Congrats on the major shift from the “boxing industry” to being a full time writer.
I will be enjoying vicariously your new career.
Actually I am working myself on becoming a educational/information product producer.
So watching is you is to a degree, watching myself in the becoming.
I would welcome any blogs or opinions about your personal/mental states as you are entering the new direction.
Thanks
Rob
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I don’t have any suggestions right now, but I want to say congrats on becoming a full time blogger! All the best!
Peace.
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I would love to learn more about ways to help my parents financially as they grow older. Love the blog, thanks for all the great information!
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Congrats JD! I second the request to see an article about the save now/spend later way of thinking. I’m on the opposite side from the person who suggested this. I have traveled a little in the past before I started digging out of debt and I DO miss it. The argument is true that by the time I have the money to go places, I’ll be to old to enjoy it fully.
I know that we should save for small things while working out our long term goals, but I guess I’d like to see something about striking a balance between the two. How do we calculate how much money we can spend for travel/fun etc??
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I’ll continue the standing ovation! You’re doing what every person with a blog only dreams of doing.
My suggestion: Any non-obvious tips on how to survive the current recession? It’s obviously only going to get worse, and possibly much, much worse.
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