Five of My Favorite Blogs

I had heard of Blogs for a few years but hadn’t allowed myself the time to check any out, until last year.  Wow, did I penalize myself.  I’ve let a bit too much time go by without learning what I have from a number that I have read.

To cut to the chase, here’s 5 of my favorite blogs.  This list is not all inclusive, so I’ll be adding more in the future.

Michael Hyatt

Michael Hyatt began blogging when he worked in the publishing business, blogging about publishing.  Luckily Michael diversified.  If he hadn’t I probably wouldn’t have found his blog, and if I had I probably wouldn’t have read it.  (I’m not a publishing guy.)  Michael covers all kinds of topics in his blog.  One of my favorite posts is HOW TO BECOME YOUR SPOUSE’S BEST FRIEND – 3 Straightforward Steps to a Relationship that Lasts.  My wife and I have been married 35 years now, and we’ve had some ups and downs.  Michael’s post gave me some insight to help improve my role in our marriage.  Michae’s podcast, This Is Your Life, is also one of my favorites.

Financially Blonde

Shannon McLay, the founder of Financially Blonde, was a Financial Professional who decided that stepping out on her own would better allow her to serve folks as she felt best.  A previous firm of employment focused on assisting investors that had quite the portfolio.  Shannon felt that everybody needed support, thus, Financially Blonde, and her company The Financial Gym were launched.  Shannon’s post Millennials, do you need life insurance?  Maybe not clearly explains who needs life insurance and why.  I also enjoy Shannon’s podcast Martinis and Your Money, which is not only informative but also entertaining.

Budget and the Beach

Budget and the Beach’s founder, Tonya, went through some financially rough times.  She started her blog as a way to hold herself accountable for her finances.  During her stint as a Freelance Writer, she found herself financially burdened as she was living above her means, and spending without a budget.  Tonya’s post FiFlex: Financial Flexibility hits home for me, as it speaks of mine and my wife’s current financial position.  We’re both retired, in our mid-fifties, and have the flexibility of not having to work.  We don’t have unlimited spending money, but we’re in a good spot.  I’ve recently discovered Tonya’s BATB TV channel on YouTube.  So, far I’ve only viewed a couple of episodes, but you can bet I’ll be checking out more.

Debt Discipline

Debt Discipline, founded by Brian, tells of his family of five’s journey out from under $109,000 worth of debt.  Brian and his family wanted to take a vacation but found that they were totally maxed out; no credit, no cash, no vacation. Fast forward to September of 2014, Brian’s family had chipped away at that mountain of debt, becoming debt free.  I really relate to Brian’s blog, as Brian reminds me a bit of myself.  He shares the same passion for educating the school-aged and young adults.  Brian’s shared that his folks didn’t discuss financial stuff with him, same as my folks. Being a visually oriented kind of guy, I enjoy the Info-graphics that Brian uses, such as the ones found in his post Debt is a Four-Letter Word.

Life and My Finances

Derek Sall, founder of Life and My finances earned his BBA in Finance in 2008 and followed that up a few years later with his Masters of Business in 2014.  When he started Life and My Finances he was married and $18,000 in debt. He paid off the debt in 14 months, but then his wife left him.  He bounced back and worked to becoming totally debt free.  He’s mission is to help others with their finances.

Before retiring I was a high school and junior college counselor, and as a high school counselor, I was dumb. I promoted student loans as a way to finance college.  “You’d borrow to buy a car right?  Why not borrow to pay for something that will bring you money?”  Yeah, I was stupid.  Luckily, by the time I became a college counselor I had learned better.  Derek’s post How to Get Through College Without Debt hits home by sharing ways to pay for college, without ever going into debt.

So, how did I find these blogs?  I found a number of them through posts on Rockstar Finance, as well as blogs listed there.  Now, these five are not my top 5 favorites, just five that came to mind in this sitting.  Like J. Money of Rockstar finance, I can’t focus on a post for long, so I figured that 5 would work.  BTW- I’ll share J. Money’s Budgets are Sexy in my next list of favorite blogs.

How about you, what are some of your favorite blogs?  Please share the love, so that others can benefit too!