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Archives for July 2013

Top Frugal Articles Of The Week (7/6/13)

By Frugaling 2 Comments

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I’m reading about personal finance and frugality all the time on this journey to a debt-free life. Finding new content and approaches to frugal questions and budgeting issues is one of my favorite things to do. Every week, I want to share with you the top frugal articles. This is a collection and brief summary of what I found this week:

  1. Can I go on summer vacation if I’m still in debt? by Dimespring/Frugal Rules
    Frugal Rules tackles a tough question for college students with debt: Can you afford a vacation? Running up credit cards is something that John experienced throughout college. In this short read, he looks to some key questions to save money, and perhaps, whether you should even take that vacation. Maybe you can take a staycation?
  2. Are Americans saving enough? Heck no! by Student Debt Survivor
    The Student Debt Survivor featured this guest post on whether Americans are saving enough. The terrifying statistics suggest that 76% live paycheck to paycheck, while median income averages have declined. In an enlightening and wise line, the author asserts, “It’s hard to be happy and emotionally secure when you’re financially insecure.” Following a budget and beginning to save takes a serious gut-check, and this article is the perfect start.

  3. The real normal by The Simple Dollar
    Sometimes there can be internal and external pressures based off of what’s “normal.” The normal life, car, and family all can add to a stressful and poorly budgeted life. Perhaps we should redefine normal for ourselves? Perhaps we can make a new normal. As Trent, from The Simple Dollar, says, nothing on TV or in advertising is normal. That’s an ideal that’s manufactured for spending.
  4. 4 great ways to invest in yourself to achieve financial independence this independence day by PTMoney
    Don’t let the deceptively long title fool you! These are four terrific ways to become financially independent. This past week we celebrated July 4th. Independence day is foundational holiday for Americans, but it can also be a rebirth for the financially unfit. Perhaps it’s time to take back the reins and get out of debt? The key: invest in yourself.

Read last week’s top frugal articles.

If you’d like to see your article featured here, contact me. But, I’ll only be sharing the top frugal articles each week!

Filed Under: Make Money

Two Months of Frugaling: A Reflection

By Frugaling 10 Comments

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Two months since I was asked how much debt I have, and felt the pain of excess.

Related: One Month of Blogging: A Reflection

Happy 4th of July everybody!

It’s been two months since I started frugaling.org. Two months since I was asked how much debt I have, and felt the pain of excess. In this time, I published 44 articles and received close to 30,000 visitors.

Each month, my Mint.com monthly budgets became more balanced and less negative. There was an exciting, positive trend. Since I started the site, I eat out far less and shop for healthy, frugal, and affordable staples. I’ve cooked and stayed in more; perhaps, to the detriment of some social time.

My credit cards carry no balance month-to-month and the revolving debt is shrinking each time. I cut out most of the extras, and I’m down to basics. Surprisingly, I’m enjoying it and reveling in the test. But when I fail, there’s fear and guilt. It seems unfair to feel these repercussions when I’m generally succeeding.

The site helps keep me focused with the continual goal of self-reflection and education. When I’m struggling to stop spending or feel truly inspired, this site has become a hub for growth. I can only hope that that is shared in the readership.

Major highlights this month:

  • 20 Published Articles
    • Sometimes this required significant patience. Sometimes I was lost and didn’t know what to say. But, I truly made it a priority to write and reflect on my journey. In the end, I was able to break through any barriers of writer’s block and continue sharing.
    • This month I began to outline articles and format them for easier web viewing.
  • Support From The Personal Finance Community
    • I was continually humbled by the support of the Yakezie community. When the going got tough, other personal finance bloggers supported my efforts and offered tremendous advice.
    • Sharing on Twitter grew and people began to follow my account: frugalingorg.
  • Google AdSense Revenue Grew
    • While modest, AdSense revenue grew from $11.67 to $13.68.
    • I experimented with different advertising locations and formats this month.
    • I joined two affiliate programs, but I’m wary of developing serious conflicts of interest between helping people be frugal and making money.
  • Recorded 2,430 visitors in one day and 12,331 in the month
    • This shocked me, but after a popular article on freebies was shared on Reddit and up voted repeatedly, it was a sensational hit.
    • At times I had 60 to 70 people on the site – at one time!
    • Overall, I had over 4,000 more visitors this month.

Filed Under: Make Money Tagged With: frugaling

Wired Magazine is 40 Percent Ads

By Frugaling 7 Comments

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Read more about the consequences of advertising: Remove Ads for More Money, Health. Also, are you curious how much advertising is in Fortune Magazine?

Wired Magazine July IssueA deluge of subscriptions has hit my mailbox recently. Everything from Rolling Stone, Wired, ESPN, and the Wall Street Journal are being delivered daily and monthly. The best part? It’s all free. The worst part? These stalwarts of the news world have become magnets for advertising.

Today, I opened my mail and found a brand new copy of Wired Magazine. The July issue features a cover story on U.S. General Keith Alexander. The article is written by the brilliant James Bamford. He frequently covers stories on the NSA, and this article delivers. But like my experience with Fortune Magazine, it’s clear why they’re giving it away.

Advertising is the only thing keeping most news and media outlets alive. Subscription rates – at least to hardcopy products – have plummeted. Much like free newspapers rely on local advertisers to pay for the difference, Wired Magazine and periodicals like this are inserting more advertising space than ever. By giving away subscriptions, they can inflate their readership and draw in more exclusive advertising.

Without covers (back/front), Wired Magazine is 132 pages long.

52 pages are dedicated ads (not including partials).

The magazine is 40 percent advertising.

Being exposed to this amount of advertising can be dire to a frugal budget. Find out how you can take action.

Filed Under: Make Money

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