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Search Results for: stefanie

I Am Stefanie OConnell, Founder Of The Broke And Beautiful Life, And This Is How I Work

By Frugaling 15 Comments

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h5My grandparents were storytellers. I could sit down with any of them and become engrossed in their words. I loved their insight, experience, and thoughtfulness. That love of learning about others continues, and now I’ve been spending some time interviewing the best of the personal finance community (like the founders of Budgets Are Sexy and Modest Money).

Surprisingly, it’s a tight-knit group of writers and financial experts. Some are certified financial planners, while others (like me) are experts in another field. The latter feel like the Supermen of the personal finance world: regular employees by day, financial bloggers by night.

Today, I have the privilege of interviewing one of the top financial bloggers, Stefanie O’Connell from The Broke and Beautiful Life. Her work has been featured around the top personal finance sites, and even on Frugaling. Here’s my interview with her:

What inspired you to begin TheBrokeAndBeautifulLife.com?

Oh, lots of things:

  1. I spent the first several years of my acting career on tour where we would get a per diem for housing, food, and other day-to-day expenses. My goal was not only to live entirely off that modest allowance (rather than dipping into my salary), but also, to save as much of the per diem as possible. Unemployment is an inevitable reality in the acting world. Every job ends, I knew that going in, so I prepared accordingly. By implementing this strategy, I learned lots of ways to scrimp and save that I felt I should share.
  2. Some actors are terrible with their money. I knew it would make for an uncomfortable working environment if I walked up to them and told them they were being stupid with their spending, so I decided to write about it instead.
  3. I heard so many stories about actors in Broadway shows who were left with zero savings when the show closed because they had inflated their lifestyle so much during that time. (The minimum salary for an actor in a Broadway show is $1,807/week; yep, that’s some serious spending).

All in all, I just wanted to spread financial literacy in the acting community. If anyone needs to know how to budget well and make money last, it’s actors.

How did people (friends, family, etc.) react when you first started?

I’m not really sure. I think people may have been skeptical because they knew I was a “theatre person.” I don’t think anyone ever expected me to make a career writing about money.

What was your experience with design, code, web work prior to starting your site?

The Broke And Beautiful Life Screenshot Website
Screenshot of TheBrokeAndBeautifulLife.com

Zero! I started out on a free blogger template. After toying around with that for a year I decided to get a logo, hire a designer for the site, and setup self-hosting. As soon as I made that financial commitment to the blog, I suddenly felt committed to myself as a business owner–I needed to make the investment worthwhile.

What advice would you give to those thinking about starting their own site?

Two things:

  1. Define what you want from creating your own website. Are you looking to start a business? Are you looking to have a hobby? Do you want to use it as a portal to market yourself or your service? Are you looking to make a lot of money? Clarifying your goal for the site will help guide a lot of your initial decision making.
  2. Embrace your YOU. When I decided to transition to a self-hosted site, I hired a blog coach to help me figure out where I wanted to go with it. After talking to her for five minutes she said, “I’ve read through your entire site and I didn’t know until just now that you were an actor.” I had been afraid to pigeonhole myself and make myself irrelevant to non-artists, but the truth is, it’s my perspective and experience as an actor that sets me apart from all the other finance sites out there. Heck, that’s why I started writing in the first place!

How do you make money from your site?

While I make a fair amount of money blogging, it’s mostly from freelance writing (hire Stefanie!). My blog has served as a kind of active, online portfolio/resume to get me jobs writing for other websites.

Going forward, I’d like to generate more from the site itself through affiliate income and direct advertising. I’ve got a little bit of that going on now, but maximizing that earning potential is definitely my next big goal.

What do you think you’ve learned from your readers and fans?

I am a huge fan of alternative perspectives. Reading through the comments on each of my posts is always exciting and enlightening. I truly value the different opinions I come across, even when I don’t agree.

How can somebody in lower incomes best overcome financial hurdles and prosper?

Everybody has challenges, some of us more so than others, but the steps for overcoming them are universal: S.M.A.R.T. goals coupled with defined action steps. Chances are, you already know what you need to do, as Nike says, “just do it.”

Brooklyn-Bridge_Park-1

Who are your financial role models?

Honestly, it was Suze Orman who really got me interested in my finances. I read her book, The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous & Broke, and I was hooked; not necessarily because she had some life changing techniques or advice, but because I found her engaging and interesting. That’s what I hope to do with my blog, engage people enough that they want to take control and learn more.

What personal finance sites do you read?

I once tried making a list of all the blogs I read on a regular basis and it just got to be too long. Somewhere between 50-100 (maybe more), and they’re all fantastic in their own way.

What else would you care to share with the readers of Frugaling?

One of the big messages on my site, and one that you’ve undoubtedly heard before, is balance. I’m all about pursuing dreams, while earning income, saving for the future, and living in the present. You can have it all if you’re willing to prioritize. I don’t do the daily latte, but I’m going to Europe next month. It doesn’t feel like a sacrifice when you’re thinking about the big goals.

Want to read more interviews like this one? Read the entire interview series here!

Filed Under: Interviews Tagged With: Acting, blogger, broke and beautiful life, freelance, Marketing, money, New York City, NYC, Personal Finance, readers, site, Suze Orman, web, wordpress, writer

Announcing My First Book: “Frugaling: Save more, live well, give generously”

By Frugaling 20 Comments

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Frugal bike - Photo Stefano Montagner Flickr

After months of conversations, writing, editing, and preparation, I can officially announce the release of my first book, Frugaling: Save more, live well, give generously! You can pre-order it on Amazon and it’ll be automatically delivered to your Kindle or supported devices on August 24th.

Today, I want to talk about the reasons why I wrote this book, the process, and share some special bonuses.

About six months ago a well-respected writer and blogger took an hour of his time to talk with me. As we talked on the phone, I picked his brain about simple living and frugality. We saw eye to eye about the need for people to live minimally.

At the end of the talk he emphasized that I should write a book. Between flattery, confusion, ignorance, and gratitude, I hung up and froze in my chair. For years I had been writing, but doubted whether I was reaching anyone — whether my writing was any good. I had thought about writing a book, but inner insecurities prevailed and prevented me from writing one.

But here was someone I respected, and he was pushing me to publish. Something clicked. I realized that Frugaling was about more than personal finance, and I needed to compile that into a book.

Frugaling Book CoverWhen I started Frugaling, I knew about student loans and credit cards. I had lots of debt, and could share my desire to be done with it. In those early days, my articles felt like a reproduction of other personal finance gurus’ advice. The solutions were simplistic: create a budget, get a good credit card, and don’t eat out as much. They weren’t necessarily bad suggestions, but they seemed to miss perspective and depth.

Unfortunately, despite good intentions, many personal finance gurus were missing large populations in need of help. And I had simply joined the herd of regurgitators.

Then I had a comically simple epiphany: we are all individuals. One set of bullet points, “tips,” and “rules” won’t ever apply to everyone. And frankly, many financial gurus and “experts” are white and middle class or higher. Their experiences will likely differ significantly from various diverse groups and economic statuses. I wanted to reach a broader audience and speak to many pitfalls and problems that systematically prevent others from succeeding financially.

That revelation motivated different directions in my writing. Coupled with the inspiration from a respected author, I decided it was time to write and publish a book. Additionally, I wanted to make it affordable because ideas about personal finance, simple living, and minimalism should be accessible to all.

Using articles from Frugaling.org, new material, and a bold premise of reaching diverse audiences through personal finance, this first book will help readers build a foundation, philosophy, and resistance. Together, these sections aim to provide readers with a healthy dose of encouragement to live well on less. Let me explain what I mean.

Saving more, spending less, and preparing for the future are usually the first steps that people take to become more frugal. The foundation section provides an overview for why I decided to pursue frugality, new ways to pay off debt, and savings experiments that can be started today.

But saving money isn’t easy in a culture that idealizes consumption. Society tends to favor those with material wealth over inner health. As a consequence, frugality can be challenging and trying over longer periods. That’s why I added a section about the philosophy of frugality. If you’ve ever tried to save money, but wondered why you should, this part’s for you.

Armed with a strong foundation and philosophy for going frugal, the last section helps readers develop a resistance to advertising, marketing pressures, and the systemic problems that hold people back financially. I want readers to get upset with how we’re portrayed as mere consumers.

Now, I want to segue into some bonuses for readers today. Rather than have you wait for August 24th to begin reading, I want to share a couple parts from the book today! Click here to read the first few pages and introduction.

Here’s what people are saying about Frugaling:

“Sam provides a fresh perspective into the world of personal finance. In a world of copycat books almost entirely focused on earning more and spending less, Frugaling invites us to find freedom by thinking different about our finances, our lifestyles, and the world around us. It is a must-read.”

–Joshua Becker, BecomingMinimalist.com

“I’ve been following Sam’s website Frugaling for six months now, and it’s clear that he is passionate about questioning consumerism. The methods in which he communicates his message are crystal clear, and I look forward to reading his posts each day.”

–Brian Gardner, NoSidebar.com

“Sam is a refreshing voice in the world of finance. Super authentic and upbeat, and I always leave happier after reading his thoughts. It’s like having (home-made) coffee with a friend :)”

–J. Money, BudgetsAreSexy.com

“Sam is candid in sharing his experience paying off student debt while pursuing an intentional lifestyle. He combines storytelling and his unique Frugaling philosophy with smart, practical advice for young adults looking to pursue the lives they want instead of being trapped by debt.”

–Anthony Ongaro, BreakTheTwitch.com

“Sam’s work will both challenge and inspire you to rethink your relationship with money and the world as a whole – to live a fuller, richer and more meaningful life.”

–Stefanie O’Connell, TheBrokeAndBeautifulLife.com

“Sam writes with a genuine, thoughtful voice on topics of minimalism, frugality, and life improvement. He brings great insight to the issues he covers and challenges readers to question their own assumptions about our image-obsessed culture of endless consumption. A must-read for anyone grappling with the questions of what it means to chart a life that’s outside the ordinary and not focused on following the herd.”

–Mrs. FW, Frugalwoods.com

Frugaling Book review and cover

I want to say thank you to all of these authors for their praise, encouragement, and help along the way. Please visit and check out their sites. They’re all fantastic writers and evangelists for saving more, spending less, and living well.

Lastly, I want to say thanks to you! I really appreciate your readership and hope you’ll support me on this first book. Be sure to share it spread the word on Twitter (#savelivegive) and Facebook. If you’re an Amazon Prime and/or Kindle Unlimited customer, the book will be free for the first 90 days. Otherwise, the book is $2.99.

Click here to go to Amazon.com and pre-order today!

Your frugal friend,

Sam

Filed Under: Make Money Tagged With: book, Charity, Financial, Frugal, frugaling, give, Giving, live, Minimalism, money, Personal Finance, Save, savelivegive, saving

Frugal Articles of the Week

By Frugaling 5 Comments

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Reading Nook Photo

I’m back with another terrific group of articles! Hope you enjoy and share widely.

How We Pay Ourselves First by Our Next Life
I’m a big fan of budgets, but if you struggle to make or stick with them, there’s another way to stay frugal. The authors at Our Next Life propose “paying yourself” first. That means taking the money out of the bank account, and out of your hands before you have a chance to spend it. It’s a great psychological trick and well worth a read.

5 Awesome Dates That Won’t Break the Bank by Elliott Bailey
Frugal dating has sometimes been a struggle. I’m always open to new ways to save. Elliott Bailey may have come up with five of the most unique date ideas I’ve seen. And the best part? They’re all frugal friendly!

How Much Is Your Time Worth? by Stefanie O’Connell
Time equals money; at least, that’s the old adage. I’ve frequently thought about that and realized that my “worth” varies according to my work demands. If I have more free time, I’m less valuable. If you’re a freelancer, this is a great question to keep in mind.

Emotions and Food: How to Deal by Laurie
Vulnerability surrounding food decisions is exceptionally admirable. Laurie acknowledges a past of eating mistakes. Now, she’s turned a new leaf: eating well and staying frugal. Props to her and her family!

Filed Under: Save Money Tagged With: articles, Budget, Budgets, dates, dating, Food, Frugal, time, week

Frugal Articles of the Week

By Frugaling 3 Comments

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Reading Nook Photo

Every week I like to feature a few frugal articles that caught my eyes. Curl up in your favorite reading nook and enjoy. Hopefully these encourage you to live frugal lives!

What you don’t know about Internet algorithms is hurting you. (And you probably don’t know very much!) by Caitlin Dewey
The Internet tracks your every move. We know this already. What we didn’t know was just how powerful these tracking algorithms can be. When you visit one website and then go to another, numerous companies track and predict what you’ll ultimately like to buy, view, and share. Sometimes those algorithms go wild!

Why Judging People for Buying Unhealthy Food Is Classist by Wiley Reading
I have done this before, and it’s a big wake up call to anyone who criticizes other people’s dietary choices. When you judge someone for “choosing” less healthy food options, this might be a classist statement. Unfortunately, with global income and wealth inequality, people aren’t taught and don’t necessarily have the resources to “choose” better options.

“How in GOD’s NAME do you spend so little on food??” by J. Money
Over the last few months, I’ve been on an epic challenge to reduce my food and drink budget down to $200 per month. It used to be hundreds of dollars more than that every month. In this article, a family man asks how so many people have reduced their budgets, and what’s a reasonable amount to expect. Great article!

Broke with Privilege by Stefanie O’Connell
Stefanie’s one of my favorite personal finance writers. In this recent article, she talks about income disparity, poverty, and even privilege. I don’t want to ruin the article by explaining it here. Go read it NOW! 🙂

Filed Under: Save Money Tagged With: articles, Broke, Budget, Class, Food, Frugal, healthy, poverty, Privilege, week

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