Two Months of Frugaling: A Reflection

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.