As if you didn’t know already, we’re preparing to kick off the 2008 holiday season. This year really has seemed to fly by fast. I’m not sure where all the time went, but I know I’d like to have some of it back.
We’re now within a month of my first blogging anniversary. There were many times over the past year that I was within a thread of throwing in the towel and reclaiming some of my time, but I decided to keep going. Not only does this little project provide a little bit of helpful side income, it’s also taught me so much about my own finances. I can’t stop just yet, since I have so much left to learn.
But time is something that seems to be at a premium lately. Soon, our second child will be born and immediately my life will change all over again. The rhythm my family has developed over the last two years will be obsolete and we’ll have to start over from scratch. In many ways, I’m both looking forward and not looking forward to the birth of this new child. It sounds crass, but it’s a side-effect of the uncertainty of our future and a little bit of fear.
Time is a commodity that, once used, can never be reclaimed. It only makes sense, then, to make the best use of every moment possible. For me, reading and writing are becoming ever more valuable. I wish I could share everything that I read with you, but since all of us are short on time, here is a brief sampling of some of the articles I liked this week:
- Tips for working from home – Gather Little by Little
- DIY: Apple Sauce For Babies – BrokeFamily.com
- 100 Money Saving Tips for the Holiday Gifting Bonanza – Blueprint for Financial Prosperity
- Doubling The Mortgage Deduction to Help the Troubled Economy and Housing Market – MoneyNing
- Mutual Fund Investing That Costs Nothing, Nada, Zip (Free!) – The Dough Roller
- Targeted Retirement Funds Offer a (Nearly) Hands-Free Approach to Retirement Investing – Frugal Dad
- Seth Godin Tells Us To Quit! – My Super-Charged Life
- What If I Don’t WANT To Retire? – The Wisdom Journal
- Recession Proof Your Job – 4 Ways To Avoid The Pink Slip – Moolanomy
- The Benefits of a Cash Christmas – Being Frugal
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for the mention! And you are correct, when your second is born time will become a real commodity. It’s true what they say–one is one, and two is four! Regardless, congratulations on the second blessing that will soon enter your life! And an early congrats on reaching your first blog anniversary!
Caveman,
Happy soon to be 1st anniversary – keep going, it only gets better!
It sounds like you’ve been facing The Dip that I wrote about in my article. Quitting a blog is sometimes tempting, but as long as you have a good site that is growing, it is probably better to stick it out.
Thanks for the link love!
Jeff,
Thanks for the insight. I try not to quit on anything too early. I’ve already survived more than one small Dip. I’ve stuck with it so far because I see potential left – I just have to mine it properly.