Invest It Wisely

Maximizing your EV in life

Two Years of Blogging: My Thoughts, and an iPad 3 (The “New Ipad”) Giveaway + Other Great Prizes!

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Birthday cake. Source: (seen on multiple sites)My second blogversary is tomorrow, Thursday, the 29th of March. My very first post went live on March 29 two years ago. It has been quite an adventure since then, with many changes both in my personal life and in the online world! Here are some of the highlights:

  • I purchased a home with my girlfriend, and we moved in together.
  • I started taking my first Mandarin courses a bit more than two years ago. I’m now almost finished the whole program (30 credits!). On one hand, I could be halfway through an MBA or something like that. On the other hand, it was great learning a new language, even if I still have a long way to go. It wasn’t easy going through the program, but I enjoyed it.
  • Two years ago, I was in a bit of a rut at my job. Things were going well, but I had been doing the same thing for a while. Since then, I learned a great many new things, got promoted, and even mustered up the courage to take a leap into the world of self-employment.

It’s been a great adventure, and certainly one that I haven’t shared alone. I’ve enjoyed sharing the journey with you, my fellow reader. 20s Finances is asking us to share our advice and tips for newer bloggers out there, even though I still consider myself a young blogger. Here are my answers to some of the questions a lot of you may have:

Why did you start blogging?

At the time of my mild rut a couple years ago, I was debating if I should go back to school to pursue a CFA and MBA, and perhaps jump into the world of finance. I had done well in those classes at school, and I liked to compare different scenarios. My fellow colleague, Mich from Beating the Index, loved to talk about investing in oil & gas companies, as well as his daily battle to beat the index. I recommended he start an online journal to record his thoughts, and I decided to try the same to document my own thoughts and journey in personal finance. Back then, I didn’t know much about the blogging world or about other personal finance bloggers.

I’ve since learned that I’m not as much into the finer details of investing in stocks as my buddy is. I like seeing my money grow, but I prefer an approach based on index funds and following simple and sound strategies, such as spending a LOT less than you earn, and not getting ripped off by the banks.

I’m not sure if this blog succeeded in helping me pursue a CFA/MBA in the end. I’d like to pursue a master’s someday, but since it’s not cheap, I also need to look at the opportunity costs!

Where this blog really helped me the most is in forming new connections and learning new ideas. I have learned so much in this short span of time. Invest It Wisely is the main reason I was able to make my jump to full-time self-employment. It’s still too early to say where things will go, and I’ll be honest: I would have had a much more relaxed schedule had I stayed at the job. I also would have hated my job. It’s enjoyable to fight the storms and fight for your future, instead of letting it be dictated by what happens at your company and by the whims of your bosses!

I am also starting to write my first book and a major section of a second. Many of these doors have opened for me simply by being exposed to this world of opportunity. For that, I am again thankful to you, dear reader, for keeping me going through the thick and thin of it.

How long did it take you to earn $100?

Probably almost an entire year. I made very little money at all during my first year of blogging. Blogging doesn’t make a significant amount of money for me even today (far less than what I earned at my day job), but it helped me accumulate enough extra savings so that I could make the jump.

What is (at least) one thing you wish someone had told you before you started blogging?

Tough to say. However, something I highly recommend is regular backups, of both the database and of your files. This is doubly important if you don’t have your own hosting. Most importantly, breathe, and relax. Not always easy, I know, and I need to often take this advice myself, but the key to blogging is longevity and resilience, and you won’t get there if you’re always feeling stressed out.

Giveaway

On to the part I know you’re all waiting for. 🙂 To celebrate my second blogversary, I’m giving away over $1200 in prizes! There are three prizes to win in all:

  • Top prize: The new iPad 16GB with 4G + Wifi (value $649) . The new iPad has a high-res screen of 2048×1536, quad-core graphics, and long battery life. With the 4G connectivity, you’ll have access to high-speed internet wherever you are. I would love to get one for myself!
  • Follow-up prize: Simply Investing course (value $347). This course is a simply investing approach to value investing with a focus on dividends. Learn the same techniques used by successful investors like Warren Buffet and Benjamin Graham.  You can find out more at the Simply Investing course description.
  • Follow-up prize: Stock Trend Investing Gold Membership + $25 via Amazon (value $216). This membership will give you access to simple investment strategies and teach you how to analyze the market to grow your savings and net worth. You can learn more at the Stock Trend Investing website. There is also a $25 gift card via Amazon to make the prize even better.

Please note: This giveaway is open to legal participants in Canada and the U.S. only. Also, entries are only valid if they are new entries. For example, if you’re already subscribed by email, you can’t count that as an entry. You have to do something new.

Sponsors

Thank you very much to everyone who has kindly sponsored this giveaway!

Thank you all, for helping to make this giveaway possible! The contest is now closed; thanks for participating! See this page for the winners.

Listed on:

Contest Girl
Online Sweepstakes

Best of luck!

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Comments

    • Thanks, Jeffrey! I definitely need to do this. I have more posts on “becoming a freelancer” scheduled, and I need to write more about the personal side of things, too. Thanks for reminding me to do this.

    • Well to me it’s not good enough, but for a white guy it’s not bad at all! I can carry on a basic conversation, and write a basic letter, too. The only issue is cause of the nature of the language, if there’s a character I don’t know I just don’t know what it means. In most languages you work with a few letters so once you have a base you can derive from that. In Chinese, you have many more combinations of simple and compound characters, so it’s not quite the same.

      I am happy that I took these courses and it’s great to have that knowledge. I don’t want to stop here, and need to continue taking the next step.

  5. Nice job Kevin! Funny how quick the journey has been huh? I remember when you first started out and I wasn’t too far behind you either.

    It’s been great getting to know you through this time and I wish you the best.

    Lunch in Hawaii will be a blast!

    S

    • Thanks for the good wishes and support, Sam! Time is flying by and I’ll be there before I know it! I gotta catch up to you in that organic search. 😉

  7. Congrats on your anniversary! Thanks for the great giveaway, and the fantastic, informative website!

  9. I have often thought of starting a blog of my own so your thoughts on that were interesting to me, at this stage of my life with 3 kids almost ready to move out my financil questions all arise around how to help them through the college years

    • Starting a blog can be a good way to record your thoughts, share your experiences, and learn from others. You can always get started out at WordPress.com and later move on to your own hosting. Good luck with the kids!

  13. I’ve recently begun reading your blog more regularly (I’m a subscriber) and really enjoy the tips/advice/insight and book/product reviews. Congrats on a successful 2 years! I’m very much looking forward to seeing how things develop and learning more valuable investing and saving tips over year 3!

    • Welcome to the site! 🙂 I realized that I haven’t talked much about the different types of retirement accounts and the advantages / disadvantages of each, so that could be a good topic for the future.

    • It goes by fast. 🙂 It’s great to see so many blogs out there with great info to offer. Such a radical change from 5+ years ago…

  15. Congratulations on your Blog-a-versary! It is very cool to see some one making money this way. 🙂

  16. Ooooh, iPad 3…. (looks sheepishly at his iPad 2 and feels bad about already wanting to upgrade)

  18. I enjoy your writing style and the variety of posts you include in your blog. Keep it up! Congratulations on 2 years!

  19. I really enjoy reading what you already produce. Please don’t turn into another blog about how to make money blogging…

    • Hi Sophie,

      Haha, no worries. That won’t happen. I will have more posts about my new entrepreneurial life so hopefully that’s something that interests you. 🙂

  20. Congratulations on your anniversary Kevin. Enjoy your blog and looking forward to reading much more from you.

  23. Congrats!! Hmm what I’d like to see on Invest it Wisely?

    I’d like to see that I won the iPad3!!! (lol all joking aside— I like your introspective posts so keep up with those 🙂 )

    • Hahaha… I remember your very first comment was on one of my introspective posts, on a post that had a photo of a guy on a bike. That was a long time ago…

  25. Great job, two years of blogging I get tired of myself after 15 minutes.

    But I love the blogs give me lots of food for thought.

  26. Congrats on the anniversary!

    I’d love to learn mandarin, although I hear it’s really tough. I think in the future we Americans are going to have to get better at learning some of the key languages if we want to be competitive in business. Mandarine would be at the top of my list.

    • The reading / writing is the toughest. However, have no fear, I’m sure in 10 years tops translators will be powerful enough to allow a decent spoken conversation. In fact, I’m sure we’re not that far away from a Star Trek-style universal translator. 🙂

  30. Hola Kevin!

    I’d love to read more about the gritty feelings you have as you delve deeper and deeper into self-employment world. The fears, the joys, the finances, the unknowns. That’s the most exciting stuff as I, and many others probably want to do something similar eventually.

    Congrats!

    Sam

  32. Congratulations on 2 years, and on learning Mandarin, both are huge accomplishments! As others have mentioned I’d love to hear more about self employment- the good times and bad, things you have experienced that you couldn’t have imagined when you quit your job and how you dealt with them.

    • Thanks, Kari! I’ll have a post up on Monday that goes into more detail. I hope it’s entertaining and helpful 🙂

  33. Wow, I just found your blog (good timing)! I’m trying to learn Mandarin right now, too, so I’m inspired.

  34. Congrats on the 2 year mark!!! Would you considered get into real estate investing or it’s not where your interest lies?

    • Housing prices are so high in Canada right now, and with the rent laws, rights skewed toward tenants etc, it’s not something I’m too interested in. However, I did buy our condo with the intention of being able to rent it out should we want to, but if we did, it would not be a big return on investment.

      I hear that things are very different if you go south of the border, and there are a lot of great deals to be picked up right now. 🙂

  37. Congrats on the two years Kevin! Followed you here from youngandthrifty – look forward to reading your articles. Oh, and I suggest the MBA. 😉

    • Do you think it could even be worth it for a self-employed individual like myself, especially if I stay doing this for a few years or more?

  38. Congrats on the 2 years Kevin! Followed youngandthrifty here – look forward to reading your articles. Oh, and I recommend the MBA. 😉

  40. I’d love to read more about early retirement and different types of retirement investing (Roth IRA, ROTH 401(k), etc.).

  42. I would love to read more on where you think the economy REALLy is and where it’s going, depending on who is elected.

    Thanks for the giveaway and Happy Anniversary!

    • Now that is a tough one! Honestly I don’t think it matters all that much. If either Obama or Romney get elected it won’t make much of a difference; the only real change will be in which media outlets support the president and which ones are against him. 😉 If Ron Paul gets elected he will unfortunately have too many entrenched interests working against him to really make progress, and all of the media outlets will be against him, like they are today.

      I think the important point to remember is that every civilization rises and falls, but individuals can always do something to prepare themselves. As an individual, the best way to prepare IMO is to keep your personal debt low, have some hard assets like real estate & precious metals, and always retain an entrepreneurial mindset. There are a lot of good changes coming down the road, too, and small & nimble is the future.

Trackbacks

  1. […] Invest It Wisely is celebrating 2 years of blogging goodness and giving away a free ipad 3! Congrats Kevin! […]

  2. […] it Wisely is celebrating 2 years as a PF blogger and is giving away an iPad 3 (sponsored in part by yours truly!  I wonder if I can enter the contest […]

  4. […] you haven’t picked up your iPad (new, 3, whatever) yet, Invest it Wisely and a group of bloggers are having a […]

  6. […] Invest It Wisely is celebrating two years of blogging and is giving away some amazing prizes to celebrate, including an iPad 3! […]

  8. […] Two Years of Blogging: My Thoughts, and an iPad 3 (The “New Ipad”) Giveaway + Other Great Prizes… (Invest it Wisely) […]