Comments on: My Life As a “Preblogger”

By: Frugal Dad

Frugal Dad — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 02:14:33 +0000

@Curt: It’s a good question. Most probloggers I know have working spouses, so I suspect if their job becomes jeopardized, or they lose significant ad revenue from their blogs, then yes, they may have to find work elsewhere until things turn around.

By: Elias

Elias — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 00:54:07 +0000

That is an intense daily schedule…I am in a similar boat with finding time to dedicate to my blog (even though FinancePuzzle isn’t as big as FrugalDad)..

I think my schedule gets the best of me and I don’t post as often as I like, once every 3 days. I am sure I have something valuable to add but can’t carve out the time.

keep it up.

By: Curt

Curt — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 23:38:17 +0000

With the economy sinking, do you think some of the probloggers will have to get a job?

By: Frugal Dad

Frugal Dad — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 23:13:51 +0000

@Marci: You sound like my mom (and my wife!). I’m really hustling right now to boost my income, both at work and via blogging/writing, but when we hit debt freedom I plan to slow things down a bit. And don’t worry, I’ll always keep up with Frugal Dad because writing about finances has been therapeutic and kept me honest with my own finances.

Thanks for your support!

By: marci357

marci357 — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 22:31:48 +0000

Luv your blog but that schedule is not healthy for you…. spoken like the older Mom/Grammi that I am – you are not getting enough sleep!

This blog is one of my top 3…so hope you keep it up as I really enjoy it and all the comments the other readers leave.

By: Ron@TheWisdomJournal

Ron@TheWisdomJournal — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 21:38:25 +0000

It really is funny how our lives mirror each other. I’m to the same point as you on the “can’t stop because of the money” track but I’ve been somewhat hampered in my blogging because of work situations. Employers don’t seem to have any problem with someone taking smoke breaks, talking endlessly on the phone to friends or family, or working on a project that will not put a thin dime on the bottom line, but respond to one comment and you’re toast!

Blogging DOES take up a lot of time. Between idea generation, research, writing, SEO, picture hunting (the longest part of my writing), editing, proofreading, responding to comments, working with advertisers, the occasional technical blow-up, and testing that everything on the post works, you’re looking at several hours on each post. I add to that, managing 15 stores, business travel, 3 kids, a wife, starting a new PCA church, reading financial books, working at a job for 50 hours each week (with a boss who thinks it should be 100 ), writing a book, and just a little relaxation! Whew!

I love it though. If I was making enough from my blog to make the leap from pre to pro, it would be an easy choice.

By: Squawkfox

Squawkfox — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 20:37:23 +0000

There’s also all the technical considerations. Learning the blogging technology, building a better blog, and for some dealing with advertising. Personally, I found learning about feeds, RSS, Wordpress, plugins, spam, and hosting took some time and effort. Blogging is not easy and I have immense respect for any blogger, be it a pre or pro, who puts the time and effort in to run a wicked blog. Cheers!

By: Money Minder

Money Minder — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 17:09:58 +0000

As someone who enjoys your blog, I am glad you keep at it. Your schedule looks worrisome, though. Your a prime candidate for burn-out my friend! Take it easy.

By: Frugal Dad

Frugal Dad — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 16:25:31 +0000

@Matt: Instead of cutting articles here at Frugal Dad, I’ve decided to scale back on a number of another initiatives. I’m clearing the way for a big project next year while continuing my work here at Frugal Dad.

@Kim: Yes ma’am (son-speak!). I am getting back to the gym after work this week as a way to work off some stress, and I am looking forward to a slower pace over the holidays.

By: Matt @ Steadfast Finances

Matt @ Steadfast Finances — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 16:21:56 +0000

Intriguing post indeed. I also struggle scheduling time for blogging (not nearly as bad), but mainly b/c I’m glued to PC monitors for 12 hours each day and I’m reluctant to spend any more time in front of them than required.

Then again, my blog isn’t a money making entity just yet, but I’ve purposely designed it this way to determine if I WANT to keep blogging instead of being forced to do it for other reasons.

I like your blog, so I hope to see you find a suitable compromise… maybe cutting back to 1 article every 2 days?