Are Advertising Revenue and Return on Investment on a Financial Blog like MoneyGlider Worthwhile?

When I first started this blog, a bunch of other blogs seemed to be doing really well.  So, I assumed I could maybe grow an audience by writing topical, intelligent articles.  From that audience, ad revenue was intially expected to be minimal.  This was more of an experiment to see how many active users would join.  I found that this website didn't really garner much attention or users.  Even more pitifully, the ad revenue was something on the order of pennies.  Granted, some of the lackluster engagement is due to the frequency and quantity of articles.  

I like this blog though.  I had never tried something like this before and it taught me some website challenges.   Although this blogger site is pretty simple, setting up a website, socials, logins, and connections can be tedious.  Monitoring, Driving, and Keeping traffic is really difficult to quantify when the user base and advertising budget is practically nil.  I'm keeping this blog.  And I'll continue to keep it.  It's a reminder.

When I started this blog, I was working as a Project Engineer for NASA's Johnson Space Center.  I split my skills between hardware, firmware, and software engineering.  Over my ten year NASA career, Pay raises were consistently in the 2-5% range with a solid 20% raise a few years into it.  For a good time after that big raise, I was driven and content.  The world seemed fruitful and I was in command.  Over time, the road became predictable and mundane.  The salary reverted back to somewhat average.  I could have very easily rode into a retirement sunset in my 50s with my NASA job.  I had the spreadsheets to prove it, even as my raises began to sour.  

This blog is a symbol of my drive to do more and create.  Because of this blog I started eventually three different businesses to attempt to generate other sources of income.  I didn't expect those business to make much money.  I also didn't expect to gain skillsets in the way that I have.  In a three year span since NASA, I've switched jobs three times while becoming a patented and Professional Licensed Engineer.  My salary increased dramatically and the challeneges, while stressful, are worthwhile endeavours.  

If you are starting out, pick a target, pick multiple targets, and invest in yourself.  At a certain point, you will break out of your cycle in a good way.  You'll be surprised that some pieces aren't that difficult and that your experiences clear your vision.  In the simplest terms possible, I've always tried to create.  Don't give up on creation.  The possibilites keep you alive.  And in retrospect, never starting is more painful then failing to succeed.  None of my ventures have made money, but I'm glad I tried.

So, Are Advertising Revenue and Return on Investment on a Financial Blog like MoneyGlider Worthwhile?  This blog made almost nothing and the time I spent on it could have made real dollars, but I'm searching for something different.  I'm going to be updating this blog as a milestone for where I am in life right now if I can find the time and if Google doesn't shut down Blogger.  Hopefully, it gives me a little piece of zen and nostalgia as I reflect on the past few years.

Cheers,

Dan

If you would like to see my other, public attempts at starting something, here are my other websites:

A Podcast, The UnPanderers, with my Best Bud, Nick, intended to pass the time with interesting, lengthy topics: www.UnPanderers.com
Yet another Podcast, Predators Podcast, intended to be less attention heavy and faster paced: www.PredPod.com
My Engineering Firm, Build Ember, that hasn't taken on a single client yet: www.BuildEmber.com

Vacations

Everyone has a different financial situation.  In my case, my wife and I both live far away from our families.  As such, almost every year we spend nearly $1,000 on flights to and from our relatives.  As our family grows, so does the heartburn spending $2,000 for a week-long trip.  We wish the situation was different, but we have no control over where we can work or where others' live.  Here are some travel hacks that most frugalites use.

Expenses - Let's talk about the expenses for a week of vacation.  First, the flights around the holidays are about $400 round trip.  A rental car can be about $20- 30 per day.  We have two dogs, so a kennel or dog sitter can be $20-30 per day.  For two adults, that's $800 + $140 + $140 totaling $1080.  For a family of four, the total would be about $1880.  If we were to stay in a hotel, we'd be adding at least another $400 - $700.

Distance - Live close or really far away to/from your family.  If our families lived across town, I wouldn't be writing this article.  We'd lose, at most, a half tank of gas and one vacation day in that situation.  That'd be easy.  If they lived an ocean away, we'd spread out the trips and make it a real vacation by adding in extra cities and sights.  Since they live one direct flight away, we try to make one vacation a year.  While the kids are under two years old, flights are free for them.  As they age, we'll have to readjust the frequency of our trips.  [Story about expenses with no family or live near or live-in family]  Driving is a less costly, but time-consuming option.  For our situation, that'd be about 1,400 miles and an extra day of travel each way.  The savings stars to make sense with a family of four as this option would cost at most about $250 in gas and $150 on a hotel.  Traveling for an extra day and saving $400 does not make sense at our current salaries.  The extra day equates to an hourly rate of about $25 an hour ($400/16 hours).  With a family of four, saving $1200 does start to make sense as $75 an hour is far more than we make now.  Plus, we wouldn't have to rent a car or lug our luggage through an airport.

Transportation - We're lucky here as family usually picks us up and drops us off at the airport.  They will also let us borrow a car.  If you aren't so fortunate, rental companies often have member benefits for free days and upgrades.  We've also used corporate benefits through our companies and relatives to get these member perks without the membership hassle.

Credit Cards - We  make use of travel credit cards.  One major hub of Southwest is about a 20 minute drive, so we both use a Southwest Credit Card.  We pay for our flights using the card about make the rare purchase with it.  About every third flight is free with points and that helps a bunch.  For larger, pre-planned vacations abroad, we plan with a specific airline and build up miles ahead of time.  We pay property taxes using a couple of these cards and, usually, the flights are fully paid.  [Housing expense / property tax story]  The same can be done with hotel points and other rewards.  [Credit Card Rewards Story]

House and Dog Sitting - A long time ago, we would drop our two dogs off at a kennel for $43 a day.  After a few trips, we decided to have a couple dog sitters come to the house instead.  They charged $36 a day.  The dogs stayed in a comfortable locations, someone was checking on our house, and we avoided adding 30 minutes of travel on our already heavy travel days.  The downside eventually hit us though.  The sitters weren't very punctual and a dog became ill.  We came home to fecal explosions all over the house.  The best option took awhile mainly because we're both independent and antisocial.  We eventually made friend with a few neighbors who have pets.  We trade pet sitting duties, save money, and trust each other.  We should've been more friendly early-on as the benefits of having trusted friends nearby are huge.  [Support network][Emergencies]

Thanks,
Dan

Money Spent on Lunch

The best way to save money on weekday work lunch is to mass prepare everything.  Inexpensive ingredients can be combined into meals which can be frozen and taken when needed.  This is a great idea because the cost and time per meal is extremely low.  Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, lentil soup, and salads are all quick and easy.   I'd like to recommend that you do this, but I can't.  I have never done this and here's why.

In grade school, my mom would pack the same five or so lunches and send me on my way.  Ham and cheese or Lunchables with a couple snacks were mainstays.  I'm not complaining, that was a full meal and I never went hungry.  In college, Ramen, PB&J, and Granola Bars were a staple of my diet.  Now, I'm repelled from those foods.  They just don't elicit any desire to be eaten.  Eat something long enough and you'll grow to hate it.  This tends to happen to a lot of the mega-ultra-family pack purchases at discount wholesale stores like Costco, Sams, and BJs.  I'll buy a mega pack and wear myself out eating the same thing over and over.  Monotony is a struggle.  My co-workers bring brown bag lunches everyday and I'm a bit amazed at their resolve.

As with most things, moderation is key.  I'm not a mega ultra saver on lunch, but my wife and I do make mega portioned meals on Sunday.  We pack an extra few lunches for later in the week and save a bit that way.  Plus, the healthy and nutritional aspect of home cooked meal helps to balance out our other unhealthy eating habits.  The money saving aspect is only slightly influential in my food choices.  Compare the inexpensive lunch to eating out and you can save $5 per day or more than $1,250 a year.  Personally, I budget and spend about $8 per work lunch, which equates to about $2,000 a year.  That is a little painful to type, but this is my luxury item.  I bargain with myself by declining unnecessary extras such as soda, chips, and sweets on a regular basis.  The dollar saved sates my inner accountant.  This also sates my inner athlete and health-nut who is buried somewhere deep inside.  [Story about health and medical costs.]

I find the time spent lunching is more valuable to me than the dollars spent.  Here's a flowery and wistful view.  Lunch is a restorative time when you can get away and breathe fresh air in a peaceful, meditative trance.  All my bitterness subsides and I exhale a deep, easy breath.  While that isn't always the case, it does occur and is sometimes needed.  That time when no one needs me can be the best part of my day.  In contrast, the social lunch is the more important part.  Friends keep you mentally and emotionally stable.  Friends are crucial to enjoyment and career growth.  The information gained about your sphere of influence, upcoming possibilities, and new technologies will be the hammer you use to drive the nail into the rat race.  You'll gain a better understanding of your options, where you stand, and when to make moves.  More than once, this has helped me pull away from life's habitual periscope and open up my peripheral vision.

The emotional side of money is rarely discussed.  Losing $5 a day on lunch may be worth it.  Evaluate the importance levied your luxuries.    [Story about Consumerism & Luxury Items]  Manage your self alongside your finances.  Mental and emotional health matters.  Breaking for lunch allowed me to start new endeavors and find enjoyable hobbies.  Money Glider began as an idea during lunch.  Do you think it was worth it?

Thanks,
Dan